mys

ceal from them. For in those days there were no such teries in the Christian Church, and therefore the late invention of Schelstrate is a mere fiction and sophism to cover the nakedness of the present Roman Church. And the pretence of Bona,' concerning the prohibition of images in churches, made by the council of Eliberis, that it was only to conceal the secrets of religion from the knowledge of the heathen, is an absurd supposition, which neither Albaspinæus nor Petavius could digest, as I have showed more fully in another place, where I speak of the ornaments of the ancient churches.

SECT. 10.-Reasons for concealing these Things from the Catechumens. First, that the Plainness and Simplicity of them might not be contemned.

As to those things which they really concealed from the catechumens, the true reasons were, first that the plainness and simplicity of the Christian rites might not be contemned by them, or give any occasion of scandal or offence to them, before they were thoroughly instructed about the nature of the mysteries. For both Jews and Gentiles, out of whom Christian converts were made catechumens, were apt to deride the nakedness and simplicity of the Christian religion, as void of those pompous ceremonies and sacrifices, with which those other religions abounded. The Christian religion prescribed but one washing in water, and one oblation of bread and wine, instead of that multitude of bloody sacrifices, which the other religions commanded. Therefore, lest the plainness of these few ceremonies should offend the prejudiced minds of catechumens, before they were well instructed about them, the Christian teachers usually adorned these mysteries with great and magnificent titles, such as would convey noble ideas to the minds of men concerning their spiritual effects, but concealing their other names lest the simplicity of the things should offend them. When they speak of the eucharist, they never mentioned bread and wine, but the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ; and styled baptism, illumination, and life, the sacrament of faith and remission of sins, saying little in Book viii. chap. viii. s. 6.

Bona, Rer. Liturg. lib. i. cap. 16. n. 2.

This was

the mean time of the outward element of water. one plain reason, why they denied catechumens the sight of their sacraments and always spake in mystical terms before them. "We shut the doors," says Chrysostom, "when we celebrate our mysteries, and keep off all uninitiated persons from them, not because we acknowledge any imperfection in the things themselves, but because many are weakly affected toward them." And so St. Cyril, in the place mentioned above, “We speak not openly of our mysteries before the catechumens, but say many things mystically and obscurely, that they who know them may understand us, and they who know them not, may receive no harm." In like maner the synod of Alexandria,3 charging the Meletians for publishing the mystery of the eucharist before the catechumens, and what was worse, before the heathens, contrary to those rules of Scripture, "It is good to conceal the secrets of a king;" and "Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine;" they add, "that it is not lawful to bring mysteries upon the open stage before the uninitiated, lest the heathen through their ignorance should deride them, or the catechumens by their curiosity should be offended." Therefore there was an ancient rule in the Church, that if any uninitiated person had by any mistake been admitted to partake of the eucharist, he should be immediately instructed and baptized, that he might not go forth a contemner or despiser, as the author of the Apostolical Constitutions words it. And the fourth council of Toledo gives a like reason why such Jews, as had been baptized by force, should continue in the Christian profession, "lest the name of God should be blasphemed, and the faith which they had received, should be reputed vile and contemptible." Though they made a severe decree against obliging any Jews to be baptized by force or compulsion for the future.

1 Chrys. Hom. 23. in Mat. p. 236. * Apud Athanas. Apol. 2. tom, i. P. 731.

c. 25.

2

5

Cyril. Catech. 6. n. 16.

Constit. Apost. lib. vii.

5 Con. Tolet. 4. can. 56. Oportet ut fidem etiam, quam vi vel necessitate susceperunt, tenere cogantur, ne nomen Domini blasphemetur, et fides, quam susceperunt, vilis ac contemptibilis habeatur.

SECT. 11.-Secondly, to conciliate a Reverence for them. Another reason assigned for this discipline of silence was to conciliate a reverence in the minds of men for the mysteries which they kept so concealed from them. For as St. Basil observes, "the veneration of mysteries is preserved by silence;" and as things that are trite and obvious, are easily contemned; so those that are uncommon and reserved, are naturally adapted to beget in men an esteem and veneration, and therefore, he thinks, the Apostles and fathers of the Church, who made laws about these matters, prescribed secrecy and silence, to preserve the dignity of the mysteries. St. Austin gives the same reason for this practice, when he says, "it was the honour that was due to the mysteries, which made him pass them over in silence, and not explain them."

SECT. 12. Thirdly, to make the Catechumens more desirous to know them. St. Austin adds to this a third reason, which is, "that the mysteries of baptism and the eucharist, were therefore chiefly concealed from the catechumens, to excite their curiosity, and inflame their zeal and make them more earnest and solicitous in hastening to partake of them, that they might come to an experimental knowledge of them. "Though the sacraments," says he, "are not disclosed to the catechumens, it is not always because they cannot bear them, but that they may so much the more ardently desire them, by how much they are the more honourably hidden from them." And again, "The Jews acknowledge not the priesthood according to the order of Melchisedek. I speak to the faithful: if the catechumens understand it not, let them cast away their slowness and hasten to the knowledge

Basil. de Spir. Sancto, c. 27. Aug. Serm. i. inter 40. Edit. à Sirmondo, tom. x. Non mirari debetis, fratres charissimi, quod inter ipsa mysteria de mysteriis nihil diximus, quod non statim ea quæ tradidimus interpretati sumus. Adhibuimus enim tam sanctis rebus atque divinis honorem silentii. 9 Aug. Hom. 96. in Joh. Et si catechumenis sacramenta fidelium non produntur, non ideo fit quod ea ferre non possint, sed ut tanto ardentius ab eis concupiscantur, quanto eis honorabilius occulantur.

Aug. Hom. in Psal. 109. Judæi non agnoscunt sacerdotium secundùm ordinem Melchisedek. Fidelibus loquor, si quid non intelligunt catechumeni, auferant pigritiam, festinent ad notitiam.

of it. They that do not yet eat of this banquet,' let them hasten upon invitation. The feast of Easter is at hand. Give in your name to baptism. If the festival does not excite you, let curiosity draw you, that you may know that which is said, He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.'

These were the reasons which engaged the Ancients to conceal their mysteries from the catechumens; which, we plainly see, have no relation to such doctrines as that of transubstantiation, or the number of seven sacraments, or such superstitious practices as the worship of images, or saints, and angels, which are mere novelties, and the modern inventions of the Romish Church.

I have now gone through all things relating to the discipline of the catechumens in their preparation for baptism. We are next to take a view of baptism itself, and inquire into the manner how the Church administered it, and what rites and customs were observed in the celebration of it.

BOOK XI.

OF THE RITES AND CUSTOMS OBSERVED IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF BAPTISM IN THE PRI

MITIVE CHURCH.

CHAP. I.

Of the several Names and Apellations of Baptism in the Primitive Church.

SECT. 1.-The Names of Baptism most commonly taken from the Spiritual Effects of it.

THERE are a great many questions relating to the doctrine of baptism, which I intend not to make any part of the

Id. de Verbis Domini. Hom. 46. Qui nondum manducant, ad tales epulas invitati festinent.-Ecce Pascha est, da nomen ad baptismum. Si non te excitat festivitas, ducat ipsa curiositas, ut scias quid dictum sit, "Qui manducat carnem meam et bibit sanguinem meum, manet in me, et ego in eo."

subject of this Book, because they may be found in any didactical and polemical writers upon this head, and especially in Vossius's elaborate discourse De Baptismo, where he accurately canvasses all questions of this nature, and learnedly determines them from the doctrine of the Ancients. Here the reader may find a satisfactory account of all questions relating to the mystical signification and spiritual effects of baptism; such as are, First, regeneration. Secondly, adoption. Thirdly, reception into the covenant of grace. In which also is contained remission of sins, renovation of the Spirit, and eternal life, which are the noble effects, conferred on all those who rightly receive it. Here also he determines the questions,-How it comes to pass, that though sins are forgiven in baptism, yet concupiscence, the fuel or incentive of sin, remains still in the regenerate? And whence it is, that after baptism, we are still afflicted with diseases, and that as well infants as adult persons? How it comes to pass, that the magistrate has power to punish those sins which are committed before baptism, even after they are purged away and forgiven in baptism? With many other questions of the like nature, which are not necessary to come into this discourse. I shall also omit the question about the indelible character of baptism, which is pretended to be impressed upon the soul; and the questions about the administrator of baptism, and lay-baptism, and heretical baptism, because I have lately considered these distinctly and fully, in a first and second part of the Scholastical History of Lay-baptism. What remains therefore to be considered in this place, is only such other matters in the practice of the ancient Church relating to the administration of baptism, as have not yet been spoken of. And here, first of all, it will be proper to say something of the ancient names of baptism; some of which were taken from the internal and spiritual effects of it; others from the nature and substance of the action; others from the conditions required in the receivers; others from the external circumstances and rites observed in the administration.

SECT. 2. Hence Baptism called Indulgentia, Indulgence, or Absolution. From one of its noblest effects, it was sometimes styled