Church Fathers and the Progression of Infant Baptism

I want to see, and summarize, what the church fathers taught about baptism, in chronological order.  I think there is a clear progression where baptismal regeneration is what led to infant baptism, which also is why there were people who “preferred” adult baptism or delayed baptism but accepted infant baptism (because it was preferred to be baptized as a believer, but more preferable not to die unbaptized and unsanctified).

Timeline

• Didache, c. 60: taught credobaptism, says nothing about baptismal regeneration. ¹
• Clement of Rome, c. 95: taught that baptism was not necessary for salvation.²
• Ignatius, c. 100: did not teach baptismal regeneration but talked about Christ’s baptism “purifying” the waters. ³
• Polycarp, c 110: also taught regeneration was separate from baptism. ⁴
• Barnabas, c. 120, similarly to Ignatius, could be interpreted as echoes of baptismal regeneration, although he is speaking from OT metaphors and applying them to baptism. ⁵
• Justin Martyr, c. 154, teaches baptismal regeneration and credobaptism.⁶
  154: Earliest clear teaching of baptismal regeneration.
• Irenaeus, c 190: teaches baptismal regeneration.⁷  Did not explicitly teach infant baptism, although there is an argument that that is what he meant (in short, he says Jesus “came to save all through himself; all, I say, who through him are reborn in God: infants, and children, and youths, and old men.”)  This however is not contrary to the credobaptist argument, who also believe infants may be saved, and Irenaeus says nothing about baptizing such infants.
• Tertullian, c. 203: taught baptismal regeneration and denied infant baptism.⁸
• Hippolytus, c. 215: taught to baptize children, including those who could not speak for themselves the baptismal questions.  But said nothing about infants. ⁹
• Origen, c. 248, taught clearly baptismal regeneration and infant baptism, and the interdependence thereof; claims both came from the apostles.¹⁰
  248: Earliest clear teaching of paedobaptism.
• Cyprian, c. 253, taught clearly baptismal regeneration and infant baptism, and the relation between the two. ¹¹
• Gregory of Nazianz, c. 388, taught baptismal regeneration, but only infant baptism in life-threatening circumstances. ¹²
• Chrysotom, c. 388, taught baptismal regeneration and consequently (“for this reason”) infant baptism. ¹³
• Augustine, c. 400, taught baptismal regeneration and consequently infant baptism, and asserted that both were handed down by the Apostles. ¹⁴
• Council of Carthage, 401, taught baptismal regeneration and infant baptism, even of random infants. ¹⁵
• Council of Mileum II, 416, affirmed baptismal regeneration as the “”reason for infant baptism and anathemized those who denied it.¹⁶
  416: Excommunicating credobaptists.

References