"The question respecting the propriety of admitting infants to
the sacrament of baptism must, I conceive, before long, become
a subject of grave discussion _within_ the church. Then the
real importance of the question will become manifest, and it
will be found necessary that it should be more comprehensively
considered in all its bearings, than it has hitherto been. With
regard to the question, as it stands between the church and the
Antipaedobaptist party, excepting the question--whether it is
the duty of Christian governors to promote Christianity--this,
respecting infant baptism, is of more real importance than _all
others_ in dispute between the church and _orthodox_
dissenters.
"The reading of the papers in an early volume of your work, on
Dr. Taylor's Key to the Apostolical Writings, first excited
the reflections which led to my determination to offer, for the
consideration of the Christian public, some thoughts on the
subject of infant baptism."