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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