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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47591	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.	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1696 (1696)	Wing K75; ESTC R32436	280,965	390

the Seal of the Covenant of Grace for hath the Covenant of Grace any other Seal that Seals to us all the Blessings of that Covenant save the Holy Spirit only the Spirit of God is called a Seal Eph. 1. 13 14. Chap. 4. 30. but so is not baptism called any where 2. If all your Children have the Seal of the Covenant of Grace or all the blessings thereof sealed up to them shall they not be all saved all know a Seal confirms and gives an assurance of all the Priviledges Blessings and Profits that are contained in that Covenant to which it is prefix'd 3. You falsly also apply that Text in Ezek. 16. 5 6 7. that is not applicable to our Infants as such but to God's Israel or Believers who were once like that wretched Infant cast out in its Blood but God entered into Covenant with us and washed us c. But are all believers Children washed in the Blood of Christ no doubt they are in the Covenant of Grace that go to Heaven that die in Infancy but the rest remain polluted in their Original and actual pollution until they believe in Christ Jesus and are negenerated by Divine Grace tho' they are baptized for that washeth them not 4. Set time a part say you for earnest praying praying to the Lord for to forgive the Sins of your Child to Sanctifie his Nature and bless the Ordinance of Baptism unto him c. Answ Prayer is good and a great Duty 't is to pray for our Children but take heed how you pray their baptism may be blessed since Christ did not appoint any Baptism for them in Infancy hath he promised any blessing to that or will he bless an Invention of Men 5. When the Minister doth baptize thy Child do thou act Faith in God's Covenant for thy self and thy Child c. Ans How can you act Faith in doing that which God hath made no promise unto you or to your Children believers that are baptized may act Faith indeed 1. Because Christ commandeth them to be baptized Mat. 28. 19 20. Acts 2. 37. 2. Because he hath promised unto them great blessings in Baptism Mark 16. 16. Acts 2. 37 38. but there is neither a precept for nor promise made unto Infants Baptized 1. Speedily do it stay not as Moses did to Circumcise his Child Exod. 4. 24. the which had like to cost him his life it is true God bindeth us not at this time to the Eighth day as he did the Jews yet we ought not to delay Vid. Cypr. Fidem Ep. 59. Answ Make not more speedy hast then good speed or more hast then God directeth you why not delay since God no where saith on the Eighth Day nor at a year Old nor three years Old but when they believe then they ought to rise indeed and not tarry and be baptized but since you have no Scripture for this advise you Quote Cyprian who would not have the Adult delay if he speaks it of Infants he is no rule for us the Ordinance was corrupted in his time where is it written in Gods Word Moses had a command to Circumcise his Son on the Eighth Day therefore he ought not to delay longer but what is this to your case 2. Cheerfully as one Marrieth his Child with the Lord Jesus Christ Answ Cheerfully do it no do it not at all on your peril For 't is as Mr. Baxter saith a strange Marriage where there is nothing of consent 3. Publickly say you before the Congregation Answ And yet not ashamed shew your authority first Your other advice seems tolerable good save what you speak concerning your Infant Baptism in Teaching your Children the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and giving them good examples and in putting them into godly Families in doing thus you may expect a blessing from God but none of these things will add any vertue to their Infant Baptism to make that any ways effectual to them so much only shall suffice as toy our 18th Chapter CHAP. XXIII In answer to Mr. James Owens 19th Chapter wherein he gives advice to Children with an answer to his Queries that he would have the Antipedobaptists to reply unto CHildren bless the Lord for the priviledges of your Baptism God hath taken you into Covenant say you with your Parents he hath prevented you with the blessings of goodness and made you nigh who being by Nature a far off ye are no more Strangers and Foreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and the Houshold of God Eph. 2. 19. 1. Answ Must they bless God that their Parents deceived them with false hopes of priviledges which neither they nor your selves know what they are or for putting a cheat upon them to make them think their State is better thereby and yet cannot prove it from Gods Word so to be How doth God prevent them with blessings of Goodness by your Rantizing them doth your pretended baptism insuse grace or gracious habits unto them or what to 〈◊〉 or is ●t the blessings of that Vow you brought them under voluntarily without any authority from God 2. Are you not afraid to affirm that Children by their baptism are by the Lord made neer unto him and made thereby Children of God who were by Nature Children of Wrath and no more Strangers and Foreigners c. If this was so shall they not be all Saved Can any thing bring Children near to God and make them fellow-Heirs and Citizens with the Saints but a Sacred Work of God's Spirit upon their Souls and doth your Baptism do this 2. Can such that are no more Strangers to God c. ever perish Is there a possibility of Final falling from a State of true Grace and if it be thus ought not your Children to have all the priviledges of the Houshold of God the Lords Supper c. 3. Will you attribute those High and Sublime Priviledges that belong to believers who are only born of the Spirit to your poor Babes that yet remain Children of Wrath and unrenewed by the Grace of God is not this a ready way to blind the Eyes of your Children and ruine their Souls if they should believe you herein You are under that Gracious Providence say you which watcheth over the Church c. 1. Answ You must first prove them Members of the Church and not only Members but all of them elected Persons for they are such Members that the special Providence of God is over 2. You say they have a share in the daily prayers that are put up for the Church of God Psalm 72. 15. Prayers shall be made for him and daily shall he be praised Psalm 51. 13. Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion and build the Walls of Jerusalem Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace on them and mercy on the Israel of God If you had been without baptism you should have been without and so without any share in these prayers Answ I

untill we become Adult Persons and do believe in him he hath left us an Example how we should follow his steps Mr. Owen brings in his Fifth Objection against his Doctrine and practice of Infant Baptism viz. If Infant Baptism belongs to Infants why do not you give them the Lords Supper Take his answer Because saith he the Apostle Commands those that receive the Lords Supper to examine themselves and to discern the Body of the Lord which little Children cannot do Answ I answer And as the Apostle Commands all that receive the Lords Supper to examine themselves and to discern the Lords Body so likewise John Baptist the Lord Jesus and his Apostles too Commanded all that received baptism to believe and repent and to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance which little Babes cannot do Repent and be Baptized every one of you Acts 2. 37. If thou believest with all thy Heart thou mayest Acts 8. 37. that is be baptized 2. You say Baptism is the Sacrament of our Regeneration and of our Admission into the Church of God the Lord's Supper is a Sacrament of our Growth and Spiritual Food 1. I answer this quite overthrows your Infant Baptism unless you Presbyterians do believe as the Church of England doth or at leastwise what they affirm viz. that Baptism doth regenerate the Child is Baptism an Ordinance or Sacrament of Regeneration i. e. to regenerate Persons or to hold forth that regeneration or the New Birth is wrought in such that are baptized why then do you baptize Infants who are not the Subjects of Regeneration Can they die to Sin and are they raised up out of the Water new Born Creatures to walk in newness of Life 2. If your Infants are new born or born again by Baptism no doubt the Food of the new Creature viz. the Lord's Supper ought to be given to them The first Sacrament holds forth 't is clear a Person born again or a Babe of Grace the other is Food fit and proper for that New born or Regenerated Person that he may grow thereby therefore they belong both to one and the same Subjects and neither of them it appears from hence do belong to Infants but 3. Are all the Infants that you baptize let in as Members of your Church are they absolutely Members of your Congregations as having the Ordinance of Admission is the Door of God's House opened to them How can you then say I deny them the priviledge of true and lawful Members shall your little Members your Lambs in Christ's Fold being New Born be starved what shall the regenerated Babe not be fed with the Food of their Fathers House 4. But if thus what number of Members have you in your Churches that have not their Names in your Church-book nor perhaps never looked after when grown up nor cast out though prophane and Wicked for do you cast out or exclude all such Children you baptized when grown up if not what polluted Churches are yours Infant Baptism was doubtless contrived to encrease National Churches or to make national Churches and it doth tend indeed to increase and continue that Christian Religion that is in Name only and not in Power you have its true in England by meer necessity lost your National Constitution and are become Congregational whether you will or no but Infant Baptism will not accord with a congregation Constitution nor do such Churches so constituted that are for Infant Baptism own their Babes to be proper and true Members of their Churches so far as I can learn what then signifies your Sacrament of Admission if they are not in truth admitted and owned as Members and allowed the Food and Priviledges of such 3. You say it was formerly though Circumcision belonged to Infants yet the Paschal Lamb belonged not but to the Adult Answ I answer this is denyed prove if you can that the little Children in the Jewish Church were not admitted to eat of the Passover it is positively said Exod. 12. 34. That the whole House were to eat thereof even a Lamb for an House and I find a great Writer asserting the same thing that little Children did eat thereof they were to bring their Children once or twice a Year before the Lord and I see no ground you have to say that none but Adult Persons did eat thereof 2. But let that be as it will that which was or might be the right of Jewish Church-Members or not their right is no rule for us in the Gospel Church as I have sufficiently prov'd and besure all baptized Persons who are regular Members of a Gospel Church cannot be denyed the Lord's Supper without Sin So much to your Answers to our Objections you might might have brought twice as many more CHAP. XX. In Answer to Mr. James Owen's 17 Chapter wherein the Antipedo Baptists are cleared of those foul Charges he hath cast upon them and 't is proved that to deny Infant Baptism is no Sin nor are those guilty of Murther nor Adultery that baptize or dip Men and Women in Water in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit as Mr. Owen charges them but contrariwise it is proved that to Baptize or Rantize Infants is an unlawful Practise and very Sinful YOU say you shall demonstrate in this Chapter how great the Sin is of those that are tempted to deny the Baptism which they receive in their Infancy and that suffer themselves to be baptized again there are many People that know not the nature of their first Baptism and are perverted to renounce it thinking that they do please God in so doing but they fall into Temptation and the Snares of the Devil who is the Author of Errors and Father of falshood Answ I hope by this time the Reader may discern how great an error 't is to call Rantism or Sprinkling Baptizing and that Infant Baptism is also an error being a meer human innovation this I have prov'd and theresore 't is so far from being a Sin to disown it and cast it away that it is every good Christians Duty so to do that would in all things walk by the rule of God's Word And for Mr. Owen to charge our People after this manner as if we were perverted and insnared by the Devil in denying our Infants Baptism is just as the Papists used to charge the Protestants that disowned the human Traditions and the vain Fopperies of their rotten Church and thunder'd out their Bulls against them 1 You say they are guilty of great Sin insomuch that they neglect to make a right use of their first Baptism Infant Baptism putteth them under continual Vow to the Lord and they are bound to renew their Vows to take the Lord to be a God unto them as soon as they come to age Answ 'T is true you brought them under an Obligation or a Vow to take the Lord to be their God in their Infancy but why did you do it unless you had any Warrant or

yet Baptism an Ordinance of the Souls Marriage with Christ and is not that as Mr. Baxter saith a strange Marriage where there is nothing signified of consent and are Infants able so to do 12. Can Infant Baptism be more useful then that of Believers and yet Baptism call'd the Answer of a good Conscience Can a little Babe answer a good Conscience by being baptized in Obedience to Christ and to shew forth his Death and Resurrection 13. Can Infant Baptism be more useful then that of Believers Whereas the first has no promise of God made unto it and yet the other hath many as Acts 2. 36 37 38. Mark 16. 16. 14. Can that be an useful thing that frustrates the Sacred and Spiritual ends of Baptism which we have shewed are many but as administred to poor Babes 't is rendred wholly of none effect and an insignificant thing Mr. Perkins hints that Baptism signifies two things 1 our Union with Christ 2 our Communion with him now how does this appear in Infants as such as it does in Believers Perkins on Gal. p. 265. 16. Is not that an absurd Doctrine and Practice that renders the fruitful Womb of a godly Woman more advantageous to increase the Church of Christ then a fruitful Gospel 17. Is it not a very absurd thing to say that Abraham could by his Money purchase and bring Strangers and proselyted Gentiles into the Covenant of Grace and if Abraham could buy them and bring them into the Covenant of Grace with Silver and Gold what need was there of Jesus Christ to buy or purchase them with his own Blood 18. Is not that an absurd Doctrine and Practice that holds forth that godly Parents have power to bring in their Children into the Covenant of Grace or keep them out of it for if you by baptizing them do not bring them into the Covenant of Grace but you do believe they were in the said Covenant by being born of Believers by being begotten by you according to the Flesh then it will follow if we are Believers our Children are in as good a Condition as yours though they were never baptized CHAP. XXII Answer to Mr. James Owen's 18th Chapter wherein be sheweth the Duty of Parents to their Children proving in opposition to what he says that Parents ought not to consecrate their Infants to the Lord by Baptism YOu say if Parents would perform their Duties towards their Children and how to make a right use of their Baptism there would be more Godliness and Sobriety in the Country and few would be the number of them that deny their Baptism c. Answ If Parents did generally take more care of their Childrens Souls and instruct them in the Principles of the Christian Religion then they do no doubt Sobriety and Godliness would more abound then now it doth every where 2. But as to the right use of their Baptism you your Selves cannot tell what use that can be to them because 't is not appointed of God 3. Did Parents instruct their Children according to the word of God viz. to believe and get Union with Christ and not baptize them till they desired it according to the Scripture Infant Baptism would soon vanquish 1. You say look to your own right in the Covenant of God if God is not a God to you he is not a God to your Seed c. 1. Answ Suppose then that some of those Parents whose Children you baptize should not be in Covenant with God what right had their Children to Baptism is not that Baptism a nullity it was not thus in the case of Circumcision if the Parents were Abraham's natural Seed whether Godly or wicked they were to Circumcise their Male Children 2. Though 't is true an adult Person hath no right to Baptism that is not a true believer yet if he profess Faith in Christ and a Minister not knowing his Heart but sees no cause to doubt of the reality or truth of his Faith he may baptize such but you have no Warrant to baptize a Child upon the profession of its Parents Faith tho' his Faith be sincere 2. When they are Born prepare to Present and Consecrate them say you to the Lord through the Sacred Ordinance of Baptism there are many that baptize all their Children as matter of Ceremony and meer Custom without looking to the Lord c. Answ By whose Authority must they thus do viz. As soon as their Children are Born Consecrate them to the Lord. 'T is not by the Authority of God's Word therefore a piece of Will Worship Parents would do well to pray over their Babes as soon as they are Born but unless required by Christ to baptize them they must not do that 2. Whoever therefore Baptize their Infants do it only as a Ceremony divised by Man tho' not in their intention their Consciences being missed You ought say you to be serious about their Baptism as we should be about our own baptism that which the Child ought to do if he had been at Age and Understanding must be done by you for them even as Mothers when their Children be Sick take Physick themselves which the Children ought to take so that the Child may have the Medicine in his Mothers Milk even so do ye that which the Child ought to do if he had been of Age before Baptised 1. Answ Some of the Papists are very serious about their divised Ceremonies but this makes it in no wise the more acceptable to God But 2. Do you not here seemingly acknowledge 't is the Duty of the Child when 't is at Age to be baptized but you would have its Parents do it for the Child but how do you prove that God will accept that at the Hands of the Parent which the Child ought to do when at Age. I have shewed you that in an early Council they would not allow a Woman big with Child to be Baptized least it should be thought the Child was baptized with the Mother 3. Doth the Mothers Faith and Holiness avail and profit their Childs Soul as her Milk may avail and profit the Body of her Child what kind of Doctrine is this but it may be so if what you said before be true i. e. that the Child is part of the Patent 3. Bless the Lord for the Covenant of Grace say you and for Christ the Mediator of the Covenant and for Baptism the Seal of that Covenant Is the extent of the Covenant a small thing in thy sight that the living God bindeth himself to thee and thy sinful Seed Is it a small thing that he should pitty them when they were polluted in their blood that he washed them and entred into a Covenant with them Ezek. 16. 5. 6. 1. Answ We have all cause to bless the Lord for the Covenant of Grace and for Christ the Mediator both in respect of our selves and for our Children but you affirm ' that which you cannot prove viz. that baptism is