01.010-Section III-Subjects of Baptism

SECTION III.--SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM THOSE ONLY ARE PROPER SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM WHO REPENT OF SIN AND BELIEVE IN CHRIST.

Repentance and faith are associated graces in the hearts of the regenerate, each of them implying the existence of the other. Sometimes one of them is particularly mentioned as a qualification for baptism, and sometimes the other. They manifest themselves by confession of sin; by profession of dependence on Christ, and subjection to his authority; and by holy obedience.

John the Baptist required repentance, with its appropriate fruits, in those whom he admitted to baptism. It has been denied that the rite which he administered was identical with Christian baptism; but, for our present purpose, nothing more is necessary than to satisfy ourselves, that John did not require more spiritual qualifications for his baptism, than were required by Christ and his apostles. . If he proclaimed repentance to be necessary because the kingdom of heaven was at hand, it could not be less necessary after the kingdom was established. That John did require repentance, as a qualification for baptism, the following Scriptures testify: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . . . and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins."⁽²⁰⁷⁾ "Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance; and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father."⁽²⁰⁸⁾

During the personal ministry of Christ, he made and baptized disciples. "There he tarried and baptized."⁽²⁰⁹⁾ "The Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John."⁽²¹⁰⁾ Those only were baptized by Christ, who were made disciples; and discipleship implies repentance and faith. The commission which Christ gave to his apostles, connects faith and discipleship with baptism as qualifications for it: "Go, preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved."⁽²¹¹⁾ "Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them."⁽²¹²⁾ In executing the commission of Christ, the apostles and their fellow-laborers required repentance and faith as qualifications for baptism. Several passages in the Acts of the Apostles clearly indicate this: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. . . . Then they that gladly received the word were baptized."⁽²¹³⁾ "When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."⁽²¹⁴⁾ "And the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest."⁽²¹⁵⁾ "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we."⁽²¹⁶⁾ "Whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized."⁽²¹⁷⁾ "He was baptized, he and all his straightway . . . and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house."⁽²¹⁸⁾ . . . `` Many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized."⁽²¹⁹⁾ In the Epistles of the New Testament, baptism is mentioned in such connections as prove that all the baptized were believers in Christ: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death."⁽²²⁰⁾ Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through faith."⁽²²¹⁾ "Ye are all the children of God by faith; for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."⁽²²²⁾ "Baptism doth now save us, . . . the answer of a good conscience toward God."⁽²²³⁾

All these quotations from Scripture harmonize perfectly with each other, and incontrovertibly establish the truth, that repentance and faith are necessary qualifications for baptism. This is universally admitted with respect to adult persons; but a special claim is urged in behalf of infants, and the practice of administering the rite to them has prevailed very extensively. The arguments in its defence will be examined in the Chapter on Infant Membership.