. We are aware that there are many who teach "infant baptism,"
and use a few texts of Scripture and by their misapplication make it look
as plausible as possible. The commission of the Lord to his ministry is to
"preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved." Faith precedes baptism in the commission. Infants have
not faith. Peter says, "Repent and be baptized." Acts 2:38. Repentance,
therefore, precedes baptism. John understood it thus. Mat. 3:8. Infants
need no repentance. There is not a case recorded in the New Testament of
infant baptism. After one has reached the years of accountability and
repents of his sins and is born of the Spirit he is then, and not until
then, a proper candidate for baptism.

The Lord's Supper.

In the teachings of the holy inspired and unblamed apostle Paul, the
expression, "The Lord's Supper" is to be found. In reproving the
Corinthians for corrupting the sacred communion service, he says, "When ye
come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's
supper," 1 Cor. 11:20. In the preceding chapter he uses the word communion
when speaking of the same divinely originated ordinance. "The cup of
blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?
The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?"
1 Cor. 10:16.

The apostle in these texts is referring to an ordinance of the New
Testament instituted by the blessed Savior just prior to his passion as
recorded by the writers of the gospels and observed by the church when it
was the light of the world. If this sacred and very impressive ordinance
was abolished at the death of the Savior, as some erroneously teach, why
does Paul more than a score of years after exhort Christians to its
observance and warn them so faithfully against corrupting so sacred a
rite, telling them that if they eat and drink unworthily they eat and
drink damnation to themselves, and admonishing them to examine themselves
and so let them eat? 1 Cor. 11. It must be clear to all unclouded, candid
minds by the reading of this chapter that there was an ordinance solemnly
observed by the Christians long after the Savior was "nailed to the
cross." In very plain and positive language he tells us that the communion
or Lord's Supper is a New Testament ordinance: "This cup is the New
Testament in my blood." 1 Cor. 11:25. This is corroborative of Mat. 26:28:
"For this is my blood