first apprehended by faith and is endear'd by charity and at last is understood by holy and kind experiences And in this there is no more objection against Confirmation than against Baptism or the Lords Supper or any other ministery Evangelical The other thing is this If we do not find the effects of the spirit in Confirmation it is our faults For he is receiv'd by moral instruments and is intended only as a help to our endeavours to our labours and our prayers to our contentions and our mortifications to our faith and to our hope to our patience and to our charity Non adjuvari dicitur qui nihil facit He that does nothing cannot be said to be help'd Unless we in these instances do our part of the work it will be no wonder if we loose his part of the co-operation and supervening blessing He that comes under the Bishops hands to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost will come with holy desires and a longing soul with an open hand and a prepared heart he will purifie the house of the spirit for the entertainment of so Divine a guest he will receive him with humility and follow him with obedience and delight him with purities and he that does thus let him make the objection if he can and tell me Does he say that Jesus is the Lord He cannot say this but by the Holy Ghost Does he love his Brother If he does then the Spirit of God abides in him Is Jesus Christ formed in him Does he live by the lawes of the spirit Does he obey his commands Does he attend his motions Hath he no earnest desires to serve God If he have not then in vain hath he receiv'd either Baptisme or Confirmation But if he have it is certain that of himself he cannot do these things he cannot of himself think a good thought Does he therefore think well That is from the Holy Spirit of God To conclude this inquiry The Holy Ghost is promised to all Men to profit withall That 's plain in Scripture Confirmation or prayer and Imposition of the Bishops hand is the Solemnity and Rite us'd in Scripture for the conveying of that promise and the effect is felt in all the Sanctifications and changes of the Soul and he that denies these things hath not faith nor the true notices of Religion or the spirit of Christianity Heaâ— what the Scriptures yet further say in this mystery Now he which confirmeth or stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Here is a description of the whole mysterious part of this rite God is the Author of the grace The Apostles and all Christians are the suscipients and receive this grace by this grace we are adopted and incorporated into Christ God hath anointed us that is he hath given us this Unction from above he hath sealed us by his Spirit made us his own bored our ears thorough made us free by his perpetual service and hath done all these things in token of a greater he hath given us his Spirit to testifie to us that he will give us of his glory These words of S. Paul besides that they evidently contain in them the spiritual part of this Ritual are also expounded of the Rite and Sacramental it self by S. Chrysostom Theodoret and Theophylact that I may name no more For in this mystery Christos nos efficit misericordiam Dei nobis annunciat per Spiritum Sanctum said S. John Damascen he makes us his anointed ones and by the Holy Spirit he declares his eternal mercy towards us Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine anointed ones For when we have this signature of the Lord upon us the Devils cannot come near to hurt us unless we consent to their temptations and drive the Holy Spirit of the Lord from us SECT VII Of preparation to Confirmation and the circumstances of receiving it IF Confirmation have such gracious effects why doe we confirm little children whom in all reason we cannot suppose to be capable and receptive of such Graces It will be no answer to this if we say that this very question is asked concerning the baptism of Infants to which as great effects are consequent even pardon of all our sins and the new birth and regeneration of the soul unto Christ For in these things the soul is wholly passive and nothing is required of the suscipient but that he put in no bar against the grace which because Infants cannot doe they are capable of baptism but it follows not that therefore they are capable of confirmation because this does suppose them such as to need new assistances and is a new profession and a personal undertaking and therefore requires personal abilities and cannot be done by others as in the case of baptism The aids given in Confirmation are in order to our contention and our danger our temptation and spiritual warfare and therefore it will not seem equally reasonable to confirm children as to baptize them To this I answer That in the Primitive Church Confirmation was usually administred at the same time with baptism for we find many Records that when the Office of baptism was finished and the baptized person devested of the white Robe the person was carried again to the Bishop to be confirmed as I have already shewn out of Dionysius and divers others The reasons why anciently they were ministred immediately after one another is not onely because the most of them that were baptized were of years to choose their Religion and did so and therefore were capable of all that could be consequent to baptism or annexed to it or ministred with it and therefore were also at the same time communicated as well as confirmed but also because the solemn baptismes were at solemn times of the year at Easter onely and Whitsontide and onely in the Cathedral or Bishops Church in the chief City whither when the Catechumens came and had the opportunity of the Bishops presence they took the advantage ut sacramento utroque renascantur as St. Cyprian's expression is that they might be regenerated by both the mysteries and they also had the third added viz. the Holy Eucharist This simultaneous ministration hath occasioned some few of late to mistake confirmation for a part of baptism but no distinct Rite or of distinct effect save onely that it gave ornament and complement or perfection to the other But this is infinitely confuted by the very first ministry of Confirmation in the World for there was a great interval between St. Philip's baptizing and the Apostles confirming the Samaritans where also the difference is made wider by the distinction of the Minister a Deacon did one none but an Apostle and his successor a Bishop could do the other and this being of so universal a Practise and Doctrine in the Primitive Church it is a great
of what side soever My first argument from Scripture is what I learn from Optatus and S. Cyril Optatus writing against the Donatists hath these words Christ descended into the water not that in him who is God was any thing that could be made cleaner but that the water was to precede the future Vnction for the initiating and ordaining and fulfilling the mysteries of Baptism He was wash'd when he was in the hands of John then followed the order of the mystery and the Father finish'd what the Son did ask and what the Holy Ghost declar'd The Heavens were open'd God the Father anointed him the spiritual Vnction presently descended in the likeness of a Dove and sate upon his head and was spread all over him and he was called the Christ when he was the anointed of the Father To whom also least imposition of hands should seem to be wanting the voice of God was heard from the could saying This is my Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him That which Optatus sayes is this that upon and in Christs person Baptism Confirmation and Ordination were consecrated and first appointed He was baptized by S. John he was confirm'd by the Holy Spirit and anointed with spiritual Unction in order to that great work of obedience to his Fathers will and he was Consecrated by the voice of God from Heaven In all things Christ is the head and the first fruits and in these things was the Fountain of the Sacraments and spiritual grace and the great exemplar of the Oeconomy of the Church For Christ was nullius poenitentiae debitor Baptism of Repentance was not necessary to him who never sinn'd but so it became him to fulfil all righteousness and to be a pattern to us all But we have need of these things though he had not and in the same way in which Salvation was wrought by him for himself and for us all in the same way he intended we should walk He was baptized because his Father appointed it so we must be baptized because Christ hath appointed it and we have need of it too He was Consecrated to be the great Prophet and the great Priest because no man takes on him this honour but he that was called of God as was Aaron and all they who are to minister in his prophetical office under him must be consecrated and solemnly set apart for that ministration and after his glorious example He was anointed with a spiritual Unction from above after his baptisme for after Jesus was baptized he ascended up from the waters and then the Holy Ghost descended upon him it is true he receiv'd the fulness of the spirit but we receive him by measure but of his fulness we all receive grace for grace that is all that he receiv'd in order to his great work all that in kind one for another grace for grace we are to receive according to our measures and our necessities And as all these he receiv'd by external ministrations so must we God the Father appointed his way and he by his example first hath appointed the same to us that we also may follow him in the regeneration and work out our salvation by the same graces in the like solemnities For if he needed them for himself then we need them much more If he did not need them for himself he needed them for us and for our example that we might follow his steps who by receiving these exteriour solemnities and inward graces became the Author and finisher of our Salvation and the great example of his Church I shall not need to make use of the fancy of the Murcosians and Colabarsians who turning all mysteries into numbers reckoned the numeral letters of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and made them co-incident to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they intended to say that Christ receiving the Holy Dove after his Baptism became all in all to us the beginning and the perfection of our Salvation here he was confirm'd and receiv'd the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the consummation to his initiation the completion of his baptism and of his headship in the Gospel But that which I shall rather and is what S. Cyril from hence argues When he truly was baptized in the River of Jordan he ascended out of the waters and the Holy Ghost substantially descended upon him like resting upon like And to you also in like manner after ye have ascended from the waters of baptisme the Vnction is given which bears the image or similitude of him by whom Christ was anointed that as Christ after baptism and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon him went forth to battle in the Wilderness and overcame the adversary so ye also after holy baptism and the mystical Vnction or confirmation being vested with the Armour of the holy Spirit are enabled to stand against the opposite powers Here then is the first great ground of our solemne receiving the Holy spirit or the Unction from above after Baptism which we understand and represent by the word Confirmation denoting the principle effect of this Unction spiritual strength Christ who is the head of the Church entred this way upon his duty and work and he who was the first of all the Church the head and great example is the measure of all the rest for we can go to Heaven no way but in that way in which he went before us There are some who from this story would infer the descent of the Holy Ghost after Christs Baptism not to signifie that Confirmation was to be a distinct rite from baptism but a part of it yet such a part as gives fulness and consummation to it S. Hierom Chrysostom Euthymius and Theophylact go not so far but would have us by this to understand that the Holy Ghost is given to them that are baptized But reason and the context are both against it 1. Because the Holy Ghost was not given by Johns baptism that was reserv'd to be one of Christ's glories who also when by his Disciples he baptiz'd many did not give them the Holy Ghost and when he commanded his Apostles to baptize all Nations did not at that time so much as promise the Holy Ghost he was promis'd distinctly and given by another ministration 2. The descent of the Holy Spirit was a distinct ministery from the baptism it was not only after Jesus ascended from the waters of baptism but there was something intervening and by a new office or ministration For there was prayer joyn'd in the ministery So S. Iuke observes while Jesus was praying the Heavens were open'd and the Holy spirit descended for so Jesus was pleas'd to consign the whole office and ritual of Confirmation prayer for invocating the Holy Spirit and giving him by personal application which as the Father did immediately so the Bishops doe by imposition of hands 3. S. Austin observes that the apparition
order of the words and that it does mean a mystery distinct from Baptism will be easily assented to by them who consider that although Christ Baptized and made many Disciples by the Ministry of his Apostles yet they who were so Baptized into Christs Religion did not receive this Baptism of the Spirit till after Christs Ascension 3. The Baptism of Water was not peculiar to John the Baptist for it was also of Christ and ministred by his command it was common to both and therefore the Baptism of Water is the less principal here Something distinct from it is here intended Now if we add to these words That St. John tells of another Baptism which was Christs peculiar He shall Baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire That these words were literally verified upon the Apostles in Pentecost and afterwards upon all the Baptized in Spiritual effect who besides the Baptism of Water distinctly had the Baptism of the Spirit in Confirmation it will follow that of necessity this must be the meaning and the verification of these words of our B. Saviour to Nicodemus which must mean a double Baptism Transivimus per aquam ignem antequam veniemus in refrigerium we must pass through Water and Fire before we enter into rest that is We must first be Baptized with Water and then with the Holy Ghost who first descended in Fire that is the onely way to enter into Christs Kingdom is by these two Doors of the Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not Man first by Baptism and then by Confirmation First by Water and then by the Spirit The Primitive Church had this notion so fully amongst them that the Author of the Apostolical constitutions attributed to St. Clement who was St. Pauls Schollar affirms That a man is made a perfect Christian meaning Ritually and Sacramentally and by all exterior solemnity by the Water of Baptism and Confirmation of the Bishop and from these words of Christ now alledged derives the use and institution of the Rite of Confirmation The same sense of these words is given to us by St. Cyprian who intending to prove the insufficiency of one without the other sayes tunc enim plenè Sanctificari esse Dei filii possunt si Sacramento utroque nascantur cum Scriptum sit nisi quis natus fuerit ex aquâ Spiritu non potest intrare regnum Dei Then they may be fully Sanctified and become the Sons of God if they be born with both the Sacraments or Rites for it is written Vnless a Man be born of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God The same also is the Commentary of Eusebius Emissenus and St. Austin tells That although some understand these words onely of Baptism and others of the Spirit onely viz. in Confirmation yet others and certainly much better understand utrunque Sacramentum both the mysteries of Confirmation as well as Baptism Amalarius Fortunatus brings this very Text to reprove them that neglect the Episcopal imposition of Hands Concerning them who by negligence lose the Bishops presence and receive not the imposition of his Hands it is to be considered least in justice they be condemned in which they exercize Justice negligently because they ought to make haste to the imposition of Hands because Christ said Vnless a Man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And as he said this so also he said Vnless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven To this I fore-see two Objections may be made First That Christ did not institute Confirmation in this place because Confirmation being for the gift of the Holy Ghost who was to come upon none of the Apostles till Jesus was glorified These words seem too early for the consigning an effect that was to be so long after and a Rite that could not be practised till many intermedial events should happen So said the Evangelist The Holy Ghost was come upon none of them because Jesus was not yet glorified intimating that this great effect was to be in after-time and it is not likely that the Ceremony should be ordained before the Effect it self was ordered and provided for that the solemnity should be appointed before provisions were made for the mystery and that the outward which was wholy for the inward should be instituted before the inward and principal had its abode amongst us To this I answer First That it is no unusual thing for Christ gave the Sacrament of his Body before his Body was given the memorial of his death was instituted before his death 2. Confirmation might here as well be instituted as Baptism and by the same reason that the Church from these words concludes the necessity of one she may also infer the designation of the other for the effect of Baptism was at that time no more produced than that of Confirmation Christ had not yet purchased to himself a Church he had not wrought remission of sins to all that believe on him the death of Christ was not yet passed into which death the Christian Church was to be Baptized 3. These words are so an institution of Confirmation as the sixth chap. of St. John is of the blessed Eucharist It was designativa not ordinativa it was in design not in present command here it was preached but not reducible to practice till its proper season 4. It was like the words of Christ to St. Peter When thou art converted confirm thy Brethren Here the command was given but that Confirmation of his Brethren was to be performed in a time relative to a succeeding accident 5. It is certain that long before the event and grace was given Christ did speak of the Spirit of Confirmation that Spirit which was to descend in Pentecost which all they were to receive who should believe on him which whosoever did receive out of his Belly should flow Rivers of Living Waters as is to be read in that place of St. John now quoted 6. This praedesignation of the Holy Spirit of Confirmation was presently followed by some little ante-past and donariola or little givings of the Spirit for our blessed Saviour gave the Holy Ghost three several times First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obscurely and by intimation and secret virtue then when he sent them to heal the sick and anoint them with Oyl in the Name of the Lord. Second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more expresly and signally after the Resurrection when he took his leave of them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost And this was to give them a power of ministring remission of sins and therefore related to Baptism and the ministeries of Repentance But 3. He gave it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more perfectly and this was the Spirit of Confirmation for he was not at all until now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
wonder that any learned men could suffer an errour in so apparent a case It is also clear in two other great remarks of the practise of the Primitive Church the one is of them who were baptized in their sickness the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they recovered they were commanded to address themselves to the Bishop to be confirmed which appears in the XXXVIII Canon of the council of Eliberis and the XLVI Canon of the council of Laodicea which I have before cited upon other occasions the other is that of Hereticks returning to the Church who were confirmed not onely long after baptism but after their apostacy and their conversion For although Episcopal confirmation was the inlargement of Baptismal grace and commonly administred the same day yet it was done by interposition of distinct ceremonies and not immediately in time Honorius Augustodunensis tells That when the baptized on the Eighth day had laid aside their Mitres or proper habit used in baptism then they were usually confirmed or consigned with Chrism in the Fore-head by the Bishop And when children were baptized irregularly or besides the ordinary way in Villages and places distant from the Bishop confirmation was deferr'd said Durandus And it is certain that this affair did not last long without variety Sometimes they ministred both together sometimes at greater sometimes at lesser distances and it was left indifferent in the Church to do the one or the other or the third according to the opportunity and the discretion of the Bishop But afterward in the middle and descending Ages it grew to be a question not whether it were lawful or not but which were better To confirm Infants or to stay to their childehood or to their riper years Aquinas Bonaventure and some others say it is best that they be confirmed in their Infancy quia dolus non est nec obicem ponunt they are then without craft and cannot hinder the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them and indeed it is most agreeable with the Primitive practise that if they were baptized in Infancy they should then also be confirmed according to that of the famous Epistle of Melchiades to the Bishops of Spain Ita conjuctna sunt haec duo sacramenta ut ab invicem nisi morte praeveniente non possint separari unum sine altero ritè perfici non potest Where although he expresly affirms the Rites to be two yet unless it be in cases of necessity they are not to be severed and one without the other is not perfect which in the sense formerly mentioned is true and so to be understood That to him who is baptized and is not confirmed something very considerable is wanting and therefore they ought to be joyned though not immediately yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to reasonable occasions and accidental causes But in this there must needs be a liberty in the Church not onely for the former reasons but also because the Apostles themselves were not confirmed till after they had received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Others therefore say That to confirm them of riper years is with more edification The confession of Faith is more voluntary the election is wiser the submission to Christs discipline is more acceptable and they have more need and can make better use of their strengths then derived by the holy spirit of God upon them and to this purpose it is commanded in the Canon Law that they who are confirmed should be perfectae aetatis of full age upon which the gloss sayes Perfectam vocat forte duodecim annorum Twelve year old was a full age because at those years they might then be admitted to the lower services in the Church But the reason intimated and implied by the Canon is because of the preparation to it They must come fasting and they must make publick confession of their Faith And indeed that they should do so is matter of great edification as also are the advantages of choice and other preparatory abilities and dispositions above-mentioned They are matter of edification I say when they are done but then the delaying of them so long before they be done and the wanting the aids of the Holy Ghost conveyed in that ministry are very prejudicial and are not matter of edification But therefore there is a third way which the Church of England and Ireland followes and that is that after Infancy but yet before they understand too much of sin and when they can competently understand the fundamentals of Religion then it is good to bring them to be confirmed that the spirit of God may prevent their youthful sins and Christ by his word and by his spirit may enter and take possession at the same time And thus it was in the Church of England long since provided and commanded by the Laws of King Edgar cap. 15. ut nullus ab Episcopo confirmari diù nimium detrectârit That none should too long put off his being confirmed by the Bishop that is as is best expounded by the perpetual practise almost ever since as soon as ever by Catechism and competent instruction they were prepared it should not be deferred If it have been omitted as of late years it hath been too much as we do in baptism so in this also it may be taken at any age even after they have received the Lords Supper as I observed before in the practise and example of the Apostles themselves which in this is an abundant warrant But still the sooner the better I mean after that Reason begins to dawn but ever it must be taken care of that the Parents and God-fathers the Ministers and Masters see that the Children be catechised and well instructed in the fundamentals of their Religion For this is the necessary preparation to the most advantageous reception of this holy ministry In Ecclesiis potissimùm Latinis non nisi adultiore aetate pueros admitti videmus vel hanc certè ob causam ut Parentibus susceptoribus Ecclesiarum praefectis occasio detur pueros de fide quam in baptismo professi sunt diligentiùs instituendi admonendi said the excellent Cassander In the Latine Churches they admit children of some ripeness of age that they may be more diligently taught and instructed in the Faith And to this sense agree St. Austin Walafridus Strabo Ruardus Lovaniensis and Mr. Calvin For this was ever the practise of the Primitive Church to be infinitely careful of catechising those who came and desired to be admitted to this holy Rite they used Exorcisms or Catechisms to prepare them to baptism and confirmation I said Exorcisms or Catechisms for they were the same thing if the notion be new yet I the more willingly declare it not onely to free the Primitive Church from the suspicion of superstition in using Charms or Exorcismes according to the modern sense of the word or casting of the Devil out of innocent Children but