A SHORT
CATECHISM ABOUT BAPTISM
by
John Tombes, B.D.
London, 1659
Editor' Introduction:
Here is a rare glimpse into the baptismal debate that raged in England between the 1620's and,
well, today. After questioning the infants interest in the covenant while delivering the 1627
catechetical lectures at Magdelan Hall, Oxford, John Tombes pondered his views for 15 years
before he finally came to credobaptist (believer's baptism) convictions. For another Seventeen
years he championed the cause for credobaptism as a needed reform in the National Church. This
Short Catechism was published as a distillation of 32 years of thought as regards baptism.
Here is Tombes' mature, yet succinct presentation of the essence of baptism.
During these 32 years, Tombes engaged the leading theological minds about this topic. He had a
public debate with an ingenious Baptist who convinced him 1 Cor. 7:14 was no basis to practise
infant baptism, he had a public debate with Richard Baxter on the subject, he exchanged polemics
directly with Marshall and Ballie, and he wrote against more than thirty proponents of
paedobaptism [the baptism of infants] during his age. His writings are exegetically based,
historically accurate and theologically informed. Of all the men in the history of the Church who
have written about baptism, Tombes' has more published pages than anyone. Yet, he has been lost
to the modern reader. There are some anomalies in his thought. However, there is great profit to
be found from time spent with a man who has become my friend, though dead, John Tombes,
BD.
Grace Chapel is pleased to present
the first reprint of this important historical work.
Mike Renihan, Grace Chapel
Edited for the Net by Mike Renihan, 1995
A Short Catechism
about Baptism
by John Tombes, B.D.
Heb 6.2. Of the Doctrine of Baptisms.
Luke 7.35. But Wisdom is justified of all her Children.
London: 1659
Many are the things at this day charged on Antipoaedobaptists in their Doctrine and Practise,
which have been proved to be unjustly imputed to them, by many large Treatises extant in print.
For a more facile understanding of the truth than by reading larger Tracts, is this Compendium, in
a manner of a catechism composed and published in this time, wherein others of different
judgment, have thought fit to declare their way to the world, which is done, not because the
disagreement in other things is either small, or of particular persons (whose cause is to be severed
from that which is commonly held) and therefore requires not a distinct Confession or Declaration
from that which is by others published. Which I have thought necessary to be done because of the
importance of restoring right baptism, the Doctrine of which is one article of the foundation of
Christianity, Heb. 6.2. whereby we put on Christ, Gal. 3.27. united to his Members, Ephes. 4.5.
conformed to Christ, Col. 2.12. Rom. 6.3,4,5. required with faith to salvation, Mark 16.16. with
repentance to remission of sins, Acts 2.38. with express profession of the Baptized's faith
required, Acts 8.37. upon manifestation of conversion, Acts 10.47. Acts 11.17. as the duty of the
Baptized, and not a meer Priviledge, Acts 22.16. most solemly administered in the Primitive times,
with strict examination and greatest engagement of persons baptized, accounted the chief
evidence of Christianity, of as much or more moment than the Lords Supper; insomuch that some
conceived from Heb. 6.4. that falling away after it irreparable. But the pretended Baptism of
Infants, as now used slightly and profanely done, quite different from Christ's Institution and the
Apostles practise by Ministers and people in so wholy and carnal manner as that, it is upon and
with gross untruths and perverting of holy Scripture, obtruded on unwary souls with a pretence of
a Baptismal Vow, which is a meer fiction, and so many ill consequents both in Christian
conversation and communion and church-constitution and Goverment, that were men sensible to
their evil as they should be, they would tremble at such mockery of God, and abuse of so holy an
Ordinance of God's worship and men's souls by it, and with such arrogant presumption in avowing
such a manifest invention of men as God's precept. And to speak truth, if the History of this
corruption were fully cleared, it would be found that the undue Ministration of this Ordinance was
the inlet to the Antichristian darkness and tyranny which overspread and oppressed the Christian
Churches. The aim of the composer of it is the manifestation of the truth, wherein doth he rejoyce,
and desires thou mayest rejoyce with him. His motion is that of the Apostle, Phil. 3.15,16. As
many of us be perfect let us be thus minded, and if ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even
this unto you. Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let
us mind the same thing.
Farewel.
A Short Catechism about Baptism
Quest. 1. Is Baptism with Water an Ordinance of Christ, to be continued
by his Disciples till the end of the World?
Ans. Baptism with Water is an Ordinance of Christ, which is to be continued
by his Disciples till the end of the World; as appears by his command, Mat.
28.19,20. Mark 16.15,16. it is to be joined with Preaching of the Gospel,
and making Disciples, by Preaching, and teaching them to observe all that
Christ commands; and so to be continued while these are to continue, which
is proved to be till the end of the world, by Christs promise of his being
with them till then, which were vain, if the things appointed were not to
be done so long.
Quest. 2. Is not the end of the world, as much as the end of the Age?
Ans. It appeas that Matthew means by the end of the World, the last time,
or day, wherein there will be a separation of good and bad, the one to be
burned with fire, and the other to shine as the Sun, in that in the places
wherein Matthew, useth the self-same form of speech (to wit Mat. 13.39,40,49.
Mat. 24.3.) he canot be understood to mean any other.
Quest. 3. May not the baptizing in Mat.28.19. Mark 16.16 be understood
of some other Baptism, than that of water?
Ans. The Baptism there, must needs be understood of Baptism by Water, sith
Baptizing, where ever it is made of John Baptists, or the Disciples Act,
which they did or were to do, is meant of Baptizing with Water, as John
4.1,2 and in many other places it appears; and the Apostles by their practise
and command, Acts 2.38,41. Acts 10.47,48. shew that they so understood Christ's
appointment, Matt. 28.19. Mark 16.16.
Quest 4. May it not be meant of Baptizing by the Spirit, or afflictions?
Ans. It canot be so understood, sith Baptizing with the Spirit is no where
ascribed to any other than Christ, Mat 3.11. Luke 3.16. Nor is baptism with
the Spirit a duty for us to do, but a free gift of Christ; not common to
all Disciples of Christ, but peculiar to some: and to appoint them the baptizing
by affliction had been to make the Apostles persecutors.
Quest. 5. Why did Paul then say, Christ sent him not to Baptize? 1 Cor.
1.16.
Ans. Not because he was not appointed at all to Baptize, for if so, he would
not have Baptized those he did Baptize, 1 Cor. 1.14.16. etc. But because
it was not the chief thing he was to do, as when the washing of Water is
said not to save, 1 Pet. 3.21. because it is not the only, or principal
means of saving.
Quest. 6. What is the Baptizing appointed by Jesus Christ?
Ans. The Baptizing appointed by Jesus Christ, is the dipping of the Whole
Body in water in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as is manifest
from the term Baptizing, and the use of going into and coming up out of
water, Mat. 3.16. Acts 8.38,39. the use of much water, John 3.23. The resembling,
by the Baptism used, the burial and Resurrection of Christ, Rom. 6.4. Col.
2.12. and the testimonies of the Ancients of the first Ages.
Quest. 7. May not the sprinkling or pouring water on the Face be the
Baptism of Christ?
Ans. Neither the Scripture, nor any other antient author call sprinkling,
or pouring water on the Face, Baptism, nor any use of it in the primitive
times doth countenance it, and therefore such sprinkling or pouring water
is not the Baptism which Christ appointed.
Quest. 8. What is it to Baptize into the Name of the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost?
Answ. It is not to baptize only with the naming of those persons, but into
the profession of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as our Master or Teacher,
as appears by the words of Paul, 1 Cor. 1.13. Which shew that if the Corinthians
had been baptized into the name of Paul, they had professed him to be their
master.
Quest. 9. Are they rightly Baptized, who are baptized into the name
of Jesus Christ, though no other person be named?
Answ. They are, it being all one to Baptize into the name of Jesus Christ,
and to baptize into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as appears
by the precept, Acts 2.38. and practice, Acts 10.48. Acts 19.5. Though the
expression of each person be convenient.
Quest. 10. Are the persons to be baptized altogether passive in their
Baptism?
Answ. No: For Baptism is their duty required of them as well as the Baptizer,
Acts 2.38. and Paul is commanded to arise and be baptized, and wash away
his sins calling on the name of the Lord, Acts 22.16.
Quest. 11. Who are appointed to Baptize?
Answ. They who are appointed to preach the Gospel, Matth. 28.19. Mark 16.15,16.
Quest. 12. Whom are they appointed to Baptize?
Answ. Those who repent of sin, believe in Christ Jesus, and are his Disciples,
Matth. 28.19. Mark 16.16. Acts 2.38. Acts 8.37.
Quest. 13. Were not Infants baptized, when whole households were baptized,
Acts 16.15.33.?
Answ. No: For it appears not there were any infants in the houses, and the
Texts shew they were not baptized, sith the word was spoken to all in the
house, ver. 32. and all the house rejoyced believing God. ver 34. and elsewhere
the whole house is said to do that which Infants could not do, Acts 18.8.
Acts 10.2. 1 Cor. 16.15. compared with 1 Cor. 1.16. John 4.53.
Quest. 14. Is not Christs speech and action to little Children, Matth.
19.14,15. Mark 10.14,15,16. Luke 18.16,17. a warrant to baptize infants?
Answ. No: but an Argument against it, sith Christ did neither baptize, nor
appoint those little children to be baptized.
Quest 15. Why should not Infants be baptized, sith they were Circumcised?
Answ. The reason why Male Infants were to be Circumcised, was a particular
Command of God to Abrahams house for special ends belonging to the time
before Christ, which Baptism hath not, nor is there any Command to use Baptism
according to the rule of Circumcision.
Quest. 16. Did not Baptism come in the room of Circumcision, Col. 2.11,12.
and so to be used as it was?
Answ. The Apostles words import not that our Baptism came in the room of
the Jews Circumcision; there is no mention of any bodily Circumcision but
Christ's, which our baptism cannot be said to suceed to, as there it is
made the cause of Spiritual Circumcision, without arrogating that to it
which belongs to Christ alone, and Baptism is mentioned with faith, as the
means whereby we are in Christ, and compleat in him.
Quest. 17. May we be said to be compleat as the Jews without Infant
Baptism?
Answ. Our compleatness is in that we have not Ordinances as the Jews had,
but we are compleat in that we have all in Christ without them, Col. 2.8,9,10.
Quest. 18. Have not our Children then less Priviledge than the Jews
had?
Answ. No: For Circumcision was a priviledge only for a time, and comparitively
to the estate of the Gentiles who knew not God; but of itself was a heavy
yoke, Acts 15.10. Gal. 5.1,2,3.
Quest. 19. Why did the Jews then so much centend for it, Acts 15.1,5.
Answ. Because they too much esteemed the Law, and knew not their liberty
by the Gospel.
Quest. 20. Had it not been a discomfort to the believing Jews to have
their Children unbaptized, and out of the Covenant?
Answ. The want of Baptism to Infants was never any grievance to Believers
in the New Testament, nor were they thereby put out of the Covenant of Grace.
Quest. 21. Was not the proper reason of Circumcising the Infants of
the Jews the interest which they had in the Covenant to Abraham, Gen. 17.7.
to be a God to him and to his seed?
Answ. The end of Circumcision was indeed to be a token of the whole Covenant
made with Abraham, Gen. 17.4,5,6,7,8. not only the promise, ver. 7. But
the formal proper distinguishing reason why some were to be Circumcised,
and others not, was God's Comand alone, not the interest in the Covenant;
sith Ishmael who was not a Childe of promise, Gen. 17.20.21. Rom. 9.6,7,8,9.
and those who were in Abrahams house, though not of his Seed, were Circumcised,
but no Females, nor Males under eight days old.
Quest. 22. Was not the Covenant with Abraham, Gen. 17. the Covenant
of Grace?
Answ. It was, according to the hidden meaning of the Holy Ghost, the Evangelical
Covenant, Gal. 3.16. But according to the open sense of the words, a Covenant
of special benefits to Abrahams inheriting natural posterity, and therefore
not a pure Gospel Covenant.
Quest. 23. Are not Believers Children comprehended under the promise,
to be a God to Abraham and his seed? Gen. 17.7.
Answ. No: unless they become Abrahams seed according to Election of Grace
by Faith.
Quest. 24. Did Circumcision seal the Gospel Covenant? Rom. 4.11.
Answ. That text speaks not of any ones Circumcision but Abrahams, which
sealed the righteousness of faith he had before Circumcision, and assured
thereby righteousness to all, though uncircumcised, who should believe as
he did.
Quest. 25. Are not the Sacraments of the Christian Church in their nature,
Seals of the Covenant of Grace?
Answ. The Scripture doth nowhere so call them, nor doth it mention this
as their end and use.
Quest. 26. Doth not Peter, Acts 2.38.39. exhort the Jews to baptize
themselves and their Children, because the promise of Grace is to Believers
and their Children?
Answ. Those he then spake to were not then Believers; and therefore the
words, Acts 2.39. Cannot be understood of a promise to Believers and their
Children as such, but the promise is to all, Fathers and Children as called
of God; nor are any exhorted to Baptism without fore-going repentance: nor
is the promise alledged as conferring right to Baptism, but as a motive
to encourage them and hope for pardon, though they wished Christs blood
to be on them and their Children. Matth. 27.25. In like sort as Joseph did,
Gen. 50.19,20,21.
Quest. 27. Are not the Children of Believers holy with Covenant-holiness,
and so to be baptized, 1 Cor. 7.14.
Answ. There is nothing there ascribed to the faith of the Believer, but
to the Marriage-relation, which was the only reason of their lawful living
together, and of which alone it is true that all the Children of those Parents,
whereof one is sanctified to the other, are holy, the rest unclean, that
is, illegitimate.
Quest. 28. Are not the Gentile-believers Children to be ingraffed by
Baptism with their Parents, as the Jews Children were by Circumcision? Rom.
11.16,17.
Answ. The ingraffing there is by giving Faith according to Election; and
therefore not meant of Parents and Children by an outward Ordinance into
the visible Church.
Quest. 29. Are there not Infants of Believers Disciples, by their Parents
Faith to be Baptized? Mat. 28.19. Acts. 15.10.
Answ. No: For the Disciples there are only such as are made by Preaching
the Gospel to them, nor are any termed Disciples, but those who have heard
and learned: and the putting the yoke, Acts 15.10. was by teaching Brethren,
ver. 1 and therefore the Disciples, ver. 10. not Infants.
Quest. 30. Are not the Infants of believers visible members of the Christian
Church, by a Law and Ordinance, by God's promise, to be God to them and
their seed, and precept to dedicate them to God, unrepealed?
Ans. There is no such Ordinance or Law extant in Scripture, or deducible
from the Law of Nature, nor are Infants any where reckoned as visible members
of the Christian Church in the New Testament.
Quest. 31. Hath God not promised, Gen. 22.16,17,18. to make every believer
a blessing, so as to cast ordinarily Elect Children on Elect Parents, and
thereby warrant Infant-Baptism.
Ans. The promise doth not pertain to any believers seed but Abrahams, who
are, Heb. 6.12,13,14, Gal. 3.8,9. Acts 3.25. expounded to be Christ and
true believers only, who are to be baptiszed, not their Infants, till they
themselves believe in their own persons.
Quest. 32. Did not Christ appoint, Mat. 28.19. the Disciples to Baptize
Children with Parents, as the Jews did Proselytes?
Ans. If the Jewish Baptism had been the pattern for Christians, the Apostles
would have so practised, but their not so doing, shews they understood not
it to be Christ's mind.
Quest. 33. Is not the Infant-baptism sufficient if it be avouched at
age?
Ans. It is not a sufficient discharge of their obedience to Christ's command,
which requires each Person to be Baptized after his own Repentance and believing
in Christ, Mark 16.16. Mat. 28. 19. Acts 2.38. Ephes. 4.5.
Quest. 34. What is the chief end of Baptism.
Ans. To testifie the Repentance, Faith, Hope, Love, and Resolution of the
Baptized to follow Christ, Gal. 3.27. Rom. 6.3,4. 1 Cor. 15.29. calling
upon the Name of the Lord, Acts 22.16.
Quest. 35. How came Infant-baptism to be common in the Christian Churches?.
Ans. As Infant-communion came from mistake of John 6.53. So Infant-baptism
began about the third Age of the Christian Church, from mistake of John
3.5. the opinion of its giving Grace, and the necessity of it to save the
Infant dying from perishing, and after Augustins time became common, which
before was not so frequent.
Quest. 36. Is there any evil in it?
Ans. Infant-baptism tends much to harden People in presumption, as if they
were Christians afore they know Christ, and hinders much the Reformation
of Christian Churches, by filling them with ignorant and scandalous members,
besides the great sin of profaning God's Ordinance.
Quest. 37. Have not all opposers of Infant-baptism, been wicked in the
end?
Ans. Blessed be God, experience proves the contrary, though some here to
fore proved seditious, and entertained great errors.
Quest. 38. Is there any good by Baptizing Persons at Age, which might
not be, though Infant-baptism were continued?
Ans. Yes, For thereby they would be solemnly engaged to adhere to Christ,
which is a strong tye on the Consciences, when it is done by a Person understandingly,
according to Christ's mind, besides the assurance thereby of Union and Conformity
to Christ, and Righteousness and life by him, Rom. 6.3,4. Gal. 3.26. 1 Pet.
3.21.
Quest. 39. What are Christians to do when they are Baptized?
Ans. To associate together in Church-Communion, and to walk according to
their engagement, in obedience to them, who are over them in the Lord.
Quest. 40. Are Persons so joined to separate from those they have joined
to upon deficit in outward order and Ordinances, or variation from the Rule
therein by Pastors or People?
Ans. No, Unless the evil be such in Faith, Worship, or Discipline, as is
not consistent with Christianity, or the estate of a visible Church, or
is intolerable oppression, maintained with obstinacy, after endeavours to
cure them, to which end each member should keep and act in his station.
END OF ARTICLE
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