A47535:293
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 8: Proving Believers the only true Subjects of Baptism from the special ends of this holy…
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.
Fifthly, Another End of Baptism is, (as one well observes) to evidence present Regeneration; whereof, saith he,1 it is a lively Sign or Symbol—Hence 'tis called the Washing of Regeneration; what signifies the Sign, where the Thing signified is wanting? Baptism is frequently called the Laver of Regeneration, it being a Sign or Figure of it to the Person Baptized.
Fifthly, Another End of Baptism is, (as one well observes) to evidence present Regeneration; whereof, saith he,1 it is a lively Sign or Symbol—Hence 'tis called the Washing of Regeneration; what signifies the Sign, where the Thing signified is wanting? Baptism is frequently called the Lave• of Regeneration, it being a Sign or Figure of it to the Person Baptized.
- 1Tit. 3. 5. Baxter in his Disput. with Mr. Blake, p. 117. as quoted by Mr. Danvers.
Christ hath instituted no Baptism, saith Mr. Baxter, but what is to be a Sign of present Regeneration; but to Men that profess not a Justifying Faith, it cannot be administered as a Sign of Regeneration. Therefore he hath instituted no Baptism to be administered to such. Does not this Argument make void the Baptism of Infants, as well as Adult Unbelievers, by the ⟨p. 84⟩Ancients? Let Mr. Baxter take it again, but with a very little alteration. Christ hath instituted no Baptism but what is to be a Sign of present Regeneration; but to little Babes that profess not a justifying Faith, it cannot be administered as a Sign of present Regeneration, therefore he hath instituted no Baptism to be administered to Infants. The stress of the Argument lies in the Institution of Christ, in that no Baptism is instituted and commanded by Christ, but what is a Sign of present Regeneration, not Future; therefore Infant-Baptism can be no Baptism of Christ.