The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-23
PAULIST DISCUSSES
MODE OF BAPTISM

The Rev Father Healy and the Rev.
Father OHern, the Paylist fathers who
are conducting the mission that has been
In progress at ST. Pauls church for nearly
two weeks, addressed a large congrega-
ton iasu iHsahl.s a.NssssssS
is the question box. One of the mis-
sioners gives twenty minutes each night
to various questions that are propounded.
This part of the work last night was
assigned to Father O'Hern. Some one
wrote: 81 believe it is a fact that the
Catholic church taught and preached bap-
tlsm by immersion until sometime in the
fourteenth century; it that true?''
Father O'IIern answered: ut is true
that immersion was practiced both In
the east and in the west In the solemn
administration of the sacrament until the
close of the thirteenth century. But on
the otler hand there is abundant evil
dence to prove that immersion was not
the only mode; that of pouring water
was considered equally valid. 1t is doubt
fui to say the least whether the 5000
converts of st. Peter on Penteeost Day
acts .: Al, were immersed, because OF
the scarcity of water in Jerusalem, CRob-
ertson's Biblical Researches In Palestine,
Vol. l. pages 479-516); or whether INNER
sion was practiced in the home of Cor
nellus (Acts 10: 47-4s)), or in the prison
of ,Philippi (Acts 1D). 1t is certain that
invands not able to leave their beds We're
not immersed as st. Cyprian expressly
declares when questioned as to the valid
ity of clinical baptism. Quoting Ezekiel
~ l,a ,,tiSn1 and
Numbers s and 10. where reference is
made to the Jewish sprinkling st. Cy-
prian So rs: ut is apparent that the
sprinklng of water has like force with
the saving washing In the Doctrine of
the Apostles a document written toward
the close of the first century, reference
is made to baptism by pouring.
Indeed the positive necessity of bap-
tism which is made plain from John q 8,
proves conclusively that immersion, which
is generally difficult and often impos-
sible, could not have been established
as essential by the all-wise Son Of God.
Must men In prison. the sick and the dy-
ing. the child Just born, the Esquimaux
In the Arctic region, or the Bedouin
of the parched Syrian desert, where water
is most scarce. each and all DO immersed
or allowed to die without baptism?
THE Catholic church declares that ali
three ways of baptism are equally valid.
by immersion, by pouring or by sprink-
ling The present mode of pouring has
been adopted for the sake of uniformity
in the administration of the sacrament.
and because 1t is best suited to all con-
ditions. But" you say, does not the
word baptize always signify immersion in
the original Creek
by no means; 1t often means simply
cleaning by water, as in Mark Vii, T. Re
/ ferring to this passage, Hodge. Protest
ant writer, says: To maintain that beds
or chouches were immersed, is mere
act of desperation. Baptism means here,
as it does everywhere when used as re-
ligious rite, symbolical publication by
water, without the slightest reference to
the mode in which that publication was
affected.
"As a matter of historical record, we
do not even know whether Christ Him
self was Immersed in the river Jordan.
The earliest representations in Christian
art show John the Baptist pouring water
on the head OF Christ from shell. This
proves at least that the Christians Of the
fourth century believed in baptsng by
pouring, or they would net have repre-
| scented Christ as being so baptised.'
| Father Healy gave a lecture an ''Fa9al
Supremacy and Infallibility." He said that
''all the prevalent objections to this doc
trine would perish themselves il people
only knew what the doctrine means"
| The common idea Of it is, he said, tina t
Catholics make the Pope a semi-divine
being; that they consider him removed.
! from our moral conditions: that they re-
gard him as miraculously delivered from
| The vicissitudes of humanity, and that
| they regard him as inspired, so that, at.
cording. to his fancy, he can proclaim Lew
doctrines and manufacture a new gospel.
Now, the infsllibility of the Pope,