the remission of our sins and become partakers of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Hence also St. Peter on the day of Pentecost, after preaching the gospel of Christ's death and resurrection, called upon the hearers, saying:"Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Acts 2: 38,39.

But as the blessing is great, which God in His mercy bestows upon all, who approach this ordinance with a truly penitent heart, so also is the obligation great, which they on their part assume. Remember, that in submitting to baptism, you renounce openly before God and His Church, the world, the flesh and the devil, and dedicate yourself (yourselves) with body and soul to the service of the triune God, who has made you and redeemed you and sanctified you; that you are bound, therefore, by the most sacred vows, to live henceforth not unto yourself, (yourselves) but unto Him, who gave Himself for you, to obey Christ's commandments and to adorn your profession by a sober, righteous and godly life, until you shall appear at last before the judgment seat of Christ. Remember, that unless you comply with the conditions of God's covenant, you forfeit its privileges and glorious rewards, and that which was intended as a savor of life unto life, will turn by your own guilt into a savor of death unto death. "Be not deceived, God is not mocked for whatsover a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

[Then addressing the congregation, he shall say:]

Let us, therefore, all who are here present, humble ourselves before Almighty God, and call upon Him to grant His blessing and the influences of His Holy Spirit, that the Water of Baptism may become to this person (these persons) a laver of regeneration and a well of water springing up into everlasting

(Kneeling.)

Let us pray. Almighty and everliving God, the aid of all that need, the helper of all that flee to Thee for succor, the life of them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead: we call upon Thee for this person (these persons) that he (she, they) coming to Thy holy Baptism, may receive remission of his (her, their) sins by spiritual regeneration. Receive him, (her, them) O Lord, as Thou hast promised by Thy well beloved Son, saying: ask, and ye shall receive, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you; so now give unto us that ask, let us that seek find, open the gate unto us that knock; that this person (these persons) may enjoy the everlasting benediction of Thy heavenly washing, and may come to the eternal kingdom which Thou hast promised by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, who of Thy great mercy didst save Noah and his family by water, and also didst safely lead the children of Israel, Thy people, through the Red Sea, figuring thereby Thy holy Baptism; and by the Baptism of Thy well beloved Son Jesus Christ, in the river Jordan, didst sanctify the element of water to the mystical washing away of sin we beseech Thee for Thine infinite mercies, graciously to look upon this Thy servant, (these Thy servants) to wash him, (her, them) and sanctify him (her, them) with the Holy Ghost, that he (she, they) being delivered from Thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ's Church, and being steadfast, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may so pass the billows of this troublesome world, that finally he (she, they) may come to the land of everlasting life, there to reign with Thee, world without end. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

[Then the minister shall address the person or persons to be baptized :]

Dearly beloved, having heard what the holy Scriptures teach concerning the institution, the great blessings and the solemn obligations of the sacrament of Baptism, and having called upon God, to accompany the use of the same, at this time, with the power of His Spirit: I now ask you, in the presence

of God and this congregation, to answer clearly and distinctly the following questions:

Dost thou renounce the devil with all his ways and works, the world with its vain pomp and glory, and the flesh with all its sinful desires?

Answer. I renounce them all.

Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth?

Answer. I believe.

Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead?

Answer. I believe.

Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?

Answer. I believe.

Wilt thou be baptized in this faith?

Answer. I will.

Dost thou promise to follow Jesus Christ and to keep His commandments all the days of thy life?

Answer. I do.

[Then shall the minister ask the name of the Catechumen, and requiring him to kneel down, shall baptize him saying:]

N. I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

[After a short pause the minister shall lay his hand on the head of the person or persons baptized, still kneeling, and CONFIRM them severally, saying:]

Defend, O Lord, Thy servant, with Thy heavenly grace, that he may continue Thine forever, and daily increase in Thy Holy Spirit more and more, until he come unto Thy everlasting kingdom. Amen.

Or this:

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of His infinite mercy has granted thee the remission of all thy sins and the gift of His Holy Spirit, confirm thee by His grace, strengthen thee for every good word and work unto everlasting life.

Amen.

[Then the persons rising, the minister shall proceed :]

Let us give thanks:

Almighty and most merciful Father, we render Thee our humble and most hearty thanks, that Thou hast been pleased, by holy Baptism, to deliver this person (these persons) from the power of darkness, and translate him into the kingdom of Thy dear Son, in whom we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins. And we humbly beseech Thee to grant that he, being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness, and being buried with Christ in His death, may crucify the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin; and that, as he is made partaker (partakers) of the death of Thy Son, he may also be made partaker of His resurrection; so that finally, with the residue of Thy Holy Church, he may be an inheritor of Thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or this:

Almighty God, our most merciful Father, we render Thee our humble and hearty thanks, that Thou dost mercifully defend and daily increase Thy holy catholic Church, and that Thou hast been pleased to add this person (these persons) to the number of Christ's flock, granting him the forgiveness of sins and making him Thy child, and an heir of life everlasting. And we humbly beseech Thee, ever to defend us and this Thy servant, against the powers of sin and darkness, to strengthen us with the Holy Ghost, and daily to increase in us Thy manifold gifts of grace, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of knowledge and true godliness; that, walking in Thy ways and keeping Thy commandments, we may obtain at last the inheritance of the saints in light, and praise Thee, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

[Then the minister shall give the person or persons baptized, the right hand and say:]

I now give you the right hand of Christian fellowship, and receive you into the congregation of Christ's flock, and admit you to all the privileges of the same. May you ever walk worthy of your high and heavenly calling, and may the God of peace sanctify you wholly and preserve your whole spirit and soul and body blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

[The minister shall then conclude the service with a hymn and the usual benediction.]

NO, 2,

THE FORM OF MARRIAGE.

[The parties to be married shall appear, standing before the minister, with their friends and neighbors or other witnesses; the Man on the right hand, and the Woman on the left. The minister shall then begin and say:]

In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Dearly beloved, we are assembled, in the sight of God, and of his holy angels, to join together this man and this woman in the bonds of matrimony, which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, confirmed by the teaching of our blessed Saviour, and compared by St. Paul to the mystical union, which subsists between Christ and his Church.

Hear what the word of God says concerning it:

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and of the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh."