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102*“Let*the*little*children*come*to*me…”*But*should*we*baptise*them?**Baptismal* ages* begin* to* drop* rapidly,* however,* through* the* twentieth*century,* just* as* growing* affluence* in* the* West* means* that* the* ages* of*employment*and*marriage*are*increasing.*Dale*Moody*was*baptized*at*12*in*1927* in* Grapevine,* Texas.* Jimmy* Carter* was* baptized* at* 11* in* 1935* (or*1936)*in*Plains,*Georgia.*Paige*Patterson*was*baptized*at*age*9*in*1951*by*his*father,*a*Baptist*pastor*in*Beaumont,*Texas.*Come* the* twenty:first* century,* among* Southern* Baptists* it* is* not*uncommon*for*4*year*olds*to*be*baptised.*As*one*writer*put*it,*“It*is*alarming*to*realize*that*fully*one*third*of*all*first*baptisms*in*the*SBC*are*children*who*have*not*yet*learned*how*to*choose*their*own*clothes”. 23 *Though*believers’*baptism* has* rarely* been* practised* so* early* in* Britain,* it* has* still* been*common* at* least* from* the* mid:twentieth* century* to* baptise* children* as*young* as* 8. 24 *But* without* a* principled* argument* to* delay* baptism,* the*pressure*upon*the*age*of*baptism*will*remain*downwards.***How%long%should%we%delay?%*The* question* amongst* credobaptists* is* not* whether* we* should* delay*baptism,* but* to* what* extent* should* we* delay.* I* do* not* yet* know* of* any*credobaptists*who*would*baptise*a*two*year*old,*though*I*have*no*doubt*that*a*two*year*old*can*profess*faith*in*Christ,*nor*do*I*have*any*reason*to*believe*that* there* may* not* be* many* two* year* olds* who* have* come* to* genuine,* if*immature* faith.* Yet* Baptists* have* recognised* that* it* is* very* difficult* to*discern* with* young* children* whether* a* profession* of* faith* is* more* than* a*repetition*of*the*faith*of*their*parents.*And,*by*definition,*credobaptists*will*not*baptise*on*the*basis*of*parental*faith*that*has*not*yet*also*become*their*own.**We%should%delay%so%that%evidence%of%faith%is%given%*The* younger* a* professing* believer,* the* longer* one* should* wait* in* order* to*discern* whether* faith* is* genuine,* particularly* those* children* who* have*believing* parents.* Children* are* both* designed* and* commanded* in* the*Scriptures*to*obey*their*parents,*and*to*follow*them.*Without*ever*questioning*the*sincerity*of*a*child’s*profession*of*faith,*we*would*be*unwise*to*underline*it*in*baptism*until*sufficient*evidence*is*given*that*this*is*a*faith*that*is*owned*by* the* child.* In* most* circumstances* it* will* be* very* hard* to* distinguish* a*healthy* desire* to* trust* and* follow* parents* from* a* Spirit:wrought* desire* to*********************************************************************23*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).*24*See* the* discussion* of* baptismal* age* in* Anthony* R.* Cross,* Baptism% and% the% Baptists%(Carlisle:*Paternoster,*2000)*387:395.%