The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-12-02
For TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
WHY WE BAPTIzE OUR INFANTS.
BY REV. H. H. HALVES.
No. 3.


No. 8.
Jesus Christ has reformed and enlarged
His church. He has opened it's promises
and privileges to the Gentiles. And now
they are no more strangers and foreigners
but fellowcitizens with the sg',,'- of the
hoasek0id oi sod
He, as "Son over his own house" had the
perfect right to do this. In the same way
He had the right to displace circumcision by
baptism. The fact that He said, "baptize, y
and did not say, "circumcise, shows that
He has exercised that right. No one can
deny that baptism is now the rite of the
church. 1t is also true that if the covenant
of promise to Abraham has not been set
aside, it remains in force for the Jews and
Gentiles alike in the church of God. Then
as baptism is the outward sign of church re-
lationship, it must be the sign borne by the
present heirs of the Covenant But some
fears are expressed about the perpetuity of
that Covenant. Aud some denials of it's ex-
istence are openly made. One points. US to
Hebrews viii chapter, where "a new Cove
nant" is mentioned, and the first" declared
p" old" The only trouble here, is negligent
reading of the Bible. And this is the trouble
everywhere else also. What Covenant is here
spoken of? Two witnesses, Jeremiah (xxxi:
S1-34) and Paul Heb. viii chapter) testify
carefully and plainly that it was the laV,cOv-
enant, "The covenant that | made with their
fathers in the day when l took them by the
hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt"
This was the old or Z" first" Covenant there
referred to. 1t was called thus as distin-
gushing the mosaic dispensation, from the
Gospel dispensation. But there is not
word nor hint here about the Covenant of
promise made to Abraham. Christ's work
sets aside the Mosaic law-covenant, which
was only temporary; and does it in order to
make room for the enlarging and perfecting
Of the Abrahamic Covenant. God promised
that in him all families and nations
Of the earth should be blessed. His seed
we're to be g many nations" And not until
Christ's work was finished was it or could it
be said to Gentiles who became Gods people
BY faith in Christ, eye are Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise" If the
Covenant is gone, there can be no seed who
are heirs to its promise If the Covenant
still exists, then its sign must go with it to
The seed. This law holds good, though the
'ign be changed. Then if the old sign was
given to infants of Gods people, as the seed
and heirs of the promise, so must the new
,ign be given to them. The law for Abra-
nam is the law for his seed for the Jew
irst, and also for the Gentle"
But only males were circumciSed. The
servants also were circumcised. Why is not
his the rule also for baptizing? 1t is a
question often asked. The answer is that
Christ has wrought the change. And again,
let it be remembered, it was His right to do
30. Among the Jews, the man was the head,
and representative person of the family
Out the then existing patriarchal institution,
Is no more. There is but one representative
for one or for all. And the blessings of the
Covenant of promise are for those who are
represented before the law of God by Jesus
Christ. See how the Apostle explains this
10 Gal. iii: %. "There is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there
is neither male nor female; for ye are all
one in Christ Jesus" Then verse 20, "And
if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham seed,
and heirs according to the promise. F" So not
only is the application of the Covenant pro-
mise enlarged to all nations and families of
the earth, but the application of the Cove
nsnt sign is also enlarged to all PERSONS
Therefore if the Covenant of promise at first
demanded that the believing parent should
receive the Divinely appointed sign, and then
give it to his infant offspring, the demand is
the same now. The only differences are that
the form of the sign has been changed from
to baptism; and the application
has been enlarged to Gentiles and to all sexes.
In rights, privileges and heirShips in the Gov
enant made with Abraham, GentileS are exalt,
ed to equality with the Jews. They are Que.
So Peter taught on the day of PentecOst.-
So Christ taught in sending His ministers to
all nations. So are we taught in Romans,
Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philip
plans, Colossians, Hebrews, and wherever
the subject is at all touched in the new Tes-
lament. 1t is therefore strictly by the law of
God as expressed in the New Testament, that
we baptize our infants. For the New Testa-
ment most clearly argues for the continuance
of the covenant, and for our interest in it.
And no man ever could or ever can show
when or where it was set aside.
GRACE makes a good heart-memory, even
where there is bad head memory.
GTvTNG IN the Lord ia but transnorting