Course: Church History (1) Sacraments, Buildings and
Monasticism.
Justin Martyr First
Apology 67 (c150AD).
And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the
wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all
things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son
Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost.
And on the day called Sunday,
(1) all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one
place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are
read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president
verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we
all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended,
bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers
prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability,
(2) and the people assent, saying Amen; and
there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks
have been given,
(3) and to those who are absent a portion is
sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each
thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours
the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are
in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and
in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we
all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having
wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ
our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day
before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is
the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught
them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.
‘Now about baptism:
this is how to baptize. Give public instruction on all these points, and then
"baptize" in running water, "in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
2 If you do not have running water, baptize in some other.
3 If you cannot in cold, then in warm. If you have neither, then pour
water on the head three times "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit."
4 Before the baptism, moreover, the one who baptizes and the one being
baptized must fast, and any others who can. And you must tell the one being
baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand.’
For full
text see website: http://www.ccel.org/