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FOUNDATIONS*51**those*“whom*the*Lord*our*God*calls*to*himself”,*are*grafted*in,*as*the*Gentile*household*of*Cornelius*was,*then*the*same*covenant*pattern*applies,*as*Peter*modelled* in* Acts* 10:23:48.* This* narrative* ends* with* the* baptism* of*Cornelius,* his* relatives* and* friends,* following* the* outpouring* of* the* Holy*Spirit.*Why* did* I* suggest* that* “the* penny* should* drop”?* A* covenantal* view* of*baptism* is* congruous* with,* and* underlies* in* my* view,* the* reason* why* the*apostle* Paul* baptised* the* whole* households* of* Lydia,* the* Philippian* jailer*and*Stephanas*(Acts*16:15;*16:33;*1*Cor*1:16)*in*the*NT,*as*a*“sign”*of*their*commitment* to* Christian* discipleship.* The* new* covenant* initiation* sign*instituted* by* Christ* was* baptism,* and* it* was* commonly* applied* to* whole*households*when*someone*believed,*including*their*children,*and*it*was*no*longer* restricted* to* the* physical* seed* of* Abraham.* After* Pentecost,* once*someone* believed,* Christian* baptism* was* applied* to* Jew* and* Gentile,* male*and* female,* slave* and* free,* and* boys* and* girls* of* parents* in* the* faith* (Gal*3:27:29).* The* Abrahamic* covenant* of* command,* sign,* promises,* and*responsibilities,*flow*harmoniously*via*the*gospel*for*all*nations,*on*the*basis*of* the* command* of* Jesus* Christ,* “the* son* of* Abraham”* (Matt* 28:19;* Mark*16:15:16;*Luke*24:47;*Acts*1:8).*Anthony* N.* S.* Lane* has* a* decisive* article* to* demonstrate* “fairly* con:clusively*that*by*the*last*quarter*of*the*second*century*infant*baptism*was*well*established*across*the*Roman*Empire”. 14 *Lane*concludes*that:**There*is*no*hint*anywhere*in*the*surviving*Christian*literature*from*the*first*five*centuries*that*anyone*objected*in*principle*to*infant*baptism,*that*anyone*considered*it*improper,*irregular*or*invalid.*If*it*was*a*post:apostolic*innovation,*this*silence*is*remarkable. 15 **What* is* most* likely* is* that* there* was* some* diversity* with* respect* to* the*practice* of* infant* baptism.* However,* to* argue* against* the* initiation* of*children* into* the* church* through* baptism,* finds* no* support* from* the* post:apostolic* church.* “The* evidence* from* the* NT* that* babies* were* baptised* is*impressive,* though* not* conclusive”* asserts* Lane. 16 *The* evidence* from* the*post:apostolic* church* is* unambiguous* that* the* baptism* of* infants* took*place*unopposed.**Baptism!must!be!by!immersion!or!dipping!!The*Baptist*Confession*of*Faith*of*1689*significantly*alters*and*reduces*its*sections* on* “God’s* Covenant”,* “Sacraments”* (renamed* Baptism* and* the*********************************************************************14*Anthony*N.*S.*Lane,*“Did*the*Apostolic*Church*Baptise*Babies:*A*Seismological*Approach”,*Tyndale*Bulletin*(Cambridge:*Tyndale*House,*2004),*55.1,*118.*15*Lane,*“Did*the*Apostolic*Church*Baptise*Babies”,*128.*16*Lane,*“Did*the*Apostolic*Church*Baptise*Babies”,*130.*!