Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

112. Repeat the form of Baptism as commanded by Christ. N. I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

113. Is the Sacrament of Baptism complete when the child has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?

Yes; the thirtieth canon of our Church says, when the minister, dipping the infant in water, or laying water upon the face of the child (as the manner also is), hath pronounced these words, the infant is fully and perfectly baptized.

114. Repeat the words which the priest says on receiving the child into the congregation.

¶ Then the Priest shall say,

Here the Priest shall make a Cross upon the Child's forehead.

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.

115. Is the custom of signing the infant with the sign of the cross of great antiquity?

Yes; it was a custom adopted in primitive ages, and has been observed ever since.

116. Is any superstitious power ascribed to the sign of the cross?

Certainly not: it is merely an outward ceremony, and honourable badge, in token that the infant is dedicated to the service of Him who died upon the cross.

117. Of what is the sign of the cross a token?

That the infant shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified. "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Gal. vi. 14.)

118. How is the infant to fight under Christ's banner?

66

Manfully. Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1 Tim. vi. 12.)

119. Against whom is he to fight?

1st. Against sin. "Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." (Rom. vi. 12.)

2ndly. Against the world. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John ii. 15.)

3rdly. Against the devil. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist, stedfast in the faith." (1 Pet. v. 8, 9.) 120. How long should the child continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant?

Unto his life's end. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." (Rev. ii. 10.)

121. Repeat the address which the priest now makes to the people.

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.

122. For what benefits are the congregation called upon to give thanks?

1st. That the child is regenerate. "For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Gal. iii. 27.) “According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Titus iii. 5.)

2ndly. We thank God that the child is grafted into the body of Christ's Church. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have all been made to drink into the same Spirit." (1 Cor. xii. 13.)

123. What prayer do we make to God concerning the child?

That he may lead the rest of his life according to this beginning. "As ye therefore have received Jesus Christ the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught." (Col. ii. 6, 7.)

124. Repeat the concluding thanksgiving, which follows immediately after the Lord's Prayer.

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.

125. For what do we yield hearty thanks unto God? That it hath pleased Him:

1st. To regenerate the infant with his Holy Spirit. "Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to you and your children, and all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts ii. 38, 39.)

2ndly. To receive him as his own child by adoption. "As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even as many as call upon his name." (John i. 12.)

3rdly. That it hath pleased God to incorporate the child into his holy Church. "The Lord added to the church daily such as should

be saved."

126. Upon what part of Scripture are the words of this request founded, namely, "that the infant 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?"

They are founded on the words of St. Paul: "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed; that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Rom. vi. 4, 5, 6.)

127. What does the prayer say the child is already a partaker of?

Of the death of Christ. "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.' (Gal. ii. 20.)

128. Of what do we pray he may be a partaker?

Of Christ's resurrection. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Col. iii. 4.) 129. Of what do we pray he may become an inheritor ?

Of God's everlasting kingdom. "To the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." (Heb. xii. 22.)

130. Repeat the Exhortation which the priest shall now say to the godfathers and godmothers.

¶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.

131. Since the child has promised by his sureties to renounce the devil and all his works, to believe in God and to serve Him, what is their duty respecting the child?

To see that he be taught what a solemn vow, promise, and profession has been made by them in his name. "Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deut. vi. 7.)

132. What should they call upon the child to hear?

Sermons. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. x. 17.)

133. What should they provide that he may learn?

The Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and all other things which a Christian ought to know and to believe to his soul's health. "These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children." (Deut. vi. 6, 7.)

134. What should the child be brought up to lead?

[ocr errors]

A godly and a Christian life. Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Eph. vi. 4.)

135. What text of Scripture proves that the baptized should follow the example of Christ, and should die unto sin, and rise again unto righteousness.

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom. vi. 3, 4.)

136. What ought the baptized continually to mortify?

All his evil and corrupt affections. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Col. iii. 5.)

137. In what should they daily proceed?

In all virtue and godliness of living. "And besides all this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." (2 Pet. i. 5, 6, 7.)

138. Repeat the words with which the priest concludes this important and interesting service.

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.

139. Repeat the first note at the conclusion of the Baptismal Service.

IT is certain by God's Word, that children which are baptized, dying before they commit actual sin, are undoubtedly saved.

140. What authority have you for saying this?

Since infants are baptized into Christ's body (" for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body," 1 Cor. xii. 13), and have put on Christ ("For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ," Gal. iii. 27); since, according to St. Peter's exhortation, "they have been baptized for the remission of sins" (Acts ii. 38); since Baptism is called "the washing of regeneration" (Titus iii. 5); since from their age they cannot have been guilty of actual sin, it necessarily follows, that children rightly baptized as Christ has commanded, and dying in infancy, are undoubtedly saved.

141. Repeat the second note.

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 MDCİV.

« AnteriorContinuar »