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54* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*and*Its*Relationship*to*Evangelism**Let*me*paint*a*potential*scenario*for*us*to*contemplate.*A*woman*called*Miriam*was*baptised*as*an*infant*in*the*Anglican*Church,*where*the*Triune*name*of*God*was*given*to*her*at*that*time.*As*a*young*lady,*she*is*converted*in*her*late*teens*and*the*church*she*then*attends,*while*studying*at*university,*exhort*her*to*be*baptised*again*as*an*expression*of*her*new:found*faith.*She*is*persuaded*and*she*testifies*before*the*church*of*her*“coming*to*Christ”*and*the*minister*baptises*her*by*pouring*water*upon*her*head.*Everything*goes*well,* she* graduates* and* then* moves* to* a* new* city.* There* she* joins* a* lively*evangelical* church.* She* applies* for* church* membership,* but* she* is* politely*advised*that*she*cannot*be*received*into*membership*unless*she*is*baptised*by*immersion.*What*should*she*do?*What*is*the*biblical*basis*for*her*second*and*third*baptisms?*Was*her*first*baptism*irrelevant?*One*Bible*text*that*is*regularly*heard*as*a* “rallying* cry”* when* an* adult*makes*a*clear*profession*of*faith*is*Mark*16:15:16:*“Go*into*all*the*world*and*proclaim* the* gospel...* whoever* believes* and* is* baptized* will* be* saved,* but*whoever*does*not*believe*will*be*condemned.”*Some*people*understand*that*an* individual’s* profession* of* faith* must* always* precede* baptism,* therefore*any* baptism* that* reverses* this* order* renders* any* previous* baptism* as*baseless.*For*some,*this*appears*to*be*an*“open*and*shut*case”.*But*is*it?*The*basis*for*salvation*is*clearly*not*baptism,*but*faith*in*Jesus*Christ,*his*shed*blood*(Rom*3:22:25)*and*the*confession*of*Jesus’*lordship*and*resurrection*(Rom*10:9).**The*issue*again*revolves*around*the*inclusion*of*the*seed*of*believers,*or*not,* into* the* visible* church* through* baptism.* Some* well:intentioned*Christians*accuse*well:instructed*paedobaptists*of*baptising*non:Christians*because* of* their* inclusion* of* the* offspring* of* baptised* believers* into* the*visible* church.* In* the* heat* of* theological* debate,* we* can* all* become*combative.*Those*holding*to*a*baptistic*view*need*to*be*cautious*because*a*good*number*of*believer’s*baptisms*have*been*performed*upon*people*who*later* proved* to* have* not* been* converted.* How* many* non:Christians* have*Baptists* baptised?* Indeed,* saving* efficacy* is* upon* faith* in* Christ* Jesus,* not*baptism.* Simon,* who* practised* magic* in* Samaria* is* proof:positive* that*baptism*was*not*infallibly*applied*by*the*early*church*(Acts*8:9:24).**From* my* vantage* point,* it* would* seem* that* a* Baptist* line* of* argument*leads*to*a*highly*individual*event,*where*the*person’s*faith*is*seen*to*be*the*primary*factor*requisite*for*baptism.*The*practice*of*rebaptism*declares*that*this*is*a*sacrament*bereft*of*efficacy.*It*is*merely*a*memorial*to*seal*what*has*already* happened. 23 *This* gives* the* impression* that* it* is* a* time:bound*********************************************************************23*Wayne*R.*Spear,*“The*Nature*of*the*Lord’s*Supper*According*to*Calvin*and*the*Westminster*Assembly”* in* The! Westminster! Confession! into! the! 21st! Century:! Essays! in! Remembrance! of! the!350th!Anniversary!of!the!Westminster!Assembly,* Volume* 3,* ed.,* Ligon* Duncan* (Fearn:* Christian*Focus,*2009).*Spear*explains*the*difference*between*a*bare*memorial*view*consisting*of*“only*remembrance”*that*is*commonly*attributed*to*Zwingli*(though*not*everyone*would*agree*that*