Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/219

 CaaP. I1.] B,PTSU. '.'11 They furthermore teach that no external confession of sin is required from those who are to be baptized; or, in other words, that sacramental confession, as in the sacrament of penance, is not necessary or proper." They teach "that faith, and grief for sins, are not necessary to re- ceive baptism validly, but only to receive it fruitfully, to wit, with the effect of grace. Whence if any adult, without an act of faith and grief for sins committed, should receive baptism, he receives it validly, be- cause he receives the character; not, however, fruitfully, because he does not receive the grace and the other effects flowing from it. But when the disqualiftcation (fct/o) ceases, that is, when the act of faith and grief takes place, then he receives the grace and other effects, without the reiteration of baptism, by the power. of the past bapt/sm received without faith and grief for sin; because an irreiterable sacra- ment cannot be destitute of its fruit when the disqualification of the receiver ceases, that is, when faith and grief for sin come into exist- ence. In like manner heretics (Protestants) who are baptized in their heresy receive valid baptism, and on the receding of their disqualifica- tion, that is, on the abjuration of their heresy by their conversion to the true faith, receive immediately grace and the influence of the Holy Spirit."t According to this doctrine of the Roman Church, the Scriptural qua- liftcation for baptism may be dispensed with for the present, or post- poned to a more convenient time; and yet the sinner may be acting in .conformity to what he supposes to be the right way of salvation. It is true he may be told that he /t truly to repent now. But this will have little force with those who are as ignorant as the majority of Roman Catholics are; because, when convenience suits, they may make up what is wanting. The effects of this on the morality of the multitude are far from being salutary. 2. TA/,apt/tin of/nsane, nad, o,' d, Dens says, that tlds question can scarcely occur when all are bap- tized in infancy.:J: The Roman Catechism (p. 166) gives the following directions on this subject :--" Insane persons who are favoured with lucid intervals, and during these lucid intervals express no wish to be baptized, are not to be admitted to baptism, unle in extreme cases when death is ap- prehended. In such cases, if, previously to their insanity, they gave intimation of a wish to be baptized, the sacrament is to be administered; without such indication previously given, they are not to be admitted to �baptism; and the same rule is to be followed with regard to persons in t "F/des et dolor do po_ ath, non requiruntur ad rec/piendum bptimum wdide, ed ol/hn ad recipieadum fructuoae, hemps cure eftecru gntt/m; undo mi qu/ adultus ne ecru fide! et doloris de peccat/s commiis bot;-mum susciperet, val/de sum tiperst, quia chantcterem recipenet, non tanten fructuose, quia non n)c|peret grat/am et emten ectus ex./lla pendentes... Receden yore ftct/one, id. et, })esito ec.tu fi. dei et dolor/s, tmn .'attt., et .cm. teros effectus reciperot aJq. ue .rmtemuone bmptm. ex v/pneterr/ti btmmt recept! sine de et dolors .de pecc.at., q. ui. sacramontu.m  non tiebet camm sue fructu, recedonto fict/one roe. lptentm, id fle, at veto dolors de peccatis commiis .... Et idom de !memtic qui .baptizati in btamre/ reiunt vaikle bpt/smu.m,. et rec, d. ertte fictions, id eat, abj .ul?ta !stores/, per coaveronem ad veam fidera recqmnt stattm ratJm et virtutm 6pmtt Ferry-/, on/h, art. v, No. t De !kpt., No. 6. 1
 * Dom, Tract de Bapt/e, No. 27, p. 200; also Ferreris in Baptis., art. v, n. 28.

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