153 143 blessed if only its Father believe and pray for it; more blessed if its Father and Mother Pray: more ble[o]st if also its Sponsors pray: more if the Minister who baptized it Pray: and more if any one - and more in proportion as more, of the witnessing congregation, pray: x. It is called heresy by the Bp. of Exeter to suppose But if None of them either Pray or believe: If neither the Efficacy of the Sacrament dependent on the faith in Parents nor Sponsors nor Ministers nor Congregation be- which it is received Is it so also in the other sacra- lieve in God: or expect or desire a blessing: If the ment? and is that efficiently received by those who minister have come to baptise the child because he has therein do not discern the Lord’s body. 500 a year to baptise the children of the Parish: and the Parents have come to present their child because in Baptism their Child is to get it[n]s name, and the Congregatio[n] have remained to see the Baptism in order to hear what the name is to be: and the the act which they conjointly perform is no Baptism; neither is any blessing: even the smallest therewith conferred x. If now it be asked what is the lowest measure of Blessing which can be bestowed - I defer the answer till we en- quire whether nature, the Blessing promised really is. So then, do I make the Rite itself, and the Obedience to Christ’s command of no effect? Not so: Let us first note this general principle. Every command of God is to be obeyed both in the Letter and in the Spirit; where there are consistent with each other; where accidental circumstances render them
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