M. They are usually such as these: 1. The poor that have no rich Friends do sometimes entreat a poor neighbour to do the office, and sometimes hire any man that will do it: Which I never knew tell in London, by begging they made me understand that men do it as Labourer's work for their wages: About half a Crown is the ordinary pay of Beggars, or very poor Folks Godfathers. But the Poor and Middling sort do use to try some rich Friend or Neighbour; if they have any such, in hopes of some small gift; some give us for the Child a Shilling, some half a Crown, some a silver Spoon. The Richer sort seek to persons rather above than below their Rank, in expectation of a piece of Plate, or some such bigger gift. And in other Nations Princes are Godfathers to Children whom they never see, nor perhaps the Land of their nativity: And with us it is very often some that dwell not very near, who oft sevre as Proxy to stand in their place, and they only give the expected gift and bear the name.
II. What they are to do, I told you before, 1. To personate the Child, and take on them to say as in his name [I believe, I renounce, I desire] when they are three and the Child but one, and so three persons by fiction represent one, and say that He doth that which he doth not, either, per se vel per alios.
2. They Vow or promise solemnly to do all the things before named. Ch. 4. Numb. 7. viz. To see that the Child be taught as soon as he shall be able to learn what a solemn Vow, Promise and Profession he made by them; and that they call on him to hear Sermons, and chiefly that they provide that he may learn, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments in the Vulgar Tongue, and All other things that a Christian ought to know and believe to his Souls health, and that he be virtuously brought up to lead a Christian and Godly life. All this they solemnly undertake to God and the Church.
⟨p. 68⟩III. And so far are they usually from performing it. That 1. I never yet knew one Parent that expected any such thing from them, or that ever seriously asked them, Do you understand what you are to promise? and do you resolve to do it.
2. I never in all my life knew one Godfather that made the Parent before hand believe that he intended any such thing.
3. If he had, it's not credible that three persons should all intend to educate one child of another man's, and perform it?
4.
M. They are usually such as these: 1. The poor that have no rich Friends do sometimes intreat a poor neighbour to do the office, and sometimes hire any man that will do it: Which I never knew tell in London, by begging they made me understand that men do it as Labourer's work for their wages: About half a Crown is the ordinary pay of Beggers, or very poor Folks Godfathers. But the Poor and Middling sort do use to try some rich Friend or Neighbour; if they have any such, in hopes of some small gift; some give us for the Child a Shilling, some half a Crown, some a silver Spoon. The Richer sort seek to persons rather above than below their Rank, in expectation of a piece of Plate, or some such bigger gift. And in other Nations Princes are Godfathers to Children whom they never see, nor perhaps the Land of their nativity: And with us it is very often some that dwel not very near, who oft sevre as Proxy to stand in their place, and they only give the expected gift and bear the name.
II. What they are to do, I told you before, 1. To personate the Child, and take on them to say as in his name [I believe, I renounce, I desire] when they are three and the Child but one, and so three persons by fiction represent one, and say that He doth that which he doth not, either, per se vel per alios.
2. They Vow or promise solemnly to do all the things before named. Ch. 4. Numb. 7. viz. To see that the Child be taught as soon as he shall be able to learn what a solemn Vow, Promise and Profession he made by them; and that they call on him to hear Sermons, and chiefly that they provide that he may learn, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments in the Vulgar Tongue, and All other things that a Christian ought to know and believe to his Souls health, and that he be virtu•usly brought up to lead a Christian and Godly life. All this they solemnly undertake to God and the Church.
⟨p. 68⟩III. And so far are they usually from performing it. That 1. I never yet knew one Parent that expected any such thing from them, or that ever seriously asked them, Do you understand what you are to promise? and do you resolve to do it.
2. I never in all my life knew one Godfather that made the Parent before hand believe that he intended any such thing.
3. If he had, it's not credible that three persons should all intend to educate one child of another man's, and perform it?
4.
