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46* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*and*Its*Relationship*to*Evangelism**God’s*grace*in*his*dealings*with*mankind.*This*fits*with*Paul’s*teaching*(Eph*2:8:10)*that*it*is*“by*grace*you*have*been*saved*through*faith”*and*that*even*the*faith*we*may*have,*is*itself*a*gracious*gift*of*God.****A*continuity*of*God’s*dealings*with*mankind*is*upheld*between*the*Old*and* New* Testaments* while* carefully* preserving* the* differences.* The*administration*of*the*“covenant*of*grace”*was*in*the*OT*in*“shadow”,*pointing*forwards*until*the*death*of*the*testator,*the*Lord*Jesus*Christ*(Heb*9:15:17).*The*“substance”*belongs*to*Christ*himself*(Col*2:17)*which*is*manifested*in*the*gospel;* therefore* the* new* covenant* is* the* fulfilment* of* this* covenant*succession,*but*it*is*the*same*“covenant*of*grace”.*It*is*now*to*be*administered*differently,*and*indeed*with*greater*simplicity,*but*also*with*greater*spiritual*efficacy,* clarity* and* power,* with* the* promised* Holy* Spirit* (Heb* 8:6:12).* The*new* covenant* promises* more* for* the* church,* and* not* less,* than* the* old*dispensation.*The*ordinary*means*of*grace*are*the*preaching*of*the*Word*of*God,*the*sacraments*and*prayer*(Matt*28:18:20;*Acts*2:42;*1*Cor*11:23:25).**It*is*at*this*point*of*theology*concerning*God’s*covenants*and*the*extent*of*continuity*and*discontinuity*that*exists*between*the*two*testaments,*that*different* understandings* of* baptism* mainly* arise.* Covenant* theology* could*be*understood*as*a*kind*of*theological*crossroads*for*different*branches*of*the*church.**Chapter* 27,* “Of* the* Sacraments”,* is* a* second* one* of* significance* in* the*Confession*and*it*precedes*the*chapter*on*baptism.*The*sacraments*are*signs*and* seals* of* the* “covenant* of* grace”* and* they* are* to* be* applied* to* make*visible* the* difference* between* the* church* and* the* world.* Both* sacraments*have* their* roots* in* the* previous* dispensations:* the* Passover* being* the*precursor* to* the* Lord’s* Supper* and* circumcision* being* the* foreshadow* of*baptism.* Paul* teaches* in* his* Letter* to* the* Romans* that* Abraham* “received*the*sign*of*circumcision*as*a*seal*of*the*righteousness*that*he*had*by*faith”*(4:11).*Sacraments*are*signs*to*all*people*observing*their*administration,*but*they*are*only*“seals*of*righteousness”*to*those*to*whom*they*do*belong.*This*rich* comprehension* of* the* sacraments* found* in* the* Confession* does* not*permit* a* notion* that* they* are* naked* or* hollow* signs,* but* rather* that* they*declare* the* “priority* of* grace* over* faith”.* Furthermore,* baptism* and* the*Lord’s*Supper,*rightly*used,*do*not*only*exhibit*the*grace*of*God,*but*upon*the*words*of*institution*given*by*Christ*and*the*work*of*the*Holy*Spirit,*this*grace*is*anticipated*to*be*conferred,*according*to*the*promises*of*God*(WCF,*27:3).*It*is*unnecessary*to*emphasise*the*relevance*of*Chapter*28*“Of*Baptism”*to*our*subject.*However,*it*has*been*important*to*give*this*background*prior*to* discussing* baptism.* A* doctrine* of* Christian* baptism* should* encompass*fruitful* connections* for* a* biblical* theology* and* this* is* where* a* covenantal*view*excels.*Baptism*in*the*NT*applies*the*new*covenant*name*of*God,*“the*Father,*and*of*the*Son,*and*of*the*Holy*Spirit”*(Matt*28:19),*to*the*recipient,*as*a*sign*pointing*to*their*adoption*into*God’s*family.*An*ordained*minister*of*
FOUNDATIONS*47**the* gospel* must* only* use* water,* which* must* be* administered* by* pouring,*sprinkling* or* immersion,* of* the* person* being* baptised.* All* three* modes* of*baptism* convey* biblical* imagery* of* what* is* being* exhibited* through* Christ*and* his* benefits* of* redemption.* The* Confession* states* that* “not* only* those*who*profess*faith*in*and*obedience*unto*Christ,*but*also*the*infants*of*one*or*both*believing*parents,*are*to*be*baptised”*(WCF*28:4).*The*Westminster*position*excludes*the*notion*that*baptism*is*the*means*of*regeneration*(WCF,*28:5),*and*is*therefore*contrary*to*what*is*taught*by*the*Roman*Catholic*Church. 7 *It*denies*a*doctrine*of*presumptive*regeneration,*whereby* the* church* is* led* to* assume* that* regeneration* will* always* auto:matically* follow* baptism,* with* respect* to* infants.* It* likewise* does* not*encourage*what*is*sometimes*practised*among*Anglicans*today:*the*baptism*of*infants*when*neither*parent*professes*faith*but*lives*within*a*Church*of*England*parish.*(This*reflects*a*dereliction*of*duty*on*the*part*of*an*Anglican*minister*rather*than*the*official*position*of*the*Anglican*church,*one*which*supports*a*covenantal*theology*of*baptism. 8 )*Spurgeon’s*enthusiastic*hyper:bole* that* “infant* baptism* is* the* prop* and* pillar* of* Popery”* is* therefore*demonstrated* to* be* untrue* with* respect* to* the* covenantal* theology* of* this*sacrament,*as*supported*by*Reformed*Presbyterians.*The* historic* position* on* baptism* of* the* Westminster* divines,* similarly*does* not* affirm* the* contemporary* ideas* of* hyper:covenantalism* that* are*promoted* by* some* within* the* Federal* Vision* movement. 9 *Some* of* their*proponents* collapse* the* two* sacraments* together* and* wrongly* teach* that*baptised*infants*should*also*be*served*the*Lord’s*Supper,*sometimes*known*as* paedocommunion.* Such* a* suggestion* is* surprising* considering* that* Paul*clearly*forbids*this*practice*in*1*Cor*11:28,*because*the*recipient*has*to*be*capable*of*examining*themselves.**The*Baptist*scholar*Shawn*D.*Wright*asserts*that*it*is*“no*simple*task”*to*grasp* the* “logic* of* the* Reformed* paedobaptist* position”* and* he* cites* a*Presbyterian* to* support* his* own* view* on* this* matter. 10 *I* would* hope* that*Wright*is*familiar*with*the*reformed*logic*of*the*Westminster*Standards,*but*he*chooses*to*focus*on*Calvin,*Pierre*Marcel*and*John*Murray*in*his*paper*to*argue* against* paedobaptism.* The* three* representatives* he* enters* into* dis*cussion*with,*would*most*likely*respond*that*the*perspicuity,*logic,*consistency*and*theological*depth*of*these*documents*on*baptism*is*unmistakeable.*********************************************************************7*The! Roman! Catholic! Church,! Catechism! of! the! Catholic! Church* (London:* Burns* &* Oates,*1994,*repr.,*2010),*2.2.1.VII,*284.*8*The* Anglican* Church,* “The* Ministration* of* Publick* Baptism* of* Infants* to* be* Used* in* the*Church”*in*The!Book!of!Common!Prayer*(London:*Marshall,*Morgan*and*Scott,*1956).*9*Guy* Prentiss* Waters,* The!Federal!Vision!and!Covenant!Theology:!A!Comparative!Analysis*(Phillipsburg:*Presbyterian*&*Reformed,*2006),*3,*259,*287:91.*10*Shawn*D.*Wright,*“Baptism*and*the*Logic*of*Reformed*Paedobaptists”*in*Believer’s!Baptism:!Sign!of!the!New!Covenant!in!Christ,*eds*Thomas*R.*Schreiner*and*Shawn*D.*Wright*(Nashville:*B*&*H*Publishing,*2006),*207.*!
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*
Page 7 and 8: Foundations*63*(November*2012):*5:1
Page 9 and 10: FOUNDATIONS*7**Among*the*points*of*
Page 11 and 12: FOUNDATIONS*9**Infants”. 9 *The*s
Page 13 and 14: FOUNDATIONS*11**Baptists* and* paed
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
Page 62 and 63: 60**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
Page 68 and 69: 66*The*Anglican*Doctrine*of*Baptism
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Page 94 and 95: 92* “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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