·G.39.--45.

[The Baptifmal Inftruction.]

Those who at Years of Difcretion offer themfelves to be Catechumens, are to be fully in ftructed before they are admitted to Baptifm: and the fame Things are to be taught thofe that are Baptiz'd in their Infancy, before their Baptifm is compleated by Confirmation. The Heads of which Baptifmal Inftruction, as they are contain'd in the Apoftolical Conftitutions, are as follows. A Catechumen must be taught the Knowledge of the unbegotten God the Father: the Acknowledgment of his only begotten Son: .. and that full Affurance which is deriv'd from the Holy Ghoft. He muft learn in what order God made the feveral Parts of the World; with the A Series of his Providence towards it; and what diftinct Laws he has given to Mankind. He must be inftructed why God made the World; and in particular why he plac'd Man as the Prin cipal visible Creature therein and what is his own proper Nature and Conftitution as a Man. He must be inform'd how God punifhed the Wickedness of Men by the Flood, and by the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah; but rewarded and advanc'd the Godly in every Generation; as Seth, and Enos, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, with his Pofterity; and Melchifedech, and Job, and Mofes, and Joshua, and Caleb, and Phineas the Prieft, and the reft of the Saints in their feveral Ages; and how God out of his pro vidential Care did not caft off Mankind; but * called Men in the feveral Ages of the World from Error and Vanity to the Acknowledgment of the Truth; in order to reduce them from Slavery and Impiety, unto Liberty and Piety'; from Unrighteousness to Righteoufnefs; from Eternal

Death

Death unto Everlafting Life. He must also be farther Inftructed afterward concerning the Incarration and Paffion of our Lord, his Refur rection from the Dead, and Afcenfion into Hea ven. Furthermore, when the Catechumen is almost ready to be baptiz'd, he must learn his Duty as to the Renunciation of the Devil, and Dedication of himself to Chrift, which he is to perform at Baptifm. For he must first forfake all Things contrary to his Chriftian Profeffion, and after that be admitted to the Christian Myfteries. He must first purify his Mind from all naughty Affections, from all Spots and Wrinkles, and then partake of the Holy Things. For as a wife Husbandman will firft cleanfe his Field from the Thorns which have sprung up in it, and will then, but not before, fow his Corn therein: So are the Minifters of Chrift to de in this Matter; firft to purge Men from all Wickedness; and then to inftruct them in the Rules of Piety; and fo admit them to the Privilege of Baptifm. For fo did our Lord himself exhort us, faying, Firft Teach all Nations; and then he added, Baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft.

[Then the Surety for the Infant to be baptiz'd fays thus, looking Weftward.]

1, in the Name of this Child, renounce the Devil, and his Works, and his Pomps, and his Worship, and his Angels, and his Inventions, and all Things that are under him.

[Then the Surety goes on thus, turning Eastward.] I do alfo, in the Name of this Child, dedicate my felf to Chrift; and do believe, and am to

be

be baptiz'd into the One unbegotten Being, the Only True God Almighty, the Father of Chrift, the Creator and Maker of all Things; From whom are all Things. And in the Lord Jefus Chrift, his only begotten Son, the First-born of every Creature, who was begotten by the Good Will of the Father before the World began; By whom all Things were made which are in Heaven and on Earth, visible and invifible: who in the last Days defcended from Heaven, and took Flesh, and was born of the Holy Virgin Mary, and converfed Holily, according to the Laws of his God and Father; and was crucify'd under Pontius Pilate, and died for us; and the Third Day after his Suffering, rofe again from the Dead, and afcended into the Heavens; and is fat down at the Right Hand of the Father; and fhall come again at the End of the World with Glory to Judge the Quick and the Dead: of whofe Kingdom there fhall be no End. I am also to be baptized into the Holy Ghost, that is, the Comforter; who wrought in all the Saints from the beginning of the World; and was afterward fent down upon the Apostles, from the Father, according to the Promife of our Saviour and Lord Jefus Chrift; and after his Defcent on the Apoftles was fent down upon all Believers in the Holy Catholick Church. I am alfo to be baptiz'd into the Refurrection of the Flesh; into the Remiffion of Sins; into the Kingdom of Heaven; and into the Life of the World

to come.

[Then the Bishop, or Presbyter, uses this Eucharistical, or Confecration-Prayer.}

We bless thee, We glorify thee, O Lord God Almighty, the Father of the Only begotten God:

3

We give Thanks to thee that thou haft sent thy Son to be Incarnate for our Sakes, and for our Salvation; that he fubmitted to become like a Man in all Things, that he might. Preach the Kingdom of Heaven, the Remiffion of Sins, and the Refurrection of the Dead. We also adore thee, O thou only begotten God the Son, after the fupreme God, and by his Appointment; and give thee Thanks that thou haft undergone Death for all Mankind, even the Death of the Crofs; a Reprefentation whereof thou haft given us in this Baptifm of Regeneration. We alfo glorify thee, O God the Father, that thou, who art the Lord of all Things, for the Sake of Chrift, in the Holy Spirit, haft not utterly rejected Mankind; but in the feveral paft Ages haft all along us'd various Difpenfations of thy Providence for their Sake. Accordingly, when Adam was in Paradife, thou in the firft Place didft affign him that very Paradise for an Habitation of Pleasure. Afterwards, as an Inftance of thy Providence, thou gav'ft him a Command to try his Obedience to thee: and when, upon his Difobedience, thou didst juftly drive him out of Paradife, yet, out of thy Goodness didft thou not caft him off for ever. Nay, thou dift but as a Father chaftife his Pofterity after him. And on his Account, in the End of the World, thou haft fent thy Son to become Man for the Sake of Men; and to take upon him all the Paffions of Human Nature, Sin only excepted. Look down therefore, O Lord God, from Heaven upon us in the Celebration of this thy Ordinance of Baptifm; and fanctify this Water for that Holy Purpofe. Bestow upon it Grace and Power, that this Infant now to be Baptiz'd therein, according to the Command of thy Chrift, may be, crucify'd with him, and dye with him, and be

(h)

buryea

buryed with him, and rife again with him to the Adoption of Children which is by him, that fo he may dye to Sin, and live unto Righteoufnefs: through the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.'

[Then let the Bishop, or Presbyter dip the Infant Thrice under Water, at the diftinct Names of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the ufual Form of Baptifm.]

N. I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

[Then let the Bishop or Presbyter return Thanks in this or the like Manner.]

O Lord God, who art Unbegotten, and the Lord, the Ruler and Governor of all Things: Who haft fpread the Light of thy Gospel throughout all the World: We yield thee hearty Thanks that it hath pleas'd thee to regenerate this Infant by Baptifm, and to receive him for thine own Child by Adoption, and to incorporate him into thy Holy Church. And humbly we befeech thee to grant that he being dead unto Sin, and living unto Righteoufnefs, may, when he grows up, fhew that he has been, by Baptifm, buried with Chrift in his Death; that he may really crucify the Old Man, and rife again to Newnefs of Life. So that finally, with the Refidue of thy Holy Church, he may be an Inheritor of thine Everlafting Kingdom. And give every one of us Grace, that we may always, remember, that Baptifm does reprefent unto us our Profeffion, which is to follow the Example of our Saviour Chrift, and to be made like unto him; that as he dyed and rofe again for us, fo

may