The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-01-05

time wherein it is administered" (Con.
of Faith, chapter %, art. e. Now if
the washing with water does seal an en-
gagement to be the Lords" and in it "soL-
enl,a uo,1s are made, in other words, a
covenant, and that covenant is covenant
of the parent, and not the child; why is
the water applied to the child, and not
to the PARENT If baptism is a sacrament
In which engagements are entered into
and VOWS made; and the parent is the
only human party who enters into en-
gagements and makes vows, then it is a
misuse of terms to speak of infant bap-
tism-the baptism is that of the parent,
not of the infant
Dr. Ashbel Green, in his Lectures on
the Shorter Catechism Oect. 6S, the clos
ing lecture on infant baptism) writes
You would not have thought it hard
ship, if your parents had, by acting in
your behalf In your homage, secured to
you the eventual possession of large
and valuable worldly estate, on condi-
ton of your doing and acting, in your
coming years, in a manner most reason
able in itself, and most worthy of your
selves. But infinitely more and better
than this, did they do for you, when they
devoted you to God in infant baptism
and placed you atnder tie bonds of his
gracious covenant. OH may none OF
you be guilty of the sacrilege of alienat-
ing worcestershire property of God
from his service to that OF his adversary
May you all esteem it your privilege, as
reservedly to the Lord, and make your
parents act yoatr o,O,a, by your voluntary
cnoice and assumption; and thus insure
to yourselves all the blessings and bene-
fits of heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
his own Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ" On this, remark, whilst Pres
byterians call no man master, and So are
to be Judged by their standards alone
yet Dr. Green has generally been regard
ed as good authority as to what " Pres
byterian doctrine is.
2. "W. A. c." objects to the language
of the Revised Directory quoted above,
because, as he declares, the parents are
made sponsors IN baptism" And, evil
IDENTIFY, he would have the reader infer
that inasmuch as the Presbyterian Church
does not allow of sponsors in baptism
the doctrine of the Revised Directory
must be unpresbyterian doctrine.
What is sponsor in baptism2 In
Chambers Encyclopedia the word spon.
sor is Defined name given in the
illogical use, to godfather or god
mother" It's theological sense is the
only sense in which it could be used fair.
ly, in an article discussing theological
subject, like the article OF "W. A. c.
Certainly, it is in this theological sense
alone that the Presbyterian Church car
be said to reject sponsors in baptism
Does not "W. A. c." know that god
fathers and god-nothers, are not-art
not allowed - be-the natural father
and mother OF the child. In infant hap
tism, as administered in the Church O
Rome and in the Episcopal Church, the
natural father and mother, those to whom
the God-given right to bind the child be
longs, those upon whom God has laid the
obligations of his covenant in so far AZ
parental obligations are concerned, are
thrust aside; and strangers, unknown tt
Gods covenant, are introduced under the
name of sponsors. 1t is such sponsors
and for the good and sufficient reasons
given above, that the Presbyterian Church
rejects. Such sponsors, sponsors in the
theological sense of the term, the natura
parents are not, and cannot be.
G.. D. A.