The Baptist Catechism

    A Commentary on the Shorter Catechism (1883), Alexander Whyte

    Question 95

    Baptism is not to be administered—This Answer consists of two parts,—the first part takes up the case of adults, and the second touches on the case of infants. That the teaching of the Catechism as to the admission of adults is in accordance with the mind of Christ, is evident from the terms of the baptismal commission our Lord issued to His disciples, and from the invariable practice of His apostles. On a profession of faith in Christ, men were to be baptized and thus admitted into the visible Church.

    the visible church—The Confession thus defines and describes the Church invisible and visible. “The Catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all. The visible Church consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion, together with their children.” “I have observed,” says Calvin, “that the Scriptures speak of the Church in two ways. Sometimes when they speak of the Church, they mean the Church as it is before God,—the Church into which none are admitted but those who by the gift of adoption are sons of God, and by the sanctification of the Spirit are true members of Christ. Often, too, by the name of Church is designated the whole body of mankind scattered throughout the world, who profess to worship one God and Christ, who by baptism are initiated into the faith.” Accordingly, when the apostles preached Christ, they always demanded a profession of faith in Him before they administered baptism in His name; and our missionaries, who are in this respect incontestably the true successors of the apostles, invariably act on this principle.

    but the infants—Infant baptism is sometimes called pædo-baptism, from the Greek word paides. The Directory for Public Worship says, that children of professing parents are Christians, and federally holy before baptism, and therefore are they baptized; for their baptism supposeth them to be Church members, and doth not make or constitute them such. And in Jonathan Edwards’ Qualifications for Communion, it is set forth as the general opinion of Protestant divines that the same qualifications are required in a parent bringing his child to baptism as in an adult person for his own admission to this ordinance. This is not the place to set forth the scriptural arguments and considerations that have led the vast majority of Christian parents in all ages to seek baptism for their children. There exists a large literature that has sprung up in connection with this observance. And the reader may be referred to Calvin, Cunningham, Hodge, M‘Crie, and Edwards for the arguments that support the practice of Christendom and the doctrines of the Catechism. As to the connection between the naming of children and their baptism, Alford says: “The names of children were given at circumcision, because, at the institution of that rite, the names of Abram and Sarai were changed to Abraham and Sarah.” A not less historical, if less remote origin of this practice was the giving of a new name to heathen converts, on their public reception into the Church by baptism. “The giving of a child its name, was no more a part of the original intent of circumcision than of baptism; it was an incidental circumstance that custom had added. And I cannot forbear saying, that, in administering baptism, I think care should be taken so to order the voice that it may plainly appear that we then only speak to the child by the name that hath been already given to it” (Doddridge).

    Uses

    1. “It is no slight stimulus to bring up our children in the fear of God, and the observance of His law, when we reflect that from their birth they have been considered and acknowledged by Him as His children” (Calvin).
    2. But we have no express command in the New Testament to baptize infants. There needed no new command; their privilege had been settled many years before on them, and never reversed by Christ or His apostles, but their former right declared to continue to them still. For the promise is to you and to your children (Acts ii. 39).
    3. But many baptized infants prove naught. And so do many baptized at age too. Duties are not to be measured by events (Flavel).