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HISTORICAL SETTING

The Swiss Anabaptists, initially Zwingli's followers, were
impatient with the slow pace of Zwingli's practical measures
and pressed for 'restoration' rather than 'reformation'.
Their opposition to the theocratic model proved to be too radical
and had to be met with force to prevent the collapse of the
New Reform Movement.
Infant Baptism, they argued, is meaningless (faith) and
unscriptural (tradition). The Anabaptists denied the validity of
infant baptism, and insisted upon re-baptism (February 1525).
Zwingli's developing view (from doubt to indifference to
opposition) on infant baptism has been traced:

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DEVELOPMENT CHANGE
a. "Nothing grieves me more than that I must baptize
children for I know it ought not to be done"
b. "I leave baptism untouched and do not call it right
and wrong. I find infant baptism nowhere written or
practiced [in the New Testament]"
c. Some of Zwingli's disciples pressed beyond
where Zwingli wanted to go. They were persecuted
and some were executed for advocating believer's
baptism only
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1 Sacramental Significance
Primarily a human pledge of allegiance. Baptism is
not for our benefit but a testimony to being a soldier
in Christ's army.
a. Baptism is an initiatory sign or pledge initiating us
to a lifelong mortification of the flesh and engaging or
pledging us like the soldier at his enlistment.
b. I believe that it [a sacrament] is a public
testimony...The recipient of baptism testifies...that he
belongs to the Church of God, which worships its
Lord in soundness of faith and purity of life
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2 Theological Importance
Baptism does not regenerate. Zwingli's view on original sin affects his
rationale for infant baptism. Zwingli rejects the papal teaching
concerning baptismal regeneration (cf. Jerome's explanation of
baptism as the first plank after a shipwreck and confession as the
second plank to atone for post-baptismal sins), arguing against original
guilt.
Zwingli regarded original sin as a disease rather than as guilt to be
washed away, infants had no inherent sinfulness, so he could not hide
behind the Roman tradition that baptism purged guilt.
Sacraments are signs or symbols, without conveying grace. "If (the
sacraments) bestowed the thing or were the thing, they would be
things and not a sacrament or sign.
They are wrong...by the whole width of heaven who think that
sacraments have any cleansing power.

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3 Biblical Basis
Focus is on the continuity of the Abrahamic covenant.
Circumcision replaces by baptism; the same applies to just the
Passover in relation to the Lord's Supper ('equivalent').
a. In reality baptism, like circumcision (I am speaking of the
sacrament of baptism) presupposes nothing but one of two things,
either confession, i.e. a declaration of allegiance or a covenant, i.e., a
promise
So: Although Zwingli's views on the meaning and function of the
sacraments led to initial difficulties in justifying the practice of infant
baptism, by 1525 he was able to resolve these difficulties by
developing the notion of baptism as a "sign" of the covenant (God's
covenant with his people), thereby linking the Old Testament rite of
circumcision to the New Testament practice of baptism.

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4 Ecclesiastical function
Baptism as initiation into the visible church (election -> invisible
church). One may be a member of the former without belonging to the
latter, and vice versa. Baptism is no sign of regeneration (salvation not
tied to sacraments).
Zwingli attaches no saving efficacy to the Sacraments. Baptism on
profession of faith is not without its problems: no apostle had absolute
evidence regarding the faith of one confessing and calling himself a
Christian. For Simon the impostor, Ananias, Judas, and no one knows
who, were baptized when they declared their adherence to Christ,
even though they did not have faith (cf. Acts 8)
cf., e.g. Mt.13:24-29
Mt.13:36-43
Calvin

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5 Sign of present faith
The Sacraments do not convey grace, but declare it.
a. Baptism is administered in the presence of the Church to one who before
receiving it either confessed the religion of Christ or has the word of promise,
whereby he is known to belong to the Church. Hence it is that when we baptize
an adult we ask him whether he believes. And only when he answers "yes,"
then he receives baptism. Faith therefore, has been present before he receives
baptism, and is not given by baptism. But when an infant is offered, the
question is asked whether its parents offer it for baptism. When they have
answered through witnesses that they wish it baptized, then the infant is
baptized. Here the promise of God precedes, that He regards our infants, no
less than those of the Hebrews, as belonging to the Church
b. the infant...is regarded by the divine promise among the members of the
Church. By baptism...the Church publicly receives one who has previously
been received through grace. Hence baptism does not convey grace but the
Church certifies that grace has been given to him to whom it is administered