A47535:301
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 9: Containing several other Arguments, proving, why not Infants, but Believers only, are t…
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.
The Major Proposition is undeniable: for if Infants may be baptized in the Name, &c. without any Authority from Christ, or word of Institution, or the least intimation of it in the great Commission, what Innovation can we keep out of the Church? This is enough to cause any Protestant to renounce his Religion, and cleave to the Romish Communion, who asserts the Church's Power is such, that without a word of Institution, she may do the Lord knows what.—Nor do they, as far as I can find, assert Infant-Baptism from the Authority of the Scripture; but from the Power Christ has left in the Church, in which they seem more ⟨p. 87⟩honest than some Protestants, that pretend to maintain this Rite, by plain Scripture-proof, without the least shadow or intimation of any such thing, to the palpable Reproach of the Christian Religion.
As to the Minor, 'tis evident, and owned by the Learned, that those who are enjoined to be baptized, in the Commission, Matth. 28. are first to be taught, or made Disciples: But Infants cannot be made Disciples, being uncapable of teaching; therefore there is nothing in that Commission of Infant-Baptism: If they have any other word of Institution or Commission, let them produce it, we profess we know of none.
Object. Christ commanded his Disciples to baptize all Nations; Children are part of the Nations, therefore may be baptized: Thus you see we have Authority to baptize Children from the great Commission.