Some believe that 1st-century Christians did not practice it, noting the lack of any explicit evidence of infant baptism. I would rather say that the entire drift of the New Testament, and many particular sayings, is in the opposite direction: it is precisely the individual in his relation to Christ that is decisive in the New Testament, rather than solidarity in the flesh. [63] Although some deny the possibility of infant faith, the Bible clearly teaches that babies can believe. We present documentation here to show that INFANT BAPTISM WAS WIDESPREAD AMONGST THE PAGAN (NON-CHRISTIAN) RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD, LONG BEFORE THE ROMANISTS BEGAN PRACTICING IT. These SACRAMENTS were so-called Channels of grace whereby salvation could be achieved. Examples of such assurances are "the choice of godparents who will take sincere care of the child, or the support of the community". Matthew 28-19", Introductory Note to Irenus Against Heresies, The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus of Rome, "Infant Baptism: Scriptural and Reasonable", What does the Bible teach about the subject of baptising of infants? There is great question that Constantine was ever truly converted. ", "Doctrine - Frequently Asked Questions - The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod", "Why Does the Orthodox Presbyterian Church Baptize Infants? According to the most widely accepted hypothesis, the Roman soldiers sent to invade Parthia returned in 165, spreading the plague all the way back to Rome, where, according to some modern estimates, smallpox at its apex killed approximately 5,000 people per day. [27] While Tertullian writing c. 198203 advises the postponement of baptism of little children and the unmarried, he mentions that it was customary to baptise infants, with sponsors speaking on their behalf. In any case, there is no mention of infants in any of these three instances of household baptisms, and it is an argument from silence to say that there must have been small children. Sometime during 165 C.E., under Emperor Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180), the Roman Empire was struck by the first documented devastating outbreak of an infectious disease. (1885). [31] Christians who baptize infants believe that baptism has replaced Old Testament circumcision and is the religious ceremony of initiation into the Christian community. [109][110], Teachings of Christian denominations practicing infant baptism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and the Church of the East, Presbyterian, Congregational and Reformed Churches, Contrasts between infant and adult baptism, Denominations and religious groups opposed to infant baptism, "the Didache, the earliest surviving 'pastoral manual' of the Christian church" (, "Before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whoever else can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before" (, Walker, W. (1919). In SUMATRA, at the name-giving ceremony, the child is carried to the nearest running water by the men: there the father dips it and gives it a name., With the negritoes of the PHILIPPINES the mouth of the newborn child is filled with salt; after this the women hasten with it to the nearest brook, in which they bathe it. However, it more than likely was the greatest tragedy in church history because it resulted in the union of church and state and the establishment of a hierarchy which ultimately developed into the Roman Catholic system. It can be assumed that the organization of the Christian communities and the care that individual members showed toward the sick may have reduced their mortality rate. (453) Pious parents would naturally feel a desire to consecrate their offspring from the very beginning to the service of the Redeemer, and find a precedent in the ordinance of circumcision. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole 'households' received baptism, infants may also have been baptized". Infant baptism[1][2] (or paedobaptism) is the practice of baptising infants or young children. Writing for the Spring 2021 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Franceso Arduini proposes in his article "The Pandemic Origins of Child Baptism" to connect the emergence of infant baptism with the ground-shaking experience of the Antonine Plague.The so-called Antonine Plague, which was probably smallpox, devastated large swaths of the Roman Empire in the late 160s. Billy Graham and James Dobson claimed they were saved at 4 years of age. At the moment of baptism, the minister utters the words "I baptise you (or, 'The servant of God (name) is baptised') in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (see Matthew 28:19). I believe this is the clear, unmistakable teaching and language of the Bible. You and I know, we live now in times where we have the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of belief, freedom of opinion, freedom of religion and freedom to change religion. After evaluation of infant baptism in the light of the Bible, two concludes were made: 1) The Bible clearly and loudly advocates for believer's baptism, and 2) Infant baptizers strongly hold to . Similar to the Roman Catholic Church, they teach that baptism is not merely a symbol but actually conveys grace. Many, of course, will ask, What does the above have to do with us today? A lot! Thus it was that Rhode Island, founded by a small group of believers, was the first spot on earth where religious liberty became the law of the land. The festival originated in the Eastern church, where it at first included a commemoration of Christ's birth.In Rome, by 354 Christ's birth was being celebrated on December 25 (), and later in the 4th century the church in Rome began celebrating Epiphany on January 6.In the Western church the festival primarily commemorates the visit by the Magi to the infant Jesus, which is seen as . [44], Accordingly, the rules for involvement on the part of practicing Christian parents must be supplemented with other considerations in the case of "families with little faith or non-Christian families". : Paedag. So likewise He was an old man for old men, that He might be a perfect Master for all, not merely as respects the setting forth of the truth, but also as regards age, sanctifying at the same time the aged also, and becoming an example to them likewise. 239-267. I do not believe-that any child below the age of accountability has ever gone to, At around the 3rd Century, traces of the Babylon Mystery Religion, now known as Baal Worship, infiltrates the Christian Church. If a person is trusting in baptism for salvation, he cannot be trusting in Him. While the church was still a missionary institution in the midst of a heathen world, infant baptism was overshadowed by the baptism of adult proselytes; as, in the following periods, upon the union of church and state, the order was reversed. [102] Confirmation is the conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. Intriguingly, not only is the link between the plague and infant baptism missing, but also any type of generic mention of the plague in the writings of contemporary Christian authors. See BIBLICALLY what the three (3) baptisms mean here. He quotes historian J.M. Christians who practice infant baptism do not completely agree on the reasons for doing so, and offer different reasons in support of the practice. [91] Little children are considered both born without sin[93] and incapable of committing sin. [15] Others, noting the lack of any explicit evidence of exclusion of infant baptism, believe that they did, understanding biblical references to individuals "and [her] household" being baptised[16] as including young children. Therefore, Jesus specifically instructs not to hinder them. The paucity of recent discussion of the beginnings of infant baptism may suggest that they are deemed insoluble, short of the discovery of new evidence. [73] Circumcision did not create faith in the 8-day-old Jewish boy. The General Council of Trent, Seventh Session (1547) Canons on the Sacraments in General: (a) If anyone, shall say that the sacraments of the New Law were not all instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, or that there are more or fewer than seven, namely baptism, confirmation, (b) If anyone shall say that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for, (c) If anyone. His opposition to it is founded on his view of the regenerating effect of baptism, and of the impossibility of having mortal sins forgiven in the church after baptism; this ordinance cannot be repeated, and washes out only the guilt contracted before its reception. The wives of the anabaptists had their bodies mutilated in terrible ways, as parts of their bodies were cut off.Pregnant women had their stomachs ripped open and the offspring cast to wild hogs as husband was forced to watch. B.R. Does Archaeology Confirm Josephs Time in Egypt. Consequently, from the earliest days, they were sharply persecuted and leaders were soon executed. The renewal of baptismal promises by those receiving the sacrament in the Western Catholic Church is incidental to the rite and not essentially different from the solemn renewal of their baptismal promises that is asked of all members of this Church each year at the Easter Vigil service. ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA (1990): "Among the GREEKS AND ROMANS the newborn child was bathed and named, and recognized by the father as his own." After the end of the Roman Empire, more and more people in Europe converted to Christianity. LIX. These people were called by various names, but probably could better be summed up by their generic name, Anabaptists, meaning rebaptizers. c. 43. 463sq., especially WALL. 2. It is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring (Romans 9:8). However, it is equally clear that by the end of the second century child baptism was already a reality. IREN. Apologists had to face a sort of theological disorientation: how to justify this divine punishment. Is it possible that this disorientation resulted in the puzzling silence of literary sources? At that time, too, there could, of course, be no such thing, even on the part of Christian parents, as a compulsory baptism, which dates from Justinians reign, and which inevitably leads to the profanation of the sacrament. As early as A.D. 400 Augustine appeals to the universal practice of infant baptism as proof that the church saw infants born with the stain of original sin. These Bible Believing Christians were labeled slanderously as ANABAPTISTS because they rejected this idea of baptizing babies as pagan and not Scriptural. Christians likely managed to face and overcome the epidemic with greater success than pagans. We will show that baby baptism is of pagan origin. Armitages History (p7l-73) tells us that in the 6th century, Emperor Justin issued an edict commanding ALL UNBAPTIZED PARENTS to present themselves and their children for baptism at once. One specific example is found in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (late 2nd to early 3rd c.). Heretics also practised it, and were not censured for it. In the Latin Church and its Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church, the sacrament is to be conferred at about the age of discretion (generally taken to be about 7), unless the Episcopal Conference has decided on a different age, or there is danger of death or, in the judgement of the minister, a grave reason suggests otherwise (canon 891 of the Code of Canon Law). Salvation could be achieved thru various Sacraments performed during the persons life time. Infant baptism appeared in the Christian church history around the Second Century, coming from the pagan influences of Baal Worship, as we will show later, but It came about as a result of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration the teaching that baptism is essential to salvation; or, if you want to turn it around, that water baptism saves the soul (or at least is a part of a persons salvation). See Lit. Some historical pandemics also had considerable religious consequences: They fueled religious radicalism, encouraged reform movements, and inspired theological discourse. It varies from child to child. If the child was decided to be kept, the daddy would take it down to the pagan priest and the ceremony would be arranged. According to Irenaeus, his pupil and a faithful bearer of Johannean tradition, Christ passed through all the stages of life, to sanctify them all, and came to redeem, through himself, all who through him are born again unto God, sucklings, children, boys, youths, and adults.(456) This profound view seems to involve an acknowledgment not only of the idea of infant baptism, but also of the practice of it; for in the mind of Irenaeus and the ancient church baptism and regeneration were intimately connected and almost identified. The priest then, (T)he order of baptism among the AZTECS began, O child, receive the water of the Lord of the world, which is our life; it is to wash and purify; may these drops remove the sin which was given thee before the creation of the world., The PERUVIAN rite had much the same purpose. For by so doing he gives expression to the fact that the solidarity of the family in baptism and not the individual decision of the single member was the decisive consideration (Infant Baptism in the First Four Centuries, 23, quoting Oscar Cullman, Baptism in the New Testament). [75], Infant baptism can be contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism" (or credobaptism, from the Latin word credo meaning "I believe"), which is the religious practice of baptising only individuals who personally confess faith in Jesus, therefore excluding underage children. Now Since the Babylonian Priest was the only one who could administer these sacraments, the person was bound to the Babylonian system helplessly for life! I was saved at age 6. are not found in SCRIPTURE (some of the above are even CONDEMNED by the BIBLE; see Matthew 23:9; Exodus 20:1-4), but were PAGAN PRACTICES that the papists brought in to their Roman rites. The work, De baptismo (Concerning Baptism) was written, evidently, between AD 200 and 206. John Calvin in France, as well as Oliver Cromwell in England and John Knox in Scotland, stuck to the union of church and state and infant baptism and used their power, when they had power, to seek to force others to conform to their own views. pagan origin of infant baptismland for sale near atascosa refuge cameron county, tx. pagan origin of infant baptism. 22, 4, compared with III. One anabaptist pastor was taken, his body CUT open, and ears of corn stuffed inside, and hungry dogs not fed for 4 days turned loose to devour the mans entrails and corn inside. It was typical of the Catholic Church throughout its history to adapt the practices of pagan religions and christianize their rituals. Lorraine Boettner, in his ROMAN CATHOLICISM, p190, declared, The Romish doctrine was so horrible and so unacceptable to the public that it was found necessary to invent a third realm, the Limbus Infantum later shortened to Limboa place where unbaptized infants are sent, in which they are excluded from heaven but in which they suffer no positive PAIN. CLEM. No wonder the Book of Revelation declared in Revelation 17:6 that this great HARLOT false religion had become DRUNK with the BLOOD of the SaintsHistorian and Bible commentator Sir Robert Anderson estimated that thru out the middle ages OVER 40 MILLION people were murdered and martyred over this one doctrine of INFANT BAPTISM! 380-381, 398). Theology, at any rate, may neither be able nor need to wait until historians of primitive Christianity reach a consensus. [29], From at least the 3rd century onward Christians baptised infants as standard practice, although some preferred to postpone baptism until late in life, so as to ensure forgiveness for all their preceding sins. The professed conversion of Emperor Constantine in A.D. 313 was looked upon by many as a great triumph for Christianity. This was orthodoxy up to the time of the Christian theologian Justin (in 150 C.E. Third, the ordinances very early were understood as actually conveying grace and accomplishing something spiritually. 254)[26] mention infant baptism as traditional and customary. Yet from these texts, Joachim Jeremias, who wrote one of the most influential books in defense of infant baptism, concluded, It is characteristic that Luke could report the matter thus. do not mention WATER.see Matthew 3:11; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:4-5). [74], Presbyterian, Congregational and Reformed Christians consider children of professing Christians to be members of the visible Church (the covenant community). However, it was the constitution of the Rhode Island Colony founded by Roger Williams, John Clark, and others that established religious liberty by law for the first time in thirteen hundred years (over the world). Of course, there is no differentiating between those who were baptized as infants and those who were not. Irenus against Heresies. [71] Being a member of the visible church does not guarantee salvation; though it does provide the child with many benefits, including that of one's particular congregation consenting to assist in the raising of that child in "the way he should go, (so that) when he is old he will not turn from it". In it, Tertullian questions the wisdom of giving baptism to infants. The practice of baptism in pagan religions seems to have been based on a belief in the purifying properties of water. At the same time, infant baptism and christening became a dominant trend, as Christian parents wanted to have their young children baptized. INFANT BABTISM IS NOT IN THE BIBLE, and the Catholic Church admits it in their writings. Knowing what you do now, WOULD YOU WANT YOUR BABY CHRISTENED? If these request that a child of theirs be baptized, there must be assurances that the child will be given the benefit of the Christian upbringing required by the sacrament. The plausible demands for seriously ill children by their Christian parents, who wanted to ensure their salvation through baptism, needed immediate action. Candles are lit on the house-altars, and over a vessel of water the lama repeats the consecration formulae. In the modern baptism of an infant or child, the godparent or godparents make a profession of faith for the person being baptized (the godchild) and assume an obligation to serve as proxies for the parents if the parents either are unable or neglect to provide for the religious training of the child, in fulfillment of baptismal promises. in Luc. The General Council of Trent, Seventh Session (1547) Canons on the Sacraments in General: (a) If anyone, shall say that the sacraments of the New Law were not all instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, or that there are more or fewer than seven, namely baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, orders, and matrimony, or that any one of these seven is not truly and intrinsically a sacrament anathema sit., (b) If anyone shall say that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation but are superfluous, and that without them or without the desire of them men obtain from God through faith alone the grace of justification, though all are not necessary for every individual anathema sit., (c) If anyone.