Ritual Conformity Part 11

182. And if they shall be found fit, then the G.o.dfathers and G.o.dmothers (the people being a.s.sembled upon the Sunday or Holy-day appointed) shall be ready to present them at the Font immediately after the second Lesson, either at Morning or Evening Prayer, as the Curate in his discretion shall think fit.

183. And standing there, the Priest shall ask, whether any of the persons here presented be baptized, or no: If they shall answer, No; then shall the Priest say thus, Dearly beloved, &c.

184. Then shall the Priest say,

_Let us pray_.

185. (And here all the Congregation shall kneel.)

186. Then shall the people stand up, and the Priest shall say, Hear the words, &c.

187. After which he shall say this Exhortation following. Beloved, ye hear, &c.

188. Then the Priest shall speak to the _persons_ to be baptized on this wise: Well-beloved, &c.

189. Then shall the Priest demand of each of the persons to be baptized, severally, these Questions following: Dost thou, &c.

190. Then shall the Priest say, O merciful G.o.d, &c.

191. Then shall the Priest take each person to be baptized by the right hand, and placing him conveniently by the Font, according to his discretion, shall ask the G.o.dfathers and G.o.dmothers the Name; and then shall dip him in the water, or pour water upon him, saying, _N_. I baptize thee, &c.

If a person desire baptism by dipping, every effort should be made to provide means for the due administration of the Sacrament after the primitive manner.

192. Then shall the Priest say. We receive, &c.

193. Here the Priest shall make a Cross upon the person's forehead.

194. Then shall the Priest say, Seeing now, dearly beloved, &c.

195. Then shall be said the Lord's Prayer, all kneeling.

196. Then, all standing up, the Priest shall use this Exhortation following; speaking to the G.o.dfathers and G.o.dmothers first.

Forasmuch as, &c.

197. (And then, speaking to the new baptized persons, he shall proceed, and say,) And as for you, &c.

198. It is expedient that every person, thus baptized, should be confirmed by the Bishop as soon after his Baptism as conveniently may be; that so he may be admitted to the holy Communion.

199. If any persons not baptized in their infancy shall be brought to be baptized before they come to years of discretion to answer for themselves; it may suffice to use the Office for Public Baptism of Infants, or (in case of extreme danger) the Office for Private Baptism; only changing the word [_Infant_] for [_Child_ or _Person_] as occasion requireth.

200. A CATECHISM,

That is to say,

An Instruction to be learned of every person, before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop.

201. The Curate of every Parish shall diligently upon Sundays and Holy-days, after the second Lesson at Evening Prayer, openly in the Church instruct and examine so many Children of his Parish sent unto him, as he shall think convenient, in some part of this Catechism.

The time of Catechising was fixed by the 59th Canon of 1603, and by the Prayer-Book up to 1662, to be "before Evening Prayer." In 1662, this was changed to "after the Second Lesson." It must be remembered that in 1662 the Evening Prayer was said or sung in the afternoon only.

While the edifying effect of public Catechising is very great, it must be admitted that the introduction of Sunday-schools into the Church system, together with the change in the hours of Divine Service, have undoubtedly altered the conditions which rendered it necessary to provide so definite an order as this.

202. And all Fathers, Mothers, Masters, and Dames, shall cause their Children, Servants, and Apprentices, (which have not learned their Catechism,) to come to the Church at the time appointed, and obediently to hear and be ordered by the Curate, until such time as they have learned all that is here appointed for them to learn.

203. So soon as Children are come to a competent age, and can say, in their Mother Tongue, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments; and also can answer to the other Questions of this short Catechism; they shall be brought to the Bishop. And every one shall have a G.o.dfather, or a G.o.dmother, as a Witness of their Confirmation.

The qualification for Confirmation, given in the rubric at the end of the Office for Public Baptism, seems to be here restricted by the addition of the words 'so soon as children are come to a competent age.' On the principle that the wider interpretation of the requisites for spiritual privileges should prevail over the narrower, this rubric should be so interpreted as not to conflict with the other. In this view, the competency here intended does not consist in having arrived at a definite age, but in understanding what they are able to repeat with their lips. It should be observed that the word 'child' used in the rubric indicates, in the language of the Canon Law, an age between seven and fourteen.

204. And whensoever the Bishop shall give knowledge for Children to be brought unto him for their Confirmation, the Curate of every Parish shall either bring, or send in writing, with his hand subscribed thereunto, the names of all such persons within his Parish, as he shall think fit to be presented to the Bishop to be confirmed. And, if the Bishop approve of them, he shall confirm them in manner following.

THE ORDER OF

CONFIRMATION,

OR LAYING ON OF HANDS UPON THOSE THAT ARE BAPTIZED

AND COME TO YEARS OF DISCRETION.

205. Upon the day appointed, all that are to be then confirmed, being placed, and standing in order, before the Bishop; he (or some other Minister appointed by him) shall read this Preface following. To the end, &c.

206. Then shall the Bishop say, Do ye here, &c.

207. And every one shall audibly answer, I do.

208. Then all of them in order kneeling before the Bishop, he shall lay his hand upon the head of every one severally, saying, Defend, &c.

The word 'severally' (closely connected with the word 'saying'), and the singular number of the expression 'this thy child,' &c., indicate a distinct intention that the words should be said to each individual.

209. Then shall the Bishop say. The Lord be, &c.

210. And (all kneeling down) the Bishop shall add, Let us pray.

Our Father, &c.

211. And this Collect. Almighty and, &c.

212. Then the Bishop shall bless them, saying thus, The blessing, &c.

The Blessing implies the dismissal of the congregation, and seems to exclude any idea of an address after it; for which also no place is provided during the rite, nor is any interruption to the course of the service suggested which could admit of its insertion anywhere. However desirable it may be, it is, therefore, an unauthorized addition to the Prayer-Book.

213. And there shall none be admitted to the holy Communion, until such time as he be confirmed, or be ready and desirous to be confirmed.

THE FORM OF

SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY.