Infant baptism. Mark 10: 14.
Infant baptism is contrary to reason and Scripture; infants are without sin; "of such is the kingdom of heaven." It is true that the sin of Adam passed upon all mankind; but Christ took that sin upon Himself and atoned for it upon the cross. The Bible teaches that the sins for which men should be baptized are their individual sins, and not the sin they were born in, for the Lord Jesus atoned for that.
Forgiveness is the gift of God. Acts 8: 18.
It will not do to say that baptism remits a man's sins, for that is the work of the Lord. The "laying on of hands" does not give the Holy Ghost, for it is the "gift of God." The blowing of rams' horns did not throw down the walls of Jericho; it was the power of Jehovah. "Simon saw that through the laying on of the Apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given."
MODE OF BAPTISM.
Buried in water. Eph. 4: 5. Rom. 6: 4, 5. Mark 1: 10. Col. 2: 12. John 3: 23.
The mode of baptism was also designated by the Lord, and His instructions were strictly obeyed by His servants. Paul testifies that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism," and describes the manner in which the ordinance was performed: "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." As the Lord had been buried in the watery element in the river Jordan, "coming up out of the water," so also were the Saints "buried with him in baptism;" they received the ordinance by immersion in the same element, according to the prescribed method. John baptized "in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there."
Born again. Matt. 3: 13-17. Acts 8: 17-19. Acts 19: 5, 6.
Jesus insisted on receiving baptism "to fulfill all righteousness." When he had been "born of water," and had come up out of that element, the Spirit of God came upon Him, and the voice of God was heard: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This is the pattern. So likewise the repentant believer goes down into the water, with the one sent of God to baptize, and is buried therein and raised up again in the likeness of Christ's resurrection; he is thus born of the water, receiving the baptism appointed by the Lord; the remission of his sins comes from God through His Son Jesus Christ, and is given in baptism; he is cleansed and purified, his past sins are blotted out; he is like a newborn babe before his God, and is then prepared to receive the Holy Ghost, which "dwelleth not in unclean tabernacles," and which is imparted to the baptized believer by the laying on of hands by those having authority to officiate in this ordinance. As his body was enveloped in the waters of baptism, so his soul is enveloped in the Holy Ghost, and he is baptized with divine fire; he is "born of water and of the Spirit," and made a citizen of the kingdom of God.