226 Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, heavenly Father, we gibe Thee humble thanks, for that Thou hast bouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of Thy grace, and faith in Thee: increase this knowledge, and confirm this faith in us evermore: gibe Thy holy Spirit to this infant; that he, being born again, and being made heir of everlasting salbation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, may continue Thy servant, and attain Thy promise, through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who libeth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit everlastingly. Amen. Then shall the minister make this exhortation to the godfathers and godmothers. Forasmuch as this child hath promised by you to forsake the debil and all his works, to believe in God, and to serbe Him: you must remember that it is your part and duty to see that this infant be taught, so soon as he shall be able to learn, what a solemn bow, promise, and profession he hath made by you. And that he may know these things the better, ye shall call upon him to hear sermons: and chiefly ye shall provide that he may learn the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments in the English tongue, and all other things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his soul's health; and that this child may be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and a Christian life, remembering always that baptism doth represent unto us our profession; which is, to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto Him, that as He died and rose again for us, so should we which are baptized, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness, continually mortifying all our ebil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living. And so forth, as in Public Baptism. Common Prayer. But if they which bring the infants to the church, do make such uncertain answers 1 and 2 B. of Edw. VI. CHAP. VIII. VIII. CHAP. to the priest's questions, at that it cannot appear that the child was baptized with water, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, (which are essential parts of baptism,) then let the priest baptize it in form above written, concerning Public Baptism, saving that at the dipping of the child in the font he shall use this form of words, swer to the priest's questions, and say that they cannot tell what they thought, did, or said, in that great fear and trouble of mind, (as oftentimes it chanceth,) then let the priest baptize him in form above written, concerning public baptism, saving that at the dipping the child in the font, he shall use this form of words, If thou be not already baptized, N. X baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 1 B. of Edw. VI. The water in the font shall be changed every month once at the least, and afore any child be baptized in the water so changed, the priest shall say at the font these prayers following: 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. O merciful God, grant that the old Adam, in them that shall be baptized in this fountain, may be so buried, that the new man may be raised up again. Amen. Grant that all carnal affections may die in them, and that all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in them. Amen. Grant to all them which at this fountain forsake the devil d [Scotch Lit. "presbyter's."] [Scotch Lit. "presbyter's."] and all his works, that they may have power and strength to CHAP. have victory, and to triumph against him, the world, and the flesh. Amen. Whosoever shall confess Thee, O Lord, recognise 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. Grant that whosoever is here dedicated to Thee, by our office and ministry, may also be endued with heavenly virtues, and everlastingly rewarded through Thy mercy, O blessed Lord God, who dost live and govern all things, world without end. Amen. The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Almighty everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of His most precious side, both water and blood, and gave commandment to His disciples, that they should go teach all nations, and baptize them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Regard, we beseech Thee, the supplications of the congregation, and grant that all Thy servants which shall be baptized in this water, may receive the fulness of Thy grace, and ever remain in the number of Thy faithful and elect children, through Jesus Christ our Lord. VIII. ANNOTATIONS UPON 227 227 VIII. CHAPTER VIII. CHAP. (A) Baptism, how called in antiquity; why púrioua, or 'illumination.' Barnabas's epistle corrected. Why the 'laver of regeneration,' a dissent from Mr. Selden and Dr. Hammond about its derivation. (B) Sacrament, what; whence derived; Sacramentum and jusjurandum differ. Baptism most properly a Sacrament: why the office, in order of place, after the Communion. (C) Easter and Whitsuntide, why anciently times allotted for baptism. (D) Rivers the first fonts. Baptisteries when erected, the Directory felo de se. (E) Sanctifying of water, what it meaneth. (F) Two signings with the cross anciently relating to baptism, one before, and the other after. Why the cross used in our Church after baptism. (G) The form of ancient exorcism. (H) Interrogatories moved to infants, vindicated by the primitive practice, and parallel with the civil usages of others. (I) Abrenunciation ancient, several modes observed therein. (K) Imposition of names, why used at baptism. (L) Dipping not necessary. England noted of singularity in that particular. Inconveniences thereof. Many baptized in the same baptisteries. Women and men had several rooms in one baptistery. Deaconesses, their office at the baptizing of women. (M) Triple mersion ancient; why ordained. Single mersion, or aspersion, the rule of our Church. (N) White vestments ancient. (O) Two unctions anciently distinguished four several ways. (P) The rubric explained concerning the cross. The first original ground of that ceremony. Miracles wrought with it. Why miracles ceased; why Timotheus and Epaphroditus cured without them. Dr. Reynolds a friend to the cross after the explanation of it. The cross not operative, demonstrated by King James's omitting it in the chrismal office. (Q) Private baptism proved lawful by several authorities. (R) The former rubric allowed of women's baptizing. (S) Necessity dispenseth with accidental formalities. (T) Water a necessary element. Beza's error. (V) What are the essential words of baptism. (W) Children to be baptized where the testimony is doubtful. BAPTISM hath in antiquity various appellations; Kaλεîтαι χάρισμα, καὶ φώτισμα, καὶ τέλειον, καὶ λουτρὸν, “ it is called grace, illumination, perfection, and laver," saith Clemens VIII. 228 Alexandrinus, who there gives the reason why it is so called. CHAP. To the same purpose, but more copious, Nazianzen, Sŵpov καλοῦμεν, χάρισμα, βάπτισμα, χρίσμα, φώτισμα, ἀφθαρσίας ἔνδυμα, λουτρὸν παλιγγενεσίας, σφραγίδα, “ we call it the gift, grace, baptism, unction, illumination, the vestment of incorruption, the laver of regeneration, the seal." The great variety of these denominations flows from the several benefits accruing thereby. The most noble and most emphatical of these are, first, pórioμa, 'illumination,'to which the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, St. Paul, as I conceive, had regard in the word enlightened, Heb. vi. 4. Illumination it was called out of a triple respect. First, ὡς φωτιζομένων τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν ταῦτα μανθανόντων: “ because the understandings of those who are catechised antecedent to it are enlightened." Secondly, because it is our first entrance into Christianity, for as many as are baptized into Christ, do put on Christ," Gal. iii. 27. And Christ is rò pos, "that supereminent light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world," those especially which are born again by baptism, He being TOUTO EV νοητοῖς, ὅπερ ἐν αἰσθητοῖς ἥλιος", " the same to the intellect, that the sun is to the sense." Thirdly, because Satan, the prince of darkness, was then usually, by exorcism, driven out of the party baptized, to make room for Christ: for, as κaxias ecoδος ἀρετῆς εἴσοδον ἐργάζεται, “ the egress of vice is virtue's ingress;" so the expelling of Satan is the admittance of Christ. Now all such as were idolaters, and worshipped false gods, were supposed to be under the dominion of Satan, and, in a qualified sense, as energumeni, possessed with unclean spirits, and therefore it was expedient thought, they should be dispossessed by exorcism: πρὸ τοῦ ἡμᾶς πιστεῦσαι τῷ Θεῷ, ἦν ἡμῶν τὸ κατοικητήριον τῆς καρδίας φθαρτὸν καὶ ἀσθενὲς· ὅτι ἦν πλήρης μὲν εἰδωλολατρίας οἶκος, εἰδωλολατρίας ἦν οἶκος δαιμονίων, or rather (as Clemens Alexandrinus, more correctly omitting οἶκος εἰδωλολατρίας) καὶ ἦν οἶκος δαιμόνων· “ before we believed in the true God, the tabernacles of our hearts were impure and weak in truth, the very habitation of devils," saith Barnabase. Much to the same purpose, St. Augustineh, a Pædagog. Lib. a. c. 6. b De Baptismo, Orat. 40. e Just. Martyr. 4 Naz., ubi supra. 66 Philo-Judæus. Stromat., lib. ii. [p. 176.] Aug. cont. Julian., lib. i. c. 14. |