A47591:495
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.
Again, 'tis objected by some Pedo-baptists, If it were the Will of God, Infants under the Gospel should be reckoned as out of his Covenant who were in Covenant, then it follows, say they, that our Saviour was unfaithful, or forgetful to his Church, in that he never acquainted her with this Alteration; but not one word by way of Prohibition do we find in all the New Testament: ⟨p. 69⟩from whence we may conclude, that Christ's not repealing the Practice of initiating Infants, nor forbidding their Admission into the Church by Baptism, &c.
Answ. 1. I answer, Had it been the Will of God that Infants should under the Gospel be admitted into the Church by Baptism, Christ, you might rather say, had been forgetful or unfaithful in not giving the least Intimation of his Mind and Pleasure therein, who declared all things plainly from the Father, and was faithful as a Son over his own House.
2. That which is not contained in his last Will and Testament in this and other matters, is sufficient to declare his Mind and Will in the Negative. And so you know 'tis in all last Wills and Testaments among Men, if it be not expressed in the Affirmative, it needs not be expressed in the Negative; and if not, because 'tis not forbidden it may be done, so may an hundred things more; nay many Jewish Rites, and Popish Innovations too, for where are they forbid? The Sum therefore of my Answer is this: The Privileges, which are •ites, Ordinances, or Sacraments, are not so many as you would have, or so many as the Jews of old had; nor are they to be administered according as they fancy or approve of, or according to their Reasonings, but according to God's express Appointment. Rightly doth Mr. Ball in his—Book speak, Posit. 3, 4. pag. 38. But in whatsoever Circumcision and Baptism do agree or differ, we must look to the Institution, and neither stretch it wider, nor draw it narrower than the Lord had made it: for he is the Instituter of the Sacraments according to his good Pleasure; and it is our part to learn of him, both to whom, how, and to what end the Sacraments are to be administered, how they agree and wherein they differ: In all which we must affirm nothing but what God hath taught us, and as he hath taught us.