HOLMES Baptism: Patristic Resources 267
(3) This might involve baptists, for the sake of charity, choosing not to
query the baptismal status of those who have undergone infant baptism.
Equally, it might involve others accepting the conscientious decision to
seek rebaptism of one they consider baptized, and the conscientious deci-
sion of certain ministers to perform the rite.
Once again, let me stress that these suggestions are not made on the
basis of any belief that baptismal theology or practice is not important, but
out of the belief that there is something yet more important. That the foun-
dation of the (local) church is Christian love and fellowship is a baptist
belief; that the fundamental nature of God is loving fellowship is a Chris-
tian dogma; that, then, the relationships of Christians together throughout
the world should be fundamentally marked by the same distinctive is
surely not a difficult point, but it is one that, if taken seriously, might
enable us to find ways to break through unfortunate polarizations in our
discussions about baptism with our Christian brothers and sisters.