And in explaining these terms, he particularly notes that it had the name of unction, because it was a sacred and a royal thing, as those things usually were that were anointed. Whence every man was in some sense made a king and a priest to God by Christ in his baptism, upon which account St. Jerom1 styles baptism, Sacerdotium Laici, the layman's priesthood, in contradistinction to the clerical priesthood, which was only conferred by ordination. SECT. 4.-Wrioμòs, Illumination. Another effect of baptism was the enlightening men's understandings with divine knowledge. Hence baptism had the name of Pwriopos, Illumination, as it frequently occurs in Chrysostom, Nazianzen, Dionysius the Areopagite, the council of Laodicea, and many others. The reason of which name seems to be partly from the preceding instruction of the catechumens in their preparation for baptism, according to that of Justin Martyr,6" this laver is called illumination, because the minds of those, who learn these things, are enlightened." Then again, because it was the entrance on an enlightened state, and the introduction to divine knowledge, which grew by degrees to greater perfection: for Justin's words may be understood of the knowledge consequent to baptism. And so the reason is given by Clemens Alexandrinus,' and the author under the name of Dionysius,8 because it confers the first light, and is the introduction to all other divine illuminating mysteries, therefore from the effect, it was dignified with the name of illumination. Perhaps it might be so called in regard also that the baptized were now admitted to all the mysterious parts and recondite knowledge of religion, which by the discipline of the Church, were kept secret from them whilst they were Hieron. Dialog. advers. Lucifer. cap. 2. Sacerdotium Laici, id est, baptisma. Scriptum est enim, ' regnum quippe nos et sacerdotes Deo et patri suo fecit.' Et iterum, gentem sanctam, regale sacerdotium, &c. 2 Chrysost. Hom. 13. in Heb. p. 1848. 3 Naz. Orat. 40. de Bapt. p. 638. Dionys. Hierar. Eccl. cap. 2. 6 Con. Laod. can. 47. 6 Justin. Αpol. 2. p. 94. Καλεῖται δὲ τῦτο τὸ λετρὸν φωτισμὸς, ὡς φωτιζομένων τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν ταῦτα μανθανόντων. Clem. Alex. Pædagog. lib. i. c. 6. • Dionys. Eccl. Hier. cap. 3. p. 283. 'Eжɛidàv πρúτy pwròc μεταδίδωσι, και πασῶν ἐσιν ἀρχὴ τῶν θείων φωταγωγιῶν, ἐκ τῶ τελεμένε τὴν ἀληθῆ τῷ φωτίσματος ἐπωνυμίαν ὑμνᾶμεν. p. 93. catechumens. And perhaps some regard might be had to the plentiful effusion of the Spirit in the gift of tongues, knowledge, and prophecy, which in the apostolical age was immediately conferred at baptism, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles,1 SECT. 5.-And Salus, Salvation. Another effect of baptism, was eternal salvation, as it was the ordinary means, not only of obtaining remission of sins, but of bringing men by the grace and blood of Christ to the glory of the kingdom of Heaven. Whence, as St. Austin observes, it was very common among the Punic, or African Christians, to call baptism by the name of Salus, salvation; as they did the sacrament of the body of Christ, by the name of life, because these two sacraments were reputed necessary to the obtaining of salvation or eternal life. And upon this account Gregory Nazianzen, introducing a person pleading for liberty to delay his baptism, makes him speak after this manner; "I stay only for my father, or mother, or brother, or wife, or children, or friends, or some near relations, and then I will be saved,—ηvikaūta ow nooμaι;" the meaning of which must needs be, that then σωθήσομαι;” he would be baptized, in order to obtain salvation. Such honourable titles and appellations did the Ancients give to this sacrament of baptism, taken from the noble effects which it was supposed to confer on all those who were worthy partakers of it. SECT. 6. From the Nature and Substance of it, it was called Mysterium, Sacramentum, and 2opayiç. Next, from the nature and substance of it, it had the names of Mysterium, Sacramentum, and Eppayís. The two first of ♦ which are so common, and so well known to every reader, that I need not here spend time to explain them. Only I shall note, that the terms, mystery and sacrament, are sometimes taken in a larger sense, to signify any sacred ceremony, 1 Chrys. Hom. 54. de Util. Sect. Script. tom. v. p. 680. 2. Aug. de Pec. Merit. lib. i. c. 24. tom. vii. p. 294. Optimè Punici Christiani baptismum ipsum nihil aliud quàm salutem et sacramentum corporis Christi, nihil aliud quàm vitam vocant, &c. Naz. Orat. 40. de Bapt. p. 655. or any part of religion that had any thing of spiritual or mystical signification in it: of which there will be a more proper place to discourse, when we come to treat of confir mation. The name Zopayls, and Signaculum, the seal of the Lord, is a little more uncommon, as applied to baptism, and therefore has occasioned some errors among learned men, who often mistake it, either for the sign of the cross, or the consignation and unction that was used in confirmation. Thus in that famous discourse of Clemens Alexandrinus, intituled Quis Dives Salvetur? part of which is recorded in Eusebius, and the whole published by Combefis, it is said that the bishop, to whose care St. John had committed a certain young convert, first instructed or catechized him, and then gave him the perfect phylactery or preservative against sin, namely, the seal of the Lord,rv oppayida 75 Kupis. Now by the seal of the Lord, Christophorson, and Bellarmin, and others from him, understand confirmation. Mr. Seller, and some others, will have it to be the sign of the cross; but Valesius, and Daille,5 more truly expound it of baptism, which was called, the seal of the Lord, because in the very nature of it there is contained a covenant made between God and man; and baptism being the seal of this covenant, it was with the greatest propriety of speech styled, the seal of the Lord. In this sense the ancient author of the Acts of Paul and Thecla uses the name Eppayís, for baptism. Give me," says Thecla to St. Paul," the seal of Christ, and no temptation shall touch me." And Hermes Pastor, in like manner, speaking of some that were baptized and gone to heaven, uses the same dialect: "They that are now dead, were sealed with the seal of the Son of God,' and are entered into the kingdom 66 1 Euseb. lib. iii. c. 23, Seller, Life of Just. Martyr. p. 102. c. 17. 5 Dallæus de Confirmat. lib. ii. c. i. p. 110. Theclæ, ap. Grabe Spicileg. tom 1. p. 106. Δός μοι τὴν ἐν Χρισῷ σφραγίδα, κι εχ ἅψεται με πειρασμός. 7 Hermes Past. lib. iii. Simil, 9. n. 16. Illi igitur defuncti sigillo Filii Dei signati sunt, et intraverunt in regnum Dei, Antequam enim accipiat homo nomen Filii Dei, morti destinatus est; at ubi accipit illud sigillum, liberatur à morte, et traditur vitæ. Illud autem sigillum aqua est, in quam descendunt homines morti obligati, ascendunt verò vitæ assignati. Et illis igitur prædicatum est illud sigillum, et usi sunt eo ut intrarent in regnum Dei. 2 Combefis, Auctarium Novissimum, p. 185. + Vales. Not. in. Euseb. lib. iii. • Acta catechumens. And perhaps some regard might be had to the plentiful effusion of the Spirit in the gift of tongues, knowledge, and prophecy, which in the apostolical age was immediately conferred at baptism, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles,1 SECT. 5.-And Salus, Salvation. Another effect of baptism, was eternal salvation, as it was the ordinary means, not only of obtaining remission of sins, but of bringing men by the grace and blood of Christ to the glory of the kingdom of Heaven. Whence, as St. Austin observes, it was very common among the Punic, or African Christians, to call baptism by the name of Salus, salvation; as they did the sacrament of the body of Christ, by the name of life, because these two sacraments were reputed necessary to the obtaining of salvation or eternal life. And upon this account Gregory Nazianzen, introducing a person pleading for liberty to delay his baptism, makes him speak after this manner; "I stay only for my father, or mother, or brother, or wife, or children, or friends, or some near relations, and then I will be saved,—ηvikaūta ow nooμaι;" the meaning of which must needs be, that then he would be baptized, in order to obtain salvation. Such honourable titles and appellations did the Ancients give to this sacrament of baptism, taken from the noble effects which it was supposed to confer on all those who were worthy partakers of it. SECT. 6. From the Nature and Substance of it, it was called Mysterium, Sacramentum, and Zopayiç. Next, from the nature and substance of it, it had the names of Mysterium, Sacramentum, and Eppayiç. The two first of ♦ which are so common, and so well known to every reader, that I need not here spend time to explain them. Only I shall note, that the terms, mystery and sacrament, are sometimes taken in a larger sense, to signify any sacred ceremony, 1 Chrys. Hom. 54. de Util. Sect. Script. tom. v. p. 680. 2 Aug. de Pec. Merit. lib. i. c. 24. tom. vii. p. 294. Optimè Punici Christiani baptismum ipsum nihil aliud quàm salutem et sacramentum corporis Christi, nihil aliud quàm vitam vocant, &c. Naz. Orat. 40. de Bapt. p. 655. or any part of religion that had any thing of spiritual or mystical signification in it: of which there will be a more proper place to discourse, when we come to treat of confirmation. The name Zopayls, and Signaculum, the seal of the Lord, is a little more uncommon, as applied to baptism, and therefore has occasioned some errors among learned men, who often mistake it, either for the sign of the cross, or the consignation and unction that was used in confirmation. Thus in that famous discourse of Clemens Alexandrinus, intituled Quis Dives Salvetur? part of which is recorded in Eusebius, and the whole published by Combefis, it is said that the bishop, to whose care St. John had committed a certain young convert, first instructed or catechized him, and then gave him the perfect phylactery or preservative against sin, namely, the seal of the Lord, oppayida 75 Kupis. Now by the seal of the Lord, Christophorson, and Bellarmin, and others from him, understand confirmation. Mr. Seller,3 and some others, will have it to be the sign of the cross; but Valesius, and Daille, more truly expound it of baptism, which was called, the seal of the Lord, because in the very nature of it there is contained a covenant made between God and man; and baptism being the seal of this covenant, it was with the greatest propriety of speech styled, the seal of the Lord. In this sense the ancient author of the Acts of Paul and Thecla uses the name Eppayiç, for baptism. "Give me," says Thecla to St. Paul, "the seal of Christ, and no temptation shall touch me." And Hermes Pastor, in like manner, speaking of some that were baptized and gone to heaven, uses the same dialect: "They that are now dead, were sealed with the seal of the Son of God,' and are entered into the kingdom 1 Euseb. lib. iii. c. 23, Seller, Life of Just. Martyr. p. 102. Combefis, Auctarium Novissimum, p. 185. c. 17. Δός μοι τὴν ἐν Χρισῷ σφραγίδα, 7 Hermes Past. lib. iii. Simil, 9. n. 16. Illi igitur defuncti sigillo Filii Dei signati sunt, et intraverunt in regnum Dei. Antequam enim accipiat homo nomen Filii Dei, morti destinatus est; at ubi accipit illud sigillum, liberatur à morte, et traditur vitæ. Illud autem sigillum aqua est, in quam descendunt homines morti obligati, ascendunt verò vitæ assignati. Et illis igitur prædicatum est illud sigillum, et usi sunt eo ut intrarent in regnum Dei. |