"Certainly."
"Why do you baptize infants?" asked Dorothy, with an expression almost of horror on her face.
"It is one of the sacred ordinances of the church and is really one of the most beautiful and effective."
"Do you mean little children just two or three years old?" asked Dorothy.
"Yes, indeed, and often only a few weeks old. Where have you been that you have never heard of infant baptism?"
"I never heard of it. You know I have been to church very little in my life and have known almost nothing about church matters and have had no one to tell me. I am very sorry it has been so, for I feel I have missed a great deal. But, Mr. Sterling, I do not remember seeing anything in the Bible about sprinkling infants. I must have overlooked it."
"You must have overlooked it, for it is taught very plainly."
"Infant baptism?" she said in a questioning, puzzled tone. "Mr.
Sterling, the little infants do not know what you are doing to them. I thought the baptism of a person was a picture of what had already taken place in that person. It looks strange to baptize an infant, and besides I should think you would drown the little things to put them under the water."
"Ha, ha," exclaimed Mr. Sterling with a laugh. "Not too fast. We do not put them under the water; we sprinkle them."
"Of course. I ought to have known that, for you baptize by sprinkling.
But do tell me some more about it. Why do you do it, Mr. Sterling?"
"It is one of the most sacred ordinances of the church. I wish you could witness the ceremony. But I see we will not have the time to go into the subject as we ought. It is a great subject, and if you do not object we will take it up tomorrow night. I hear no objection and so the motion is unanimously adopted."
Sterling felt as if the battle had been going against him so far as winning Dorothy was concerned. But he did not despair. He girded himself afresh for his task. He decided, however, that instead of attempting single-handed to defend the doctrine of infant baptism, he would seek reinforcements and call in his pastor, Dr. Vincent.
The Doctor was regarded as an encyclopedia of Presbyterian lore.
Sterling visited him and told him that Dorothy Page, the daughter of his friend and neighbor, had recently been converted and was concerned about the subject of baptism, and that she was strongly turning towards immersion. "I am dreading, Doctor," said Sterling, "that if she insists on immersion she will be drawn into the Baptist church and we would all regard that as a disaster."
"Did you mention infant baptism to her?" inquired the Doctor. "You know the Baptists would deny to infants this rite and would deny to parents the privilege of such dedication of their children in baptism. That fact ought to keep her from the Baptist heresy, and if that fails to save her from it then surely their doctrine of close communion will settle the business with her."
"We are to take up the subject of infant baptism tonight. We began it last night, but were interrupted before we got fairly launched upon the discussion, and yet not before Miss Dorothy had made some remark about infant baptism showing she thought it a curious practice. I am sure, Doctor, you could set her right."
"I will come if you think I can be of service," he said, for he saw an anxiety on Sterling"s face that he could not understand.
CHAPTER VII.
THE CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS.
That evening Sterling and the old Doctor arrived. The Doctor was acquainted with all the Pages except Dorothy. After a preliminary skirmish in the conversation Dorothy remarked:
"It is very kind in Mr. Sterling to be trying to instruct me in these church matters, for I feel very ignorant. He and I have not agreed on all points, but the discussion has helped me greatly."
"I think Miss Dorothy is afraid to take me as her guide as she is trying to climb these heights of Bible truths," said Sterling with a faint smile, "and I have brought over a more skilled and experienced leader."
"Maybe she will not endorse your selection," said the Doctor with a smile at Sterling.
"I see you are making me out as being not only hard to please, but also very ungrateful to my friends. You will find me a very interested and appreciative listener, Doctor, to anything you may be kind enough to say to me."
"We are to talk about infant baptism tonight, and, Doctor, if you are willing, I suggest that you give the reasons for this practice," said Sterling.
"You are laying out quite a program for me. I will attempt, however, to bring it within brief compa.s.s. The first fact I would mention is Christ"s treatment of the little children."
"Did he baptize them?" broke in Dorothy.
"Hold on, daughter," said the father. "You open up your artilleries too soon. The Doctor was merely making a skirmish."
"Pardon me, Doctor Vincent. I ought not to have broken into your remarks so abruptly, and yet I am sure you understand that I ask because I am deeply interested."
"Break in at any time and I shall be glad."
She repeated her question: "Did Christ baptize the little children?"
"We are not told expressly that he did, but we read in Matthew 19:13 that when the little ones were brought to him the disciples sought to prevent it."
"Just as a good many people would do today," said Sterling.
"Yes," continued the Doctor, "but Christ said, "Suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven"."
"Maybe they were bringing the little children to him for him to baptize them," said the father. "What about that, Doctor? Doesn"t it tell what they brought the children for?"
Dorothy had turned to the pa.s.sage and remarked: "Yes, it tells what they brought the children for. They brought little children to Christ that he might put his hands on them and pray. There is nothing there about baptism. It looks plain that they did not bring them to be baptized, because it simply says "to put his hands on them and pray"."
"At any rate," said the Doctor, "it showed Christ"s tenderness for little children. The point is this: He said "of such is the Kingdom of Heaven". Think of that. It is a remarkable statement about the little ones."
"What did he mean by the words "of such is the Kingdom of Heaven", and what have they to do, Doctor, with baptism?"
"A great deal, my daughter. They mean that the little child has the heavenly nature."
"I think that is a beautiful idea, but what has that to do with the baptism of infants?"
"Why, this: If anybody is ent.i.tled to baptism, surely a little child with its heavenly nature is. We may make mistakes in baptizing old persons who claim the right of baptism, but never can we be mistaken in the case of a little child."
"I can understand about the beautiful nature of a child before sin has taken hold of its will," said Dorothy, "but why that little helpless one should be baptized I cannot understand."
"I thought you were deciding all these questions by the Bible," said the father. "What does the Book say about it, Doctor? Do you baptize them because you think it is appropriate to baptize the sweet little ones or because you think the Bible commands it?"
"It is from the Bible alone that we get the authority."
"Where is it commanded in the Bible, Doctor?" asked Dorothy.
"It is not definitely commanded, but it is implied in many ways. We baptize grown people who profess to be born of the Spirit of G.o.d and to be regenerated by his grace. How much more, therefore, should we baptize an infant who does not need to be regenerated, because, according to Christ"s own words, it possesses the heavenly nature. It is often claimed by our opponents that infants must not be baptized because faith and repentance--in other words, regeneration--must come before baptism.
All right, I answer; the infant possesses those necessary qualifications for baptism. It does not need regeneration. It already, according to Christ"s own words, possesses the heavenly nature and needs not to go through the process of regeneration. In another place Christ said: "Unless ye become converted and become as a little child ye cannot see the Kingdom." There you see conversion is compared to the condition of the child nature. Christ said a person desiring conversion must become like a little child. Now we know that a converted person is ent.i.tled to and must receive baptism. Why, then, could not a child be baptized?"
"Doctor Vincent," said Dorothy, "it seems to me that the whole matter hinges on the question as to who was commanded in the Bible to be baptized. Does Christ say that all persons having the heavenly or child-like nature must be baptized? If so, why did he not baptize the little ones the day they were brought to him? It looks as if the disciples did not know anything about baptizing the little ones."