The 1552 Book of Common Prayer: Baptism · The 1552 Book of Common Prayer: Preface & Of Ceremonies

The Book of Common Prayer

	The Book of Common Prayer - 1552

	Mark
THE	x.
MINISTRACION OF BAPTISME
TO BE USED IN THE CHURCHE.
IT
appeareth by auncient wryters, that the Sacramente of Baptisme in the
olde tyme was not commonlye ministred but at
two tymes in the yeare: at Easter and Whytsontyde. At which
tymes it was openly ministred in the presence of all the congregacion:
whiche custome (nowe being growen out of use) althoughe it cannot for
many consideracions be well restored agayne, yet it is thoughte good
to folowe the same as nere as conveniently may be: wherefore the people
are to be admonished, that it is most conveniente that Baptisme should
not be ministred but upon Sundayes, and other holy dayes, when the moste
noumbre of people maye come together as well for that the congregacion
there present may testifye the receyving of them, that be newely Baptysed,
into the noumbre of Christes Churche, as also because in the Baptisme
of infantes, every man present may be put in remembraunce of hys owne
profession made to God in hys Baptisme. For whyche cause also, it is
expediente that Baptisme be ministred in the Englishe tongue. Neverthelesse
(yf necessitie so requyre) chyldren maye at all tymes be Baptized at
home.
PUBLIQUE
BAPTISME.
¶ When there are chyldren to be Baptized upon the Sunday or holy
day, the Parentes shall geve knowledge over nyght or in the morning,
afore the beginning of Morning prayer, to the Curate. And then the Godfathers,
Godmothers, and people, with the children, muste be ready at the Fonte,
eyther immediatly after the laste Lesson at Morning prayer, or els immediately
after the last Lesson at Evening prayer, as the Curate by his discretion
shall appoynte. And then standing there, the Priest shall aske whether
the children be Baptyzed or no. If they answere, no; then shall the
Prieste saye thus.
DEARELY
beloved, for asmuche as all men bee conceyved and borne in synne, and
that oure Saviour Christ saith, none can entre into the kingdom of God
(except he be regenerate and borne a newe of water and the holy Ghost);
I beseche you to call upon God the father through our Lord Jesus Christ,
that of his bounteous mercie, he will graunt to these children, that
thing which by nature they cannot have, that they may be Baptized with
water and the holy ghoste, and receyved into Christes holy church, and
be made lyvely membres of the same.
Then the Priest shal saye.
¶
Let us praye.
ALMIGHTY
and everlasting God, which of thy great merce diddest save Noe and his
familie in the Arke from perishing by water: and also dyddest safely
leade the chyldren of Israel, thy people throughe the redde Sea: figuring
thereby thy holy Baptisme and by the Baptisme of thy welbeloved sonne
Jesus Christe, dyddest sanctifye the floud Jordane, and al other waters,
to the mistical washing away of sinne: We beseche thee for thy infinite
mercies, that thou wylt mercyfully loke upon these chyldren, sanctifie
them and washe them with thy holy ghoste, that they, beyng delivered
from thy wrath, may be receyved into the Arke of Christes Church, and
beyng stedfast in fayth, joyeful through hope, and rooted in charitie,
may so passe the waves of this troublesome world, that finally they
maye come to the lande of everlasting lyfe, there to reygne wyth thee,
worlde without ende, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ALMIGHTIE and immortall God, the
ayde of all that nede, the helper of all that flee to thee for succour,
the lyfe of them that beleve, and the resurreccion of the dead: We call
upon thee for these infantes, that they coming to thy holye Baptisme,
may receyve remission of theyre sinnes by spirituall regeneracion. Receyve
them (O Lord) as thou hast promysed by thy wel beloved sonne, sayinge
Aske, and you shal have, seke, and you shal fynd, knocke, and it shal
be opened unto you. So geve now unto us that aske. Let us that seke
fynde. Open the gate unto us that knocke, that these infantes may enjoye
the everlasting benediccion of thy heavenly washing, and may come to
the eternall Kingdom, which thou haste promysed by Christe our Lorde.
Amen.
Then shal the Priest say:
Heare the wordes of the Gospell, wrytten by Sainct Marke in the tenth
Chapter.
AT
a certayne tyme they broughte chyldren to Chryste that he shoulde touche
them, and his Disciples rebuked those that broughte them. But when Jesus
sawe it, he was displeased, and sayde unto them: Suffre lyttle children
to come unto me, and forbid them not; for to suche belongeth the kingdom
of God. Verely I saye unto you: whosoever doeth not receyve the kingdom
of God, as a lyttle chyld, he shall not entre therein. And when he hadde
taken them up in his ames, he put his handes upon them, and blessed
them.
After the Gospel is
read, the Minister shat make this brief exhortacion upon the
woords of the Gospell.
FRENDES, you heare
in this Gospell the wordes of oure saviour Christe, that he commaunded
the children to be brought unto him: how he blamed those that would
have kept them from him: how he exhorteth al men to follow their innocencie.
You perceyve how by his outward gesture and dede he declared his good
wyl toward them. For he embrased them in his arms, he laide his handes
upon them, and blessed them. Doubt not ye therefore, but earnestly believe,
that he wyll lykewise favourably receyve these presente infantes, that
he wyl embrase them with the armes of his mercie, that he wyll geve
unto them the blessinge of eternal life, and make them partakers of
his everlasting kingdome. Wherefore we beeing thus perswaded of the
good will of our heavenly father towards these infantes, declared by
his sonne Jesus Christ; and nothinge doubtinge but that he favourably
alloweth this charitable worke of ours, in bringinge these children
to his holy Baptisme: let us faythfullye and devoutlye geve thankes
unto hym, and saye.
ALMIGHTIE and
everlasting God, heavenly father, we geve thee humble thankes, that
thou haste vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of thy grace, and
faith in thee: encrease this knowledge, .and confirme this fayth in
us evermore: Geve thy holy spirite to these infantes, that they maye
bee borne agayne, and bee made heyres of everlastinge salvacion, through
our Lord Jesus Christ: who lyveth and reygneth with thee and the holy
spirite, now and for ever. Amen.
¶ Then the priest shal speake unto the Godfathers and Godmothers,
on this wyse.
WELBELOVED
frends, ye have broughte these children here to bee Baptyzed; ye have
prayed that oure Lorde Jesus Christ would vouchsafe to receive them,
to laye his hands upon them, to blesse them, to release them of theyre
sinnes, to geve them the kingdome of heaven, and everlasting lyfe. Ye
have heard also that our Lorde Jesus Christ hath promysed in his Gospell,
to graunte all these thinges that ye have prayed for: which promyse
he for his part wyl most surely kepe and perfourme. Wherfore after this
promise made by Christ, these infants must also faithfully for their
part promise by you that be their suerties, that they wil forsake the
devil and al his workes, and constantly beleve gods holy worde, and
obediently kepe his commaundmentes.
¶ Then shall the Priest demaunde of the Godfathers and Godmothers
these questions folowynge.
DOEST
thou forsake the devyl and al his workes, the vayne pompe and glorye
of the worlde, with al covetouse desyres of the same, the carnall desyres
of the flessh, so that thou wylt not folow, nor be led by them?
Aunswere. I forsake them all.
Minister. Doest thou beleve in
God the father almightie, maker of heaven and earth? and in Jesus Christ
his onely begotten sonne our Lorde, and that he was conceyved by the
holy ghoste, borne of the vyrgin Mary, that he suffred under Poncius
Pylate, was crucified, dead, and buried, that he went downe into hell,
and also dyd ryse again the thyrd daye; that he ascended into heaven,
and sytteth at the right hande of God the father almightie, and from
thence shal come agayne at the end of the worlde, to judge the quicke
and the dead:
And doest thou beleve in the holy ghost, the holye
Catholique Churche, the Communion of Sainctes, the remission of sinnes,
the resurreccion of the flesh, and everlasting lyfe after death?
Aunswere. All this I stedfastly
beleve.
Ministre. Wylt thou be baptyzed
in this fayth?
Aunswere. That is my desyre.
Then
shall the Priest saye.
O
MERCYFULL God, graunt that the olde Adam in these chyldren maye be so
buried, that the newe man maye be raysed up in them. Amen.
Graunt that al carnall affeccions maye dye in them,
and that all things belonginge to the spirite may lyve and growe in
them. Amen.
Graunt that they maye have power and strength to
have victorie and to triumphe agaynste the devyll, the worlde, and the
fleshe. Amen.
Graunt that whosoever is here dedicated to thee by
our office and ministerie, may also be endued with heavenly vertues,
and everlastingly rewarded throughe thy mercye, O blessed Lord God,
who doest lyve and governe al thinges worlde without ende. Amen.
ALMIGHTIE
everliving God, whose most dearely beloved sonne Jesus Christ, for the
forgeveness of our sinnes, did shead out of his most precious syde bothe
water and bloud, and gave commaundement to his disciples that they shoulde
goe teache all nacions, and baptize them in the name of the father,
the sonne, and of the holy ghost: Regarde, we beseche thee, the supplicacions
of thy congregacion, and graunte that al thy servauntes which shalbe
baptyzed in this water, may receyve the fulnesse of thy grace, and ever
remayne in the noumbre of thy faythfull and electe chyldren, throughe
Jesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.
¶ Then the Priest shal take the childe in his handes, and aske the
name: and naming the chyld, shal dippe it in the water, so it be discretely
and warely done, sayinge.
¶
N.
I Baptyse thee in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and
of the holy ghost. Amen.
¶
And yf the child be weke, it shall suffyce to power water upon it
sayinge the foresayde wordes.
N.
I Baptyse thee in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and
of the holy ghost. Amen.
Then
the Priest shall make a crosse upon the chyld's forehead, sayinge.
WE
receyve this child into the congregacion of Christes flocke, and doe
signe him with the signe of the crosse, in token that hereafter he shal
not be ashamed to confesse the fayth of Christ crucified, and manfully
to fight under his banner agaynst synne, the world, and the devyll,
and to continue Christ's faythfull souldiour and servaunt unto his lyves
end. Amen.
Then
shall the Priest saye.
SEEYNG
nowe, derely beloved brethren, that these chyldren be regenerate and
grafted into the bodye of Christes congregacion: lette us geve thankes
unto God for these benefites, and with one accorde make our praiers
unto almighty god, that they may leade the rest of theyr lyfe according
to this begmnninge.
Then
shall be sayde.
¶
OUR
father which art in heaven, &c.
Then
shall the Priest saye.
WE
yelde thee heartie thankes, most merciful father, that it hathe pleased
thee to regenerate this infant with thy holy spirite, to receyve him
for thy owne chylde by adopcion, and to incorporate him into thy holy
congregacion. And humbly we beseche thee to graunt that he, being dead
unto sinne, and lyving unto righteousnes, and beeinge buried with Christ
in his death, may crucify the old man, and utterly abolishe the whole
body of sine: that as he is made partaker of the death of thy sonne,
so he may be partaker of his resurreccion: so that finalli, with the
residue of thy holy congregacion, he may be enheritour of thine everlasting
kingdom: through Christ our lord. Amen.
¶
At the last ende, the Priest, calling the Godfathers and Godmothers
together, shall saye this short exhortacion folowinge.
FORASMUCHE
as these chyldren have promysed by you to forsake the Devyl and all
hys workes, to beleve in God, and to serve him; you must remembre that
it is youre partes and dueties to see these infantes be taught, so sone
as they shalbe hable to learne, what a solemne vowe, promise, and profession
they have made by you. And that they maye knowe these thinges the better,
ye shal call upon them to heare sermons: And chiefly ye shal provyde
that they may learne the Crede, the Lordes prayer, and the ten Commaundements,
in the Englishe tongue, and all other thyngs whiche a Chrystian man
ought to knowe and beleve, to his soules health: and that these children
may be vertuously brought up to leade a godlye and Christen lyfe; Remembryng
alwaye that Baptism doeth represente unto us our profession, which is,
to folowe the example of our saviour Christe, and to be made lyke unto
hym; that as he dyed and rose agayne for us, so should we which are
baptized die from sinne, and ryse agayne unto righteousnesse, continually
mortyfying al our evill and corrupte affeccions, and dayly proceding
in all vertue, and godlynes of lyving.
¶
The Minister shal commaunde that the chyldren be brought to the Bisshop
to be confirmed of him, so sone as they can saie in theyr vulgare tongue
the articles of the fayth, the lord's prayer, and the x commaundements,
and be further instructed in the Catechisme, set forth for that purpose,
accordingly as it is there expressed.
	Mark
	x.
OF
THEM THAT BE
BAPTYSED
IN PRIVATE HOUSES
IN
TYME OF NECESSITIE.
¶
The Pastours and Curates shall oft admonishe the People that they
deferre not the Baptisme of Infantes anye longer than the Sondaye, or
other holye daye nexte after the chyld bee borne, unlesse upon a great
and reasonable cause declared to the Curate and by him approved.
And also they shal warne them, that without great
cause and necessitie, they baptyse not chyldren at home in theyre houses.
And when great nede shot compel them so to do, that then they minister
it on this fashion.
First let them that be Present cal upon God for his
grace, and saye the Lordes prayer, yf the tyme wyl suffre. And then
one of them shall name the chyld, and dippe him in the water, or Powre
water upon him, saying these wordes.
¶
N.
I Baptyse thee in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and
of the holy ghost. Amen.
And let them not doubt, but that the child so Baptised, is lawfully
and sufficiently Baptised, and ought not to be Baptized agayne, in the
Church. But yet neverthelesse yf the child which is after this sorte
Baptised, do afterward lyve, it is expedient that he be brought into
the churche, to the entent the Priest may examine and trie, whether
the child be lawfully Baptized or no. And yf those that bringe any child
to the church do answere that he is already baptysed, then shall the
Priest examine them further.
¶ By whom the chyld
was Baptysed?
Who was present when the chyld was Baptysed?
Whether they called upon God for grace and succour
in that necessitie?
With what thing, or what matter, they dyd Baptyse
the chylde.
With what wordes the chide was Baptised?
Whether they thinke the childe to bee lawefully and
perfectly Baptysed?
And yf the ministers shall prove by the aunsweres of suche as brought
the childe, that at thinges were done as they ought to be: Then shall
not he Christen the chylde agayne but shal receyve him, as one of the
flocke of the true Christian People, sayinge thus.
I
CERTIFIE you, that in this case ye have done well, and according unto
due order concerning the baptysing of this child, which beynge born
in original synne and in the wrathe of God, is nowe by the laver [water]
of regeneracion in Baptisme receyved into the noumbre of the children
of God, and heyres of everlasting lyfe: for our Lorde Jesus Christ doeth
not denie his grace and mercie unto such infantes, but most lovingly
doth cal them unto him, as the holy gospel doeth witnesse to our comfort,
on this wyse.
AT
a certayne tyme they brought chyldren unto Christ that he should touche
them, and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus
saw it, he was displeased, and sayde unto them: Suffre litle chyldren
to come unto me, and forbid them not, for to such belongeth the kingdom
of God. Verely I saye unto you, whosoever doeth not receyve the kyngdome
of God as a litle chyld, he shal not entre therein. And when he had
taken them up in his arms, he put his handes upon them and blessed them.
¶
After the Gospell is read, the Minister shall make this exhortacion
upon the words of the Gospel.
FRENDES,
youe heare in this Gospell the wordes of our Saviour Christe, that he
commaunded the chyldren to bee broughte unto him: howe he blamed those
that woulde have kepte them from him: howe he exhorted all men to folow
their innocencie: ye perceyne howe by his outwarde gesture and dede
he declared his good wyll toward them. For he embrased them in his arms,
he layde his handes upon them, and blessed them. Doubt ye not therefore,
but earnestly believe, that he hath lykewise favourably receyved thys
present infante, that he hath embrased him with the armes of his mercie,
that he hath geven unto him the blessinge of eternall lyfe, and made
him partaker of his everlasting kyngdome. Wherfore we beeing thus perswaded
of the good wyll of our heavenly father, declared by hys sonne Jesus
Christ towardes this infant: Let us faythfully and devoutly geve thankes
unto hym, and saye the prayer which the Lorde himselfe taught; and in
declaracion of our fayth, let us recyte the articles conteyned in our
Crede.
Here
the Ministre with the Godfathers and Godmothers shall say.
OUR
father which art in heaven, &c.
¶
Then shal the Priest demaund the name of the chyld, which beyng by
the Godfathers and Godmothers pronounced, the Ministre shall saye.
N.
Doest thou in the name of this childe forsake the Devill and all hys
woorks, the vayne pompe and glorye of the worlde, with all the covetous
desyres of the same, the carnall desyres of the flesh, and not to folow,
and be ledde by them?
Answere. I forsake them all.
Minister. Doest thou in the name
of this childe professe thys fayth, to beleve in God the father almightye,
maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his onely begotten sonne
our Lorde: and that he was conceived by the holy ghoste, borne of the
vyrgin Marye, that he suffred under Poncius Pilate, was crucifyed, dead
and buried, that he went downe into hell, and also dyd ryse agayne the
thyrde day: that he ascended into heaven, and sytteth at the ryght hande
of God the father almightie: and from thence he shall come agayne at
the ende of the worlde to judge the quicke and the dead?
And doe you in hys name beleve in the holy gost.
The holy catholique Churche. The Communion of saincts. The remission
of synnes. Resurreccion, and everlasting lyfe after death?
Aunswere. All this I stedfastly
believe.
¶
Let us praye.
ALMIGHTIE
and everlastyng God, heavenly father, we geve thee humble thankes, for
that thou hast vouchsafed to cal us to the knowledge of thy grace, and
fayth in thee: increase this knowledge and confyrme this fayth in us
evermore: Geve thy holy spirit to this infante, that he beyng borne
agayne, and beeyng made heyre of everlastmg salvacion, through oure
Lorde Jesus Christe, maye continue thy servaunt, and attayne thy promyse,
through the same oure Lord Jesus Christ thy sonne: who lyveth and reygneth
with thee in unitie of the same holy spirite everlastingly. Amen.
Then
shal the minister make this exhortacion to the Godfathers, and Godmothers.
FORASMUCHE
as thys chylde hath promysed by you to forsake the devill and all his
works, to beleve in God, and to serve him: you must remembre that it
is youre parte and duetie to see that this infante be taughte so soone
as he shalbe able to learne, what a solemne vowe, promyse, and profession
he hath made by you: and that he maye knowe these thyngs the better,
ye shall call upon hym to heare sermons: And chieflye ye shall provyde
that he maye learne the Crede, the Lordes Prayer, and the ten Commaundements
in the Englishe tongue, and all other thyngs whiche a Chrystian man
ought to knowe, and beleve, to his soules health, and that thys childe
maye be vertuously broughte up, to leade a godly and a Christen lyfe:
Remembryng alwaye that Baptisme doeth represente unto us our profession,
which is to folowe the example of our saviour Christe, and be made lyke
unto hym: that as he dyed and rose agayne for us, so should we, which
are baptized, die from synne, and ryse agayne unto righteousnesse, continually
mortyfyyng al our evill and corrupte affeccions, and dayly proceding
in all vertue, and godlynes of lyving.
¶
And so forth, as in Publique Baptisme.
¶
But yf they which bring the infantes to the Churche, doe make an
uncertayn aunswere to the Priestes questions, and saye that they cannot
tel what they thoughte, dyd, or sayde, in that greate feare and trouble
of mynd (as oftentymes it chaunceth) : then lette the Priest baptyse
him in forme above wrytten concernynge Publique Baptysme, savyng that
at the dypping of the Chyld in the Fonte, he shal use this forme of
wordes.
IF
thou be not baptysed already, N. I baptise thee in the name of
the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy goste. Amen.

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