PRESENT THE conclusion of the Canon; where, coming after the ConOFFICE. secration, and before Communion, it was taken to imply an oblation of the consecrated elements, or a material, though commemorative, sacrifice. In King Edward's Second Prayer-Book, therefore, it was removed into a position where it can have no such meaning, but implies a strictly spiritual sacrifice of praise, and an oblation of the worshippers to the service of God'. The second form of Thanksgiving consists more entirely of praise for the mercies which are assured to us in this Sacrament; yet it also includes a very earnest prayer for perseverance and fruitfulness in good works. The Office then concludes with the great doxology, or song of praise for the mercies of redemption, as our Lord sung an hymnwith His disciples after the Passover; and finally with the Blessing, in which the ancient giving of the Peace is preserved in the words of Scripture, and the example of our Lord is followed, who parted from His disciples in the act of blessing them. 1 On the various shades of doctrinal differences involved in the arrangements of the Communion Office in 1549 and 1552, see Maskell, Ancient Liturgy, Pref. ch. VII., VIII.; Skinner's Preliminary Dis sert. on the Scottish Communion Office; and, on the whole subject, Waterland's Review of the Doctrine of the Eucharist; and Freeman's Principles of Divine Service, Introduction to Part II.' In this work Mr. Freeman has traced the causes and the progress of the Eucharistic controversy of the xith century; and in his important chapters upon the English Offices (Sect. viii.—xi.), shows that our national Church maintained its independence in this among cther particulars of ritual, that the Roman influence could not introduce the rubric which orders the worship of the transubstantiated Element. The Roman rubric is, -Prolatis verbis Consecrationis, statim Hostiam consecratam genuflexus adorat; surgit, ostendit populo.... The Sarum rubric only directs,-Post hæc verba elevet eam supra frontem, ut possit a populo videri...; and that which Mr. Maskell supposes to be the Bangor Missal, and which prefaces the words,-Hoc est enim Corpus meum,'-by a rubric, Hæc sunt verba consecrationis, only adds,Post hæc verba inclinet se sacerdos ad hostiam, et elevet... Maskell, Anc. Lit. pp. 92 sq. See the corresponding rubrics after the conse. cration of the Cup, pp. 96 sq. CHAPTER IV. The Baptismal Offices. SECT. I.-The Ministration of Public Baptism of Infunts, to be used in the Church. THE following portion of the Prayer-Book corresponds to the Manual and Pontifical of the medieval period:--the one containing the Occasional Offices which fell within the duty of the parish Priest; and the other, those which the Bishop only might perform. ciendum menum.' Our Service for the Public Baptism of Infants' cor- The Mediresponds to three Offices in the Sarum Manual;-Ordo @val Office. ad faciendum Catechumenum, Benedictio Fontis, and Ritus baptizandi'. The first of these contained many ordo ad fuceremonies at the church-door, such as the placing salt Catechu in the mouth, exorcism, and signings of the cross, ending with the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and Creed. Then the Priest took the child's right hand, and introduced him into the church as a complete Catechumen. In practice this formed the commencement of the Baptismal Service, which then proceeded, at the Ritus hapt font, with the questions addressed to the sponsors3, the anointing with oil, baptism, the anointing with chrism, 1 See an account of the baptismal ceremonies of the early Church in Guericke, Manual, § 31, pp. 224 sqq.; Bingham, Antiq. Bk. XI. For the administration of this sacrament to infants, see Dr. Wall's Hist. of Infant-Baptism; Hooker, Eccl. Pol. v. lviii.-lxiv. 2 Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. pp. 1. sqq.; Fallow, Baptismal Offices Ilustrated, pp. 3 sqq. 3 Godparents-(formerly gossips God-sibs or God-relations)-sponsores, fide jussores, àvádexoi, susceptores are probably coeval with the practice of baptizing not only the infant children of Christians, but foundlings rejected by their heathen parents. They are mentioned by Tertullian, De Baptismo, c. 18. Opp. p. 264; Guericke, p. 240; Bingham, xI. 8. zandi.' BAPTISM INFANTS. Fontis.' PUBLIC the putting on the chrisom, and placing a lighted taper OF 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; Benedictio followed by another Gospel from St. John'. The water in the font was changed on the Saturdays before Easterday and Whitsunday, 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. The Reformed Office indebted to Luther. 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'; 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: 'It appeareth by ancient writers that the Sacrament of Baptism in the Solemn times old time was not commonly ministered but at two times in the year, at Easter and Whitsuntide3, at which times of Baptism. 1 Mark ix. 17-29; John i. 1— 14. 2 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 PrayerBooks 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). 3 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 8th or 9th century the Latin Church began to PUBLIC BAPTISM OF INFANTS. it was openly ministered in the 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 Holy-days', &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 Holy-day, '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'; Sponsors notice must also be given by the parents at least before the beginning of Morning Prayer. At the last revision administer Baptism (as at first) at all times of the year. Wheatly. We will that Baptism be ministered only upon the Sundays and Holy-days, 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 Holy-day.' Hermann's Consultation, fol. 164. 2 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. 1. p. 31. Our present rule, however, was the ancient custom in this Country: Synod. Wigorn. (1240) cap. 5, Masculum ad minus duo mas culi et una mulier suscipiant; fœe- 3 Hermann's Consultation, fol. PUBLIC (1661) it was directed that the font should be filled with BAPTISM OF pure water at every time of Baptism1. INFANTS. The Inquiry The first opening Prayer. The preliminary inquiry is according to the old and Address. rubric2, and the address is formed from an opening exhortation in Hermann's Consultation's. The first prayer seems to have been originally composed by Luther; and from his form of Baptism it was taken into that provided for the Reformed Service of Cologne, where 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 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 admit correction, or if they be in- 1 The rubric in the Prayer-Book 2 Ordo ad faciend. Catech.: ́inquirat sacerdos, utrum sit infans masculus an femina: deinde, si in fans fuerit baptizatus domi.' Maskell, p. 3. 3Beloved 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 conceived 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.' fol. clxvii. "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.' fol. clxx. |