is like to be lost that hath no better Witness than an ignorant Nicodemus and we may suppose the Anabaptists at a Loss when the ablest and most learned among them are forced to summons in Nicodemus as a Witness for tho' they must own him to be a poor Evidence if they will believe Christ Verse 10. Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things and they that do not know things are unmeet to prove them But either this Person put more Confidence in Nicodemus than Christ or else knowing his Cause was almost gone would rather cite Nicodemus concerning which he knew neither what he said nor whereof he affirmed rather than have no Witness but 't is no wonder to see the most Learned of the Anabaptists run into such gross Absurdities and to be at such a Loss in such Mysteries for if Learning could teach a Man the Mysteries of the Gospel Nicodemus had not been so grosly ignorant of Christ's meaning and I leave it to any Judicious Person to determine whether we have not as good Ground and better to judge that this Objecter was of the same Mind of Nicodemus in understanding it to be a natural Birth then to conclude that because he understood it as spoken of Adult only therefore it must be so for we may suppose had not this Doctor had great Confidence in the Infallibility of Nicodemus he would never have ventured that Cause which was as dear to him as his Life upon his single Evidence and especially in such a Cause wherein he had so many Hundreds opposed him and sure had he judged him in a gross Mistake as to the Nature of that new Birth he would never have put such Confidence in what he said with the same Breath as to the Subject and as we have infallible Ground to conclude from his own Words that this Objecter is far from believing any Necessity or Possibility for Infants to be regenerated so I think I do him no Wrong if I suppose 't is his Judgment that there is no more Necessity for grown Persons to be regenerated for of this Judgment was his trusty and well-beloved Friend Nicodemus for had Nicodemus once supposed that grown Persons any more than Infants must be born again Spiritually he would never have mentioned such a gross Absurdity as to be born again Carnally but taking it for granted that Adult to give the Objecter his Sence could not be born again Spiritually absurdly supposes it to be meant a Carnal Birth and why we may not suppose the Objecter to be of his Judgment in the one as well as the other especially since he puts such Confidence in him I see not and now I leave it to my understanding Reader to judge whether we have not better Ground to believe that under the Word Men Children are comprehended because the Word signifies both than to conclude Christ only meant grown Men because Nicodemus understood him so since it is past all dispute the Word signifies so but whether Nicodemus did rightly understand Christ's meaning may justly admit of a Debate nay it seems almost past all Dispute he did not by his gross Mistake about other Passages relating hereunto Thus I have I hope sufficiently proved a Necessity for Infants to have Faith if they get to Heaven from God's Appointment and what can be more cogent to confirm any Point than the express Mind of God And I am certain had the Anabaptists such-clear Proof that no Infants ought to be Baptized as I have given to prove that all Infants that get to Heaven must have Faith they would soon cry Victory nor should I ever hold up my Weapons against them was it so lest haply by so doing I was found fighting against God himself Secondly There is a Necessity for Faith in Infants if they get to Heaven arising from the Corruption of their Natures Which tho' the Anabaptist may probably deny yet I doubt not but to confirm this also from Scripture When Adam had sinned by eating the Forbidden Fruit he was immediately seized with a Spiritual Death according to the Commination in the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And Adam being a publick Head and Representative of all Mankind this Spiritual Death is intailed on all his Posterity Hence we are said to bear the Image of the Earthly nor is this true of Adult only but of all his Posterity 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all die Mind all die Infants as well as grown Persons and this I shall further prove from most express Scripture Eph. 2.3 And were by Nature the Children of Wrath even as others Gen. 8.21 For the Imagination of Man's Heart is evil from his Youth The Evil in our Hearts is the Cause of all the Evil in our Lives Hence Foolishness is said to be bound up in the Heart of a Child Prov. 22.15 It is so bound up that for a while it may not discover it self yet is in his Heart See Psal 58.3 The Wicked are estranged from the Womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking Lies That is they have a straying Principle as soon as born Once more Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me So that by Nature we not only want a Title to Heaven but a Meetness also Col. 1.12 Giving Thanks unto the Father who hath made us meet to be Partakers of that Inheritance of the Saints in Light Implying that by Nature they were unmeet and if Children are not thus corrupt by Nature how came they to die since the Wages of Sin is Death Now if Death reigned as the Apostle saith from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression that is Infants that had not sinned actually then it must be because they were Sinners in Adam and had the Seed of Sin in themselves habitually for the Guilt of Adam's Act is not transferred to any of the meer Sons of Men but such as partake of his Image also and I dare be bold to say and can abundantly from Scripture prove that the Seed and Spawn of all our Actual Sins are in our Hearts before we commit one of them for as in Grace there must first be the Habit and then the Act so in Sin the Heart is first Wicked then the Life The Tree is first evil before the Fruit is so Mat. 12.33,35 Now if the Nature of all is so corrupt as I have proved then 't is impossible for any thus corrupt to get to Heaven without an inward Change for what would Heaven be to an unregenerate Soul What would the Works of praising God be to one that hates God Or what would Holy Company be to such as are dead in Trespasses and Sins and to every good Word and Work reprobate But least this should not suffice I shall prove from Scripture that such cannot get to Heaven in an unchanged State 1 Cor. 15.50 Now this I