Now let us turn to what the Ritualist says about not being baptised, and whether under his régime we do not likewise merit damnation. "Therefore, of course, as many as have not been baptised, have not put on Christ, and are none of His. All baptised persons are Christians, though they are not all good Christians. But no unbaptised persons are Christians, though they may be trying to do what is good. All baptised persons are children of God, though they are not all obedient children. But no unbaptised persons are children of God, though they may do some things that God's children do."Plain Guide, p. 21. "Common sense as well as religion tells us, that only children that have had Christian baptism can have Christian burial. Those only who were given to God in His appointed way when they were alive, can be committed to His care when they are dead."— Ibid., p. 24. Mothers! Will you not rise in indignation at such teaching, despotism doubly distilled, and cry aloud to the priest and his Church to read their Bible, and see if the thief on the cross was baptised? if when our Saviour spoke of going out into the highways* those who were to be brought in were baptised? Demand of them where Christ thus damns our dear little mites, and whether it is not more consistent with His teaching, "Suffer them to come unto Me and FORBID THEM NOT,"† to believe they rest for ever, safe in a loving Father's arms. By their death they go, precious little ones! to their Father, and the priest, monster of despotism, dogmatism, and cruelty, steps in and says "No, because your infant has not undergone this baptismal ceremony, or, more reasonably, had its brow wet with water and the sign of the Cross, it cannot have the prayers of the Church." Perhaps he and St. Matt. xix. 14. *St. Matt. xxii. 9. 66 Almighty Church" would tell us why, when they exact such submissive and servile obedience from us laity, they do not obey their Lord and His teaching themselves, and deprive themselves from taking scrip, bread, or money in their purses,* and preach and teach by example the Lord of Purity and Meekness. If the clergy were holy and immaculate, then might we listen to them, but as it is, Fathers and Mothers, are you still willing to bend to priestcraft and perverted teaching, while your heart aches and yearns for the consolation of a few prayers over the grave of your dear little one? What is to prevent you holding there your own service, saying your own prayers, as if you were Salvationist or Theist, save the fear of an angered man whose Church dogmatism and prerogative are thus encroached on? Be men, be women, let us recognise our Father, and commend our little innocent babes to His loving care. All through it is belief, not baptism that Christ requires, and no one ever got belief from an infant a month old. There is however a farcical side to the question. Suppose a babe to be unbaptised and to grow to man's estate, marry, and at length die; does any one inquire if this man had been baptised? No, it is all taken for granted, and a pompous and ornate funeral service is read over him. Yet he is unbaptised! So, O Mother Church, thou art so punctilious over the little innocent babe of, say, a twelvemonth old if it should happen to have dispensed with thy terrible dippings or cold sprinklings, but for the unbaptised man with a life's burden of sin, and, it may be, mild crimes, thou grantest thy burial service, thy prayers and thine incense and hymns, and thou dost thereby practically curse and damn those of whom thy Supreme Head said: "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, and Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the sea!” and that was said in answer to the question: "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven ?" ‡ *St. Mark vi. 8. † St. Mark xvi. 16. Read St. Matt. xviii. 1-6, and St. Luke x. 21. HOLY COMMUNION. "You see, then, the great necessity there is frequently and worthily to receive Holy Communion. It is as necessary for your soul as meat and drink are for your body. If you were to go without enough food and drink, you would soon grow weak and pale; you would fall a victim to the first disease that came near you, and DIE. So it is with those (alas! so many) who turn their backs upon this holy Feast, either NEVER receiving It, or else very seldom, or receiving It unworthily. They grow weak and sickly instead of advancing in holiness; they fall into sin, whenever temptation comes near them, and are left at the mercy of Satan, their great enemy; and if they do not repent, will certainly-(oh! horrible thought)--be lost FOR EVER in the fires and torments of Hell."-Prayer Book for the Young, p. 325. Again, Mother Church, thou differest from thy Lord as to what is absolutely necessary to "inherit eternal life,”* and again, "every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life." Then the priest replies with "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life." True, this is but a fulfilment of "This do in remembrance of Me."§ But St. Peter says, Acts xv. 11: "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved," and St. Paul to the keeper of his prison says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." But all this consignment to hell fire is so contrary to the last and new commandment of Christ, "That ye love one another," and "By this shall all men know ye are my disciples, if ye * St. Luke x. 25-28. † St. John vi. 40. 66 have love one to another,"* that we can only consider the priests are not Christ's disciples, inasmuch as under their system what a fate is in store for those who wander houseless and homeless, who have barely rags to cover themselves, let alone for them to come to church; for the little London Arab; for "unfortunates," many of whom are mistresses of those who go to Holy Communion, and are devout Christians! And for our poor fishermen who dare the raging storm to provide us with the various poisson of our menus, whose answer to the writer when asked if they had been baptised, was, "Well, I was vaccinated!" and Good Friday conveyed no further teaching than that it was "Bank holiday ;" and all this under the shadow of St. Paul's Ritualistic Church, Brighton, one of whose clergy (who claim, remember, a direct succession from men of like trade) said, in answer to the writer (who was deploring their ignorance of the Bible and of Christ, and telling how teachable they were, great, simple-hearted, generous fellows) that it was impossible to do anything for them their language was so foul and they were so lowlived. Had the writer been older at the time, she might have replied that she thought Christ's command was to seek the lost,† and that before one presumed to teach the blackies," it was better to begin at home. Yet, though so much maligned, these ignorant men, be they as bad as they may, as ribald and coarse in their language as it is possible it is their custom (so do they recognise God's almighty power on the deep water) to stop their laughter and oaths, and with hat raised, utter a form of prayer before casting their nets. It may be superstition or anything. 66 One doggerel rhyme used is as follows : Watch, barrel, watch, Like blossom on a tree. God send us thousands by one, two and three, God grant a fair wind never fail, Some by their noses and some by their fins; God send a half last and a fair wind in. else landsmen may like to sneer at, but the fact remains, that they recognise a Supreme and Fatherly hand over them, and there is not a doubt that were the said clergyman in danger of drowning, hardly one of those men but would risk his life to save his calumniator. It is thought Christ's teaching is to give one's life for a friend, and to be merciful; but whether the poor, noble-hearted, simple fisherman, or the self-satisfied "Stand off, I am holier than thou" priest, best fulfils it, it is for the reader to judge. CONFIRMATION. Q. 58. Is Confirmation a Sacrament? A. It is properly and truly, and whosoever holds otherwise is accursed.-Ibid. "Confirmation is one of the lesser Sacraments. " Prayer Book for the Young, p. 303. "You are to be careful that you be free from mortal sin,* and therefore, you should prepare yourself by a good Confession. The Holy Ghost will not come into a soul in which Satan reigns by sin. In the preparation for this Confirmation, and, indeed, in all your preparation for Confirmation you should be MOST CAREFUL, because if you should be so unhappy as to come to it unworthily, this grace is lost to you for ever. There is no second Confirmation for you."-Ibid., p. 304. What is to hinder a person, another diocese and there O how wise thou art, priest! so disposed, from journeying into being confirmed a second time? Q. 59. What is the matter of the Sacrament of Confirmation? A. The matter is Chrism, which is an ointment compounded of oil, olive, and balsam, and consecrated by the Bishop upon Maunday Thursday. CONSECRATION OR BLESSING OF "That this oil, sanctified and renewed by thee, may by the mixture of fragrant balsam, be * On page 55 of this work is a note drawing a distinction between mortal and venial sins, and it appears as above and for confession, only mortal sins need be confessed. They are: pride, covetousness, luxury, envy, gluttony, anger, sloth. Perhaps Holy Mother Church would point out where Jesus thus enumerates these mortal sins. |