¶ THE Lord bless you and preserve you: the Lord shew his face to you, and have mercy on you: the Lord turn his countenance unto you, and give you peace. And so they depart.

Amen.

¶ THE ORDER TAKEN1 FOR THE DUE MINISTRATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM.

On the Sunday, at one of the clock after noon, they have a sermon of an hour long, with like ringing and singing of psalms afore in their mother tongue, as they had in the morning, to the which pracing* the people come as thick as they did then. And as they sing a psalm for grace to the Holy Ghost in the morning, so do they here also at every sermon, where or whensoever it be made. And like as in the morning, when the sermon is done, the preacher exhorteth them to confess their sins with him in their hearts, and thereupon doth absolve them by the power and authority of God's word; so doth he here also in like manner, and in every sermon. Then sing they a like song of thanksgiving, as they did in the morning, and as they be accustomed to do after every preaching.

In the mean season, while this psalm of thanksgiving is sung, (or else afore,) the font is prepared: the midwife is there present with the child, or more midwives, if there be more children to be christened, (as there be commonly), with a fair company of honest, sober women. And when the psalm is sung out, the minister, being there ready at the font, readeth a lecture of the bible; and when he hath declared it compendiously to the edifying of the congregation, he exhorteth them, that forasmuch as all men are conceived and born in sin, and that seeing it is unpossible for a man to come into the kingdom of God, except he be born anew and regenerate, they will shew and declare their godly love, and call upon God the Father, through Jesus Christ, and in his name, that he will mercifully baptize that child (or those children) with the Holy Ghost, and receive him (or them) to grace.

Upon the same exhortation they make their hearty prayer, beseeching God to have mercy on the child; and then addeth he this, or such a like petition in their name, saying:

O ALMIGHTY God, which in commanding us to pray hast assured us that we, believing stedfastly in thy promise, shall have all that we desire, specially concerning the soul, [1 Old edition, for taken. Compare pp. 470, 480.]

[2 preasing, or pressing, Nares: but qu. preaching. Old edition, paceing.]

wherein we seek thy glory and the wealth of our neighbours; our humble petition to thee, O most dear Father, is, that forasmuch as this child is not without original sin, thou wilt consider thine own mercy, and according to thy promise send this child thy good Spirit, that in thy sight it be not counted among the children of wrath, but of light and grace, and become a member of the undefiled church. espoused to Christ, thy dear Son, in faith and love unfeigned, by the means of the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Another prayer.

O ALMIGHTY eternal God, most merciful Father, forasmuch as the just liveth by faith, and unpossible it is for any man without belief to please thee; we beseech thee, that thou wilt grant to this child the gift of faith, wherein thou wilt seal and assure his heart in the Holy Ghost, according to the promise of thy Son; that the inward regeneration of the Spirit may be truly represented by the outward baptism; and that the child may be buried with him into death, and be raised up by him from death again, to the praise of thy glory and edifying of his neighbour. Amen.

¶ Sometime also the priest readeth this parcel of the x chapter of St Mark's gospel, saying:

AND they brought little children to him, that he should touch them. And his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was displeased, and said unto them, Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily, I say unto you, whosoever receiveth not the kingdom of God as a child, shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, and put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Then the godfather, if it be a man child, (or the godmother, if it be a woman child,) holding the child in his arms, cometh and standeth by the priest, who asketh him, on the child's behalf, if he forsake the devil and all his works? He saith, Yea; and upon the priest's interrogation, he confesseth his faith in the face of the church. So the priest taketh the child in his left hand, and with his right hand he poureth water on his head, calling him by his name (as he did afore), and baptizing him in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Finally, the minister committeth the children to the prayers of the congregation, and exhorteth the godfathers and godmothers most earnestly to see that the children be brought up and instructed in christian knowledge and virtue, the glory of God, and edifying of the commonwealth.

Then sing they a psalm that either concerneth some thanksgiving to God for his word, or else some necessary petition.

And so they depart.

Now in like manner as thou seest this blessed sacrament ministered on the Sunday, even so with like reverence do they use it at the same hour on those week-days that the congregation, in the authority of their head rulers, hath appointed to that use. And if the children in the mean time be in any danger, then the midwives baptize them. And as the congregation and multitude of the people is great at the ministration of holy baptism on the Sunday, so is it also on the other appointed days, though they be work-days. Whereby it is to be noted, that the institution and ordinance of God is in great reputation among them: for as it is ministered reverently, so is it heard with great devotion and ferventness; and though there be always some unthankful livers, yet the flock of Christ be ever bringing forth good fruits, and follow the word of life in their conversation.

THE ORDER TAKEN FOR THE DUE MINISTRATION OF HOLY WEDLOCK.

As touching God's holy institution of marriage, thou shalt understand, that privy contracts be avoided as much as may be; and young folks are so well brought up in the fear of God, and instructed in the knowledge of his word, that they will not lightly be enticed to run on head, and marry without the honest consent of their parents and tutors. Again, the fathers and mothers which have young folks apt to marriage, are circumspect, not suffering their sons and daughters to go long beyond their time unmarried; but both for the avoiding of uncleanly conversation in their children, and also for their own discharge, they provide them honest marriages meet for them. Which thing to do they are not only [moved] in the daily sermons that they hear, but also by the old godly practices of such holy men as was Abraham, and Isaac, &c. Neither do the two young persons come together after a light or indiscreet manner; but even at their hand-fastening, (when the knot of holy wedlock is fast knit,) there are present the father and mother of the parties, or else (if they be dead, or absent,) their nighest kinsfolks and tutors; and so is also some honest discreet preacher or curate of theirs, who to the edifying of them maketh a godly collation out of God's word, for their example, learning, and comfort in holy wedlock.

So when the time approacheth that they shall be married openly in the

face of the church, the curate, in the presence of the whole congregation, giveth warning certain days afore, and requireth that if any man know some lawful impediment to hinder the said marriage, he will notify it at his monition. If no hinderance be made, then at the day appointed the bridegroom, having a company of honest men with him, and likewise the bride, having an honest company of women with her, come to the sermon in the morning, (which, as I said afore, is every day at seven of the clock in summer, and at eight in the winter,) and after that the preaching is done, and the sacrament ministered in the manner aforesaid, they come both before the preacher: in the mean time the whole church in their mother tongue do sing the 106th [128th] psalm, Beati omnes qui timent Dominum, &c. Then the preacher speaketh to them both by name, and asketh them saying: M. and N. are ye minded to live together in holy wedlock, and to testify and confirm that same your purpose here in the presence of this congregation? They answer, Yea. Then (saith he) I take you all here that stand by to witness, requiring you to record the same, and to remember it: and saith moreover, If there be any man here that knoweth a lawful impediment by God's word, that these two persons may not proceed forth together in marriage, let him speak now. if there be none to make impediment, then the preacher saith: Forasmuch as here appeareth no hinderance to the contrary, but that ye may go forth together in holy wedlock, I pray God stablish the thing he hath wrought in you: seeing also that both your consents are knit in holy wedlock, and ye confess the same here openly before God and the world, I declare and pronounce you to be married together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And in so saying, he joineth their hands together, and addeth moreover: Let not man therefore separate them asunder, whom God hath coupled together.

So

This done, he exhorteth them to remember, how that God hath joined them in holy marriage, and (according to the commandment of God) to love one another, and so to keep their household, and to bring up their children (when God sendeth them) in the fear of God, that their whole living may redound to the glory of his holy name and edifying of the commonwealth.

Then rehearseth he this (or such another) prayer in the name of the whole church and congregation:

O ALMIGHTY God, Father of heaven, forasmuch as it hath pleased thee to call these new-married folks unto holy wedlock, like as at the beginning thou sawest it not good for a man to be alone; for the which cause thou madest him an helper like to himself, and so ordainedst that they two should be as one person; we beseech thee, that unto these newmarried folks thou wilt grant thy holy Spirit, whereby they

[COVERDALE.]

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living in holy wedlock, may still trust in thy goodness, overcome all temptation, and lead a godly honest life, to the edifying of every man. Bless them also, that in the fruit of their body they may praise thee, and so bring up the same, that it may be to thy glory and profit of the commonwealth. Amen.

Then the church singeth a psalm of thanksgiving, and so departeth.

THE CONCLUSION OF THIS LITTLE BOOK.

THOU seest now, what order is kept in the ministration and use of the foresaid three holy ordinances of God; concerning the which I write here nothing of 'had I wist',' nor of uncertainty, but even as I know, and as I have not only seen with mine eyes and heard with mine ears, but been present also long and many a day at the execution, practice, and experience thereof: which things as I write to give all good hearts occasion of fervent prayer to God, that he will grant his word to grow likewise among us; even so in the virtue of God's holy name, and for that precious blood sake of his most dear Son, I admonish and exhort all subjects to be patient, to avoid all kind of sedition, to commit the reformation of all errors, superstitions, ceremonies, vain traditions, wicked laws, and unjust statutes of men, even unto God the author of peace, and to the working of his Spirit in those princes and rulers whom he hath called to office for the same purpose. Let no man be slack in his duty, but give God that which is his, and to the king the things that belongeth unto him, according as Christ commandeth, Matt. xxii., and as St Paul exhorteth, Romans xi.

This I say, to stop the mouths and the blasphemous tongues of such as will not cease to rail on men, and to slander me (yea, even to the king's majesty), as though I were a perverter of common order, or took upon me to change the laws and to make new statutes. Nay, ye ungodly hypocrites, not so: but as I am sure that there is heavy damnation laid up for all such subjects as rebel or make

[1 'Had I wist,' a colloquial expression of doubt and uncertainty: q. d. 'If I had known, I would have told it;' which would imply that he did not know.]