totally and finally The thing which I especially obserue out of these wordes is that there is somewhat which is heere called the Seede of God abiding in him that is once borne of God And this declareth a regeneration which proceedeth from the purpose of God and from that powerfull calling which is according to his purpose What this seede is let any man declare This is certaine all is not gone all is not cut off by intercision here is a Seede of God abiding Call it what you will all is one to our purpose For whether this Seede of God be Faith or the Word of God or the Grace of Gods calling according to his purpose or the Spirit or any of these or all these It prooueth our purpose that all is not gone all is not falne away If all be not falne away then this man in whom it abideth can not fall totally If Faith bee the Seed the Word of God soweth it the calling of God rayseth it and makes it fruitfull the Spirit of God quickneth it To this purpose St. Peter sayth Being borne againe not of corruptible Seede but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liueth and abideth for euer The VVord of God is sayd to liue and abide for euer because of the effect which it worketh as some learned Interpreters haue obserued For here he speaketh of the new birth as Saint Iohn did of the incorruptible seede as Saint Iohn called it the seede of God abiding of the word of God whereby the grace of regeneration is giuen which liueth and abideth for euer This agreeth with that which St. Iohn sayd of the same new birth Saint Peter confirmeth this further in those wordes Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercy hath begotten vs againe to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in Heauen for you which are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation It is hard to deuise more expresse words to deliuer this Doctrine of perseuerance then Saint Peter vseth here For he speaketh of them that are regenerate according to the purpose of God when hee sayth According to his aboundant mercy he hath begotten vs againe he sayth to a liuely hope and inheritance the inheritance is sayd to be reserued for vs in Heauen and we are kept by the Power of God through faith vnto it If we be kept for it by Gods power through faith and it be kept for vs then he that denieth perseuerance vnto the end must breake this power of God by which we are preserued to the end For what is this power of God that keepeth vs through faith to the end but the grace of perseuerance to the end The same Doctrine of perseuerance or of our preseruation by Gods power to the end is confirmed vnto vs from the nature of Faith and of Charity Of Faith the Lord saith He that heareth my Word and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life The Lord speaketh of Faith but this faith is not an Historicall faith nor a Temporary faith for these doe fade and haue not this promise which this faith hath of which the Lord speaketh Then what faith can this bee but such a iustifying faith that proceedeth from the Calling of God according to his purpose The Lord sayth that Hee who thus beleeueth hath euerlasting Life If hee hath euerlasting Life then what Arminian or Pelagian can take this from him that Christ sayth hee hath Some may answere that when it is sayd hee hath it it may bee vnderstood hee shall haue it I stand not much vppon that for whether the Lord that giueth euerlasting life say hee hath it or hee shall haue it is not much differing But yet I cannot but obserue the Lords speech who knew best how to speake When hee sayth He hath it his meaning is that euerlasting life shall be as firmely and truely giuen to him as if hee had it already in possession which yet hee holdeth but in hope Now which of all the Pelagians dare say that perhaps hee may haue it and perhaps hee may loose it or that hee may fall totally or finally from it when the Lord sayth hee hath it Hee could haue sayd hee shall haue it but why doth hee say He hath it but onely to teach vs that true beleeuers haue such a grace heere which can not be lost The Lord sayth also of the man that hath this grace that He shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to Life What is that is passed but to make this Doctrine sure that there is such a grace giuen heere which cannot be lost Let the Pelagians wrangle as they will about losse of grace this may be sufficient for vs to rest in the plaine and euident words of our Lord and Maister Christ Iesus Thus we see that a true and liuely faith carrieth with it vndoubtedly the grace of perseuerance vnto the end The same may be confirmed from Charity I meane such charity whereby such a faith worketh as was last described Of charity the Apostle hath these words Charity neuer faileth though prophecie fayle and tongues shall cease and knowledge shall vanish away If any man shall here say that this is spoken in respect of other graces that in this life we haue vse of and go no farther I answere I admit that to be so but here the Apostle sayth Charity neuer fayleth It is true he numbreth vp some graces that do fayle I graunt that in the life to come we shall not haue vse of these graces that fayle The Apostle obserueth a difference here betweene graces and graces some for the vse of this life onely others for this life and for that to come Of these that are both for this life and for that to come he nameth charitie which fayleth neuer If charity neuer faile no not in the life to come then it must follow that it neuer faileth in this life because if it should faile in this life then it must needes faile in the life to come For no man shall haue the glorious comfort of charitie in that life who looseth altogether the gracious comfort of it in this life Charitie neuer faileth therefore it abideth for euer therefore there are graces wherein true beleeuers perseuere to the end Heereupon some Schoolemen say that perseuerance is a grace not really differing from charity It is true that charity waxeth cold and the charity of many may faile and the faith of many may faile but the purpose of God cannot faile and those graces that proceede from Gods purpose neuer faile them to whom they are so giuen But because these controuersies were not knowne in the Church before the time of S. Augustine and by him more diligently handled
which worketh through loue surely either faileth not at all or if there bee some defect it is repaired in them before the end of their life And that intercurrent iniquity which breakes in is blotted and perseuerance is reputed vnto the end vsque in finem perseuerantia deputatur But they who perseuere not but fall away from the Christian faith and from a godly conuersation surely these men are not to bee accounted in this number no not then when they liued well they are not separated from that masse of perdition by Gods praedestination not called according to his purpose but called amongst them of whom it is said multi vocati but not of them of whom it is said pauci electi And who will deny that these are elect when they beleeue and are baptized and liue godly They may be said to be elect sed à nescientibus by such as know not what they shall be not by him who knoweth that these had not perseuerance For some be called of vs the sonnes of God for temporary graces which they haue receiued but vnto God they are not such Touching those Saints that are praedestinated to the kingdome of God such an helping grace is giuen to them that perseuerance is bestowed vpon them not onely that without it they cannot but that with it they cannot but perseuere For he said not onely Without me ye can do nothing but he said also you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordayned you that you go and bring forth fruite and that your fruite remaine In these words the Lord declareth that he gaue them not onely righteousnesse but also perseuerance therein For seeing that Christ ordained them to go and bring forth fruite that their fruit should remaine quis audet dicere who dare say that peraduenture it might not remaine For the guifts and calling of God are without repentance but then vndâ—rstand that calling which they haue who are called according to his purpose These receiue such freedome by this grace that albeit so long as they liue here they fight against the concupiscences of sinnes some creepe in vpon them for which they pâ—ay daily forgiue vs our trespasses yet they do not wilfully serue that sin that is to death of which S. Iohn saith There is a sin to death I say not for it thou shouldst pray Of thiâ— sinne because it is not expresly declared many diuerse things may be thought but I say that this sinne to death is a falling away euen to death from that faith which worketh by charity Now albeit the Apostle saith of all regenerate men liuing orderly Who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant he standeth or falleth to his Lord yet presently his words following respect the praedestinated For he saith He shall be established for God is able to make him stand then assuredly be giueth perseuerance that is able to establish them that stand that they may stand most perseueringly or to restore them that fall For it is the Lord that raiseth vp the bruised Psal. 146. And therefore hee that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Hence it is that in this place of misery where the life of man is a temptation vpon earth vertue is perfected in infirmity What vertue but that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. And for this cause the Lord would not haue his Saints to glory in their strength no not in their perseuerance in good but to glory in him which doth not onely giue them such an helpe as hee gaue to the first man without which they could not perseuere if they would but in them also hee worketh this that they shall will Therefore is both the possibility and will of perseuering giuen to them from the bounty of diuine grace Thus hath S. Augustine at full declared himselfe in this particular CHAP. 8. I Was willing to let S. Augustine bee heard the longer in that cause wherein he was most exercised against the Pelagians The same doctrine as being the publique receiued doctrine of the Church hath beene likewise taught by others S. Ambrose saith quos deus vocare dicitur perseuerant in fide hij sunt quos elegit ante mundi constitutionem He maketh pâ—rseuerance a grace that dependeth vpon Gods calling hee meaneth as himselfe expoundeth it that calling which is according to Gods purpose And hee saith againe in the same place hoc placuit deo cuius consilium retractari non potest This he proueth also from those words of the Apostle I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for mee the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue at that day and not to me onely but to all them also that loue his appearing Then without perseuerance no man can expect glory And this grace is giuen not onely to Saint Paul and such excellent Saints as hee was but vnto all that loue the Lords appearing The same thing is taught by the Author of the booke de vocatione gentium who citeth that place Who shall confirme you to the end that you may bee blamelesse in the day of the Lord. And those words Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribuation or anguish c. Charitas dei saith hee qua eos diligit quos inseparabiles facit id est vsque in finem perseuerantes nam quid aliud est perseuerare quam tentatione non vinci The same is taught by Saint Gregory Qui non praedestinati sunt saith hee siue audiant doctorum verba siue non audiant vocari in dei habitaculum nequeunt And againe he saith Ab eo qui defecit venire spiritus dicitur ire ad eum qui perseveraturus est quia alios in tempore deserit alios assumit nec tamen deserit in reliquum dirigitur spiritus qui à gratia quam percipit nunquam discedit quid est ergo quâ—d dicitur à die illa et in reliquum nisi quia spiritus gratia sic recipitur vt in ea electi vsque in finem perseuerare doceantur And our venerable Bede vpon those words scimus queniam diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum saith thus Sciens nonnullos diligere deum et in eo bono vsque in finem non perseuerare mox addit his qui serundum propositum vocati sunt he enim in eo quod diligunt deum permanent vsque in finem et quid ad tempus inde deuiant reuertuntur et vsque in finem per durant quod in bono esse coeperaent Saint Bernard holdeth the same course Salus perseuerantibus promittitur praemium perseuerantibus datur Non est bonus qui bonum facit sed qui incessabiliter facit And in another place O sol iustitiae benigne Iesu Christe lucens in tua virtute reddens temet ipsum in praemium sempiternum
omnibus qui perseuerauerunt in agone certaminis Hunc splendorem nemo potest adipisci nisi qui perseuerauerit vsque in finem Abulensis followeth the same doctrine for he saith speaking of outward calling by preaching and of that conuersion which standeth in externall profession Dicuntur vocati quicunque per praedicationem conuersi sunt ad fidem et tamen non sunt omnes electi quia non perueniunt omnes ad vitam aeternam Nam licet quibusdam det deus gratiam conuersionis non dat eis gratiam perseuerandi in fide vel operibus fidei et ita pereunt Eligere autem est dare gratiam istam perseuerandi et perueniendi He saith many obtaine diuers graces by hearing the word preached amongst whom they that are elect receiue the grace of perseuering to the end but they that are not elect though they may attaine to many graces yet they may and doe fall away because this grace of perseuering to the end is proper and peculiar to the elect From the Schoolemen wee are to looke for no soundnesse in this point For it is a hard thing for them to speake of grace who haue it not Many of them speake of grace like meere naturall men They wanted neither wit nor learning but many of them wanted grace to speake of grace as the Iesuites for the most part doe at this day Therefore I passe them ouer and come to the time of Reformation In which time if I should produce the sentences of them that haue beene most learned and labourious in the reformed Churches it would bee a long worke and happily giue no great satisfaction to the Author of the Appeale and others whom I desire to satisfie For how can hee receiue satisfaction from the iudgement of late men that seemeth to scorne their verie names As for Caluin his name and doctrines are made odious but why I know not If hee hath written somethings amisse as who writing so much hath not slipped in many things yet a charitable construction would helpe in many things And admit hee hath some things which cannot bee excused yet if wee consider the ancient Fathers how often they haue slipped and erred wee might be more moderate in censuring of others In the Fathers we take that which they haue done well and the rest wee pardon for that which they haue done well And why may we not doe so with others And what greater pleasure can a man procure to the enemies of the truth then to speake euill and odiously of those men whose seruice God hath vsed and made them excellent instruments to make the truth knowne vnto vs Some take it for a signe of such as are looking towards Popery when they offer such a seruice to the Papists as to speake euill of them that haue beene the greatest enemies to Popery the greatest propagators of the truth but I censure none Then leauing other Churches wee come home to our owne Church We haue enough in the articles of Faith and Religion to confirme the same truth which hitherto wee have proued The Author of the Appeale hath gone wrong in two poynts First in the respectiue decree which either he hath deuised or taken from the Arminians Against this wee haue heretofore shewed that the 17. Article hath set forth the doctrine of Praedestination in a sound and wholesome manner that Gods calling followeth the purpose of God and dependeth vpon it that faith obedience and repentance follow the calling of God and depend vpon it but the calling of God doth not follow faith obedience and repentance nor dependeth vpon them So did the 17. Article teach against the new deuise of this man This I haue obserued before The second thing wherein this man wandreth is denying of perseuerance and scorning it as a Puritan doctrine I must heere againe recite the 17. Article And I would intreat any man that hath his eyes set right in his head to reade and consider the words the order and soundnesse of them and thâ—n let him iudge whether perseuerance vnto the end bee not soundly and roundly set downe and auerred in the Article The words are Predestination to life is the euerlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundation of the world he hath constantly decreed by his counsell secret to vs to deliuer from curse and damnation those whome hee hath chosen in Christ out of man-kinde to bring them by Christ to euerlasting saluation wherefore they which bee endued with such an excellent benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirit working in ane season They through grace obey the calling they be iustified freely they be made the sonnes of God by adoption they be made like to the image of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy attaine euerlasting felicity Thus farre the words of the Article Can any man in any words declare perseuerance more fully or plainly froÌ„ the beginning by the meanes to the end then here is done For what is perseuerance but as S. Peter saith a preseruation or keeping of the Saints by the power of God to saluation And how can it be better proued then to draw it from the purpose of God by predestination by Gods calling by iustification by the worke of Gods spirit by adoption by being fashioned like to the image of Christ by walking religiously in good workes and by this meanes to come to life euerlasting This is done in the Article And this is the true doctrine of perseuerance They who are called according to Gods purpose and iustified and sanctifiâ—d made the sonnes of God by adoption walke religiously in good workes and so at last attaine to euerlasting life are they who haue receiued the grace of perseuerance to the end thus doth that Article set forth this doctrine But our Authour saith before they come to this end they sinne And what then Gods calling is powerfull indeed according to his purpose But it was not the purpose of God in calling vs to make vs Angels or to set vs in such an estate wherein we should neuer sinne any more but to teach vs humility he suffereth vs to striue with sinne and teacheth vs to fight against sinne And if in this battell wee take a blow yet hee sustaineth our weaknesse and will haue vs to glory in nothing that is in our selues but in our infirmities And still in his mercy preserueth vs from falling backe from the faith and keepeth vs from presumptuous sinnes and from that sinne that is vnto death This perseuerance you will say is with great weaknesse It is true wee cannot glory in our perfections which are none The Pelagians and Arminians who glorie in themselues in the power of their wills cannot taste this doctrine But wee glory in God that through many and manifold imperfections and infirmities of ours bringeth vs by this grace vnto the end This worke to bring vs through many
you grant not this you must hold that all men that are baptized are saved If our Authour had bene pleased to haue observed the iudgement of the Ancients he would not be thus troubled with novelties This one poore obiection seemeth to trouble the man Saint Augustin might easily haue satisfied him For he observeth a great difference betweene them that are regenerate and iustified onely sacramento tenus and those that are regenerate and iustified according to the purpose of Gods election Abraham receiued the sacrament of Circumcision as a seale of the righteousnes of faith The sacrament is good to them to whom it is a seale of the righteousnes of faith but it is not a seale in all that receiue the Sacrament For many receiue the signe which haue not the thing Then to proceede Ismael was circumcised and so was Isaak but Ismael was borne according to the flesh and Isaak according to the spirit Now hee was not iustified but onely sacramento tenus that was borne according to the flesh but he that was borne according to the spirit was iustifyed truely Saint Augustin saith Cum essent omnibus communia sacramenta non communis erat omnibus gratia And againe Omnibus in nomine patris filij spiritus sancti baptizatis commune est lavacrum regenerationis sed ipsa gratia cuius ipsa sunt sacramenta qua membra corporis Christi cum suo capite regenerata sunt non communis est omnibus Israel was called to be a people of God yet all that were so called were not so in truth So all that receiue Baptisme are called the Children of God regenerate iustified for to vs they must be taken for such in charity vntil they shew themselues other But the Author affirmeth that this is not left to mens charity as you sayth he doe informe the world because we are taught in the service Booke of our Church earnestly to beleeue that Christ hath favorably received these infants that are baptized that he hath imbraced them with the armes of his mercy that he hath given vnto them the blessing of everlasting life And out of that beleife and perswasion wee are to giue thankes faithfully and devoutly for it All this we receiue and make no doubt of but when wee haue sayd all wee must come to this that all this is nothing but the charity of the Church and what more can you make of it For where he vrgeth this that Children baptized are put in the state of salvation and this must be beleived I make no doubt of it but because he seemeth to haue a strange vnderstanding of it and vrgeth it as if forsooth it could not be answered I aske him this question whether we must beleeue it as an Article of faith or ex judicio charitatis this iudgment of charity he vtterly reiecteth Then he must hold that we beleeue it as an Article of faith but this is not conteined in any Article of faith it is not expressed in any Scripture And the things which a man is bound to beleeue for his salvation to speake properly he must beleeue for himselfe onely not for another man And therefore this thing which hee vrgeth that we must beleeue for other men cannot be called properly faith and beleeving for no man beleeveth for another this proveth evidently that this beleeving whereof our Communion boâ—ke speaketh is nothing else but to beleeue it ex judicio charitatis and can no further be stretched Concerning this iudgement of charity we doe not informe the world any otherwise then Saint Augustin informed the Church long since against the Pelagians The Pelagians vrged these things as you doe that they that were baptized were regenerate and iustified Saint Augustin answereth they are so for ought that wee know and vntill they themselues shew themselues to the contrary Then so long as we haue no cause to the contrary wee iudge them in charity to be such as we desire they should be did we devise this or did we first informe the world of this it hath bene of old received thus in the Church We doe but say that which the ancient Fathers haue sayd before vs and you follow that which your Fathers the Pelagians haue taught before you But here is great difference wee following the ancient Fathers follow the Church and you following the Pelagians follow the Enemies of the Church But here he citeth in the margent pag. 36. that all Antiquitie taught thus I pray you what did Antiquitie teach That yong children baptized are delivered from originall sinne We teach the same and we doubt not if they dye before they come to the practise of actuall sinnes they shall be saved But this is not so to be vnderstood that no children vnbaptised can be saved For in this poynt the auncient godly Fathers haue delivered their judgements grounded vpon faire evidences of Scripture And because this is a thing wherein some may require satisfaction the Reader will not thinke the time lost if I somewhat enlarge this point Baptisme is required as necessary to saluation so that the contempt thereof bringeth damnation but not the want of it For where a true faith is and a sincere desire of Baptisme though a man should by some inevitable meanes misse of washing by water yet the Auncients make no doubt of the saluation of such a man This is the judgement of S. Cyprian S. Augustin S. Ambrose and S. Bernard Hugo de sancto Victore lived at the same time with S. Bernard Hugo was troubled with the noveltie of a hot-spirited man who taught this assertion That since the time that it was first said by Christ Vnlesse a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven since that no man might by any meanes be saved without the actuall receiving of the visible Sacrament yea though a man should desire the same with true faith and contrition of heart being onely prevented by death that he could not obtaine that which he desired yet should this man be damned without remedy Hugo having notice of this assertion wrote to S. Bernard concealing the name of the Author of that opinion onely declaring his assertion and craved the judgement of S. Bernard in that poynt To this S. Bernard answereth The summe of his answere is this First he taketh exception against the time so precisely set by the Author of this assertion For he setteth the time to begin presently vpon the speech of those words which Christ spake in secret to Nicodemus in the night when he came to him S. Bernard sheweth that the beginning of so great a matter was not advisedly set by this new Author he therefore would haue the beginning to be after the promulgation of the Gospell by the Apostles For the old Sacraments were in force so long vntill it was openly and publiquely knowne that they were abrogated How long after penes deum est non meum
definire saith S. Bernard Then the old Sacraments did stand in force vntill they were abrogated that is publiquely by the Apostles interdicted And therefore as Baptisme is now a remedy against originall sinne so was Circumcision of old Now if any that are come to yeares and vnderstanding after the publication of the remedy of Baptisme shall refuse to be baptised this man addeth another sinne to originall sinne so through his owne pride he beareth the double cause of a most just damnatioÌ„ if he should in that case chance to dye Yet if before his death he repent and desire and aske to be baptized and dye before he can obtaine his desire so that a right faith a godly hope and sincere charity be not wanting so God be mercifull vnto me saith S. Bernard as in this case I cannot despayre of this mans salvation for the want of water onely Neither can I beleeue that this mans faith is voyd his hope confounded his charitie fayled if that not the contempt but onely the impossibility of having the Sacrament hinder him from being washed with water And I much maruaile saith he Si novus iste novarum inventor assertionum assertor inventorum if this new inventer of new assertions and assertor of things invented can finde a reason in this thing which was hid from the Fathers Ambrose and Augustin or can finde any authoritie before the authoritie of these For if he know it not both these judged as we doe herein let him read S. Ambrose his booke of the death of Valentinian if he hath not read it or if he hath read it let him recall it well to memory if he recall it let him not dissemble and there he shall finde that S. Ambrose confidently presumed of the salvation of that man who dyed without Baptisme and did vndoubtedly attribute that to his minde which was wanting thorough impossibilitie of performance Let him also read the fourth booke of S. Augustin of one onely Baptisme against the Donatistes and he will either acknowledg himselfe to be imprudently deceived or proue himselfe impudently obstinare For S. Augustin sayth that sometimes suffering is in stead of Baptisme as appeareth in the theefe vpon the Crosse to whom though vnbaptised Christ sayd to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise From which place S. Cyprian tooke an Argument to prooue the same poynt And S. Augustin addeth Considering this thing againe and againe I finde saith he that not onely suffering for the name of Christ may supply the want of Baptisme but faith also and the conversion of the heart if happily the straitnesse of time will not suffer a man to celebrate the mystery of Baptisme And afterward How much saith he even without the visible Sacrament of Baptisme that avayleth which the Apostle saith With the heart man beleeveth to righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to salvation it is declared in that Theefe But then is this fulfilled invisibly when as not contempt of Religion but necessitie excludeth the mystery of Baptisme S. Bernard having declared thus much out of S. Augustin proceedeth thus I confesse saith he that S. Augustin retracteth that instance which he put of the Theefe and thought it not so fit to proue this sentence because it was vncertaine whether that Theefe was baptized or no but the sentence it selfe and assertion he confidently maintained and diverse wayes confirmed neither shall you finde that he did ever retract the opinion if I be not deceived saith Bernard And further he saith that S. Augustin in another place when he had spoken of some whom the Scripture restifyeth to be sanctified invisibly but not visibly He maketh this inference hence it is collected that invisible sanctification hath beene had and hath profited without the visible Sacraments which are changed according to the diversitie of times so that others were then others are now And a little after notwithstanding saith S. Augustin the visible Sacrament is by no meanes to be contemned for he that contemneth it cannot be invisibly sanctified Whereby he prooveth plainly that a faithfull man and one converted to the LORD is not deprived of the fruit of Baptisme if he cannot hauâ— Baptisme but if he contemne to be baptized From these two pillars I meane S. Ambrose and S. Augustin saith S. Bernard I can hardly be drawne to beleeue otherwise I confesse my selfe either to erre or to be wise with these I my selfe also beleeving saith he that a man may be saved solâ fide by faith onely having a true desire to receiue the Sacrament though either death anticipate his holy desire or some other invincible force hinder it And consider when our Saviour saith He that beleeveth and is baptised shall be saved whether it be not with great warinesse and vigilancy repeated againe But he that will not beleeue shall be damned He saith not he that is not baptized shall be damned but onely he that beleeveth not shall be damned implying hereby that sometimes faith alone sufficeth to salvation and without it nothing Wherefore albeit we graunt that Martyrdome may be in stead of Baptisme yet we must vnderstand that it is not punishment that maketh this but faith it selfe for without it what is Martyrdome but plaine punishment Now it is against all reason to thinke that faith which is reputed for Baptisme where Baptisme is wanting and which doth make Martyrdome acceptable to God should be sufficient by it selfe to saue a man when either Baptisme cannot be had or Martyrdome is not required S. Bernard vpon these and such like reasons concludeth that a man may be saved by faith without Baptisme where there is a true desire and no contempt of Baptisme And that Infants which die without Baptisme are consequently saved by the faith of their faithfull Parents Thus farre S. Bernard Saint Cyprian cited here by Saint Augustin and by Saint Bernard out of Saint Augustin vpon this point hath these wordes speaking of the theefe vpon the crosse Latrâ—cinium damnationem meruerat supplicium sed cor contritum poenam mutavit in martyrium sanguinem in baptismum And this is all that antiquity teacheth or our Church requireth that baptisme is not simply necessary so as without it damnation must follow of necessitie and that children baptized are delivered from originall sinne But this man goeth further Many that are baptised saith he may after their baptisme liue a graceles life then they loose grace or else wee must say that all that are baptized are saved I answere we neede not say so Wee say that if they fall into a sinfull and wicked life after baptisme they loose the priviledge of their baptisme and the good that they might haue had by it so long as they remaine such And this is sufficient to answere him But what is this to the grace of predestination which hee would oppugne by these quirkes drawne onely from the charity of the Church and baptisme which charity we also hold