The Acts of Famous National Councils of the Reformed Churches in France, Introduction 2 · Section 12 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of Baptiſm.
CANON I. BAptiſm adminiſtred by an Unordained Perſon is wholly void and null.
CAN. II. A Doctor in a Church may not preach nor adminiſter the Sacraments, unleſs that he be at the ſame time both Doctor and Miniſter.
CAN. III. A Jew or Pagan of what age ſoever he be, ſhall not be baptized till he have been firſt inſtructed in the Chriſtian Faith, and that he give evident proof thereof by his Confeſſion. N.B. You may ſee the Form of Baptizing Jews and Infidels, Chap. XI. Of Baptiſm.in the Acts and Canons of the National Synod of Charenton, in the Year 1644. where it is at large inſerted; and I muſt crave my Readers Pardon for not tranſcribing it.
CAN. IV. Children, both whoſe Parents are Members of the Church of Rome, and thoſe of Excommunicated Perſons, ſhall not be baptized in our Reformed Churches, although they were preſented by Godly Sureties, unleſs the Father, or Mother, when there is no Father, ſhall conſent and require it, and ſhall have reſigned up their Authority unto the Sureties, by giving and granting them their right of Education, with Promiſe of ſuffering their Children to be educated and inſtructed in the true Religion.
CAN. V. The Children alſo of Sarazins and Gipſies may be admitted unto Baptiſm in our Reformed Churches upon thoſe conditions before mentioned; provided that there be not any preſumption of their having been already baptized, and the Sureties being firſt ſeriouſly admoniſhed to conſider how they can acquit themſelves of their obligation and promiſe made unto the Church; and moreover, that thoſe very Sureties will undertake for the Religious Education and inſtruction of thoſe Children.
CAN. VI. No Baptiſm ſhall be adminiſtred but in Church-Aſſemblies, or where there is a formed publick Church. But where there is no publick Church, and the Parents through infirmity are afraid to carry them unto publick Baptiſm in the Congregation, Miniſters ſhall conſult how far in prudence they ought to yield unto them. Yet nevertheleſs there ſhall be ſome face of a Church, and both Exhortation and Prayer; but if there be no Church, and a Congregation cannot be aſſembled, the Miniſter ſhall not make any difficulty to baptiſe the Infants of believing Parents tendered to him, with Exhortation and Prayer.
CAN. VII. Foraſmuch as we have no Commandment from the Lord to take God-Fathers, or God-Mothers, who may preſent our Children unto Baptiſm, there cannot be any particular Canon made which ſhall bind Perſons to do it. But ſith it is a very ancient Cuſtom, and introduced for a good end, to wit, to teſtify the Sureties Faith, and the Baptiſm of the Infant, and alſo for that they charge themſelves with the care of educating the Child, in caſe it ſhould be deprived of its Parents by death; and for that it doth maintain a ſweet Communion among the Faithful by a Conjunction of Friendſhip, they who will not obſerve it, but will by themſelves preſent their own Children, ſhall be earneſtly intreated not to be Contentious, but to conform unto the antient and accuſtomed Order, it being very good and profitable. N.B. The Clauſe inſerted in the middle of this Canon is in my two beſt Editions of Paris and Rouen, though it be left out in the three others, and therefore I have cauſed it to be put into another Character.
CAN. VIII. Women ſhall not be admitted to preſent Children unto Baptiſm unleſs they be accompanied with a Godfather, and that they have made profeſſion of our holy Chriſtian Reformed Religion.
CAN. IX. A Surety coming from another Church ſhall not be admitted to preſent a Child unto Baptiſm, unleſs he bring with him a Certificate from his own Church.
CAN. X. Such as preſent Children unto Baptiſm ſhall be of ſufficient Age, in their fourteenth year at leaſt, and ſhall have Communicated at the Lord's Table; or if they be well ſtricken in years, and have not as yet received the bleſſed Sacrament of the Lords Supper, they ſhall proteſt ſeriouſly that they will do it, and in order to it, that they will ſuffer themſelves duly to be Catechiſed.
CAN. XI. Perſons ſuſpended from the Lords Supper may not in the quality of Sureties preſent Children unto Baptiſm, ſo long as their Suſpenſion ſhall ſtand in force againſt them.
CAN. XII. Paſtors ſhall diligently exhort all Godfathers and Godmothers to weigh and conſider their Promiſes made at the Celebration of Baptiſm, and Parents alſo to chuſe ſuch Sureties for their Children as are well-inſtructed in Religion, and of a Godly Life and Converſation, and that are as much as may be of their Acquaintance, and by whoſe means, if there ſhould be a neceſſity for it in the courſe of God's Providence, it is moſt likely that their Children will have a Religious Education.
CAN. XIII. Such as by their Proxies preſen… Children to be baptized in the Church of Rome, ſhall be ſeverely cenſured, becauſe they conſent thereby unto Idolatry.
CAN. XIV. As for Names which are given Children in Baptiſm, Miniſters ſhall reject, if it can poſſibly be done, and without any inconvenience, thoſe which yet remain of old Paganiſm, nor ſhall they impoſe on the ſaid Children the Names aſcribed unto God in Scripture, as Immanuel, and others of like nature. Moreover Parents and Sureties ſhall be admoniſhed to take Names approved in the holy Scriptures; or if they fancy any other, they may be accepted; excepting always thoſe before mentioned, and thoſe which ſignify a matter which is unſeemly.
CAN. XV. Miniſters ſhall admoniſh their Flocks to demean themſelves moſt reverently at the Adminiſtration of Baptiſm; And that the contempt of Baptiſm, which is expreſſed by too many, even the far greater part of our People by going out of the Aſſembly, or carrying themſelves irreverently at its Adminiſtration, may be avoided for the future, it hath been judged meet that this holy Sacrament ſhall be adminiſtred before the ſinging of the laſt Pſalm, or at leaſt before the giving of the Paſtoral Bleſſing: And the People ſhall be carefully admoniſhed to behave themſelves with the ſelf ſame Reverence in the adminiſtration of Baptiſm, as in that Sacrament of the Lord's Supper: foraſmuch as Jeſus Chriſt and all his benefits are alike equally exhibited and offered to us in both the Sacraments.
CAN. XVI. Conſiſtories ſhall have an eye over ſuch perſons, as do without any great and urgent cauſe defer for a long time together the Baptiſm of their Children.
CAN. XVII. Chap. XII. Of The Lord's Supper.Although the Wife of a Believing Husband be of a contrary Religion, yet is he in no wiſe to be excuſed, if that his Child be preſented unto Baptiſm in the Church of Rome; and therefore he ſhall not be received unto the Lord's Supper, unleſs he have to the utmoſt of his power laboured to prevent it.
CAN. XVIII. All Baptiſms ſhall be Regiſtred, and carefully kept in the Church-Books, together with the Names of both the Parents, Sureties, and of the Children baptized, which ſhall be ſubſcribed by the Miniſter's own hand, who did baptiſe them. And when as Children ſhall be preſented unto baptiſm, The Parents and Sureties ſhall be obliged to bring with them a Note, in which ſhall be inſerted the Name of the Child, of its Parents and Sureties, and the day of its Nativity.
CAN. XIX. The Parents Names of Baſtards, Children born of an Illegitimate Conjunction, if they be known, ſhall be Recorded in the Book of Baptiſms, unleſs of thoſe Children who are born in Inceſt. That ſo the very Remembrance of ſuch an enormous Wickedneſs may be for ever buried in the Grave of Forgetfulneſs. In which caſe it ſhall be ſufficient only to have nominated the Mother, together with the Sureties who ſhall preſent the Child to Baptiſm. And in the Baptiſing of all Illegitimate Children expreſs mention ſhall be made that they were born out of holy Wedlock.