On the Anniversary of the Baptism

Of any Member of the Family.

On these days, the Sentences, Collects, and Prayers for Saturday morning, with the following alterations or additions, may be appropriately used instead of those for the

day.

EXCEPT a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. S. John iii.

By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. 1 Cor. xii.

As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. iii.

Instead of the usual prayer after the Confession may be used the following.

PRAYER FOR PARDON.

(Bp. Cosin.)

O LORD, heavenly Father, who of thine infinite goodness towards us when we were born in sin, and heirs of everlasting wrath, didst vouchsafe that we should be born again of water and of the Holy Ghost, in the blessed laver of Baptism, we most humbly beseech thee to pardon all our former breaches of that our solemn promise, and to endue us with the assistance of thy Holy Spirit, that henceforth we may walk in newness of life, and keeping ourselves unspotted from the world, the flesh, and the devil, may die daily unto sin, and live and reign with thee for ever, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

APPROPRIATE PSALM. 32.

After the Lesson is read, those of the family who are not yet confirmed may be required to answer the subjoined questions from the Catechism on the day of their respective baptismal

anniversaries.*

PRAYER.

(Compiled from Bps. Patrick and Cosin.)

LORD, Heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast of thy great goodness caused us to be born of Christian parents, and hast received us into covenant with thee, and regenerated us with thy Holy Spirit in the blessed laver of Baptism, making us thereby members of Christ, thy children, and heirs of eternal life. Look down upon this thy family, and especially on [. . . ], who was as on this day brought to that holy ordinance. Renew in thy servant, and in us, most

*Question. What is your name?

Answer. N. or M.

Question. Who gave you this name?

Answer. My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism; wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.

Question. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you? Answer. They did promise and vow three things in my name. First, that I should renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Secondly, that I should believe all the articles of the Christian Faith. And thirdly, that I should keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life.

Question. Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe, and so do, as they have promised for thee?

Answer. Yes verily; and by God's help so I will. And I heartily thank our heavenly Father, that he hath called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. And I pray unto God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my life's end.

merciful Father, whatever has been decayed by the fraud and malice of the devil, or by our own carnal will and frailty. Continue and preserve him in the unity of thy Holy Church, endue him with the assistance of thy Holy Spirit, that henceforth he may walk in newness of life, worthy of that blessed estate whereunto thou hast called him, and keeping himself unspotted from the world, the flesh, and the devil, he may die daily unto sin, for which cause he was baptized into the death of Christ.

And here, O Lord, we gratefully extol the abundant riches of thy grace, and pray thee, that as we have had our part in the first regeneration, so we may at the last great day have our part in the second and great regeneration, and live with thee for ever, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Thanksgiving (page 225) may be adapted or part of it incorporated into the Saturday Thanksgiving on these days.

Before and after Confirmation.

Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. Acts viii.

THE PRAYER.

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 thy children, and more especially for those [of this household and] of this place,

Before Confirmation. shortly about to renew the solemn promise that was made in their names at their Baptism.

After Confirmation. upon whom, after the example of thy holy Apostles, the Bishops of thy Church have now laid their hands, by that sign to certify them 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.

THE THANKSGIVING.

ALMIGHTY and everliving God, we offer up our thanksgiving for that thou didst vouchsafe to regenerate this thy servant (or child) by water and the Holy Ghost, and didst give unto him forgiveness of all his sins: strengthen him, we beseech thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter, and daily increase in him thy manifold gifts and grace, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and ghostly strength, the spirit of true knowledge and godliness; and fill him, O Lord, with the spirit of thy holy fear, now and for ever. Amen.

It is to be hoped that in all families having the blessing of a religious education, the receiving of the Holy Communion would follow immediately upon the rite of Confirmation. In the Preparation and Thanksgivings for the Holy Communion, special mention is made of those who are coming to the Altar and Table of our Lord for the first time. (See page 271.)

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