merites of thē that receiue the grace but accordyng to the good pleasure of hys wyll vnto the prayse glory of the selfe grace of hys that he that dothe glorye should in no wyse glory in hymselfe but should glory in the Lorde whyche gyueth to suche men as he wyll The wyll of god because he is mercyful and yf he gaue not yet he is ryghtfull and to whome he wyll not gyue he dothe not gyue that he maye cause the ryches of hys glory to be knowen Roma 9 amōge the vessels of mercy For in giuing to certeine that whyche they do not deserue he would vndoubtedly haue hys grace to be fre and so to be his grace in dede Grace but in not gynyng to all he dothe declare what all dyd deserue He is good in shewyng mercy to some he is iust in punyshyng the reste Yea he is good to all For it is a good thyng to render that whych is dewtye and he is iuste to all for it is a iuste thynge when that whych is dewe is geuē wythout fraude of any man But the grace of God is defended to be without merites that is to be true grace altho the baptised infantes be not as the Pelagians iudge delyuered from the power of darkenes because they are not as they thynke holden vnder any synne but are only trāslate into the kingdome of the Lorde For so also the kyngdome of heauen is gyuen Heauen geuen to infantes wyth out merites to whome it is gyuen wythout any good merites and to whome it is not geuen wythout any euel merites it is not geuen The whych we are wont to obiecte agaynst the same Pelagians when they laye to our charge that we ascribe the grace of God to desteny in affermyng that it is not geuē for our merites sake Satum But they do rather in infantes ascribe the grace of God to destenye whych saye that there is desteny where as is no merite For no merites by the selfe Pelagians iudgement also can be founde in yonge children why some of them should be sent into the kyngdome and some of them should be banyshed out of the kingdome But like wyse as that I might declare that the grace of God is not geuen for our merites sake I had nowe rather defende thys accordynge to bothe our iudgementes that is as well accordyng to our owne iudge met whych do afferme that yonge chyldren are bonde vnder original synne as also the iudgement of the Pelagians whiche deny originall synne And notwithstanding this I ought not therfore to doubt but that the infantes haue somwhat whych he maye forgeue them that do saue hys people from theyr synnes Euen so also in my thyrde boke of fre choyse Math. 1. I dyd resyste the Manicheis accordynge to both vnderstādinges whether ignorance and difficultie wythout the which no mā is borne be the punyshmentes or the begynninges of nature yet neuertheles I do defende but one parte of those I haue there also euidently enough declared that thys is not the nature of the created man S. Aug. bokes were obiected agaynst himselfe but the payne of the condempned man The aūcienty therfore of that my boke is vaynely obiected agaynst me as a prescripciō that I should not intreat the cause of infantes as I ought to do vpon their cause cōuince by the lyght of the manyfest truthe that the grace of God is not geuen for mans merites sake For yf I when I beganne my bokes of fre choise at Rome beyng a laye man and dyd fynyshe the same in Aphrica beyng priest dyd yet doubt bothe of the dānacion of infantes that were not regenerate and also of the delyueraunce of them that were renued No man as I suppose is so vniust and so enuious Who be vniuste enuious whyche would forbyd me to profyte and go forwardes and would iudge it mete that I should continue and abyde styll in thys doubt But seyng this may be vnderstande more truely they ought not to thynke that I therfor doubted of thys matter because I thought it good thus to conuince them against whome I thē wrote that whether these were the payne of original synne in yonge chyldrē accordyng as the truthe teacheth or were not as some errynge suppose Neuertheles the mynglyng together of two natures that is of good and euell whyche the Manitheis error dothe bryng in oughte not to be beleued in no wyse God forbyd that we should leaue the cause of yonge chyldren after suche a maner that we shoulde saye that we were vncerteine whether the infātes that dye beyng regenerate in Christe do passe into eternall lyse but those that are not regenerate do passe into the seconde deathe because it is wrytten By one man synne entered into the worlde and death by the meanes of synne and so death went ouer all men Roma 5. Otherwyse thys can not be truely vnder stande neither do any delyuer frō eternall death wherwith synne is moste iustely recompensed either great or smale but he only whiche beynge wythout any synne of hys owne either originall or actuall dyed for the remission of oure synnes Let vs not be ashamed to repere one aunswer to the same obieccion both original and actual But why do he delyuer rather these thē them We say againe againe neither ar we wery or ashamed of this aunswere O man what arte thou that disputest wyth God hys iudgementes are vnsearcheable and hys wayes past finding out whervnto we adde thys Ro. 9.11 Eccle. 3. Seke not oute the thynges that are aboue thy capacitie and searche not out the thynges that are to myghty for thee Do you not perceiue dearely beloued howe folyshe an opinion it is and howe contrary to the holsome fayth and syncere truthe that we should affirme that yonge chyldren that be deade shal be iudged according to suche workes as they were afor sene to haue done yf they had lyued In to thys opinion are they cōpelled to falle whych certeinly all men that haue vnderstandynge thoo they haue neuer so lytle wyt and namely christians do abhorre whych would none otherwyse varey from the Pelagians error but that they myght yet stille thynke it lawful for them to beleue and also to defende by disputacion that the grace of God thorow Iesu Christe our Lorde wherby alone We are holpē by grace alone after the fall of the fyrst man in whome we all fell we are holpen is gyuen accordyng to our merites Whiche Pelagius hymselfe for feare that he should be condemned dyd condemne in the presence of the byshoppes of the East churche beyng hys iudges But yf thys can not be affirmed I meane of the workes of the deade good or euell whiche they should haue done yf they had lyued and therfore none at al and suche as neuer shal be in Goddes forknowlege but yf thys I saye can not be affermed whyche you perceyue howe falslye it should
vile shauelyng Or els what thynge hathe goddes wrytten worde prohibite forbydden that was then cōmaūded to be done and practised I meane styl of the cōmon order for religiō Yf you can agayne saye any of these do in some particular matter and by goddes helpe you shal be answered But yf you can not truely deny but that Goddes voice and worde was so reuerently heard whē the churche of Englande was the true catholyke churche of Christ in reforming the cōmon order of religion that al thynges were approued and vsed except discipline that it cōmaūdeth and all thinges refrayned that it forbiddeth then muste I also conclude that the Church of England in the dayes of thaforenamed kinges was the true catholyke churche of Christ For the truthe sayeth he that is of God heareth goddes worde Ioh. 8. Ioh. 10. And agayne he sayeth my shepe heare my voice but the churche of Englande in the dayes of the sayde kynges dyd heare the worde of God and the voice of Christ Therfore the churche of Englande was then the true catholike Church of Christe Can you for shame you chyldren of the deuel and enemyes to all ryghtfulnes whych cease not to peruerte the strayght wayes of the Lorde Act. 13. denye any part of this argument Are you not dryuen for wante of the truthe to buylde agayne youre newe Babilon wyth shamefull lyes manyfest falshode and moste barbarous and cruel tyranny But paraduenture you wyll saye that in the dayes of kynge Edwarde we dyd not myngle water wyth the wyne in the Lordes Supper What then Dyd Christe in the instituciō of the same gyue either example or cōmaundement to mingle water wyth the wyne Dyd he not calle that whyche hys Apostles had dronke out of the cuppe math 26 mar 14. the frute of the vyne tree Is wyne alone the frute of the vynetre or wyne water mingled together But you saye that tholde wryters as S. Cipriane and other do make mencion of the myngled cuppe wyth wyne and water Dothe not the same Cipriane S. Aug. also with other teache more earnestly that infantes can not be saued wythout receyuyng theuchariste and for the same purpose allege Christes wordes excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man drynke hys blood ye haue no lyfe in you Therfore lykewyse as ye leauynge in thys pointe Joh. 6. dyuerse other both Cipriane Aug. and all the hole catholyke churche of theyr tyme do yet thynke that neuertheles you are Christes churche And so wolde I also iuge of you and accepte you yf you gaue not many horrible and manyfest occasiōs to be rather wor thely counted the synagoges of Satan euen so do we moste iustely and truly beleue that the churche of Englande in the dayes of the sayd kynges was Christes true catholyke churche notwythstandynge it dyd not accordyng to the lybertie of the same myngle water wyth wyne not mythstandynge it dyd not annoynte infantes and ministres of the worde wyth oyle or omitted any suche lyke tradicion or ceremonye altho the same were mēcioned in the olde wryters For asmuche as it dyd neither obserue nor cōmaūde any thynge that is forbydden nor yet omytte or forbydde any thynge that is cōmaunded by the wrytten worde of God whyche alone is sufficiēt to gouerne the same true catholyke churche of Christ in al matters of religion 2. tim 3 necessary for saluacion But I appeale vnto thyne owne conscience gentle reader whether our aduersaries go not beyōde this lawfull lybertie The lybertie of the churche whyche consysteth in the alteracion or cuttynge of of suche tradicions as be eyther superfluous or supersticious accordyng as diuersite of tymes shall requyre For they vsynge a moste licentious and leude lybertie disanull goddes cōmaūdemētes to maintaine their owne tradicions and inuencions For they bothe do themselues Mat. 15 and also compell other to do that which God forbyddeth forbyd the whyche God by hys written worde cōmaun deth The true doctrine of the gospel touchynge remission of synnes eleccion vocation and iustificacion thef do corcupte wyth the leuen of their owne doctrine as I doubte not but that thou wylt manyfestly perceyue by reading of these bokes of S. Aug. Our sauiour Christ by expresse wordes cōmaunded all hys to drynke of his holy cuppe mat 26. but they by expresse wordes forbyd all excepte their annointed shauelynges syngynge or sayeng theyr masse to drynke of the cuppe Saint Marke by the spirite forseynge thys theyr cursed sacrilege dothe testefye mar 14. that they al drāke of the cuppe Dare they yet trifle which these scriptures as they were wont to do and to saye that all that were with Christ at hys last supper were prestes and that therfore they all dranke of hys cuppe I wyll not cōtende about wordes so that they vnderstande by prestes ministers of the newe testament but I pray you dyd any of them synge or say masse at Christes Supper that they might therby be admitted to drynke of his holy cuppe For they teache that none may drynke of the Lordes cup but priestes doynge masse and therfore on maundaye thursdaye when they haue but one masse they vse in great churches to minister to theyr priestes and all but onely the one kynde of breade Further yf Christe as they saye dyd at his laste supper gyue the Sacramentes of hys body and bloode onely to prestes howe dare they gyue any parte of them to any laye man By what authorite do they then gyue the one parte to women For I suppose the they wyll not confesse that either laye men or women be prestes But I praye you what can you saye you cōmytters of sacrilege to S. Paule whyche wrytynge to the hole churche of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10 11. cōmaunde as well the lordes Cuppe as the breade to be gyuē to al and not only to the ministers Are not you the selfe same whome Christ noted whē he sayd you breake the cōmaūdementes of God thorowe your owne tradicions math 15. Who gaue you lybertie to mumble in a straunge tonge vnto the people whiche is not onely agaynst the wryttē worde of God 1. Cor. 14 but also against common sence and reason The written worde sayeth that yf I praye wyth tonges my spirite or breath prayeth but my mynde is without frute The written worde sayeth yf thou blessest wyth the spirite that he whiche occupyeth the romthe of the vnlearned can not say Amen at the gyuyng of thankes seyng he vnderstādeth not what thou sayest The written worde sayeth that it were better in the congregacion to speake fyue wordes wyth the mynde to thinformacion of other then ten thousand wordes wyth the tonge The writtē worde cōmaundeth all thynges to be done to edefyeng But you cōpell your prestes to praye wyth the spirit or breath to gyue thākes in a straūge tonge to speake nothynge to thin formacion and edefyeng of other And the people you compell to saye Amen
death yf the sinnes to come be punished which were neuer committed Neuertheles he sayeth very plentifully and excellently that daungers to synne wante not in this lyfe that after this lyfe ther remayne none Where as he doth also allege this testimonye out of the boke of wysedōe he was takē a waye Sap. 4. that malice shoulde not chaūge his vnderstandyng The which in lyke maner beynge alleged of me you sayd that these brethren haue reiected as that which was not taken out of a Canonicall boke as tho besyde the wytnesse of thys boke the thynge it selfe whiche we would teache by it were not many fest For what Christiā dare denye that the iuste man yf he be preuented wyth death Sap. 4. Popyshe purgatory pyck purse dare deny thys shal be in refreshyng whyche doctrine yf any man shall teache what man hauynge a sounde fayth wyll thynke that he should be resysted In lyke maner yf he shall teache that yf the iuste man shall departe from his ryghtfulnes wherin he hath lōge lyued and shall dye in that vngodlynes wherin he hath liued speake not of an hole yere but only one daye shall go from hence into paynes dewe vnto the wicked and that his formare ryghtfulnes past shal nothynge profyt hym what faythful man wyll agaynesaye thys open truth Furthermore yf it be demāded of vs whether yf he had dyed when he was a iuste mā he should haue founde paynes or reste shall we doubt to answer that he should haue founde reste Thys is all the matter wherfore it was sayd of whome soeuer it was sayd he was taken awaye that malyce shoulde not chaunge hys vnderstandyng For it was spoken of the daūgers of thys lyfe not of the foreknowlege of God whyche knewe aforehande that whyche was to come not that which was not to cōe that is to saye that he would preuente hym with vntymely death that he myght be taken frō the vncerteintie of tentaciōs not that he should synne whych should not abyde in tentacion For of thys lyfe it is red thus in the boke of Iob Iob. 7. is not mans lyfe vpon earth a tentacion But why it is graunted to some to be taken awaye from the peryls of this lyfe whyles they are ryghtful but other beyng iuste are kept in the same daungers by a longer lyfe vntyil they fall from ryghtfulnes Vn sea cheable iugementes but yet iust who knoweth the mynde of the Lorde And yet herby we maye vnderstāde that those iuste men whiche do lyue godly vntyll their olde age and the last daye of thys lyfe ought to glory in the Lord and not in theyr owne merites For he that hath thorowe the shortnes of lyfe taken away the iust man that malice shoulde not chaunge his vnder stādyng doth also in the lōgestlyfe kepe the iuste that malice may not chaunge hys vnderstandyng But why he hath holdē in thys lyfe the iuste that wyll fall awaye whome before he dyd fall he myght haue taken awaye hys iugementes are certeinely moste iuste but yet vnsercheable Seyng that these thynges are true the sentence takē out of the boke of wysedom ought not to haue ben reiected whyche haue ben so muche estemed in the churche of Christ that it haue ben many yeres redde in the place where the readers of lessons do vse to red to the church of Christ haue ben also herde as Goddes worde of all christians euen from the byshoppes vntyl the poorest laye faythful men The scriptures wer redde in the vulgare tonge to the poeple according to s Paulus doctrine 1. Corinti 14. the penitētes and the yonge scolers called Cathecuumini But yf by the testimony of the interpretores of holy scriptures which wer before our dayes I would defende thys doctrine which nowe we are cōmpelled to defende agaynst the newe error of the Pelagians more diligently and more aboūdauntly thē we were wonte that is to say that the grace of God is not geuen after our merites and that it is fre lye geuen to whomsoeuer it is geuen because it lyeth not in mans wyll or runnyng but in the mercy of God but yet to whome so euer it is not geuē by iuste iudgemēt it is not geuen forbecause ther is no vnryghtfulnes wyth God Yf I would I saye defende thys doctrine Men are bent rather to credite doctors then goddes worde by the catholyke interpretures of the holye scriptures that were before our dayes the brethrē for whome nowe we take thys labour would geue place For so you haue sygnifyed by your letters But what nede is it that we shuld serche out theyr workes whych be fore thys heresye dyd sprynge vp had no nede to occupie themselues in aunswerynge to thys hard questiō which out of doute they would haue done yf they had ben by suche heretikes compelled thervnto Whi man of thold doctores speke litle of grace Whervpon it happened that they dyd but briefly and by the waye declare in certain places of their wrytynges what they thoughte of the grace of God but theyr chiefe exercyse was in other matters whych they dysputed agaynst the enemyes of Christes churche notwythstandyng in theyr exhortacions vnto all vertues wherby men serue the lyuynge and true God to attayne eternal lyfe true blessednes and in their assembles or prayers it dyd plainlye appeare of what strength goddes grace was For the thynges that he hath commaunded to be done should not be desyred of God except the doyng of them were his gyft But they that would be enstructed by the testimonies of Ecclesiasticall wrytters or doctours muste preferre thys boke of wysedom wherin it is red Goddes wordepre ferred aboue all doctores he was taken awaye that malice should not chaunge his vnderstandynge before al doctours Forbycause the-noble doctours that wer euen nexte vnto thapostles dayes dyd also preferre it before themselues whych when they dyd aledge it for a wytnes did beleue that thei dyd allege nothyng but the wytnes of God And surely it is manyfest that the moste blessed Cipriane to commende the benefyte of a swyft death dyd dispute that they were delyuered from the daungers of thys lyfe whych do ende thys lyfe wherin men may synne In the same boke amonge other thynges he sayeth Why seyng that thou shalt be wyth Christ and beyng certeine of the Lordes promyse that thou arte called vnto Christe doest not embrace thys reioyce that thou shalt be deliuered from the deuel And in an other place he sayeth Chyldren by death auoyde the daūger of slippery youth In lyke maner he sayth in an other place why do we not make haste and runne that we maye se our countre that we maye salute our parentes A great nombre of our dere beloued parentes brethren and chyldren do tary ther for vs. A'great multytude beyng now sure of theyr own saftie yet careful for oure health desyre our company Wyth these suche lyke sentences in the moste cleare
lyght of the catholyke fayth thys doctour dothe manyfestly testefye that the daungers and tentaciōs of sinning are to be feared vntyl the puttyng of of thys body after the whych no man shal suffer any suche thynges But and yf he dyd not thys wytnesse whē would any christiā doubt of thys matter How then to a man that is fallen and in the same falle myserably endynge thys lyfe and goynge vnto paynes dewe to suche how I say should it not haue ben exceding profytable for hym yf he had ben takē out of the place of tentaciō by death before he had fallen And thus yf we set asyde rashe contencion thys question touchyng hym that was taken awaye that malyce should not chaunge hys vnderstandyng is fully aunswered Neither ought therfore the boke of wysedome to haue suffered thys iniury whyche haue so many yeres ben redde in the churche of Christe wherin this sentence is also redde because it is agaynst them whych are deceyued in thextollyng of mans merites Who be the ennemys of grace ennemyes agaynst the moste manyfest grace of God whych do appeare chiefly in yonge infantes amonge whome for as muche as some departe thys lyfe beyng baptised and other without baptisme is euidently declared mercy iudgement but mercy that is frely gouen and iudgement that is dewe For yf men should not be iudged accordynge to the workes of theyr lyfe whych they had before deathe but accordynge to suche as they should haue had yf they had lyued longer he had receiued no benefyt whych was taken awaye that malyce should not chaunge hys vnderstandyng it should nothynge haue profyted them whych dye in theyr synne yf they had dyed before whiche no christian shall dare afferme The catholike faith is contrary to the pelagians errors Wherfore oure brethren whyche wyth vs in the defence of the catholyke fayth do impugne the pernicious error of the Pelagians ought not so muche to fauour this opinion of the Pelagians wherby they thynke the grace of God to be geuen accordyng to our merites insomuche that they go aboute to destroye thys true auncient and christian sentence he was takē away that malice should not chaunge his vnderstandynge because they can not abyde the hearyng of it and to afferme that opinion whyche we thought no man would haue beleued no nor yet haue dreamed that is that euery dead mā should be iuged accordyng to suche workes as he should haue done if he had liued longer in the bodye Thus it appeareth that that whyche we afferme that the grace of God is not geuen accordyng to our merites is inuincible insomuche that wytty men ropugning against thys veritie wer compelled to afferme that the Pelagians errors ought to be banyshed from the eares and thoughtes of all men The .xv. Chapter Christ ys a cleare light af predestination THe saueour himselfe the mediatour betwene god and men the mā Christ Iesus is also a moste cleare lyght of predestinacion grace and that he myght so be by what merites of his goyng before eyther of workes or of fayth dyd the nature of man that was in hym purchase thys Let it be declared I praye you whereby that man deserued to be assumpte of the worde coeternal to the father in the vnitie of persone the he might be the only begottē sonne of God Dyd there any maner of goodnes of hys go before What dyd he aforhande what beleued he what axed he that he myght attayne to this vnspeakable dignitie begā not the selfe mā whych was made and assumpte of the worde to be the only sonne of God euen from the tyme that he began to be man Dyd not that woman full of grace conceiue the only sonne of God Was not the only sonne of God borne of the holy goost and the virgine Mary not by the luste of the fleshe but by the singular gyft of God was it to be feared lest that man should syn thorough fre choise whē he should come to the yeres of discrecion Or had he not therfore frewyll that somuche the more that he could not serue synne For all these most wōderful gyftes and other yf ther be any more that maye be counted moste iustely and peculiarly hys mans nature that is our nature receyued in hym after a syngular maner wythout any merytes of hys goynge before Let man here dispute with God yf he dare say why haue not I also the lyke and yf he shal thus be answered O mā what arte thou that disputest with God and wyll not so be satisfyed but wyl augment his impudency and saye why do I heare O man what art thou Rom. 9. Seyng I am that I heare that is to saye a man and so is he also of whome I speake but why am not I also that that he is For thorough grace cam he to this excelient dignitie why is grace dyuerse where as nature is one Surely ther is no acceptiō of persons wyth God Acto 10. What I say not a christian but what madde man would speake these wordes In our heade then maye appeare vnto vs the selfe fountaine of grace from whence it doth spreade it selfe into all hys membres accordynge to the measure of euery one Ephe. 4. By the same grace is euery mā from the begynnyng of hys fayth made a christiā by the whych that man from hys begynning was made Christ of the same spirite is man also borne agayne wherof thys man was fyrst borne thorowe the same spirite there is wrought in vs remissiō of synnes by the whyche it was wrought in hym that he should haue no sinne God knewe aforehande that he would do these thynges wythout al doubt The selfe same is therfore the predestinacion of sayntes whiche dyd moste euidently appeare in the moste holy whych who can denye that do ryghtlye vnderstande the wordes of truthe For we haue learned that the Lord of glory him selfe inasmuche as mā was made the sonne of God was predestinate The doctor of the Centyls do crye in the begynnyng of hys Epistles Rom. 1. Paule the seruaunt of Iesu Christ called an Apostle put a part for the Gospel of Godwhych he promysed by his prophetes in his holy Scriptures of his sonne which was made vnto hym of the sede of Dauid after the fleshe whych was predestinate the sonne of God in power by the spirite of sanctification of the resurrection of the dead Iesus was therfore predestinate that he whych after the fleshe should be the sonne of Dauid myght be neuertheles in power the sonne of God by the spirite of sanctification because he was borne of the holy goost and of the virgine Mary The selfe same is that syngular takynge of mās nature vnspekeably wrought of God the worde that the sonne of God and the sōne of mā together and the sonne of mā for mās sake that is taken and the sonne of god for the only begottē sake that dothe take should truly and properly be called
this that chyldren beyng baptised in their infancye are coūted to departe this lyfe for their merites sake that are to cōe and that therfore other dye in the same age without baptisme because also their euell merites to come are forknowen but that neither their good lyfe is rewarded of God nor yet their euell lyfe condemned But that I maye speake myldly hath thapostle set no bounde beyonde the whiche it is not lawful for the rashe suspicion of man to passe Rm. 14. 2. Cor. 5. For he sayeth we shall all stande before the iudgement seate of Christ to receyue euery one accordyng to the thynges that he hath done by the body whether it be good or euel He sayeth that he hathe done he added not or shall do But what shoulde put this in suche mens heades to thinke that the merites to come of infantes that shall neuer be in dede should either be punished or rewarded I can not tel But why is it sayd that a mā shal be iuged accordyng to the thynges that he hath done by the body whē as many thynges are done by the onely mynde not by the bodye nor by any parte of the body and that many tymes so euel that suche thoughtes deserue most iuste paine as is this that I maye omitte other when the folyshe man sayd in hys herte ther is no God Psal 53. What meaneth thys then accordynge to tho thynges that he hathe done in the bodye but accordyng to tho thynges that he dyd whē he was in the bodye So that we may vnderstād by the body the tyme of the bodye After the dissolucion of the bodye no man shal be in the body vntyll the laste resurreccion Do you thynke that s Au. thought here vpō the Popes purgatory and not then to get any merites but either to receyue rewardes for good merites or els to be punyshed for euel merites But in this meane space betwene the puttynge of and the resurreccion of the bodye the soules are either tormēted or els do rest according to suche thinges as they dyd in the tyme of the body Vnto the which tyme of the bodye do also original synne belonge whiche the Pelagians do denye but Christes churche doth acknowledge the which when infantes dye beynge either thorow goddes grace pardoned or els thorowe goddes iudgement vnpardoned they do by the merite of the newe birth either passe from euell to good or els by the meryte of theyr first byrthe passe from euel to euel Baptisme of infātes This thing the catholyke fayth knoweth vnto this also many heretikes do agre wythout against sayeng But I maruel exceadingly vppon what grounde these men should thynke whose wittes as appereth by your letters are not to be despysed that euery mā should be iudged not only accordyng to those merites whiche he had as longe as he was in the bodye but also accordynge to those merites that he shoulde haue had yf he had taried longer in the body neither durst I haue beleued this but that I durst not mistrust you But I trust that God wyll so worke that they beyng admonished maye shortly vnderstāde that suche synnes as are counted yet to come yf they maye be iustly punished by goddes iugement in them that are not baptised that thei may al so thorowe goddes grace be pardoned in them that are baptised For who soeuer saye that the synnes to come maye onely be punyshed by goddes iudgemēt but may not be forgeuē by his mercy ought to consyder howe great iniurye he dothe to God and his grace as the the synne to come myght be knowen aforehande but could not be for geuen But yf thys be an inconuenience then oughte the infantes whiche should be synners yf they lyued longer to be holpen in theyr tēder age by baptisme wherby synnes are washed awaye The .xiii. Chapter BVt yf they paraduenture saye that synnes are forgeuē to them that repēt and therfore that these dieng in their infancy are not baptised because God knewe aforehande that they would not repent yf they had lyued but as touchyng them that are baptised and departe out of their bodies in their chyldhode God knewe aforehand that they would haue repented yf they had lyued But let thē marke and consyder wel yf thys be so thē chyldrē that dye without baptisme are not punyshed for original syn but for their owne synne which euery one should haue done yf he had lyued In lyke maner they that are baptised are not washed from original synne but frō theyr owne synnes whyche they shoulde commyt yf they had lyued bycause they coulde not synne before they came to age and discrecion but sōe are forsene to repent some that they should not repent and therfore some departe thys lyfe beynge baptised and some wythout baptisme Yf the Pelagians herde thys they would not nowe trauel in the denial of original synne and seke for infantes I can not tel what place of their ioye wythout the kyngdome of God namelye seyng they are conuinced that they can not haue eternal lyfe Ioh. 6. whyche haue not eaten the fleshe nor dronke the blood of Christe and forasmuche also as that is a false baptysme whych is geuē in the remission of synnes to them that haue no synne at al. For they woulde afferme that ther were vtterlye no originall synne but that the infātes whyche are losed from thys bodye are eyther baptised or not baptised accordynge to their merites that they should do yf they dyd lyue and that for their merites to come they dyd either receyue or not receyue the bodye and blood of Christe wythout the whych certeynly the can haue no lyfe In the dayes of S. Aug. yonge infantes receiued the cōmuniō and that they were verelye baptysed in the remission of synnes althoo they drewe no synne from Adam For their synnes to come are pardoned them where of God knewe aforehande that they woulde repente By thys meanes they myghte easelye preuaile and obtayne theyr purpose in denyeng originall synne and in contendynge that the grace of God is not geuen but accordynge to oure merites But seynge that mannes merites to come that shal neuer come are doutles none at all whyche a man maye moste easely perceyued therfore the Pelagians could not saye this muche lesse myghte these men afferme this It can not be declared howe muche I am greued that these which together wyth vs do by catholyke authoritie condemne the error of these heretikes dyd not se thys which the Pelagians dyd perceyue to be moste false folyshe The .xiiii. Chapter CIpriane wrote a boke of mortalitie commendably knowen vnto manye and almoste to all them that loue Ecclesiastical wrytynges in the whych he dothe afferme that therfore death is not only not vnprofitable vnto the faythful Why death is profytable but also is profytable forbecause it conueieth a mā away from the daunger of synnyng setteth hym in a saffetye from synnyng any more But what profyteth