Infant Baptism
Baptizing the child before it can profess — covenant grace or premature rite?
Infant baptism is the practice of baptizing infants and young children rather than only professing adults. Early witnesses include Tertullian, Origen, and a council under Cyprian around 253. Traditions differ sharply: it is practiced by Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental, Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed churches, but rejected by Anabaptists, Baptists, and most Free and Pentecostal churches, who hold instead to believer's baptism upon a personal profession of faith.
How it traveled
- Select Orations of Saint Gregory NazianzenNazianzus · c. 390 CEexplains
- A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of InfantsHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- A Treatise on the Soul and its OriginHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- A Treatise Against Two Letters of the PelagiansHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original SinHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- On Marriage and ConcupiscenceHippo Regius · c. 430 CEapplies
- The EnchiridionHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- On Baptism, Against the DonatistsHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- A Treatise on the Predestination of the SaintsHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)Paris · c. 1274 CEexplains
- Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic ChurchGeneva · c. 1564 CEexplains
- Inquiry Concerning Qualification for CommunionNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- Misrepresentations Corrected and Truth Vindicated, in Reply to the Rev. Solomon WilliamsNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEapplies
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
PÆDOBAPTISM. ITS ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTITUTION OF CHRIST, AND THE NATURE OF THE SIGN. Divisions of this chapter,—I. Confirmation of the orthodox doctrine of Pædobaptism, sec. 1-9. II. Refutation of
Tap to expand
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
27. But they boast of having their strongest bulwark in the very Mark 16:16). What more (say they) do we ask, since the words of Christ distinctly declare, that teaching must precede baptism, and assi
Tap to expand
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
3. Now, since prior to the institution of baptism, the people of God had circumcision in its stead, let us see how far these two signs differ, and how far they resemble each other. In this way it will
Tap to expand
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
6. Scripture gives us a still clearer knowledge of the truth. For it is most evident that the covenant, which the Lord once made with Abraham, is not less applicable to Christians now than it was anci
Tap to expand
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
8. Every one must now see that pædobaptism, which receives such strong support from Scripture, is by no means of human invention. Nor is there anything plausible in the objection, that we nowhere read
Tap to expand
The Epistles of Cyprian. · Cyprian
Epistle LVIII. To Fidus, on the Baptism of Infants. Argument.—In This Letter Cyprian is Not Establishing Any New Decree; But Keeping Most Firmly the Faith of the Church, for the Correction of Those
Tap to expand
Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90) · Thomas Aquinas
Objection 1: It seems that children should not be baptized. For the intention to receive the sacrament is required in one who is being baptized, as stated above (A[7]). But children cannot have such a
Tap to expand
Letters of St. Augustin · Augustine of Hippo
Letter XCVIII. (a.d. 408.) To Boniface, His Colleague in the Episcopal Office, Augustin Sends Greeting in the Lord. 1. You ask me to state “whether parents do harm to their baptized infant children
Tap to expand
A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 4 [IV.]—Pelagians and Manicheans on the Praise of the Creature. These things being so, what advantage is it to new heretics, enemies of the cross of Christ and opposers of divine grace, that
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 11.—The Ancients Assumed Original Sin. You see with what confidence this great man expresses himself after the ancient and undoubted rule of faith. In advancing such very certain statements,
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 22 [XIII.]—We Ought to Be Anxious to Secure the Baptism of Infants. For this is the point aimed at by the controversy, against the novelty of which we have to struggle by the aid of ancient t
Tap to expand
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
130 D130 In connection with the sacraments, there are three aspects which must be carefully distinguished: 1. the spiritual reality which is signified (what Calvin calls “the thing”) 2. the external s
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 63 [XXXIV.]—The Form, or Rite, of Baptism. Exorcism. What shall I say of the actual form of this sacrament? I only wish some one of those who espouse the contrary side would bring me an infan
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 40.—An Argument Anticipated. And let no one contend that the descendants of Abraham might fairly enough have paid tithes, although they had already paid tithes in the loins of their forefathe
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 1 [I.]—What Has Thus Far Been Dwelt On; And What is to Be Treated in This Book. We have, my dearest Marcellinus, discussed at sufficient length, I think, in the former book the baptism of inf
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 17 [IX.]—Christians Do Not Always Beget Christian, Nor the Pure, Pure Children. With these and such like palpable arguments, should I endeavour, as I best could, to convince those persons who
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 8.—Jesus is the Saviour Even of Infants. And therefore, if there is an ambiguity in the apostle’s words when he says, “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so it passe
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 3.—Pelagius Makes God Unjust. We are driven at last to yield our assent on divine authority to that which we are unable to investigate with even the clearest intellect. It is well that they r
Tap to expand
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
24. Thus the Lord, when he chose Abraham for himself, did not commence with circumcision, in the meanwhile concealing what he meant by that sign, but first announced that he intended to make a covenan
Tap to expand
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
30. At length they object, that there is not greater reason for admitting infants to baptism than to the Lord’s Supper, to which, however, they are never admitted: as if Scripture did not in every way
Tap to expand