|
Hmm. There are several positions held over the course of Reformed history. The Southern Presbyterians (Thornwell, Dabney, Girardeau) held that children of believers are pagan until converted. Hodge and Warfield held that they are assumed to be (notice the force of the word "assumed") regenerated until proven otherwise (also the position of Calvin). No Presbyterian has ever said that all infants of believers are regenerated. The question is much more like this: how should we treat them? Personally I do not think we need to expect a violent conversion experience, even though that will happen sometimes, even with the children of believers. And I would counsel Baptists on this, too: if your child tells you he is a Christian, you should not only believe them, but nurture them in the Christian faith. We should not teach them to doubt their salvation just because they may not be able to point to a time when WHAM! they became a Christian. Think of John the Baptist, think of the Psalmist, who trusted from his mother's breast. There are many ways of coming to Christ. Some are violent, and some are gentle. Some are "growing into it" and some are pitch darkness to the light of day. We should not force all people into one mold only.
|