Page:Tracts for the Times Vol 2.djvu/472

EXHORTATION TO THANKSGIVING AFTER BAPTISM.—AND THANKSGIVING.

ANCIENT CHURCH	CHURCHES ON THE ANCIENT MODEL.				REFORMED CHURCHES.
Old Gallican.	Luther's Revision.	Hermann.	Edward VI. Second Book.	Present English.	Zurich.	Belgium.	French Protestant, and Geneva.	Polanus.	Alasco.	English at Geneva, and Scotch.	Scotch Directory.
No. 1.	No. 2.	No. 4.	No. 5.	No. 6.	No. 7.	No. 8.	No. 9.	No. 10.	No. 11.	No. 12.	No. 13.
Let us give thanks and praise to the Lord, most dearly beloved brethren, that He has deigned to increase the congregation of our Church by our beloved, who have just been baptized. Let us ask then of the mercy of the Lord, that they may bear the Holy Baptism which they have received, unstained, inviolate, and undefiled, before the tribunal of Christ. Prayer. Lord God Almighty, Who hast commanded these Thy servants to be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, preserve in them the Holy Baptism which they have received, and be pleased to perfect them to the hallowing of Thy name, that Thy grace may ever avail toward them, and that what they have received by Thy precious gift, they may keep through the integrity of their life. Old Latin form, ap. Luther, see p. 268	The Godparents shall then hold the child in the font, and the priest say, while putting on the white garments: Almighty God and Father of our Lord JesusChrist, who has* regenerated Thee, through water and the Holy Ghost, and has forgiven thee all thy sins, strengthen thee with His mercy to everlasting life. Amen. Danish. No. 3. * Now	(End of long exhortation before the Interrogatories:) We must therefore render bounden thanks to God for His so unspeakable mercy, and pray moreover that He will vouchsafe ever to carry on and finally to perfect in us His work which He hath begun in us, and in all whom He hath called unto Baptism. Concluding Prayer. The Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath begotten thee again with water and the Holy Ghost, and hath forgiven thee all thy sins, confirm thee by His grace, unto everlasting life. Amen. Min.—The peace of the Lord be with you always. Ans.—Amen. Then shall be sung in German, by the whole Church, Grates nunc omnes, &c. or the Psalm Deus misereatur nostri. Afterwards shall the Minister proceed in the office of the Lord's Supper.	Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that these children be regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ's congregation* let us give thanks unto God for these benefits, and with one accord make our prayers unto Almighty God that they may lead the rest of their life according to this beginning. 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* congregation. 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: that as he is made partaker of the death of Thy Son, so he may be partaker of His resurrection; so that finally, with the residue of thy holy* congregation, he may be inheritor of thy everlasting kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.	*Church	None "God grant that thou mayest become a pious man;" [..] "that thou mayest appear at God's judgement with a good conscience," ([..] Tig.); or, "th[..] as thou art now besprinkled with clean water, thou mayest appear before God in the last day with a pure and undefiled conscience, and so be eternally saved;" or, "that as ye are now clothed in white clothes so you may be able to appear at the last day of judgement with a pure, clean, and immaculate conscience."—Zuingli.	[The following is omitted in some places, as well as the preceding admonition to the parents.] Almighty, most merciful God and Father, we give Thee thanks, for that Thou hast forgiven all our sins to us and to our children, for the blood of Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, and hast adopted us by Thy Holy Spirit, for members of Thy Only Begotten Son, and so also for sons, and that Thou sealest this to us by Thy Holy Baptism. We pray Thee by the same. Thy well-beloved Son, that Thou wouldest continually govern these infants by the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, that they may be piously and Christianly brought up, and daily increase and grow in Jesus Christ, that they may confess Thy fatherly goodess and mercy, which Thou hast shown to them and to us all, and may pass their life in all righteousness, under our only Prophet, King, and High Priest, and fight manfully against sin, Satan, and his whole kingdom, to praise and glorify Thee, with Thy Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the Only and True God, for ever.	None.	The Lord our God grant to this child, whom He has created and made in His image, that he may be a true member of Christ, and yield fruit worthy of the adoption of sons of God. Depart in peace.	We give Thee thanks, Almighty Father, through Jesus Christ Thy Son, that having freed us, with our seed, from eternal death, thou hast brought us back to eternal life, by the testimony of Baptism, through the free expiation of us all, by the blood of Thy Only-begotten Son. And we humbly pray Thee; through the same, Thy Son, for these our infants, who doubtless are Thine by the testimony of this Baptism, that Thou wilt vouchsafe also to govern them hereafter by Thy Holy Spirit, and (when they shall have grown up) so to adorn them with His healthful gifts, that they may hereafter acknowledge this Thy eternal kindness and goodness towards them and us all, and that they may live in all holiness and righteousness, under Christ Jesus, the King and Priest of us all, who with Thee and Thy Holy Spirit, is the True, One, and Eternal God, to be praised for all ages. Amen.	Which hast not only numbered us among Thy saints, but also of Thy free mercy dost call our children, marking them with this Sacrament, as a singular token and badge of Thy love. We beseech Thee to confirm this Thy favour more and more towards us, and take this infant into Thy tuition and defence, whom we offer and present unto Thee with common supplication, and never suffer him to fall into such unkindness, whereby He shall lose the force of Baptism; but that he may perceive Thee continually to be His merciful Father, through Thine Holy Spirit, by whose divine power he may so prevail over Satan, &c.	He is to give thanks, and pray to this or the like purpose. Thanks. That God not only numbereth us among His saints, but bestows also on our children this singular token and badge of love in Christ. In His truth and special providence He daily bringeth some into the bosom of His Church, to be partakers of His inestimable benefits, purchased by the blood of His dear Son, for the continuance and increase of His Church. And praying, that the Lord would still continue, and daily confirm more and more His unspeakable favour: that He would receive the infant now baptized, and solemnly entered into the household of faith, into His fatherly tuition and defence, and remember him with the favour that He showeth to His people; that, if he shall be taken out of this life in his infancy, the Lord, who is rich in mercy, would be pleased to receive him up into glory; and if he live, and attain the years of discretion, that the Lord would so teach him by His word and Spirit, and make his Baptism effectual to him; and so uphold him by His divine power and grace, that by faith he may prevail against the devil, the world, and the flesh, till in the end he obtain a full and final victory, and so be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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