retenir les choses du salut. Le Prêtre lui souffloit aussi sur le visage, pour marquer que le Démon n'étoit chassé que par la vertu de l'Esprit de Dieu. Les Ministres de l'Eglise avoient seuls le pouvoir de faire cette cérémonie à l'egard de ceux, qu'on préparoit au Baptême, avec le droit d'exorciser l'huile destinée au baptême, et d'en benir l'eau.

Immédiatement après le Baptême, on administroit le Sacrament de Confirmation. S. Cyrille le distingue bien nettement du Baptême, comme il les distingue l'un et l'autre de la participation du Corps et du Sang de Jesus Christ; il l'appelle Chrême, Onguent mystique, et dit que c'est par elle que nous est donné le sceau qui nous communique le S. Espirit, nous arme et nous fortifie contre les puissances ennemies de notre salut. On en oignoit premièrement le front; ensuite les oreilles, les narines et la poitrine. Cette onction rendoit celui, à qui on la faisoit, digne du nom de Chretien, et elle étoit regardée comme un preservatif salutaire tant pour l'ame que pour le corps. S. Cyrille dit, "qu'en même temps que notre corps est oint de cet onguent visible, notre ame est sanctifiée par le S. Esprit."

In English:

All sins, however great, are remitted by Baptism. Baptism is necessary to salvation, except in the case of martyrdom. Before receiving it, they gave in their names; and those, who were enrolled to be baptized, bore from that time the name of believers, by an usage peculiar to the church of Jerusalem; for otherwise they called them Candidates. It was not the custom to explain to the Catechumens the mys

teries, in particular that of the Trinity. They did not even trust to them the symbol of the Faith [the Creed]; and for this reason the Candidates, to whom it was given, had orders to keep it secret, and were forbidden to write it, for fear lest something about it should come to the knowledge of the simple Catechumens, who were not yet capable of hearing even the doctrine of our mysteries, who were unworthy to hear it, and who sometimes even made a mockery of it. They made exorcisms over those who were to be baptized, over each in particular, the men, all this while, remaining with the men, and the women with the women, for fear lest, whilst they were come to learn how to be saved, they might find occasion to ruin themselves. They looked upon exorcisms as essential to purify the soul, and these were taken out of the Holy Scriptures. Whilst the Priest recited them, they placed a veil over the face of him whom they exorcised; to the end that his spirit might be more composed, and that, his eyes not being able to wander, he might be more in a state to hear and to retain the things which concerned his salvation. The priest, also, blew on his face, to shew that the Devil could only be expelled by virtue of the Spirit of God: the ministers of the church alone had the power to perform this ceremony with regard to those who were in preparation for Baptism, with the right to exorcise the oil intended for baptism, and to bless the water.

Immediately after the Baptism, they administered the sacrament of Confirmation. St Cyril distinguishes it very appropriately from baptism, as he distinguishes both from the receiving the body and blood of Jesus

Christ: he calls it Chrysm, Mystic Unguent, and says that "by it is given to us the seal which communicates to us the Holy Ghost; arms us, and fortifies us against the powers, which are enemies of our Sal vation. First they anointed their foreheads, then their ears, their nostrils and their breasts. This anointing rendered him, on whom they bestowed it, worthy of the name of Christian, and it was regarded as a salutary preservative, as well for the soul as for the body. Cyril says that at the same time that our body is anointed with this visible unguent, our soul is sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

XLIV. MARK THE HERMIT.

DUPIN says that Mark writes:

By Baptism we have received not only the pardon and remission of our sins, but also the grace of the Holy Spirit, and many other spiritual gifts.

Dupin says that

Mark likewise ascribeth, in another place, much to the virtue and efficacy of Baptism: and pretends that it delivers us not only from death, but also from lust; and puts us in a condition of doing either good or evil: so that they who have received Baptism, are as free either to good or evil, as the first man was.

The original Greek of Mark's Homilies is in the first volume of the Bibliotheca Patrum, Gr. et Lat. printed at Paris, 1624.

In the Bibliotheca Gallandii, vol. VIII, is "Marci Eremitæ opera quæ extant omnia." One of the works is entitled DE BAPTISMO, containing about 19 pages, Greek and Latin, in parallel columns.

The following extracts are to our present purpose:

̓Απόκρισις πρὸς τοὺς ἀποροῦντας περὶ τοῦ θείου βαπτίσ

ματος.

Ἐπειδὴ οἱ μὲν τέλειον λέγουσι τὸ ἅγιον βάπτισμα, έπερειδόμενοι τῇ γραφῇ λεγούση, ‘ ̓Αναστὰς βάπτισαι καὶ ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου· καὶ τὸ, ‘Λούσασθε καὶ καθαροὶ γένεσθε.

Καὶ παλιν, · 'Αλλ ̓ ἀπελούσασθε, ἀλλ ̓ ἡγιάσθητε, καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα εἰς μαρτυρίαν φέροντες. Ετεροι δὲ ἐξ ἀγώνων ἀναιρεῖσθαι τὴν παλαιάν ἁμαρτίαν, φέροντες καὶ αὐτοὶ μαρτυρίαν τῆς γραφῆς λεγούσης— Καθαρίσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος• ἅμα δὲ καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ἐνεργείαν τῆς ἁμαρτίας μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ἐν ἑαυτοῖς εὑρίσκοντες· πρὸς ταῦτα ἡμεῖς τί ἐροῦμεν, ἢ τίνι πιστεύσομεν.

In English:

For some say that Holy Baptism is perfect, trusting to the Scripture, which says "Arise and be baptized, and wash out thy sins;" and again, "Wash and be clean:" and again," But ye are washed, ye are sanctified" and many other such testimonies which they adduce. Others say that former sin is washed out by sufferings; and they also bring forwards the testimony of the Holy Scripture. "Let us purify ourselves from all uncleanness of body and spirit;" finding also in themselves after baptism the efficacy of sin. What shall we say to these things, and what shall we believe?

ADAM CLARKE, in his "Concise View &c., "gives five pages on Mark the Hermit. He mentions Mark's work on Baptism :

A treatise, by way of Question and Answer, attempting to prove that Baptism is the cause of Regeneration, and the source of many spiritual gifts.