oven ant ▁of ▁grace ; ▁he ▁argued , ▁however , ▁that ▁the ▁spiritual ity ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁C oven ant ▁in ▁Christ ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁an ▁infant ' s ▁participation ▁in ▁it . ▁ ▁The ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁salv ation ▁of ▁inf ants ▁dying ▁in ▁inf ancy ▁he ▁treated ▁as ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁mystery . ▁ ▁He ▁argued ▁that ▁one ' s ▁answer ▁to ▁that ▁question ▁does ▁not ▁affect ▁the ▁revealed ▁qual ifications ▁for ▁those ▁who ▁may ▁legit imately ▁receive ▁New ▁C oven ant ▁ordin ances . ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁visible ▁perpet u ity ▁of ▁the ▁Old ▁C oven ant ▁included ▁the ▁circum c ision ▁of ▁male ▁inf ants , ▁the ▁ex clusion ▁of ▁inf ants ▁from ▁the ▁sign ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁does ▁not ▁mean ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁is ▁less ▁encourag ing ▁in ▁its ▁privileges ▁than ▁the ▁old . ▁ ▁Sp ils bury ▁said ▁that ▁all ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁positive ▁prov isions ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁c oven ant ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁shadow ▁of ▁the ▁spiritual ▁reality ▁of ▁the ▁new . ▁An ▁infant ' s ▁ex clusion ▁from ▁the ▁positive ▁ordin ance ▁of ▁bapt ism ▁forb ids ▁to ▁him , ▁or ▁her , ▁no ▁spiritual ▁bless ing . ▁The ▁new ▁c oven ant ▁assumes ▁the ▁effect ual ▁working ▁of ▁the ▁Spirit ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁bel ieving ▁community ▁just ified ▁by ▁faith ▁in ▁Christ ▁and ▁emp lo ys ▁new ▁positive ▁ordin ances ▁as ▁the ▁symbols ▁of ▁its ▁character . ▁ ▁He ▁firm ly ▁believed ▁that ▁Bel ie ver ' s ▁bapt ism ,