BAPTISM IN THE GREEK CHURCH.
By Editor
IN meeting the claims of trine immersion in our work on Baptism, we made two statements to which we now call attention. 1. That the Greek Church is not reliable as a guide in the action of baptism; and, 2. That sprinkling, when first introduced into the church, was not practiced as a substitute for baptism, or immersion, but as an addition to it. We have before us a communication to the N. Y. Independent from Athens, by "Rev. M. D. Kalopothakes, Missionary in Greece," which gives information bearing on these points in regard to the present practice of the Greek Church, Mr. K. is also editor of a paper, The Star of the East. His remarks are in reference to some statements by Dean Stanley concerning the standing and practice of that church. We extract as follows:— "The general practice, so far as my observation extends, is a combination of pouring and immersion, as mentioned by your correspondent, the child being plunged in three times and the priest lifting water with his hand and pouring it over the head. Whether this shall be done or the child plunged completely under the water seems to depend upon the choice of the officiating priest and the size of the font. "Baptism by water being regarded as equal to regeneration, it is usually administered in early infancy, though in this respect the practice is not nearly so strict as in the Roman Church. If, for any reason, baptism is delayed (the most frequent reason being to secure the service of the most desirable person as sponsor), fonts of the usual size would not admit of entire immersion. Through the rural districts the rite is usually administered in the church, though occasionally in the house of the parents, as is the nearly general custom in the city, the font or vessel used in baptism being easily carried. "My friend must have misunderstood my English when he got the idea that I said the common people prefer to have their infants baptized in the nearest river, as I have never known this to be done in the case of infants. When adults are baptized, it of course, becomes a necessity either to do it in the sea or in a large cask, as in the case of a Scotch lady who united with the Greek Church some years ago." In their present practice, pouring water with the hand is substituted for sprinkling, which was the earlier practice. But this pouring does not displace immersion; they are practiced together, as sprinkling was united with immersion when it was first introduced into the church. In regard to the standing of the Greek Church Mr. K. testifies as follows:— "I regret to say that Dean Stanley has, according to my judgment, fallen into far more serious errors than this in his 'History of the Eastern Church,' failing to get at its present corrupt condition, and thus leading Christians in other lands to feel, by his unwarrantably favorable representations, that there is less need of radical reform than exists in the case of the Roman Church." We should be very sorry to accept the Greek Church as our example in Christian practice.