To whom is Baptism to be administered?
Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized.
In the confessions
Related questions
- #BC98To whom is baptism to be administered? (Baptist Catechism)Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to none other.
- #WLC166Unto whom is Baptism to be administered? (Westminster Larger Catechism)Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, but infants d...
- #AOC69Who are the proper Subjects of this Ordinance? (An Orthodox Catechism)Those who do actually profess Repentance towards God, Faith in, and Obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.
- #GC335But can you show that they are now admitted to baptism for the same reason as in the case of circumcision? (Genevan Catechism)Yes, for the promises which God anciently gave to His people of Israel are now extended to the whole world.
- #GC337Do you reckon that if we denied baptism to little infants, the grace of God would then be diminished by the coming of Christ? (Genevan Catechism)Yes; for the sign of the bounty and mercy of God toward our children, which they had in ancient times, would be wanting in our case, the very sign which ministers so greatly to our consolation, and to...
- #GC333If this is required, how is it that we baptize infants? (Genevan Catechism)It is not said that faith and repentance should always precede the reception of the sacrament, but they are only required from those who are capable of them. It is sufficient, then, if infants produce...
- #AOC73Seeing the Infants of Believers are in the Covenant of Grace with their Parents, as some say, why may not they be baptized under the Gospel, as well as Abrahams Infant Seed was circumcised under the Law? (An Orthodox Catechism)By the Infants of Believers being in the Covenant of Grace, it must either be meant of the Covenant of Grace absolutely considered, and if so, then there is no total and final Apostacy of any Infant s...
- #AOC72May not the Infant Seed of Believers under the Gospel be baptized as well as the Infant Seed of Abraham under the Law was circumcised? (An Orthodox Catechism)No; For Abraham had a Command then from God to circumcise his Infant Seed, but Believers have no Command to baptise their Infants Seed under the Gospel.
- #GC338You mean then that since God in ancient times declared Himself to be the Saviour of little infants, and wanted to have this promise sealed on their bodies by an external sacrament, it is right that confirmation of it should not be less after the advent of Christ, since the same promise remains and indeed is more clearly attested by the Word and ratified in action? (Genevan Catechism)Yes. And besides, since it is quite evident that the power and the substance of baptism pertain to little children, to deny them the sign, which is inferior to the substance, would be to do them injur...
- #GC339On what conditions should we baptize little children? (Genevan Catechism)As a sign and testimony that they are heirs of God's blessing promised to the seed of the faithful, that when they come of age they are to acknowledge the truth of their baptism, in order to derive be...
- #GC336But does it follow from this that we are to use the sign also? (Genevan Catechism)That becomes evident when everything is considered. Jesus Christ has not made us partakers of His grace, which formerly had been bestowed on the people of Israel, in order to diminish it in us, or mak...
- #AOC71Doth the Scripture any where expressly forbid the Baptizing of Infants? (An Orthodox Catechism)It is sufficient that the Divine Oracle commands the baptizing of Believers, unless we will make our selves wiser than what is written. Nadab and Abihu were not forbidden to offer strange Fire, yet fo...