De Baptisme
The Nature and Types of Baptism
The author defines baptism as a sacred cleansing and outlines its three traditional forms: water, fire, and blood, as prefigured in scripture.
An ecclesiastical Sacrament, my son, is the gift of courage and a sanctified, miraculous ministry that illuminates the path to heavenly glory.1 The first sacrament of Holy Church, son, is baptism, which is the cleansing of the general guilt into which the human race fell through the work of sin.2 You should know, son, that there are three kinds of baptism: the first is by water, which was prefigured during the flood, when the whole world was renewed and cleansed by water. The second kind of baptism is by fire, and this baptism by fire was prefigured in the sacrifice that the prophets and the patriarchs offered to God when they made a burnt offering, and it is prefigured in the three young men who were put into the fire and did not burn, as the prophet Daniel recounts. The third kind, my son, is of blood; this baptism of blood was prefigured in the old law by circumcision and by the death of the innocent children whom Herod killed because he wanted to kill Jesus Christ.✦ My son, these three kinds of baptism weren't fulfilled until the Son of God came and was baptized in water and in blood, and by the fire of the Holy Spirit was conceived in the womb of the glorious Virgin, Our Lady Saint Mary.3
The Rite and Vows of the Christian
The chapter shifts to the practical experience of baptism, detailing the role of godparents and the vows made to renounce evil and follow Christ.
Son, after you were born, you were brought to the church to be baptized in water sanctified by the power of the words and the intention of the heart of the priest who baptized you, and of the godparents who brought you to the font and held you.4 When you were baptized, son, your godparents promised that you would renounce the devil, that you wanted to be a Christian, and that you would commit yourself to serve God and follow the way of our Lord God Jesus Christ.
The Power of Will and Martyrdom
The author concludes by explaining the spiritual efficacy of baptism by desire and the supreme nobility of baptism by blood through martyrdom.
Dear son, baptism of fire means a conception of the mind that loves baptism: for since a person sometimes cannot have water, it was therefore fitting that there should be baptism of will in the human mind whenever it is needed for the conversion of unbelievers who convert to the holy Catholic faith.5 The baptism of blood is such a noble and marvelous thing that it cleanses a person of all guilt and every sin; for the blessed martyr who dies for loving and honoring the holy Catholic faith could not put his body through any greater torment, nor give more than he does, when he gives himself over to death to honor his glorious God.
Read the original Latin
Sagrament eclesiastich es, fill, latorgament de coratge e santificat ministeri miraculós per lo qual es illuminada la vía de la celestial gloria.
Lo primer sagrament de Sancta Esgleya es, fill, baptisme, qui es mundament de general colpa en la qual cahec lumanal linatge per obra de peccat.
Saber deus, fill, que baptisme es en tres maneres: la primera es de laygua, la qual fo significada en lo temps del deluvi, con tot lo mon fo renovellat e mundat per laygua.
La segona manera del baptisme es de foch, e aquest baptisme de foch fo significat en lo sacrifici quels prophetes els patriarques fahien a Deu con fahien holocaust, e es significat en los tres infants qui foren mesos en lo foch e no cremaren, segons que recompta lo propheta Daniel.
La tersa manera, fill, es de sanch, e aquest baptisme de sanch fo significat en la vella lig per circumcisio e per la mort dels infants no colpables, los quals Erodes aucís per so car volía auciure Jhesu Christ.
Amable fill, aqüestes tres maneres de baptisme no agren compliment dentró que vench lo Fill de Deu e fo bateyat en aygua e en sanch, e per foch de Sant Esperit fo concebut en lo ventre de la verge gloriosa madona Sancta María.
Fill, aprés ta nativitat fuyst portat a lesgleya a batejar en aygua santificada per vertut de paraules e concepcio de coratge en lo prevere quit batejá, e en los padrins qui en les fonts te portaren et tengren.
En aquell temps en que fuyst batejat prometeren, fill, los teus padrins que tu renunciasses al demoni e que volíes esser crestiá, e que tu obligasses tu meteix a servir Deu e a seguir la via de nostro Senyor Deu Jhesu Christ.
Amable fill, baptisme de foch significa concepcio de pensa qui ama baptisme: on, per assó que algunes vegades no pot hom aver aygua, per assó covench que fos baptisme de volentat en la humana pensa, totes les vegades que y fos mester a la conversio dels infeels quis convertexen a la santa fe catholica.
Baptisme de sanch es tan nobla cosa e tan meravellosa, que munda home de tota colpa e de tot peccat; car lo benuyrat mártir qui mor per la santa fe catholica a amar e honrar, no puria pus fer turmentar son cors ne poria més donar con fa, adonchs con se dona a mort per honrar son gloriós Deu.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.2.16-Matt.2.18 — Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all its region who were two years old and under, according to the time he had carefully determined from the wise men. Matt.2.17 — Then was fulfilled what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Matt.2.18 — A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because they are not.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source 'latorgament' is read as 'l'atorgament' (bestowal/granting). 'coratge' in medieval Catalan may mean courage, heart, or spirit; rendered here as 'courage'.
- 2 ↩Source 'lumanal linatge' is read as medieval Catalan 'humanal linatge' (human race/lineage); the supplied surface form looks like a variant or corruption of that reading.
- 3 ↩Medieval Catalan triad of baptism (water / blood / fire of the Spirit). The sentence maps their fulfillment onto Christ’s water-baptism, blood-passion, and Spirit-wrought conception—not a single liturgical act in three media.
- 4 ↩Medieval Catalan coratge means heart/mind/disposition, not modern 'courage'. Here concepció de coratge names the interior sacramental intention that, with the form of words, sanctifies the baptismal water in priest and sponsors.
- 5 ↩Medieval Catalan baptism of fire (foch) is here defined as baptism of will (volentat) in the mind—the resolve that desires baptism when water is unavailable. Later English catechesis usually calls this baptism of desire; the rendering keeps the source’s will/mind wording.
Doctrine for Children — Opening companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit