VI. CHAP. according to custom, stands by the bishop, holding up the service book open, which implies that the baptism is performing according to the ritual. As the child's face is toward the water, this is the last of the three immersions, and the bishop may be supposed now uttering the last clause of the baptismal words-and of the Holy Sprinkling Ghost. Amen. The priest on the other side of the officicertainly never used ating bishop is holding the chrism. Fonts, like medals, in public in form a history, and from a history of fonts incontestible England till evidence rises to prove that during the whole reign of popery (in England) public ordinary baptism was administered by immersion; that the mode was not changed to sprinkling here, any more than on the continent, for such considerations as climate or timidity, rank or caprice; and that in the public opinion there was no hazard to health in dipping infants. The noble babe whose baptism is here represented, was born on the twentyeighth of January, at Salwarp, in the county of Worcester." k after the Reforma tion. Inference I take the fact to be established, so far as the history from the history of of baptisteries bears upon the point, which it does with baptisteries. irresistible force, that the practice of dipping was not only usual, but considered necessary, except in particular cases arising from danger of death, or other special: circumstances, for thirteen centuries after Christ, throughout all countries where any form of Christianity existed. Robinson's Hist. Bapt. pp. 111. 113-120. 122-127. SECTION IV. THE "ORDINES," OR RITUAL REGULATIONS FOR THE VI. THE design of this volume being to put the reader in SECT. possession of all the facts, or rather of some instances of every class of facts relating to the history of baptism, the directions for the administration of baptism which have been preserved by the different churches, will afford additional evidences of a very decisive character. dines. "The Greeks divided their institutes into two classes, Greek orthe scriptural and the traditional. The division was merely speculative, for they thought both equally binding. Basil gives an instance in baptism. The Scripture says, "go ye, teach and baptize," and tradition adds, baptize by trine immersion, and if any bishop or presbyter shall administer baptism not by three dippings but by one, let him be punished with deprivation.' At what time this canon was made, and by whom it was first called an apostolical canon, is uncertain; but it was early received for law by the established Greek church; it was in full force when the cathedral of St. Sophia was built, and no person durst baptize any other way in the Sophian baptistery."b a One of the principal duties of deacons and deaconesses Op. De sancto spiritu. Cap. xxviii. Jam ter immergi hominem, unde ex scriptura haustum? Reliqua item quæ fiunt in baptismo, veluti renuntiare Satanæ et angelis ejus, ex qua scriptura habemus? Nonne ex minime publicata et arcana hac traditione? Nonne ex doctrina, quam patres nostri silentio quieto, minime curioso ser. varunt, &c. b Robinson's Hist. Bap. p. 63. VI. CHAP. (of the former there were one hundred and fifty, and of the latter forty, attached to the church of St. Sophia,) was to attend on the candidates for baptism.c Duties of deacons and deaconesses. Greek baptismal sermons. "The office of deaconesses continued in all churches eastern and western till the eleventh century, then it fell into disuse, first in the Roman church and then in the Greek, but it continued longer in the oriental churches; and the Nestorian hath deaconesses to this day. The duration of these female officers is allowed to afford probable proof of the duration of the baptism of adults by immersion." " d It is unnecessary to quote more particularly from the Greek rituals; it is sufficient to state that they all require trine immersion. The sermons preached on baptismal occasions afford an evidence of a similar character, both as to the subjects and the mode: the latter is at present under consideration; and I shall give an extract from a discourse by Basil, Archbishop of Cæsarea, which will indicate clearly how they baptized in the Greek church in the fourth century. "How can we be placed in a condition of likeness to his death? By being buried with him in baptism.' How are we to go down with him into the grave? By imitating the burial' of Christ in baptism; for the bodies of the baptized are in a sense buried in water. For this reason the apostle speaks figuratively of baptism, as a laying aside the works of the flesh: ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the It would be well if these officers attended as promptly and solemnly to their duties in the true church as they appear to have done in the apostate. d Robinson's Hist. Bap. p. 64. IV. circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism,' SECT. which in a manner cleanses the soul from the impurity of its natural carnal affections; agreeably to this say. ing, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.' This is not like the Jewish purifications, washing after every defilement, but we have experienced it to be one cleansing baptism, one death to the world, and one resurrection from the dead, of both which baptism is a figure. For this purpose the Lord, the giver of life, hath instituted baptism a representation of both life and death; the water overflowing as an image of death, the Spirit animating as an earnest of life. Thus we see how water and the Spirit are united. Two things are proposed in baptism; to put an end to a life of sin, lest it should issue in eternal death; and to animate the soul to a life of future sanctification. The water exhibits an image of death, receiving the body as into a sepulchre : the Spirit renews the soul, and we rise from a death of sin into a newness of life. This is to be born from above of water and the Spirit' as if by the water we were put to death, and by the operation of the Spirit brought to life. By three immersions,' therefore, and by three invocations we administer the important ceremony of baptism, that death may be represented in a figure, and that the souls of the baptized may be purified by divine knowledge. If there be any benefit in the water, it is not from the water, but from the presence of the Spirit; for baptism doth not save us by putting away the filth of the flesh,' but by the answer of a good conscience towards God.'" e 6 The Roman ordines will now demand our attention :"To prevent confusion in a public worship conducted Robinson's History of Baptism, p. 65, 66. Roman ordines. VI. CHAP. by a great many persons, as well as to preserve uniformity, prudence early suggested the use of ordinals, marking every person's part, his place, his dress, his words, and all his actions and gestures. Copies went from church to church as tunes do now, and at length ordinals obtained a general likeness and displayed an infinite variety. Father Ma lection. "Father Mabillon, having observed that the vulgar billon's col- Roman ordo was a confused collection of several ordines, collected with infinite pains the most ancient copies, and collated, corrected, and published sixteen. Various as these are, the first being of the ninth, and supposed to describe the seventh or eighth century, and the last of the fourteenth, the order of baptism differs much less than could have been imagined; for, in regard to the mode, there is not a trace of sprinkling or pouring, it is dipping, and in some trine immersion; and to this manner of baptizing every word agrees, as going down into the baptistery, coming up out of it, undressing, dressing, napkins, vestments, &c." Baptism as An extract from the twelfth ordinal in Father Mabilperformed lon's collection, written by a cardinal in the latter part by the pope in the 12th of the twelfth century, relating as it does to the ordinance century. of baptism, as performed by the pope himself, will be interesting : "The pope went on to the baptismal hall, and after various lessons and psalms, consecrated the baptismal water. Then, while all were adjusting themselves in their proper places, his holiness retired into the adjoining chapel of St. John the Evangelist, attended by some acolothists, who took off his habits, put on him a pair of waxed drawers, and a surplice, and then returned to the baptistery. There three children were waiting, which was the number usually baptized by the pontiff. Silence |