The East Syriac Office for the Administration of Holy Baptism (Badger translation)
The East Syriac Office for the Administration of Holy Baptism (Badger translation)
Church of the East
The baptismal service of the Church of the East in Badger’s English translation from the Syriac Khudhra: the prayers, psalms, anthems, laying on of hands, blessing of the oil and of the water, the baptism and the signing and confirmation of the baptized. Badger prints the directions to the priest and deacon in the text, and they are kept.
1 Priest. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Our FATHER which art in heaven, &c. Prayer. In Thy compassion, O LORD, strengthen our weakness, that we may administer the holy sacraments of sin-forgiving baptism which were given for the salvation of our race, through the grace of Thy overflowing mercies, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. Psalm lxxxiv. Prayer. In Thy compassion restore us to Thyself, and make us of Thy household, O Thou righteous Shepherd, Who didst go forth to seek after us, and didst find us out in our wanderings, and desirest, in Thy grace and mercy, our return, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. ¶ Then the priest shall pronounce this laying on of hands over those who are to be baptized. Laying his hands on each, he shall say with a loud voice:
2 The promise of Thy mercy which Thou didst promise us is fulfilled—[to be repeated,] ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. The effect surpasses the word spoken, and the fulfilment surpasses the promise; since Thy gift is not bestowed upon the wise and prudent only, and the door of Thy mercy is not open to them alone, but also unto this Thy servant whose infancy nature ranks with such as have no understanding, but whom Thy grace has dragged into the life-giving net, and cast into the holy vessel of sin-forgiving baptism, that he may thence be born again spiritually, and grow in faith, and that his body being undefiled by the filth of sin, he may receive an unchanging purification, and become a member of CHRIST, and be nourished at the table of His sacraments, and that in him bodily stature and spiritual advancement may grow together, and that Thy grace may teach him the power of the world to come of which Thou dost now give him the figure without his asking it, as Thou hast also opened the door unto him without his requesting it, that with all the true children of Thy sacraments he may thank Thee for the gift which Thou hast imparted to us, and ascribe unto Thee honour, dominion, and worship, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
3 ¶ Then he shall sign every one of them with the sign of the cross between the eyes with the oil of unction, with his forefinger, signing them from the bottom of the face upwards, and from right to left, saying: A. B. or B. A., be thou signed with the oil of unction in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST. Amen. ¶ And as he signs them, all shall enter into the baptistery with censer, lights, cross, Gospel, and all the other utensils, and they shall commence with this hymn: Antiphon. Open unto me the gates of righteousness.—The gates of heaven are opened. The gates of the spiritual chamber of the Bridegroom are opened for the forgiveness of the sins of men, and through the gift of the Spirit from on high mercy and peace are now vouchsafed to all mankind. Enter in, therefore, O ye who are called; enter into the joy which is prepared for you, and with pure and sanctified hearts, and true faith, give thanks unto CHRIST our SAVIOUR. Glory be to the FATHER, &c.
4 O Thou true Door, open to the lost, and call us to enter Thy treasury on high. ¶ Then shall be said the following Prayer. Gather us, O LORD, unto Thyself, and make us to enter into Thy fold, and seal us with Thy sign, and endue our infancy with wisdom through Thy truth, that we may ever praise Thy holy name, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. ¶ Then they shall chant Psalm xlv. My heart is inditing of a good matter, &c. after which the deacon shall say the following: 5 In the depth of contrition and humiliation we offer this prayer to the Divine essence of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, the author and Creator of all things visible and invisible, Who from the beginning made men mortal and corruptible for the trial of their free will, and now in these latter days has promised them a resurrection from the dead through the advent of the SAVIOUR of all, Who, being in the likeness of GOD, took upon Him the form of a servant, and opened unto us a new life through spiritual signs, having submitted the primogeniture which He took from our race to be baptized by John the preacher in the river Jordan, figuring and disclosing to us by His own holy baptism a real resurrection which shall be given to us in reality at the end of the world. And He gave to the holy apostles the holy sacrament of baptism when He sent them to call the Gentiles and to restore mankind, and He commanded them to hold it as the beginning of faith, and as a schoolmaster in the fear of GOD, and as the sign of those who should return out of darkness into a knowledge of the truth, and the apostles handed down this ordinance to the priests, and to the pastors of CHRIST's flock, to be to them a sign wherewith to make disciples to all generations.
6 And now behold Thy servants are ready to receive the gift of baptism as a token of their confession of the adorable passion of our Saviour, and that their spirits embrace in faith and love Him, Who in the new birth renews our frame, pardons our sins, and restores us from our fall, and that they wait to become, through the holy sign of sin-forgiving baptism, members and likenesses of Him, Who is the Head of the Church, and the first fruits of the dead. And we also supplicate with them, and beseech the compassionate GOD on their behalf, to make them fit to become incorruptible creations after the likeness of CHRIST, Who is the first-fruits of the resurrection of life, and that He may send down upon them the gift of the SPIRIT to strengthen the infirmity of their nature, lest they should in any way doubt the visible sacraments whereby they receive the unfading benefits to come, and that He may through the grace of CHRIST, pour out the efficacy of His gift upon the oil and water wherewith the figure of death and resurrection, and of the heavenly pledge, is consummated.
Prayer.
7 Elect us, in Thy compassion, with a good election, that we may labour before Thee with a spiritual labour, O Thou Who didst discover our wanderings, gather together our dispersion, and bring near to Thy house our goings astray, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. ¶ Then they shall chant Psalm cx. The LORD said unto My LORD, &c. [the sentence: therefore shall He lift up his head, to be repeated three times.] After which the deacon shall say: Let us pray. Kneel. Let us humbly thank, and meekly supplicate, and in faith beseech, GOD the FATHER, Who in His great love toward us sent His only-begotten SON into the world, and by the light of His advent saved us from the errors of darkness in which we stumbled through the works of the devil who led us away captive. With all our heart and mind let us give thanks to the very SON of the essence of the FATHER, Who, of His own will, humbled Himself, and in His mercy took upon Him our body, and thereby brought us near unto Himself, and renewed us by the truth of His doctrine, and opened unto us the way of light, and the path of life.
8 With tears of penitence, and with the voice of pure thoughts, let us supplicate JESUS CHRIST the Physician of souls, Who did not despise our pitiable estate, neither was He offended with our putrefying sores; but in His compassion was long-suffering towards us, and in His gracious mercy waited patiently over our obstinate diseases, and with the medicine of His Word cured our stripes, healed our sicknesses, and raised us from our fallings. Whilst our knees are bent in prayer, let us give thanks unto Him Who humbled Himself to be baptized of John, —the Voice calling to repentance,—not that His purity and holiness needed to be baptized with water, but that He might, through His own holy baptism, sanctify us who are polluted with sin, and that He might sanctify the water, in order that by the hidden power and the weapons of the SPIRIT, wherewith those are endued who are baptized in faith, Satan our enemy may be overcome.
9 Let us give thanks to our righteous King, Who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should repent of his sin and live, and Who in His Gospel calls upon the penitent, saying: Ask, and a treasure of mercy shall be given you. Let us, therefore, all we who are the beloved sons of holy baptism, pray for this our son, who is about to receive the sign of life by renouncing the devil and all his works, that he may be perfected in the faith of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, and that he may be made fit to receive this great and wonderful gift of grace, and that he may throw off, through sin-forgiving baptism, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and that he may put on, through the washing of the holy water, the new man which is renewed of GOD in righteousness and true holiness, that he may be made fit to receive from the holy Altar the Body and Blood of CHRIST, a pledge of the resurrection to a new life, and that on his account there may be joy among the holy Angels in heaven, and throughout the holy Church, because he has become one of CHRIST's flock, and that he may in righteousness and holiness of life keep the gift of the unspeakable mercy which he receives through the HOLY GHOST, which shall guide him from this world to the abode of light and life, and that he may become an inheritor of CHRIST.
10 And let us also pray for our holy fathers Mar —— Catholicos and Patriarch, and for Mar ——, Bishop and Metropolitan, who are the medium of this great, and wonderful, and incomprehensible gift; to whom GOD has been pleased to commit this fountain of life, given in mercy for the forgiveness of the children of men, and through whom it is opened; which gift was given to them by Him that they might rule over their flocks and the sheep redeemed by the precious Blood [of CHRIST] committed to their guidance, to be nourished and to be increased by adding to them such as repent, in the rest of the Church, and in peace throughout the world; so that by keeping them entire, and by overseeing them as is meet, they may be fit to say unto our LORD with a shining face: Behold, here are we and the children which Thou hast given us; we have been kept through Thy compassion. And to hear the voice of our LORD saying unto them: Well done, good and faithful servants, ye have been faithful in a little thing, therefore great things shall be given unto you. And now let us together ascribe praise to the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, that we may be worthy of the new and never-fading life in the kingdom of heaven through the grace of CHRIST.
11 Rise up by the power of GOD.
Prayer.
12 Praise be unto Thee, Who hast healed the diseases of our bodies with the oil and water which Thou hast poured into our wounds, and by Thy SPIRIT, as with a sponge, hast wiped off the filth of sin from our souls, that Thou mightest make us pure temples to Thy glory, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen.
Canon.
13 Antiphon. LORD, remember David and all his trouble; how he sware unto the LORD, and vowed a vow unto the Almighty GOD of Jacob. Blessed is He Who has set up His Church after a heavenly figure, filled it with glory, and committed unto it a sin-forgiving baptism for sinners. O Thou Holy One, Who didst descend upon Mount Sinai, and didst bless it after a fearful manner, let Thy peace descend upon Thy Church to sanctify it. Deacon. Peace be with us.
Prayer.
14 We thank and praise Thee unceasingly in Thy holy Church, which Thou hast filled with all aid and blessing, for all Thy unrequitable benefits and grace towards us, for Thou art the LORD and Creator of all, O FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen.
Prayer.
15 ¶ Then shall they [the Priest and Deacon] say as follows: Unto Thee, O LORD of all, we give thanks; unto Thee, O CHRIST JESUS our LORD, we offer praise; because Thou art He Who quickenest our bodies, and savest our souls. ¶ Then they shall pour water into the font sufficient to rise above the head of the person about to be baptized, and shall say : The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the glorious God hath thundered. Prayer. Thou, O LORD, art in truth the Quickener of our bodies, and Thou art the righteous SAVIOUR of our souls, and the Preserver of our frames continually. Unto Thee, O LORD, we are bound at all times to offer thanksgiving, worship, and praise, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. ¶ Then they shall say : O Holy God, O Holy Mighty, O Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us.
16 Prayer. Enlighten, O LORD our God, the motions of our thoughts, that we may attend to and understand the sweet sound of Thy life-giving and divine commandments; and in Thy grace and mercy vouchsafe that we may derive therefrom the fruits of love, hope, and salvation, as may be profitable to our souls and bodies, and we will ever and unceasingly sing praises unto Thee, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. ¶ Then the Epistle shall be read [by the Deacon saying] : The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. 1 Cor. ix. 1, to the end. ¶ Then shall be said the following anthem. Antiphon. Let the height and depth join with us, and let us together give thanks unto the Essence which created us, and which shall renew us. The friend of the Bridegroom saw among the multitude the living Lamb coming to be baptized, and he cried out in fear and trembling: I have need to be baptized of Thee; whilst the multitude regarded with awe the living Sacrament of Baptism. As he was baptizing in Jordan, John beheld a great wonder; he beheld the cherubim singing alleluia, and the seraphim chanting Holy, Holy, Holy, and the SPIRIT descending, and the SON being baptized, and the FATHER declaring: This is My beloved SON, in whom I am well pleased.
17 Deacon. Be silent. Peace be with you. R. With thee and with thy spirit. Priest. The holy Gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST from the Gospel of S. John. S. John ii. 23 to the end, and iii. 1—9. R. Praise be unto CHRIST our LORD. ¶ Then shall follow two litanies [used also in other offices].
Prayer.
18 We pray and beseech Thee, O LORD the mighty GOD, to perfect in us Thy grace, and to pour out through our hands Thy gift, and that Thy pity and compassion may pardon and absolve the iniquities of Thy people, and of all the sheep of Thy flock which in Thy grace and mercy Thou hast chosen for Thyself, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. Deacon. Bow your heads for the laying on of hands, and receive ye the blessing. ¶ Then the Priest shall say this laying-on of hands silently. O Thou treasurer, Which dost enrich those who possess Thee, —the rich One whose gifts are not denied to the needy,—the righteous One who doth not deal unjustly with His servants,—the LORD Who doth not neglect those who serve Him,—in Thy compassion, O LORD, listen to the prayer of Thy servant, and accept, in Thy mercy, the supplication of Thy worshippers, and answer, in Thy pity, the petitions which we offer, out of Thy rich and overflowing treasury, and by Thy grace, keep from all evil the flock of Thy beloved people, and cause Thy peace and safety to dwell among them for ever. [Then with a loud voice he shall say:] Whilst our souls agree in the one and perfect faith of the glorious TRINITY, we all, in one concord of love, are meet to ascribe unto Thee praise, honour, glory, and worship, O Thou LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen.
19 Deacon. He who is not baptized let him depart. ¶ Then shall be said the following anthem. Ant. Holy and reverend is His Name; there is no end of His greatness. Thy baptism of water sanctifieth our souls, and preacheth our resurrection. The spiritual ones who were with John looked on with wonder when they beheld Him, Who sanctifieth the nations by His own baptism, receiving baptism at the hands of His servant, in order to free the race of the dying. [To be repeated.] Glory be to the FATHER, &c. In the river Jordan John baptized the Lamb of GOD, and as He came up out of the water the HOLY SPIRIT of Truth, in the form of a dove, descended upon the head of our SAVIOUR after His baptism. ¶ Then the Priests and Deacons shall stand, some on the right and some on the left, and one of the former shall take the horn in his hand, and shall take his place on the right side of the Altar, which is set up in the baptistery; but if there be no other than the officiating Priest present, then the Proto-Deacon shall take the horn in his hand, and shall stand by the altar, which shall have lights upon it, and shall say: I believe in one GOD, the FATHER Almighty, &c.
20 ¶ Then the Priest shall prepare to bless the oil, and shall kneel before the altar. And the Deacon shall repeat the prayer of Commemoration [taken from the liturgy]. After which, the Priest shall say with a loud voice as follows: O our righteous GOD, Who in the time appointed by Thy wisdom didst conceive a good end to Thy creatures, and according to the desire of Thy mercy didst save them from death, make me a worthy channel of this ministry,—me whom Thou hast appointed a minister to administer Thy gift. Not because I am blameless, neither because my life maketh me worthy to be sent by Thee, hast Thou chosen me to offer unto Thee the creatures of Thine own formation; but through Thy unbounded riches, and through Thy unspeakable mercies, Thou hast ordained that Thy riches should be dispensed by my hands to those who need the gift of Thy grace, that they may receive Thy perfect gift.
21 Canon. We ascribe unto Thee glory, honour, praise, and worship, now and for ever and ever, and world without end. (Whilst saying this the Priest shall sign himself with the sign of the cross.) Priest. Peace be with you. R. With thee and with thy spirit. ¶ Then he shall raise the cloth from the vessel [containing the oil] and shall say: The grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the love of GOD, and the fellowship of the HOLY GHOST, be with us all, now and for ever and ever. Amen. (Whilst repeating this he shall make the sign of the Cross over the vessel, and shall say,) Lift up your hearts. R. Unto Thee, O GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the King of glory. Priest. Let us give thanks, worship, and praise, to GOD the LORD of all. R. It is meet and right so to do.
22 Deacon. Peace be with us. Priest. (In a low voice) We pray and beseech Thee Who art rich in love, liberal in compassion, benevolent in goodness, and whose glory is unspeakable, our LORD and CREATOR, and Benefactor, that by Thy will, O GOD the FATHER, and by the will of Thy holy SON our LORD JESUS CHRIST, grace from the HOLY GHOST, who is perfect in essence, of Thee, and one with Thee in substance and in the work of creation, may descend and mingle with this oil, and bestow upon all who shall be anointed therewith, the pledge of the resurrection from the dead, perfect adoption, salvation from the pangs of sin, and joy in the rest of heaven. In Thy wise providence Thou hast raised the minds of men, by the advent of Thine Anointed, to know Thy Trinity, and hast given them spiritual gifts enabling them to attain to the knowledge of faith in Thee. The holy oil which Thou didst give in former days for the ordination of a temporal priesthood, and a transitory sovereignty, Thou hast now committed to the priests of the Church to be a sign and emblem of those who are translated from earthly things to heavenly in an immortal body and an unchanging spirit, being circumcised thereby with a circumcision without hands, by the throwing off of the body of sin, through the circumcision of CHRIST, and are thereby made worthy to praise, with fear and trembling, the mighty and sovereign LORD of all with all the holy and heavenly powers.
23 Who with a loud voice cry out one to another, saying, [Here the people join with the priest,] Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD GOD of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He Who came and Who cometh in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the highest. ¶ Then the priest shall say with a low voice: And now, O LORD, let this great and divine sacrament be administered by Thy grace, and let the grace of the gift of the HOLY GHOST descend upon this oil, bless it, seal it, and sanctify it, in the name of the FATHER, of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST, that by the power of Thy grace this oil may be for unction, and convey true and perfect sanctification and exalted communion in the kingdom of heaven to all such as shall be anointed therewith, with the life-giving sign, in the name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, through this baptism which is consummated after the image of the passion, death, and resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Canon.
24 To whom with Thee and the HOLY GHOST we ascribe glory, honour, thanks, and worship, now and for ever and ever. Amen. ¶ Here the priest shall sign the oil with the sign of the cross. Then he shall take the horn of unction from the hands of him who holds it, and shall sign with oil therefrom the vessel containing the oil on the altar, with the sign of the cross, from east to west and from right to left, and shall say: Let this oil be signed, consecrated, and mixed, with this holy oil, that it may be an incorruptible emblem in sin-forgiving baptism, in the name of the FATHER, of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST. R. Amen. ¶ Then the priest shall return the horn to him who before had held it and shall say: Fit us ever, O LORD our GOD, to stand before Thee with a pure heart, without blame, with open face, and in that favour which was mercifully given to us by Thee, and that we may unitedly call upon Thee and say:
25 R. Our FATHER which art in heaven, &c. ¶ Then they shall draw near to the font, and shall stand on the right and left of it, with one carrying the censer; and they shall place the cross and Gospel upon the font towards the east until the water is blessed; and they shall remove the cloth which covered the font, and the priest shall kneel. Then shall the deacon say: Let us pray. Peace be with us. [Canon, said by the priest.] The grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the love of GOD, and the fellowship of the HOLY GHOST, be with us all evermore. Amen. [Here he shall sign the water with the sign of the cross.] Deacon. Mentally pray that peace may be with us. 26 Priest. (In a low voice) May the necessities of Thy creatures be supplied, O our Creator, through Thy grace which is a fountain of the water of life, and may petitions, such as are meet, be offered up unto Thee that they may bring down liberal gifts, and that from the riches of Thy great mercy we may obtain help to the rest and confirmation of our nature. In Thy inscrutable wisdom Thou didst bring us into this world with a corruptible origin, and when it pleased Thee Thou didst make known to us the doctrine of our renewal and regeneration through our LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who in His baptism figured forth our resurrection from the dead, and commanded us to impart, in the sacrament of baptism, a new and spiritual life to those who believe. The HOLY GHOST, of Thy glorious essence, —He Who descended and rested upon our SAVIOUR when He prefigured this baptism,—through the visible water, and according to His will, renews our old creation, and in His grace communicates to us an incorruptible pledge. May that same SPIRIT descend, O LORD, upon this water that it may be efficacious for the help and salvation of him who is to be baptized therein.
27 Deacon. In fear and silence stand and pray: Peace be with us. Canon, (by the priest in a loud voice.) That becoming perfect in body and in soul he may ascribe unto Thee glory, honour, praise, and worship, now and for ever and ever. ¶ Here the priest shall sign the water, and he shall then take the horn of the holy oil of unction and shall sign the water with the sign of the cross with the oil therein contained, and shall say : May this water be signed and blessed with the holy oil, that it may become a new and spiritually regenerating bosom through sin-forgiving baptism, in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST. R. Amen. Priest. This holy thing is meet for the One and Divine Essence. R. The one FATHER is holy, the one SON is holy, the one HOLY GHOST is holy. Glory be to the FATHER, to the SON, and to the HOLY GHOST, He who is holy for ever and ever. Amen.
28 Deacon. Praise the living GOD. ¶ Then shall be said one of the hymns appointed for Epiphany, lest the congregation should be unemployed ; and the priest who consecrates is to stand by the vessel containing the oil, and another by the font, with their faces towards the east. And the deacons shall bring the children into the baptistery undressed, their ear-rings, rings, and bracelets having been taken off, and they shall inquire the names to be given to the children, and shall communicate the same to the priest. The deacons shall then bind up their loins, and shall place their stoles under the vessel containing the oil. And every child who is admitted shall be provided with a napkin to be wrapped in after baptism, which shall be carried by the deacon on his shoulder. And when the children are brought in, the priest shall sign every one of them with the sign of the cross upon the breast, with his three fingers, from below upwards, and from right to left, and shall say :
29 A. B., Be thou anointed in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST. Amen. [To signify that the knowledge of the Trinity is sealed to him from on high.] ¶ Then those present shall carefully and properly anoint all over the person of him whom the priest anointed, and they shall turn him so that all his back may be anointed, and they shall not leave any part of him unanointed. Then they shall take him to the priest standing by the font, who shall place him therein with his face to the east, and he shall dip him therein three times, saying at the first time: A. B. be thou baptized in the name of the FATHER. R. Amen. The second time: In the name of the SON. R. Amen. And at the third time: In the name of the HOLY GHOST. R. Amen. In dipping him he shall dip him up to the neck, and then put his hand upon him so that his head may be submerged. Then the priest shall take him out of the font, and give him to the deacon, who shall wrap him in a white napkin, and commit him to his godfathers. Then his clean clothes shall be put on, but his head must be left bare until the priest shall bind on his head-dress after the last signing. And the same shall be done with all the infants one after the other. But take heed, my brethren, and be very careful, that you do not take the infants into the bema, as some do who have no understanding; for this is highly improper. And, note, that great circumspection and chastity must be exercised in the anointing of female children.
30 After those who have been baptized are dressed, the priest shall come forth through the great door of the bema, and with him the deacons, cross, Gospel, censer, lights, and the horn of unction, and he shall cause the baptized to be brought near to the door of the bema, and shall say this
Prayer.
31 Glory be to Thee, O LORD, Who hast chosen Thy Church in Thy CHRIST, and hast adorned her with a heavenly adornment, and hast made of her children treasures to distribute Thy riches to such as are in need of them, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. Glory be to the Most Highest, Who descended and took the body of our humiliation, and made it His in everything appertaining to His Divinity, and promised that thereby we all should become heirs of His glory, and conformed to the image of His honour, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen.
Canon.
32 Ant. O come, let us sing unto the LORD, let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and show ourselves glad in Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great GOD, and a great King above all gods. In His hands are all the corners of the earth, and the strength of the hills is His also. The sea is His and He made it, and His hands prepared the dry land. O come, let us worship and fall down; and kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is the LORD our GOD, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. The LORD, by His baptism, has mercifully delivered us from error, sin, and death; let us therefore worship and praise Him. O Thou Who didst say in Thy Gospel: Knock and I will open; open the door to our prayers.
Prayer.
33 Accept, O LORD, in Thy mercy, the sheep and lambs which have been signed with Thy holy sign, and write their names among the church of the First-begotten in heaven, that they may ever praise and worship Thy holy TRINITY, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. ¶ Then the priest shall say this confirmation in a loud voice, moving his hand the meanwhile from one to another. 34 O LORD, great are the wonderful works of Thy providence, our nature is incapable of uttering them. In the beginning of our creation we contemned the honour of our free-will through the temptation of Satan who led us away captive, and we have done despite to the confession of Thy divinity by worshipping that which was not GOD; but Thy mercy did not leave us to the destruction which we deserved through our wickedness, but by the appearance of Thy only-begotten SON, Thou didst restore us to Thyself, and didst make us worthy to know Thee, and hast raised up our fallen nature by taking a primogeniture from us, and hast made us inheritors of unfading blessings to come. And when the time arrived when we looked for Him to give us the gift of adoption for the salvation of our bodies, Thou didst impart to us the pledge of comfort in the grace of the HOLY GHOST, which is conveyed to us through the holy sacraments of spiritual baptism, even as this Thy servant has to-day come forward and taken Thy gift, and thereby has been loosed from the torment of sin, and has become a pure member of the body of CHRIST, Who is the Origin of our life, and has obtained the hope that Thy grace will keep him in chastity of living, and purity of conversation, so that being filled with faith and righteousness, he shall finally attain unto the glorious appearance of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and exult in a new and unfading life, and ascribe unto Thee glory, honour, praise, and worship, now and for ever and ever. Amen.
35 ¶ This prayer of confirmation shall be said over one or over many. Then he shall sign every one with the sign of the cross, saying: The pledge of the HOLY GHOST which thou hast received [or, which ye have received,] and the sacrament of CHRIST, of which thou hast partaken [or, of which ye have partaken,] and His life-giving sign which thou hast received [or, which ye have received,] and the new life unto which thou hast attained, [or, unto which ye have attained,] and the weapons of righteousness which thou hast put on, [or, which ye have put on,] keep thee [or, you,] from all evil, and from the powers thereof, and sanctify thee [or, you,] in holiness; and may this sign which thou hast [or, which ye have,] taken, be unto thee [or, you,] for unfading benefits to come at the appearance of our LORD JESUS CHRIST from heaven; and in the new world may He place thee, [or, you,] on His right hand, where thou shalt [or, ye shall,] ascribe unto Him glory, honour, praise, and worship, for ever and ever. Amen.
36 ¶ Then he shall sign them betwixt their eyes with the sign of the cross, with the thumb of his right hand, from above downwards, and from right to left saying: A. B. is baptized and confirmed [or, perfected] in the name of the FATHER, of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST. Amen. ¶ Then they shall re-enter the baptistery and begin with the following anthem: Ant. Holy and reverend is His name. Our FATHER, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. Ant. He is the LORD our GOD. There is one LORD, one FATHER, and one baptism for the remission of sins. Ant. Thou art GOD above all gods. Our King is with us; our GOD is with us; our help is in the GOD of Jacob. Ant. Blessed are the people who are in such a state. Blessed are the people who have the LORD for their GOD.
37 Ant. For He is one GOD. O CHRIST, Who wast baptized, and Who appearedst and gavest light to all, let Thy peace dwell with Thy elect people. Ant. Create in me a clean heart, O GOD. O CHRIST, grant that with a clean heart, and with good works, we may perfect Thy will. Ant. Glory be to the FATHER, and to the SON, and to the HOLY GHOST. In the Jerusalem above, before the seat of CHRIST, there may the names of Thy servants be written. Ant. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Thy Epiphany, O LORD, has given joy to the creation, the pledge of blessings, and life everlasting. ¶ Then the priest shall take the horn and, standing over the font, he shall pour back the oil that was in the vessel into the horn; and should any oil remain attached to the vessel, he shall throw it into the font, saying:
38 It is meet, O LORD, that we should ever offer praise, honour, glory and worship to Thy adorable TRINITY, for the gift of Thy holy sacraments, which in Thy mercy Thou hast given us for the forgiveness of sins, O LORD of all, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST. Amen. Or this, Blessed is that Majesty which is worshipped in the highest, O Thou Who forgivest our iniquities and our sins, and Who wipest out our transgressions through Thy glorious, holy, life-giving, and divine sacraments, O CHRIST, the hope of our race now and for ever. Amen. Concluding Prayer. Let us offer unto Thee glory, honour, praise and worship, O Thou Highest, Who descendedst and tookest the body of our humiliation, and madest us one with Thee in every thing, and promisedst that Thou wouldest make us inheritors of Thy glory and heirs of Thy inheritance, by making us partakers of Thy excellency. Let Thy mercy and peace ever dwell with us all; and now unto Thee, through Thee with the FATHER, and the HOLY GHOST, be praise for ever and ever. Amen.
39 Prayer for loosing the water [from its previous sanctification.] Thou, O LORD, art blessed, holy, and immortal, and Thy depth is past finding out. In Thy own will Thou didst create us, and when we called upon Thee, Thou didst not deny unto us Thy gift, but didst send to us the HOLY GHOST, and this water was sanctified by Amen, and by the same Amen it is loosed from its sanctity and returns to its former nature. For all these Thy mercies towards us, we would ascribe unto Thee glory, honour, praise, and worship, now and for ever and ever. Amen. ¶ He shall not sign the water with the sign of the Cross, but shall insert his hand into it, and shall wash the vessel with the water of the Jordan [font,] then stir the water about, and quickly withdraw his hand as if he was taking something therefrom. Then he shall pour a little plain water into the font, and the priests who had administered the rite of baptism, and those who had anointed, and all who had taken any part therein, shall wash the vessel, and their hands and face also in the font. Then the water shall be poured out into a clean place which is not trod upon. If there be an outlet in the font, the water shall be let out therefrom, in order that it may not be trampled on, as it is when it is poured over the body of the church by those who lack knowledge. And if any other person should come to be baptized, this same water is not to be used; but fresh water is to be brought. And be it known that without consecration [of the water,] no baptism is to be administered except in the case of one in the article of death.