the Tridentine Catechism (ii. 3, 22), expressing the ancient law,* "Confirmatio iterari non potest." The learned Dr. Chemnitz, whose middle life synchronized with the early sessions of the Tridentine Council, in his elaborate Examination of that Council,+ dwells at considerable length on the canon of the Council above cited. And, while exposing the unscriptural character of the Papal rite, he too expresses his opinion as to the desirableness of such a confirmation rite as that of which Lutheran Reformers, just cited, spoke so favourably. But he seems to imply that in fact, though so favourably recommended for the Lutheran Churches, it was not generally a rite established in those Churches when he wrote his Examen in 1570.-Moreover, I find that Calvin, somewhat earlier, when very similarly recommending in his Institutes just such a rite as that which the Lutherans had recommended before, speaks in such a way, however, as to imply that in his time it was not established in the Calvinistic or Reformed Churches.§ So Gregory II., A.D. 719; Second Council of Chalons, A.D. 813 Council of Worcester, A.D. 1240. Harduin. Concil. iii. 1859; iv. 1036; vii. 333.-Compare Bingham, xii. 1, 5; where, with regard to the early Church's practice, he states that confirmation was only separated from baptism in the case of returning heretics and schismatics, who had been baptized out of the Church; and either without confirmation, or with a confirmation rite that was deemed invalid. +"Examen Concilii Tridentini." My edition is that of Berlin, 1861. It is referred to by Bellarmine, Tom. iii. p. 300, At p. 297 of his Examen (in my edition), in a paragraph of some length, he speaks in the subjunctive mood of such a confirmation rite:"Talis ritus valdè multum utilitatis ad ædificationem juventutis et totius ecclesiæ conferret: esset etiam consentaneus et Scripturæ, et puriori antiquitati." So several times. "It would be most useful;" not "it is." § "Utinam verè morem (confirmationis) retineremus quem apud veteres fuisse admonui." In his New Testament Commentary, it seems, he had thus spoken of the pristine Church's catechising of two orders of catechumens. "Ut duo erant catechumenorum ordines, ita duplex erat cæremonia. Nam qui erant extranei non ante perveniebant ad baptismum quàm editâ fidei professione. In illis ergo catechesis baptismum Hence Dr. Hakewill, in his Tract on Confirmation, published in 1613, on occasion of the confirmation of Prince Charles, after quoting the passages cited by me from Chemnitz and Calvin, and also one from Bullinger to the same effect,* says thus: "Nay, in those very Churches from which it is banished it is again wished for, as an holy and profitable institution." He does not speak of all the Protestant Continental Churches as without it; and indeed at p. 15 he cites Hunnius, saying it was in use at Wurtemberg. Probably some of the Lutheran Churches had it; the Calvinistic not.† In And I am informed by Dr. Schmettau, Foreign Secretary to the Evangelical Alliance, that a rite more or less similar is now established (with certain minor differences) in both the one class of continental Protestant Churches and the other;-the Lutheran and the Reformed. either Church there are sponsors at an infant child's baptism: only in the Reformed the sponsors make no other promise than that they will pray for it, and see to its godly bringing up. Then, at the age of from eleven to sixteen, the child is confirmed, after long previous pastoral instruction, and finally an examination in the Church based on the Lutheran or Heidelberg Catechism. precedere solebat. At liberi fidelium, quoniam ab utero adoptati erant, et jure promissionis pertinebant ad corpus ecclesiæ, infantes baptizabantur. Transactâ vero infantiâ, postquam instituti erant in fide, se quoque ad catechesin offerebant; quæ in illis baptismo erat posterior. Sed aliud symbolum tunc adhibebatur; nempè manuum impositio. The passage is well worth inserting here. It is cited by Dr. Hakewill in the tract referred to by me in the text above. I know not, however, where Calvin found his authority for the last statement. I myself know of none. Certainly it could not have been in the case of duly baptized adults a laying on of hands in the confirmation rite; confirmation being then an integral part of baptism, of which there could be no reiteration. See Note*, p. 133. * Atque utinam hæc postliminio ad nos redeat manuum impositio; ritus sanctissimus juxtà et utilissimus."-Cited by Hakewill, p. 12. The Anglican Reformed Church, I believe, alone applies the verb confirm to the act of the candidates in ratifying their baptismal promises. In the Lutheran Church the child at the time publicly confesses, and professes, what the sponsors promised for it at baptism. In the Reformed it is a profession of faith, without direct reference to baptism. In either Church this rite is called Confirmation. There is alike in both a solemn liturgical service for it. After singing, prayer, and exhortation by the pastor, the child's profession of faith is made; and then the pastor lays his hand on it, and invokes upon it the help of God's Holy Spirit. APPENDIX III. (See p. 51.) In my fourth Confirmation Lecture the candidates were recommended to trace out for themselves the coincidences between the Apostolic Epistles on the one hand, and the New Testament Historic Books on the other; whether the four Gospel-books about Jesus, or book of the Acts about the Apostles. To facilitate this append herewith two Tabular Schedules. The first is a Tabular Sketch of the facts respecting Jesus Christ's history and character drawn simply from the Epistles. The second is a Pauline Chronological Chart, drawn up by me with more clearness and accuracy, if I mistake not, than any that has yet been published ;* there being added also the chief reasons and calculations that constitute the groundwork for its construction. I do this because it seems to me peculiarly important at the present time, when there is so much of the spirit of cavil and scepticism abroad, for young persons to become familiar with this most unsuspicious evidence for the genuineness and truth of our Christian records. To which there is further added, and to the same effect, a Sketch of probable proofs, from coincidences, of the Pauline authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews. * It is printed separately by the Christian Knowledge Society. (A.) HISTORY, CHARACTER, AND OFFICES OF JESUS CHRIST, AS EXTRACTED SIMPLY FROM THE APOSTOLIC EPISTLES. In the Paper following I have here and there inserted references to the Apostles' speeches in the "Acts;" but rarely. Col. i. 16, 17; Phil. ii. 6; Heb. i. 3, 10; Gal. iv. 4; Rom. viii. 3; Phil. ii. 7, 8; Acts ii. 29, 30; Rom. i. 3; 2 Tim. ii. 8. 2 Cor. v. 21; Heb. iv. 15; vii. 26; Love; Eph. iii. 19; v. 2; Gal. ii. 20; Sympathy; Heb. ii. 18; iv. 15. Heb. ii. 18; iv. 15; v. 2, 7 Acts ii. 22. 2 Pet. i. 16-18. Eph. iv. 5 Gal. iii. 27. Acts i. 15-20. |