A47535:475
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 11: Wherein many other pretended Scripture-Poofs and Arguments for the baptizing of Infants…
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.
Mr. Smithies says, Infants are Believers in a sense, or else they could not be saved,1 nor have right to the Promises of Christ in the Gospel; and if they are in any sense such Believers as are entitled to Salvation, they are such Believers as have a right to Baptism; if the Estate belongs to a Child in the Cradle, the Indentures and Seals of that Estate belong to him likewise: the Child of a Believer may as well be called a Believer, as the Child of a Proselyte was called a proselyte: if God gives Children but the denomination of Believers, it is sufficient to entitle them to Baptism. Thus Mr. Smithies.
Mr. Smythies says, Infants are Believers in a sense, or else they could not be saved,1 nor have right to the Promises of Christ in the Gospel; and if they are in any sense such Believers as are intitled to Salvation, they are such Believers as have a right to Baptism; if the Estate belongs to a Child in the Cradle, the Indentures and Seals of that Estate belong to him likewise: the Child of a Believer may as well be called a Believer, as the Child of a Proselyte was called a proselyte: if God gives Children but the denomination of Believers, it is sufficient to entitle them to Baptism. Thus Mr. Smythies.
- 1Mr. Smithies Argument, that Infants are Believers.Mr. Smythies Argument, that Infants are Believers.
But how does it appear that Infants are Believers in any sense? is there any Argument or Scripture brought by this Man to prove them so to be? if he can prove they have Faith and do believe in Christ, he will do more than all the Men that ever lived on Earth could do, I mean Children, as such in common and in an ordinary way, to be Believers. True, nothing is too hard for God to do: he that can make an Ass to speak, can as well cause a Babe to believe: But how does it appear God has given them either the Habit of Faith, or the Act of Faith, or Faith in any sense to render them to be Believers? But 'tis intimated they are Believers by their Parents Faith: why may not their Parents Baptism serve as well as their Parents Faith, and they receive the Lord's Supper for them in their Names also, and that be imputed to the Children by virtue of their Parents Faith? And