years. Be pleased so to order the course of his life, that through the influence of thy word and holy examples; and by thy restraining and renewing grace, he may be adopted into the household of faith; may serve thee faithfully all his days; and having glorified thee in his generation, may he be received, after death, into thy glorious and everlasting kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. LMIGHTY and most merciful Father, let thy mercy and compassion descend upon these, thy servants, the parents (or guardians) of this child. Grant unto them, we beseech thee, thy Holy Spirit, that, like Abraham of old, they may command their household to keep the way of the Lord. of the Lord. Direct thou their actions, and sanctify their hearts, words, and purposes, that their whole family may be united to our Lord Jesus Christ, in the bands of obedience and love; and having been in this life thy holy children by adoption and grace, may parents and children together, finally be admitted to the church triumphant in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. SECTION IV. A full Service for the Baptism of Adults.* The candidates standing before the altar, the minister shall address the church as follows: EARLY beloved: Forasmuch as all men DE are conceived and born in sin, and our Saviour Jesus Christ saith, None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost; I beseech you to call upon God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his bounteous goodness he will grant to these persons that which by nature they cannot have; that they may be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost, and received into Christ's holy church, and be made a lively member of the same. A Let us pray. LMIGHTY and immortal God, the aid of all that need, the helper of all that flee to thee for succor, 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 wellbeloved 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 *This service supposes the candidate to be but a penitent, not yet pardoned or regenerated, but using baptism as a means of pardon. See Acts ii. 38 and xxii. 16. 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. 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 die in them, and that all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in them. Amen. Grant that they may have power and strength to have victory, and 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. LMIGHTY, ever-living 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 prayers of this thy congregation; and grant that the persons now to be baptized may receive the fullness of thy grace, and ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect children, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ¶ Then the minister shall speak to the persons to be baptized on this wise: ELL beloved, who are come hither, desiring to receive holy baptism, ye have heard how the congregation 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. And our Lord Jesus Christ has 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, you must always faithfully, for your part, promise, in the presence of this congregation, that you will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God's holy word, and obediently keep his commandments. Then shall the minister demand of each of the persons to be bap tized, severally, as follows, the candidates responding audibly, in the language of the subjoined answers: OST thou 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 or be led by them? Q. OST 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 suf fered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he rose 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 body, and everlasting life after death? Ans. All this I steadfastly believe. ILT thou be baptized in this Quest. W faith? Ans. This is my desire. Quest. WILT thou then obediently keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of thy life? Ans. I will endeavor so to do, the Lord being my helper. N., I The minister shall then baptize the candidate, saying: BAPTIZE thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. The service may then conclude by extemporaneous prayer, or with the benediction. By the Holy Catholic Church is meant the Church of God in general. |