I'm not sure why people cannot simply answer these questions plainly. When the question is asked about Roman Catholic baptisms the answers are very plain.
The hesitation, at least on my part, isn’t any reluctance to affirm the validity of the baptism of Baptists. I hesitated because the question, honestly, is poorly asked. If you’d have asked simply if the baptism of Baptists, or Pentecostals, or Calvary Chapel was valid, I’d have been able to affirm it immediately. When my wife and I joined the URC, my Lutheran baptism, her Roman Catholic baptism, and our friend’s Holiness Pentecostal baptism were all considered equally valid.
When you ask if the baptism of a sect is valid, the question is unanswerable, because you’ve not distinguished between sects. Note that Turretin answers the question of the validity of baptism by heretics with his “we distinguish”, and goes on to say that to answer the question, we must distinguish between heretics. He gives the example that the baptism of the Arminians is valid, but the baptism of the Socinians is not.
Additionally, when you ask us if we consider the baptism of a sect to be valid, you also ask us to weigh in on whether the Reformers considered it valid, too. Now there is far too much spurious citing of the Reformers, both here on the PB and in the Church at large, for me to be comfortable pronouncing from the hip whether or not they did. If you want a thoughtful answer, you’ve got to give us time to do the research.
Having said all that, I still can’t answer your poll question , because I don’t see an answer stating:Some sectarian baptisms are valid, and some aren't, and I distinguish between the two along with the Reformers.
Philip,
Been on leave for 2 days with no internet. Thanks for the response. Thanks also to Rev. Winzer. I don't dispute my options might have been poorly worded but I provided a means to interact on those grounds. Notice the very first post had three questions posed:
I honestly did not know what the answer to those questions were. I was trying to find out. I knew that Baptists were considered a Sect but desired to ascertain the validity of their Baptism according to the Reformer's views.1. Did the Reformers believe that the baptism of a sect constituted a valid baptism?
2. Did the Reformers consider Baptists to be a sect?
3. Do you belive the baptism of sects are valid?
Until you posted, I would note that nobody was clamouring to ask that the poll be edited or even to simply answer the first three questions posed in the Original Post. As it was, over a two day period, I only had 5 answers that the Baptisms of Sects were invalid and that the Reformers thought the same.