THE MINISTRATION OF PRIVATE BAPTISM OF CHIL DREN IN HOUSES. The Minister of every Parish shall often admonish the People that they defer not the Baptism of their Children longer than the first or second Sunday next after their birth, or other Holy-day falling between, unless upon a great and reasonable cause. And also he shall warn them, that without like great cause and necessity, they procure not their Children to be baptised at home in their houses. But when need shall compel them so to do, then Baptism shall be administered as followeth. First, let the Minister of the Parish (or, in his absence, any other lawful Minister that can be procured) with those who are present, call upon God, and say the Lord's Prayer, and so many of the Collects appointed to be said before in the Form of Public Baptism, as the time and present exigence will suffer. And then, the Child being named by some one who is present, the Minister shall pour Water upon it, saying these words: N. Amen. I baptize thee In the Name of the Father, Then the Minister shal give thanks unto God, and say, WE VE 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. For a Woman with Child. LMIGHTY God, the Father of all mercy handmaid; that by thy continual aid she, with her child, may be preserved from all perils and the fear of them. Bestow upon her, O Good Lord, patience in her time of waiting and assist her with thy most merciful aid and protection in all her necessity and grant that at the fullness of her time she may safely be delivered, to her joy and comfort and to the glory of thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth. ALMIGHTY God, we give thee humble thanks for that thou hast been graciously pleased to preserve, through the great pain and peril of child-birth, this woman, thy servant, who desireth now to offer her praises and thanksgivings unto thee. Grant, we beseech thee, most merciful Father, that she, through thy help, may both faithfully live and walk according to thy will in this life present, and also may be partaker of everlasting glory in the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Child's Prayer. FATHER in heaven, I thank thee for all thy care and goodness to me. Forgive any wrong things I may have done this day. Grant me thy help that I may be kind and truthful and obedient, and that in all I say and do I may seek to serve and please thee with my whole heart. Bless my father and mother and all whom thou hast given me to love. Make us all to love thee more, and to grow daily more like thee; and keep us in thy love, near to thee now and forevermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE FORM OF SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY. The laws respecting Matrimony, whether by publishing the Banns in Churches, or by Licence, being different in the several States, every Minister is left to the direction of those laws, in every thing that regards the civil contract between the parties. And when the Banns are published, it shall be in the following form: I publish the Banns of Marriage between M. of and N. of If any of you know cause, or just impediment, why these two persons should not be joined together in holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it. This is the first [second or third] time of asking. At the day and time appointed for Solemnization of Matrimony, the Persons to be married shall come into the body of the Church, or shall be ready in some proper house, with their friends and neighbours; and there standing together, the Man on the right hand, and the Woman on the left, the Minister shall say, DEA EARLY beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church: which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of Saint Paul to be honourable among all men and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace. I And also speaking unto the Persons who are to be married, he shall say, REQUIRE and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, ye do now confess it. For be ye well assured, that if any persons are joined together otherwise than as God's word doth allow, their marriage is not lawful. ¶ The Minister, if he shall have reason to doubt of the lawfulness of the proposed Marriage, may demand sufficient surety for his indemnification; but if no impediment shall be alleged, or suspected, the Minister shall say to the Man, M. WILT thou have this Woman to thy ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live? N. The Man shall answer, I will. T Then shall the Minister say unto the Woman, WILT thou have this Man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live? The Woman shall answer, I will. WHO I Then shall the Minister say HO giveth this Woman to be married to this Man? Then shall they give their troth to each other in this manner. The Minister, receiving the Woman at her father's or friend's hands, shall cause the Man with his right hand to take the Woman by her right hand, and to say after him as followeth. M. take thee N. to my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth. I Then shall they loose their hands; and the Woman with her right hand taking the Man by his right hand, shall likewise say after the Minister: N. take thee M. to my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth. ¶Then shall they again loose their hands; and the Man shall give unto the Woman a Ring. And the Minister taking the Ring shall deliver it unto the Man, to put it upon the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand. And the Man holding the Ring there, and taught by the Minister, shall say, WITH this Ring I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. ¶ Then, the Man leaving the Ring upon the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand, the Minister shall say, 0% Let us pray. UR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Thy Give |