partialities, or even of warmer feel-servations. If he thinks that my last ings arrayed against him. He must letter was written either to trifle or to expect to meet a resistance propor- teaze, he totally mistakes charac my tioned to the supposed importance of ter and spirit. I am not one that opinion. He must be prepared to "Who, for the poor renown of being smart, find his every movement watched with "Would fix a sting within a brother's heart." suspicion, his arguments weighed with Whatever in my last letter may have logical precision, his deficiencies ex- appeared either harsh or intemperate, posed, his objections evaded, encoun-I absolutely disclaim. And I do as tered, retorted; and if any seem to have been pointed with more than usual keenness, he must expect to find them returned with full as little civility as they were sent. If his matter be blameless, his manner may be liable to censure, or if both be unexceptionable, his motives may be finally arraigned. Yet, with all these possible contingences floating in my mind, I was not prepared to expect the charge of asperity which your correspondent N. G. has preferred against my last letter. Not that I mean to question the justice of such a charge. There are delicacies of feeling, I know, in individuals which may be sensibly though unintentionally pained. I wish only to disclaim on my own account any the slightest predisposition to offend. I might have written in cautiously; I did not write maliciously if any error, it was an error of the judgment, but not of the heart. It is difficult indeed uniformly to be upon our guard in discussions of this nature. So indistinct are the boundaries of controversial propriety, and so undefined the laws of legitimate warfare; so unlikely are the combatants to agree either upon the mode of attack, or the weapons to be employed, and so many are the causes operating In the assailed to give an accidental edge or impetus to the stroke of the assailant, that much must be left on these occasions to the temper and indulgence of the parties engaged, who should be willing to attribute a hard blow or a random thrust rather to the casualty of an honest opposition, than to the design of malevolent hostility. "Hanc veniam petimusque damusque vicissim." I shall be glad if Mr. N. G. will find my apology in these ob sure Mr. N. G. that I should ever re- though as to throw be men, women, children, or infants?* Might not the words, without any unnatural violence to the language, be tor, that my arguments are capable of being placed in a stronger point of view, but the advanced state of the month prevents me from reply-confined to those who were placed in ing, as my inclinations would sug- the same general circumstances as the gest, to the multifarious matter con- person for whose information and in tained in Mr. N. G.'s rejoinder. I reply to whose question the declarashall content myself therefore with tion was made? Might not the prerestating the question, aud condensing cept of receiving the body and blood into a point my arguments on the sub- of Christ (John 6, 54,) have been ject. The question then is not pre- worded in the same manner as the cisely, whether this abstract proposi- precept for Baptism, and still have retion be true or false,-Infant Baptism tained its present limited acceptation? is taught in scripture; - but, whether it Why, since the precept, Except you can be clearly shewn for any practical eat, &c. cannot be confined to those WE purpose that Infant Baptism is taught in only who were present, but must nescripture. That is, whether the ar- cessarily be extended to more, why guments on which it is built are so should it not extend to all who are caSt conclusive as to admit of no reason- pable of eating and drinking? And inable objection?-To form an impartial if it be answered that the expression to judgment on this question, it is neces- in this latter case does not absolutely sary that the individual should unca-imply universally, why may not the tholicize himself, divest himself for a moment of every lurking prepossession in favour of a particular meaning, and in this state of party abstraction coolly examine and compare the passages alledged. Let him take for instance the disputed passage from St. John, chap. iii. He finds that a ruler of the Jews comes to our blessed Saviour to enquire of him the way to eternal life. Jesus replies: " Unless 4 man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." I wave on this Occasion all objection as to the general reference of the passage to Baptism by water, both because it does therefore cannot serve the intended purpose. 58 not very materially affect the present I will take this opportunity also of disclaime question, and because I have reasoning the ridiculous interpretation of Gal. iv. 9, which Mr. N. G. has so archly deduced from to apprehend a danger of giving ofNo, I would not my former translation. fence to weak minds who are not suf translate Araber in that passage from above, ficiently capable of distinguishing beneither would he, I suspect, translate it again, tween sentiments really entertained, and sentiments taken up for the sake of argument. With this passage he will naturally ask himself the following questions. Do these words, Unless a person (nisi guis; av μns) imply an absolute unequivocal condition incapable of qualification, and necessarily exfending to all mankind whether they same answer be given in the former one? Is not this argument rendered more probable by the fact that we have no instance in Scripture of Infants being baptized? That whenever the practice of baptism is spoken of, it is always spoken of as preceded by dispositions. Is not this a good negative proof that children are incapable of baptism, because incapable of those dispositions? If the inquirer * I say nothing of your correspondent's in genious mode of deciding the question by at tempting to affix the condition to all those who are born of the flesh. That passage, as I shewed in my last letter, is very fairly sus ceptible of a different interpretation, and But though I would not translate it by those identical words, I should still preserve the sense. A signifies from above, from top to bottom, totally, completely; and thus would I construe the passage, dis wa day dudeusiy bars," to which you desire to You cannot he again completely enslaved." give the word the force of again without supposing a redundancy: Пa expresses the This with repetition, avobey the totality. submission, should resolve all these queries in the to ten may have led some of your readnegative, he must still allow possibi-ers to suspect. I cannot, however, lity at least to the affirmative; and take my leave of the subject without therefore his conclusion would be, and begging Mr. N. G.'s pardon for ha it is the only conclusion which, after ving first mistaken, and then mistated, all his ingenious and even masterly ar his argument from the Council of guments, Mr. N. G. himself can draw, Trent; but, such is my dullness, that that from an impartial examination of I am not, I confess, in the smallest all the circumstances, it appears pro- degree, enlightened by all the eluci bable that Christ intended Baptism dation which he has subsequently gi should extend to Infants, But such ven. I cannot, for my life, underprobability, though it may satisfy an stand how a passage of Scripture can individual, cannot form sufficient be clear, and yet stand in need of auground on which to rest the faith of a thority to fix its meaning; or how it church, nor such evidence as to ensure can be absolutely determinable but to to that church the belief of its mem- one sense, whilst the very act of fixing bers. And is not this, Mr. Editor, a it supposes it determinable to more.-satisfactory cause of the " melancholy If by the aid of a cramp fixed in a wall but incontrovertible fact mentioned by I am enabled to raise a pillar upon a your correspondent, that the belief of pedestal, which of itself would be too the necessity of Baptism for Infants is narrow to support it, it does not fol rapidly declining among Protestants?" low that I could raise a similar pillar I regret the fact as much as your cor- on a similar base with such accidental respondent, but I beg leave to remind aid. Analogically, therefore, I conhim, that my opinion of the ques- tend, that although it may be true to fion does not prevent me from call- say that the Council, having previousing in the aid of Scripture to op- ly by the aid of authority fixed the pose these dangerous errors, nor from sense of Scripture, did subsequently endeavouring" to invest the only ar- ground the doctrine of Infant Baptism gument which is suited to their capa-on Scripture thus prepared, it does not city and taste, with all the force and follow that a church or an individual, efficacy of which it is susceptible."who disclaims this previous process, I might employ the very identical arguments of your correspondent, and those too with the same honest sincerity as he could detail them; because, though from Scripture I only think them probable, from tradition I believe them certain ; and probable arguments with the generality of mankind are satisfactory when urged by one who is convinced of their certainty. But they who have nothing but probability to alledge will be in danger of being pressed, and will be ultimately defeated. For though a General may gain a battle with one third of his ordinary complement, he cannot keep the field without a force in reserve sufficient to ensure one. These Mr. Editor, are my views of the subject; and they may serve to show that Mr. N. G. and myself do not differ so widely in opinion as seventeen columns can ground the same doctrine upon the same foundation; and therefore I repeat, what was the original subject of dispute between us, that though the Catholic Church can clear up the dif ficulty, the Protestant Church cannot satisfy her children that Infant Bap tism is taught in Scripture. Having made such an explanation, Mr. Editor, I have no wish to prolong the discussion. Perhaps your readers may be of opinion, that more than sufficient has already been said upon the subject: they are now in possession of the arguments on both sides of the question, and from them they will form their own opinion. If they de cide for me, I shall gain, if against me, I shall not lose. I have no indi nation to become the professed advo cate of the Dissenters. If it be not an invidious, it is at least a difficult task. It is difficult to combat as false | struction and devotion, at the lowest possible price, to those who can afford to purchase, and gratis to those who on one ground what you believe to be Añlws yág géneror' igidæorquer, ide u uños cannot. Thirdly, That the following books be printed as soon as a sufficient fund is established, viz. The First Catechism ; the Garden of the Soul, with Bishop Milner's Prayers before and after Mass; the Think Well On't; and the Grounds of the Old Religion. Fourthly, That the Pastor of each and every congregation in the Midland District be requested to give his support to this Society, and that every Pastor who subscribes to the Society make, every half-year, (at Michaelmas and Lady-day,) a subscription among his flock for the purposes of the Society, and transmit the amount thereof to the Treasurer. Fifthly, That a certain number of books, to be chosen by each pastor when he sends his half-yearly subscription, shall be sent half-yearly by the Treasurer to each Pastor, proportioned to the amount of his subscription, and that the money arising from the sale of such books at reduced prices, be returned by each Pastor to the Treasurer with the next half-yearly subscription. To diffuse more widely a knowledge of the real tenets of the Catholic Church, to render those who are already initiated in its doctrines more fully sensible of the blessing which they enjoy, and to cultivate and bring to maturity the seeds of virtue which the labours of the Pastor have sown in the breasts of his flock, are objects of the highest importance, with which the eternal welfare of thousands is intimately connected. With a view to promote these truly desirable and important objects, a respectable portion of the Catholic Clergy of the Midland District have, with the approbation of their Bishop, resolved to establish a Tract Society on the following plan, and invite their brethren to unite their zealous exertions in the same cause. Resolved,ist. That it is expedient that a Society be formed, to be called The Catholic Tract Society, under the patronage of the Vicar Aposto-society, lie of the Midland District, who has condescended to accept the office of President of the said society, and by whom a Treasurer of the society shall be annually appointed. Secondly, That the object of this Society is to publish and distribute among the more indigent Catholics the most approved and most useful works of Catholic writers, both of in Sixthly, That any Clergyman not in this district, and any Lay-person either in this or any other district, may become a subscriber, and, on transmitting his subscription halfyearly, or a donation to the Treasurer, shall receive from him a proportionate amount of books, to be distributed as such subscriber may think proper. Seventhly, That for the better procuring the books wanting by the an agent in the printing business be appointed with the approbation of the Bishop. Eighthly, That an annual meeting of subscribers be held at Birmingham, on the Wednesday in the first week after Easter, of which due notice will be given by the Treasurer. Ninthly, That at the annual meeting, the accounts of the Treasurer be laid before the President and the sub scribers present, and a Treasurer ap- | ant seldom goes beyond the bounds of pointed by the President for the ensuing year. Tenthly,-That all letters addressed to the Treasurer on the business of the Society be post-paid. President of the Society, REV. FRANCIS MARTYN. For the Orthodox Journal. The above institution, Mr. Editor, speaks for itself. It has for its object one of the greatest and most meritorious acts of charity; viz. to diffuse Christian knowledge, and to impart to our fellow-creatures a portion of those invaluable blessings, which the divine bounty has in the spiritual way bestowed upon ourselves. The Catholic, who feels in his breast a glow of gratitude for the inestimable favours which Divine Providence has conferred upon him by a virtuous education in the bosom of the true Church, must rejoice at the opportunity now afforded him, of contributing to spread the same blessings around him. I am far from thinking that the generality of uneducated Catholics are ignorant of the essential principles of religion. It may serve the purpose of the adversaries of the Truth to talk of the ignorance of Catholics. But, compared with their neighbours, who despise them for their supposed ignorance, the poor and uneducated members of our Church, are, upon matters of religion, learned indeed. Seldom have I met with one, who when questioned or attacked upon the subject of religion, knew not how to answer, or was incapable of defending himself. Hence it rarely happens that a Protestant ventures upon a calm and dispassionate argument on religious topics with a Catholic, however inferior in point of education to himself; but, sensible of his own weakness, and knowing how more quick and powerful are the effects of ridicule than the impressions of real sound argument, the Protest boasting his own refined system, and asserting the hackneyed and almost worn out calumnies against Catholics, that he has received as an heir-loom from his prejudiced fathers. These If, however, the generality of Ca tholics are not ignorant of the essential principles of religion, why, it may be asked, should we form a society for the distribution of tracts and reli. gious books among them? For the same reason, Mr. Editor, for which we water our plants after we have placed them in their respective situations; that they may take firm root, may increase, and fructify. Most of our fellow-creatures at an early period of life enter upon some one or other of the bustling scenes of the world, where every object tends to weaken the early impressions of religion, and the more immediately pressing con. cerns of the moment almost supersede the important business of eternity.The public instructions of the Pastor on a Sunday tend in a certain degree to check the growing evil. alone however will effect but little, unless followed up by pious reading and reflection at home in the course of the week. From this excellent means of advancing in the knowledge and practice of virtue, many Catho lics are debarred by their narrow cir cumstances, which do not permit them to furnish themselves with the proper books of piety and instruction. It is humbly hoped, therefore, that the Ca tholic Tract Society, the principal ob ject of which is to remedy the above serious evil, will meet with approba tion and support from the Catholic Public. Though begun and first es tablished in the Midland District, its exertions are designed for the general good of English Catholics, and the Treasurer will be happy to correspond upon the subject with any of his bre thren, who may wish to establish auxiliary branches in any of the other districts, or to contribute to the ins crease and support of this yet infant Institution. |