VIII. Ceremonies, Placet, and Times of Baptism. — 1. In the earlier ages of the Church there -were several peculiarities in the mode of baptism which have now fallen into disuse, except, perhaps, in the Eoman Cath- olic and Greek churches. Among these usages were trine immersion (i. e. dipping three times, once at the naming of each person in the Trinity, Tertull. Cunt. I'ni.r. xxvH, anointing with oil, giving n.ilk and hon- ey to the baptized person, etc. After the council of Nice, Christians added to baptism the ceremonies of exorcism and adjuration, to make evil spirits depart from the persons to be baptized. They made several signings with the cross, they used lighted candles, thej' gave salt to the baptized person to taste, and the priest touched his mouth and ears with spittle, and also blew and spat upon his face. At that time also baptized persons wore white garments till the Sunday following.
Three things were required of the catechumens im- mediately before their baptism: (1.) A solemn renun- ciation of the devil ; (2.) A profession of faith in the words of some received creed; and (3.) An engage- ment to live a Christian life. The form of renuncia- tion is given in the Const. Apost. lib. vii, cap. 41.
The time of administering the rite was subject to various changes; at first it was without limitation. Soon Mast rand Whitsuntide were considered the most appropriate seasons, and Easter-eve deemed the most saeieil ; afterward, Epiphany and the festivals of the apostles and martyrs were selected in addition. From tli ■ tenth century the observance of the stated seasons fell into disuse, and children were required to be bap- tized within a month of their birth (Bingham, Orig. Eccles. Iik. xi, ch. vi; Coleman, Ancient Christianity, ch. xix). See Imposition of Hands.
Until tlie time of Justin Martyr there appears to n no fixed plaee for baptism, which was ad- ministered wherever it best suited; but in after times baptisteries were built near the churches, in which .done baptism might be administered. Baptism was not permitted to be conferred in private houses with- out the bishop's express license, and persons so bap- tized could never be received into priest's orders '. oan. 2). Such private bap- re called vapaParrTiapara. Afterward the font appear.- to have b.-en set up in the church porch, and thence WSJ removed into the church itself. See BaPTISI i i:V.
■J. The following are the baptismal ceremonies of h -i' Home, though not all ,.r universal obli- gation; i 1.! The child i- held without the Church, to signify an actual exclusion from heaven, which is symbolized by the Church. (2.) The priest blows
three times in the face of the child, signifying thereby
thai the devil can be displaced only bj the Spirit of God. (8.) The sign of the cross i- made on the tore-
head and bosom of the child. (4.) The priest, having exorcised the salt (to show that the devil, until God prevents, avails himself of every creature in order to injure mankind), puts it into the mouth of the infant, signifying by it that wisdom which shall preserve him from corruption. (5.) The child is exorcised. (6.) The priest touches his mouth and ears with saliva, pro- nouncing the word Ephphatha. (7.) The child is un- : clothed, signifying the laying aside the old man. (8.) He is presented by the sponsors, who represent the Church. (9.) The renunciation of the devil and his works is made. (10.) He is anointed with oil. (11.) The profession of faith is made. (12.) He is question- ed whether he will be baptized. (13.) The name of some saint is given to him, who shall be his example and protector. (14.) He is clipped thrice, or water is poured thrice on his head. (15.) He receives the kiss of peace. (16.) He is anointed on the head, to show that by baptism he becomes a king and a priest. (17.) He receives the lighted taper, to mark that he has be- come a child of light. (18.) He is folded in the alb, to show his baptismal purity (Elliott, Belineation of Romanism, i, 241).
The practice of exorcising water for baptism is kept up in the Eoman Church to this day. It exhibits a thoroughly pagan spirit. The following formula, taken from the Rituale Romananum, is used at the ceremony of exorcising the water: " I exorcise thee, creature of water, by God + the living, by God + the true, by God + the holy ; by God who, in the beginning, sepa- rated thee by a word from the dry land, whose Spirit over thee was borne, who from Paradise commanded thee to flow." Then follows the rubric : " Let him with his hand divide the water, and tlun pour some of it over the edge of the font toward the four quarters of the glole, and then proceed thus : I exorcise thee also by Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, who, in Cana of Galilee, changed thee by his wonderful power into wine ; who walked upon thee on foot, and who was baptized in thee by John in Judaea, etc. ; . . . . that thou mayest be made water holy, water blessed, water which washes away our filth, and cleanses our guilty stain. Thee therefore I command — every foul spirit— every phan- tasm— every lie — be thou eradicated, and put to flight from the creature of water; that, to those who are to be baptized in it, it may become a fountain of water springing up into life eternal, regenerating them to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, in the name of the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come again to judge the living and the dead, and the whole world by fire, Amen." Then follows a prayer, in which the priest supplicates the Almighty to send down the "angel of sanctity" over the wa- ters thus prepared for the purpose of purification. Af- terward the rubric directs that "he shall blow three times upon the water, in three different directions, accord- ing to a prescribed figure, ¥. hi the next place, he is to deposit the inn nst upon the censer, and to incense the font. Afterward, pouring of the Oil of the Catechumens into the water after the form of a Cross, he says, with a A ud voice, Let this font lie sanctified, and made fruitful by the Oil of salvation for those who are born again there- by unto life eternal in the name of the Father +, and of the Son + , and of the Holy Ghost +, Amen." Then follows another rubric: "Next, he pours in if the Chrism after the manner above mentioned, saying, Let this infusion of the Chrism of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Ghost the Comforter, be made in the name of the sacred Trinity, Amen." Again : " Aft< r- vard lie tales the /to vessels of th be fin -mentioned holy (HI and Chrism, and in jmu ring from inch in the fin m if a Cnss, he says, Let this mixture of the Chrism of Sanetilieation, of the Oil of Unction, and of the Wa- ter of Baptism, be made together in the name of the Father H , and of the Son +^ and of the Holy Ghost +, Amen." Finally, the rubric again directs as follows: " Th<n tin vessel being put aside, he mingles iciih his right