Chapter 56: The Administration of Baptism

56-1. Baptism is not to be unnecessarily delayed; not to be administered, in
any case, by any private person; but by a minister of Christ, called to be the
steward of the mysteries of God.

56-2. It is not to be privately administered, but in the presence of the
congregation under the supervision of the Session.

56-3. After previous notice is given to the minister, the child to be baptized
is to be presented, by one or both the parents, or some other responsible person,
signifying the desire that the child be baptized.

56-4. Before baptism, the minister is to use some words of instruction,
touching the institution, nature, use, and ends of this sacrament, showing:
a. That it is instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ;
b. That it is a seal of the Covenant of Grace, of our ingrafting into Christ,
and of our union with Him, of remission of sins, regeneration,
adoption, and life eternal;
c. That the water, in baptism, represents and signifies both the blood of
Christ, which taketh away all guilt of sin, original and actual; and the
sanctifying virtue of the Spirit of Christ against the dominion of sin,
and the corruption of our sinful nature;
d. That baptizing, or sprinkling and washing with water, signifies the
cleansing from sin by the blood and for the merit of Christ, together
with the mortification of sin, and rising from sin to newness of life, by
virtue of the death and resurrection of Christ;
e. That the promise is made to believers and their children; and that the
children of believers have an interest in the covenant, and right to the
seal of it, and to the outward privileges of the Church, under the
Gospel, no less than the children of Abraham in the time of the Old
Testament; the Covenant of Grace, for substance, being the same; and
the grace of God, and the consolation of believers, more plentiful than
before;
f. That the Son of God admitted little children into His presence,
embracing and blessing them, saying, “For of such is the kingdom of
God”;

g. That children by Baptism, are solemnly received into the bosom of the
Visible Church, distinguished from the world, and them that are
without, and united with believers; and that all who are baptized in the
name of Christ, do renounce, and by their Baptism are bound to fight
against the devil, the world, and the flesh;
h. That they are federally holy before Baptism, and therefore are they
baptized;
i. That the inward grace and virtue of Baptism is not tied to that very
moment of time wherein it is administered; and that the fruit and
power thereof reaches to the whole course of our life; and that outward
baptism is not so necessary, that through the want thereof, the infant
is in danger of damnation;
j. By virtue of being children of believing parents they are, because of
God’s covenant ordinance, made members of the Church, but this is
not sufficient to make them continue members of the Church. When
they have reached the age of discretion, they become subject to
obligations of the covenant: faith, repentance and obedience. They
then make public confession of their faith in Christ, or become
covenant breakers, and subject to the discipline of the Church.
In these or the like instructions, the minister is to use his own liberty
and godly wisdom, as the ignorance or errors in the doctrine of Baptism, and
the edification of the people, shall require.
He is also to admonish all that are present to look back to their
Baptism, to repent of their sins against their covenant with God; to stir up their
faith; to improve and make right use of their Baptism, and of the covenant
sealed between God and their soul.
He is to exhort the parent to consider the great mercy of God to him
and his child; to bring up the child in the knowledge of the grounds of the
Christian religion, and in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and to let
him know the danger of God’s wrath to himself and child, if he be negligent;
requiring his solemn promise for the performance of his duty.

The minister is also to exhort the parents to the careful performance
of their duty, requiring:
a. That they teach the child to read the Word of God;
b. that they instruct him in the principles of our holy religion, as
contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, an
excellent summary of which we have in the Confession of Faith,
and in the Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Westminster
Assembly, which are to be recommended to them as adopted by
the Church, for their direction and assistance, in the discharge of
this important duty;
c. that they pray with and for him;
d. that they set an example of piety and godliness before him; and
endeavor, by all the means of God’s appointment, to bring up their
child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.