A47591:534
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.
IF, say you, Circumcision under the Law belonged unto Infants, then Baptism under the Gospel belongeth unto them; for even as Circumcision was, so Baptism is the Seal of the same Covenant of Grace, and signifieth the same things.
Answ. 1. I answer; If Circumcision did not belong to Infants under the Law, any otherwise than by express and positive Command of God, which gave them right thereto; then if God hath not commanded Believers to baptize their Infants, it is not their Duty to baptize them, but their Sin if they do it. But I have proved it was the express Command of God only that gave Male-Infants proceeding from Abraham's Lo••s Authority to be circumcised; and God hath given no such Command to Believers to baptize their Infants; therefore Baptism doth not belong to the Infants of Believers, as such, under the Gospel, as Circumcision did belong to Male-Infants under the Law.
2. I have proved Circumcision was not the Seal of the Covenant of Grace, tho it was a Seal to Abraham of the Righteousness of his own Faith, yea of that Faith he had being not circumcised. A Seal I have showed gives an undoubted Right of all those Blessings and Privileges to those Persons to whom the said Covenant is sealed, and so it did to Abraham: but it was no Seal of the Blessings of the Covenant of Grace to Ishmael, Esau, and many thousands more who were commanded to be circumcised. Were this therefore true that Mr. Owen asserts, That Circumcision was a Seal of the Covenant of Grace to all that were circumcised in Infancy, then they were all saved, even all the Males that proceeded from Abraham's Loins, many of which proved as vile and wicked Men as most that ever lived in ⟨p. 81⟩the World. Nor, Reader, is Baptism a Seal of the Covenant of Grace under the Gospel; for if so, it would seal all Gospel-Blessings to all Persons that are baptized: who then (were it so) but would be baptized, and baptize his Children? Brethren, the holy Spirit only is the Seal of the Covenant of Grace, or Gospel-Covenant, vid.