A47591:42
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.
Reply. Because the old Jerusalem, by God's appointment, was built with dead Stones which was a Type of the New, will he, without Christ's Authority, build his New and Spiritual Jerusalem with such Materials? We deny not but that God did receive Infants, as such, into his old Building: But doth not St. Peter tell us, the Gospel-Temple is built up with Spiritual Stones, lively, or living Stones, i. e. Men and Women spiritually quickened by Divine Grace, or renewed by the Holy Spirit. Let him prove, if he can, that Christ received into the Gospel-Church any one Infant; and tho we deny not but elect Infants that die may be lively Stones in Jerusalem Above, I mean Heaven; yet it follows no more from thence that Infants ought to be baptized, than that they ought to partake of the Lord's Supper. Moreover, evident it is, that John in Mat. 3. 9. (the Text Mr. Owen quotes) doth deny such to have a right to Baptism that were the Seed or Children of Abraham according to the Flesh; Think not to say within your selves, we have Abraham to our Father. The Covenant of Peculiarity God made with Abraham, tho it gave right to his Male-Infants to Circumcision, yet it gives no right to Gospel-Baptism to any, either Young or Old, Male nor Female. God can raise up of Stones Children to Abraham, i. e. such that have no Descent from Abraham: So that it appears Fleshly Descent in Gospel Times, signifies not any thing as to Gospel-Church-Membership.
Reply. Because the old Jerusalem, by God's appointment, was built with dead Stones which was a Type of the New, will he, without Christ's Authority, build his New and Spiritual Jerusalem with such Materials? We deny not but that God did receive Infants, as such, into his old Building: But doth not St. Peter tell us, the Gospel-Temple is built up with Spiritual Stones, lively, or living Stones, i. e. Men and VVomen spiritually quickned by Divine Grace, or renewed by the Holy Spirit. Let him prove, if he can, that Christ received into the Gospel-Church any one Infant; and tho we deny not but elect Infants that die may be lively Stones in Jerusalem Above, I mean Heaven; yet it follows no more from thence that Infants ought to be baptized, than that they ought to partake of the Lord's Supper. Moreover, evident it is, that John in Mat. 3. 9. (the Text Mr. Owen quotes) doth deny such to have a right to Baptism that were the Seed or Children of Abraham according to the Flesh; Think not to say within your selves, we have Abraham to our Father. The Covenant of Peculiarity God made with Abraham, tho it gave right to his Male-Infants to Circumcision, yet it gives no right to Gospel-Baptism to any, either Young or Old, Male nor Female. God can raise up of Stones Children to Abraham, i. e. such that have no Descent from Abraham: So that it appears Fleshly Descent in Gospel Times, signifies not any thing as to Gospel-Church-Membership.