Then why do you baptize non believers?
There is evidence of baptizing whole families and second century grave markers indicate infants who died with words "servent of the Lord."
Error creeps in quickly. IIRC, there were others who tried to wait till just before they died to be baptized because they were afraid if they sinned afterward they would be condemned.
The Great Commission says "baptize in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit..." it says nothing of the need to believe. Baptism is for the remission of sins. We are cleansed of them, voluntary or involuntary.
Those who are baptized and do not believe when they can believe cannot be saved based on baptism alone. The infants and children can, for they have no sin. Our Lord makes it very clear that unless we are like them (without sin) we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
Unbaptized children cannot be saved, save for God's will to save whomever He desires. But the Church is commanded to baptize regardless of age, race or gender, and teach them the Gospels.
Error creeps in quickly. IIRC, there were others who tried to wait till just before they died to be baptized because they were afraid if they sinned afterward they would be condemned
Who objected to infant baptism in the 1st through 16th centiry? Why are they errors? There is nothing that says you cannot baptize children. Nothing! Baptized children are the ideal Christ wants us to be like.
there were others who tried to wait till just before they died to be baptized because they were afraid if they sinned afterward they would be condemned
That's the chance some are willing to take. It's valid, however. It may not seem fair, but it's valid. Just like the vineyard workers wages. He problem is that you may not have a chance to be baptized before you die, so it's a gamble.
However, the Church also has the sacrament of repentance and confession, and communion, through which we can keep our sins to a minimum if we truly repent ad receive the Lord in contrite heart and true repentance, fasting and prayer, changing our lives so that we do not repeat those sins; in other words, it's forgiven, now "go and sin no more" type of forgiveness. Not something you can come back every Sunday and confess over and over.
***Error creeps in quickly. IIRC, there were others who tried to wait till just before they died to be baptized because they were afraid if they sinned afterward they would be condemned.***
Are you saying that the Apostles and those that they taught were in error almost immediately? I get the feeling that the Protestant point of view is that aside from setting the Canon, the Church was dead for 1500 years until the Holy Spirit woke up from his nap and decided that Luther et al needed to take over from the Catholics.
***Then why do you baptize non believers?***
If you are referring to infant baptism, it is to claim the child for Christ and to bring him to the Holy Spirit and His Grace.