Ritual Conformity / Interpretations of the Rubrics of the Prayer-Book Agreed Upon by a Conference Held at All Saints, Margaret-street, 1880-1881

by Unknown

THE MINISTRATION OF

BAPTISM TO SUCH AS ARE OF RIPER YEARS,

AND ABLE TO ANSWER FOR THEMSELVES.

181. When any such persons, as are of riper years, are to be baptized, timely notice shall be given to the Bishop, or whom he shall appoint for that purpose, a week before at the least, by the Parents, or some other discreet persons; that so due care may be taken for their Examination, whether they be sufficiently instructed in the Principles of the Christian Religion; and that they may be exhorted to prepare themselves with Prayers and Fasting for the receiving of this holy Sacrament.

The duty of giving notice to the Bishop is not laid upon the Curate, but upon the parents, or some other discreet persons. He is not therefore bound to give such notice.

182. And if they shall be found fit, then the Godfathers and Godmothers (the people being assembled upon the Sunday or Holy-day appointed) shall be ready to present them at the Font immediately after the second Lesson, either at Morning or Evening Prayer, as the Curate in his discretion shall think fit.

183. And standing there, the Priest shall ask, whether any of the persons here presented be baptized, or no: If they shall answer, No; then shall the Priest say thus, Dearly beloved, &c.

184. Then shall the Priest say,

Let us pray.

185. (And here all the Congregation shall kneel.)

186. Then shall the people stand up, and the Priest shall say, Hear the words, &c.

187. After which he shall say this Exhortation following. Beloved, ye hear, &c.

188. Then the Priest shall speak to the persons to be baptized on this wise: Well-beloved, &c.

189. Then shall the Priest demand of each of the persons to be baptized, severally, these Questions following: Dost thou, &c.

190. Then shall the Priest say, O merciful God, &c.

191. Then shall the Priest take each person to be baptized by the right hand, and placing him conveniently by the Font, according to his discretion, shall ask the Godfathers and Godmothers the Name; and then shall dip him in the water, or pour water upon him, saying, N. I baptize thee, &c.

If a person desire baptism by dipping, every effort should be made to provide means for the due administration of the Sacrament after the primitive manner.

192. Then shall the Priest say. We receive, &c.

193. Here the Priest shall make a Cross upon the person's forehead.

194. Then shall the Priest say, Seeing now, dearly beloved, &c.

195. Then shall be said the Lord's Prayer, all kneeling.

196. Then, all standing up, the Priest shall use this Exhortation following; speaking to the Godfathers and Godmothers first. Forasmuch as, &c.

197. (And then, speaking to the new baptized persons, he shall proceed, and say,) And as for you, &c.

198. It is expedient that every person, thus baptized, should be confirmed by the Bishop as soon after his Baptism as conveniently may be; that so he may be admitted to the holy Communion.

199. If any persons not baptized in their infancy shall be brought to be baptized before they come to years of discretion to answer for themselves; it may suffice to use the Office for Public Baptism of Infants, or (in case of extreme danger) the Office for Private Baptism; only changing the word [Infant] for [Child or Person] as occasion requireth.

200. A CATECHISM,

That is to say,

An Instruction to be learned of every person, before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop.

201. The Curate of every Parish shall diligently upon Sundays and Holy-days, after the second Lesson at Evening Prayer, openly in the Church instruct and examine so many Children of his Parish sent unto him, as he shall think convenient, in some part of this Catechism.

The time of Catechising was fixed by the 59th Canon of 1603, and by the Prayer-Book up to 1662, to be "before Evening Prayer." In 1662, this was changed to "after the Second Lesson." It must be remembered that in 1662 the Evening Prayer was said or sung in the afternoon only.

While the edifying effect of public Catechising is very great, it must be admitted that the introduction of Sunday-schools into the Church system, together with the change in the hours of Divine Service, have undoubtedly altered the conditions which rendered it necessary to provide so definite an order as this.

202. And all Fathers, Mothers, Masters, and Dames, shall cause their Children, Servants, and Apprentices, (which have not learned their Catechism,) to come to the Church at the time appointed, and obediently to hear and be ordered by the Curate, until such time as they have learned all that is here appointed for them to learn.

203. So soon as Children are come to a competent age, and can say, in their Mother Tongue, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments; and also can answer to the other Questions of this short Catechism; they shall be brought to the Bishop. And every one shall have a Godfather, or a Godmother, as a Witness of their Confirmation.

The qualification for Confirmation, given in the rubric at the end of the Office for Public Baptism, seems to be here restricted by the addition of the words 'so soon as children are come to a competent age.' On the principle that the wider interpretation of the requisites for spiritual privileges should prevail over the narrower, this rubric should be so interpreted as not to conflict with the other. In this view, the competency here intended does not consist in having arrived at a definite age, but in understanding what they are able to repeat with their lips. It should be observed that the word 'child' used in the rubric indicates, in the language of the Canon Law, an age between seven and fourteen.

204. And whensoever the Bishop shall give knowledge for Children to be brought unto him for their Confirmation, the Curate of every Parish shall either bring, or send in writing, with his hand subscribed thereunto, the names of all such persons within his Parish, as he shall think fit to be presented to the Bishop to be confirmed. And, if the Bishop approve of them, he shall confirm them in manner following.