Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-05
FATHER KELLY ON BAPTISM.

The little Catholic church on the corne. of
Fourth avenue ane second street was densely
crowded on last Sunday evening. A great
many were induced to 60 there by
the announcement that Father Kelly
would preach on Baptism. The
reverend gentlemen is an earnest, pleasant
speaker, and his congregation paid the
strictest attention to the sermon. Father
Kelly said: The establishment Of the
church by our blessed Sa viour was not a
mere passtime; its faith, its plan of saliva
ton is of vast importance to every son and
daughter of Adam. We think and co know
that Christ established his church in this
world. He did not make the existence of
that church TO depend upon the under
standing of some passage in the new tesla
ment, but laid its broad foundation on the
imperishable rock of truth before the new
testament WAS written. He gave that
church power and authority. To the apos-
ties and their successors gave he this au-
thority, and we have his blessed
promise that he would be with
his church for ever, until
the consumation of time. The holy Catho-
lie church of TODAY is the church of Christ
and his apostles in the first century, with its
lawful unbroken succession from Peter to
Leo. If were not it could not claim to be
the church of Christ. BY the authority
given it by our Savior. the church can
determine the modes of baptism. The
Church has practiced baptism by miners
ion, by pouring and by sprinkling. 1t was
not until the twelfth century that the church
selected sprinkling as the mode best suited
to all countries and chimes. We are no.
where commanded to babtize by any par
ticular mode. The church in this matter is
not despotic. Our Baptist friends claim
that our Savior was immersed in the Jordan.
Our Savior was baptised to show his humili-
ty. He had no sins to be forgiven. OF the
exact mode of his bap tism We have no posi-
tive information. Our Oldest
pictures commemorating that event repre-
sents John as standing by the river pouring
the water on our Savior from a shell. 1t
does not seem reasonable that the jaiier
was baptized by immersion. Peter could
hardly have baptized three thousand peo-
p in one day by immersion. The difficulty
with the Protestant churches is that they
have no supreme power to decide this ques-
ton for them. They go to the bible, and
their private interpretations are different.
They all agree, however, that the Catholic
church has no authority to decide this
question for mankind. About everything
the Catholic church has taught has been de-
MED by other churches and infdels, except
death. 1t was said by an able preacher a
short time since that the Catholic church
sent the innocent babe to hell because it
was not baptized. We do not
say that, but we do say
that cur Divine Master has established His
church and promised salvation to all who
comply with its ordinances. And that the
Ministers of that church are not commission
ed to preach salvation outside Of its folds.
Baptism being an ordinance we can only
teach that IT is essential. This church is
ever ready to baptize as repentent son of
Adam, whether in the sunny south or in the
frozen north. In the burning desert far
away from priest or bishop, where the suf-
ering sinner yearns for the church and sal
walton, the holy Catholic church recognizes
his desire for baptism. And he is bap-
tised indeed.