dumb. Therefore the Church, the Spouse of Jesus Christ and the depository of his power, follows his example; and the priest of the Church, taking spittle from his mouth, touches therewith the ears and the nostrils of the person to be baptised, repeating the same miraculous word; as if to signify the necessity of having the senses of the soul open to the truth and grace of God.

Then follows the solemn renunciation of Satan, and of his works and pomps. After which, the priest anoints the person to be baptised on the breast and between the shoulders, making the sign of the cross. This outward unction represents the inward anointing of the soul by divine grace, which, like a sacred oil, penetrates our hearts, heals the wounds of our souls, and fortifies them against our passions and concupiscences. The anointing of the breast signifies the necessity of fortifying the heart with heavenly courage, that we may act manfully, and do our duty in all things. The anointing between the shoulders signifies the necessity of the like grace, in order to bear and support all the adversities and crosses of this mortal life. The oil is a symbol also of the sweetness of the yoke of Christ.

The moment having arrived at which another human being is to become the child of God and a member of the body of Christ, the priest, to denote that sorrow is about to be changed into joy, changes his stole, and instead of the violet puts on a white one.

Then follows the profession of faith, after which the Sacrament of regeneration is thus administered. While the godfather and godmother both hold or touch their godchild, the priest pours the baptismal water on his head three times, in the form of a cross, repeating the sacramental words in such manner, that the three pourings of the water concur with the pronouncing of the three Names of the Divine Persons. The water is poured three times, while the words are pronounced but once, to shew that the Three Persons unite in the regeneration of man in holy Baptism. The godparents hold or touch their godchild, to signify that they answer for him, or that they engage to put him in mind of his vow and promise.

Then the priest anoints the person baptised on the top of the head, in form of a cross, with holy chrism, compounded of oil and balsam. This ceremony is of apostolical tradition, and signifies: 1st. That the person baptised is solemnly consecrated to the service of God, and made a living temple of the Holy Ghost. 2d. That by Baptism he is made partaker with Christ, the great Anointed of God, and has a share in his unction and grace. 3d. That he is anointed to be king, priest, and prophet; and therefore that, as king, he must have dominion over his passions; as priest, he must offer himself unceasingly to God, as a living sacrifice for an odour of sweetness; as prophet, he must declare by his life the rewards of the world to come.

The anointing over, the priest puts upon the head of the baptised a white linen cloth, commonly called the chrism, in place of the white

garment with which the new Christian used anciently to be clothed in Baptism, to signify the purity and innocence which we receive in Baptism, and which we must take care to preserve till death.

Lastly, the priest puts a lighted candle into the hand of the person baptised, or of the godfather; which ceremony is derived from the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. xxv.), who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom; and is intended to remind the person baptised, that, being now a child of light, he must walk as a child of light, and keep the lamp of faith ever burning with the oil of charity and good works, for the glory of God and the edification of his neighbour; so that whenever the Lord shall come, he may be found prepared, and may go in with him into the eternal life of his heavenly kingdom.

The Order of Baptism.

When every thing necessary has been properly prepared for the administration of Baptism, the Priest, vested in a surplice and violet stole, or at least the latter, receives the name of the person to be baptised, and interrogates him by name as follows:

Sacerdos. N., quid petis ab ecclesia Dei? Resp. Fidem. Sacerdos. Fides quid tibi præstat?

Resp. Vitam æternam. Sacerdos. Si igitur vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata. Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, ex tota anima tua, et ex tota mente tua, et proximum tuum sicut teipsum.

Priest. N., what dost thou ask of the church of God?

Godfather. Faith.

Priest. What doth faith obtain for thee?

Godfather. Life everlasting. Priest. If then thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thyself.

Then he breathes thrice gently upon the face of the person to be baptised, and says once:

Exi ab eo, immunde spiritus, et da locum Spiritui Sancto, Paraclito.

Go out of him, thou unclean spirit, and give place unto the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

After that, he makes the sign of the Cross, with his thumb, upon the forehead and on the breast of the person to be baptised, saying:

Accipe signum crucis tam in fronte +, quam in corde +,

Receive the sign of the cross both upon thy forehead and

sume fidem cœlestium præceptorum, et talis esto moribus, ut templum Dei jam esse possis.

Oremus.

Preces nostras, quæsumus, Domine, clementer exaudi; et hunc electum tuum, N., crucis Dominicæ impressione signatum, perpetua virtute custodi; ut magnitudinis gloriæ tuæ rudimenta servans, per custodiam mandatorum tuorum, ad regenerationis gloriam pervenire mereatur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.

also upon thy heart, take unto thee the faith of the heavenly precepts, and in thy manners be such, that thou mayest now be the temple of God.

Let us pray.

We beseech thee, O Lord,
mercifully hear our prayers;
and keep by thy perpetual as-
sistance this thine elect, N.,
signed with the mark of the
cross of the Lord, that, pre-
serving the rudiments of the
greatness of thy glory, he may
deserve, by the keeping of thy
commandments, to attain un-
to the glory of regeneration.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Then he lays his hand upon the head of the person to be
baptised, and says:

Oremus.

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, respicere dignare super hunc famulum tuum, N., quem ad rudimenta fidei vocare dignatus es: omnem cæcitatem cordis ab eo expelle; disrumpe omnes laqueos Satanæ, quibus fuerat colligatus: aperi ei, Domine, januam pietatis tuæ, ut signo sapientiæ tuæ imbutus, omnium cupiditatum fœtoribus careat, et ad suavem odorem præceptorum tuorum lætus tibi in ecclesia tua deserviat, et proficiat de die in diem. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.

Let us pray. Almighty everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, vouchsafe to look upon this thy servant, N., whom thou hast been pleased to call unto the rudiments of the faith; drive out from him all blindness of heart; break all the bonds of Satan wherewith he was tied; open unto him, O Lord, the gate of thy mercy, that, being imbued with the seal of thy wisdom, he may be free from the abominations of all wicked desires; and, by the sweet odour of thy precepts, may joyfully serve thee in thy Church, and go forward from day to day. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

Then the Priest blesses the salt, which, after it has been once blessed, may serve for the same purpose on other occasions.

The Benediction of the Salt.

I exorcise thee, creature of salt, in the name of God the Father almighty, and in the charity of our Lord Jesus

Exorcizo te, creatura salis, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in charitate Domini nostri Jesu Christi, et in virtute Spiritus + Sancti. Christ, and in the power of Exorcizo te per Deum the Holy Ghost. I exorcise vivum, per Deum verum, thee by the living God +, by per Deum sanctum, per the true God +, by the holy Deum qui te ad tutelam God +, by God + who hath humani generis procreavit, et created thee for the preservapopulo venienti ad credulita- tion of mankind, and hath aptem per servos suos consecrari pointed thee to be consecrated præcepit, ut in nomine sanctæ by his servants for the people Trinitatis efficiaris salutare sa- coming unto the faith, that, in cramentum ad effugandum ini- the name of the holy Trinity, micum. Proinde rogamus te, thou mayest be made a saluDomine Deus noster, ut hanc tary sacrament to drive away creaturam salis sanctificando the enemy. Wherefore, we sanctifices, et benedicendo beseech thee, O Lord our God, benedicas, ut fiat omnibus ac- that sanctifying + thou mayest cipientibus perfecta medicina, sanctify this creature of salt, permanens in visceribus eo- and blessing thou mayest rum, in nomine ejusdem Do- bless it, that it may become mini nostri Jesu Christi, qui unto all who receive it a perventurus est judicare vivos fect medicine, abiding in their et mortuos, et sæculum per hearts, in the name of the same ignem. our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire.

R. Amen.

R. Amen.

Then he puts a small quantity of the blessed salt into the mouth of the person to be baptised, saying:

N., accipe salem sapientiæ; propitiatio sit tibi in vitam

æternam.
R. Amen.

Sacer. Pax tecum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.

Oremus.

Deus patrum nostrorum, Deus universæ Conditor veritatis, te supplices exoramus, ut hunc famulum tuum, N., respicere digneris propitius,

N., receive the salt of wisdom; let it be to thee a propitiation unto live everlasting. R. Amen.

Priest. Peace be with thee.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.

O God of our fathers, O God, the Author of all truth, we humbly beseech thee, graciously vouchsafe to look upon this thy servant, N., and, tast

Here he makes the sign of the Cross, with his thumb, on the forehead of the person to be baptised, saying: