CHAPTER VIII

Confirmation

"The God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.' -1 PET. V. IO.

THE

HE notice which concludes the Service for the
Baptism of Infants is as follows:-

"Ye are to take care that this child be brought to the Bishop to be confirmed by him, so soon as he can say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, in the vulgar tongue, and be further instructed in the Church Catechism set forth for that purpose."

This shows the intention of the Church, as regards the spiritual progress of Christians in their Catechizing

firmation.

early days. It is, that as soon as they before Concome to an age when they are capable of learning, they shall be instructed in the principles of Faith, Prayer, and Obedience to God, according to the tenour of the Vows made in their name. For this purpose the Church Catechism is set forth as a concise and easily-learned system of Christian doctrine. When this has been well learned, both as to words and meaning, the child is to be brought to the Bishop for

meet for such great benefits." In St. Cyril also speaks of the SANCTI TUS 3:-"We make mention also whom Isaiah, by the Holy Ghost, the throne of God, and with two of ing their countenances, and with tw with two flying, who cried, 'Holy, I God of Sabaoth.' [Isa. vi. 1. Rev. 1 cause, therefore, we rehearse this co delivered down to us from the Serap join in hymns with the hosts of the w The only part of "It is very m Laity not to which the choir and co: say, "Therefore join, is the "Sanctus"

with angels,"

&c.

been the constant practi

from the earliest times for the Priest

PREFACE, which in our Liturgy ends

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evermore praising Thee and saying. people to take up the words ". "Holy, i solemn outburst of devout song, in v Divine Worship is performed by then whole Communion of Saints. For "y Mount Sion, and unto the City of the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innum of angels, to the general assembly and First-Born, which are written in Heav the Judge of all, and to the spirits of perfect." [Heb. xii. 22, 23.] And in with God, the Holy Angels, the Saint the Church on earth, this great act of and all others then present is performe There are 66 PROPER PREFACES" :

at thou art bound to believe, and to romised for thee?" The connexion →n adjuration with the "I do" of the vice is accidentally indicated by the r help is in the Name of the Lord." nswer in the Catechism has been reidren catechized, they have ratified their own persons, and acknowledged to believe and to do, all those things athers and Godmothers undertook aised on their behalf, at their Bapratify and confirm those Baptismal n a manner as possible, not before only, but before the Bishop, who is al officer of Christ on earth, and al representative. This preliminary fore a formality of a very significant hough no essential part of the rite of preparation for it which ought not lightly. It marks the last step in istian childhood; and, on the verge urity, sounds the trumpet-call of those who have promised manfully ist's banner against sin, the world, to continue His faithful soldiers and

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lives' end. The last stone in the Christian life is about to be laid, and signet in confirmation of His proe to remember, that although "the standeth sure, having this seal, The n that are His," there is a "reverse" verse" to the seal of Confirmation; mother inscription, "Let every one Name of Christ depart from iniquity"

parents of the child as its sponsors, for they are in fact its sponsors by their natural relation to it, and that in the very highest degree; but an attempt has been made legally to repeal this restriction, and it has received so much ecclesiastical authority, (having been confirmed by the Convocations of Canterbury and York,) that the restriction may be considered as practically removed.

The third Rubric requires notice of Baptisms to be What notice to given to the Clergyman over-night, or in be given. the morning before the beginning of Morning Prayer. The particulars to be given may be shown by the ancient Rubric, which required that when the child was brought for Baptism, the Priest should ask the nurse three questions, (1) Whether the child were a boy or a girl? (2) Whether it had been privately baptized? (3) What was intended to be the child's name? Much confusion would be avoided if the notice was always given in writing, with answers to these three questions, as they are often answered in Church in so low a voice, that there is a probability of mistakes arising, especially when the Clergyman's hearing is not quick.

Re-baptism improper.

The question, "Hath this Child been already baptized?" is a very important one; as it is the unvarying doctrine of the Church, that a person once baptized cannot be baptized again: so that the use of the Form of Baptism over a Christian child could be only a pretence, irreverent even when

Conditional
Baptism.

inadvertent, and sinful if intentional, Should the child have been baptized by a Dissenting Preacher or any other Lay person, the Clergyman may consider it safest to use the Conditional Form, "If thou art not already baptized, I

baptize thee," unless he can be clearly satisfied that the proper 66 matter" or material, which is Water, was effectively used, and also the proper "Form,” as set down in the Prayer Book. Questions to be asked on this subject are printed at the beginning of the Office for the Private Baptism of Children.

THE ADDRESS, 66 Dearly Beloved," &c., is similar in character to one which was used in the primitive Churches of France, Spain, and England, but it does not appear that any such address was used in Mediæval times. It very distinctly sets forth the object for which children are baptized: that, being conceived and born in sin," they require to be “born anew of Water and the Holy Ghost" before they can become members of Christ's Holy Church; that is, before they can become Christians.

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THE TWO COLLECTS which follow are both ancient. The first comes to us from an old German Baptismal Office, through the German translation set forth by Luther in 1523: the second is from the ancient English Office, and was associated with a Form of Exorcism, by which Satan was bidden to depart from the child to be baptized. This exorcism was adopted in the Baptismal Office of 1549, but dropped at its revision in 1552. While these Collects are being said, the people should kneel; the Priest standing throughout the Service, as a sign of authority, and that he acts in the name of his Master.

THE GOSPEL ought to be preceded by the versicle "Glory be to Thee, O Lord," and followed by "Thanks be to Thee, O Lord," if such is the custom at the Holy Communion. This Gospel was substituted for Matt. xix. 13-15, in 1549, as more distinctly showing the Divine witness against those Anabaptist errors which infected