Item Info

Scripts/Text: Fraktur
Language: German
Weiser Number: 518
Physical Description: Leaf
Material: Wove paper; ink
Transcription:

Geburts und Tauf=Schein.
Diesen beiden Ehegatten, \ Als: William Berndt und seiner Ehefrau \ Levina eine geborne Reichart \ ist ein Sohn zur Welt geboren, den 7^ten \ Tag im Jannuarius im Jahr unseres Herrn, 1832. \ Dieses Kind ist geboren in Rockhill Taunschip \ in Bocks Caunty, im Staat \ Pennsylvanie in Nord=Amerika, und ist getauft \ worden von Hrn. Pfarrer Friedrich Waage \ und erhielt den Namen Georg, den 1^ten Tag \ März 1852.
Die Tauf=Zeugen waren: \ Seine Groß Eltern Georg Berndt \ und seine Frau Maria

Ich bin getauft auf deinen Namen,\ Gott Vater, Sohn und heil'ger Geist! \ Ich bin gezählt zu deinem Samen, \ Zum Volk, das Dir geheiligt heißt,\ Ich bin in Christum eingesenkt, \ Ich bin mit seinem Geist beschenkt.

Du hast zu deinem Kind und Erben, \ Mein lieber Vater, mich erklärt; \ Du hast die Frucht von deinem Sterben, \ Mein treuer Heiland, mir gewährt; \ Du willst, mein Leben Gott zu weih’n, \ Geist Gottes! selbst mein Beistand seyn!

Mein treuer Gott, auf deiner Seite \ Bleibt dieser Bund wohl feste steh’n. \ Wenn aber ich ihn überschreite, \ So laß mich nicht verloren geh’n! \ Nimm mich, dein Kind, zu Gnade an, \ Wenn ich hab' einen Fall getan.

[in upper border]
Fern sey mein Leben jederzeit \ Von aller Ungerechtigkeit. \ Wie könt’ ich sonst dein Jünger seyn, \ Und deiner Gnade, Gott, mich freu’n.

Wer seines Nächsten Rechte kränkt, \ Auf seinen Schaden boshaft denkt, \ Verletzet des Gewissens Pflicht, \ Und ehrt Dich, Gott der Liebe, nicht.

Wer Andern Schaden hat gethan, \ Und irgend ihn erstatten kann, \ Doch deß sich weigern, findet nicht \ Vor Dir Erbarmen im Gericht.

Er kann nicht wahre Buße thun; \ Dein Segen wird nicht auf ihm ruhn. \ Eh’ er das Böse, das er that, \ Nach Möglichkeit ersetzet hat.

[in lower border]
Nicht Habsucht und auch Armuth nicht, \ Verleite mich von meiner Pflicht! \ Sieh, daß ich meiner Pflicht getreu \ Bei jedem meiner Schritte sei.

Wohl dem, o Gott! der dieß bedenkt, \ Und nicht durch Unrecht Andre kränkt! \ Du bist gerecht, dies sei auch ich; \ In diesem Vorsatz stärke mich.

[along bottom]
Gedruckt und zu haben bei Lutz & Scheffer—Harrisburg.

Translation:

Birth and Baptismal Certificate
To these two married people, namely William Berndt and his wife Levina, a born Reichart, a son was born into the world, the 7^th day in January in the year of our Lord 1832. This child was born in Rockhill Township, in Bucks County, in the state of Pennsylvania, in North America, and was baptized by Mr. Pastor Friedrich Waage and received the name Georg, the 1^st day March 1852.
The sponsors were: his grandparents Georg Berndt and his wife Maria.

I am baptized into Your Name, God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! I am counted as one of Your seeds, to a people that You cherish. I am buried with Christ; I have been bestowed with Your spirit.

My loving Father, You have declared me to be Your child; my faithful Savior, You have offered me the fruits of Your death; You want me to dedicate my life to God, God’s Spirit will be my comfort!

My faithful God, this covenant surely will abide on your side; however, when I transgress it don’t let me get lost! Take me, your child, with mercy, when I have committed a fall.

[in upper border]
May my life be far at all times from injustice. How else could I be your disciple and rejoice in your mercy, God.

He who insults his neighbor’s rights and thinks spitefully of his adversity, hurts the duty of his conscience and does not honor you, God of love.

He who has done damage to others, and can repay him somehow, but refuses to do this, does not find pity before you in the judgment.

He who cannot do right penance, Your blessing will not rest on him, until he can replace the evil he has done according to ability.

[in lower border]
Neither greed nor poverty shall tempt me away from my duty! See that I am faithful to my duty on all of my steps.

Good to him, o God, who remembers this, and does not insult others through injustice. You are just, this I shall be as well, strengthen me in this intention.

[along bottom]
Printed and to be had at Lutz & Scheffer, Harrisburg.

Category: Birth and Baptismal Certificate (Geburts und Taufschein)
Media Type: Letterpress Prints
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes:

Hand-lettered; printed form; color printing. The main text in Fraktur with blanks infilled by hand is within an inner frame, bordered by religious figures. At the right is a statue of Moses holding a staff and the Ten Commandments. Below there are two seated figures. Above the text is a round frame with an image of the Lamb of God, surrounded by fifteen men. The document is framed by a decorative border that contains verses on the top and bottom, and images of eagles, statues, books, fountains, beehives, and portraits along the sides.
The three verses within the frame are from a Lutheran baptismal hymn written in 1734 by Johann Jacob Rambach (1693-1735).
The inner frame is copied from the engraved title page of the King James Bible printed in London in 1611.
For related examples, see also FLP 257, 679, 737, 1004, and 1017.

Associated Names: Waage, Friedrich
Provenance: Levi E. Yoder

Bibliography:

Klaus Stopp, The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans (East Berlin, Pa.: Russell D. Earnest Associates, 1997) vol. 1, p. 76-77.

Klaus Stopp, The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans (East Berlin, Pa.: Russell D. Earnest Associates, 1998) vol. 3, p. 95.

Secondary Place Town/Township: Geographic Coverage State/Province:Pennsylvania
Geographic Coverage City/Town/Township:Rockhill Township
Geographic Coverage Note:Based on location of birth.
Geographic Coverage Region/County:Bucks

Creation Place Town/Township: Creation Place Note:Based on location of printshop.
Region/County:Dauphin
City/Town/Township:Harrisburg
State/Province:Pennsylvania

Creation Year (Single Year or Range Begin): ca. 1849
Image Dimensions Width: 42.5 cm
ShelfMark: FLP 252
Creator Name: J. Martin Lutz (c. 1800-c. 1875) - Printer/Publisher
Theodore Frederick Scheffer (1813-1886) - Printer/Publisher