The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-03-09

ters reply, IN. York; there does not seem TO DC
the slightest prospect of any such rehet to these
distressed cOnseiences; and so they will have to go
on and declare before God and man that all bap-
tized persons are degenerate" &C., &c., until
events ripen; and then comes the deluge.
Neal, as quoted by an Episcopal authority, says;
Neither among the Eastern offices OF Baptism,
all of which | know -Constantinopoitan,
Copto Jacobite, Armenian Syro-Jacobite Ethio-
pic, NeStorian-nor, to the best of my belief,
among those of the West, is there one which so
unequivocally asserts the unconditional regenera-
ton of an infant as our own office.
Baptist W. Noel, that eminent and godly minis
ter, long of the Church of England but constrained
in conscience to leave it, gives this express declar
alton: 81 once labored hard to convince myself
that our Reformers did not mean that infants are
regenerated in baptism, but no reasoning avails.
This language is too plain.
A large portion of those in the Episcopal Church
who deeply lament that certain expressions were
left in their Prayer Book, are yet unwilling to ad
nit that they contain Remaining germs There
are others, however, who openly declare their con-
vctOn that such is the fact, and are earnestly de-
string an expurgation. They have issued num-
Der of pamphlets recently in which the troubles of
their Church are traced to the true source. They
say that "Romanism is steadily on the increase
Men become more and more bold in asserting its
doctrines and multiplying its practices, and they
unhesitatingy assert that the Prayer Book is the
feeder of this rapidly increasing error,
l.. L.
by some of the religious newspapers also in the
Episcopal Church. The Episcopalian-publishe
| in Philadelphia aud New York-is of this num-
ber It's issue of last week contains communi.
cation from a correspondent in Louisville, KY,
giving an interesting accounted the restoration to
his ministerial work Of the Rev. Mr. Brent, who
| it seems had been tempted off for time to the
Roman Catholic Church. In great restitution, "
and with a family dependent on him, and while
suffering from extreme depression, he met Ro,
man Catholic priest-an old acquaintance-whO
promised him employment and support if he would
Join the Church of Rome. Without delay and
evidently in temporary alteration of mind, he &C.
cepted the proposition and was baptized. We
are pleased to state that his mind was soon re-
stored and he was recovered from his unhappy
situation. The correspondent says:
He was approached by the tempter, as Christ
was in the desert And the Church has allowed
too many of her ministers to be subjected to temp
tations under similar circumstances.
Upon this the Editor makes the following peril
nent remarks:
But what can we say when it is clearly shown
that our Church itself Is the tempter who by COM
polling her ministers to use the unscriptural Ian
guage in the Baptsmal service teaching the Rom
ash doctrine of BaptsnlaI Regeneration and by
calling himself priest, and giving sacrifice OF
| thanksgiving, and an altar, and telling him to
declare and pronounce absolution, thus accus-
toms one and all of them to the ideas, the nomen-
elature, and the practices of Rome? Is 1t any
loOader that some go to Rome? Is 1t not 1oOnder
that any stay Out Of that Church p
These are words plainly spoken, as the times de.
maud 1t will be seen how entirely they confirm
what we have asserted in this discussion. Coming
from an Episcopal paper they are worthy of spe-
cial attention. We commend them to the regard
of our brother at Alexandria, and hope the day is
not too distant for US to rejoice in seeing it, when
the Southern ChUrchman also shall not only own
the existence of this sad leaven of Popery in the
Prayer Book, but be found, moreover, devoting
itself to the work of thoroughly purging 1t ont,