This is going to sound like a foolish question. Please bear with me.
I am currently cowriting a story set in the 1880’s. As part of the plot a Methodist pastor will baptize a child. What would be some of the wording for this, say, the opening lines, or the point where the child is named?
I have been doing a search on the net. I have learned that the Methodist Discipline, which is revised regularly after church conferences, sets forth doctrine and wording for sacraments and church practices. I have, as part of one site, a comparison of the 1908 and 1940 wordings for the sacrament of Baptism. But that isn’t early enough. Oh, I could use the 1908 words and probably not be too far off, but I don’t want some nit-picker to come back and tell me how I screwed up.
So if you are a Methodist or a history student, and have some really old books lying around the house, could you help me out? My next step will be calling up a couple of local churches that may have libraries, to find what resources they may have.
If you can help that would be cool. I hope haven’t offended anyone either, with my request for information on this subject.
The library here at Wesley Theological Seminary in beautiful Northwest DC closed at 5:00 and doesn’t reopen until 8:00 Monday morning, but it would be no problem for me to stop in then and find an answer for you if no one else has by then. I’m sure we have Methodist hymnals and books of worship as far back as they were published.
Thank you so much Alan Smithee! My mother collects hymnals of all denominations, and some of them are Methodist, but none of them go back much before the 30’s or so.
I appreciate your offer to do a search. This “episode” of the story would take place near it’s end, and the words I need will not be a major plot device. But I’m enough of a nit-picker myself that if I identify the clergyman as a Methodist, I think it’s only fair that I do the church itself justice, and not make something up, even if it’s only a couple of sentences.
Again, thank you for responding!(And anyone else too!)
I forgot to ask whether the minister would be Methodist Episcopal or Methodist Episcopal, South (or Methodist Protestant), but since the southern hymnal is locked away in the rare book room and the reference librarian isn’t here yet, it’a a moot point for now. Let me know if you need something else, though. I’d love an excuse to go snooping around in there!
Anyway, here is the ritual for the Order of Baptism for infants from the Hymnal of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1880. I won’t type out the whole thing unless you ask, but here are the most significant parts:
Etc., etc. It’a a fairly long prayer, followed by several petitions, followed by a charge to the parents/guardians, and the question “Do you therefore solemnly engage to fulfill theses duties, so far as in you lies, the Lord being your helper?” and the answer, “We do.” Then a reading from Mark 10:13-16 and then
[quote] Then the Minister shall take the Child into his hands, and say to the friends of the Child,
Name this Child. And then, naming it after them, he shall sprinkle or pour Water upon it, or, if desired, immerse it in Water, saying,– N., I baptize the in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. [Congregation responds:]Amen. Then a closing prayer, possibly an extemporaneous prayer, and the Lord’s Prayer. These being Methodists, I imagine a good many hymns would be sung as well, but places for these are not indicated. Number and gender are altered as necessary in the ritual.
Thank you Alan Smithee, you are wonderful! I sure do appreciate you going to that much trouble for me. What you gave me will do nicely. I probably will use only about two or three sentences, but now I know what I have will be authentic!
I wish I could give you extra credit in one of your classes, for helping me out.
Hey, no problem! It only took me about half an hour. The second quote, of course, was supposed to end after the Amen, and the italicized N. before “I baptize…” indicates the infant’s name. In case that wasn’t clear. I hope the story goes well, and glad I could be of help!
