The Book of Common Prayer Table of
contents
The Ministration of
Public Baptism of Infants
to be used in the church
Due notice, normally of at least a week, shall
be given before a Child is brought to the church to be
baptized.
For every child to be baptized there shall be
not fewer than three godparents, of whom at least two shall be of
the same sex as the child and of whom at least one shall be of the
opposite sex; save that, when three cannot conveniently be had, one
godfather and one godmother shall suffice. Parents may be
godparents for their own children provided that the child shall
have at least one other godparent. The godparents shall be persons
who have been baptized and confirmed and will faithfully fulfil
their responsibilities both by their care for the child committed
to their charge and by the example of their own godly living.
Nevertheless the Minister shall have power to dispense with the
requirement of confirmation in any case in which in his judgement
need so requires.
The Minister shall instruct the parents or
guardians of an infant to be admitted to Holy Baptism that the same
responsibilities rest on them as are in the service of Holy Baptism
required of the godparents.
No Minister shall refuse or, save for the
purpose of preparing or instructing the parents or guardians or
godparents, delay to baptize any infant within his cure that is
brought to the church to be baptized, provided that due notice has
been given and the provisions relating to godparents are observed.
If the Minister shall refuse or unduly delay to baptize any such
infant, the parents or guardians may apply to the Bishop of the
diocese who shall, after consultation with the Minister, give such
directions as he thinks fit.
The Minister, before proceeding to the Baptism,
shall have satisfied himself that the child presented to him has
not already been baptized.
At the time appointed the godfathers and
godmothers and the parents or guardians with the child must be
ready at the Font, and the Priest coming to the Font (which is then
to be filled with pure Water,) and standing there, shall proceed as
follows.
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 God,
except he be regenerate and born anew of Water and of the Holy
Ghost: I beseech you to call upon God 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 God, who of thy great mercy didst save Noah and his
family in the ark from perishing 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 washing 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 pass
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 God, 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 washing, and may
come to the eternal kingdom which thou hast promised by Christ our
Lord. Amen.
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 God. Verily
I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God 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 God, 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 Godfathers
and Godmothers 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 God'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.Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth?
And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son our Lord? And that he was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; that he
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
that he went down into hell, and also did rise again the third day;
that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty; and from thence shall come again at the end of
the world, to judge the quick and the dead?
And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholick Church;
the Communion of Saints; the Remission of sins; the Resurrection of
the flesh; and everlasting life after death?
Answer.All this I stedfastly
believe.
Minister.Wilt thou be baptized in this faith?
Answer. That is my
desire.
Minister.Wilt thou then obediently keep God's holy
will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of thy
life?
Answer. I will.
Then shall the Priest say,
O merciful
God, grant that the old Adam in this
Child may be so buried, that the new man may be raised up in
him. Amen.
Grant that all carnal affections may die in him, and that all things belonging to
the Spirit may live and grow in him. Amen.
Grant that he may have
power and strength, to have victory, and to triumph against the
devil, the world, and the flesh. Amen.
Grant that whosoever is here dedicated to thee by our
office and ministry may also be endued with heavenly virtues, and
everlastingly rewarded, through thy mercy, O blessed Lord God, who
dost live, and govern all things, world without end. Amen.
ALMIGHTY everliving
God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the
forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of his most precious side
both water and blood; and gave commandment to his disciples, that
they should go teach all nations, and baptize them in the Name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Regard, we
beseech thee, the supplications of thy Congregation; sanctify this
Water to the mystical washing away of sin; and grant that this Child, now to be baptized
therein, may receive the fulness of thy grace, and ever remain in
the number of thy faithful and elect children; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Then the Priest shall take the Child into his
hands, and shall say to the Godfathers and Godmothers, Name this
Child. And then naming it after them (if they shall certify him
that the Child may well endure it) he shall dip it in the Water
discreetly and warily, saying,
N. I baptize thee in the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
But if they certify that the Child is weak, it
shall suffice to pour Water upon it, saying the foresaid words,
N. I baptize thee in the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Then shall the Priest
say,
We receive this
Child into the Congregation of Christ's flock, *and do sign him with the sign of the Cross, in
token that hereafter he shall
not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and
manfully to fight under his banner against sin, the world, and the
devil, and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant unto
his life's end.
Amen.
*Here the Priest shall make a Cross upon the
Child's forehead.
Then shall the Priest
say,
Seeing now, dearly
beloved brethren, that this
Child is regenerate and grafted into the body of Christ's
Church, let us give thanks unto Almighty God for these benefits,
and with one accord make our prayers unto him, that this Child may lead the rest of his life according to this
beginning.
Then shall be said, all kneeling,
Our Father, which
art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be
done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that
trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver
us from evil. Amen.
Then shall the Priest
say,
We yield thee
hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to
regenerate this Infant with thy
Holy Spirit, to receive him for
thine own Child by adoption, and
to incorporate him into thy holy
Church. And humbly we beseech thee to grant that he being dead unto sin, and living
unto righteousness, and being buried with Christ in his death, may
crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of sin; and
that, as he is made partaker of the death of thy Son,
he may also be partaker of his resurrection; so that
finally, with the residue of thy holy Church, he may be an inheritor of thine everlasting
kingdom; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then, all standing up, the Priest shall say to
the Godfathers and Godmothers this exhortation following.
Foreasmuch as this
Child hath promised by you his sureties to renounce the devil and
all his works, to believe in God, and to serve him: Ye must
remember that it is your parts and duties to see that this Infant be taught, so soon as
he shall be able to learn, what
a solemn vow, promise and profession he
hath here made by you. And that he may know these things the better,
ye shall call upon him to hear
sermons; and chiefly ye shall provide that he may learn the Creed, the Lord's
Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the vulgar tongue, and all other
things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his soul's
health; and that this Child may
be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and a Christian life;
remembering always, that Baptism doth represent unto us our
profession; which is, to follow the example of our Saviour Christ,
and to be made like unto him; that as he died and rose again for
us, so should we, who are baptized, die from sin and rise again
unto righteousness, continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt
affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of
living.
Then shall he add and say,
Ye are to take care
that this Child be brought to
the Bishop to be confirmed by him, so soon as he can say the Creed, the Lord's
Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the vulgar tongue, and be
further instructed in the Church Catechism set forth for that
purpose.
It is certain by God's Word, that children
which are baptized, dying before they commit actual sin, are
undoubtedly saved.
To take away all scruple concerning the use of
the sign of the Cross in Baptism; the true explication thereof, and
the just reasons for the retaining of it, may be seen in the xxxth
Canon, first published in the year MDCIV.
Text from The Book of Common Prayer, the
rights in which are vested in the Crown,
is reproduced by permission of the Crown's Patentee, Cambridge
University Press.