The last interrogation
and answer "Vis baptizari, Volo" have long been used in the west.
(Martene de Antiq. Eccl. rit. tom. I, p. 180, 192). According to the
ancient custom of the Roman church, represented in the Sacramentary of
Gregory, the profession of faith occurs between the hallowing of the
water and the administration of the sacrament. This custom has long
been used in the Roman church; since the Sacramentary of Gelasius
(A.D. 494) appointed the confession of faith to be made immediately
before baptism, _though the renunciations were made some hours
before_. In primitive times the sign of the cross was not only made
on the forehead of the elect at the time of baptism, but was used very
often in other ways: this act is probably not more recent than the
apostolical age; and this sign was made in some part of almost every
Christian office. The administration of baptism was succeeded by
various rites in the primitive church; among other the newly-baptised
were clothed in white garments. Formerly also confirmation followed
immediately after baptism". I have extracted the preceding passages
from different sections of Palmer's 5th chapter, vol. 2: coming from a
clergyman of the church of England, they are important admissions, and
they dispense with the necessity of my proving the antiquity of these
various baptismal riles. The reader may see proofs of them collected
in Palmer (loc.
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