It is impossible to mark the precise period when sprinkling was introduced. It is probable, however, that it was invented in Africa, in the second century, in favour of clinics. But it was so far from being ap proved of by the church in general, that the Africans themselves did not account it valid. The first law for sprinkling was obtained in the following manner. Pope Stephen III. being driven from Rome by As tulphus, king of the Lombards, in 753, fled to Pe pin, who a short time before had usurped the crown. of France. Whilst he remained there, the Monks of Creisy in Brittany consulted him, whether, in a case of necessity, baptism, performed by pouring water on the head of the infant, would be lawful. Stephen replied, that it would. But though the truth of this fact should be allowed, which some Catholics deny, yet pouring or sprinkling was only admitted in cases of necessity. It was not till 1311; that the legislature, in a council held at Ravenna, declared im mersion or sprinkling to be indifferent. . In this country, however, sprinkling was never practised, in ordinary cases, till after the Reformation ; and in England, even in the reign of Edward VI. trine immersion, dipping first the right side, secondly, the left side, and last, the face of the infant, was commonly ob served. But during the persecution of Mary, many persons, most of whom were Scotsmen, fled from England to Geneva, and there greedily imbibed the opinions of that church. In 1556, a book was pub lished at that place, containing, " The form of pray ers and ministration of the sacraments, approved by the famous and godly learned man,. John Calvin," in which the administrator is enjoined to take water in his hand, and lay it upon the child's forehead. These Scotish exiles, who had renounced the authority of the Pope, implicitly acknowledged the authority of Calvin ;_and, returning to their own country, with Knox at their head, in 1559, established sprinkling in Scotland. From Scotland, this practice made its way into England in the reign of Elizabeth ; but was not authorised by the established church. In the Assembly of Divines, held at Westminster, in 1613, it was keenly debated, whether immersion or sprinkling should be adopted ; 25 voted for sprink ling, and 24 for immersion ; and even this small ma jority was obtained at the earnest request of Dr Lightfoot, who had acquired great influence in that assembly. Sprinkling is therefore the general prac tice of this country. Many Christians, however, especially the Baptists, reject it. The Greek church universally adhere to immersion.
It has been said, that as the form of words, record ed by Matthew, is never afterwards employed when baptism is mentioned, an adherence to that form is not necessary. But though the express words are never copied, yet we ought not to conclude, that they were not observed. It is probable that, to be baptized into, or in the name of Christ, the words which the inspired writers generally use, were ex pressions employed for the sake of conciseness. As converts, in the apostolic age, were immediately ad mitted to baptism, a previous course of instruction was not then judged necessary. But, in the second century, Christians began to be divided into believers, or such as were baptized ; and into cateehunzens, who were receiving instruction to qualify them for baptism. To answer for these persons, sponsors, or godfathers, were first instituted ; and were afterwards, in the fourth century, extended to infants. Then the sign of the cross began to he employed, and was supposed to have singular efficacy in baptism. It is, however, foreign to our ,purpose to investigate the precise period when' the many ceremonies, annexed to bap tism, were first introduced. It will be sufficient to
observe, that the following rites were all authorised by statutes or practice during the dark ages. At the beginning of Lent, the names of such as desired baptism, and were therefore called competents, were given in. During that season, the scrutiny was per :formed with prayer and fasting, which consisted of certain questions proposed by the priest, and the pro per answers returned by adults, and by sponsors for infants. The principal of these were, " What do you • ask ? Faith. Do you renounce the devil and all his works ? We do. Observe well what you say, that you may never depart from it. We will remember •t." The priest, likewise, exorcised them, by laying his hands on their heads, and breathing in their faces, to expel the devil, and inspire them with the Holy Spirit. On one of the days of the scrutiny, the de livery of the creed was thus performed. After mass the bells were rung, and a deacon cried aloud ; " If there be any catechumen, pagan, heretic, or Jew here, let him depart." Upon this the catechumens went out. Then the clergy retired to change their habits, and, " Come, ye children, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord," was sung. When this was done, the inferior clergy, having obtained from the priest permission to admit the children, solemnly advanced to the door, and said, " Enter, children, the house of the Lord ; listen to your father teaching you wisdom." When the children were come in, the priest said, " Cross yourselves and hear the creed ;" and immediately repeated it, sentence by sentence. During the whole scrutiny, the master of the ceremo nies carried a branch of hazel and four ivory tablets, like the leaves of a mass book, on which were depicted the actions of our Saviour. These, which were called the pax, were given to the children to kiss while per forming their devotions. Those who had undergone the scrutiny were called elect, or approved. On Palm-Sunday, the heads of the catechumens were solemnly washed, a ceremony called therefore the Ca. pitilavium. When baptism itself was to be perform ed, they went in solemn procession, with lights and incense, and the choir singing, " Up, Lord, why sleep est thou," to the vestibule of the baptistery ; where the priest commanded the catechumens to turn their faces to the west, because Satan dwelt in darkness, to stretch out their hands and say, " Satan, I renounce thee, and all thy works, and all thy pomp, and all thy worship :" then to turn their faces to the east where light resides, and to repeat the creed, either personally, or by their sponsors. The priest then took a little of his own saliva, and rubbing it on their ears and nostrils, said, Ephatha, be thou opened. Then be blessed some salt, and putting a little of it into their mouths, said, " Receive the salt of wisdom." After the benediction of the water, the priest went in and dipped them, one by one, once in the name of the Father, a second time in the name of the Son, and a third time in the name of the Holy Spirit. When they cam? out, the priest anointed their fore heads in the form of a cross ; washed and wiped their feet ; kissed them ; gave them milk, honey, and wine ; put wax tapers into their hands, a chris• mai cap upon their heads, and clothed them with a white garment, which being worn on Pentecost gave that day the trine of Whitsunday. This gar ment was deposited afterwards in the church, to be an evidence against such as should violate their bap tismal engagements. Those who were baptized were called enlightened, or instructed.