A47591:1240
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.
Infant-Baptism is so effectual to continue the true Religion, and the Increase of the Church of God at this time, as Circumcision formerly had been: It pleased God to continue true Religion among the Jews by bringing their Children under the Bond of the Covenant: He left them not to their own liberty, &c. and let none take upon them to be wiser than God by leaving Children at this time to follow their own Fancies, to choose their own Religion, without having God's Covenant upon them, for Humane Nature is as corruptible at this time as formerly, &c.
Infant-Baptism is so effectual to continue the true Religion, and the Encrease of the Church of God at this time, as Circumcision formerly had been: It pleased God to continue true Religion among the Jews by bringing their Children under the Bond of the Covenant: He left them not to their own liberty, &c. and let none take upon them to be wiser than God by leaving Children at this time to follow their own Fancies, to choose their own Religion, without having God's Covenant upon them, for Humane Nature is as corruptible at this time as formercy, &c.
Answ. 1. I answer; Circumcision was God's absolute and positive Command in the Jewish Church, which was national; but God hath not commanded Infants to be baptized into the Gospel-Church which is not National, but Congregational: if therefore there was the like Authority from God for the one as there was for the other, we would contend with you no longer.
2. 'Tis you that would seem wiser than God, whose Wisdom hath not led him to erect his Gospel Church of such Materials, or of such Matter, and in such Form now, as it was his Wisdom to build the Jewish or Legal Church: Must the fleshly Seed as such be taken into the Gospel-Church by Baptism, because the Male-Infants were circumcised under the Law? Who tells you so? where is it written? Will you be wiser than God? Did not John Baptist say, Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father? Now the Axe is laid to the Root of the Tree. Now the case is altered, as if he should say; Now we know no Man after the Flesh,