After his survey of the evidence for the practice of baptism in the Jewish literature of the second temple period, Lightfoot concludes:

For when Paedobaptism in the Jewish church was so known, usual, and frequent, in the admission of proselytes, that nothing almost was more known, usual, and frequent… there was no need to strengthen it with any precept, when baptism was now passed into an evangelical sacrament.

On the other hand, therefore, there was need of a plain and open prohibition, that infants and little children should not be baptized, if our Saviour would not have had them baptized. For, since it was most common, in all ages foregoing, that little children should be baptized, if Christ had been minded to have that custom abolished, he would have openly forbidden it. Therefore, his silence, and the silence of the Scripture in this matter, confirms Paedobaptism, and continueth it unto all ages.