, 1874-02-22
papTTgMAT, EXPERIMENTATION

The doctrine OF the Protestant Episcopal
Church on the subject at baptlsmal regeneration
ia stated by ono of tho witnesses in the Cheney
case as follows:
Infants are born In original sin; therefore, they
need regeneration and, regeneration tascs place III
bapt;sn, and al who aro baptized nro regenefated'
r1capt Of their own will, they pu. bar against tho
work Of the Holy Spirit aud infants put no euch oa
all iut.nts therefore, aro rcgercraed IN baptlsnl.
md a1e lapized IN the Church for tnat inteut and
purpose
The point in dispute in the Cheney case is not
whether the application OF water to an infant
really produces an inward change, whereby tho
infnnt gets rid OF his distributive share Of the
ofrense committed By Adam and Eve, hut wheth-
er the Protestant Episcopal Church hold that
doctrine in such way that Clergyman cannot
omit it from his ministrations without plocing
himself outside tho pale. This is of course. to be
determined By the weight Of evidence.
A few years ago Bishop Of the Church OF
England, Colenso by name, ofacia:ing at Natal,
in South Africa, allowed that the story of Adam
and Eve Was fable, and that tho Eve books Of
Moses we're not only not inspired, but in nlnny
respects untrue, contradictory, and impossible.
Ho Was put under arrest in tie ecclo-
siastical eense, just as Mr. Cheuey has
been; was tried, found guilty OF intidelity, and
sentenced to tho loss OF his Episcopal Office. He
appealed to various higher courts in tho Church
of England judicature, aud finally to the priry
Council In theory, the Queen is tbs head Of
the Church of England, being tho lneal sue
cessor OF Henry VIII. tho founder Of that
Church, or rather of tho schism which took tho
Church away from Romanatn. In theory, also,
the Queen decides au qucetions-ciyil, military,
political, and religious--wlch come botore her
as the head Of Church and State. She selects
Privy Council, however,-~or her Chief Minister
docs,-to whose advice she naturally defers,
having large family Of hor own to look after.
Ws do not recollect whether the Chief Min
lister, ut the time Bishop ColenEo took his
Eppeal. WAS Jew OF Christian, but thnt
ia inmateria1, eince the Jews arc, equally
with the Christians, familiar with the
five books Of Moses. At all events, the Privy
Council took up the Thi1ty-nine Articles Of the
Protestant Episcopal faith and put on their spec
tacles; and, finding nothing therein avouching
tho inspiration Of the Scriptures. decided that
Bishop Colcnso was entitled to believe anything
he chose regarding Adam and Eve and the jour
neyings of Israel in the DESERT and the Bhew
bread, and the shittim wood without molessation
from his brother Bishops. Thercupon he went
buck to his plsce at Natal. where he has officiat
ed moro OF less, with no other interruption than
the hooting Of urchins and the breaking Of his
window-panes.
Now. If Bishop Colenso can dispense with
Adam and Eve {and hence with original sin) en-
ti1elY, and still legally retain his place high
functionary OF the Protestant Episcopal Church,
Why may not Mr. Cheney dispense with baptis-
NAL regeneration, which, according to the dehni-
tion given in Judge Williams Court, is only tie
aroidance Of original sin?