A47591:1254
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.
3. Will you to anticipate your Children, in fear they will not be baptized when they come to Age, contrary to the Word of God, baptize them when in their Infancy? I must tell you by the same parity of Reason, since some of them you find are so hard to be persuaded to receive the Lord's Supper, you may (as the Ancient Fathers did) give them the Lord's Supper in their Infancy also; you have as much Authority for to do the one as the other.
3. Will you to anticipate your Children, in fear they will not be baptized when they come to Age, contrary to the Word of God, baptize them when in their Infancy? I must tell you by the same parity of Reason, since some of them you find are so hard to be persuaded to receive the Lord's Supper, you may (as the Antient Fathers did) give them the Lord's Supper in their Infancy also; you have as much Authority for to do the one as the other.
4. Do you not implicitly on this Occasion grant and confess, that Baptism of Right belongs to the Adult; but that politically it hath been contrived to baptize Infants, for fear they should not be persuaded to be baptized when they come to Age? And you are willing to continue the Practice, because it is in these Days by you and your Brethren rendered to be a very odious thing to be dipped or baptized when they come to Age and do believe. The Truth is, this Ordinance calls for great Abasement, and much Self-denial; 'tis a hard thing to come under the Baptismal Covenant and Obligation, in Adult Persons, ⟨p. 237⟩when we are rendered as bad as Adulterers and Murderers who baptize Men and Women according to Christ's Commission that are Disciples. And 'tis hard also when the baptized Person knows (he being come to Understanding) what he is bound and obliged to do by his Baptismal Covenant, viz. to mortify the Remainders of Sin, and to walk in Newness of Life, Rom 6. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Therefore since you fear they will not freely and voluntarily list themselves under Christ's Banner, or become his Spiritual Soldiers when they come to Age; you will, and that unknown to them, force them into these Wars in their Infancy without Christ's Authority or their Consent, under this specious Pretence, viz. you fear they will not do it when they are grown up.