The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), in accordance with its doctrinal standards and constitution, cannot in good faith allow members to willfully neglect infant baptism without calling them to repentance and enacting discipline if they persist.
Currently many churches in the PCA are under the impression that Baptists may be members of PCA churches and may opt to not Baptize their infants. It seems from my reading of the Book of Church Order (BCO) and our formularies of faith that this is not true. That the church has not only the right but the obligation to prosecute Baptists who refuse to baptize their infants. This is for six reasons:
- The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms say it is a great sin to neglect Baptism, and that children are to be baptized.
- The BCO states that children of believing parents are entitled to Baptism.
- The BCO says that members are to submit to the discipline of the church and that churches are to make sure that these children are baptized
- The BCO says that church discipline should be enacted whenever a personal offense is committed. A personal offense being if one person sins against another
- It being a sin to neglect baptism, infants being entitled to baptism, infants being incapable of presenting themselves, then it is a personal sin against infants for parents not to present their children for baptism and entrance into the Covenant.
- According to the BCO and Directory for Worship, children who have not been baptized are to be treated differently than children who have been.
I have been unable to find any sort of allowance for Baptists to not baptize their young children. If anyone can find a ruling for me that allows this I would love to see it. But as of now it seems that churches that are allowing Baptists to not present their children for baptism are not inline with the BCO and are in sin for not enacting church discipline. This must be corrected. Unfortunately, Baptist thought has corrupted much of the PCA including Sessions and Presbyteries. Baptist thought is contrary to the Reformed Catholic faith and must be lovingly rooted out. I am not saying that Baptists must be shunned from the community. But if they refuse to Baptize their children (Baptism being a primary issue as outlined by the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople I: Nicene Creed), they must be excommunicated in order to drive them to repentance. This is the proper discipline for persistent and unrepentant sin according to the BCO. This is not to be mean but it is to drive out heresy in the church. On a personal anecdote, I have met members of my own church who despise the Nicene Creed because of what it says about Baptism. This is because they are Baptists. This is a very sad situation for both the Baptists in our church (who would be happier in a Baptist church) and the Church itself. I pray that the PCA at large corrects this issue which is plaguing our church.
The following quotes are all of the proof texts for why the PCA, in theory, does not allow Baptists to not present their children for Baptism:
Westminster Confession of Faith
Chapter 28
IV. Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized.
V. Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it, or that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.
Westminster Larger Catechism
Q. 166. Unto whom is Baptism to be administered?
A. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible Church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but infants descended from parents, either both or but one of them professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect, within the covenant, and to be baptized.
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q. 95. To whom is Baptism to be administered?
A. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible Church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible Church are to be baptized.
PCA BCO
Chapter 6-1
The children of believers are, through the covenant and by right of birth, non-communing members of the church. Hence they are entitled to Baptism, and to the pastoral oversight, instruction and government of the church, with a view to their embracing Christ and thus possessing personally all benefits of the covenant.
(Comment: This is legal language: “entitled” denotes a right. To deny a child baptism is to deny them a right of covenant membership. If a father refuses to circumcise his son under Moses, it is rebellion. Under Christ, to refuse baptism is to deny children their right to the benefits of the Covenant)
Chapter 12-5
The church Session is charged with maintaining the spiritual government of the church, for which purpose it has power:
a. To inquire into the knowledge, principles and Christian conduct of the church members under its care; to censure those found delinquent; to see that parents do not neglect to present their children for Baptism; to receive members into the communion of the Church; to remove them for just cause; to grant letters of dismissal to other churches, which when given to parents, shall always include the names of their non-communing, baptized children;
(Comment: This imposes a positive duty upon the elders. The burden of action lies not merely on the parent, but also on the Session to enforce the sacramental obligations of membership. If a Session refuses to act, they themselves may be guilty of sin.)
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Offenses
29-1. An offense, the proper object of judicial process, is anything in the doctrines or practice of a Church member professing faith in Christ which is contrary to the Word of God. The Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Westminster Assembly, together with the formularies of government, discipline, and worship are accepted by the Presbyterian Church in America as standard expositions of the teachings of Scripture in relation to both faith and practice. Nothing, therefore, ought to be considered by any court as an offense, or admitted as a matter of accusation, which cannot be proved to be such from Scripture.
29-2. Offenses are either personal or general, private or public; but all of them being sins against God, are therefore grounds of discipline.
29-3. Personal offenses are violations of the divine law, considered in the special relation of wrongs or injuries to particular individuals. General offenses are heresies or immoralities having no such relation, or considered apart from it.
29-4. Private offenses are those which are known only to a few persons. Public offenses are those which are notorious.
(Comment: If it is a great sin to neglect Baptism WCF 28.5, the children of believers are entitled to baptism BCO 6-1, the church has a responsibility to see that parents baptize their children BCO 12-5 then two questions arise: How is it not a personal offense for parents not to baptize their children and such come under church discipline? BCO 29-3 and how is it allowed that baptists are allowed church membership since if question question one is true then they would automatically come under church discipline?)
Biblical Proof for the sinfulness of not baptizing infants in compliance with BCO 29-1:
God was going to kill Moses for not circumcising his son:
At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. -Exodus 4:24-26
Baptism is the New Covenant Circumcision
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. -Colossians 2:9-12
There is New Testament Warning for not letting little children into the covenant
Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” -Luke 18:15-17
The Directory for Public Worship
Chapter 57 – The Admission of Persons to Sealing Ordinances
57-5. The time having come for the making of a public profession, and those who have been approved by the Session having taken their places in the presence of the congregation, the minister may state that:
Of the number of those who were baptized in infancy as members of the Church of God by birthright, and as heirs of the covenant promises, the Session has examined and approved (call them by name), who come now to assume for themselves the full privileges and responsibilities of their inheritance in the household of faith.
If there be present any candidates for Baptism, the minister may state that:
As applicants for admission into the Church of God by Baptism, which is a sign and seal of our engrafting into Christ, and of our engagement to be the Lord’s, the Session has examined and approved (call them by name), who are cordially welcomed into the fellowship of the household of faith.
(Comment: The directory makes a distinction between those children who have been baptized as members of the visible church and those who have not. The implication is that non-baptized children should be treated differently from baptized children. Yet, in practice they are treated the same).
(All of) you being here present to make a public profession of faith, are to assent to the following declarations and promises, by which you enter into a solemn covenant with God and His Church.
1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?
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