And note, That every Parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year, of which Easter to be one. And yearly at Eafter every Parishioner shall reckon with the Parfon, Vicar, or Curate, or his or their Deputy or Deputies; and pay to them or him all Ecclefiaftical Duties, accuftomably due, then and at that time to be paid.

After the Divine fervice ended, the money given at the Offertory shall be difpofed of to fuch pious and charitable ufes as the Minifter and Churchwardens shall think fit; wherein if they difagree, it shall be difpofed of as the Ordinary shall appoint.

“WHE

THEREAS it is ordained in this Office for the Adminiftration of the Lord's Supper, that the Communicants fhould receive the fame kneeling; (which order is well meant, for a fignification of our humble and

Eafter to be one] In the primitive church, while Chriftians continued in their ftrength of faith and devotion, they did communicate every day. This custom continued in Africa till St. Cyprian's time, Orat. Dom. "We daily receive the Eucharift, for to be our food of falvation." And after him till St. Auguftine's time, Ep. 23, ad Bonifac.; infomuch as these words in our Lord's Prayer," Give us this day our daily bread," they interpreted of the Eucharift, as being daily to be celebrated. But afterward, when charity grew cold, and devotion faint, the cuftom grew faint withal, and within a fmall time began to be left by little and little; and fome upon one pretence, fome upon another, would communicate but once a week. In the Ealt Church they grew to a worfe cuttom betimes, which in after ages came into the Latin Churches too. They fell from every day to Sundays and holidays only, and from thence to once a year, and no oftener. St. Ambrofe is cited for the proof of this, De Sacram. lib. iv. c. 4. But this wicked cuftom of receiving the Eucharift but once a year, was but of fome Greeks in the Eaft, fays St. Ambrofe there; which cannot properly be understood of any but the diocefe (as it was anciently called) or patriarchate of Antioch. For though the Eaftern empire, whereof Conftantinople was the metropolis, contained many provinces; yet the Eastern Church, or Greeks in the Eaft, were properly thofe of Antioch; Theod. Hift. lib. v. cap. 9. And poffibly fome of thefe might be fo fupine as hath been obferved; but of the Greeks in general no fuch carelefs cuftom can be affirmed; for St. Chryfoftom tells us that in his time," in every meeting or congregation of the church, the healthful myfteries of the Eucharift are celebrated." Hom. 26, in Matth. In regard of this neglect, after councils did, as the Church of England, make canons; that is, men could be got to receive it no oftener, yet they fhould be forced to receive it at least three times in the year; Christmas, Eafter, and Whitfuntide. "Nor was he to be reckoned amongst good Catholick Chriftians, that did not receive at thofe feafts." Con. Agat. c. 18.-Sparrow.

Whereas &c.] This proteftation (a little differing from its prefent form) firft occurs in Edward VIth's fecond book; but Queen Elizabeth, who wifhed much to conciliate the Papifts, omitted it in her Prayer-Book, as a

grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Chrift, therein given to all worthy Receivers, and for the avoiding of fuch profanation and diforder in the holy Communion, as might otherwise enfue:) yet, left the fame kneeling fhould by any perfons, either out of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obftinacy, be mifconftrued and depraved; It is hereby 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 Prefence of Chrift's natural Flesh and Blood. For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain ftill in their very natural substances, and therefore may not be adored; (for that were idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Chriftians:) 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

Publick Baptifm of Infants,

TO BE USED IN THE CHURCH.

THE people are to be admonished, that it is most conve nient, that Baptifm fhould 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 prefent may testify the receiving of them that be newly bapmatter of offence to thofe people. It was reftored, however, at the laft Review, 1662.

The people are to be admonished] Until the Review in 1662, the following reafon for this admonition, introduces this rubrick:-" It appeareth by ancient writers, that the Sacrament of Baptifm in the old time was not commonly miniftered but at two times in a year, at Eafter and Whitfuntide, at which times it was openly miniftered in the prefence of all the congregation. Which cuftom being now grown out of ufe, (although it cannot for many good confiderations be well restored again) it is thought good to follow the fame, as near as conveniently may be. Wherefore all the people, &c." The concluding words of the rubrick were, till the Review, 1662,"at all times be baptifed at home," for which the prefent words were fubftitu.ed. The fecond rubric was introduced at the laft Review; and the laft is the fame with one in Edward VIth's first book, except that inftead of the words "at the font," we have "at the church door;" for

tized into the number of Christ's Church; as alfo because in the Baptifm of Infants, every man prefent may be put in remembrance of his own profeffion made to God in his Baptifm. For which caufe alfo it is expedient that Baptifm be miniftered in the vulgar tongue. Nevertheless, (if neceffity fo require) Children may be baptized upon aný other day.

And note; That there fhall be for every Male-Child to be baptized, two Godfathers and one Godmother; and for every Female, one Godfather and two Godmothers. ¶ 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 Godfathers and Godmothers, and the People, with the Children, must be ready at the Font, either immediately after the last Leffon at Morning Prayer, or else immediately after the laft Leffon at Evening Prayer, as the before the Reformation, and till Edward VIth's Review, part of the fervice was performed in the porch, and part in the church, before the font. Anciently the Baptifterium, or Fant, was placed in the church door or porch; because baptifm being the Sacrament of initiation into the church, it was deemed proper, that the perfon to be baptized fhould go through the ceremony previously to his entering the houfe of God.

Two Godfathers] In the ancient Chriftian church one fponfor was confidered as fufficient.-Bingham Ant. Chrift. Church, vol. iv. 318. When the practice of requiring more than one took place is uncertain; but it is clear that the church has fixed the number and fex of the fureties agreeably to the above rubric for nearly fix hundred years.-Concil. Labbei, tom. xi. p. i. col. 575, c.

Font] What the font is every body knows, but not why it is fo called. The rites of baptifm in the first times were performed in fountains and rivers, both because their converts were many, and because thofe ages were unprovided of other Baptifteries. We have no other remainder of this rite but the name, for hence it is that we call our baptisteries fonts; which, when religion found peace, were built and confecrated for the more reverence and refpect of the facrament. These were fet at firft fome diftance from the church; (Cyril, Cat. Myf. 1.) after in the church porch; and that fignificantly, becaufe baptifm is the entrance into the church myftical, as the porch to the temple. At the laft they got into the church, but not into every, but the City Church, where the Bishop refided; hence called the Mother Church, because it gave fpiritual birth by baptifm; afterwards they were brought into rural churches. Where foever they ftcod, they were had in high veneration. Anaftaf. Ep. ad Orthodox. complains fadly of impiety in his time, fuch as never was heard of in war, that men fhould fet fire to churches and fonts; and after mentioning the fonts, "Good God! Chrift-killing Jews, and heathenith Atheists, have without all reverence entered and defiled the fonts."

Curate in his difcretion shall appoint. And the Pricft coming to the Font, (which is then to be filled with pure water) and standing there, fhall fay,

Hath this Child been already baptized, or no?

If they answer No: then shall the Priest proceed as followeth.

DE

EARLY beloved, forafmuch as all men are con ceived and born in fin; and that our Saviour Chrift faith, None can enter into the Kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of Water and of the Holy Ghoft; I beseech you to call upon God the Father, through our Lord Jefus Chrift, 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 Ghoft, and received into Christ's holy Church, and be made a lively member of the fame. Then fhall the Priest fay,

Let us pray.

ALmighty and everlafting God, who of thy great

mercy didst fave Noah and his family in the ark

from perishing by water; and alfo didft fafely lead the children of Ifrael thy people through the Red Sea, figuring thereby thy holy Baptifm; and by the Baptifm of thy well-beloved Son Jefus Chrift in the river Jordan, didst fanctify Water to the myftical washing away of fin; We beseech thee, for thine infinite mercies, that thou wilt mercifully look upon this Child; wash him, and fanctify him with the Holy Ghoft; 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 fo pafs the waves of this trou blesome world, that finally he may come to the land of everlafting life; there to reign with thee world without end, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty and immortal God, the aid of all that need,

the helper of all that flee to thee for fuccour, the life of them that believe, and the refurrection of the dead;

We call upon thee for this Infant; that he coming to thy holy Baptism, may receive remiflion of his fins by fpiritual regeneration. Receive him, O Lord, as thou haft promifed by thy well-beloved Son, faying, Afk, and ye shall have; feek, and ye fhall find; knock, and it fhall be opened unto you: So give now unto us that afk; let us that feek, find, open the gate unto us that knock; that this Infant may enjoy the everlafting benediction of thy heavenly washing, and may come to the eternal kingdom which thou haft promised by Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Then shall the People stand up, and the Priest shall fay, Hear the words of the Gofpel written by St. Mark, in the tenth Chapter, at the thirteenth Verfe:

HEY brought young children to Chrift, that he

that brought them. But when Jefus faw it, he was much difpleafed, and faid unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of fuch is the kingdom of God. Verily I fay unto you, Whofoever fhall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he fhall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and bleffed them.

¶ After the Gospel is read, the Minifter shall make this brief Exhortation upon the Words of the Gospel.

Eloved, ye hear in this Gospel the words of our

Saviour Chrift, 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 bleffed them. Doubt ye not, therefore, but earnestly believe, that he will likewife favourably receive this prefent Infant; that he will embrace him with the arms of his mercy; that he will give unto him the bleffing of eternal life, and make him partaker of his everlasting kingdom. Wherefore we being thus perfuaded of the