a personis ecclesiasticis deducendis ad sedem, vel sacerdotibus vel aliis clericis instituendis, aut sepeliendis mortuis, aut benedicendis nubentibus, seu pro chrismate, seu quibuslibet aliis sacramentis aliquid exigatur."5 I pass by a statute of a council of Durham, A. D. 1220, to the same purpose, "sub pœna suspensionis:" another, of a provincial constitution at Oxford, in 1222,7 by Archbishop Stephen Langton, upon which Lyndwood's gloss should be consulted: and I shall extract the constitution of Otho: "De septem sacramentis, ut gratis conferantur. Sacramenta ecclesiastica, in quibus, tanquam in vasis cœlestibus, salutis remedia continentur: necnon oleum sanctificatum et chrisma, a ministris ecclesiæ pure atque devote, qualibet exclusa cupiditatis labe, statuimus, et statuendo præcipimus exhiberi, nulla difficultate in eis adhibita exhibendis, prætextu consuetudinis alicujus, qua dicantur ab eis, qui ea recipiunt, aliquibus aliqua persolvenda." Upon this statute John de Athon has a gloss, to which I must refer the reader.10 And, to name no more, similar regulations and orders were made, in a diocesan synod of Worcester in 1240, and of Exeter in 1287.11 IV. The Sacrament of Baptism, as might be expected, very early attracted the attention of the rulers of the Church, that it might be decently and duly administered. The σωτήριον βάπτισμα, the θείον και ζωοποιον BάTTIGμa of the fathers, was not looked upon in the Anglo-Saxon church, more than in after ages, as a mere ceremony, but as a necessary means by which men might be saved. As S. Cyril of Jerusalem taught in the fourth century, speaking of Baptism: "¿v TQ KÚTY ἀπεθνήσκετε καὶ ἐγεννᾶσθε· καὶ τὸ σωτήριον ἐκεῖνο ὕδωρ, και τάφος ὑμῖν ἐγίνετο καὶ μήτηρ :”12 so did Archbishop Alfric, in his Easter homily, in like manner teach: "That the heathen child is baptised, and changes not its outer form, although inwardly converted; it is carried to the font sinful through Adam's transgression, and is washed inwardly from all its sin, yet changes not its outward form. So also the holy font-water, which is called the well-spring of Life, is outwardly like any other water, and subject to corruption: but the Holy Ghost descends with power upon the corruptible water, through the blessing of the priest, and through that Ghostly Might all sin is washed away both of the body and the soul." 13 I shall extract from some collections which I have made relating to the administration of this sacrament, p. 312. 13 Catech. Mystag. 2. Opera. is the following. It is noted; and the doxology is the earliest which I remember to have seen, in English, with the notation. The writing is later than the rest of the volume, being about 1470. 13 Hom. in. di. sanctum Paschæ. § 4. Cf. Beda. Hist. Eccl. lib. 2. c. 5. On a blank leaf of a most magnificent MS. Breviary" ad usum Sarum," upon vellum, in the library of the Lord Bishop of Salisbury, "Remember youre promys made yn baptym. And chrystys mercyful bloud shedyng. By the beginning with the penitential of Archbishop Theodore. "Si quis episcopus aut presbyter non trinam mersionem in baptismo celebret, sed semel mergat, quod dare videtur in morte Domini, deponatur; non enim dixit nobis Dominus: In morte mea baptizate, sed, Ite, docete omnes gentes, baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.""" Shortly afterwards, in the excerpts of Egbert, Archbishop of York, we find two canons. 66 x. Ut a cunctis sacer dotibus jus et tempus baptismatis temporibus congruis, secundum canonicam institutionem, cautissime observentur. XI. Ut omnes sacerdotes, quibuscunque horis, omnibus indigentibus baptismum, infirmitatis causa, diligentissime tribuant." And immediately following these is a canon bearing upon a point already discussed: "Ut nullus presbyter sacrum officium, sive baptismatis sacramentum, aut aliquid donorum spiritalium pro aliquo pretio vendere præsumat; ne vendentes et ementes in templo columbas imitentur.” 15 About the same time, in that province, an abuse appears to have crept in, which the Archbishop notices and forbids. 'xlij. Sunt quidam qui miscent vinum wyche most holy sprynklyng. Off Haue mercy uppon me, oo god. And accordyng to the multytude of the mercys. Do a wey my wyckydness. Glory be to the father and to the Son, and to the holy goost. As hyt was yn the begynnyng, so now, and euer, and yn the world off worlds, so be hyt. By the wyche." 14 Liber Pœnit. Cap. xlviij. 20. Thorpe. Vol. 2. p. 58. 15 Wilkins. Conc. Tom. 1. p. 102. Thorpe. Vol. 2. p. 99. Cf. 27th of Elfric's Canons. cum aqua baptismatis non recte: et Christus non jussit baptizari vino, sed aqua." Some few years before this, the ecclesiastical laws of K. Ina had decreed, that every infant should be baptized within thirty days, under a penalty. "Infans intra triginta dies baptizetur: si hoc non ita fiat, triginta solidis compenset (parens :) si tunc mortuus sit absque baptismate, compenset illud omnibus quæ habet." 16 In the 10th century we find this period somewhat extended, by the canons enacted under K. Edgar. "Docemus etiam, ut quilibet sacerdos baptismum peragat, simul ac requiritur: et deinde in parochia sua (on his scriptscire) præcipiat, ut quilibet infans baptizetur intra xxxvij. dies, et ut nemo nimis diu ab épiscopo confirmari differat.”17 To the same purpose are, the 10th of the laws of the Northumbrian priests, in the same century; the 26th of the canons of Ælfric: and lastly, the 17th of the ecclesiastical Institutes. "If any one bring a sickly child to a mass-priest, be it of whatever mass-priest's district it may, then let him baptize it forthwith, and for no business let him neglect to baptize it, be it from whence it may. If he on any account neglect it, and it die without baptism, then be it known to him, that on doomsday he shall render an account for that soul to God."18 Once more, a canon of the council of Calchuth in the 816. "Sciant etiam presbyteri, quando sacrum bap year 218. Thorpe. Vol. 2. 353. 413. The clause in the last canon about "another mass-priest's district," has reference to an order immediately, that no priest should entice people from another district. tismum ministrant, ut non effundant aquam sanctam super capita infantium, sed semper mergantur in lavacro; sicut exemplum præbuit per semetipsum Dei Filius omni credenti, quando esset ter mersus in undis Jordanis."19 I pass on to the age which succeeded the Norman conquest, and come to a canon of the council of York, in 1195. We now find other particulars. "Statuimus, ne in baptismate plures quam tres suscipiant puerum de sacro fonte; masculum duo mares, et una mulier; fœminam duo fœminæ, et unus mas: ubi autem puer, cujus baptisma ignoratur, reperitur expositus, sive cum sale sive sine sale reperiatur, baptizetur; cum non intelligatur iteratum, quod nescitur fuisse collatum.' In the year 1200, a council at London decreed, after repeating that where baptism appeared not to have been performed, it was to be administered: "et ut non liceat diaconis baptizare, nisi duplici necessitate: viz. quia sacerdos non potest, vel absens, vel stulte non vult, et mors imminet puero. Si vero in necessitate puer baptizetur a laico, quod fieri potest a patre vel matre, absque matrimonii præjudicio, sequentia immersionem non præcedentia per sacerdotem expleantur."21 Passing on to the council of Durham, in 1220, we find several canons relating to the sacrament of baptism. "Quælibet ecclesia habeat baptisterium. Baptisterium habeatur in qualibet ecclesia baptismali, lapideum, vel aliquod competens, quod decenter cooperiatur et reverenter conservetur, et in alios usus non conver 19 Wilkins. Conc. Tom. 1. p. 171. 501. 20 Ibid. Tom. 1. p. |