The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-02-16
FoR TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN,
THE CHILDREN OF BAPTIZ rs
Have COVENANT IS &C.


VIEWS OF THE ASSEMBLY AND OF PROF. A.
A. HODGE SHOWN TO BE CONGREGATIONAL
AND DANGEROUs-CONCLUDED
~. Fourth. DR.. Hodge with the Assem-
bly, makes baptism covenant made with
and by parents, and not as it is, a covenant
made by God with children. DR.. A. A.
Hodge therefore declares that parents are
drought under an erpress engagement, y
(hiS Italics that is, covenant, and this he
declares to be affirmed by the General As
sembly in 1894. The doctrine which | now
defend-that is, that the membership of the
child in the Visible Church follows that Of
the parent in the Visible Church,-Or as he
states it, (see On Confession of Faith, page
474, that "every person, who was himself
introduced into that Church that is, into
the VISIBLE Chureh,-"by baptism in infan-
cy, has an indefeasible right to have his
children baptized, he declares to be D
absurd" (2) involving perjury and sacri-
eye by making the solemn professions, and
taking the obligations involved in the ,baptis-
NAL COVENANT, " and (3) that it is ''sin for
them to do it, and sin for the minister to
help them to do it." Now in reply, l would
say o. this, as have already shown, is pure
and unmitigated CongregatiOnaEsm. (2) l
will proceed to show that the solemn paren-
tai COVENANT, assumed by DIR. Hodge is no
where taught in our Standards, nor by the
Assembly of 1894. In the Directory for
Worship, chapter vii, it is shown in S /
When and by whom baptism is to be admin
istered. In 81. That it is usually to be ad-
ministered in the congregation. In 5 8.
That the child is to be presented by one or
both of the parents sigs5ying their desire,
thar the children may be baptized In S 4,
An outline is given of 'sOME WORDS OF IN
STRUCTION" which the minister may use res
pecting the institution, nature, use and ends
of this ordinance, ''the minister is also to
exhort the parents to a careful performance
of their duty; requiring that they should teach
the child" &c. 5. Then the minister is to
pray for blessing, after which he proceeds
to baptise the child. That this teaching of
our Standards does not by any means imply
that the baptismal covenant is with the par
ent, but with the child, towards whom the
parents are to render all Christian instruc
ton and example, is proved by the very de-
iverance of the General Assembly of 1874,
to which DR.. Hodge refers. Their answer is
to an overture, (see Baird's Digest, page
1867 "Whether BESIDES requiring of par
ents, &C., as in the Book,-''it should be
considered as essential to require that they
come under an explicit VOW e.. to per-
form these duties. The answer refers to
the above chapter of the Directory, which
says the Assembly requires not an explicit
personal VOW or covenant, but ENGAGEMENT
on the part of the parents" and that this was
the understood purport of the Westminster
Assemblyis proved by Richard Baxter in the
work already referred to, who regrets that
such a covenant in the name and behalf Of
the child is either omitted, or obscurely i'm
piled, at most, in the Directory, (see page
1907 see also on this subject, Fisher on the
Shorter Cateehism, page 1916. "Bap-
tism, says DR.. Bannerman, vol. Ii, page
81, sis the seal cf federal transaction be-
tween the party baptized and Christ: this is
the main characteristic feature of the Ordi-
nance" The covenant of God is, 81 will
be God to thee, and (alsO toy thy seed. "
So unquestiOnably teach our Standards.
Baptism Confession of Faith, chapter xviii,
ST. is sacrament ordained mot only for
the solemn admission of the party baptized
into the Visible Church, but also to be unto
HIM sign and seal, &c.
V. Fifth. Equally contrary to Presbyte-
rianism and our Standards, and equally Con,
gregational is the teaching of Dr. A. A.
Hodge, that the same qualifications are re-
ouired for admission to the privilege of hav-
ing children baptized, and to the Lords
Supper (See DR.. Hodge on Confession of
Faith, page 474.) On this point l refer to
DIR. Miller on Baptism, page so, in which
he takes up, as another objection urged by
Congregational Baptists against infant mem
bership and baptism; That If they be a0eH
founded then 1t toZlo10s Of course, that every
baptized person has right to come to the
Lords table" After showing that this OBJ
lection is founded on an entire mistake, and
showing the uniform practice of the Old
Testament Church, he concludes 'the objec-
ton then before is of no force, or rather the
fact which it alleges and Geprecates has no
existence" page So But let DR.. Hodge
be his own respondent, in his outlines of
Theology, (page 499, question 27.) "HoV
can zee avoid the conclusion that infants are
to be admitted to the Lords Sxpper, G they