A treatise on baptism : also a treatise on confirmation

Francis Patrick Kenrick

Sujets

• Baptism
• Confirmation

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 10
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

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i^weA TREATISE
BAPTISM:
A TREATISE ON CONFIRMATION.
FRANCIS PATRICK KENRICK,
ARCHBISHOP OF BALTIMORE,
•Let a man so look upon us as the ministers of Girist, and the dispensers
of the mysteries of God."—1 Cor. iv. 1.
SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND CORRECTED.
BALTIMORE:
HEDIAN AND O'BRIEN.
82 BALTIMORE STREET.
1852.Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843,
BY FRANCIS PATRICK KENRICK,
In Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District ofthe
Pennsylvania.PREFACE
wlienMany years ago, I was a missionary in Kentuck}',
where much discussion about baptism took place^ especially
between Baptists and Methodists, I was invited by a Bap-
tist minister uamed Clack, to occupy his pulpit in Bloom-
field, with a view to treat of immersion and infant baptism,
which a Methodist preacher had a short time previously
discussed. I thought proper to decline the offer; but I
took occasion to preach on those subjects, on four succes-
ofsive Sundays in the Cathedral Bardstown, and after-
wards published the substance of those discourses. About
the public treatisenine years ago, I gave to a short on
baptism, formed in a great measure of the same materials,
special inquiry into the ofadding, however, a use water
"as its necessary element, which is denied by the Friends,"
inamongwhom I then resided Philadelphia. The edition
of this work being exhausted, I have revised and corrected
it, making some additions, and omitting some things
which do not come into controversy.
The importance of the subject should engage the serious
attention ofall belivers in revelation. Baptism has always
been regarded as the initiatory rite of Christianity, so thatIV PREFACE.
the name of Christian was denied to all unbaptized per-
sons, whilst it granted to baptized,was those who were
however discordant might be their tenets and great their
^'delinquencies. the Friends," andYet whose number
social position give them weight and influence, altogether
discard it, as an unspiritual rite, inconsistent with the pure
and simple character of the religion of Christ. The Uni-
tarians also very generally neglect it, regarding it as a form
and ceremony of no value, and are said to use great freedom
in the choice of words to accompany the ablution, whenever
they think proper to perform it. The Low-church Episco-
palians, the Presbyterians, and the Methodists pay little at-
tention to the act of ablution, which many perform perfunc-
torily, as if it were of no importance whatever. Manywho
admit the divine institution ofbaptism neglect altogether to
procure it for themselves, or for their children,being unwil-
ling to believe thatthe want of it can be an obstacle to their
happiness hereafter. The instances which furnishedwere a
few years ago in a Puseyite periodical, the British Remem-
brancer, show that there is reason to fear, that thousands
who are supposed to have been baptized, have not received
any sacramental ablution whatever, since in numberless,
cases which were recorded as baptisms in the Church Re-
gisters of England, no water at all used, thewas or slight-
est possible quantity. Thus the high pretension of many
to Apostolic succession and orders is liable to this funda-
mental difficulty concerning the validity of their baptism.
The Church, indeed, holds that baptism is valid, by
whomsoever administered
: but an ablution with water,
with the declaration of the act must be made, accom-
panied with the invocation of the three Divine Per-
sons; and the intention of him who baptizes must be