An Orthodox Catechism: Being the Sum of Christian Religion, Contained in the Law and Gospel
In Reformed Baptist Fellowship on Friday, July 13, 2012 at 9:55 am
Published
For Preventing the Canker and Poison of Heresy and Error.
by HERCULES COLLINS.
Search the Scriptures. John 14.29.
The Words that I have spoken, the same shall judge you in the Last day. John 12.48.
London,
Printed in the Year, 1680.
Baptism
Q. 69 What is Baptism?
A. Immersion or dipping of the Person in
Water in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by such who are
duly qualified by Christ.1
1 Mat. 3.16. John 3.23. Acts 8.38, 39. Rom. 6.4.
Q. 70 Who are the proper Subjects of this Ordinance?
A. Those who do actually profess Repentance towards God, Faith in, and Obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.1
1Acts 2.38. Acts 8.36, 37.
Q. 71 Should infants, too, be baptized?
A. No, for we have neither Precept nor Example for that Practice in all the Book of God.
Q. 72 Does the Scriptures forbid the Baptism of Infants?
A. It is sufficient that the Divine
Oracles commands the baptizing of Believers, unless we will make
ourselves wiser than what is written. Nadab and Abihu were not forbidden
to offer strange Fire, yet for doing so they incurred God’s Wrath,
because they were commanded to take Fire from the Altar.1
1 Mat. 28.18, 19. Mark 16.16. Lev 9.24. 10.16.
Q. 73 May not the infant children of believers under the
Gospel be baptized since the infant descendants of Abraham were
circumcised under the Law?
A. No. Abraham had a command from God
to circumcise his infant descendants, but believers have no command
to baptize their infant children under the Gospel.1
1 Gen. 17.9, 10, 11, 12.
Q. 74 If the infant children of believers are in the Covenant
of Grace with their parents, as some say, why may they not be baptized
under the Gospel, as well as Abraham’s infant descendants were
circumcised under the Law?
A. By the infant children 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 can be
no total and final falling away of any infant children of believers from
the Covenant, but all must be saved.1
1 Jer. 32.38, 39, 40. Joh. 10.28.
Or, 2. They must mean conditionally,
on consideration that when they come to an age of maturity, they by true
faith, love, and holiness of life, taking hold of God’s Covenant of
Grace, shall have the privileges of it. This being their sense, I then
ask what real spiritual privilege the infant children of believers have
more than the infant children of unbelievers, if they live also to years
of maturity, and by true faith and love take hold God’s Covenant? I
further demand, whether the Seal of the Covenant does not belong as much
to the children of unbelievers as to the children of believers? and
more too, since some infant children
of unbelievers take hold of God’s Covenant, and some infant children of
believers do not2; as this often occurs to the sorrow of many godly parents. 2Isa. 56.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Acts 10.34, 35. John 3.16.
3. Suppose all the infant children of
believers are absolutely in the Covenant of Grace; believers under the
Gospel should not baptize their infant children any more than Lot had
warrant to circumcise himself or his infant children, although he was
closely related to Abraham, a believer, and in the Covenant of Grace
too: since circumcision was limited to Abraham and to his family. Also
by the same rule we should bring infants to the Lord’s Table, since the
same qualifications are
3required for the proper administration of Baptism as for the Lord’s Supper.
3Acts 2.41, 42.
4. We must know the covenant made with
Abraham had two parts: first, a spiritual, which consisted in
God’s promising to be a God to4 Abraham, and5 all
his spiritual descendants in a particular manner, whether they were
circumcised or uncircumcised, who believed as Abraham the Father of the
Faithful did. This was signified by God’s accepting them as his people
who were not descended6 from Abraham, but through Jesus
Christ, the Gentiles, the uncircumcised who believed, should have
their faith counted for Righteousness, as Abraham’s was before he was
circumcised.7
4Gen. 17.19, 21. Gen. 21.10. Gal. 4.30.
5Acts 2.39. Rom. 9.7, 8, &c.
6Gal. 3.16, 28, 29.
7Rom. 4.9-14.
5. This promise consisted of temporal good: so God promised Abraham’s Seed should enjoy the8
land of Canaan, and have plenty of outward blessings, and sealed this
promise by circumcision. It was also a distinguishing character of
the Jews being God’s people from all the Nations of the Gentiles, who
were not yet the spiritual descendants of Abraham: but when the Gentiles
came to believe, and by faith became the people of God as well as the
Jews, then9 Circumcision, that distinguishing mark, ceased.
The character of being the children of God now is faith in Christ and
circumcision of the Heart. Whatever reason may be given for the Infants
of Believers to be Baptized first, as their being the children
of believers; or secondly, their being in the Covenant; or thirdly, that
the infant descendants of Abraham a believer, were circumcised;
all this you see avails nothing: for circumcision was limited to the
family of Abraham and all others, though believers, were excluded. It
was also limited to a particular day, the eighth day, and whatever
reason might be given, it was not to be done before or after. It was
limited to male and did not include female; if Baptism came in the
place of circumcision, and is the seal of the Covenant under the Gospel
as circumcision was under the Law, none but the males must be baptized,
because none but the Males were Circumcised. But as the Law regulated
circumcision, now the Gospel regulates Baptism, and it depends
purely upon the will of the Law-giver, at what periods of time, upon
what Persons and terms Baptism is to be administered. We will do well,
then, to heed what is declared in Scripture, especially Acts 3.22.
8Gen. 15.18. Gen. 17.8, 9, 10, 11. Gen. 12.6, 7. Gen. 13.15, 16, 17. Gen. 15.16.
9John 1.12. Rom. 2.28, 29. Phil. 3.3. Gal. 3.26, 27, 28.
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