The Mystery of Baptism in the Anglican Tradition. Kenneth Stevenson
acted as a volunteer chaplain at Cambridge jail. He was soon made Lecturer at Great St Andrew’s, which was a poor parish, attended by members of the university as well as townsfolk. Lecturers were appointed by the parishes, not the bishop, and the post was effectively that of a senior curacy with the particular task of preaching. There he stayed until his death, and we are told that his preaching and pastoral ministry became part of Cambridge folklore. There are indications that he was not entirely happy with the Prayer Book and this may explain why he remained a Lecturer for the duration of his ministry, since he could thereby avoid questions being asked about his attitude to, for example, vesture and kneeling for the reception of Holy Communion. Perkins represents a more moderate form of Puritanism than that of Thomas Cartwright. He was determined to stay firmly within the Church of England in order to change it from inside. He has had his successors in many generations since, who have been intent on blowing fervour and understanding into the historic formularies of the Church as these are actually celebrated in parish churches.
There are three particular works that tell us about his views on baptism. The first – a very popular one – is called A Golden Chain or The Description of Theology.5
A Golden Chain demonstrates Perkins’ style as a clear and fluent writer. Very near the start comes the statement that ‘theology is the science of living blessedly forever’.6 He then discusses God – his nature and his life, his glory and blessedness, the Trinity, God’s works – and moves on to man and his fall, original sin, Jesus Christ, the two natures in Christ, and the work and ministry of Christ.
At this stage, he turns towards the sacraments, and in four chapters (31–4) discusses what he calls the ‘covenant of grace’, the sacraments in general, and baptism and the Lord’s Supper.7
For Perkins, the Covenant of Grace – as for many of the Reformers – is a biblical image to describe the relationship of free grace between God and humanity which is sealed in Christ. The covenant’s purpose is ‘to manifest that righteousness in Christ whereby the whole law is fully satisfied and salvation attained’.8 He goes on to describe it as ‘the conduit pipe of the Holy Ghost’. Those who knew about architecture at the time will have warmed to that image of the conduit pipe, much beloved, too, of Lancelot Andrewes,9 because this was a way of ensuring that clean water could be available to townsfolk, at least those who lived in the right place.
He defines a sacrament as ‘that whereby Christ and his saving graces are by external rite signified, exhibited and sealed to a Christian man’.10 And he distinguishes the two words of institution, the commandment (‘go into the whole world baptizing them in the name etc.’ – Matt. 28:19), and the promise (‘I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost’). Then comes the crunch: ‘the covenant of grace is absolutely necessary to salvation . . . but a sacrament is not absolutely necessary, but only as it is a prop and stay for faith to lean upon.’11 Here, Perkins departs from Catholic tradition – and also from Jewel and Whitgift – most obviously, because he sets the covenant of grace above the sacraments. This is most clearly to be seen in the table which he gives to describe the outward and the inward baptism (see pp. 28–29).
Perkins wants to have his baptismal cake and eat it! The inward and the outward are so clearly delineated that he gives the impression of wanting to put a wedge between the inward and the outward – and yet he wants to hold them together. The outward baptism, as he explains in the accompanying text in A Golden Chain, consists of three parts, namely the sprinkling or dipping in the water, continuance in water, and arising from water. The person being baptized is to do two things: give his body to be washed, and receive that washing.12 He does not seem entirely happy with what the outward baptism does in relation to the inward. ‘The party baptized doth receive the internal washing which is by the blood of Christ, or at least it is offered unto him.’ He switches from dying-and-rising to the image of rebirth in order to counter the claims of Anabaptists, who would only baptize adults: ‘re-baptising is at no hands to be admitted, for as in natural generation man is only once born, so it is in spiritual regeneration’. He is more confident, however, about the inward baptism and its relationship to the forgiveness of sins:
For although baptism be but once only administered, yet that once testifieth that all men’s sins past, present and to come are washed away . . . Therefore baptism may be truly termed the sacrament of repentance and, as it were, a board to swim upon when a man shall fear the shipwreck of his soul. Last of all, see thou never rest till such time as thou have a feeling of that renewing power signified in baptism: namely the power of Christ’s death mortifying sin and the virtue of his resurrection in the renovation of the spirit.13
Perkins defines baptism as ‘a sacrament by which such as are within the covenant are washed with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost . . . These are either of riper years or infants.’14 Those of riper years can be baptized on their own promises but infants are baptized on the basis of their parents’ faith. They bring their children into the covenant, even though their age prevents them from actually believing. The solemn covenant is simply this: God receives the believer with favour, and the baptized promise to acknowledge and worship him.
When discussing the methods of baptism, Perkins is aware of the lavish use of water in antiquity and suggests this as appropriate for those of riper years, but follows many of the Reformers in allowing sprinkling for small babies because of climate and the possible danger to health.15
The second work of Perkins is his Commentary on Galatians.16
By its very nature it is a more academic work, though the style is as clear and flowing as ever. His treatment of baptism arises from Galatians 3:27, ‘For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.’ Once again Perkins tackles the outward and the inward straight away, perhaps occasioned by the reference to ‘putting on Christ’. He states: ‘the outward baptism without the inward is not the mark of God’s child, but the mark of the “fool that makes a vow, and afterwards breaks it” (Eccles. 5:3)’.17 But he says that baptism is not only a sign but a seal and takes the opportunity of discussing baptism under no fewer than seven headings.
First there is the name. The Pharisees had religious washings; God also had appointed certain washings in the Old Testament. In the New Testament baptism was a washing by water to seal the new covenant, but it was also used as a metaphor for any grievous cross, or the bestowing of extraordinary gifts. It was also used in connection with ministry in the Church. Then he says – almost in contrast to what he propounded earlier – that ‘the inward washing is conferred with the outward washing’.
Secondly, the matter of baptism. Should there be dipping or sprinkling? (The Prayer Book directed dipping as a norm.) He realizes that climates vary. What is appropriate in the north of Europe is not appropriate elsewhere, as he pointed out in A Golden Chain. Water is the sign, the thing signified is nothing less than Christ himself our mediator. Then, repeating what he had to say in A Golden Chain, he says that ‘the dipping of the body signifies mortification, or fellowship with Christ in his death: the staying under the water signifies the burial of sin; and the coming out of the water, the resurrection from sin, to newness of life (Romans 6:4).’18
Thirdly, the form of the sacrament. In Matthew 28:19, Christ makes his promise and seals his promise by baptism. We need, therefore, to become disciples and to ‘lay hold of the promises of God and the confirmation thereof by the sacraments’. We shall be seeing later how he disposes of the sacramental rite of confirmation but here he clearly places confirmation in the context of personal growth in the life of Christ.
Fourthly, the ends of baptism. It is a pledge in respect of our weakness, a sign of Christian profession before the world, a means of our first entrance into the visible Church, and a means of unity.19 The Puritans place great stress upon the outworking of Christian discipleship in daily life and this part of the discussion should not be underestimated. Perkins may not be confident about the objective character of baptism as a sacramental event