The Baptists carry out the logic of their denial in a rather original way: "It would be a mistake to assume that by this time (II-III centuries) the teaching on the baptism of children had taken the form of a dogma. On the contrary, as early as the fourth century, the baptism of adults was a common church rule." [10] A strange contrast! For the Orthodox, even now, the baptism of adults is "an ordinary church rule"! And how can the baptism of adults cancel the baptism of children? The Church still baptizes adults, but this does not mean that the baptism of children in our country has not yet "taken the form of a dogma"!

Protestants often make the same mistake: on the question of the baptism of children, they cite the positive testimonies of the early Christians about the baptism of adults. But no matter how much evidence there is from the early and later Fathers about the importance of consciously entering into the Covenant, they can in no way be related to the question of infant baptism. Such statements are present both among those who spoke favorably about the baptism of children, and among those who did not write about it. And in the present 21st century, we continue to affirm everything that the Church has said about the baptism of adults throughout its history. (Here, for example, is the thesis of the modern Orthodox catechism: "The salvific effect of the sacrament depends on the moral state of man. He is required to have faith, an awareness of the importance of the sacrament, and a sincere desire and readiness to accept it. If this is not the case, the reception of the sacrament serves to condemn the person"[11]).

The purpose of the ritual aspect of the sacrament of baptism is "to be drunk with the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). Up. Peter: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). As we can see, there is a clear distinction here: what is a means and what is an end. Repentance and faith are the means of rejecting prejudices, superstitions, and sinful habits. The latter, in turn, is a condition for the forgiveness of sins. The purpose of all of the above is communion with the Holy Spirit. The infant has no unbelief, prejudice and personal sins, therefore these means are not needed for him. And the infant has the ability to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, therefore, there is no reason to deprive him of the purpose and value of the sacrament of baptism – the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.

Samuel Waldron puts it differently: "(baptism) is the promise of the Holy Spirit (verses 38, 33). The second point is the definition of those to whom it belongs. It is not an unconditional, unconditional promise addressed to all Jews, to all their children, and to "all those who are far off." It is a promise whose condition is repentance (verse 38). Therefore, it is extremely important not to ignore the second part of verse 39. The promise is given only to those people who, having been called of the Lord our God, have repented and received forgiveness." [12] But this view does not take into account the fact that repentance is a change in the wrong state. Babies do not have this sin, and therefore, on the pages of the Bible we see children who receive the Spirit without repentance (more on this below).

"To repent before God, that is, to recognize one's sins," writes Jacob Kozlov about the same thing, "to understand the teaching of the Gospel, to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and then to accept water baptism and join the local church can only be done by an adult person." [13] This is true, but repentance, teaching, and faith are necessary for an adult only in order to open himself to God, to get rid of prejudices, pride, etc. He is accessible to the action of divine grace just as if he had died, then, of course, he would not have become wise and would not have repented, but he would have been a partaker of the Kingdom.

Baptists believe that "infant baptism is completely incompatible with the ideal of spiritual Christianity." [14] However, if by "spirituality" we mean not a rational knowledge of Christian truths, but union with the Spirit of God, then the ideal of spiritual Christianity will rather presuppose this spiritual means of knowing God than reject it.

For what makes children capable of receiving saving grace? Their underdevelopment or their purity of heart? Of course, the latter! Christ says: "Of such is the Kingdom of God" and immediately adds: "Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a child will not enter into it" (Mark 10:14-15). An adult should receive the grace of baptism with the same pure child's heart. For the Holy Spirit of wisdom withdraws from deceit and turns away from foolish speculations (Wisdom 1:5), and therefore only the pure in heart, like a child, is able by the grace of baptism to enter the Church, which the Lord, having cleansed with a bath of water, presented to Himself as a glorious Church... that she may be holy and blameless (Eph. 5:27). If Baptists have children in the House of God without baptism because of the purity of their hearts, then adults must be accepted into the Church "as children" for the same reason, i.e. without baptism. Christ says in another place about the necessity of such a state of soul in adults for grace-filled union with God: "Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt. 18:3). Thus, the words of Christ: "Such is the Kingdom of God," understood in the Protestant way,[15] make the baptism of adults superfluous.

If we agree with the Protestant conclusion from these words of the Savior, then we will come to even more absurd consequences. It turns out that it is enough for a person, lamenting over his sins (which is obligatory before baptism - Acts 2:38), to realize his worthlessness before God, (in other words: to become poor in spirit), and he no longer needs to be baptized! After all, the Saviour said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3)! At the same time, baptism becomes impossible in principle! As soon as the catechumens acquire the spiritual poverty of the Gospel, without which baptism into Christ is impossible (Acts 19:18-19; 2:38), baptism itself immediately becomes superfluous, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven! And what kind of baptism could we talk about during the period of severe persecution? At a time when Christians were persecuted to death and bondage? Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:10), says Christ. So, don't the persecuted need baptism either?

Baptists do not baptize children because they cannot believe. And at the same time, they say that these unbelieving children can enter the Kingdom of God. But this Church is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth! Why then are those who cannot enter the Church capable of entering the Kingdom of Heaven, to which it leads?!

Для Православно верующих вполне очевидна натяжка протестантского богословия по вопросу отношения детей к Церкви. Нелогично предполагать, что до Христа младенец мог быть членом Завета Божия, а после пришествия Христа это вдруг оказалось невозможным.

Христос пришел спасти погибшее (Мф. 18,11). Послал Бог Сына Своего в мир... чтобы мир спасён был через Него (Ин. 3,17; Лк. 9,56). С каких пор мир не включает в себя детей? Святитель Ириней Лионский: "Христос пришёл спасти через Себя всех, - всех, разумею тех, которые возрождаются чрез Него для Бога: младенцев и детей, и отроков, и старцев".[16] А если Христос спасает и детей, то и им следует принадлежать к Новому Завету, к Святой Церкви. Ведь и Ветхий Завет был заключен не с Моисеем и Аароном, а со всем народом Израиля. Также и Спаситель не с апостолами заключил Новый Завет, а с новым народом Божиим (1Пет. 2,10). Вхождение в этот народ, по мнению православных осталось открытым и для младенцев.

Да, Господь любит всех людей, и младенцы евреев ничем не отличались от прочих, но для Господа Израиль был не простым народом, а народом Завета, народом Божиим. Обрезанные, не будучи особенными сами в себе, были особенны для Господа. Так говорит Господь, создавший тебя и образовавший тебя, помогающий тебе от утробы матерней: не бойся, раб Мой, Иаков, и возлюбленный [Израиль], которого Я избрал; ибо Я изолью воды на жаждущее и потоки на иссохшее; излию дух Мой на племя твое и благословение Моё на потомков твоих (Ис. 44,1-3); потому что Я сочетался с вами (Иер. 3,14). Я искупил тебя, назвал тебя по имени твоему; ты Мой... Так как ты дорог в очах Моих, многоценен, и Я возлюбил тебя, то отдам других людей за тебя, и народы за душу твою. Не бойся, ибо Я с тобою (Ис. 43,1-5). Ибо часть Господа народ Его, Иаков наследственный удел Его. Он нашёл его в пустыне, в степи печальной и дикой, ограждал его, смотрел за ним, хранил его, как зеницу ока Своего; как орёл вызывает гнездо свое, носится над птенцами своими, распростирает крылья свои, берет их и носит их на перьях своих, так Господь один водил его (Втор. 32,9-12). Так говорит Господь Саваоф... касающийся вас, касается зеницы ока Его (Зах. 2,8).

Итак, народ Божий Завета Ветхого был “многоценен” и “дорог” в очах Господних. И принадлежность к сему богоизбранному народу была не пустой формальностью, а простирала над ним покров Божественной заботы.

Ветхозаветное обрезание, по свидетельству ап. Павла, прообразовало крещение в Новом Завете. В Нём вы и обрезаны обрезанием нерукотворным, совлечением греховного тела плоти, обрезанием Христовым, быв погребены с Ним в крещении (Кол. 2,11). Чем же было обрезание в Ветхом Завете? Это не был личный договор с Богом отдельно каждого индивидуума. Это, как видим, было нечто большее - вступление в общенародный Завет с Богом. И вступить в Завет, это значит - получить покров Божий, жить с Творцом, находясь с Ним в над-интеллектуальном благодатном союзе.