Can Baptists Be Catholic? (Part 3)

by R. Scott Clark on August 18, 2025

My Baptist friends give two replies to the claim that they are not truly catholic. First, they appeal to their intent to be catholic. For example, in the introduction to the Second London Confession (1689) they say: “This we did the more abundantly to manifest our consent with both in all the fundamental articles of the Christian religion, as also with many others whose orthodox Confessions have been published to the world on the behalf of the Protestant in diverse nations and cities.” Continue reading →

Can Baptists Be Catholic? (Part 2)

by R. Scott Clark on August 11, 2025

When the ancient church began to use the adjective catholic (universal) to describe her theology, piety, and practice, and to distinguish herself from the Gnostic, Marcionite, and Montanist cults of the second century, the best evidence is that they did not read . . . Continue reading →

Can Baptists Be Catholic? (Part 1)

by R. Scott Clark on August 4, 2025

Whether Baptists can be catholic is a serious question that requires a serious answer. Before we proceed, however, we must define our terms. What is catholicity? Our English word catholic is really a Greek word, katholikos (καθολικός), borrowed by English. What does . . . Continue reading →

On Precisionism And Latitudinarianism (Again)

by R. Scott Clark on June 6, 2025

In 1520 Martin Luther published one of his most influential treatises, On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. In it he attempted to set the church free from bondage to human opinion by unleashing again, as it were, God’s Word as the . . . Continue reading →

Do Reformed Christians Confess The Sabbath?

by R. Scott Clark on April 16, 2025

Justin Taylor has posted material from Tom Schreiner’s 40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law, which argues, “I do not believe the Sabbath is required for believers now that the new covenant has arrived in the person of Jesus Christ.”1 Schreiner considers the . . . Continue reading →

Of Militants And Moderates

by R. Scott Clark on March 7, 2025

Darryl Hart (as always) has a provocative (in the best sense) article at Old Life.1 His use of the categories “militants” and “moderates” is very useful and helpful. To anticipate a criticism: yes, Reformed people can sometimes be jerks.2 Neither Darryl nor . . . Continue reading →

The Polish Reformed (1570) Rebuke The Anabaptists For Denying Infant Baptism

by Heidelblog on March 2, 2025

We also rebuke and reject all Anabaptists, who repeat their baptism and do not allow little children among God’s people to be baptized. James T. Dennison Jr. ed., Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation: 1523–1693, vol. 3 . . . Continue reading →

Hungarian Synod (1567) Lumps The Anabaptists With Servetus And The Socinians For Denying Infant Baptism

by Heidelblog on March 1, 2025

We have decided, in accordance with the Word of God, that despite the howls of Servetus and the new Anabaptists, infants must be baptized together with adults, for the following reasons: 1. The matter of the sacrament, the covenant itself, righteousness, life, . . . Continue reading →

Antwerp Confession (1566): “I Reject The Error Of The Anabaptists” Who Detest The Baptism Of The Children Of Believers

by Heidelblog on February 28, 2025

I believe that baptism is the sign of the covenant of God with the seed of Abraham, ought to be given to those who belong to the covenant of grace, and, as a consequence, to the infants of believers. Thus I reject . . . Continue reading →

Second Helvetic Confession (1566): We Condemn The Anabaptists Who Deny Baptism To The Children Of Believers

by Heidelblog on February 27, 2025

We teach that baptism should not be ministered in the church by women or midwives. For Paul excludes women from ecclesiastical callings: but baptism belongs to ecclesiastical offices. We condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that young infants, born of faithful parents, are . . . Continue reading →

Beza (1561) At Poissy: “The Anabaptists Have No Stronger Enemies” Than The Reformed On Infant Baptism

by Heidelblog on February 26, 2025

I will not consider what concerns the administration of holy baptism, for I believe that none of us, sirs, wants to position ourselves among the Anabaptists, who have no stronger enemies than we. And concerning several other specific questions on this matter, . . . Continue reading →

Scots Confession (1560): “We Damn The Error Of The Anabaptists” For Refusing To Baptize The Children Of Believers

by Heidelblog on February 25, 2025

We confess and acknowledge that baptism appertains as well to the infants of the faithful as unto those that be of age and discretion. And so we damn the error of Anabaptists who deny baptism to appertain to children before they have . . . Continue reading →

Geneva Seminary Students (1551) Reject The “Ravings” Of The Anabaptists Against Infant Baptism

by Heidelblog on February 24, 2025

Moreover, although the sacraments are (given) to us for a pledge (arrabon), through which we are reassured of the promises of God, nevertheless I acknowledge that they will be useless to us unless the Holy Spirit should render them efficacious in us, . . . Continue reading →

Zwingli Against The “War Engines Of The Anabaptists” In 1530

by Heidelblog on February 23, 2025

Hence I believe that there is one Church of those who have the same Spirit, through whom they are made certain that they are the true children of the family of God; and this is the first fruits of the Church. I . . . Continue reading →

Reformed Church Of Basel (1534): The Denial Of Infant Baptism A “Damnable And Depraved Opinion”

by Heidelblog on February 22, 2025

We clearly protest those strange and erroneous doctrines, which turbulent spirits have invented [so as] to reject and condemn, among other damnable and depraved opinions, as when they say infants are too small to be baptized (whom we baptize according to the . . . Continue reading →

The Reformed Churches Detest The Error Of Those Who Refuse To Baptize The Children Of Believers

by Heidelblog on February 20, 2025

For that reason we detest the error of the Anabaptists who are not content with a single baptism once received and also condemn the baptism of the children of believers. We believe our children ought to be baptized and sealed with the . . . Continue reading →

The Fork In The Road For The “New Calvinists”

by R. Scott Clark on January 3, 2025

Thanks to Darryl Hart for pointing us to this challenging essay by Dale Coulter, who self identifies as a “Classical Pentecostal” in the holiness tradition.1 He writes on the official blog of the Regent University School of Divinity. He favors the Edwardsean . . . Continue reading →

Video: What It Means To Be Reformed

by Heidelblog on October 18, 2024

Adam Kaloostian, a URCNA pastor turned church planter, joins Chris Gordon in reflecting on why the Reformed believe what they believe and why it matters. Continue reading →

Featley: The Sweet Dipper (Part 6)

by R. Scott Clark on August 12, 2024

And this is the firm tradition of the universal Church, in respect of the baptism of infants, who certainly are as yet unable “with the heart to believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth to make confession unto salvation,” as the thief could do; nay, who even, by crying and moaning when the mystery is performed upon them, raise their voices in opposition to the mysterious words, and yet no Christian will say that they are baptized to no purpose.—Augustine. Continue reading →

Review: Reformed Scholasticism: Recovering the Tools of Reformed Theology By Ryan M. McGraw (Part Two)

by R. Scott Clark on July 18, 2024

McGraw’s advice about how to learn Latin has some useful and interesting aspects, but he seems to endorse a sort of inductive approach and uses the words “very little effort” (37). He seems to discourage memorization. Continue reading →