Chap.VII. merfed in. The fame may be faid concerning Bafilides, who, Eufebius tells us, was baptized by fome brethren in prifon 39. For the ftrict cuftody, under which Christian prisoners were kept, (their tyrannical jailors hardly allowing them neceffaries for life, much lefs fuch conveniences as they defired for their religion,) makes it more than probable that this must have been done by affufion only of fome fmall quantity of water. And that Baptifin in this way was no unheard-of practice before this, may be gathered from Tertullian, who, fpeaking of a person of uncertain repentance offering himself to be baptized, asks, Who would help him to one fingle Sprinkling of water 4° ? The Acts alfo of St. Laurence, who fuffered martyrdom about the fame time as St. Cyprian, tells us how one of the foldiers that were to be his executioners, being converted, brought a pitcher of water for St. Laurence to baptize him with. And laftly, St. Cyprian, being confulted by one Magnus, in reference to the validity of Clinic Baptifm, (i. e. fuch as was adminiftered to fick perfons on their beds by afperfion or fprinkling,) not only allows, but pleads for it at large, both from the nature of the Sacrament, and defign of the Inftitution. It is true, fuch perfons as were fo baptized, were not ordinarily capable of being admitted to any office in the church42: but then the reafon of this, as is intimated by the council of Neocæfarea, was not that they thought this manner of Baptifm was lefs effectual than the other, but because fuch a perfon's coming to the faith was not voluntary, but of neceffity. And therefore it was provided by the fame council, that if the diligence and faith of a perfon fo baptized did afterwards prove commendable, or if the scarcity of others, fit for the holy offices, did by any means require it, a Clinic Christian might be admitted into holy orders 43. However, except upon extraordinary occafions, Baptism was feldom, or perhaps never, adminiftered for the four first centuries, but by immerfion or dipping. Nor is afperfion or fprinkling ordinarily ufed, to this day, in any country that was never fubject to the Pope. And among those that fubmitted to his authority, England was the 39 Eufeb. Hift. Eccl. 1. 6. c. 5. 41 Cypr. Ep. 69. ad Magnum, p. 185, &c. 42 Eufeb. Hift. Eccl. 1. 6. c. 43. 43 Concil. Neocæf. Can. 12. 44 See this proved in Dr. Wall's Hiftory of Infant-Baptifm, part ii. chap. 9. §. 2. laft laft place where it was received. Though it has never Sect. III, obtained fo far as to be enjoined, dipping having been always prescribed by the rubric. The Salisbury Miffal, printed in 1530, (the laft that was in force before the Reformation,) exprefsly requires and orders dipping. And in the firft Common Prayer-Book of King Edward VI. the Prieft's general order is to dip it in the water, fo it be dif creetly and warily done; the rubric only allowing, if the child be weak, that then it shall fuffice to pour water upon it. Nor was there any alteration made in the following books, except the leaving out the order to dip it thrice, which was prefcribed by the first book. firft came However, it being allowed to weak children (though How Affuftrong enough to be brought to church) to be baptized by fion or Affufion; many fond ladies at firft, and then by degrees Sprinkling the common people, would perfuade the minifter that in practice. their children were too tender for dipping. But what principally tended to confirm this practice was, that feveral of our English divines flying into Germany and Switzerland, &c. during the bloody reign of Queen Mary, and returning home when Queen Elizabeth came to the crown, brought back with them a great love and zeal to the cuftoms of thofe Proteftant churches beyond fea, where they had been sheltered and received. And confequently having obferved that in Geneva, and fome other places, Baptifni was ordered to be performed by affufion46, they thought they could not do the church of England a greater piece of fervice, than to introduce a practice dictated by fo great an oracle as Calvin. So that in the latter times of Queen Elizabeth, and during the reigns of King James and King Charles I. there were but very few children dipped in the font. And therefore when the questions and anfwers in relation to the Sacraments were first inferted at the end of the Catechifm, upon the acceffion of King James I. to the throne, the answer to the queftion, What is the outward vifible fign or form in Baptifm? was this that follows: Water, wherein the perfon baptized is dipped, or Sprinkled with it in the name of the Father, &c. And afterwards, when the Directory was put out by the Parliament, affufion (to those who could fubmit to their ordinance) began to have a fhew of establishment; it being declared not only lawful, but fufficient and most expedient that children Should be baptized, by pouring or Sprinkling of water on the *** 45 Dr. Wall, ibid. 46 See Calvin's Inftitutions, 1. 4. c. 15. §. 19. and Tractat. Theolog. A a 3 Chap. VII.face. And as it were for the farther prevention of immerfion or dipping, it was particularly provided that Baptism fhould not be administered in the places where fonts, in the time of Popery, were unfitly and fuperftitiously placed. And accordingly (which was equal to the reft of their reformation) they changed the Font into a Bason: which being brought to the Minifter in his reading desk, and the child being held below him, he dipped in his fingers, and fo took up water enough just to let a drop or two fall on the child's face 47. Thefe Reformers, it feems, could not recollect that Fonts to baptize in had been long used before the times of Popery, and that they had no where been difcontinued from the beginning of Chriftianity, but in fuch places where the Pope had gained authority. But our divines at the Restoration, understanding a little better the fenfe of Scripture and antiquity, again reftored the order for Immerfion : however, for prevention of any danger to the child, the Priest is advised to be firft certified that it will well endure it. So that the difference between the old rubric, and what it is now, is only this: As it ftood before, the Priest was to dip, unless there was an averment or allegation of weakness; as it stands now, he is not to dip, unless there be an averment or certifying of Strength, fufficient to endure it. This order, one would think, should be the most unexceptionable of any that could be given; it keeping as clofe to the primitive rule for Baptifm, as the coldness of our region, and the tendernefs wherewith Infants are now ufed, will fometimes admit. Though Sir John Floyer, in a difcourfe on Cold Baths, hath fhewn, from the nature of our bodies, from the rules of medicine, from modern experience, and from ancient history, that nothing would tend more to the prefervation of a child's health, than dipping it in Baptifm. However, the parents not caring to make the experiment, take fo much the advantage of the reference that is made to their judgments concerning the ftrength of their children, as never to certify they may well endure dipping. It is true indeed, the question is now feldom asked; because the child is always brought in fuch a drefs, as fhews that there is no intention that it fhould be dipped. For whilft dipping in the font continued in fashion, they brought the child in fuch fort of clothing, as might be taken off and put on again without 47 See Dr. Wall's Hiftory of Infant-Baptifm, part ii. chap. 9. page 472. Edit. 2. any any hindrance or trouble. But fince the church not only Sect. III. permits, but requires dipping, where it is certified the child may well endure it; and confequently fince the Minifter is always ready to dip, whenfoever it is duly required of him; it is very hard that any fhould urge the not dipping or immerfing, as a plea for feparation, merfion an ancient §. 2. But to proceed: by King Edward's first book, the Trine ImMinifter is to dip the child in the water thrice; first dipping the right fide; fecondly, the left fide; the third time, practice. dipping the face toward the font. This was the general practice of the primitive church, viz. to dip the perfon thrice, i. e. once at the name of each perfon in the Trinity, the more fully to express that facred mystery 48. Though fome later writers fay this was done to represent the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of our Saviour, together with his three days continuance in the grave 49. St. Austin joins both these reasons together, as a double mystery of this ancient rite, as he is cited by Gratian to this purpose 50. Several of the fathers, that make mention of this custom, own, that there is no command for it in Scripture: but then they speak of it as brought into ufe by the Apoftles 5; and therefore the fiftieth of the canons that are called Apoftolical, depofes any Bishop or Prefbyter that adminifters Baptism without it. But afterwards, when the Arians made a wicked advan- Why diftage of this custom, by perfuading the people that it was continued, ufed to denote that the perfons in the Trinity were three diftinct fubftances; it first became a custom 52, and then a law 53, in the Spanish church, only to use one fingle immerfion; because that would exprefs the Unity of the Godhead, while the Trinity of perfons would be fufficiently denoted by the perfon's being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. However, in other parts of the church, Trine Immerfion moft commonly prevailed, as it does in the Greek church to this very day 48 Tertul. adv. Prax. c. 26. p. 516. A. et de Coron. Mil. c. 3. Bafil. de Sp. San&t. c. 27. Hieron. adv. Lucif. C. 4. Hierar. Ecclef. c. 2. Ambrof. de Sacram. 1. 2. c. 7. Can. Ap. 50. Baf. 92. Leo. IX. 49 Greg. Nyff. de Bapt. Chrifti, tom. iii. p. 372. Cyril. Catech. Myftag. 2. n. 4. Leo, Ep. 4. ad Epif. Siculos, c. 3. 5 Aug. Hom. 3. apud Gratian. de Confecrat. Dift. 4. c. 78. 54 51 Tertul.de Coron. Mil. c. 3. p. 102. A. Cyril. Catech. Myftag. 2. §. 4. pag. 286. B. Sozomen. Hift. Ecclef. 1. 6. c. 26. p. 673. D. Hieron. adv. Lucif. 52 Concil. Conftant. Can. 7. Greg. Epift. ad Leandrum Reg. 1. 1. c. 4r, 53 Concil. Tolet. 4. Can. 6. tom. v. col. 1706 54 See Sir Paul Rycaut and Dr. Smith's Accounts of the Greek Church. ла 4 Upon Chap. VII. Upon what account it was omitted in the fecond book of King Edward, I do not find: but there being no order in the room of it to confine the Minister to a single Immerfion, I prefume it is left to his judgment and difcretion to ufe which he pleases. The form IV. When the Prieft dips or pours Water upon the of words. child, he is to fay, (calling the child by its name,) N. I baptize thee, which was always the form of the Western church. The Eastern church ufeth a little variation, Let N. be baptized, &c. 55 or elfe, The fervant of God, fuch a one, is baptized, &c. but the fenfe is much the fame: however, in the next words, viz. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, all orthodox Chriftians did ever agree; because they are of Christ's own appointment, and for that reafon unalterable. Wherefore, when the heretics prefumed to vary from this form, they were cenfured by the church, and thofe Baptifins declared null, which were not administered in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. Some indeed took liberty to mingle a paraphrafe with them, baptizing in the name of the Father who fent, of the Son that came, and of the Holy Ghoft that witneffed 57; but our Reformers thought it more prudent to preferve our Lord's own words entire, without addition or diminution. Of the ture, or Now by baptizing in the name of the three perfons, is not only meant that it is done by the commiffion and authority of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; but also that we are baptized into the faith of the holy Trinity; and are received into that fociety of men, who are diftinguished from all false profeffions in the world, by believing in three perfons and one God. V. By the firft Common Prayer of King Edward, after white Vef- the child was thus baptized, the Godfathers and Godmothers were to lay their hands upon it, and the Minifter was to put upon him his white Vefture, commonly called the Chrifome, and to fay; Chrifome. Take this white Vefture as a token of the Innocency, which, by God's grace, in this holy Sacrament of Baptifm, is given unto thee, and for a fign whereby thou art admonished fo long as thou liveft, to give thyself to innocence of living, that after this tranfitory life thou mayft be partaker of the life everlafting. Amen. 55 See the Euchologion. 56 See Sir Paul Rycaut and Dr. Smith's Accounts of the Greek Church. 57 Conft. Ap. 1. 7. c. 22. |