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 these persons, that they, coming to thy holy Baptism, may receive remission of their sins by spiritual regeneration. Receive them, O Lord, as thou hast promised by thy well-beloved Son, saying, Ask, and ye shall receive; 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 persons 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 Priest shall say,

Hear the words of the Gospel, written by Saint John, in the third Chapter, beginning at the first Verse. THERE was a man of the Pharisees,

named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith

unto him. How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof; but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. ¶ After which he shall say this Exhor. tation following. BELOVED, ye hear in this Gospel the express words of our Saviour Christ, that except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Whereby ye may perceive the great necessity of this Sacrament, where it may be had. Likewise, immediately before his ascension into heaven, (as we read in the last Chapter of Saint Mark's Gospel,) he gave command to his disciples, saying, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Which also sheweth unto us the great

benefit we reap thereby. For which cause Saint Peter the Apostle, when upon his first preaching of the Gospel many were pricked at the heart, and said to him and the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? replied and said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to you and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words exhorted he them, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. For (as the same Apostle testifieth in another place) even Baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will favourably receive these present persons, truly repenting, and coming unto him by faith; that he will grant them remission of their sins, and bestow upon them the Holy Ghost; that he will give them the blessing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdom.

Wherefore we being thus persuaded of the good will of our heavenly Father towards these persons, declared by his Son Jesus Christ; let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks to him, and say, ALMIGHTY and everlasting God,

heavenly Father, we give thee humble thanks, for 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 persons, 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 the Priest shall speak to the persons to be baptized on this wise:

WELL-BELOVED, who are come

hither desiring to receive holy Baptism, ye have heard how the con

gregation hath prayed, that our Lord

Jesus Christ would vouchsafe to receive you and bless you, to release you of your sins, to give you the kingdom of heaven, and everlasting life. Fe have heard also, that our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised in his holy Word to grant all those things that we have prayed for; which promise he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform.

Wherefore, after this promise made by Christ, ye must also faithfully, for your part, promise in the presence of these your Witnesses, and this whole congregation, that ye will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly

earth?

And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten 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 Catholick 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.

Question.

WILT thou be baptized in this faith? Answer. That is my desire. Question.

WILT thou then obediently keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of thy life?

Answer. I will endeavour so to do, God being my helper.

Then shall the Priest say, MERCIFUL God, grant that the old Adam in these persons may be so buried, that the new man may be raised up in them. Amen.

Grant that all carnal affections may

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, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of this congregation; sanctify this Water to the mystical washing away of sin; and grant that the persons 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 shall the Priest take each person to be baptized by the right hand, and placing him conveniently by the Font, according to his discretion, shall ask the Godfathers and Godmo thers the Name; and then shall dip him in the water, or pour water upon him, saying,

N. I baptize thee In the Name of the • Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Then shall the Priest say.

Then shall the Priest say, EEING now, dearly beloved brethren, that these persons are 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 they may lead the rest of their life according to this beginning.

Then shall be said the Lord's Prayer, all kneeling.

ing to the Spirit may live and grow in them. Amen.

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

Grant that they, being here dedicated

to thee by our office and ministry, may also be endued with heavenly virtues, and everlastingly rewarded, through thy mercy, O blessed Lord God, who dost live, and govern all things, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY, everliving God, whose

dearly beloved Son Jesus

Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.

WE yield thee humble thanks, O

heavenly Father, 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 persons; that, being now born again, and made heirs of everlasting salvation, through our Lord Jesus

(I.) EXPOSITION OF THE BAP

TISMAL COVENANT.

In this it is to be noted (a) that the whole starts not from abstract doctrine, but from the child's own individual consciousness of his Baptismal adoption in Christ, signified by the very existence of his Christian name; " (b) that in accordance with the whole Scriptural idea of Covenants with God, it begins with God's blessings actually given to him, and, only after these have been fully explained, dwells on his corresponding duty to God; (c) that it teaches the child simply to accept with thankfulness his share in the

Christian Covenant, as given him by the call of God, and to pray to continue therein.

The answer "N. or M." appears to be a corruption of the 'N. or NN." (nomen or nomina) in the Latin.

The statement of the BAPTISMAL BLESSINGS begins with the personal relation of the child to Christ as a "member of Him" (1 Cor. xii. 27); that is, as having that close individual unity with Him, which is again and again enforced by different metaphors in Holy Scripture (see John xv. 16; Gal. iii. 27-29; Eph. i. 23; ii. 20 -22, &c.), and which the teaching of the Baptismal Service brings out so plainly. Then from this are made to branch out the two consequent relations to God and Man-the "sonship to God" by adoption in His dear Son (Rom. viii. 14-17; Eph. v. 1, 2), and the inheritance"-that is, participation both present and future

of the Kingdom of Heaven," which implies the Communion of Saints in all who are made one in the Lord Jesus Christ (John xvii. 11, 21). In all there is appeal to the spirit of Lovelove to the Saviour, love to Our Father, love to all as brethren in His family-which is naturally characteristic of childhood; and this appeal rightly precedes all consideration of the detailed duties which arise from it.

On the BAPTISMAL Vow see the Baptismal Service. It may, however, be here noted that, while full exposition is given of

the principles of Faith and Obedience, there is no exposition of the various sins renounced as the works of "the devil, the world, and the flesh." For children there should be knowledge of evil, not as a positive and substantive thing, but simply as the negation of the good which has been positively taught, and brought home to their consciences and hearts. It is sufficient for them to know that "the works of the devil" signify evil in itself-the evil which Christ came to destroy (1 John iii. 8); that in "the pomps" (the outward show) and the vanity" (the empty transitoriness) of wicked," lies temptation from the world," so far as it is without to "idolatry," by substitution of fear and love of men for fear and love of God; and that "the lusts of flesh" imply temptation from within to negative or positive evil.

The BAPTISMAL OBLIGATION is next accepted thankfully as a fact. Such obligation to vows, to which the child has given no consent, is justified, because the Vows simply embody his natural duty to God in Christ, and his highest spiritual interest in this world and the next. The Baptismal condition is a "state of salvation - a state (that is) carrying with it justification in the blood of Jesus Christ, and the gift of sanctification, to be realized by conscious acceptance, as soon as such acceptance is possible.

(II.) THE CREED AND ITS

EXPLANATION.

For the history and substance of the APOSTLES' CREED, see Morning Service. It is naturally used in the Catechism, as containing in the simplest and most easily intelligible form the rudiments of Christian faith; and it is for the child the key and guide to the study of Holy Scripture.

In the EXPLANATION we may again note (a) the personal individuality of view, impressed on the child, in relation to Creation, Redemption, and Sanctification; (b) the confidence with which, as

Christ, they may continue thy servants, and attain thy promises; through the same Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, everlastingly. Amen.

Then, all standing up, the Priest shall use this Exhortation following; speaking to the Godfathers and Godmothers first.

FOR

ORASMUCH as these persons have promised in your presence to renounce the devil and all his works, to believe in God, and to serve him; ye must remember, that it is your part and duty to put them in mind, what a solemn vow, promise, and profession they have now made before this congregation, and especially before you their chosen witnesses. And ye are also to call upon them to use all diligence to be rightly instructed in God's holy Word; that so they may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and live godly, righteously, and soberly in this present world.

(And then, speaking to the new baptized persons, he shall proceed, and say,)

AND as for you, who have now by Baptism put on Christ, it is your

part and duty also, being made the children of God and of the light, by faith in Jesus Christ, to walk answerably to your Christian calling, and as becometh the children of light; remembering always that Baptism representeth 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.

¶ It is expedient that every person, thus baptized, should be confirmed by the Bishop so soon after his Baptism as conveniently may be; that so he may be admitted to the holy Communion."

If any persons not baptized in their infancy shall be brought to be baptized before they come to years of discretion to answer for themselves; it may suffice to use the Office for Publick Baptism of Infants, or (in case of extreme danger) the Office for Private Baptism; only changing the word [Infant] for [Child or Person] as occasion requireth.

Question. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you?

Answer. They did promise and vow three things in my name. First, that I should renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Secondly, that I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith. And thirdly, that I should keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life.

Question. Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe, and to do, as they have promised for thee?

Answer. Yes verily; and by God's help so I will And I heartily thank our heavenly Father, that he hath called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus

Christ our Saviour. And I pray unto God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my life's end. Catechist.

I

Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief.

Answer.

BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried, He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholick Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the Life everlasting. Amen.

Question. What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy Belief?

Answer. First, I learn to believe in God the Father, who hath made me, and all the world.