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good-will of our heavenly Father towards this Infant, de clared by his Son Jefus Chrift; and nothing doubting but that he favourably alloweth this charitable work of ours, in bringing this Infant to his holy Baptifm; let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him, and fay,

Almighty and everlasting God, heavenly Father, we

give thee humble thanks that thou haft vouchfafed 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 be may be born again, and be made an heir of everlasting falvation, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Then shall the Prieft fpeak unto the Godfathers and
Godmothers on this wife.

EARLY beloved, ye have brought this Child here

Jefus Chrift would vouchfafe to receive him, to releafe him of bis fins, to fanctify him with the Holy Ghost, to give him the kingdom of heaven, and everlafting life. Ye have heard alfo, that our Lord Jefus Chrift hath promised in his Gofpel to grant all these things that ye have prayed for: which promife he, for his part, will moft furely keep and perform. Wherefore, after this promife made by Christ, this Infant muft alfo faithfully, for his part, promife by you that are bis fureties, (until he come of age to take it upon himself) that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and conftantly believe God's holy Word, and obediently keep his Commandments.

I demand therefore,

DOST, and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of

OST thou, in the name of this Child, renounce the

the world, with all covetous defires of the fame, and the carnal defires of the flesh; fo that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by them?'

Answer. I renounce them all.

Minifter.

OST thou believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth?

And in Jefus Chrift his only-begotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghoft; born of the Virgin Mary; that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell; and alfo did rise again the third day; that he af cended into heaven, and fitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence fhall come again at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead? And doft thou believe in the Holy Ghoft; the holy Catholick Church; the Communion of Saints; the Remiffion of fins; the Refurrection of the flesh; and everlafting life after death?

Anfwer. All this I ftedfaftly believe.

Minifter.

TILT thou be baptized in this faith?
Anfwer. That is my defire.

W Answer.

Minifter.

WILT thou then obediently keep God's holy will

and commandments, and walk in the fame all the days of thy life?

Anfwer. I will.

T Then shall the Priest fay,

Merciful God, grant that the old Adam in this child may be fo 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 grown in bim. Amen.

Grant that he may have power and ftrength to have victory, and to triumph against the devil, the world, and the flesh. Amen.

Grant that whofoever is here dedicated to thee by our office and ministry, may alfo be endued with heavenly virtues, and everlastingly rewarded, through thy mercy,

O bleffed Lord God, who doft live and govern all things, world without end. Amen.

LMIGHTY, everliving God, whofe moft dearlybeloved Son Jefus Chrift, for the forgiveness of our fins, did fhed out of his most precious fide both water and blood; and gave commandment to his difciples, that they fhould go teach all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft: Regard, we beseech thee, the fupplications of thy congre gation; fanctify this water to the mystical washing away of fin; and grant that this child now to be baptized therein, may receive the fullness of thy grace, and ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect children, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then the Prief fhall take the Child into his Hands, and hall Jay to the Godfathers and Godmothers,

Name this Child.

And then naming it after them, (if they shall certify him that the Child may well endure it) he fhall dip it in the Water difcreetly and warily, faying,

N.1

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 four water upon it, faying the forefaid words,

N.Ibanize in the Name of it.

I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and

Pour water,Sc. It is with prudence and humanity united, that our church fubititutes the practice of fprinkling instead of immerfion. The inconvenience and danger of the latter are obvious; and as the rite is merely emblematical, it does not appear to be a matter of much confepence in what manner the emblem is applied. The English history bds us a curious inftance of its inconvenience in the baptifm of Etheldnd the Bafe, A. D. 967, by Archbishop Dunftan:

"Sacra ftatim natus Etheldredus violavit,

"Nam baptizatus, baptifterium maculavit."

W.Wyrcefter. Metra de Reg. Ang. apud lib. Nig.Scac. p.530. Dunstan's exclamation on the occafion was, "Per Deum et matrem ejus, ignavus bom erit;" and the events of his reign fully confirmed the truth of the Archbishop's anticipation.-Holl. Chron. i. 165; Col. i. 20. The cultom of immerfion must have been particularly pernicious in the Saxon æra; as the parcuts of all infacts were under an obligation to have them christened,

WE

¶ Then the Priest fall fay,

Here the Pr fhall make a cros

forehead.

E receive this Child into the congregation of Christ's flock, and do fign* him with the fign of the cross; in token, that hereafter on the child's he fhall not be ashamed to confefs the faith of Chrift crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner against fin, the world, and the devil; and to continue Christ's faithful foldier and fervant unto his life's end. Amen.

well or ill, before the month was expired, under very fevere penalties, according to the following law of King Ina; "Infans infra 30 dies poftquam in lucem prodierit baptizator. Id i non fiat ter denis folidis culpa penfator; fui prius vitam cum morte commutarit quam facro tingatur baptifmate, rebus fuis omnibus mulctator.”—Leges Inæ Reg. apud Lambardi Archaionom. p. 1. Before the reformation, when the child was ftrong enough to bear immerfion, the fponfors brought it to the font, and delvered it to the minifter who plunged it over head in holy water, pronouncing these words, "I chriften thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. Amen." The ceremony was concluded by his anointing the child with holy oil, and repeating the appointed prayers.-Johan. Peckham apud Lyndewode Provincial, p. 244 And fign him, &c.] In King Edward VIth's first book, the priest was directed to make a crofs upon the child's forehead and breaft, faying, "A. B. receive the fign of the Holy Crofs both in thy forehead, and in thy breaft, in token," &c. Then followed a prayer, and this exorcifm, the prieft looking upon the child, "I command thee, unclean fpirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, that thou come out and depart from thefe infants, whom our Lord Jefus Chrift hath Touchfafed to call to his holy baptifin, to be made members of his body, and of his holy congregation. Therefore, thou curfed fpirit, remember thy fentence, remember thy judgments, remember the day to be at hand, wherein thou fhalt burn in fire everlasting, prepared for thee and thy angels. And prefume not hereafter to exercife any tyranny towards thefe infants whom Chrift hath bought with his precious blood, and by this his holy baptifin calleth to be his flock.” After the fponfors had affented to the creed, &c. and the priest had read the prayer, "Almighty and everlafting God, heavenly father, we give thee humble thanks," &c. it is directed that "the pricft fhould take one of the children by the right hand, the other being brought after him, and coming into the church toward the font fhould fay," The Lord vouchtafe to receive you into his holy houshold, and to keep and govern vou alway in the fare, that you may have everlafting life. Amen." After the queftions and refponfes comes this rubric, "Then the prieft fhall take the child in his hands, and afk the name; and naming the child, fhall dip it in the water thrice: first dipping the right fide, fecond dipping the left fide, the third time dipping the face toward the font, fo it be difcreetly," &c. faying, &c. Then the godfa thers and godmothers fhall take and lay their hands upon the child, and the minifter fhall put upon him his white vefture, commonly called the crifome, and fay, Take this white vefture for a token of the innocency which, by God's grace in this holy facrament of baptifm, is given unto thee; and for a fign whereby thou art admonished fo long as thou liveft to give thyfelf to innocency of living, that after this tranfitory life, thou

SEE

¶ Then fhall the Prieft fay,

EEING now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate, and grafted into the body of Chrift's church; let us give thanks unto Almighty God for thefe benefits; and with one accord make our prayers unto him, that this child may lead the reft of his life according to this beginning..

Ο

Then fhall be faid, all kneeling;

UR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it in heaven: Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

¶ Then fhall the Prieft fay,

Wthat it hath pleafed thee to regenerate this Infant

E yield thee hearty thanks, moft merciful Father,

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 be being dead unto fin, and living unto righteoufnefs, and being buried with Chrift in his death, may crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of fin; and that as he is make partaker of the death of thy Son, be may also be partaker of his refurrection; fo that finally, with the refidue of thy holy Church, be may be an inheritor of thine everlasting kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

mayeft be partaker of the life everlasting. Amen." Then fhall the priest anoint the child on the head, faying, "Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath regenerated thee by water, and the Holy Ghoft, and hath given unto thee remiffion of all thy fins, vouchfafe to anoint thee with the unction of his Holy Spirit, and bring thee to the inheritance of everlasting life. Amen.” Then follows this rubric: "When there are many to be baptized, this order of demanding, baptizing, putting on the crifome and anointing, fhall be ufed feverally with every child: thofe that be firft baptized departing from the font, and remaining in fome convenient place within the church, until all be baptized. At the laft end the prieft, calling the godfathers and godmothers together, fhall fay this fhort exhortation following, "Forafmuch," &c.

We yield thee] This prayer, with the exhortation before it, and the Lord's-Prayer, were introduced in the fecond book of Edward VIth.

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