صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

Public

Baptism of
Infants.

Fontis."

anointing with oil, baptism, the anointing with chrism, the putting on the chrisom, and placing a lighted taper in the child's hand. If a Bishop were present, Confirmation was then administered. A Gospel from St. Mark was read, as a protection from the falling-sickness; followed by another Gospel from St. John.1 The water in Benedictio the font was changed on the Saturdays before Easter Day and Whitsun Day, and at other times, as often as might be required, but not while it continued pure and clean. The form for consecrating the fresh water consisted of the invocations of a Litany, Prayers, and many ceremonies,—breathing upon the water, and putting into it wax, oil, and chrism.2

In preparing a Reformed Service of Baptism, much use was made of the previous labours of Bucer and Melancthon in the 'Consultation' of Archbishop Hermann;3 and some ceremonies, which had the authority of that treatise, were retained in 1549, although afterwards discarded.

The first rubric was originally longer, and in the form of an Introduction to the Office:

The Reform indebted to

ed Office

Luther.

It appeareth by ancient writers that the Sacrament of Baptism Solemn in the old time was not commonly ministered but at two times in

[blocks in formation]

3 Hermann's Baptismal Service, borrowed word for word from Luther's Taufbüchlein (Daniel, Cod. Liturg. Eccl. Luth. p. 185), is printed at length in Mr. Fallow's Baptismal Offices Illustrated, pp. 29 sqq.; and also a comparative view of the Offices in the Sarum Manual, in Hermann's Consultation, and in the English Prayer Books of 1549 and 1552. Mr. Bulley (Communion and Baptismal Offices, pp. 90 sqq.) gives the Offices of 1549, 1552, and 1662, and also that in the Prayer Book for Scotland (1637).

times of Baptism.

Public

Baptism of

Infants.

Sponsors.

the year, at Easter and Whitsuntide, at which times it was openly ministered in presence of all the congregation: which custom (now being grown out of use) although it cannot for many considerations be well restored again, yet it is thought good to follow the same as near as conveniently may be: wherefore the people are to be admonished, that it is most convenient that Baptism should not be ministered but upon Sundays and other Holydays, &c.

Since the custom of observing solemn times of Baptism had long been disused, the mention of the custom was omitted in 1661. It was enough to specify the things which were necessary, which are, that the rite be administered at the font on a Sunday or a Holyday,' when the most number of people come together;' that the time in the Service be after the Second Lesson at Morning or Evening Prayer; and that three sponsors be required for each child:3 notice must also be given by the parents at least before the beginning of Morning Prayer. At

1 At Easter, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection, of which Baptism is a figure; and at Whitsuntide, in remembrance of the three thousand souls baptized by the Apostles at that time. In the Eastern Church, the feast of Epiphany was also assigned for the administration of this sacrament, in memory of our Saviour's Baptism. About the eighth or ninth century the Latin Church began to administer Baptism (as at first) at all times of the year. Wheatly.

2 We will that Baptism be ministered only upon the Sundays and Holydays, when the whole congregation is wont to come together, if the weakness of the infants let not the same, so that it is to be feared that they will not live till the next Holyday.'. Hermann's Consultation, fol. 164.

3 The rubric in the Sarum Manual was, 'Non plures quam unus vir et una mulier debent accedere ad suscipiendum parvulum de sacro fonte.... nisi alia fuerit consuetudo approbata:

tamen ultra tres amplius ad hoc nullatenus recipiantur: Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. p. 31. Our present rule, however, was the ancient custom in this country: Synod. Wigorn. (1240), cap. 5, Masculum ad manus duo masculi et una mulier suscipiant ; fœminam duæ mulieres et masculus unus' Mansi, XXIII. 527; Wilkins, I. 667. By Canon XXIX. (1604) no parent was admitted to answer as godfather for his own child: nor any person before he had received the Holy Communion. The American Rubric allows parents to be sponsors; which is also our rule since 1865.

[ocr errors]

4 Hermann's Consultation, fol. 164: But that all things may be ministered and received religiously and reverently, the parents of the infants shall signify the matter betimes to the pastors, and with the godfathers shall humbly require Baptism for their infants. That if the parents, or the godfathers, or both, be subject to manifest crimes, they

the last revision (1661) it was directed that the font should be filled with pure water at every time of Baptism.1

Public Baptism of

Infants.

and Ad

The preliminary inquiry is according to the old The Inquiry rubric,2 and the address is formed from an opening ex-dress. hortation in Hermann's 'Consultation.'3 The first prayer1 Thefirst was taken from the Reformed Service of Cologne, where Prayer. it follows the examination and exorcism:

Almighty God, which in old time didst destroy the wicked world with the flood, according to thy terrible judgment, and didst preserve only the family of godly Noah, eight souls, of thy unspeakable mercy; and which also didst drown in the Red Sea obstinate Pharaoh, the King of the Egyptians, with all his army and warlike power, and causedst thy people of Israel to pass over with dry feet; and wouldst shadow in them Holy Baptism, the laver of regeneration: furthermore, which didst consecrate Jordan with the Baptism of thy Son Christ Jesu, and other waters to holy dipping and washing of sins, we pray Thee for thy exceeding mercy look

may be corrected of the pastor if they will admit correction, or if they be incorrigible, that they may be kept from the communion of Baptism, lest they be present at so Divine a ministration unto damnation, and with danger of offending the Church....'

1 The rubric in the Prayer Book for Scotland (1637) ordered the water in the font to be changed twice in the month at least; and the following words were inserted into the first prayer, which were to be said before any child was baptized in the water so changed: 'Sanctify this fountain of Baptism, thou which art the sanctifier of all things.'

2 Ordo ad faciend. Catech.: 'inquirat sacerdos, utrum sit infans masculus an femina: deinde, si infans fuerit baptizatus domi.' Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. p. 3.

8 'Beloved in Christ Jesu, we hear daily out of the word of God, and learn by our own experience, that all we, from the fall of Adam, are con

ceived and born in sins, that we are
guilty of the wrath of God, and
damned through the sin of Adam,
except we be delivered by the death
and merits of the Son of God, Christ
Jesu our only Saviour.' Hermann, fol.
167. Therefore our Lord Christ,
disputing with Nicodemus, concludeth
thus, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God.' lb. fol. clxx.

4 Blunt (Annotated Prayer Book,
p. 218) pronounces this prayer as
being probably of great antiquity,
and translated by Luther in 1523,
appearing again in his revised Bap-
tismal Book' of 1524. From thence
it was taken into the Nuremberg
Office, and into the Consultation
of Archbishop Hermann in 1545.
The latter (above, p. 42) was trans-
lated into English in 1547; and the
prayer as it stands in the Prayer
Book of 1549 is almost identical with
this translation.

opening

Public Baptism of Infants.

The Second Prayer before the Gospel.

favourably upon this Infant; give him true faith, and thy Holy Spirit, that whatsoever filth he hath taken of Adam, it may be drowned, and be put away by this holy flood, that being separated from the number of the ungodly, he may be kept safe in the holy ark of thy Church,1 and may confess and sanctify thy name with a lusty and fervent spirit, and serve thy kingdom with constant trust and sure hope, that at length he may attain to the promises of eternal life with all the godly. Amen.2

The Second Prayer is taken from the old Office :-

Hæc sequens oratio dicitur super masculum tantum.

Deus, immortale præsidium omnium postulantium, liberatio supplicum, pax rogantium, vita credentium, resurrectio mortuorum: te invoco super hunc famulum tuum N. qui Baptismi tui donum petens, æternum consequi gratiam spirituali regeneratione desiderat. Accipe eum, Domine : et quia dignatus es dicere, petite ac accipietis, quærite et invenietis, pulsate et aperietur vobis, petenti præmium porrige, et januam pande pulsanti: ut æternam cœlestis lavacri benedictionem consecutus, promissa tui muneris regna percipiat. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum.3

1 A clause was inserted in 1549, that the children may be received into the ark of Christ's Church, and so saved from perishing.' This, as excluding unbaptized infants from salvation, was omitted in 1552, together with the mention of the destruction of the old world and of wicked king Pharaoh by water. Cf. Cranmer, Reform. Legum, 'de Baptismo:' 'Illorum etiam videri debet scrupulosa superstitio, qui Dei gratiam et Spiritum Sanctum tantopere cum sacramentorum elementis colligant, ut plane affirment, nullum Christianorum infantem salutem esse consecuturum, qui prius morte fuerit occupatus, quam ad Baptismum adduci potuerit: quod longe secus habere judicamus. See Laurence, Bampt. Lect. pp. 69 sq.

2 Hermann's Consultation, fol. 175. This prayer was followed in 1549 by the ceremony of making a cross upon the child's forehead and breast, with

the words, 'N. receive the sign of the holy cross, both in thy forehead, and in thy breast, in token that thou shalt not be ashamed to confess thy faith in Christ crucified, and manfully to fight, &c.'

3 Manual. Sar. Ordo ad faciend. Catech. Maskell, p. 7. This was followed in 1549 by a form of exorcism: 'Then let the priest, looking upon the children, say, I command thee, unclean spirit, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that thou come out, and depart from these infants, whom our Lord Jesus Christ hath vouchsafed to call to His holy Baptism, to be made members of His body, and of His holy congregation. Therefore, thou cursed spirit, remember thy sentence, remember thy judgment, remember the day to be at hand wherein thou shalt burn in fire everlasting, prepared for thee and thy angels. And presume not hereafter to exercise any

The Gospel in the old Office was taken from St. Matthew:1 the corresponding passage from St. Mark, now read in our Service, was appointed in Hermann's 'Consultation,' where also it was followed by a short address, which furnished the idea and the matter of our brief Exhortation upon the words of the Gospel :

Believe these words, and this deed of our Lord Jesu Christ upon them, and doubt not but that He will so receive your children also, and embrace them with the arms of His mercy, and give them the blessing of eternal life, and the everlasting communion of the kingdom of God. The same Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ confirm and increase this your faith. Amen.'

The Prayer, or Thanksgiving, which follows this Exhortation, comes from the same source, where it formed the conclusion of the Catechism and Exorcism on the day preceding the Baptism :

Almighty and everlasting God, heavenly Father, we give Thee eternal thanks, that Thou hast vouchsafed to call us to this knowledge of thy grace, and faith towards Thee. Increase and confirm this faith in us evermore. Give thy Holy Spirit to this infant, that he may be born again, and be made heir of everlasting salvation, which of thy grace and mercy Thou hast promised to thy holy Church, to old men, and to children, through our Lord Jesus Christ, which liveth and reigneth with Thee now and for ever. Amen.3

tyranny towards these infants, whom Christ has bought with His precious blood, and by this His holy Baptism called to be of His flock.' Compare Maskell, pp. 7 sq.; Hermann, fol. 174. 1 Matt. xix. 13-15.

2 Hermann's Consultation, fol. 175. Comp. also the Exhortation before Baptism, fol. 167: '. . which would have the infants to be offered unto Him, that He might give them His blessing. And be ye most certain hereof, that our Lord Jesus Christ will mercifully regard this work of your charity towards this infant.' This was followed in 1549 by

[ocr errors]

the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed,
according to the order of Hermann's
Service, and of the Old Office.

3 Hermann's Consultation, fol. 176.
In the Prayer Book (1549) the Intro-
ductory Service at the church-door
ended here with the ceremony of
introducing the children into the
church, with the words, 'The Lord
vouchsafe to receive you into His
holy household, and to keep and go-
vern you alway in the same, that you
may have everlasting life. Amen.'
This was the conclusion of the Ordo
ad faciend. Catechumenum: Maskell,
p. 13.

Public Baptism of Infants.

The Gospel

and Ad

dress.

The Thanksthe Gospel.

giving upon

« السابقةمتابعة »