3. Exorcism in Baptism. — In the third century (at least after the Council of Carthago, A.D. 250) we find exorcism used in the catechumenate in preparation for baptism, and also as part of the ordinary ceremony of baptism. Riddle {Christian Antiquities, bk. iv, ch. 11) gives the following view of its origin: " Baptism, as the saci'ament of the Holy Ghost, contributes to de- liver men from the power of Satan and evil spirits ; and hence it appears expedient and right at the recep- tion of that rite to renounce the devil and his works. And when the number of candidates for baptism was multiplied from among the heathen, who are spoken of in Scripture as in a peculiar sense sinners (Gal. il, 15), and who were regarded as being especially under the power of the prince of darkness, it seemed more particularly needful that admission into the Gospel Church — the kingdom of heaven — should be preceded by a formal abjuration of all heathen and superstitious practices or worship ; in one word, by a renunciation of Satan. Such appears to be the most natural and simple account of the origin of exorcism at baptism in the Christian Church. Justin Martyr, the first unin- spired writer who describes Christian baptism, knew nothing of this practice, although ho was not unac- quainted with the custom of exorcising evil spirits in the case of persons possessed. Tertulllan, however, treats expressly of this matter, and says that the prac- tice of renouncing the devil on occasion of baptism is founded not on Scripture, but on tradition {De Corona Mil. c. iii). Cyprian also treats of baptismal exorcism (Ep. Ixxvi, ad Mugn.'). At first, indeed, this ccremo- III.— D u
ny was confined to a renunciation of ' the devil ac(3 ail his works' on the part of the person about to be baptized ; and It was not until the fourth century that a form of abjuration by the officiating minister, com- manding the evil spirit to depart from the new servant of Christ, was brought into use. And hence it is that some writers, making a distinction between the renun- ciation {uTZOTayi], abrenuntiatio) and exorcism {i^op- KKjf.ioc'), contend that the practice of exorcism was al- together unknown until the fourth, or, as others say, the seventh century. The fact, however, appears to be, that these customs are substantially one and the same, differing only In form. And the true state of the case with respect to baptismal exorcism appears to be as follows: 1. In the first centur}' we find no trace of a renunciation of the devil in baptism. 2. In the second and tlilrd centuries this practice was in use, as appears from the testimonies of Tertulllan and Cyp- rian, as well as of later writers who appeal to tradition. 3. In the fourth centurj' the fathers speak of exorcism as not being highly expedient, inasmuch as, without it, children would not be free from the Influence of evil spirits (Optat. IMllev. De Schism. Donut. lib. iv, c. vi ; Basil. ]\I. De Spiritu Saneto, c. xxvii ; Gregor. Naz. Orat. xl). We find mention of baptismal exorcism also in the canons of the Council of Carthage held in the year 256, and those of the first Council of Constxn- tlnople, A.D. 381. The exorcists, who were concern- ed at first only with the energumens, or persons pos- sessed, were afterwards called upon to assist at the baptism of all adults ; liut, as infant baptism gained ground, the duties of this office became superfluous, and thej' are very rarely mentioned in works posterior to the sixth centurj'."
Cyril of Jerusalem (f 386) gives a somewhat detail- ed account of the form of exorcism. The ceremonies used were : 1. Preliminary fasting, prayers, and gen- uflections. These, however, maj' be regarded as gen- eral preliminaries to baptism. 2. Imposition of hands upon the head of the candidate, who stood with his head bowed down in a submissive posture. 3. Putting off the shoes and clothing, with the exception of an under garment. 4. Facing the candidate to the west, which was the symbol of darkness, as the east was of light. In the Eastern Church he was required to thrust out his hand towards the west, as if In the act of pushing away an object in that direction. This was a token of his abhorrence of Satan and his works, and his determination to resist and repel them. 5. A renunciation of Satan and his works thus : ' I renounce Satan and his works, and his pomps and his services, and all things that are his.' This or a similar form was thrice repeated. G. The exorcist then breathed upon the candidate cither once or three times, and ad- jured the unclean spirit in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to come out of him. This form of adjuration seems not to have been in use until the fourth century ; and these eeveral formalities were apparently introduced gradaallj' and at dift'erent times. The whole ceremony was at first confined to the re- nunciation of ' the devil and his works' on the part of the person about to be ba]itlzed (Coleman, Christian Antiquities, ch. xiv, § 0; Riddle, /. c).
IV. Roman Catholic Church.— In the Roman Catholic Church exorcists constitute one of the four minor or- ders of the clergy — acolytes, exorcists, readers, por- ters {Council of Trent, sess. xxlil, chap, il, of Orders). When initiating the exorcist the blsliop gives him a book containing the exorcisms (or the Missal), and saj's, ".4c«7Je et commenda memorio', et habeto potesta- tem imjionendi manus super energumenum, sive bapti- zatum sive catechumenum" (Take this and commit It to memory, and have ])ower to Impose hands on persons possessed, be they baptized or catechumens). Every candidate for priests' orders in the Roman Church first receives the four lower orders, including that of exor- cist. The process of exorcising water for baptism is