522 RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENT I 



But still more marked was the influence on my thinking 

 of a painful clash in the parish. It came on this wise. 

 Our rector was one day called to attend the funeral of a 

 little child but a few weeks old, the daughter of neighbors 

 of ours. The father was a big-bodied, big-hearted, big- 

 voiced, successful man of business, well liked for his bluff 

 cordiality and generosity, who went to church because his 

 wife went. The mother was a sweet, kindly, delicate 

 woman, the daughter of a clergyman, and devoted to the 

 church. 



It happened that, for various reasons, and more es 

 pecially on account of the absence of the father from home 

 on business, the baptism of the child had been delayed 

 until its sudden death prevented the rite forever. 



The family and neighbors being assembled at the house, 

 and the service about to begin, an old maiden lady, who 

 had deeply absorbed the teachings of Dr. Gregory and 

 wished to impress them on those present, said to the 



father, audibly and with a groan, &quot;Oh, Mr. , what 



a pity that the baby was not baptized ! &quot; to which the rector 

 responded, with a deep sigh and in a most plaintive voice, 

 &quot;Yes!&quot; Thereupon the mother of the child burst into 

 loud and passionate weeping, and at this the father, big 

 and impulsive as he was, lost all control of himself. 

 Eising from his chair, he strode to the side of the rector 

 and said, &amp;lt; That is a slander on the Almighty ; none but a 

 devil could, for my negligence, punish this lovely little 

 child by ages of torture. Take it back take it back, sir ; 

 or, by the God that made us, I will take you by the neck 

 and throw you into the street!&quot; At this the gentle rector 

 faltered out that he did not presume to limit the mercy 

 of God, and after a time the service went on ; but sermons 

 on baptismal regeneration from our pulpit were never 

 afterward frequent or cogent. 



Startled as I was at this scene, I felt that the doctrine 

 had not stood the test. More and more there was de 

 veloped in me that feeling which Lord Bacon expressed so 



