A47591:861
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.
Such Children I can baptize by the Authority of Christ's Commission, or by Virtue of his holy Precept, and none but such Children that do believe have any right thereunto. You say Solomon was very young when the Lord loved him.
Answ. No doubt but the Lord loved his Elect before they were born, even from Everlasting, but what of this? yet when they are called and regenerated, and not till then, they ought to be baptized.
In a word, that which renders Persons capable of Baptism are the Prerequisites of Baptism, or those things that are required by Christ to be in the true Subjects thereof, which are Faith and the Profession of it, or Faith and Repentance. You may be capable of being made a Justice of Peace, but you must not exercise that Office without a lawful Commission: So let our Children be capable of what they will or may, yet without a Warrant from God's Word they ought not to be admitted to Baptism, the Lord's Supper, nor to any other Gospel-Ordinance.
God can give sacred Habits and Qualities to a Child we deny not, but till he doth it you are not to give them the Signs of those gracious Qualities; and if there be no visible Signs or Demonstrations of those sacred Qualities in such Infants you baptize that render them Believers, 'tis at best but a mock Baptism.