A47535:372
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 10: Wherein the great Arguments, and pretended Scripture-Proofs for Infant-Baptism, concern…
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.
You ought not therefore to call Circumcision a Seal to any but to Abraham, neither ought you to call it a Seal of any other thing to him than what the Scripture calls it a Seal of, viz. And he received Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had being yet uncircumcised, Rom. 4. 11.
And that you may see we are not alone in this matter,1 see what Chrysostom and Theophilact, as I find them quoted by Mr. Danvers; It was called a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, because it was given to Abraham as a Seal and Testimony of that Righteousness which he had acquired by Faith. Now this seems to be the Privilege of Abraham's alone, and not to be transferred to others; as if Circumcision in whom ever it was were a Testimony of Divine Righteousness; for it was the Privilege of Abraham that he should be the Father of all the Faithful, as well uncircumcised as circumcised, being already the Father, having Faith ⟨p. 106⟩in Uncircumcision, he received first the sign of Circumcision, that he might be the Father of the Circumcised. Now because he had this Privilege, in respect of the Righteousness which he had acquired by Faith, therefore the sign of Circumcision was to him a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith; but to the rest of the Jews it was a sign that they were Abraham's Seed, but not a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, as all the Jews also were not the Fathers of many Nations.
And that you may see we are not alone in this matter,1 see what Chrysostom and Theophilact, as I find them quoted by Mr. Danvers; It was called a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, because it was given to Abraham as a Seal and Testimony of that Righteousness which he had acquired by Faith. Now this seems to be the Priviledg of Abraham's alone, and not to be tranferred to others; as if Circumcision in whom ever it was were a Testimony of Divine Righteousness; for it was the Priviledg of Abraham that he should be the Father of all the Faithful, as well uncircumcised as circumcised, being already the Father, having Faith