Page 161earthly books; but may God record them on tablets that never perish.'"; Thus, also Gregory of Nyssa, as has been shown, wrote sound and correct doctrine respecting baptism. Besides this we have not been able to find any other testimony from him relative to this subject. A. D. 366.-Infant baptism, as it appears, beginning to gain a foothold in some places, the teachers at Laodicea, in Phrygia Pacatiana, declared themselves decidedly against it, in a public convention or assembly, in which, among other things, it was resolved, "That those whom it was the intention to baptize, should previously be instructed in the faith, and be examined concerning it, on Thursday of the last week of Lent." Compare Seb. Franck, Cons. Laod., with P. 1. Twisck, Chron., p. 112, col. 1, 2.* It is recorded that about this time, in another convention of ministers, called the Elibertine Council, it was resolved among other things, "That persons who embrace the Christian faith shall, if they lead a pious life, be admitted to baptism, in eighteen months or two years." hicecont., lib. 2, coup. 8, from the 42d Canon of the Elibertine Council, as noted by Jac. Mehrn., Bapt. Hist., pace 372. Here we cannot but see the uprightness and carefulness of the afore-mentioned ministers, who, so as not to act contrary to the command of Christ, and baptize.any without true faith and repentance, deemed it preferable to defer for eighteen months or two years, the baptism of even those catechumens, whose life was well spoken of; in order that, having in the meantime well counted the cost, they might erect a good building, and be built up by baptism as living stones in the Christian temple of the church. In the meantime, it appears that an abuse obtained in the administration of baptism, namely, that a plate was presented to the candidates, that they might put some money on, it (either for the minister, or for the poor). But this was also abolished at that time, with these words, "It has also seemed proper to us, to ordain that hereafter the candidates for baptism shall not put any money on the plate, as has been the custom." Bapt. Hist., page 372, ex Concilio Elibertino hicecom., lib. 4, cap. 2. From this custom of presenting a plate to the candidates, that they might put money on it, and from its abolishment, the plain inference is, that the candidates were not little children, and that the decree enacted concerning them, did not concern little children, for these have neither the knowledge nor the ability to do it, or voluntarily to omit it.
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