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The Orthodox Catechism
(excerpted)
Q. Seeing the Infants of Believers are in the Covenant of Grace with their
Parents, as some say, why may not they be baptized under the Gospel, as well as
Abraham's Infant-Seed was circumcised under the Law?
A. By the Infants 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 is
no total and final Apostasy of any Infant-Seed of Believers from the Covenant,
but all must be saved then.
(a) Jer. 32. 38, 39. 40. Joh. 10. 28.
Or 2. They must mean conditionally, on consideration that when they come to
years 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 demand what real spiritual privilege the Infant-Seed of Believers,
as such, have more than the Infant-Seed of Unbelievers, if they live also to
years of maturity, and by true Faith and Love take hold God's Covenant (b)? I
further demand, whether the Seal of the Covenant do not under those
considerations belong as much to the Children of Unbelievers as to the Children
of Believers? yea, and more too, under consideration the Infant-Seed of the
Unbeliever should take hold of God's Covenant, and the Believers Infant-Seed do
not (c); as often this is seen to the sorrow of many Godly Parents.
(b) (c) Isa. 56.3,4,5,6,7,8. Acts 10.34, 35. John 3.16.
3. Suppose all the Infant-Seed of Believers absolutely in the Covenant of Grace;
yet Believers under the gospel ought no more to Baptize their Infant-Seed, than
Lot to circumcise himself or his Infant-Seed, if he had Males as well as
Females, albeit nearly related to Abraham, yea, a Believer, and in the Covenant
of Grace too: forasmuch as Circumcision was limited to Abraham and to his
Family. Also by the same rule we may bring Infants to the Lord's Table,
forasmuch as the same qualifications are (d) required to the due performance of
Baptism, as there is to the Lord's Supper.
(d) Acts 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 to (e) Abraham, and
(f) all his Spiritual-Seed in a peculiar manner, whether they were circumcised
or uncircumcised, which believed as Abraham the Father of the Faithful did. And
this was signified in God's accepting such as his People which were not of (g)
Abraham's Seed, but brought with his Mony, and this Promise was sealed to
Abraham by Circumcision, that through Jesus Christ (whom Isaac typified out) the
Gentiles, the Uncircumcision which believed, should have their Faith counted for
Righteousness, as Abraham's was before he was circumcised.
(e) Gen.17. 19,21. Gen. 21.10. Gal. 4.30. (f) Acts 2.39. Rom. 9.7,8 & c. (g)
Gal. 3.16, 28, 29. (h) Rom. 4.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
2. This Promise consisted of temporal good: so God promised Abraham's Seed
should enjoy the (i) Land of Canaan, and have plenty of outward blessings, so
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, which as yet
were not the Seed of Abraham: but when the Gentiles came to believe, and by
Faith became the People of God as well as the Jews, then (j) Circumcision, that
distinguishing Mark, ceased; and the character of being the Children of God now
is Faith in Christ, and Circumcision of the Heart. So that whatever pretence
there may be for the Infants of Believers to be Baptized first, as their being
the Seed of Believers; or 2ndly, their being in the Covenant; or 3rdly, that the
Infant-Seed of Abraham a Believer, was circumcised; all this you see avails
nothing: for Circumcision was limited to such a Family, the Family of Abraham,
all others, though Believers, were excluded; also limited to such a day, the
eighth day, and what ever pretence might be made, it was not to be done before
nor after; limited also to such a Sex, the Male, not the Female, which if
Baptism came in the room 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 under the Law
respecting Circumcision, so now under the Gospel respecting Baptism, it depends
purely upon the will of the Law-giver, at what season, upon what Persons and
terms Baptism is to be administered; unto which Prophet we shall all do well to
hearken, Act. 3.22.
(i) Gen. 15.18. Gen. 17.8, 9, 10, 11. Gen. 12.6, 7. Gen. 13.15, 16, 17. Gen.
15.16. (j) John 1.12. Rom. 2.28, 29. Phil. 3.3. Gal. 3.26, 27, 28
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