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.

CONFORMITY.

The Fifty Ninth Cannon of the VI. Oecumenical Council in the year 692, forbids administring Baptisme in Oratories, in private Houses, it requires it should be perform'd in the Catholick Churches, * 1.1 threatning to de∣pose the Church-Men which obey not this Decree, and to Excommunicate the Laity which shall violate it. Nevertheless the same Council permits to do it by ad∣vice of the Bishop of the place, Cannon Thirty First, although the Fifty Eighth of that of Laodicea had ab∣solutely

prohibited to Bishops and Priests in the Fourth Century, to celebrate the Eucharist in private Houses.

But the difficulty is to know what the Council means by the Catholick Churches, * 1.2 when it forbids christning any where else, an Expression which I also find in the Preliminaries of the Second Council of Nice, where it is said, the Bishops went ad Luteram of the Holy Catho∣lick Church: The term Luter which comes from the Greek 〈◊〉〈◊〉 signifies a Basin, or Vessel to wash the feet, and I can't tell if in the words I examine, it may not be put for the Baptismal Fountain. After all, I am in∣clin'd to think that by the Catholick Churches here spoke of, is to be understood the Churches appointed for all the People in general, and where there was publick Fonts, according to which there is mention in the Capitularies of our Kings, * 1.3 of Baptismal Chur∣ches, so called, because there was a Publick Font or Christning Place, as appears by the Seventh Cannon of the Synod which Pepin the Father of Charlemain caus'd to be held apud vernum, Anno Dom. 750, There must not be a publick Font in any Parish, but there where the Bishop whose the Parish is, doth appoint. * 1.4 Flodoard in his Second Book of his History of the Church of Reims, chap. 19. calls these Churches, Baptismal Titles, which distin∣guished them from others which had not Fonts.

And it is very probable that there was in each City but one Baptismal Church where all the People were Christen'd, which was also observ'd in Villages in the Country, so it must be understood the Decree of the Council of Meaux in the Year 845, * 1.5 That no Priest presume to Baptize but in the Baptismal Churches which are in the Villages. As for Oratories it was not permitted there to build Fonts as we find by the Ninth Epistle of the Second Book of Gregory I. of the 71 and 83 of

the 7th of the Third of the 8th of this practice continued also in Pope Zacharies time, who also wrote so to Pepin in the year 747 in using the very terms of Gregory I. But in process of time twas left to the Li∣berty of the Bishop to suffer it, provided that the con∣sent of his Clergy also interven'd; It is what may be seen in the Decree of Gratian, cap. 16.9. 1. c. 35. More∣over these Baptizing Churches which were otherwise named Plebes, and Oracula, were in so great considera∣tion above others, that Charlemain in his Capitulary in the year 793, chap. 2. will not have them possessed by Lay-Men, to whom he forbids to grant them under the Title of Bennifice, although that was not alwayes observ'd; And it may be the Names of Plebes and Oracula, was given to these Churches, because all the People were wont there to resort to hear the Oracles of God, that is to say, the Word of his Gospel.

Inasmuch as our Discipline suffers Ministers to bap∣tise out of the Assemblies, when it is impossible to have them, it agrees very well with the Seventh Cannon of the Council apud Vernum, which I cited above, where 'tis permitted in case of Necessity to Baptize out of the places where publick Fonts were erected; Moreover, Vernum Palatium, was one of the Kings Pallaces betwixt St. Dennis and Compeigne, at least many do think so.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tom. 5. Conc. pag. 339.
• * 1.2

  Tom 5. Conc. p. 517.
• * 1.3

  Tom. 2. Conc. Gal. p. 152. Ibid. pag. 30.
• * 1.4

  Tom. 16. Bibl. Pal. pag. 674.
• * 1.5

  Tom. 3. Conc. Gal. Can. 48. p. 45, Tom. 1. Conc. Gal. c. 1••. pag. 566.