Cute. II.] B&rxsm. ? necessity, to retain the faith which they have received, lest the name .God be blaaphemed, and the faith which they have received be esteemed vile and contemptible.' Hence St. Thomas saith, ' But if this cosetlon bbYaphreats or stripes is such as that the baptized would rather choose tism than to suffer such things; then he receives the sacrament, but not the advantage of the sacrament.' Baptism is to be conferred on a dym�rson des6tute of the use of his senses, when there is one witness, though an infidel, who affirms that the ' man dyang asked for baptism; and this is for a reason similar to that in the case where there is an obligation of absolving a person who lived in sin to the last, but who gave no signs of repentance, except that one witness testified that some were manifested. The reason is the same in both cases; nay*, it i8 greater in the baptized person; for in baptism, the acts of receiving it are not the matter of the sacrament, as m confes- sion. Wherefore, since all the doctors affirm that a penitent can be absolved, when one witness affirms that he gave signs o� grief'; they* are bound to hold that an adult can be baptized, when one witness affirms that he desired baptism."* From the foregoing quotations we learn, the Roman Catechism teaches that those who receive baptism must do it of their own free will and accord; thac baptism is not to be forced upon them; and that this is the practice of the Latin church. Ferraris, too, teaches that baptism must be received voluntarily; but then he recalls this, and produces authorities to show that any* kind o?' ?'oluntary assent is suffi- cient, though mixed with involuntary consent, extorted by force or fear, or for any purpose, however vile; and hence this doctrine runs entirely into compulsory baptism. This furnishes another specimen of the accommodating character o1' l?oman Catholic divinity, which can suit itself, to a great extent, to all consciences, and to ever?r class of per- sons, whether righteous, wicked, or hypocritical. We snail have occa- sio? at a future time, to present the authoritative decision of the Church
- ,, lmmo sulk:it ad valide recipiendum baptismurn quilibet consensus voluntarins,
iicet cure involuntario mixtun sit, videlicet vi aut metu quocunque extortus, 8eu prma- tim ob petwrmum future, v.g., propter fi?gitium !?..trylure, .p.ropter principia. faysre.m, eel lucmm t?mporale cous?luendum, c?t. e?p. Mqore?,. ubi lnnoc..Ill. sic grmcme t?trst ?spt?mi .?.ciFit ?. tt?r. a .r?. .m, d?.?cterern t?ilgt Ckri,tum,tatut ,rnlrrettsrn ; .it ,p,e t.a _.mt[?. m. �ontlttyonat, ter m?.. ., /ictt ?hfft non ?//t, tog?d?t ?t ? ob?rva? fu? C/wtttm?; mquo cusu dieit poa?fex, alebet iat&iigi deersturn Conell. Toletani IV, c. dist. 4?, ubi si? dicitur: Q?i at?t?. ad Chri?titmit?m �oatti ?nt ?nirt . .. oj?ortct, st fu?n? ?v?rn etiam vi, ?el nece?ttlat� tutcep?nt. tentre �oga.n. .t?..r, ne riomen Domini i4atpaemttur; tt fu?t guam ?u,?erer?nt, ?!t?t et �ontt?]?t, bilit ..lu?_t?.r. Und.e S. q?aom., in 4, dist. 6, q. 1, art. 2, qu.?st.. ? isdncut ticst mi?, ?el ?tgeU?, m ? ?ptizst? poti? digat ?pt?mmm �, glta? tttlitt ? ; titbit tlttciI?it est baptismus moribundo sensibus alestatute, quaride unicus testis, etiam intl. delia, a/rumat, eum petiisse baptis?. ura, eodem mode quo adest obligatio absolvendi imblicum peccatorem in extmmis degentem, q.u.i sign-, doloris ostendere non petest, aaico tantam teste testimonium fe?nte ea manifestssac; eat enim ?...r?o in utroque cam, immo major in baptisando, ? in _baptismo ?ctns suscipieutas fi_.lum, non aunt ma?ria sacmmenti, sieur. in confe?.'one.. Qtmp.ro?.ter om.u. es doctores _affum?. ?. po? pmnitentem .abeo!vi, test'_dl?:ante aft.o, m?gna do!on? mamf?ta?e, .t?.nent,,ur ?ten �o?.. I.--14
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