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Handout #35 |
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Baptism in the second century Title |
| The Didache
[pronounced-DID-AH-KAY] (Teaching of the
Lord handed on to the nations by the twelve apostles is a kind of
missionary manual composed at the beginning of the second century in
Syria. The work includes a moral catechesis on the theme of the two ways
(one of life and one of death) along with liturgical and pastoral
regulations.
The procedure for baptizing is as follows. After rehearsing all the preliminaries, immerse in running water, 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'. If no running water is available, immerse in ordinary water. This should be cold, if possible, otherwise; warm if neither is practicable, then sprinkle water three times on the head, 'In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'. Both baptizer and baptized ought to fast before the baptism, as well as, any others who can do so; but the candidate himself should be told to keep a fast for a day or two. Didache 7. |
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