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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*!