neceffary and useful, and ought to be ap ply'd; as in the Cafe of thofe adult Persons, who had the Misfortune to be baptized, but not in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghosty or if in their Names, yet not in their Names as a Real, but a Nominal Trinity; as, Idfuppofe, the Bedellifts, who were a numerous Sect at the Restoration in fome Parts of the Nation, did, and the Socinians now do. Sir, be! lieve none of your Adverfaries will deny, but this Office is as proper for Adult Perfons fo unhappily baptized, as for Anabaptifts, or Convert Unbelievers: And if it be a Pro per Office for fuch as were baptized in that Manner, and in Parity of Reafon was in tended for them; why fhould it not be thought as proper for thofe, who were un happily baptized without a Lawful or Authorized Minister, (which the Church requires) and in Oppofition to the Church and her Ministry; as the pretended Minifters among the Presbyterians, as well as among the Independents and Anabaptifts do? If it fhould be faid, that People: baptized by Unlawful, or Unauthorized Minifters, are not mentioned with Anabaptifts, and Con verts to the Faith, in the Preface of the Church Transwer, that neither are the Quakers, &c. mention'd in it; nor indeed was it more needful to mention them there, than

C

than the Quakers and others I have mention'd: For all which the Office is proper and useful, and, in Parity of Reafon, may be apply'd to Perfons whofe firft Baptifm, fo called, is Null and Void, as well as to them. The Cafe of thefe, as well as thofe, did not lie before the Convocation; and happening torbe Cafus omiffi, the Church and the Clergy muft now proceed in them by Parity of Reafon; which, I think, puts those Adults, who only have had Null and Invalid Baptifm, in the fame Cafe with those who have None; that is, in the Cafe of Competent Catechumens, who ought to be baptized.

I fubmit thefe Obfervations to your Thoughts, and the Confideration of all who fhall read it; and if my Opinion as to this Office is wrong, I hope my Error is pardonable, because it is not hurtful to the Church, nor cafts the leaft Difhonour upon her Learned and Pious Bishops and Priefts, her Representatives, who made that Office, which before was wanting. What you fay a little before, concerning the Validity of Lay-Baptifm ; viz. "That the Learned Au

thor never defign'd, that any thing in "his Excellent Book fhould favour Lay "Baptifm, in Oppofition to the Sacerdotal "Power, is evidently true; becaufe it is plain from his Words, he means Lay-Bap

tifm

#ifm Adminiftred by Lay-Men, fo and fo qualified, to dying Perfons, by the Autho nity and Allowance of the Church; as in the 38th Canon of the Council of Eliberis, which you cite in your Preliminary Dif course. And it is very praife-worthy in you, that upon fecond Thoughts, you cor rect your felf in your Premonition, where you tell us," You do not prefumé to deter "mine, whether the Church, which bath « Power from Chrift to give a Man a stand“ing Commiffion to be a Prieft, cannot, in "Cafes of extreme Neceffity, give him a "Commission pro HAC VICE, (or pro bic ❝ & nunc) to do a Sacerdotal Act. This Commiffion of that Council proceeded * from an Ancient, but a Pious and Innocent Erroneous Opinion, (as I think I may call it) that Baptism was ABSOLUTELY neceffary to Salvation, as the Communicating of Infants proceeded from another the like Erroneous Belief of the abfolute Neceffity of Receiving the Holy Eucharift in order to Salvation. This Error of the abfolute Neceffity of Baptifm, defcended in the † Latin Church to After-Ages, and acquir'd fuch Firmness of Belief by conftant Practice,

Tertull., de Baptifmo. Cap. xvii. Vid. Voffium de Baptifmo Difput. xi. v. vi. vii.

According to the Canon Law: In neceffitate quilibet poteft bajtizare, dum modo intendit facere quod Ecclefia intendit.

C 2

that

that it remained fome Time uncorrect ed by our Church after the Reformation 3 but afterwards the Title of the Office for Private Baptifm was altered thus: " Of "them that are to be baptized in Time "of Neceffity by the Minifter of the Parish, or any lawful Minifter that can be pro"cured :" And the Rubrick was accordingly altered in this Manner; "Let the law

ful Minifter, and them that be prefent, "call upon God for his Grace, and say the "Lord's Prayer, if the Time will suffer; "and then the Child being named by fome one "that is prefent, the faid lawful Minifter

fhall dip it in Water, or pour Water upon

it, faying these Words, I baptize thee, "." To this Change of the Title and Rubrick of them that are to be Baptized in Private, (in K. Edward's Book) exactly agrees the Rubrick of our prefent Liturgy, cited before in the Margin; as you will fee in the Miniftration of Private Baptifm

Common-Prayer, ds of that Rubrick are thefe,

• As appears from this Rubrick of the Office for them that be Baptized in Private Houfes in Time of Neceffity, in the Book of forth Anno 2, and 3 of Edward the Sixth, 1549. "First, let them that be prefent call upon God for his Grace, and fay the Lord's Prayer, if the Time will fuffer, and then "one of them fhall name the Child, and dip him in the Wa"ter, or pour Water upon him, faying, I Baptize thee in the Name, &c. vide Voffium de Baptifmo Difp. x. §. x.

66

of

of Children in Houses, Paragraph 3d of the Rubrick.

"First, Let the Minifter of the Parish, " (or in his Abfence, any other lawful Mini-i ❝fter that can be procured) with them that are prefent, call upon God, and fay the "Lord's Prayer, &c.

If the Minifter, &c. "I certify, &c.

3

-"But if the Child were baptized by any. "other Lawful Minifter; then the Minifter: "of the Parish where the Child was born:

"or

or chriftned, fhall examine and try whe"ther the Child be lawfully baptized, or no. "In which Cafe, if thofe that bring a ny Child to Church, do anfiver that the

"

fame Child is already baptized; then shall "the Minifter examine them further, fay *ing,

σε

6

"By whom was this Child baptized?
"Who was prefent when this Child was:
baptized?

Becaufe fome Things effential to this Sacrament may happen to be omitted thro' re fear or hafte, in fuch Times of Extremity; "therefore I demand further of you,

"With what Matter was this Child bap" tized?

"With what Words was this Child bap" tized?

And if the Minifter shall find, &c.
C 3

Sir,