ON DE BAPT. 296 Greek rule and application alike traditionary. NOTE to the Church, or 2) received the Chrism only, or 3) only anathematized their errors. Yet we cannot see for the most part on what principle they are so distributed, but Timotheus asserts it to be traditionary. "We then, con. sidering all these things with the wise fathers, have been taught by them, that as the Catholic Church of old received, and as our practice is preserved in the patriarchates and metropolitan Churches, so we also ought to follow." And this traditionary character of the rule is the more implied, in that heresies are enumerated, as falling under the different heads, which have for many centuries been extinct in the Church, and which would have been forgotten, had the Greek, like the Roman Church, proceeded on a precise well-defined line, and not rather on what had been done in former times. The same classification is retained, and the same persons ranked in each class by Theodorus Studites, (A.D. 817.) who is less accurate however in details 9. In later times, we find the Romanists complaining (Conc. Lat. iv. Can. 43.) that in times past" the Greeks presumed, with a rash boldness, even to re-baptize those who had been baptized by Latins, and some (as we have heard) still do not fear to do this." This the Greeks did, in conformity with their old practice, regarding the Latins as heretical as to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, in that they added Filioque to the Nicene Creed. Possibly, the difference of the Greek and Roman practice may be accounted for (as far as conjecture may be allowed in a point so obscure) by the more grievous character of the heresies, with which the Greek Church was harassed; so that the original rule may have been to reject heretical, accept schismatical Baptism, (as S. Basil states it to have been in the East,) and this having been acted upon with regard to heretics in the East, the Helcesaites, those from Nepos, which seems to be a continuance of the same dispensing power, implied by S. Basil. 9 He says the Marcionites, Tascodrugi, Manichees, and those who rank with them down to the Melchisedekites, twenty-five heresies, are baptized. The Tessarescaidekatites, Novatians, Arians, Macedonians, and Apollinarians, together five, receive the holy Chrism. But they who are neither baptized, nor receive the Chrism, but only anathematize their own and every other heresy, are the Meletians, Nestorians, Eutychians, and those classed with these down to the present heresy, which for the present is not numbered by me, on account of the many divisions of the Acephali." Theodorus, however, applies the Latin rule, "the Apostolic Canon calls them heretics, who are not baptized or baptize not in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," instead of S. Basil's of the absence of sound faith in Them. Benefits of conditional form. 297 schismatics in the West, the one practice may have been extended to heretics by Stephen, as the other to schismatics by the Bishops in the time of Firmilian, when the validity of schismatic baptism was a novel question. The practice now adopted by the Scotch Church and in our own, with regard to persons baptized by such as are not only in schism, but never received any commission to baptize, (a case to which there is no parallel in the early Church,) unites the advantages of the Latin and Greek practice; of the Latin, in that it avoids the risk of real re-baptizing, which the ancients regarded as a profanation of the Sacred Names; of the Greek, in that it does what it in us lies, to provide that none of the blessings and grace of Baptism be lost through our omission, and is an act of piety towards God, desiring that whatever may have hitherto been lacking, be supplied. 298 In the Gospel, all things new. OF PRAYER. [The different tone in which Tertullian speaks on the Shepherd of Hermas and on fasting in the De Oratione, (c. 16. 18.) and in his Montanist works, (De Pudic. c. 10. 20. and De Jej. c. 2.) is decisive that it was written before his fall, (see Lumper. c. 2. art. 3. §. 2. who adds other grounds not so valid; he thinks also that T. calls Hermas "Scripture," almost Scripture," but wrongly, see c. 16.) S. Hilary also speaks of it, as written, while sound in the faith." On the Sacrament of prayer, Cyprian, of holy memory, has freed us from the need of writing. Although Tertullian also wrote a most suitable treatise thereon; but the subsequent error of the man, deprived of authority even his approved writings." in Matt. c. 5. init.] DE IX. 1. I. THE Spirit of God, and the Word of God, and the ORAT. Reason of God-Word of Reason, and Reason of Word, and Spirit of both"-Jesus Christ our Lord hath ordained for us, the disciples of the New Testament, a new form of Prayer. For it was meet that, in this kind also, new wine should be laid up in new bottles, and a new piece sewn Mat. 9, to a new garment. But whatever had been in time past, hath been either changed, as circumcision; or fulfilled, as the rest of the law; or accomplished, as prophecy; or perfected, as Faith itself. The new grace of God hath fashioned anew all things from carnal to spiritual, in bringing in, over all, the Gospel, the abolisher of all the ancient bygone things. In which our Lord Jesus 16. 17. See note H, at the end of this treatise. bi. e. our Lord is not only The Spirit and the Word and the Reason of God, but, when contemplated as The Reason, He is also The Word; as The Word, He is also The Reason; and as Both, Spirit, i. e. of the Very Essence of the Father, Who is a Spirit." The words are "Sermo Rationis et Ratio Sermonis et Spiritus utrumque"(utrorumque sc. Rationiset Sermonis.) Thus each clause corre sponds to the preceding. Muratori, (Anecdota, t. iii. p. 6.) joins utrumque with what follows, but then "et spiritus" stands unconnected. Muratori supposes this to be a passage in which the Father is called Ratio and Sermo, as though "Sermo Rationis" were the same as S. Ambrose's " Verbum de Verbo," (see note H,) but the identity of the words "Verbum de Verbo,' is the very peculiarity which, according to S. Ambrose, justifies the mode of speech. 63. 30. Divine wisdom in brevity and fulness of the Lord's Prayer. 299 Christ hath been approved as the Spirit of God, and the Word of God, and the Reason of God: the Spirit, by which He prevailed; the Word, by which He taught; the Reason, by which He came. Thus, therefore, the Prayer framed by Christ hath been framed out of three things-the Word, by which it is expressed; the Spirit, by which alone it hath power; the Reason, by which it is conceived. John John 6, also had taught his disciples to pray; but all that was of John was a preparing of the way for Christ, until when Himself should have increased, (as the same John foretold that He must increase but himself decrease,) the whole work John 3, of the forerunner together with the Spirit Itself, should.1, 33. pass to the Lord. And therefore it doth not appear in what words John taught them to pray, because that earthly things have given place to heavenly. He that is of the earth, he saith, speaketh the things of the earth; and He that is of Heaven speaketh the things which He hath seen. ib. 3, 31. And what is there that is of the Lord Christ, as is this instruction in prayer also, which is not heavenly? Let us consider then, blessed sirs, first, His heavenly wisdom in the commandment to pray in secret, wherein He both Matt. 6, exacted the faith of man, in surely believing that the eye and the ear of Almighty God are present under coverings, and even in secret places', and required also a modesty in faith, in offering his religious service to Him alone, Who, he trusteth, heareth and seeth every where: next, His wisdom in the next commandment, which though v. 7. it pertaineth in like manner to Faith and the modesty of Faith, that we should not think that God must be approached with a multitude of words, Who, we are sure, provideth for His own of His own accord, yet is this brevity v. 8. (and this formeth the third step in the said wisdom) upheld by the support of a large and blessed interpretation, and is as much expanded in meaning as it is compressed in words. For it hath embraced not only the proper offices of 32. 6. ORAT. IX. 3. 300 Our Father, 'confesses God as a Father and The Son and the Church. DE Prayer, or reverence of God, or the petition of man, but almost every discourse of the Lord, every record of His rule of life, so that, in truth, there is comprehended in the Prayer a summary of the whole Gospel. I vel 12. 9. II. It beginneth with a testimony to God, and with the reward of Faith, when we say, OUR FATHER, WHICH ART IN HEAVEN. For herein we both pray to God, and commend the Faith whose reward it is thus to entitle Him. John 1, It is written, To them that believed on Him gave He power to be called the sons of God. And, indeed, the Lord hath very frequently proclaimed God to us as a Father; yea, Mat.23, and hath taught us to call no man father upon earth, but Him only Whom we have in Heaven. Wherefore in thus praying we obey also a commandment. Happy they who acknowledge Him as a Father! This it is with which Israel is reproached, when the Spirit calleth Heaven Is. 1, 2. and earth to witness, saying, I have begotten children, and they have not acknowledged me. But, in calling Him Father, we entitle Him also God. This title is one both of affection and authority. Moreover, in the Father, the John 10, Son also is called upon; for, saith He, I and the Father are one. Nor is even our Mother Church passed by, that is, if in the Father and the Son be recognized the mother also, of whom it is that the names both of Father and Son exist". Under one kind then, or indeed one word, we both honour God with His own", and remember a commandment, and set a mark upon those that forget the Father'. 30. John 5, 43. III. The Name of God the Father had been disclosed to none. Even Moses, who had asked it of Himself, had heard in truth another name. To us it hath been revealed in the Son. For now is the Son a new Name of the Father. I am gi. e. in Himself, the Name of God the Father implies the Son, Who is One with Him; with relation to us, it implies a mother, i. e. the Church; whence in S. Cypr. de Unit. c. 5. "he can no longer have God for a Father who had not the Church for a mother," and he paraphrases this passage, de Orat. Dom. §. 6. p. 182. Oxf. Transl. "Father of those who being sanctified by Him, and made again by a nativity of spiritual grace, have begun to be the sons of God." h suis. His Son and His Church. iS. Cyprian 1. c. explains this of the Jews, with reference to S. John 8, 44. |