In case the priest should doubt from the answers of those who bring the child, whether it was lawfully baptized, a form of proceeding is appointed, which is also prescribed by the ancient rubrics of the English churches.

But if they which bring the infant to the church do make such uncertain answers to the priest's questions, as that it cannot appear that the child was baptized with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, (which are essential parts of baptism,) then let the priest baptize it in the form before appointed for public baptism of infants; saving that at the dipping of the child in the font, he shall use this form of words:

If thou art not already baptized, N. I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Si vero dubitet rationabili

ter sacerdos utrum infans ad baptizandum sibi oblatus prius in forma debita fuerit baptizatus, vel non debet omnia perficere cum eo sicut cum alio quem constat sibi non baptizatum, præterquam quod verba sacramentalia essentialia proferre debeat sub conditione, hoc modo dicendo:

N. si baptizatus es, ego non rebaptizo te: sed si nondum baptizatus es, ego baptizo te in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen г.

r Manuale Sarisb. fol. 44, 45. Eboracens. ad finem baptismi.

CHAPTER VI.

CONFIRMATION.

SECTION I.

ANCIENT RITES OF CONFIRMATION.

THE rite of confirmation (which is sometimes called a sacrament by the Fathers, though not in the same high and peculiar sense as baptism and the eucharist) was regarded as an appendix to the sacrament of baptism. Not indeed that baptism was in any way imperfect or invalid without confirmation; but that the grace which the Holy Spirit communicated at baptism, for the remission of sins and regeneration, was increased and strengthened by confirmation. In primitive times, when many persons were baptized together on the vigils of Easter, Pentecost, and Epiphany, in the presence or by the hands of the bishop, the newly baptized, after ascending from the water, were immediately confirmed by him, with imposition of hands and

a The Fathers gave the name of sacrament or mystery to every thing which conveyed one signification or property to unassisted reason, and another to faith. Hence Cyprian speaks of the "sacraments" of the Lord's Prayer, meaning the hidden meaning conveyed therein, which could only be appreciated by a Christian. The Fathers sometimes speak of

confirmation as a sacrament, because the chrism signified the grace of the Holy Ghost; and the imposition of hands was not merely a bare sign, but the form by which it was conveyed: see Bingham, book xii. c. 1. sect. 4. Yet at the same time they continually speak of two great sacraments of the Christian church.

prayer for the Holy Ghost.

In after-ages, when

baptisms were administered in many other churches besides the cathedral, and the presbyters and deacons received a commission from their bishops to administer this sacrament, it became necessary either to disjoin confirmation from baptism, or to give presbyters a commission to perform both. The former course has been followed by the western churches of England, &c. where confirmation is always administered by the bishop, and generally several years after baptism; and the latter has been adopted by the patriarchate of Constantinople and all the eastern churches, in which presbyters have, from time immemorial, been permitted to confirm ; and in those churches confirmation is always administered to infants immediately after baptism. To the apostolical rites of prayer and imposition of hands, the church added that of anointing with an unguent or chrism, made of oil and balsam, and hallowed by the prayers of the bishop. It is difficult, if not impossible, to state the period at which the use of chrism was introduced into the church; but we learn from the writings of Tertullian and Origen, that it was already customary both in the east and west at the end of the second or beginning of the third century b. This chrism was intended to signify the grace of the Holy Spirit then conferred.

Notwithstanding the antiquity of chrism in the church, yet the imposition of hands is still more

CHAPTER VIII.

VISITATION OF THE SICK.

It has ever been customary for the presbyters of the church to visit the sick, and after praying for them, and (if necessary) reconciling them to the church by the blessing of absolution, to communicate to them the sacraments of our Lord's body and blooda. For these purposes the English ritual contains a formulary, which has for the most part been used, from a period of remote antiquity, in our churches. Almost all the succeeding directions and prayers are found in the ancient manuals of Salisbury and York, and some of them may be traced to the primitive ages. Formerly, the sick were anointed with oil; but as the original object of this was to

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save," or procure a miraculous recovery of the infirm, by remission of the temporal punishment which they had merited for their sins, and such cures had long ceased in the church, it was thought unnecessary to be continued b. Nor did the sick receive any injury by this; for on repentance, accompanied by the benediction and prayer of the priest, and the

a Concil. Nicæn. 1. can. 13. Concil. Gangr. can. 6. Carthagin. 4. can. 76, 77, 78. Aurelianens. 2. can. 12. Aurausic. 1. can. 3. Toletan. 1. can. 18. Concil. Agathens. can. 15. Dionys. Alex. Epistola ad Fabium

ap. Euseb. Hist. lib. vi. c. 44. See Bingham, Antiq. book xv. c. 4. sect. 9; and Martene, de Antiq. Eccl. Rit. lib. iii. c. 11. P. 546, &c.

See Clagget on Extreme Unction, part i. §. 3. p. 13, &c.

worthy reception of the sacraments of Christ's body and blood, they obtained remission of all their sins.