The Apostolic Tradition

This work by Hippolytus of Rome is attributed to him, but it is not positive whether he actually wrote it.  It is the basis for much of the newer version of the Roman Ritual and Roman Missal. This translation comes from the text as given by Dom Bernard Botte, OSB in La Tradition Apostolique.

The Apostolic Tradition

Hippolytus of Rome (contested)

Prologue

These things indeed, which were my words, we wrote properly concerning the gifts; indeed, how many God furnished to men from the beginning following His particular will, bringing to Himself that image which wandered.

Now, however, because of the love which God had unto all His saints, those of us who have been led come to the summit of tradition which leads to churches, that these who have been led well may guard that tradition which has endured until now, with ourselves explaining, and acknowledging, the more firm men may remain, because him who recently been discovered as fallen, or rather, an error, through ignorance, and these men who do not know, while a sanctified spirit presents perfected grace to those who believe correctly that they may know how those who have been given control over the Church must guard and bequeath everything.

Bishops

Let a bishop chosen by all the people be ordained, as soon as he shall have been named, and he shall please everyone, the people shall gather, one with the elders and with those bishops who are present, on Sunday.  With the consent of all, let them impose the hand upon him, and the elders stand alongside silently. 

Let everyone, however, have silence, praying in the heart according to the prompting of the Spirit.  One of the bishops present, called by everyone, let him impose a hand on him who is chosen bishop, let him pray saying these words:

Prayer for the Consecration of Bishops

God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of Mercy and God of every consolation, Who dwells on high and looks upon humble things, Who knows all things before they are born, Thou Who hast given boundaries to the Church through the words of Thy grace, determining from the beginning the just ones of Abraham, making princes and priests, not forsaking Thy holy institution without a ministry, it has pleased you well from the beginning of time among those whom Thou hast chosen to be glorified: now pour forth that virtue, which is from Thee, the chief spirit, which Thou hast given to Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, which He gave to the Holy Apostles, who established the Church, a sanctuary for Thy glory, everywhere, in unfailing grace and praise to Thy name.

Give, Father who knows the heart, to this Thy servant, whom Thou hast chosen to the episcopate, to feed Thy sacred flock, and to show the primacy of the priesthood to Thee without fault, serving night and day, to unceasingly propitiate Thy face and to offer the gifts of Thy Holy Church, to have a spirit of the supremacy of the priesthood, the power to diminish sins according to Thy command, to give offices according to Thy precepts, also to loosen all vows according to the power which Thou hast given the Apostles, also to reconcile to Thee with clemency and a cleaned heart, offering to Thee an odor of sweetness, through Thy Son Jesus Christ, through Whom to Thee are glory, power, and honor, to the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit both now and forever. Amen

The Oblation

When he will be made bishop, let everyone offer the kiss of peace, greeting him since he hath been made worthy.  Let the deacons present offerings to him, and he with all the elders laying hands on it, say giving thanks:

The Lord be with you.

Let everyone say:

And with thy spirit.

Hearts on high

We have to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord.

It is right and just.

Let it thus now be followed:

We give thanks to Thee, O God, through Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, Who Thou has sent to us in the latest ages, the salvation, redemption, and messenger of Thy Will, Who is Thy inseparable Word, through Whom Thou hast made all things and it was pleasing to Thee, Thou hast sent from heaven in the womb of a virgin, Who was incarnate in the condition of the womb and hath been shown a Son to Thee, born of the Holy Spirit and a virgin.  Fulfilling Thy Will and adding a holy people to Thee, He extended His hands when He suffered, that by suffering He might free those who believe in Thee.  When He was taken of His own will to suffering, to destroy death and burst the bonds of the devil, both to crush the damned and illuminate the just, both to fasten an end and manifest resurrection, taking bread He gave thanks to Thee saying: Take, eat, this is My Body, which will be broken for you.

Likewise taking the chalice: This is my Blood which is shed for you. Whenever you do this, do my commemoration.  Mindful, therefore, of His death and resurrection, we offer Thee bread and the chalice, giving thanks to Thee because Thou hast made us worthy to sand before Thee and minister to Thee.

We ask that Thou may send Thy Holy Spirit to the oblation of the Holy Church: May Thou give everyone gathering in one place, who participate in the all the saints, in the completion of the Holy Spirit to the confirmation of Faith in virtue, that we may praise and glorify Thee through Thy Son Jesus Christ, though Whom to Thee are the glory and honor for the Father and Son with the Holy Spirit in Thy Holy church, now and forever. Amen.

Those Who will Accept Baptism

When, however, those who are about to accept baptism are chosen, their life is examined: whether they lived in integrity while they were catechumens, whether they honored widows, whether they visited the infirm, whether they did every good thing.  When those who bring them testify about him: it happens in this manner that they hear the Gospel.  From the time in which they have been separated, hands are imposed commonly upon them while they are exorcised.  When the day approaches on which they will be baptized, let the bishop exorcise each one them to know whether he is pure.  If, however, anyone is not good, or not pure, he is placed apart, because he has not heard the word in faith, since it is impossible that a stranger hide himself forever.  Let those who are to be baptized be taught to be washed (and make themselves free) and wash themselves on the fifth day of the week.  If, however, a woman is in the rules of women, she is placed apart and let her accept baptism on another day.  Let those who will accept baptism fast, on the day before the Sabbath; on the Sabbath, those who will accept baptism shall gather in one place in the will of the bishop.  Let him command all these that they pray and bend the knee.  Imposing his hand over them, let him exorcise every alien spirit that they flee from them and not return again to them.  When he has ceased to exorcise, let him blow in their face and when he has marked the forehead, their ears and nose, he will rouse them.  They will spend the entire night vigilant, and it will be entrusted to them and they will be taught.  Let those to be baptized not bring anything with them, except that one thing which each one bring for the Eucharist.  For it is fitting that a man who has been made worthy offer the oblation at the very hour.

The Tradition of Holy Baptism

At the time when the cock crows, let there be a prayer first over the water.  Let the water be flowing in a fountain or from deep body.  Let it be done, however, in this manner, unless there is another necessity.  If, however, the necessity is urgent and permanent, use water which you find.  They, however, will shed their clothes, and baptize the young first.  Everyone, however, who can speak for themselves, let them speak.  Who, however, cannot speak by themselves; let their parents speak for them, or another from their family.  Next baptize the men; finally, however, baptize the women who have let down all their hair and laid down their ornaments of gold and silver which they have upon themselves, and let no one obtain any foreign thing down in the water.  At the determined time, however, for baptism, let the bishop return thanks above the oil which he holds in a vessel and he calls that the oil of exorcism.  He takes up also the other oil, which exorcizes, and he calls it the oil of exorcism.  The deacon, however, brings the oil of exorcism and places himself to the left of the priest, and the other deacon takes the oil of thanksgiving and places himself to the left of the priest.  When the priest has received each one of those receiving baptism, let him command him to renounce saying: “I renounce thee, Satan, and all thy slavery and all thy works.”  When each one has renounced, let him anoint him with the oil of exorcism saying to him: “Let every spirit withdraw from thee.”  Let him deliver him stripped in this manner to the bishop or to the priest who stands at the water baptizing.

Let the deacon, however, descend with him in this manner.  When, therefore, he who is baptized descends into the water, let the one who baptizes, imposing the hand above him, say thus to him, “Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty?”

Let him who is baptized also say, “I do believe.”  Immediately, keeping the hand imposed on his head let him baptize once.  After this, let him say, “Dost thou believe in Christ Jesus the Son of God, who was born of the Holy Spirit from the virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, died and was buried, and rose again on the third day, alive from the dead, and ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father, coming again to judge the living and the dead?”  When he has said, “I believe,” let him be baptized again.  Again let him say, “Dost thou believe in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Church, and the resurrection of the body?”

Then let he who is baptized say, “I believe.”

Let him thus be baptized a third time in succession. 

Afterwards, when he shall have ascended, let him be anointed by the priest from that oil which has been sanctified saying, “I anoint thee with holy oil in the name of Jesus Christ.”  Let each, cleaning himself, thus clothe himself, and then let them enter the church.

Let the bishop imposing his hands on them pray, saying: “O Lord God, who have made them worthy to merit the remission of sins through the bath of regeneration of the Holy Spirit, send Thy grace to them, that they may serve Thee according to Thy will; because Thine is the glory, to the Father and the Son, with the Holy Spirit, in the holy church, both now and forever. Amen.”

Next let him say, pouring the blessed oil from the hand onto the head: “I anoint thee with holy oil in Lord God Almighty, in Christ Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit.”

Let him bestow a kiss, marking the forehead, and say, “May the Lord be with thee.”  Let him who has been signed say, “And with thy spirit.”  Let each do thus.  Afterwards, let them pray once with all the people, not praying first with the faithful unless all these have been completed.  When they have prayed, let them offer peace by the mouth.

Then let the oblation from the deacons be offered by the bishop and let him certainly give thanks for the bread, in an copy, which the Greek calls an antitype, of the body of Christ, a chalice mixed with wine because of the antitype, which the Greek calls similitude, of the blood which was shed for all who have believed in Him; likewise let him give thanks for milk mixed with honey according to the fullness of the promise which was to the fathers, which it called a land flowing with milk and honey, which Christ also made His very flesh, through which in the same way the young are fed who believe, causing the bitterness of the heart to be pleasant through the sweetness of the word; let him give thanks for the water in the oblation in the proof of a bath, that the similarity of both the interior man, which is the soul, and the body may be likewise comprehended.

Let the bishop deliver an account of all these things to those who perceive.  Breaking, however, the bread, extending each part let him say, “The heavenly bread in Christ Jesus.”  Let, however, who receives, respond, “Amen.”  Let also deacons, if priests were not adequate, hold the chalices and let them assist with honor and moderation.  The first holds the water, the second holds the milk, and the third holds the wine.

Let them enjoy who shall take of each saying thrice to him who gives, “In God the Father Almighty.”  Let him, however, who receives, say, “Amen. “  “Also to Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the holy church.”  Let him say, “Amen.”  Let it happen thus to each.  Yet when these have been done, let each hasten to do a good work, to appease God, and to live rightly, leaving the church, doing what he learned and acting in piety.

We, however, have passed to you in brief holy baptism and the holy sacrifice, since you have already been instructed about the resurrection of the body and the rest as it has been written.  If, however, anything ought to be remembered, let the bishop tell those who have accepted baptism in private.  Do not let the infidel know unless they have accepted baptism first.  This is the white stone which John said: “A new name has been written in Him, which no one learns except he who has accepted the stone.” (Apoc. 2:17)