The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-01-19
RApr1sMAL REeENERATION.

RAPTlSmAA ksEGENEEA4
Having stated last week the Romish doctrine
concerning sacramental grace, the conviction was
expressed that the Prayer Book of the Episcopal
Church is tainted with that beresy, and We now
proceed to consider some of the grounds on which
this conviction rests. In doing this it IS prope:
TO examine carefully the teachings Of the Prayer
Book on the subject Of Baptism As most Of our
readers have not even copy Of this work In their
possession, it may be necessary for fair view OF
the matter that copious citations should be made.
The following Rre from The M61istration Of Pub
Ee Baptism to H1tisnts."
The minister begins by reminding the congrega-
ton that "all men are conceived and born in SIM
and exhorts them to call upon God the Father,
through our Lord Jesus Christ, that Of his boun-
teous mercy, he will grant this child that which by
nature he cannot have" &c He then prays that
God will "mercifully look upon this child, wash
him and sanctify him with the Holy Ghost He
saws again, 'we call upon thee for this infant, that
he coming to thy holy baptism, may receive re
mission of sin by spiritual regeneration, - " that
this infant may enjoy the everlasting benedieton
of thy heavenly washing &C., give thy Holy
Spirit to this infant that he may be born again,
and be made an heir of everlasting salvation, &c.
Then, addressing the God-fathers and GOd-moth-
ers, he reminds them that they have prayed that
our Lord Jesus Christ would vouchsate to receive
him, 1.-THE infant to release him from sin, &c.
"Ye have heard also that our Lord Jesus Christ
hath promised, in his gospel to grant all these
things that ye have prayed for, &c He then
prays that God may grant that the old Adam 10
tRis child may be so buried, that the new man may
be raised up in him, SC, that he may sanctity
this water to the mystical washing away of sin.
The child is then baptised.
Next, addressing the congregation, he says
"Seeiug now, dearly beloved brethren, that this
child is regenerate," Sc, and in returning thanks
to God, says 1t hath pleased thee to regeneratt
hjs iataat with thy Holy Spirit to receive him fO
thine own child by adoption, &C.
So also in the baptism Of those Of ripper years.
the minister gives thanks after It's administrator
that they are now born again, and made heirs o
everlasting salvation" &C., and declares to the con
gregation that these persons are regenerate.
The catechjsm Of the Episcopal Church which
this child is to learn is entirely consistent witt
this plan of Bapttsn1at regeneration. The frs
question is, What Is your name p In answer
to the secOnd-"Who gave you this name?' hei'
taught to say My sponsors in Baptism 17hered
/ ,0as made member Of Christ, the child Of God
and iaderitor Of the Kingdom Of heareH. "
We propose hereafter to examine more infinitely
the meaning of the term "regenerate.' We
know the attempts made to explain it away. Tha
eminent Christian minister Of noble birth, Baptist
Noel, once of the Church of England, says 81
once labored hard to convince myself that our Re-
formers did not aud could not mean that infants
are regenerated by baptism. But no reasoning
ayais. The language is too plain Having re-
Gently procured aud read the life Of Bishop Meade
written BY Bishop Johns, we were as much graft
fed as surprised to Gud him also exceedingly dis
satisfied with the doctrine contained in the present
service He asks Why could not another prayer
on the same plan be introduced into the Baptismal
Service aud allowed 20 be used in the place of the
one which we now must use, but which l never do
without pain, because It's pl1H literal meaning
eoatradics ny belief" See letter to the late Fran.
ees S. Key, in 1927. Memoirs, p l62. More Of
this hereafter. For the present we append some
remarks from a very interesting aud forcible pamph-
let written By member of the Church of Eng.
land and repubished in this country not long since
by some Of those brethren of the Episcopal Church
who have become thoroughly aroused to the false
doctrines by which they are encompaSSed and i'm
perilled After some remarks intended to show
the evil effects Of this notion of the regeneration
of infants by Baptism, he introduces the following
statement
A minister of the Church Of England who for
many years has filed the office of a chaplain to
prisons and reformatOrieS, has written an appeal
to the Bishop Of Winchester, in which he shows
from long observation and the testimony Of pris-
Oners, that the expressions we are considering in
the Baptismal service have a most denOrGlzmg
effect on the minds of criminals The ex-ehaplain
says to the Bishop
Does not the Christian teaching of your minis
tryinculcate upon children the necessity OF having
new birth and a new heart long after 5dpt'Sm|
Does this mean a new heart after being made a
child of God; being born again, and an inheritor
Of the kingdom of Heaven If this IS for infants
growing up, why not for criminals who we wish
may grow out Of sin, having already regeDerate
and new heart and changed spjrit2 Ought this to
be the doctrine taught TO infants growing up, or
criminals to be started into fresh life ought this
to be held out IN addition to what Is SAID IN the
Baptisma Service as a repetition or originally to
commence on a ground of cOnverSlOn2 1t Orgi
nay the BaptiSmal Service can 60 but tor little in
the case. Why use such a service? Ifin sequel,
the BaptSmal Service should not be quite so posi-
tive and explicit If something so originally explicit
Is 10 follow 1t.
/ am afraid that half the ruin of families, half
the IN success Of life, the throwing away OF good
opportunities and the waste of property, time, and
talents IN the instances of those who have so large
" contributed TO swell the list of criminals and
6ll convict prisons and hulks, has been this one
grand deusion Of taking it for granted that man
has a right to assume, If he has been baptized aud
so made according TO his idea a Christian, he will
be found somewhere about near to doing well some
how or other, and that finally he will be somehow
not far from being safe IN heaven.
/ examined a very intelligent prisoner who was
deaf and dumb, and who had been taught in a
Deaf and Dumb Asylum; If he thought he 1gaS
Christian. / put this question to hun, as well a.
to many Others to elicit this very point as to tax
ing it for granted that all is done that is required
to be done IN baptism. His answer written down
was, Ih0re been baptized | once attended full
meeting Of the Clergy in the Winchester Deanery
to discuss this genera. question how tar in Baptism
the effects could be recSOued upon as fully Identl-
fed IN the service OF IN other words the extent OF
B0DhSmaI RegeBsr1ti0H and a lear who may
be reckOned as a consistent advocate OF this doc
trine, stated broadly in reply TO some questions
that were most torolbIy urged upon him, that he
c0Ud not by 00y means separate regeneration from
the spriaktaq Of Water a Baptisn. This, if
true must account for the tact that every one who
is sprinkIed as an infant with Water in Baptism,
is born again, on the mere administration Of the
ordinance the truth, faith, holiness or principles
OF approach OF the parties presenting the infant,
not being in the least degree taken into eonsidera