A47591:1013
Light broke forth in Wales, expelling darkness, or, The Englishman's love to the ancient…Light broke forth in Wales, expelling darkness, or, The Englishman's love to the antient…
Light broke forth in Wales, expelling darkness, or, The Englishman's love to the ancient Britons [sic] being an answer to a book, intituled [sic] Children's baptism from Heaven, published in the Welsh tongue by Mr. James Owen / by Benjamin Keach.Light broke forth in Wales, expelling darkness, or, The Englishman's love to the antient Britains [sic] being an answer to a book, iutituled [sic] Children's baptism from Heaven, published in the Welsh tongue by Mr. James Owen / by Benjamin Keach.
London: printed by William Marshall, 1696
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.
Ans. I answer, you say no doubt but they brought their Children to John's Baptism, but without doubt they did not, say I; because if they had, it would without doubt have been written, but since it is no where written that they did do it; nor of John's baptizing one Infant, there is no doubt but we are in the right, viz. John baptized no Infants, nor any but penitent Persons, because he required Repentance, and the Fruits of it in all that came to his Baptism. Moreover,
Ans. I answer, you say no doubt but they brought their Chldren to John's Baptism, but without doubt they did not, say I; because if they had, it would without doubt have been written, but since it is no where written that they did do it; nor of John's baptizing one Infant, there is no doubt but we are in the right, viz. John baptized no Infants, nor any but penitent Persons, because he required Repentance, and the Fruits of it in all that came to his Baptism. Moreover,
2. Because all Israel, their little ones, their Wives and Strangers, the hewer of Wood, and drawer of Water, entered into that legal Covenant with God, Deut. 29. 10. 11. 12. doth it follow; that we in the Gospel times must bring all our Children and Servants to Baptism and the Lord's Supper; they had a command from God to do what they did, and that old Covenant Church state required them so to do; but God hath no more required us to bring our Infants to Baptism, then he hath required us to Circumcise them, or give our first born to the Lord, which was God's command to them under the Law.
Baptism, I tell you again, being of mere positive Right, you can draw no such Conclusions for what you plead for, 'tis only their Duty to be baptized, that Christ commanded to be baptized, and that is those that are made Disciples by the word preached, or those that believe in Christ, or that profess Faith in him; and 'tis the New Testament only, must inform us who are the subjects of Gospel Ordinances that depend only upon Laws merely positive, according to the Sovereign Pleasure of the institutor of them, or holy Lawgiver Jesus Christ.