p. 386 | Roman Catholic Baptism

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 25, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 25.

Roman Catholic Baptism.

THE discussion in the Presbyterian Assembly at Cincinnati on the validity of Roman Catholic baptism was unusually vigorous. Judge Drake, of Philadelphia, introduced a resolution against it.

The Rev. Dr. W. C. Alexander, of the Theological Seminary of San Francisco, said the resolution was useless, inasmuch as, if it were passed, it would be the mere expression of opinion of those who voted for it. "It is mischievous. If we pass this resolution, we make ourselves the laughing stock of the world. By a single stroke of the pen we propose to cut off from the privileges of Christ's kingdom two hundred millions of people. It is more papal than all the popes combined. It denies the validity of the baptism administered to millions of persons who have come into the Protestant church from the Roman Catholic Church and never received any other baptism."

The Rev. Dr. Schaff offered an amendment which reads: "Resolved, That it is the deliberate and decided judgment of this assembly, in full accord with the Reformed Confessions, and the theory and practice of all the Reformers and Westminster divines, that the Roman Catholic Church, though corrupt and teaching many unscriptural errors, yet retaining the Holy Scriptures and ancient creeds with all the fundamental truths of Christianity, is still a branch of the visible church of Christ, and therefore, that the sacrament of baptism administered by her, in the name of the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and with the intention to baptize, is true and valid Christian baptism, which cannot and ought not to be repeated."

In the support of this amendment Dr. Schaff said: "Baptism is a sacred rite of initiation into the privileges and duties of church membership, requiring three conditions absolutely necessary for its validity, namely; baptizing in the name of the Trinity; with the intention to baptize, and by the application of water. The Roman Catholic Church comes up to every one of these conditions. It cannot be repeated any more than the new birth can be repeated. The Roman Catholic Church forbids rebaptism."

A later dispatch from Cincinnati dated May 26, says:—

No more exciting scene at a session of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church has been witnessed since the reunion of the Old and New School Churches at Pittsburg in 1870, than that of this afternoon during the discussion of the resolution of Judge Drake against the validity of Roman Catholic baptism. The Rev. Dr. G. P. Hays held the floor from yesterday, and spoke to the original resolution, and against the amendment of the Rev. Dr. Schaff.

"The plea is made," he said, "that a minimum of truth being retained in the Roman Catholic Church, the corruptions which overlie it do not invalidate that minimum. The church may teach this, but her action in sending missionaries to labor among Catholics disproves the theory. The same argument used by Dr. Schaff in favor of Roman Catholic baptism, would apply equally well to that of the Mormon Church."

Against the proposition that the Roman Catholic Church does not rebaptize, the testimony of a missionary from New Mexico was cited, to the effect that every one of the proselytes to Catholicism in that country is rebaptized. The speaker went on to say that this church had thoroughly apostatized, urging in support of this statement its practice in image and saint worship.

The Rev. C. T. Burnley, of Sennett, N. Y., urged the inexpediency of passing the original resolution. Dr. Alfred Yeomans, of Orange, N. J., offered an amendment as follows:—

Resolved, That it is the decision of the General Assembly that its last deliverances on the subject of Roman baptism, leaving the question of rebaptism to the discretion of the session in which the question may arise, does recognize the validity of such baptism; and while it does not enjoin upon the session the admission of Roman Catholics into their communion with rebaptizing, this assembly reaffirms the decision of 1875 as its deliverance at this time.

The action of 1875 was then read. It is, that the decision of this, the question, be left to the judgment of the church session, guided by the principles governing the rules concerning baptism as laid down in the standards of our church."

The Rev. Dr. J. M. Worrall, pastor of the Thirteenth Street Church, of New York, protested against the intimation that the literati only were competent to judge of this matter. The pastor, who has practically to deal with this subject, is equally entitled to an opinion. But he would not admit that all the learned men were on the opposite side. The names of recognized men of ability were cited. Among them that of the Rev. Dr. J. H. Thornley, of South Carolina, the author of the deliverance in 1845, to which the Rev. Dr. Schaff had referred, and of whose paper at that time the Rev. Dr. Breckenridge had said it was "the most crushing argument" he had ever heard. The Reformers themselves held that the Roman Catholic Church was not a church, but as Luther said, on his return from Rome, "She is hopelessly apostate." The Rev. Dr. C. A. Dickey, of Philadelphia, did not like Dr. Yeoman's amendment because it declared that the church recognized the validity of Romish baptism and took the ground that the deliverance of the General Assembly on the subject, as well as the unanimous decision of this assembly, which has sustained a church session in its right to decide on the validity of Romish baptism in a particular case, left the matter with the session, and that suggests the best guide for action at the present time. The impression made by this speech was so strong that the Rev. Dr. J. I. R. Brownson, of Washington, Penn., moved to lay the whole matter on the table, which was unanimously carried amid the greatest excitement. Applause was three times renewed, notwithstanding the continual efforts of the Moderator to repress it. The applause having ceased, the confusion was so great that for several moments it was impossible for a member to be heard in his efforts to get the floor.

From the catechism ordered by the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, we give the following as the doctrine of the church of Rome on baptism:—

Q. What is baptism? A. Baptism is a sacrament which cleanses us from original sin, makes us Christians, children of God, and heirs of Heaven. Q. Are actual sins ever remitted by baptism? A. Actual sins and all the punishment due to them are remitted by baptism, if the person baptized be guilty of any. Q. Is baptism necessary to salvation? A. Baptism is necessary to salvation, because without it we cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Q. Who can administer baptism? A. The priest is the ordinary minister of baptism; but in case of necessity any one who has the use of reason may baptize. Q. How is baptism given? A. Whoever baptizes should pour water on the head of the person to be baptized, and say, while pouring the water: I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Q. What do we promise in baptism? A. In baptism we promise to renounce the devil with all his works and pomps. Q. Why is the name of a saint given in baptism? A. The name of a saint is given in baptism in order that the person baptized may imitate his virtues and have him for a protector. Q. Why are godfathers and godmothers given in baptism? A. That they may promise, in the name of the child, what the child itself would promise if it had the use of reason. Q. What is the obligation of a godfather and a godmother? A. To instruct the child in its religious duties, if the parents neglect to do so or die.—The Converted Catholic.