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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 perfons may enjoy the everlasting benediction of thy heavenly washing, and may come to the eternal kingdom which thou haft promised by Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Then fhall the people ftand up, and the Prieft fhall fay, Hear the words of the Gofpel written by Saint John, in the third Chapter, beginning at the first Verfe:

THE

HERE was a man of the Pharifees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The fame came to Jefus by night, and faid unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do thefe miracles that thou doeft, except God be with him. Jefus anfwered and faid unto him, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. Nicodemus faith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the fecond time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jefus anfwered, Verily, verily, I fay 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 fpirit. Marvel not that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof, but canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: fo is every one that is born of the Spirit. ¶After which he fhall fay this Exhortation following. ELOVED, ye hear in this Gospel the exprefs words of our Saviour Chrift, 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 neceffity of this Sacrament, where it may be had. Likewife, immediately before his afcenfion into heaven, (as we read in the last Chapter of Saint Mark's Gofpel) he gave command to his disciples, faying, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that be

BELO

God, but live in fin, committing many actual tranfgresfions; and that our Saviour Christ faith, None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of Water and of the Holy Ghoft; I beseech you to call upon God the Father, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, that of his bounteous goodness he will grant to thefe perfons that which by nature they cannot have; that they may be baptized with Water and the Holy Ghoft, and received into Chrift's holy Church, and be made lively members of the fame.

Then fhall the Prieft fay,

Let us pray.

And here all the Congregation fhall kneel.

ALMIGHTY and everlafting God, who of thy great mercy didft fave Noah and his family in the ark from perifhing by water; and alfo didft fafely lead the children of Ifrael thy people through the Red Sea, figu ring 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 wahing away of fin; We befeech thee, for thine infinite mercies, that thou wilt mercifully look upon these thy fervants; wash them, and fanctify them with the Holy Ghost, that they being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Chrift's Church; and being 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 Chrift our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and immortal God, the aid of all

that need, the helper of all that flee to thee for fuccour, the life of them that believe, and the refurrection of the dead; We call upon thee for thefe perfons, that they coming to thy holy Baptifm, may receive 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 receive; 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 perfons may enjoy the everlasting benediction of thy heavenly wafhing, and may come to the eternal kingdom which thou haft promised by Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then fhall the people ftand up, and the Prieft fhall fay, Hear the words of the Gospel written by Saint John, in the third Chapter, beginning at the first Verse:

THE

`HERE was a man of the Pharifees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The fame came to Jefus by night, and faid unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doeft, except God be with him. Jesus anfwered and faid unto him, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. Nicodemus faith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the fecond time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jefus anfwered, Verily, verily, I fay 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 fpirit. Marvel not that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof, but canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: fo is every one that is born of the Spirit. ¶After which he shall say this Exhortation following.

ELOVED, ye hear in this Gospel the express words

BELO

of our Saviour Chrift, 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 neceffity of this Sacrament, where it may be had. Likewife, immediately before his afcenfion into heaven, (as we read in the last Chapter of Saint Mark's Gofpel) he gave command to his difciples, faying, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gofpel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that be

lieveth not, fhall be damned. Which alfo fheweth unto us the great benefit we reap thereby. For which caufe St. Peter the Apostle, when upon his firft preaching of the Gofpel many were pricked at the heart, and faid to him and the rest of the Apoftles, Men and brethren, what fhall we do? replied and faid unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall 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 fhall call. And with many other words exhorted he them, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. For (as the fame Apostle teftifieth in another place) even Baptifm doth alfo now fave us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the anfwer of a good confcience towards God) by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift. Doubt ye not, therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will favourably receive these prefent perfons, truly repenting, and coming unto him by faith; that he will grant them remiffion of their fins, and bestow upon them the Holy Ghoft; that he will give them the bleffing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlafting kingdom.

Wherefore we being thus perfuaded of the good will of our heavenly Father towards these persons, declared by his Son Jefus Chrift; let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks to him, and fay,

A

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, heavenly Father, we give thee humble thanks, for 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 thefe perfons, that they may be born again, and be made heirs of everlafting falvation; through our Lord Jefus Chrift, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Then the Priest fhall speak to the Perfons to be baptized on this wife:

WE

ELL-beloved, who are come hither defiring to receive holy Baptifm, ye have heard how the con

gregation hath prayed that our Lord Jesus Christ would vouchfafe to receive you and blefs you, to release you of your fins, to give you the kingdom of heaven, and everlafting life. Ye have heard alfo that our Lord Jefus Chrift hath promised in his holy Word to grant all thofe things that we have prayed for; which promife he, for his part, will moft furely keep and perform.

Wherefore, after this promife made by Chrift, ye must alfo faithfully, for your part, promife in the presence of these your witneffes, and this whole congregation, that ye will renounce the devil and all his works, and conftantly believe God's holy Word, and obediently keep his commandments.

¶ Then shall the Priest demand of each of the Perfons to be baptized, feverally, thefe Questions following:

Do

Question.

OST thou renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covet ous defires of the fame, and the carnal defires of the flesh, fo that thou wilt not follow nor be led by them? Anfw. I renounce them all.

Question.

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

DOST

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 fuffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell; and alfo did rife again the third day; that he afcended 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?

Anfw. All this I ftedfaftly believe.

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