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100*“Let*the*little*children*come*to*me…”*But*should*we*baptise*them?**being*accepted.*There*will*be*expectations*from*other*young*people,*other*parents*and*the*congregation*at*large*that*if*the*last*three*teenagers*within*the*church*were*baptised*around*their*13 th *birthday:*isn’t*it*about*time*that*Linda* is* baptised* now* she* has* turned* 13?* Though* similar* problems* might*arise* with* adults:* “But* you* baptised* Mahmoud* two* months* after* he*professed*faith,*and*I’ve*been*a*Christian*for*six*months!”*the*pressure*will*be*harder*when*the*delay*to*see*the*mature*fruit*of*repentance*might*take*years*in*the*case*of*a*child*compared*with*perhaps*a*few*months*in*the*case*of*an*adult.*An*even*more*pressing*pastoral*responsibility*towards*the*whole*church*that* the* pastor* must* take* into* consideration* is* the* impact* of* admitting*younger* members* into* the* church* upon* the* purity* of* the* church.* As* Tony*Hemphill*has*observed*within*Southern*Baptist*churches,*the*proliferation*of*childhood*baptisms*has*been*a*major*factor*in*the*abandonment*of*church*discipline*and*the*purity*of*the*church*in*its*doctrine*and*lifestyle. 20 **Responsibilities%to%the%head%of%the%church%*The*church*has*been*given*the*power*of*the*keys*to*the*visible*church*(Matt*18:18),* and* to* a* large* extent* these* are* administered* by* pastors* holding*conversations*with*potential*church*members.*This*is*a*very*serious*respon:sibility.*We*do*not*wish*to*wrongly*shut*people*out*of*the*visible*church.*But*we*also*do*not*wish*to*casually*name*as*sheep*those*who*as*yet*show*only*fledgling* evidence.* The* local* church,* as* Christ’s* body* is* to* display* Christ’s*character.*If*we*admit*young*children*to*membership*because*we*don’t*have*the*heart*to*say*“no”,*then*likely*we*won’t*have*the*heart*to*say*“no”*to*their*continued*membership*if*they*start*living*clearly*non:Christian*lives.*It* will* be* the* path* of* least* resistance* for* a* pastor* to* decide* to* baptise*anyone* who* requests* baptism.* But* in* the* end* such* a* policy* is* one* that*displays* more* of* the* fear* of* man* and* desire* to* be* loved,* than* the* true*shepherd:like*love*for*the*individual*child,*or*the*church*as*a*whole,*let*alone*the*Good*Shepherd*himself.**The%voice%of%the%past%*We*have*seen*from*the*first*arguments*against*Infant*Baptism*that*Tertullian*insisted* upon* awaiting* other* adult* responsibilities* such* as* marriage,* or* at*least*tested*adult*celibacy*outside*of*marriage.*Baptists*have*tended*to*follow*suit* through* the* centuries,* waiting* at* least* until* young* people* have* some*********************************************************************20*Tony* Hemphill,* “The* Practice* of* Infantile* Baptism* in* Southern* Baptist* Churches* and*Subsequent*Impact*on*Regenerate*Church*Membership”*(Faith*and*Mission*18:3,*Summer*2001).*