| Show OF lady cool girres of the absurdity 0 ot siDd 0 infants questionable doctrines made matters of worship and faith impossible to imagine an P B innocent bata baha a uon ster star of turpitude PART II 11 rationally considered nothing can be more absurd than the baptism of infants infant 8 1 under ind e r any any C circumstances ii no ko statement n m matter b by whom it may be said to have hare ben b en uttered can make that true which is radically false if an in child unconscious unton of good brevil or evil irresponsible to god and in mm tu incapable ine afable of thought or action is not ai already ready in accordance with christian Chi istian theology a member of christ thou th n no vicar vicarious ioui promise or priestly ablution can malke ma aie him one for it if this were so a similar ceremony under devil worship could make him a member of sateen infant baptism is based upon the doe do elrine of the fall butin but infant baptism at a ceremony of much much latr than the first founding ot and sponsors were d iu in the fifth y the ruman human catholic pourch church is per hap the oldest liv log repress representative af christiam tiam I 1 e serva tive farm tha e sion sion of constantine baptized their in rivers ollen often at night for fear feair of cf pert pers in the reign 0 ol 01 that emperor fonts were fet et up in towns villages and by the highway e that the numerous pagans nl might g olit be ba bariti baptized zed but none were erected in churches until the middle of the fifth century sprinkling was nol practiced until vry very many centuries after the candidates having been always dipped or the water poured over them when a child was likely to die during birth partial baptism was made as aa on its finger hand or toot loot should these show any tokens of life and in ill the case of it being stillborn still born this ceremony ceremia r entitled it to be buried in consecrated ground if born alive ho hoi Never baptism rebaptism re took place but a Ill monster onster whose shape does not resemble that of a human creature must only be conditionally baptized by the priest thus if thou art ii a men I 1 baptise thee etc after the preliminaries have been gone through the priest breathes three times limes upon the childs face saying come out of this child thou eil spirit and make loom boom for the holy ghost lie ile then makes tho the sign of the cross on his forehead and breast du during ing which he repeats receive the sign of the cross on thy forehead and in thine heart he then takes a little salt and blesses it if not blessed before puts it into the hild child s mouth and says receive the salt of wisdom lie ile then repeats a a prayer arid and com comiTi ands satan to come out of him next laying 1 the end of his stole upon the tha child and seizing seiling one end of the ahe swaddling addling sn clothes he again commands the devil to depart eit of the child after which he be puts his thumb in his own mouth anil and having bathed it in saliva rubs it over the mouth of the child after this the infant is stripped bare on the upper part of his b ody body while the priest makes ready ane holy oils the abe child is then held over over the font by its god fathers and goden godmothers others with its face towards the east and the priest addressing it by its name demands whether it is willing to renounce the devil and all his works one of the sponsors replying in the affirmative the priest then takes some ot the baptismal water and pours it thrice on the child s head bead in the form of a cross repeating repealing at each time the name of one of the persons in the trinity lie ile next anoints the top of the he child s head bead with the sacred oil as before in the lorm form of a crot cross and then covers it with a piece of white linen to 0 o show that it is cleansed from all impurities A few more prayers complete the the ceremony the church of england has abandoned much of the foregoing formerly it exercised exorcised the evil one before baptism and it still regards the infant as the child of the devil until it has hag been made free by baptism the preamble pream bla of the priest in the modern ceremony is of a highly 0 controversial nature dearly beloved for as much as alt all men are conceived and born in sin etc we ire are en untilled tilled to ask Is procreation then of itself a sin if so EO then marriage is dishonorable and its bed defiled if conception and birth are sinful then the universal instinct which impels us in common with all other living creatures to perpetuate our species and so fro continue the work of creation is contrary to the will of him who originally y forni formed edue us can any sane person believe that an appetite which is ra as natural as hunger or thirst which comes un bidden as the body and mind are developed and to which all organic functions are more or less subordinated dina ted is given only to torture us and to urge us to sin in satisfying it Is ie man alone to be denied the endearments of sexual love the hope of posterity tv the charms and cares of family life with all their elevating influences except by fru frustrating frustration stratin the will of the deity how can call those who profess to believe e in so blasphemous a notion believe also that he commanded mankind to increase and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it besides every every physiologist aist is aware that conception adf and birth are vegetative functions depending solely upon bodily conditions and independent of the will it is true they must be preceded by sexual union and this may be morally ri right ator or morally wrong according to the motives which produce it As ag two persons are al always ways concern ed it may be right in one and wrong in the other as to the conventional ven vent ional ideas prevailing even 1 inlove love and lust ii were ere made by genral agreement the basis of this particular right and wrong it would be extremely difficult to the actors themselves to determine where one commenced and the other ended so complex are human motives and sentiments but no act of nature can ever be sinful in itself and can only become bephine EO 0 o when evilly designed it would seem more useful therefore if instead of the baptismal ceremony with A its superstitious survivals and irrational notions every newborn new born child were brought beffie the congregation that all present might share in the parents thanksgiving then instead of the passage we have quoted the priest might say dearly beloved forasmuch as some same men are conceived and born through the sins of their parents through unlawful desire animal lust and ill adapted union we trust that this child has been worthily begotten and is the offspring of a purs pure connubial love guidd by reverence for humanity and for the progress of our race for it would ill become any to enter into the estate of matrimony or to assume the awful ity of procreation unless they are first well assured that they are it in all respects adapted to this office of healthy blood and pure strain of v wholesome holesome life and purpose and the therefore having before beforehand fiand the promise of happiness and health not only in their children but in their chi childrens Miren s children to many generations wherefore we vie bing being persuaded of the goodwill of our oui heavenly father towards this thia innocent infant as to all offspring ol of kuch euch as keep his desire that on the tablets of this pure and spotless soul hitherto undefiled the records of its good works and words will far outnumber the evil to this end and because also alpo the uncertainty of life may prematurely deprive it of parental guid guidance drice and control wo we ask that those who have agreed to undertake the important duty of its guardianship whenever oever required will present themselves with the parents before this congregation the parents and sponsors might here come coine forward and he be adre sed by the priest as follows A do ye ve severally see rally and jointly join tl promise before god and this con you will exercise due care with this infant in its nurture and upbringing bringing up providing for it such things as are aie bood for it and withholding U from evil things A ve sincerely promise all there thee Q will ye in due season teach it to ree reverence rence its body as the highest handiwork of its maker and to value its mind as the most glorious of all his I 1 gifts and to understand der stand them both so eo far as it maybe may bs able and to preserve them from all pollution as though they were the temple of the living god A we will endeavor so to do the priest you the father of this child are to remember that the power of procreation is given not that you may gratify the wanton lust ef the flesh but that as gods agent in the of creation you may exercise it carefully and reverently so eo that your kofl offspring baring may be perfected in his likeness and image and lie be filled with human virtue will you therefore use all diligence for its present and rz eternal belfa welfare r e according in 6 to the awful respond poni nihility b alit y you have hereby undertaken i in to bringing a living soul into bei being to 0 the father I 1 will the priest you the mother of this child have borne it beneath your heart in pain and weariness of the flesh and nourished it from your bosom until maternal love for it has grown gown stronger than any other ear earthly affection will you in the beaz s to come w watch atch over it with the sleepless love of mary the mother of jesus who followed t her son soni in nhia his youth to the temple and in his manhood to the cross so BO that yours also may be a christ among men its mouth ut uttering terina blessings and its right hand bestowing 0 priceless gifts she I 1 will the priest ye have heard my brethren what these have promised on behalf of this child ye know also algo how bow much its future depends upon its beina instilled with right principles habituated to correct habits and enlightened with sound knowledge may no one here present ever lead lead it into temptation may gols gods benaron ever rest upon it both in this life and in that which is to come let us pray |
