“We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, who is the end of the law, hath made an end, by the shedding of his blood, of all other sheddings of blood which men could or would make as a propitiation or satisfaction for sin:…”
1. The article first states that Christ instituted baptism in the place of circumcision. This is evident:
a. From the fact that Christ’s sacrifice abolished all shedding of blood, which was also connected with circumcision.
b. From the history of baptism and circumcision, the former replacing the latter.
c. From the fact that Paul teaches that believers in baptism are circumcised. Col. 2:11-12.
2. It further speaks of the significance of baptism:
a. It signifies in general:
1) incorporation into the church of God, the body of Christ;
2) separation from the world and all other peoples and strange religions.
b. The blessings of salvation following from this union with the body of Christ: forgiveness, regeneration, sanctification, etc.
c. Hence, Christ is our Red Sea, through whose blood we passed and are separated from the powers of darkness and put on our way to spiritual Canaan.
d. And the sign of baptism is an ensign and banner of our covenant God.
e. At the same time it is a testimony that He will forever be our gracious God and Father.
3. Thus, then, is the relation between the sign and the thing signified:
a. We are by nature born in sin and death, and are children of wrath. Hence, we cannot enter into God’s covenant fellowship unless we are washed and renewed.
b. This washing and renewing takes place through the blood and Spirit of Christ. We must pass through the blood of the Savior in order to enter into the kingdom and covenant of God.
c. Of this baptism is both sign and seal. Hence, passing through the water of baptism we are cleansed and separated from the world and united with Christ, and thus we enter into God’s covenant.
4. Hence, there is but one baptism:
a. Naturally, baptism being the sign and seal of our entering into the covenant of God, it cannot be repeated.
b. It has significance not only for the time of baptism, but for our whole life.
c. Anabaptism stands condemned. Anabaptism means literally to baptize again. The Anabaptists were a sect of the sixteenth century who denied the covenant of God and infant baptism.
5. Finally, the article speaks of infant baptism:
a. Children must be baptized.
b. They are partakers of the same promises as were the children among Israel. (“I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant”, etc.)
c. This, no doubt, is the basis for infant baptism. The covenant with Abraham continues in the line of generations, in the new dispensation as well as in the old. The covenant being one and running in the line of continued generations, children of believers must be baptized.
d. To this the article adds that Christ shed His blood no less for the children than for the adults, and that also in the law it was commanded that a lamb (typical of Christ) should be offered for them shortly after their birth.
e. That this does not mean that all the children that are born of believing parents, head for head and soul for soul, are spiritual seed and are children of the promise is evident from Rom. 9:6-8.