d of the Creed, at a Blessing, or at an
Absolution.

_Sponsors in Baptism._--The Church requires that "there shall be for
every Male-child to be baptized, when they can be had, two Godfathers
and one Godmother; and for every Female, one Godfather and two
Godmothers." The origin of this office is obscure. It may have been
adopted from a Jewish custom connected with the admission of heathen
children, or it may have arisen spontaneously out of the social
conditions of the Church.

The object in view is "to insure the subsequent education and training
in Christian truth and duty which is necessary to the full benefit of
the grace conferred in this holy Sacrament."

Sponsors are so called "because they respond or answer for the child to
be baptized. They are {114} called 'sureties' because they give
security to the Church that the child shall be virtuously brought up;
'godfathers,' and 'godmothers,' because of the spiritual relationship
into which they are brought with one another, with the parents, and
with the child."

"Formerly parents were not admitted as sponsors, since they are
sponsors in fact and by nature, and therefore no vow can increase their
obligation of duty toward the child. But while the Church prefers that
there should be three sponsors for every child, in addition to the
parents, in order to insure by a fivefold promise the future
guardianship of the infant soul, she yet permits parents to stand as
sponsors in order to accommodate every variety of circumstance and
need, and to save the office of sponsor from ever being merely a formal
or perfunctory thing."

_The Ring in Marriage._--"The use of the wedding-ring was probably
adopted by the early Church from the marriage customs which were
familiar to Christians in their previous life as Jews or heathen." A
ring, or something equivalent, seems to have been given at marriage by
the man to the woman from patriarchal days. The ancient custom of the
Church was for the bridegroom to place the {115} ring upon the thumb of
the bride, saying, "In the Name of the Father"; then upon the second
finger, saying, "and of the Son"; then upon the third finger, saying,
"and of the Holy Ghost"; and then upon the fourth finger, saying,
"Amen." "It was an old belief that a particular vein proceeded from
the fourth finger to the heart." The ring, being of gold, and having
neither beginning nor end, is not only a "token and pledge" of the vow
and covenant made in m