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16*Water:Ordeals*of*the*Seventeenth*Century**imagines*similar*misgivings*and*charges*of*baptismal*regeneration*over*such*sentences*as*these,*particularly*if*in*view*are*infants:**(1) “We*were*buried*therefore*with*him*by*baptism!into*death”*(Rom*6:4).*(2) “Having*been*buried*with*him*in*baptism,*in*which*you*were*also*raised*with*him*through*faith*in*the*powerful*working*of*God”*(Col*2:12).*(3) “Baptism…*now*saves*you”*(1*Pet*3:21).**The* degree* of* linguistic* gymnastics* Presbyterians* admittedly* engage* in* to*avoid*the*charge*of*teaching*baptismal*regeneration*is*equally*as*necessary*to* exegete* Scripture* as* it* is* to* exegete* the* Confessional* statements* on*baptism.* Of* course,* this* is* a* point* credobaptists* employ,* concluding* the*invalidity* of* paedobaptism.* But* the* point* I* make* here* is* simply* that* for%paedobaptists,* the* Confessional* and* Directorial* statements* are* no* more*difficult*than*the*New*Testament*itself.*It*is*a*mark*of*the*degree*to*which*paedobaptist*polemics*have*influenced*contemporary*paedobaptist*thought*that* the* latter* find* Pauline* and* Petrine* statements* of* baptism* in* need* of*severe*qualifications.**Conclusion%*In* analysing* the* three* major* Reformed* Confessions* of* the* seventeenth*century,* I* have* tried* to* show* that* it* is* not* simply* the* mode* or* subjects* of*baptism*that*is*at*issue;*it*is*an*understanding*of*the*covenant*of*grace*as*it*operates* redemptive:historically.* Perhaps,* the* issue* can* be* summed* up* in*the*citation*of*a*single*Old*Testament*verse*in*the*proof*texts*provided*in*the*Westminster* Confession’s* statement* on* baptism.* Justifying* infant* baptism,*the*Confession*cites*Genesis*17:7,*“And*I*will*establish*my*covenant*between*me*and*you*and*your*offspring*after*you*throughout*their*generations*for*an*everlasting*covenant,*to*be*God*to*you*and*to*your*offspring*after*you.”*Its*absence* from* the* 1689* Confession* is* understandable* (all* proof* texts* are*from*the*New*Testament*alone),*but*telling.*As*one*prominent*credobaptist*expresses* it,* following* an* affirmation* of* his* commitment* to* a* covenantal*hermeneutic:*“Furthermore,*we*believe*that*the*promises*to*Abraham,*which*are*fulfilled*in*the*new*covenant,*are*not%the*passing*on*of*covenant*signs*to*infant*seed,*but*the*promised*outpouring*of*the*Holy*Spirit*upon*his*elect*Jew*and* Gentile* seeds* through* faith* in* Christ.” 22 *At* the* point* of* new* covenant*inauguration,*there*is*a*radical*discontinuity*in*administration*of*signs*and*seals,*a*discontinuity*that*from*a*paedobaptist*perspective*renders*Pentecost*********************************************************************22*Fred* Malone,* The% Baptism% of% Disciples% Alone:% A% Covenantal% Argument% for% Credobaptism%Versus%Paedobaptism*(Cape*Coral:*Founders*Press,*2003),%54:55.*