On Holy Baptism

An Episcopalian takes a look at the Anglican view of Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism

XXVII. OF BAPTISM

BAPTISM is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or new Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God. The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ. (The Articles of Religion, 1562.)

Q. What is Baptismal Regeneration and do we teach it?

We, Anglicans, are in accord with the authors of the early Church and the Divines of the Reformation; in that we teach the doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration. It is taught that “as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly” have the “promises of forgiveness of sin, and our adoption to be sons [and daughters] of God by the Holy Ghost visibly signed and sealed” (XXVII. Of Baptism, The Articles of Religion, 1562). What is meant by Regeneration or New Birth is that “we are made clean and new in baptism” (Baptismal Beliefs, Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs & Practices, 2018), for by the instrumental sign of water we confess “the Holy Ghost spiritually regenerating the person that is baptized” declaring to us “that our souls be also washed and made clean” (The True & Catholic Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, The Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Cranmer, 1550). Or as the Right Rev. John Davenant so asserted “As Augustine asserts: ‘Renewal in Baptism is brought about by the remission of all sins.’” (Baptismal Regeneration, The Right Rev. John Davenant, 1650).

The inward and spiritual grace of Baptism is our “death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness” (A Catechism, 1662 BCP) such that by faith in Christ, through “renovation of the will and its affections” (Thomas Cranmer’s Doctrine of Repentance, The Rev. Dr. Ashley Null, 2000) “the inward man and mind is renewed by the Holy Ghost, so that our hearts and minds receive new desires” (Cranmer’s Catechism, 1548). Or as we say today: “union with Christ in his death and resurrection, birth into God's family the Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit (Catechism, 1979 BCP). And it is through this sacrament that we are “made a member of Christ's Body and adopted as God's child and heir” (Concerning Sacraments, To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism, 2020).

That regeneration or new birth is signified and sealed by Baptism as by an instrument, is put no more plainly than in the liturgy of the Common Prayer Book when the Church of England minister says, “we yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant with thy Holy Spirit” (The Private Baptism of Infants, 1662 BCP). Or when an Anglican/Episcopalian minister thanks the Father for the water of Baptism for “through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit” (Holy Baptism, 1979 BCP) or “through it we are made regenerate by the Holy Ghost” (Baptism and Confirmation, 2019 BCP).

Q. How are we born again?

A. In the modern west it is quite often that an evangelical Christian will ask the pointed question: “Have you been born again?” An Anglican may be taken aback by this and stammer over their words, but the answer is a simple “yes” for the baptized believer. Because “the second birth is by water of baptism, which Paul calleth the bath of regeneration, because our sins be forgiven. . . the Holy Ghost is poured into us. . . and [we] be received into God’s church and congregation” (Cranmer’s Catechism, 1548).

What is Baptism’s relationship to Original/Birth Sin?

Original Sin is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea in them that are regenerated. . . And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized. . . concupiscence- the phronema sarkos- hath of itself the nature of sin. (Article IX: Of Original or Birth Sin, The Articles of Religion, 1562.)

In Baptism, through faith in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit we lay hold of the extrinsic righteousness of Christ because we are “very far gone from original righteousness”(Article IX: Of Original or Birth Sin, The Articles of Religion, 1562) and He was “once offered for us upon the cross, to obtain thereby God’s grace and remission, as well of our original sin in baptism as of all actual sin” (A Sermon on the Salvation of Mankind, The First Book of Homilies, 1547). The Father has granted pardon or remission to us by grace alone; however, “Original Sin”, that being the corruption of our nature, “remains in God’s dear children” (An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles, The Rev. Thomas Rogers, 1586). Reaffirming this teaching in his book Anglicanism: A Reformed Catholic Tradition, the Rev. Dr. Gerald Bray says in regard to Article IX that “the main thrust of the article is that original sin is not removed by baptism. . . on the contrary it remains in the human being throughout his or her earthly life” but “Christians are not condemned because of it” (2021).

Q. If the Baptized sin can they be forgiven?

Not every deadly sin willingly committed after Baptism is sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism. After we received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and by the grace of God we may arise again, and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned, which say, they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent. (XVI. Of Sin after Baptism, The Articles of Religion, 1562.)

A. Yes.

It is plain to see that we who are Baptized, the regenerated children of grace, do succumb to the mind of the flesh which lusts contrary to the Spirit. However as the Most Reverend, Dr. Thomas Cranmer wrote “they which in act of deed do sin after their baptism, when they turn again to God unfeignedly, they are likewise washed by this sacrifice”, -the Sacrifice of Christ-, “in such sort that there remaineth not any spot of sin that shall be imputed to their damnation” (A Sermon on the Salvation of Mankind, The First Book of Homilies, 1547). We must always remember that “salvation is not a one-off deliverance from sin, but the giving of spiritual grace sufficient to deal with it and to overcome it” (Anglicanism: A Reformed Catholic Tradition, The Rev. Dr. Gerald Bray, 2021).

Q. Why do we Baptize Infants?

Put simply, we Anglicans believe “the Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ” (XXVII. Of Baptism, The Articles of Religion, 1562). Unlike those who insist on believers baptism we “have a different view. . . believing that God’s grace is present in the sacrament even when we do not understand how or what is happening” (Baptismal Beliefs, Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs & Practices, 2018). The former Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, “[Martin] Bucer acknowledges that: ‘Infants, as far as they are capable, become partakers of the Divine goodness in Baptism’” (Baptismal Regeneration, The Right Rev. John Davenant, 1650). This conviction is based entirely upon scripture, where God has left the witness of His revelation that infants respond to His grace; such as when John, yet unborn, “leapt in her womb” in the presence of the unborn Christ “and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy spirit”. (Luke 1v41) Or when “Jesus said ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”(Matthew 11v25-26). And in another place he said “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” (Mark 10v14). The Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Cranmer, thinking pastorally for the flock which had inherited the erroneous teaching that their infants were damned without baptism should they die, taught "that infants, being baptized and dying in their infancy, are by this sacrifice washed from their sins, brought to God’s favour, and made his children and inheritors of his kingdom of heaven" (A Sermon of the Salvation of Mankind by Only Christ Our Saviour, From Sin and Death Everlasting, The First Book of Homilies, 1547).

According to the Protestant Episcopal Church of the USA “infants are baptized so that they can share citizenship in the Covenant, membership in Christ, and redemption by God” (The Catechism, 1979 BCP) and our siblings in the Anglican Church of North America agree “because it is a sign of God’s promise that they are embraced in the covenant community of Christ’s Church” (Baptism, To be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism, 2020). It is to be denied, as some Churches teach, that a child who passes prior to baptism is damned and forever barred from the Heavenly rest and future resurrection to eternal life. We believe that “they err which teach or hold that they never go to heaven which die without the seals of the covenant: so think the [Roman Catholics] of infants which die unbaptized” or "which teach the sacrament of baptism is cause of the salvation of infants.” (An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles, The Rev. Thomas Rogers, 1586).

We also see this belief expressed by the Church of England today in the Book of Common Worship: "they should be assured that questions of ultimate salvation for an infant who dies do not depend upon whether or not the child has been baptized." (Emergency Baptism, Note 2, 2000)