' PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
 'a. 
 
 Presented by Mr. S::muel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Agnczv Coll. on Baptism, No. 
 
 
SERIES OF TRACTS. 
 
NEED OF FURTHER REFORMATION 
 IN THE CHURCH: 
 
 MANIFESTED IN 
 
 A SERIES OF TEACTS 
 
 ON 
 
 THE IMPORTANT SUBJECTS OF 
 
 CONFIRMATION, 
 
 BAPTISMAL- REGENERATION 
 
 SESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THE ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS 
 OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
 
 THE REV. OCTAVIUS ^PIERS, 
 
 VICAR OF PRESTON, DORSET. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 NISBET AND CO., BERNER'S STREET; 
 
 BENSON AND BARLING, WEYMOUTH, 
 1845. 
 
r 
 
 PREFACE. :^ ^^ 
 
 In presenting the following Series of Tracts, 
 published at different times, and under different 
 circumstances, to the christian Public, the writer 
 is actuated by a deep conviction that the errors 
 which are therein combated, lie at the root of all 
 those evils, which are now rending and distract- 
 ing our unhappy Church ; and which errors, if 
 not speedily eradicated from her system, will, 
 ere long, either sink her deeper in the mazes of 
 Popery, or lay her prostrate in the dust. 
 
 Preston, February 25th, 1845. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CONFIRMATION PROVED TO BE OF APOSTOLIC 
 
 ORIGIN, AND ITS TRUE NATURE EXPLAINED , 1 
 
 FIVE LETTERS ON CONFIRMATION, ADDRESSED 
 TO THE RIGHT REVEREND THE LORD BISHOP 
 OF SALISBURY i) 
 
 VINDICATION OF FIVE LETTERS ON CONFIRM- 
 ATION, IN A LETTER TO A FRIEND 25 
 
 A LETTER OF REMONSTRANCE, RESPECTFULLY 
 ADDRESSED TO THE RIGHT REVEREND THE 
 LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY o9 
 
 BAPTISMAL - REGENERATION, SATAN's SECOND 
 
 LIE. A REPLY TO A LETTER FROM THE 
 
 REV. WALTER KERR HAMILTON 49 
 
 BAPTISMAL -REGENERATION, AS TAUGHT IN THE 
 LITURGY AND OTHER SERVICES OF THE 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND 65 
 
 THE QUESTION ANSWERED : OR, A MINISTER'S 
 PLEA FOR REMAINING IN THE CHURCH, 
 WHILE OPENLY PROTESTING AGAINST THAT 
 WHICH IS UNSCRIPTURAL IN HER PRACTICE 
 OR HER PRINCIPLES 97 
 
 *»* Each tract may be hud separately. 
 
CONFIRMATION 
 
 TO BE OF APOSTOLIC ORIGIN, 
 
 ITS TRUE NATURE EXPLAINED ; 
 
 Being the substance of an Address delivered to the young persons in 
 the Parish Church of Preston, in the County of Dorset, on Sunday, Feb- 
 ruary 25lb, 1844. 
 

 CONFIRMATION 
 
 PROVED TO BE OF APOSTOLIC 0Ill6rK:. 
 
 Acts viii. 5 — 17. 
 
 Then Philip tvent doicn to the city of Samaria, and 
 preached Christ unto them. And the people with ofie 
 accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spalce, 
 hearing, and seeing the miracles which he did. For 
 unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of 
 many that icere possessed with them : and many taken 
 tcith palsies, and that ivere lame, were healed. And 
 there was great joy in that city. But there was a 
 certain man called Simon, lohich heforetime in the 
 same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of 
 Sama7'ia, giving out that himself loas some great one : 
 to ivhom they all gave heed, from the least to the 
 greatest, saying, this man is the great power of God. 
 And to him they had regard, because that of long time 
 he had bewitched them with Sorceries. But ivhen tJiey 
 believed Philip preaching the things concerning the 
 kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they 
 were baptized, both men and tvomen. Then Simon 
 hiynself believed also : and when he was baptized, he 
 continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the 
 miracles and signs ivhich were done. 
 
 Noiv when the apostles ivhich ivere at Jerusalem heard 
 that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent 
 unto them Peter and John : who, when they were come 
 down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy 
 Ghost : for as yet he teas fallen upon none of them ; 
 only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 
 Then laid they their hands 07i them, and they received 
 the Holy Ghost. 
 
CONFIRMATION PROVED TO liE 
 
 My Dear Young Friends, 
 
 You will probably remember that on Sunday 
 last, having briefly explained to you the meaning 
 of the above passage, taken from the Eighth 
 Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and having 
 read to you some other parallel passages taken 
 from the Fourteenth,* the Fifteenth,! and the 
 Nineteenth X Chapters of the same Book, I stated 
 that I had selected those passages for your con- 
 sideration, in consequence of the notice which the 
 Bishop had required me to give of the intended 
 Confirmation ; in order, Jlrst, that those among 
 you who have any doubts in your mind on the 
 subject, might thereby be convinced that the rite 
 itself, was of Apostolic origin, seeing it had been 
 administered by the Apostles themselves, eighteen 
 hundred years before. I stated, that my second 
 reason for having selected those passages for your 
 consideration was, that you might thereby know, 
 on the authority of God's word, what the true 
 meaning of Apostolic Confirmation was, — the 
 circumstances under which it was administered, — 
 and the blessing which accompanied the adminis- 
 
 * See Actsxiv. 21, 22. t Acts xv. 40, 41. i Acts xix. 1—6. 
 
OF APOSTOLIC ORIGIX. O 
 
 tration of it. I told you that by examining those 
 passages for yourselves, you would see, first, that 
 Apostolic Confirmation meant, the strengthening 
 and confirming of young converts, or true be- 
 lievers, in the faith of Jesus, by the laying on 
 of hands, and imploring for them the strengthening 
 and confirming influences of the Holy Spirit: 
 secondly, you would see, that the Apostles laid 
 their hands on none, but those only, of whose 
 faith they were well satisfied, on examination, that 
 it was genuine, — that it was indeed, " the faith of 
 GocVs elect,'^ as was manifest from the fact, that, 
 although Simon the Sorcerer had been approved 
 and baptized by Philip, on a plausible profession 
 of faith, Peter had utterly rejected him, as one 
 " who had neither part nor lot in the matter : " and 
 lastly, I told you that you would see the blessing 
 which accompanied such administration of the 
 rite ; namely, that God owned and confirmed 
 their work, by pouring out His Spirit on the 
 converts. 
 
 I supposed you very naturally to enquire, 
 whether the same blessing accompanied the ad- 
 ministration of Confirmation in the present day. 
 To which I replied, No ! and for this very obvious 
 reason, namely, because the administration of that 
 rite, by our Bishops in the present day, differed 
 
b CONFIRMATION PROVED TO BE 
 
 as much from tlic administration of it by the Apos- 
 tles in their day, as darkness differed from light ; 
 or a system of mystification differed from one of 
 plain and open dealing. The Apostles, as you 
 have seen, laid their hands on 7i07ie, but those only, 
 of the genuineness of xohose faith they were well 
 satisfied ; and having prayed to God to give them 
 His Holy Spirit, God heard and answered their 
 prayer, and poured out His Spirit on them. 
 
 Our Bishops, in the present day, lay their hands 
 on hundreds and thousands of young persons, of 
 the genuineness of lohose faith they Icnoio nothing ; 
 — three-fourths, if not nine-tenths of whom, if 
 properly examined, would candidly acknowledge, 
 or by their answers clearly demonstrate, that they 
 know no more, experimentally, of Repentance 
 towards God, of Faith towards our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, or of the Regenerating influences of the 
 Holy Spirit on their hearts, than a blind man 
 knows of light, or a deaf man of sound : and their 
 after conduct proves that they had no more inten- 
 tion of renouncing the pomps and vanities of the 
 world, than the Bishops themselves had of relin- 
 quishing their bishoprics. How, then, could it 
 reasonably be expected that the same blessing 
 should accompany such an administration of the 
 rite, as accompanied the administration of it in the 
 
OF APOSTOLIC ORTGIX. 1 
 
 Apostles' days ? Such a thing is, I believe, never 
 even thought of. Nay, how could it be ? How 
 could those persons be confirmed in the faith, who 
 had never yet received the faith ? How could 
 they be confirmed in their resolutions to renounce 
 the pomps and vanities of the world, seeing they 
 had never made any such resolutions ? Surely, 
 such persons, if confirmed at all, coidd only have 
 been confirmed in their ignorance, their sin, and 
 their unbehef. 
 
 Such a state of things is indeed to be deplored. 
 But are we therefore to reject this ordinance alto- 
 gether ? Are we to treat it as a mere Popish, un- 
 meaning ceremony ? — By no means. We have 
 already seen that the ordinance itself, is of Apos- 
 tolic origin ; and, the abuse of it by some, is no 
 argument against the proper use of it by others. 
 Let those, therefore, among you, who through 
 grace, have lately been brought to the knowledge 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and 
 Redeemer, (who, by the one sacrifice of Himself 
 upon the cross, has made a full, perfect, and suffi- 
 cient atonement and satisfaction for all your sins), 
 and w^ho, in consequence, have given yourselves to 
 Him in an everlasting covenant, having in truth 
 and in sincerity, " renounced the Devil and all his 
 works, the pomps and vanities of the world, and 
 
8 CONFIRMATION PROVED, ETC. 
 
 all the sinful lusts of the flesh ;" — let all such, I 
 say, come to that holy ordinance, in a spirit of 
 faith and in a spirit of prayer, and I doubt not 
 they will find a blessing in it. God will hear and 
 answer their prayers, — He will pour out His 
 Spirit on them, to confirm them in such their 
 faith, and to strengthen them in such their holy 
 resolutions, — He will give them to see more and 
 more of the fulness there is in Jesus for all their 
 needs, and will enable them to go on their way 
 rejoicing. 
 
 Such, dear friends, is, I believe, the substance 
 of the few remarks which I made to you on Sun- 
 day last, with reference to the intended Confirma- 
 tion. I now commit the same to paper, in order 
 that you may be able to reflect upon it at your 
 leisure, and compare it with the only unerring 
 standard of Divine truth, the Word of God. And 
 may He, whose you are, and whom you desire to 
 serve, give you wisdom and understanding, to 
 direct you in the true and right way, for His own 
 Name's sake. Amen ! 
 
^\ Q 't' -^ ' 
 
 FIVE LETTERS 
 
 CONFIRMATION 
 
 ADDRESSED TO 
 
 THE RIGHT REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Having lately received a Circular from the Lord 
 Bishop of Salisbury, intimating his intention of holding 
 a Confirmation for my Parish, and " entreating me to 
 be earnest and diligent in giving such instruction to 
 the Candidates, that they might come with a due 
 knowledge of the nature and design of Confirmation ; " 
 and feeling that it would be utterly impossible for me 
 to give them a due knowledge of that which I did not 
 perfectly understand myself, I wrote to his Lordship, 
 requesting he would have the kindness to solve my 
 difficulties, with respect to what appeared to me to be 
 a manifest contrariety between the requirements and 
 the practice of the Church, as respects that Ordinance. 
 To this his Lordship very kindly replied ; and though 
 he has since favoured me with several letters on the 
 subject, in which, he has probably said as much as can 
 be said in favour of the present system; still, I am 
 bound to confess, that his arguments have not been 
 satisfactory to my mind. Nevertheless, I should have 
 had great pleasure in laying the whole of our corres- 
 pondence before the Public, had his Lordship seen fit 
 to grant me permission so to do. Such, however, not 
 being the case, I have no alternative, but either to let 
 
12 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 the subject drop, or to submit my own letters to public 
 inspection ; which I now do, in the humble hope, that, 
 if they do not bring conviction to the mind, they may 
 at least, be the means of producing inquiry on a sub- 
 ject, apparently but little understood in the present 
 day ; and, that, ere long, instead of seeing multitudes 
 of young persons coming to the Bishop to be Confirmed 
 in the mere external profession of religion; we may 
 behold a little band of real worshippers, coming to be 
 Confirmed in their most holy faith ^ and in their steadfast 
 resolution, in dependance on the Divine aid, henceforth 
 to devote themselves to the service of their Heavenly 
 Master, according to their Baptismal Vows ; by " re- 
 nouncing the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, 
 and all the sinful lusts of the flesh ; and by manfully 
 fighting under his banner against sin, the world, and 
 the devil; and continuing his faithful soldiers and 
 servants, unto their lives end." * 
 
 Preston, 
 
 September 2nd, 1841. 
 
 Baptismal Service. 
 
FIVE LETTERS OX CONFIRMATION. 13 
 
 TO THE RIGHT REVEREND 
 THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY, 
 
 &c., &c., &c. 
 
 [Letter L] 
 
 Pkeston, near Weymouth, 
 June 28th, 1841. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I have the honour to acknowledge 
 the receipt of your Circular of the 4th instant, 
 intimating your intention of holding a Confirmation 
 for my Parish in the ensuing Autumn, and shall 
 be happy to comply with the directions therein 
 contained, as far as I am able to comprehend them. 
 Among others, your Lordship entreats me *' to b'- 
 earnest and diligent in giving the Candidates such 
 instruction, that they may come with a due know- 
 ledge of the nature and design of Confirmation ; 
 and that I will lead them to view it as a prepara- 
 tion for the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, of 
 which it will henceforth be their privilege to 
 partake." 
 
 As far as I understand the nature and design of 
 Confirmation, it is, by prayer and the laying on of 
 c 
 
14 FIVE LETTERS 
 
 hands, to strengthen and confirm weak believers in 
 the faith of the Gospel, and in their holy resolution 
 *^ to renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh," 
 according to their Baptismal vows ; such faith, and 
 holy resolution being manifested by their walk and 
 conversation, and by their after attendance on the 
 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, as one of their 
 highest privileges. 
 
 Now, as the great majority of those who usually 
 attend the Ordinance of Confirmation, give no 
 after evidence of the sincerity of their profession, 
 by the fulfilment of their Baptismal vows, in re- 
 nouncing the pomps and vanities of the world, or 
 by their attendance at the Sacrament of the Lord's 
 Supper ; and as the want of such evidence has led 
 many to represent the Ordinance itself as a mere 
 Popish ceremony ; and as I can find no ordinary 
 Clergyman here who can satisfy my mind on the 
 subject, may I beg that your Lordship will have 
 the kindness to inform me, whether I am correct 
 or not in the view which I have taken of it; 
 namely, whether I am to look for the evide^ice of 
 " repentance towards God, and of faith toward our 
 Lord Jesus Christ," in all to whom I grant tickets 
 of approval ; or whether I am to be satisfied with 
 a 7nere head knowledge of " the Catechism, the 
 Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Command- 
 
ON CONFIRMATION. 15 
 
 ments," and such other things as I may be able to 
 teach them within the time appointed ? 
 
 Your Lordship's matured opinion on these 
 points, will confer an obligation on, 
 Your very obedient, 
 
 and very humble Servant, 
 
 OCTAVIUS PIERS. 
 
 Vicar of Preston cum Sutton, Dorset. 
 
 TO THE RIGHT REVEREND 
 
 THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY, 
 
 &c., &c., &c. 
 
 [Letter XL] 
 
 Peeston, near Weymouth, 
 July 12th, 1841. 
 My Lord, 
 
 I take the earliest opportunity of 
 acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 
 10th instant, and beg to offer you my best thanks 
 for the trouble you have taken in endeavouring to 
 remove my difficulties with respect to the rite of 
 Confirmation, as administered in our Church. I 
 
16 FIVE LETTERS 
 
 feel however, that I should not be acting fairly or 
 candidly by your Lordship, if I did not honestly 
 confess, that your elaborate letter has not succeeded 
 in effecting that purpose. 
 
 Repentance and Faith, either are, or are not, 
 pre-requisites in all who are candidates for Confir- 
 mation. On this point, which is with me the point 
 of difficulty, your Lordship has not touched. If 
 they are pre-requisites, then, no Minister is war- 
 ranted in granting tickets of admission to the rite 
 of Confirmation, to any persons in whom the 
 evidences of these graces are not found. If they 
 are not pre-requisites, as I believe them to be, 
 then, inasmuch as '' we cannot read the heart, or 
 try the consciences of men," we must be content 
 with a mere profession of good intentions on the 
 part of the candidates, and must submit to be 
 stigmatized with having converted a solemn and 
 important rite into an empty and unmeaning 
 ceremony. 
 
 Regretting that I should be under the necessity 
 of troubling your Lordship, once more, on this 
 point, 
 
 I have the honour to subscribe myself, 
 Your Lordship's very obedient, 
 
 and very humble Servant, 
 
 OCTAVIUS PIERS. 
 
ON CONFIRMATION. 17 
 
 TO THE RIGHT REVEREND 
 
 THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY, 
 
 &c., &c., &c. 
 
 [Letter III.] 
 
 Preston, near Weymouth, 
 July 16th, 184L 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I am really quite ashamed of 
 having given you so much trouble with respect to 
 my difficulties, on the subject of Confirmation. 
 Those difficulties, however, have no reference to 
 the formularies of the Church, which evidently 
 require repentance and faith in all who are admitted 
 to Confirmation ; but rather to the practice of the 
 Church, which as evidently dispenses with them. 
 Feeling distracted between these two points, and 
 fearing that, if I acted on my own judgment, I 
 should again subject myself to your Lordship's 
 severe castigation, I took the liberty of laying my 
 difficulties before you, in the hope that your Lord- 
 ship might be able to solve them. I regret, how- 
 ever, to say, that such is not the case; your 
 explanation having tended rather to increase than 
 to diminish them. Had your Lordship told me. 
 
18 FIVE LETTERS 
 
 that the Church did not expect the graces of repen- 
 tance and faith in those who were admitted to the 
 rite of Confirmation, however I might have pre- 
 sumed to differ from you in opinion, I should 
 certainly have bowed in humble submission to 
 your superior judgment, and should probably have 
 brought up, what your Lordship might have been 
 pleased to consider, a " due proportion of young 
 persons from my Parish," of such as are usually 
 brought up. But, when your Lordship tells me 
 that these graces are required by the Church, but 
 that in effect they are dispensed with — at least, 
 that the Minister who is expected to give the 
 ticket of approval, is to be no judge in the matter — 
 then, I confess, the whole subject is beyond my 
 comprehension; and, I have only to express my 
 regret for having given you so much trouble, in a 
 case which evidently admits of no remedy. 
 
 I have the honour to be. 
 
 Your Lordship's 
 
 very obedient, humble Servant, 
 
 OCTAVIUS PIERS. 
 
ON COXFIRMATIOX. 19 
 
 TO THE RIGHT REVEREND 
 THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY, 
 
 kc, &c., &c. 
 
 [Letter IV.] 
 
 Preston, near Weymouth, 
 July 22nd, 184L 
 
 My Lord 
 
 I have to apologize for not having 
 before acknowledged the receipt of your's of the 
 19th instant, but a little domestic arrangement has 
 occupied so much of my time for the last three or 
 four days, that I have been able to attend to very 
 little else. 
 
 As your Lordship denies the correctness of the 
 interpretation which I put upon your former let- 
 ters, I am quite willing to admit that I must have 
 been mistaken. At the same time, when you call 
 to mind that those letters contain such passages as 
 the following, viz : — that, ^' if a Minister were 
 gifted with the power of reading the heart, and 
 trying the consciences of men, it would be his duty 
 
20 FIVE LETTERS . 
 
 not to admit to this sacred rite any of those whom 
 he might discern not to have an honest purpose of 
 acting in the spirit of the profession they make. 
 But, not having any such power committed to 
 him, his duty is ordinarily discharged by setting 
 clearly before those concerned, the nature of the 
 engagements undertaken in Confirmation." And 
 again, " if indeed there be any who seek to come 
 to this Ordinance, who prove themselves to be un- 
 fit for it, by open and notorious misconduct unre- 
 pented of, it would be the duty of the Clergyman 
 not to admit them." And again, when you say, 
 with reference to the evidence of repentance and 
 faith, which the Minister is justified in requiring : 
 " that the spirit of our Church is comprehensive 
 and charitable, leaving the proof of sincerity rather 
 to the conscience of the individual, instructed and 
 enlightened, than to the fallible judgment of the 
 Minister ; except where open acts of misconduct 
 supply a test, in which he cannot be mistaken." I 
 say, when your Lordship reflects that your letters 
 contain such passages as the above, I am sure you 
 will not accuse me of having put any very forced 
 construction upon them, when I came to the con- 
 clusion, that according to such reasoning, while the 
 graces of repentance and faith were required by 
 the Church, they were, in effect, dispensed with ; 
 
ON CONFIRMATION. 21 
 
 the Ministers being no judges in the matter, except 
 in extreme cases. 
 
 With reference to your passing over my obser- 
 vations on the conduct of my brethren in the 
 Ministry, by which I presume you mean the paro- 
 chial Clergy, I beg to assure your Lordship, that I 
 did not make those observations with any unkindly 
 feelings towards them, but simply, as a matter of 
 fact ; having reason to believe, that many of them 
 feel most acutely the difficulty of their position, 
 with reference to the rite of Confirmation, as ad- 
 ministered in our Church, in the present day, and 
 would be glad to have their duty clearly defined ; 
 but, in the mean time, prefer going with the 
 stream, to running the risk of subjecting them- 
 selves to such treatment, as I had the honour of 
 experiencing at your Lordship's hands, at the last 
 Confirmation. 
 
 I have the honour to be. 
 
 Your Lordship's 
 
 very obedient Servant, 
 
 OCTAVIUS PIERS. 
 
22 FIVE LETTERS 
 
 TO THE RIGHT REVEREND 
 THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY, 
 
 &c., &c., &c. 
 
 [Letter V.] 
 
 Preston, near Weymouth, 
 July 26th, 1841. 
 My Lord, 
 
 However unwiUing to prolong a 
 correspondence of which I am sure you must 
 already be heartily tired, I cannot omit the oppor- 
 tunity of once more expressing my regret, that I 
 should still be so unfortunate as to differ from you 
 on almost every point; and, not the least, in 
 thinking that I received a severe castigation, when, 
 in the presence, if not the hearing, of Clergy, 
 Churchwardens, Clerks, Sextons, &c., you threat- 
 ened an investigation into my Parish, on the 
 ground that I had neglected my duty, however 
 courteous the language in which that threat was 
 conveyed. Not that I mean for a moment to deny 
 the correctness of the charge, or the propriety of 
 your threatening the investigation; but only I 
 think, under all the circumstances of the case, it 
 was severe. I am, however, quite satisfied with 
 your Lordship's explanation. 
 
ox CONFIRMATION. »d 
 
 I also regret that your Lordship should still be 
 of opinion, that I have put a forced construction 
 upon your words ; and, still more, that you should 
 seem to think, that in making a quotation from 
 your first letter, I had purposely omitted a portion of 
 a sentence, which you consider to be of importance 
 to its general meaning. The portion to which you 
 allude is, I believe, as follows : — ^' and urging upon 
 their consciences the necessity of an honest heart 
 and purpose in so serious a matter." Now, while 
 I fully admit that these words add some force to 
 the sentiments already expressed in the former 
 part of the sentence, — which sentiments however, 
 were fully admitted, and were indeed the very 
 sentiments which I had presumed to combat, I 
 humbly submit, that, inasmuch as they did not in 
 any degree alter the mea?iing, but rather, if any 
 thing, tended to strengthen my position, — they 
 were u?inecessary. Had the question at issue 
 between us been, whether the young persons to be 
 confirmed, had, or had not, an honest purpose of 
 heart, to bring forth the fruits of repentance and 
 faith, — then, the omission of that part of the sen- 
 tence might have been of some importance ; and I 
 should have freely admitted that they, the young 
 persons, alone, should be the judges. But, as the 
 real question at issue between us was not, whether 
 
24: FIVE LETTERS OX CONFIRMATION. 
 
 they, the young persons, had, or had not, an 
 honest purpose to hri7ig forth the fruits, — but 
 whether they had already received the graces of 
 repentance and faith, which graces are the special 
 gifts of God to his people ; then, I maintain, that 
 to make them the arbiters in such a case, of which 
 the unconverted among them can be no more com- 
 petent to judge, than a blind man can be to judge 
 of colours, is in effect, to dispense loith the necessity 
 of these graces, and thereby, to convert a solemn 
 rite of the Church, into a solemn mockery* 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 
 Your Lordship's 
 
 very obedient, humble Servant, 
 
 OCTAVIUS PIERS. 
 
 * If it be thought, that the above, and similar expressions used 
 elsewhere, need some apology, I would simply remind the reader, 
 that the evil which they were intended to bring before his Lord- 
 ship's consideration, was great, involving the Scriptural character 
 of the Church, and the spiritual interests of many, very many of 
 her members, whom the present system of indiscriminate admission 
 to Confirmation is calculated to deceive, by speaking peace where 
 God has not spoken peace ; for without faith, we are told, it is 
 impossible to please Him ; and without repentance, none shall ever 
 enter into His Kingdom ! 
 
VINDICATION 
 
 OF 
 
 FIVE LETTERS ON CONFIRMATION, 
 
 ADDRESSED TO 
 
 THE RIGHT REVEREND THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY, 
 
 In a Letter to a Friend. 
 
VINDICATION 
 
 OF FIVE LETTERS ON CONFIRMATION. 
 
 Preston, Nov. 22nd, 1841. 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 Had I considered that any explana- 
 tion or vindication of my five letters to the Bishop 
 of Salisbury, had been needed, I should doubtless 
 have attempted it long before this. The letters, 
 however, are in themselves so very plain and 
 simple, that any attempt at explanation on my 
 part would be absurd. How far I was justified in 
 publishing them, without his Lordship's special 
 consent, I will not pretend to say. Assuredly, 
 had I thought that my so doing could have been 
 fairly construed into any thing like a want of due 
 respect for his Lordship, I should not have done it, 
 but would have chosen some other method of 
 making known my sentiments to the public. But, 
 inasmuch as I was wholly unacquainted with his 
 Lordship, except in his piiblic capacity as the head 
 or Bishop of the Diocese, — inasmuch as I had not 
 written to him on any subject of private, but of 
 public interest, — a subject immediately connected 
 
28 VINDICATION OF 
 
 with a public document which he had just circula- 
 ted^ and on which we, the Clergy;, were expected 
 to act, under pain of his displeasure, — I certainly 
 did not expect that letters explanatory, so passing 
 between us, could, by any possibility, have been 
 construed into a private corresj^ondence ; much less 
 that the publication of my own share in that cor- 
 respondence would have been considered as in- 
 volving a breach of decorum on my part, or a want 
 of that respect which is so justly due to his Lord- 
 ship. If, however, I have erred herein, I am 
 willing to offer to his Lordship the most ample 
 apology; only regretting, that a subject of such 
 importance as that which occupied our correspon- 
 dence, should appear to have sunk into insignifi- 
 cance, when compared with a mere question of 
 etiquette. 
 
 But you speak as though you considered that 
 yourself, and your other clerical brethren, perfect- 
 ly understood the nature and principles of Confir- 
 mation ; and, that I only, had taken an erroneous 
 view of it. Now, before we proceed any further, 
 I would beg to remind you, that you are here 
 treading on very tender ground. It is not for me 
 to pretend to say, whether you, or your other 
 clerical brethren, do or do not understand the 
 nature and principles of Confirmation. But what- 
 
FIVE LETTERS ON CONFIRMATIOX. 29 
 
 ever may be the case with others, I think I may, 
 without presumption, claim to myself the privilege 
 of being right on that point, inasmuch, as his 
 Lordship's recorded opinion, however he may 
 choose to qualify it, perfectly coincides with mine, 
 in every particular, as you may perceive by a 
 reference to our correspondence, which he has 
 lately published, and of which you have received a 
 copy. In order, however, to save you trouble, I 
 will give you a few extracts to that purpose ; and 
 First, with respect to the nature and design of 
 Confirmation. On this point, I have stated my 
 views to be as follows ; as you may see, page T, of 
 that work. — " As far as I understand the nature 
 and design of Confirmation, it is, by prayer and 
 the laying on of hands, to strengthen and confirm 
 weak believers in the faith of the gospel, and in 
 theii' holy resolution to renounce the devil, the 
 world, and the flesh, according to their baptismal 
 vows." His Lordship, after some prefatory re- 
 marks on the same subject, 'says, page 9, — " Its 
 nature, therefore, is that of an ordinance in which 
 the purpose of the heart of man works together 
 with the grace of God, which giveth strength ; its 
 design is to build up the Church of Christ in that 
 holiness, "s^ithout which no man shall see the 
 Lord." Now, if you will only analyze these two 
 
30 VINDICATION OF 
 
 sentences,, making allowance for the more elegant 
 phi'aseology of his Lordship, I think you will come 
 to the same conclusion with myself, — namely, that 
 on this point, there is no diiFerence of opinion 
 between us. If, for instance, when his Lordship 
 uses the terms, " Church of Christ,^ you under- 
 stand him to mean the young believing members of 
 the Church — for assuredly, you cannot for a 
 moment suppose he meant any others — then, you 
 will at once perceive that, when I say, " the nature 
 and design of Confirmation is to strengthen and 
 confirm weak believers in the faith of the gospel," 
 and when his Lordship says, " it is to build up the 
 Church of Christ in that holiness without which no 
 man shall see the Lord," — we mean precisely the 
 same thing, though expressed in dififerent lan- 
 guage. On this point, therefore, you will perceive 
 there is no difierence of opinion between us. 
 
 I shall now proceed to notice the second point of 
 agreement between us, namely, that with reference 
 to the pre-requisites , or qualifications previously 
 required in candidates for Confirmation. 
 
 Having stated to his Lordship my view of the 
 nature and design of Confirmation, page 7, as 
 before recited ; I next went on, page 8, to point 
 out to him the difficulties I felt on the subject, 
 arising from the indiscriminate administration of 
 
FIVE LETTERS ON CONFIRMATION. 31 
 
 that ordinance, and requesting that he would have 
 the kindness to inform me, whether the view which 
 I had taken of it were correct or not ; — in short, 
 " whether I was to look for the evidence of repent- 
 ance towards God, and of faith towards our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, in all to whom I granted tickets of 
 approval ; or, whether I was to be satisfied with a 
 mere head knowledge of the Creed, the Lord's 
 Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Catechism, 
 and such other things as I might be able to teach 
 them within the time appointed? "His Lordship's 
 next letter not having satisfied my mind on this 
 point, I wrote to him again, page 11, requesting a 
 fuller explanation ; to which he replied as follows, 
 page 12 : — " In that letter (his former) I said, that 
 if a Clergyman could read the heart, it would be 
 his duty not to admit to this sacred rite, any of 
 those whom he might discern not to have an honest 
 purpose of acting in the spirit of the profession 
 they made. What is that profession ? — It is that 
 of keeping the baptismal promise. What is that 
 promise ? — It is the promise of repentance and 
 faith. The graces of repentance and faith are, im- 
 doubtedhj, therefore, expected by the Church of 
 those who are admitted to Confirmation ^ Thus 
 you perceive that, on this point likewdse, there is a 
 perfect agreement between his Lordship and my- 
 
32 VINDICATION OF 
 
 self ; — that the graces of repentance and faith are 
 required by the Church, of those who are admitted 
 to Confirmation. 
 
 I shall now call your attention to the third and 
 last point of agreement between us ; namely, 
 that, with reference to the persons whose business 
 it is to determine the fitness or unfitness of the 
 candidates for that rite. 
 
 And here I must premise, that, in my letters to 
 his Lordship, I have rather assumed the fact, than 
 regularly asserted that the Ministers on whom it 
 devolves to grant the tickets of approval, are like- 
 wise the persons whose business it is to determine 
 the fitness or unfitness of the candidates, as you 
 will perceive by the following quotation. "Writing 
 to his Lordship on the subject of the qualifi- 
 cations themselves, page 11, I say, "If repent- 
 ance and faith are pre-requisites, as I believe them 
 to be, then, no Minister is warranted in granting 
 tickets of admission to the rite of Confirmation to 
 any persons, in whom he has not reason to believe 
 the evidences of these graces are to be found. If 
 they are not pre-requisites, then, inasmuch as xce 
 cannot read the hearts or try the consciences of 
 men, we must be content with a mere profession, 
 &c. ;" thus you see, taking for granted, that the 
 Ministers, and they alone, were to be the judges. 
 
FIVE LETTERS ON CONFIRMATION. 33 
 
 His Lordship^ in his next letter, P^ge 13, speaking 
 with reference to the evidence of repentance and 
 faith, which we were justified in requiring, says, 
 " It was my object to point out (in liis last) that 
 the spiiit of our Church is comprehensiye and 
 charitable ; leaving the proof of sincerity rather to 
 the conscience of the individual, instructed and 
 enlightened, than to the fallible judgment of the 
 Minister^ except where acts of open misconduct 
 supply a test in which he cannot be mistaken." 
 Conceiving, (I am happy to say, erroneously J that 
 by this, his Lordship meant to convey the idea, 
 that the proof of sincerity was to be left, rather to 
 the conscience of the individual, than to the fallible 
 judgment of the Minister, — I wrote to him again, 
 page 14, expressing my surprise at that, and 
 another point before alluded to ; and declaring, 
 that, " if such were the case, I felt constrained to 
 acknowledge the whole subject was beyond my 
 comprehension." In reply to this, his Lordship, 
 having^rs^ disclaimed the interpretation I had put 
 upon a former passage in his letter, adds, page 15, 
 *^ Neither do I say that the Minister is to be no 
 judge in the matter, except in extreme cases. On 
 the contrary, / say he is to he the judge in every 
 caseV'^ 
 
 Thus Sii-, you see that, whatever misunderstand- 
 
34 VINDICATION OF 
 
 ing may have arisen between his Lordship and 
 myself on this subject, — there is, in reality, no 
 difference of opinion between us. 
 
 But you say, if there be really no difference of 
 opinion between his Lordship and yourself on this 
 subject, how is it that he still speaks of you as 
 being in error on it ? This, my dear Sir, is a 
 question which I am not prepared to answer. I 
 have here endeavoured to shew you from his own 
 words, that there is no difference of opinion behoeen 
 tis 071 the subject, at least, as regards the facts of 
 the case. If therefore, while his Lordship admits 
 that certain qualifications are expected by the 
 Church of those who come to be confirmed, and 
 that the Ministers are to be the sole judges of 
 those qualifications ; if, under these circumstances, 
 in which we are perfectly agreed, his Lordship 
 still chooses to represent me as being in error, — 
 either, because I have not the power to communi- 
 cate those qualifications to a certain number of 
 young persons in my Parish, every three years, — 
 or, because I cannot charitably suppose those 
 qualifications to exist, where I see no evidence of 
 them in the life, trusting to the conscience of the 
 individual, — or, for some other reasons of which I 
 am at present ignorant, — I can only say, / am 
 sorry for it ; as I am well aware of the weight 
 
FIVE LETTERS OX CONFIRMATION. 85 
 
 which even the slightest word from his Lordship 
 must necessarily carry with it. At the same time, 
 I would humbly hope, that a question of such im- 
 portance would, with all thinking men, be deter- 
 mined, rather by its own intrinsic merits, than by 
 the toeight of authority, however great. 
 
 But again, you say, " Why lay so much stress 
 upon this point? "What harm could it do the 
 young persons to be confirmed, even supposing 
 they had not the necessary qualifications ?" I have 
 never said it would do them any positive harm.* 
 "Why then object?" Simply, because it is neither 
 consistent with Scripture, nor the requii-ements of 
 our Church; and, as I have always considered 
 that the very essence of Popery consists in profes- 
 sion, without principle, — in substituting the form 
 of Godliness, for the poioer of it ; so, I have long 
 since been led to consider that the present system 
 of bringing up numbers of young persons to be 
 confirmed, who have never given any real evidence 
 of "repentance towards God, or of faith in our 
 Lord Jesus Christ,t is neither more nor less than 
 
 * I only say it is deceiving them. 
 
 t If I have not before attempted to give any proof of this fact, 
 it is only because I thought it was too self-evident to admit of 
 contradiction. To those who doubt, I would simply put this 
 
3b VINDICATION OF 
 
 the very essence of Pojyery ; and, is tlie more inex- 
 cusable, on the ground, as I before said, that it is 
 not only utterly inconsistent with the word of God, 
 but that it is diametrically opposed to the require- 
 ments of our own Church, as his Lordship has now 
 fully and inco7itrovertahly proved. 
 
 But, you ask again, ^^ Is it not casting a reproach 
 upon your brethren, to suppose that they bring up 
 numbers of young persons to be Confirmed, who 
 have never given any real evidence of repentance 
 towards God, or of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 My dear Sir, I beg to assure you, that nothing can 
 be farther from my wish or intention, than to cast 
 any unnecessary reproach upon my brethren ; 
 neither do I cast any reproach upon them, of which 
 I am not willing to take \hefull share upon myself; 
 inasmuch as I have myself acted upon this system 
 
 question, — Who are the persons that frequent our Theatres — our 
 Ball Rooms — our Race Courses — and our Public Houses, through- 
 out the land ? Are they not those, of whom, nine-tenths at least, 
 have been Confirmed ? And, if so, in what were they Con^rmed ? 
 Was it in the true faith of the Gospel, and in a sincere renuncia- 
 tion of the pomps and vanities of the loorld; or, in a total ignorance 
 or indifference, as to what the Church requires ? If it be said, 
 " we cannot read the heart ^'' I admit it ; but, can we not read the 
 life ; and, does not our Twelfth Article tell us, "that a lively faith 
 may be as evidently known by our ivorJcs, as a tree is discerned by 
 the fruit .^" 
 
FIVE LETTERS OX CONFIRMATION. 37 
 
 for years, but like others, I did it in ignorance ; 
 and being now convinced that it is ivrong — that it 
 is not only decewing our people, but bringing dis- 
 credit upon our profession, as the avowed Ministers 
 of Him, who is Truth itself, I desire to leave it off; 
 and take this opportunity of calling upon yourself, 
 and those of our brethren who may see it in the 
 same light, to unite with us in henceforth adopting 
 a purer and a better system — a system, less osten- 
 tatious indeed, but more consistent with the word 
 of God, and with the requirements of our Scriptu- 
 ral and Apostolic Church.* 
 
 And now, my dear Sir, in conclusion, allow me 
 to express the hope that I have not said any thing 
 herein, calculated to give just cause of offence, 
 either to yourself, or to your other clerical 
 brethren, — which, I can assure you, I have not 
 done intentionalhj ; and that you will not consider 
 me guilty of any breach of confidence in laying 
 these brief remarks before the public, inasmuch as 
 I have not mentioned your name, or any circum* 
 stance whereby you can be identified, neither 
 
 * By the above expression, I by no means wish to be understood 
 as asserting that our Church is perfect, which few would be bold 
 enough to aver ; but only that it is founded on Scriptural and 
 Apostolical principles. 
 
38 VINDICATION OF FIVE LETTERS, ETC. 
 
 indeed, have I confined myself altogether to your 
 objections, but have occasionally referred to those 
 of others. And, with every sentiment of respect 
 and esteem, 
 
 Believe me to remain. 
 
 Your faithful and obliged Friend, 
 OCTAYIUS PIERS. 
 
 Post Script. 
 
 As I understand several of my friends have enquired, how it 
 was that I brought no young persons to be Confirmed at the time 
 aUuded to by the Bishop, with the exception of my own son ; 
 I would beg, once for all, to state that the reason was simply this, 
 namely, that my own son was the only person who applied at tliat 
 time — that up to that period, I had never acted strictly on my 
 own principle — and, that had I done so then, I would not have 
 brought him. 
 
LETTER OF EEMONSTRANCE 
 
 RESPECTFULLY ADDRESSED TO THE 
 
 RIGHT REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY, 
 
 With reference to certain circumstances which took place at the late 
 Confirmation, held in the Parish Church of Melcombe-Regis, on Wednes- 
 day, March 20th, 1844. 
 
A LETTER. 
 
 Preston, March 25th, 1844. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Having been called upon by your 
 Lordship, very unexpectedly, to account for my 
 having refused to grant to a young Lady in my 
 Parish, a ticket of admission to the late Confirma- 
 tion at Weymouth, I feel that some explanation of 
 what passed on that occasion is necessary; and the 
 more so, as I was wholly unprepared to answer the 
 questions put to me by your Lordship at that 
 time, not having received the sKghtest intimation 
 that it was intended to bring the subject under 
 your consideration. 
 
 Li reply to the first question put to me by your 
 Lordship, as to my reasons for having refused to 
 grant to the young lady a ticket of admission — 
 whether I objected to any thing in her moral 
 conduct ? I think, I distinctly stated, " that such 
 
42 A LETTER 
 
 was not the case ; that, on the contrary, I had 
 always considered her moral conduct to have 
 been particularly correct." Your Lordship, I 
 think, next inquired whether there was any 
 thing deficient in her answers ? To which I 
 replied, ^^ there was not. — That I had found her 
 generally well informed on the subject of religion, 
 and that she professed to believe." To what then, 
 your Lordship inquired, did I object? To 
 this, I think I replied generally, " that my 
 motive for refusing to grant her a ticket of 
 admission to the Confirmation, arose from a 
 conviction on my mind that she had not the 
 qualifications requisite for that ordinance, namely, 
 that she had not the faith : " by which I meant, 
 that she had not satisfied my mind, as to her 
 having any experimental knoicledge of the faith of 
 Christ. Your Lordship, I think, then required me 
 to state the grounds of my conviction, — the evidence 
 I had, for supposing she was not in the faith ? 
 This, my Lord, I felt at once, to be a difficult 
 question, as the conclusion to wliich I had come, 
 was not so much the result of what she had said, 
 as of what she had not said. As I before stated, 
 I found her generally well-informed on the subject 
 of religion, and she professed to believe ; but 
 she had failed to satisfy me that her faith was 
 
OF REMONSTRANCE. 43 
 
 genuine, — that it was otherwise, than a mere 
 notional co7iviction of the mind, instead of a 
 spiritual and experimental conviction of the heart. 
 But how was I to sheio this to your Lordship ? 
 I felt that I could not. — All that I could do 
 therefore, was to repeat again, " that she had 
 not satisfied my mind on the subject ; and that, 
 although I considered her to be moral and 
 amiable in her general deportment, nevertheless, 
 inasmuch as she was in the habit of going to 
 halls* and gay parties, and thereby evidencing, 
 that she had not '^ renounced the pomps and 
 vanities of the world," I could not consider her 
 as having the qualifications requisite for Confir- 
 mation. Your Lordship, I think, then intimated 
 that inasmuch as I had no better reasons to 
 assign for having refused to grant her a ticket of 
 
 * The young Lady and her Mamma having denied that they had 
 been to more than one ball of late, I willingly confess the term I 
 used was incorrect, I should have said dances. I beg however, to 
 take this ojjportunity of assuring those Ladies, that nothing was 
 ever further from my intention than that of giving them the 
 slightest offence, by the mention of these things : my sole object 
 being to convince the Bishop, that independent of any impression 
 made on my mind, in the course of examination, I had some 
 tangible reasons for coming to the conclusion at which I had 
 arrived. 
 
44 A LETTER 
 
 admission to the Confirmation, you would refer 
 her to your Chaplain for examination, and if he 
 were satisfied with her answers, she should be 
 Confirmed at Portland, the day following. I 
 understand she has since been Confirmed on the 
 strength of that examination. 
 
 Now, my Lord, I shall not for one moment 
 presume to call in question the propriety of your 
 interfering in a case of this kind ; but surely, as 
 one of those, of whom you had just been warning 
 the people, "that we were the Pastors and 
 Guides, to whom they were to look up for direc- 
 tion and instruction, as those who must give 
 account," — I have some right to complain that 
 you should see fit to weaken the effect of such 
 warning, at least as far as I was concerned, by 
 Confirming one of my parishioners on the judg- 
 ment of your chaplain, contrary to my judgment; 
 and that, without afl^ording me an opportunity of 
 witnessing the power by which he was enabled, in 
 the course of a few minutes, to elicit the evidence 
 of a faith, which I was unable to discover in the 
 course of nearly as many hours. But, as this 
 question is altogether of a personal nature, I shall 
 not say another word on the subject, further than 
 to express my sincere hope that, in this instance, 
 the judgment of your chaplain may prove to have 
 
OF REMONSTRANCE. 45 
 
 been correct; a circumstance at "which no one 
 would rejoice more than myself. * 
 
 But, my Lord, there is another subject of in- 
 finitely greater importance, to which I am anxious 
 to call yom* particular attention ; and in doing 
 this, I would desire to speak with all possible 
 deference, both towards yourself personally, and 
 towards that high office with which you have been 
 entrusted. Your Lordship will, no doubt, re- 
 member what had been the conduct of many of 
 the young persons, who were assembled to receive 
 Confirmation at your hands, in the Parish Church 
 of Melcombe-Regis, on the day alluded to ; — that 
 it was such, at one time, that your Lordship was 
 unable to proceed with the service, until you had 
 
 * It may be said, if the young Lady was generally well informed 
 on the subject of religion, and jjrofessed to believe, what more 
 could I require, — how was she to convince me, that she did 
 believe ? All I can say, is, that out of eight and twenty who 
 applied to me for Confirmation, no less than three and twenty did 
 convince me, by giving me a rational account of their Conversion 
 to God, and of their faith in Christ Jesus ; — a work chiefly effected 
 either, through the instrumentality of Mr. Starkey's ministry, or 
 through the reading of Mr. Prince's invaluable little tract, entitled, 
 " How you may know whether you do, or do not beUeve in Jesus 
 Christ ;" — a w^ork, which I cannot too strongly recommend to the 
 serious perusal of all who have any doubts on that most important 
 point. 
 
46 A LETTER 
 
 called upon the Clergy to go among them and 
 keep them quiet. You may therefore well imagine 
 what was the surprise of myself and others, when, 
 in the course of your charge, instead of hearing 
 you sharply reproving those young persons for 
 their conduct — conduct which clearly evidenced 
 their entire ignorance of, and utter unfitness for 
 that solemn rite of which they had just been par- 
 takers — we heard, or fancied that we heard you 
 distinctly address them, one and all, as ^'living 
 members of Chris fs hody.^'' Nay, at one time, we 
 clearly understood you, without any qualification 
 or reservation whatever, to tell them that, ^^ at 
 their baptism, they were made members of Christ, 
 children of God, and heirs of the hingdom of 
 heaven.^'' One individual in the church, was so 
 convinced that such were your words, and such 
 your meaning, that he involuntarily exclaimed, 
 " shocking ! " He has since declared, that it was 
 with the greatest difficulty, he restrained himself 
 from standing up in the church, and protesting 
 aloud, against such a gross delusion of the masses 
 of poor ignorant people by whom you were sur- 
 rounded.* 
 
 * That there may be no mistake as to the individual here 
 alluded to, it was the writer of this letter. 
 
OF REMONSTRANCE. 47 
 
 I am well aware, my Lord, that such language 
 is to be found in the Catechism of our Church -, 
 but you know it is there generally understood to 
 be used in a qualified or conditional sense : and 
 far be it from me to assert that such was not the 
 sense in which your Lordship meant to use it, 
 though, I confess, I did not hear the qualifying 
 clauses. If such, however, were the case, I trust 
 you will have the kindness to point out the 
 qualifications, for the satisfaction of the more in- 
 telligent of your hearers, many of whom, to my 
 knowledge, were highly offended at the expression; 
 and some even asked, ''if it were not Popery ?^^ 
 If, on the other hand, your Lordship did not mean 
 to qualify the expression, but plainly and distinctly 
 to assert, that " at their baptism," — a period, 
 when, by reason of their tender age, they were 
 incapable of producing either repentance or faith, 
 — " they were," literally and actually " made 
 members of Christ, children of God, and heirs of 
 the kingdom of heaven," — then I trust your 
 Lordship will have the kindness to point out the 
 Scriptural authority you have for such assertion; 
 being well aware that no doctrine is of any 
 validity in the Church of England, " which is 
 not found in the Word of God, nor may be proved 
 thereby." 
 
48 A LETTER OF REMONSTRANCE. 
 
 Trusting that your Lordship will pardon the 
 liberty I have taken in addressing you^ thus 
 plainly, on a subject of such infinite importance, 
 I beg to subscribe myself, with much respect, 
 
 Your Lordship's very obedient, 
 
 and very humble Servant, 
 
 OCTAVIUS PIERS. 
 
BAPTISMAL REGENERATION, 
 SATAN'S SECOND LIE. 
 
 A REPLY TO A LETTER 
 
 FROM THE REV. WALTER KERR HAMILTON, CHAPLAIN TO 
 
 THE BISHOP OP SALISBURY. 
 
TO THE 
 
 REV. WALTER KERR HAMILTON. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 I have to acknowledge the receipt 
 of your printed letter addressed to me, in reference 
 to certain inaccuracies which you allege are to be 
 found in my " Letter of remonstrance to the 
 Bishop of Salisbury ; " and, while I fully admit 
 your right to notice such portions of that letter as 
 had reference to yourself, I cannot help thinking 
 that you have, in some instances, far exceeded that 
 right, unless indeed I am to consider you as his 
 Lordship's representative. Waving, however, all 
 ceremony on that head, and freely acknowledging 
 that there may have been some verbal inaccuracies 
 in my statement of what passed between his Lord- 
 ship and myself, and that I purposely omitted many 
 things which were said, either from not having any 
 distinct recollection of them, or from not consider- 
 ing them material to the object which I had in 
 view ; nevertheless, I have no hesitation in assert- 
 ing that that letter is a fair and honest representation 
 
52 BAPTISMAL REGENERATION, 
 
 of what took place on that occasion, which is all 
 that it professed to be. Under these circumstances, 
 and inasmuch as you have not controverted any- 
 material point in it, I should not have thought it 
 necessary to trouble you with this reply, had you 
 not more than insinuated that the whole of what I 
 had said was a tissue oi misrepresentations ; a mode 
 of controversy, in my opinion, as ungenerous, as it 
 is unworthy of the situation you hold, as a digni- 
 tary of our Church. Surely, Reverend Sir, what- 
 ever differences of opinion may exist between us, 
 or however we may think each other mistaken, it 
 cannot be necessary in order to the maintenance of 
 truth, that we should endeavour to represent each 
 other as unworthy of credit. Surely, Sir, you 
 should have paused before you brought such a 
 charge against a brother clergyman. What have I 
 to gain by any thing I have said — on the contrary, 
 have I not every thing to lose ? You must. Sir, I 
 think, be well aware that, whether right or wrong, 
 I am, in this painful controversy, contending for 
 what I consider, a great and important principle ; 
 and God only knows how unworthy I feel myself 
 to be in any way engaged in such a work, much 
 less, as at present, apparently, to stand alone in it ; 
 but, inasmuch as I believe that an important truth 
 is involved in that principle, I am willing, God 
 
Satan's second lie. 53 
 
 being my helper, till others more competent shall 
 come forward, to stand or fall by it. 
 
 Having made these few remarks, I shall now 
 proceed to examine the correctness or incorrect- 
 ness of your strictures. 
 
 Having briefly informed me that you had read 
 my Letter of remonstrance to the Bishop of Salis- 
 bury, you proceed to say, — " It is not my business 
 to express any opinion upon the tone in which that 
 letter is written." Now, if I understand the 
 meaning of that sentence, it implies that the tone 
 of my letter is an improper one. Possibly, it may 
 be so, but I can truly say it was not intended ; and 
 if I have therein said one word disrespectful 
 towards yourself or any other individual, beyond 
 what was essential to the full maintenance of truth 
 or the exposure of error, I am sorry for it. You 
 next proceed to say, that " as in some respects my 
 statements were far from accurate, — you would 
 take the Kberty of pointing out to me what those 
 inaccuracies were ; " — the first of which was, that 
 I omitted to give an account of his Lordship's ad- 
 dress to me on my entering the vestry. How this 
 can fairly be called an inaccuracy in my statement 
 I know not, inasmuch as I never professed to give 
 any account of it, further than by stating, that 
 " his Lordship had called me to account for my 
 
54 BAPTISMAL REGENERATION, 
 
 having refused to grant to a young lady in my 
 parish, a ticket of admission to the Confirmation." 
 And as I took no exception either to his calling me 
 to account, or the manner in which he did it, and 
 as all that his Lordship said on that occasion, was 
 fully admitted by me, as recorded in my replies to 
 his questions, I saw no need of saying any more 
 on the subject. So much for my inaccuracies. 
 
 At page 4, you say, " Upon the Bishop's asking 
 you how you knew she (the candidate) had not 
 faith, you said, you could not tell, but you were 
 certain she was not in the faith — and then, in a 
 manner correcting yourself, you added, that you 
 judged so partly from her not having renounced 
 the world." I have no wish to dispute about mere 
 words, but I think I endeavoured to impress upon 
 his Lordship, as well as in the hurry of the 
 moment I was able, that I did not reject the candi- 
 date because I knew, or was certain she was not in 
 the faith ; but simply, because she had failed to 
 satisfy me that she was in the faith. 
 
 You go on to say, " The Bishop then asked you 
 for your evidence of her not having renounced the 
 world — and you said, ' she goes to balls.' The 
 young person and her mother denied this, saying, 
 she had not been to a hall for several years — but 
 upon your checking her in this assertion, and 
 
Satan's second lie. 55 
 
 enquiring whether she had not been at a dance 
 (dances) she said, that she had some months back 
 gone to drink tea at the house of one of your 
 friends, where some part of your family was 
 present, and though she had not expected that such 
 would he the case, that after tea there had been 
 some dancing." In reply to all this, I can only 
 express my hope that we were mistaken as to 
 what the mother of the young person said on that 
 occasion, which I confess surprised me at the time ; 
 but, in self-justification I feel bound to add, that if 
 my friend did not give her dance, in return for a 
 very handsome one given by the mother of the 
 young person, and which lasted till near six o'clock 
 in the morning, — and if my friend's family did not 
 consult her family as to what music they should 
 have for their dance, — and if the young person has 
 not been to several other dances, both before and 
 since that, then I have been misinformed. 
 
 At page 5, you say, " I must here express my 
 surprise that you have in your letter, given to the 
 statement of your reasons for rejecting the candi- 
 date so very different a colouring from that ichich 
 really belongs to it ;" "that is to say, in other words, 
 — " you are surprised that I have given a false 
 colouring to the statement of my reasons for reject- 
 ing her." Truly, Sir, on first reading this passage. 
 
56 BAPTISMAL REGENERATION, 
 
 my indignation rose to a very high pitch; but, 
 after a little reflection, I felt assured that the man 
 who was capable of bringing such a charge against 
 a brother clergyman, without giving him an oppor- 
 tunity of refuting it, by stating the ground of such 
 charge, must be an object of pity rather than of 
 anger. As such, I forbear saying one word more, 
 than solemnly to protest, that / know of no motive 
 hy which I teas actuated in rejecting the candidate, 
 different from that assigned in my Letter of 
 remonstrance to the Bishop ; but if. Sir, you hnoio 
 of any other, I trust you will not lose a moment in 
 laying it before the public, and thereby exposing 
 me to the contempt which, in that case, I so justly 
 deserve. 
 
 In reference to my having complained that ^* I 
 had not had the opportunity of witnessing the 
 process, by which you were enabled in the course 
 of a few minutes to elicit the evidence of a faith 
 which I was unable to discover in the course of 
 nearly as many hours ; " you say, " I spent, I am 
 almost certain, above an hour with your parish- 
 ioner, and in the course of that time satisfied 
 myself that your report of her knowledge was 
 correct. I further received from her most explicit 
 assurances of her sense of her state of privilege 
 and responsibility." I think. Sir, you nuist be 
 
57 
 
 well aware that what I meant to complain of in the 
 above passage, was not so much the number of 
 minutes you occupied in the examination of my 
 parishioner, as of the fact of my not having been 
 invited to witness the examination itself, and 
 thereby to satisfy my mind, as to whether you did 
 or did not discover in her the evidence of that faith 
 which I had failed to discover. 
 
 But I will say no more on this point. In the 
 next sentence you add, " I certainly did not seek 
 from her any account of her conversion^ for I 
 had, no reason to believe, either from what you 
 said, or from what I elicited from her and her 
 parent, that she had ever so fallen from her 
 state of grace as to need it, " Alas ! Sir, I 
 think I see in this sentence, the real cause of 
 all our diiFerences. You say, " you did not 
 seek from her (the candidate) any account of her 
 conversion.^^ And why did you not seek for it ? — 
 " Because you had no reason to believe that she 
 had ever so fallen from her state of grace as to need 
 it.''' True, Sir ; but how did you discover that 
 she ever had been in a state of grace ? Methinks I 
 hear you say, " She was converted at her Baptism! 
 She was then made a member of Christ, a child of 
 God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven llV 
 O Sir, is not that the verij error which I have 
 
58 BAPTISMAL REGENERATIOX. 
 
 endeavoured, however feebly, to combat ?* Is not 
 that the Monster which hath for so many centuries 
 brooded over the Church of Rome, hilling her 
 members to sleep with the siren cry of " Peace, 
 Peace ! " whefi there teas no peace ? Is not that 
 It which would fain brood in like manner, over 
 the Church of England ? but, it shall not be so ! 
 the monster shall be dragged before the light of 
 day, and exposed before her members in aU its 
 hideous deformity, till they shall loathe its very 
 name. Her faithful ministers shall, ere long, one 
 and all, rise up against it, and either drive it 
 headlong from her borders, or perish in the 
 attempt ! 
 
 When God first made man, he formed him 
 upright, in his own image, and placed him in the 
 garden of Eden, providing him with every thing 
 that was needful for him — every thing that was 
 pleasant to the sight and good for food, and com- 
 manded him, saying, " Of every tree of the garden 
 thou mayest freely eat ; but of the tree of the 
 knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of 
 it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou 
 shalt surely die." Such was the command of God, 
 
 * See, " Baptismal Regeneration, as taught in the Liturgy and 
 other Services of the Church of England." 
 
59 
 
 and such his threat. Adam believed the word, 
 and being upright in himself, had no desire either 
 to transgress the Divine command, or to risk the 
 penalty. But Satan envied him his position, and 
 would fain mar the fair work of God. And how 
 did he accomplish his purpose ? — By a lie ! He 
 said unto the woman, " Ye shall not surely 
 DIE : fo7' God doth know that in the day ye eat 
 thereof, then your eyes shall he opened, and ye 
 shall he as gods, knowing good and evil. And 
 when the woman saw that the tree was good for 
 food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a 
 tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of 
 the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto 
 her husband with her, and he did eat." Thus 
 Satan, by one lie, marred the work of Creation ; 
 and now, by another lie, he would fain mar the 
 work of Redemption, and bind men in the chains 
 of darkness for ever ! 
 
 Jesus, tiie eternal Son of God, beholding our 
 lost condition, came down from heaven on the 
 wings of love, to restore us to that image and 
 favour of God which w^e had lost. He died, that 
 that we micrht live. But what said he to man ? — 
 
 o 
 
 " Ye must he horn again.^^ * Except ye he converted, 
 * John iii. 7. 
 
60 BAPTISMAL REGENERATION, 
 
 and become as little children, ye shall not enter into 
 the kingdom of heamn^^* Such was the language 
 of the Saviour. But what saith Satan ? Does he 
 say, " Ye must not be born again ? " O no ! he is 
 too subtle to attempt to deceive mankind a second 
 time by an open and barefaced lie. He no longer 
 appears among us in the form of a serpent, he now 
 assumes the character of an angel of light. He 
 quotes the very words of Scripture : — he says, 
 " Ye must he lorn again.'^ Ye are all by nature 
 born in sin, and children of wrath, therefore. Ye 
 must he horn again.''"' Thus, by speaking the 
 truth, he gains our confidence, — we come to him 
 for instruction, — we become alarmed at his words, 
 — we are ready to cry out, " What must we do to 
 be saved ? " Then, the subtle deceiver turns 
 round, and says, " Oh, be not alarmed ; it is true 
 your state by nature is most sad, but you have 
 nothing to fear. Ye are all in a state of grace — ye 
 are all Christians — ye have already undergone that 
 great change — ye have all been regenerated at 
 your Baptism, though ye are wholly unconscious 
 of it yourselves — ye were then made members of 
 Christ, children of God, and heirs of the kingdom 
 of heaven, — therefore, listen no longer to those 
 
 * Matthew xviii. 3. 
 
Satan's second lie. 61 
 
 enthusiasts who would disturb your peace, by 
 telling you that you need any further change ! 1, 
 your wisest, your best friend, tell you it is false.^' 
 Thus Satan, by this second lie, binds men in the 
 chains of darkness, quiets their consciences, and 
 leads them captive at his will, crpng, peace, peace, 
 till in the very gulph of hell, their eyes are 
 opened, when it is too late, to see their error. Oh, 
 that God, in his infinite mercy, may open your 
 eyes, and the eyes of all the unconverted who may 
 read this tract, to see the truth of what I have 
 herein written ; that so ye may be led to Jesus, as 
 little children, for \}ci.Q pardon of your sins and the 
 conversion of your souls ; for, without that great, 
 that vital change — a change as manifest as that the 
 sun shines at noon-day, — whatever all the Prophets 
 on earth, or all the Devils in hell may say to the 
 contrary, — " ye shall never enter into the king- 
 dom of heaven,'^ for the mouth of the Lord hath 
 spoken it! 
 
 At page 7, you quote the following passage from 
 my letter to the Bishop : " Your Lordship will, no 
 doubt, remember what had been the conduct of 
 many of the J'oung persons who were assembled to 
 receive confirmation at your hands in the Parish 
 Church of Melcombe Regis, on the day alluded 
 to ; — that it was such, at one time, that your 
 
 G 
 
62 BAPTISMAL RECENERATION, 
 
 Lordship was unable to proceed with the service, 
 until you had called upon the Clere^y to go among 
 them and keep them quiet." In reference to this 
 passage, you say, " Now there was undoubtedly a 
 most unseemly, and, I am thankful to add, a most 
 unusual confusion in the galleries of the Church, 
 but neither the Bishoj) nor I observed the slightest 
 misconduct on the part of the candidates for confir- 
 mation." I beg to assure you, Sir, that I am quite 
 satisfied as to the correctness of your statement ; 
 nevertheless, when I remind you that the message 
 w^hich came to our pew, Tas understood by myself 
 and another clergyman who was present,) was to this 
 purport ; " that the Bishop requests the clergy will 
 go out among the yoimgj^eoplc, and keep them quiet 
 or he cannot go on with the service :" — when I 
 further remind you that only three of the Clergy 
 went up to the galleries, while the remaindei^ 
 ranged themselves by the pews of the candidates, 
 below, — and when I inform you that one young 
 man from my Parish declared, immediately on 
 coming home, that " the conduct of the young 
 men around him was such, that he had a great 
 mind to leave the Church, ' and that his testimony 
 has been confirmed by that of several others, — 
 I think, Sir, when you take all these facts into 
 consideration, you will not be much surprised at 
 
Satan's second lie. 63 
 
 my having supposed that the yowig people alluded 
 to by the Bishop were the candidates. 
 
 In your last page, you say, ^' I will now only 
 add, that I trust I have not evidenced any unbe- 
 coming tone in this letter to you, for I would 
 especially guard myself against the temptation of 
 retorting upon a brother clergyman, the tone and 
 manner in which he has conducted, on this and 
 former occasions, a correspondence with one whose 
 consideration for others, certainly does not provoke 
 any breach of that feeling which should exist 
 between ministers of the same Church — and espe- 
 cially between us and those who are set over us in 
 the Lord." I have no desire to complain of either 
 the tone or manner in which your letter is written; 
 though perhaps, if strictly scrutinized, it might 
 not be found altogether so free from objection, 
 even on that score, as you seem to imagine. I do 
 think, however, that you might have spared your- 
 self the trouble of reminding me a second time of 
 my transgressions. I have, in the early part of 
 this letter, apologized for any thing which might 
 be considered personally oiFensive in my '* Letter 
 of remonstrance to the Bishop ; " and, with 
 respect to my former correspondence with his 
 Lordship, if there was any thing personally 
 
64 BAPTISMAL HEGEXEUAIION, ET(\ 
 
 offensive in that, I have long since apologized for 
 it, both publicly,* and privately. 
 
 In conclusion, permit me. Reverend Sir, to 
 assure you that, if you should discover any thing 
 personally offensive to yourself in this letter, it is 
 not intended. I war not with perso7is, but with 
 principles : though, you must, no doubt, be well 
 aware how difficult it is at all times, to separate 
 them. Trusting, however, that whatever differen- 
 ces of opinion may exist between us, or whatever 
 imperfections may have been manifested in our 
 mode of conducting this controversy, it may, 
 nevertheless, be graciously overruled for good, 
 
 I beg leave to subscribe myself. 
 
 Your faithful and obedient Servant, 
 
 OCTAVIUS PIERS. 
 
 Preston, near Weymouth, 
 May 2nd, 1844. 
 
 * See, " Vindication of Five Letters on Confirmation, addressed 
 to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Salisbury, in a letter to 
 a friend." 
 
BAPTISMAL REGENEUATION, 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF'' ENGLAND. 
 
 A DIALOGUE 
 
 Behceen a Clergyman and one of his Parishioners. 
 
DIALOGUE 
 
 Clergyman. — Well John, I am glad to see you 
 come back, and trust that you have benefited by 
 your excursion, in a spiritual, as well as in a tem- 
 poral point of view. 
 
 Parishioner. — I trust I have, Sir ; at least, I 
 have done what I could, and I have had many 
 advantages ; but I have been much perplexed in 
 my mind, for wherever I go, I hear the Clergy 
 disputing on the subject Qi Baptismal-regeneration; 
 some positively asserting that it is the doctrine of 
 the Church of England, while others as positively 
 assert, that it is not. Now, Sir, as I am not a 
 learned man, I shall feel obliged by your telling 
 me which is correct, and by your explaining it to 
 me in such a way, that I may be able to compre- 
 hend it. 
 
 C. — My friend, if much learning were necessary 
 for the comprehension of the subject, I would be 
 the last person to whom you should apply for in- 
 struction. But, as I believe it requires only a little 
 
68 A mALOGUE. 
 
 plain common sense, I shall l)o most happy to 
 afford you any assistance in my power, in order to 
 extricate you from your difficulty. And, in order 
 to this, I would say, in the first place, that by the 
 term Regeneration, we understand that great and 
 important change, of which Our Lord spake to 
 Nicodemus, as recorded in the third chapter of St. 
 John's Gospel ; and without which, he says, *' No 
 man can enter into the kingdom of heaven." 
 
 P. — yes. Sir, I know what Regeneration 
 means ; but my difficulty is with respect to Bap- 
 tismal-regeneration. 
 
 C. — Well, by Baptismal-regeneration is meant 
 precisely the same change, supposed to take place 
 in Baptism. 
 
 P. — Yes Sir ; but as there are differences of 
 opinion as to the nature of that change, and the 
 time when it is supposed to take place, I should 
 wish to ascertain, if possible, what our Church 
 teaches respecting it. 
 
 C. — That there are differences of opinion on the 
 subject is most true, John, but that our Church 
 inculcates the doctrine of Spiritual regeneration in 
 Baptism, appears to me so clear, that I cannot 
 conceive how any person, who has attentively ex- 
 amined her Services, can have a moment's doubt 
 on the point. 
 
A DIALOGUE. 6\) 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, I shall feel obliged if you will 
 have the goodness to shew me how it is, for I have 
 read and heard so much on the subject of late, that 
 my mind is quite bewildered with it. 
 
 C. — Truly, John, I am not surprised at that, for 
 much that has been said and written on the sub- 
 ject, appears to have been said or written, rather 
 for the purpose of perplexing, than of throwing 
 light on it. 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, what would you advise me to do? 
 
 C. — W^hy, John, if you really wish to know 
 what our Church teaches us on the subject, I 
 would advise you to lay aside all those books 
 which you have been reading, and simply to 
 examine her Services for yourself. And first, I 
 would begin with the Service for the " Public 
 Baptism of Infants in the Church." There, you 
 will perceive that the Minister, in the opening 
 address to the Sponsors, beseeches them that, 
 '•' Forasmuch as all men are conceived and born in 
 sin, and that as our Saviour, Christ, saith, none 
 can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be 
 regenerate and born anew of water and the Holy 
 Ghost, they would call upon God the Father, 
 through Our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his bounte- 
 ous mercy he would grant to the child, that thing 
 which by nature he could not have ; that he might 
 
70 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost, and be 
 received into Christ's holy Church, and be made a 
 lively member of the same.""' Thus, you perceive 
 that what the Minister here exhorts the Sponsors 
 to pray for, is, " that the Infant might be baptized 
 with water and the Holy Ghost, and be made a 
 lively 7nember of Christ's holy Church,^' which 
 assuredly means spiritual regeneration, if it means 
 anything. 
 
 P. — I think, Sir, that is quite clear. 
 
 C. — Now then, if you will examine the prayers 
 which are immediately after offered up, both by 
 the Minister and Sponsors, you will perceive that 
 they are exactly to the same purport, namely, that 
 " Almighty God, who of his great mercy did save 
 Noah and his family in the ark from perishing by 
 water, and who, by the baptism of his well-beloved 
 Son Jesus Christ in the river Jordan, did sanctify 
 water to the mystical washing away of sin, would 
 of his infinite mercy look upon the child," that he 
 would " wash him and sa7ictify him ivith the Holy 
 Ghost, that he (the child) being delivered from his 
 (God's wrath,) might be received into the ark of 
 Chrisfs Church, * * * and finally, come to the 
 land of everlasting life, there to reig?i with Him, 
 world without end, through Jesus Christ our Lord.'' 
 And in the next prayer, they call upon God, in 
 
A DIALOGUE. 71 
 
 behalf of the infant, " that he (the infant) coming 
 to his (God's) holy baptism, might receive r^emission 
 of his sins, hy spiritual regeneration, and come to 
 the eternal kingdom which he had promised hy 
 Christ our Lord^ 
 
 The Minister, you will see, next reads a portion 
 of Scripture taken from the tenth chapter of St. 
 Mark's Gospel, in which our Lord is represented 
 as commanding his disciples to " Suffer little chil- 
 dren to come unto Him, and to forbid them not, 
 for that of such was the kingdom of God ; and how 
 he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon 
 them, and blessed them." 
 
 The Minister then exhorts the Sponsors, on the 
 ground of that passage, — " not to doubt, but 
 earnestly to believe, that Christ would favourably 
 receive the infant; that He would embrace him 
 ivith the arms of His mercy ; that He would give 
 him the blessing of eternal life, and make him 
 partaker of His heavenly kingdom. And then, 
 having knelt down, and united in thanksgiving to 
 "Almighty God, that He had vouchsafed to call 
 them to the knowledge of His grace, and faith in 
 Him ; they pray, in behalf of the infant, that 
 " God vmuld give to him His Holy Spirit,'' to the 
 end, "' that he might he horn again, and be made an 
 heir of everlasting salvation, through our Lord 
 Jesus Christ'"' 
 
72 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 The Minister then reminds the Sponsors " that 
 they had brought the child there to be baptized ; 
 that they had prayed that our Lord Jesus Christ 
 would vouchsafe to receive him, to release him from 
 his sins, to sanctify him with the Hohj Ghost, to 
 give him the kingdom of heaven and everlasting 
 life.''^ He further reminds them, " that our Lord 
 Jesus Christ had promised in his Gospel to grant 
 all these things that they had prayed for : which 
 promise. He, for his part, would most surely keep 
 and perform ;" and that, in consequence of such 
 promise, " the infant must also, faithfully, for his 
 part, promise by them who were his sureties, (un- 
 til he came of age to take it upon himself,) that he 
 would renounce the devil and all his works, and 
 constantly believe God's holy word, and obediently 
 keep His commandments." The Sponsors, then, 
 having gone through the form of engagements to 
 that purport, in the name of the child, the Minister 
 offers up certain prayers in his behalf, that he 
 might have power and strength to perform the 
 same : and in the prayer immediately before the 
 administration of the Sacrament, he repeats these 
 words, — " Regard, we beseech thee, the supplica- 
 tions of thy congregation ; sanctify this water to 
 the mystical washing away of sin ; and grant that 
 this child, now to be Baptized therein, may receive 
 
A DIALOGUE. 73 
 
 the fullness of thy grace, and ever remain in the 
 numher of thy faithful and elect cliildren, through 
 Jesus Christ our LordP 
 
 Now, I think nothing can be more clear, than 
 that the purport of these prayers in behalf of the 
 child about to be Baptized is, ^^ that it might he 
 regenerate, or horn aneiv of ivater and of the Spirit, 
 and made an heir of everlasting salvation, through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ ;^^ in other words, that it 
 might he spiritually regenerated. 
 
 P. — I think not. Sir; but does our Church 
 teach, that all who are thus Baptized, are so 
 regenerated t 
 
 C. — Yes, John. 
 
 P. — But Sir, I think I heard some of the Clergy 
 say that it did not necessarily follow^ but that it 
 depended on the ivay in which the child was 
 brought up, and on its fulfilment of the promises 
 made for it in the Sacrament. 
 
 C. — I have heard something of the kind myself, 
 John ; but how can that which is future, alter that 
 w^hich is past / in other words, how can the future 
 conduct of the child, or the way in which the child 
 is brought up in after years, alter the fact, as tu 
 whether the child was or teas not regenerated in 
 baptism ? 
 
 P. — I cannot say. Sir. 
 
 H 
 
74 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 C. — Suppose, John, your little boy were to die, 
 and you were to send for some quack doctor, who 
 professed to be able to restore him to life, and he 
 were to come and rub into him some famous oint- 
 ment, and wrap him up in bed, and tell you that 
 he was then alive, but that you must still continue 
 to use the ointment and keep him warm ; would 
 your future using of the ointment, or keeping him 
 warm, alter the fact as to whether he were then 
 alive or not ? 
 
 P. — I suppose. Sir, it would depend on the 
 proper use of the means appointed. 
 
 C. — No, John, you do not understand me. The 
 proper use of the means, might either prolong the 
 life of your child if he had received it, or it might 
 restore him to life if he had not received it ; but 
 surely, neither the use, or the neglect of the means 
 proposed, could in any way alter the fact, as to 
 whether the child had been previously restored to 
 life or not ? 
 
 P. — Oh no. Sir, certainly not. 
 
 C. — So, neither can the use, or the neglect of 
 the means, or the future fulfilment, or non-fulfil- 
 ment of promises made in behalf of the child, 
 previous to baptism, alter the fact, as to whether it 
 had, or had not been regenerated in Baptism. 
 
 P. — No, Sir, I see that now very clearly ; but I 
 
A DIALOGUE. 75 
 
 think others of the Clergy said, that it depended 
 on the faith of the Sponsors. 
 
 C. — True, John, I have heard that likewise ; 
 but as our Church says nothing of the kind, we 
 will proceed with our subject. I think your ques- 
 tion was, " whether our Church taught, that all 
 who were Baptized according to the due order 
 prescribed in the Service were regenerated. 
 
 P. — Yes, Sir ; and you answered in the affirma- 
 tive. I shall therefore, feel obliged by your show- 
 ing me how that is ; for I lately heard the Rev. 
 
 Mr. (of whom I know you have a very high 
 
 opinion,) say that, " he dared not give countenance 
 to the very erroneous notion that our Chuch Ser- 
 vices taught so pernicious a doctrine." Nay, Sir, 
 he added emphatically, " I conterid they do notP 
 
 C. — John, there are few men of whom I have a 
 
 higher opinion than of your friend, Mr. , 
 
 nevertheless, I think he is mistaken on that point ; 
 but, if he, or any other person, will shew me my 
 error, I shall be happy to renounce it. In the 
 mean time, we will see what our Church herself 
 says on the subject. If, therefore, you will take 
 up your Prayer Book once more, and look at the 
 Service for the " Public Baptism of Infants," 
 you will see, that, immediately after the child has 
 been Baptized, and publicly received into the 
 
76 
 
 A DIALOGrE. 
 
 Church, the Minister addresses the Sponsors in 
 these words : " Seeing now, dearly beloved breth- 
 ren, that this child is regenerate, and grafted into 
 the body of Christ's Church, let us give thanks to 
 Almighty God for these benefits, and with one 
 accord, make our prayers to Him, that he (the 
 child) may lead the rest of his life according to this 
 beginning." Here you see, the Minister calls 
 upon the Sponsors to unite with him in giving 
 thanks to Almighty God, in that the child actually 
 was ^^ regenerate and grafted into the body of 
 Chris fs Churchy And then, in accordance with 
 that request, having first repeated the Lord's 
 Prayer, they unite together in saying, " We. 
 yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, 
 that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant 
 with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own 
 child by adoption, and to incorporate him iyito thy 
 holy Church. And humbly we beseech thee to 
 grant, that he being dead unto sin, and living unto 
 righteousness, and behig buried with Christ in his 
 death, may crucify the old man, and utterly 
 abolish the whole body of sin ; and that as he is 
 made a partaker of the death of thy Son, he may 
 also be partaker of his resurrection ; so that, 
 finally, with the residue of thy holy Church, he 
 may be an inheritor of thine everlasting kingdom, 
 through Christ our Lord." 
 
A DIALOGUE. 77 
 
 Here you see, in exact accordance with the re- 
 quest before mentioned, the ^Minister and Sponsors 
 unite tosrether in offerinsr their hearty thanks to 
 Almighty God, in that it had j^^^ased him to rege- 
 nerate the Infant icith his Holy Spirit, to receive 
 him for his own child by adoption, and to incor- 
 porate him into His holy Church. And they 
 further beseech him to grant, that he (the child) 
 being noio dead unto sin, and living unto righteous- 
 ness, and being buried tcith Christ in his death, 
 might crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the 
 whole body of sin ; and that, inasmuch as he teas 
 made a partaker of the death of his Son, so, he 
 might also be made a partaker of his resurrection ; 
 and, finally, with the residue of his holy Church, 
 be an inheritor of his everlasting kingdom." Sure- 
 ly, if these words do not imply that the child had 
 been regenerated, or born anew of the Spirit of 
 God, which is spiritual regeneration, it is impossi- 
 ble for words to convey that idea. 
 
 P. — I think. Sir, nothing can be more evident, 
 than that the doctrine of spiritual regeneration in 
 Baptism, is taught in that service ; but, is it 
 likewise inculcated in the other Ser\ices of our 
 Church? 
 
 C. — Yes, John, in all of them. 
 
 P. — Sir, I do not remember ever to have noticed 
 
78 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 any thing of the kind in our beautiful and scriptu- 
 ral Liturgy. 
 
 C. — I quite agree with you, John, in calling our 
 Liturgy both scriptural and beautiful : perhaps, a 
 more sublime or scriptural Service never proceeded 
 from the pen of uninspired man. But for whom 
 was that Service provided ? 
 
 P. — For the members of our Church, Sir, I 
 suppose. 
 
 C. — Yes, John, you are quite right ; but, what 
 description of persons does the Service suppose 
 them to be ? 
 
 P. — Of course. Sir, from the whole tenour of the 
 Service, it supposes them to be true believers, or 
 spiritually-minded persons. 
 
 C. — And on what ground does it suppose them 
 to be true believers ? 
 
 P. — I suppose. Sir, on the ground that they 
 profess to be so. 
 
 C. — No, John, for some members of our Church 
 boast that they make no profession. 
 
 P. — On what ground, then. Sir, is it ? 
 
 C. — Simply, on the ground that, as all the mem- 
 bers of our Church have been Baptized, so, it 
 supposes that all have been regenerated ; and con- 
 sequetitly, that all are true believers. 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, that certainly appears to be im- 
 
A DIALOOrE. 79 
 
 plied throughout the whole of the Litui'gy ; but, 
 do any of the Services of our Church, besides the 
 Baptismal Service, teach that doctrine directly 9 
 
 C. — Yes, John ; did you never learn the Cate- 
 chism ? * 
 
 P. — O yes. Sir, when I was a boy. Parson • 
 
 was very particular to make us say our Catechism 
 every Sunday. 
 
 C. — "Well, do you remember the first question 
 he generally put to you ? 
 
 P. — Yes, Sir ; the first question he always asked 
 me, was " What was my name ? ' ' 
 
 C. — And what reply did you give to that ques- 
 tion ? 
 
 P. — Why, " Jolin^' to be sure. Sir. 
 
 C. — And what was the second Cj^uestion he put 
 to you ? 
 
 P. — The second question, Sir, was, " Who gave 
 me that name ? 
 
 C. — And what reply did you give to that, John? 
 
 P. — The answer to the second question. Sir, is, 
 " My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism; 
 wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child 
 of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." 
 
 * It may be objected that the Catechism is not properly a 
 Service, but that is immaterial. 
 
80 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 C. — And so^ Johrij you learned in your Cate- 
 chism, upwards of thirty years ago, that, " in your 
 Baptism, you were made a member of Christ, a 
 child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of 
 heaven ;''^ and yet, you now ask me, whether any 
 of the Services of the Church, besides the Baptis- 
 mal, teach the doctrine of Baptismal-regeneration 
 directly ? 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, as often as I have repeated those 
 words, I never thought of their meaning till this 
 moment. 
 
 C. — So it seems, John. Were you ever Con- 
 firmed ? 
 
 P. — yes, Sir ; Parson brought us all to 
 
 the Bishop to be Confirmed, as soon as we were 
 turned of fifteen, and could say our Catechism, &c. 
 
 C. — Well, do you remember the first prayer that 
 the Bishop offered u]3 for you on that occasion ? 
 
 P. — No, Sir ; I remember it was a very fine 
 prayer, but I do not remember the exact words. 
 
 C. — Well, John, if you will look to the Service 
 for Confirmation, you will find it was to this pur- 
 port. — "Almighty and everlasting God, who hast 
 vouchsafed to regenerate these thy servants by 
 
 W^ATER AND THE HOLY GHOST, and hast givcu UUto 
 
 them forgiveness of all their sins ; strengthen them 
 we beseech thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost, 
 
A DIALOGUE. 81 
 
 the Comforter, &c." Here you see, the Bishop 
 earnestly besought God, in behalf of yourself, and 
 all who were confirmed with you, " that He would 
 strengthen you with the Holy Ghost, the Com- 
 forter ; and that, on the express ground, that he 
 had already vouchsafed to regenerate you hy water 
 and the Holy Ghost, and had given unto you the 
 forgiveness of all your sins." Now, does not 
 this teach the doctrine of Baptismal-regeneration 
 directly ? 
 
 P. — It certainly looks very like it, Sir. 
 
 C. — Well, John, I never met any one more 
 difficult to convince than you are. 
 
 P. — Why, Sir, the truth is, I have so often 
 heard these things explained in a different way by 
 others, and yet they appeared quite plain at the 
 time, that I scarely know what to think. 
 
 C.^But, John, you should remember that I have 
 scarcely attempted any explanation, but only re- 
 ferred you to the Services themselves. However, 
 I will make one more attempt, and if that does not 
 convince you, I fear nothing will. I know you 
 are a great admirer of our magnificent Burial 
 Service ? 
 
 P. — Yes, Sir, I have often thought it was one of 
 the most beautiful Services in our Prayer Book. 
 
 C. — So I think it is, John, when properly 
 
82 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 applied. Do you remember the words used by 
 the Minister on committing the body to the 
 ground ? 
 
 P. — Yes, Sir, here they are. 
 
 C. — Will you read them, John ? 
 
 P. — " Forasmuch, as it hath pleased Almighty 
 God of his great mercy to take unto himself the 
 soul of our dear brother here departed, we there- 
 fore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, 
 ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain 
 hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 C. — Now, John, can any thing be more expres- 
 sive of confidence, as to the future blessedness of 
 the individual so committed to the ground, than 
 these words ? 
 
 P. — Sir, I think I have heard that the confidence 
 there expressed does not refer to the future state 
 of the individual then committed to the ground, 
 but to the general resurrection. 
 
 C. — That the resurrection there spoken of, is the 
 resurrection of the saints, there can be no doubt ; 
 but the confidence in which the body is committed 
 to the ground, is a confidence in the personal inte- 
 rest of the individual in that resurrection ; which 
 confidence is founded on the fact previously stated, 
 namely, " that it had pleased Almighty God of his 
 
A DIALOGUE. 83 
 
 great mercy to take his soul unto himself; " and, 
 " THEREFORE," says the Minister, ^' we commit his 
 body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, 
 dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of the resur- 
 rection fof that body J to eternal life, through our 
 Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 P. — Well, Su-, I see clearly, the confidence 
 there expressed, refers to the individual whose 
 body is being committed to the ground ; but, how 
 does that prove the doctrine of Baptismal-regene- 
 ration 9 
 
 C. — Because the Church pronounces these words 
 simj^ly on the ground that the individual has been 
 Baptized, and consequently, regenerated. 
 
 P. — But, Sir, may not the Church pronounce 
 these words, on the ground that she supposes the 
 individual sincere 9 
 
 C. — No, John ; for it pronounces those words 
 over InfantSy who are incapable of knowing any 
 thing about it. 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, but in such cases, may it not be 
 on the ground that it sup]30ses sincerity in the 
 Sponsors, who answered for it ? 
 
 C. — John, you know that frequently, in cases of 
 private Baptism, there are no Sponsors. 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, may not the Church, in such 
 cases, pronounce these words, on the supposition 
 
84 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 that grace is given to the Infajit previous to Baptism, 
 in answer to the prayers which had been offered 
 up in its behalf ? 
 
 C. — Certainly not, John, for you know we are 
 sometimes called on to Baptize Infants at the last 
 moment, when there is not time to offer up so 
 much as one prayer in its behalf; and, if the child 
 die before it is Baptized, whatever prayers may 
 have been offered up in its behalf, it would not be 
 entitled to Christian Burial; but, if the Baptism 
 takes place, whether with or ivithout prayers, then 
 the child is entitled to be buried, " in the sure and 
 certain hope of eternal life, (^c.'' 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, I see it is impossible to deny, 
 that Spiritual regeneration in Baptism, is the doc- 
 trine of the Church of England, as taught, either 
 directly, or indirectly, in her Services ; but I think 
 
 I lately heard the Bev. Mr. say, that " it was 
 
 not the doctrine of her Articles, which is the 
 authoritative teaching of the Church." 
 
 C. — Well, John, I will not dispute the point 
 
 with your friend Mr. , though Thave my doubts 
 
 on the subject ; but, even admitting that he is 
 right, what would that prove, but that the Services 
 and Articles of our Church are at variance, which 
 would not much mend the matter. 
 
 P. — But, Sir, I think I have heard yourself say. 
 
A DIALOGUE. 85 
 
 that it is a dangerous and unscriptural doctrine^ 
 and calculated to lead men blindfold to ruin. 
 
 C. — Possibly, John, you might have heard me 
 say so, for I do consider it a most dangerous and 
 unscriptural doctrine ; and, it is for that reason I 
 have set my face so decidedly against it. I con- 
 sider it dangei^ouSy as calculated to lead men to rest 
 all their hopes of happiness on a false foundation ; 
 and unscriptural, as being utterly devoid of any 
 authority from the word of God. 
 
 P. — In what way. Sir, is it calculated to lead 
 men to rest their hopes of happiness on a false 
 foundation ? 
 
 C. — By leading them to suppose, that they have 
 already undergone that great change, without 
 which they can never enter into the kingdom of 
 God ; w^hen, in fact, they do not so much as know 
 what that change is. 
 
 P. — But surely. Sir, such a doctrine as that, is 
 only calculated to lead a few ignorant persons, like 
 myself, astray ; and you Clergij, who know better, 
 could soon put us right again. 
 
 C. — Oh, John, you are quite mistaken ! it is not 
 a few ignorant people alone, like yourself, who 
 have been led to embrace that doctrine, but hun- 
 dreds and thousands of our Clergy, who are tJierehy 
 lulling the consciences of their people to sleep, by 
 I 
 
86 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 leading them to suppose that all is well, when the 
 Scripture declares, that all is not well. 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, there is something very awful in 
 the idea of both Clergy and people being led 
 astray by this doctrine ; but surely, if it could be 
 proved that the doctrine itself was unscriptural, 
 the heads of our Church would lose no time in 
 having it removed from our Prayer Book. 
 
 C. — It is very natural for you to think so, John, 
 but the fact is, the unscriptural nature of the doc- 
 trine has been proved over and over again, and yet 
 I hear of no eifort being made to remove it. 
 
 P. — Can you in any way account for that, Sir ? 
 
 C. — Perhaps, John, it may in some degree be 
 accounted for from the fact, that the majority of 
 the Clergy themselves have already imbibed the 
 doctrine, concluding that because it is in the Book 
 of Common Prayer, it must he right. Or, perhaps, 
 it may be further accounted for from the fact, that 
 the greatest reproach is cast on all those — more 
 especially of the Clergy — who even hint that there 
 is any thing wrong in our Prayer Book, and hence 
 they naturally shrink from the odium that would 
 be cast upon them, were they to attempt to remove 
 it. 
 
 P. — A\^ell, Sir, that exactly corresponds with 
 what I have lately heard some persons say, " that 
 
A DIALOGUE. 87 
 
 those Clergymen who do not believe every thing 
 that is written in the Book of Common Prayer, 
 ought to leave the Church;" but, do you think 
 that is right ? 
 
 C. — Certainly not, John, for the argument itself 
 goes on the supposition that our Church is founded 
 on the Prayer Book, — the word of man ; not on 
 the Bible, — the word of God ; whereas, these gen- 
 tlemen themselves allow that our Church is a true 
 branch of the Apostolic Church, which Church 
 you know is " founded on the Apostles and Pro- 
 phets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner 
 Stone ; " in other words, that it is founded on the 
 Scriptures, as revealed to us by the Apostles and 
 Prophets, and of which Jesus Christ is the sum and 
 substance ; and therefore, as our Sixth Article says, 
 " Whatsoever is not read therein, nor may he proved 
 thereby, is not required of a^y man that it shoidd 
 he helieved as an article of Faith, ^^ no, not even 
 though it be found in the Book of Common Prayer. 
 So far, therefore, from its being the duty of every 
 Clerg^anan to withdraw from our Church, because 
 he does not believe any doctrine in the Book of 
 Common Prayer, " which is not read in the Word 
 of God, or may he proved therehy^^ it is his duty, 
 especially, according to his Ordination vow, to use 
 " cdl faithful diligence, to hanish and drive it 
 away."" 
 
88 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 P. — Well^ Sir, I now begin to see what I never 
 did before, namely, that " the Bible, and the Bible 
 alone, is the religion of our Church^^ and that the 
 Prayer Book is to be considered as such, only so 
 far as it is consistent with what is written therein. 
 
 C. — That is precisely the case, John; were it 
 otherwise, our Church would be like a weather- 
 cock, liable to continual change, according to the 
 whim of those who have the power to alter our 
 Prayer Book ; so that while we might be required 
 to believe one thing to day, we might be required 
 to believe quite another thing to-morrow ; whereas 
 now, our religion being founded on God's Word, 
 as on a rock, it changes not : and hence our Lord 
 hath said, " the gates of hell shall not prevail 
 against it." 
 
 P. — Then Sir, according to that principle, if the 
 doctrine of Baptismal-regeneration " is not found 
 in the Word of God, nor may be proved thereby," 
 is it not the dutg of the rulers of our Church to 
 have it removed from our Prayer Book ? 
 
 C. — Undoubtedly it is, John. 
 
 P. — Well, Sir, if it would not be trespassing too 
 far on your patience, I should feel obliged by your 
 showing me wherein that doctrine is inconsistent 
 with God's Word ? 
 
 C. — Why, John, it is now getting very late, and 
 
A DIALOGUE. 89 
 
 our conversation has already extended far beyond 
 what I had anticipated; nevertheless, as we may 
 not soon again have an opportunity of conversing 
 together, I shall be happy to point out to you a few 
 of those passages of the Bible, from which you may 
 be enabled to see clearly, that the doctrine of Bap-- 
 tismal-regeneration is iinscriptural, though I could 
 heartily wish that the solving of so important a 
 question had fallen into better hands. 
 
 That Baptismal-regeneration, or the doctrine 
 which represents regeneration as the result of Bap- 
 tism, or as necessarily connected tcith it, is unscrip- 
 tural, is manifest from the following passages. 
 
 First, from those which represent regeneration 
 as invariably connected with faith, as (John i. 12, 
 13,) wherein, speaking of our Lord, he says, ^'As 
 many as received him, to them gave he power to 
 become the sons of God, even to them that helie'oe 
 on his name ; which icere horn, not of blood, nor ol 
 the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but oj 
 God.'"' Also. (1 John v. 1,) ^'Whosoever helievetli 
 that Jesus is the Christ, is horn of God.''' In both 
 which passages, you perceive that Regeneration, 
 or the being born of God, is inseparably connected, 
 not with Baptism, but v^iih. faith. 
 
 Secondly, it is further manifest from those pas- 
 sages which represent faith, and consequently 
 
90 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 regeneration, as pre-requisites to Baptism; as 
 (Acts ii. 41,) " Then they that gladly received the 
 word were Baptized." Here you see, that of all 
 the multitudes who were present with the disciples 
 on the day of Pentecost, it was those, and those 
 'only, who gladly received, or believed Peter's word, 
 testifying of Jesus, who were baptized. Again, 
 (Acts viii. 36, 37,) "And as they went on their 
 way,'they came to a certain water ; and the eunuch 
 said, See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be 
 Baptized ? And Philip said. If thou helievest with 
 all thine heart thou may est. And he answered and 
 said, / believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GodP 
 Here we learn, that it was not till after that the 
 eunuch had made a full profession of his faith in 
 Jesus ; in other words, not till after that he had 
 been regenerated, that Philip consented to Baptize 
 him. And in (Acts xvi. 14, 15,) we read, that, 
 "A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, 
 of the city of Thyatira, was Baptized ; but not till 
 after that " the Lord had opened her heart, so that 
 she attended to the things which were spoken of 
 Paul ; (i.e.) not till after that she had been regene- 
 rated. So again, in verse (33,) of the same chapter, 
 we read, that the jailor of Philippi was Baptized; 
 but not till after that he had been brought to a deep 
 concern for his soul, constraining him to cry out. 
 
A DIALOGUE, 91 
 
 " Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?" not till after 
 that Paul had preached to him the faith of Jesus, 
 as the only way of salvation for lost and ruined 
 man ; not till after that he had (doubtless, made a 
 profession of his faith, and) given evidence of a 
 change of heart, and of the sincerity of his love to 
 Jesus, by showing kindness to his disciples, (whom 
 he had just before treated with unwonted cruelty. 
 Acts xvi. 24,) in that " he took them the same hour 
 of the night and washed their stripes." And in the 
 memorable case of Cornelius and his company, 
 recorded in (Acts x,) we learn, that '^ Peter com- 
 manded them to be Baptized in the name of the 
 Lord ; " but, not till after that he had challenged 
 the Jewish Christians who were present, to say 
 "whether any of them could forbid water, or assign 
 any just cause, w^hy they, the heathen company, 
 should not be baptized, seeing they had received 
 the Holy Ghost, or been regenerated hy the Spirit, 
 as well as they." From each of these several cases 
 we learn, that so far from Pegeneration being the 
 result of Baptism, it was, by the Apostles, in- 
 variably required as a previous qualification for 
 Baptism ; and, if any further proof were needed, 
 we have it in the case of Simon Magus, recorded 
 (Acts viii.) who, though he was Baptized by Phihp, 
 on a profession of faith, nevertheless, inasmuch as 
 
92 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 that was either r false or a mistaken profession, his 
 Baptism profited him nothing ; for he was still " in 
 the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.^' 
 And do not thousands and tens of thousands of our 
 fellow countrymen around us testify, by their lives 
 and conversation, that their Baptism has profited 
 them nothing, that they are still in the unregeneracy 
 of their nature; and that '' miles s they are born 
 again, a?td become neio creatures in Christ Jesus, 
 they loill never enter into the kingdom of God '? " 
 
 P. — Truly, Sir, I feel thankful for the trouble 
 you have taken in explaining all this to me ; I now 
 see clearly, that the doctrine of Baptismal-repene- 
 ration has no foundation in Scripture, and my own 
 heart can testify that it has no foundation in reason, 
 for although I was baptized in my infancy, and 
 brought up by pious parents, I have lived for 
 many years in unregeneracy and sin, without God 
 and without hope in the world ; and it is only very 
 lately I have been enabled to say, that " by the 
 grace of God, I am what I am." And now, Sir. 
 before we part, allow me to ask you one question 
 more. As faith was considered by the Apostles as 
 a pre-requisite to the Baptism of Adults, should 
 Infants, who are incapable of faith, be excluded 
 from that Ordinance ? 
 
 C. — By no means, John. Let " the Baptism of 
 
A DIALOGUE. 93 
 
 young children be in any wise retained, as most 
 agreeable to the institution of Christ;" (Art. xxvii.) 
 only let it occupy its proper place, as the door of 
 admission into the visible Church, and to the bles- 
 sings connected with it. But, while we dedicate 
 our childi'en to the Lord in Baptism; while we 
 earnestly " beseech Almighty God of his infinite 
 mercies, that he would mercifully look upon them, 
 that he would " (in his own good time and way,) 
 " wash them and sanctify them with the Holy 
 Ghost, that they, being delivered from his wrath, 
 might be received into the Ark of Christ's 
 Church : " while, I say, we earnestly beseech 
 Almighty God for these great blessings, let us no 
 longer continue to mock him, by thanking him for 
 having granted our petitions, before we have any 
 evidence, or good reason to expect, that he has done 
 so. 
 
 P. — But surely, Sir, if we pray for these bles- 
 sings, we have a right to expect them, according to 
 that gracious promise recorded by St. Matthew, 
 (xxi. 22,) " All things whatsoever ye shall ask in 
 prayer believing, ye shall receive." 
 
 C. — True, John, that is a very gracious promise, 
 and contains many and great blessings. But the 
 general promises of God to his people, are not to 
 be understood in an unlimited sense. 
 
94 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 In the first place, the *^ all things " there pro- 
 mised, are to be limited not merely to prayer, but 
 to believing prayer. It is not, "All things whatso- 
 ever ye shall ask in prayer ; " but, "All things 
 whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye 
 shall receive." Before, therefore, we thank God 
 for having granted our petitions, we ought to be 
 sure that the prayer we offered up, was indeed the 
 prayer oi faith ; lest we be found offering unto 
 Him, " the sacrifice of fools ."" 
 
 Secondly, the " all things " there promised, are 
 to be limited to such things as are consistent with 
 the will and purposes of God, as revealed to us in 
 his Word. For instance, God hath said, " The 
 wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations 
 that forget God." Now, if we were to pray, that 
 " the wicked, and all the nations that forget God, 
 might not be turned into hell," such a prayer, in- 
 stead of being the prayer of faith, would be 
 manifestly, the prayer of presumption ; and conse- 
 quently, would not be answered ! 
 
 P. — But Sir, would there be any presumption in 
 praying that they might be converted, and turned 
 unto the Lord ? 
 
 C. — Certainly not, John ; but when they became 
 so converted, and turned unto the Lord, they 
 would no longer be reckoned among " the wicked 
 and those who forget Him." 
 
A DIALOGUE. 95 
 
 Again, Our Lord hath commanded his disciples 
 to " go into all the world, and preach the Gospel 
 to every creature/' promising that "those who 
 believed and were Baptized should be saved, but 
 that those who believed not should be damned." 
 Now, here we have a positive command, " to go 
 into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every 
 creature ; " and a positive promise, that " all who 
 believed that Gospel, and were Baptized, in testi- 
 mony of their faith, should be saved." In going 
 forth, therefore, to preach that Gospel, we may 
 confidently ash, and fully expect, a blessing on our 
 labours. But, if we reverse this order of things, 
 and instead of going forth and preaching the 
 Gospel, as God's appointed means for the conver- 
 sion and salvation of lost and ruined man, we go 
 forth and preach the doctrine of Baptism for their 
 regeneration and salvation, and so baptize hundreds 
 and thousands of poor ignorant heathens, who 
 know no better ; can we confidently ask, or reason- 
 ably hope, for a blessing on such a work ? 
 
 P. — Oh no. Sir, certainly not. 
 
 C. — And why not, John ? 
 
 P. — Because, Sir, that would be to expect a 
 blessing at God's hands, contrary to his own will 
 and appointment. 
 
 C. — Exactly so, John. And how can we expect 
 
96 A DIALOGUE. 
 
 that God will hear and answer our prayers, when 
 we ask him to vouchsafe that blessing to the Ordi- 
 nance of Baptism, — the mere outward badge, or 
 " sign of our profession," — which he has so graci- 
 ously promised to the faithful reception of his own 
 Gospel, that Gospel which he has purchased and 
 provided for us at so great a price, even the price of 
 his own dear Son, whom he hath set forth to be a 
 propitiation through faith in his hloocl ; to declare 
 his righteousness for the remission of sins that are 
 past, that he might be just, and the justifier of him 
 which helieveth in Jesus. Surely, to expect the 
 same blessing to accompany the Baptism of uncon- 
 scious Infants, which God hath promised only to 
 the faith of Jesus, seems to imply not only a con- 
 tempt for his appointment, but also a criminal 
 want of discernment as to the fitness of things ; it 
 seems to come little short of " trampling under 
 foot the Son of God, and counting the blood of the 
 Covenant an unholy thing :" or at least, as a thing 
 of comparatively little value. Oh, that our Rulers 
 may have grace to take this subject into their most 
 serious consideration, and wipe this foul stain from 
 our otherwise incomparable Prayer Book ; so shall 
 our Church become a praise in the earth ; and so- 
 shall our enemies no longer triumph over us ! 
 Amen. Farewell ! 
 
THE QUESTION ANSWERED 
 
 A MINISTER'S PLEA 
 
 For remaining in connexion with the Church of England, while 
 openlj- protesting against that wJiich is unscriptural in her practice or 
 her principles. 
 
 In a Letter to a Friend. 
 
 K 
 
100 THE QUESTION ANSWERED. 
 
 It is a matter of no small satisfaction, in entering 
 upon this subject, to find that you agree with me 
 in thinking that I have not only clearly proved, 
 that the doctrine of Baptismal-regeneration is 
 taught in the Liturgy and other Services of the 
 Church of England ; but, that I have also proved 
 that such doctrine is utterly inconsistent with the 
 Word of God. It now, therefore, only remains 
 for me to show on what grounds I justify my con- 
 duct, in still holding my position as a Member and 
 Minister of that Church, while openly avowing 
 such sentiments. 
 
 I am well aware that nothing would be more 
 inconsistent, than for any person to remain a 
 Member and Minister of a Church, while openly 
 professing and teaching doctrines contrary to that 
 Church. But, this is a charge of which, I trust I 
 shall be able to convince you, I am not guilty. I 
 profess myself to be a Member and Minister of 
 the Church of England. Did I believe that 
 Church to be a mere mushroom Church, which 
 sprang up in this country some two or three cen- 
 turies ago, and which was founded upon certain 
 Documents and Services, drawn up at that period 
 by certain pious and learned individuals, — then, 
 however I might value the greater part of those 
 Documents and Services, or however I might 
 
THE QUESTION ANSWERED. 101 
 
 respect the piety and learning of their Compilers, 
 — nevertheless, the moment I discovered that I 
 could no longer hold or teach the doctrines con- 
 tained in them, that moment I should consider 
 myself bound to withdraw from that Church, as 
 being no longer a consistent member of her com- 
 munion. But, believing as I do, that the Church 
 of England is a branch of the true Apostolical 
 Church of Christ — a Church, not founded some 
 two or three centuries ago, upon a fallible structure 
 of man's rearing, but a Church founded eighteen 
 centuries ago, upon the infallible and immutable 
 basis of God's everlasting Word : — believing this, 
 I say, I feel myself perfectly justified in remaining 
 within her communion, while openly protesting 
 against every practice and principle imposed upon 
 her members, contrarxj to that Word. And that I 
 am justified in so doing, I gather from the writings 
 of the Reformers themselves, who recognized the 
 principle, that the Bible, and the Bible alone, was 
 the foundation of the Church ; and, that no man, 
 or set of men, had a right to ordain anything in it 
 contrary to the same. For instance, in the sixth 
 Article we read, ^^ Holy Scripture containeth all 
 things necessary to salvation ; so that, whatsoever 
 is not read therein, nor may he proved thereby, is 
 not to he required of any man, that it should he 
 believed as an article of the Faith.''^ 
 
102 THE QUESTION ANSWERED. 
 
 Again, in the twentieth Article we read, " The 
 Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, 
 and authority in Controversies of Faith : and yet 
 it is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything 
 that is contrary to God's Word ivritten ; neither 
 may it so expound one place of Scripture, that it 
 he repugnant to another. Wherefore, although the 
 Church be a witness and keeper of Holy Writ, 
 yet, as it ought not to decree anything against the 
 same, so besides the same ought it not to enforce 
 anything to be believed for necessity of salvation." 
 And in the twenty-first Article we read, "General 
 Councils may not be gathered together, without 
 the commandment and will of princes. And when 
 they be gathered together, (forasmuch as they be 
 an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed 
 with the Spirit and Word of God,) they may err, 
 and sometimes have erred, even in things pertain- 
 ing unto God. Wherefore, things ordained by 
 them as necessary to salvation, have neither strength 
 nor authority, unless it may he declared that they he 
 taken out of Holy Scripture ;" — i. e. unless it can 
 be honestly declared, or proved, that they be taken 
 out of God's Word. 
 
 Thus we see that the Reformers themselves, 
 who compiled the Liturgy and other Services of 
 the Church of England, fully recognized the 
 
THE QUESTION ANSWERED. 103 
 
 principle, that the Church was founded on the 
 Word of God, and on that only ; and that the 
 Articles, Liturgy, and other Services which they 
 compiled for her use, were to be considered as ex- 
 pressing her sentiments, only so far as they were 
 consistent with that Word, or might he proved 
 thereby. Inasmuch then, as the doctrine of Baptis- 
 mal-regeneration, and the practice of Confirming 
 hundreds and thousands of young persons who 
 give no evidence of a change of heart, are utterly 
 inconsistent with God's Word, and calculated to 
 do inconceivable mischief, by leading men blind- 
 fold to perdition, — I feel myself not only fully 
 justified, but imperatively bound by my Ordination 
 vow, openly and publicly to protest against them. 
 
 Trusting, therefore, my dear Sir, that the above 
 explanation will be sufficient to convince you that 
 I am fully justified in holding my position in the 
 Church of England, while openly protesting 
 against that which is unscriptural in her practices 
 or her principles ; believing them to be not pro- 
 perly her own practices or principles, but practices 
 and principles imposed upon her by the authority 
 of man, 
 
 I beg to subscribe myself, with much respect, 
 
 very faithfully your's, 
 
 OCTAVIUS PIERS. 
 
-WEYMOUTH: 
 PRIXTID BY BEX30>r AND J!ARLI>'0.