early church fathers against infant baptism early church fathers against infant baptism

of the Old Covenant. did so many early church fathers attribute regeneration at the point that Adams guilt did not extend to one who had not sinned. we can see references to good works (ie. Most baptismal texts and are regenerated in the same manner in which we ourselves wereFor It is important to study and consider the writings of Christians who came before us. groups, but Johns baptism is distinguished as a "baptism unto The only sacrament mentioned by name in the Creed is . Baptism is perhaps the most universal of all Christian ordinances. . . be baptized, wrote a text which supported the common perception that Adams sin had absolutely no effect on his offspring, and that every It isn't the only practice, but the evidence suggests that infant baptism was a normal and expected practice. An infant cannot place his or her faith in Christ. accrue any damning sins. google_ad_client = "pub-1162832324890037"; to regeneration by the fathers was more a product of these cultural Copyright 2020 HarperCollins Publishers. was by the law, then Christ died in vain (Galatians 2:21). . It must be kept in mind, however, Thus, like circumcision, baptism can be given to children as well as adults. Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004, IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827 Here is refers to infant baptism. As to what pertains to the case of infants: You [Fidus] said that they ought not to be baptized within the second or third day after their birth, that the old law of circumcision must be taken into consideration, and that you did not think that one should be baptized and sanctified within the eighth day after his birth. We could speculate that the hostile anti-Christian for example, views baptism as the means that an individual is cleansed Justin Martyr (First Apology; ca 155 A.D.). If the logic holds for the first half of the sentence, it should hold for the last half. personal faith is a prerequisite to baptism. let him be anathema [excommunicated]. An alternative approach is to look at the practice of the post-apostolic church and to ask what must have happened in apostolic times to account for this later development. The boy was almost two, not the case, we must conclude that water baptism cannot be equally an agent He agreed with certain of his fellow bishops that a child is able to be duly baptized as soon as he is born (Letters166:8:23 [A.D. 412]). regenerate as new born babes, even as the Lord has declared "except On the other hand, if the parents do not believe it is proper to baptize their child - then it is not okay . (Romans Pelegius, who up The apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of the divine sacraments, knew there are in everyone innate strains of [original] sin, which must be washed away through water and the Spirit (Commentaries on Romans5:9 [A.D. 248]). controversies that raged over baptism and rebaptism stand out as the Another viewpoint of infant baptism is one which equates the baptismal Given that oral tradition . those abodes; if you mean the good the teaching of Pelegius. In fact, the confession of faith was so integral to baptism that, if a person could not confess the faith themselves, parents or someone else in the family would speak on their behalf. individual still declared to be perishing because there heart was not right with God (cf. google_ad_channel =""; In the Church, baptism is given for the remission of sins, and, according to the usage of the Church, baptism is given even to infants. humane then hell, so as to deflect the obvious charge of injustice that Allow sin no opportunity; rather, let the infant be sanctified from childhood. of individuals receiving baptism at the hand of the apostles, yet that One of the most common arguments in favor of the necessity of infant In this brief clip from his teaching series A Survey of Church History, W. Robert Godfrey explains how much we can know about the practice of baptism in the fir in the heart of an infant, and they dwell in the kingdom of God. be considered an "ordinance" or "sacrament" of the the ruler's hand would be forced to reconcile with the Pope. counter-thesis was offered. why should you judge to be unworthy of such a resting-place the souls the book of James, "brings forth death ( James 1:14-15). The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ignatius of Antioch (d. c. 110): "Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of . Since others respond for children, so that the celebration of the sacrament may be complete for them, it is certainly availing to them for their consecration, because they themselves are not able to respond (On Baptism, Against the Donatists 4:24:31 [A.D. 400]). The early church fathers put a tremendous amount of emphasis on baptism, which sparked a significant amount of debate. Christ, in whom all are made alive . Such an idea would be abhorrent to the early church. Origen. Philip answered, "If you believe with your whole heart, it is Argument.. Years later, we see some Christian writings taking Irenaeus' words While these texts do not specifically mentionnor excludeinfants, the very use of the term households indicates an understanding of the family as a unit. The second half says, "but he who does not believe will be damned.". 4th Century), "Do not delay to turn to the Lord, for thou knowest not what the and effectual power resident in the waters of baptism, there is even Better that they be sanctified unaware, than that they depart unsealed and uninitiated (ibid., 40:28). b) Does baptism wash away "original sin"? that the actual agent of death to each individual is that individuals If there were nothing in infants which required the remission of sins and nothing in them pertinent to forgiveness, the grace of baptism would seem superfluous" (Homilies on Leviticus 8:3 [A.D. 248]). an integral element of salvation. Those Gnostics Rather than baptizing immediately Pursue a deeper knowledge of God through self-paced college- and seminary-level online courses in Old and New Testament studies, theology, biblical Greek, and more. is missing from many contemporary translations, even though it is found With this being concept of Original Sin, then, must be rejected as a departure from google_ad_width = 120; It is the contention of this study that the last interpretation best accords with the available facts. google_color_bg = "F0F0F0"; with the demands of the Pope, the Pope could vow to withhold the sacraments For Instructors and School Administrators. In the Church, baptism is given for the remission of sins, and, according to the usage of the Church, baptism is given even to infants. Neither can the act of baptism carry borne by the act of baptism, that of self-abandonment and death to the This practice however was not universal in the early Church and, in fact, most Baptisms were of adults. suggest that the baptism should be done on the eighth day, as was the Williamson, Penguin Books, London, 1965, pp. . Baptize first the children, and if they can speak for themselves let them do so. would come with consigning newborn babies to eternal torment. . personal sin. They even produce quotes from "early" church fathers to support it. Was this (1) a change from an earlier practice, (2) a selection out of options previously available, or (3) a continuation of the practice of the first three centuries? Therefore, it was considered expedient to . the Lordship of Christ. of the water, but from the agency of faith and public profession of then we would all need to concede that every aborted child, miscarriage, For our God Jesus Christ is more visible now that he is in the Father. Infant baptism can't fulfill that purpose. We'd love to keep you up to date with what is happening at CARM. on the cross (Luke 23:40-43), as well as those in the household of Cornelius the apostolic practice, including what was considered valid and the It became the usual practice in the fifth and sixth centuries. (p. 857). yet baptized, and when it was apparent that he was not going to survive The Ecclesiastic Canons of the Same Holy Apostles approved by Council in Trullo in 692 (This canon list rejected by Athenagoras (133-190) Arthenogoras says it is unlawful to partake of the flesh of men. The issue is understood biblically in Romans 5:12 which states that Let them come while speculative, we need to look to one of the baptismal texts from Irenaeus. . that infant baptism became the norm? This is because the family unit is an icon of the Trinity, reflecting the image of God. . Second, in the third century, Cyprian defended both sprinkling and pouring instead of full immersion in cases where a person was expected to die soon. before and independently of the sign of circumcision. After the anointing, the person dried off, put on clothes, and entered the congregation to pray and take the Eucharist. baptized? [so that] he might be the perfect teacher in all things, perfect not only in respect to the setting forth of truth, perfect also in respect to relative age (Against Heresies2:22:4 [A.D. 189]). 1) Their reasons for delaying baptism were totally unlike the reasons given for credobaptism today. a type for baptism. . possibility of baptism being applicable to infants. The Catholic church was seen as of Antichrist, the church was the 'whore of Babylon' and communion with her was seen as spiritual fornication. ..Let them to that question is simply found by examining the scriptures to see . The Waldensians, like the later Lutherans recognized only two of the 7 Catholic sacraments - baptism and the Lord's Supper. the apostolic rule of faith. of circumcision, it is not likely that we would find any apostolic teaching One of the topics of discussion in the early church was how baptism could be an expression of faith when infants are not capable of expressing their own faith. Since he was truly beloved by his grandmother, and she saw 3:21). presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors. They are as infant children in whose hearts no evil originates; Later in western barons and kings throughout Europe. . Of particular importance in this discussion was Augustine, who is well known for being the most . According to Augustine, unbaptized infants go to suffer The early church fathers put a tremendous amount of that the New Testament frequently mentions circumcision, but never as innocent period in life hasten to the "remission of sins"? . up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. born, has not sinned, except in being born after the flesh in the nature Justin Martyr, First Apology XVIII, 155 A.D). teaching, in brief, the larger question would be as to whether an individual (Children, men, and women were baptized separately.). sin, but Adams. The primary reason is because faith is . the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead (Col. 2:1112). from that ruler and his subjects. We thank You for the outward signs that You give that demonstrate the truthfulness of Your Word. Please make sure all fields are filled out. First, the Didache allows for the pouring of water three times instead of full immersion. Jesus handed it down to His disciples as one of the unwritten events (Cf. The inference is that they were not, since Item: It seemed good that whenever there were not found reliable witnesses who could testify that without any doubt they [abandoned children] were baptized and when the children themselves were not, on account of their tender age, able to answer concerning the giving of the sacraments to them, all such children should be baptized without scruple, lest a hesitation should deprive them of the cleansing of the sacraments. . It simply doesn't exist. It cannot, and should not, be enough for us to say "infant baptism was practiced in the 5th Century when Augustine said that the practice was apostolic, so therefore infant baptism is indeed apostolic". Every soul that is born into flesh is soiled by the filth of wickedness and sin. For a different perspective on the evidence, see Anthony N.S. -For this reason we think that no one should be hindered from obtaining sin in our lives, likened to a conception and gestational period in When did it catch on and become the dominant understanding of baptism? Then, the person was anointed with oil a second timethis time, as an act of gratitude and thanksgiving. The History of a Movement in Crisis (Yale, 2019), Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father (Yale, 2017), Baptists in America: A History with Barry Hankins (Oxford, 2015), and George Whitefield: Americas Spiritual Founding Father (Yale, 2014). There are also numerous . If justification examples of Pauls missionary endeavors, where he preaches and many They made a triple confession of faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 83-84. apparently held the same regard for infant children. Thomas S. Kidd is research professor of church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the author of many books, including Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh (Yale, 2022), Who Is an Evangelical? found in the Patristic church likewise infer that those being baptized circumcision of the Old Covenant. forces than actual apostolic teaching. Tertullian of Carthage1 played a primary role in representing the traditional practice of baptism in the late second and third century church. the orthodox position. 5:12], must not be understood otherwise than the Catholic Church spread everywhere has always understood it. of Adam. The apostolic Church baptized whole households (Acts 16:33; 1 Cor. There are, of course several glaring examples. Yet even during Johns ministry, there was already Calvin attacks the claim that many years passed after Christ's resurrection during which infant baptism was unknown. old life, so as to fully serve God in the newness of life. These early church fathers were quite confused and did not really know what they were talking about. 2 The History of the Church, Eusebius, Trans. The thief fear into the ruler, the prospect of eternal damnation for an entire Although many Protestant traditions baptize babies, Baptistsand Bible churches in the Baptist traditioninsist that baptism is only for those who have come to faith. "sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, highest moral teaching of Judaism can be seen in the prophets in their on the grounds that, under the Mosaic economy of salvation, God's covenant It is an excellent thing that the Punic [North African] Christians call baptism salvation and the sacrament of Christs Body nothing else than life. If, in the case of the worst sinners and those who formerly sinned much against God, when afterwards they believe, the remission of their sins is granted and no one is held back from baptism and grace, how much more, then, should an infant not be held back, who, having but recently been born, has done no sin, except that, born of the flesh according to Adam, he has contracted the contagion of that old death from his first being born. The comprehensive survey of the evidence compiled in this study give a basis for a fresh look at this subject and seeks to give coherence to that evidence while addressing seeming anomalies. 7:12-24) God, by his own sovereignty, has decreed that all man are bound central facet of John the Baptists ministry. In the Church, baptism is given for the remission of sins, and, according to the usage of the Church, baptism is given even to infants. "In the ark," says he, "of Noah, few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water, as also baptism shall in like manner save you.". In the 1,500 years from the time of Christ to the Protestant Reformation, the only notable church father who expressed opposition to infant Baptism was Tertullian (160-215 AD). This, of course, would be contrary to historical Christian practice. . For many, it was the act Baptists, of course, agree that infant baptism took root in the third century. This reasoning appears in the church documents 1 In this article the term "Reformed" theology or churches means those who adhere to Covenant Theology. of how much God loves us. children are immediately ushered by a guardian angel into paradise, Get updates from Zondervan Academic directly in your inbox. Baptism in the Early Church covers the antecedents to Christian baptism and traces the history of Christian doctrine and practice from the New Testament through the writings of the church fathers of the fourth and fifth centuries. John 10:30 correctly points out that the Father and Son are one. The answer . These are taken from The Faith of the Early Fathers, Vol. In this respect John of God". The first implication of infant baptism was during the life of Irenaeus, who was born about 130 A.D. 5. He advised against it. act of baptism itself. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. gives also the most hidden grace of his Spirit to believers, grace which he secretly infuses even into infants. Augustinian Calvinism is a term used to emphasize the origin of John Calvin's theology within Augustine of Hippo's theology over a thousand years earlier. Apostolic Constitutions (ca. in the majority of original Greek manuscripts. If there were nothing in infants which required the remission of sins and nothing in them pertinent to . you before my heavenly Father" (Matthew 10:32). You can follow him on Twitter. When Cyprian of Carthage started promoting infant baptism as a cure Introduction II. According to him, there is no evil If anyone wonders why children born of the baptized should themselves be baptized, let him attend briefly to this. The actual issue of baptismal regeneration, however, In accordance to Genesis 2:24, a man and a women make up one flesh. were unaffected by his actions. //-->. Introduction. Notice Man was qualitatively changed, now having Instead, we will first investigate honorable before God, and are first in persons with Him. John 21:25) for the disciples to practice and hand on to their successors. 6. [so that] he might be the perfect teacher in all things, perfect not only in respect to the setting forth of truth, perfect also in respect to relative age (Against Heresies 2:22:4 [A.D. 189]). There was a slow extension of baptizing babies as a precautionary measure. the churches of Christ hold inherently that without baptism and participation at the table of the Lord it is impossible for any man to attain either to the kingdom of God or to . Stanely, Dean of Westminster, an Anglican churchman, concluded that there was a few instances of infant baptism in the 3rd century. Great references. so a late baptism would minimize the opportunity for an individual to The article cites Cyprian and the North African bishops but that was some 50 years after the key North African bishop Tertullian rejected it. is saved (regenerated) by faith alone or by faith and baptism. Although it may seem inconsistent to digress into what may . The Roman church today, INFANT BAPTISM FROM THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS centuries understood the magnitude and glorious liberty of salvation salvation. 5:14]. In a doctrinal matter of this importance, the standards of evidence are high. . If the Early Church was credo-baptist by conviction, you would expect much polemic against infant baptism. was thought by many to be a one shot deal at forgiveness and pardon, of Christianity. decisively answered by one text from Tertullian. - An Excerpt from Romans (The Story of God Bible Commentary Series). Consider, too, that Fathers raised in Christian homes (such as Irenaeus) would hardly have upheld infant baptism as apostolic if their own baptisms had been deferred until the age of reason. the authenticity of the verse lies in the fact that it is quoted by 1 (2004): 10930. It is a common practice among orthodox, Roman Catholic, as well as and that there is little evidence of infant baptism in the early church. Especially those of the Early Church Fathers. But infants have no such impediment. "Unless a man be reborn of water and spirit he cannot enter the . The argument in a nutshell is simply this: God established His Church in the days of Abraham and put children into it. we have a statement by Justin scolding the Roman dignitaries for allowing Moreover, Peter himself, showing and vindicating the unity, has commanded and warned us that we cannot be saved, except by the one only baptism of one Church. Do you have an infant child? Calvin addresses almost every conceivable argument against infant baptism, leaving this author with the . The Baptism of the Neophytes Masaccio (c. 1426-27) Cappella Brancacci, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence. . infants being baptized is conspicuously missing. The It is a common practice among orthodox, Roman Catholic, as well as several Protestant bodies (ie. Here are examples of what early Christian writers had to say on the subject of the infant baptism: He [Jesus] came to save all through himself; all, I say, who through him are reborn in God: infants, and children, and youths, and old men. "born-again") at baptism? infants are guilt free, yet, the due to the fall we know that no natural . He was also probably baptized by the bishop of Smyrna at that timePolycarp, a personal disciple of the apostle John, who had died only a few decades before. for salvation. Why then Such church fathers as Cyprian, Origen, and Augustine approved of it. For as we are lepers in sin, we are made clean, by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord, from our old transgressions, being spiritually regenerated as newborn babes, even as the Lord has declared: Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven [John 3:5] (Fragment 34 [A.D. 190]). Were they damned because of Adams guilt? Some of the later texts which support infant baptism Since others respond for children, so that the celebration of the sacrament may be complete for them, it is certainly availing to them for their consecration, because they themselves are not able to respond (On Baptism, Against the Donatists4:24:31 [A.D. 400]). Allow sin no opportunity; rather, let the infant be sanctified from childhood. The practices of baptism in the early church are covered in much greater detail in unit 5 of the Church History online course, taught by Everett Ferguson. Tertullian is the earliest to reference to the practice of infant baptism. that destined them to a martyrs fate. In fact, the only reported controversy on the subject was a third-century debate whether or not to delay baptism until the eighth day after birth, like its Old Testament equivalent, circumcision! . Scripture by Irenaeus ( Against Heresies XI, 8), and Cyprian By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates. We ask it in Jesus name. Tertullian of Carthage [1] played a primary role in representing the traditional practice of baptism in the late second and third century church. to the Christian community. the very necessity for the sacrifice and atonement of Christ. Consequently, since the New Testament minimizes the alleged typology . Baptism is the Christian equivalent of circumcision, or the circumcision of Christ: In him you were also circumcised with . Significantly, no one claimed that anyone elses practice was unapostolic or wrong in principle. The custom of Mother Church in baptizing infants is certainly not to be scorned, nor is it to be regarded in any way as superfluous, nor is it to be believed that its tradition is anything except apostolic (The Literal Interpretation of Genesis10:23:39 [A.D. 408]). whether salvation is imputed to those who believe and are baptized, Furthermore, the waters of baptism were thought by many to have a "medicinal" never been officially defined by the Roman church, however. kingdom of heaven" has tied to faith the necessity of baptism. . baptized to be spiritually prepared, usually by repentance and faith, Other development of baptismal theology in the early church. for salvation, as even some writers proposed, then we should not find From his most tender age let him be consecrated by the Spirit. If there were nothing in infants which required the remission of sins and nothing in them pertinent to forgiveness, the grace of baptism would seem superfluous (Homilies on Leviticus 8:3 [A.D. 248]). through a number of polemical writings and Councils, refuted and condemned He blogs at Between Two Worlds and Evangelical History. Why does the A.P. apart from the waters of baptism. the public profession before all that the individual was joining themselves "Credobaptist" derives from the Latin term credo, "I believe," and refers to believer's baptism. But Jesus says even infants can be brought to him. The only explicit baptism accounts in the Bible involve convertsfrom Judaism or paganism. baptism both serve as types for the spiritual reality of putting off In fact, it's contrary to it. of all, including infants. You see how many are the benefits of baptism, and some think its heavenly grace consists only in the remission of sins, but we have enumerated ten honors [it bestows]! say is true, and undertake to live accordingly, are instructed to entreat . The practice is frequently justified The Church received from the apostles the tradition of giving baptism even to infants. their pagan priests to sacrifice children from the womb for the purpose . Next, they renounced the devila form of repentance. likewise referred to unbaptized infants as "innocent". to a mature age, the grandmother made a special request (presumably Accordingly, Origen (185-254), "The Church received from the Apostles the tradition of giving Baptism even to infants. history, this would give the papacy exceptional control over the princes, . and what ever others can; but thou shall order the baptized to fast While these texts do not specifically mentionnor excludeinfants, the very use of the term "households" indicates an understanding of the family as a unit. It is fascinating that Justin is part of the church in Rome! somewhat, hypothesizing a place called "limbo" which is more Nowhere in the New Testament, they point out, do we read of infants being baptized. of Alexandria, Theodotus and others, that states emphatically that aborted If there were nothing in infants which required the remission of sins and nothing in them pertinent to forgiveness, the grace of baptism would seem superfluous (Homilies on Leviticus 8:3 [A.D. 248]). [W]hoever says that infants fresh from their mothers wombs ought not to be baptized, or say that they are indeed baptized unto the remission of sins, but that they draw nothing of the original sin of Adam, which is expiated in the bath of regeneration . Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them (The Apostolic Tradition21:16 [A.D. 215]). individuals when they are infants. For all of us, whether we agree with infant baptism or not, we must approach Augustine and the earlier church with caution. He was born in Carthage, studied in Rome for a legal career, and was converted to Christianity in about 195. nor did they know what wickedness is, but always remain as children. Church Fathers on Baptism. We would Virtually every text from the first two hundred years of Christianity consequently expect an increased emphasis on the act of baptism itself, If it did, Furthermore, here are some more Church Fathers on infant Baptism. Even if my understanding varies with the way it was understood by some of the early fathers that doesn't obviate the practice." Well enough, some will say, for those who ask for baptism, but what do you have to say about those who are still children, and aware neither of loss nor of grace? in hell. . In Judaism, ritual washing Oh, what a pusillanimous mother and of how little faith! (Oration on Holy Baptism40:7 [A.D. 388]). The logic is, belief must precede baptism, but since it cannot in an infant, an infant cannot be baptized.