THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY ON THE GORHAM CASE.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 460, 11 September 1850, Page 3

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY ON THE GORHAM CASE.

In consequence of the late controversy on the subject of the Sacrament of Baptism his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury has deemed it necessary to publish a paper explanatory of his own views, in the form of a preface to a work written by himself thirty-five years since. In this work, references was made to the Divine grace conferred in, or previous to, the administration of the Sacrament, and the following js the recent explanation :—: — " I take this opportunity for the republication of a work wiitten thirty-five ago, to lepeat that which was stated in the original preface, viz., that my attention had been accidentally directed towards that high tone of strictly Calvinistic preaching which soon afterwards led to a partial secession from the church, with whose tenets it was juitly felt to be incompatible. I was then induced to examine the authorities and examples on which alone such a practice could properly be grounded, and, as the rcsuli, to lay before my brethren in the ministry an important subject of contideration iv the light in which it forcibly appaered to my own mind. This must account both for the subject treated and for the controversial air which pervades the book without which this explanation might' justly appear strange in the present day, when Calvinism, properly so called, is the doctrine of few pulpits, and is comparatively seldom made the subject of discussion. Another subject is, however, incidentally introduced, which hag recently become a matter of distressing controversy, and I think it right, therefore, to call attention to what I have written concerning the grace of baptism. It has been my object to show that St. Paul addressed the Christians to whom he writes, upon the the principle that being dedicated to God by baptism they have been bi ought into a state of reconcilment with Him, and had been admitted to privileges which he calls upon them to improve. I have urged the examples of St. Panl and others as to the belief that grace sufficient to salvatiou is denied to none to whom the offer of salvation is made thiough faith in Christ Jesus, and who are brought in covenant with him by the ap-

pointed means of baptism. I have stated that, upon the authorities of those examples niul the undeniable practice of the first ages of Christianity, our church considers baptism as conveying the ?race of regeneration —instructing 1 us to pray before the ordinance that the infant may be born Bgain and made an heir of everlasting salvation, and to return thanks after the administration of the rite—' That it hath pleased God to regenerate tint infant with His holy spirit, and to receive him for his own child by adoption.' At the same time I have acknowledged that there mny be danger in addressing a congregation collectively as regenerate, since that term has neither been accurately defined in scripture nor restricted to one sense in the common language or divines. It is therefore very possible that they should imagine something more to be included in the metaphor than that change of state in which they were placed by baptism, and so be lulled into a false security without examining them, selves as to the important fact whether they have really those marks which accompany the " new creation." However unreasonable reliance on any virtue from the opus operatum must be, it is not sufficient to trust that its absurdity must necessarily preserve men from adopting it. The confidence in the rite of circumcision and other external ordinances amongst the Jews of old, and the abuie of baptism itself in the fourth and fifth centuries, and of that ceremony together with extreme unction by the Romish church, has caused unwarranted notions, which (even we may fear) are too often still associated with holy communion, and are lamentable proofs of the facility with which men run from realiti es 4 to ceremonies, and content themlelves with the shadow of the spiritual substance. These remark! are designed to guard againit an error which I would not willingly appear to countenance. My arguments, in fact, were not mostly concerned with baptism, being directed against the Calvinistic tenent of special and indefectible grace — a tenet which virtually excludes all spiritual benefit from baptism except in the case of those who are selected to final perseverance and salvation. It is scarcely necessary for me to add that I have nowhere insinuated a doubt, which I have never Felt, whether a person may be a consistant minuter of our church who holds a different opinion concerning the grace of baptism from that advocated in this volume, and believes that the grace of spiritual regeneration is separable, and in fact often separated, from the lacrament of baptism. Unquestionably, there is much difficulty, much mystery in the case as regards the baptism of infants ; and in multitudes of those who have been declared to be the children of God we find, as they grow up and are capable of good or evil, no signs of Divine grace^ We find on the contrary, such disobedience to the will of God, such want or" comformity to the character approved by Him, that we cannot believe them to be regarded by Him with favour, or admissible into His kingdom while remaining such as they now appear. To the minds of many this presents no serious embarrassment, they have no difficulty in calculating that through their own wilfulueis, or through tbe neglect of others, they are 'fallen from the grace given,' and have forfeited the privileges they once enjoyed. But other minds are differently affected. They are nssured that with God there is no ' variableness, neither shadow of turning,' that 'known unto Him are all His works from tbe beginning of the world;' and consequently, the future character to be developed in those persons whose lives show no signs of grace, whose hearts give no proef of regeneration, was as well evident at the moment of their baptism as after its manifestation in actual sinfulness. 1? it, then, to be supposed that these were ' received of God,' and alter the possession of Hit favour they are now cut off as unworthy ? It would be so with any earthly father, and any mortal man may find reason to bold thoie in abhorrence whom he has once regarded with esteem and love. But can it be so with an unchangeable God, to whom and in whose eyes they were at first what they afterwards become to the eyes of all mankind ? Here, then, is the difficulty which has more or leis perplexed the church in every age since the baptism of infants has been the general practice, but which many divines have solved by supposiug that the spiritual benefit of baptism, ' a death unto sin, and new birth unto righteousness/ is only received where there has been an antecedent act of grace upon the part of God.' Hooker alludes to this a * seal perhaps of the grace of election before received ' Usher says that ' the sacrament of baptism in infants is effectual to all those, and to those only, who belong to the election of grace.' Bishop Taylor says that 1 baptism in its effects may be seperated, and not always go in conjunction ; the effect may be before, and therefore much rather may have been after, it? susception, tbe saciameut operating in tbe virtue of Chiist, even as the Spirit shall move.' Indeed, at one time this doctrine was authoritatively taught in our church, for it is uniformly laid down in the Decades of BulUnger that 'in baptism that is sealed and confirmed to infants which they had before,' so that • the first beginning of our uniting and fellowship with Christ is not wrought by the sacraments;' and in the year 1586 it was ordered by the Queen and Upper House of Convocation that these Decades of BulUnger should be stated and taken as a model by every minister who had not passed bis Master of Arts' degree. Without concurring in th.osc opinions, I cannot doubt that a minuter of our church nic-iy justly maintain them, sanctioned as they have been by some of her worthiest members, and relating to a subject on which confessedly the scripture does not speak definitively. Tbe scriptures declares tbe general necessity of baptism without determining the actual effect of infant baptism. There is nothing in such an opinion to prevent an honest use of the formularies of the church. All her formularies are formed, and must be formed, upon the charatabie presumption that the infants are regenerated and made by baptism ' children of grace ;' because we presume, and are justified in presuming, the effect to be on them what we know to be on those who being come to age, and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, • wash away their sins, calling on the name of the Lord,' and are saved by the lavcr of regeneration and a ' renewing of t e Holy Ghoit.' We presume this, because, as Bishop Pearson sayi, 'when the means are used, without something appearing to the countrary, we presume the good effect— we speak of infants and the rite as charity alloweth, we speak of them as chi d« ren of God regenerated and justified, for to us they must be taken for such in charity until they show themselves other.' The tervice of the church uniformly pioceeds on this principle, and requires some favourable construction and that the Savoy Conference have defended against objections on this very ground. All that consistancy requires of a clergyman who denies or boubts of the universal efficacy of infant baptism is that he [address his congiegation as partaken of the blessings of the Christian covenant, unless their own sm deprive them of it, or unless the state of their hearts prove that they are not believing in the Saviour whose name they hear, and uniess the habits of their lives profess that they have no part or lot in His salvation. They may have been treated aa regenerate in the language of the church, and yet may be very far from becoming such ' new creatures' ns the true Christians must be ; just as multitudes, we fear, who have been consigned to the grave in the charitable presumption of Christian hope will wake to no 'joyful rcturection,' but to ' shame and everlasting contempt'— -for whatever

the preacher may tnink in his inward mind regarding baptism, he must if he is faithful to God's word, treat his people according to what they are, and not according to what he may suppose baptism has made them. Whether or no we believe that they actually became 'children of God' when they were charitably pronounced such at their baptism, we must judge of them when they come to age according to the qualifications by which the children of God are ehracterised in scripture ; their baptism made them unquestionable ' God'a children in word and in name,' but they are not his children * in deed and in truth' unless they are led by the spirit of God."

la clearing out the ballast of the Enterprise and In* veßtigator, on their return from the Arctic regions, several pieces of limestone were found, composed mostly of innumerable shells and minute fishes and skeletons of sea animals in a petrified state. Other portions of the limestone contain perfect specimens of petrified moss anJ a few petrifactions of the ground willow, the largest plant of the Artie regions, similar in appearance to the branches of the stunted heath of the north of Scotland, only of beautiful willow green colour, with a willow. shaped leaf. Several of the officers of the gnrrisou hnve (elected the best specimen! of these fragments of rocks from the Arctic region*, with ihe intention of preserving them.— Times Correpondetice. Lady Miners in California.— A young man, from Maine, writing to his friends from California, says that almost thirty miles from any other diggings are two intelligent and beautiful young ladies, with no attendant except an old grey-headed negro whom they had enticed to accompany them and who is the servant of the father of one them. The eldeit of these was not twenty. It seems their imaginations had become excited by the gold stories which they had heard, and they had determined to try their hands at making a fortune. The old negro was past work and was left in the camp during the day to look after the household affairi, and keep watch while the girls pursued their mining operation. When the paity reached their camp the old darky was alone in it but the girls came in during the day and received their visitors hospitably. They expiessed no fear of being molested or robbed, and said that they should leave for home when they accumulated 10,000 dollars; they had already gathered 7000 dollars. They were from Florida, and the youngest ran away from school to enter upon the expedition.— Toronto Independent,