intention of receiving it, and their repentance for past sins, will avail them to grace and righteousness. Nay, this delay seems to be attended with some advantages. The Church must take particular care, that none approach this Sacrament, whose hearts are vitiated by hypocrisy and dissimulation; and, by the intervention of some delay, the intentions of such as solicit baptism, are better ascertained. In this wise precaution originated a decree, passed by the ancient councils, the purport of which was, that Jewish converts, before admission to baptism, should spend some months in the ranks of the Catechumens. The candidate for baptism is, also, thus better instructed in the faith which he is to profess, and in the morality which he is to practise; and the Sacrament, when administered with solemn ceremonies, on the appointed days of Easter and Pentecost only, is treated with more religious respect.
Sometimes, however, when there exists a just cause to exclude delay, as in the case of imminent danger of death, its administration is not to be deferred; particularly, if the person to be baptized is well instructed in the mysteries of faith. This we find to have been done by Philip, and by the prince of the Apostles, when, without the intervention of any delay, the one baptized the Eunuch of queen Candaces, the other, Cornelius, as soon as they professed a willingness to embrace the faith of Christ. [1] The faithful are, also, to be instructed in the necessary dispositions for baptism, that, in the first place, they must desire and purpose to receive it; for, as in baptism we die to sin and engage to live a new life, it is fit that it be administered to those, only, who receive it of their own free will and accord, and is to be forced upon none. Hence, we learn from holy tradition, that it has been the invariable practice of the Church, to administer baptism to no individual, without previously asking him if he be willing to receive it. [2] This disposition even infants are presumed not to want the will of the Church, when answering for them, is declared in the most explicit terms.
Insane persons, who are favoured with lucid intervals, and, during these lucid intervals, express no wish to be baptized, are not to be admitted to baptism, unless in extreme cases when death is apprehended. In such cases, if, previously to their insanity, they give intimation of a wish to be baptized, the Sacrament is to be administered; without such indication previously given, they are not to be admitted to baptism; [3] and the same rule is to be followed with regard to persons in a state of lethargy. But if they never enjoyed the use of reason, the authority and practice of the Church decide, that they are to be baptized in the faith of the Church, on the same principle that children are baptized, before they come to the use of reason.
