What Testimony the Holy Apostles Have Given in Their Epistles, Concerning Baptism.
1. That it signifies the burying of sins, and the resurrection into a new life.
Rom. 6:3,4: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”80
Note.—To the foregoing belongs also the passage, Tit. 3:5, where baptism is called, “the washing of regeneration,” and Eph. 5:26, “the washing of water by the word.”
2. That through faith we become children of God, and through baptism put on Christ.81
Gal. 3:26,27: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
3. That as the ark with eight souls was preserved in the water, so also believing baptized Christians are preserved or saved in baptism through the answer of a good conscience.
1 Pet. 3:20,21: “When once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.82 The like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God).”
MOREOVER, THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED IN, AT, AND ABOUT BAPTISM, INDICATE SUFFICIENTLY, THAT IT WAS NOT ADMINISTERED TO CHILDREN, BUT TO PERSONS OF UNDERSTANDING.
In order to receive baptism in a worthy and true manner, there are required sorrow and repentance of sins, accompanied with a confession of the same. Matt. 3:6, we read: “And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”
Besides this, it is required that we should bear good fruits. “Bring forth therefore,” says John, to those who desired to be baptized, “fruits meet for repentance.” Matt. 3:8; or, according to Biestken’s translation: “Do genuine fruits of repentance.”
Mark 16:16, it is also required, that we believe, yea, that we believe with the heart. Acts 8:37.
In short, repentance or conversion, and baptism are joined together, Matt. 3:6,11; as also, teaching, believing, and baptizing, Mark 16:15,16. Confession and baptism went hand in hand with the Ethiopian, Acts 8:37. Baptism is a burying of the old man, and a sign of resurrection into a new life, Rom. 6:3,4; a putting on of Christ, Gal. 3:27; and the answer of a good conscience toward God. 1 Pet. 3:21.
These and other conditions required in baptism cannot exist in infants, who know neither good nor evil, cannot discern between the right hand and the left hand, and do as children do, Deut. 1:39; Jon. 4:11; 1 Cor. 13:11.
Here we might adduce much more, but since it is not our purpose to dispute about this point, but simply to show from the unadorned testimonies of the holy evangelists and apostles, that baptism was administered in the first century only to adult (that is, penitent and believing) persons, we shall leave this subject, and proceed to give an account of those who, according to history, have, either by word or by deed, maintained this doctrine.
OF THE TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERS CONCERNING THIS ARTICLE; WHO LIVED FROM THE DECEASE OF THE APOSTLES TO THE END OF THE FIRST CENTURY.
Although we might entirely conclude this first century as touching baptism upon faith, with the testimony of Holy Scripture, we, so as not to appear deficient, nevertheless deem it expedient, to add the testimonies of the fathers, till the end of this century.
About the year 52.—Jac. Mehrn. Bapt. hist. pag. 578. from Simon Metaphrastes, D. Vicecomes records the following incident (lib. 1. cap. 4. in the life of St. Auxibius): When St. Mark, the apostle of Christ, saw that Auxibius had a desire for Christ, and that he was believing and instructed, he descended with him into a pool and baptized him. This is the first example of which we read in history, outside of Holy Scripture, of those who were incorporated into the church of Christ, through baptism upon faith.
About the year 60.—In, or very near this time, it is recorded, even by several papistic writers, that there were such people and such a sect as were afterwards designated by the name, The Poor of Lyons, Waldenses, Albigenses, who were also called Anabaptists, or Baptists, on account of the like faith which they had in common; as shall be shown hereafter. Therefore the papists complain of their being considered of such high antiquity; for some say that they existed in the time of Sylvester, A. D. 315, and others assert, with more justness, too, in the time of the apostles. Baptism, histor. pag. 615, from a very old book. Also, pag. 670 and pag. 682. from Flaccius. Also, D. Balthazar Lydius (though he misinterprets their doctrine) in the tract, “Where the church was before the year 1160,” printed at Dort, A. 1624. pag. 2. col. 1. from Reynerius Priester.
About the year 68.—It is stated that in the time of Nero, two daughters of Valentinian, a Christian at Aquileia, who had been brought up by their father in the Christian faith and the fear of God, were instructed by the priest or teacher Hermagoras, and baptized at a running water. See De gantsch klare en grondige bewijsinge van den Doop, printed A. D. [15] 81. letter Bv.
About the year 70.—In or about the time of the death of the apostle Peter is placed the bishop or teacher Linus, of whom it is testified that he baptized, after preceding instruction, the son of Perpetua, a Christian woman. See the above. Also, Kort verhael van den loop der werelt, by F. H. H., printed at Franeker, A. 1611. pag. 47.
From the year 71 till the year 111.—It is stated that between these years there flourished Ignatius, who was the second bishop of Antioch after Peter, and, according to the chronicles, discharged the duties of his office in the time of the apostle John. Writing of baptism, he employs no other manner of speech, than which clearly implies that baptism must be accompanied with faith, love and patience.
In his letter to Polycarp, bishop at Smyrna, he writes among other things these words: Let none of you be found an apostate: “Let your baptism be your weapon, your faith your helmet, love a lance, patience a full armor.”
In a letter to the Tralienses he writes likewise: “It appears to me, that you do not live after the flesh, but after Jesus Christ, who died for our sakes; so that you, believing in his death, may, through baptism, be partakers of his resurrection.”
Again, in the letter to those at Philadelphia he writes thus: “Seeing, then, that there is one only ungenerated God and Father; and one only begotten Son, Word, and Man; one Comforter, the Spirit of Truth; and one faith, one baptism, and one church, which the apostles have founded with their sweat and labor, in the blood of Christ from one end of the earth to the other; therefore, you, as a peculiar people and holy generation, must also do all things with a unanimous heart in Christ.”
Who does not see here, that Ignatius by joining together in this order of sequence, preaching, faith, baptism, and the church, intends to say, that according to the ordinance of Christ, preaching has the first place, and, therefore, must precede; that after faith comes baptism, and that after baptism the one baptized is a member of the church? and that then the members of the church, as a peculiar people and holy generation, must do all things with unanimous hearts in Christ? For this is the import of the words of Ignatius. See, concerning the aforementioned letters of Ignatius, H. Montanus in De nietigheyd van den Kinder-doop, printed the second time, pages 4 and 5. Also, Jac. du Bois (though he misinterprets these letters), Tegen Montanus, printed Anno 1648. page 16–22.
In the year 95.—It is here recorded that Clemens, the fourth bishop of the church at Rome, ordained: That the heretics’ baptism is neither to be supported nor accepted; therefore, he that has received baptism in conformity with the truth of the church, shall not be rebaptized; but he who does not rebaptize the unclean, that is, baptized by the ungodly or heretics, shall be deposed, as one who mocks the cross and death of Christ, and does not distinguish the false priests, or teachers, from the true ones (distinct. 30. cap.). Again, in his second epistle he speaks of baptizing on the feast, and that the candidate for baptism is to be examined three months previously. P. J. Twisck, Chron. 1st Book, in the year 95. page 32.
It certainly appears clearly from these words of Clemens that at that time no other baptism obtained in the church, than that which was administered after preceding instruction: for when he speaks of baptizing on the feast, and that the candidate for baptism is to be examined three months previously, it is certainly expressed, that then no new-born children were baptized; for who does not know that children are born throughout the whole year, and not only on feast-days (namely, on Easter or Pentecost)? Besides, infants cannot be examined in the faith three months previous to their baptism, as is required here of the candidates for baptism.
Moreover, in the third letter of Clemens, the following words, which still more clearly express the preceding meaning, are found: If any one desires to become a believer, and to be baptized, he must prepare himself to lay aside the former wickedness; so that he henceforth may obtain, by a good conversation, an inheritance of the heavenly riches, according to his own deeds. Let him that desires this, go to his priest, or teacher, and hear from him the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; let him exercise himself diligently with fasting, and examine himself well in everything, so that after three months he may be baptized. Every one shall be baptized in running water, and the name of the blessed Trinity be invoked over him. Jac. Mehrn. Bapt. Histor. 2nd part, on the second century, page 209. from Clem. Epist. 3.
From the Constitutionibus Apostolicis, lib. 7. cap. 23. by the same Clemens, these words are taken: Concerning baptism we commanded you before, O bishop, and say this also: that you shall baptize as the Lord has commanded us, when he said: “Go, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Matt. 28:19,20. Bapt. Histor. page 200. ex. Constit. Apostol.
The above words of Clemens speak so plainly of the true order of the baptism of Christ, that they need no explanation whatever. We shall therefore pass on to the martyrs who suffered in or about this time.