A47591:725
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.
3. There is hope and ground of hope touching the Salvation of dying Infants, tho they are not in Gospel-times of the Visible Church; because Christ saith, of such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven. But pray, Sir, take heed of what you say: You cannot prove that our blessed Saviour spake those words only with reference to the Children of Believers. I know no cause why unbelieving Parents should doubt of the Salvation of their dying Infants. They may (so far as I see) have as much ground to hope God's Election may reach their dying Infants, as any Believer can have it may reach to theirs. What if I should exercise so much Charity as to hope that God hath comprehended in his electing Love all the dying Infants both of Believers and Unbelievers, and that through the Blood and Merits of Christ they are sanctified, and shall be all saved?
My Opinion, were it so, could not justly be condemned by any; but I say secret things belong to God, and I shall ⟨p. 123⟩forbear to pass any Judgment in the case, but leave it to God; but I am sure no Child shall be damned for the Parent's Fault. Can Parents by baptizing their Infants save them? Or are they Dogs, and must be damned if their Parents baptize them not, and dare not do it because Christ hath not commanded them to baptize them?
4. Sir, what if a Man and his Wife when they were both vile and ungodly People, as bad as any that live on Earth, should beget many Children, and afterwards they both believe and become good Christians, is the State of those Children begotten when they believed good, and they holy? and are the Children they had when they were vile and wicked Persons, bad, nay so bad as they are to be counted Dogs? O that God would open your Eves! Nay, if it were as you intimate, it may be queried, Whether it be not a sinful, a wicked, and an unlawful thing for two ungodly, unbelieving, unfaithful Persons to marry, since they can beget no Children but such as you call Dogs; for you will not say their Children are holy, or ought to be baptized, nor are in the Pale of the Church.