Article XXVII
Baptism
God’s promise is visibly signed and sealed.
The Article
OF BAPTISM
BAPTISM is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or new Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God. The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.
In modern English
Baptism is a sign of Christian profession and marks Christians out from those who are not baptised. It is also a sign of regeneration, or new birth. Through it, as an instrument, those who receive baptism rightly are grafted into the Church. God's promises of forgiveness and adoption as his children through the Holy Spirit are visibly signed and sealed. Through prayer to God, faith is strengthened and grace increased. The baptism of young children should certainly be retained in the Church, because it accords most closely with Christ's institution.
Scripture readings
- Matthew 28:18–20
- Acts 2:38–39
- Romans 6:1–4, 8–10
Understand the teaching
Baptism speaks of God’s gracious action
Article XXVII describes baptism as a sign of profession and Christian belonging, and then develops its deeper significance. It is a sign of regeneration or new birth; through it, rightly received, people are grafted into the church. The promises of forgiveness and adoption are visibly signed and sealed. Faith is confirmed and grace increased through prayer. These are substantial claims about God's gracious action, and an Anglican account should preserve their force.
The image of a seal helps. A seal authenticates a promise or marks an authorised relationship. Baptism visibly sets before us the gospel promise associated with Christ and membership of his people. Its confidence rests in the God who gives the promise. The Article also qualifies reception: it speaks of those who receive baptism rightly. We must therefore read its rich sacramental language alongside its concern for faith, and alongside the wider teaching that justification comes through Christ received by faith.
Union with Christ and a new way of life
Romans 6:1–14 connects baptism with Christ's death and resurrection. Paul's concern is practical holiness: those united with Christ must not treat grace as permission to continue comfortably in sin. Baptism identifies Christians with the decisive saving events that reshape their lives. Colossians 2:11–13 similarly connects burial and resurrection with Christ to faith in God's working. These passages give baptism a profoundly Christ-centred meaning, extending far beyond a public celebration of personal sincerity.
Acts 2:38–39 connects repentance, baptism, forgiveness and the gift of the Spirit, and speaks of God's promise reaching children and those far away whom the Lord calls. First Peter 3:21 distinguishes baptism's saving significance from mere bodily washing and relates it to God through Jesus' resurrection. Christians debate aspects of these texts, but together they prevent a shallow treatment of baptism. The outward washing belongs to a promise about cleansing, new life and a relationship with God that depends upon the risen Jesus.
Why Anglicans baptise infants
The Article's final sentence explicitly retains the baptism of young children. Anglicans commonly explain this through the unity of God's covenant purposes, the inclusion of believers' children within the visible people of God and the priority of divine grace. They relate baptism to the Old Testament pattern in which children received the covenant sign, while acknowledging important differences between circumcision and baptism. Household baptisms in Acts form part of the discussion, although no passage explicitly identifies an infant among those baptised.
Baptist Christians argue that the New Testament pattern consistently joins baptism to a personal profession of faith. Anglicans should acknowledge the seriousness of that argument. Infant baptism rests on a wider reading of Scripture's covenantal pattern, rather than a direct command that specifically says to baptise infants. Within the Anglican reading, the child receives a genuine sign of God's promise and incorporation into the church's visible life. Parents, godparents and the congregation then undertake a serious responsibility for Christian nurture and prayer.
Regeneration and differing Anglican readings
Anglicans have interpreted the relation between baptism and regeneration in different ways. Some emphasise baptism as the occasion of an actual gift of new birth, while distinguishing that gift from guaranteed final salvation. Some Anglican accounts commonly distinguish the outward sign from the inward spiritual reality and insist that their connection should not be made mechanically dependent on the moment of administration. Some also describe the baptismal language in terms of covenant membership and charitable judgement.
The Article's own language must guide the discussion. It calls baptism a sign of regeneration, uses instrumental language and speaks of right reception, promise, faith and prayer. It gives more than a bare symbol and less than a warrant for declaring every baptised person automatically saved. A baptised person can belong visibly to the church while still needing a living response to the gospel. Christian nurture should therefore invite continuing repentance and faith. Baptismal assurance directs us towards the trustworthy Christ whose promise is signified, and encourages us to receive that promise.
Living out your baptism
For an adult preparing for baptism, the central questions concern understanding the gospel, turning towards Christ and joining his people. For parents seeking baptism for a child, preparation should explore the promises they will make and the practical support they need. A church fulfils its responsibility through sustained welcome, teaching and pastoral care. A service followed by years of silence weakens the connection between the sign and the discipleship it anticipates.
For someone baptised in infancy, a later awakening of personal faith can be understood as embracing the promise already set before them. There is no need to invent certainty about the exact timing of every inward work of grace. Give thanks that Christ calls you now, trust him and grow in obedience. When temptation comes, remember the identity baptism proclaims: belonging to Christ brings a new direction. When doubt comes, look towards his saving work. Baptism gives the church a visible, communal way of proclaiming the grace from which a whole Christian life grows.
Bring it into everyday life
- What would it look like for a congregation to keep its promises to a baptised child?