Baptism and the Anglican Reformers

Writing in the middle of the twentieth century, G.W. Bromiley wasacutely aware of the renewal of debates surrounding baptism taking place withinthe Anglican church and elsewhere. These debates, which are still the cause ofdenominational division, can be best understood by tracing them back to theirorigins in the sixteenth century. Analysing the Anglican Reformers' views onbaptism's sacramental status, its liturgical format and its theologicalsubstance, Bromiley places the current diversity of positions in its propercontext. The legitimacy of infant baptism, the authority of ministers and theefficacy of grace are all discussed. Whether a scholar of ecclesiological anddoctrinal history, or of the current debate within and between churches, thisstudy is essential reading on the question of baptism past and present.