Adult Baptism.--The rule of the Church is Infant Baptism. She brings children even in their tenderest years within her Fold and there trains them up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." But when in England the Puritans and Anabaptists arose and prevailed, then there grew up a generation that reached maturity without having been baptized, and then it was that there arose the necessity for "The Ministration of Baptism to such as are of Riper Years and able to answer for themselves." To meet such cases the present service in the Prayer Book for the Baptism of Adults was prepared and set forth in A.D. 1661. That the Church of England had no form for the Baptism of Adults previous to the year 1661 is not only an interesting fact, but it is also one of those historic side-lights which brings into bold relief what was the custom of the Church from time immemorial. Advent.--Derived from the Latin, and means _coming_. The word is used of the first coming of Christ at His Birth, and of His Second Coming to judge the world. These are commemorated in the first Season of the Church Year, the _Season of Advent_, which begins on the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew's Day (Nov. 30) whether before or after, and continues until Christmas Day. The Advent Season is intended to be a preparation for the due observance of Christmas, is penitential in character and a time of increased devotions both public and private. The Benedicite is sung instead of the Te Deum; the Benedictus is recited in full, and the Collect for the First Sunday in Advent is used daily throughout the Season. The color for Altar hangings, etc., is purple or violet. Advent Sunday.--A name to be found in the Prayer Book for the First Sunday in Advent. It is commonly regarded as the first day of the Church Year, and as such the _Christian's New Year's Day_. From the fact that the Church Year anticipates the Civil New Year by a whole month it is thought that the Church thereby teaches that the Kingdom of God should be first in our thoughts, (See ADVENT, also CHRISTIAN YEAR). Affusion.--The _pouring_ (which the word means) of water on the recipient of Baptism, when the Baptism is not by immersion. Questions have arisen from the very earliest ages as to the matter and form with which this Sacrament is to be administered. The original mode was undoubtedly by the descent of the person to be baptized into a stream or pool of water. The practice of immersion was not, however, regarded as an essential feature of Baptism. There can be little doubt that affusion was practiced instead of immersion, at the discretion of the Priest, in ancient as well as in modern times. The Prayer Book provides for either mode. The method is a matter of indifference, the essential point being that the candidate for Baptism come into actual contact with water while the words, "I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," are spoken.