CHAP. V.

Of the Baptism of Adult Persons.

SECT. 1. No Adult Persons to be baptised without previous Instruction,

to qualify them to answer for themselves.-2. Yet Dumb persons allowed

to be baptised in some certain cases.-3. And Energumens in cases of

extremity.-4. No Slave to be baptised without the Testimony of his

Master.-5. Yet baptism to be a Voluntary Act, and no one to be com-

pelled to receive it by Force.-6. What Persons were rejected from

Baptism; with a particular Account of some certain Trades and

Vocations, which kept Men from it. Such were Image-making and

Stage-playing.-7. Gladiators, Charioteers, and other Gamesters.

-8. Astrologers and Practisers of such other curious Arts.-9. Fre-

quenters of the Public Games and Theatre.-10. In what case the mili-

tary Life might unqualify Men for Baptism.-11. Whether Persons

might be baptised, who lived in the State of Concubinage.-12. The

peculiar error of the Marcionites in rejecting all married Persons from

Baptism

CHAP. VI.

Of the Time and Place of Baptism.

SECT. 1. Why Adult Persons sometimes delayed Baptism by order of the

Church.-2. Private Reasons for deferring Baptism against the Rules

of the Church. First, Supinity and Negligence of Salvation.-3. Se-

condly, An unwillingness to renounce the World, and submit to the

Severities of Religion.-4. Thirdly, a fear of falling after Baptism.-5.

Fourthly, Superstitious Fancies in reference to the Time and Place,

and Ministers of Baptism.-6. Fifthly, A Pretence of following the ex-

ample of Christ, who was baptised at Thirty Years of Age.-7. The

solemn Times appointed for Baptism by the Church, were Easter, Pen-

tecost, and Epiphany.-8. And in some Places the Festivals of the

Apostles and Martyrs, and the Anniversary Days of the Dedication of

Churches prevailed also.-9. No such stated Times in the Days of the

Apostles.-10. How far these rules obliging in future Ages.-11. Bap-

tism not confined to any Place in the Apostolical Ages.-12. But in

after Ages confined to the baptisteries of the Church.-13. Except in

the Case of Sickness, or with the Bishop's Licence to the contrary, upon

some special Occasions.

CHAP. VII.

Of the Renunciations and Professions made by all Persons

immediately before their Baptism.

SECT. 1. Three Things required of all Persons at their Baptism, 1st, To

renounce the Devil.-2. The form of this Renunciation, and the import

of it.-3. The Antiquity of this Renunciation. By some derived from

the Apostles.-4. This Renunciation made by Persons standing with

their Faces toward the West. The reason of this Practice, with some

other C'eremonies.-5. Why this Renunciation made three Times.-6.

The second thing required of Men at their baptism, was a Vow or

Covenant of Obedience to Christ.-7. This Vow of Obedience made

by turning to the East. And why.-8. The third thing required of

the Party to be baptised, was a profession of Faith in the usual Words

of the Creed.-9. This Confession made in the most solemn and public

Manner.-10. With Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven.-11. Repeate

three Times.-12. And subscribed with their own Hands in the Books

of the Church, as some think.-13. The Use of all these Ceremonies and

Engagements, to make Men sensible of their Obligation, and sted fast

to their Profession.-14. Whether public and Particular Confession

of Sins was required of Men at their Baptism.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Use of Sponsors or Sureties in Baptism.

SECT. 1. Three Sorts of Sponsors in the Primitive Church. First, for

Children.-2. Parents commonly Sponsors for their own Children.—3.

Other sureties not bound to maintain the Children for whom they were

Sponsors. 4. But only to answer for them to the several Interrogato-

ries in Baptism.-5. And to be Guardians of their Spiritual Life for the

Future.-6. The second sort of Sponsors for such Adult Persons as

could not answer for themselves.-7. The third sort of Sponsors for all

Adult Persons in general.-8. Whose Duty was, not to answer in their

Names, but only to admonish and instruct them before and after Bap-

tism.-9. This Office chiefly imposed upon Deacons and Deaconesses.

-10. What Persons prohibited from being Sponsors.-11. But one

Sponsor required, and that a Man for a Man, and a Woman for a

Woman.-12. When first it became a Law that Sponsors might not

marry a Spiritual Relation.-18. Why the Names of the Sponsors order-

ed to be registered in the Books of the Church.

CHAP. IX.

Of the Unction and the sign of the Cross in Baptism.

SECT. 1. Of the first Original of Unction in Baptism.-2. Of the Difference

between this and Chrism in Confirmation.-3. The Design of this Unc-

tion, and the Reason of it.-4. The Sign of the Cross frequently used

in the Ceremonies of Baptism. First in the admission of Catechumens;

and Secondly, in the Time of Exorcism.-8. Thirdly, in this Unction
before Baptism.-6. Fourthly, in the Unction of Confirmation.

CHAP. X.

Of the Consecration of the Water in Baptism.

SECT. 1. The Consecration of the Water made by Prayer.-2. An an-

cient Form of this Prayer in the Constitutions.--3. The Sign of the

Cross used in this Consecration.-4. The Effects and Change wrought

by this Consecration, the same as in the Bread and Wine is the Eu-

charist.-5. How far these prayers of Consecration reckoned necessary

in the Church.

CHAP. XI.

Of the different Ways of Baptising by Immersion, Trine Im-

mersion, and Aspersion in the Case of Clinic Baptism.

SECT. 1. All Persons anciently divested in order to be baptised.-

2. No Exception in this Case either with respect to Women or Chil-

dren.-3. Yet matters were so ordered, as that no indecency might

be committed.-4. Baptism usually performed by Immersion.-5. Yet

Aspersion allowed in some extraordinary Cases.-6. Trine Immersion,

the General Practice for several Ages. The Reason of this.-7. The

Original of this Practice.-8. When first the Church allowed of any

Alteration in it.

BOOK XII.

OF CONFIRMATION, AND OTHER CEREMONIES

FOLLOWING

BAPTISM, BEFORE MEN WERE MADE PARTAKERS OF THE

EUCHARIST.

CHAP. I.

Of the Time when, and the Persons to whom Confirmation was

administered.

SECT. 1. Confirmation anciently given immediately after Baptism, if the

Bishop were present.—2. And this as well to Infants as Adult Persons.

Which is evidenced first from some plain Testimonies.-3. And, Second-

ly, from the Custom of giving the Eucharist to Infants for many Ages.

4. Whence it appears, that Confirmation was not esteemed a proper

Sacrament distinct from Baptism.-5. No, not when it was separate

from Baptism, as in the case of Heretics, who were baptised out of the

Church.-6. No Necessity of giving Confirmation to Infants now, any

more than the Eucharist, from the example of the Primitive Church.

CHAP. II.

Of the Minister of Confirmation.

SECT. 1. The Consecration of Chrism reserved only to the Office of

Bishops by the Canons.-2. The Use of the Chrism divided between the

Office of Bishops and Presbyters.-3. The other Ceremony of Imposi-

tion of hands reserved more strictly to the Office of Bishops.-4. Yet

in some special Cases, Presbyters by Commission allowed to minister it

also. As first, when Bishops particularly required their Presbyters

to do it to such as were baptised in the Church.-5. Secondly, Pres-

byters might administer it to the Energumens, who were baptised at

a distance from the Bishop's Church.-6. And, Thirdly, to such as were

baptised in Heresy or Schism, in case they were in danger of Death.

CHAP. III.

Of the Manner of Administering Confirmation and the Cere-
monies used in the Celebration of it.

SECT. 1.-The first Ceremony of Confirmation was the Unction of Chrism.

-2. The Original of this Unction.-3. The form and Manner of Ad-

ministering it, together with the effects of it.-4. The second Ceremony
of Confirmation was the Sign of the Cross.-5. The third and most
noted ceremony of Confirmation, was Imposition of Hands; and the
Fourth, prayer joined therewith.-6. The original of the Ceremony of
Imposition of hands.-7. What Opinion the Ancients had of the Ne-
cessity of Confirmation.-8. How they punished those that ne-
glected it.

CHAP. IV.

Of the remaining Ceremonies of baptism following Confir-

mation.

SECT. 1. Persons newly baptised, clothed in White Garments.-2.

These sometimes delivered to them with a solemn Form of Words.

-3.Worn eight Days and then laid up in the Church.-4. The cere-

mony of Lights and Tapers. What intended by it. And at whose

Charge both these were provided.-5. The Kiss of Peace given to

Persons newly baptised.-6. And a Taste of Honey and Milk in token

of their New Birth.-7. Then they were required to repeat the Lord's

Prayer.-8. And received into the Church with Psalmody.-9. And ad-

mitted immediately to the Communion of the Altar.-10. Of the Cere-

mony of Washing the Feet, retained in some Churches.-11. A general

reflection upon the whole preceding Discourse, with Relation to the

Practice of the Present Church.

CHAP. V.

Of the Laws against Rebaptisation both in Church and State.

SECT. I. But one Baptism, properly so called, allowed by the Church.

-2. Only the Marcionites allowed Baptism to be thrice repeated.

-3. What the Church did in doubtful Cases, not reckoned a Rebapti-

sation.-4. Nor when she baptised those, who had been unduly baptised

before in Heresy or Schism.-5. Apostates never rebaptised in the

Catholic Church.-6. What Heretics rebaptised the Catholics.-7.

What Punishments were inflicted on Rebaptisers by the Laws of

Church and State.

THE

ANTIQUITIES

OF THE

CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

BOOK X.

OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE CATECHUMENS, AND THE FIRST USE OF THE CREEDS Of the CHURCH.

CHAP. I.

Of the several Names of Catechumens, and the Solemnity that was used in admitting them to that State in the Church. Also of Catechizing, and the Time of their Continuance in that Exercise.

SECT. 1.-The Reason of the Names, Karnyéμevoi, Novitioli, Tyrones, &c. HAVING hitherto discoursed of the several orders of men which made up the great body of the Christian Church, and of churches themselves, or places of worship, and of the several districts into which the body diffusive was divided, I come now to consider the service of the Church, or its public offices and exercises, by which men were disciplined and trained up to the kingdom of Heaven. And to speak of these in their most natural order, it will be necessary to begin with the institution of the catechumens, who were the lowest order of men that had any title to the common name of Christians, and their instruction was the first part of the Church's service. Some things relating to these, have been already touched upon in speaking of the difference between them and the Isoì, or perfect Chris

VOL. III.

B