to train it up in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord."

"Ought not every parent to do that?" asked Dorothy.

"Exactly; that is what I am contending for, that every parent--I mean
every believing parent; we could hardly expect an unbelieving parent to
do so--every believing parent ought to dedicate in baptism his infant
and to make the promise for its religious training."

"Is it necessary to baptize the infant in order for the parent to make
the promise?" asked Dorothy.

"Miss Dorothy," said the Doctor, with a faint smile, "you amuse me; you
almost astonish me. What grudge have you against the simple baptismal
ceremony? Do you think there is anything wrong when the parent brings
its little one to dedicate it to the Lord to have a few drops of water
sprinkled upon the little one?"

"Certainly not. Sprinkle as many drops upon the infant as you please;
sometimes the more the better. But why call it baptism? I think the
wrong consists In calling it Bible baptism."

"Oh, you object to the sprinkling. Do you think we ought to plunge the
infant in water?"

"Not at all, Doctor. It is true I do not believe sprinkling is baptism,
and in that respect I do not think you have even baptized the little one
when you sprinkle it; but admitting that sprinkling is scriptural
baptism, I think it is wrong to call the ceremony baptism. It is all
right for a parent to dedicate its child and to use water with it in any
shape, but do not let the parent call it baptism. Baptism is something
that the person receives of his own accord, and that comes after
believing and as a sign that the person has had a change, that the
person has died to his old life, as we read the other night, and has
risen to a new life; but don't call the sprinkling of water on an infant
baptism and thus deprive that child ever afterwards of having a regular
Bible baptism, performed on himself by his own choice. I find myself all
confused, Doctor, as I try to understand your reasons for infant
baptism. You must let me tell you frankly how it appeals to me. At first
you said the child deserved baptism because of its own heavenly nature,
and next you said it deserved baptism not because of its own condition,
but because of the faith of its parent, and now you mention this other
idea of dedication and pledging on the part of the parent. This last
characteristic seems to have more reference to the parent than to the
child, and seems to make the baptism something tha