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.

XVI.

The Consistory shall have an Eye over those which with∣out great Considerations, keep their Children long from be∣ing Baptized.

CONFORMITY.

St. Cyprian, * 1.1 or rather a Synod of 66 Bishops of which he was Chief, appointed that Infants newly born should be Baptised, without deferring too long Baptising them, and condemned the Opinion of a certain Bishop called Fidus, that would have it put off to the Eighth day, as formerly to Circumcise them. Pope Syricius in his Letter to Himerius Bishop of Tarragona, * 1.2 writes towards the end of the 4th. Century, that he thinks convenient young Infants should speedily be Baptis'd. The V. Cannon of the Council of Gironda in Catalonia, assembled in the year 517, prescribes that they should be baptised the very same day they are born, if it happen they are in∣firm, which is very common. * 1.3 Peter Chrisologus Bishop of Ravenna shews sufficiently in his 10th. Homily, that care must be taken to administer Baptism to young Chil∣dren. Him that writ the forged Ecclesiastical Hierar∣chy in the name of Dennis the Areopagite, * 1.4 is of the same Mind, and even attributes it to the Apostles, although he determines not exactly the time. I should never have done should I produce all the Testimonies of the Antients touching the Baptising young Children, seeing it has al∣ways been practis'd in the Church; my design is chiefly

to shew that the Authors of our Discipline had reason when they appointed not to defer Baptising of young Children too long; and I have sufficiently shewed that this practise is conformable to that of the Antient Church.

Nevertheless it is not to be thought this practise has always been so well establish'd in the Church, that it has not found some Opposers, Tertullian in the Eigh∣teenth Chapter of his Treatise of Baptism, would have their Baptism put off till they were of Age to give an account of their Faith. Gregory of Nazian∣zen don't go quite so far, * 1.5 but at least it should seem con∣venient they should be of three or four years of Age be∣fore they receive the honour of Baptism; because he thinks at that Age they may understand some questions as may be asked them, and make answer thereunto. The Christians of Thessaly referred the Christening of their Children till Easter whatever accident befell them, so that a great many of them dyed without Baptism, as Socrates observes in his Ecclesiastical History, Chap. 12. Book 5. The more I consider all these things, the more I approve the Conduct of our Discipline, which prudently enjoyns Consistories to take care that the Baptising of Infants should not be deferr'd too long.

As for Adults, it is well known that in the Primitive Church, many deferr'd their Baptism a long while, and many times to the end of their Life; but it is also known that the Fathers have condemned those which did after this Manner.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ep. 59. pag. 95.
• * 1.2

  Tom. 1. conc. c. 2. pag. 689.
• * 1.3

  Tom. 3. conc. pag. 806.
• * 1.4

  Tom. 2. pag. 360, 361.
• * 1.5

  Orat. 40. p. 658. To. 1.