ling of penitents, consecration of virgins, curing the sick, and, as we have now seen, particularly in the first admission of new converts to the state of catechuméns.

SECT. 3.-And Consignation with the Sign of the Cross.

Here also, as in most other offices of the Church, they used the sign of the cross. St. Austin joins all these ceremonies together, when he says, "that catechumens were in some sort sanctified by the sign of Christ and imposition of hands and prayer;" meaning, that these ceremonies were used as indications of their forsaking the Gentile state, and becoming retainers to the Christian Church. The same rite is mentioned also by St. Austin in his Confessions as used upon himself during his being a catechumen; but whether he means there his first admission, or his continuance in that state, is not certain. But in the life of Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza, written by his disciple Marcus, it is more plainly expressed: for that author, speaking of some new converts, says," they fell down at the bishop's feet, and desired the sign of Christ; upon which, he signed them with the sign of the cross, and made them catechumens, commanding them to attend the Church: and so in a short. time after, having first instructed them in the catechism, he baptized them."

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SECT. 4.-At what Age Persons were admitted to be Catechumens.

The circumstance of time here mentioned, may lead us in the next place to inquire, at what age persons were admitted - catechumens? And how long they continued in that state before they were baptized? The first question concerns.only heathen converts: for, as for the children of believing parents, it is certain, that as they were baptized in infancy, so they were admitted catechumens as soon as they were capable of

1 Aug. de Peccator. Meritis, lib. ii. c. 26. Catechumenos secundùm quendam modum suum per signum Christi et orationem, manûs impositione puto sanctificari. 2 Aug. Confess. lib. i. c. 11. 8 Marcus Vit. Porphyr. Prociderunt ad ejus pedes petentes Christi signaculum. Beatus verò cùm eos signâsset, et fecisset catechumenos, dimisit illos in pace, præcipiens eis ut vacarent sanctæ ecclesia. Et paulo post, cùm eos catechesi instituisset, baptizavit,

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. 1.

2 Con. Eliber. c. 42. Eos qui ad fidem primam credulitatis accedunt, si bonæ fuerint conversationis, intra biennium placuit ad baptismi gratiam admitti.

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baptism. Justinian, in one of his Novels,' appointed the same term for Samaritans, because it was found by experience, that they were wont frequently to relapse to their old religion again. The Apostolical Constitutions lengthen the term to three years, but with this limitation, that if men were very diligent and zealous, they might be admitted sooner; because it was not length of time, but men's conversation and behaviour that was to be regarded in this case. The council of Agde, Anno 506, reduced the time for Jewish converts to eight months, giving the same reason, why they made the time of probation so long, "because they are often found to be perfidious and returned to their own vomit again." In other places the time is thought by some to be limited to the forty days of Lent; for so some learned men conjecture from a passage or two in St. Jerom and Cyril's Catechetic Discourses. St. Jerom says, "it was customary in his time to spend forty days in teaching catechumens the doctrine of the blessed Trinity." And St. Cyril seems to imply as much, when he asks the catechumens, "why they should not think it reasonable to spend forty days upon their souls, who had spent so many years upon their own vanities and the world?" The time of Lent is not expressly mentioned in either place, but it seems to be intended, because in those ages Easter was the general time of baptizing over all the world. But I understand this only of the strict and concluding part of this exercise. In some cases the term of catechizing was reduced to a yet much shorter compass, as in case of extreme sickness, or the general conversion of whole nations. Socrates observes, that in the conversion of the Burgundians, the French bishop that converted them, only took seven days time to catechize them, and on the

1 Justin. Novel. 144. Per duos primum annos in fide instituantur, et pro viribus Scripturas ediscant, tuncque demùm sacro redemptionis offerantur baptismati. 2 Constit. Apost. lib. viii. c. 32. ‘0 μéλwv karnxεiodai, τρία ἔτη κατηχείσθω, &c. 8 Con. Agathen. c. 25. Judæi, quorum perfidia frequenter ad vomitum redit, si ad legem catholicam venire voluerint, octo menses inter catechumenos ecclesiæ limen introeant, &c. * Hieron. Ep. 61. ad Pammach. c. 4. Consuetudo apud nos ejusmodi est, ut iis qui baptizandi sunt per quadraginta dies publicè tradamus sanctam et adorandam Trinitatem. 6 Socrat. lib. vii,

5 Cyril, Catech. i. n. 5. p. 18.

eighth day baptized them. So in case of desperate sickness, the catechumens were immediately baptized with clinic baptism; as appears from the forementioned council of Agde, which though it prescribes eight months time for the catechizing of Jews, yet in case of extreme danger,' if their life was despaired of, it allows them to be baptized at any time within the term prescribed. Cyril of Alexandria,' in one of his Canonical Epistles, gives the same orders concerning catechumens who had lapsed, and were for their crimes expelled the Church, that notwithstanding this they should be baptized at the hour of death. St. Basil takes notice, that Arintheus, the Roman consul, being converted by his wife, and in danger of death, was immediately baptized. And there are infinite numbers of such examples to be met with in ecclesiastical history, to verify the general observation which Epiphanius makes upon the practice of the Church," that such catechumens as were at the point to die, were always, in hopes of the resurrection, admitted to baptism before their death."

SECT.6.-The Substance of the ancient Catechisms, and Method of Instruction.

But excepting these cases, a longer time was generally thought necessary to discipline and train men up gradually for baptism; partly for the reason already mentioned, that some just experiment might be made of their conversation during that time; and partly to instruct them by degrees, first in the more common principles of religion, to wean them from their former errors, and then in the more recondite and mysterious articles of the Christian faith: upon which account they usually began their discourses with the doctrine of repentance and remission of sins, and the necessity of good works, and the nature and use of baptism, by which the catechumens were taught, how they were to renounce the devil and his works, and enter into a new covenant with God. Then followed the explication of the seve

1 Con. Agathen. c. 25. Quod si casu aliquo periculum infirmitatis intra præscriptum tempus incurrerint, et desperati fuerint, baptizentur.

2 Cyril. Ep. Canon. ad Episc. Libyæ et Pentapol. ap Bevereg. Pandect. tom. ii. p. 178. Epiphan. Hær. 28. Cerin

3 Basil. Ep. 5.

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thian, n. 6.

ral articles of the Creed, to which some added the nature and immortality of the soul, and an account of the canonical books of Scripture: which is the substance and method of St. Cyril's eighteen famous Discourses to the Catechumens. The author of the Apostolical Constitutions' prescribes these several heads of instruction, "Let the catechumen be taught before baptism the knowledge of the Father unbegotten, the knowledge of his only-begotten Son, and Holy Spirit; let him learn the order of the world's creation, and series of divine providence, and the different sorts of legislation; let him be taught why the world, and man, the citizen of the world, were made; let him be instructed about his own nature, to understand for what end he himself was made; let him be informed how God punished the wicked with water and fire, and crowned his saints with glory in every generation, viz. Seth, Enos, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and his posterity, Melchisedech, Job, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, and Phineas, the priest, and the saints of every age; let him also be taught, how the providence of God never forsook mankind, but called them at sundry times, from error and vanity to the knowledge of the truth, reducing them from slavery and impiety to liberty and godliness, from iniquity to righteousness, and from everlasting death, to eternal life. After these he must learn the doctrine of Christ's incarnation, his passion, his resurrection and assumption; and what it is to renounce the devil, and enter into covenant with Christ." These were the chief heads of the ancient catechisms before baptism in which it is observable, there is no mention made of the doctrine of the eucharist, or confirmation, because these were not allowed to catechumens till after baptism; and the instruction upon the former points, was not given all at once, but by certain degrees, as the discipline of the Church then required, which divided the catechumens into several distinct orders or classes, and exercised them gradually according to the difference of their stations; of which I shall give a more particular account in the following Chapter.

Constit. Apost. lib. vii. c. 39.