Conformity of the ecclesiastical discipline of the Reformed churches of France with that of the primitive Christians written by M. La Rocque ... ; render'd into English by Jos. Walker.

XIV.

As for Names given to Children, Ministers shall reject as much as in them lies, and as shall be expedient, those that savour of Antient Paganisme, and shall impose on the said Infants, the Names attributed to God, in the Church, as Emanuel, and the like; and moreover shall admonish Fathers and Godfathers to choose Names approv'd in the Holy Scripture, as much as may be possible. If they have a desire to some other, they may be admitted, those abovesaid only excepted, and such as may tend to indecency.

CONFORMITY.

Dennis Bishop of Alexandria, observes in Eusebius, That the Antient Christians were wont to give their Children, the Names of Peter, Paul, and other Holy Men, as well to shew the Love and Respect they bore

those Holy Persons, as to render their Children as dear in the sight of God, as those Holy Men were. St. Chrysostom writes that the Antiochians loved Miletius their Pastor so tenderly, that they call'd their Children by his Name, for this end forgetting that of their An∣cestors: And in the Twenty First Homily on Genesis, which is in the Second Volumne, he Exhorts his Audi∣tors not too lightly to impose all sorts of Names, no not even those of their Grandfathers and Great Grand∣fathers, and those which have been illustrious by Birth, on their Children, but rather the Names of these Holy Men, which have been celebrated for their Vertues, and in favour with God; and elsewhere he complains of those which do otherwise; according to which Eusebius speaks in his Book of the Martyrs of Pallestine, chap. 11. of Five Martyrs, that having quitted the Names they received from their Fathers, because, saith he, they were it may be some Idol Names, they took the Names of Elias, of Jeremiah, of Esaiah, of Samuel, and Daniel. The Fourth Council of Millan whereof we spake on the Tenth Article, requires this Custom to be followed. I think therefore our Discipline does very well in keeping the medium, betwixt too great a Seve∣rity and too great Indulgence, whereunto the Establish∣ments of our National Synods agree very well on this Article.