What is the Baptist Church and what do Baptists believe?

Here is a Baptist church. It is a body of people, all of whom may be Christians, as the others before-named, but who are agreed in the opinion that the baptism of adult believers, by immersion, is the only right mode of baptism, and on the ground of this common belief they have associated themselves into an organization or body, in separation from all other Christians who think differently from them on that particular subject.

Anti-Paedobaptists, or "the Baptists," as they call themselves, simply affirm, that in all the allusions to baptism in the writings of the apostles, it is uniformly coupled with faith in the gospel; and that such expressions as "buried with Him by baptism," and "planted together in the likeness of His death," etc., must mean, that the person so baptised has part with Christ by faith. And, further, that as baptism is an ordinance of Christ, it must of necessity be celebrated exactly as He appointed. Nothing, it is said, but direct scripture ought to be the foundation of our faith and practice in divine things. And since to the very being of baptism a subject to whom it must be administered is necessary, and a mode of administering, without which it would only be a notion in the human mind, these things therefore, are as necessary as baptism itself. And hence it follows that the true subjects, which are professed believers only, and the true mode, which is immersion only, are necessary to true christian baptism.*

It is necessary to remind you of this because a too restricted view is often adopted by those who hold the Baptist* theory. They seem to care for little beyond asserting that Baptism is immersion, and that believers only are to be immersed. It is clear, however, not only that the verb means "to dip" but also has a wider meaning, viz., "to wash." And this fact has a most important bearing upon the meaning and significance of the rite. Merely to give two instances: "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins" (Acts 22:16), and "Except they wash" (baptizo) (Mark 7:4).

The term Baptist here, and throughout, is not used of any sect, but as indicating those who maintain believers' baptism only.

The Baptist View.

The Baptist view is that baptism is the sequel to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is maintained that (1) it is an act of obedience to a command of the Lord, proving to the public the honesty of our belief. (2) It is a figure of what has taken place in God's reckoning in relation to the Christian as soon as he believes. (3) It is the answer of a good conscience. (4) It is a public confession of faith, that in scriptural language the individual has put on Christ. He has adopted a new profession with the privileges and responsabilities thereof, i.e., henceforth he is on the Lord's side against the world. The illustration is sometimes given that just as immediately on the death of a king his successor becomes ruler although his coronation may be deferred for some time when he will be declared officially king before the world at large. The believer is baptised in the name of the Trinity and of the Lord Jesus.

In reply to this, do you affirm that this was only John's baptism and not Christian baptism? Our answer is, we are only concerned for the moment with Baptism itself. If you think that under Christianity it assumed an altogether new significance and became altogether restricted in its application, then it is for you to produce evidence of such change. What I propose to do is to see whether or not the teaching which follows on the subject in the Scriptures supports the view just given. You will agree, I think, that a general consensus of teaching on any subject goes far to confirm a particular view as being the right one. It is difficult to conceive any Baptist to-day acting as John the Baptist did. Baptists require a testimony of the life before they baptize. John baptized there and then in view of an amended life. Baptists say the rite appertains to no one but a believer. John the Baptist is reported as "saying unto the people that they should believe on Him which should come after him."

To Baptists baptism is simply a looking back (something already true of the believer is represented by an outward sign). To John it was a looking forward. Baptists limit the thought of obedience to the act itself. John made it a committal to a life-long obedience.

To make believers' baptism — by which is meant the immersion of believers — a test of fellowship, is to make a narrower test than the Word and to form a Baptist sect.

To make believers' baptism — by which is meant the immersion of believers — a test of fellowship, is to make a narrower test than the Word and to form a Baptist sect.

It seems that three canons are set up as the new distinctive standard. First, they are strict Baptists, refusing to receive any member of Christ's body who has not conformed to christian immersion as believers. Secondly, they require that every one allowed to partake of the Lord's Supper shall have previously broken off all ecclesiastical association in order to stand in their ranks. Thirdly, they claim to appoint elders over their associates, as the expression of rule in the flock of God on earth.

Towards the end of the 16th century there sprang up in England two classes of congregations:(a) Independents who baptised infants, one of whose parents was a believer, (b) Baptists who baptised believers only. The 17th century witnessed the rise of the Society of Friends who in spite of intense persecution bore unflinching testimony to the Holy Spirit's indwelling of believers and oral ministry thereby. But in pressing that truth they became lop-sided in dispensing with all ordinances including Baptism. Although a Baptist, John Bunyan declined to make Baptist views a ground of fellowship. In the first half of the 19th century, the early Brethren were not agreed as to the practice of baptism. J. N. Darby taught that baptism introduced a Christian's child into a place of privilege, but he condemned the Anglican theory of baptismal regeneration. At first he had only a small minority of his associates who shared his views. Many others of his associates were strong advocates of deferring baptism until a confession of faith was possible. Prominent amongst these were G. V. Wigram, William Kelly and C. H. Mackintosh. We shall make quotations from their writings later.

We are told in Scripture that Baptism represents or stands for many things: death, burial, separation from the old life, &c., but I cannot recall one passage which asserts that it is an outward sign of a person's faith*. And therefore, why Baptists should lay such tremendous emphasis upon this very point, as though it was everywhere asserted, I am at a complete loss to understand. I am afraid they try to make Scripture square with their ideas, instead of getting their ideas from Scripture.