Baptismal Regeneration and the Final Perseverance of the Saints: A Letter from John Davenant to Samuel Ward

by John Davenant, Caleb Dixon Smith (Editor), Rev. J Alport (Translator)

A Letter to Dr Samuel Ward in 1650, translated by Josiah Allport. Bishop Davenant argues that the falling away of those baptised in infancy is no objection to the perseverance of the saints.

Genres: Theology

42 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2021

Reviews

[Maxime N. Georgel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une défense réformée de la régénération baptismale est quelque chose d'étonnant. Le but de Davenant est de montrer ici aux arminiens que la régénération baptismale ne contredit pas la persévérance des saints. D'autant plus intéressant que Davenant était présent eu Synode de Dort.

Son argumentation est cohérente, solide, s'appuie sur les pères, les médiévaux et les réformateurs. Il suggère que la régénération que connaissent les enfants par le baptême ne consiste pas en un changement de leur habitus mais en l'effacement de la culpabilité du péché originel et montre que cette position était celle de nombreux pères. Ainsi, régénération ici doit être compris différent de la régénération dans son sens technique et traditionnel en théologie réformée, dit Davenant.

Néanmoins, avec Geehardus Vos, je pense que la pensée de Davenant pose plus de problèmes qu'elle n'en résout. Cela reste intéressant historiquement pour comprendre la diversité de la pensée réformée primitive et l'interaction entre les réformateurs et les pères.

En quelques lignes, on se rend compte que Davenant est un homme d'une érudition incroyable, cela donne bien envie de lire ses autres écrits.

[William Schrecengost · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a letter Davenant sent to a fellow Anglican Dr Ward regarding what takes place in an infant's baptism. He argues that the infants get a sort of regeneration, adoption, and justification that is enough for salvation, but is different from an adult's regeneration, adoption, and justification. Once the child reaches an "age of reason" he or she can be confirmed and that is when they receive full regeneration, adoption, and justification.

[Austin Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the closest precedent I have found thus far for Federal Vision in the Reformed Tradition. It’s certainly not the same, but it sure is close. Confused and confusing.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uncompelling, what is the use of a non-saving salvation? Or one that must be re-upped once you hit a certain age?

The arguments here make faith hinge too much upon intellectual capacity.

[Jacob London · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://books.google.ca/books?id=OFRi...

[Sammie Hargrave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half outstanding. Half horrendous. No clue how to rate this. Made me think

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I understand why some people hate the Reformed, and this is one of those times. Reading Davenant say that there are two salvations, two regenerations, two justifications, etc. as a way to justify his view of baptism must be what it feels like for an Arminian to hear a Calvinist talk about the two wills of God in order to explain how God can ordain evil and command against it. The difference being that there is direct Scriptural evidence for God willing things in two different senses, and no evidence that I am aware of for Davenant's position. What is ironic about this is that as much as he would protest, Davenant really is taking an Arminian position when it comes to the age of accountability, a concept that he implicitly endorses, at least for children of believers. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that he is essentially combining Reformed and non-Reformed soteriology (there is a salvation that you can lose, but there is also a salvation that you cannot lose). Either way, the different claims in this letter are hard to square logically, and when they can be squared, they are not good.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting translation of a letter from Bishop John Davenant to Samuel Ward. He rejected baptismal regeneration but contradicted himself a bit. Still, he comes down hard on the Arminian rejection of the saints' perseverance. The letter is also notable for his reference to several major early Reformers and his interaction with Thomas Aquinas and Peter Lombard.

[Josiah Leinbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davenant is spectacular here. He really parses the issue well and demonstrates that the Reformed understanding of imputed righteousness and final perseverance is not only consonant with Scripture and the Church Fathers (especially Augustine and Ambrose), but also that only Reformed doctrine makes sense of baptism.