The Book of Common Prayer Part 43

Almighty G.o.d, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: We beseech thee to have compa.s.sion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

Almighty G.o.d, who hast promised to hear the pet.i.tions of them that ask in thy Son's Name: We beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ears to us that have made now our prayers and supplications unto thee; and grant that those things, which we have faithfully asked according to thy will, may effectually be obtained, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| PRAYERS FOR CERTAIN FESTIVALS AND SEASONS | | _Which may be said immediately before the Blessing at holy_ | _Communion, or before the conclusion of other services_.

| | _Advent_.

| | Grant, O almighty G.o.d, that as thy blessed Son Jesus Christ at | his first advent came to seek and to save that which was lost, so | at his second and glorious appearing he may find in us the fruits | of the redemption which he wrought, who liveth and reigneth, with | thee and the Holy Spirit, one G.o.d, world without end. _Amen_.

| | _Christmas-day, and seven days after_.

| | O G.o.d, who hast given us grace at this time to celebrate the | birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ: We laud and magnify thy | glorious Name for the countless blessings which he hath brought | unto us; and we beseech thee to grant that we may ever set forth | thy praise in joyful obedience to thy will; through the same | Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| | _Epiphany, and seven days after_.

| | Almighty G.o.d, who at the baptism of thy blessed Son Jesus Christ | in the river Jordan didst manifest his glorious G.o.dhead: Grant, | we beseech thee, that the brightness of his presence may s.h.i.+ne | in our hearts, and his glory be set forth in our lives; through | the same Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| |_Easter-day, and seven days after_.

| | O Lord G.o.d Almighty, whose blessed Son, our Saviour, Jesus | Christ, did on the third day rise triumphant over death: Raise | us, we beseech thee, from the death of sin unto the life of | righteousness, that we may seek those things which are above, | where he sitteth on thy right hand in glory. And this we beg for | the sake of the same, thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| | _Ascension-day, and seven days after_.

| | Almighty G.o.d, whose blessed Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ | ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: | Mercifully give us faith to perceive that according to his | promise he abideth with his Church on earth, even unto the end of | the world; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| | _Whitsunday, and six days after_.

| | O almighty G.o.d, who on the day of Pentecost didst send the Holy | Ghost the Comforter to abide in thy Church unto the end: Bestow | upon us and all thy faithful people his manifold gifts of grace, | that with minds enlightened by his truth, and hearts purified by | his presence, we may day by day be strengthened with power in | the inward man; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and | the same Spirit liveth and reigneth, one G.o.d, world without end.

| _Amen_.

| | _Trinity Sunday_.

| | O Lord G.o.d Almighty, Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the mysteries | of whose being are unsearchable: Accept, we beseech thee, our | praises for the revelation which thou hast made of thyself, | Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three Persons, and one G.o.d; and | mercifully grant, that ever holding fast this faith we may | magnify thy glorious Name; who livest and reignest, one G.o.d, | world without end. _Amen_.

| | _Two other prayers_.

| | O almighty Father, wellspring of life to all things that have | being, from amid the unwearied praises of Cherubim and Seraphim | who stand about thy throne of light which no man can approach | unto, give ear, we humbly beseech thee, to the supplications of | thy people who put their sure trust in thy mercy, through Jesus | Christ our Lord. _Amen_. (_From the_ Book of Deer.) | | O Lord Jesus Christ, before whose judgement-seat we must all | appear and give account of the things done in the body: Grant, | we beseech thee, that when the books are opened in that day, the | faces of thy servants may not be ashamed, through thy merits, O | blessed Saviour, who livest and reignest with the Father and the | Holy Spirit, one G.o.d, world without end. _Amen_. [_From the_ | Altus _of_ St Columba.]

_Upon the Sundays and other Holy-days_ (_if there be no Communion_) _shall be said all that is appointed at the Communion, until the end of the general Prayer_ [For the whole state of Christ's Church militant here in earth] _together with one or more of these Collects last before rehea.r.s.ed, concluding with the Blessing_.

_And there shall be no Celebration of the Lord's Supper, except there be a convenient number to communicate with the Priest, according to his discretion_.

_And if there be not above twenty persons in the Parish of discretion to receive the Communion: yet there shall be no Communion, except four_ (_or three at the least_) _communicate with the Priest_.

_And in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, and Colleges, where there are many Priests and Deacons, they shall all receive the Communion with the Priest every Sunday at the least, except they have a reasonable cause to the contrary_.

_And to take away all occasion of dissension, and superst.i.tion, which any person hath or might have concerning the Bread and Wine, it shall suffice that the Bread be such as is usual to be eaten; but the best and purest Wheat Bread that conveniently may be gotten_.

_And if any of the Bread and Wine remain unconsecrated, the Curate shall have it to his own use: but if any remain of that which was consecrated, it shall not be carried out of the Church, but the Priest, and such other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him, shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same_.

_The Bread and Wine for the Communion shall be provided by the Curate, and the Church-wardens at the charges of the Parish_.

_And note, that every Paris.h.i.+oner shall communicate at the least three times in the year, of which Easter to be one. And yearly at Easter every Paris.h.i.+oner shall reckon with the Parson, Vicar, or Curate, or his or their Deputy or Deputies; and pay to them or him all Ecclesiastical Duties, accustomably due, then and at that time to be paid_.

_After the Divine Service ended, the money given at the Offertory shall be disposed of to such pious and charitable uses, as the Minister and Church-wardens shall think fit. Wherein if they disagree, it shall be disposed of as the Ordinary shall appoint_.

_Whereas it is ordained in this office for the Administration of the Lord's Supper, that the Communicants should receive the same kneeling; (which order is well meant, for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgement of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers, and for the avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the holy Communion, as might otherwise ensue;) yet, lest the same kneeling should by any persons, either out of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrued and depraved: It is here declared, that thereby no Adoration is intended, or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any Corporal Presence of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood. For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their very natural substances, and therefore may not be adored;_ (_for that were Idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Christians;_) _and the natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are in Heaven, and not here; it being against the truth of Christ's natural Body to be at one time in more places than one_.

THE MINISTRATION OF

PUBLIC BAPTISM OF INFANTS,

TO BE USED IN THE CHURCH

_The people are to be admonished, that it is most convenient that Baptism should not be administered but upon Sundays, and other Holy-days, when the most number of people come together; as well for that the Congregation there present may testify the receiving of them that be newly baptized into the number of Christ's Church; as also because in the Baptism of Infants every man present may be put in remembrance of his own profession made to G.o.d in his Baptism. For which cause also it is expedient that Baptism be ministered in the vulgar tongue. Nevertheless_, (_if necessity so require_,) _children may be baptized upon any other day_.

_The public office for the ministration of Baptism of infants may be used as a separate service, and such service may be concluded with the Blessing_.

_And note, that there shall be for every male child to be baptized two G.o.dfathers and one G.o.dmother; and for every female, one G.o.dfather and two G.o.dmothers_.

_When there are children to be baptized, the parents shall give knowledge thereof over night, or in the morning before the beginning of Morning Prayer, to the Curate. And then the G.o.dfathers and G.o.dmothers and the people with the children must be ready at the Font, either immediately after the last Lesson at Morning Prayer, or else immediately after the last Lesson at Evening Prayer, as the Curate by his discretion shall appoint. And the Priest coming to the Font_, (_which is then to be filled with pure Water,_) _and standing there, shall say_, Hath this Child been already baptized, or no? _If they answer_, No: _then shall the Priest proceed as followeth_.

Dearly beloved, forasmuch as all men are conceived and born in sin, and that our Saviour Christ saith, none can enter into the kingdom of G.o.d, except he be regenerate and born anew of Water and of the Holy Ghost: I beseech you to call upon G.o.d the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his bounteous mercy he will grant to _this Child_ that thing which by nature _he_ cannot have; that _he_ may be baptized with Water and the Holy Ghost, and received into Christ's holy Church, and be made _a lively member_ of the same.

_Then shall the Priest say_,

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting G.o.d, who of thy great mercy didst save Noah and his family in the ark from peris.h.i.+ng by water; and also didst safely lead the children of Israel thy people through the Red Sea, figuring thereby thy holy Baptism; and by the Baptism of thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ, in the river Jordan, didst sanctify water to the mystical was.h.i.+ng away of sin: We beseech thee, for thine infinite mercies, that thou wilt mercifully look upon _this Child_, wash _him_ and sanctify _him_ with the Holy Ghost; that _he_, being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ's Church; and being stedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may so pa.s.s the waves of this troublesome world, that finally _he_ may come to the land of everlasting life, there to reign with thee world without end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

Almighty and immortal G.o.d, the aid of all that need, the helper of all that flee to thee for succour, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead: We call upon thee for _this Infant_, that _he_, coming to thy holy Baptism, may receive remission of _his_ sins by spiritual regeneration. Receive _him_, O Lord, as thou hast promised by thy well-beloved Son, saying, Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: So give now unto us that ask; let us that seek find; open the gate unto us that knock; that _this Infant_ may enjoy the everlasting benediction of thy heavenly was.h.i.+ng, and may come to the eternal kingdom which thou hast promised by Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| _In the ministration of Baptism of infants it may suffice to say one or other of the two opening prayers_, Almighty and everlasting G.o.d, _or_ Almighty and immortal G.o.d.

_Then shall the people stand up, and the Priest shall say_,

Hear the words of the Gospel, written by Saint Mark in the tenth chapter at the thirteenth verse.

They brought young children to Christ, that he should touch them; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of G.o.d. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of G.o.d as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

_After the Gospel is read, the Minister shall make this brief exhortation upon the words of the Gospel_.

Beloved, ye hear in this Gospel the words of our Saviour Christ, that he commanded the children to be brought unto him; how he blamed those that would have kept them from him; how he exhorteth all men to follow their innocency. Ye perceive how by his outward gesture and deed he declared his good will toward them; for he embraced them in his arms, he laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will likewise favourably receive _this_ present _Infant_; that he will embrace _him_ with the arms of his mercy; that he will give unto _him_ the blessing of eternal life, and make _him_ partaker of his everlasting kingdom. Wherefore we being thus persuaded of the good will of our heavenly Father towards _this Infant_, declared by his Son Jesus Christ; and nothing doubting but that he favourably alloweth this charitable work of ours in bringing _this Infant_ to his holy Baptism; let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto him, and say,

Almighty and everlasting G.o.d, heavenly Father, we give thee humble thanks that thou hast vouchsafed 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 _this Infant_, that _he_ may be born again, and be made _an heir_ of everlasting salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. _Amen_.

_Then shall the Priest speak unto the G.o.dfathers and G.o.dmothers on this wise_.

Dearly beloved, ye have brought _this Child_ here to be baptized; ye have prayed that our Lord Jesus Christ would vouchsafe to receive _him_, to release _him_ of _his_ sins, to sanctify _him_ with the Holy Ghost, to give _him_ the kingdom of heaven and everlasting life. Ye have heard also that our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised in his Gospel, to grant all these things that ye have prayed for: which promise he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform.

Wherefore, after this promise made by Christ, _this Infant_ must also faithfully, for _his_ part, promise by you that are _his_ sureties, (until _he_ come of age to take it upon _himself_,) that _he_ will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe G.o.d's holy Word, and obediently keep his commandments.

I demand therefore,

Dost thou, in the name of this Child, renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that thou wilt not follow nor be led by them?

_Answer_. I renounce them all.

_Minister_.