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78*The*Anglican*Doctrine*of*Baptism**them*would*wish*to*be*thought*a*second*best*Christian!*Certainly*those*who*claim* to* be* in* accord* with* the* official* formularies* should* be* content* to*baptise*their*children,*and*strongly*advocate*that*others*do*so.*It*ought*to*be*remembered,*however,*that*only*ministers*are*expected*to*declare*any*level*of*assent*to*the*Articles;*it*is*not*required*of*each*and*every*churchgoer*that*they*do*so. 50 *If* this* Article* is* true,* then* we* must* not* so* overvalue* dramatic* con:versions*(as*wonderful*as*they*are)*that*we*think*lightly*of*the*tremendous*blessing*of*being*baptised*as*an*infant*and*brought*up*to*know*and*love*the*Lord*Jesus*from*an*early*age.*Nor*should*we*feel*we*have*to*“leave*it*up*to*them* to* make* the* decision* to* be* baptised* when* they’re* older”* as* if* this* is*somehow* more* authentic,* either* spiritually* superior* or* more* likely* to*produce* the* fêted* conversion* experience.* Rather,* we* ought* to* think* and*speak*more*often*of*the*common*experience*of*baptised*children*who*may*grow*spiritually*into*a*deeper*appreciation*of*the*blessings*signed*and*sealed*to*them*in*their*baptism,*in*gradual*or*sudden*ways*analogous*to*physical*growth*(which*can*be*slow*and*steady*or*come*in*spurts).**The#Book#of#Common#Prayer#*Having*looked*at*the*Anglican*theology*of*baptism,*we*turn*now*to*examine,*more* briefly,* its* liturgical* expression* in* the* Book* of* Common* Prayer.* The*authoritative*edition*is*that*from*1662,*celebrating*its*350th*anniversary*this*year,* though* this* is* very* close* to* the* second* Cranmerian* Prayer* Book* of*1552,* and* is* substantially* just* a* lightly* amended* evolution* of* that* earlier*book. 51 *We*will*unpack*the*baptismal*service*in*the*1662*book,*as*opposed*to*the*more*modern*liturgies*of*Common*Worship,*since*the*BCP*alone*has*“confessional”*status.*As*we*will*see,*it*is*important*to*note*that*this*must*be*read*through*the*primary*lens*of*the*Articles*and*not*be*interpreted*in*such*a*way*that*it*serves*an*agenda*foreign*to*them. 52 *********************************************************************50*See* Charles* Neil* and* J.* M.* Willoughby,* The#Tutorial#Prayer#Book* (London:* Church* Book*Room*Press,*1963),*371*who*think*the*wording*of*the*Article*“would*seem*to*be*designed*to*avoid*‘unchurching’*those*who*find*a*difficulty*in*Infant*Baptism.”*51*For*more*on*the*complex*evolution*of*the*Prayer*Book,*see*Francis*Proctor*and*Walter*Hayward*Frere,*A#New#History#of#the#Book#of#Common#Prayer*(London:*Macmillan*and*Co.,*1951)*and* Dyson* Hague,* The# Story# of# the# English# Prayer# Book* (London:* Church* Book* Room* Press,*1949).* One* significant* change* is* that* a* prayer* concerning* the* water* (“Sanctify* this* water”)*absent*from*1552*(possibly*due*to*Bucer’s*Censura,#e.g.*Whitaker,*Martin#Bucer,*88:91,*98:101),*was* added* in* 1662;* for* a* helpful* explanation* of* which* see* Neil* and* Willoughby,* The#Tutorial#Prayer# Book,* 388.* Another* helpful* addition* in* 1662* was* a* service* for* adult* baptism,* more*necessary*after*the*confusions*of*the*Commonwealth*period*but*also*because*of*the*increasing*number*of*converts*from*pagan*religions*in*the*American*colonies.*52*The* Irish* BCP* makes* this* very* clear* here* by* adding* to* its* preface,* “No* minister* of* this*Church*is*required*to*hold*or*teach*any*doctrine*which*has*not*been*clearly*determined*by*the*Articles*of*Religion.”*