370 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



thirteen bishops. We had a long discourse 

 about lay baptism, which of late hath made 

 such a noise about the town. We all agreed, 

 that baptism by any other person, except law- 

 ful ministers, ought as much as may be to be 

 discouraged ; nevertheless, whoever was bap- 

 tized by any other person, and in that baptism 

 the essentials of baptism were preserved, that 

 is, being dipped or sprinkled in the name of 

 the Father, &c. such baptism was valid, and 

 ought not to be repeated." 



This indeed is the sense of the Church of 

 England, as will appear to any person who 

 considers the ^rubrics in the office for private 

 baptism, and compares them with one another, 

 and with the previous questions in the office 

 itself. From all which, laid together, it may 

 be plainly collected, that where the essentials, 

 matter and form, have been preserved, though 

 administered by another hand than that of a 

 lawful minister, the baptism shall not be so much 

 as hypothetically repeated ; yet nevertheless, it is 

 so far condemned and disapproved, as irregular, 

 and uncanonical, that the child or person so 

 baptized shall not be received into the congre- 

 gation. But the officiating minister must have 

 recourse to the directions of his Ordinary, as in 

 other irregular, and uncommon, and difficult 

 cases. But as our Church hath no where 



