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92* “Let*the*little*children*come*to*me…”*But*should*we*baptise*them?**am*much*indebted*in*this*paper,*“Such*pressures*for*baptising*younger*and*younger*believers*could*only*be*resisted*by*pastors*who*are*convinced*that*there*are*clearly*biblical*reasons*for*not*doing*this.” 6 *There* is* not* space* in* this* paper* to* advise* how* to* negotiate* such*conversations,* but* I* am* painfully* aware* that* they* will* certainly* come* and*require*much*wisdom,*gentleness*and*patience.*Rather,*I*hope*to*argue*that*making*the*“charitable*assumption”*of*publicly*recognising*a*young*person’s*profession*of*faith*in*baptism*may*not*be*as*charitable*as*we*might*suppose.*If*baptism*comes*with*responsibilities,*we*might*recognise*that*some*may*be*too*immature*to*take*on*such*weight,*and*therefore*should*be*left*free*from*them* until* they* are* old* enough.* As* Tertullian* states* in* the* earliest* extant*treatise* that* addresses* the* age* of* baptism,* “If* any* understand* the* weighty*import*of*bequeaths,*they*will*fear*its*reception*more*than*its*delay:*sound*faith*is*sure*of*salvation.” 7 *Just*this*morning*I*passed*a*poster*at*a*train*station*that*was*trying*to*raise* money* for* a* women’s* charity.* “Remember* leaving* school?* Getting*married?* Having* your* first* child?* So* does* Edele:* she* is* 12* years* old.”* The*point* is* clear.* Some* of* the* greatest* blessings* of* life* are* not* so* agreeable* if*they*are*experienced*prematurely.*I*will*argue*that*baptism*is*one*event*that*is*best*left*until*adulthood.*But*first*I*shall*clarify*two*key*assumptions*that*I*shall*be*making.**Two%key%assumptions%!Assumption%1:%We%should%not%baptise%infants%* !There* has* been* much* ink* spilled* on* the* question* of* whether* we* should*baptise*infants*and*children*who*are*too*young*to*profess*their*own*faith 8 *ever*since*the*first*recorded*explicit*mention*of*infant*baptism*by*Tertullian*********************************************************************6*Mark* Dever,* At% what% age% should% believers% be% baptized* (sermon* preached* at* Capitol* Hill*Baptist* Church,* 21* April* 2002)* http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/2002/04/at:what:age:should:believers:be:baptized/*.*7*Tertullian,*“On*Baptism”*in*Alexander*Roberts*&*James*Donaldson,*eds.,*The%Ante,Nicene%Christian%Library:%Translations%of%the%Fathers%down%to%A.D.%325,*3*,%(Peabody:*Hendrickson,1994*[1870]*),*678.*8*For*arguments*from*a*baptistic*perspective*see*Thomas*R.*Schreiner*and*Shawn*Wright,*Believer's% Baptism:% Sign% of% the% New% Covenant% in% Christ* (Nashville:* B&H,* 2007);* Paul* K.* Jewett,*Infant%Baptism%and%the%Covenant%of%Grace* (Grand* Rapids:* Eerdmans,* 1978);* Fred* Malone,* The%Baptism%of%Disciples%Alone*(Cape*Coral:*Founders*Press,*2003).*From*a*paedobaptist*perspective,*Gregg* Strawbridge,* The% Case% for% Covenantal% Infant% Baptism% (Phillipsburg:* Presbyterian* &*Reformed,* 2003);* John* Murray,* Christian% Baptism* (Phillipsburg:* Presbyterian* &* Reformed,*1980),* Douglas* Wilson,* To% A% Thousand% Generations:% Infant% Baptism,% Covenant% Mercy% for% the%People%of%God*(Moscow:*Canon*Press,*1996)*Lee*Gatiss*Ed.,*The%Anglican%Evangelical%Doctrine%of%Infant%Baptism*(London:*Latimer*Trust,*2008).%