THE MINISTRATION OF Publick Baptifm of Infants, To be used in the Church. The most folemn times for the administration of Publick Baptifm are the Night before Easter, Easterday, and Whitsunday. Publick Baptism may also be administred on any day between Easter and Pentecoft. And note, that there shall be a Sponfor or Surety for every child to be baptized, which Sponsor shall be the Father or Mother of the child, if either of them is to be had, otherwise the Sponsor may be any one of the Faithful above fixteen years of age. When there are children to be baptized, the parents or others shall give knowledge thereof to the Deacon or Priest. And then the Sponsors and the People with the children must be ready at the Church-door at the time that the Priest by his difcretion shall appoint. And the Priest and Deacon coming to the ChurchChurch-door, and standing there, the Priest shall Say to the Sponsors holding the children, Have these children been already baptized or no? If they anfwer, No; then shall the Deacon proceed as followeth. D Early beloved, forasmuch 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 Ghost; let us call upon God the Father through our Lord Jesus Chrift, that of his bounteous mercy he will grant to these children that thing which by nature they cannot have, that they may be baptized with Water and the Holy Ghost, and be received into Christ's holy church, and be made lively members of the fame, People. Lord, have mercy: We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. Then shall the Priest fay, A Lmighty and everlasting God, who of thy great mercy didst save 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 Jesus Christ in the river Jordan didst sanctify the element of Water to the mystical washing away of fin: We beseech thee of thine infinite mercy that thou wilt graciouslly look upon these children wash them, and sanctify 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 H4 stedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may so pass 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 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, A Lmighty ever-living God, whose most dearly be loved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of his most precious fide both water and blood, and gave commandment to his aposiles that they should make disciples of all nations, and baptize them In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: We call upon thee for these infants, that they coming to thy holy baptifm may obtain remiffion of their fins by spiritual regeneration: Receive them, O Lord, as thou hast promised by thy well-beloved 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 these infants 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 Priest blow upon every child's face, and fign them with the sign of the cross upon the forehead, after which be shall fay, I Command thee, thou unclean spirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that thou come out of and depart from these infants, whom our Lord Jesus Christ hath vouchsafed to call to his holy baptifm, to be made members of his body, and of his holy congregation. There Therefore, thou cursed spirit, remember thy sentence, remember thy judgment, remember the day to be at hand, wherein thou shalt burn in fire everlasting, prepared for thee and thine angels: And presume not hereafter to exercise any tyranny towards these infants, whom Christ hath bought with his precious blood, and by this his holy baptifm calleth to be of his flock, Then shall the Deacon Say, Hear the words of the Gospel written by Saint Mark, in the tenth chapter, at the thirteenth verse, People. Glory be to thee, O Lord, 1 Then shall the Deacon read the Gospel. THey brought young children to Chrift, that he should touch them; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and faid 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 enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. And the Gospel ended, the Deacon shall fay, Then Then shall the Priest 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 the fe present infants, that he will embrace them with the arms of his mercy, that he will give unto them the blessing 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 these infants, declared by his Son Jefus Chrift, and nothing doubting but that he favourably alloweth this charitable work of ours, in bringing these infants to his holy baptifm, let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him, Then shall the Priest say the following thanksgiving, A Lmighty and everlasting God, 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 these infants, that they may be born again, and be made heirs of everlasting salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen. Then |