I am personally putting off the ordeal of digging into all of the arguments again for myself until later in the year (due to some other professional responsibilities). However, having a little exposure to arguments by people like Robert ("I was once a credo-baptist like you") and Lane over the years, it seems to me that Satch is correct whether you hold to immersion or sprinkling: "It is amazing how convincing the arguments can seem when one is already a convert."

Both the WCF and the Savoy use exactly the same words to describe the sufficiency of the Word of God to accomplish all that is necessary for God's glory and for our "salvation, faith, and life."

"The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men." — WCF

The 1689 LBCF phrases it somewhat differently but to the same effect:

"The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men."— 1689

We all agree that the NT teaches either immersion or sprinking, not both. As we also probably all agree that it teaches either credo OR paedo baptism. However, upholders of both the WCF and the 1689 are in significant disagrement as to which conclusion correctly renders the teaching of the Word of God. Obviously, the issue is not one of wanting to be faithful to the teaching of the Bible; BOTH sides strive to do that. And, both the WCF and the 1689 use very similar words to describe their adherance to the same standard of authority, despite the fact that they reach opposite conclusions as to the proper teaching of that scripture.

__________________
Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

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