paedobaptists-please help

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Chris G

Puritan Board Freshman
.....I was told by somebody who would appear to have more confidence than historical sources that the chief principle driving the continuance of infant baptism between the Reformation and the rise of the Baptists was fear of unbaptised infants going to hell. This man is quite surprised that I was offended when he preached this "fact" from the pulpit. (I am neither paedo nor credo yet - seeking understanding.) Now I know Calvin didnt think that, nor anybody else who had a clue about covenant theology. I can imagine that perhaps one might read it into Luther - though I confess I havent tried - but my question is this: is there really evidence that such superstition existed to any degree at all (let alone significant) among the faithful between the Reformation and the rise of the Baptists? Apparently I have a naively rosy view of the Reformation because I actually believe that the common people understood covenant theology sufficiently enough to know that signing and sealing was not a matter of immanent damnation or otherwise.

---------- Post added at 11:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:58 PM ----------

Sorry I posted this under "credobaptism answers" by mistake!
 
I suppose that some may very well have had that belief (even as some do now) but it was not the prevailing view, nor was it the view taught from the pulpits, commentaries and lectures of Reformed churches.

You should ask (kindly) request of him to read the Reformed confessions and see if he will retract his statement. Otherwise it is just an opinion or an assumption, neither of which can be proven from the historical record.
 
Hi Daniel,

He knows the confessions and understands that there is no incriminating evidence there. But he is certain that it incontrovertible fact that there was substantial misunderstanding among the lay people from the Reformation to the rise of the Baptists. Can you confirm (I assume since you are a pastor that you will have studied church history in some depth at seminary) that this is absolute nonsense? This is really important because this guy is in the habit of making me feel a lot less educated than I believe I am.

Chris.
 
Chris:

As I implied, I think it is plausible that there were common misunderstandings amongst the lay people. Having been steeped in the superstition of medieval Catholicism, it would take time to teach or re-teach the masses. However, to state that the majority were yet of this opinion is something that cannot be substantiated unless he has incontrovertible evidence. Ask him to produce his evidence (not his opinion) and then go from there.

In reality, it is hard if not impossible to prove this point one way or the other because of the nature of the question. Who was keeping tabs on these kinds of things? Was someone taking polls, questionnaires? The study of history is, at best, an attempt to get a broad view of the flow of movements & society but it is very hard to pin down exact statistics on 'what people believed' at any given time (in my opinion). That is why, as Reformed people, we look at our confessions: this is the norm that norms the abnormal.
 
Sounds like he'd like if the facts supported the view that Baptists finally rescued the church from baptismal-regeneration-thinking. That the Reformed failed to change the minds of people, because themselves weren't being biblical.

But this is mere sophistry. The Confessions express the teaching ministry of the church. As for the Lutherans, Luther himself is known to have taught that while baptism was very important (and the Lutherans do retain a kind-of baptismal regeneration view), nevertheless baptism was not prerequisite for an infant to go to heaven. I can't tell you where he gives this response, but it comes in the context of pastorally addressing parent's fears. Most people in the early Reformation did have corrupt RC doctrines to overcome. But to say that the Reformers were not teaching the truth in order to bring them out of their former superstitions is nonsense.
 
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