Ælfric of Eynsham: Homilies on Baptism (Old English) (c. 990–995)

Christ’s Baptism Hallows the Waters (Sermon on the Lord’s Epiphany)

¶ From the Sermon on the Lord’s Epiphany (Catholic Homilies II.3), Thorpe vol. 2, pp. 39–41.

Christ would be baptized, not because he needed any baptism, for he had never wrought any sin, but he would by his humility set the example, that no king nor powerful man should think it too degrading to submit to Christ’s baptism, when he himself vouchsafed to bow his holy head to the hands of his servant. When he went into the water, then was that water and all well-springs hallowed by Christ’s body to our baptism.

Great was Christ’s humility, when he himself came to the Baptist; and great was the humility of John, when he durst not baptize Christ, ere he was commanded; but because no humility is perfect, unless its companion be obedience, he then performed humbly that which he had before refused from fear. Jesus said, “Consent that I be baptized at thy hands in water, and be thou afterwards, as thou desirest, baptized at my hands through the Holy Ghost: so we shall fulfil all righteousness;” that is the true humility.

The heavens were opened above Christ, when he was baptized, and the Holy Ghost came to him. Ever were the heavens opened to him, and ever was he co-existing with the Holy Ghost: but that betokens to us that the kingdom of heaven will be opened to us after our baptism, and the Holy Ghost, through his grace, will stimulate our minds to every goodness, if we drive him not from us with evil works.

John’s Baptism and Christ’s Baptism

¶ The same sermon, Thorpe vol. 2, pp. 47–49.

Formerly there were some heretics who said, that John’s baptism was greater and better than this baptism is which now stands in God’s church, because Christ was baptized with John’s baptism; but they erred with that speech. There was no forgiveness of sin in John’s baptism: in our baptism all sins are extirpated. Why then did John baptize? Because he should baptize Christ, who needed no forgiveness of sin. Why did he ever baptize more men than Christ only? Because we might not imagine that his baptism was so good, that no man might be baptized by it save Christ only. Whence came baptism to John? From Christ. All things are wrought through Christ. Verily as he created his own mother Mary, and was afterwards born of her, so also he gave baptism to John, and was afterwards baptized by John. To no man was it granted to have or announce his own baptism, save to John only, and therefore he is called John the Baptist. What baptism did he give? His own baptism, with no forgiveness of sin, but for repentance and a preparation to the baptism of Christ. Those men whom John baptized were baptized again in Christ’s baptism, because they could not be saved through the baptism of John.

Which is our baptism in which we are baptized? I say, Christ’s baptism. Christ himself baptized few men, but he gave the power to his apostles and to all ordained men to baptize with God’s baptism, in the name of the Holy Trinity; and let not a man so baptized be afterwards a second time baptized, that the invocation of the Holy Ghost be not contemned.

Some teachers are better than others, as were the apostles; some are weaker, as we are; yet the baptism with which we baptize is not on that account different, that is, neither better nor worse, through our merits, because baptism is of no man, but is of Christ, who is ever good, though we are weak. Though any one deny Christ after his baptism, or perpetrate deadly sins, he need not be again baptized; but he shall bewail his sins, and with true repentance atone for them, according to the teaching of wise doctors; and he shall then have God’s kingdom.

Three principal things God has appointed to men for purification: one is baptism, the second is housel, the third is penance, with cessation from evil deeds and practice of good works. Baptism washes us from all sins, housel hallows us, true penance heals our misdeeds.

The Baptism of Children: Godfather, Renunciation and Belief

¶ The same sermon, Thorpe vol. 2, pp. 51–53.

Let us be mindful of what we promised to God at our baptism. Now wilt thou say, “What did I promise when I was a child, and could not speak?” We read in the old institutes, that holy teachers taught the true belief to those men who turned to Christianity, and asked them, whether they would renounce the devil, and believe in God. They promised that they would do so, and were then baptized in the holy font, with that promise. Unspeaking children they baptized through the belief of the father and of the mother, and the godfather was the child’s sponsor and surety to God, that it should hold Christianity according to God’s teaching; for the sentence is very awful that Christ spake, That no unbaptized man shall come to eternal life. Now this law stands in God’s church, that unspeaking children be baptized, and they shall be saved through the belief of other men, as through other men’s sins they had been condemned; for it is doubtful whether it continue in life until it can answer the teacher with belief.

We have a very manifest example of this thing. There was a woman who came to Christ, and prayed for her daughter who lay in a fit of frenzy. Then said Christ to her, that “it were not right that one should take his children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.” She answered, “Yes, dear Lord, and, nevertheless, the whelps often lick the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.” Then answered Jesus, and said, “O thou woman, great is thy belief: betide thee as thou wilt. Her daughter straightways became sane.” Then was the daughter healed through the belief of the mother; so are also the witless children saved in baptism through the belief of the father and of the mother, and through the sponsion of the godfather.

The mass-priest asks the child, and says, “Dost thou renounce the devil?” Then answers the godfather in the words of the child, and says, “I renounce the devil.” Then again he asks, “Dost thou renounce all his works?” He says, “I renounce.” He asks a third time, “Dost thou renounce all his vanities?” He says, “I renounce.” Then will he have renounced, in these three sentences, the devil and all sins. Then he yet asks, “Believest thou in the Holy Trinity and true Unity?” He answers, “I believe.” The minister of God inquires yet further, “Believest thou that we shall all arise with our bodies on doom’s day before Christ, and that there every one will receive the reward of all his works, as he has merited in life?” He answers, “I believe.” And the priest baptizes the child with this belief.

It waxes, and goes forth, and knows nothing of this belief. It is now, therefore, very needful to every one to learn of his teacher, how he shall hold his Christianity with the true belief; and how he may eschew the devil and hell-punishment, and merit eternal life and eternal joy with God.

The Font-Water (Sermon on the Sacrifice on Easter-day)

¶ From the Sermon on the Sacrifice on Easter-day (Catholic Homilies II.15), Thorpe vol. 2, p. 269.

A heathen child is baptized, but it varies not its aspect without, although it be changed within. It is brought to the font-vessel sinful through Adam’s transgression, but it will be washed from all sins within, though it without change not its aspect. In like manner the holy font-water, which is called the well-spring of life, is in appearance like other waters, and is subject to corruption; but the might of the Holy Ghost approaches the corruptible water through the blessing of the priests, and it can afterwards wash body and soul from all sins through ghostly might. Lo now we see two things in this one creature. According to true nature the water is a corruptible fluid, and according to a ghostly mystery has salutary power.