Pre-Nicene Western Christian Initiation: Italy

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Pre-Nicene Western Christian Initiation Italy
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The Shepherd of Hermas (c. 150 CE)

• Third Vision
• 3. The lady speaks The tower which you see
  being built, that is I, the Church, who has
  appeared to you now and formerly. So ask me
  whatever you wish about the tower and I shall
  reveal it to you, that you may rejoice along with
  the saints.

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• 5. Then I asked her Why, lady, is the tower
  built on waters? Yes, she said, as I told you
  before, you do enquire persistently. With your
  inquiries you are finding the truth. The reason
  why the tower is built on water is this your
  life has been saved by water and will be so
  saved. The tower has been put on a foundation by
  the omnipotent and glorious Word of the Name and
  it is held together by the Lords invisible
  power.

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• Ninth Parable
• 151 Sir, tell me another thing, I said. What
  is it? he said. Why, I said, did the stones
  that had borne these spirits go up from the
  abyss, and why were they put into the building?
  2. They had to ascend, he said, by means of
  water in order to be made living. Otherwise, if
  they had not shed the death of their former life,
  they could not enter the kingdom of the son of
  God and entered the kingdom of God. 3. Those,
  also, who were deceased so received the seal of
  the Son of God and entered the kingdom of God.
  For, a man is dead before he receives the name of
  the Son of god, but, when he receives the seal,
  he puts off death and receives life.

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• 4. The seal, therefore, is water. The dead go
  down into the water and come out of it living.
  Therefore, this seal was proclaimed to them and
  they put it to use to enter the kingdom of God.
  5. Then, why, sir, I said, did the forty
  stones come out of the abyss with them, if they
  already had the seal? Because, he said, the
  apostles and teachers who preach the name of the
  Son of God, after having been laid to rest in
  power and faith in the Son of God, preach also to
  those who have been laid to rest before them. To
  the latter they themselves passed on the seal
  they proclaimed.

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• 6. So, they went down with them into the water
  and came up again. But, the apostles and
  teachers, though they were alive, went down and
  returned alive. But those who had been laid to
  rest before them went down dead and came up
  alive. 7. With the help of the apostles and
  teachers they were made to live and came to the
  knowledge of the name of the Son of God. For the
  same reason they returned in their company and
  were fitted into the building of the tower along
  with them, built into it without having been
  trimmed. They went to their rest in justice and
  great purity. They merely did not have the seal.
  Now you know the solution of this matter also.
  Yes, sir, I said.

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• Who apostles and teachers baptizers? dead
  baptizees?
• Did (or refrained from doing) what
• Preaching catechesis?
• Seal water rites?
• When no particular date/season
• Where no particular place
• What it meant
• Baptizees life is saved by the water/seal
• Baptism is the foundation of the Church
• Baptism incorporates individuals into the Church

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Epitaph of Abercius(c. 180 CE)

• The citizen of an eminent city, I made this
  tomb
• In my lifetime, that I may have here a
  resting-place for my body.
• Abercius by name, I am a disciple of the chaste
  shepherd
• Who feeds his flocks of sheep on mountains and
  plains,
• Who has great eyes that look on all sides.

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• He taught me faithful writings.
• He sent me to Rome, to behold a kingdom
• And to see a queen with golden robe and golden
  shoes.
• There I saw a people bearing the splendid seal.
• And I saw the plain of Syria and all the cities,
  even Nisibis,
• Having crossed the Euprhates. And everywhere I
  had associates

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• Having Paul as a companion, everywhere faith led
  the way
• And set before me for food the fish from the
  spring
• Mighty and pure, whom a spotless Virgin caught,
• And gave this to friends to eat, always
• Having sweet wine and giving the mixed cup with
  bread.
• These words, I, Abercius, standing by, ordered to
  be inscribed.

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• In truth, I was in the course of my
  seventy-second year.
• Let him who understands and believes this pray
  for Abercius.
• But no man shall place another tomb upon mine.
• If one does so, he shall pay to the treasury of
  the Romans two thousand pieces of gold,
• And to my beloved fatherland Hieropolis, one
  thousand pieces of gold.

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• Who baptizer ? baptizee (disciple)
  Abercius
• Did (or refrained from doing) what
• Catechesis shepherds writings Gospels Paul
  as companion epistles
• Seal
• Fish-food Eucharist of wine and mixed cup milk
  and honey? with bread
• When no particular season/feast
• Where Hieropolis, Rome, Syria, Nisibis
• What it meant entering into Christian life

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The so-called Apostolic Tradition

• Who catechumen, baptizand, sponsor, teacher,
  exorcist, bishop, presbyter, deacon
• Did (or refrained from doing) what
• Investigation of worthiness to begin instruction
• 3 year catechumenate instruction / prayer / no
  kiss of peace / hand-laying / dismissal
• Investigation of worthiness to be baptized
• Daily hand-laying and exorcism
• Solemn Exorcism of baptizands by the bishop

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• Candidates bathe on Thursday
• Candidates fast on Friday and Saturday
• Assembly of candidates on Saturday evening?
  kneeling prayer by candidates / hand-laying and
  exorcism by bishop / exsufflation by bishop /
  signing of forehead, ears and noses by bishop /
  standing vigil / scripture reading and
  instruction
• Cockcrow prayer over the water by the bishop?
• Candidates take off their clothes
• Bishop gives thanks over the oil of thanksgiving
• Bishop exorcizes the oil of exorcism
• Deacons stand with these oils at either side of
  presbyter

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• Presbyter bids baptizands renounce Satan and
  anoints them with the oil of exorcism
• Deacon accompanies baptizand into the water
  triple interrogation with triple immersion
• Presbyter anoints neophyte with oil of
  thanksgiving
• Neophytes dress and enter assembly hall
• Hand-laying and prayer over neophyte by bishop
• Anointing of neophytes head and text by bishop
• Forehead signing and kiss of peace by bishop
• Common prayer by neophytes and assembly
• Kiss of peace between neophytes and assembly
• Eucharistic Prayer spoken by bishop

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• Fraction Rite
• Kiss of Peace
• Bishop gives instruction on communion to the
  neophytes and administers the bread with a text
• Presbyters/Deacons administer 1) cup of water, 2)
  cup of milk and honey, 3) cup of wine with texts
• Good works as consequence
• When 3 year catechumenate / Thursday bath /
  Friday-Saturday fast / Saturday Vigil with Sunday
  morning Eucharist
• Where instruction hall separate from assembly
  hall? / private bath / assembly hall / baptismal
  hall
• What it meant cf. content of texts