words,' also, of our Saviour Christ, in the Gospel written by Saint Mark1, we hear 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.' We '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.' We cannot doubt, therefore, but earnestly believe, that He will favourably receive INFANTS, that He will embrace them with the arms of his mercy, that He will give unto them the blessing of eternal life, and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdom.' Therefore, the Baptism of young children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christm.'

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For surely, after what our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised in his Gospel (which promise He, for his part, will most surely keep and perform),' we have every inducement to pray that He will vouchsafe to receive INFANTS, to release them of their sins, to sanctify them with the Holy Ghost, to give them the kingdom of heaven, and everlasting life!' And surely, after the promise made by Christ,' we cannot but think that, when come of age to take it upon themselves, they are bound to believe and to do as their sureties have promised for them".'

PRAYER.

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; Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly-beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of his most precious side

1 St. Mark x. 13.

n Baptism and Catechism.

m Article 27.

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, our supplications;' and 'grant, O Lord, that, as we are baptized into the death of thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, so, by continual mortifying our corrupt affections, we may be buried with Him; and that, through the grave and gate of death, we may pass to our joyful resurrection, for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rose again for us, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord •.'

O Almighty Lord, and everlasting God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us thy servants by Water and the Holy Ghost P,' for the remission of our sins;' and' who makest us both to will and to do those things that be good and acceptable unto thy Divine Majesty ;'we yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate us with thy Holy Spirit, to receive us for thine own children by adoption, and to incorporate us into thy holy Church;' and 'we make our humble supplications unto thee,' to 'grant that we may be made LIVELY members of the same.'

up

'O merciful God, grant that the old Adam in us may be so buried, that the new man may be raised in us. Grant that all carnal affections may die in us, and that all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in us. Grant' that we, who have been'signed with the sign of the Cross, in token that hereafter we 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; may have power and strength to have victory, and to triumph against the devil, the world, and the flesh; and to continue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants unto our lives' end.'

'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, and in the end 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 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was ordained for the continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the Benefits which we receive thereby '.'

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When Almighty God, our heavenly Father, of his tender mercy, gave his only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption;' He made there (by his one oblation of himself once offered) a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.' He, who was both God and Man, humbled himself, even to the death upon the cross, for us miserable sinners, who lay in darkness and the shadow of death, that He might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life.'

' And to the end that we should alway remember the exceeding great love of our Master, and only Saviour, Jesus Christ, thus dying for us, and the innumerable benefits, which by his precious bloodshedding He hath obtained to us, He hath instituted

Confirmation.

*Note. As the greater part of this Article is taken from "The Administration of the Holy Communion," References will only be given to the extracts from the other parts of the Prayer Book.

* Catechism.

and ordained holy mysteries, as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless comfort.' For, in the same night that He was betrayed, He took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take, eat; this is my Body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of me. Likewise, after Supper, He took the Cup; and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink ye ALL† of this; for this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins: do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.'

Thus the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper is-BREAD and WINE; which the Lord hath commanded to be received,' as representing to us the inward part or thing signified,' namely, 'The BODY and BLOOD of CHRIST; which are verily and indeed ‡ taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper ".' For to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the same, the Bread which we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ; and likewise the Cup of blessing is a partaking of his Blood. When, then, we eat and drink this' Bread and Wine, in remembrance that Christ died for' us, and that his blood was shed for' us; we should also 'feed on Him by FAITH with thanksgiving;' bearing in mind that 'the Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper,

*Note. In his holy Gospel, He hath commanded us to CONTINUE a perpetual memory of that his precious death until his coming again.'

Note. The Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Lay People; for both the parts of the Lord's Sacrament, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be ministered to ALL Christian men alike.' Article 30.

Note. Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord cannot be proved by holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions.' Article 28.

only after an heavenly and spiritual manner: and that the mean, whereby it is received and eaten, is FAITH,'

It appears, then, that this 'most comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ' was instituted, to be received by all such as shall be religiously and devoutly disposed, in remembrance of his meritorious Cross and Passion; whereby alone we obtain remission of our sins, and are made partakers of the kingdom of heaven.' And the still further' BENEFITS, whereof we are partakers thereby, are, The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the Body and Blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the Bread and Wine". For Almighty God, our heavenly Father, hath given his Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, not only to die for us, but also to be our SPIRITUAL food and sustenance in that holy Sacrament.'

Such being the purposes, for which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was ordained;' the next consideration is, What is REQUIRED of them who come to the Lord's Supper?'

On this point, they that mind to come to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, must consider how St. Paul exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they presume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament; (for then we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood; then we dwell in Christ, and Christ in us; we are one with Christ, and Christ with us;) so is the danger great, if we receive the same unworthily. For then we are guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ our Saviour; we eat and drink our own damnation, not considering the Lord's Body; we kindle God's wrath against

y Article 28.

z Catechism.

. Ibid.