by Pastor Peter Edwards
THE USE OF INFANT BAPTISM
As I have often heard it asked, What is the use of infant baptism? I think it necessary, before I conclude, to say something in answer to that question. With regard to the use of baptism I consider it in the light of a mean of grace, and I view it in the same way when applied to infants. I do not suppose that infants, properly speaking, receive any present benefit by being baptized, but that this is designed the more to engage the attention of parents, and others to the rising generation. I view infants, when baptized, under the notion of persons entered into a school; and, therefore, I consider parents, pastors, and deacons, and church-members, at large, as brought under an additional obligation to instruct those children who are become scholars, as they become able to learn, in the peculiar truths of the religion of Christ. Viewing the matter in this light, it assumes an importance exceedingly grand; and infant baptism is far from being that unmeaning thing, which it appears to be, when the views are extended no further than helpless infancy.
We may illustrate this by taking a view of circumcision. Circumcision brought persons under an obligation of conforming to the revealed will of God; he who was circumcised became a debtor: and as this was the nature of the institution, the obligation devolved on all who received it. But for as much as persons cannot actually conform before they are brought to understand, and, in order that they may understand, they must be taught, we are, therefore, to consider circumcised infants as standing in the place of scholars or disciples to be instructed in that system to which they were bound to conform. If then circumcision brought an obligation on some to learn, it must, at the same time, bring an obligation on others to teach; because usually persons do not learn without being taught: and hence parents, priests, and people, came under their respective degrees of obligation to see the rising generation instructed in that religion into which they were initiated as scholars or disciples. When I consider this divine institution as calculated to fix the attention of the people on their rising offspring, with respect to their instruction in the things of God, I cannot sufficiently wonder at that poor heathenish notion of circumcision which Mr. Booth has somewhere picked up, or rather invented himself, than which, I am persuaded, the most ignorant Jew never entertained a meaner.
It is for want of viewing the matter in this way, that an institution, administered to an infant, appears ridiculous to any. When the attention is fixed on the infant only, whether it be a circumcised or a baptized infant, without considering any thing further, we may well say, as the Baptists, do, What can an infant know? What can an infant do? What use can it be to an infant? In such a case, it is very true, it would be a difficult thing to discern any wisdom in the administration of an institution of any kind to an infant. And I remember once conversing with a Baptist upon infant baptism, who, among other things, observed what a silly thing it was to baptize an infant. As I perceived his views extended no further than helpless infancy, I asked him, whether, if he had seen it done, he would not have thought it a very silly thing to circumcise an infant? “That I should indeed,” said he, “indeed I should;” these, as well as I can recollect, were his very words. But when, on the contrary, our views take in the grand design of engaging the attention the more fixedly to the rising race, all the supposed silliness vanishes away, and it appears a plan worthy the wisdom and kindness of God.
I was led more particularly to view the matter in this point of light, by considering that commission given to the apostles by the risen Saviour, respecting the Gentile nations, Matt. xxviii. 18, 19, 20:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and matheeteusate, disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; didaskontes, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, &c.”
Here we have the whole plan just as I have set it down in the case of circumcision: they are sent to make disciples (scholars;) for discipulus in Latin, and scholar in English, are just the same; they are to enter such as are made scholars by baptism; they are to instruct these scholars in the things of Christ, in order that they may observe them. Our blessed Lord, by making use of the words matheeteusate, make disciples, and didaskontes, teaching, carries our views immediately to matheetai, discipuli, scholars, and didaskaloi, praeceptores, school-masters; and thus we are presented with a Christian school with scholars and masters.
According to this view of the subject, and to this our Lord’s words naturally lead us, there appears not only a grandeur of design, but likewise an exact symmetry in the different dispensations of God—I mean that attention to the rising offspring, which had shown itself in a former dispensation, and, no doubt, in all. It is to be observed that our Lord uses a term, a school term, which will agree to an infant as well as an adult; for the word matheetees, a scholar, of which the word used by our Lord is the theme, does not necessarily intend previous learning nor present learning, but only learning in design. We call those scholars, who have done learning, and so we do those who are now at their studies, and so likewise those who have not yet begun to learn, provided they are entered for that purpose: so that the idea of learning does not necessarily annex itself to the term matheetees, scholar, any further than to denote a person who is entered into a school with a view to learn.
But here it may be asked, What propriety can there be, in calling a person a disciple or scholar, who is yet incapable of learning? I reply, he is properly so called, because he is entered with that design: e.g. Numbers iii. 28, “In the number of all the males, from a month old and upwards, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.” Can any body tell me how a child of six weeks old could be a keeper of the charge of the sanctuary? Certainly he could no otherwise be called a keeper, but as one designed and appointed to that service. Just with the same propriety, an infant, who, by circumcision or baptism, was or is publicly entered into a religious school, may be called a disciple in a religious sense. And it is a very general opinion, that infants are actually so called in Acts xv. 10. “Why tempt ye God to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples?” That infants are called disciples will appear plain, if we ask, On whose neck was this yoke to have come? Every one knows, who knows the manner of Moses respecting circumcision, that it would have come on adults, but chiefly on infants; and then it is evident, that as part of those, on whom the yoke would have come, were infants, it is as evident, that those infants were called disciples: but whether this be so or not, the word made use of by our Lord will agree to infants as well as adults.
The apostles are to make disciples—that is all matheeteusate imports. But
still the question is, How are they to make them? I answer, By teaching; for neither adult nor
infant can be made a disciple without.
And herein the Baptists are very right, and I agree with them, that
adults and infants must be made disciples by teaching, or they will not be made
so at all. But then how can an infant be
made a disciple by teaching? I reply,
not directly, but indirectly; that is, the parents, being won over by teaching
to embrace the truth, they present their infants to the Christian school to be
trained up in the same truth; and thus they become disciples: e.g. Joel is to sanctify a fast, and
call a solemn assembly, to gather the people, elders, children, and those that
suck the breasts. But how is he to
assemble them? He is to blow a trumpet
in
Viewing baptism as introducing infants into a visible state of discipleship, we are to consider others as teachers and overlookers of these disciples; and then the usefulness of such an institution will display itself before us. We see an infant baptized. If our views terminate there, alas! what is it? Infant sprinkling only, the baptism of a baby. Things which are little in themselves, become great by their connexion with, and relation to, others. We see an infant baptized—What does it import? He is received into discipleship, i.e. to be a scholar in a Christian school. Now carry your views into the department of parents, pastors, deacons, and members; and listen to the silent language of this institution:
“Parents, pastors, and people, pray for us; during our tender infancy, pray for us. And when matured by age, cause the doctrine which you profess, to drop upon us as the rain, to distil as dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as showers upon the grass. Watch over us with united care, and bring us up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
It is a dispensation grand and merciful, which is calculated more powerfully to turn the attention of men to the concerns of those who are rising into life, and posting into eternity.
There is one fault among others in the Baptist system, that it places the rising generation so entirely out of sight. I do not mean that the Baptists themselves do this; for their conduct in this respect is much better than their system; but their system places them out of sight. And in this, it differs from all the dispensations of God, of which we have any particular knowledge; which alone would lead to a presumption, that it is not of God.
To what I have said concerning the use of infant baptism, under the idea of an institution suited to draw the attention more powerfully to the immortal concerns of the rising generation, (and he must be very inattentive to human nature, who does not see a beauty and blessedness in such a contrivance;) there is no objection that can be brought by a Baptist, but may be retorted. He may say, Cannot all this be done without baptizing infants? Retort: cannot men be built up in faith and love, without either baptism or the Lord’s supper?—Are not many baptized infants as destitute of religion as heathens? Are not many unbaptized infants brought up in Christian knowledge equally as well as the baptized ones? Ret.—And are not many, who have not been baptized in adult age, as gracious and holy as those who have? In this way every objection which can be brought may easily be retorted on the objector.
But the truth is, that the enjoyment of ordinances is to be considered only as a means of grace; they are well suited as ordinances to impress the mind; but then, it is very ertain, they effect nothing, unless God is pleased to give the increase. The possession of the word of God, the enjoyment of preaching, baptism, the Lord’s supper, are good things in themselves, though many are never the better for them; but we are to estimate these things not by the advantage which some receive, but by their own suitableness to promote, as means, some great ends.
When we consider infants under the notion of disciples, or scholars, the
idea suggests to us a noble kind of discipline in the
There are many special uses connected with this grand leading idea, which the limit of this essay will not permit me to mention. I cannot say how far the learning idea itself is attended to by those who adopt infant baptism; if it be not, it is so much the more to be lamented, that in this, as well as in other things, the spirit of an institution is not followed up to its proper scope. It is sufficient, notwithstanding, to my present purpose, in showing the usefulness of an ordinance, if there be a natural fitness, in the ordinance itself, to promote the great end I have mentioned. And as every system we embrace is likely to impress our minds according to its nature; that system must be eminently good and useful, which is calculated, most of all, to bring the rising generation, and their everlasting concerns to our mind; to hold them up perpetually before our eyes; and to fix them habitually upon our hearts.—All this the admission of infants by baptism to a state of discipleship in the church of God, is evidently calculated to do; and herein I judge its main usefulness consists.
THE END.
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