Dimensions of Baptism Biblical and Theological Studies

344 Dimensions of Baptism

That everie Church is to receive in all their members by Baptisme upon the

Confession off their faith and sinnes wrought by the preaching off the

Gospel, according to the primitive Institucion. Mat. 28.19. And practice,

Act. 2.41. And therefore Churches constituted after anie other manner, or

off anie other persons are not according to CHRISTS Testament.

That Baptisme or washing with Water, is the outward manifestacion off

dieing unto sinn, and walkeing in newnes off life. Roman. 6.2, 3, 4. And

therefore in no wise apperteyneth to infants.^28

It was important for the writers of the 1644 Particular Baptist confession

to designate baptism as an ordinance. They were explaining why they had

recently taken the serious step of re-baptizing their members while seeking

to affirm as much common ground as possible with those Independents

who suspected them of ecclesiastical and sacramental anarchy. To present

baptism as an ordinance therefore indicated the seriousness of the issue,

while their exposition of Scripture led them to define this ordinance as the

baptism of believers by immersion. Thus they claimed to be faithful to the

New Testament:

That Baptisme is an Ordinance of the new Testament, given by Christ, to be

dispensed^29 onely upon persons professing faith, or that are Disciples, or

taught, who upon a profession of faith, ought to be baptized.^30

This claim was consistently made through the confessions of the seven-

teenth century. The Somerset Confession of 1656 claimed, 'it is the duty of

every man and woman, that have repented from dead works, and have faith

towards God, to be baptized.. .that is, dipped or buried under the water'.^31

Identifying baptism as an ordinance highlights the dimension of duty

which is often overlooked in ecumenical discussions. If we see baptism

as an obligation placed on each Christian, their identity as a believer is

transformed into something rather more challenging, namely, that of a dis-

ciple. Indeed, the very nature of faith is a matter which is challenged by

28. T. Helwys, A Declaration of Faith, 13 & 14, in Lumpkin (ed.), Baptist
    Confessions of Faith, p. 120.


29. Daniel Featley in The Dippers Dipt (1645) declared there would be no objec-
    tion to this clause if the word only were omitted. See Lumpkin (ed.), Baptist Confes-
    sions of Faith, p. 157.


30. Later editions added 'and after to partake of the Lord's Supper'. London Con-
    fession, 1644, XXXIX, in Lumpkin (ed.), Baptist Confessions of Faith, p. 167.


31. The Somerset Confession, 1656, XXIV, in Lumpkin (ed.), Baptist Confessions
    of Faith, p. 209.