ur Saviour's "own
word and deed." We find that infants were brought to Christ; and His
disciples seem to have doubted, in the same spirit of unbelief, what
_could_ be the good of bringing helpless and senseless children to the
Saviour of men. They doubtless thought that His time would be better
employed in teaching _them_, than in attending to children; that it was
interfering with His usefulness. "But when Jesus saw it, He was much
displeased[3]." These are remarkable words: "much displeased,"--that
is, He was uneasy, indignant, angry (as the Greek word may be more
literally translated); and we are told, "He took them up in His arms,
put His hands upon them, and _blessed them_." Christ, then, can bless
infants, in spite of their being to all appearance as yet incapable of
thought or feeling. He can, and did, bless them; and, in the very
sense in which they then were blessed, we believe they are capable of a
blessing in Baptism.

3. And we may add this consideration. It is certain that children
ought to be instructed in religious truth, as they can bear it, from
the very first dawn of reason; clearly, they are not to be left without
a Christian training till they arrive at years of maturity. Now, let
it be observed, Christ seems distinctly to connect teaching with
Baptism, as if He intended to convey through it a blessing upon
teaching,--"Go ye and teach all the nations, baptizing them." If
children, then, are to be considered as under teaching, as learners in
the school of Christ, surely they should be admitted into that school
by Baptism.

These are the reasons for Infant Baptism which strike the mind, even on
the first consideration of the subject; and in the absence of express
information from Scripture, they are (as far as they go) satisfactory.
At _what age_ should we be baptized? I answer, in childhood; because
all children _require_ Divine pardon and grace (as our Saviour Himself
implies), all are _capable_ of His blessing (as His action shows), all
are _invited_ to His blessing, and Baptism is a pledge from Him of His
favour, as His Apostles frequently declare. Since infants are to be
brought to Christ, we must have invented a rite, if Baptism did not
answer the purpose of a dedication. Again, I say, in childhood;
because all children need Christian instruction, and Baptism is a badge
and mark of a scholar in Christ's school. And moreover, I will add,
because St. Paul speaks of the children of Ch