Sarum Manual: the Making of a Catechumen, Blessing of the Font and Baptism (late medieval)

The Making of a Catechumen

¶ First let the infant be brought to the doors of the church, and let the priest ask the midwife whether the infant be male or female. Then, whether the infant has been baptized at home; and by what name it is to be called. For though it has been baptized at home because of danger of death, yet it shall have all the service that follows, except the dipping in the water and [the asking of] the name by which it is to be called. Let the male be set on the right hand of the priest, and the female on the left.

¶ These things being asked, let him make the sign of the cross with his thumb on the forehead of the infant, saying thus:

I set the sign of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ upon thy forehead.

¶ And afterwards on the breast, saying thus:

I set the sign of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ upon thy breast.

¶ Then, holding his right hand over the head of the infant, let him say: The Lord be with you. And, Let us pray.

Almighty, everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, vouchsafe to look upon this thy servant (or, this thy handmaid) N., [¶ Here first let the priest ask the name of the infant, and let the godparents answer.] whom thou hast vouchsafed to call to the first lessons of the faith: drive out from him all blindness of heart; break all the snares of Satan with which he has been bound. Open to him, O Lord, the gate of thy mercy: that, being imbued with the sign of thy wisdom, he may be free from the foulness of all evil desires, and in the sweet savour of thy commandments may gladly serve thee in thy Church, and go forward from day to day, that he may be made fit to come to the grace of thy baptism, having received thy medicine. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Then let a prayer be said, without The Lord be with you, but with Let us pray.

Mercifully hear our prayers, we beseech thee, O Lord, and by the power of the Lord's cross keep this thine elect N. [¶ Here let the godfathers and godmothers name the child], with whose impress [¶ Here let the priest make a cross on the forehead of the infant] we sign him: that, keeping the first lessons of the greatness of thy glory, he may by the keeping of thy commandments be worthy to come to the glory of the new birth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray. O God, who art so the maker of mankind that thou art also its restorer: be merciful to the peoples of thine adoption, and enrol in thy new covenant the offspring of a new race; that the children of promise may rejoice to have received by grace what they could not attain by nature. Through our Lord.

¶ The exorcism of the salt, without Let us pray.

I exorcise thee, creature of salt, in the name of God the Father almighty, and in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. I exorcise thee by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, by the God who created thee for the protection of mankind, and commanded thee to be consecrated by his servants for the people coming to belief: that in the name of the holy Trinity thou mayest become a saving sacrament to put the enemy to flight. Therefore we pray thee, O Lord our God, that sanctifying thou wouldest sanctify, and blessing thou wouldest bless, this creature of salt [¶ here let the priest look upon the salt], that it may become to all who receive it a perfect medicine, abiding in their inward parts; by the power of the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and the world by fire. Amen.

¶ Afterwards let the priest ask the name of the child, and let some of the salt be put in its mouth, saying:

N., receive the salt of wisdom, that God may be merciful to thee unto life eternal. Amen.

¶ After the salt has been given let the priest say over the male or female: The Lord be with you. And, Let us pray.

O God of our fathers, God the founder of all creation, we humbly beseech thee that thou wouldest vouchsafe graciously to look upon this thy servant N.; and suffer him, who tastes this first food of salt, to hunger no longer for want of being filled with heavenly food: that he may be always, O Lord, fervent in spirit, rejoicing in hope, serving thy name; and bring him to the laver of the new birth, that with thy faithful he may be worthy to obtain the eternal rewards of thy promises. Through our Lord.

¶ Over a male only, with Let us pray (for a female, see below):

God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God who didst appear to thy servant Moses on Mount Sinai, and didst lead the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, appointing for them the angel of thy mercy to guard them by day and by night: we beseech thee, O Lord, that thou wouldest vouchsafe to send thy holy angel from heaven, to guard likewise this thy servant N., and bring him to the grace of thy baptism. Through Christ.

¶ The adjuration over a male, without The Lord be with you and without Let us pray, the priest saying thus:

Therefore, accursed devil, acknowledge thy sentence, and give honour to the living and true God; give honour to Jesus Christ his Son, and to the Holy Spirit; and depart from this servant of God N., for our God and Lord Jesus Christ has vouchsafed to call him to his holy grace and blessing and to the font of baptism by the gift of the Holy Spirit. And this sign of the holy cross [¶ here let the priest make the sign of the cross on the forehead of the infant with his thumb], which we set upon his forehead, do thou, accursed devil, never dare to violate. Through him who shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and the world by fire. Amen.

¶ This prayer is said over a male only:

O God, the undying defence of all who ask, the deliverer of suppliants, the peace of those who pray, the life of believers, the resurrection of the dead: I call upon thee for this thy servant N., who, asking the gift of thy baptism, desires to obtain eternal grace by spiritual new birth. Receive him, O Lord; and as thou hast vouchsafed to say, Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: give the reward to him that asks, and open the gate to him that knocks; that, having obtained the eternal blessing of the heavenly washing, he may receive the promised kingdom of thy bounty. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

¶ The adjuration over a male only:

Hear, accursed Satan, adjured by the name of the eternal God and of our Saviour his Son: depart, overcome with thine envy, trembling and groaning. Let there be nothing in common between thee and the servant of God N., who now thinks on heavenly things, and is about to renounce thee and thy world, and to live in blessed immortality. Give honour therefore to the Holy Spirit who is coming, who, descending from the highest height of heaven, having confounded thy frauds, shall perfect the breast cleansed in the divine font, that is, a temple and dwelling sanctified to God: that this servant of God, wholly freed from all the harms of past sins, may ever give thanks to the everlasting God, and bless his holy name for ever and ever. Amen.

¶ The exorcism over a male only:

I exorcise thee, unclean spirit, in the name of God the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, that thou go out and depart from this servant of God N. For he commands thee, accursed one, damned and to be damned, who walked with his feet upon the sea, and stretched out his right hand to Peter as he sank. ¶ The adjuration follows: Therefore, accursed devil… as above.

¶ This prayer is said over a female only:

God of heaven, God of earth, God of angels, God of archangels, God of patriarchs, God of prophets, God of apostles, God of martyrs, God of confessors, God of virgins, God of all that live well, God to whom every tongue confesses and every knee bows, of things in heaven, on earth and under the earth: I call upon thee, O Lord, for this thy handmaid N., that thou wouldest vouchsafe to bring her to the grace of thy baptism.

¶ [The adjuration over a female follows, as over a male, "Therefore, accursed devil…", with the signing of the cross on the forehead.]

¶ Likewise over a female only:

God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, God who didst free the tribes of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, and by thy servant Moses didst admonish them in the desert concerning the keeping of thy commandments, and didst deliver Susanna from a false charge: I humbly entreat thee, O Lord, that thou wouldest deliver this thy handmaid also, N., and vouchsafe to bring her to the grace of thy baptism. ¶ The adjuration follows: Therefore, accursed devil… as above.

¶ The exorcism over a female only:

I exorcise thee, unclean spirit, by the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that thou go out and depart from this handmaid of God N. For he commands thee, accursed one, damned and to be damned, who opened the eyes of the man born blind, and raised Lazarus from the tomb on the fourth day. ¶ The adjuration follows: Therefore, accursed devil… as above.

¶ Thereafter, over males and females alike, let these prayers be said, without The Lord be with you and without Let us pray. Here let the priest make a cross with his thumb on the forehead of the infant, and holding his hands over its head let him say:

I entreat thine eternal and most just loving-kindness, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, author of light and truth, for this thy servant N., that thou wouldest vouchsafe to enlighten him with the light of thy understanding. Cleanse him and sanctify him; give him true knowledge, that he may be made worthy to come to the grace of thy baptism; let him hold firm hope, right counsel, holy doctrine, that he may be fit to receive the grace of thy baptism. Through Christ our Lord.

¶ Without Let us pray, let this prayer follow.

Nor is it hidden from thee, Satan, that punishments threaten thee, that torments threaten thee, that the day of judgement threatens thee, the day of everlasting punishment, the day which shall come as a burning oven, in which eternal destruction shall come upon thee and all thine angels. And therefore, damned and to be damned for thy wickedness, give honour to the living and true God; give honour to Jesus Christ his Son; give honour to the Holy Spirit the Comforter: in whose name and power I command thee, unclean spirit, whoever thou art, that thou go out and depart from this servant of God N., whom this day the same God and our Lord Jesus Christ has vouchsafed to call to his holy grace and blessing and to the font of baptism; that he may be made his temple by the water of regeneration, for the remission of all his sins. In the name of the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and the world by fire. Amen.

The Gospel, Effeta and the Creed

¶ These things said, let the priest say: The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. The Gospel according to Matthew.

At that time, there were brought unto Jesus little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said unto them, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And when he had laid his hands on them, he departed thence.

¶ Then let the priest spit into his left hand, and touch the ears and nostrils of the infant with the spittle with his right thumb, saying at the right ear: Effeta, that is, Be opened; at the nostrils: unto a savour of sweetness; at the left ear: But thou, devil, flee; for the judgement of God shall draw near.

¶ Afterwards let the priest bid the godfathers and godmothers, together with all who stand by, to say together: Our Father, and Hail Mary, and I believe in God; which the priest himself also says, all hearing, modestly and distinctly, thus [in Latin]:

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven so in earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Amen.

I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the flesh; the life eternal. Amen.

¶ These said, let the priest make the sign of the cross on the right hand of the infant, having asked its name, saying thus:

N., I deliver to thee the sign of our Lord Jesus Christ in thy right hand: that thou mayest sign thyself, and repel thyself from the adverse part, and abide in the catholic faith, and have life eternal, and live for ever and ever. Amen.

¶ Afterwards let him lead the catechumen by the right hand into the church, having asked its name, saying:

N., enter into the temple of God, that thou mayest have life eternal, and live for ever and ever. Amen.

The Blessing of the Font

¶ When the font is to be cleansed and renewed with pure water (which ought to be done often because of the corruption of the water), then let the following litany be said, and the font blessed in the manner following. And note that the water of baptism ought not to be changed for the honour of any great person, unless it has become corrupt. [Further rubrics follow: the hallowed water of the font at the Easter and Whitsun vigils is not to be sprinkled through the church, for it is "not water of sprinkling, but of baptism and of cleansing"; no priest is to touch it except those whom he baptizes.]

¶ Here begins the litany thus [this bidding and charge are in English in the source]:

Godfathers and godmothers, and all that be here about, say in the worship of God and our Lady and of the twelve apostles, a Paternoster, and Ave Maria, and Credo in Deum, that we may so minister this blessed sacrament that it may be to the pleasure of almighty God, and confusion of our ghostly enemy, and salvation of the soul of this child.

Godfathers and godmothers of this child, we charge you that ye charge the father and the mother to keep it from fire and water and other perils to the age of seven year, and that ye learn or see it be learned the Paternoster, Ave Maria and Credo, after the law of all holy church; and in all goodly haste to be confirmed of my lord of the diocese or of his deputy; and that the mother bring again the chrisom at her purification; and wash your hands ere ye depart the church.

¶ The litany follows: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, hear us. God the Father of heaven, have mercy upon us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy upon us. Holy Mary, pray for us. [The invocations continue through the angels, patriarchs and prophets, the apostles and evangelists, and the martyrs, confessors and virgins, including the English saints Swithun, Birinus and Edith.] All saints, pray for us.

¶ These ended, let the priest go to the consecration of the font, which is always said without chant, except on the vigils of Easter and Pentecost, and let him say in a moderate voice: The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Let us pray.

Almighty, everlasting God, be present at the mysteries of thy great loving-kindness, be present at thy sacraments; and send forth the spirit of adoption to re-create the new peoples whom the font of baptism brings forth for thee: that what is to be done by the ministry of our lowliness may be fulfilled by the working of thy power. Through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, [¶ here he changes his voice, as for a preface] world without end. Amen. The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God. It is meet and right.

It is truly meet and right, fitting and salutary, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God: who by invisible power dost wonderfully work the effect of thy sacraments. And though we are unworthy to perform such great mysteries, yet thou, not forsaking the gifts of thy grace, dost incline the ears of thy loving-kindness even to our prayers. O God, whose Spirit in the very beginnings of the world moved upon the waters, that even then the nature of the waters might receive the power of sanctification. O God, who, washing away the crimes of a guilty world by water, didst signify the figure of regeneration in the very outpouring of the flood, that by the mystery of one and the same element there might be both an end to vices and a beginning to virtues: look, we beseech thee, O Lord, upon the face of thy Church, and multiply in her thy regenerations, who by the rush of thy flowing grace makest glad thy city, and openest the font of baptism throughout the whole world for the renewing of the nations; that by the command of thy majesty it may receive the grace of thine only-begotten from the Holy Spirit.

¶ Here let the priest divide the water with his right hand in the form of a cross.

May he by the secret mingling of his light make fruitful this water prepared for the regeneration of men, that, sanctification being conceived, a heavenly offspring may come forth from the spotless womb of the divine font, born again a new creature; and that grace, the mother, may bring forth into one infancy all whom either sex in body or age in time distinguishes. Far hence therefore, at thy bidding, O Lord, let every unclean spirit depart; far hence let all the wickedness of devilish deceit stand off. Let no mingling of the opposing power have place here: let it not fly about lying in wait, let it not creep in unseen, let it not corrupt by infecting. Let this holy and innocent creature be free from every assault of the adversary, and purged by the departure of all wickedness. Let it be a living fountain, a regenerating water, a purifying wave; that all who are to be washed in this saving laver, the Holy Spirit working in them, may obtain the grace of perfect cleansing. Wherefore I bless thee, creature of water, by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, by the God who in the beginning separated thee by his word from the dry land, whose Spirit moved upon thee; who made thee to flow from paradise, and commanded thee to water the whole earth in four rivers.

¶ Here let the priest cast water out of the font towards the four quarters with his right hand in the form of a cross.

Who in the desert made thee drinkable, being bitter, by putting sweetness into thee, and brought thee out of the rock for a thirsting people. I bless thee by Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who in Cana of Galilee by a wonderful sign of his power turned thee into wine; who walked upon thee with his feet, and was baptized in thee by John in Jordan; who brought thee forth from his side together with blood, and commanded his disciples that believers should be baptized in thee, saying: Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

¶ Here let the priest change his voice, as if reading. Do thou, almighty God, be mercifully present with us who keep these commandments; do thou graciously breathe upon them.

¶ Here let the priest breathe thrice into the font in the form of a cross; then let him say, reading: Bless thou with thy mouth these simple waters, that, besides the natural cleansing which they can give to bodies that are washed, they may also be effectual for the purifying of minds.

¶ Here let the priest drip wax from the candle into the font in the form of a cross, and afterwards say, as in a preface: May the power of the Holy Spirit descend into this fulness of the font, and make fruitful the whole substance of this water with the effect of regeneration.

¶ Here let the priest divide the water with the candle in the form of a cross, saying: Here may the stains of all sins be blotted out; here may nature, made after thine image and reformed to the honour of its origin, be cleansed from all the filth of its old state; [¶ here let the priest take the candle out of the water and give it to a clerk, who holds it by the font until the preface is ended] that every man entering this sacrament of regeneration may be born again into the new infancy of true innocence. ¶ Here let him change his voice, as if reading: Through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

¶ [On the vigils of Easter and Pentecost the office goes no further unless someone is to be baptized; the hallowed font is then covered with a clean linen cloth and kept until Compline of Easter or Whitsunday.] Afterwards let the priest pour the holy oil into the water, making the sign of the cross and saying: The joining of the oil of anointing and the water of baptism. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

¶ In like manner let him pour in the chrism, saying: May this font be made fruitful and sanctified with this saving chrism of salvation. In the name of the Father, etc.

¶ Afterwards let him pour in the oil together with the chrism in the manner above, saying: The joining of the chrism of sanctification, and the oil of anointing, and the water of baptism. In the name of the Father, etc.

The Renunciations, Anointing and Profession of Faith

¶ Then let the infant be carried to the font by those who are to receive it from baptism; and, they holding the child over the font between their hands, let the priest lay his right hand upon it, and, having asked its name, let those who hold it answer N. Then let the priest say:

N., dost thou renounce Satan? Let the godfathers and godmothers answer: I renounce. Priest: And all his works? Answer: I renounce. Priest: And all his pomps? Answer: I renounce.

¶ Afterwards let the priest touch the breast of the infant and between the shoulders with the holy oil, making a cross with his thumb and saying:

N., and I anoint thee upon the breast with the oil of salvation [between the shoulders], in Christ Jesus our Lord, that thou mayest have life eternal, and live for ever and ever. Amen.

¶ Then, having asked its name, let them answer N. And the priest:

N., dost thou believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? Let them answer: I believe. Priest: Dost thou believe also in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, born and suffering? Answer: I believe. Priest: Dost thou believe also in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the flesh, and life eternal after death? Answer: I believe.

¶ Then let the priest ask the name of the infant, saying: What dost thou seek? Answer: Baptism. Priest: Wilt thou be baptized? Answer: I will.

The Baptism

¶ Then let the priest take the infant by the sides in his hands and, having asked its name, baptize it with a threefold dipping, invoking the holy Trinity once only, saying thus:

N., and I baptize thee in the name of the Father ¶ and let him dip it once, with its face towards the north and its head towards the east; and of the Son ¶ and let him dip it again once, with its face towards the south; and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. ¶ And let him dip it the third time, with its face straight towards the water.

The Chrism, the Chrisom and the Candle

¶ Then let the godparents, receiving the infant from the hands of the priest, lift it from the font. And as it rises from the font, let the priest take chrism with his thumb, saying: The Lord be with you. And, Let us pray.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath regenerated thee of water and the Holy Spirit, and who hath given thee remission of all thy sins: [¶ here let him anoint the infant with the chrism with his thumb on the crown of the head in the form of a cross, saying] himself anoint thee with the chrism of salvation in the same his Son our Lord Jesus Christ unto life eternal.

¶ Afterwards let the infant be clothed in the chrisom robe, the priest asking its name and saying thus:

N., receive the white robe, holy and spotless, which thou mayest bear before the judgement seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have life eternal, and live for ever and ever. Amen.

¶ It is lawful to anoint the chrisom cloth a second time with chrism and to put it on another baptized child; but that cloth ought not to be taken for common uses, but brought back to the church and kept for the uses of the church.

¶ Then, the name being asked, let him put a burning candle in the infant's hand, saying:

N., receive the burning and blameless lamp: keep thy baptism, keep the commandments, that when the Lord shall come to the wedding thou mayest meet him together with the saints in the heavenly court, that thou mayest have life eternal and live for ever and ever. Amen.

¶ If a bishop is present, the child must be confirmed at once, and afterwards communicated if its age require it, the priest saying: The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ keep thy body and thy soul unto life eternal. Amen.

The Charge and the Concluding Gospels

¶ If it be an infant, let the father and mother be charged to keep the child from fire and water and all other perils until the age of seven years; and if they do not, the godfathers and godmothers are bound. Let the godparents also be charged to teach the infant, or cause it to be taught, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Creed; and that the chrisom be brought back to the church; and that the child be confirmed as soon as the bishop comes within seven miles.

¶ Then, if it please, let this gospel be said over the infant, for according to the doctors it is of most avail against the falling sickness: The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. The continuation of the holy Gospel according to Mark. Glory be to thee, O Lord.

At that time, one of the multitude answered and said unto Jesus, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. [The Gospel continues to the end of the healing: "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:17–29).]

¶ And afterwards let this gospel following be said in the form aforesaid, that is, according to John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… [John 1:1–14, to] full of grace and truth.

¶ [A closing rubric bids every parish priest teach his people often on Sundays the form of baptizing in pure, natural and fresh water, so that in necessity they may baptize in the mother tongue: "I christen thee N. in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen", pouring or dipping thrice or at least once; and a child so baptized is not to be baptized again, but, if it lives, brought to church for the rest of the service.]