Some of the most, important questions concerning B. will be most appropriately noticed In the article SACRAMENT, particularly those relating to its place in the Chris tian system and among the means of grace. The opinions early became prevalent, i that forgiveness of sins is obtained in B., and spiritual life begun, and that it is indis pensably necessary to salvation—exception being only made, if any was made at all. of the case of believers, adult persons, who desiring B., were prevented from being baptized, and particularly of those who suffered martyrdom, which was generally held to be equivalent to baptism. church of Rome still owns, as supplying the place of B. by water, these two—B by desire, and 13, by blood—i.e., iii martyrdom.—Aceord ing to the general doctrine of the Protestant churches, B. is " a sign and seal "of the covenant of grace, representing as a sign the blessings of the covenant, and as a seal, confirming the covenant.. As a sign. It is generally held to represent In its rite of wash ing, the removal both of gujit and corruption, by the blood and by the.Spirit of Christ, and so to relate 'eqitally to plirdint and regthteration, -aftluingh sonic' have limited its symbolic reference to regeneration alone. One of the most important points disputed concerning B., is that of baptismal regeneration. See REGENERATION.
Some early Christian sects appear to have rejected B., on grounds somewhat similar to those on which it is rejected by Quakers (q.v.) at the present day, who explain the passages which relate to it symbolically, and insist Unit a spiritual B. is the only real B. of Chrlstians.—The Socinians also in modern times have maintained that B. is not an ordin an& of permanent obligation, but a merely symbolical rite of little importance.
Much controversy has taken place c..oarYarning lay baptima. Wherever there' is a rec ognized ministry in the church, there is a general agreement in referring the ordinary administration of 13. to those who hold this office, rt might be expected that the more strongly the necessity of the transmission of holy orders by apustolieal succession is asserted, the more strongly also would exclusiveness be manifested with regard to the right of the clergy to administer B. But this tendency is counteracted by the belief in
the necessity of B., or at least of its great importance to the salvation of infants; so that from as early period lay B. was allowed, although not without a struggle; in cases of apprehended danger; and in the church of Home, this principle is logically carried out to the fullest extent, and even women are authorized to administer B. in cases of neces sity. On the same ground, lay B. was at first .permitted. in the Protestant church of England; but the prevalence of other views led to a kind of formal restriction of the right of administering it to " lawful ministers," although in practice the validity of lay B. is still generally recognized.
Another question much agitated in the church from early times, is that concerning the validity of B. by heretics. The opinion ultimately prevailed, that B. by heretics is valid, except in the case of those who do not baptize in the name of the three Persons of the Godhead. This continues to be the almost universal opinion. Few Protestant theologians hesitate to acknowledge the validity of B. administered in the church of Rome.
The B. of bells is a custom supposed to have been introduced about the 10th c., and still retained in the church of Rome. The term benediction is sometimes substituted for B.; but the rite itself is very similar to that of B., and is accompanied with many similar ceremonies—" a sort of exorcism," sprinkling with holy-water, anointing "with the oil of catechumens," and " with chrism'," a formula of consecration " in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," and sometimes also, if not always, the giving of a name to the bell consecrated, and even a kind of sponsorShip as by godfathers and godmothers in baptism. This custom has no doubt greatly fostered the notion of an effleacy in the ringing of bells for protection in storms, and .for other benefits; indeed, it is expressly avowed that "the bells are blessed to turn off storms and tempests from the faithful."