tism, which it may not be improper to resolve in this place; that is, whether any additions were ever allowed to be made to the form of baptism in the Catholic Church? Some learned persons are of opinion, that such additions, when they were only by way of explication, and greater illustratration, to confirm the truth against heretics, were used in the form of baptism, as well as in the Creed. But I think Vossius, upon better grounds of reason and authority, more judiciously determines the contrary. Two authors are commonly alleged in favour of their assertion, viz. Justin Martyr and the author of the Constitutions, but neither of them comes fully up to the thing intended. For Justin Martyr, as Vossius observes,' is only giving a paraphrastical explication of the words used in baptism for the instruction of the heathens, to whom he is writing, when he tells them how the Christians baptized in the name of the Father of all things, who was Lord and God, and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, and of the Holy Ghost. And the Author of the Constitutions is yet more plain: for first of all, he tells every bishop and presbyter, that they ought to baptize precisely in that form of words which our Lord enjoined us, when he said, "Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you." And then he goes on to explain the several names of the three persons concerned, viz." that the Father is the person who sent, Christ the person who came, and the Paraclete or Comforter the person who bears witness." So that this was plainly an explication or paraphrase of the form of baptism only, and not the very form that was then in use. Nor can it be made appear, that ever the Catholic Church varied from the form delivered by our Saviour, though Vossius thinks a form

1 Justin. Apol. 2. n. 80. p. 107. Εν ὀνόματι τῷ Πατρὸς τῶν ὅλων και δεσπότε θεῖ, καὶ τὸ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χρισῦ Ἰησᾶ, καὶ Πνεύματος ̔Αγιο, το ἐν ὕδατι τότε λετρον ποινται. 2 Constit. Apost. lib. vii. c. 22. OUTW βαπτίσεις, ὡς ὁ Κύριος διετάξατο ἡμιν, λέγων, Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίσαντες αὐτους εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, και τοῦ ̔Αγίου Πνεύματος—τοῦ ἀποτείλαντος Πατρὸς, τοῦ ἐλθόντος Χριστοῦ, τοῦ μαρτυρήσαντες Παρακλήτου.

with such an orthodox addition would not destroy the essence of baptism, as those heretical forms certainly do, which corrupt the truth of the Catholic faith.

CHAP. IV.

Of the Subjects of Baptism, or an Account of what Persons were anciently allowed to be baptized. Where particularly of Infant-Baptism.

SECT. 1.-Why the Question about the Administrators of Baptism is here omitted.

HAVING spoken of the matter and form of baptism, I should now have considered the persons by whom this sacrament was anciently administered; but because I have lately had occasion to handle this subject fully in a scholastical way in two distinct discourses, it will be sufficient in this place to give this summary account of the matter. There I have showed, that bishops, as the Apostles' successors, were the persons chiefly entrusted with this power; that they granted power to presbyters to baptize in ordinary cases; to deacons sometimes in ordinary, and sometimes only in extraordinary cases; to laymen only in extraordinary cases of extreme necessity; that the usurped baptism of laymen was allowed to be valid, so far as not to need repeating, though given irregularly; that the baptism of women was wholly prohibited; that the baptism of Jews and Infidels was never allowed, though now accepted in the Church of Rome; that the baptism of heretics and schismatics was disannulled by the Cyprianists, and some few others, who required a trué faith, as well as a true form, to make a complete baptism; but that this opinion was rejected by the great body of the Catholic Church, who thought the defects of heretical baptism might be supplied by imposition of hands without rebaptizing; that yet it was agreed, both by the Cyprianists and all others whatsoever, that heretics and schismatics had

1 Scholastical History of Lay-Baptism, 1st and 2d Part, 1712 and 1714, To be republished at the end of this work.

not the power of priests, because some of them, as the Novatians, never had a just and legal call to the priesthood; and others were deprived of their power by the lawful authority of the Church, which first committed that power to them; that thenceforward they were reputed, not true Christian priests, but wolves and Anti-christs, instead of true shepherds and governors of the flock of Christ; that the Church had power, not only to suspend the execution of their office, but to cancel their commission, and wholly take away the power and authority of the priesthood from them; and then they were reduced to the state and condition of laymen; and sometimes they were not only degraded from the priesthood, but thrust down one degree below laymen, by being anathematized and cast out of the communion of the Church: and yet, notwithstanding all this, the Church did not think fit to cancel or wholly disannul the baptisms given by such men, though given by usurpation and without any authority of the priesthood, so long as it appeared, they were given in due form, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. All which things being abundantly proved in the two foresaid discourses, I think it not proper to repeat or insist any longer upon them; but shall now proceed, as the order of the discourse requires, to consider the persons on whom, baptism was anciently conferred.

SECT. 2.-Who were anciently reckoned the proper Subjects of Baptism. Where of the corrupt Custom of baptizing inanimate Things, as Bells in the Roman Church.

And here first of all, it is certain, that none but living persons, whether adult or infants, and that in their own personal capacity, were ever reckoned subjects capable of baptism in the primitive Church. The Ancients knew nothing of that profane custom of giving baptism to inanimate things, as bells and the like, by a superstitious consecration of them. The first notice we have of this is in the Capitulars of Charles the Great, where it is only mentioned to be censured: but afterward it crept into the

1 Capitular. Caroli Magni, cited by Durantus de Ritib. Eccl. lib. i. c. 22. n. 2. Ut Clocas non baptizent.

Roman offices by degrees, (as I have noted in another place' out of Baronius, Cardinal Bona, and Menardus,) till at last it grew to that superstitious height, as to be thought proper to be complained of in the Centum Gravamina of the German nation, drawn up in the public diet of the empire held at Norimberg, Anno 1518; where, after having described the ceremony of baptizing a bell with godfathers, who make responses, as in baptism, and give it a name, and clothe it with a new garment, as Christians were used to be clothed, and all this to make it capable of driving away tempests and devils they conclude against it, as not only a superstitious practice, but contrary to the Christian religion, and a mere seduction of the simple people, and an exaction upon them: for which reason, they declare, so wicked and unlawful a custom ought to be abolished. He that would see more of this, may consult Hospinian,3 or Wolfius, or Sleidan, who describe the ceremony at large out of the old Romish Pontifical; for I must return to the primitive Church.

6

5

SECT. 3.-Baptism not to be given to the Dead.

And here we meet with a practice a little more ancient, but not less superstitious than the former: which was a custom, that began to prevail among some weak people in Afric, of giving baptism to the dead. The third council of Carthage speaks of it, as a thing that ignorant Christians were a little fond of, and therefore gives a seasonable caution against it, to discourage the practice: and this is again repeated in the African Code. Gregory Nazianzen also takes notice of the same superstitious opinion

2 Centum

1 See Origin. vol. iii. book viii. chap. vii. p. 240. Gravam. n. 51. in Fasciculo Rer. Expetend. tom. i. p. 366. Quæ res non solum superstitiosa, sed etiam Christianæ religioni contraria, ac simpliciorum seductio, et mera est exactio.-Res igitur tam nefanda et illicita meritò aboleri debet. 8 Hospin. de Templis. lib. iv. c. 9. p. 113. 4 Wolfius, Lection. Memorabil. Centur. 16. an. 1550. 5 Sleidan, Commentar. lib. xxi. p. 388. 6 Con. Carth. iii. can. 6. Cavendum, ne mortuos baptizari posse fratrum infirmitas credat. 7 Cod. Eccles. Afr. can. 18. Μὴ τὸς ἤδη τελευτῶντας βαπτισθῆναι ποιήσῃ ἡ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἄγνοια. § Nąz. Orat. 40. de Bapt. p. 648. "H ǹ où μéveig vekρòg λεθῆναι; ἐ μᾶλλον ἐλεόμενος ἢ μισέμενος.

prevailing among some who delayed to be baptized. In his address to this kind of men, he asks them whether they stayed to be baptized after death? and doubts upon this account whether to esteem them greater objects of pity or contempt. Philastrius also notes it as the general error of the Montanists or Cataphrygians, " that they baptized men after death." The practice seems to be grounded upon a vain opinion, that when men had neglected to receive baptism in their life time, some compensation might be made for this default by receiving it after death. And for the same reason they gave the eucharist also to the dead in the like circumstances, which is equally condemned in the forementioned African Canons, as proceeding from gross ignorance in some presbyters, and want of a due understanding of the true intent and meaning of those holy institutions; for whose information they order provincial councils to be held twice a year, that they might be better instructed.

SECT. 4.-Nor to the Living for the Dead. Where of the Apostles meaning of being baptized for the Dead, 1 Cor. xv. 29.

2

Another absurd practice, prevailing among some of the ancient heretics, was a sort of vicarious baptism, which was, that when any one died without baptism, another was baptized in his stead. St. Chrysostom tells us this was practised among the Marcionites with a great deal of ridiculous ceremony, which he thus describes: "After any catechumen was dead, they hid a living man under the bed of the deceased, then coming to the dead man, they spake to him, and asked him whether he would receive baptism? and he making no answer, the other answered for him, and said, he would be baptized in his stead, and so they baptized the living for the dead, as if they were acting a comedy upon the stage, so great was the power of Satan in the minds of these vain men. Afterward when any one challenged them upon this practice, they had the confidence. to plead the Apostle's authority for it, Why are they then

1 Philastr. de Hæres. c. 2. de Cataphry. Hi mortuos baptizant, &c.

2 Chrys. Hom. 40. in 1 Cor. p. 688.