A47591:1306
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.
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.
Answ. I answer, no doubt, if any Babe was a fit Subject of Baptism, it was the Holy Child Jesus, if purity and inherent Holiness, gave to the Subjects thereof the proper right, but 'tis not Holiness primarily and simply considered in it self, that gives any person a right to Baptism, but the mere positive Command of God, and the positive Command of God, only runs to such Persons that believe, and therefore not to Infants, tho' we grant the positive Command of Circumcision, required Male Infants to be Circumcised under the Law, which Law Christ came to fulfil, and obey in every thing, therefore Christ when an Infant was Circumcised according to the Tenor of the Law, and Order thereof; and he was Baptized also when an Adult Person, according to the Tenor and Rule of the Gospel: No doubt had it been the mind and will of God, That Infants should have been Baptized, Jesus Christ as an example to others would have been Baptized in his Infancy.