A47591:809
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.
Answ. 1. I deny the Major, and say, If Children of Believers were federally holy under the Gospel, yet they are not qualified for Baptism, because 'tis not that which gives them right thereto, or qualifies them for it, but what Christ hath ordained and appointed, as the alone proper and meet Qualification, which is not that External, Relative Covenant-Holiness he talks of, which the New Testament speaks nothing of, as I shall show by and by, but actual Faith, Regeneration, or inherent Holiness, which is the Thing signified by Baptism; therefore a thousand such Arguments will do no good, since Baptism is of mere Positive Right. 'Tis Christ's own Law must decide the Controversy, viz. What Qualifications are required of such, who by his Authority and Law ought to be baptized. Let any Pedo-baptist prove, if he can, that such an External Federal Holiness qualifies any Person for Gospel-Baptism; for if such Federal and External Holiness qualifies Persons for Baptism, then the Jews, before cast off, might have been admitted to Baptism, since they had then such a kind of ⟨p. 141⟩Federal Holiness, which kind of Holiness none can prove Believers Children are said to have under the Gospel; but if it qualified them not for Baptism, it cannot qualify our Children for Baptism: And that it did not qualify them, is evident, see Mat. 3. 9. where some of the Branches of this Root came to John Baptist to be baptized, and he refused to admit them, with these words, i. e. Think not to say within your selves, We have Abraham to our Father: For I say, God is able of these Stones to raise up Children to Abraham. Ver. 10. And now also is the Axe laid to the Root of the Tree. From whence it plainly appears, that that External Relative Holiness, which qualified under the Old Testament Persons for Circumcision, and Jewish Church-Membership, will not qualify Old nor Young under the New Testament for Baptism, and Gospel-Church-Membership.
Answ. 1. I deny the Major, and say, If Children of Believers were federally holy under the Gospel, yet they are not qualified for Baptism, because 'tis not that which gives them right thereto, or qualifies them for it, but what Christ hath ordained and appointed, as the alone proper and meet Qualification, which is not that External, Relative Covenant-Holiness he talks of, which the New Testament speaks nothing of, as I shall shew by and by, but actual Faith, Regeneration, or inherent Holiness, which is the Thing signified by Baptism; therefore a thousand such Arguments will do no good, since Baptism is of meer Positive Right. 'Tis Christ's own Law must decide the Controversy, viz. What Qualifications are required of such, who by his Authority and Law ought to be baptized. Let any Pedo-baptist prove, if he can, that such an External Federal Holiness qualifies any Person for Gospel-Baptism; for if such Federal and External Holiness qualifies Persons for Baptism, then the Jews, before cast off, might have been admitted to Baptism, since they had then such a kind of