because they have not the gift of discerning spirits. They are bound to recognize as members of the visible Church and to admit to all its ordinances and privileges all those who make a credible profession of their faith in Christ, not upon the certainty, but upon the presumption that they are regenerate and members of the invisible Church. The respon sibility for the truth or falsity of such a profession rests not upon the Church or the minister who accepts it, but upon the individual who makes it. The same is true of the children of professed believers and of the profession which they make representatively through their parents. They are members of the visible Church, and presumptively regenerate upon the same grounds that their parents are. They are included in the covenant whose sacraments the minister is to dispense. If the acceptance of the covenant is a mere outward form, without the inward reality, then the sacramental seal, whether applied to the parent or to the child, is merely an outward sign, without the inward and invisible grace, and the essential element being wanting, it is, in fact, no sacrament at all. But the minister cannot discriminate between the false and the true. He can only act upon the presumption in the case. The Westminster Confession and Catechisms answer the question whose children are to be baptized as definitely as the nature of the case will allow. The Confession (chap. xxviii. 4) declares that "not only those who do actually profess faith in and obedience to Christ, but also infants of one or both believing parents, are to be baptized." By believing parents is evidently meant those who actually profess to believe, as distinguished from those who profess in and through their representatives or sponsors. The Shorter Catechism says (Question 95), "The infants of such as are members of the visible Church are to be baptized." And the Larger Catechism (Question 166) still further explains this position: "Infants descending from parents, either both or but one of them professing faith in Christ and obedience to Him, are in that respect within the covenant and are to be baptized." Now this is in exact accordance with the requirements of the Abrahamic covenant in regard to the circumcision of children; and it throws upon the minister the responsibility of deciding in every case whether those who ask for the baptism of their children are members of the visible Church and make a credible profession of faith. It is easy to renounce this responsibility by baptizing all who are presented, asking no questions for conscience' sake. It is easy also to evade it by baptizing only the children of those who are communicant members of some particular church. But where is the warrant in Scripture for making church-membership and the profession of faith identical with coming to the Lord's table? After much study of this question I have come deliberately to the conclusion to baptize the children of all who have themselves been baptized, who have never repudiated their covenant obligations, and who at the time of the administration of the ordinance are prepared to make a credible profession of their faith in and obedience to Christ. If any parents will deceitfully or carelessly make such a confession and assume such vows, the accountability is on them, not on us. The instances in which non-communicants will ask for the baptism of their children on these conditions are not many. But there are such cases in which the known character of the applicants inspires far more confidence in their sincerity than we are able to feel towards many who have "joined the church." We dare not exclude their children from the one sacrament because they have timid or erroneous views in regard to the other. Coming to the Lord's table and having our children baptized are both privileges of the covenant. It is not for us to say, nor can we find anything in the Word of God which lays down an invariable rule as to which of these privileges must be first embraced. The refusal in all cases to baptize the children of those who are not communicants can be justified only upon the as sumption that membership in the visible Church is identical with coming to the Lord's table. This, we know, is the popular notion on the subject; but it is contrary to the doctrine of all the Reformed Creeds and of the Scriptures, which agree in teaching that the children of professing Christians. are born members of the visible Church according to Paul's declaration in 1 Cor. vii. 14: "Else were your children unclean, but now are they holy," -i. e., separated from the world and consecrated to God by virtue of the household covenant. Dr. Ashbel Green, in his lectures on the Shorter Catechism, admirably discusses this subject. We quote his words as an exposition and defence of our views: "I have no belief in such a thing as a half-way covenant, nor am I prepared to say that the essential qualifications for a participation in both sacraments are not the same; and I distinctly say that baptism, in my judgment, ought not to be administered to those of whom there is no reasonable ground to believe, after examination and inquiry, that the requisitions of duty in chap. vii. of our Directory for Worship will be solemnly regarded and their performance conscientiously endeavored. All this notwithstanding, I cannot make abstinence from the Lord's table the ground, in all cases, for precluding from the privilege of devoting their infant offspring to God in baptism, some who are desirous of doing it, although they cannot, for the present, view themselves as prepared to go to the table of the Lord.”1 Our venerated teacher, Dr. Hodge, fully indorses these views: "The sacraments, as all admit, are to be confined to members of the Church; but the Church does not consist exclusively of communicants. It includes all those who, having been baptized, have not forfeited their membership by scandalous living or by an act of church discipline. All members of the Church are professors of religion. 1 Green's Lectures, ii. 378. Those, therefore, who having been themselves baptized and still professing their faith in the true religion, having competent knowledge and being free from scandal, ought not only to be permitted, but urged and enjoined, to present their children for baptism."1 1 Hodge's Theology, ii. 578. INDE X. ABRAHAM, Covenant with, the perpet- Alexander, on the Acts, quoted, 142– Scripture, 68, 69; identical with cir- Alford, Dr., on the two-wine theory, Barrow, Isaac, quoted, 19 note. 251. Anabaptists, the, 76. Angels, the, of the seven churches of Asia, 143-144. Apostles, the, baptized households, 101-104; not ordained in the tech- Apostles' Creed, the, contains an ad- et seq. Assembly of the Redeemed, as seen Augustine, on infant baptism, 80. BANNERMAN, his "Church of Christ," Baptism, no one mode of, enjoined by Beecher, Dr. Edward, on "Mode and note. quoted, 55 note. Blunt, "Annotated Prayer-Book,' Bread and wine, essential to the ob- servance of the Lord's Supper, 209. Browne, Harold, Lectures on the Bruce, Dr., his "Kingdom of God," note. |