of the People to God, and solemnly devoted to him, the Priest

shall take so much out of

as will defray the charge of the

Bread and Wine; and the

remainder he shall keep, or part of

it, or dispose of it, or part of it, to pious or charitable uses, according to the direction of the Bishop.

THE MINISTRATION

OF

PUBLIC BAPTISM OF INFANTS,

To be used in the Church.

The most solemn times for the administration of Public Baptism are the night before Easter, Easter-day, and Whitsunday. Public Baptism may also be administered on any day between Easter and Pentecost.

And note, that there shall be a Sponsor or Surety for every Child to be baptized, which Sponsor shall be the Father or Mother of the Child, if either of them is to be had; otherwise the Sponsor may be any one of the faithful above sixteen years of age.

When there are Children to be Baptized, the Parents or others shall give knowledge thereof to the Deacon or Priest. And then the Sponsors and the People with the children must be ready at the Church-door at the time that the Priest by his discretion shall appoint. And the Priest and Deacon coming to the Church-door, and standing there, the Priest shall say to the Sponsors holding the children,

Have these children been already baptized or no? If they answer, No; then shall the Deacon proceed as followeth.

DEARLY beloved, forasmuch as all men are con

ceived and born in sin, and that our Saviour Christ saith, None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost; let us call upon God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his bounteous mercy he will grant to these children that thing which by nature they cannot have; that they may be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost, and be received into Christ's holy Church, and be made lively members of the same.

People. Lord, have mercy: We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

Then shall the Priest say:

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who of thy great mercy didst save Noah and his family in the ark, and also didst safely lead the children of Israel thy people through the Red Sea, figuring thereby thy holy Baptism; and by the Baptism of thy wellbeloved Son Jesus Christ in the river Jordan didst sanctify the element of water to the mystical washing away of sin: We beseech thee of thine infinite mercy that thou wilt graciously look upon these children; wash them, and sanctify them with the

Holy Ghost, that they, being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ's Church; and being stedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may so pass 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 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY 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 Apostles that they should make disciples of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: We call upon thee for these infants, that they, coming to thy holy Baptism, may obtain 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 have, 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 infants 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 Priest blow upon every child's face, and sign them with the sign of the cross upon the forehead; after which he shall say:

I COMMAND thee, thou unclean spirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that thou come out of and depart from these infants, whom our Lord Jesus Christ hath vouchsafed to call to his holy Baptism, to be made members of his body, and of his holy congregation. Therefore, thou cursed spirit, remember thy sentence, remember thy judgment, remember the day to be at hand, wherein thou shalt burn in fire everlasting, prepared for thee and thine angels : and presume not hereafter to exercise any tyranny towards these infants, whom Christ hath bought with his precious blood, and by this his holy Baptism calleth to be of his flock.

Then shall the Deacon say,

Hear the words of the Gospel written by Saint Mark, in the tenth chapter, at the thirteenth verse.

People. Glory be to thee, O Lord.