plains it,) the Minister should for half an hour, or more, before Evening Prayer, examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons of his parish in the Church Catechism. I suppose the reason of the alteration was, that Catechism being performed in the midst of divine service, the elder persons, as well as the younger, might receive benefit by the Minister's expositions, and that the presence of parents and masters might be an encouragement to the children and servants to a diligent performance of their duty herein. Rubric 2. The persons to be catechised, who. §. 3. The persons appointed to be instructed in this Catechism, are so many of the parish sent unto him, as the Minister shall think convenient which the next rubric supposes to be all children, servants, and apprentices, which have not learned it. In king Edward's first Common Prayer Book, those only were to be sent, who were not yet confirmed. But because many were then confirmed young, at least before they could understand their Catechism, though they might repeat the words of it, Bucer desired that they might still be catechised, till the Curate should think them sufficiently instructed; 21 upon which motion the words were somewhat altered in the next review. What care to be §. 4. The care of sending their children and taken by parents servants is by the same rubric laid upon their and masters, &c. Fathers, Mothers, Mistresses, and Dames, who are to cause them to come to Church at the time appointed, and obediently to hear, and be ordered by the Curate, until such time as they have learned all that is here appointed for them to learn. The same is required by the fifty-ninth canon of our Church, which further orders, that if any of these neglect their duties, as the one sort in not causing them to come, and the other in refusing to learn as aforesaid; they are to be suspended by the Ordinary, i. e. from the Communion, I suppose, (if they be not children,) and if they so persist by the space of a month, they are to be excommunicated. And by the canons of 1571, every Minister was yearly, within twenty days after Easter, to present to the Bishop, &c. the names of all those in his parish, which had not sent their children or servants at the times appointed. And to enforce this, it was one of the articles which was exhibited, in order to be admitted by authority, that he, whose child at ten years old or 21 Buceri Script. Anglican. p. 485. upwards, or his servant at fourteen or upwards, could not say the Catechism, should pay ten shillings to the poor's box.22 The two next rubrics, relating more immediately to the Order for Confirmation, will come more properly to be treated of in the next chapter. CHAPTER IX. OF THE ORDER OF CONFIRMATION. THE INTRODUCTION. The rite of Con I HAVE already observed,1 that it was a custom of the Jews to bring their children, at the age of thirteen years, to be publicly examined before the congregation, and to make a solemn promise that they would from thenceforward engage themselves faithfully to observe the law of Moses, and so be accountable for their own sins: after which engagement followed the prayers of the congregation, that God would bless and enable them to make good their promise. And from this custom among the Jews, the rite of CONFIRMATION is thought by some to have been deduced. And indeed that there is some correspondence between them, is obvious and plain. But still I must assert, that the use of Confirmation in the Christian Church is owing to a much firmation of dimore divine original; even to the example and vine institution. institution of our blessed Lord, who is the head and pattern, in all things, to the Church. For we read, that after the baptism of JESUS in the river of Jordan, when he was come up out of the water, and was praying on the shore, the Holy Ghost descended upon him which represented and prefigured (as some ancient Fathers tell us3) that we also, after our baptism, must receive the ministration of the Holy Spirit. And indeed, all that came to St. John to be baptized were referred to a future baptism of the Holy Ghost for their completion and perfection. I indeed, saith he, baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And this was so 22 Strype's History of the Reformation, Appendix 2, page 1, and bishop Gibson's Codex, page 453. 1 In page 372. 2 Matt. iii. 16. Luke iii. 21. 3 Optat. contr. Donatist. Cyril. Catech. 3. Vid. et Hilar. Chrysost. et Theophylact. in Matt. iii. 16. 4 Matt. iii. 11. practice. 8 necessary to confirm and establish them in the Gospel dispensation, that our Saviour, just before his ascension, leaves a charge to his Apostles, who had before received the baptism of water, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, till they had received the baptism of the Spirit, and were endued with power from on high. For John truly, saith he, baptized with water: but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Accordingly, on the day of Pentecost, they were all visibly confirmed and filled with the Holy Ghost, who descended from heaven, and sat upon each of them under the appearance of cloven tongues like as of fire. §. 2. Hence then we see, that the institution Of apostolical of this rite was holy and divine. As to the practice of it, we may observe, that the Apostles, having received the Spirit, as is above mentioned, immediately knew to what use it was given them, viz. not to be confined to their own persons or college, but to be imparted by them to the whole Church of God. For the Spirit itself was to teach them all things, and to bring all things to their remembrance. And therefore to be sure it taught and reminded them, that the gifts and graces, which they themselves received by it, were equally necessary to all Christians whatever. Accordingly, as soon as they heard that the Samaritans had been converted and baptized by Philip, they sent two of their number, Peter and John, to lay their hands on them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: a plain argument, that neither baptism alone, nor the person that administered it, was able to convey the Holy Ghost: since if either the Holy Ghost were a consequence of baptism, or if Philip had power to communicate him by any other ministration, the Apostles would not have come from Jerusalem on purpose to have confirmed them. The same may be argued from a like occurrence to the disciples at Ephesus: upon whom, after they had baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, the Apostle St. Paul laid his hands, and then the Holy Ghost came on them: which shews, that the receiving of the Holy Ghost was not the consequence of their being baptized, but of the Apostle's laying on his hands; and that laying on of hands was necessary to perfect and complete the Ephesians, even after they had received the sacrament of Baptism. 5 Luke xxiv. 49. Acts i. 4. 9 10 ed at first with that it was de nance. §. 3. It is true, the ministration of this rite at first was frequently attended with miraculous Its being attendpowers. But so also we read was prayer and miraculous powpreaching, which yet no one ever thought to be ers, no argument only temporary ordinances. To fancy therefore signed only for a that the invocation of the Holy Spirit, with im- temporary ordiposition of hands, was to cease when the extraordinary effects of it failed, is too groundless a supposition to be put in the balance against the weight of so sacred and positive an institution. In the infancy of the Church these visible effects upon those that believed were necessary to bring over others to the faith: but when whole nations turned Christian, this occasion ceased; and therefore the Holy Ghost does not now continue to empower us to work them. But still the ordinary gifts and graces, which are useful and necessary to complete a Christian, are nevertheless the fruits and effects of this holy rite. And these are by much the more valuable benefits. To cast out the devil of lust, or to throw down the pride of Lucifer; to beat down Satan under our feet, or to triumph over our spiritual enemies; to cure a diseased soul, or to keep unharmed from the assaults of a temptation, or the infection of an ill example; is much more advantageous and beneficial to us, than the power of working the greatest miracles. Administered by so much for the Though neither are we to believe that these extraordinary effects did always attend even the Apostles, not those upon whom the Apostles laid their hands: sake of its extraAll did not speak with tongues, nor all work ordinary, as of its miracles; though, as far as we can learn, all ordinary effects. were confirmed. Nor did the Apostles minister this rite so much for the sake of imparting miraculous powers, as to the end that their converts might be endued with such aid from the Holy Ghost, as might enable them to persevere in their Christian profession. This may be gathered from those several texts, in which St. Paul intimates that all Christians in general have been thus confirmed; but in which he implies at the same time, that graces and not miracles were the end of their Confirmation. Thus he supposes both the Corinthians and Ephesians to have been all partakers of this holy rite, and plainly intimates, that the happy effects of it were being stablished in Christ, being anointed and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, and having an earnest of their inheritance, and an earnest of the Spirit in their hearts.11 And that all these expressions refer to Confirmation is evident, as well from comparing them together, as from the concurring testimonies of several ancient Fathers." Designed for a standing and perpetual ordi nance. 12 But what has been esteemed the clearest evidence, that the rite of Confirmation was a perpetual institution of equal use and service in all ages of the Church, is that passage of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews, where he mentions the doctrine of laying on of hands, as well as the doctrine of baptism, among the fundamentals of religion. Which words have been constantly interpreted by writers of all ages, of that imposition or laying on of hands, which was used by the Apostles in confirming the baptized. Insomuch that this single text of St. Paul is, even in Calvin's opinion,1 abundantly sufficient to prove Confirmation to be of apostolical institution. Though I think what has been said proves it of a higher derivation. And, indeed, from these very words of the Apostle, it not only appears to be a lasting ministry, (because no part of the Christian doctrine can be changed or abolished,) but hence also we may infer it to be of divine institution: since, if it were not, St. Paul would seem guilty of teaching for doctrines the commandments of men which not being to be supposed, it must follow that this doctrine of imposition of hands is holy and divine. Practised by the ages. §. 4. The Scripture then, by these evidences Church in all of its usefulness to all Christians in general, proves that this rite had a further view than the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost. And the history of the Church, by testifying the continuance of it in all times and places, after these gifts of the Spirit ceased, shews that it has ever been received and used as a perpetual and standing ordinance of Christianity. I think I need not produce my authorities for this; because, I believe, no one doubts of the universality of the practice. However, because some may have a mind to be convinced by their own searches, I have, for their readier satisfaction, pointed out some places in the margin,15 which will soon convince those that have leisure and 11 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. Eph. i. 13. and chap. iv. 30. 12 See the old commentators upon the several texts. iз Heb. vi. 3. 14 Calvin in locum. 15 Theoph. Antioch. p. 33. Tertull. de Bapt. c. 8, p. 226, D. de Resurrect. Carn. c. 8, p. 330, C. Clem. Alex. Quis Dives salvabitur? versus finem, p. 113, edit. Oxon. 1683. Orig. Hom. 7, in Ezek. Dionys. Areop. Eccl. Hier, c. 2, et 4. Cyprian. Ep. 70, et 73. Euseb. 1. 6, c. 43, p. 244, |