A47535:261
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 7: Proving Believers to be the only true Subjects of Baptism, from the Apostles Doctrine,…
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.
1. Because that was in truth the time of the Churches greatest Glory, Perfection and Beauty, and very soon after the Apostles fell asleep, the Church, though she grew older, yet she decayed, and Corruptions crept in; the Church might in that respect be compared to a glorious Flower, that as soon as ever it is blown and quite put forth it is in its Glory, and let it stand a while and it soon fades, and loses much of its Lustre and Beauty; even so did the Church of God:1 and it was foretold also by the Apostles, it would so after their departure come to pass, by the entering in of grievous Wolves who should not spare the Flock, i. e. the Church;2 nay, the Spirit of Antichrist, (Paul saith,) or Mystery of Iniquity, did even then work in the Apostles days.3 And St. John speaks to the same purpose, Little Children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists, whereby we know that this is the last time: and indeed all generally believe the Church continued not a pure Virgin to Christ much longer than one hundred Years after his Death; now then shall any presume to say that was the Infancy of the Church, as if the Church arrived to clearer Light, Strength, and Glory in after-Times.
1. Because that was in truth the time of the Churches greatest Glory, Perfection and Beauty, and very soon after the Apostles fell asleep, the Church, though she grew older, yet she decayed, and Corruptions crept in; the Church might in that respect be compared to a glorious Flower, that as soon as ever it is blown and quite put forth it is in its Glory, and let it stand a while and it soon fades, and loses much of its Lustre and Beauty; even so did the Church of God:1 and it was foretold also by the Apostles, it would so after their departure come to pass, by the entring in of grievous Wolves who should not spare the Flock, i. e. the Church;2 nay, the Spirit of Antichrist, (Paul saith,) or Mystery of Iniquity, did even then work in the Apostles days.