sins and renounce the Flesh the Devil and the World and consent to the Covenant of Grace giving up your self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as your Creator and Reconciled Father your Redeemer and your Sanctifier Ans I do Or thus rather if the Parent bee fit to utter his own Faith Quest Do you remain stedfast in the Covenant which you made in Baptism your self Ans Repenting of my sins I do renounce the Flesh the Devil and the World and I give up my self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost my Creator and Reconciled Father my Redeemer and my Sanctifier Quest Do you present and dedicate this Childe unto God to bee baptized into this Faith and solemnly ingaged in this Covenant unto God the Father Son and Holy Ghost against the Flesh the Devil and the World Ans It is my desire or I do present and dedicate him for this end Quest Do you here solemnly promise that if God continue it with you till it bee capable of Instructions you will faithfully indeavour to acquaint this Childe with the Covenant in which hee was here by you ingaged and to instruct and exhort him to perform this Covenant as ever hee looks for the blessings of it or to escape the curses and wrath of God that is That hee renounce the Flesh the World and the Devil and live not after them And that hee beleeve in this One God in Three Persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier That hee resign himself to him as his absolute Owner and obey hâ—m as his Supream Governour and love him as his most gracious Father hoping to injoy him as his Felicity in Endless Glory Ans I will faithfully indeavour it Quest Will you to this end faithfully endeavour to cause him to learn the Articles of the Christian Faith the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandements and to read or hear the holy Scriptures and to attend on the Publick Preaching of Gods Word Will you endeavour by your own Teaching and Example and Restraint to keep him from wickedness and train him up in a holy life Answ I will faithfully endeavour it by the help of God Then let the Minister pray thus or to this sense O Most merciful Father by the first Adam sin entred into the world and death by sin and wée are all by nature Children of Wrath But thou hast given thy only Son to bée the séed of the Woman the Saviour of the World the Captain of our Salvation to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and to wash us in his blood and reconcile us unto thée and to renew us by the Holy Ghost and to bruise Satan under our féet In him thou hast established the Covenant of grace and hast appointed this Holy Sacrament of Baptism for our solemn Entrance into the Bonds of the Covenants and stating us in the blessings of it which thou extendest to the faithful and their séed Wée dedicate and offer this Childe to thée to bée received into thy Covenant and Church Wée beséech thée to accept him as a member of thy Son and wash him in his blood from the guilt of Sin as the Flesh is washed by this water Bée reconciled to him and take him for thy Childe renew him to the Image of thy Son make him a fellow Citizen with the Saints and one of thy Houshold Protect him and provide for him as thy own and finally preserve him to thy Heavenly Kingdome through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Then the Minister shall ask of the Parent the name of the Childe to bee Baptized and naming him shall either dip him under the water or else pour water upon his face if hee cannot be safely or conveniently dipt and shall use these words without Alteration I Baptise thée in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And hee shall thus Declare THis Childe is now received by Christs appointment into his Church and solemnly entred into the holy Covenant and engaged if heâ— lives to the use of Reason to rise with Christ to newness of life as being buried with him by Baptism and to bear his Cross and confess Christ crucified and faithfully to fight under his Banner against the Flesh the Devil and the World and to continue his Faithful Souldier and Servant to the death that hee may receive the Crown of Life Then hee shall give Thanks and Pray WEe thank thée most merciful Father that when wée had broken thy Law and were condemned by it thou hast given us a Saviour and life in him and hast extended thy Covenant of Grace to Beleevers and to their â—éed and hast now received this Childe into thy Covenant and Church as a member of Christ by this Sacrament of Regeneration Wée beséech thée let him grow up in Holiness and when hee comes to years of discretion let thy spirit reveal unto him the mysteries of the Gospel and the riches of thy love in Jesus Christ and cause him to renew and perform the covenant that hée hath now made and to resign himself and all that hée hath entirely unto thée his Lord to bée subject and obedient to thée his Governour and to love thée his Father with all his heart and soul and might and adhere unto thée and delight in thée as the Portion of his soul desiring and hoping to enjoy thée in everlasting Glory Save him from the Lusts and Allurements of the Flesh the temptations of the Devil and the Baits of the pleasure profit and honour of the world and from all the Corruptions of his own heart and all the hurtful violence of his Enemies Kéep him in Communion with the Saints in the love and use of thy word and worship Let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Christ the Captain of his Salvation and bée faithful unto the death and then receive the Crown of life through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Then use this Exhortation or the like to the Parents YOu that have devoted this Childe to God and ingaged it in Covenant to him must bee thankful for so great a mercy to the Childe and must be faithful in performing what you have promised on your parts in instructing and educating this Childe in the Faith and Fear of God that hee may own and perform the Covenant now made and receive all the Blessings which God hath promised Hear what God hath made your duty Ephes 6. 4. Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Prov. 22. 6. Train up a childe in the way hee should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 19. 15. The Rod and Reproof give Wisdome but a Childe left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame Deut. 6. 5 6 7. Thou shalt love thy Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might
Peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Shéep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom bée Glory for ever and ever Amen THE Celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism LEt no Minister that is therein unsatisfied be forced against his Judgement to baptize the Childe of open Atheists Idolaters or Infidels or that are unbaptized themselves or of such as do not competently understand the Essentials of Christianity what it is to be a Christian and the Essentials of Baptism nor of such as never since they were baptized did personally own their Baptismal Covenant by a credible Profession of Faith and Obedience received and approved by some Pastor of the Church as before Confirmation is required and in His Majesties Declaration Nor yet the Childe of Parents justly excommunicate or that live in any notorious scandalous sin or have lately committed such a sin as if the Childe be gotten in Adultery or Fornication and being justly convict of it refuseth penitently to confess it and promise Reformation But if either of the Parents bee duly qualified and present the Childe to bee baptized or another for them in case they cannot bee present the Childe is to bee received unto Baptism And if both the natural Parents are Infidels Excommunicate or otherwise unqualified yet if any become the Pro-parents and owners of the Childe and undertake to educate it in the Faith of Christ and Fear of God and so present it to bee baptized let it bee done by a Minister whose judgement doth approve it but let no Minister be forced to it against his judgement Let the Parents or owners come to the Minister at some convenient time the week before and acquaint him when they intend to offer their Childe to Baptism and give an account of their fore-said capacity and receive his further Ministerial Assistance for the fuller understanding of the use and benefits of the Sacrament and their own duty The Font is to bee placed to the greatest conveniency of the Minister and People The Childe or Children being there presented the Minister may begin with this or the like speech directed to the Parent or Parents that presenteth it THat you may perform this service to God with understanding you must know that God having made man in his own Image to love and serve him our first Parents wilfully corrupted themselves by sin and became the Children of Death and the Captives of Satan who had overcome them by his temptation And as by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin so death passed upon all for that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Wee are conceived in sin and are by nature children of wrath For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean By the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation But the infinite Wisdome and Love of the Father hath sent his Son to bee the Saviour of the World The Word was made Flesh and dwelt on Earth and overcame the Devil and the World Fulfilled all Righteousness and suffered for our sins upon the Cross and rose again and reigneth in Glory and will come again and judge the World in Righteousness In him God hath made and offered to the World a Covenant of Grace and in it the Pardon of sin to all true Penitent Beleevers and power to bee the Sons of God and Heirs of Heaven This Covenant is extended to the seed also of the Faithful to give them the benefits suitable to their age the Parents dedicating them unto God and entring them into the Covenant and so God in Christ will bee their God and number them with his People This Covenant is to be solemnly entred into by Baptism which is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ in which a person professing the Christian Faith or the Infant of such is baptized in water into the Name of the Father the Son and Holy Ghost in signification and solemnization of the holy Covenant in which as a Penitent Beleever or the seed of such hee giveth up himself or is by the Parent given up to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost from henceforth or from the time of natural capacity to beleeve in love and fear this Blessed Trinity against the Flesh the Devil and the World and this especially on the account of Redemption and is solemnly entred a Visible Member of Christ and his Church a Childe of God and an Heir of Heaven How great now is the Mercy and how great the Duty that is before you Is it a small Mercy for this Childe to bee accepted into the Covenant of God and washed from its Original sin in the Blood of Christ which is signified and sealed by this Sacramental washing in water to be accepted as a Member of Christ and of his Church where hee vouchsafeth his Protection and Provision and the Means and Spirit of Grace and the renewed pardon of sin upon Repentance and for you to see this happiness of your Childe The duty on your part is first to see that you are stedfast in the Faith and Covenant of Christ that you perish not your self and that your Childe is indeed the Childe of a Beleever And then you are beleevingly and thankfully to dedicate your Childe to God and to enter it into the Covenant in which you stand And you must know that your Faith and Consent and Dedication will suffice for your Children no longer than till they come to age themselves and then they must own their Baptismal Covenant and personally renew it and consent and give up themselves to God or else they will not bee owned by Christ You must therefore acquaint them with the Doctrine of the Gospel as they grow up and with the Covenant now made and bring them up in the fear of the Lord. And when they are actually penitent Beleevers they must present themselves to the Pastors of the Church to bee approved and received into the Communion of the Adult Beleevers If the Persons bee before well instructed in the nature of Baptism and Time require Brevity the Minister may omit the first part of this speech and begin at the description of Baptism or after it If there bee need of satisfying the People of the duty of Baptizing Infants the Minister may here do it otherwise let the Questions here immediately follow The Minister shall here say to the Parent and the Parent answer as followeth IT being the Faithful and their seed to whom the Promises are made And no man will sincerely dedicate his Childe to that God that hee beleeveth not in himself I therefore require you to make Profession of your own Faith Quest Do you beleeve in God the Father Almighty c Answ All this I do unfeignedly beleeve Quest Do you repent of your
person bee able and willing let him before the Congregation give the foresaid account at large of his Knowledge Faith and Obedience But if through backwardness or disability for publick speech hee shall refuse it let him make the same Profession privately to the Minister and own it in the Assembly when the Minister shall declare it and ask him whether hee owns it But unless it bee in case of some extraordinary natural Imperfection and disability of utterance let him at least openly recite the Creed and profess his consent to the Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Let the Minister of every Parish keep a double Register one of the Names of all that are there baptized another of the Names of all that are approved upon their foresaid credible Profession and so admitted into the number of Communicants or that have a certificate of such Approbation regularly elsewhere performed And if Confirmation bee continued let His Majesties Declaration bee observed requiring That Confirmation bee rightly and solemnly performed by the Information and with the consent of the Minister of the place Let no Minister bee inforced to admit any himself to the Lords Supper who hath been clancularly and irregularly approved Those that after this Approbation prove scandalous offenders shall not by the Minister be suffered to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives Of the Celebration of Matrimony BEfore the Solemnizing of Marriage between any Persons their purpose of marriage shall bee published by the Minister three several Lords daies in the Congregation at the place or places of their most usual abode respectively And of this Publication the Minister who is to joyn them in marriage shall have sufficient Testimony before hee proceed to Solemnize the Marriage The Parents consent being first sufficiently made known At the Celebration the Minister shall either by a Sermon or other Exhortation open to them the Institution Ends and Use of Marriage with the conjugal Duties which they are faithfully to perform to each other And then shall demand of them whether it bee their desire and purpose to bee joyned together in the Bond of the Marriage-Covenant and if they answer affirmatively hee shall say to them I require and charge you as you will answer at the dreadful day of Judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed that if either of you do know any Impediment by Preconâ—ract or otherwise why you may not lawâ—ully bee joyned together in marriage you discover it and proceed not If no Impediment bee discovered by them or others hee shall Proceed to Pray MOst merciful Father who hast ordained Marriage for mutual help and for the increase of mankinde with a legitimate Issue and of the Church with a Holy séed and for prevention of uncleanness Bless thy own Ordinance to these persons that entring this state of Marriage in thy fear they may there â—â—tirely devote themselves unto thée and bée faithful in all conâ—…gal Affections and duties unto each other and if thou bless them with Children let them bee devoted unto thée and accepted as thine own and blessed with thy grace and educated in thy fear Subdue those corruptioins that would make their lives unholy or uncomfortable and deliver them from temptations to impiety worldlyness unquietness discontent or disaffection to each other or to any Unfaithfulness to thée or to each other make them meet helps to each other in thy fear and in the lawful management of the affairs of this World Let them not hinder but provoke one another to love and good to works and foreséeing the day of their separation by death let them spend their daies in a Holy Preparation and live here together as the Heirs of life that must reâ—oyce at the great marriage day of the Lamb and live for ever with Christ and all the Holy Angels and Saints in the presence of thy glory Amen The Woman if shâ—e bâ—e under Parents or Governours being by one of them or some deputed by them given to bâ—e married the Man with his Right hand shall take the Woman by the Right hand and shall say I. A. do take thée B. to bée my Married Wife and do promise and Covenant in the presence of God and before this Congregation to bée a loving and faithful Husband to thée till God shall separate us by death Then the Woman shall take the Man by the Right hand with her Right hand and say I. B. do take thée A. to bée my Married Husband and I do promise and Covenant in the presence of God and before this Congregation to bée a loving obedient and faithful Wife unto thée till God shall separate us by death Then let the Minister say These two persons A. and B. being lawfully married according to Gods Ordinance I do pronounce them Husband and Wife And those whom God hath conjoyned let no man put asunder Next hee may read the duty of Husbands and Wives out of Eâ—hes 5. 2. Coll. 4. 2. 1 Pet. 3. and Psalm 128. or some other Pertinent Psalm may bee said or sung And let the Minister exhort them to their several duties and then Pray MOst merciful Father let thy Blessings rest upon these Persons now joyned in lawful Marriage Sanctify them and their Conversations their Family Estates and 〈◊〉 unto thy Glory Furnish them with love to thée and to each other with méekness patience and contentedness Let them not live unto the Flesh but unto the spirit that of the spirit they may reap Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Then let him Conclude with a Benediction GOd Almighty the Creator Redéemer and Sanctifier bless you in your Souls and Bodies Family and Affairs and preserve you to his Heavenly Kingdome Amen The Visitation of the Sick and their Communion THe Visitation of the Sick being a private duty and no part of the Pubâ—ick Liturgy of the Church and the case of the Sick being so exceeding various as to soul and body and it being requisite that Ministers bee able to suiâ— their Exhortations and Prayers to the Condition of the Sick let the words of such Exhortations and Prayers bee left to their Prudence So urgent is the necessity of the Sick and so seasonable and advantagious the opportunity that Ministers may not negligently over-pass them but in love and tenderness instruct them according to their several Conditions Endeavouring the Conversion of the ungodly the strengthening of the weak and comforting such as need Consolation directing them how to improve their afflictions and helping them to bee sensible of the evil of sin the negligences and miscarriages of their lives the vanity of the World their necessity of a Saviour the sufficiency of Christ the Certainty and Excellency of the Everlasting Glory Exhorting them to repentance and to faith in Christ and to set their affections on the things above And if
Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of Women in Childe-bearing WEE return thée thanks Most Gracious God That thou hast heard our Prayers for this thy hand-maid and hast béen her helpin the time of her necessity and delivered her from her fears and sorrows death and life are in thy power thou killest and thou makest alive thou bringest down to the grave and thou bringest up Thou makest the Barren to keep house to bée a ioyful Mother of Children Wée thank thée that thou hast given thy servant to see the fruit of her Womb and that thou hast brought her again to thy Holy assembly to go with the multitude to thy house and worship thee with the voyce of ioy and praise that shée may enter into thy gates with thanksgiving and into thy Court with praise and wée may all bée thankful to thée on her behalf and speak good of thy Name Thou art good O Lord to all and thy tender mercies are over all thy works thou preserveit them that love thée thou raisest up them that are vowed down thou fulfillest the desire of them that fear thée thou also dost hear their cry and save them command thy blessing yet upon thy servant and her off-spring Let her not forget thée and thy mercies but let her devote the life which thou hast given her to thy service and educate her off-spring as a Holy séed in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and as thou hast said that thy scurse is in the house of the wicked but thou blessest the habitation of the just let her and her house serve thée and let holiness to the Lord bée written upon all wherewith thou blessest her Let her make thée her refuge and habitation Give her the ornament of a méek and quiet spirit which in thy sight is of great price let her not love the world nor minde Earthly things but use the world as not abusing of it Seeing the time is short and the fashion of this world passeth away Restore her Soul and lead her in the paths of righteousness though shée must walk through the valley of the shaddow of death let her fear no evil Let thy goodness and mercy follow her all the daies of her life and let her dwell for ever in thy Glorious presence Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen If the Childe bee dead those passage which imply its living must be omitted and if the Woman bee such as the Church hath cause to judge ungodly the Thanksgiving must bee in words more agreeable to her condition if any bee used Of Pastoral Discipline Publick Confession Absolution and Exclusion from the Holy Communion of the Church THe Recital of the Curses are said in the Book of Common Prayer to bee instead of the godly discipline of the primitive Church till it can bee restored again which is much to bee wished which is the putting of notorious sinners to open Penitence His Majesties Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical affairs determineth that all publick diligence bee used for the instruction and reformation of Scandalous offenders whom the Minister shall not suffer to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives provided there bee place for due appeals to Superiour Powers And the law of Christ commandeth if thy Brother trespass against thee go and tell him his faults between him and thee alone if hee shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother but if hee will not hear thee then take to thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may bee Established and if hee shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if hee shall neglect to hear the Church let him bee unto thee as a Heathen man or as a publican Mat. 18. 15 16 17. And it is the office of the Pastors of the several Congregations not only to teach the people in General and guide them in the Celebration of the publick Worship but also to over-see them and watch over each member of their flock particularly to preserve them from Errours Heresies Divisions and other sins defending the truth confuting gain-sayers and seducers instructing the Ignorant exciting the Negligent incourageing the Despondent comforting the Afflicted confirming the weak rebuking and admonishing the disorderly and scandalous and directing all according to their needs in the matters of their Salvation and the people in such needs should have ordinary recourse to them as the officers of Christ for guidance and resolution of their doubts and for assistance in making their salvation sure and in proving maintaining or restoring the peace of their consciences and spiritual comfort If therefore any member of the Church bee a scandalous sinner and the Crime bee either notorious or fully proved let the Pastor admonish him and set before him the particular command of God which hee transgresseth the supream Authority of God which hee despiseth the promises and mercies which hee treadeth under foot and the curse and dreadful condemnation which hee draweth upon himself let this bee done with great compassion and tender love to the offenders soul and with gravity reverent and serious importunity as beseemeth men imployed on the behalf of God for the saving of a soul and yet with judgement and cautelous prudence not taking that for sin which is no sin nor that for a gross and scandalous sin which is but an ordinary humane frailty not dealing as unreverently with a Superiour as with an inferiour nor making that publick which should bee concealed nor reproving before others when it should bee done more secretly nor speaking unseasonably to those who through drink or passion are incapable of the benefit nor yet offending by bashfulness or the fear of man or lukewarmness negligence or slighting over great offences on the other extream Prudence also requireth them to bee cautelous of over-medling where the Magistrates honour or concernment or the Churches unity or peace or the reputation of others or the interest of their Ministry requireth them to forbear These Cautions observed If the scandalous offenders continue impeâ—itent or unreformed after due admonitions and patience let the Pastor in the Congregation when hee is present rebuke him before all that the Church may sufficiently disown the Crime and others may see the odiousness danger of the sin But let this also bee with the love and seriousness and prudence before mentioned If the offender in obstinacy will not bee there the Pastor may open the crime before the Congregation And present or absent in case hee remain impenitent if the case will bear so long delay it is convenient that the Pastor publickly pray for his conviction and repentance that hee may bee Saved And this hee may do one or two or three or more daies as the nature of the case and prudence shall direct him If during these means for his Recovery after the proof of the Crime there