I. There are who maintain that baptism is to be administered only to those who believe and give evidence of being regenerated. This opinion is grounded chiefly upon the positions that, Repent ance and Faith are distinctly prescribed in the N. T. as conditions of baptism, and the alleged fact that the apostles did not baptize any, until satisfied that they sincerely believed. It is urged also by the advocates of this opinion, against the practice of infant baptism, that not only are infants excluded from baptism by their inability to comply with the required terms, but that they are virtually excluded by their baptism not being expressly enjoined in the N. T. It is also alleged that infant baptism was unknown to the Early Church, and was a corrupt invention of the patristic age. (Cox, On Baptism ; Carson, On ditto ; Gale's Reply to Wall; Booth, Padobaptisin Examined.) 2. There are who contend that baptism is to be administered not only to believers who have not been before baptized but to the infant offspring of believers. This opinion is chiefly based on the covenant established by God with Abraham. This covenant it is maintained was the everlasting cove nant, the covenant of grace ; under it a connection of a spiritual kind was recognised as existing be tween parents and their children ; in virtue of this the latter received the sign of the covenanted bless. ings ; no evidence can be adduced that this divinely appointed connection has been abrogated, though the sign of the covenant has been changed ; on the contrary, there is abundant evidence to shew that the apostles administered to the children of con verts to Christianity the same rite, that of baptism, which they administered to the converts themselves. It is also affirmed by this party that the requiring of faith and repentance as a condition of baptism in the case of adults cannot be fairly held as in cluding children, inasmuch as by the same reason ing children dying in infancy would be excluded from salvation. It is denied that the absence of
any express injunction to baptize children virtually prohibits their baptism ; and the assertion that in fant baptism was unknown in the primitive age is rebutted by historical evidence (Baxter, Plain Scripture Proof of Inputs' Church Membership and Baptism ; Wardlaw, On Infant Baptism, 3d edit.; Williams' Reply to Booth; Monro, On Goa's Covenant and Church.) 3. There are who assert that baptism is to be ad ministered to all who either will place themselves under Christian instruction, such as adults who have grown up as heathens, Jews, or infidels ; or who may be thus placed by their parents or guar dians, such as infants. In support of this view, stress is laid upon our Lord's words when he com manded his apostles to go and teach and baptize all nations; the baptizing being regarded as asso ciated with the `teaching' and commensurate with it, whilst what is said about believing' is regarded as relating to something which may or may not follow the teaching and baptizing, but which is declared to be essential to salvation. It is argued that the apostolic practice was altogether in accord ance with this view of our Lord's commission, in asmuch as the multitudes frequently baptized by the apostles were such, that to obtain satisfactory evi dence of the knowledge and piety of each individual was impossible in the time which elapsed between the apostles' preaching and the baptizing to which it led ; whilst such cases as those of Simon Magus and the Philippian Jailor shew that even very igno rant men, and men who could not possibly give what any person would receive as credible evidence of piety, were at once baptized. The practice of the apostles also in baptizing whole households, including children and servants, without asking any questions as to their knowledge and belief, is urged in favour of this opinion, as well as the practice of the church (Halley, On the Sacraments; Reply to Wardlaw; Godwin, On Baptism).