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because it is as it were the representation of beatitude.

On the minister of Baptism. In Cappadocia they did not acknowledge the vadility of baptism given by a layman. The Apostolic Constitutions, which shew the discipline observed by the Greek Church in the third age, forbid laymen to baptize, or to discharge any Sacerdotal office: but in the Latin church the usage was the contrary.

On the baptism of adults. There was also a great reserve as to the time of baptism; some, as S. Gregory Nazianzen, S. Basil, S. Paulinus, S. Ambrose, S. John Chrysostom, put off the receiving it, out of the respect and esteem which they had for the grace of this sacrament, wishing to labour to put off the old man, before they put on the new. They also feared lest they should not be able to satisfy the obligations imposed in receiving it. Others, by a motive, which could not be approved, put off their baptism, in order to preserve the liberty of living according to the maxims of the age, and because they would not renounce certain sins, which they knew would be severely punished in those who were baptized. St Gregory briskly attacks these last, and destroys all their vain pretexts.

Concerning those who die without Baptism, and the pains which they suffer in the other world. St Gregory makes three classes of those who die without baptism. The first are those who giving themselves up to all which their bias or brutal nature inspires them with, add to their crimes the contempt of baptism. If it is administered to them, they receive it with indifference; if it is withheld, they care little about it. The second are those who value the grace of this sacrament, but,

whether from neglect, or attachment to their bad habits, they defer to receive it. The third are those, whose youthful age or some unforeseen accident disqualify for receiving it, though they may desire it. He says that "the first, besides the penalty due to their sins, will receive an additional penalty due to their contempt of Baptism; that the second will be punished less severely; that the third will not enter into glory, nor on the other hand be condemned to punishment for, although they are not marked with the seal of the children of God, this is less the effect of their malignity than of their misfortune.

Concerning the time for administering Baptism. All times are appropriate for baptism; because death may come at any time; but solemn baptism was administered in Cappadocia only at Easter, Whitsuntide and the Epiphany. St Gregory is the first who has spoken of the baptism solemnly administered on the last of these days: but it was the custom in the East. Under the reign of Justinian, the king of the Heruli, named Getes, was baptized at Constantinople on the day of the Epiphany, and the emperor was his god father. It may be seen in John Moschus that baptism was administered on that day. There were even some churches in the West, which followed this practice; among others, those of Sicily, Ireland, and Normandy. They followed it in the African church also, where God authorized it by a miracle related by Victor Vitensis, a contemporary author. His words are: "There was at Carthage a blind man named Felix, well known in the city. On the night of the feast of the Epiphany, it was said to him in a dream, Rise, and go find my servant, bishop Euge

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nius, and tell him that I have sent you to him: at the hour when he blesses the baptismal waters, he shall touch your eyes, and you shall recover your sight. The blind man, believing that it was ordinary dream, would not get up, but went to sleep again, whereupon he received a second order, and at length a third, accompanied with great rebukes for his disobedience. He waked the boy who was used to lead him by the hand, and went under his conduct to the basilica of Faustus. There, after having prayed with many tears, they addressed a subdeacon, named Peregrinus, and begged him to inform the bishop, saying that he had a secret to communicate to him. The bishop made him come in: they were then singing the evening prayers. The blind man told his dream to the bishops, and said to him, "I will not leave you, until you have restored me my eye sight, as the Lord has commanded you." The bishop made excuses for his unworthiness; but the blind man, clasping his knees, repeated his request. Eugenius, seeing the man's faith, and pressed by the hour of service, went with him to the baptismal water, accompanied by his clergy: he there prayed on his knees with loud sighs, and, having blessed the water, washed himself and said to the blind man, "I have already told you, my brother, that I am a great sinner; but I pray the Lord, who has deigned to visit you, that he will give to you according to your faith, and open your eyes." At the same moment, he made the sign of the cross over his eyes, and God instantly restored to him his sight.

The bishop kept

Felix with him, until the catechumens had received baptism, fearing lest the people should crush him

to death in their eagerness to see him; after which he made known the miracle to all the assembly. Felix accompanied the bishop to the altar, and there offered his thanks, while the people, who witnessed it, uttered loud cries of joy. King Hunneric, when he learnt of this miracle, made them bring Felix into his presence, where he related to him what had happened. The Arians, who were covered with confusion at this miracle, said that Eugenius cured Felix by magic. It appears that the reason why in the East and in other countries which we have mentioned, they baptized on the Epiphany, was because they believed that Jesus Christ had received baptism on that day, i. e. on the first of January. In fact the Church there has always celebrated the memory of our Saviour's baptism. The believers even went, during the night of this festival, to draw water, which they kept all the year and even longer, without its spoiling; and Chrysostom, whom no one will accuse of being too credulous, looked upon this as a miracle.

XLVIII. ST GREGORY OF NYSSA.

Dupin states that Gregory Nyssen says of Baptism :

There are three things in this Sacrament which conduct us to immortal life—prayer, water, and faith : that the Regeneration which is wrought in Baptism ought not to be attributed to the water, but to a divine virtue"-" that without Baptism, no man can be washed from his sins; because by it the divine virtue is rendered effectual, in consequence of that which he believes to depend on free-will."....He thinks that Regeneration depends, in some manner, upon our will and free pleasure: and shews that it is unprofitable, unless after we have received the Sacrament, we lead a life free from sin! In his discourse on the festival of the baptism of Jesus Christ, he treats of the spiritual Regeneration which is wrought by Baptism. In a discourse against delaying Baptism, he thinks it would be better to sin after Baptism than to die without it.' He refutes the pretenses of those who delay to receive Baptism, because they find themselves inclined to sin. He says that they deceive themselves if after they have spent their lives in pleasures and

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