The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Monergism

Robin,

Could you give me Chapter/article in the WCF where it says that baptized infants are "considered part of the visible church"? I'm not disputing at this point that it does, I'm simply asking where it does so I can read it.

It is common in paedobaptist churches to refer to covenant children as "members" of the visible church to be sure. However, I have difficulty with the wording due to its inherent misunderstanding. I have preferred to refer to covenant children as being "externally in the covenant of grace", covenant of grace used in a more general way rather than in its salvific meaning. Of course, admittedly that too raises problems with misunderstanding as well. I am always wrestling with the errors I run into on both sides; 1) covenant children are to be considered "Christians" or even "elect", and 2) covenant children have no relationship to the Church whatsoever, which is typical of non-paedobaptists. As you might have guessed, without much trouble is that I stand in the middle of the two.

Never mind.... found the reference in Chapter XXV, article II:

However, I find most of the Scriptural references used to support the view that children of believers are members of the invisible church to be unsupportive.
In His grace,