A47535:223
Gold refined, or, Baptism in its primitive purity proving baptism in water an holy…Gold refin'd, or, Baptism in its primitive purity proving baptism in water an holy…
Gold refined, or, Baptism in its primitive purity proving baptism in water an holy institution of Jesus Christ ... : wherein it is clearly evinced that baptism ... is immersion, or dipping the whole body, &c : also that believers are only the true subjects (and not infants) of that holy sacrament : likewise Mr. Smithies arguments for infant-baptism in his late book entitled, The non-communicant ... fully answered / by Benj. Keach ...Gold refin'd, or, Baptism in its primitive purity proving baptism in water an holy institution of Jesus Christ ... : wherein it is clearly evinced that baptism ... is immersion, or dipping the whole body, &c : also that believers are only the true subjects (and not infants) of that holy sacrament : likewise Mr. Smythies arguments for infant-baptism in his late book entitled, The non-communicant ... fully answered / by Benj. Keach ...
London : Printed for the author, and are to be sold by Nathaniel Crouch ..., 1689
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 6: Proving Believers, or Adult Persons, only to be the Subjects of Baptism, from Christ's…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5. Observe in whose Name they are required to baptize, viz. in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; into the Name, so the Greek: In the Name doth not only import the naming of the Names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but in the Authority, and into the Profession of the Blessed Trinity, of the one Divine Being, dedicating the Persons baptized (saith our Annotators) to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. But how dare any presume to Rantize a Babe that is uncapable to be taught or made a Disciple by teaching? In the Name of the Glorious Trinity, can they say and prove it, Christ hath given them any such Authority? I am sure they have no Warrant nor Authority so to do, from this Blessed Commission of Jesus Christ—It was by dipping of Adult Persons then—But it was in an hot Country, 1say our late Annotators, where at any time, without the danger of Persons Lives, it might be so done.
- 1Object.
Doth not our Blessed Saviour's Words immediately following fully answer this Objection,1 and, lo I am with you always to the end of the World? Has not Christ Power to preserve, protect, and uphold all such Persons which he commands to be Baptized? Nay, can we think Christ would institute an Ordinance to destroy the Lives of any Persons? Besides, we know he has preserved thousands in this cold Climate; nay, and never did I hear of any one Person that received the least Hurt or Damage by being Baptized according to the Commission of Christ; though some have gone into the Water in the time of the great Frost, and at other Times of bitter Frost and Snow; nay, and Persons very Aged, and of both Sexes, and some that have been very weak ⟨p. 67⟩and sickly—though our Adversaries have falsely reported to the contrary. But can they be so […] left to themselves, to think this will be a good […] for them, for changing this Ordinance of Jesus Christ, when he comes to call all Men to an account? certainly they will find themselves deceived.