faith' than what I have expounded, come and be enrolled again: and then tell those that would draw thee away from it, what I have written I have written." St. Ambrose seems also to allude to this, when he tells the initiated, that their hand-writing was recorded not only in earth, but in heaven, because it was taken both in the presence of men and angels. And St. Austin says, the names of such as made their profession were written in the book of life, not only by men, but by the heavenly powers above. Yet I confess St. Chrysostom has a passage, which seems to go contrary to all this for speaking of the difference between earthly masters buying slaves, and Christ taking us to be his servants, he reckons this among others, that Christ requires no witnesses, nor hand-writing of us, but only our bare word to say, I renounce thee, Satan, and all thy pomp. Whence it must be concluded, either that this custom was not so universal as the rest, since St. Chrysostom knew nothing of it; or that the fore-cited evidences are not so cogent as at first sight they may seem to be. For St. Ambrose and St. Austin may be so interpreted, where they speak of being written in the book of life, as to be understood only in a figurative sense, for having their names written in heaven. Yet Vicecomes is very positive not only of this,” but that men also set their seal to their subscription, and confirmed their profession with an oath. But I do not find any sufficient authority for this, and therefore will not any further insist upon it, which I had rather leave to the further disquisition of the critical and curious reader.

SECT. 13.-The Use of all these Ceremonies and Engagements, to make Men sensible of their Obligations, and stedfast to their Profession.

But by what has been said we may easily perceive, that

1 Naz. Orat. xl. de Bapt. p. 670. Εἰ μὲν ἄλλως ἐγγέγραψαι, ἢ ὡς ὁ ἐμὸς ἀπαιτεῖ λόγος, δεῦρο και μετεγγράφηθι.- -Εἰπὲ τοῖς μεταπείθεσί σε ὃ γέγραφα, γέγραφα. 2 Ambros. de Sacram. lib. i, cap. ii. Chirographum tuum tenetur, non in terrâ, sed in cœlo. It. de Initiatis, cap. ii. Tenetur vox tua, non in tumulo mortuorum, sed in libro viventium. Aug. de Symbolo ad Catechumenos, lib. ii. cap. i. Nomina profitentium in libro excipiuntur vitæ non à quolibet homine, sed à superiore cœlitus potestate.

* Chrys. Hom. xxi. ad Populum Antioch. tom. i. p. 274. Ov μáprvpas ǹμãs, îê ἔγγραφα ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ, αλλ' ἀρκεῖται ψιλῇ τῇ φωνῇ, κἂν εἴπῃς ἀπὸ διανοίας, ̓Αποτάσσομαί σοι Σατανᾷ, &c. 5 Vicecom. de Ritib. Bapt. lib. ii. cap.

xxvii. p. 343.

the design of the Church in all these ceremonies, and the caution and deliberation used in the whole action, was only to make men truly sensible of the nature of the Christian religion, which admitted of no proselytes without these formal and solemn professions, and of their great obligations to continue stedfast in that faith and obedience to Christ, which they had so solemnly promised with their mouths, and subscribed with their own hands, not only before men, but in the presence of God and the holy angels. This was the greatest engagement imaginable upon them, and of force to influence their whole lives. To which purpose St. Chrysostom often proposes and insists upon it, to make men bear it perpetually in memory, and use it as their best armour and weapon against all temptations. In his last Discourse to the people of Antioch, he expatiates upon this topic, inveighing first severely against all the shows of the Roman theatre, and circus, and observation of days, and presages, and omens, which he reckons among the pomps of Satan. To these he joins enchantments and ligatures: for some Christians made no scruple to hang golden medals of Alexander the Great about their head or feet to cure diseases. With whom he expostulates after this manner:1 "Are these our hopes and expectations, that after the cross and death of our Lord, we should put our trust for health in the image of an heathen king? Knowest thou not what wonders the cross hath done? How it hath destroyed death, extinguished sin, emptied hell, dissolved the power of the devil? And is it not as fit to be relied on to cure a bodily disease? It hath given resurrection to the world, and canst not thou confide in it? But thou not only procurest ligatures, but also charms, bringing some old drunken staggering woman to thy house for this purpose, and payest reverence to these things, after thou hast been disciplined in the religion of Christ. Nay, when men are admonished of these things, they plead in excuse, that the old woman the enchanter is a Christian, and names nothing but the name of God. For which she is the more to be abhorred, because she abuses the name of God to so scandalous a practice, and whilst she calls herself a Christian, does

1 Chrys. Hom. xxi. ad Popul. Antiochen. tom. i. p. 275.

the works of the heathen. The devils named the name of Christ, and yet were devils for all that, and were rebuked and ejected by our Saviour. Therefore I beseech you, keep yourselves pure from this deceit, and take this word as your staff and armour. As none of you will chuse to walk abroad without his shoes or clothes, so without this word, let none of you venture out in public, but when you go over the threshold of your gate, say first this word, I renounce thee, Satan, and thy pomp, and thy worship; and I make a covenant with thee, O Christ. Never go forth without this word, and it will be your staff, your armour, your invincible tower. And with this word, sign yourselves with the sign of the cross: and then not only man, but the devil himself cannot hurt you, whilst he finds you appearing guarded with this armour." Thus St. Chrysostom exhorts men daily to remember their solemn profession of faith, and baptismal vow, wherein they renounced Satan and embraced Christ, as the best preservative against sin and danger. To which both he and Ephrem Cyrus add this momentous consideration,' that an account of this vow will be required of men at the day of judgment. "For by thy words shalt thou be justified, and by thy words shalt thou be condemned." And Christ will say to every wilful transgressor of it, "out of thine own mouth will I condemn thee, O thou wicked servant." As nothing therefore could be more useful than this part of the Church's discipline, in requiring such professions and promises of every man before they entered the service of Christ; as it was usual for masters to do, before they bargained with slaves and took them into their family: so nothing could be more material than the continued impressions of this vow upon men's minds, to keep them under a quick sense of their obligations, on which the whole conduct of their lives so much depended, and their eternal interest at the day of judgment.

1 Ephrem. de Abrenunc. Baptismi. p. 150. Hæc ipsa abrenunciatio et pulchra confessio exigetur à quocunque Christiano in illâ die, &c. Chrys. Hom. xxi. ad Pop. Antioch. p. 274. Hoc igitur dicamus, abrenuncio tibi, Satana tanquam in illâ die hujus vocis rationem reddituri, ut salvum tunc reddamus depositum. 2 Chrys. ibid, p. 273.

SECT. 14.-Whether Public and Particular Confession of Sins was required of Men at their Baptism.

There is one thing more remains to be inquired into under this head, that is, whether any public or particular confession of sins was required of men at their baptism, besides what was implied in the general renunciation of Satan and all his works and service? Now this is plainly resolved by St. Chrysostom in the negative. For discoursing of the difference between God's choosing his servants, and the choice which earthly princes and masters make of their soldiers and slaves, he makes the difference chiefly to consist in this: That before men were allowed to enter the lists in any of the famous exercises of the theatre, a public crier must first lead them about by the hand before all, and cry out, saying, does any one accuse this man? though there the engagement was only of the body and not of the soul. But in God's choice of us it is quite otherwise: for though our engagement depends not upon strength of arms, but on the philosophy and virtue of our souls, yet the ruler and governor thereof acts quite contrary: He does not take a man, and lead him about, and say, does any one accuse him? But He cries out, though all men and devils should rise up against him, and accuse him of secret and horrible crimes, I do not reject, I do not abhor him; but I deliver him from his accuser, and absolve him from his iniquity, and so I lead him to the combat. Nor is this the only admirable thing, that he forgives our sins, but that he does not reveal nor disclose them; he neither makes open proclamation of them, nor compels those that come to him to publish their own offences, but requires them to give account, and confess their sins to him alone. He does not, like earthly judges, oblige criminals to make a public confession before all men in hopes of pardon, but he forgives sins upon our private testimony without any other witnesses. This is undeniable evidence, that no public confession was required

1 Chrys. Hom. xxi. ad Pop. Antioch. p. 270. Oẻ rẽтo dè póvov isì θαυματὸν, ὅτι ἀφίησιν ἡμῖν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἀλλ ̓ ὅτι αὐτὰ ἐδὲ ἐκκαλύπτει, ἐδὲ ποιεῖ φανερὰ καὶ δῆλα, ἐδὲ ἀναγκάζει παρελθόντας εἰς μέσον ἐξειπεῖν τὰ πεπλημμελημένα, ἀλλ ̓ αὐτῳ μόνῳ ἀπολογήσασθαι κελεύει, κι πρὸς αὐτὸν oμodoynoanai. Id. Hom. 62. in Paralyticum tom. v. p. 927.

of men for their private offences, when they came to baptism. And therefore when Gregory Nazianzen1 speaks of confession of sins made at baptism, he is to be understood either of a general confession, or such a particular confession as men voluntarily imposed upon themselves, to testify more eminently the sincerity of their repentance; which some think was done at John's baptism, Mat. iii. 6. and in the baptism of those mentioned Acts, xix. 18. where it is said, that" many who believed, came and confessed and shewed their deeds;" though this was not imposed upon men by any necessary law or rule of the Church. In case of public scandalous crimes they were obliged particularly to promise and vow the forsaking of them: but for private crimes, no particular confession was required to be made, save only to God, with a general renunciation of all sin, in which every private crime was supposed to be included. Vid. Aug. Serm. 116. de Tempore.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Use of Sponsors or Sureties in Baptism.

SECT. I.-Three Sorts of Sponsors in the Primitive Church. 1. For Children.

NEXT to the conditions and promises required of men in their baptism, we must examine the office and business of sponsors or sureties, who had always some concern in these obligations. And here it is first to be observed, that there were three sorts of sponsors made use of in the Primitive Church. 1. For children, who could not renounce, or profess, or answer for themselves. 2. For such adult persons, as by reason of sickness or infirmity were in the same condition as children, incapacited to answer for themselves. 3. For all adult persons in general. For the Church required sponsors also for those, who were otherwise qualified to make their own responses. Now the office of sponsors was diversified a little in its nature, according to these distinctions. They who were sureties or

Naz. Orat. xl. de Bapt. p. 657.