rite is of the essence of Christianity, and that the same
spirit of Christian liberty which allowed the Christian church to
dispense with circumcision allowed it to change baptism from a symbolic
act of faith by a penitent to a symbolic act of consecration by a
parent.' This is not directly connected with the matter of infant
baptism going out of existence which we were talking about just now, but
I have read it as showing what this noted advocate of infant baptism has
to say. He declares that infant baptism did not exist in the early
church, but that the church has changed it."

"I can't understand that at all," said Dorothy, in a perplexed tone. "I
thought we went to the Bible to learn about Christianity and to the
teachings of Christ and his apostles for our guidance. I thought that
being a Christian meant taking Christ as our Master and the Bible as our
guide; and now to say that we can change these commands and put
something else in the place of them--why, suppose Christ does not want
them changed? If we can change one command, why not any of the commands?
If it is not important to obey one of the commands, why is it important
to obey any of them? Let others do as they please, but I have taken that
Book as my guide and I shall stand by it as closely as I can. If I break
from it at one point I fear I will start adrift out to sea."

"Here is the quotation that I was looking for showing the decadence of
infant baptism," said Mr. Walton. "I read from the Congregationalist of
January 18, 1882. This is not a Baptist publication. It reads: 'The
simple fact appears to be that the doctrine of the evangelical
denominations as to infant baptism is in a transition state and has at
present a materially loosened hold upon the popular conviction. * * * *
Congregationalists, under the attrition of Baptist friction on the one
side and the force of their own principles of individualism on the
other, have become a good deal demoralized in this particular.' Think of
that," continued Mr. Walton. "You have this Congregationalist paper
saying of the practice of infant baptism by its own denomination that it
was diminishing partly because of the influence of Baptist principles."

"If infant baptism is wrong," said Dorothy, "it is a good thing you see
to have these Baptist principles, for they work against the unscriptural
infant baptism."

"Here is another quotation. It is stated that at one of the presbyteries
of the Dutch Reformed ch