t is used for binding
the parent to do his duty to the child. In that case you make the
baptism a matter of the parent doing his duty, and if there is any
religion in the ordinance it seems to be on the part of the parent
instead of the child. If you call that Bible baptism, I think you put
baptism in the wrong place."

Sterling presented a picture. He had hung his hopes high on the Doctor's
arguments. In fact, he came to the house with a feeling of triumph and
wondered why he had not thought of bringing the Doctor into the
discussion earlier. But as he had tried to follow the Doctor in his
different arguments, he had found himself lost in a wilderness. He kept
up his courage, however, believing that ultimately victory would come.

"Doctor," said Dorothy after she had remained thoughtful for awhile, "is
there not great danger in infant baptism that people will get the idea
that salvation comes through a ceremony rather than from Christ? You
spoke of the mothers thinking baptism would save their infants. If those
mothers think so, then do you not see that the practice of infant
baptism in a community helps to spread abroad in that community the idea
that salvation comes by some outward magical performance?"

At this point Dorothy was called to the door by a party of young people,
who were returning from a walk, and who, seeing a light in the Page
home, had run in for a few minutes.

"Father," said Dorothy, "you must listen to the Doctor for me and give
me the points when I return."

CHAPTER IX.

CIRCUMCISION TO THE RESCUE.

"Let me say," continued the Doctor, "that I have not yet mentioned the
strongest reason for infant baptism."

The remark waked new hope in Sterling.

"What is that reason, Doctor?" asked the father.

"It is the argument of circumcision. In the Old Testament times the
command was that every male child of Jewish parents should be
circumcised. This circumcision made the child a member of the Jewish
church and of the covenant of grace. Now in the Christian dispensation,
after Christ came, circumcision was done away with and baptism was put
in its place, and it is now baptism instead of circumcision that admits
one into the church."

"You are getting into deep water for me, but let me make the effort to
catch your point. You say that in the olden times--"

"Yes, in the days of the Old Testament."

"Well, you say that in those days every male child of Jewish parents was
circumcised