(3) Honors the Sacraments. There is no doubt that Christ appointed Baptism and the Lord's Supper; nor is there any doubt that he intended their to be continued.
(a) Baptism. The first sacrament, whatever else it does, brings the soul into the midst of spiritual influences,and the second strengthens the spiritual life begun in the soul. In baptism we become members of Christ, that is, of his body the Church, and there is brought about that change which is called regeneration. It is not of necessity a moral change, for that is conversion, but regeneration, in the sense in which the word is to be understood, is the being born again into new conditions, coming into new possibilities, being admitted to a new environment. There has been much needless perplexity in trying to give accurate definitions of regeneration, and the per plexity has been increased when regeneration and conversion have been confounded. It is enough to think of regeneration as a change of condi tion, that is the being called into a state of sal vation. It is not a moral change of the spiritual nature, but it makes man capable of a moral change and renders spiritual growth possible. Baptism is thus highly valued. It is not thought of as a meaningless ceremony, nor as a superstitious charm, but as a sacrament, di vinely appointed as the channel of grace and bless ing.
This Church administers this sacrament to in fants. It finds no prohibition in the Scriptures, or in the nature of the Sacrament. It knows from history that the baptism of infants appears to have been usual in the early centuries, and it sees many advantages in its early administration. Surely the Christian Church was intended to be as generous as the Jewish, and the latter received children by circumcision into covenant relation with God. Surely our Lord's receiving the little children when he was here on earth suggests this formal consecration of children to him now that he may bless them. Surely if none but adults were to be baptized there would have been some express prohibition of children, and some clearer and less confusing statements in Scripture than that such and such households were baptized, for a household suggests the pres ence of children. Surely a usage which began so early, and which has so extensively prevailed, demands something very strong and positive to indicate that it is not in accordance with the Lord's will. We know of nothing to create even
a doubt as to the propriety of infant baptism.
As there has been much needless perplexity over infant baptism, so there has been much over the mode of boptism. Some claim that there is but one valid mode, and that is by immersio, This Church adopts two methods, immersion and pouring, and regards each as equally valid. The symbolic relation between baptism and burial is retained whether water is poured on the body, or the whole body is immersed, for the symbolic burial of a dead body, with the Church's ritual, is the scattering of earth upon the remains as the words "earth to earth," etc., arc uttered. In such a ease the symbolism is satisfied with less than the filling in of the grave.
Then, too, we cannot find anything in history to show that immersion was the only method. It may have been the method very frequently used, but some of the oldest pictorial representa tions show the administrant in the act of pouring water on the head of the candidate, even after both had gone down into the water. Nor can the matter be settled by texts of Scripture and the meaning of Greek prepositions, for the equivalent words for baptism sometimes mean immersion and sometimes pouring. And so this Church accepts any baptism as valid if water be used with the words of the formula given by our Lord: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." (b) The Holy Communion. This Church teaches that it was "ordained for the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we receive thereby," and that in it "our souls are strength ened and refreshed by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the bread and wine." There is agreement with all Christians, in re garding this sacrament as a means whereby Christ is remembered, according to his own command, but besides this, this Church thinks of it as subserving other purposes. The communion becomes the chief means of grace whereby spir itual nourishment is imparted to the believing soul. In this sacrament they feed on him by faith. Then, too, it becomes the significant ap peal to God to behold the sacrifice which his Son offered for sinful men. They show the Lord's death "till he come," when, with these elements, they keep this feast, and seek mercy and bless ing in the name of the Crucified.