others of lesse note had set vpon them long before I medled with them least any man should say that I take vpon me to coine expositions of mine owne that might looke fauourably vpon that which is taken to be mine owne cause One thing more remaines that in a word must be dispatched There are some I know will like well enough the allegations of Scripture brought to proue that the Elect that all the elect doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme but with all they finde fault at the restraining of those scriptures to the Elect only for they will haue it thus that the scriptures are cleare to proue that all that are baptized doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme as well as the Elect. To this I breefly say thus much The scriptures doe not warrant any such extent of baptismall grace but plainly teach the contrary For What doe these men make of that place in Rom. 8.30 Whom be did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified The Apostle restraines iustification and effectuall calling to those that are predestinated to what to Grace only No to glory saith the Text expresly The ground of these mens mistake is this that they thinke the efficacy of baptisme depends so certainly and vniuersally vpon the Jnstitution that where there is no wilfull actuall opposition in the party baptized he cannot misse of the effect to wit the spirit of grace But they must know that howeuer by vertue of the institution we may assure our selues that the elect partake of the inward grace yet it is not the institution alone but Gods * See afterwards in cap. 6. 7 the iudgments of Caluine Iunius Dr Iewel and Dr Whitaker preordinatioÌ„ of them vnto grace and glory that makes the sacrament effectuall vpon them and not vpon others Wee admit the word in its kinde to haue efficacy to beget faith as an instrument in the hand of the spirit yet it begetts not faith in all Why Because they doe resist That may be true but why doth it worke faith in others Cheifly because they are elected vnto eternall life so saith the scripture as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued r Act. 13.48 Doth S. Luke in that place thinke wee meane other then this that they and only they that were elected did beleeue Lastly doe but consider one plaine place more it is in Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father He doth not say because they had receiued the sacrament of Baptisme which yet they had done nor yet because they did beleeue which no doubt many of them did but because ye are sonnes now this sonship depended not vpon the sacrament or any ordinance of Christ no nor yet vpon their faith inward grace but vpon the eternall decree of Gods free Election Ephes 1.4.5 So much of â—â—e Proofe of this point by the Holy Scriptuâ— CAP. 5. The iudgment of the Fathers in this point I Am now come to the third part of my taske which is to proue that this hath beene the iudgement and Doctrine of the cheife and best approued Fathers of the Primitiue Church In this I will enforce my selfe to all possible breuity contenting my selfe with a few instances least the worke grow too large and tedious to the reader And that I may be as good as my word I will mention only such as liued within the first 500 yeares after Christ because they that came after may be liable to chalenge 1 Then Cyprian to begin with Cyprian that eminent Doctor and famous Martyr who is stiled by Gregory Nazianzen the cheife and most approued Pastor of his time and the principall light so as not only the Churches of Carthage and Affrick but throughout the whole Christian world his fame and admiration did spread it selfe a Greg. Naz. in laudem Cyprian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Pastorum optimus probatissimus c. Hee in his epistle ad Pompaeium De Haeret baptizandis giues this for a reason why such as were baptized by Hereticks cast out of the Church were to be rebaptized viz because there is noe presence of the spirit among such as are not of the Church of Christ and therefore their baptisme is not sufficient His words are these Wherefore saith he let them grant that either the spirit is present where they say true baptisme is or that it is no true baptisme where the spirit is not because baptisme cannot be without the spirit b Quare aut spiritum esse concedâ—m illic vbi baptisma esse dicunt aut nec baptisma esse vbi spir tus non est quia baptisma esse sine spiritu non potest It is true that out of his zeale against Hereticks of that time who grosly erred in maine Fundamentalls he was ouer vehement against baptisme administred by such as the Church had then eiected out of her society because he thence inferred a necessity of rebaptization of all such as were so baptized by such Hereticks yet the allegation reacheth home to our present purpose in that this shewes his iudgment to be clearely for this truth that the spirit is ordinarily communicated in Baptisme Hence he afterwards inferrs in the same Epistle The natiuity of Christians is in their baptisme c Natiuitas Christi noâ—um in baptismo est And to make it euident that hee vnderstood this to be the ordinary effect of baptisme euen vpon Infants he elsewhere declares himselfe expressely For in his epistle ad Fidum de Infant Baptiz he vseth this as an Argument prouing the lawfulnesse of baptizing of infants that the spirit refuseth not to communicate himselfe euen to them The Holy scripture saith he declares that diuine grace is dispenced vnto all as well infants as others which was shadowed out in Elisha's stretching of himselfe vpon an infant insensible of the Good which the Prophet did vnto him d Esse denique apud omnes siue infantes siue maiores natu vnam diuini muneris aequalitatem declarat nobis scripturae diuinae fides cum Helisaeus super infantem viduae filium qui mortuus iacebat ita se Deum deprecans superstrauit vt capiti caput faciei facies adplicaretur supersusi Helisaei membra singulis parvuli membris pedes pedibus iungerentur By which it is manifest that had not Cyprian beleeued that the spirit communicats himselfe to infants in their baptisme he would scarce haue allowed them to be baptized for asmuch as this is the cheife ground that he builds vpon to iustifie their admittance vnto the same If any shall except against what is vrged out of this last epistle as being no other then an Heterodox opinion Goulartius will defend it if it be restrained to the Elect and Chameir iustifies Goulartius in that assertion e Et
licet ibid. sect 14. I hold that it is sufficient that wee acknowledge they shall be saued for as much as they by election and praedestination belong to Gods peculiar flock that they are endowed with the spirit who is the roote of faith hope loue and all other graces which spirit afterwards doth manifest and declare himselfe in the sonnes of God when they come to years Musculus of Baptisme giues this description b Defiâ—iemus baptismum esse sacramentum regenerationis purgationis initiationis sanctificationis obsignationis incorporationis in Christum seruatorem Haec enim omni no per spiritum Christi fiunt in electu fidelibus quorum sacramentum est baptismus vt rectè in illo profici dicatur quod per spiritum Christi reipsa spiritualiter perficitur Muscul de Bapt quest 1. Sect. 8 Loc. Com. Wee define baptisme to be the sacrament of regeneration purgation initiation sanctification obsignation and incorporation into Christ our Saviour For all these are effected in the elect and faithfull by the spirit of Christ of all which graces baptisme is the sacrament so as in it this may rightly be said to be done because truly and spiritually it is effected by the spirit of Christ If any thinke to obiect against me that Musculus speakes this of the faithfull and so vnderstands it not of infants I answere out of Musculus himselfe c Omnes Christianorum infantes ad Christum pertinentes deque numero fidelium existentes recte dicuntur esse in fide Christi fideles credentes licet nondum sint imbuti fide Musc in Mat. 18 All infants belonging to Christ borne of Christian parents and being of the number of the faithfull are rightly said to be in the faith of Christ to be faithfull and beleeuers although as yet they be not endewed with actuall faith Besides he that saith Christians being elect are by the Holy Ghost ingraffed into Christ in baptisme must not exclude elect infants for as much as none but infants are now vsually baptized in the Church Therefore hee must be vnderstood of what baptisme doth ordinarily effect vpon infants or else his definition is very improper yea false being applied to children beside whom there are none vnlesse in some rare cases of proselites baptized in these latter times Francis Iunius in his Theses of Paedobapt speakes as fully to this point as any of the rest d Si enim in Christi corpus baptizandi omnes electi si omnes christum induere debent infantes non secus ac adulti eos a christi corpore separare Christo non inserere nefandum esset Thes 4. If saith he all the elect are to be baptized into the body of Christ if moreouer all of them as well infants as persons of yeares ought to put on Christ then to separate theÌ„ from the body of Christ and not to engraffe them into Christ were a most wicked thing And againe a little after e Cum baptizantur infantes deus offert confert omnia bona faederis stipulatur ibid. Thes 10. When infants What infants he meanes he had sufficiently expressed before viz. elect infants are baptized God doth both offer and conferre all the good things of the Couenant and engageth himselfe vnto it In another place thus f Baptismus est actio sacra Dei lauantis suos intus lotione spiritus foris lotione aquae Mat. 3. Ioh. 1. passim Haec igitur relata sunt aqua spiritus lotio aquae lotio spiritu Relatio vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est iâ—â—s illa siue applicatio vntus ad alteram secundum naturam relâ—torum formam constituexs sacramenti Quemadmodum igitur homo in actionibus humanis anima corpore actionem internam externam agit vnica operatione in qua sicut anima est forma corporis ita actio interna formalis quodam modo externa vero materialis est in cundum modum Deus spiritu suo aqua agit actionem internam externam vnica operatione in qua lotio interna a spiritu formalis est in â—terialis externa prâ— vt dicebat Ioannes ego baptizo vos aqua c. Iun. in Exam. Gratian. Prosp Par. 3. Baptisme is a sacred action of God washing those that be he his owne inwardly with the washing of the spirit outwardly with the washing of water Mat 3. Iohn 1. and elsewhere These two therefore the water and the spirit the washing of water and the washing of the spirit are relatiues And the relation it selfe is that application or vnion of these one to another according to the nature of relatiues which constitutes the forme of the sacrament Wherefore as a man in humane actions doth with his soule and body produce both an inward and an outward action in one and the same operation in which as the soule is said to be the forme of the body so is the inward action after a sort the formall and the externall the materiall part of the action euen so after the same manner God by his spirit and by water doth performe both an internall and an externall action in one and the same operation in which the inward washing by the spirit is the formall part and the externall washing with water is the materiall part of that his action according to that of Iohn the Baptist I indeed baptize you with water c. but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost c. This passage passing from that learned man in a scholasticall confutation of a subtile aduersary is perhaps more abstruse then it can be fully vnderstood of an ordinary reader yet all that are iudicious cannot see lesse in it than this viz that in the iudgment of Iunius that is not held for Baptisme of the elect wherein God doth not ordinarily accompany the outward administration of that sacrament with some inward worke of the spirit inwardly washing the soule as well as the water outwardly washeth the body in the Lauer of Regeneration But what manner of worke that is which is ordinarily performed by the spirit in the matter of Regeneration the same Author also describeth in the place first cited where he thus distinguisheth of regeneration and then explaines himselfe in what sense he affirmeth infants elect to be regenerated in baptisme g De regeneratio â—e aliter consideratur in fâ—â— lâ—â—ne to id est in Christo habitu aliter in nobis actu Pâ—imâ— regeneratio qâ—â—e dici potest transplantatio a vetere Id mo in novum tanqâ—am causa eâ—â— aâ—tera tanquam fructus sequituâ— De prima inquitur Christus Iohn 3. Apostolus vtramque coniungit Rom. 6. Hac regenerantur infantes electi cum Christo inferuntu huius obsignatio sit iâ—s duâ—â— baptizantuâ— De Paed. bap châ—â— 7 Touching regeneration it is one way to be considered in the foundation that is to say in Christ the habit thereof
verè Goulartius in hunc ipsum notauit locum Quaecunque profere sâc epistola Cyprianus noster de S. Baptismi in electis Christi varijs effectis vt orthadoxè ad fidei analogiam scriptum amplectimur Cham. de sacram lib. 2. c. 6. parag 38. 2 Gregory Nazianzen calls Baptisme That Good thing which giues vs initiation into Christ Gregory NazianzeÌ„ which common benifit and foundation of new life we all receiue from God f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitationis diuina bonum quod commune beneficium secundae vitae fundamentuÌ„ a Deo omnes habemnus Greg. in Laud. Gorgo In his Oration or Homily touching baptisme after a large and eloquent narration of the efficacy of baptisme he saith that it hath force euen vpon Infants also and therefore would haue them baptized vpon this ground that he takes it for granted that they also are in some degree sanctified euen in baptisme Witnesse that speech of his It is better that they be sanctified without any apprehension of the thing done then that they should depart this life without baptisme and initiation And of this thing circumcision may afford vs president for that being the fore-runner of baptisme was administred vnto such as could n thy the vse of reason discerne what it meant g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edit Graecolat Billii Pa is 1609. Praestatu absque sensu sanctificari quam sine sigillo initiatione abscedere Atque huius rei ratio nobis est circumcisio die octauo pagi solita quae Baptismi figurâ—m quodammodo g râ—bat aâ—que tis qui rationis adhuc expertes erant offerebatur which place I vrge not to proue the necessity of Baptisme as if without reception thereof it were impossible for infants to be saued for I make no doubt that in the time of the Law many infants were saued that dyed before the eighth day wherein they were to be circumcised But I make vse hereof only to shew what that Gregory beleeued and taught touching that which is ordinarily communicated in Baptisme even vnto Infants as well as others supposing them to be admitted therevnto 3 That Great Athanasius who Athanasius in his time was the chiefe and in a manner the only professed Champion the Truth had left her when as Hierome complaines the whole world seemed to be turned Arrian A man that was by the sentence of all Divines the most approued Doctor as Vigilius h Omnium Ecclesiasticorum virorum iudicio probatissimus Vigil cont Eutich l. 2. c. 4. the Martyr titles him Hee in his Booke of Questions dedicated to Antiochus Quaest 2. propounds this Question Whence may a man knowe plainely that he hath beene baptized and receaued the Spirit in baptisme seeing hee was but an infant when he was baptized The answere hee giues vnto it is this As a woman with child by the springing of the babe in her wombe knowes for certaine that she hath conceaved fruit so the soule of a TRVE CHRISTIAN knowes not by the reports of his parents but by the springings of his heart especially vpon those solemne dayes wherein Baptisme and the Lords Supper are administred and by the inward ioyes that then hee conceaues that he receaued the Holy Ghost when he was baptized i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This testimony is so cleare and full that I knowe not what can be said to evade it He speakes indefinitly therefore he excludeth none that are Christians indeed but vnto them he doth restraine it in expresse termes so he speaks directly to our present point 4 Chrysostome one of the best and clearest Expositors of the New Testament among all the Fathers calls Baptisme our initiation into Christ k HoÌ„ 1. in Act. And to let vs see that hee meanes it not of an outward admission only into the visible Church hee afterwards declares himselfe when he makes the spirit to be the cheife part of baptisme as if there were no baptisme worth that name which is not accompanied with the presence of the spirit to make it efficacious Jn Baptisme the cheife part is the spirit by which the water becomes effectuall l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 1. in Act. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 40. in Act. If any shall say that this proues not that the spirit doth alwaies accompany the outward washing but rather the contrary because Chrysostome speakes this of the Apostles that had beene baptized and yet were commanded by Christ after his resurrection to stay at Hierusalem in expectation of the Holy Ghost saying Yee shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many daies hence m Act. 1.5 I answer that Chrysostome admits that in them the case was such indeed but saith he in vs both are performed together n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aom 1. in Act. I stand not to iustifie his Exposition of the place in respect of what he saith touching the bestowing of the Holy Ghost vpon the Apostles as if they had not receaued of the spirit in some measure before that time Let that opinion shift for it selfe as it can I only vrge the words to shew his iudgment of this thing viz that now we Christians receaue the spirit in baptâ—sme as well as the outward signe * That this was his iudgment even of infants also appeares in his Homil. on Ps 14. i 15. iuxta Heb. Adducit quispiam infantem adhuc vbera sugentem vt baptizetur statim Sacâ—rdos exigit ab infirma aetate pacta conventa assensiones mâ—noris aetate fiâ—â—â—ussâ—râ—â— accipit susceptorem interrogat Renunciat Satanae non dicit In finem vel cum Christo â—â—mungitur in sineÌ„ sed statim in principio vitae petit renunciationes coniunctiones And yet least any should imagine him to be so grosse as to thinke that all that partake of the outward washing doe receaue the inward grace heare him afterwards in the same Homily expressing his griefe for the contrary What anguish of heart saith hee doe J sustaine so often as I see some even when they are ready to breath their last runne vnto Baptisme and yet are never a whit the more purged by it o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eduio Savil. Ibid. Quos aestus pectoris sentio quoties alios video subextremum balitum festinantes ad initiatioâ—em nec hinc fieri puriores ibid. prope sin edit Lat. This Father therefore did not hold that all that are baptized doe partake of the Spirit in Baptisme how euer his iudgment were cleare for it in the Ordinary course of Divine dispensation Nor let any Arminian thinke to take me tardy as if I abused the Reader by alleaging that which mine Author speakes of Persons of yeares who doe oftentimes ponere obicem actually oppose the spirit of grace even while they be present at the meanes of grace to proue the like in the case of Infants For howeuer it be too
true that Persons of yeares doe oft times resist the spirit by a wicked heart and corrupt life yet this Father speakes of men of another disposition for he speaks of men euen at the point of death apprehending a necessity of remission of sinne by Christ and hastening to Initiation p Festinantes ad initiationem Ibid. which argues an earnest desire after the grace of Baptisme and yet they goe away without it Therefore they of whom he speaketh are not such as doe resist the spirit when they are baptized and so the words are pertinent vnto my purpose 5 Basil to that Question How Christians are saued Giues this answere By being regenerated by the grace receaued in Baptisme q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Spir. Sanct. c. 10 And a little after Baptisme is vnto mee the beginning of life and the day of regeneration is the beginning of daies in that respect r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. In another place speaking of Baptisme hee saith that it is the death of sinne the new birth of the soule Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc exhort ad sanct Bapt. c. I will not adde more out of him This may suffice 6 Hierome in his third booke of Dialogues against the Pelagians brings in the Pelagian thus cavelling with the Orthodox I pray thee tell me why are Infants baptized To which he shapes this answere that in baptisme their sinnes might be remitted t Dic quaeso me omni ibera quaestione quare insantult baptizentur Orthod vt iis pectata in baptismate dimatantur And so much the Author of the Perpetuity of the regenerate mans estate acknowledgeth and professeth pag. 456. edit 2 And in the conclusion of that booke that hee might at once hisse that absurd distinction of the Pelagians that children are baptized not for remission of sinne but to make them partakers of the kingdome of heauen out of the Church hee thus speakes in the person of the Orthodox vnto the Pelagians u Hoc vnum dicam vt tandem finiatur oratio aut novum vos Pelagiani nempe lebere symbolum tradere vt post Patrem Filium Spiritum Sanctum baptizâ—tis infantes in regnum caelâ—â—â— aut si vnum in paâ—vulâ—s in magnis habetis baptisma etiam infantes in remissionem peccatorum baptizandos in similitudinem prevaricationis Adam credatis That I may at length put an end to this discourse I will say but this one thing either you must forge a new Creed and after that forme of baptisme I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost adde this that thou maist partake of the kingdome of heauen or if yee doe beleeue that there is but one baptisme of persons of yeares and of infants yee must hold that infants also are baptized for remission of sinne as well as others But this cannot be without the spirit in an infant then at least if not before communicated to apply the blood of Christ vnto him as the same Father against the Luciferians * Hiâ—rom â—â—uer Lucifer Nulli hominum sine spiritu sancto peccata â—imittuntur Quomodo antâ—quis sordibâ—â— anima purgatâ— quae 〈…〉 habet spiritum ibid. Neque enim 〈◊〉 lavat animaâ— sed prius ipsa lavatur à â—p ritu c. vide locum expresly teacheth Sinnes are remitted to none without the Holy Ghost And a little before thus How can that soule be purged from old sinnes that hath not the holy spirit And againe in the same Tract It is not water that washeth the soule but the water it selfe is first sanctified by the spirit not vnlike to that speech of Moses in another case The spirit of God moved vpon the waters whence it is evident that baptisme cannot be without the spirit To conclude Christ saith he was baptized and receaued the spirit in Baptisme not that hee had it not before for he never was without it but that it might be manifest to vs that true baptisme is that wherein the Holy Ghost is present And to this also Calvine giues testimony in his Institutions x Lib. 4. cap. 16. Sect. 18. 7 Ambrose speaking of the parts of baptisme y De iis qui initiantur mysteriis cap. 4. Ires sunt in baptismate aqua sanguis spiritus si vnum horum detrahas non stat baptismatis sacramentum Quid enim est aqua sinc cruce Christi elementum commune sine vllo sacramenti effectu There are saith hee in Baptisme three things Water Bloud and the Spirit Take away but one of these and yee destroy the Sacrament For what is water without the bloud of Christ or a common element without any effect of the Sacrament If any shall say that this is not cleare for the efficacy of Baptisme at the time of administration hee shall therein shew so much ignorance in that Fathers Writings as that the Learned would iustly blame me if I should take vp more time to demonstrate this vnto him and gnash their teeth at such an Ignoramus 8 Lastly Augustine that great famous Doctor of the Church is knowne to all to be very frequent in this very Argument It shall suffice to quote a place or two There is not saith he z Serm ad infantes Nulli est aliquantenus ambigendum tunc vnumquemque fidelium corporis sanguinisque Domini participem fieri quando in baptismate efficitur membrum Christi the least doubt to bee made by any man that then every one of the faithful is made partaker of the body and bloud of our Lord when in Baptisme he is made a member of Christ If any thinke that by the faithfull he meanes onely persons of yeares actually beleeuing let them consult his Epistle a Epist 23. tom 2. to Boniface a devout Earle touching the baptizing of Infants wherein they shall finde that Father to comprehend infants in the number of the faithfull and that by reason of the Sacrament of faith Againe b Epist 57. ad Dardanum Dicimus in baptizatis parvulis quamvis id nesciant habitare spiritum sanctuÌ„ Sic enim cum nesciunt quamvis sit in eis quemadmodum nesciunt métem cuius in iis ratio quâ vti â—â—â—dum possant veluti quaedam scintilla sopita est excitanda aetatis accessis We say that in infants baptized although they be not aware of it the Holy Ghost doth dwell For so are they without knowledge of his being in them although he bee in them as they are of the reasonable soule reason being in them who yet cannot make vse of it like a little sparke raked vp vnder ashes and is not stirred vp but by accesse of yeares And in the same Epistle with which I will make an end c Habitare autem ideo in talibus dicitur quia occultè in eis agit vt suit templum eius idque in proficientibus proficiendo
consequent regeneration for as much as these two are inseparable All this that reuerend Iewel very well knew yet is not afaid to subscribe to their doctrine Yea in the same Apology he thus particularly deliuereth his iudgment concerning infants d Defence chap. 11. divis 3. pag 216. Wee say that Baptisme is a sacrament of there-mission of sinnes and of that washing which wee haue in the blood of Christ and that no person that will professe Christs name ought to be restrained or kept back there from no not the very babes of Christians for as much as they be borne in sinne and doe pertaine vnto the people of God I thinke his words are plaine enough to proue that infants partake of remission of sinne in Baptsme because saith he baptisme is a sacrament of remission and because infants are to be baptized vpon this ground viz not only because they are part of Gods heritage but vpon this ground that they be borne in sinne Now if they ought to be baptized vnto remission of sinne because borne in sinne will any man well in his wits conclude other then thus therefore they doe partake of remission of sinne in Baptisme I doe imagine some will be ready to pull me by the sleeue and say I pray Sir looke againe B. Iewel calls baptisme the Sacrament of Remission not remission it selfe and this he may doe yet neuer hold remission of sinnes to bee conferred in baptisme of infants but only that it is a seale of that grace hereafter to be conferred when by faith they apply the same Indeed so M. Harding the Papist e See in B. Iew. ibid. pag. 217. would needs vnderstand him charging him and the rest of the Protestants with speaking too slenderly of baptisme in that they call it a sacrament of Remission whereby if yee will beleeue him they meane that it is only a signe or token or at the best but a seale of our new birth and not beleeuing with the Catholique Church accordâ—ng to the Scriptures that in and by baptisme sinnes be fully and truly remitted and put away All this M. Harding would father vpon our Church but pray marke the note that Jewel puts in the margent pag 217 ouer against that calumny of Harding viz. vntruth For wee say not so And whereas M. Harding is pleased to goe on in his railing veine professing that the Church beleeues that remission of sinnes is giuen in baptisme f Ibid. and that not through the faith only of the giuer or receiuer or of any other though herevnto it be necessary in those that be come to age of discretion but through the power and virtue of the sacrament and Gods promise B. Jewel to that word faith giues this note in the margent This tale is needlesse and out of season As if he should say in the baptisme of infants we require not faith but rely only on Gods promise For so more at large in his answere to Harding Hee explicates himselfe First he granteth it as a truth that the sacrament dependeth neither of the minister nor of the receiuer nor of any other for though they be all the children of sinne yet is baptisme the sacrament of remission of sinne The place he alledgeth out of Saint Augustine speakes his minde plainly that he depends vpon Christ himselfe for the efficacy of baptisme and not vpon the faith of the receiuer if he be an infant of which only the question betwene Him and Harding was by Harding himselfe put vp who chargeth the Protestants with denying the present efficacy of baptisme vnto Remission of sinnes vpon infants for want of actuall faith Notwithstanding because the Aduersary is so brag and confident that the Fathers stood not vpon faith in the baptizing of infants the Bishop is pleased a little to take downe his pride and to discouer his ignorance in the Fathers and shewes out of S. Augustine and S. Hierome that to the intent Baptisme might be effectuall vnto infants they thought it requisite that the faith of their parents should then be imployed on their behalfe and be imputed to them But yet for his owne part he professeth his dissent from that opinion although it might be further backed out of Iustine Martyr S. Cyprian and Saint Hierome For thus they write saith he How truly I will not say But their words be plaine The Prophet Habbacuck saith Iustus ex fide suâ vivet the iust man shall liue not by the faith of his parents but by his owne faith Then he approueth a speech of Augustine more consonant to the truth affirming that g Habent fidem propter fidei sacramentum Epist 23. ad Bonif. Infants haue faith of their owne because they haue baptisme which is the sacrament of faith for he saith quemadmodum sacramentum corporis Christi secundum quendam modum corpus Christi est ita sacramentum fidei fides est As the sacrament of Christs body not verily and indeed but after a certaine manner of speech is Christs body so baptisme is faith because it is the sacrament of faith Therefore saith Iewel Cardinall Caietane is worthily blamed by Catharinus in that he saith An infant for that hee wanteth instruction in faith therefore hath not perfect baptisme Out of all which I can picke no other English but this There is no necessity that we should holde a necessity of faith in infants yet if they haue any it is but improperly so called it is that not which they brought with them to the sacrament but that which they are reputed to receiue in the sacrament it selfe And this in effect is the very doctrine of h Instit lib 4. cap. 16. sect 21. compared with other passages in the same chapter Caluine set forth at large in the former chapter viz. that it is not requisite alwaies that a Christian should bring grace vnto baptisme to make him capable of the grace of baptisme but he must come to baptisme that there he may receiue it if he be not of yeares as he that is of yeares receiues a confirmation of that which was wrought in him before And so much this same Bishop in his Reply to M. Hardings Answer Art 1. Div. 13. of which place wee shall perhaps haue fitter occasion afterwards to speake in effect declareth also For the present you see that what euer becomes of the faith of infants he ioynes with Catharinus in condemning of Caietane denying infants to be perfectly baptized for want of instruction in faith Then he expresseth that as the Antient Fathers did so doth he hold baptisme to be efficacious yet not the outward element but the spirit of Christ doth the deed when it is effected In breefe he denyes not the thing to be conferred even on infants but only the manner which the Romanists contend for They say that the blood and spirit of Christ is in the very outward clement by the consecration of the Preist as the virtue of healing is naturall