The Divisions of Paedobaptism

Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans and Presbyterians are all called paedobaptists, because they all baptize their infant children, but they do so for different reasons. To make things more complicated, within Presbyterianism there are major distinctions (Johnson, J. D. (n.d.). The Fatal Flaw of the Theology Behind Infant Baptism & Covenantal Dichotomism)

THE DIVISIONS OF PAEDOBAPTISM

1. Fides Aliena: The church supplies the faith necessary for infant baptism.

2. Fides Infusa: Baptism infuses faith into the infant.

3. Fides Infantium: An infants’ own faith is present in baptism.

4. Sacramental Symbolism: The legitimacy of infant baptism is independent of faith.

5. Pre-credobaptism: Baptism precedes faith in the infant, but does not guarantee it.

6. Presumptive Regeneration: The church assumes its baptized infants have faith until proven otherwise.

7. Baptismal Regeneration: Baptism imparts faith to all infants (including the non-elect).

8. Paedofaith: Infants have faith prior to their baptism.

FIDES ALIENA (Faith of Others) - Augustine recognized that faith is the prerequisite for baptism and that infants cannot fulfill this prerequisite for themselves. He proposed as a solution the concept of fides aliena, the faith of others. At the baptism of an infant, the church believes for the infant. “So, when the others answer for them, in order to fulfill for them the celebration of the sacrament, it certainly avails for their consecration, since they themselves are not able to answer.” The church is the “mother” who offers her “maternal mouth for her children … for they cannot as yet with their own hearts believe unto righteousness, nor with their own mouths confess unto salvation.” (Schreiner, T. R., & Wright, S. D. (2006). Believer’s baptism: sign of the new covenant in Christ (pp. 190–191). Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group.)

Augustine recognized that faith is the prerequisite for baptism and that infants cannot fulfill this prerequisite for themselves. He proposed as a solution the concept of fides aliena, the faith of others. At the baptism of an infant, the church believes for the infant. “So, when the others answer for them, in order to fulfill for them the celebration of the sacrament, it certainly avails for their consecration, since they themselves are not able to answer.”3 The church is the “mother” who offers her “maternal mouth for her children … for they cannot as yet with their own hearts believe unto righteousness, nor with their own mouths confess unto salvation.”4

Johnson, J. D. (n.d.). The Fatal Flaw of the Theology Behind Infant Baptism & Covenantal Dichotomism.

Many of the early church fathers taught that baptism washed away sins.s Yet, these same church fathers did not agree upon the types of sins remitted in baptism. Are only the sins committed prior to the sacrament forgiven,8 9 or does baptism cleanse future sins as well? Although the church was not universally sure, the church fathers did agree that baptism was an effectual means of grace in washing away at least past sins.10 *

Schreiner, T. R., & Wright, S. D. (2006). Believer’s baptism: sign of the new covenant in Christ (pp. 190–191). Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group.

Nevertheless, seeing that the church fathers did not believe infants were guilty of personal sin, what need was there to baptize innocent children?" Moreover, the early patristic fathers believed that faith and baptism went together. Concerning adults, the church administered baptism only to those who had a confession of faith—a confession that expressed faith in Christ and repentance towards sins. The early church recognized that faith and baptism were inseparable.12 With this in mind how are infants able to have the faith necessary for baptism?

The patristic fathers needed to answer these two questions in order to justify the practice of infant baptism. Origen sought to answer the former, while Augustine the latter.

If infants were innocent, why did they need forgiveness? According to Origen (ca. 185-254), although infants were without personal sin, they still shared in the original sin of Adam. Therefore, unbaptized infants, although innocent, were in danger. Why? Because, if they happen to die in their infancy they would carry Adam’s guilt to the grave. Because of this danger, infants were in need of baptism. In this manner the church in the third century established the theological necessity for paedobaptism.

this danger, infants were in need of baptism. In this manner the church in the third century established the theological necessity for paedobaptism.

If faith and baptism are connected, what is the justification for baptizing infants who are incapable of faith? Yes, they need forgiveness, but how can they be proper candidates for baptism without faith? This was a real theological problem for the early church.

A suitable answer did not come until the early fifth century. Unlike Origen, Augustine (ca. 354-430) did not believe infants are innocent. Not only do they need forgiveness for Adam’s guilt, they need their little depraved hearts cleansed as well. For Augustine, infants are in double need of baptism.1 ’

According to Augustine, the sacrament of baptism not only removes the guilt of Adam’s sin, it cleanses the heart of its inward depravity.14 Baptism is a signa visibilia invisibilis gratiae (a visible sign of invisible grace). Augustine claimed, “[Water touches the body and cleanses the heart.”15 In The City of God, he goes as far as to call the baptismal fount the “laver of regeneration.”16 For instance, he wrote, “little children, who by the laver of regeneration, have been freed from the bond of original sin in which alone they were held...”1'

Yet, Augustine recognized that faith is the prerequisite for baptism and infants are incapable of faith. How can they receive forgiveness if they are unable to believe? What was Augustine’s solution? It was quite simple: the church is able to fulfill this prerequisite for them. That is, the church believes in behalf of the unbelieving infant,fides aliena (“faith of another”).18

In short, why did the early church baptize infants? Origen claimed that infants are in need of baptism because of Adam’s guilt, while Augustine claimed it is permissible because the church supplies the faith necessary for baptism. In this way the theological necessity and grounds for paedobaptism were established.