Two letters to the Lord Bishop of Ontario on the question is lay baptism valid?.

To the Ri'jht Reverend the Lord Bishop of Ontario : Mi Loud.-Often as the season for confirmation comes round, serious doubts arise as to the baptismal qualification of certain candidates for that solemn rite.Persons present themselves of whom, as touching their baptism, it is impossible y that "all has been well clone and according to due order," inasmuch as the agency, by which it was alleged to be administered, was not a "lawful" one; and no inherent or derived rigid existed in the agent, to u sign and sealfor Christ."With some, if such there be, who regard Baptism as little more than a cere- mony, as simply a passport to external Church fellowship, these doubts may not be oppressive ; but to those who regard it purely as & Sacrament-a deeply solemn covenant act, involving spiritual issues, and obligations binding on both contracting parties, -the burden of doubt is very grievous indeed.Both reason and conscience forbid the belief, on their part, that indtfiniteness as to the truth involved, or absolute license as to the means of realizing that truth, can possibly characterize the economy of Christ.On the contrary, they firmly hold that the dispensation of " the manifold wisdom of God,"-and surely the sacraments find place here !-has been given to " the Church" (Eph.ii. 9, 10) and that, apart from this divinely instituted organization and ministry, they have no warrant for assuming that God will co-operate with man in rendering available the wonders of His grace.The question then arises, has the " Church " in her full corporate, capacity ever given authority for the practice ot lay-baptism ?Can any General Council of the Church, i.e., which is properly received as such, be quoted as justifying it ?-or any Ecclesiastical action, prior to that taken, on a wrong basis, by the Church of Borne, be pleaded in vindication of the theory, "all men, aye, or women, may baptize?"If not, on what grounds are such unauthorized acts recognized ?In how far can we honestly be parties to the supposition, that grace -as yet unreceived in the divinely appointed way-can be recognized and strengthened in the subsequent ordinance of confirmation.Men usually confirm thick exists, not that, the existence of which they doubt.Tli? rebaptiza'ion of heretics in early days, and, in one instance, the occur- r li'.o of a lay-baptism, (A.D. 303), have served, with many, to encourage a laxity of thought as to this subject.It will be the purpose of these letters fairly to discuss the merits of these exceptional cases, and-so far as may be -to set forth the present position of the Church of England on this important matter.I begin with the exceptional cases -(r/) The case <>f heretical Baptism,The right to minister in Divine tilings was, by the early Church, (vide Igna- tius 1 Epistles, passim), held to consist not in personal, but in authoritative qualifi- cation fur the ministerial office.It was based exclusively on the Apostolical Commission.It was considered that faith and piety, although required "fall who would obtain, through Christ, grace and blessing from Clod, did not of themselves ensure Ministerial authority : else v\rry Christian man would, by his very Christianity, he also (as to all official acts) a Priest of the Church ; but that his commission, duly derived from those qualified to impart it, did convey a right of office, and qualify the recipient for the discharge of every duty, which properly fell within the compass of that office.Now, the heretics, above referred to, were not Laymen, but bishops, priests and deacons, men who had indeed lapsed into various degrees of error, and had, in some instances, seriously corrupted "the faith," but who, nevertheless, could claim and prove their right, through Episcopal consecration or ordination, to a part in the Apostolic Ministry.I mention this, because passages are often quoted from the controversies of that early day, which forbid rc-baptization ; but which, in fact, have nothing to do with the question of Lay-baptism.This may be made clear by the following syllogistic argument of S. Basil :-" 1 .Those whom a Laic baptizeth are to be re-baptized : 2 .But, those whom a Heretick baptizeth, a Laic baptizeth :3. Therefore, such also are to be re-baptized."This Syllogism was met by denying the minor proposition : e.g.-Baptism hy Hereticks is not Lay-baptism, inasmuch as there exists in them the qualification of orders : -therefore Baptism by Hereticks, thus qualified, is not to be iterated.(Hieron.Dial, adver.Lucif.)(b) The next exceptional case is that which involves Baptism as adminis- tered by Laics, in communion with the Church, and acting (in cases of necessity) under warrant or sanction of their bishops.How far bishops, who-under Christ-are the source of all legitimate autho- rity and action to the Church, in Divine things, can act vicariously, is a question perhaps not easy to determine.Nor is it necessary to our argument that it should be here discussed.It is enough if we prove that in the solitary instance (so far as we can find) in which Lay -baptism is formally recognized in primitive days, its efficacy is made dependent-not on the good will, faith or any other inherent quality in the baptizer, but-on the sanction and authority of the Bishops.By that special sanction the Bishops assumed that it became their act.It was, in intent, an extension, under peculiar circumstances and to a specific end, of their official powers.And, by consequence, cannot be pleaded in justification of acts which are performed not only without Episcopal license, but in open defiance of it.The instance to which we refer is that afforded by the Council of Eliberis, Spain, A. D. 305.In its 38th Canon, it says, " A Christian who is not under penance, nor a bigamist, may baptize, in case of necessity, those who are on a journey, being at a great distance from a church, upon condition that he present him to the Bishop, if he survive, to ha perfected, by imposition of hands."'J As though converts that suffer martyrdom before baptism did thereby forfeit f fheir right to the crown of eternal glory in the kingdom of heaven.If the >: blood of martyrs in that case, be their baptism, surely his religious ftessre of " baptism standeth him in the same stead.[Lib.v. cap.60].

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