INFANT BAPTISM a. § 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"." "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." 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. Rituale Romanum. PARVULORUM. [There are several pages of preliminary directions for the due performance of the various offices in the Roman Ritual, but they do not, as a rule, correspond with the rubrics either of the Friburg and other vernacular German Rituals, or of the Old Catholic Ritual, 1875.] Rituale Friburgense. ERTHEILUNG DER HEILIGEN [§ 1. Paratis omnibus quæ ad sacra- a When an adult is baptized, he must answer in his own person, instead of the sponsors. In other respects the rites are the same, apart from the addresses at the cessaria sunt, sacerdos lotis manibus, oratione fusa, factaque intentione, superpellicio et stola violacea indutus, una cum ministro sibi inserviente ad limen ecclesiæ accedat, ubi aperto capite et facie ad circumstantes versa, se signans signo crucis dicat: Sac. Im Namen des Vaters +, und des Sohnes, und des heiligen Geistes. Amen.] § 4. Anrede an die Pathen. GELIEBTE in [Christus dem Herrn, es ist ein alter Gebrauch der christlichen Kirche dass der Taüfling von commencement and the close: a different Gospel will also be read. b S. Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. c S. Mark xvi. 16. 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. Rituale Friburgense. Pathen, die hier für die Standhaftigkeit seines Glaubens die Bürgschaft übernehmen, zur Taufe, als der geistlichen Wiedergeburt, gebracht werde. Ihr nehmet heute diese. Pflicht auf euch; sie ist von grosser Wichtigkeit. Ihr gelobet Gott, dass das kind, welches ihr hier zur Taufe bringet, in dem Christlichen Glauben, dessen Bekenntniss ihr hier statt seiner ableget, erzogen werde, um darin standhaft zu verharren bis zu seinem Tode. Ihr müsset also, so viel bei euch steht mit zärtlicher Sorgfalt darauf bedacht seyn es von jugend auf in der christlichen Lehre zu unterrichten und zur Befolgung derselben anzuleiten. Wachet, dass es durch die trüglichen Reitze dieser Welt nicht verführt werde und ewig verloren gehe. Erinnert es einst, wenn es zum Gebrauch der Vernunft kommt, recht oft daran, was für grosse Versprechungen ihr heute in seinem Namen Gott und der christlichen Kirche gemacht habet. VerIwendet mit seinen Eltern auf dasselbe die treueste Pflege, damit ihr einst würdig seyn moget, mit ihm die stimme des Sohnes Gottes zu vernehmen "Kommit ihr Gesegnete meines Vaters, und nehmet Besitz von dem Reiche, das euch zur Belohnung bereitet ist." Alle Menschen, welche in dieses irdische Leben eintreten sind zur Heiligkeit berufen, desswegen kam Christus auf die Erde, um sich durch den heiligen Geist eine Kirche, eine Versammlung der Heiligen zu errichten. Auch das vor uns liegende kind soll ein Mitglied der Gemeinde der Heiligen werden; daher wird ihm gleich bei der Taufe der Name eines Heiligen gegeben.] 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 " "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments e." "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 thyselff." § 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, that thou mayest see to what hope, and to what an exceeding glorious inheritance among the saints, thou art called ". Let us pray. ALMIGHTY, everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look graciously down upon this child', whom thou hast called to the grace of regeneration by the Holy Ghost; 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 Lord1. Geist der Weisheit, damit du einse- EMPFANGE auf die Stirne das Zeichen des Kreuzes und zeige nunmehr in deinen Sitten, dass dein alter Mensch mit Christus gekreuziget seye, damit du nur allein für Christus lebest, und keinen andern Ruhm suchest, als in dem kreuze unsers Herrn. Auch deine Brust bezeichne ich mit dem Zeichen des Kreuzes damit du dich selbst und die verdorbenen Gefühle des Her 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 ". § 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. Rituale Friburgense. zens verlaügnest, das Kreuz Christi willig auf dich nehmest, und ihm getreu nachfolgest. § 7. Wir bitten dich, O Herr, schütze diesen deinen auserwählten Diener den wir mit dem Zeichen des Kreuzes bezeichnet haben, durch deine immerwährende Kraft, damit er am Tage des Gerichts nicht verloren gehe, sondern würdig geachtet werde, zu stehen vor dem Throne des Lammes, um mit ihm zu herrschen von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Amen. [§ 8. Deinde imponit manum super caput infantis et dicat; Lasset uns bethen. Zu deiner ewigen und gerechten güte flehen wir, O Herr, heiliger, allmächtiger Vater, ewiger Gott, Urquelle des Lichtes und der Wahrheit, sieh gnadig herab auf diesen deinen Diener der nach deinem Ebenbild erschaffen, und durch Jesus Christus deinen Sohn zu einem neuen Menschen durch Erneuerung des Geistes wieder geboren wird; erleuchte ihn mit dem lichte deiner Erkenntniss, reinige ihn, heilige ihn, gieb ihm die wahre Weisheit, feste Hoffnung, gerade Gesinnung und heilige Lehre, damit er der Gnade würdig und des ewigen Lebens theilhaftig werde, durch denselben Jesus, etc. Amen.] m S. Matt. x. 38. |