home, if their own Minifter refuse it, will get fome other Sect. I. to do it. But fuch perfons ought calmly to confider how contrary to reafon and the plain defign of the inftitution of this Sacrament, this perverfe cuftom, and their obftinate perfifting in it, is. For what is the end of that facred ordinance, but to initiate the perfon into the Church of Chrift, and to intitle him to the privileges of it? And where can there be a better reprefentation of that fociety, than in a congregation affembled after the most folemn and confpicuous manner for the worship of God, and for the testifying of their communion in it? Where can the profeffion be more properly made before fuch admiffion; where the ftipulation given, where the promise to undertake the duties of a Chriftian, but in fuch an affembly of Chriftians? How then can all this be done in confufion and precipitance, without any timely notice or preparation, in private, in the corner of a Bed-Chamber, Parlour, or Kitchen, (where I have known it to be adminiftered,) and there perhaps out of a Bafon, or Pipkin, a Tea-Cup, or a Punch-Bowl, (as the excellent Dr. Wall with indignation obferves 94,) and in the presence of only two or three, or scarce fo many as may be called a congregation? The ordinance is certainly public; public in the nature and end of it, and therefore fuch ought the celebration of it to be; the neglect whereof is the less excufable, because it is fo eafily remedied. nal and an II. The next rubric (which was added at the last re- Rubric 2. view) is concerning the Godfathers and Godmothers. The The origiufe of which in the Chriftian church was derived from the tiquity of Jews, as well as the initiation of Infants itself 95. And it Godfathers is by fome believed that the witnesses mentioned by Ifaiah and Godat the naming of his fon 96, were of the fame nature with mothers. these fureties 97. §. 2. In the primitive church they were fo early, that The use of it is not eafy to fix the time of their beginning. Some of them. the most ancient fathers make mention of them 98, 98 and through all the fucceffive ages afterwards we find the use of them continued, without any fcruple or interruption, till the Anabaptifts, and other Puritans of late years, raised 94 See Dr. Wall against Mr. Gale, page 405. 95 See this proved in Dr. Lightfoot, vol. ii. page 119. 96 Ifaiah viii. 2. 97 Vid. Jun. et Tremel, in locum. 98 Igor Pigorris, Juft. Mart. ad Orthodoxos. 'Avádoxa, Dionyf. Areop. Ecclef. Hier. c. 2. p. 77. B. C. Sponfores, Tert, de Bapt. c. 18. pag. 231. C. Fidejuffores, Auguftin. Serm. 168. in Append. ad tom. v. col. 329. C. fome Z 3 Chap.VII. fome idle clamours against them. Some of these I fhall have a properer place to speak to hereafter. In the mean while I defire to obferve in general, that since the laws of all nations (because Infants cannot speak for themselves) have allowed them guardians to contract for them in fecular matters; which contracts, if they be fair and beneficial, the Infants must make good when they come to age; it cannot, one would think, be unreasonable for the church to allow them fpiritual guardians, to promise those things in their name, without which they cannot obtain falvation. And this too, at the fame time, gives fecurity to called Sure the church, that the children fhall not apoftatize, from ties, Wit- whence they are called fureties; provides monitors to every Godfathers, Chriftian, to remind them of the vow which they made in their prefence, from whence they are called witnesses; and better reprefents the New Birth, by giving the Infants new and fpiritual relations, whence they are termed Godfathers and Godmothers. Whence neffes, and &c. The number of them. The quali §. 3. How long the church has fixed the number of thefe fureties, I cannot tell: but by a constitution of Edmund Archbishop of Canterbury, A. D. 1236 99, and in a Synod held at Worcester, A. D. 1240', I find the fame provision made as is now required by our rubric, viz. That there fhould be for every Male Child that is to be baptized, two Godfathers and one Godmother, and for every Female one Godfather and two Godmothers. §. 4. By the twenty-ninth canon of our church, no Pa-, fications of rent is to be admitted to answer as Godfather for his oun perfons to child. For the parents are already engaged under fuch be admitted ftrict bonds, both by nature and religion, to take care of and God- their children's education, that the Church does not think Godfathers mothers. she can lay them under greater: but ftill makes provifion, that if, notwithstanding these obligations, the parents fhould be negligent, or if it fhould please God to take them to himself before their children be grown up; there yet may be others, upon whom it fhall lie to fee that the children do not want due inftructions, by means of such careleffness, or death of their parents. And for a farther prevention of people's entering upon this charge, before they are capable of understanding the truft they take upon themselves, it is farther provided by the above-mentioned 99 Bishop Gibfon's Codex, vol. i. Synod. Wigorn. cap. 5. apud col. 575. C. 2 See also Queen Elizabeth's Advertisements, A. D. 1564. in Bishop Sparrow's Collection, page 125. canon, canon, that no perfon be admitted Godfather or Godmo- Sect. I. ther, before the faid perfon fo undertaking hath received the holy Communion. lower end III. When there are children to be baptized, the parents Rubric 3. fhall give knowledge thereof over night, or in the morning, before the beginning of morning prayer, to the Curate. And then the Godfathers and Godmothers, and the people with the children, must be ready at the Font *, fo called, I fuppofe, Fonts, why because Baptism, at the beginning of Chriftianity, was fo called. performed in Springs or fountains. They were at first built near the church, then in the church-porch, and afterwards (as it is now usual amongst us) placed in the church itself, but still keeping the lower end, to intimate that Baptifin Why placis the entrance into the myftical church. In the primitive ed at the times we meet with them very large and capacious, not of the only that they might comport with the general cuftoms church. of those times, viz. of perfons being immerfed or put un- Formerly der water; but also because the ftated times of Baptifm very large. returning fo feldom, great numbers were usually baptized at the fame time. In the middle of them was always a partition; the one part for men, the other for women; that fo, by being baptized afunder, they might avoid giving offence and fcandal. But immerfion being now too generally discontinued, they have fhrunk into little small fonts, fcarce bigger than mortars, and only employed to hold lefs bafons with water, though this last be expressly contrary to an ancient advertisement of our church3. It Why made is ftill indeed required that there be a font in every church of ftone. made of stone, because, faith Durand 5, the water that typified Baptifin in the wilderness, flowed from a rock, and because Chrift, who gave forth the living water, is in Scripture called the Corner-Stone and the Rock. * Must be ready at the Church-door. So the first book of King Edward, which alfo orders in the last rubric at the end of the office, that if the number of children to be baptized, and the multitude of people prefent be so great that they cannot conveniently fland at the church-door, then let them ftand within the church in fome convenient place, nigh unto the church-door; and there all things to be faid and done appointed to be faid and done at the church-door. Baptifm, after the Chap. VII. §. 2. At this font the children, &c. are to be ready, ei ther immediately after the laft leffon at morning prayer, or why to be elfe immediately after the last leffon at evening prayer, as the performed Curate by his difcretion fhall appoint. The reafon of which I take to be, because by that time the whole congregation is fuppofed to be affembled; which fhews the irregularity (which prevails much in fome churches) of putting off chriftenings till the whole fervice is over, and fo reducing them (by the departing of the congregation) to almoft private Baptifins. fecond leffon. The firft SECT. II. Of the preparative Prayers and Exhortations, tó I. queftion. Prieft coming to the Font, (which is then to be filled with pure water,) as our prefent rubric directs, and Standing there, is, in the firft place, to afk, Whether the child has been already baptized or no? The reafon of which is, becaufe Baptifm is never to be repeated: for as there is but one Lord, and one Faith, fo there is but one Baptifm". And in the primitive church thofe that ftood up fo earnestly for rebaptizing those who had been baptized by heretics, did not look upon that as a fecond Baptifm, but efteemed that which had been conferred by heretics as invalid; feeing heretics, being out of the church, could not give what they had not. And others, rather than repeat that Sacrament, allowed even that Baptifm to be valid which was administered by heretics, if it appeared that it had been performed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. The Exhortation. II. If the Minifter be answered, that the child hath not been baptized, he then begins the folemnity with an Exhortation to prayer: for there being a mutual covenant in this Sacrament between God and Man, fo vaft a difproportion between the parties, and fo great a condefcenfion on the part of the Almighty, (who defigns only our advantage by it, and is moved by nothing but his own free grace to agree to it ;) it is very reasonable, the whole folemnity fhould be begun with an humble address to God. 229, &c. Apoft. Conft. 1. 6. c. 15. Cyril. Hierof. Præf. §. 4. p. 6. The two III. For which purpose follow two Prayers: in the first Sect. II. of which we commemorate how God did typify this Sal-1 vation, which he now gives by Baptifm, in faving Noah Prayers. and his family by Water, and by carrying the Ifraelites fafe through the Red-Sea 1, as alfo how Christ himself, by being baptized, fanctified Water to the mystical washing away of fin: and upon thefe grounds we pray that God by his Spirit will wash and fanctify this child, that he may be delivered from his wrath, received into the ark of his church, and fo filled with grace as to live holily here, and happily hereafter *. In the fecond prayer, to exprefs our earneftnefs and importunity, we again renew our address, requesting, first, That this child may be pardoned and regenerated; and, fecondly, That it may be adopted and accepted by Almighty God. §. 2. Between these two prayers in King Edward's first Double Liturgy, the Priest was to ask the name of the child of its croffing of Godfathers and Godmothers, and then to make a Grofs baptized in the perfons upon its Forehead and Breaft, faying, the primi church. N. Receive the fign of the holy Cross both in thy Forehead tive and in thy Breaft, in token that thou shalt not be ashamed to confefs thy Faith in Chrift crucified; and fo on as in our own form, only speaking all along to the child. This is now done only upon the Forehead, and referved till after the child is baptized: though it is manifeft there were anciently in the primitive church two feveral fignings with the crofs: viz. one before Baptifm ", as was ordered by our firft Liturgy; and the other after it, which was used with Unction at the time of Confirmation, of which I shall have occafion to speak hereafter. Why the Croffing which we now retain is ordered after Baptifm, will be fhewn when I come to that part of the fervice. §. 3. After the fecond of these prayers, in the first Li- Exorcifing, turgy of King Edward, follows a form of exorcifm, which an ancient I have printed in the margin †, which was founded Baptifm. upon The first prayer in King Edward's book was a little differently expreffed; but to the same sense, the language only being afterwards amended. †Then let the Prieft, looking upon the Children, fay, I command thee, unclean Spirit, in the name of the Father, of the 91 Pet. iii. 20, 21. 10 1 Cor. X. 2. Son, 11 Ambr. de iis qui initiantur, c. 4. Auguft. de Symbolo, 1. 2. c. 1. |