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FOUNDATIONS*45**Covenantal!baptism!as!taught!in!the!Westminster!Standards!*The* Westminster* Standards* comprise* the* Westminster* Confession* of* Faith*(WCF),*and*the*Larger*and*Shorter*Catechisms. 4 *All*three*documents*contain*clear* systematic* teaching* on* the* Reformed* understanding* of* the* faith,*ecclesiology*and*the*sacraments.*John*Murray*held*these*Standards*in*high*regard*as*he*wrote*on*“The*Importance*and*Relevance*of*the*Westminster*Confession”.*He*believed*that*“the*Westminster*Confession*is*the*last*of*the*great*Reformation*creeds...*No*creed*of*the*Christian*Church*is*comparable*to*that* of* Westminster* in* respect* of* the* skill* with* which* the* fruits* of* fifteen*centuries* of* Christian* thought* have* been* preserved...* In* the* category* to*which*the*Confession*belongs,*it*has*no*peer.” 5 *Many*are*unaware*that*these*doctrinal*standards*were*the*product*of*a*seventeenth*century*English*assembly,*one*which*sat*in*London*during*the*years* of* the* English* Civil* War,* at* the* request* of* Parliament. 6 *Its* 120*ministerial*members*were*chosen*as*men*deemed*to*be*experts*in*divinity.*They*discussed,*debated*and*wrote*until*their*precise*theological*statements*were*to*the*satisfaction*of*the*majority*of*the*whole*assembly.*Following*the*restoration* of* the* monarchy* in* 1660,* along* with* a* host* of* other* historical*factors,*these*summaries*of*the*Christian*faith*have*spread*around*the*world,*but*are*perhaps*least*known*in*England,*from*where*they*emerged.*Even*a*brief* historical* panorama* demonstrates* the* acceptance* of* Westminster*theology,* including* its* teaching* on*baptism,*by*such*men*as*B.*B.*Warfield,*Robert*Murray*M’Cheyne,*Archibald*Alexander,*Matthew*Henry*and*Thomas*Watson,* to* name* a* few.* It* would* be* challenging* to* argue* a* case* that* these*distinguished* ministers* all* held* a* theological* blind:spot* concerning* their*understanding*of*baptism.*So*what*is*this*theology*of*baptism?*Three* chapters* in* the* Westminster* Confession* (1646)* are* particularly*pertinent*to*our*subject.*The*first*is*Chapter*7,*“Of*God’s*covenant*with*Man”,*which* sets* out* the* unifying* principle* of* the* books* of* Scripture:* God’s*covenants.* The* covenant* pre:Fall* is* referred* to* as* a* “covenant* of* works”*where* a* promise* was* given* upon* the* condition* of* obedience* (Gen* 2:17).*Following*Adam’s*fall,*the*language*used*to*describe*the*successive*unfolding*of* God’s* covenants* is* that* of* the* “covenant* of* grace”.* The* theological* term*“covenant*of*grace”*is*deliberate*in*order*to*stress*the*priority*of*the*Triune*********************************************************************4*The* Westminster* Assembly,* The! Westminster! Confession! of! Faith* (1646)* (Glasgow:* Free*Presbyterian* Publications,* 2001);* The! Westminster! Larger! Catechism! (1648)* (Glasgow:* Free*Presbyterian* Publications,* 2001);* The! Westminster! Shorter! Catechism! (1648)* (Edinburgh:*Banner*of*Truth,*2008).*5*John*Murray,*Collected!Writings!of!John!Murray:!Volume!One,!The!Claims!of!Truth*(Edinburgh:*Banner*of*Truth,*1976,*repr.*2001),*317:18.*6*Robert* Letham,* The! Westminster! Assembly:! Reading! Its! Theology! in! Historical! Context*(Phillipsburg:*Presbyterian*&*Reformed,*2009).*!