A sacred canon, issued by the Sixth Council, provided that the rite of baptism shall be conferred only in temples consecrated for the use of the public, and not in chapels attached to private houses, just as other canons promulgated by the same Council forbid the divine sacrifices and mysteries to be celebrated in private residences. As We have deemed it proper to remedy the latter rule, We should also pay similar attention to the former one, as it relates to the same subject. Therefore We decree that it shall be lawful to confer baptism in every kind of private chapels, as We have already stated that the divine mysteries can be celebrated therein. For it seems to me that when the Council forbade this, it was with a view to preserve true believers from the snares of depraved men who, although they bore the name of priests, were still worldly, and polluted the candidates whom they conducted to the baptismal font; and who, it appears, when called to the houses of persons for the purpose of conducting religious services, did not discharge their sacred duties, but wickedly attempted to corrupt those who were assembled there. But while a provision of this kind may be divine, and contain many things which are salutary, it still does not suffice to restrain men who are full of impiety from practicing their vices; for malice is audacious, and in order to accomplish its purpose can find a way even when places of prayer are closed. Nevertheless, as with the aid of Divine favor, all perverse opinions have been eradicated, I do not see any reason which renders it necessary to preserve the law forbidding the rite of baptism to be celebrated in private chapels.