SERMON LXX.

ON BAPTISM.

"Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can not enter into the kingdom of God."-ST. JOHN, ini : 5.

BAPTISM being the first of all the sacraments, the most necessary of all, and, as the holy fathers call it, the door of all the others, since we can not participate in them until we have received it, it is on this sacrament that we will first fix our attention. We received this sacrament as soon as we entered into life; but how many are there among us who know not the excellence of the grace which was conferred upon them at their Baptism? This ignorance is the cause of most of the evils and disorders which prevail in the world. Thus, the Roman Catechism tells us that this is a matter of such importance and necessity, that pastors of souls can not too often explain it to their flocks. I will therefore endeavor to give you to-day as perfect a knowledge as I can of all that concerns Baptism, the first and the most necessary of all the sacraments.

Baptism is a sacrament instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, to efface original sin, to make us Christians, children of God and of the Church. The Apostle St. Paul calls Baptism a sacrament of regeneration, wherein the Holy Ghost imparts to us a new birth. When was it that our divine Saviour instituted Baptism? It was three years before His death, when He received the Baptism of John in the waters of the Jordan, which He sanctified, and to which He imparted the virtue of regenerating souls.

Baptism is the first of the sacraments, in the sense that it must be received before the others, that it introduces us into the Church of Jesus Christ, and that it is the door of the spiritual life. No one, not even a newly-born infant, can be admitted into heaven unless the holy waters of Baptism have purified his soul from all its stains. Why so? Because, as descendants of Adam, heirs of

his prevarication, dead to grace, in consequence of original sin, we were born children of wrath, the gates of heaven being closed against us. Now we can pass from this state of sin to the state of grace, which Jesus Christ has merited for us, only by receiving the sacrament of regeneration; for our Saviour has said: “ Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can not enter the kingdom of God." Those therefore who have not the happiness of being clothed with Jesus Christ, and of being incorporated with Him in Baptism, can never have part in eternal beatitude, and against them the gates of heaven remain shut.

But, if a man can not receive the Sacrament of Baptism, can the want of it be in no way supplied? Yes, my Brethren, the goodness of God is willing that ordinary Baptism may be supplied by martyrdom, which is, for this reason, called the "Baptism of blood," or by perfect contrition, with the desire of being baptized, which is called "the Baptism of desire." A Jew falls sick,-he can neither speak, nor move, nor make known what passes in his soul. Nevertheless, he seeks the Lord in the sincerity of his heart; he already desires to enter into the Church of Jesus Christ,—he repents of his sins,—has a true sorrow for them, a perfect contrition; but he dies without having received the Sacrament of Baptism; will he be saved? Yes, for he goes into the presence of God with the Baptism of desire, which has purified his soul, and rendered it holy and spotless. In the early ages of Christianity, which were also days of persecution, pagans were to be seen, who, struck with the faith, the firmness, and the heroic patience of the holy martyrs, cried out: "We are Christians," and immediately delivered themselves up to death. They died, children of God,-they were baptized in their own blood,-they ascended into heaven,— and received from the hands of Jesus Christ the palm of victory. Such was also the glorious fate of the infants whom Herod caused to be massacred through hatred of the Saviour of the world: their blood was shed for Jesus Christ, and the Church honors them as the flower of martyrs. But now-a-days, my Brethren, when the sword of persecution can no longer strike down the disciples of the Saviour of mankind, it is in the Sacrament of Baptism, properly so called, that our souls must be first cleansed and purified. And, with regard to your children, Christian parents, remember, that by

the extreme tenderness of their age, they are incapable of conceiv ing the thought of salvation,-the desire of attaining heaven, and that they must be regenerated in the holy waters of the sacrament. Delay not, therefore, for it is a sacred and indispensable duty for you to carry your children to the church and to have them solemnly baptized as soon as it can be done without danger to their health. It would be a great sin on your part, to deprive them of the grace of this precious sacrament, when there exists no necessity for delaying it. Beside, life at this tender age is so frail, that it is exposed to numberless perils.

In every sacrament, there are two parts, which necessarily enter into its composition and form its substance; this is what theologians call the matter and the form. They give the name of the matter to the things, or the external and sensible actions which are used in conferring a sacrament, and the name of the form to the words which the minister pronounces while applying the matter. Thus, in Baptism, water is the matter of the sacrament, and the words: "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," are its form.

The matter of Baptism, therefore, is every species of natural water, water from the sea, river, marsh, wells, springs, whatever simply bears the name of water. I beg you, my Brethren, to remark here the infinite goodness of our Lord. Baptism being absolutely necessary for the salvation of all mankind, without any exception, God has chosen as matter for this sacrament, water, which is always and everywhere within the reach of every body. Moreover, water represents most appropriately the effects of Baptism; it washes the stains from the body, and by it, the action of this sacrament upon the soul, which it purifies from its sins, is sensibly expressed; water has the property of cooling the body, so Baptism has the virtue of extinguishing, at least to a great extent, the heat of the passions."

By another trait of His infinite goodness, which wills that "our names should be written in heaven," the Lord, who appoints His priests as the ordinary ministers of Baptism, nevertheless, in case of necessity, permits that this sacrament may be administered, but without ceremony, by all persons, no matter to what religion they may belong. In cases of necessity, Baptism is valid, whether it be

conferred by a Jew, an infidel or a heretic, provided while baptizing, he has the intention of doing what the Catholic Church does, when she administers this sacrament.

There is no one among you who may not sometimes be under the necessity of giving Baptism; it is therefore highly important that you should know the manner of conferring it. I am aware that for the valid administration of this sacrament, one ablution is sufficient; but we must conform to the practice of the Church, which prescribes that the water should be poured on the head of the child three times. It is not enough to let fall a few drops of water, nor is it sufficient to dip the finger or other thing in the water and with this touch the child; the water must be taken in a vase or cup and poured on the head of the person to be baptized, taking care that it touch the body, for it is not sufficient that it touch the hair or the clothes. While you are pouring the water you must pronounce the words of the form. This is the way you must baptize, if ever you are called on to confer this sacrament. You separate the hairs of the head, and while saying: "I baptize thee in the name of the Father," you pour the water in the form of a cross; at the words, "and of the Son," you again pour the water in the form of a cross; and conclude by pouring the water a third time in the same form, while saying, "and of the Holy Ghost." It is upon the head that the water should be poured, because the head is, as it were, the seat where all the interior and exterior senses of man meet; but in case of necessity, the child must be baptized on any member that can be reached, when it can not be done on the head, or any other principal part of the body. Yet, it is doubtful whether this baptism is valid: you should therefore repeat it conditionally. It certainly is null, if one person were to pour the water, while another pronounces the words of the form: it would also be null, if a substantial change be introduced into the form; for example, if the baptizer were to say: "I baptize thee in the name of the Holy Trinity," without expressing the distinction of the three divine persons; for our Lord required that we should pronounce the names of the three persons of the adorable Trinity. It would likewise be null, if the person who gives Baptism has not the intention at least, of doing what the Church does. But, although you should have the misfortune of not believing in the efficacy or divine

institution of the sacraments, although you should have neither the will nor the thought of producing grace, or of conferring a sacrament, nevertheless, you would confer it, provided you had the intention of doing what is regarded in the Church as a sacrament, -and the Baptism which you would thus give is valid.

May God be forever praised! His merciful goodness has distinguished us from many millions of men, and has called us to the grace of Baptism. At its holy font we became Christians, there we acquired the right to call God "our Father;" "but when the goodness and kindness of our Saviour God appeared: not by the works of justice, which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom He hath poured forth upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour: that being justified by His grace, we may be heirs according to the hope of life everlasting."* How many thousands live and die without Baptism, who will never be admitted into heaven! This misfortune the hand of God has averted from our heads, by granting us the grace of Baptism without our having ever done anything to render ourselves worthy of it. We were born children of wrath, and the holy waters of Baptism have made us children of God! Let the remembrance of the mercies of the Lord never depart from our minds all the days of our mortal career, and let our lives he ever pure, holy and Christian like, that we may merit the happiness of celebrating and singing the praises of our Saviour, with the angels and saints in the mansion of bliss.—AMEN.

* Titus, iii: 4, 5, 6, 7.