because they cannot believe, they cannot, for the same reason, be saved. If the salvation of infants depends on their faith, they cannot be saved. They are incapable of faith. They are doubtless saved through the mediation of Jesus Christ, but it is not by faith. The opponents of Baptists signally fail to accomplish their purpose in urging this objection to our views. They intend to make us concede the propriety of infant baptism or force us to a denial of infant salvation. But we make neither the concession nor the denial. As soon as we say that infants are not saved by faith, but without faith, their objection is met and demolished.

SECTION III.

There is no instance of infant baptism on the day of Pentecost, nor in Samaria under the preaching of Philip. The day of Pentecost was a memorable day. Forty days after his resurrection Jesus had ascended to heaven. Before his ascension, however, he gave his apostles express command to tarry at Jerusalem till endued with power from on high. This power was received, in connection with their baptism in the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost. They were copiously imbued with the Spirit-placed more fully under his influence than ever before. All things whatsoever Jesus had said to them were brought to their remembrance. They were required for the first time to show their

understanding of the Commission of their ascended Lord. How did they understand it? How did they execute it? First, the gospel was preached. Peter in his great sermon proved Jesus to be the Christ, and derived his proof from the Old-Testament Scriptures. Then he charged his hearers with the crime of crucifying the Lord of glory. The people were pierced to the heart, and said, " Men and brethren, what shall we do?" It was an important question, asked for the first time after the apostles received their world-wide Commission. The answer is in these words: "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts ii. 38, 39). No one says that the command "Repent" is applicable to infants, and it is certain that the injunction "Be baptized" has no reference to them; for it is as clear as the sun in heaven that the same persons are commanded repent and be baptized. Then too it ought to he remembered that it would not be rational to address a command to unconscious infants. It is supposed by some, however, that the words "the promise is to you and to your children” refer to infants. The term "children," however, evidently means "posterity;" and the

to

promise cannot be divested of its relation to the Holy Spirit. This promise was not only to the Jews and their posterity, but to Gentiles. The latter are referred to in the words "to all that are afar off.” This restriction is laid upon the promise "Even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Whether the word "call" is used in its general sense, as in Prov. viii. 4, "Unto you, 0 men, I call," or in its special sense, as in 1 Cor. i. 24, "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks," it is in either case inapplicable to infants.

Did

any obey Peter's command "Be baptized"? It is written, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Acts ii. 41). The baptism was limited to those who gladly received Peter's word; and, as infants were not of that number, to infer that they were baptized is utterly gratuitous. There is nothing in the Pentecostal administration of baptism which intimates that infants were considered proper subjects of the ordinance. Let it not be forgotten that the converts on the day of Pentecost were the first persons baptized under the Apostolic Commission, and therefore we have in their baptism the first practical exposition of its true meaning.

There is nothing like infant baptism in the account

given of Philip's labors in Samaria. The reader can examine for himself the eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. There it will be seen that Philip began to execute the Commission by preaching: he "preached Christ unto them." He doubtless remembered the words of the risen Redeemer: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." The Samaritans "believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ;" and what then? It is said, "They were baptized, both men and women. Here the Commission of Christ was practically expounded. Is there anything in the exposition which can suggest the idea of "infant dedication to God in baptism"? Surely not. Philip's plan of operation was evidently uniform. Hence, when he fell in with the Ethiopian eunuch— as we learn from the latter part of the same chapter -he first "preached unto him Jesus." The eunuch professed faith in the Messiah. Then Philip baptized him. As "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. x. 17), there must be preaching before faith, and there must be faith before baptism, because this is the order established by Christ in the Great Commission.

Alas for those who invert this

order !

SECTION IV.

The argument from household baptisms in favor of infant baptism is invalid.

I will refer to these baptisms as they are recorded in the Scriptures. In the tenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles there is an account of Peter's visit to Cornelius. He began at Cæsarea to preach to Gentiles as he had before preached to Jews. He carried into effect the Great Commission in precisely the same way. The Holy Spirit accompanied the word preached, and Gentile believers for the first time "spoke with tongues and magnified God." Then said Peter, (6 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." Here was a household baptism, but there are things said of the subjects of this baptism that could not be true of speechless infants. One fact, however, settles the whole matter. In the second verse of the chapter it is said that Cornelius "feared God with all his house." Can infants fear God?

The baptism of Lydia and her household at Philippi is next in order. The narrative, as given in Acts xvi. 13, 14, 15, is as follows: "And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake