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Gerry Said,

Phillip, under the guidance of the HS doesn't say if you believe that Baptism is a sign of the objective reality of God's promise, etc or what ever. No, his response was that what would hinder him from being baptized, mark it, was if he didn't believe with his whole heart. The Ethiopian Eunuch then made a profession of faith in Christ as the Son of God, Whereupon the chariot was stopped and he was baptized. Now I submit that this teaching is rather clear.
Well this is a very unusual set of verses (Acts 8) to be attempting to prove that God believes only in “baptizing true believers,” to the exclusion of ALL infants that are a part of the covenant. After all this is the conversion of an ADULT. And if that is not enough he was an EUNUCH (which is normally an emasculated official in a royal court), i.e. no children. In Scripture though not only are "single adults" baptized, but complete households are as well.

Gerry, if one begins with a wrong definition of “baptism” then he will inevitably end up with the wrong view of it. I struggled with this for years before God's grace intervened and changed my heart. I had preached the credo view with conviction for many years and from several pulpits and even here on this forum. I have baptized several (credo style) and dedicated many an infant. Truly, I could not understand the paedo view—nor did I try to for many years. I was so convinced I was right. Then I decided to retrace the circumcision/baptism debate back in history and through the Scripture as best I could. Now I was studying to know the truth and not simply to defend my view(s). In the process, I discovered that my hermeneutic was in error.

Praise God that I now understand that God’s covenant promises are far more reaching that I ever thought them to be. Jesus himself said, “suffer the little children to come to me.” Remember His words after that? “For of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 19:14; Mk 10:14; Lk 18:16). Luke 18:15 informs us that these “little children” were actually “infants” (Luke 1:44 (an unborn babe). They—or at least some of them—must have been carried to Jesus in the arms of their parents. Remember what Jesus did? Taking them in his arms he tenderly blessed them one by one, laying his hands upon them. There was no confession by these infants of Christ, but yet there was the very blessing of Christ upon them.

As the Baker NT Commentary says, Not only did Jesus rebuke the disciples for their attempt to prevent the little ones from being brought to him, but he has also actually called to himself these infants together with those who wanted to bring them to him (Luke 18:16). And now each mother or father, etc., carries his little child into the very presence of Jesus; that is, each does this in turn. The Master takes the first child in his arm and places the hand of his other arm upon its head. Then he tenderly—or fervently—blesses it, by means of uttering a brief but earnest prayer to the Father, that his blessing may be bestowed on it (probably implied in Matt. 19:13). While he does this, his heart, filled with love and compassion, goes out to this little one. Finished, he returns the child to the one who had brought it. He then treats the next little one in the same manner, and the next, until all have been blessed. It must have been a most impressive, comforting, and memorable scene.

Now we know (1) Jesus blessed "children" (which He did not do to the Pharisees, et. al.) (2) He prayed for them, and (3) that He knew the Scriptures containing the Covenant promises. Look at the glory of these verses:

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Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

Psalm 105:6-10 O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant,

Isaiah 59:21 “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”

Acts 2:38-39 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.”

Acts 16:15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

1 Corinthians 1:16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.

Colossians 2:11-12 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
The belief that since the little children of believers belong to God’s visible Church and to his covenant, baptism, the sign and seal of such belonging, should not be withheld from them, is well-founded.

Reformed and Always Reforming,