by W. G. WILSON

 

In his review of Dr. Thornton’s book, Confirmation, its place in the Baptismal Mystery, Dr. Lampe declared : “The exegesis employed in this book should rather be described as eisegesis, an imposition of a pattern upon the text rather than an exposition of its own inner meaning.”^[1]  The more closely one studies recent books and articles on the subject of Christian Initiation, the more evident it becomes that few writers have succeeded in avoiding some measure of eisegesis in their treatment of the New Testament and Patristic writings.  It may be that even Dr. Lampe has indulged in a little eisegesis in certain parts of his book, The Seal of the Spirit.  For instance, in his treatment of the Apostolic Tradition of Hppolytus he considers that “it is particularly their baptism which has admitted them [the catechumens] into the brotherhood.  The bishop’s part is to complete the ceremony with the laying on of his hands, prayer that they might receive grace to serve God according to His will, and signing with the mark of Christ.”  He then goes on to say: “Confirmation, if we are so to designate the final stage of the initiatory rite, appears to be . . . a complex of subsidiary ceremonies expressive of the bishop’s blessing . . . , of his prayer that they may receive grace for positive and active service for God, .. . unction . . ., and of the signing of the Cross . . .”, and he concludes: “All these are of relatively small importance as compared with the baptism itself which gives them meaning and of which they are, so to speak, an explanatory extension.”^[2]  But even a casual reader of the text of the Apostolic Tradition will feel that Dr. Lampe is unduly minimizing the significance of the bishop’s part in the Initiation.  He does not mention that the rite concludes with the words:

Thenceforth they [the newly baptized] shall pray together with all the people.  But they shall not previously pray with the faithful before they have undergone all these things.

And after the prayers, let them give the kiss of peace.^[3]

These explicit statements should be sufficient to preclude any suggestion that the baptismal act without the bishop’s part was sufficient to admit the catechumen into the brotherhood.  In this connection it will be remembered that Professor Ratcliff^[4] pointed out that in Justin Martyr’s description of Christian Initiation the “washing” of the catechumen is followed by the offering of “prayers in common both for ourselves and for the person who has received illumination”, after which “we salute one another with a kiss when we have concluded the prayers” (Apol., lxv).  It is surely significant that both in Justin and in the Apostolic Tradition the brethren exchange the kiss of brotherhood, not immediately after the “washing” but after the “common prayers” of the Faithful.

A cursory reading of Dix’s edition of the text of the Apostolic Tradition gives the impression that the Church of his day undoubtedly connected the gift of the Spirit with the bishop’s prayer and Imposition of Hands.