Dost thou, in the name of this Child, renounce the devil and all
his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous
desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that
thou wilt not follow nor be led by them?
_Answer_. I renounce them all.
_Minister_.
Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
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 Catholic 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.
_Minister_.
Wilt thou be baptized in this faith?
_Answer_. That is my desire.
_Minister_.
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.
_Then shall the Priest say_,
O merciful God, grant that the old Adam in _this Child_ may be so
buried, that the new man may be raised up in _him_. _Amen_.
Grant that all carnal affections may die in _him_, and that all
things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in _him_. _Amen_.
Grant that _he_ may have power and strength, to have victory, and
to triumph against the devil, the world, and the flesh. _Amen_.
Grant that whosoever is 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 most dearly beloved Son Jesus
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, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy Congregation;
sanctify this Water to the mystical washing away of sin; and grant
that _this Child_, 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 the Priest shall take the Child into his hands, and shall
say to the Godfathers and Godmothers_, Name this Child. _And then
naming it after them_ (_if they shall certify him that the Child
may well endure it_) _he shall dip it in the Water discreetly and
warily, saying_,
_N_. I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
_But if they certify that the Child is weak, it shall suffice to
pour Water upon it, saying the foresaid words_,
_N_. I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
_Then the Priest shall say_,
We receive this Child into the Congregation Of Christ's flock, *
and do sign him with the sign of the Cross, in token that hereafter
_he_ shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified,
and manfully to fight under his banner against sin, the world, and
the devil, and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant
unto his life's end. Amen.
[Margin Note:] * _Here the Priest shall make a Cross upon the
Child's forehead_.
_Then shall the Priest say_,
Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that _this Child_ is 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 _this Child_ may lead the rest of _his_ life
according to this beginning.
_Then shall be said, all kneeling_,
Our Father which art in heaven, 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.
_Then shall the Priest say_,
We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath
pleased 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 humbly we beseech thee to grant
that _he_ being dead unto sin, and living unto righteousness, and
being buried with Christ in his death, may crucify the old man, and
utterly abolish the whole body of sin; and that, as _he is_ made
_partaker_ of the death of thy Son, _he_ may also be _partaker_ of
his resurrection; so that finally, with the residue of thy holy
Church, _he_ may be _an inheritor_ of thine everlasting kingdom;
through Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
_Then, all standing up, the Priest shall say to the Godfathers and
Godmothers this exhortation following_.
Forasmuch as _this Child hath_ promised by you _his_ sureties to
renounce the devil and all his works, to believe in God, and to
serve him: Ye must remember, that it is your parts and duties to
see that _this Infant_ be taught, so soon as _he_ shall be able to
learn, what a solemn vow, promise and profession _he hath_ here
made by you. And that _he_ may know these things the better, ye
shall call upon _him_ to hear sermons; and chiefly ye shall provide
that _he_ 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 soul's health; and that
_this Child_ may be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and a
Christian life; remembering always, that Baptism doth represent
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.
_Then shall he add and say_,
Ye are to take care that _this Child_ be brought to the Bishop to
be confirmed by him, so soon as he can say the Creed, the Lord's
Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the vulgar tongue, and be
further instructed in the Church Catechism set forth for that
purpose.
_It is certain by God's Word, that children which are baptized,
dying before they commit actual sin, are undoubtedly saved_.
_To take away all scruple concerning the use of the sign of the
Cross in Baptism; the true explication thereof, and the just
reasons for the retaining of it, may be seen in the xxxth Canon,
first published in the year MDCIV_.