Lent begins. Over the next 40 days (although possibly not every day) I want to share different accounts of baptism - stories, remembrances, sermons, hymns, prayers. The idea for this came from here.
The first account of baptism comes from a Baptist church in the 18th century:
This day the two churches of Walden and Cambridge met by mutual consent at Whittlesford to administer the ordinance of baptism. This church sometimes administers baptism in public (as now) in the presence of many hundreds of spectators; so John the Baptist administered it: sometimes in private; so St. Paul administered it to the jailor, though never in the night, because we are not only not persecuted, but we are protected by the law. Circumstances must determine when a private, or when a public baptism is proper. Previous to this, twenty-five persons had professed their faith and repentance to the church at Walden; and twenty-one had done the same at Cambridge; and all had desired baptism by immersion. Dr Gifford, at ten o’clock, mounted a moveable pulpit near the river in Mr Hollick’s yard, and, after singing and prayer, preached a suitable sermon on the occasion from Psalm 119.57. After sermon, the men retired to one room, the women, to two others, and the baptizer, Mr Gwennap, to another, to prepare for the administration. After about half an hour, Mr Gwennap, dressed as usual (except for a coat, which was supplied by a black gown made like a bachelor’s) came down to the waterside. He was followed by the men, two and two, dressed as usual, only, instead of a coat, each had on a long white baize gown, tied around the waist with a piece of worstead-binding, and leaded at bottom that they might sink: they had on their white linen caps. The women followed, two by two, dressed as usual, only all had white gowns, Holland or dimity. Their uppercoats were tacked to their stockings, and their gowns leaded, lest their clothes should float. Mr Gwennap sang an hymn at the waterside, spoke about ten minutes on the subject, and then taking the oldest man of the company by the hand, led him to a convenient depth in the river. Then pronouncing the words, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, he immersed the person once in the river. Robinson stood in a boat, and, with other assistants, led the rest in, and, having wiped their faces after their baptism, led them out. Mr Gwennap added a few words more after the administration at the water-side, and concluded with the usual blessing.
Church Book, Stone Yard Meeting, Cambridge, 10 April, 1767.
English Baptist Records 2: Church Book: St Andrew's Street Baptist Church, Cambridge 1720-1832 (Baptist Historical Society, 1991), pp.41-42 cited in Christopher Ellis, Gathering (SCM, 2004), p.200.
Love it. What a good idea.
Very much looking forward to the next posts.
Posted by: Phil | February 10, 2016 at 10:12 AM