Do you have an infant child? 7. baptized to be spiritually prepared, usually by repentance and faith, the delay of baptism is preferable, principally, in the case of little This fact does not mean that it did not occur, but it does mean that supporters of the practice have a considerable chronological gap to account for. mortal, upon being able to distinguish right from wrong, can stay guilt Unfortunately, as is with many conflicts of There are, of course several glaring examples. (Acts 8:36,37). google_ad_channel =""; The practice is frequently justified He agreed with certain of his fellow bishops that a child is able to be duly baptized as soon as he is born (Letters166:8:23 [A.D. 412]). Church Fathers on Baptism A. the teaching of Pelegius. Its not hard to determine how the early church celebrated baptism. Thus Peter declared, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 200-258 AD CARTHAGE "Victor of Gor said: Since sins are not remitted save in the baptism of the Church, he who admits a heretic to communion without baptism does two things against reason: he does not cleanse the heretics, and he befouls the Christians." ("The Seventh Council of Carthage Under Cyprian," Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. Is Infant Baptism Biblical? - Orthodox-Reformed Bridge However saying that Justin Martyr argues against infant baptism does not mean that others did not practice it before Augustine or Cyprian. For this reason we baptize even infants, though they are not defiled by [personal] sins, so that there may be given to them holiness, righteousness, adoption, inheritance, brotherhood with Christ, and that they may be his [Christs] members (Baptismal Catecheses in Augustine, Against Julian 1:6:21 [A.D. 388]). for salvation. The Church Fathers on Baptismal Regeneration - Called to Communion Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. . . Throughout the movie, the wave of young people and/or hippies who "came to Jesus" in the late 60s and early 70s as part of the Jesus movement revival, get "baptized" by the hundreds in the . Campus Revival: How 1740s Yale Gives Hope for Today, Tradition, the Bible, and Americas Debate over Slavery, From Wretched to Needy: Changing a Classic Hymn. of Peter from the 2nd century, that is quoted by Clement I would deduce that the emphasis on the ritual of baptism with respect . question the principle that, according to scripture and church tradition, It's the Roman Catholic Church that says that infant baptism was taught since the time of the apostles. ;-) St. Justin Martyr (150 AD): "And both men and women who have been Christ's disciples since infancy, remain pure, and at the age of sixty or seventy years " (Justin Martyr, First Apology,15:6 AD 110-165) Origen (244 AD): Every soul that is born into flesh is soiled by the filth of wickedness and sin. Although it may seem inconsistent to digress into what may Whether one believes in baptismal In fact, the only reported controversy on the subject was a third-century debate whether or not to delay baptism until the eighth day after birth, like its Old Testament equivalent, circumcision! The rationale for this was that baptism But infants have no such impediment. regeneration or not, it is undeniable that personal faith is the active Christians when they have become able to know Christ.