Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-06-11
CHRISTIAN

his reception INTO a Presbyterian
church in New York, and complaint
concerning this re-baptism was made
on the ground that Roman Catholic
baptism was a valid baptism, and, on
that account, neither to be ignored
nor repeated. The assembly ct Gin
cinnati dismissed the complaint be-
cause that body had relegated to its
church sessions exclusive Jurisdiction
over what had given cause for dissen-
ton. Whereupon Judge Charles D.
Drake, of constitutional notorlety in
Missouri, offered the following reso-
luton:
Resolved, That it is the deliberate and
decided Judgment of this assembly that
the Roman Catholic church has essen
TALLY apostatized from the religion of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and there
fore cannot be recognized as a Christian
church. And as we do o recognize it
as a portion of the visible church OF
Christ we o not consistently view its
priesthood as other than usurpers of the
sacred functions of the ministry, its Or
dinances as unscriptural and its baptism
as invalid.
AS was to have been expected, this
resolution was soon tabled. After
having conceded that sessions might
decide, without appeal in particular
cases, whether Roman Catholic or
other baptism a valid or not, how
could the highest court of the Pres
byterian church have done otherwise?
Nevertheless, Judge brakes resolu-
ton will doubtless find widespread
sympathy. It proceeds, however,
upon erroneous conceptions of the
visible church and of the nature and
substance of Christian baptism; and
it is to be hoped that the LEDGER,
after having given up so many of it's
columns to discussion of the mode of
administering the latter, may be per.
mitted to give a short and concise
statement of its Specification and sub
stance.
The visible kingdom of heaven was
ikened by the Savior himself to q
field in which an enemy had sown
tares, and his Injunction was, to lei
both wheat and tares grow together
until harvest. That the Roman Cath
Ole church has committed grievous
mistakes, as is asserted in the resolu
ton, cannot, therefore, justify it,
anathematizement, so to speak, a:
long as with christendom it maintains
the essential doctrines of Christianity
mixed with error, as Christ foretolG
would be the case in his visible king
dom.
1t is easy to question the authorit.
) and validity of churches and ordi
nances; but who can satisfactory,
settle such matters? Yea, who cal
+ determine whether the early churcl
was directed and controlled by bish
+ ops, representative assemblies Or con
gregations? What, indeed, is
church beyond the voluntary associa
ton of Christians met for worship
organized under the promise of Chris
to be present where two or three ar
assembled in his name, and therefor
invested with the right to receiv
members, elect and ordain officers
preach the gospel and administer it
sacraments? Any other view of
particular church is simply a clingini
to those unauthorized assumptions O
t exclusive possession of the keys b
t the Roman Catholic church that con
o stitutes al important part of the allie
cation of the Drake resolution. An
what is baptism but the public dec
~ieation of its recipient to the servic
If God in the name of the Trinit
without regard to the particular forr
in which it is made? As the churc
itself is a covenant between Christia
and Christian, so is baptism a cove
nant with God and the visible churc
that has been happily likened to th
e signing and sealing of an agreement
The manne of administering bar
tism is doubtless optional; otherwls
n it would have been more fully an
Enthusiastically set forth in the SCRIP
lures. Everybody joins that churc
whose baptism most comedies wit
his preconceptions of what it ought t
: be, and every manner of baptism i
, or into the name of the Father, So
and Holy Ghost administered by a
ecclesiastical organization Or indivit
ual Christian is regarded by the gel
Ctdi ScuS6 VI IidiihfilI Us Sdltu. IL
!" discussion of the mere form of bal
tism serves little purpose but that
separation. Were n nowadays t
insist that Christians should reclin
on couches at the Lords Supper b.
cause Christ and His disciples did s
at its institution, what would /
thought of him? Would he not be
laughing stock? Of like gravity al
Questions of dipping, sprinklins
, pouring and amounting. 1t is the pull
lie dedication to God and his servie
that constitutes the gist of the ma
ter and not the form or church j
which that is done. If, therefore, a
y applicant for church membershi
thinks he has not been dedicated in
. way that is binding on his ~consciene
. as a covenanter with God and I'll
church, let him, by all means, be r.
baptized in the form that he col
ceives to be valid.
III. cak:o~ - kko .a.o,.l1, -.ax-