ADVERTISEMENT.

This Work presupposes a good verbal knowledge of the Church Catechism; which should be ascertained in the first instance. See Appendix, Chap. II.

The passages of Holy Scripture referred to after the word See, being the more important, should be written out, and learnt by heart; those which follow the word Compare or Comp. may be looked out and read, or passed over, at the discretion of the Catechiser.

It is recommended that the Devotional extracts from the Prayer Book, appended to each Chapter in illustration of the doctrine it contains, should be learnt by heart.

And that a copy of Bp. Ken's Manual of Prayers, to which reference is made in the following pages, be placed in the hands of each Catechumen.

The Canons referred to are those of the Church of England, except when otherwise specified.

CATECHESIS,

&c.

CHAPTER I.

OF HOLY BAPTISM.

Faithful is HE that calleth you, WHO also will do it.-1 Thess. v. 24. The foundation. of the Doctrine of Baptisms.-Heb. vi. 1, 2.

¶ READ over the Baptismal Service. See Appendix, Chap. I.

I. Why is it necessary first to understand HOLY BAPTISM in preparing for CONFIRMATION ?

Because Confirmation is the confirming, that is, the strengthening and completing, of what took place in Baptism. See below, Chap. II.

II. What were the conditions "required" of you beforehand, in order to your receiving Holy Baptism? 1. Repentance, "whereby I," &c. See Acts ii. 38. 2. Faith, "whereby I," &c. See Acts viii. 3538. Mark xvi. 16. "He that believeth and is baptized," &c. Comp. Heb. xi. 6.

See also Acts viii. 12, 13. (Samaritans and Simon Magus.) xvi. 14, 15. (Lydia of Thyatira.) xvi. 31. 33. (Jailor of Philippi.) xviii. 8. (Crispus, and other Corinthians.)

B

III. How are these two conditions elsewhere in

the Catechism represented as three ?

"They (my Sponsors) did promise and vow," &c.

1. Renouncing,

2. Believing,

3. Purpose of Obeying,

i. e. Repentance.

}

i. e. Faith.

Compare Bapt. Serv. "Dost thou renounce," &c. "Dost thou believe," &c. "Wilt thou then obediently keep," &c.

IV. What warrant had others to become your Sponsors (spondeo), and to promise these things in your name when you were too young to promise them for yourself?

1. The charge, encouraging invitation, and gesture of Christ. See Mark x. 13-16. Comp. Luke xviii. 15. ("Infants," rà ẞoépn.) Bapt. Serv. 2nd Exhort.

2. Practice of the Jews in circumcising infants, as commanded by God. See Gen. xvii. 9-14. Luke i. 59. (John the Baptist.) ii. 21. (Jesus Christ.)

3. Practice of the Apostles in baptizing whole families. See Acts xvi. 15. (Household of Lydia.) Comp. xvi. 33. (Of the Philippian Jailor.) 1 Cor. i. 16. (Of Stephanas.)

4. Practice of the Church in all ages.-See Art. XXVII.

Repentance and Faith, gifts of the Holy Ghost, through the Church, to Infants', by their Sponsors'. See Bapt. Serv. 2nd Exhort. "this charitable work of OURS." Comp. Mark ii. 3—5. (Friends of Paralytic.) Matt. xv. 21-28. (Woman of Canaan.)

1 "Secundum Ecclesiæ observantiam etiam parvulis Baptismus datur." Orig. in Levit. Hom. viii. 84. Vol. ii. p. 230.

2 "Offeruntur quippe parvuli ad percipiendam spiritualem gratiam non tam ab iis quorum gestantur manibus (quamvis et ab ipsis, si et ipsi boni fideles sunt) quàm ab universâ societate sanctorum atque fidelium : tota hoc Mater Ecclesia, quæ in sanctis est, facit, quia tota omnes, tota singulos parit." St. August. ad Bonif. Episc. Epist. xcviii. Vol. ii. p. 397. Ed. Par.

1836.

V. By what other names are Sponsors commonly called? Why do they bear these names?

1. Sureties1: i. e. securities to the Church that we shall be brought up so as to fulfil the promises they have made for us, and that, in due time, we shall be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop. See Exhort. at the end of Bapt. Serv.

2. Godfathers and Godmothers: i. e. Three Persons who act as God's instruments in bringing us to be born again of God at the holy font

(fons, fountain of Baptism). See below, § x.

1 In the case of adult Baptism they are called Witnesses. See Exhort. at the end of Bapt. Serv. for such as are of ripcr years.

VI. What else, besides these new Parents, was given you in your Baptism to remind you still further of your being born anew?

A new Name. See Is. lxii. 2. Comp. Gen. xvii. 4, 5. 15. (Abraham and Sarah.) Luke i. 59-63. (John Bapt.) ii. 21. (Jesus.) Comp. also Is. xliv. 1. 5. The Christian name, though received after, stands before the Sirname.

Sirnames (i. e. Name of Sire) not known in England before the Norman Conquest. A man's Christian name was his only name. See Bp. Lowth's Life of William of Wykeham. Hume, Hist.

Engl. Vol. ii. App. ii.

In Isaiah xliv. 5, it is spelt "surname,"

as if from French "surnom," Ital. " sopranóme," i. e. super nomen, and this latter derivation is preferred by most authorities.

VII. Explain the several particulars of what took place at your Baptism.

1. A Minister of Christ took me up in his arms, in token of God's embracing me with the arms of His mercy. See Mark x. 16, and Bapt. Serv. 2nd Exhort.

',

2. Then he dipped me in (ẞántiσεv), or poured upon me, consecrated water, in token of my sins. being to be washed away. See Acts xxii. 16. (Ananias to Saul.) Comp. 1 Cor. vi. 11. Eph. and Heb. x. 22.

v. 26. Zech. xiii. 1,

3. At the same time he named me by the new name given me by my Sponsors, in token of my being to be born again (regenerate) and made a new creature, and pronounced over me the words of Christ, "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," i. e. of the God whom Christians worship. See Bapt. Serv. 1st Exhort.1 Matt. xxviii. 19. 2 Cor. v. 17. Comp. Ezek. xxxv. 25-28, and below, § xi. 3

4. Lastly, he signed me with the sign of the Cross, in token of my having been made a Christian; and that thenceforth I should not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Him in Whom I believed, and manfully to fight against the Enemies whom I had renounced. See Bapt. Serv. Matt. xvi. 24. 1 Tim. vi. 12.