Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

Then all ftanding up, the Prieft fhall fay to the Godfa thers and Godmothers this Exhortation following:

FOR

And

ORASMUCH as this child hath promised by you his fureties, to renounce the devil and all his works, to believe in God, and to ferve him; ye must remember, that it is your parts and duties to fee that this infant be taught, fo foon as he fhall be able to learn, what a folemn vow, promife, and profeffion, he hath here made by you. that be may know thefe things the better, ye fhall call upon him to hear fermons; and chiefly ye fhall provide, that be may learn the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments in the vulgar tongue, and all other things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his foul's health; and that this child may be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and a Christian life; remembering always, that baptifm doth reprefent unto us our profeffion; 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; fo fhould we, who are baptized, die from fin, and rife again unto righteoufnefs; continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living.

Then fhall he add, and fay;

E are to take care that this child be brought to the bishop to be confirmed by him, fo foon as he can fay the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments in the vulgar tongue, and be further inftructed in the Church Catechifm fet forth for that purpose.

["It is certain by God's word, that Children which are baptized, dying before they commit actual fin, are undoubtedly saved.

Godliness of living] After thefe words in Edward VIth's firft book, are the following rubrics: "The minifter fhall command that the crifoms be brought to the church, and delivered to the priests after the accustomed manner, at the purification of the mother of every child; and that the children be brought to the bishop," &c. "Note, That if the number of children to be baptized, and multitude of people prefent be fo great that they cannot conveniently stand at the church-door; then let them ftand within the church in fome convenient place nigh unto the church-door; and there all things be faid and done, appointed to be faid and done, at the church-door."

"To take away all fcruple concerning the ufe of the fign of the Crofs in Baptifm; the true explication thereof, and the juft reafons for the retaining of it nay be feen in the xxxth Canon, rft published in

the year M,DCIV.”]

THE MINISTRATION OF

and

Private Baptism of Children in Houses. THE Curates of every Parifh fhall often admonish the People, that they defer not the Baptifm of their Children longer than the first or fecond Sunday next after their Birth, or other Holy-day falling between ; unless upon a great reasonable Caufe, to be approved by the Curate. ¶ And also they shall warn them, that without like great caufe and neceffity they procure not their Children to be baptized at Home in their Houfes. But when need fhall compel them fo to do, then Baptifm fhall be adminiftered on this Fashion.

First, let the Minifter of the Parish, (or, in his Abfence, any other lawful Minifter that can be procured) with them that are prefent, call upon God, and fay the Lord's

Te are to take care, c. In all the prayer-books previous to the laft review, this exhortation was framed as a rubric. It was then framed as it now ftands.

It is certain This, and the following paragraph, were introduced at the laft review. The former guards against the application of a Calviniftic fenfe to the ninth article, and oppofes any fears that Calviniftic doctrines may excite in the minds of the weak and fuperftitious; particularly againft that tremendous one of St. Auftin, Calvin's oracle and mafter, that there "were thousands of children in hell of a span in length."

Private Houfes] In both the prayer-books of Edward VIth, and in that of Queen Elizabeth, the title of this office was as follows: "Of them that be baptized in private houses, in time of necessity." On King James's acceffion thefe words were added, "By the minifter of the parish, or any other lawful minifter that can be procured." At the review in Charles IId's reign it was altered as it now ftands.

The Curates, &c.] Thefe three rubrics were fimilar in fubftance, though fomewhat different in words, in all the prayer-books from the reformation to the laft review, when they were fettled as they now ftand. The form of baptizing alfo followed, aud after that, a rubric which combined in one the two rubrics beginning with, "And let them not doubt;" and "But if the child were baptized," &c.

Lawful Minifter This direction was adopted after the conference in James Ift's reign. In both the common prayer-books of Edward VIth,

Prayer, and fo many of the Collects appointed to be faid before in the Form of Public Baptifm, as the Time and prefent Exigence will fuffer: And then, the Child being named by fome one that is prefent, the Minister fhall pour Water upon it, faying these Words;

NI baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of

[ocr errors]

the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Then all kneeling down, the Minifter fhall give thanks unto God, and fay,

WE yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father,

that it hath pleafed 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 befeech thee to grant, that as he is now made partaker of the death of thy Son, fo be may be alfo of his refurrection; and that finally, with the refidue of

and in that of Elizabeth, the rubric was as follows: "Let them that be prefent call upon God for his grace, and lay the Lord's-Prayer, if the time will fuffer; and then one of them fhall name the child, and dip him in the Water, or pour water upon him, faying," &c. which authorized laymen, udwives, &c. to perform the facrament of baptifm. This abuse, how ever, was corrected in 1575, when the archbishops and bishops unanimoufly refolved, that even private baptifm (in cafe of neceflity) was only to be administered by a lawful minifter or deacon. In confequence of this refolution, the practice of laymen baptizing was dropped; and by the Fabric above mentioned, inferted after James's conference, the prohibition received the fanction of an act of the legislature.

Water] By an ancient conftitution of our church, ftill in force, it is ordained, that neither the water nor veffel that has been used in the adminiftration of private baptifm, is afterwards to be applied to common uses. The early church was particularly careful that the confecrated water fhould be applied only to purposes which it efteemed holy; fuch as washing the linen of the church: and Bishop Beveridge is faid to have made his parishioners (when minifter of St. Peter's, Cornhill) comply with this direction. In the Popish times the care of the holy water was extreme. By an injunction of Archbishop Edmund, the baptifterium which contained it was directed to be fecured with lock and key, to prevent its profanation. Lyndewoode Provinc. l. iii. Tit. xxv. p. 247. And in later times the fonts were perforated at the bottom, and a fecret paffage made to convey the holy water into fome place whence it could not be taken for common. purpofes. About eighteen years fince, I recollect a series of moft beautiful earthern pipes being difcovered in the church-yard of Chrift-church, Hampshire, which evidently made part of a channel for the conveyance of the confecrated water from the church to the river, 300 yards distance. Then all kneeling] This rubric and prayer were added at the laft review.

X

of thy faints, he may inherit thine everlasting kingdom, through the fame thy Son Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And let them not doubt, but that the Child fo baptized is lawfully and fufficiently baptized, and ought not to be baptized again. Yet nevertheless, if the Child, which is after this fort baptized, do afterward live, it is expedient that it be brought into the Church; to the intent that if the Minifter of the fame Parish did himself baptize that Child, the Congregation may be certified of the true Form of Baptifm, by him privately before ufed: in which cafe be shall fay thus, Certify you, that according to the due and prescribed order of the church, at such a time, and at fuch a place, before divers witneffes I baptized this child.

T But if the Child were baptized by any other lawful Minifter; then the Minifter of the Parish where the Child was born or chriftened, fhall examine and try whether the Child be lawfully baptized, or no. In which cafe, if thofe that bring any Child to the Church, do answer that the fame Child is already baptized; then fhall the Minifter examine them further, faying,

Y whom was this child baptized?

BY

Who was prefent when this child was baptized? Because fome things effential to this facrament may happen to be omitted, through fear or hafte, in fuch times of extremity; therefore I demand further of you, With what matter was this child baptized? With what words was this child baptized?

¶ And if the Minister shall find by the Answers of fuch as bring the Child, that all things were done as they ought to be; then shall not be chriften the Child again, but fhall receive him as one of the Flock of true Chriftian People, faying thus,

Certify you, that in this cafe all is well done, and ac cording unto due order, concerning the baptizing of this child; who being born in original fin, and in the

I certify, &c. This form was introduced at the laft review. And if the Minifter, &c.] From hence to the conclufion of the Lord's prayer the fervice, with fome minute verbal differences, was the fame in ille firft prayer-book of Edward VIth.

wrath of God, is now, by the laver of regeneration in baptifm, received into the number of the children of God, and heirs of everlasting life: for our Lord Jefus Christ doth not deny his grace and mercy unto fuch infants, but moft lovingly doth call them unto him, as the holy Gol pel doth witness to our comfort, on this wife:

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

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 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.

After the Gofpel is read, the Minifter fhall 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 children to be brought unto him; how he blamed thofe that would have kept them from him; how he exhorted 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 hath likewise favourably received this prefent infant; that he hath embraced him with the arms of his mercy; and (as he hath promised in his holy Word) will give unto him the bleffing of eternal life, and make bim partaker of his everlasting kingdom. Wherefore, we being thus perfuaded of the good will of our heavenly Father, declared by his Son Jefus Chrift, towards this infant, let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him, and fay the prayer which the Lord himself taught us:

UR Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy

« ForrigeFortsett »