THE MINISTRATION OF PUBLIC BAPTISM OF INFANTS, TO BE USED IN THE CHURCH. THE People are to be admonished, that it is most convenient that Baptism should not be administered but upon Sundays, and other Holy-Days, when the most number of People come together; as well for that the Congregation there present may testify the receiving of them that be newly baptized into the number of Christ's Church; as also because, in the Baptism of Infants, every man present may be put in remembrance of his own profession made to God in his Baptism. For which cause also it is expedient that Baptism be ministered in the vulgar tongue. Nevertheless, (if necessity so require) Children may be baptized upon any other Day. And note, That there shall be for every Male Child to be baptized, two Godfathers and one Godmother; and for every Female, one Godfather and two Godmothers. When there are Children to be baptized, the Parents shall give knowledge thereof over night, or in the morning before the beginning of Morning Prayer, to the Curate. And then the Godfathers and Godmothers, and the People with the Children, must be ready at the Font, either immediately after the last Lesson at Morning Prayer, or else immediately after the last Lesson at Evening Prayer, as the Curate by his discretion shall appoint. And the Priest coming to the Font (which is then to be filled with pure Water,) and standing there, shall say, HATH this Child been already baptized or no? If they answer No; then shall the Priest proceed as followeth : DEARLY beloved, forasmuch as all men are conceived and born in sin; and that our Saviour Christ saith, None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate, and born anew of Water and of the Holy Ghost; I beseech you to call upon God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his bounteous he will grant to this Child that mercy thing which by nature he cannot have; that he may be baptized with Water and the Holy Ghost, and received into Christ's Holy Church, and be made a lively member of the same. Then shall the Priest say, Let us pray. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who of thy great mercy didst save Noah and his family in the ark from perishing by water; and also didst safely lead the children of Israel thy people through the Red Sea, figuring thereby thy holy Baptism; and by the Baptism of thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ in the river Jordan, didst sanctify Water to the mystical washing away of sin; We beseech thee, for thine infinite mercies, that thou wilt mercifully look upon this Child; wash him, and sanctify him with the Holy Ghost; that he, being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ's Church; and being stedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may so pass the waves of this troublesome world, that finally he may come to the land of everlasting life; there to reign with thee world without end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ALMIGHTY and immortal God, the aid of all that need, the helper of all that flee to thee for succour, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead; We call upon thee for this Infant, that he coming to thy holy Baptism, may receive remission of his sins by spiritual regeneration. Receive him, O Lord, as thou hast promised by thy wellbeloved Son, saying, Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto you: So give now unto us that ask; let us that seek, find; open the gate unto us that knock; that this Infant may enjoy the everlasting benediction of thy heavenly washing, and may come to the eternal kingdom which thou hast promised by Christ our Lord. Amen. Then shall the People stand up, and the Hear the words of the Gospel written by Saint Mark, in the 10th chapter, at the 13th verse THEY brought young children to Christ, that he should touch them : and his disciples rebuked those that 14. brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not 16. enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. 15. After the Gospel is read, the Minister shall make this brief Exhortation upon the words of the Gospel. BELOVED, ye hear in this Gospel the words of our Saviour Christ, that he commanded the children to be brought unto him; how he blamed those that would have kept them from him; how he exhorteth all men to follow their innocency. Ye perceive how by his outward gesture and deed he declared his good will toward them; for he embraced them in his arms, he laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly believe that he will likewise favourably receive this present Infant; that he will embrace him with the arms of his mercy; that he will give unto him the blessing of eternal life, and make bim partaker of his everlasting king. dom. Wherefore, we being thus persuaded of the good will of our heavenly Father towards this Infant, declared by his Son Jesus Christ; and nothing doubting, but that he fai vourably alloweth this charitable work of ours, in bringing this Infant to his holy Baptism; let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him, and say, ལ ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, i heavenly Father, we give thee humble thanks, that thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of thy grace, and faith in thee: Increase this knowledge, and confirm this faith in us evermore. Give thy Holy Spirit to this Infant; that he may be born again, and made an heir of everlasting salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen. Then shall the Priest speak unto the Godfathers and Godmothers on this wise. DEARLY beloved, ye have brought this Child here to be baptized; ye have prayed that our Lord Jesus Christ would vouchsafe to receive him, to release him of his sins, to sanctify him with the Holy Ghost, to give him the kingdom of heaven, and everlasting life. Ye have heard also, that our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised in his Gospel to grant all these E things that ye have prayed for : which promise, he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform. Wherefore, after this promise made by Christ, this Infant must also faithfully, for his part, promise by you that are his sureties, (until he come of age to take it upon himself) that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God's holy word, and obediently keep his Commandments. I demand therefore, Dost thou, in the name of this child, renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by them? Answer. I renounce them all. Minister. Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth? And in Jesus Christ his onlybegotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and also did rise again the third day; that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence shall come again at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead? And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church'; the communion of saints; the remission of sins; the resurrection of the flesh; and everlasting life after death? Answer. All this I stedfastly believe. Then shall the Priest say, MERCIFUL God, grant that the old Adam in this Child may be so buried, that the new man may be raised up in him. Amen. Grant that all carnal affections may die in him, and that all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in him. Amen. Grant that he may have power and strength to have victory, and to triumph against the devil, the world, and the flesh. Amen. Grant that whosoever is here dedicated to thee by our Office and Ministry, may also be endued with heavenly virtues, and everlastingly rewarded, through thy mercy, 'blessed Lord God, who dost live and govern all things, world without end. Amen. ALMIGHTY, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of his most precious side both water and blood; and gave commandment to his disciples, that they should go teach all nations, and baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy Congregation; sanctify this Water to the mystical washing away of sin; and grant that this Child, now to be baptized therein, may receive the fulness of thy grace, and ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect children, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then the Priest shall take the Child into his hands, and shall say to the Godfathers and Godfathers, Name this Child. And then naming it after them (if they shall certify him that the Child may well endure it) he shall dip it in the water discreetly and warily, saying, N. I baptize thee, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. But if they certify that the Child is weak, it shall suffice to pour water upon it, saying the aforesaid words, N. I baptize thee, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. *Here the Then the Priest shall say, WE receive this Child into the Congregation of Christ's flock; and do sign him with the Priest shall make sign of the Cross; in a Cross upon the token that hereafter he Child's forehead. shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner, against sin, the world, and the devil; and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant unto his life's end. Amen. Then shall the Priest say, SEEING now, dearly beloved brethren, that this Child is regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ's Church; let us give thanks unto Almighty God for these benefits, and with one accord make our prayers unto him, that this Child may lead the rest of his life according to this beginning. Then shall be said, all kneeling, The Lord's Prayer. OUR Father, &c. to-But deliver us from evil. Amen. Then shall the Priest say, WE yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own Child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Church. And humbly we beseech thee to grant, that he being dead unto sin, and living unto righteousness, and being buried with Christ in his death, may crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of sin; and that as he is made partaker of the death of thy Son, he may also be partaker of his resurrection; so that finally, with the residue of thy holy Church, he may be an inheritor of thine everlasting kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Then all standing up, the Priest shall say to the Godfathers and Godmothers this Exhortation following: FORASMUCH as this Child bath promised by you his sureties, to renounce the devil and all his works, to believe in God, and to serve him; ye must remember, that it is your parts and duties to see that this Infant be taught, so soon as he shall be able to learn, what a solemn vow, promise, and profession he hath here made by you. And that he may know these things the better, ye shall call upon him to hear Sermons; and chiefly ye shall provide, that he may learn the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Com mandments in the vulgar tongue, and all other things which a Christian ought, to know, and believe to his soul's health; and that this Child may be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and a Christian life; remem bering always, that Baptism doth represent unto us our profession; which is, to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made. like unto him; that as he died, and rose again for us, so should we, who are baptized, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness, continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living. Then shall he add, and say ; YE are to take care that this Child be brought to the Bishop to be confirmed by him, so soon as he can say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commanements in the vulgar tongue, and be further instructed in the Church Catechism, set forth for that purpose. THE Curates of every Parish shall often admonish the People, that they defer not the Baptism of their Children longer than the first or second Sunday next after their Birth, or other Holy-Day falling between, unless upon a great and reasonable cause, to be approved by the Curate. And also they shall warn them, that without like great cause and necessity they procure not their Children to be baptized at home in their houses. But when need shall compel them so to do, then Baptism shall be administered on this fashion: First, let the Minister of the Parish (or, in his absence, any other lawful Minister that can be procured), with them that are present, call upon God, and say the Lord's Prayer, and so many of the Collects appointed to be said before in the Form of Public Baptism, as the time and present exigence will suffer: And then, the Child being named by some one that is present, the Minister shall pour water upon it, saying these words : N. I baptize thee, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then all kneeling down, the Minister shall give thanks unto God, and WE say, E yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own Child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Church. And we humbly beseech thee to grant, that as he is now made partaker of the death of thy Son, so he may be also of his resurrection; and that finally, with the residue of thy saints, he may inherit thine everlasting kingdom, through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. gregation may be certified of the true Form of Baptism by him privately before used: In which case he shall say thus; I CERTIFY you, that according to the due and prescribed Order of the Church, at such a time, and at such a place, before divers witnesses I baptized this Child. But if the Child were baptized by any other lawful Minister, then the Minister of the Parish where the Child was born or christened shall examine and try whether the Child be lawfully baptized or no. In which case, if those that bring any Child to the Church do answer that the same Child is already baptized, then shall the Minister examine them further, saying, By whom was this Child baptized? Who was present when this Child was baptized? Because some things essential to this Sacrament may happen to be omitted through fear or haste, in such times of extremity; therefore I demand further of you, With what matter was this Child baptized? With what words was this Child baptized? F F |