The Old Catholic Ritual.

INFANT BAPTISM[1]

§ 2. Before commencing the act of baptism, the Priest shall ask what name will be given to the child, and shall ascertain for himself whether the child has received private baptism. If the validity of the latter is indubitable, the Priest must not repeat baptism even conditionally, but merely add certain omitted portions of the public ceremonial; if the validity is doubtful, the form for conditional baptism must be employed. (p. 12.)

§ 3. After the introductory address, or immediately before the baptism, the godfather or godmother shall hold the child in his arms. If both a godfather and a godmother be present, the one shall hold the child in his arms, the other laying the right hand on the child during the actual administration of baptism.

§ 4. When it seems fit, the following, or some other convenient address, shall precede the baptismal service.

Beloved in the Lord, when the Saviour sent out his Apostles, he said unto them, “Go ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you[2].” “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved[3].” Through baptism men are cleansed from their sins, made partakers in the meritorious redemption of Jesus Christ, taken into the society of the faithful and into the Church of Christ, fitted to obtain a share in all the treasuries of grace, with the management and administration of which Christ has entrusted his church.

When an adult is to be baptized, he must be first instructed in the doctrine of Christ, and profess his faith in it, and declare himself ready to observe all that Christ hath commanded, and to renounce all that is in opposition to the doctrine and commandments of Christ. But it is in accordance with the intention of the Lord, who lovingly called little children to come unto him, that the infant children of Christian parents should be taken up into the company of the faithful by baptism, and soon after their natural birth should be born again of water and the Holy Ghost.

Before baptism, the sponsors must make a confession of Christian faith in the name of the child, and declare their readiness, in accordance with the commandment of Christ, at all times firmly to withstand the devil, and sin, and its enticements. It is then the duty of the parents (where needful, with the assistance of the sponsors) to take care that the child, so soon as it be grown up, be instructed in the truths of the Christian religion, be directed into obedience to the commandment of Christ, and to the avoidance of all evil; and so educated, that all through his after life he may in word and deed acknowledge the faith, which was acknowledged in his name by his godparents at baptism, and may fulfil the promise which they have vowed in his place.

The Lord himself has appointed baptism with water, accompanied by the invocation of the Trinity, to be the outward sign of the grace which is communicated through this blessed sacrament. It is thereby intimated that as the body is purified by water, so the soul is purified by this sacrament from whatever in it is displeasing to God. But even in the most primitive ages of the Christian church the custom prevailed of adding certain prayers and ceremonies at the public administration of baptism, in addition to what Christ himself ordained, which are adapted to make clearer to us the meaning and importance of this act.

Which holy act, as I am now on the point of commencing, I beseech those present to unite themselves with me in prayer for this child, that the Lord who now takes him into the number of his elect may preserve him, and evermore defend him and strengthen him with his grace, that he may grow up to be both the joy of his parents, and a worthy member of the Christian church (and of our congregation).

Priest. And now I ask thee N. Dost thou desire to obtain eternal life in the church of God through faith in Jesus Christ?

Sponsors. I do.

Priest. The Lord himself hath said; “This is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent[4].” “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments[5].” “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thyself[6].”

§ 5. The Priest shall then breathe on the child, and say:

May the powers of darkness, which the divine Redeemer hath vanquished by his cross, retire before thee[7], that thou mayest see to what hope, and to what an exceeding glorious inheritance among the saints, thou art called[8].

Let us pray.

Almighty, everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look graciously down upon this child[9], whom thou hast called to the grace of regeneration by the Holy Ghost[10]; banish all darkness from his heart, and vouchsafe unto him the holy Spirit of thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Spirit evermore. Amen.

§ 6. Priest (signing the forehead and breast of the child with the sign of the cross).

Receive on thy forehead the sign of the holy cross +, to remind thee that thou openly profess thy faith in Christ crucified, and glory not, save only in the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord[11].

I sign thee on the breast with the sign of the holy cross +, to remind thee that thou love from thy heart him who hath died on the cross for thee, and that as he bids thee thou shouldest take up thy cross and follow him[12].

§ 7. Let us pray.

We beseech thee, O Lord, graciously to hear our prayer, and evermore by thy power to protect this thy servant (or handmaiden) N., whom we have signed with the sign of the holy cross, that he may continue in the faith of the doctrines, and in the obedience of the commandments of him who gave up his life for us on the tree of the cross, Christ our Lord. Amen.

§ 10. Priest (placing in the mouth of the child a little salt, which he has signed with the sign of the cross).

N. Receive this salt as an emblem of wisdom; the Lord grant it thee unto everlasting life. Amen.

§ 14. Priest (laying his right hand on the child).

Let us pray.

O God, thou author of all wisdom, look graciously down on this thy servant N., and preserve him ever in thy fear, which is the beginning of wisdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

§ 16.

Priest. Sign yourselves now with the sign of the holy cross in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and learn the words of the holy gospel, written by the Evangelist S. Mark.

“At that time they brought young children to Jesus, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his. hands upon them (here the Priest shall lay his hand on the child), and blessed them[13].”

Peace be with you.

§ 17.

Let us now repeat the Creed, which has been used in the church since the Apostles’ time, as a short summary of the chief points of the doctrine of Christ, and then the Lord’s Prayer:

I believe in God, &c.

§ 18.

Our Father, &c.

§ 20. The Priest shall then touch the ears and month of the child with his finger, saying,

Ephphatha, that is be opened. As the Saviour gave the power of hearing and of speech to a man that was both deaf and dumb by the use of these words, and by touching his ears and tongue, so may he strengthen thee through his grace, that thou mayest be ready and willing to hear his words, and mayest joyfully proclaim his praise.

§ 22.

And now I ask thee N., before I administer to thee the sacrament of baptism[14],

Dost thou renounce the devil?

Sponsors. I do renounce him.

Priest. And all his works?

Sponsors. I do renounce them.

Priest. And all his pomps?

Sponsors. I do renounce them.

§ 23. Or the following may be substituted for the last three questions.

Priest. And now I ask thee N., before I administer to thee the sacrament of Baptism,

Dost thou renounce the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life?

Sponsors. I do renounce them.

Priest. Dost thou promise, in accordance with the command of Christ, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thyself?

Sponsors. I do so promise.

§ 24.

Priest (anointing the child on the breast with the oil of the catechumens). For the war against evil, and for the practice of good, thou needest strengthening through the grace of him who hath redeemed us from our sins. Therefore I anoint thee with the oil of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

§ 26.

Priest. Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?

Sponsors. I do.

Priest. Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son our Lord, who was born and hath suffered for us?

Sponsors. I do.

Priest. Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic church, the Communion of Saints, the Forgiveness of sins, the Resurrection of the flesh, and life everlasting?

Sponsors. I do.

§ 29. Priest (pouring the water thrice in the form of a cross on the head of each child to be baptized).

N. I baptize thee in the Name of the Father +, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Ghost +.

§ 32.

Or if the child is to be baptized conditionally; N., if thou art not already baptized, I baptize thee in the Name of the Father +, &c.

§ 33. Then shall the Priest anoint the crown of the head with chrism and say:

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath regenerated thee by water and the Holy Ghost, anoint thee with the chrism of salvation in the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

§ 34. Priest (laying a white raiment, or the end of his stole, on the child).

N. Receive the white raiment of innocence. Preserve it pure and unspotted until the day of Jesus Christ, that thereby thou mayest enter into eternal life. Amen.

§ 36. Priest (presenting a lighted taper to the sponsors, which they hold in their right hand).

N. Receive this lighted taper as an emblem of the faith which lives by love. Preserve the light of the knowledge of Christ and walk in this light; that, when the Lord cometh, thou mayest be like the wise virgins, who came to meet the bridegroom with lamps lighted, and went in with him to the marriage feast. Amen.

§ 38.

Priest. N. Depart in peace, and the Lord be with you. Amen.

§ 39. If the father of the child be present, the following address may be added:

In the name of the church of Christ, into whose communion this child is now by baptism received, I give him back into the hands of his parents. It is now your duty to take thought for the child’s education, to make him acquainted, as he grows up, with the truths of the Christian religion, and to lead him to keep the evangelical commandments; that hereafter he may himself confess the faith in word and deed, which his sponsors have now confessed in his name, and may fulfil the promises which they have made for him. May God bless this child, who now through baptism is made a child of God, that he may prosper both in body and soul to his parents’ joy; and may grow up to be a fit member of our communion. May God also bless the endeavours of the parents, and reward them according to the words of the Lord, “Whoso shall receive a child in my name receiveth me[15]!”

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§ 40. When the supplementary ceremonies are to be performed in the case of a child which has already been baptized, the Priest may begin with the following, or some other appropriate address:

Beloved in the Lord, this child has been already baptized, and made a participator in the grace which Christ has united to the sacrament of baptism. Now Christ himself instituted only baptism by water, together with the invocation of the name of the Trinity, as the outward sign of the grace which is imparted through this sacrament. But in the most primitive ages of the Christian church it became customary, at the public administration of baptism, to add certain prayers and ceremonies to those ordained by Christ himself, which are adapted to bring out into clearer view the signification and importance of this act. In those cases in which baptism has been previously administered without these prayers and ceremonies, it is not necessary, as a matter of fact, either for the validity of baptism, or for obtaining baptismal grace: nor is it in any way, properly speaking, a matter of obligation, but nevertheless it is an old and goodly custom, that the ceremonies omitted at baptism should, with the appropriate prayers, be afterwards performed by way of supplement.

The parents of this child have desired to comply with this custom. This affords us the opportunity of shewing clearly the meaning and importance of holy baptism, in accordance with the intention of the church, in the ceremonies which accompany that sacrament. It also gives us the opportunity to make our common supplications to God, that he will preserve this child, whom he has now taken by baptism into the number of his elect, that he will ever defend him, and strengthen him with his grace, that he may grow up to be both the joy of his parents, and also a worthy member of the Christian church (and of our congregation).

As in the service for infant baptism, the sponsors must now, in the name of the child, make a profession of the Christian faith, and declare their readiness ever steadfastly to resist the devil, and sin, and their temptations, in accordance with the commandment of Christ. They must also, at the same time, give their assurance that, if necessary, they will assist the parents in fulfilling their duty; taking care that the child, as it grows up, be instructed in the truths of the Christian religion, be guided into obedience to the commandments of Christ, and the avoidance of all evil, so that henceforth, throughout his whole life, he may acknowledge in word and deed the faith which the sponsors have now professed in his name, and keep the promise which they have now made for him.

§ 41. Then shall the Priest say;

And now I ask thee N., Dost thou desire by faith in Jesus Christ to obtain eternal life in the church of God, into which thou hast been now admitted by holy baptism?

Sponsors. I do.

Priest. The Lord himself hath said, &c. (and so forth, omitting the act of baptism, and making the other necessary alterations.)