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mercy, that thou wilt gracioufly look upon thefe thy fervants; wash them, and fanctify them with the Holy Ghost, that they being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Chrift's church; and being stedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may fo pafs 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 Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

ALmighty everliving God, whofe moft dearly beloved Son Jefus Chrift, for the forgiveness of our fins, did shed out of his moft precious fide both water and blood, and gave commandment to his apoftles that they should make difciples of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft: We call upon thee for these perfons, that they coming to thy holy baptifm may obtain remiffion of their fins by fpiritual regeneration. Receive them, O Lord, as thou haft promifed by thy well-beloved Son, faying, afk and ye fhall have, feek and ye fhall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you: So give now unto us that afk, let us that seek find, open the gate unto us that knock; that thefe perfons may enjoy the everlasting benediction of thy heavenly washing, and may come to the eternal kingdom which thou haft promised by Chrift our Lord. Amen.

Then the Priest shall blow upon the face of every perfon to be baptized, and fign them with the fign of the cross upon the forehead, after which he fall fay, Command thee, thou unclean fpirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft,

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Ghost, that thou come out of and depart from thefe perfons, whom our Lord Jesus Christ hath vouchfafed to call to his holy baptism, to be made members of his body and of his holy congregation. Therefore, thou curfed fpirit, remember thy fentence, remember thy judgment, remember the day to be at hand, wherein thou fhalt burn in fire everlafting, prepared for thee and thine angels: And prefume not hereafter to exercise any tyranny towards thefe perfons, whom Chrift hath bought with his precious blood, and by this his holy baptism calleth to be of his flock.

Then shall the perfons to be baptized stand up, and the Deacon fhall fay,

Hear the words of the Gospel written by S. John, in the third chapter, beginning at the first verse. People. Glory be to thee, O Lord.

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Then fhall the Deacon read the Gospel.

There was a man of the Pharifees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The fame came to Jefus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doft, except God be with him. Jefus answered and faid unto him, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus faid unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jefus anfwered, Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is fpirit.

fpirit. Marvel not that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof; but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: fo is every one that is born of the Spirit.

And the Gospel ended, the Deacon shall say,
Here endeth the Holy Gospel.

People. Thanks be to thee, O Lord.

After which the Prieft fhall fay this exhortation following.

Beloved, ye hear in this Gospel the exprefs words

of our Saviour Chrift, that except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Whereby ye may perceive the great neceffity of this Sacrament, where it may be had. Likewife immediately before his afcen-. fion into heaven, (as we read in the laft chapter of Saint Mark's Gofpel) he gave command to his apoftles faying, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be damned. Which alfo fheweth unto us the great benefit we reap thereby. For which caufe Saint Peter the apostle, when upon his first preaching of the gofpel many were pricked at the heart, and faid to him and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? replied and faid unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. For the promife is to you and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call. And with many other words exhorted he them, faying, Save

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yourselves from this untoward generation. For (as the fame apostle teftifieth in another place) even Baptifm doth alfo now fave us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good confcience towards God) by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift. Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will favourably receive these prefent perfons, if they truly repent and come unto him by faith; that he will grant them remiflion of their fins, and bestow upon them the Holy Ghoft; that he will give them the bleffing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdom. Wherefore we being thus perfuaded of the good-will of our heavenly Father towards thefe perfons declared by his own Son Jefus Christ, let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him.

Then fhall the Prieft fay the following thanksgiving, the perfons to be baptized kneeling.

ALmighty and everlasting God, heavenly Father,

we give thee humble thanks, that thou haft vouchfafed to call us to the knowledge of thy grace and faith in thee: Increase this knowledge, and confirm this faith in us evermore. Give thy Holy Spirit to these perfons, that they may be born again, and be made heirs of everlasting salvation, through our Lord Jefus Chrift who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy, Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

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Then shall the perfons to be baptized ftand up, and the Prieft fhall take one of them by the right hand, the others walking after him; and as he walketh to̟wards the Baptiftery, he shall fay,

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HE Lord vouchsafe to receive you into his holy houfhold, and to keep and govern you always in the fame, that ye may have everlasting life. Amen.

When they are all come with the People to the Baptiftery, which is then to be filled with pure water, the Priest fhall fpeak to the perfons to be baptized on this wife.

Well-beloved, who are come hither defiring to

receive holy baptifm, ye have heard how the congregation hath prayed that our Lord Jefus Chrift would vouchfafe to receive you and bless you, to release you of your fins, to fanctify you with the Holy Ghoft, to give you the kingdom of heaven and everlasting life. Ye have heard also, that our Lord Jefus Chrift hath promised in his holy word, to grant all those things that we have prayed for; which promise he for his part will most furely keep and perform. Wherefore after this promise made by Christ, ye must also faithfully for your part promise in the presence of thefe your witnesses and of this whole congregation, that ye will renounce the devil and all his works, and conftantly believe God's holy word, and obediently keep his commandments. demand therefore,

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