A Petition for Peace with the Reformation of the Liturgy, Part 5 – Part 7
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 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 h…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 Rom. 5. 12. Eph. 2. 3. Joh. 3. 16. Gen. 3. 15. Joh. 4. 42. Heb. 9. 26. Rev. 1. 15. Rom. 5. 10. Tit. 3. 5. Rom 16. 20. Heb 8. 6. Mat 28. 19, 20. Gen. 17. 10, 11. Ezek. 20 37. Rom. 6. 3, 4. Tit. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 12. Gen. 17. Rom. 9. 8. Act. 239. Mat. 23. 37. Deut. 39. 10 11, 12. Mat. 19. 13, 14. 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13. Rev. 1. 5. Eph 5. 26. Joh. 11. 52. Heb. 2. 13. Eph. 2. 19. & 3. 15. Zech. 9. 11, 15. 16. 1 Pet 5. 7. 2 Tim. 4. 18.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 he… 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 Rom. 5. 12, 18. Gal. 3. 13. 1 Joh. 5. 11. Act. 2. 39. 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13. Pſal. 44. 3, 4. 2 Cor. 8 5. Pſa. 119. 94. Eph. 5. 24. Mat. 22. 37. Deut. 10 20, 21. & 11. 22 & 30. Pſal. 16. 5 & 37. 4. Tit. 1. 2. & Tit. 2. 13. & 3. 7. 1 Joh. 2. 5, 6, 17 Gal. 5. 24. Mat. 6. 13. Pſal 81. 12 Jam. 1. 14 …. 1. 71▪ 1 Cor. 10. 16. 1 Joh. 1. 7. … Cor. 6 14 Pſa 1. 1, 2. Joh. 9 3… Luk. 9. 23. …. 2. 10. Rev. 2. 10.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 …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, and theſe words which I command thee this day, ſhall bee in thy heart, and thou ſhalt reach them diligently unto thy Children, and thou ſhalt talk of them when thou ſitteſt in the houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way, and when thou lyeſt down, and when thou riſeſt up. Joſhuah ſaith, Joſh. 24. 15. As for mee and my houſe, wee will ſerve the Lord. And Paul ſaith of Timothy, 2 Tim. 3. 15. From a Childe thou haſt known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wiſe unto Salvation, through Faith which is in Chriſt Jeſus.
Then ſay to the People thus, or to this ſenſe.
YOu have heard Beloved, how great a dignity we were advanced to in our Baptiſm, to how great duty wee are all ingaged. O ſearch and try, whether you have kept or broken the Convenant which you made, and have lived according to the dignity of your Calling. And if any of you bee Atheiſts, Unbeleevers, or Ungodly, and love not God above all, and neglect Chriſt and his Salvation, and are yet unſanctified, and live after the Fleſh, the Devil, and the World, which you here renounced; As you love your ſouls, bewail your perfidious Convenant-breaking with God. Truſt not the water of Baptiſm alone; if you are not born again of the Spirit alſo, you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God, Joh. 3. 5, 6. Baptiſm will not ſave you, if you have not the anſwer of a good conſcience unto God, 1 Pet. 3. 21. If any man have not the Spirit of Chriſt, the ſame is none of his, Rom. 8. 9. Much leſs thoſe wretches that hate Sanctification, and deſpiſe and ſcorn a holy life, when they were by Baptiſm engaged to the Holy Ghoſt the Sanctifier; Can you think to bee ſaved by the Covenant, which you keep not? O no! your perfidiouſneſs aggravateth your ſin and miſery, Eccleſ. 5. 4, 5. When thou voweſt a vow to God, defer not to pay it, for hee hath no pleaſure in Fools: Pay that which thou haſt vowed; better it is that thou ſhouldeſt not vow, than that thou ſhouldeſt vow and not pay. O bleſs the Lord, that it is a Covenant of ſuch Grace which is tendred to you, that yet upon true Repentance and Coverſion, even your Covenant-breaking ſhall bee forgiven; And therefore penitently caſt down your ſelves before the Lord, and beleevingly caſt your ſelves on Chriſt, and yeeld to the teachings, and ſanctifying operations of the Holy Ghoſt, yet know the day of your Viſitation, and forſake the Fleſh, the Devil, and the World, and turn to God with all your hearts, and give up your ſelves intirely to your Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, and hee will have mercy upon you, and will abundantly pardon you. But if you ſtill live after the Fleſh, you ſhall dye: And if you continue to neglect this great Salvation, there remaineth no more Sacrifice for ſin, but a certain fearful looking for of Judgement, and Fire, which ſhall devour the Adverſaries.
Let no Children bee privately baptized, nor any Miniſter forced to baptize them any where, beſides in the Publick Aſſembly, unleſs upon ſome ſpecial weighty cauſe, if there be occaſion for baptizing the Adult, let the Miniſter accordingly ſute his expreſſions.
Of Catechizing, and the Approbation of thoſe that are to bee admitted to the Lords Supper.
SEEing none can bee ſaved at years of diſcretion, that do not actually beleeve, and perſonally give up themſelves in Covenant to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt; Therefore as Parents muſt do their parts, ſo Miniſters muſt catechize the Ignorant; and Diligently labour to cauſe them both to learn the Form of wholſome words (even the Lords Prayer, and the ten Commandements, and ſome brief, yet full and ſound Catechiſm) and to underſtand the meaning of them, and to engage their hearts into the love of God, and a holy Obedience to his Laws.
To this end let the Miniſter either every Lords Day, before the Evening Prayers, or at ſome convenient hour, or on ſome other day of the week, as oft as hee can, examine publickly ſuch as are not admitted to the Lords Supper, and take an account of their learning, and underſtanding the Creed, the ten Commandements, the Lords Prayer, and the Catechiſm. And let him by queſtioning and explication, help them to underſtand them; And let ſuch of the ſeveral Families of the Pariſh come in their turns, when they are called by the Miniſter to bee thus Catechized. Alſo let the Miniſter either go to their houſes, or rather appoint the perſons aforeſaid in their courſes at a certain hour and place (in the Church or any other fit place) to come to him for perſonal Inſtructions, where hee may confer with thoſe that are unmeet to bee catechized Publickly, or unwilling to ſubmit to it, and there with humble, prudent, ſerious Inſtruction and Exhortation, let him indeavour to acquaint them with the ſubſtance of Chriſtian-Faith and Duty, and to help them to make ſure their Calling and Election, and to prepare for Death and Judgement, and exhort them to love, and to good works, and warn them leſt they bee hardened through the deceltfulneſs of ſin. But let him not in publick or private meddle with Impertinencies, or ſpend the time about ſmaller matters, or ſingular Opinions, nor ſift people to know things unfit, or unneceſſary to bee diſcloſed, nor meddle with matters that do not concern him, as a Miniſter, to inquire after; But help them to learn, and underſtand, and practiſe the Chriſtian Religion expreſſed in the Catechiſm.
The Catechiſm,See the Rubrick for Catechiſm, and Confirmation in the Common-Prayer, and alſo His Majeſties Declaration concerning Eccleſiaſtical Aſſa…s.
LEt none be admitted by the Miniſter to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, till they have at years of diſcretion underſtood the meaning of their Baptiſmal Covenant, and with their own mouths, and their own conſent openly before the Church, ratified and confirmed, and alſo promiſed, that by the Grace of God they will evermore endeavour themſelves faithfully to obſerve, and keep ſuch things as by their own mouth and confeſſion they have aſſented to; And ſo being inſtructed in the Chriſtian Religion, do openly make a credible Profeſſion of their own Faith, and promiſe to bee obedientt o the Will of God.
A Profeſſion is credible, when it is made underſtandingly, ſeriouſly, voluntarily, deliberately, and not nullified by contradiction in Word or Deed And that Profeſſion is incredible, that is made ignorantly, ludicrouſly, forcedly, raſhly, or that is nullified by verbal or practical contradiction. And it muſt bee practice firſt, that muſt make words credible, when the perſon by perfidiouſneſs hath forfeited his Credit. It is not private perſons onelyonly, but the Paſtors of the Church that muſt approve of this Profeſſion. Therefore before any are admitted to the Lords Supper, they ſhall give a good account of their Knowledge, Faith and Chriſtian Converſation, conformable thereunto unto the Paſtors of their reſpective Congregations, or elſe ſhall produce a certificate, that they have been approved or admitted to the Lords Supper in another Congregation, of which they were members, and that by an allowed Miniſter, upon ſuch approved Profeſſion as aforeſaid.
If the 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.