LX. MINOR WRITERS OF THE FOURTH CENTURY-SUMMARY FROM DUPIN— COUNCILS &c.

Minor writers of the fourth century, to the number of about fifty-six, are mentioned by DUPIN: but they do not appear to treat of Baptism.

DUPIN writes that the canons and acts of the Councils ought to be reckoned among the works of the Ecclesiastical authors; since they are the work of several persons assembled in the same place, to deliberate on the affairs of the Church. Dupin gives a list of all these Councils, so far as to the sixth century, all together at the end of the sixth century. They are given here to the end of the fourth century.

In the three first centuries, according to Dupin, and Dr Wotton's notes, there appear the acts of no councils making any Canon on baptism: except that there may have been mention of Baptism in councils held under the pontificate of Pope Victor, to adjust the celebrated controversy about keeping Easter.

Dupin mentions about 80 councils or synods, held in the 4th century; but mentions only the following relating to Baptism.

At the Council of ELIBERIS or Elvira, the first canon is, that they are deprived of communion i. c. of absolution, even at the point of death, who have voluntarily sacrificed to idols after they were baptized.

The second canon establishes the same penalty against those, who, taking upon them after their baptism the office of priests to false gods, were obliged to offer up sacrifices to idols by themselves or others, and who have also increased their guilt by murders or adulteries.

The fourth is, that if the catechumens cause themselves to be chosen priests to false gods, and act in prophane shews, their baptism shall be delayed for three years.

The tenth allows husbands to be baptized who have forsaken their wives, and wives who have forsaken their husbands, for adultery, while they were catechumens. But if a Christian woman marries a man who has forsaken his wife without reason, the canon ordains that the communion of the church shall be refused her, even at the point of death.

The eleventh ordains that baptism shall be delayed for the space of five years to catechumen, who has married a husband that had divorced his wife without cause.

The twenty fourth forbids those to be admitted to sacred orders, who have been baptized out of their own country, because their life is not known.

The thirty first declares that those may be admitted to communion, who have committed adultery after baptism, provided they have fulfilled their canonical penance.

The thirty seventh permits baptism to be given at the point of death to those who are acted on by an evil spirit and to catechumens, and does not deprive them of communion if they be faithful; provided, adds the canon, that they do not publickly light lamps.

This addition is very obscure and there is no great necessity of explaining it.

The thirty eighth declares that a Christian who is neither penitent nor a bigamist, may baptize in a case of necessity, those who are on a journey, being at a great distance from a church;

upon condition that he present him to the bishop, if he survive, to be perfected by imposition of hands.

The forty fifth allows baptism to be given a catechumen, though he has been long absent from church.

The sixty eighth delays the baptism of a catechumeness to the hour of death, who, having committed adultery, murdered her child.

The seventy seventh declares that if a deacon who governs a people, baptize any catechumens without a bishop or without a priest, the bishop ought to consummate, as one may say, the baptism by his benediction; but if they die before this be done, they may be saved by the faith which they had.

The COUNCIL OF ARLES in its eighth canon determines the famous question about the rebaptizing of heretics, and ordains concerning the Africans, who had always rebaptized, that if any leave a heresy, and return to the church, he shall be asked concerning the creed, and if it be known that he was baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, imposition of hands only shall be given him, that he may receive the Holy Spirit; but if he does not acknowledge the Trinity, he shall be rebaptized.

The COUNCILS OF ANCYRA and NEO-CESAREA in the fourteenth canon declare that those may be ordained who have sacrificed to idols, before they were baptized, because they were purified from this sin by baptism.

The COUNCIL of NEO-CESAREA, in its sixth canon, commands those women to be baptized who are likely to lie in.

The twelfth is that those who have been baptized in their sickness, can never be ordained priests, because they seem to have embraced the faith only through necessity, unless this favour be afterwards granted them upon the account of their faith and zeal; and that there be but few persons who can be ordained. At the COUNCIL OF NICE the second canon forbids to advance

those persons to the orders of priests or bishops, who were lately baptized, and ordains that those who shall be convicted of any crime, shall be deprived of their ecclesiastical functions.

The fourteenth canon turns back those catechumens to the place of hearers, who apostated when they were ready to receive baptism, and enjoins them to continue in their place for three years before they can be restored to the place wherein they were before.

The ninteenth ordains that the Paulianists shall be rebaptized who return to the church, and that if there be found any who had the name of clergyman among those heretics who are worthy of orders, the bishop shall ordain them after they have been baptized, but if they be not found worthy of holy orders they shall be deposed. It ordains the same thing of deaconesses who are reckoned among the clergy, though they never received imposition of hands, that they shall be placed among the laity.

At the COUNCIL OF LAODICEA, supposed by Dupin to have been between 360 and 370, and that its 60 canons have been received by the whole Church, the only canons relating to Baptism are the following:

The 3rd Canon is that those ought not to be promoted to a Bishoprick who were lately baptized.

The 8th Canon is that they must be wholly baptized anew who come from the sect of the Montanists.

The 45th Canon is that none ought to be baptized in the 2nd week of Lent.

The 46th Canon is that he who is to be baptized ought to be instructed in the Faith, and that he ought to give notice on Holy Thursday to the Priests or the Bishop, that he will present himself to Baptism.

The 47th is that those who were baptized during their sickness, ought to be instructed when they recover their health.

The 48th is that those who are baptized, after baptism should be anointed with Heavenly Chrism.

The COUNCIL OF VALENCE held in 374 made 4 Canons; the only two which relate to Baptism are:

The first is that those must not be ordained for the future, who have been twice married, or those who have espoused a widow, whether they did it before or since their baptism.

The 3rd Canon is that Absolution be delayed of those, till death, who having been baptized, did partake in the profane sacrifices of Devils, and exhorts them in the mean time to do penance for their fault, and to wait for the remission of it from the mercy of God.

The third COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE made 7 Canons-none of them are on baptism except the last, which is concerning the manner of receiving hereticks who offer themselves to return into the bosom of the Church. It ordains that the Arians, Macedonians, Sabbatians, Novatians, Quarto-decimani, Tetratites, and Apollinarists, shall be received after they have made profession of Faith, and anathematized their errors, by the unction of the Holy Spirit, and the Chrism, wherewith they shall be anointed on the forehead, the eyes, the hands, the mouth, the ears, at the pronouncing of the words; this is the seat of the Holy Spirit. As to the Eunomians, the Montanists, the Sabellians, and all the other Hereticks, the Council ordains, that they shall be received like Pagans; that is to say, that at first they shall receive imposition of hands to give them the name of Christians, that afterwards they shall be placed in the rank of Catechumens ; that they shall be exercised by blowing three times upon their faces, and into their ears; that they shall be catechized, and that for a long time they shall be permitted to hear only the Holy Scripture in the Church; and at last they shall be baptized.

THE COUNCIL OF CAPUA, assembled in the year 390, treated of rebaptization, that it was not lawful to use rebaptization, rcordination, and the translation of Bishops.