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apostles, but no such record of the work that was carried on in the organized churches. And
here, too, the tables may be easily turned on the Baptist. Will he show us an example of the
baptism of an adult who had been born and reared in a Christian home? There is no danger that
he ever will.
(4) The most important objection to infant baptism raised by the Baptists, is that, according
to Scripture, baptism is conditioned on an active faith revealing itself in a creditable
profession.
Now it is perfectly true that the Bible points to faith as a prerequisite for baptism,
Mark 16:16; Acts 10:44-48; 16:14,15,31,34. If this means that the recipient of baptism must in
all cases give manifestations of an active faith before baptism, then children are naturally
excluded. But though the Bible clearly indicates that only those adults who believed were
baptized, it nowhere lays down the rule that an active faith is absolutely essential for the
reception of baptism. Baptists refer us to the great commission, as it is found in Mark 16:15,16.
In view of the fact that this is a missionary command, we may proceed on the assumption that
the Lord had in mind an active faith in those words. And though it is not explicitly stated, it is
altogether likely that He regarded this faith as a prerequisite for the baptism of the persons
intended. But who are they? Evidently, the adults of the nations that were to be evangelized,
and therefore the Baptist is not warranted in construing it as an argument against infant
baptism. If he insists on doing this nevertheless, it should be pointed out that on his
construction these words prove too much even for him, and therefore prove nothing. The
words of our Saviour imply that faith is a prerequisite for the baptism of those who through the
missionary efforts of the Church would be brought to Christ, and do not imply that it is also a
prerequisite for the baptism of children. The Baptist generalizes this statement of the Saviour
by teaching that it makes all baptism contingent on the active faith of the recipient. He argues
as follows: Active faith is the prerequisite of baptism. Infants cannot exercise faith. Therefore
infants may not be baptized. But in that way these words might also be construed into an
argument against infant salvation, since they not only imply but explicitly state that faith (active
faith) is the condition for salvation. To be consistent the Baptist would thus find himself
burdened with the following syllogism: Faith is the conditio sine qua non of salvation. Children
cannot yet exercise faith. Therefore children cannot be saved. But this is a conclusion from
which the Baptist himself would shrink back.
c. The ground for infant baptism.
(1) The position of our confessional standards.
The Belgic Confession declares in Art. XXXIV
that infants of believing parents “ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the
covenant, as the children of Israel formerly were circumcized upon the same promises which
are made to our children.” The Heidelberg Catechism answers the question, “Are infants also to