The Book of Common Prayer Table
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The Order of
Confirmation
or Laying on of Hands upon those that
are baptized and come to years of discretion
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 that
Confirmation may be ministered to the more edifying of such as
shall receive it, the Church hath thought good to order, That none
hereafter shall be confirmed, but such as can say the Creed, the
Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments; and can also answer to
such other Questions, as in the short Catechism are contained:
which order is very convenient to be observed; to the end that
children being now come to the years of discretion, and having
learned what their Godfathers and Godmothers promised for them in
Baptism, they may themselves, with their own mouth and consent,
openly before the Church, ratify and confirm the same; and also
promise, that by the grace of God they will evermore endeavour
themselves faithfully to observe such things, as they by their own
confession have assented unto.
Then shall the Bishop say,
Do ye here, in the
presence of God, and of this Congregation, renew the solemn promise
and vow that was made in your name at your Baptism; ratifying and
confirming the same in your own persons, and acknowledging
yourselves bound to believe and to do all those things, which your
Godfathers and Godmothers then undertook for you?
And every one shall audibly answer,
I do.
Bishop.Our help is in the Name of the Lord;
Answer.Who
hath made heaven and earth.
Bishop.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord;
Answer.Henceforth world without
end.
Bishop.
Lord, hear our prayers.
Answer.And
let our cry come unto thee.
Bishop. Let
us pray.
Almighty and
everliving God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these thy
servants by Water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given unto them
forgiveness of all their sins: Strengthen them, we beseech thee, O
Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter, and daily increase in them
thy manifold gifts of grace; the spirit of wisdom and
understanding; the spirit of counsel and ghostly strength; the
spirit of knowledge and true godliness; and fill them, O Lord, with
the spirit of thy holy fear, now and for ever. Amen.
Then all of them in order kneeling before the
Bishop, he shall lay his hand upon the head of every one severally,
saying,
Defend, O Lord,
this thy Child [or this thy
Servant] with thy heavenly grace, that he may continue thine for ever; and
daily increase in thy Holy Spirit, more and more, until he come unto thy everlasting kingdom.
Amen.
Then shall the Bishop say,
Bishop.The
Lord be with you.
Answer.And
with thy spirit.
And (all kneeling down) the Bishop shall
add,
Let us pray.
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.
And this Collect.
ALMIGHTY and
everliving God, who makest us both to will and to do those things
that be good and acceptable unto thy divine Majesty; We make our
humble supplications unto thee for these thy servants, upon whom
(after the example of thy holy Apostles) we have now laid our
hands, to certify them (by this sign) of thy favour and gracious
goodness towards them. Let thy fatherly hand, we beseech thee, ever
be over them; let thy Holy Spirit ever be with them; and so lead
them in the knowledge and obedience of thy Word, that in the end
they may obtain everlasting life; through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, ever one God,
world without end. Amen.
O ALMIGHTY Lord,
and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct,
sanctify, and govern both our hearts and bodies, in the ways of thy
laws, and in the works of thy commandments; that through thy most
mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be preserved in body
and soul; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Then the Bishop shall bless them, saying
thus,
The blessing of God
Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be upon you, and
remain with you, for ever. Amen.
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.
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.