Again, you haven't shown that you can know who is trully in the invisible Church. <br><br>fredman..."Suffice it to say, as I mention in my other post, I draw a sharp distinction between unknowingly allowing a hypocrite reprobate into baptism and membership, rather than willing allowing it when the Bible doesn't warrant it. I take it that you allow your children to partake in the Lord's table as well? If not, why?"<br><br>Impossible, because you don't know, once again, who is trully saved. The baptists baptise as many unbelievers as paedo=baptists do. At least the baptists at my school admit this. Yes, my children partake of the Lord's supper.<br><br>fredman..."It seems as though you assume that as a baptist I don't speak to my son about salvation or expose him to godliness or the things of the church? Of course I do. My children will be brought up knowing nothing else as well. The issue is whether or not they are truly members of Christ's New Covenant. That is something God does with his saving grace."<br><br>Therein lies your dilemma, which has been posed repeatedly and not one baptist has overcome. Nobody here, myself included, has made the argument you strawmanned. We are saved by grace. But you don't know who is saved. Your post wreaks of exclusivism based upon your desire to baptise only true believers, which you simply do not and cannot know. Expose your children? Then you admit they cannot be saved until the unscriptural age of accountability? <br><br>fredman..."The difference is that I get a hands on opportunity to raise my boy in the way God would have him to go. He in return reaps the benefit of hearing the gospel, being held accountable to truth, knowing God's way from the world and being protected from lots of foolishness that would otherwise harden him in sin. Whether or not he actually is saved is up to the Lord."<br><br>This was never an issue. I will also raise my children likewise, but also as members of the visible church. What is an issue is who is a member of the visible church, and have recieved the covenant sign. Baptist children are not, and according to you, cannot be saved until they can save themselves through profession at the magic age not founf in Holy Scripture.<br><br>fredman..."You stated that those children outside the covenant are not saved, and that would mean that all children would perish. What do you base this upon? Are only Christian children saved? Then, are only sprinkled children saved? Or would the children of baptists, who unwittingly refuse to sprinkle their children, due to their rejection of Reformed, covenantal hermeneutics, perish also?"<br><br>Let's do this one questionn at a time...<br><br>fredman..."You stated that those children outside the covenant are not saved, and that would mean that all children would perish."<br><br>I said this is the end of baptist logic. This is the logical end of your beliefs. Baptism is only for those saved, and since children cannot be baptised, children cannot be saved. Or, the London Confession has it wrong;<br><br>The London Confession of Baptist Faith, Chapter XXIX<br>Of Baptism<br><br>I. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him;[1] of remission of sins;[2] and of giving up into God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.[3]<br><br>II. Those who do actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to, our Lord Jesus Christ, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance.[4]<br><br>Accordingly, children cannot be part of section 1, because they cannot make sound professions, as section 2 deems necessary.<br><br>fredman..."Are only Christian children saved?"<br><br>According to you, no children are saved. If they are, they should recieve the sign accompanying such, baptism as you uphold it. Your theology becomes contradivtory here. If children are part of section 1 of the LBC, then they should be baptised as part of the invisible church. Unfortunately, they cannot do section 2 until you or a church decides on an unscriptural age of understanding. Salvation is of the Lord. I don't know who is saved. But I know who is part of the visible church.<br><br>fredman...Then, are only sprinkled children saved? <br><br>We don't sprinkle, so I hope not. Please quit strawmanning my position. I'm ecumenical as to mode.<br><br>fredman...Or would the children of baptists, who unwittingly refuse to sprinkle their children, due to their rejection of Reformed, covenantal hermeneutics, perish also?"<br><br>Not only a rejection of sound Scriptural interpretation, but of historical theology. Are your children part of the visible church?<br><br><br>God bless,<br><br>william<br><br><br>
