Baptism, the initiatory rite, or the act of entering the church, is a
command. All commands must be preceded by faith. The divine authority,
requiring baptism, must be recognized, before the command can be
obeyed; and the divine authority can only be recognized by faith.
How, then, can a command be obeyed by one without faith, without a
consciousness of divine authority, or even the knowledge that the
command exists? Such a practice subverts the command of God in every
case where it obtains, and if it should become universal, would set
aside and annihilate all obedience to the command to be baptized. In
every case, where an infant is baptized, and prevailed upon, in after
life, to be content with its baptism and infant membership, one person
is effectually prevailed upon never to obey the command to be baptized,
and never, personally, to bow to the authority of Jesus in voluntarily
entering into covenant with him. The person is deceived, and made to
think, when come to the years of accountability, that two things have
been done that never have been done, viz: 1. That the command to be
baptized has been obeyed. 2. That the requirement to enter into the
church has been complied with. Neither the one nor the other has been
complied with at all.