gainst his will.
Moreover under the circumstances it would be dangerous to baptize the
children of unbelievers; for they would be liable to lapse into
unbelief, by reason of their natural affection for their parents.
Therefore it is not the custom of the Church to baptize the children
of unbelievers against their parents' will.

Reply Obj. 1: It is not right to rescue a man from death of the body
against the order of civil law: for instance, if a man be condemned
to death by the judge who has tried him, none should use force in
order to rescue him from death. Consequently, neither should anyone
infringe the order of the natural law, in virtue of which a child is
under the care of its father, in order to rescue it from the danger
of eternal death.

Reply Obj. 2: Jews are slaves of rulers by civil slavery, which does
not exclude the order of the natural and Divine law.

Reply Obj. 3: Man is ordained unto God through his reason, by which
he can know God. Wherefore a child, before it has the use of reason,
is ordained to God, by a natural order, through the reason of its
parents, under whose care it naturally lies, and it is according to
their ordering that things pertaining to God are to be done in
respect of the child.
_______________________

ELEVENTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 68, Art. 11]

Whether a Child Can Be Baptized While Yet in Its Mother's Womb?

Objection 1: It seems that a child can be baptized while yet in its
mother's womb. For the gift of Christ is more efficacious unto
salvation than Adam's sin unto condemnation, as the Apostle says
(Rom. 5:15). But a child while yet in its mother's womb is under
sentence of condemnation on account of Adam's sin. For much more
reason, therefore, can it be saved through the gift of Christ, which
is bestowed by means of Baptism. Therefore a child can be baptized
while yet in its mother's womb.

Obj. 2: Further, a child, while yet in its mother's womb, seems to be
part of its mother. Now, when the mother is baptized, whatever is in
her and part of her, is baptized. Therefore it seems that when the
mother is baptized, the child in her womb is baptized.

Obj. 3: Further, eternal death is a greater evil than death of the
body. But of two evils the less should be chosen. If, therefore, the
child in the mother's womb cannot be baptized, it would be better for
the mother to be opened, and the child to be taken out by force and
baptized, than that the child should be eternally damn