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Infant Baptism in the Eyes of the Reformers:

A Compilation by:
http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/Baptism&InfantBaptism.htm
Posted by: Kara Lynn Teresa Turton
(Originally Posted in BattleACTS on 4/23/2004).

Martin Luther:

"Thus we do also in infant baptism. We bring the child in the conviction and hope that it believes, and we pray that God may grant it faith; but we do not baptize it upon that, but solely upon the command of God. Why so? Because we know that God does not lie. I and my neighbor and, in short, all men, may err and deceive, but the Word of God cannot err.

Therefore they are presumptuous, clumsy minds that draw such inferences and conclusions as these: Where there is not the true faith, there also can be no true Baptism. Just as if I would infer: If I do not believe, then Christ is nothing; or thus: If I am not obedient, then father, mother, and government are nothing. Is that a correct conclusion, that whenever any one does not do what he ought, the thing in itself shall be nothing and of no value? My dear, just invert the argument and rather draw this inference: For this very reason Baptism is something and is right, because it has been wrongly received. For if it were not right and true in itself, it could not be misused nor sinned against. The saying is: Abusus non tollit, sed confirmat substantiam, Abuse does not destroy the essence but confirms it. For gold is not the less gold though a harlot wear it in sin and shame."

see full sermon here:

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/LutherMartinCatechismInfantBaptism.htm

Zwingli had this to say:

"Children born of believing parents are children of God, like those who were born under the Old Testament, and consequently may receive baptism.

"Baptism under the New Testament is what circumcision was under the Old; consequently, baptism ought now to be administered to children, as circumcision was formerly."

that quote was taken from:

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/ZwinglianStatementInfantBaptism.htm

Calvin declared:

"Now, if we are to investigate whether or not baptism is justly given to infants, will we not say that the man trifles, or rather is delirious, who would stop short at the element of water, and the external observance, and not allow his mind to rise to the spiritual mystery? If reason is listened to, it will undoubtedly appear that **BAPTISM IS PROPERLY ADMINISTERED TO INFANTS AS A THING DUE TO THEM**"

full sermon can be found here:

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/CalvinInfantBaptism.htm

Here are many others, and each and every one is a Protestant:

Difficulties About Baptism
by Douglas Bannerman:

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/BannermanDouglasDifficultiesAboutBaptism.htm

A Practical Discourse Concerning Vows: with a special Reference to Baptism and the Lord's Supper
By Edmund Calamy

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/CalamyPracticalDiscourseConcerningVowsBaptism.htm

The Subjects of Baptism
by Wilhelmus a'Brakel
http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/aBrakelSubjectsBaptism.htm

An Excerpt from his work on the 5th Commandment on Infants and Baptism
by Ezekiel Hopkins

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/HopkinsEzekielInfantBaptism.htm

The Doctrine of the Sacrament surrounding Infant Baptism
by Ezekiel Hopkins

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/HopkinsEzekielDoctrineSacramentInfantBaptism.htm

Baptism
by Charles Hodge

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/HodgeCharlesBaptismCommentaryEphesians.htm

Baptism
by A.A. Hodge

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/Baptism&InfantBaptism.htm

Infant Baptism
by William Ames

http://www.apuritansmind.com/William%20Ames/WilliamAmesBaptism.htm

The Sacramental Principle
by William Cunningham

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/CunninghamWilliamSacramentalPrinciple.htm

An Excerpt on Infant Baptism, Part 1
by Jonathan Edwards

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/EdwardsJonathanInfantBaptismExcerpt.htm

Infant Baptism, Part 2
From John Gerstner's Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards
by Jonathan Edwards

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/EdwardsJonathanInfantBaptismGerstner.htm

Infant Baptism, Against Mr. Tombes
by John Owen

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/OwenJohnInfantBaptism.htm

The Polemics of Infant Baptism
by B.B. Warfield

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/WarfieldBBPolemicsInfantBaptism.htm

Infant Baptism, Part 1
by Francis Turretin

http://www.apuritansmind.com/FrancisTurretin/francisturretinInfantBaptismPart1.htm

The Church Membership of Children Part 1
by Thomas Shepard

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/ShepardThomasChurchMembershipChildren.htm

The Church Membership of Children and their right to Baptism
Part 2 by Thomas Shepard

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/ShepardThomasChurchMembershipChildrenAndBaptism.htm

Discourse 1 on Infant Baptism
by Samuel Miller

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/MillerSamuelInfantBaptismDiscourse1.htm

Discourse 2 on Infant Baptism
by Samuel Miller

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/MillerSamuelInfantBaptismDiscourse2.htm

Discourses 3-4 on Infant Baptism
by Samuel Miller

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/MillerSamuelInfantBaptismDiscourses3-4.htm

Why We Baptize Infants
by John Murray

http://www.apuritansmind.com/Baptism/MurrayJohnWhyWeBaptizeInfants.htm

Why Baptism?
by W. Robert Godfrey

http://www.christianity.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID307086|CHID560798|CIID1413568,00.html

Baptism: Its Meaning and Purpose
By Dr. Greg L. Bahnsen

http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/pt069.htm

Cross-Examination: Infant Baptism
By Dr. Greg Bahnsen

http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/pt171.htm

God's Grandchildren: The Biblical Basis for Infant Baptism
by Dr. Michael S. Horton

http://www.scionofzion.com/infantbap.htm

Baptism
by Francis A. Schaeffer

http://www.fivesolas.com/fs_bapt.htm

Some added research, found by Scott Windsor on infant baptism "epitaphs" found in inscriptions left by Early Church members:
Infant Baptism Epitaphs.

JMJ


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