Download PDF - Affinity

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:*!