ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

THE

MINISTRATION

O F

Publick Baptifm of Infants,

To be used in the Church,

The moft folemn times for the adminiftration of Publick Baptifm are the Night before Eafter, Eafterday, and Whitfunday. Publick Baptifm may also be adminiftred on any day between Eafter and Pentecoft.

And note, that there shall be a Sponfor or Surety for every child to be baptized, which Sponfor fhall be the Father or Mother of the child, if either of them is to be had, otherwife the Sponfor may be any one of the Faithful above fixteen years of age.

When there are children to be baptized, the parents or others fhall give knowledge thereof to the Deacon or Prieft. And then the Sponfors and the People with the children must be ready at the Church-door at the time that the Prieft by his difcretion fhall appoint. And the Priest and Deacon coming to the Church

Church-door, and ftanding there, the Priest shall Jay to the Sponfors holding the children,

Have thefe children been already baptized or no?

If they answer, No; then fhall the Deacon proceed as followeth,

DE

Early beloved, forafmuch as all men are conceived and born in fin, and that our Saviour Chrift faith, None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of Water and of the Holy Ghoft; let us call upon God the Father through our Lord Jefus Chrift, that of his bounteous mercy he will grant to thefe children that thing which by nature they cannot have, that they may be baptized with Water and the Holy Ghoft, and be received into Chrift's holy church, and be made lively members of the fame,

People. Lord, have mercy: We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

Then fhall the Priest fay,

ALmighty and everlafting God, who of thy great

mercy didst fave Noah and his family in the ark, and also didst safely lead the children of Ifrael thy people through the Red-fea, figuring thereby thy holy baptifm; and by the baptifm of thy well-beloved Son Jefus Chrift in the river Jordan didft fanctify the element of Water to the myftical washing away of fin: We beseech thee of thine infinite mercy that thou wilt graciouflly look upon these children wash them, and fanctify them with the Holy Ghost, that they being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ's church; and being ftedfaft

H 4

ftedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may fo pafs the waves of this troublesome world, that finally they may come to the land of everlasting life, there to reign with thee world without end, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen,

Lmighty ever-living God, whose most dearly be

loved Son Jefus Chrift, for the forgiveness of our fins, did fhed out of his moft precious fide both water and blood, and gave commandment to his apofles that they fhould make difciples of all nations, and baptize them In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft: We call upon thee for thefe infants, that they coming to thy holy baptifm may obtain remiffion of their fins by fpiritual regeneration: Receive them, O Lord, as thou haft promised by thy well-beloved Son, faying, Afk and ye fhall have, feek and ye fhall find, knock and it fhall be opened unto you: So give now unto us that afk, let us that feek find, open the gate unto us that knock; that these infants may enjoy the everlasting benediction of thy heavenly washing, and may come to the eternal kingdom which thou haft promised by Chrift our Lord. Amen.

Then fhall the Priest blow upon every child's face, and fign them with the fign of the cross upon the forehead, after which he shall fay,

Command thee, thou unclean fpirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that thou come out of and depart from thefe infants, whom our Lord Jefus Chrift hath vouchfafed to call to his holy baptism, to be made members of his body, and of his holy congregation. There

Therefore, thou curfed fpirit, remember thy fentence, remember thy judgment, remember the day to be at hand, wherein thou fhalt burn in fire everlafting, prepared for thee and thine angels: And prefume not hereafter to exercise any tyranny towards thefe infants, whom Chrift hath bought with his precious blood, and by this his holy baptifm calleth to be of his flock,

Then fhall the Deacon fay,

Hear the words of the Gofpel written by Saint Mark, in the tenth chapter, at the thirteenth yerfe, People. Glory be to thee, O Lord,

Then fhall the Deacon read the Gospel. THey brought young children to Chrift, that he fhould touch them; and his difciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jefus faw it, he was much displeased, and faid unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of fuch is the kingdom of God. Verily I fay unto you, Whofoever fhall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and bleffed them.

And the Gospel ended, the Deacon fhall fay, Here endeth the Holy Gospel.

People. Thanks be to thee, O Lord.

Then

Then shall the Priest make this brief exhortation upon the words of the Gospel.

Beloved, ye hear in this Gofpel the words of our

Saviour Chrift, that he commanded the chil

dren 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 gefture and deed he declared his good-will toward them; for he embraced them in his arms, he laid his hands upon them, and bleffed them, Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will likewife favourably receive thefe prefent infants, that he will embrace them with the arms of his mercy, that he will give unto them the bleffing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdom. Wherefore we being thus perfuaded of the good-will of our heavenly Father towards thefe infants, declared by his Son Jefus Chrift, and nothing doubting but that he favourably alloweth this charitable work of ours, in bringing thefe infants to his holy baptifm, let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him,

[ocr errors]

Then shall the Prieft say the following thanksgiving, 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 these infants, that they may be born again, and be made heirs of everlasting falvation, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen. Then

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »