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114**Baptism:*Three*Views**family)* but* an* expansion* (adding* the* nations,* as* well* as* women*into*the*covenantal*sign).*(5) Jeremiah* includes* the* “to* you* and* your* seed”* principle* in* his*exposition* of* the* new* covenant* (Jer* 32:38940),* as* do* all* divine*covenants*prior*to*Pentecost*(57958;*101,*103904).*(6) The* fact* that* the* way* of* salvation* has* always* been* the* same*suggests*that*the*ordinance*which*replaces*circumcision,*which*was*a*sign*of*that*salvation,*can*also*be*given*to*infants*(100901;*104).*(7) Peter’s* promise* at* Pentecost* specifically* underscores* that* these*promises*also*go*to*the*seed*of*believers*(Acts*2:38939)(103904).*(8) Christ* specifically* blesses* not* just* children* (Mark* 10:13916)* but*seemingly*babies*(Luke*18:15917)(107908).***No* doubt* Ferguson* exegetes* texts,* like* Ware.* But* the* overall* paedobaptist*argument* depends* less* on* straightforward* reading* of* the* texts* and* more*heavily*on*a*canonical*framework*that*informs*how*one*reads*the*baptism*texts.*Ferguson*calls*Ware’s*approach*“proof9textual”*(105),*which*is*always*a* convenient* epithet* when* the* proof9texts* don’t* immediately* work* in* your*favour,*at*least*on*the*surface.*To*be*forthright,*reading*these*first*two*accounts*back*to*back*did*make*me* think,* “Perhaps* this* explains* why* the* Presbyterians* I* know* have* more*education*than*the*Baptists*I*know.”*Yes,*that’s*a*stereotype,*but*I*say*that*as*a*Baptist.*The*credobaptist*account,*I*dare*say,*is*just*easier*to*grab*onto*for*the* common* Joe* (“Look,* the* Ethiopian* eunuch* and* Philip* went)down)to)the)water!”).* The* paedobaptist* account,* honestly,* requires* greater* theological*sophistication*and*canonical*sensitivity,*at*least*if*you*are*not*a*first9century*Jew.*That*does*not*mean*it*is*right*or*wrong.*It*simply*means*a*person*in*the*twenty9first* century* who* is* not* accustomed* to* conversations* about* Old*Testament*circumcision*has*to*think*harder*to*see*it.***Lane)on)mixed)practice)!Anthony* Lane,* whose* position* will* be* less* familiar* to* most* readers,* treats*baptism*on*the*pages*of*the*New*Testament*not*as*“believers’*baptism”*but*as*“converts’*baptism.”*This*subtle*shift*emphasises*the*immediacy*of*a*person’s*baptism*upon*conversion:*converts*get*baptised*to*show*they*are*converts.**Conversion,* Lane* argues,* consists* of* four* steps:* repentance,* faith,*baptism,* and* reception* of* the* Holy* Spirit.* That* does* not* mean* baptism* is*regenerative*or*a*salvific*requirement,*as*such.*Lane*acknowledges*that*the*thief*on*the*cross*was*saved.*His*point*is*simply*that*baptism*is*the*flip*side*of*faith.*It*is*how*faith*expresses*itself.****When*it*comes*to*the*children*of*believers*–*whether*infants*or*not*–*Lane*appreciates*the*paedobaptist*emphasis*on*the*corporate*and*familial*nature*
FOUNDATIONS*115**of*the*faith,*and*so*assumes*the*early*Christians*would*have*done*something*to*adapt*or*modify*the*practice*of*convert*baptism*for*their*children.*Since*conversion* involves* all* four* steps* listed* above,* some* may* have* concluded*that*nothing*would*be*lost*if*baptism*comes*first,*to*be*followed*years*later*by*repentance*and*faith.*What’s*important*to*recognise,*says*Lane,*is*that*the*New*Testament*is*silent*on*whether*or*not*infants*were*baptised.*When*we*look*to*the*data*of*the*first*four*centuries,*however,*we*find*a*plurality*of*practices:*sometimes*infants* were* baptised,* sometimes* not,* and* for* a* number* of* reasons.* Then,*like*seismologists*who*feel*the*ripples*of*an*earthquake*thousands*of*miles*away,* we* can* make* deductions* about* what* was* happening* in* the* original*apostolic* churches,* namely,* there* were* a* variety* of* practices* happening*there* as* well.* In* other* words,* accepting* the* authority* of* Scripture* means*“respecting*the*silences*of*Scripture*as*well*as*its*positive*statements”*(166).**A*second*kind*of*silence*is*important*for*Lane’s*argument*–*the*silence*among* the* church* fathers* concerning* principled) arguments* against* infant*baptism.*Tertullian,*for*instance,*offers*something*like*a*prudential*against*it.*But* that,* in* itself,* is* instructive.* Apparently* infants* were* being* baptised,*which*is*what*prompted*him*to*make*a*prudential*argument.*But*the*lack*of*a* principled* argument* suggests* that* neither* he* nor* others* had* principled*objections.*The*first*principled*arguments*against*infant*baptism*don’t*occur*until*one*obscure*group*in*the*Middle*Ages*and*then*the*Anabaptists*in*the*Reformation.*Lane* concludes* from* all* of* this* that* the* contemporary* church* has*grounds* to* offer* more* than* one* practice.* Surely* adult* converts* must* be*baptised,*most*centrally.*But*then*Christian*families*should*be*permitted*to*baptise*their*infants*or*to*delay*their*baptism.******Evaluation)*Admittedly,*I*am*not*an*objective*reader.*I*was*convinced*of*the*believers’*baptism*picking*up*the*book,*and*I*remain*convinced*of*it*setting*it*down,*maybe*even*more*so.**What* the* book* did* do,* however,* is* enrich* my* original* position* by* the*things*I*learned*from*the*other*two*perspectives.*Ferguson’s*robust*presen9tation* of* baptism* as* a* sign* and* seal* of* the* righteousness* a* Christian* gains*through*faith*is*worth*incorporating*and*adapting*into*a*Baptist*framework,*as*Ware*gladly*does.*And*Lane’s*insistence*on*the*tight*relationship*between*faith*and*baptism,*even*calling*it*a*Christian*“passport”*(129),*reminds*us*of*how* important* the* topic* is* in* the* Bible.* Faith* subjectively* expresses* itself*through*baptism,*and*it*is*a*public*marker*of*entrance*into*the*objective*faith.***Further,* the* book* reminded* me* of* how* tough* this* topic* is.* Sinclair*Ferguson* observes* at* one* point* that* the* interlocutors* had* reached* an*!
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No 63AUTUMN 2012ContentsEditorial 1
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Foundations*63*(November*2012):*194
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FOUNDATIONS*3**Baptist* Confession*
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Foundations*63*(November*2012):*5:1
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FOUNDATIONS*7**Among*the*points*of*
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FOUNDATIONS*9**Infants”. 9 *The*s
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FOUNDATIONS*11**Baptists* and* paed
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*FOUNDATIONS*“Dipping%is%not%nece
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FOUNDATIONS*15**Few* statements* ha
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20*Infant*Baptism:*Putting*Old*Wine
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44* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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48**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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60**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
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Page 68 and 69: 66*The*Anglican*Doctrine*of*Baptism
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