8 tians, in the first Book. The office of the catechist has also been considered in speaking of the inferior orders of the clergy and the places of instruction, or catechetic schools, have been treated of in the account that has been given of the ancient churches. So that, omitting these things, I shall only speak in this place of such rites and customs as were observed in the practice of the Church in training up the catechumens, and preparing them for baptism; premising something concerning the several names that were given them. They were called catechumens from the Greek words, κατηχέω and κατήχησις, which signify in general the instruction that is given in the first elements or rudiments of any art or science; but in a more restrained ecclesiastical sense, the instruction of men in the first principles of the Christian religion. Hence they had also the names of Novitioli, and Tyrones Dei, new soldiers of God, as we find in Tertullian and St. Austin," because they were just entering upon that state, which made them soldiers of God and candidates of eternal life. They are sometimes also called Audientes, hearers, from their instruction; though that name more commonly denotes one particular sort of them, such as were allowed to hear sermons only, but not to partake in any of the prayers of the Church: of which more hereafter in the following Chapter. SECT. 2.-Imposition of Hands used in the first Admission of Catechumens. I have already observed in another place, that the catechumens, by virtue of their admission into that state, had some title to the common name of Christians also; being a degree higher than either heathens or heretics, though not yet consummated by the waters of baptism. And upon this account, they were admitted to this state not without some ceremony and solemnity of imposition of hands and prayer. Which appears evidently from what Sulpicius Severus' says of St. Martin,-" that passing through a town where they were all Gentiles, and preaching Christ unto them, and working some miracles, the whole multitude professed to believe in Christ, and desired him to make them Christians: upon which he immediately, as he was in the field, laid his hands upon them, and made them catechumens; saying to those that were about him, that it was not unreasonable to make catechumens in the open field, where martyrs were used to be consecrated unto God." Where we may observe, that to make Christians, and to make catechumens, is the same thing; and that this was done by imposition of hands and prayer. Which observation will help us to the right understanding of some obscure canons and difficult passages in ancient writers, which many learned men have mistaken. In the first council of Arles there is a canon, which orders imposition of hands to be given to such Gentiles as in time of sickness express an inclination to receive the Christian faith. And in the council of Eliberis there is another canon to the same purpose, which says, "that if any Gentiles, who have led a tolerable moral life, desire imposition of hands, they should have it allowed them, and be made Christians." Now the question is, what is here meant by imposition of hands, and being made Christians?-Mendoza and Vossius, take it for imposition of hands in baptism; and Albaspiny for imposition of hands in confirmation. But the true sense is no more than this imposition of hands used in making catechumens, which in some sort gave Gentile converts an immediate title to be called Christians. And so I find 1 Sulpic. Vit. Martin. Dialog. ii. c. 5. p. 294. Cuncti catervatim ad genua B. Viri ruere cœperunt, fideliter postulantes, ut eos faceret Christianos. Nec cunctatus, in medio ut erat campo, cunctos, impositâ universis manu, catechumenos fecit; cùm quidem ad nos conversus diceret, non irrationabiliter in campo catechumenos fieri, ubi solerent martyres consecrari.' ? Con. Arelat. i. c. 5. De his qui in infirmitate credere volunt, placuit debere eis manum imponi. 8 Con. Eliber. c. 39. Gentiles si in infirmitate desideraverint sibi manum imponi, si fuerit eorum ex aliquâ parte vita honesta, placuit eis manum imponi et fieri Christianos. • Mendoza, Not. in Con. Eliber. Voss. de Baptismo, Disp. 12. Thes. v. p. 164. Not. in Con. Eliber. c. 39. c. 39. 6 Albaspin. Valesius,' and Basnage, and Cotelerius, understand it. And this must be the meaning of that passage in Eusebius,* where, speaking of Constantine's prayers in the church of Helenopolis a little before his death, he says, "it was the same church where he had first been admitted to imposition of hands and prayer," that is, had been made a catechumen with those ceremonies; for no other imposition of hands can here be meant, since it is now agreed on all hands, that Constantine was not baptized until he had left Helenopolis, and was come to Nicomedia, a little before his death. By this also we may understand the meaning of those canons of the first general-council of Constantinople,5 and the council of Trullo, where speaking of the reception of such heretics as the Eunomians, and Montanists, and Sabellians, who had not been truly baptized, they say, "they should be received only as heathens," viz. the first day be made Christians, the second day catechumens, the third day be exorcized, then instructed for a considerable time in the church, and at last baptized. Here, being made Christians, evidently signifies no more than their being admitted to the lowest degree of catechumens by imposition of hands and prayer; after which came many intermediate ceremonies of exorcizing, catechizing, &c. before they were made complete Christians by baptism. So that, as Theodosius' observes in one of his laws, there were two sorts of men that went by the name of Christians, one called Christiani ac Fideles, Christians and believers, and the other Christiani et Catechumeni tantum, Christians and catechumens only; the former whereof were made so by baptism, and the other by imposition of hands and prayer. Which was a ceremony used in most of the offices of religion, in baptism, confirmation, ordination, reconci 1 Vales. Not. in Euseb. de Vit. Constant. lib. iv. c. 61. Critic. in Baron. An. 44. p. 482. lib. vii. c. 39. 2 Basnag. 3 Coteler. Not. in Constitut. Apostol. Euseb. de Vit. Const. lib. iv. c. 61. "Eva dn πρῶτον τῶν διὰ χειροθεσίας ἀρχῶν ἠξιἔτο. 6 Con. Constant. i. c. 7. Ὡς Έλληνας δεχόμεθα, καὶ τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν ποιῶμεν αὐτες Χρισιανὸς, τὴν δὲ δευτέραν κατηχεμένες, εἶτα τῇ τρίτῃ ἐξορκίζομεν αὐτες— τότε αύτες βαπτίζομεν. • Con. Trull. c. 95. Vide etiam Anonymi Epist. ad Martyrium Antiochenum, ap. Beveregii Pandect. tom. ii. p. 100. Th. lib. xvi. tit. 7. de Apostat. leg. 2. 7 Cod. Sulpicius Severus' says of St. Martin,-" that passing through a town where they were all Gentiles, and preaching Christ unto them, and working some miracles, the whole multitude professed to believe in Christ, and desired him to make them Christians: upon which he immediately, as he was in the field, laid his hands upon them, and made them catechumens; saying to those that were about him, that it was not unreasonable to make catechumens in the open field, where martyrs were used to be consecrated unto God." Where we may observe, that to make Christians, and to make catechumens, is the same thing; and that this was done by imposition of hands and prayer. Which observation will help us to the right understanding of some obscure canons and difficult passages in ancient writers, which many learned men have mistaken. In the first council of Arles2 there is a canon, which orders imposition of hands to be given to such Gentiles as in time of sickness express an inclination to receive the Christian faith. And in the council of Eliberis there is another canon to the same purpose, which says, "that if any Gentiles, who have led a tolerable moral life, desire imposition of hands, they should have it allowed them, and be made Christians." Now the question is, what is here meant by imposition of hands, and being made Christians?-Mendoza and Vossius, take it for imposition of hands in baptism; and Albaspiny for imposition of hands in confirmation. But the true sense is no more than this imposition of hands used in making catechumens, which in some sort gave Gentile converts an immediate title to be called Christians. And so I find 1 Sulpic. Vit. Martin. Dialog. ii. c. 5. p. 294. Cuncti catervatim ad genua B. Viri ruere cœperunt, fideliter postulantes, ut eos faceret Christianos. Nec cunctatus, in medio ut erat campo, cunctos, impositâ universis manu, catechumenos fecit; cùm quidem ad nos conversus diceret, non irrationabiliter in campo catechumenos fieri, ubi solerent martyres consecrari.' Con. Arelat. i. c. 5. De his qui in infirmitate credere volunt, placuit debere eis manum c. 39. 6 Albaspin, learning. But the question is more difficult about Heathens. Yet I find in one of the Resolutions of Timothy, bishop of Alexandria, that children before they were seven years old might be catechumens: for he puts the question thus; 'Suppose a child of seven years old,' or a man that is a catechumen, be present at the oblation, and eat of the eucharist, what shall be done in this case?-and the answer is, Let him be baptized." By which it is plain, he speaks of Heathen children, and not of Christians, who received not only baptism, but the eucharist in their infancy, by the rule and custom of the Church then prevailing, as will be shown in their proper place. SECT. 5.-How long they continued in that State. As to the other point, how long they were to continue catechumens, there was no certain general rule fixed about that; but the practice varied according to the difference of times and places, or the readiness and proficiency of the catechumens themselves. In the apostolical age and the first plantation of the Church, we never read of any long interval between men's first conversion and their baptism. The history of Cornelius, and the Ethiopian eunuch, and Lydia, and the jailer of Philippi in the Acts of the Apostles, to mention no more, are sufficient evidence that in those days catechizing and baptism immediately accompanied one another. And there were good reasons for it; the infantstate of the Church, and the zeal of the converts both required it. But in after ages the Church found it necessary to lengthen this term of probation, lest an overhasty admission of persons to baptism should either fill the Church with vicious men, or make greater numbers of renegadoes and apostates in time of persecution. For this reason the council of Eliberis appointed two years trial for new converts, that if in that time they appeared to be men of a good conversation, they might then be allowed the favour of I Timoth. Alex. Resp. Canon. Q. I. 2 Con. Eliber. c. 42. Eos qui ad fidem primam credulitatis accedunt, si bonæ fuerint conversationis, intra biennium placuit ad baptismi gratiam admitti. |