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10**!Water:Ordeals*of*the*Seventeenth*Century*regations*in*London,*noted*that*no*baptisms*had*taken*place*in*the*church*in*the*previous*three*years*before*the*Assembly*discussed*this*matter. 14 *Robert*Baillie,* whose* letters* written* during* the* Assembly* are* filled* with* delicious*insights,*wrote*to*his*cousin,*William*Spang*(who*was*in*the*Netherlands*at*the* time),* expressing* his* sense* of* relief* at* the* ease* with* which* private*baptisms*were*outlawed:***We*have*carried,*with*much*greater*ease*than*we*expected,*the*publickness*of*baptisme.*The*abuse*was*great*over*all*this*land.*In*the*greatest*parosch*[parish]*in*London,*scarce*one*child*in*a:year*was*brought*to*the*church*for*baptisme.*Also*we*have*carried*the*parents*presenting*of*his*child,*and*not*their*midwives,*as*was*their*universall*custome. 15 * ***Babies%and%the%font%*The*1677*Baptist*Confession*is*clear*enough*as*to*the*subjects*for*baptism:*“Those*who*actually*profess*repentance*towards*God,*faith*in,*and*obedience*to* our* Lord* Jesus* Christ,* are* the* only* proper* subjects* for* this* ordinance”*(29:2).* Both* the* Westminster* and* Savoy* Confessions* express* similar* state:ments:* “Those* that* do* actually* profess* faith* in* and* obedience* unto* Christ”*(WCF%28:4;*SD*29:4). 16 ***!Subjects!(Adults)!!!Subjects!(Children)!*Westminster*Confession*(1646)*“Those*that*do*actually*profess*faith*in*and*obedience*unto*Christ”*(28:4)*“also*the*infants*of*one,*or*both,*believing*parents,*are*to*be*baptized”*(28:4)**Directory*for*the*Publick*Worship*of*God*(1645)*Savoy*Declaration*(1658)** “Those*that*do*actually*profess*faith*in*and*obedience*unto*Christ”*(29:4)** “also*the*infants*of*one*or*both*believing*parents*are*to*be*baptised,*and*those*only”*(29:4)**Baptist*Confession*(1677/89)“Those*who*actually*profess*repentance*towards*God,*faith*in,*and*obedience*to*our*Lord*Jesus*Christ,*are*the*only*proper*subjects*for*this*ordinance”*(29:2)**********************************************************************14*See,*D.*F.*Wright,*“Baptism*and*the*Westminster*Assembly,”*176.*15*The%Letters%of%Robert%Baillie,%A.%M.,%Principal%of%the%University%of%Glasgow,%M.DC.%XXXVII%–%M.DC.LXII,*ed.*David*Lang.*3*vols.*(Robert*Ogle,*Edinburgh,*1841:2),*II:204:5.*16*A*Committee*was*established*in*September*1646*to*consider*the*writings*of*John*Tombes,*chief*critic*of*the*paedobaptist*position*during*the*Assembly.*
FOUNDATIONS*11**Baptists* and* paedobaptists* affirm* the* baptism* of* believers* and,* with* the*collapse* of* Christendom* in* the* Western* world,* it* is* not* uncommon* to* see*more*and*more*cases*of*believer’s*baptism,*reflecting*what*must*surely*have*been*the*case*in*the*infancy*of*the*church*as*it*spread*across*pagan*Europe.**The* inclusion* of* the* qualifier* “only”* in* the* 1677* Confession* limits*baptism* only* to* believers,* whereas* both* Westminster* and* Savoy* add* the*clause:* “…also* the* infants* of* one,* or* both,* believing* parents,* are* to* be*baptized”* (WCF* 28:4;* SD* 29:4).* In* addition,* the* Savoy* includes* the* phrase*“and*those*only,”*reflecting*a*suspicion*in*the*late*seventeenth*century*that*discerning*who*may*qualify*as*“believing*parents”*continued*to*be*something*of*a*problem.**Interestingly,*the*New*England*ministers*adopted*the*Savoy*Declaration*virtually* intact* in* the* Reforming* Synod* 1679:1680* but* left* out* “and* those*only.”*The*reason*behind*this*omission*was*a*desire*not*to*limit*baptism*to*the*children*of*those*who*were*converted.*The*Congregational*churches*of*the* New* England* colonies* adopted* the* “Half:Way* Covenant,”* allowing*children*and*grandchildren*of*the*original*settlers*whose*piety*was*consid:erably*less*than*their*forebears*to*be*baptised.*Savoy*evidently*agreed*to*no*such*practice.*No*grounds*for*the*baptism*of*infants*are*given*in*either*the*Confession*or*the*Savoy*Declaration,*though*the*proof*texts*(added*later*in*the*case*of*the*Confession)*disclose*the*biblical*underpinnings*and*theological*contours*of*paedobaptist*logic*in*the*seventeenth*century.*In*addition,*the*Directory*for*the*Publick*Worship*of*God*provides*further*theological*justification*for*the*practice*of*baptising*the*children*of*believers:***That* the* promise* is* made* to* believers* and* their* seed;* and* that* the* seed* and* posterity* of* the*faithful,*born*within*the*church*have,*by*their*birth,*interest*in*the*covenant,*and*right*to*the*seal*of*it,*and*to*the*outward*privileges*of*the*church,*under*the*gospel,*no*less*than*the*children*of* Abraham* in* the* time* of* the* Old* Testament;* the* covenant* of* grace,* for* substance,* being* the*same;*and*the*grace*of*God,*and*the*consolation*of*believers,*more*plentiful*than*before:*That*the*Son*of*God*admitted*little*children*into*his*presence,*embracing*and*blessing*them,*saying,*For% of% such% is% the% kingdom% of% God:* That* children,* by* baptism,* are* solemnly* received* into* the*bosom* of* the* visible* church,* distinguished* from* the* world,* and* them* that* are* without,* and*united*with*believers;*and*that*all*who*are*baptized*in*the*name*of*Christ,*do*renounce,*and*by*their* baptism* are* bound* to* fight* against* the* devil,* the* world,* and* the* flesh:* That* they* are*Christians,*and*federally*holy*before*baptism,*and*therefore*are*they*baptized.*(Directory,*Of*the*Administration*of*the*Sacraments)**Earlier*in*the*Westminster*Confession,*the*Divines*expressed*a*definition*of*the*church*in*keeping*with*their*paedobaptist*belief:*the*church*consists*of*those*who*profess*their*faith*and*their*children*(WCF*25:1).*But*what*is*the*theological* argument* in* defence* of* the* baptism* of* infants* of* believers* as*understood*by*the*Confession?*Piecing*all*the*information*together*provides*the*following*line*of*argument:*!
Page 1 and 2: No 63AUTUMN 2012ContentsEditorial 1
Page 3 and 4: Foundations*63*(November*2012):*194
Page 5 and 6: FOUNDATIONS*3**Baptist* Confession*
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Page 9 and 10: FOUNDATIONS*7**Among*the*points*of*
Page 11: FOUNDATIONS*9**Infants”. 9 *The*s
Page 15 and 16: *FOUNDATIONS*“Dipping%is%not%nece
Page 17 and 18: FOUNDATIONS*15**Few* statements* ha
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Page 22 and 23: 20*Infant*Baptism:*Putting*Old*Wine
Page 46 and 47: 44* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
Page 50 and 51: 48**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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60**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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62* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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64* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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66*The*Anglican*Doctrine*of*Baptism
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92* “Let*the*little*children*come
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100*“Let*the*little*children*come
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102*“Let*the*little*children*come
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112**Baptism:*Three*Views**written*
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114**Baptism:*Three*Views**family)*
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116**Baptism:*Three*Views**“impas
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118**A*Christian’s*Pocket*Guide*t
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