receive it able to understand it b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotinus John 7.17 Ecclus 1.26 nor likely to profit by it Nor must any Man think these divine Precepts of the Moral Law so appropriated to the Jewish Synagogues where they were constantly with great reverence used as to deserve no place in the Christian Worship Or at least that we need not so great preparations before they are read to us For our Saviour hath rather more strictly enjoined than any ways abrogated these Measures of Eternal goodness And withal assures us that the keeping of the Precepts is the way to Everlasting Life Matth. 5.19 20. and Chap. 19.17 So that all of us are concern'd to know this Covenant to which we have ingaged in our Baptism this Rule by which we are to square our lives here and this Law by which we must be judged hereafter And therefore it is appointed that these Commandments shall be read in this place while all the Congregation is together to the Catechumens as well as to the Elder Christians to those that do not as well as to those that do Communicate And that immediately before the Gospel to make that the more welcom to us when the Law hath humbled us by its Terrors Wherefore we here present the general Division of them both to instruct the ignorant and to afford all an Opportunity to see their principal offences against them at one glance while the Minister is reading them or when we have no time for more particular Examination The Analysis of the Ten Commandments § 2. The Ten Commandments are by Christ himself divided into Two Tables I. Table Of Piety towards God 1. As to the Object of Worship I. Com. Thou shalt have no other gods c. I Sins chiefly forbidden Apostasie Deifying the Creature Distrust of God 2. As to the Manner of Worship 1. In our solemn Addresses to God II. Com. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image c. II Idolatry Superstition Slight and careless Worship 2. In all other Acts that have respect unto him III. Com. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord c. III Blasphemy Swearing vainly falsly Cursing Profaning Holy things Sacrilege 3. As to the Time of Worship IV. Com. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath c. IV Neglect of the Sabbath Holy Times Mispending them in Idlenesâ— or Debauchery II. Table Of Charity to our Neighbor 1. Directing us in the Duties of our several Relations 1. Natural as Parents Children 2. Religious Ministers People 3. Civil Princes Subjects 4. Domestical Masters Servants V. Com. Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. V Superiours Negligence Pride Evil Example Inferiour Disobedience Contempt Resisting 2. Forbidding us to do any injury either 1. Indeed against our Neighbour's 1. Life VI. Com. Thou shalt doe no murder VI Taking away Life Quarrelling Anger Revenge Cruelty 2. Chastity VII Thou shalt not commit adultery VII Adultery Fornication Wanton Desires Words Behaviour Drukenness 3. Estate or Goods VIII Thou shalt not steal VIII Theft and Robbery Oppression Cheating Unjust detaining Idleness 4. Good Name IX Thou shalt not bear false witness c. IX False Testimonies Lying Slandering Tale-bearing Flattery 2. Or in thought or desire X. Com. Thou shalt not covet c. X Covetousness Envy at others Discontent with our own A Practical Discourse of the Ten Commandments § 3. It must not be expected that I should explain the particular Commandments which would too much swell this work Only I shall undertake two things First To direct how to use them for our profit when there is no Communion Secondly And chiefly how they may be used in private to help us in our Preparation for the Blessed Sacrament As our natural Ignorance makes it necessary to teach us this Law of God in our Catechism So our aptness to forget that which is good requires that it should be repeated in our publick Service It is dangerous either not to know or not to remember these holy Commandments which are proclaimed by our God approved by our own Consciences established with eternal rewards and punishments c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porph. de abst 1. 8. Whosoever therefore thinks it a trouble to hear them so often neither considers the weight of these divine Precepts nor observes that his own frequent breaches of them do shew that they are not read often enough to fix them so in his mind as to procure a sincere Obedience For till we do exactly observe them We do not know or remember them as we ought Let us then endeavour so often as we use them to receive benefit to our Souls thereby And to that purpose First You must with great humility receive them from the Mouth of the Minister as if they were spoken from Mount Sinai by God himself imitating the tenderness of good Josiah 2 Chron. 34.19 and cast your selves down upon your knees for that is the most suitable posture for Criminals who are to petition for pardon and thus listen to every Commandment with diligent attention and a submissive Reverence Secondly Apply them every one carefully to your ways for since you have neglected to follow the direction of this holy Law as your Guide d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Paed. 1. it now becomes your Accuser e Rectum est index sui obliqui and it may be an excellent opportunity to bring you to the knowledge of your sinful Estate and so unto repentance because your gracious God doth allow you the liberty of second thoughts and will not condemn you for these offences if you condemn your selves for them Ask then your own heart seriously at every one Have I not been such an one Done this evil Neglected this duty And when your Conscience Answers Yes then you must most passionately cry out Lord have mercy upon me and forgive me this or that sin Thirdly Let the discovery of so many breaches and the sight of so vast a heap of guilt make you afraid to add Sin unto Sin f Iterata enim lex solliciâ—iores reddit regligente Ambr. in Galat. and to break these holy bonds any more g Hoc nos pâ—ssimos facit quod nemo vitam suam respicit Sen. Epist 38. for therefore have you lived at random because you have not considered your ways nor compared them strictly with Gods sacred Law But now that you are freshly minded of your Duty and reproved for your former Neglect It will be expected you shall be more afraid to transgress hereafter and therefore desiring never more to offend say Lord incline my heart to keep this Law And thus the hearing of the Ten Commandments may be an exercise of our Repentance and a means of amendment every day § 4. It is of excellent use frequently to compare our ways with Gods Law for so it would be our guide before we act to put us upon our Duty Our reprover afterward to bring us
impudence fall to them till we have first worshipped and praised him that did invite us d Non debet quis quasi famelicus à cibo incipere sed antè à laudibus Dei Ambros de Sacram. l. 6. c. 5. for Christ himself blessed God before he eat Now if this hath perswaded us that it is our duty to praise the Lord just now this incomparable form will contribute very much to the elevating of our Devotion for it is a pure and genuine piece of Primitive Piety so antiently and so universally received in both the Eastern and Western Church differing in other things that we may justly deem it to have been of Apostolical Institution There is no antient Liturgy which hath not almost the very same words Let us lift up our minds and hearts c. say the Liturgies ascribed to St. James St. Basil and St. Chrysostom Lift up your hearts c. verbatim in the Apostolical Constitutions lib. 8. which are ascribed to St. Clement St. Cyprian also particularly expounds this Preface An. Christi 250. as will appear presently St. Chrysos divides the publick offices into three parts Prayers Supplications and Prefaces e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 3. in 3. ad Colos and when private Spirits attempted to make new Prefaces of their own these were forbidden to be altered and the innovators censured by a Council f Concil Milevitan Canon 12. Not to mention how St. Ambrose proves the Divinity of the Holy Ghost from the following Hymn g Ambros de Spir. Sanc. l. 3. c. 18. But to shew that they deserve admiration as well for their intrinsick Excellencies as their antiquity we proceed to unfold the particulars The Analysis of the Prefaces and Trisagium Sect. 2. This Act of Praise hath four distinct Parts 1. The Resp nses in which a general Act of 1. Preparation is Propounded Lift up your hearts and Accepted We lift them up unto the Lord 2. Thaâ—kâ—giving is Offered Let us give thanks unto â—ur Lord God Embraced It s meet and right so to do 2. The geneâ—al Preface and Reason of this Duty shewing 1. Why we do it It is very meet right and our bounden duty 2. When. that we should at all times 3. Where and in all places 4. To whom give thanks unto thee O Lord holy Father Almighty Everlasting God 3. The Exercise of this duty containing 1. The Company with whom we join Therefoâ—e with Angels and Archangels a d wâ—th a l the Company of Heaven 2. The Act which we perform Wâ—â—â—nd and magnifiâ— thâ— glorious name eveâ—m re praising thee 3. The manner of performing it by 1. Confessing God in his Holiness and saying Holy Holy Holy Power Lord God of Hosts Glory Heaven â—â—d Earth art full of thy glory 2. Giving praise unto him Glory be to thee O Lord most High Amen 4. Particular Prefaces and Reasons why we must praise God especially on 1. The Feast of the Nativity 2. The Feast of Easter 3. Holy-Thu sday 4. The Feâ—â— of Whit-Sunday 5. Trinity-Sunday for 1. Christ Incarnation 2. His Resurreâ—tion 3. His Ascension 4. The gifâ— of he Holy Ghost 5. Revelation of the mystery of the Trinity A Practical Discourse on the Prefaces c. § 3. Priest Lift up your hearts Answ We lift them up unto the Lord. Having searched and tryed our ways by Repentance and by Faith turned again to the Lord we are next by the method of the Holy Ghost advised to Lift up our hearts Lament 3.40 41. They were oppressed with a load of guilt and fear before but as soon as that burden is removed there is all possible reason to lift them to praise our most gracious deliverer such was Davids practice Psal 25.1 such the Precept of the great Apostle Colos 3.1 and from these Divine Fountains this Pious form of Exhortation was derived into all the antient Liturgies It is capable of a twofold sence yet both do rarely agree to this place and to this Ordinance First As it requires a strict and intire attendance upon the duty in hand thus St. Cyprian expounds this Preface h Ideo sacerdos ante orationem praefatione praemissâ parat fratrum mentes dicendo Sursum corda ut dum Resp plebs Habemus ad Dominum admoneatur nihil aliud se quà m Dominum debere cogitare Cypr. de Orat. Dom. and St. Chrysostom i Hom. de encoeniis and St. Augustine k Aug. de vera rel c. 3 in like manner viz. That dismissing all Worldly thoughts we should wholly fix our minds upon the Mysteries and by Faith and Contemplation look into the Abyss of the Divine Mercy till we be even ravished and swallowed up with wonder and have forgotten all other things The very Heathens in all their Holy Rites saith Plutarch l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutar. Coriolan Ea v x hortabatur ut qui sacra adirent reverenter attentè id facerent Lil. Girald had a Cryer who with a loud voice Proclaimed these words Hoc Age. By which they were warned to mind nothing but the Mystery and that neither idleness nor business might interrupt them And is not this much more necessary in this Coelestial Feast where there are so many of the best objects in the World as will take up our whole man and imploy all our power if we do attend them Secondly As it more directly respects the duty of praise which immediately follows after and thus it admonisheth us to lift up our hearts to contemplate the infinite Majesty and greatness the admirable mercy and goodness of him whom we are to praise that when our Souls are transported with the divine glories no baser or mean thoughts may dare to approach or disturb the holy pleasure we are to praise God in the highest Laudate eum in Excelsis sed cum cogitamus quomodo illic laudetur cor ibi habeamus non sine causâ audimus Sursum corda Aug. in Psal 148. to sing the song of Angels Let us therefore elevate our thoughts to consider how that glorious Choir doth sing this Hymn that we may do it with a fervency and pleasure almost unison to them and rejoice as if we were among them we are now going to do the work of Angels and so must be above the World Answ Now the Church hath taught all her Children readily to obey this pious Exhortation and to answer We lift c. as Psal 27.9 For the people being now purifyed by Faith are admitted also to bear their part which they must do not by a bare repeating of the words but an actual performing of the duty for it is not only a Promise We will c. but a Declaration of what we are now doing Take heed saith St. Chrys ye that in the time of the dreadful mysteries are thinking or talking of Vanity O Man what dost thou hast thou not promised the Priest who said Lift up your mind and heart and thou didst
the Phrase is frequently used by the Fathers in this Case The sum of them is to desire that whatsoever is shadowed in the Outward part and signified in Rite may in Substance and reality be fulfilled o Baptismus salutaris est si perfectum est in corde quod factum est in Corpore Augustin and that whatsoever the Scripture affirms to be the duty of all baptized Persons may be particularly performed by this Child That as this Child hath in figure imitated Christs Death and Resurrection so it may hereafter live as one dead unto sin and all the desires of it but alive unto righteousness and ready to execute all the commands thereof That as it is baptized into the Faith of Christ Crucified for Sin so it may mortifie and kill all its corrupt affections until it have utterly abolished all the powers of Lust and Concupiscence and brought the flesh in subjection to the Spirit We pray that it may not renew the guilt that is remitted nor fall back into the bondage from which it is delivered that it may not defile what God hath cleansed nor expel what he hath given but when it comes to understanding that it may make use of the Grace that is offered unto it and improve the beginings planted in it and live like one of Gods Children and one of the Society of Saints and then we are assured that it shall not only have an Interest in the merits of Christs Death but feel the power of his Resurrection and finally it self also shall rise again in the Resurrection of the Just of which this Mystery is a pledge p Baptismus itaque resurrectionis pignus est imago Ambros in Rom. 6. We do most ardently therefore desire this Infant may lead a holy life for if it live like Jesus on Earth it shall live with him in Heaven if it be an obedient Son it shall not fail of the Inheritance if it follow the steps of holy Saints it shall go whither they are gone and with them at last sing Hallelujahs in Everlasting Glory And oh what pity is it that when this Child is set in the right way thither when it is put into such a state that neither former Guilt nor future power of Sin can stop its passage if it hold fast the Grace received what pity is it I say that it should fall off and lose all again And yet too many do thus Apostatize and exchange Life for Death Liberty for Bondage and Heaven for Hell whose sad Catastrophe doth stir us up most heartily to pray that this poor Infant may never do the like but through the Continuance of the grace of God may lead the rest of its life according to this blessed beginning for Jesus sake and let all the People say Amen §. 4. The concluding Exhortation to the Sureties Forasmuch as this Child hath promised by you that are his Sureties to renounce c. The Church hath always had an especial care that this Vow of Baptism may be conscientiously performed And in regard that nothing tends more directly to the securing of Holiness and Religion here is added endeavours to our Prayers for the fulfilling thereof In the first Ages when those of riper years were Baptized the Exhortation q Alloquimur recentèr baptizatos ut animos accendamus sive ad virginalem integritatem sive ad continentiam vidualem sive ad ipsius thori conjugalis fidem Aug. de Civ dei l. 1. cap. 27. was directed to the Persons themselves and there are many excellent Tracts of the Fathers made upon that occasion But now that Children are most commonly the Subjects of Baptism who are not yet capable of Admonition here is a serious and earnest Exhortation made unto the Sureties Which if it be well considered will shew how base it is for any to undertake this Trust meerly in Complement how absurd to put little Children whose Bond is not good in humane Courts upon this weighty Office and also how ridiculous for those who have taken this duty upon them to think they can shake off this Charge again and assign it over to the Parents which are the evil Customs of this Licentious Age It is sure that if this Institution of Godfathers and Godmothers were prudently undertaken and well performed there could not be a more effectual means to repair the decay of Christian Piety and therefore it is very lamentable to behold how slightly men enter upon it and how little they do regard it afterwards For remedy whereof I wish that all Sureties would well weigh this Excellent Exhortation which contains First A review of what they have done Secondly A direction concerning what they are to do Thirdly A reason why it is so necessary that these things should be done by them 1. They have engaged for a Minor unto Almighty God the God of truth and the Judge of all Men they are become Sureties and Bondsmen r Quicunque viri quaecunque mulieres de sacro fonte filios spiritualiter exceperunt cognoscant se pro ipsis fide-jussores extitisse August de Temp. Serm. 136. for this Child unto the Majesty of Heaven and it is a hainous Crime to deal falsly with him ſ Eccles V. 2.4 Quam gravia vincula promittere Deo non solvere Ambros in Luc. 20. and he will in no wise be mocked You have undertaken that this Infant shall renounce the Devil believe in God and serve him and though the Childs wilful Apostasie doth not forfeit your Bond yet your own negligence may if you do not endeavour to instruct and amend him God knows it is not in your power to give the Childs Grace but it is in your power to teach and to admonish and if you will not do so small a matter the Child is lost through your default and it is apparent you care not what you promise to Almighty God for the least that a Bondsman can do is to call upon the Debtor to discharge what is owing nor can there be a more easie condition than that the Surety shall be free if he do but often admonish him that he is bound with to pay the Debt Consider therefore all you that are concerned what you have done and then it is easie to gather from thence what you are obliged unto 1. To teach these Children the nature of their Baptismal Vow and this was of old appointed even as to grown Persons when they had been baptized in haste in Cases of imminent danger they were to be taught afterwards what favour God had done them and what duty they owed for the same t Qui in aegritudine constituti baptismum perceperunt facti sani fidei symbolum doceantur ut noverint quâ donatione digni sunt habiti Concil Laodicen Can. 59. Much more is it necessary in the Case of Infants wherefore The Godfather or Godmother saith an antient Author ought to signifie to those whom they have received from the
Font of Regeneration when they come to Age what Promises they have made for them that they may study not to live unworthy of the Salvation provided for them but may fulfil by their own performance what they have promised by the mouths of others Walafrid Strabo de reb Eccles cap. 26. St. Augustine also warneth them to instruct and correct them whom they have answered for u Quos enim ex baptismo suscepistis docete castigate Aug. de rect Cathol convers and the Synod of Mentz w Compatres spirituales filiolos suos Catholicè instruant Synod Mogunt Can. 47. hath a peculiar Decree in this matter But if there were no Authority it is highly reasonable and absolutely necessary for how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Teacher Rom. 10.14 It is impossible they should keep this Vow if they do not understand it wherefore you must begin early and inculcate often to them what you did for them and upon what terms they stand with Almighty God which you cannot better do than by making them learn and understand the Church Catechism the first part of which is an Excellent Account of this Solemn Vow plainly and briefly shewing both what God promised to them and what they by you promised to him together with other particulars for their better keeping of the same This is the first part of the Sureties Duty The second is that they do bring them to the House of God more fully to be instructed and advised for Faith comes by Hearing Rom. 10.17 Sermons are appointed to convince the Judgment perswade the Will and move the Affections of such as have been initiated in the first Principles of Religion And here they shall be exhorted and reproved and continually kept in mind of their Duty so that Experience shews that those who neglect to hear Sermons x Alphius foenerator solebat dicere Optima nomina non appellando mala fieri Columella de re rusticâ l. 1. c. 7. do grow worse and worse and fall into damnable neglect even forgetting that ever any vow was made by them or for them running at last into Atheism and open Prophaneness Thirdly But because Sermons will do little good until a good foundation be laid they must privately teach them First The Creed which they have promised to believe Secondly The Lords Prayer that they may have help from God against the Enemies which they have renounced Thirdly The Ten Commandments which they are engaged to keep and all these in the English tongue lest they patter them over as ignorant Papists their Ave Maries and do not understand them These must be taught the poorest being indispensably necessary but then where Children can read their Godfathers must teach them in private all things that may further their Salvation and also bring them to be Catechized by the Minister where they may be taught more fully Fourthly They must endeavour that their Parents bring them up in Vertue and the Fear of God for without this all knowledge is unprofitable and therefore they have just Authority to advise these Children to do well and to reprove them for doing ill yea to admonish the Parents also if they neglect their Duty Lastly Lest any should think this is more than needs the Exhortation ends with a Cogent Reason shewing the necessity of this care viz. Because the main end of Baptism and the design of all the Rites in it is that we may be real Christians that is lead holy Lives and become like unto Christ y Quid est Christianus similitudo Dei quantum possibile est humanae naturae si suscepisti Christianismum festina fieri similis Deo Basil Hexam Hom. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocles whose name we are Baptized into and whose Religion we have undertaken if we do not live the more free from Sin and do more good works we might as well have been Unbaptized yea it shall be more tolerable for Turks and Infidels You Godfathers and Godmothers have done the Child little kindness if you look after it no further you have assisted it in vowing and engaging to be the Servant and Souldier of Jesus Christ in abjuring and renouncing all Wickedness and will you not do something to procure it may perform these Be assured that Baptism will neither do you nor them good unless it make you more holy afterwards but will be the aggravation of your Condemnation Wherefore I will conclude with a threefold Admonition 1. To Parents who must chuse such Sureties as may be assistants to them in their weighty Charge and must be either so pious to bring up their Children well or so humble as to be willing to be told of it by those whom God and the Church hath made their Supervisors But if Parents be proud and scornful or take such advice in evil part they are doubtless guilty of the breach of this Vow Secondly To Sureties Let them not be discouraged from this pious undertaking by the Duty attending on it for it is uncharitable to refuse it and others have done it for us we are bound to all these things for our selves and every Christian must reprove his offending Brother yet by thus engaging we become an instrument of our Neighbours Salvation nor shall we need to bring any guilt upon our selves for we may easily deliver our soul And when we do become Sureties we may declare to the Parents that it is our Duty and Resolution to endeavour the Salvation of this Child Let them take it well or ill let us not displease God and endanger our own Souls z Amici vitia si feras facis tua P. Mim Vtiliores sunt plerumque inimici objurgantes quam Amici objurgare metuentes Aug. ep ad Hieron Molesta veritas siquidem ex eâ odium nascitur sed multo◠molestius obsequium quod peccatis indulgens praecipitem ferri amicum sinit Cicero for fear of giving them offence Let us resolve we will anger them rather than connive at their Childs ruine It is a cruel and mischievous modesty to be ashamed to speak for God where two Souls are concerned our own and his for whom we are engaged Let not others negligence be a President or excuse to us for we see Religion almost lost while none take care of Childrens Religious Education And if Sureties do instruct exhort and reprove their Charge they have done their part and must leave the success to God Thirdly To those that are Baptized You must be thankful to and reverent towards your Sponsors and give them leave to reprove you taking all in good part from them and being desirous to learn your Duty And let us all that have received this Sacrament Remember our Vow unto our lives end for it will arm us against Sin * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Ignat Ep. ad Polycarp to consider how solemnly we have renounced it and Luther tells
Baptism the Holy Ghost is invocated and poured out Prayer being made over them and hands laid upon them and more to the same purpose h Qui in Ecclesiâ baptizantur per Praepositos Ecclesiae offerantur per nostram orationem manûs impositionem Spiritum Sanctum consequantur Epist ad Jubaian 73. About the same time was that Epistle writ by Dionysius of Alexandria mentioned by Eusebius i Eccles histor l. 6. cap. 45. wherein he saith that though Novatus were Baptized yet being not consummated with the seal of Confirmation he could not receive the Holy Ghost To this may be added the 77 Canon of the Council of Eliberis which requires the Bishop should confirm by his Benediction those who had not been Baptized in his presence For it is to be noted that when the Bishop was present and the Person baptized was of full Age the Rite of Confirmation immediately followed Baptism Which otherwise in the Western Church especially was deferred for some time after The next Authority may be derived from the Council of Laodicea An. 365. which k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · Canon 48. saith That the Baptized must after he anointed with the Heavenly Vnction that they may be partakers of the Kingdom of God And nothing is more full than St. Ambrose who lived about 20. years after Who puts the young Christian in mind of the Spiritual Seal which he had received l Accepisti signaculum spirituale signavit te Deus Pater confirmavit te Christus c. lib. de initiand cap 7. And tells us this spiritual Seal was when after Baptism the Holy Ghost was poured forth at the invocation of the Priest m Post fontem superest ut perfectio fiat quando ad invocationem Sacerdotis S. Sanctus infunditur de Sacram. l. 3. Cap. 2. And in another place n Comment in Hebr 6. initio By Imposition of hands it is believed the Spirit may be received which is wont to be done after Baptism by the Bishop for the Confirmation of Vnity in the Church His Contemporary also S. Basil records that Eubulus and he were confirmed by Bishop Maximus And to conclude St. Hierome a man of the same Age speaking of Confirmation saith This Observation by the Authority of Scripture was derived upon the Bishops for their honour and if there were no Authority of Scripture the consent of the whole World in this matter would have the force of a law o Hieron Dialog advers Luciferianos It will be needless to descend lower where testimonies grow still more numerous only we may add that Confirmation in our sense is allowed by the Lutheran Churches p Confessio Saxonica de Confirm and constantly practised in Bohemia q Comenius Annot. in Ration disciplin Eccles Bohem. cap. 3. Sect. 3. nor is it condemned by any sober Protestants And therefore as our Church hath prudently and piously retained it we ought to have a high Veneration for it especially since we are all baptized usually in our infancy And that whenever we are partakers of it it may be really effectual to us we will briefly consider the way of its Administration beginning with the method of the whole Office The Analysis of the Order of Confirmation The Order of Confirmation hath Three Parts 1. The Preparation for it by 1. A serious Admonition in The Preface To the end that Confirmation may be ministred c. 2. A solemn Stipulation in The Interrogation Do you here in the presence of God c. and Answer I do 3. Acts of Praise in The Versicles Our help is c. and Responses Who hath made c. 4. Supplication for the gifts of the Spirit in The First Prayer Almighty and everliving God who hast vouchsafed to c. 2. The Rite it self as to 1. The Act or the Ceremony viz. Laying on of Hands 2. The words which do accompany it The Solemn Benediction Defend O Lord this Child c. 3. The Conclusion being 1. More general Petitions in 1. The Versicle and Response The Lord be c. And with thy c. 2. The Lords Pray'r Our Father c. 2. More peculiar to the Occasion in The Proper Collect Almighty and everlasting God who makest us both c. The last Collect O Almighty Lord and everlasting God c. 3. A Benediction viz. The final Blessing The Blessing of God Almighty c. §. 1. The Preface To the end that Confirmation may be Ministred to the more edifying of such as shall receive it c. Our Church is so far from esteeming Ignorance to be the Mother of Devotion that there are all endeavours used that every Office may be performed with understanding to which purpose this as well as other Offices begins with a Preface wherein those who come to Confirmation are taught what they are about to do and what is required of them for this is most agreeable to St. Pauls great Rule 1 Corinth 14.26 Let all things be done to edification that is to the most profit and spiritual advantage of those who partake of these Mysteries Now as to this of Confirmation in the present Greek Church it is always done at the same time with Baptism even to Infants as well as Adult for fear they should die without it r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gabriel Episcop Philadelphiae and in the Roman Church Infants were confirmed very soon after Baptism upon the perswasion that they were not perfect Christians without this ſ Aquinas sum 3. p. quaes 72. artic 9. In England about t Lestrange Alliance of Divine Office Ex Edmundo Cantuar. de Baptismo Anno. 1230. 400. year ago Children were usually Confirmed at five years of Age Which was sooner than they could apprehend the design or do the Duties of this Ordinance wherefore now in the Latine Churches especially Children are not admitted to be Confirmed till they be of fuller Age that so opportunity may be given to the Parents and Godfathers and to the Rectors of the Church to instruct and admonish them more diligently in the Faith which they have professed in Baptism Cassander consult cap. 9. The Assembly at Trent appoints it be administred between seven and twelve years of Age and a Synod at Milan Anno 1565. positively forbids the Confirming of any under seven But because there is great variety in regard of the difference of Childrens Capacities and manner of Education therefore the Old Canon Law fixed no time but required they be of perfect Age u De consecrat distin 5. can ult jejuni c. which the Gloss doth ill to interpret Twelve-year-old since the meaning is That they be of competent years to profit by Confirmation And in the same manner doth our Church nominate no year but appointing it be done only to such as are come to years of discretion and are well instructed in the Catechism for how can Children renew their Vow unless they understand what it