Jordan Carl’s Reviews > On the Efficacy and Utility of Baptism in the Case of Elect Infants whose Parents are under the Covenant > Status Update

Does it address the mean of the parents’ faith ?

What do you mean by that ?

Witsius lays out three positions that exist within the Reformed Covenantal baptism tradition:

1. We are to believe faith is present in the child from the minute they are conceived.
2. We are unsure of whether faith is present in a baptized child.
3. We assume faith isn’t present in a baptized child until faith is demonstrated by the child.

Witsius holds to the first view. He believes and defends from scripture that as people who have been given the covenant promises of God we are to believe that he is working faith in the hearts of our children from the minute they are conceived. He doesn’t posit that he knows exactly when faith is granted and he denies against baptismal regeneration. But his contention is that we are to believe faith is present in our covenant children based on God’s promise to be a God to us and our seed. He also denies bringing children to the sacraments based on the faith of their parents. Of course he would support a certain level of sanctity and holiness given Paul’s statement in 1 Cor 7 indicating the children of believers are holy, separate, set apart.

Thanks Jordan.