hood. Dr. Wall admits that when he first copied out this piece, he thought it "the strongest evidence against the general practice of infant baptism in those times." We think so still. His supposition that these, so large a body, were all of them the children of those who were themselves catechumens is out of reason. Besides, when infant baptism did prevail, as in the time of Justinian, A. D. 526, on any adult becoming a catechumen his children were all baptized forth with, even while he remained in the preparatory state two years. These who had been catechized from childhood, and were addressed by Basil, must have been most of them the children of Christian parents.

That in a number of very important cases,-typecases, which show clearly the prevailing customs of the time, the children of pious parents were made catechumens and even continued such for years, can be easily shown. Augustine is one of these. His mother Monica was one of the most pious women of her age, and one who strictly followed the religious customs of her church and day. She dedicated her son to God by making him a catechumen in his earliest infancy. "Even from the womb of my mother, who greatly hoped in thee, I was sealed with the mark of his cross and salted with his salt." Confessiones Aug. Lib. 1, c. 11. . . . . "The one only church, the body of thine only Son, wherein the name of Christ had been put upon me as an infant." Lib. 6, c. 4. "I will take my stand where, as a child, my parents placed me, until the clear truth be found out. Lib. 6, c. 11. From some expressions here, it might appear as if he had been baptized. But this we know is not the case. Afterwards, when Augustine was eight or nine years of age, his mother had arranged to have him baptized, because she feared he was dying. His father had concurred in this. But he recovered; became a Manichean, then a catechumen again, and was baptized at thirty-two. It seems plain, from the last expression, that both his parents concurred in presenting him as a catechumen in infancy. That the above passages refer to making him a catechumen, Bingham shews, if proof were necessary. Bk. 10, c. 2, $ 8.*

*Dr. Wall supposes he did not receive baptism in his infancy, because his father was not a Christian. But the faith of one parent has, in every age and

Gregory Nazianzen, born about A. D. 325, is another clear instance of a child of pious parents being brought up a catechumen. His mother Nonna was of eminent piety. Before her son was born, she consecrated him to God; and "no sooner was she delivered of him, than, careful to perform her vow, she immediately consecrated and gave him up to God." (Cave's Lives of the Fathers. Vol. 3, p. 4.) By this the reader must not understand that he was then baptized, but consecrated, in all probability, as a catechumen. When he was grown, and on a voyage the vessel near being lost in a storm, and he wept most because not baptized; and prayed so earnestly, and so remarkably did his prayers seem answered, that all on board "resolved to become Christians." Afterwards, at Antioch and Athens, where he studied, he attended the catechetical lectures, in company with his friend Basil, with such assiduity that it was said of them that they knew but two streets in Athens, one, to the school, and the other, to the church. He was not baptized until near thirty.*

place, been esteemed fully sufficient, where that of both has been. It is evident Dr. Wall mistakes the character of Augustine's parents. He has made indeed some singular oversights in this matter. Of his mother he says, "There is no knowing whether she was born of Christian parents;" and that "Augustine says nothing (that he remembers) of the state of her parents." Now it happens that Augustine does, at great length, record in the ninth book of his Confessions, the early life of his mother; that her parents were Christians, and that "a good member of this church educated her in thy fear." She herself was a very pious Christian at the time of her marriage.

By the laws of the church, therefore, Augustine's father could not have been an opposer of Christianity, but must have been a hearer at least-or one of the Christian congregation; otherwise both her parents and herself would have been set aside from the church. This the council of Elliberis had decided (Can. 14, 15, 16) fifty years before. "No Christian must give a daughter to any Gentile, heretic, Jew or Pagan." The council of Laodicea makes the same prohibition in regard to heretics, adding, "unless they will promise to become Christians." It seems certain, therefore, that he must have been, or promised to become, "in some sort, a Christian," i. e. a member of the Christian congregation, or lower class of catechumens. So far from standing in her way, he joined in the act of presenting Augustine as a catechumen (Lib. 6, c. 11), and had offered his consent to his baptism when he was eight or nine, in his sickness; but his mother deferred it, as he got better. Possidius, who wrote the life of Augustine soon after he died, therefore declares, "He was born of creditable Christian parents." (See Wall's Hist. Inf. Bap., vol. 1, p. 91. Lond. 1819.) It was not, however, till Augustine's sixteenth year, that his father became a full catechumen, and was shortly after baptized.

* Dr. Wall wishes to shew here that Gregory Nazianzen's father was not baptized when he was born. At another time and place we may possibly discuss a number of these cases more at length than we can do here, and shew what here we can only find space to state,-that within about two years of his birth, his father was made bishop, as Baronius rightly calculates; that he was born perhaps

The case of Basil illustrates the same point. We have not room here to discuss it; but his parents and grandparents were persons of the most distinguished piety. He attended the lectures with Gregory Nazianzen, unquestionably a catechumen at Athens, with proverbial assiduity, and was, as he declares in a work whose genuineness is above suspicion, (as Du Pin has shewn,) "both baptized and put into the ministry of the church" by the same man-his predecessor as bishop. This declaration refutes the remote conjecture that has been hazarded by Dr. Wall, that he was baptized by his own father in infancy. But there is a passage which, taken in connection with others of a similar character in regard to Gregory and Augustine, seems, beyond doubt, to refer to his being made a catechumen in infancy, and clears up those which Dr. W. supposes to relate to his baptism. Gregory Nazianzen (in his Oratio in Laudem Basilii, Orat. 20), comparing his deceased friend with Samuel the prophet, says, "Samuel was given before he was born, and presently after his birth was consecrated. And was not this man

(Basil) consecrated to God in his infancy, from the womb, and carried to the ua in a coat?" The Bua was a wellknown part of the ancient churches, i. e. the chancel. The baptistery was then usually a separate building; sometimes perhaps the pool was then placed at the door of the church, but never near the chancel in those days. It is, however, with good ground, believed, that the catechumens were often brought to the altar for prayers.

The case of Chrysostom would still further illustrate our point. We cannot pause to do more than mention it, to shew, with others, that the general custom of the times was for the children of Christian parents to be early made catechumens. In all the lives of the fathers of the first four centuries, given by Cave, some forty-four or five in number, not a single one of them is there born after the institution of the catechumenical order, and many of them were children of pious parents, in regard to whom it can be shewn to be probable that they were not, some

a few months before his father's baptism; but that for years before he had been a very pious man, favoring his wife's religion. He would, beyond doubt, have encouraged the baptism, had she desired it. But neither of the parents, either at the time of his birth or when his father was baptized, or even when he was ordained a bishop, and the son not two years old, considered it necessary or appropriate that he should be baptized, or more than a catechumen.

time before baptism, made catechumens. But we do not think that Cave has shewn that a single one of them was baptized in childhood, nor that it can be shewn.

Those who have written on ecclesiastical antiquities have, therefore, all conceded this point, that the children of pious parents were catechumens. Dr. Henry (Christian Antiquities, p. 195), makes this plain concession:"For several ages the practice prevailed of giving the eucharist to infants as soon as they were baptized. . . . The reason of the practice seems to have been in some notion of the necessity of partaking of the eucharist to salvation. Yet it is difficult to reconcile this practice with the well-known custom of training the young for some time as catechumens, before they were admitted either to baptism or the eucharist. The latter must be regarded as the more general practice of the church."

Bingham also says, (Bk. 2, c. 1, § 4,) "The children of believing parents ... were admitted catechumens as soon as they were capable of learning. His opinion that they were made catechumens after baptism, (if indeed that is his meaning,) will be considered in the proper place.

2. In the mean time we turn to shew that from the time of the general introduction of the catechumenical system, this was the only regular mode of approach to baptism during the first four centuries.

When there was immediate danger of death, any one might baptize, whether layman or priest, owing to superstitious notions of the magical effects of baptism. In that case, a person might be baptized without being previously made a catechumen. Perhaps some of the martyrs about to suffer may, by an abuse, have committed the same irregularity; but these were probably the only exceptions. When infants even were to be baptized, it was esteemed proper first to make them nominally catechumens; and this too, if the baptism were proceeded with immediately. This extreme care to keep up the form of being made a catechumen before baptism, when the substance could not be of any importance, shews the universality of this mode of approaching baptism, and the veneration in which the principle of instruction before baptism was held. In ordinary cases there can be no doubt. The Apostolic Constitutions appoint three years, as the ordi

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nary time for remaining a catechumen before baptism (Bk. 8, c. 32); adding, "But if any one be diligent and have a good will in respect to the business, let him be admitted; for it is not length of time, but the course of life that is judged." Two years was a more general period before this; though sometimes it was much shorter, especially in new countries, where whole tribes or nations wished for baptism. Thus the Burgundians were received after seven days' catechizing. Sometimes they were made catechumens but a day before baptism. Still the keeping up of the form shews how universally the thing was esteemed necessary.

In proportion as infant baptism prevailed also, the catechizing of the sponsors and their answering in the name of the children, proves that the children were regarded as catechumens before baptism. That in Augustine's time this was as general as infant baptism, is proved by his correspondence with Boniface. Epis. 23, Boniface says, "How can that be reconciled to truth, which the godfather answers in the child's name?" Augustine does not question the fact, but says, "You are wont to be exceeding cautious of any thing that looks like a lie." Indeed Augustine often admits, and insists on it as equally extensive with infant baptism, that "the sponsors answered for them that they [i. e. the children] renounced the devil, his pomps and his works." The questions asked of the sponsors were precisely on the points taught the catechumens. The same questions were asked in both cases. All the ancients agree that none could be baptized (except dying) without those sacred professions, either by themselves, or, if infants, their sponsors.

The form of making every one a catechumen before baptism has been kept up in the Romish and Greek churches to this day.*

*The following is the rule of the Romish church. "The person to be baptized is brought or conducted to the church door, but forbidden to enter, as one unworthy. . . . . The priest then asks what he demands of the church of God; and having received an answer, he first instructs him catechetically in the doctrine of the Christian faith, of which a profession is made in baptism. But as the catechetical form consists of question and answer, if the person to be instructed be an adult, he himself answers the interrogatories; if an infant, the sponsor answers according to the prescribed form, and enters into a solemn engagement for the child." Then follow the exorcism, salt, sign of the cross, spittle, renunciation," the oil of the catechumens," the profession of faith, the baptism. An adult is kept a catechumen for some months, according to this