A47591:1305
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.
1. Answ. I answer Circumcision was God's Command, Infants had aright to it, but God has not Commanded Infants to be Baptized, God's Ordinance shall have that effect on its proper subject, which he designed by it, no doubt had it been the Will of Christ to have given Command to Baptize Infants, but it should some ways or another been profitable to them; but since he hath not Commanded it, it can no way profit them.
2. A little Child may receive a great Gift no doubt, but they must not have that given to them, that God never appointed for them. When God gave out the Commission of Circumcision, he Commanded Abraham as an Adult Person to be Circumcised; and also at the same time Commanded him to Circumcise his Male ⟨p. 232⟩Children; that was by a positive Law, a gift given to all the Male Children of Abraham, and to all the Male Children by Isaac in their Generation, whether their Parents were godly or wicked; but Baptism in Christs Commission, is only given to Believers and to all that Believe, and therefore no Gift given to Infants, we must not be Wiser then God, nor add to his word.
4. Obj. Mr. Owen adds another Objection against his Doctrine, viz. Christ was about Thirty years of Age when he was Baptized, Luke 3. 23. 1. His answer is, though he was not Baptized until he was Thirty years of Age, yet he was Circumcised when he was eight days Old, Luke 2. 21. 2. He delayed not his Baptism, because not fit to receive it, for he was perfectly Holy from the Womb, and therefore if we are bound to imitate his example in this thing, none of those that do believe ought to be Baptized, until they be Thirty years of Age, but the Antipedobaptists walk not according to this Rule, and therefore they do think this example bindeth them not.