Chap. VII. Query 3. Query 4. This Bap tive. §. 6. But thirdly, it is not only necessary that the party to be baptized do believe the Christian Faith; but he must also desire to be joined to that Society by the solemn rite of initiation: wherefore the child is farther demanded, Whether he will be baptized in this Faith? because God will have no unwilling servants, nor ought men to be compelled by violence to religion. And yet the Christian religion is so reasonable and profitable both as to this world and the next, that the Godfathers may very well presume to answer for the child, that this is his desire: since if the child could understand the excellency of this religion, and speak its mind, it would without doubt be ready to make the same reply. §. 7. Lastly, St. Paul tells us, They that are baptized must walk in newness of life23: for which reason the child is demanded, fourthly, If he will keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of his life? For since he now takes Christ for his Lord and Master, and lists himself under his banner, it is fit he should vow, in the words of this Sacrament, to observe the commands of his general. Wherefore as he promised to forsake all evil before, so now he must engage to do all that is good, without which he cannot be admitted into the Christian Church. §. 8. I cannot conclude this section, till I have observed, tismal Vow that this whole stipulation is so exactly conformable to very primi- that which was used in the primitive Church, that it cannot be unpleasant to compare them together. All that were to be baptized, were brought to the entrance of the Baptistery or Font, and standing with their faces towards the West, (which being directly opposite to the East, the place of Light, did symbolically represent the Prince of Darkness, whom they were to renounce,) were commanded to stretch out their hands as it were in defiance of him; and then the Bishop asked them every one, "Dost thou "renounce the Devil and all his works, powers, and ser"vice?" To which each party answered, "I do renounce "them."-" Dost thou renounce the World, and all its pomps and vanities?" Answer, "I do renounce them 24." In the next place, they made an open confession of their Faith, the Bishop asking, "Dost thou believe in God the "Father Almighty, &c. in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who, &c. Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost, 23 Rom. vi. 4. 24 Const. Apost. 1. 7. c. 41. Dion. Areop. de Eccl. Hier. c. 2. p. 77. D. Ambr. de Init. c. 2. tom. iv. col. 343. K. De Sacrament. l. 1. c. 2. tom. iv. col. 354. A. "the holy Catholic Church, and in one Baptism of Re- Sect. II. pentance for Remission of Sins, and the Life everlast"ing?" To all which each party answered, "I do be"lieve;" as our Church still requires in this office 25. SECT. III. Of the Administration of Baptism. sanctifica I. THE contract being now made, it is fit the Mini- The prayer ster should more peculiarly intercede with God for grace for the to perform it; and therefore, in the next place, he tion of the offers up four short petitions for the child's sanctifica- child. tion. Most of our commentators upon the Common Prayer think, that they were added to supply the place of the old Exorcisms. But it is certain they were placed in the first book of King Edward with no such intent. For by that (as I have observed) a form of Exorcism was to be used over every child that was brought to be baptized: whereas these petitions were only to be used at such times as the water in the font was to be changed and consecrated, which was not then ordered to be done above once a month. For which reason the form for consecrating it did not, as now, make a part of the public office for Baptism, but was placed by itself, at the end of the office for the administration of it in private, (i. e. at the end of the whole; for there was no office then for the Baptism of such as are of riper years.) The form that was used then was something different And for the from what we use now. It was introduced with a prayer, consecra that was afterwards left out at the second review*. And * O most merciful God our Saviour Jesu Christ, who hast ordained the element of water for the Regeneration of thy faithful people, upon whom, being baptized in the river of Jordan, the Holy Ghost came down in the likeness of a dove; send down, we beseech thee, the same thy holy Spirit to assist us, and to be present at this our invocation of thy holy name: sanctify+this fountain of Baptism, thou that art the Sanctifier of all things, that by the power of thy word, all those that shall be baptized therein, may be spiritually regenerated, and made the children of everlasting adoption. Amen. This was the first prayer for the consecrating of the Water in the first Common Prayer. From whence these words, Sanctify this fountain of Baptism, thou that art the Sanctifier of all things, were taken by the compilers of the Scotch form, and inserted within crotchets 25 Const. Apost. 1. 7. c. 41. Cyril. Catech. Mystag. 2. §. 4. pag. 285. Ambr. de Sacram. 1. 2. c. 7. tom. iv. tion of the water. Chap. VII. these petitions that are still retained, ran then in the plural number, and the future tense, in the behalf of all that should be baptized till the water should be changed again. And this is the reason that the last of these petitions still runs in general terms, it being continued word for word from the old form. Between the two last also were four other petitions inserted, which are now omitted*. And after all (the usual salutation intervening, viz. The Lord be with you, And with thy Spirit) followed the prayer, which we still retain for the consecration of the water. There is some little difference in it towards the conclusion, because the water being sanctified by the first prayer above mentioned, there was no occasion to repeat the consecration in this; for which reason the words then, and in all the books to the last review, ran in this form: Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy congregation, and grant that all thy servants, which shall be baptized in this water, prepared for the ministration of thy holy Sacrament, [which we here bless and dedicate in thy name to this spiritual washingt,] may receive the fulness of thy grace; and so on. Of this form Bucer, in his censure 26, could by no means approve. Such blessings and consecrations of things inanimate tend strangely (he tells us) to create in people's minds terrible notions of magic or conjuration. He allows such consecrations indeed to be very ancient, but however they are not to be found in the word of God. At the second Reformation therefore, the Common Prayer Book comes out, with all that relates directly to the con [] in the first prayer at the beginning of the office after the words -mystical washing away of sin; against which was added a direction in the margin-That the water in the font should be changed twice in the month at least. And before any child should be baptized in the water so changed, the Presbyter or Minister should say at the font the words thus enclosed []. * Whosoever shall confess thee, O Lord, recognize him also in thy kingdom. Amen. Grant that all sin and vice here may be so extinct, that they never have power to reign in thy servants. Amen. Grant that whosoever here shall begin to be of thy flock, may evermore continue in the same. Amen. Grant that all they which for thy sake, in this life, do deny and forsake themselves, may win and purchase thee, O Lord, which art everlasting treasure. Amen. The words thus enclosed [] are only in the Scotch Liturgy. 26 Script. Anglican. p. 481. secration of the water omitted. The first prayer above Sect. III. mentioned was left out entirely, and the last purged from those words, prepared for the ministration of the holy Sacrament. And thus the form continued till the last review, when a clause was again added to invocate the Spirit, to sanctify the Water to the mystical washing away of sin. Now by this is meant, not that the water contracts any new quality in its nature or essence, by such consecration; but only that it is sanctified or made holy in its use, and separated from common to sacred purposes. In order to which, though the primitive Christians believed, as well as we do, that water in general was sufficiently sanctified by the Baptism of our Saviour in the river Jordan 27; yet when any particular water was at any time used in the administration of Baptism, they were always careful to consecrate it first by a solemn invocation of the Holy Spirit 28. II. All things being thus prepared for the Baptism of Name, why the Child, the Minister is now to take it into his hands, and given at Baptism. to ask the Godfathers and Godmothers to name it. For the Christian Name being given as a badge that we belong to Christ, we cannot more properly take it upon us, than when we are enlisted under his banner. We bring one name into the world with us, which we derive from our parents, and which serves to remind us of our original guilt, and that we are born in Sin: but this new name is given us at our Baptism, to remind us of our new Birth, when, being washed in the Laver of Regeneration, we are thereby cleansed from our natural impurities, and become in a manner new creatures, and solemnly dedicate ourselves to God. So that the naming of children at this time hath been thought by many to import something more than ordinary, and to carry with it a mysterious signification. We find something like it even among the Heathens for the Romans had a custom of naming their children on the day of their Lustration, (i. e. when they were cleansed and washed from their natural pollution,) which was therefore called Dies Nominalis. And the Greeks also, when they carried their infants, a little after their birth, about the fire, (which was their ceremony of dedicating or consecrating them to their gods,) were used at the same time to give them their names. 27 Ignat. ad Ephes. §. 18. Greg. Naz. Els Tà Tv9λ. So also St. Jerom and St. Ambrose. Аа 28 Cyprian. Ep. 70. p. 190. Ambr. de Sacram. 1. 2. c. 5. tom. iv. col. 359. K. Basil. de Spir. Sanct. c. 27. tom. ii. p. 211. A. Chap. VII. And that the Jews named their children at the time of Circumcision, the holy Scriptures 29, as well as their own writers, expressly tell us. And though the rite itself of Circumcision was changed into that of Baptism by our Saviour, yet he made no alteration as to the time and custom of giving the name, but left that to continue under the new, as he had found it under the old dispensation. Accordingly we find this time assigned and used to this purpose ever since; the Christians continuing from the earliest ages to name their children at the time of Baptism. And even people of riper years commonly changed their name, (as Šaul, saith St. Ambrose 30, at that time changed his name to Paul,) especially if the name they had before was taken from any idol or false god. For the Nicene or wanton council forbids the giving of heathen names to Christians, hibited. and recommends the giving the name of some Apostle or Saint not that there is any fortune or merit in the name itself, but that, by such means, the party might be stirred up to imitate the example of that holy person whose name he bears. And by a provincial constitution of our own Church, made by Archbishop Peccham, A. D. 1281, it is provided, that no wanton names be given to children; or if they be, that they be changed at Confirmation 32. Heathen names pro To be given by the Godfathers, and why. The out §. 2. As to the appointment of the name, it may be pitched upon by the relations, (as we may see has been the custom of old 33 :) but the rubric directs that it be dictated by the Godfathers and Godmothers. For this being the token of our new Birth, it is fit it should be given by those who undertake for our Christianity, and engage that we shall be bred up and live like Christians; which being confirmed by the custom and authority of the church in all ages, is abundantly enough to justify the practice, and satisfy us of the reasonableness of it. III. After the name is thus given, the Priest (if the Godward sign fathers, &c. certify him that the child may well endure it) in Baptism is to dip it in the water discreetly and warily; which was in all probability the way by which our Saviour, and for certain was the usual and ordinary way by which the primitive Christians did receive their Baptism 34. And it 29 Gen. xxi. 3, 4. Luke i. 59, 60. and chap. ii. 21. 30 In Dominic. Prim. Quadrag. Serm. 2. Ordine 31. tom. v. col. 43. K. 31 Vid. Canon. Arabic. Can. 30. tom. ii. col. 209. E. 32 See Bishop Gibson's Codex, vol. i. p. 440. See also Camden's Remains. 33 Ruth iv. 17. Luke i. 59. 34 Acts viii. 28. Rom. vi. 3, 4. Col. ii. 12. Const. Apost. 1. 3. c. 17. Barnabas, c. 11. p. 70. Edit. Oxon. 1685. Tert. de Bapt. c. 4. et de Orat. C. II. |