14/03/2015
The Practice of the Apostolic Church.
"Nothing admits of being more clearly demon¬ strated," writes Dr. McCrie, "than that baptism of chil¬ dren was practised from the earliest ages of the Church. Thus Iranaeus, who was born before the death of the Evangelist John, and who flourished in the generation immediately succeeding him, when it was not possible for the Church to be ignorant of what was done, as to the baptising of children in the times of the Apostles, writes, "That Jesus Christ can save all persons by Him¬ self—all, I mean, who by Him are regenerated unto God —infants and little ones, and children, and youths and older persons.' Now by 'regenerated unto God,' it can be shown that he means baptised unto God, for he calls the commission to baptise all nations, the commission to regenerate all nations; using the word regeneration for its sign and symbol." (Lectures on Christian Baptism). Justin Martyr, born A.D. 100, observes in his Apology, when speaking of those who were members of the Church, that "a part of these were sixty or seventy years old, who were made disciples of Christ from their infancy." But there was never any other mode of mak¬ ing disciples from infancy, except baptism. He also writes of some who were known to himself and who were baptised as children within thirty-six years of the time Christ gave His commission to His disciples. Origen, who was born about A.D. 185 of Christian parents, says it was the practice of the Church to baptise infants, and that this was in accordance with an order from the Apostles. (Comment, in Epist. ad Romanos. Lib. V.C. 9). Cyprian gives an account of the Council of Carthage, A.D. 253, and says that it was proposed to this venerable assembly, whether infants were to be kept from baptism till they were eight days old, as in the case of circumci¬ sion, or might be baptised sooner? Without one dissent¬ ing voice a decretive* answer was returned—that no infant is to be prohibited from the benefit of baptism * Having the force of a decree. though but just born. Not the least demur appears to performs the same office." (Institutes, Book IV, Ch. have been made about the lawfulness, duty or propriety of baptising infants, but only about the precise time of it as a standing custom. (Williams on Baptism, Vol II, p. 221). Augustine, born in A.D. 354, declares that the bap¬ tism of infants was a doctrine held by the Church universai, and that not as instituted by Councils, but as delivered by the authority of the Apostles alone. He also says that he did not remember ever to have read of any person, whether catholic or heretic, who main¬ tained that baptism ought to be denied to infants. (Dwight's Theology, Vol. 5, p. 259)
