liturgy. It has an "Apostle," Gospel, Creed, Litany, "Sursum Corda," Sanctus, Epiklesis, and so on. It takes place after the liturgy; many children are baptized together, private baptism is not allowed. Soon after birth there is a curious imitation of baptism; water is blessed, and the child is washed in it. This is called "signing." Then it waits till the next feast, when there will be a liturgy in the Church and, following that, a general public baptism. The child's name is given at the "signing." In the Baptism rite the children are anointed all over with olive oil (oil of the catechumens) . The Nestorians have a holy oil believed to come from St. John the Evangelist, like the holy leaven. This is kept in the sanctuary, renewed as the leaven is, and a small portion of it is mixed with the oil of the catechumens. At the actual moment of baptism the child is held facing the east over the font; the priest dips it three times, saying: "N. is baptized in the name of the Father (R.: Amen), in the name of the Son (Amen), in the name of the Holy Ghost, for ever (Amen)." It is confirmed at once by laying-on the right hand. No chrism or other oil is now used for Confirmation.[1]
The ordination of clerks below the rank of deacon[2] is now obsolete. Deacons, priests, and bishops are ordained by layingon the right hand, with a suitable form. Several other bishops assist the Patriarch or Metropolitan in ordaining a bishop; they lay their hands on his side. The Nestorians have the rite of vesting the subject during the ordination service; but they do not appear to have an anointing. We have seen that they have what seem to be ordination forms for making a deacon an archdeacon, a bishop a Patriarch, and so on (pp. 134–135).[3] In the marriage
- ↑ It appears that once oil was used for Confirmation, as everywhere else in Christendom. See G. Bickell: Das Sakr. der Firmung bei den Nest. (Zt. f. Kath. Theol. 1877, 85–117); Bib. Or. iii. (i), 576. Further details of the Baptism service are given by Maclean and Browne: op. cit. 267–279; the whole rite by Badger: op. cit. ii. 195–214; also by G. Diettrich: Die nestorianische Taufliturgie (Giessen, 1903), who ascribes its composition to the Katholikos Yeshu‘-yab III (652–661), holds it to be the oldest extant form in Christendom, and illustrates it with interesting notes. Denzinger: Ritus Orientalium (Würzburg, 1863), i. 364–383.
- ↑ Badger gives the forms (with imposition of the bishop's right hand) for readers and subdeacons; ii. 322–325.
- ↑ Badger, ii. 322–350, gives the services. Denzinger: op. cit. ii. 226–274.
