A47591:76
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. I ask Mr. Owen how he can prove that the Seal of the Covenant of Grace doth belong to them who are only in the outward Dispensation of the Gospel? This may seem strange ⟨p. xvi⟩to all thinking Men. They whom the Seal of the Covenant of Grace belongeth unto, are assured of all of the peculiar Immunities, Blessings, and Privileges thereof, as pardon of Sin, Justification, Adoption, and Eternal Life.
3. Tho I own no Seal, or nothing to be a Seal of the Covenant of Grace, save the Holy Spirit; Yet, was Baptism the Seal of it, as Mr. Owen supposeth, certainly it must (if it were so) seal to the Person baptized all those Spiritual Blessings or inward Graces signified thereby; or otherwise the Seal would be an insignificant thing, and the Party sealed would but be cheated or deceived: He may think he hath some great Matter sealed to him, when in truth he hath nothing sealed thereby. Pray ask this Man what it is that Baptism seals to Infants?
4. But is it so indeed, Are none in the inward part of the Covenant of Grace, or in the inward Dispensation of the the Gospel, but the Elect; then I infer that the Children of the Faithful, as such, are not in the Covenant of Grace, i. e. the Spiritual Blessings or Fatness of that Covenant doth not belong to them, as such, but only to such of them as are elected, or who do believe, or are brought under special Vocation by the Holy Spirit. And these things being so, to what purpose is it for this Man, and other Pedo-Baptists, to make such a Noise about the Children of Believers, as such, being in the Covenant of Grace? whereas he confesseth none are indeed in it but the Elect. I cannot see it is any thing he and others contend for, in pleading for Infant-Baptism, but only a Christian-Name, or some outward thing, the inward Grace not belonging to any but to the Elect only; and who they are cannot be known till each Person comes to Age, and is called by the Lord: For it is only by effectual Calling that the Election of Persons is known to themselves or others.