vtterlie abolished in this life and in the next but part of the temporall punishment which was inflicted for Originall sinne onlie doth remaine in this life As for example death was a punishment imposed for sinne yet notwithstanding all must die Also hunger cold nakednesse sicknesse and other such like molestations and penalties of this life we sustaine after Baptisme and are not thereby taken away but remaine in this life as the miseries of mortalitie But in the next life they shall be vtterlie extinguished according to that of S. Iohn Absterget Deus c. God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and death shall be no more nor mourning nor crying neither shall there be sorrowe anie more Also the reason whie Concupiscence raigneth in our flesh not vterlie extinguished by Baptisme may be that man may by striuing to suppresse cōquere it merit the more But if by Baptisme our bodies should be made impassible in this life that is not subiect to death hunger nakednes and other calamities we should flie vnto Baptisme rather for this present life then hope for the life to come which were a great inconuenience in Christian profession Thom. 3. p. q. 69. ar 3. Therefore I say with S. Thomas the great Diuine that the Sacrament of Baptisme hath power vertue to take away all the penalties and punishments due for sinne yet notwithstanding it doth not De facto take them away in this present life but by the vertue thereof in the death and Passton of Christ they shall be extinguished and vtterlie taken away in the generall resurrection when these our mortall bodies shal be endued with immortalitie as it is sayed 1. Cor. 15. And this not without reason by God ordained First because by Baptisme man is incorporate to Christ and made his member And therefore it is conuenient that the same should be performed in the member incorporate which was acted in the head But Chrict from the begining of his Conception being full of grace and veritie notwithstanding had a passible bodie which after his death and Passion was raised to a glorious life Wherefore although euerie Christian in Baptisme doth obtaine grace for the beautifying of his soule yet not withstāding because he hath a passible bodie to suffer for Christ and with Christ he must for the tyme present sustaine the penalties thereof yet shall he be raysed at the generall resurection to an impassible life Rom. 8. which S. Paul declareth Qui suscitauit Iesum c. He that raysed vp Iesus from the dead shall quicken also your mortall bodies because of his spirite dwelling in you Wherefore although Baptisme hath power and vertue to take awaye all the penalties of this life and punishment due for sinne yet it is conuenient they remaine temporallie and for a tyme in this life and be accomplished and fulfilled in the generall resurrection in the next life when we all shall receaue our bodies againe CAP. 5. VVhether Baptisme doth remit sinne and giue grace Ex opere operato that is By force of the word and worke done and sayed in the Sacrament It is a generall cōclusion amongst all Catholike Diuines that the Sacraments are causes of our Iustification and that God doth applie the merits of Christs Passion vnto our soules Wherefore we conclude that in Baptisme by force and vertue of the word and worke done and sayed sinne is remitted grace giuen and Iustification wrought Therefore we do not attribute the obtaining of grace and Iustification to the merits of the minister ministering it nor to the partie receyuinge but as Christ hath taught vs to the water and the holy Ghost working it And for better vnderstanding of Iustification and grace wrought in Baptisme let vs consider how manie things concurre thereunto First doth concurre Almightie God who is the principall and chiefe agent worker and first cause of Iustification Then Christs death and Passion by which we are redeemed and he hath meritted this grace for vs. Then the sacramentall action that is the concurring and applieing togeather the water and the word in due forme according to the Institution and ordinance of God This externall action is this Sacrament which God doth vse as his instrument for the iustification washing and cleansing of the soule of man Then is the Priest ordained the ordinarie minister of God to execute this sacrament or externall action in whome there is required that he haue power authoritie and cōmission to doe it and intention to effect it Finalie in the receyuer that is in him who is to be Baptised if he be of age and vnderstanding there is required a will and desire to receaue it also faith and beleefe in Christ with a penitent harte These are not causes of Iustification but dispositions in the soule onelie to make the soule apte to receaue the Sacrament and to remoue obstacles and letts that the Sacrament may worke his effect And this S. Peter after his first sermon in the day of Pentecost insinuated told the people when they asked him after the preaching was donne what they shoud doe Act. 2. Dispose your selues sayeth he doe Penance and be euerie one of you Baptised But for Infants what is required in them we will entreate afterwards Wherefore we will conclude Baptisme to be the instrument of God and by Diuine ordinance to haue as an instrumentall cause efficacie and efficiencie to remit sinne and worke saluation and iustification in the soule of man CAP. 6. VVhether Baptisme be reallie and in deed an instrumentall cause of iustification or onlie a meanes to excite stirre vp or moue to faith IT is an absurd and vnconscionable dealing yea a great slaunder and calumnie of Caluin and his complices to say that Catholikes in their Doctrine doe resigne and tye the vertue and power of God to externall simboles and signes As though they taught that in Baptisme the water the word without God did remitte sinne It were a vaine thinge to thinke that when the carpenter doeth vse his sawe as an instrumentall cause to breake cut or deuide timber to say that the sawe doth cut worke or breake timber of it self without the carpenter So Almightie God although he vse the externall signes that is the word and water in Baptisme to cleanse the soule and remit sinne as secondarie and instrumentall causes yet not so that they should worke of themselues without God but God by them doth effect iustification and remission of sinne Neither doth he resigne his power so to these externall signes that they worke these effects in them selues and not he in them and with them but as in the precedent chapter I sayed God doth vse in Baptisme water and the word as his instrument and by force of the word and worke done grace is giuen and sinne remitted Therfore they are not vsed as some heretikes of this tyme auerre as bare signes and simboles or onlie meanes to excite stirre vp or moue to
for a Caueat and warning to all middwifes and other Laye Persons that if in necessitie or daunger of death they be vrged to Baptise that they haue a speciall care to speake and pronounce trulie and distinctlie the whole forme of Baptisme not leaning anie parte or word out for yf they doe nothing is performed Also I would aduise them to be carefull not to inuerte or chaunge the forme of Baptisme that is when one sayeth that last which is to be spoken first As for example to say In the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen I Baptise thee Francis wheras they should say as before is expressed Francis I Baptise the In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen If you aske me to auoyd scruple whether if the words should be thus inuerted altered or chaunged the Child wert trulie Baptised I dare not say that the words thus altered did take away the forme of Baptisme and so consequentlie that the child were not Baptised For although wordes be altered yet if the sense remaine Baptisme is effected yet I must needes confesse that he or shee who shall willinglie and wittingly inuert alter or change the words from the forme prescribed and ordained by Christ and his Church should sinne greatlie Wherfore let them be carefull who vndertake a matter of such importance that they know the forme of Baptisme prescribed and truly and distinctlie pronounce it accordinglie CAP. 12. VVhether if one should leaue out to expresse the partie who were to be Baptised it were Baptisme THe difficultie of this question consisteth in the word thee which expresseth and designeth the person who is to be Baptised I sayed in the precedent Chapter that the denomination and designation of the partie present to be Baptised was necessarie in the forme of Baptisme particullarlie to be expressed and declared Wherfore if anie one should leaue out to expresse the partie who is to be Baptised it were no Baptisme As for example yf one should say I Baptise In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holie Ghost and leaue out this word thee which doth expresse the person to be Baptised it were of no valewe Mat. 28. For Christ insinuated as much when he sayed not onlie Goe yee Baptising but also added Baptising them which word them was particularlie added by Christ to â—ignifie that the person or partie to be Baptiâ—ed were necessarie to be expressed So also if â—he Priest should say when he absolueth his Penitent I absolue In the name of the Father â—nd of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost leaâ—ing out this word thee and so should not â—ay I obsolue the designing and denoting the Penitent and partie present it were no Absolution Wherfore I conclude it is necessarie to expresse the partie who is to be Baptised in â—aying Iohn or Francis I Baptise thee CAP. 13. VVether the forme which the Greeke Church vseth be sufficient for Baptisme THe reason of this question is because the Greeke Church doeth differ somewhat from the forme of the Latine Church Their forme is Baptizetur seruus Christi N. talis In In nomine Patris Filij Spiritus Sancti Amen The seruant of Christ Iohn or Thomas be he or let him be Baptised In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen The Latine Church that is the Roman hath alwayes vsed this forme Iohn or Thomas I Baptise thee In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost The difference of and in these two formes of Baptisme is that the Greekes in their Baptisme doe not attribute the acte of Baptisme vnto the Priest or Minister who Baptizeth as the Roman Church doth For they say coÌ„maunding or in the Imperatiue Moode Be he or let him be Baptised but the Priest in the Roman institution doeth absoutlie saye in the present Tense I Baptise thee The reason of this difference and alteration in the Greeke Church and amongst the Grecians was because at the first in the verie begining of Christianitie amongst them there grewe a Schisme and errour in that they did attribute too much vnto the partie who Baptised them As appeareth by S. Paule who dehorteth the Corinthians from their Schifmaticall boasting against one an other in their Baptisers 1. Cor. cap. 1. telling them that they must boast only in Christ for their Baptisme Some contentiously say I certes am Paules and I Apolloes But I take Baptisme of Cephas I of Apollo I of Paule So that to auoyd this errour and Schisme this alteration of the forme of Baptisme grewe Yet not with standing there is no doubt but this their forme is sufficient and auailable For although the person Baptising or the Baptizer be not particularlie declared Yet the acte which is performed by the Sacrament is expressed which is sufficient And the forme in substance really doth not differ from the Latine Church neither is there anie essentiall parte left out nor reall alteration in the forme And this was defined and decreed in the Councell of Florence CoÌ„ Floren sess vlt. de Bap. Wherby it may be gathered that by the generall consent of the Church for the auoyding of Contention Schisme or Heresie there may be alteration in the verie forme of Sacraments so that they doe not take away or touch anie essentiall part thereof So teacheth S. Thomas Tho. 3. p. q. 60. ar 8. and practise confirmeth CAP. 14. VVhether the Arrian Heretikes in their forme did trulie Baptise THe Church of God alwayes acknowledged the Baptisme of Heretikes to be sufficient when they haue not altered anie essentiall parte of the forme Only the Arrian Heretikes and some of their followers haue bene condemned for that some of them would alter the forme of Baptisme according to their erroneous and Hereticall conceit and opinion of Christ in that they would haue Christ not equall but inferiour to his Father So that some did Baptise as reporteth Nicephorus Calixtus in this forme Niceph. hist lib. 16. c. 15. In nomine Patris per Filium in Spiritu Sancto In the name of the Fhather through the Sonne in the Holy Ghost And some otheres In nomine Patris maioris Filij minoris In the name of the Father the greater and the Sonne the lesser as recordeth S. Thomas Tho. 3. p. q. 60. art 8. Which formes of Baptisme doe peruert the essentiall partes of the true forme and consequentlie take awaye the effects of Baptisme Therefore there was greate care taken in the first Arelatense Councell Conc. Aret. de Conse dist 4. cap. de Arria and commaundement giuen to examine those of the Arrian heresie when they returned to the Catholike Church how and in what forme they were Baptised if they were not found to be Baptized in the right forme then to be Baptised againe Not that they allowed Rebaptization but because
Catholikâ— Diuines that Children dying without Baptiâ—me being their ordinarie onely meanes of saâ—uation shall suffer the paines of damnatioâ— You must vnderstand there are two kinds anâ— manners of punishmentes or paines to be executed vpon sinners after this life that is Poena damni poena sensus The Paine of Damnation and the Paine of sense The first doth consist of the perpetuall want of the blessed vision and fruition of the sight of God The other which is Poena sensus The paine of sense doeth consist in the eternall torment of hell fier wherwith the soule for the present shall be tormeÌ„ted and after the generall resurrection both soule and bodie eternallie witthout intermission For the first as hath beene proued it is manifest that childreÌ„ dying without Baptisme are subiect vnto death eternall accounted as damned who shall neuer see God And the reason is plaine out of Scripture as hath beene sayed Io. 3. For by Originall sinne euen children are depriued of and exiled from the glorious cittie and kingdome of heauen they are become by nature the children of wrath Eph. 2. Also they haue the ire of God hanging ouer them continue as Captiues vnder the power of Satan Prince of darknesse but those who are in this estate are in state and way of damnation Therfore childreÌ„ dying without Baptisme are subiect to eternall death and are accounted as damned and so consequentlie neuer in possibilitie to â—nioy the fruition and sight of God but incurre Poenam damni The punishment of damnation So that now the question is whether Infants dying without Baptisme shall feele and suffer the torments of hell fire FulgeÌ„ de fide ad Pet. 3.27 There are some of opinion as Fulgentius an ancient writer who seemeth to make no doubt therfore but that they shall in some degree endure the verie torments of hell fire And to this inclineth Ariminensis a Scholeman Arimi 2. dist 33. q. 3. Dried de graÌ„ lib. arbit tract 3. c. 2. And Driedo writing of controuersies But the generall sentence of Fathers and Diuines is to the Contrarie that Infants dying without Baptisme shall not suffer the paines and torments of hell The reason is because Positiue actuall punishemeÌ„t is not inflicted but for actuall offence but Infants neuer did nor can offend actuallie for Originall sinne is in them but habituall wherfore it is sufficient for them to be reiected from the sight of God and banished the kingdome of heauen and not to be punished with the torment of hell fire Wherfore the want of the blessed vision and sight of God is attributed the ordinarie penaltie and paine for Originall and the torment of hell fier as the paine due for actuall sinne And Saint Iohn heard the voyce from heauen speaking of the sinnes of Babilon saying Quantum se glorificauit c. Apoc. 18.7 As much as she hath glorified her selfe and hath beene in delicacies soe much giue her torment and mourning As if he should haue sayed the measure of paines and damnation is according to the wicked pleasures and vnlawfull delights of this life but children and Infants could not any way be proud nor giue themselues to anie sensuall delight or pleasures of this world therfore no way sensiblie to be tormented And Esay the Prophet sayeth that God Reddet increpationem c. will shew his threatnings in the flame of fire Esai 66 45. because our Lord shall iudge betweene the good and the badde in fire And S. Marke the Euangelist describeth the punishment for them who committe scandall that is to goe into hell Into the fire vnquenchable where their worme dieth not Mar. 9.45 and the fire is not quenched But there is no action to be discerned good or badde in Infants neither can they committe anie scandall or haue remorse of conscience or worme gnawing for anie euill workes Therfore the paines of hell fire are not due or to be executed vpon them but vpon elder sorte who coÌ„mitte actuall sinne Wherfore we may coÌ„clude that Children dying without Baptisme shall haue Poénam damni the punishment of damnation that is to be damned for their Originall sinne but not haue Poenam sensus The paine of hell fire because the haue no actuall sinne CAP. 8. Vhether that Infants shall after this life be here on earth and enioy the pleasures as men doe now or be in hell or what place they shall possesse SOme there are of opinion that children dying without Baptisme after the generall resurection shall haue amiddle place neither in heauen nor in hell but shall liue here on earth Bellar. lib. 6. de statu peccati c. 2. and enioy a certaine kind of natuall felicitie and pleasure such as the earth can yeeld But this opinion or rather I may say this errour is worthelie confuted by that religious Cardinall Bellarmine I call it an errour because Saint Augustine doth record it as speciallie maintained by the Pelagian Heretikes Aug. li. de haer ca. 8 8. l. de Orig. animae ca. 9. And writing of the origine of the soule sayeth Nemo non Baptizatis paruulis promittit inter damnationem regnum coelorum locum quietis c. No man doth giue or promise to children dying without Baptisme as it were a middle place of quiet and felicitie betweene heauen and hell damnation and saluation And why Because sayeth S. Augustine Hoc enim haeresis Pelagiana eis promisit thus much the Pelagian heresie hath promised Aug. li. de orig animae ca. 14. And intreating of the same matter he sayeth further Nouellos Hereticos Pelagianos iustissime c. Most iustlie the late new-sprong vp Pelagian Heretikes hath the Catholike Councells and sea Apostolike by their authoritie worthely condemned because they presumed boldly to appoint and giue to children not Baptized an other place of quiete and felicitie besides heaueÌ„ Wherfore I doubt not but that it may lawfullie be called an errour to assigne to children not Baptized a middle and third place of quiete and felicite as shall be proued hereafter by Scripture and reason First S. Iohn in the Apocalyps sayeth Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the first resurrection Apoc. 20.9 for in those the second death hath no power Also he sayeth He that is not found written in the booke of life shall be cast in stagnum ignis into the lake or poole of fier Ibid. 16. But Children dying without Baptisme are not partakers of the first resurrection that is the washing and cleansing the soule from Originall sinne that therby they may haue the grace of God to rise to saluation and consequentlie haue not their names written in the booke of life Whervpon it followeth that the second death that is damnation must raigne in them and their place of a bode must be the lake of fire which is hell And S. Paule doeth tell the Collossians Colos 1.13 That by Christ we are deliuered from
great relief and comfort to them when they shall see great multitudes farre more vnfortunate and in more miserable case then themselues Because they shall see others for their owne proper action grieuously tormented by the torment of hell fire and with all the know themselues freed from it because they neuer had anie proper vse of action in themselues wherby actuallie they could offend Wherfore we maie conclud their griefe and sorrow to be but remisse and small although they are depriued of the sight of God and wante of some kind of beatitude and blessednes because they had but an vnperfect knowledge therof and no meanes to obtaine it S. Thomas his opinion is Tho. de malo q. 5. a. 3. although Children vnbaptized be in hell and suffer Poenam damni punishment of damnation Yet for all that they shall take no serrow nor grief at all neither externall nor internall because saieth he they haue no perfect knowledg that they are frustrate of their beatitude and vnderstand full well that they neuer had anie naturall meanes to obtaine it For what man but a foole would grieue and sorrow that he were not a king or Angell when he knoweth there is no means for him to become a King or Angell And S. Bonauenture sayeth Bon. 2. Sent. dist 33. That so it cometh to passe that the consideration of the lose of the kingdome of heauen is in such manner tempered with the escape of the paines of sense and the euasion of the torments of hell that all grief and sorrowe is auoyded So that we may conclud that children although damned in hell yet they haue no excessiue griefe in respect of their depriuation of the fruition or sight of almigtie God Obiect You may obiect that it is a common Maxime and saying amongst Diuines that Dolor amissa beatitudinis grauissimus est The griefe of the losse of beatitude and the blessed vision of God is the greatest and most grieuous torment that is in hell But children haue lost beaâ—itude and the blessed visioÌ„ of God therfore their grief must be great I answere Sol. that the Proposition and saying of the Diuines is most true that the losse of beatitude and the blessed sight of God is the greatest grief and torment that can be But this Proposition must be vnderstood as proper onlie to the elder sort of men and women who are damned by their owne fact and not as appertaining to Infants who haue no fact of their owne but are punished for an others In verie deed it can not but be an excessiue griefe in the elder sort of the damned because t they lost heauen and blessednes by their owne proper actuall offence and sinne And therfore haue with all conioyned to their damnation the perpetuall torments of hell without intermission and their grief the greater by reason they had by faith a confident hoppe to haue obtained that which they haue lost Wherfore we conclud that Infants and children damned may haue some small grief but no excessiue sorrow for their losse of beatitude and depriuation of the sight of almightie God CAP. 10. VVhether the Infant in the mothers wombe may be Baptized SAint Augustine solueth this question and sayeth Aug. ep 57. ad Dard. that the Infant in the mothers wombe can not be Baptized and yeeldeth the reason Quia nemo renascitur nisi primò nascatur No man is said to be borne againe vnlesse he be â—â—rst borne carnallie Also to the same effect speaâ—eth Isidorus Isidor li. 10. sent de summo bono c. 24. Tho. 3. p. q. 68. art 11. Qui adhuc natus non est secundum Adam non potest per Christum renasci He that 〈◊〉 yet is not borne according to Adam can not be borne againe by Christ And S. Thomas proueth it by an other reason It is of necessitie and the essence of Baptisme that the bodie of the Infant be dipped in water or haue some water layed vpon it But the bodie of the Infant can not haâ—e wather in the wombe of the mother before it be Borne Therfore it cannot be Baptized before it be borne CAP. 11. VVhether if some parte of the Child appeare although the whole bodie be not borne it may be Baptized THe difficultie of this question ariseth because the child may be sayed to be borne totallie whollie and perfectlie also to be borne in parte that is when the hand foote or head appeareth out of the wombe of the mother as happened to Thamar when she brought forth Phares and Zaram GeÌ„ 38. for Zarams hand first appeared The question is when it so happeneth that parte of the child appeare out of the wombe of the mother that then according to that parte the child may be Baptized The opinion of some learned Casuists is That it were conuenient and good to expect the whole and perfect birth of the child But if it be imminent danger of death and the principall parte appeare as the head and no hope of totall birth for the hand and foote there is more difficultie then the child may and ought to be baptized If thou desire to be better informed concerning this case read Siluester a learned Casuist In Summa verbo Baptismus § 4. nu 2. And S. Thomas 3. p. q. 88. ar 11. ad 4. CAP. 12. VVhether if the mother being greate with child being Baptized the child also in her wombe bâ— also Baptized THe case is if a Iewish or Turkish woman being conuerted to Christianitie and being great with child desire to be Baptized whether the Infant in her wombe at the same tyme and by the same action be also Baptized For if one parte of the bodie be Baptized all the members of the same bodie be also Baptized But the Infant in the mothers wombe is a member of her bodie Therfore it is also Baptized with the Baptisme of the mother Tho. 3. p. q. 68. ar 11. S. Thomas resolueth this doubt and sayeth That the Infant is not Baptized by the Baptisme of the mother because properlie the child is not a member of the bodie of the mother but hath a distinct bodie and soule from hers onlie vntill it be borne it is knitte and tyed to the bodie of the mother but this doth not make it a member of her bodie There was one Iulianus an Heretike who liued in S. Augustines tyme and he was of opinion that the Infant was parte of the mother and therfore Baptized in the mothers wombe by the mothers Baptisme Against whom S. Augustine wrote manie books Habetur dâ— CoÌ„sec dist 4. C. si ad matris Read him in his sixth booke and fifth Chapter against Iulian the Heretike CAP. 13. VVhether if the mother should be martired the Infant in her wombe were also a martyr I Thinke in this case the Infant should be Baptized in his owne bloud and so consequentlie a martyr with his mother The Infants who dyed for Christ after his birth the Church