Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/230

 :2 B&PTISM.. [Boox II. given Io the apostles, so the precept of receiving baptism is given m thers; hence the necessity of the precept arises spontaneously from the necessity of the medium: and in like manner from the necessity of the baptismal character, as a man is thereby incorporated into the church, and becomes capable of receiving the other sacraments." "Whom doe tA/n'ecept concern ? Anver. Adult persons capable of observing the precept, as well themselves as others, for whom, either from justice or charity, they are bound to procure baptism, as parents, pastors, &c." The reader wi_11 perceive that Dens here refers to the practice of' involuntary baptism, and the subjection of all the baptized to the laws and authority of the Church of Rome.' Multitudes of quotations to the same import could be given from their divines, were it necessary, or had we enough of space to contain them. 2. From the foregoing it will be seen that young children, unless baptized, are shut out of heaven, or are lost. Some sternly urge their baptism, whether by Jew or Christian, Roman Catholic or heretic, from the consideration that they are liable to perdition without it. Others, however, are in great doubt as to this matter. Listen to the following from Bishop Hays: "What becomes of your children who die without baptism ? As for what becomes of such baptized children, divines are divided in their opinions about it; some say one thing, some another; but as God Almighty has not been pleased to reveal it to his church, we know nothing for certain about it.' But, with the good prelate's leave, the Scripture does expressly say, respecting children, that of such/ tAe/dugdom of heaven; and many texts of Scripture, as well as Scripture arguments, could be adduced to show that all children are saved through our Lord Jesus Christ, by the egeneration and sanctiti- cation of God's Holy Spirit. Besides, whether God tuzs revd to tAe Church of Rome, which the bishop calls God's ckur, any thing on this topic or not, it is certain that she teaches plainly the damnation of unbaptized children as an infallible doctrine. For she teaches by the Council of Trent, that baptism in the case of children is absolutely necessary to salvation. In her Catechi.'sm, an infallible standard too, she teaches that without b&ptism CHILDREN ARE BORN TO ETI.]RNAL MI8ERY AND EVERL&STINO ESTRUCTXON: that baptism alone can impart to ttn tt justice and thoe .gra ,icA , gie ttn a title to reign in e life: that in ants, unle# ba tized, cannot enter Aeaven Who can doubt what the  . � urch of Rome teaches on this point, if her infallib. le decrees, e. sp cially tho of Trent, and her authoritative Catechism, mean any thing ? 3. Adult persons must receive baptism, either in fact or in dez/re, in order to obtain justification. The Council of Trent says, "Without the laver of regeneration, or its desire, no justification can be obtained.'* They teach, however, that there are two ways in which a man may be justified and saved without actually/receiving the sacrament of baptism.  d Bat., Zq'O. 18, vol. v, p. 187. � See Dmu de/,gg/buf, No. 17, vol. ii, p. 52. $ 8 Ohzi,tian, vol. i, p. 409. _�ine lsvuro mg en. tionls, ant eju. voto tlei, non pot#t ',lO."-.-Cg Tr/g.., #. i, �. 4.
 * ,' Pnenotandum, .liquid dupliciter dici necosmtrium ad .lutem, .cilicet," &c.--

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