no learned man would willingly be guilty of 2 I answere that of infants actuall faith is not required for that cannot be iustly required whereof in the ordinary course their very infancy makes them altogether vncapable This I haue so largely proued in the former Chapter as I should rightly bee condemned of tautologizing if I should stand to repeat all the testimonies before alleaged out of Zanchius Martyr Chameir D. Ames D. Davenant and the Author of the Com. vpon Tit. who all confesse that in infants it is enough to make them capable of the inward grace in Baptisme that they haue the Holy Ghost in them insteed of faith to apply the same 3 I answere that if these men will yet so farre gratifie the Anabaptists as to contend further that elect infants cannot be capable of the inward grace in baptisme without faith infants may in some sense bee admitted to haue faith and so not vncapable of the inward grace of that Sacrament Hee that said whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that beleeue in me p Mat. 18. would giue vs to vnderstand that it is no extraordinary thing for infants elected to haue in them some degree of faith not actuall but potentiall initiall seminall which is no other then the spirit of faith communicated as Zanchius and Peter Martyr well If my words bee worth nothing with these men if none of the worthies before alleadged may prevaile let them yet giue some credit to Mr Aynsworth a man farre enough off from from Popery and also from conformity to our present Church He in his Censure of a Dialogue of the Anabaptists when hee comes to that objection of theirs against the Baptizing of Infants viz that if it cannot be proued that infants haue their hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience haue faith repentance c. they ought not to be baptised giues a double answere 1. That this makes as much against circumcision of old as against baptizing of infants now 2. That Christian infants haue the graces they speake of repentance faith regeneration c. though not actually or by way of declaration to others yet they haue through the worke of the SPIRIT the seed and beginning of faith vertually and by way of inclination so that they are not wholy destitute of faith and regeneration though it bee a thing hid and vnknowne vnto vs after what manner the Lord worketh these in them This hee proueth solidly and fully and among other his arguments this is one They to whom God giueth the signe and seale of righteousnesse by faith and of regeneration they haue faith and regeneration for God giueth no lying signe hee sealeth no vaine or false covenants But God gaue to infants circumcision which was the signe and seale of the righteousnesse of faith and regeneration Gen. 17.12 Rom 4.11.2.28.29 Col. 2.11 Therefore infants had and consequently now haue faith and regeneration though not in the crop or harvest by declaration yet in the bud and beginning of all Christian graces Then marke his censure of such as deny this They saith hee that d ny this reason must either make God the Author of a lying signe seale of the covenant to Abraham his infants or they must hold that infants had those graces then but not now both which are wicked and absurd to affirme Or they must say that circumcision was not the signe and seale of the righteousnesse which is by faith and then they openly contradict the Scripture Rom. 4.11 And after more full proofe hee makes this sharpe conclusion Wherefore they are but a faithlesse and crooked generation that notwithstanding all that God hath spoken and done in this kind doe deny this grace of Christ to the infants of his people and the seale or confirmation of this grace by baptisme now as it was by circumcision of old Thus Hee pressed hereto by the Anabaptists Read the Author himselfe pag. 42. 43. 44. 45. whom it is not possible otherwise to shake off 4 Lastly I answere by retorting the argument vpon them that make it The same necessity which lies vpon an infant to haue actuall faith ere hee can partake of the spirit of Regeneration by his baptisme will also be as strong to exclude him from participation of the outward signe For baptismall washing is at least significant and obsignant too sealing to the party baptized the inward grace signified and exhibited by their owne confession that so much quarrel me for this Position of Baptismall Regeneration And if so what should an infant doe with this honourable mystery and sacred Ordinance he being not able to put any difference between baptismall washing by the Minister and ordinary washing of his face at home by his Nurse Now then if his present incapacity hinder not his partaking of the outward element which yet in the ordinary course of dispensation requires faith to discerne the vse and mystery of this Divine Institution as well as to apply the inward grace thereby signified what should hinder but that an infant belonging to the election of grace should partake initially of the grace of the Sacrament by the Spirit which is in him insteed of actuall faith Deny him this and deny him the Scacrament it selfe By all this I hope it is now evident out of the Scripture it selfe that either elect infants doe ordinarily partake of the spirit in Baptisme or else they receaue not whole Baptisme but only a peece if wee consider this Ordinance as the Scripture doth viz not only as an outward signe but as that which euer is accompanied with the inward grace to all that are elected My other Arguments drawne from Divine Testimony are two and both taken from two distinct vses of Baptisme which now follow in order Arg. 2 2. Argument Major That which was ordained to bee the Laver of spirituall regeneration renovation vnto all that are saued by it must needs containe in it the donation of the spirit by which this worke may be done Minor But Baptisme was ordained vnto this end that it should bee the Laver of regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghost vnto all that partake of it and are saued ordinarily Therefore Baptisme taken as the Scripture takes it for all that which in baptisme is vsually giuen to the elect containes in it ordinarily the conferring of the spirit to all the elect that partake of it The Maior is vndeniable vnlesse we will maintaine that the effect may bee produced without it's proper cause for how can Baptisme wash and renew a man spiritually without conferring of the Spirit This is as if I should grant a man to speake yet deny him to haue a tongue or to admit him to act and moue rationally and yet not yeeld him to haue a reasonable soule This Proposition therefore I take for granted This place was alleadged in the former argument but to another purpose there to proue the spirit of Regeneration to be
initiation into Christ and for their future actuall renovation in Gods good time if they liue to yeares of discretion and enioy the other ordinary meanes of Grace appointed of God to this end This Position I am now to make good to be agreeable to the Doctrine 1 Of the Church of England by which it appeares to be no priuate fancy 2 Of the Holy Scriptures vpon which this Doctrine of our Church is founded 3 Of the Ancient Fathers of best note in the truly Primitiue church 4 Of the Reformed churches beyond the Sea and particularly of Geneva 5 Of the most famous and eminent Divines both at home and abroad particularly of calvine and Dr Whitaker beside sundry others Lastly I will adde Answers to all the Obiections that euer I could heare of against this Assertion CAP. 3. This agrees to the Publique Doctrine of our Church BEfore I goe further I must aduertise the Reader of one thing constantly to be obserued throughout this Treatise and it is this Wheresoeuer I shall for brevities sake only say thus much that the Elect doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme my purpose is to haue it vnderstood with all those conditions and limitations before expressed in the stating of the Point So that it must alwaies bee thus interpreted viz That it is most agreeable to the Jnstitution of Christ that All Elect Jnfants that are baptised vnlesse in some extraordinary cases doe ordinarily receiue from Christ the Spirit in Baptisme for their first solemne initiation into Christ and for their future actuall renovation in Gods good time if they liue to yeares of discretion and enioy the other ordinary meanes of Grace appointed of God to this end This premized I may more securely goe on with my worke Nor shall any man that findes oftentimes in that which followes a more compendious expression of this Position haue cause to complaine that I deale ambiguously and sophistically because my resolution is to be alwaies tryed by this Conclusion so largely deliuered and so bounded as in the former Chapter you may behold it The first part of my taske is to make it good that this assertion is agreeable to the publique and established Doctrine of the Church of England And this I propound in the first place not as if I meant to tye any mans faith to beleeue the point meerely because the Church of England saith it For She will not assume so much Authority ouer any mans faith hauing declared her selfe expresly in the 21 Article of her Doctrine that euen Generall Councells which represent the whole Church of Christ on earth in things ordeined by them as necessary to salvation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may bee declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture I vrge not then the Doctrine of our Church to proue the point by it as some haue giuen out but only to shew the agreement that it hath with our Publique Doctrine that no man might proclaime it to bee a peece either of Popery or Arminianisme nor yet a priuate conceit of mine owne dissonant from the Churches of Christ but that it is a branch of that truth to which all the Ministers of our Church either haue subscribed or ought so to doe and so are as deeply engaged in the defence of it as my selfe whom some of them either ignorant or carelesse of what they subscribed to doe now so much oppose That this accordeth to the Doctrine of our Church may appeare in one or two plaine Syllogismes the first whereof shall be this Syllogis 1. Maior That which the Church in the Publique Leiturgie thereof exhorteth requireth vs to pray for when any Infant presumed to be truly and indeed within the couenant of Grace is brought to baptisme and that which it also teacheth vs to pronounce concerning that and euery such infant so soone as he is baptised must needs bee granted to bee agreeable to the Publique Doctrine of our Church touching all elect Infants that are baptised ordinarily Minor But the Publique Leiturgie of our Church exhorteth and requireth vs at the baptizing of euery infant presumed to haue interest in the Couenant of Grace as being within Gods Election a That our Leiturgy hath an eye to the covenant of Grace and presumes of any particular infant that vnto him the kingdome of Heaven doth indeed belong and therevpoÌ„ pronounceth the child after baptisme is administred to be regenerate may appeare most evidently by this viz That it leadeth vs to that which our Saviour spake in the Gospell touching those infants that were brought vnto him blessed by him vpon this ground that theirs is the kingdome of heaven Not that all children haue right to the kingdome for Esau had none Rom. 9. Yet because men cannot see Gods secret decree they are not to make doubt of any particular but knowing that some infants are elected and haue right to the Kingdome vpon this ground they know for certaine that this Child is regenerate by the Spirit if he be elected and if to him doe belong the Kingdome of God And therefore our Church in charity pronounceth so much of every Child considered individually and apart because in charity shee presumeth that vnto that very particular belongs the Kingdome of God For vpon this ground is the following exhortation and assurance built which vpon this consideration saith Doubt yee not therefore but earnestly beleeue that hee will likewise favourably receiue these present Jnfâ—nts that he will embrace them with the armes of his mercy that he will giue vnto them the blessing of eternall life and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdome to pray for the Spirit of Regeneration to bee giuen vnto him and so soone as hee is baptised to conclude him to be regenerated with the Holy Spirit and accordingly to giue thankes for this in Prayer vnto God Conclus Therefore it is agreeable to the Publique and established doctrine of the Church of England that all elect Jnfants doe ordinarily receaue the spirit of Christ in Baptisme in such manner and sense as is before expressed The Maior Proposition cannot be doubted of vnlesse we shall say that the Doctrine and Leiturgie of our Church are contrary to one another which no man wel in his wits will affirme and yet subscribe to both The Minor or as some tearme it the Assumption is the only Proposition then that must be proued I pray you therefore with patience see it done in the severall branches of it There are in it these two particulars 1 The Church in her Leiturgie requireth vs to pray for the spirit of Christ to be communicated to every particular infant brought to baptisme presuming of the particular that he is within the election of Grace 2 She concludeth him to be regenerate so soone as he is baptised that is to haue receiued the Spirit of regeneration as the first principle thereof 1. For the former let the Leiturgie it selfe be produced wherein the
Church enioyneth 1 The Minister alone thus to bespeake the Congregation when any children are presented at the Font I beseech you to call vpon God the Father through our Lord Iesus Christ that of his bounteous mercy hee will grant to these children that thing which by nature they cannot haue that they may be baptised with water and the HOLY GHOST The Church enioyneth further 2 Both Minister and People to pray Wee beseech thee for thine infinite mercies that thou wilt mercifully looke vpon these children sanctifie them and wash them with the HOLY GHOST Againe in the second Prayer We call vpon thee for these infants that they comming to thy Holy Baptisme may receiue remission of their sinnes by SPIRITVALL regeneration Yet againe in the Third Prayer Giue THY HOLY SPIRIT to these infants that they may bee borne againe and bee made heyres of everlasting salvation The purpose of the Church then is to teach vs that wee should expect the Spirit of Christ to be communicated in Baptisme to elect infants or else it must be concluded that the Church meant to mocke vs by putting vs to pray for that which shee doth not beleeue we shall receaue If any shall say the Church teacheth vs to pray indeed for the Regeneration of a child when hee is baptised but not for his present regeneration I answere yes for his present Regeneration not actuall ordinarily such as that he after attaines vnto in his effectuall calling by the Word yet Initiall and Potentiall as was before distinguished as shall appeare in the proofe of the second branch of the Assumption which is this viz 2 The Church concludeth in her Leiturgie that the child is initially regenerate in his Baptisme For 1 It pronounceth him to be regenerate enioyning the Minister thus to speake vnto the people seeing now D. B. that these children be regenerate and grafted into the Body of Christs congregation let vs giue thankes vnto God for these benefits c. And least any should shift this off by saying they are Sacramentally regenerated but not spiritually by any actuall reception of the spirit at that time the Solemne Thanksgiuing following is added to cut the throat of this shiftlesse glosse Let vs examine it in the next place 2 It teacheth vs all thus to ioyne in Thanksgiuing vnto God Wee yeeld thee hearty thankes most mercifull Father that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant how and with what with thy HOLY SPIRIT to receiue him for thine owne child by Adoption what words can more fully manifest the Churches intention to teach vs that all infants truly belonging to the couenant of grace doe ordinarily receiue the spirit in Baptisme not as a thing which none of them had before but as that of which there was no certainty vnto vs nor confirmation vnto them before in the ordinary course of diuine Dispensation of the Spirit by meanes If the matter be not yet cleare enough to such as shut their eyes against it Let them further attend to what the Church requireth vs that are Ministers to pronounce touching a child baptized rightly in private In the forme of Priuate Baptisme I certify you that in this case all is well done and according to due order concerning the baptizing of this child who being borne in Originall sinne and in the wrath of God is now by the Lauer of Regeneration in baptisme receiued into the number of the CHILDREN OF GOD AND HEIRES OF EVERLASTING LIFE for our Lord doth not deny his grace and mercy vnto such infants but most louingly calls them to him as the Holy Gospell doth witnesse vnto our comfort on this wise At a certaine time they brought Children to Christ c. Picke any other sense then I haue done out of the Leiturgy especially when it shall be further cleared by the Doctrine of the Church eris mihi magnus Apollo But some will be readdy to stop me here with sundry Obiections which must be answered 3 Obiections before my way will be cleare to goe forward Obiect 1 1 Some will be apt to say The Church perhaps teacheth vs thus to pray and iudge of infants baptized but doth not well in so doing and that if this be the meaning of our Booke of common prayer we ought not to ioyne in such a prayer To this I answere that it is indeed very true that some haue beene so bold as to put the ly vpon that which the Minister pronounceth touching regeneration of the infant baptized saying in plaine termes That is a ly Bvt sauing their fowle mouthes I trust this shall appeare euen out of the Scriptures themselues in our next chapter to be the truth and that Gods owne infallible truth will beare vs out in it I may not here preuent my selfe Howbeit something to stay the stomacks of such as quarrell our Church for this point or me for misinterpreting our Church let me alleadge out of a good Author whom both they and I doe reuerence and shew his iudgement in the point Mr Tho. Tailor The person I meane is the learned industrious author of the English Comentarie vpon S. Paules Epistle to Titus Hee in writing vpon the 3 cap. and ver 5. of that Epistle is so expressely engaged in this point that all the wit of man cannot fetch him off without tergiuersation which is the iudgement of all men that euer I yet met with who haue throughly read and considered both the place and ALL THAT EITHER GOES BEFORE OR FOLLOWES AFTER in that Author to that purpose Nor am I afraid to referre my selfe to be iudged by the whole World whether I haue abused him or not promising that if it appeare to able and impartiall iudges that in what I haue alleaged out of him I haue wronged him I will aske him forgiuenesse vpon my knees as publique as euer I made the fault· That Author hauing treated of the efficacy of Baptisme and proued that in men of yeares faith is required to receiue the grace offered therein descends to a Question which in the margent of Pag. 642. he thus giues the Summe of How baptisme is effectuall to infants His words in explication hereof are these Quest But howsoeuer in men of yeares faith is required vnto Baptisme yet we are most to respect it as administred vnto children in whom we cannot expect faith and therefore vnto them either faith is not requisite or by the former answere their Baptisme is vnprofitable Answ This well is deepe and we want wherewith to draw certainty of resolution but will assay in some propositions to deliuer summarily that which may be extracted out of the SCRIPTVRES EXPOSITORS * Marke Mr Tailor could find Scriptures and Expositors too for thi◠Position that he here deliuers as MOST Probable for the vnfolding of this difficulty To which purpose let vs first DISTINGVISH of INFANTS of whom some be elected and some belong not to the electiō of grace These latter
receiue only the outward element and are not inwardly washed THE FORMER receiue in the right vse of the Sacrament the INWARD GRACE not that hereby we tythe Maiesty of God to any time or meanes whose spirit bloweth when where he listeth on some before baptisme who are sanctified from the womb on some after but because the LORD DELIGHTETH TO PRESENT HIMSELFE GRATIOVS IN HIS OWNE ORDINANCE we may conceiue that in the right vse of this Sacrament HE ORDINARILY ACCOMPANIETH IT WITH HIS GRACE HERE according to his PROMISE we may expect it and HERE we MAY and OVGHT send out the prayer of FAITH for it These are his words Doe they need any interpreter Doe they require any labour to draw them home to my present point viz. that it is most agreeable to the institution of Christ that all elect infants doe ORDINARILY receiue the spirit in baptisme especially considering that this Author in the end of the 639 page had laid out this for a Doctrine raised out of Tit. 3 5. that God in baptisme not only offereth and signifieth but truly exhibiteth grace whereby our sinnes are washed and wee renewed by the HOLY GHOST and in explication of this Doctrine hee clearely deliuereth his minde in the words before quoted how farre forth this Doctrine concerneth INFANTS and how farre forth it may be granted as true euen of them also I am afraid I shall abuse the Iudicious Readers Patience to stay him so long as to shew how all that I collect out of this Author who lately professed vnto me viva voce that he will stand to what soeuer he hath written which makes me the bolder with him comes full vp to my purpose Howbeit because I am published to the world for a corrupter of this mans writings in this particular and by that is my sincerity iudged in the allegation of all others that I make vse of in this Treatise I must intreat the intelligent reader for a little while to Imagine himselfe to be some puny that knowes not how to construe plaine English and to be contented to learne of me that which a boy of 14 yeares old would deserue to be whipt for if he could not vnderstand without teaching It is said I haue corrupted my Author In what in falsifying his words or wresting the sense The sense How so He neuer meant that elect infants DOE receiue the inward grace but only that they May doe it No doth he not say that God ordinarily accompanieth it with his grace and is not this all one with this specch GOD DOTH ordinarily accompany it with his grace His meaning is mistakē he doth not say it is done But WE MAY CONCEIVE it is done Good But vpon what ground are we to conceive so Is it not this BECAVSE THE LORD DELIGHTETH TO PRESENT HIMSELFE GRATIOVS IN HIS OWNE ORDINANCE or is it this BY VIRTVE OF HIS PROMISE We may expect it or is it this HERE WEE MAY AND OVGHT SEND OVT THE Prayer of FAITH for it Or is it because this Author hath searched both SCRIPTVRES EXPOSITORS and findes this most agreeable to them Now when a man tells me that because this is MOST agreeable to Scriptures and expositors because the Lord delights to present himselfe gratious in his owne Ordinance because this is according to his promise and because here J may and ought send out the Prayer of FAITH for it that therefore J may conceiue that God ordinarily accompanies it with his graces doe I abuse him to say that hee is of my minde that it is most agreeable to the institution of Christ ordinarily to doe this Oh but he addes in the right vse of this Sacrament c which perhaps in his sense implies as much as a receiuing by faith Nay hee himselfe confesseth in the very place alleaged that in infants we cannot expect faith Therefore hee can meane no other by the right vse of this Sacrament then a Reverend administration of it according to the Institution of our Lord both for matter manne◠vnto one within the Couenant But he saith not this of ALL elect Infants In common construction his speech must be equivalent to an Vniversall For when he distinguisheth of infants whereof hee saith some are elect and some belong not to the Election of Grace doth hee not giue vs a generall distribution Be there in his iudgment some infants that are neither elect nor not-elect Againe when hee speaketh of such as are not elect and saith these latter receiue only the outward element doth hee not meane in any mans apprehension ALL these receiue only the outward element Then by the rule of opposition when he comes to speak to the other member of his Distinction and to say the Former viz the Elect receaue in the right vse of the Sacrament the INWARD GRACE can any reasonable Creature of the slendrest capacity beyond a child take him to meane lesse then ALL the Elect Yes you will say they may and ought to take him to meane lesse for himselfe saith expresly not that hereby wee tie the Maiestie of God to any time or meanes whose spirit bloweth when and where hee listeth on SOME BEFORE on SOME AFTER Well And what followes hence but only this that howeuer God hath set downe this to be the ordinary course which hee ties Vs vnto yet it is not to be denied but that hee can and sometimes doth extraordinarily bestow his spirit at other times Now this makes nothing against me for I neuer said that All ABSOLVTLY but All ORDINARILY doe receiue the Spirit in Baptisme And so much this Author must yeeld mee out of his owne words For hee that saith that the Elect doe receiue the inward Grace and that God ordinarily doth accompany the Sacrament with his Grace although he put a correction of his words for the explication of himselfe that hee speakes not this as laying an absolute tye vpon God he can bee no otherwise vnderstood then thus viz. that in some extraordinary and speciall cases it may bee and is otherwise To what end else should he add the word ORDINARY It is true that God is not absolutly tied to times and meanes and what euer he doth he doth it most freely but yet when God hath set vp a standing Ordinance in his Church and made such a promise of the presence and bestowing of his grace as may giue his people ground to expect it and hath bound them to send out the Prayer of FAITH for it hee that shall say that God hath not tyed and engaged himselfe ORDINARILY to giue the Grace promised or that to beleeue this is to tye God where he hath not tied himselfe speaks not like a Divine but makes God a Lier But the Author hath expressed himselfe that it is but sometimes and in some speciall cases wherein the Elect receiue the Spirit in Baptisme Then he contradicts himselfe when hee saith that God ORDINARILY accompanies it with his Grace I tooke not vpon me
for graunted that the doctrine is correspondent and warranteth such prayers else were they but blind deuotions Notwithstanding to put the matter out of all doubt and to driue the naile to the head let me in the next place shew what is the formall Doctrine of our Church in this point And here I must giue you the substance and force of my proofe in another Sylogisme Syllogis 2. Maior That which the Publique Catechisme conteyned in our booke of Common prayer and which the Articles of Religion concluded in 1562. teach is to be acknowledged for the Doctrine of our Church Minor But both our Catechisme and those Articles doe teach thus much Conclus Therefore this Position is agreeable to the Doctrine of our Church There will be no Question of the Maior by any vnderstanding man therefore the Minor only requires proofe This is proued by the parts thus 1 For the Catechisme The Answere to the Second Question teacheth euery child to professe this viz. that in Baptisme hee was made a member of Christ the child of God and an inheriter of the Kingdome of heauen But no man can be made such without the spirit of Christ to initiate him into Christ for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body 1. Cor. 12 13. yea it cannot be that infants should be truly members of the Church of Christ vnlesse they were endowed with the Spirit saith Peter Martir a Ecclesiae partes verè esse non possunt nisi spiritu Christi ornati Loc. Com. clas 4. cap 8. Sect. 15. Therefore euery elect infant receiues in his Baptisme ordinarily the spirit to initiate him according to the Doctrine of our Catechisme 2 Touching the Articles of Religion I alledge only the 27 Art which is this Baptisme is not only a signe of profession and marke of difference whereby Christian men are distinguished from others that be not Christned but it is also a signe of regeneration or new birth whereby as by an instrument they that receiue baptisme rightly are grafted into the Church the promises of the forgiuenesse of sinne and of our adoption to be the sonnes of God BY THE HOLY CHOST c. In which words wee are to obserue three things especially 1 what Baptisme doth outWardly It doth visibly signe and seale regeneration and is not only a bare signe of profession c. 2 What inwardly Tbey that receiue it rightly are grafted into the Church the promises of the forgiuenesse of sinne and of adoption to be the sonnnes of God by THE HOLY GHOST 3 who they are that are partakers of this inward grace they that receiue it rightly and this the Article deliuers indefinitely which in common construction of Logick must be vnderstood as excluding none in the ordinary course An indefinit Proposition in a matter necessary is equivalent to an Vniversall So then we are now come home to the very head of the point viz that All elect infants by the Doctrine of our Church are ordinarily partakers of the spirit in baptisme for they that receiue it rightly all that so receiue it are partakers of the Spirit Obiect But soft and faire the article saith not all elect Infants but they that receiue it rightly Answ Answ The Article in those words speakes the same thing for substance that I now contend for as may appeare by shewing what it meanes by receiuing rightly To receiue Baptisme rightly imports two things viz. 1 That Baptisme be for matter and forme the same that Christ appointed namely that the Baptized party be dipped in or sprinkled with water in the name of the Father and of the sonne and Holy Chost with all due reuerence for the manner also 2 That the Person to be baptized be sufficiently qualified to giue him right to baptisme viz. that he be within the covenant of Grace at least so farre forth as the Church can iudge of him Else he doth but vsurpe the Ordinance for what hath he to doe with the seale of the Couenant if he be not comprised in the Couenant Now then to qualify an infant it is sufficient that he be within the Couenant If he be borne of Christian parents hee is so farre forth to be held within the couenant that the Church ought to admit him to baptisme if he be presented to it But yet we say not that he is instantly or at all partaker of the inward grace of baptisme vnlesse he be truly in the couenant of Grace and vnder election Howbeit supposing him to be such an one we say that this is enough to make him capable of the Spirit and to receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme rightly For more then this is not required at his hands by the consent of all iudicious Diuines that vnderstand what they say or whereof they affirme And it is a blind conceit of Anabaptists to say that no infants are capable of the inward Grace of baptisme vnlesse they haue actuall faith and doe actually beleeue But least any should take offence if I bring not proofe of what I say I will produce a few of many Divines that plainely affirme that it is not required of infants that they haue actuall faith to make them capable of the inward grace of Baptisme that notwithstanding they want that faith they may and doe partake of the inward grace by the spirit For this purpose I propound vnto you 1 Peter Martir Jn Jnfants saith he who by reason of their tender yeares cannot beleeue the holy Ghost supplies the roome of faith And the effusion of the Holy Ghost is promised in Baptisme as the Apostle expressely writes to Titus who saued vs by the Lauer of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed abroad on vs aboundantly b Infantibus autem qui adhuc per aetatem credere non possunt spiritus sanctus in eorum cordibus fidei vices gerit Effusio quoque spiritus sancti promittitur in baptismo vâ— in epist ad Titum diserte scrìbitur qui saluos nosfecit c. Loc. Com. class 4. â— 8. sect 2. 2 Zanchius vpon those words in Ephes 5.26 washing it with water through the word thus writeth On the behalfe of the receiuer if he be of yeares faith is required but this faith is not here expressed because the Apostle speakes of baptisme wherein infants although destitute of actuall faith are grafted into the body of the Church c Ex parte accipientis si advltus sit requiritur fides c. Sed hec fides hoc in loco non exprimitur quia de baptismo quo etiam parvuli licet actuali fide destituti in corpus Ecclesiae inseruntur verba facit Apostolus dicendo muâ—dans eam lavacro aquae in Ephes 5. Externa media sunt verbum aqua per ministrum Christi administrata medium autem â—fficax ex parte tuâ—s qui mundatur est fides vt in advito vel saltem spiritus fidei vt in pueris spiritus enim ipse applicat
from hence against the baptizing of infants that they are not capable of the inward grace If that be true Which Dr Ames affirmeth that they be as capable of baptisme in respect of the cheife vse thereof as persons of yeares who shall deny them the inward grace Doe we not know that in Gods account the sacrament of circumcision was not accounted circumcision when it was only outward in-the flesh and not inward also in the heart For he is not a Iew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Iew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2. Circumcision We know was a seale of the righteousnesse which is by faith b 6. Rom 4.11 Now I demand whether any sound diuine did euer affirme that only the outward ceremony of circumcision of the flesh was vnto the elect the proper and only seale of the righteousnesse which is by faith Sure I am the Scripture euery where teacheth that the spirit is the seale of God set vpon the saithfull c 2. Cor. 1 22. Ephes 1.13.4.30 If then Circumcision were accounted vncircumcision where it was not accompanied with the inward grace what shall we say other of baptisme where the spirit is not communicated Therefore also in baptisme of the elect for whose sakes only this and all other ordinances of Christ were set vp in thâ— Church there must be ordinarâ—ly not only the outward element of water sprinkled on the child but the inward grace also else it must necessarily follow â—hat either in the baptizing of elect infants but halâ—e baptisme is ordinarily conferred which in Gods account is no better then no baptisme or Baptisme is not to infants what the scriptures affirme it to be to men of yeares And if this last be true in the ordinary course of diuine dispensation I will maintaine that infants are not to be baptised If those infants which may bee saued without baptisme receaue no more then the outward signe when they are baptized why are they baptized Can the outward signe saue them or make them more certaine or more capable of salvation then they were before so long as they remaine void of faith Were it not as good to deferre their baptisme till they be of yeares as to offer them to baptisme in infancy which doth them no more good then it doth to a reprobate till their actuall conversion To say that Baptisme admits them to the outward meanes is to say iust nothing to the purpose For aske these men what is it that makes a person capable of the inward grace of baptisme They will answer faith But how is this faith wrought By preaching of the word say they Well admit this may not an infant vnbaptised come to heare the word read or preached Anabaptists doe not shut their children out of the Church when the word is preached but onely exclude them from the Sacraments And wee also permit excommunicate persons to heare Sermons howeuer we debarre them from other ordinances Therefore infants need not baptisme meerly for their admission vnto the outward meanes of faith and conuersion for as much as they may participate of the word without baptisme and the word being by these mens telling the onely outward ordinary meanes of begetting faith If Anabaptists might as freely shew themselues here among vs as they doe in other countries this doctrine of Baptismal grace would bee better entertained by such as now oppugne it without consideration of this sequele This therefore to mee is without all controuersie that What the Scriptures doe attribute to Baptisme as the principall part and as it were the soule of Baptisme is ordinarily communicated from Christ vnto the Elect although infants because in them actuall faith is not required in their baptisme Where the Scripture makes no difference why should we What else doth the Author of the Commentary on the Epistle to Titus meane where he saith d Pag. 63 9. We must conceaue that in every Sacrament there bee three essentiall parts the absence of any of which destroy the whole 1. The Signe 2 the thing signified 3. the analogy betweene them which is the vnion of them both The first is some outward and sensible thing the second inward and spirituall the third mixt of them both To this agree all learned Divines and confessions of Reformed Churches so farre forth at least that they vnanimously conclude Sacraments to be not naked signes but certâ—ine sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and Gods good will towards vs by which he doth worke invisibly in vs e Articlâ—s of Relig. art 25. and convey some inward grace ordinarily from Christ vnto all that haue true interest in the couenant of Grace whereof Sacraments are the Scales And so my Maior stands good against all Sacramentarians and their vnwitting Proctors whatsoever I come therefore to the Minor The Minor Proposition now to be proved is this But the Scriptures doe attribute the conferring of the Holy Ghost to that ordinance as the principall part of it This I make good by all such Scriptures as mention the conferring of and washing with the Holy Ghost as well as with the outward element without difference of yeares and without mention of actuall faith to apply the same I might begin with that place in Ioh. 3.5 Except a man bee borne of WATER and of the SPIRIT c. where Water and the Spirit are ioined as going together into all heyres of the Kingdome Which place how ever some make a doubt whether it be meant of the Sacrament of Baptisme yet not onely the Ancients but Beza f Sed de Baptismo â—â—cagâ— siue simpliciter sive alâ—quà ad legalâ—s ablutiones allusione omnino existimo Beza in lâ—cum also without all doubt doe interpret of Baptisme so also the learned Bucer * Nec enim audiendos puto eos qui hic per aquam non aquam sed Spiriâ—um Sanctum volunt intelligi qâ—asi vero Dominus voluerit spiritum Sanctum bis ponere eoâ— dicere vel qui nâ—n fuerit gentâ—us ex â—piritu saâ—cto spiriâ—u saâ—cto vel quâ— non fuerit geâ—ituâ— ex aqua quae est spiritus sanctus Bucer de vi effic Baptis inteâ— scripâ— Anglic pag. 596. But because I did not vse it in my Lectures and some may wrangle at the exposition therefore resolue to waue it and quote only three other Texts The first is that in Math 3.11 I indeed baptize you with water vnto repentance but hee that commeth after me is mightier then I whose shooes I am not worthy to beare he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire In which place Iohn makes the Baptisme of Christ to consist non onely of Water but of the Holy Ghost and of the powerful operation of the Holy Ghost
perseverantibus proficit ibid. The Holy Ghost is said therefore to dwell in them because he secretly workes in them that they may bee his temple which hee afterwards perfecteth in those that profit and make further proceedings persevere in the same Then which speech what can be said more plaine and full to my present purpose touching the Holy Ghosts ceazing vpon infants even in baptisme to prepare them in his owne time to be Temples for himselfe Such as would extend the efficacy of baptisme indifferently to all infants will be perhaps ready to wrest all these testimonies out of my hand make vse of them against mee for asmuch as all these allegations doe seeme to make for the vniuersall extent of grace to all that are baptized without restraining it to the Elect as I doe It is true the Fathers except none yet this proues not that therefore they held that none are exempted by God nay they often declare the contrary They considering the charge which Christ hath laid vpon his ministers to deny baptisme to none to whom belongs the kingdome of God and not taking vpon them to pry into Gods secrets to know who they be that belong to his election and who not as they baptize all so they pronounce of each one that his sinnes are remitted and the spirit is giuen him in baptisme yet withall confining the donation of these gifts only to such as haue indeed interest in the kingdome although they take not vpon them to declare who they be in particular that haue no share therein Now that notwithstanding their indefinite and illimited speeches touching the efficacy of Baptisme they did holde and declare that all are not indeed partakers of the grace of baptisme shall appeare by one or two of them which I thinke is enough to declare the iudgement of the rest that were sound among them Not to repeat what I formerly vrged out of Chrysostome to shew that he was not of opinion that all without exception did certainely receiue grace in baptisme although they did not actually resist it when they were baptized I will mention only one passage out of Hierome and another out of Augustine concerning this point St Hierome if it be not falsely fathered on him writing on Galath 3. d In Gal. 3. si igitur qui in Christo baptizati sunt Christum induerunt manifestum est eos qui non sunt induti Christum non fuisse baptizatos in Christo Ad eos enim qui fideles baptisma Christi consecuti putabantur dictum est Induite ves Dominum Iesum Christum Rom. 13. Si quis hoc corporeum quod oculis carnis aspicitur aquae tantum accepit lavacrum non est iudutus deminum Iesum Christum Nam Simon ille de actibus Apost acceperat Lavacrum aquae verum quia sanctum spiritum non habebat indutus non erat Christum Et Haeretici vel Hypocritae si qui sordide victitant videntur quidem accipere baptismum sed nescio an Christum habeant indumentum Itaque consideremus ne sorte in nobis aliquis deprebendatur qui ex eo quod Christi non habet indumentum arguatur non baptizatus in Christo As many of you as haue beene baptized into Christ haue put on Christ hath these words If they who haue bin baptized into Christ haue put on Christ it is manifest that they who haue not put on Christ were not baptized into Christ For vnto such as were thought to be faithfull and to haue attained the baptisme of Christ it is elsewhere said put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ Jf any hath receiued only that which is corporall and visible viz the Lauer of water he hath not put on Iesus Christ For euen Simon magus receiued the externall washing yet because he had not the Holy Ghost therefore he did not put on Christ And so Hereticks Hypocrites wicked liuers seeme indeed to receiue baptisme but I know not that they haue put on Christ as a garment Therefore let vs lay this to heart least any man be found among vs that being not cloathed with Christ should proue not to haue beene baptized into Christ Some perhaps may snatch at this testimony and say that St Hierome speakes here of such as are of yeares that doe obicem ponere make resistance to grace and not of infants of which the question is if he did speake of infants yet here is not a word of election as the reason why some doe receiue that which others goe without To these two cauills I must make answere in order First I deny that he speakes only of persons of yeares for from the generall obseruation thâ—t there be some who were not indeed baptized into Christ he makes application in particular to himselfe and others most of which were baptized in infancy though some of yeares were daily added and euen them would he haue to consider seriously whether it were not thus with themselues although baptized in infancy Nor doth he make reluctation in Simon Magus to be the reason why he was not baptized into Christ but his not hauing of the spirit and this is as much in effect as if he had said he was not baptized into Christ because he was not in the number of Gods sonnes by election for the scripture assignes this as the reason why some doe partake of the spirit because they are sonnes e Gal. 4.6 The rule of opposition therefore must needs make the contrary true no son no spirit no spirit none of Christs f Rom. 8 9. Wherefore secondly I say that in effect he restraines the grace of baptisme only to the elect and for this reason that they be elected For if Simon could not be baptized into Christ for want of the spirit it is true that he could not be baptized into Christ because not elected for if he had beene a sonne by election hee could not haue missed of the spirit as is clear both in Galath 4.6 and in Rom 8.14 Now forasmuch as the Holy scriptures doe so clearly teach that none partake of the spirit vnto sanctification and saluation but only the elect as by and by we shall by occasion see confessed also by Lombard himselfe it were too great a wrong to so worthy a Father as St Hierome was to interpret his speech vttered according to scripture as hauing in it a meaning contrary to the Scripture to bolster vp a tottering error of some that drew it immediatly from Bellarmine and the rest of that crew What need many words If Hierome be not thought cleare enough then see my other witnesse St Augustine who if Lombard abuse him not I am sure will put all out of doubt The g Sacramenta in solis electis efficiunt quod figurant ita Lombard 4. sent dist 4. in A. sacraments saith he doe effect or worke that which they signify only in the elect I willingly admit that Lombard seekes to giue an
the bloud of Christ and the Holy Ghost the worker of faith is promised to infants as well as to those of yeares and that therefore infants ought to be baptized Againe in his answere to the second obiection of the Anabaptists by which they would proue that infants ought not to be admitted vnto baptisme namely because they beleeue not he thus saith b Infantes enim credunt suo modo pro modo aetatis quia habent inclinationem ad credendum Fides inest infâ—ntibus potentia inclinatione licet non actu vt in adultis And a little after Habent etiam infantes spiritum sanctum ab eo regenerantur pro modo aetatis suae sicut Ioannes baptista impletus fuit spiritu sancto cum adhuc esset in vtero matris Ierimiae cum nondâ—m produsses ex vtero sanctificani te Si infantes habent spiritum sanctum certè operatur in eis regenerationem bonas inclinationes novos motus alia quae ad salutem eis sunt necessaria vel certe haec omnia ipse quasi supplet ad baptismum eis sufficit iuxta dâ—ctum Petri quis potest arcere ab aqua eos qui spiritum sanctum acceperunt sicut nos Act. 10. they haue faith although not actuall yet potentiall and by inclination or at least the holy Ghost himselfe supplieth the roome of it and so sufficeth for their baptisme For he that hath receiued the holy Ghost ought not to be excluded from baptisme according to that of the Apostle in Act. 10.47 which that Author applies to this very purpose Thus haue we the Confessions of nine seuerall Churches of cheefest note beyond the seas professing and publishing as much as those eight Fathers of old and as our owne Church at home touching the efficacy of Baptisme of elect infants or if you will indefinitely of all infants supposed to be truely and indeed within the election and couenant of grace Some haply will be medling here againe and say that all these confessions doe not set such a restraint vpon the efficacy of baptisme as our present position doth but extend it indifferently vnto all But to such I must giue the same answere that I did before because the obiection is the same and because also it is set vpon the same sandy foundation viz. that the Confessions are indefinite so as none are excluded from the grace of the sacrament that are partakers of the outward washing The forme of expression which the churches vse is indefinite and it is necessary it should be so because they speake of baptisme considered in the nature of it when it is applied to those within the couenant to all which the grace of baptisme is ordinarily giuen yet well knowing that all are not indeed within the couenant although borne of parents that are members of the visible Church they doe not say vniuersally that all infants are partakers of the grace of baptisme but indefinitely that infants are partakers of it Now although oft times an indefinite proposition in materia necessaria be equiualent to an vniuersall yet it is not alwaies so as hath beene formerly sh wed when some circumstance doth occurre that may varie the condition of the partie to whom it is applied As for example to say that persons so so educated in their youth doe proue wise and able men for such or such an imployment makes the proposition to be taken as generally true by reason of the sufficiency of the meanes of their education yet because there may be and oft is some inward impediment or incapacity in some particulars that proposition is by no wise men beleeued to be meant as vniuersally true of all that are vnder the same helpes and meanes Yea some propositions that are vniuersally propounded haue yet their limitations implied which are discerned by all rationall men that either heare or read them as for instance yee are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus saith the Apostle Gal. 3.26 yet who can be so charitable as to thinke that there was not so much as one Hypocrite in all the Church of Galatia doth not the same Apostle say elsewhere that r 2 Thes 3.2 all men haue not faith and againe Å¿ Rom. 9.6 they are not all Israel which are of Israel What then Why this The Apostle looking vpon the powerfull meanes of begetting the Galathians vnto God viz the word and Sacraments and considering their outward submission and conformity thereunto he professeth of them in the Lump ye are all the Children of God c. Howbeit no man will take him otherwise then this yee are all his children if yee hee indeed inwardly what yee seeme outwardly to mee that am willing thus to hope and speake of you In like manner then must the Churches be vnderstood if they should deliuer themselues in vniversall termes for asmuch as all are not partakers of the spirit and bloud of Christ that are partakers of the outward Laver of regeneration as some of the Fathers haue soundly taught vs in the former chapter Because in the sacrament by virtue of Christs institution ordinarily grace is giuen to all that are by election capable of it and it being knowne to none who they be that are not elected it is more apt and proper to speake indefinitly rather then restrictiuely in publique Confessions of Churches that so all may with more care and reuerence attend the Ordinance of Christ and expect that in it which how euer it be not of a certainty vniuersally communicated to all indifferently yet is not denied to this or that or any particular presented vnto baptisme for ought any mortall man can iudge or may take liberty to presume of any one in particular howeuer in the generall he may set it downe for a conclusion of truth that there are some which goe without it If yet I should be further pressed that at least all the Lutherans doe expresly and stifly declare themselues to beleeue that all infants doe certainely receiue the inward grace of baptisme so as to be indeed regenerated in the very instant of the administration To this I answere that it is perhaps true of some particular men among them that as all men who professe themselues stiffe followers of such or such a master doe vsually in tract of time and through heat of disputation goe further then their master or then those more moderate men that in former times did adde here vnto him as they now doe so these who therefore for some errors which they vniustly father vpon that Worthy are termed pseudo Lutherans going further then euer Lâ—ther did may take vpon them the defence of this error which yet may iustly passe as a priuate fancy of their owne and no true issue of his that they seeme so much to glory in at least no publique definition of any of those Churches which are at this day through the violence of some particular men in them nicknamed
and another way in vs in the act thereof The first regeneration which may be termed a transplantation out of the old Adam into the new is as a cause and the other followeth as an effect thereof Of the former Christ speaketh in the 3d of Iohn The Apostle ioynes both together in Rom. 6. With this to wit the first elect infants are regenerated when they are set into Christ the obsignation whereof is made ouer vnto them in the time wherein they are baptized Thus we see the point receiuing cleare testimony from this witnesse also as full as can be desired if all the passages of the Author be laid together and considered with impartiall eyes In the next place let vs enquire of Zanchius what he thinketh of this point Wee are in part informed already what his iudgment is but this being the place which is proper for him to giue vp his verdict in let vs heare him more at large in his owne words He in the Confession of his faith thus speakes of baptisme h Baptismus primum Noui faederis sacramentum est quo cum omnes qui vel paenitentiam peccatorum professi fidem etiam in Christum adeoque in Deum Patre filium spiritum sanctum profitentur vel saltem propter parentum pietatem ad faedus pertinere creduntur 1. Cor. 7.14 tum maxime illi qui verè ad faedus pertinent Christo tanquam ei iam per spiritum sanctum incorporati obsignantur vt non sint amplius sui iuris sed illius per quem in faederis societatem ceque in vnum corpus cum eo sanctisque omnibus in omnium spiritualium caelestiumque bonorum participâ—tionâ—m asciti esse dicuntur Act. 19.5 1. Cor. 6.19 Per hunc baptismum tanquam per lâ—â—â—câ—um regenerationis a peccatis vi sanguinis Christi mundati cum Christo consepulti in mortem vt quemadmodum ille resurrexit a mortuis per gloriam patris sic nos in novitate vitae ambulemus Vnde sacramentum paenitentiae in remissionem peccatorum sacramentum fidei symbolum federis lauacrum regenerationis c. appellari consueuit Zanch. lib. Confess cap. de baptismo Sect. 1. Baptisme is the first sacrament of the new couenant wherin all that either by repentance and profession of faith in Christ and so in God the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost or by reason of their parents piety are beleeved to pertaine to the couenant 1. Cor. 7.4 but especially they that doe truly belong to the Couenant are sealed vp for Christ as being euen then incorporated into him by the Holy Ghost that they might no longer be their owne but his through whom they are said to be receiued into the society of the couenant and so into one body with him and with all the saints and into the participation of all spirituall and celestiall blessings Act. 19.5 1. Cor. 6.19 By this baptisme as by the Lauer of regeneration they are clensed from their sinnes by the vertue of Christs bloud and are buried with Christ into death that as he rose againe from the dead by the glory of the Father even so wee also should walke in newnesse of life Whence also it is called the sacrament of repentance for remission of sinne the sacrament of faith the badg of the couenant the Lauer of Regeneration c. Lo here an efficacy of baptisme and an efficacy vnto regeneration euen in infants also belonging truly and indeed to the couenant of grace as well as to persons of yeares attaining vnto actuall faith and repentance And least any man should stumble at the ambiguity of some words here vsed wee may finde Zanchius expressing himselfe almost in the same termes which I vsed at the beginning of this treatise in the explicatioÌ„ of my distinction of initiall and actuall regeneration for which they who terme me a Dreamer must also take him and the Fathers into the same number for thus Hee i Non incongrue Patres decent effectum illum spiritus domini quem describit Moses in Gâ—n 1. typum fuisse illius quem praestat spiritus sanctus in aqua baptismi Vt enim ibi incubabat aquis illis eas fouebat animabat praeparabatque ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rerumque omnium generationem sic spâ—ritus sanctus praesidet aquis baptismi eis quasi incubat illisque benedicit inde electos fovet regenerat animat faecundosque reddit ad bona opera Zanch. de Trib. Eloh lib. 7. cap. 1. Not vnfitly doe the Fathers teach that effect of the holy Ghost mouing vpon the Waters which Moses describeth in Gen. 1. to be a resemblance of that which the Holy Ghost performeth in the water of Baptisme For as there he rested vpon those waters that he might cherish and prepare them for the producing of liuing creatures and for the generation of all things so the Holy Ghost sits vpon the waters of baptisme and sits as it were abroad vpon them and blesseth them and thence doth cherish regenerate and animate the elect and makes them fruitfull vnto all good workes The Holy Ghost then doth rest vpon the waters not in the shape of a doue as some absurdly picture him but yet truly in a spirituall manner as best becomes him and doth communicate himselfe therewith vnto elect infants for producing of future actuall newnesse of life not presently but in due time and order in them It were easy to adde to this great cloud of witnesses many more * Oecolompadius Pareus Marlorat Melanchton but I must of necessity contract my selfe I will therefore mention only two more of this sort and then draw nearer home to our owne Diuines One of the two I meane to cite is Lambertus Daneus an Author of great learning and note in the Church He in his learned fruitfull commentary vpon St Augustines Enchiridion cap. 52. Where that Father quoting that of the Apostle in Rom. 6. wee are buried with him by baptisme into death and avouching that this belongs even to infants as well as to others allowes that saying of Augustine being restrained to the elect and vnderstood only of initiall regeneration as I had occasion to note before His owne words are these k Ergo fide regenerationem habent parvuli electi dei etsi nondum illius opera nobis apparent ea dona habent pro ratione aetatis id est pro capacitate vasis See more touching the iudgment of this Author in my answere to the 4th main obiection against this position of baptismall grace Therefore little infants that are the elect of God haue faith and regeneration although the workes thereof doe not yet appeare to vs and those gifts they haue according to the condition of their age that is to say according to the capacity of the subiect receiuing the same The other is that famous Vossius now so much bought vp of all learned men He in defence of the baptisme of
baptized Infants yet they will not alwaies remaine such g Tum siverum sit quod Bellâ—rminus ait infantes persolum sacramentum seruari tum omnes qui baptizatur seruarentur Verum asia causa est propter quam seruanturiafantes nempe diuine bonitate gratia electio non solus baptismus ibid quaest 4. cap 3. pag. 88.89 but at length if they liue they will feele the force of that baptisme which in their infancie they did receiue And yet againe to that obiection of Bellarmine that Infants are saved without actual faith by baptisme alone he answeres by denying that only Baptisme saveth them for saith he many Jnfants do perish that are baptized and many are saved that were never baptized * Thâ—s Bernâ—rd made good against Hâ—goâ—t S. Vict. vnder the person of another enquiring whether infants can be saued without baptisme Eâ—â—st 77. And euen Gâ—b Biel. in 4 sent dist 4. quaest 2. dub 2. was not afraid to affirme as much although ap pâ—sh schooleman saying Voluit Deus itaque remedia instituere con ram rburr p ccaâ—tun Ecclesia per sacramenta dispensanda his qui noti esse poterant Ecclesiae â—orum vero qui nondum in lucem notitiae predicrunt remedia in sua potestate sola constituit quos cum voluerit sâ—te exteriori remedio sanctificare salvare potest sicut factum de quibusdam scriptura testatur Insuper quod paucis in privilegium factum est potest quibuscunque voluit impartiri qui potentiam suam sacramentis non alligauit and a little after If that were true which Bellarmine affirmeth that Infants are saved only by baptisme then all that are baptized should be saved But there is another cause also of the salvation of Jnfants viz. Gods goodnes grace and Election By all which it is evident that Dr. Whitaker ever restrained the efficacie of Baptisme to the Elect only and vnto them he never denyed it And that hee meant some present worke of the Spirit to bee wrought vpon elect Infants in the act of baptisme will appeare farther by his approving of all that the ancient Fathers haue spoken touching this point Now we know that they were all for a present efficacie of baptisme even vpon Infants as well as others as before hath beene declared I will not repeate what I haue * Chap. 5. there alledged h Non est falsa etiam in parvulorum b ptismate Rem ssio peccatorum nec verba tenus dicatur sed veraciter agitur Austin Epist 157. only I wil adde one place more out of St Augustine It is no fable that we say Remission of sins is given in the baptisme even of Infants nor is it said only to make a shew but it is verily done This is not disliked but both this and all the speeches of the Fathers produced by Bellarmine are approved by our i De Sacram. in gen quest 4 ca. 2 pag. 73. Author being rightly vnderstood viz not as if they held that the outward elements could convey this to every infant by vertue of the outward worke done but that the grace of Baptisme commeth immediatly from God and is wrought by the spirit as he declareth out of Basil Yea he is not afraid to adde that k Et quanquam Lutherus Calvinus scribuat quaedam dici a Patribu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse immodica quaedam apud illos enconna sacramentorum vt sic non esse contemnenda esse Iudaicis meliora docerent tamenre vera nullum est ex omnibus testimonius qua Bellarminus offert quod non satis commodè sine hyperbole exponi potest ibid vt immediate supra pag. 74. however Calvine Luther were pleased to say that some things were spoken by the Fathers hyperbolically and that sometimes we shall meet with advancings of the Sacraments beyond measure in their writings which no doubt they tooke liberty to doe meerely to preserue them from contempt and to preferre them before the Sacraments of the Jewes notwithstanding to say the truth there is not one of all those places quoted by Bellarmine but will admit of a good construction without any hyperbole at all Thus He. And if wee obserue how every where he expounds them we shal finde him thus to sense them viz. that what they say must bee taken not as intending to place any efficacy in the outward element nor that grace is given to any but to the Elect to them not by vertue of the outward Baptisme outwardly administred but by the immediat operation of the Spirit in that OrdinaÌ„ce as both the places already alleaged together with many moe too long to recite in this place doe sufficiently proue Moreover when he commeth professedly to treat of the efficacie of Baptisme and of the saith of infants he first avoucheth that l Nam multi Prtotestantes etsi non fidem actualem infantibus tribuunt tamen inclinationes quasdam bonas novosque motiâ—â— in pueris esse dicunt cum baptizantur De Sacram. controv 〈◊〉 Bapt. quaest 4. cap. 5. many Protestant Divines however they ascribe not actuall faith to Infants yet they affirme that certain good inclinations new motions are wrought in them when they are baptized Which opinion he doth not I confesse take into his protection because he hath afterwards occasion given him to disclaime that imputation cast vpon Protestants by Bellarmine that they ascribe actual faith to Infants which hee acknowledgeth to haue once vnadvisedly fallen from Luther and to make it good that infants do not receiue so much as the habit of that or any other particuler grace in baptisme as the Papists contend Howbeit in that very passage hee declares enough to cleare me of novelty for as much as many Divines haue gone farther then I haue done for they that affirme that in baptisme there are some good inclinations and new motions in Infants must needes acknowledge the reception of the Spirit by which those motions are infused and so they affirme all that I doe and so much more And thus that Mirrour of learning Phillip Melancthon held in his Common place of Baptisme as our Author also hath observed before mee And this those Divines vse to terme seminal or potential grace But what should I stand beating of many bushes In the Chapter now last cited Dr Whitaker speakes plaine enough for hauing spoken somewhat of Calvines opinion touching the worke of grace in Infants he proceedes to Peter Martyr whose opinion he first briefly yet fully sets down then explaineth it and embraceth it as the truth In substance thus he writes m Pâ—trus Martyr vir gravissimi iudicij ait se non audere eorum sententiam amplecti qui fidem tribuunt infantibus non quin Deus iis infundere fidem possit si velit rationem producere in eorum mentibus ante naturae tempus et essicere vt quanquam ipsi non intelligant neque congoscant quae creduntur tamen
regenerate I answere Although we are not able to fadome or vnfold the manner of this worke of God yet it followeth not from thence that the same is not done And the same Author with others of his part maintaine the former doctrine concerning the efficacy of the Sacrament of Baptisme and they differ only from Lutherans and Pontificians First in that they restraine the grace of Sanctification only to the elect Secondly in that they deny externall baptisme to bee alwaies effectuall at the very instant time when it is administred Thus far our Author word for word I forbeare to adde his margent because I am here to vse his words and not his Authors from whom he had them Wee see that in the name of all sound Protestants he professeth an efficacy of baptisme even in infants elected and this hee tells vs is the doctrine of our Church of Antiquity both in respect of particular Fathers and of whole Councels also and this is the professed doctrine of Mr Hooker Zanchius Calvine and of all others that are not Lutherans and Papists So as now our Author must by all men be confessed to be a Lutherane and a Papist from both which in that whole worke hee sufficiently cleareth himselfe or else to bee directly fully and euery way of the same opinion with our Church in this point touching the efficacy of Baptisme in and vpon the elect only Fourthly I produce that learned worthy successour of Bishop Iewel in Sarisbury D. Davenant D. Dauenant B. of Sarisb now L. Bishop of Sarum whose worth is so well knowne that no man that knowes a profound scholler and sound Divine but will yeeld him to be of the highest forme He in his excellent Commentary that he lately put forth in Lattine vpon the epistle to the Collossians saith thus vpon those words of the Apostle Collos 2.12 buried with him in baptisme wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God c. q Non solum in persona Christi sed in nobismet-ipsis etiam sepulta dicuntur peccata in baptismo quia illa mortificatio sepultura peccati non solum sacramentaliter vno momento peragitur in actione baptismi sed realiter etiam per spiritum gratiae IN BAPTISMO ACCEPTVM per totam vitam Christianam protenditur Not only in the person of Christ but also in our owne selues our sinnes are said to be buried in baptisme because that mortification and buriall of sinne is performed not only sacramentally in the very moment of baptisme but also really by the spirit of grace receiued IN BAPTISME throughout the whole life of a Christian And a little after when he speakes of mortification as a grace actually wrought he saith that r In fieri non in facto â—sse it is rather a thing not yet begun then in the actuall worke done in our baptisme And afterwards in exposition of that clause in whom also yee are risen by the faith of the operation of God he thus explicates the meaning thereof Å¿ Non frustra est quod exigitur fides ab Apostâ—lo vt beneficium spiriâ—ualis resurrectionis obtineamus Nam vt in baptismo adultorum requiritur fides praevia iuxta dictum Saluatoris Mar. 16.16 qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit saluus fuerit Sic ab illis qui baptizantur cum iam infantes sint requiritur fides subsequens quam si non praestiterint postea retinent externam tantummodo baptismâ— sanctificationem interna sanctificationis effecta non habent The Apostle doth not in vaine require faith to the end wee may obtaine the benefit of a spirituall resurrection For as in the baptisme of those of yeares precedent faith is required according to that of our Saviour Mar. 16.16 He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued so of those that are baptized in infancy future faith is required which if they performe not they retaine only the externall sanctification of baptisme not hauing the inward effects thereof Againe speaking of the faith of infants he thus determines that doubt t Ibid. in sol dub 2 sufficit quâ—d peccati mortificationeÌ„ fidem habeant non proprio actu sese exerentem sed in habituali principio gratiae inclusam Spiritus autem Christi principium hoc habituale gratiae in illis efficere pâ—sse solere nemo sanus negauerit It is sufficient that they haue mortification faith not actually declaring it selfe by any act of theirs but included in the habituall principle of grace And that the spirit of Christ both can and ordinarily doth worke this habituall principle of grace in them no man well in his wits will deny Now in these fowre passages who sees not these 6 things 1 That infants doe not only partake of an externall washing or obsignation in baptisme but they then RECEIVE the Holy Ghost 2 That though they then receiue the Holy Ghost yet hee doth not presently regenerate actually for then the worke is rather in fieri then in facto esse as a thing not yet begun rather then for the present done 3 That all that are outwardly baptized if they liue must attaine actuall faith ere their baptisme will appeare effectuall vnto them 4 That there are some who doe partake only of the outward lauer without the inward effects else their faith would spring and shew it selfe when they come to yeares 5 That it is ordinary with the Holy Ghost to worke seminall grace in those infants that belong indeed vnto Gods election 6 That they savour of cract braines that deny it I am afraid the reader wil be impatient to be staied longer in a point so plaine I will therefore adde only one Testimony more out of D. Fulk and another out of D. Featly who vnderstanding from my self how I stated my Position gaue this answere neminem habebis aduersarium sure you will haue no aduersary Iudicious and industruous D. Fulk D. Fulk in his Answere to the Rhemists Annotations vpon the New Test saith thus v In 1 Pet. 3.21 Neither is baptisme an efficient cause of saluation vnto infants but a seale of Gods spirit regenerating them to eternall life Where he doth not more deny the ouerplus which Papists vniustly attribute to baptisme then he willingly acknowledgeth what is due vnto it viz. that it is outwardly a seale of Gods spirit which spirit inwardly regenerateth vnto eternall life So then Doctor Fulk could also discerne the spirit in the baptisme of those ordained to life D. Featly Lastly that Learned and nimble Author of the second Parallell who is thought to make against mee I was at first much pressed with the Authority of the Author of tâ—e perpetuity of the regeneâ—aâ—e mans estate But he that shall pervse page 353. 354. of his booke in the fiâ—st edition shall find that still he runs vpon these two points 1 That not all but only the elect receiue any kind
of regeneration at al in baptisme 2 That the elect doe receiue a cleansing and washing from the guilt of original sinne so as if they dye in their infancy before their ACTVALL Regeneration and reall conuersion vnto God they shall be saued And all this he saith is done by the spirit Which is as much for mee as I can desire If my aduersaries haue no worse weapons to beat me withall I shall neuer complaine at their blowes because in page 89 he saith as I also euer said from the beginning viz. that all that are regenerated sacramentally are not necessarily and infallibly regenerated spiritually is cleare of this opinion pag. 90. Although the inward grace ordinarily accompany the outward signe and wee ought to beleeue by the iudgment of charity that all who are baptized are truly regenerate yet indicio veritais as Iunius distinguisheth that is by the iudgment of precise and infallible truth all are not so as the Fathers speake roundly plainly In which words we see first a concession of that wee contend for viz that the inward grace ordinarily accompanieth the outward signe Secondly that yet this is not alwaies for it is not done at all in the baptisme of some But who are those some They that are not elected for he denyes it of all that fall away and perish as the maine substance and drift of that discourse declares Thus you see that many English Diuines of best note speake clearely and fully to this point as well as I that alone am singled out and worried by passionate and heady men CAP. 9. 6 Obiections against the maine position answered I Haue at length gotten through all those particulars propounded in the end of the Second chapter of this Treatise and I hope made it euident to Iudicious and impartiall readers that in the iudgment of our Church according to the scriptures as they haue beene vnderstood by the Ancient Fathers by the present Churches of Christ beyond the seas and by particular Divines of cheifest note both forraine and domesticall All elect infants doe ordinarily receiue from Christ in Baptisme the spirit of regeneration as the soule and first principle of spirituall life for the first solemne initiation into Christ and for their future actuall renouation in Gods good time I haue also giuen answers to all such obiections as might occasionally fall in against my aâ—guments brought for confirmation of the point Now it remaines that I adde Answers to all such Obiections as either haue beene made by others or conceiued by my selfe as likely to be vrged by others against the maine assertion it selfe which I haue laboured all this while to proue and make good by so many witnesses In the performance hereof I shall endeavour to deale as clearly and plainly as possibly I can although I thereby be constrained to vse more words then may be needfull or perhaps gratefull to more acute capacities that I may not be thought to darken my meaning on purpose in the foggs of needles termes of Art not generally vnderstood which might giue ordinary Readers cause to complaine of Obscurity or sophistry And vnto ordinary readers I must premise one aduertisement which others need not viz. That in this part they expect not further corroboration of the maine conclusion but only a manifestation of the impertinency and weaknesse of their arguments that obiect against it If I can in that which remaines make it appeare that nothing of all that hath beene or can be said against my position is able to ouerthrow it but that it is possible for the point to stand whole and vnbroken notwithstanding all their battery I haue don enough how weak so euer mine owne grounds on which I haue hitherto built may to those that proclaime mee a dreamer and a broacher of a grosse and pestilent error seeme to bee 1 Obiection Christians are regenerated by Obiect 1 the word Jam. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.23 therefore not by baptisme in their infancy Answ Answere The Antecedent Proposition is granted being vnderstood of actuall regeneration of persons of yeares as it importeth an actuall and through chang of the whole man vpon their effectuall vocation inwardly by the spirit and outwardly by the Word in ordinary course And of this only those places are to be expounded For the words are spoken only of the worke of the word in vpon aged persons called either from Iudaisme or Gentilisme by the preaching of the Gospell who as Lidia Act. 16.14 had their hearts opened by the spirit to vnderstand and receiue the things preached vnto them and so were begotten anew vnto God that is made new men in Christ to performe new obedience actually vnto God contrary to their former course in the state of corrupt nature In this actuall conuersion and renouation the spirit is the efficient cause and the word an instrument only that he pleaseth to make vse of not as if hee could not dispatch this worke without it but this is that which he hath sanctified and commanded vs to attend vpon so soone as wee are able by accession of yeares to vnderstand the vse of it for conuersion in the ordinary course thereof Now marke the weaknesse and imperfection of this argument S. Iames and S. Peter doe both of them affirme that the persons to whom they wrote being persons of yeares were actually renewed by the Word therefore it is false that elect infants doe receiue the spirit in baptisme for their initiation into Christ and as the soule and principle of after actuall renovation by the word This is all the strength that this obiection hath in it when they haue improued it to the vtmost And how weake this strength is who doth not see It doth not reach home so much as to touch much lesse to peirce the point in question For the Apostles speake of persons of yeares wee of Infants they of actuall renouation wee of initiall regeneration only They of such as are able to make vse of the word wee of such as are not capable of any speech Those places therefore doe well proue that which I deny not viz that * Let the reader obserue that Whereas I often vse this phrase my meaning is not at any time to vnderstand thereby any other thing then what in the stating of the question c. 2. I haue expressed viz. such a worke of the spirit as doth actually renew a man and makes him a new man in Christ by effectuall conuersion wherein he receiues the habits of all sauing graces by the spirit actuall regeneration in persons of yeares is vsually wrought by the word but they doe not restraine regeneration either to persons of yeares only or to this meanes only nor deny the spirit to be giuen to infants before they come to make vse of the word for their first ingraffing into Christ and as the first principle of the new Creature If any shall doubt whether I be right in expounding the places alleadged and suppose that
the words do not only affirme the Word to be the ordinary meanes of Regeneration but the only meanes also of regenerating all that are regenerated in any kinde or degree whatsoeuer let them be pleased to consult M. Calvine who interpret S. Peter that saith the same with S. Iames in the very same sense that I doe in his answere to the Anabaptists who were the first Fathers of this obiection and of all that follow against this point Thus Hee a Quâ—d câ—ntra obiâ—ctant spiritum in scripâ—uris nullam nâ—si ex incorruptibili seruine id est Dei verbo regenerationem agnoscâ—re perperam illam Petri sententiam interpretanâ—ur quâ fidâ—les modo comprehendit qui evangeliâ— praed catione edâ—cti fuerant Talâ—bus quâ—dem fâ—tentâ—â— verbum D miâ—i spiritualis esse reâ—â—nâ—râ—â—ionis â—emeâ— vâ—icum sed ex eo neâ—â—mâ—s câ—â—ligenguÌ„ nâ—n poâ—se â—ei virtute â—â—generari infâ—ntes quae illi tam â—â—ciâ—â—s prompta eâ—t â—â—â—n nobâ—s inâ—oâ—â—â—â—henâ—â— admâ—rabiâ—is Inst l. 4. cap. 16. Sect. 1â— Whereas they obiect that the spirit of God in the Scriptures doth acknowledge no regeneration at all but that which is by the incorruptible seed of the Word they do most absurdly interpret that place of Peter wherein the Apostle only comprehends such as had beene taught and instructed by the preaching of the Gospel Vnto such we confesse the word of God is the seed and the only seed of spiritual Regeneration but we deny that from thence may be gathered that God by his power cannot regenerate infants without it which to him is as easie and ordinary as it is to vs incomprehensible and admirable The like hee saith in the particular of faith in the very next Section as there more at large appeares Nor did this speech fall from him only once or vnadvisedly but it was the constant Answere he ever gaue to this obiection as himselfe professeth in his Answere to Servetus disputing touching the same subiect of the Baptisme of Infants as may be seene in the end of the same Chapter last cited For to Servetus obiecting that b Obijcit rursum Infâ—ntes nâ—n posse â—ovos homineâ— câ—nâ—eri quia non gignâ—ntur per sermonem Ego vere quod saepius iam dixi nunc quoque repeto ad nos regenerandos dâ—ctrinam semen esse incorâ—uptibiâ—e siquidâ—m ad eam percipiendâ sumus idonâ—i vbi verò nondum per aetatem nâ—bis inest dâ—cilitas Deum tenere suos regenerandi gradus Instit 4. ca. 16 sect 31. Infants cannot be thought new men because they be not regenerated by the Word Calvin makes this answere I haue said often and I now repeat it that the Word is the incorruptible seed of regeneration vnto vs provided that we be capable of it but where infancy makes vncapable of instruction by that meanes God doth retaine his course of working some degrees of regeneration without it If it be replyed Calvin speakes what may be and what in some extraordinary cases sometimes happens but not what is vsually done in the baptisme of the Elect I reioine That if Calvine meant only thus much his Answere could not satisfie the Anabaptists who therefore denie baptisme to infants because they are not then capable of regeneration and faith and hee on the contrary saith they be capable of some regeneration and therefore ought to be baptized If he meant not baptismall regeneration how can their possibility of regeneration be a warrant for baptisme seeing they haue or may haue that without baptisme Lastly if it were not ordinary with God to regenerate elect infants in baptisme his answere would fall short too For they might iustly reply that an ordinary practise of baptizing all infants is not to bee warranted from some extraordinary cases If you confesse that it is not ordinary that elect infants are regenerated in baptisme what reason haue you to tie all men to that wherein you cannot promise them the grace that is represented thereby and promised to all that vse it with vnderstanding and faith This and much more might be vnanswerable returned vpon Calvine by Servetus and his Clients if they had vnderstood him to deny Initiall Regeneration of elect infants to be ordinarily communicated to them in Baptisme I conclude therefore with iudicious Calvine However it be true which the Scriptures speake of the actuall regeneration of persons of yeares that they are regenerated by the Word yet Elect infants may be and are for ought appeares in either of the places of scripture obiected to the contrary partakers of Initiall Regeneration by the Spirit in their Baptisme and so this Obiection doth our Position no harme 2 Obiection But there is no such thing as Initiall Obiect 2 Regeneration distinct from Actuall as here is supposed Where ever the spirit is infused to regenerate he doth in the first instant actually regenerate therefore there being by your owne confession say they no actuall regeneration in any infant ordinarily at his baptisme there is then no regeneration at all this distinction of initial and actual regeneration being but a toy and a new device without warrant from the Scripture Answ â—â—sâ—ere If this Obiection containe a truth without equivocation I confesse the Posiâ—ion to be a toy indeed But there may ly some ambiguity in the termes of Initial and Actuall which being cleared the obiection may perhaps appeare as weake as they declare themselues rash and vncharitable who tooke vpon them to confute that distinctioÌ„ which they never vnderstood nor would ever vouchsafe so much as to heare explicated by my selfe either in publique or private Touching the distinction of Initial and Actual Regeneration I haue sufficiently declared before in my second Chapter in what sense I vse it I will therefore forbeare to repeat what there I haue written The Reader may view it at his pleasure If any man demande expresse Scriptures for the very termes he will soone declare of what Spirit he is But if by sufficient consequence the distinction be not clearely deduced thence he shall then haue cause to complaine Let him view the foundation on which it is built and afterwards tell me his minde if he remaine vnsatisfied In the meane time I shal only adde thus much that by Initial and Actuall Regeneration I doe not meane to insinuate two severall kindes of spirituall life for which I acknowledge there is no footing in Scripture but I vnderstand only two distinct considerations in respect of the degrees of spirituall life in the same subiect which the places of Scripture before alleadged in Chapt. 2. doe sufficiently warrant For by life in Scripture is sometimes meant the soule infused as the principle of life sometimes the very actuall being and enliuening of the subiect by that soule making it actually to produce the actions of life Hence I distinguish of life into Initiall and Actuall Not as if the Spirit were not actually communicated or did not actually worke or actually beginne from the very
Martyr affirmeth the roote also out of which all grace in due time floweth in all Gods children as the same Author who is also seconded by Dr Whitaker further speaketh and as Calvin had done before him This Principle of Grace lies hid as seed vnder ground as wheat vnder chaffe as fire vnder the ashes as the faculty of reason seemes to lye asleep till a child bee growne vp to some capacity and as the spirit of God moued vpon the waters before the severall creatures were actually produced by the word of his power By this wee may discerne what answere to giue to that Dilemma vrged by some to this effect viz If the spirit bee giuen to an infant in baptisme either the infant is aliue or dead regenerate or vnregenerate Regenerate he is not because there is in him no actuall change and how can the spirit of regeneration abide in him that is vnregenerate for a long space after the Spirit first entreth into him To this I say that the infant is aliue and regenerate seminally initially in respect of the roote and principle of life but not actually in respect of the particular habits actually wrought in him An infant may be said to be aliue so soone as he hath receaued a soule yet he cannot be said to be aliue actually in respect of a rationall life till the soule bee able to act in a rationall manner Of such an one wee cannot say hee is not aliue because hee hath in him the reasonable soule the principle of life nor yet can we say that he liues a rationall life till his reasonable soule doe put it selfe forth to rationall actions Therefore all men conclude such an infant to be aliue potentially and not actually in respect of that rationall life whereof we now speake The same distinction wil solue the present Argument and so is it resolued by all that touch vpon the point as I haue often shewed That which I haue vrged out of St Augustine Calvine Peter Martyr D. Whitaker and Daneus I will not rehearse in this place which yet I might doe in so large a Treatise for their sakes that cannot easily carry all with them Only I will adde one passage more of Daneus not before mentioned u Denique per baptismum infantes Christo inseruntur quia natura sua à Deo sunt alieni Baptizantur autem non vt statim suae in Christo regenerationis fructus edaÌ„t qui sint nobis conspicui sed vt interim foederis sigillo obsignati donati Deo conserventur et maneant Nam quum tempus advenerit sui baptismi fructus proserent eosdeÌ„ quos ii qui iam adulti baptizatisunt De sacram lib. 5. cap. 35. Infants by Baptisme are ingraffed into Christ forasmuch as by nature they are aliens from God And they are baptized not that they should presently expresse the fruits of their regeneration in Christ which might be conspicuous to vs but that in the meane season till they come to yeares being confirmed with the seale of the Covenant giuen vnto God they might be preserued and remaine vnto his vse For when the time shall be accomplished they will bring forth the same fruits that they doe who are baptized in riper age There is then in them a seed of grace howeuer it doe not presently spring vp and beare fruit and in respect of that seed wee say they are not wholy without life and regeneration as the smoaking flax so soone as it beginnes to smoake is not wholy without fire in it although as yet it bee not wholy kindled by that fire This is I confesse a great secret a deepe mystery of His whose works are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out Howbeit the incomprehensiblenesse of it must not make vs to deny it vnlesse we resolue to beleeue no more then we see or can fathom with the short line of our weake reason which were a sinfull resolution that would breed many * August de peccat Mer. Remiss l 3. c 8 Ecce vnde plerunque convalescit error cum homines idonei sunt bis rebus interrogandis quibus intelligendis non sunt idonei Idem de bono persev c. 14. Nunquid ideo negandum est quod apertum est quia comprehâ—ndi non potest quâ—d occultum est Nâ—quid impâ—â—m proptere a dicturi sumus quod iâ—a esse seâ—â—pâ—cimus non ita esse quoniam cur ita sit non pâ—ssumus inveniâ—e errors both in iudgment and practise of dangerous and desperate consequence There are workes as strange in nature yet no man makes doubt of the truth of them because he cannot come to see how they are done Therefore we must take heed how wee deny the spirit to bee in infants to worke in such a strange manner forasmuch as the workes of grace are more strange admirable then any worke in nature The wise King wisely giues a check to their curiosity that are too bold in prying into the secrets of God and that by posing them in a point of Naturall Philosophy As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit nor how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child euen so thou knowest not workes of God who maketh all Eccles 11.5 3 I answere that howeuer I will not affirme any actuall grace to be ordinarily in infants yet we may oft times see strange and admirable sparkes of grace and footsteps of the spirit in diuers infants long before they come to any ability of discourse so as for ought wee know the elect might ordinarily attaine to actuall Regeneration much sooner then many of them doe if there were that care taken of them by parents that ought to be in catechizing and training them vp in their infancy in the way that they should walke for so would they not forget it when they be old if Solomon mistooke not And how could hee mistake in that which the spirit himselfe dictated vnto him That part therefore of the obiection which saith that for many yeares they make opposition to all grace c. howeuer it make a great noise and seeme to aggrauate the matter much against this Position yet hath it in it more sounde than weight For the reason why so many stand out so long is not alwaies or ordinarily from the want of efficacy in their Baptisme but from defect of education Either they liued not vnder carefull faithfull religious parents that would haue beene diligent with all their might to teach them the feare of the Lord by all waies and meanes of instruction and good example to pray continually for them to watch ouer them narrowly to keepe them from euill company and euill practises or else they wanted a powerfull Ministry or both And if they want either the other for the most part does little good Cast your eyes vpon such as haue not wanted for either of the former helpes and tell mee how many you can
saâ—guinem Christi infantibus ibid. And least any should take him to meane only an outward admission he afterwards addes The externall meanes are the word and water administred by the Minister of Christ the effectuall meanes on his part that is cleansed is faith in one of yeares at least the spirit of faith as in infants for to them the spirit applies the blood of Christ 3 That renowned Frenchman Daniel Chameir wi lingly yeelds that elect infants may be in some sense termed Faithfull but how not actuall beleeuers but only potentiall because no man beleeues actually but hee that is capable of discourse d Quomodo inquam fideles actu ne an potentia nam si actu negatur quia nemo credit nisi compos rationis c. lib. 5. cap. 10. parag 28. 4 Doctor Ames being to proue against the Anabaptists the lawfulnesse of baptizing Infants of 5 Arguments he reserues this to the last place as if he set most by it In the very beginning of regeneration whereof Baptisme is the seale a man is meerely passiue and hence it is that of a man that is to be either circumcised or baptised no external act is required as in other Sacraments there is but only a capacity passiue to receiue Infants therefore are as capable of this Sacrament in respect even of the CHEIFE VSE thereof as men of yeares themselues e Quia in ipso initio regenerationis cuius sigillum est baptismus homo se habet merè possiue vnde etiam hominis vel circumcidendi vel baptizâ—ndi nulla actio externa requiritur vt in aliis sacramentis sed tantum receptio passiuâ— Infantes igitur sunt aequè capaces huius sacramenti respectu praecipui eius vsus atque adulti Medull Theol. lib. 1. cap. 40. Thes 13. And indeede it is absurd to say that the grace of that Sacrament cannot be attained by infants vvithout faith actuall in them when as it is cleare that one part of the inward Grace thereof is the Spirit the worker of Faith Now no man well in his wits will say that no person can first receaue the spirit but by the hand of actuall faith for how should he haue faith without the spirit to worke it in him * Spiritus autem communicari dicitur fidelibus non quia fides antecèdit omnem spiritus operationem vt quidam imperiti colligunt nam ipsamet prima regeneratio conversio aperte tribuitur spiritui sancto a Christo Ioh. 3.5.6.8 genitus ex spiritu Sed quia soli credentes postquam iam crediderunt operationem illam accipiunt spiritus sancti qua obsignantur tanquam arrha haereditatis futurae Ephes 1.13.14 4.30 Gal. 3.14 The spirit is said to be communicated to the faithful not because faith goes before all operation of the spirit as some ignorant men doe collect for the very first regeneration and conversion is plainely attributed by Christ vnto the Holy Ghost Iohn 3.5.6.8 Except a man be begotten of the spirit c. but therefore the spirit is said to be communicated to them because onely beleeuers after they haue beleeved doe receaue that worke of the spirit whereby they are sealed as with the earnest of the inheritance to come D. Ames Medull Theol. lib. 1. cap. 28. de adopt Thes 23. Hee must therefore first be partaker of the Spirit of faith to beget faith in him which spirit then hee may receaue in Baptisme without actuall faith to take him in These new lingles in Divinity against the current of all judicious Divines are most intollerable and good for nothing that I knowe but to breed quarrells to worke distractions to increase doubts to make all things vncertaine and to bring in Atheisme I neuer yet saw that Divine of note in the Church that ever durst to say stand to it that any infants though dying in infancy were of necessity actually to beleeue or else they could not be vnited vnto Christ so as to be saued nor yet that no man can ordinarily haue the spirit of Christ in baptisme or at any other time till by faith he lay hold vpon him and so receaue him into his heart But this by the way 5 That Reverend Bishop Dr Davenant in his elaborate and solid Lectures vpon St Pauls Epist to the Collossians answering that Obiection so much bawled by the Anabaptists one of the most ignorant Sects in Amsterdame viz that Baptisme hath mortification c. annexed to it whereof infants are not capable because destitute of knowledge and faith to apprehend it and therefore not to be baptised Thus saith If they speake of actuall faith and of the actuall study and profession of mortification and vivification thosâ— Scriptures which require these in persons to be baptized are to be restrained to those of yeares Touching Infants because they are sinners not actuall by any proper act of their owne but by an hereditary habit it sufficeth them to haue faith not actually exercising it selfe but included in the habituall principle of Grace and that the Spirit of Christ can worke this habituall principle of grace in them and vseth so to doe none but a crackt braine will deny f Si lâ—quantur de fide actuali de actuali studio professione mortificationis vivificationis illa scripturae loca quae â—aec requirunt ni baptizatis ad adultos esse restringenda dicimus Ad infantes autem quod attinet quia peccatores sunt non proprio actu sed haereditario habitu sufficit quod peccaâ—i mortificationem fidem habeant non proprio actu â—ese exerentem sed in habituali principio gratiae iâ—clusám spiritum autem Christi principium hoc habituale gratiae in illis efficere posse solere nemo sanus negaverit 6 The Author of the Comment on Tit answering an objection which some might make against that resolution of the Question touching the ordinary reception of the inward Grace in baptisme viz that infants want faith He saith that they want indeed actuall faith which presupposeth hearing vnderstanding c. He further saith with Musculus that children may bee called faithfull although they haue no faith and with Zanchius that it is probable that elect infants haue the spirit of faith in such as liue to yeares he adds that the spirit worketh in theÌ„ the seeds or inclinations of faith which in due time shall fructifie vnto eternall life Now we haue witnesses enow and sufficient to proue that to receiue baptisme rightly so as to partake of the spirit in it faith is not required And I think every man will acknowledg that all these Authors were far enough off from Popery Arminianisme that thus witnesse for mee And will men yet lay both these to my charge If this bee Arminianisme or Popery to say that all right receavers doe ordinarily receaue the spirit in Baptisme so long as I restraine it only to right receauers and declare that by right receauers I meane
onely those that belong truely and indeed to the election of Grace I must be content to beare this brand as many doe the name of Puritane without desert Obiect But they will say Both the Leiturgie Catechisme and Article speake generally excluding none therefore if you be in sober sadnesse resolued to sticke so close to the Doctrine of the Church of England you must hold this not of the Elect only but of all infants whatsoever Answ It is very true that our Church excludes none from participation of the inward Grace in the Sacrament but knowing for certaine that all the Elect doe partake of it and not knowing at all that this or that particular infant is not elected suffers not any of her children to speake or iudge of any particular infant that hee doth not receaue the inward grace no more then she permits him to say that such a particular is not elected For who hath knowne the mind of the Lord g Rom. 12.34 And who art thou that iudgest another mans servant h Rom. 14.4 Howbeit our Church knowes very well and presumes that all her children knowe also that in respect of Election knowne only to God They are not all Israel that are of Israel i Rom. 9.6 and that of those many that be called but a few be chosen k Math. 20.16 But who those few bee shee will not determine yet thus much shee doth determine that any particular infant rightly baptized is to be taken and held in the iudgment of charity for a member of the true invisible elected sanctified Church of Christ and that hee is regenerated indeed in the sense aforesaid And so doe I. Notwithstanding mistake not Her or me It is one thing to speake of all infants distributiuely singling them out individually one by one and passing iudgment of each particular apart and another thing to speak of them collectiuely and in the lump without restraining our speech to any particular To say that wee cannot iudge of any particular sonne of Adam not discouered by God himselfe to be reiected that he is reiected of God doth not proue that no sonne of Adam is reiected when we speake of all mankind in the general Masse or Lump for then what need of a Hell for cast awaies Thus that learned Bishop By the iudgment of charity the Faithful iudge every professed member of the visible Church when they speake of the particular persons to be a member of the invisible elected called iustified sanctified howbeit they knowe in generall that many are in the church which be not of it and that many be called but few are chosen l Dr Iohn Downham on Psal 15. ver 1. pag. 19. The like phrase wee haue in the forme of Burial wherein when wee bury any particular person whatsoeuer wee are taught to say and pray that wee with this our Brother c. may haue our perfect consummation and blisse c. and yet no man will say that all men that dye doe goe to heauen for euen in that very prayer we are taught to restrain this only to the elect Almighty God with whom doe liue the Spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord and in whom the Soules of them that bee elected after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh be in ioy and felicity So then neither our Leiturgie in the Publique Forme of Baptisme nor Catechisme nor Article doe intend to bind me or any man else to beleeue that every man without exception doth indeed partake of the inward Grace of Baptisme although it bind me and every man to conclude no other when wee pitch our speech vpon any particular Nor is this my Glosse alone but that Iudicious Hooker saith also that all receaue not the grace of the Sacrament that receaue the Sacrament of his Grace m Lib. 5. Sect. 57. So Mr Tho Rogers in his so often printed Commentary on the Articles of Religion For in Article 25 hee makes this one of the Propositions coutched in that Article All which receaue the Sacraments receaue not there with all the things signified by the Sacraments n Propos 11. Hee that shall hold otherwise doth in effect bring in opus operatum againe For although he will say that grace is giuen by virtue of the institution yet hee also saith that by virtue of the institution every infant outwardly baptized is partaker of the inward grace why so because baptized forsooth Now no Pp. will say that baptisme could confer grace if it were not by virtue of divine institution for there are none of theÌ„ so absurd as to say that the outward signes of themselues naturally without respect to the institution doe conferre grace This opinion therefore for substance is the very same with that of the Papists only they haue put on other cloaths vpon it It is as much â—lvâ—sh as the other onely it hath gotten on a Lambs skinne Therefore Dr Whitaâ—â—r disclaimes it in his Treatise de Sacram. in genere quaest 4 cap 1. Non enim ex opere operato ne parvulis quidem gratiam conferri à Sacramentis affirmamus vt necesse sit habere gratiam omnes qui Sacramenta percipiunt And before in explication of the third Proposition he saith In some the Sacraments doe effectually worke in processe of time by the helpe of Gods word read or preached which ingendreth faith Such is the estate principally of infants elected vnto life and salvation and encreasing in yeares And vpon Art 28. Prop. 4. The life spirituall is PECVLIAR to Gods elect Mr Hooker deliuers as much for hauing said that infants receiue the divine virtue of the Holy Ghost in baptisme which giueth to the powers of the soule their first disposition towards future newnesse of life afterwards addes Predestination bringeth not to life without the grace of externall vocation wherein our Baptisme is implied For as we are not naturally men without birth so neither are wee Christian men in the eye of the Church of God but by new birth nor according to the ordinary manifest course of divine dispensation new borne but by that Baptisme which both declareth and maketh vs Christians In which respect we iustly hold it to be the doore of our actuall entrance into Gods house the first apparent beginning of life a seale perhaps to the Grace of ELECTION before receaued but to our sanctification here a step that hath not any before it o Lib. 5. Sect. 60 pag 316. Some it may bee will cavill at the word PERHAPS and say that hee makes it but a Perhaps that men receaue baptisme as a seale of Election But before they doe so let them duly weigh the place and they shall finde that he makes no PERHAPS of this that such as partake of the Grace of Baptisme are elected but only of this that they doe perhaps receaue Baptisme as a seale of grace of election before bestowed on them For hee is dealing with
T.C. about Baptisme T.C. affirmes that Baptisme is only the seale of Grace before receaued Mr Hooker answeres by distinguishing of Grace into Grace of Election and grace of Sanctification admitting his words with a perhaps to bee true in the former sense but not in the latter ordinarily * Deus in Baptismo vt significat remissionem peccatorum salutem ita re operatur veritas cum signo coniuncta est in electis Whitak de Sacram. in gen quaest 4. cap. 2. respons aâ— 7. tessim And doth not that Reverend Prelate D. Francis White p Now L. Bishop of Carlile in answere to the calumny of the Iesuite Fisher say as much For first he makes good the efficacy of Baptisme out of Scriptures Fathers our owne Church Forraine Divines and particularly out of Calvine Then he addes not without approbation of it why else should hee speake it And what vse would it be of against Fisher The same Author with others of his part maintaine the former Doctrine concerning the efficacy of the Sacrament of Baptisme and they differ onely from Lutherans and Pontificians first in that they restraine the grace of sanctification only to the Elect Secondly in that they deny externall baptisme to be alwaies effectuall at the very instant time when it is administred q Answ to Fisher Pag 176. * If any shall pâ—esse mee with the Rubrick before Confiâ—mation my answere is That Rubrick hath reference to Confirmation giving vs to vnderstand that if an infant dy without Confirmation it is certaine by scripture that he is as vndoubtedly saued as if he had beene Confirmed 2 That Rubrick speakes of the state of infants dying before they come to yeares as the old Rubrick of the first book saith expresly which doth not concerne our present Position which hath reference onely to such infants as liue to yeares of discretion shewing what ordinarily is conferred on them in Baptisme and not what they receaue that liue not so long bur dy in infancy In these I doubt not but that the spirit of God doth work more effectually To make an end our owne Catechisme teacheth as much in expresse termes What need we further witnesse That teacheth me to beleeue in God the Holy Ghost who hath sanctified me and all the elect people of God The elect all the elect only the elect if my learned friend Doctor Iacksons word may bee taken for the exposition for hee would haue the Reader to obserue a difference between the extent of the sufficiency for so I take him of christs death and the efficacy of Christs Spirit Although saith he in that place we are taught to beleeue in the Holy Ghost yet this we are taught with this caveat that he doth sanctifie all the elect people of God not all mankind r Treat of Gods Essence and Attrib Sect. 2. cap. 15. pag. 171. Now compare our Leiturgie Article and Catechisme all together The Leiturgie teacheth mee to beleeue of this and every particular infant considered single and apart that he is indeed regenerate with the Holy Spirit The Article saith that they that all they that receaue baptisme rightly are grafted c by the Holy Ghost The Catechisme shewes how this is to be limited and extended saying that the Holy Ghost sanctifies me and all the elect people of God Therefore by the doctrine of our Church all the elect and only the elect * This restraint is clear in the Scripture see Gal. 4.6 And wee must expound the doctrine of our churâ—h by that Rule See the next Chapter doe certainly indeed ordinarily receaue the Spirit in Baptisme Yea our very Leiturgie is cleare in this point as I haue before shewed in that it presumeth the child to be one to whom belongs the kingdome of God vpon which ground wee are taught not to doubt but stedfastly to beleeue that he will favorably receaue the present infant that he will imbrace him with the armes of his mercy that hee will giue vnto him the blessing of eternall life and make him partaker of his everlasting kingdome Againe in the end of the praier which is appointed to be vsed immediatly before the act of baptisme in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost wee pray that the children may receaue the fulnes of Gods Grace and ever remaine in the number of his faithfull and ELECT children which shewes plainly that the Church supposeth that all such as doe indeed receaue the Spirit in their baptisme bee of the number of Gods Elect. And so Bucer expounded it of old as shall hereafter appeare in due place * See Cap. 6. when we come to shew the judgment of forraigne Divines in this point Nor is this to bee put off with that new coyned distinction of election to Grace and not to Glory For the Leiturgie speaks onely of Election to glory inasmuch as it had assured vs before that God will giue vnto the infant baptized the blessing of eternall life and make him partaker of his euerlasting kingdome so concluds this prayer that the infants may be inheritors of his euerlasting kingdome through Christ our lord And why should any presume to obtrude vpon the Church such a distinction which hath not the least shew of any footing in the word of God For how euer I deny not but that the scripture sometime speaketh of a temporary election of some persons vnto some particular offices seruices in the Church of God yet it neuer speakes of election vnto the grace of sanctification but as it is a beginning of glory which certainly followes sanctification and is vndoubtedly conferred on all that are sanctified so as no man is elected to the one but he is elected vnto the other also For such grace is but glory begun 2. Coâ— 3.18 And when S. Paul Act 20.32 commends the Ephesians to God that is able to giue them an inheritance among all that are sanctified he most euidently shewes that as none partake take of the inheritance but such as are sanctified so none that are sanctified can misse of the inheritance The like might be demonstrated out of Rom 8.29 30. where the Apostle shewes that all predestination to effectuall calling and iustification ends in glorification as S. Augustine doth most soundly vnanswerable collect from this very text Yea this is so cleare a truth that Bellarmine himselfe could not but confesse maintaine it against all opposers u De praedest Sanct. cap. 17. vide locum although hee could not but know it to be contray to the doctrine of many of his owne side who were the first authors of the distinction of election into election to grace and election to glory which is still maintained by the later Iesuites Cornelius a Lapide * Com in Ephes 1.4.5 and others from whom the Arminians haue made bold to borrow it as they doe sundry other wares of that society
escape the wrath to come it must of necessity follow that they receiued the Holy Ghost as the spirit of sauing repentance and faith in Christ euen in that Baptisme of Iohn * Bucer in script Anglic. De vi efficacia Baptis pag. 595. So also Dr Whitaker de Sacram in Genere quest 4. cap. 2. Nec sequitur Baptizabit ergo non baptizat nam illud baptizabit continuum actum siue continuam actionem significat The reason of this exposition is that which was giuen before viz that the scope of the Baptist is not to point at the time when but at the Person who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost nor to restraine his speech only to such as were then baptized but to assure all other the elect of God of like benefit of baptisme when thy should by Gods prouidence be partakers of it Which being so I conclude hence that the Baptist in that passage declares what in baptisme is ordinarily communicated to all the elect infants themselues being not excluded For as Dr Ames saith well m ibid vt supra it is not in baptisme as in other ordinances of God that a man must necessarily lay hold on the thing signified by an act of his owne or else he should not receiue it here receptio tantum passiua only a passiue capacity to receiue grace offered is sufficient * The same author answering to that of Bellar. Baptismus aliquid sacramentale confert etiamsi detur non percipiatur fide Takes vpon him to giue this answere in behalfe of the Protestants Nihil omnino in ternae qualitatis consert adultis absque fide Colleg. Anti-Bellarm tom 3. Disp 9. thâ—s 7. And who will not thence inferre a concession of that I contend for in infants Why else doth he not absolutely deny Bellarmines proposition but only limit it which vnto elect infants is neuer wanting because theirs is the kingdome of God A Second place is that in 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body c. Here the Apostle makes baptisme to consist chiefely in the spirituall insition of a man into the body of Christ by the Holy Ghost as if he would giue vs to vnderstand that that deserues not the name of baptisme wherein the spirit doth not ingraft vs into Christ Nor doth he note this as some speciall priuiledge in extraordinary conferred only vpon a few but hee manifestly declareth it to be the common benefit of all that by election belong to Christ when he sayeth by one spirit are we ALL baptized into one body This is true saith Caluin vpon the place of all the faithfull for howeuer vnto many baptisme is but a symbole without any further effect yet the faithfull doe together with the outward Sacrament receiue the thing represented thereby And therefore in respect of God it is alwaies true that baptisme is an insition into Christ because God doth not represent any thing but what he is ready to fulfill if we be capable thereof Now that infants are capable hereof he proues in his Comentary vpon the 7th chap of this same Epistle where he shewes that the children of faithfull parents are holy ex beneficio faederis by virtue of the couenant and if holy then faithfull although not yet endowed with actuall faith saith Musculus n Omnes Christianorum infantes ad Christum pertinentes deque numero fidelium existentes recte dicuntur esse in fide Christi fideles credentes licet nondum sint imbuti fide Muscul in Math 18. Another place to proue that the Scriptures doe attribute the conferring of and washing by the Holy Ghost vnto baptisme as a principall part of that ordinance is that in Tit. 3.5 where the Apostle speaking of Baptisme describes it to be the Lauer of Regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghost in which words it is as cleare as the sunne at noone day that baptisme is not the Lauer of Regeneration alone but of the renewing of the Holy Ghost also so as he that is partaker only of the former is but halfe baptized that is he is partaker but of the body of the sacrament without that which giues life forme being vnto that ordinance And to make the baptisme of the elect to be no more ordinarily then a participation of the carkase of Christs institution would I thinke be an harsh doctrine euen in their owne eares that deny the spirit to elect infants More soundly Caluin o in locum The Apostles saith hee are wont euen from sacraments to draw arguments to confirme vs in assurance of our participation of the things therein signed and sealed to vs. For this ought to be an vndenyable principle maintained by all the Godly that God vseth not to abuse his people with empty signes but by his power doth inwardly make good what by externall signes he representeth to vs. Wherefore fitly and truly is Baptisme stiled the Lauer of Regeneration Now if Baptisme be fitly and truly invested with this title because God doth vndoubtedly make good vnto his owne inwardly that which is externally signified who will call that baptisme in the language of scriptures that is destitute of inward grace I know the shift which is laid hold on Obiect to beat off all these plaine pregnant proofes viz. that none of these places speake of baptisme with reference vnto any but such as bring with them actuall faith to lay hold vpon the grace of Baptisme and that therefore these texts proue nothing touching the communicating of the spirit to Jnfants Answere Answ Although I haue said enough before to keepe off any intelligent Reader from this euasion yet for their sakes who thinke no obiection sufficiently answered that is not fully remoued euery time it is vrged I will be content to take the paines of giuing a fowrefold answere herevnto 1 I answere by denying the proposition obiected viz. that all the places before cited speake only of persons growne and endowed with actuall faith This were answere enough till the thing obiected be proued as well as said For that which is but only affirmed without proofe may be denyed without wrong to any I willingly admit that some places of scripture speake of faith some of repentance when the speach is of actuall sensible apprehension and application of the inward grace of baptisme by an act of the person himselfe making vse of receiuing comfort sensibly from his baptisme o Col 2.12 Act 2 3â— 1 Pet 3.21 But this proues not that the inward grace is neuer at all conferred vpon the elect where there is not actuall faith to apply the same no more then those places which require actuall faith in all persons of yeares vpon paine of damnation if they be capable of the ordinary meanes of grace admitted to them doth proue that not so much as an infant can be saued without actuall faith An opinion so harsh and rash as
one maine branch of whole baptisme here to declare the end of baptisme in respect of regeneration The Minor is expresse Scripture Tit. 3.5 Of his mercy he saued vs by the Laver of regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour Therefore the Conclusion is sound But you will perhaps except and say that the Apostle speakes here of Actuall Regeneration which by my former distinction and foundation cannot agree to infants Answ That he speakes of Regeneration the Text it selfe will cleare it but that hee speaks only of actual Regeneration wrought by the Word is not apparent yea no circumstance of the Text will warrant any man so to restraine it The Text tells vs that Baptisme is the Laver of Regeneration but that it is only to actuall beleeuers such what words will beare such an exposition But to make all sure let vs heare what Iudicious Calvine and other of the Learned speake of the true meaning of this place that so in the mouths of two or three witnesses every word may be established 1 Mr Caluine in his answere to the Anabaptists who deny baptisme to infants vpon pretence of their incapacity of the end of Baptisme to witt Regeneration till they be able to make vse of the Word brings them in thus obiecting But how say they are infants regenerated in baptisme they being not capable of so much as any knowledge either of good or euill To this saith he wee answere that this is the secret worke of God which although to vs it be not euident yet we may not say that therefore it is none at all a At quomodo inquiunt regenerantur insantes nec boni nec mali cogniâ—ione praediti nos autem respondemus opus Dei etiamsi captui nostro non subiaceat non tamen esse nullum Instit lib 4 cap. 16. Sect. 17. Now if he meant not this of what God ordnarily workes in and at baptisme it were no answere to their obiection which lies only against all present efficacy of Baptisme in the ordinary course in and vpon Infants The same Author prosecuting the same businesse to that obiection which they further make viz. that Circumcision and therefore Baptisme is the sacrament of repentance and faith Saith thus Although infants in the moment of their circumcision were not able to comprehend what that signe meant they were yet truly circumcised for the mortification of their corrupt and defiled nature which after they came to yeares they meditated on In a word this obiection is easily answered they are baptized vnto future repentance and faith which graces although they be not formed actually yet by the secret operation of the spirit the seedes of both doe lye hid in them By this answere is at once ouerthrowne whateuer these men obiect against vs from the signification of Baptisme such as that for example where Paul calls baptisme the Lauer of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Ghost from whence they would conclude that this sacrament is to be administred vnto none but to such as are capable of these graces b Etsi infantes quo circumcide bantur momâ—nto quid sibi vellet lignum illud intelligentia non comprehendebant vere tamen circumcidebantur in naturae suae corruptae as coâ—taminatae mortificationem quam adulti postea mâ—ditarentur Denique nullo negotio solui potest obiectio haec baptizari in futuram paenitentiam fidem quae etsi nondum in illis formatae sunt arâ—ana tamen spiritus operatione vtriusque semen in illis lateâ— Hac responsione semel euertitur quicquid aduersum nos torquent a baptismi significatione petitum Quale estielogium quoa Paulo insignitur vbi vocat lauaâ—rum regenerationis renovationis vnde ratiocinantur nemini nisi earum rerum capaci conferendum Idem ibid Sect. 20. So then Caluine you see avoucheth infants to be partakers of Regeneration in Baptisme although not actuall yet seminall and initiall and that from this very place of the Apostle 2 Zanchius in his Confessions affirmeth that not only those of yeares but infants also if they doe truly and indeed belong to the couenant are in baptisme so sealed as they that euen now are incorporated by the Holy Ghost into Christ and that therefore among other titles giuen vnto baptisme in scripture it is called the Lauer of regeneration c Baptismus primum Novi Faederis sacramentum est quo cum omnes qui vel paenitentiam peccatorum professi fidem etiam in Christum adeoque in deum patrem Filium spiritum sanctum profitentur vel altem propter parentum pietatem ad faedus pertinere creduntur 1 Cor. 7.14 tum maxime illi qui vere ad faedus pertinent Christo tanquam ei iam per spiritum sanctum incorporati obsignantur vt non sint amplius sui turis sed illius per quem in faederis societatem eâ—que in vnum corpus cum eo sanctisque omnibus in omnium spiritualium caelestiuinque bonorum participationem asciti esse dicuntur Act. 19.5 1 Cor. 6.19 Per hunc baptismum tanquam lauacrum regenerationis a peccatis vi sanguinis Christi mundati cum Christo consepulit in mortem vt quemadmodum ille resurrexit a mortuis per gloriam patris sic nos in novitate vitae ambulemus vnde sacramentum paenitentiae in remissionem peccatorum sacramentum fidei â—ymbolum faederis Lauacrum regenerationis c. appellari consueuit lib. confess cap. de Cap. de Bap. sect 1. 3 Peter Martyr expounds this place not only of that which is conferred on persons of yeares endued with actuall faith but euen vpon elect infants also by virtue of the Holy Ghost supplying in them the roome of faith I alleadged the place before yet because hee speakes so fully to this purpose I will repeat the same againe This Author hauing declared himselfe for the efficacy of baptisme doth with al giue vs to vnderstand that in persons of yeares faith is so requisite that without faith they neither receiue the seale of iustification nor yet of sanctification in their baptisme For as Austin well the efficacy of baptisme is from the word of institutioÌ„ indeed yet not as it is pronounced by the minister but as it is beleeued by the receiuer But what benefit then can baptisme may some say bring to Infants who cannot actually beleeue This d Loc. Com. clas 4. cap. 8. sect 2. See our former Chap. where the Authors own words are quoted in the Margent pag. 51. our Author wisely and roundly preuents by adding that in Jnfants who by reason of their tender yeares cannot beleeue the Holy Ghost supplies the roome of faith And to assure vs that such infants haue the spirit he alleadgeth this very place of our Apostle to Titus saying The effusion of the holy Ghost also is promised in Baptisme as the Apostle expressely writes to Titus where he saith who saued
that by one spirit wee are made one spirituall body but rather thus we are baptised into one body certainely that hee might shew that a man is then incorporated into the Church in the beginning of his conversion and regeneration at what time Christ communicating his spirit vnto him makes him a member of the invisible Church as the Minister in the administration of baptisme doth admit and ingraffe him into the body of the Church visible m Quare non simp iciter dicit per vnum spiritum simus vnuÌ„ spirituale corpus sed potius baptizamur in vnum corpus Certè vt ostenderet hominem in Ecclesiam incorporari in initio conversionis regenerationis suae quo tempore Christus spiritum suum communicans eum invisibilis Ecclesiae membrum facit vt Minister baptismi administratione eum in visibilis Ecclesiae corpus admittit inserit Morton in locum If it bee answered that all this may bee granted and yet the maine point still denied because the spirit may be giuen to the elect not at the moment of baptisme but at their effectuall calling by the Word I reply then betweene the time of Baptisme and effectuall calling outwardly by the word baptisme is but a bare signe to such as liue to yeares But this is confessed by all sound Divines to be a meere fancy derogatory to Christs Institution and is condemned in the Sacramentarians This Marlorat vpon Ephes 5.26 well saw and therefore saith that therefore the Apostle teacheth that in Baptisme we are washed because there God doth both testifie our ablation and also effect what hee represents For vnlesse the truth of the thing were ioined with the outward signe it were improper to call Baptisme the Laver of the soule n Quod baptismo nos ablui docet Apostolus ideo â—st quod illic ablutionem nostram testatur Deum simul efficit quod figurat Nisi enim coniuncta esset rei veritas exhibitio impropria haec esse locutio Baptismus est Lavacrum animae Marlor in Eph. 5. And in that very place saith Calvine Paul comprehends the whole church of Christ no lesse then where hee saith in another place o 1. Cor. 12.13 that by baptisme wee are ingraffed into the body of Christ so as from both wee collect that infants whom Christ reckons among the rest of his members are to be baptized least they should bee torne from his body p Vniversam enim Ecclesiam complectitur Paulus vbi dicit mundatam lavacro aquae Nihilo secius ex eo quod alibi dicit nos in Christi corpus per Baptismum esse insertos colligimus infantes quos meÌ„bris suis annumerat baptizandos esse ne à suo corpore divedantur Ins t. lib. 4. cap. 16 Sect. 22. If yet they answere that this followes not by their doctrine viz that baptisme is a bare signe because they grant it to bee also a seale of after Grace I reioyne this helpes not vnlesse they grant as Calvine freely doth some principle and seed of grace bestowed ordinarily in Baptisme because by their opinion it is a seale of some thing absent that is to be expected in reversion only They deny all present exhibition and collation of any grace in the moment of Baptisme by virtue of Christs institution and so they doe not make it a signe signifying but rather prognosticating only some future effect which is a new kind of Divinity that so farre as I am able to iudge destroyes the nature of a Sacrament by denying to it both the cheefe part of it viz the inward grace thereby signified and together with the signe exhibited and conferred on those that truly and indeed be within the couenant as also the vigor and efficacy of the word of institution which makes the vnion betweene the signe and the thing signified lastly this spoiles elect infants of the inward seale to wit the spirit of Christ which incorporates them into Christ as members of his body Were not such possessed with too much prejudice they would not so easily leap ouer all these materiall arguments but bee more sober in their censures and wary in their doctrines I deny not future efficacy of baptisme after the act of administration but I onely plead for some efficacy of it when it is administred In a word I will conclude this matter in the very termes of Calvine before alleaged Infants are baptized vnto future repentance and faith which graces although they bee not yet formed in them yet by the secret operation of the spirit the seeds of them both ly hid within them q Ibid vt supra Inst lib. 4. cap. 16. Sect. 20. I see me thinkes some ready to wrangle further and to obiect Obiect to me after this manner Some places haue beene alleadged indeed to proue that in baptisme the spirit is giuen to the faithfull but yet wee heare not of one text that saith directly and expreslly that elect infants doe then receiue the spirit To this I answere That when any of you will shew me any expresse text of scripture that in direct termes mentions the baptizing of infants I will also shew you an expresse Text to proue their reception of the spirit in Baptisme But if you cannot doe the one nor is it much materiall so long as there is such solid ground in the scriptures and such vndoubted arguments may be thence drawne to proue the lawfulnesse and necessary vse of Paedobaptisme what equity is it to require of me the other How is it possible to shew an expresse text prouing that infants doe receaue the spirit in Baptisme when no text is found that mentions their baptisme If in the iudgement of all the Churches of Christ it be sufficient as indeed it is to confute all the Anabaptists in the world that infants are within the couenant therefore ought not to be debarred of the seale of it no more then infants of old were debarred of Circumcision by reason of their inability and incapacity to vnderstand that mistery that to them belongs the kingdome of heauen and therefore the admittance into it must be yeelded them that they are a part of Christs Church yea of his body lastly that although they haue not actuall faith yet they haue the spirit of faith to apply vnto them the grace of baptisme if God so please and therefore in all these respects they may be baptized notwithstanding that no Text of scripture enioyne it in so many words Then this also ought to satisfie all ingenuous and moderate men that by like sound and necessary consequences I haue from the scriptures made good this point in hand The places alleadged I haue seriously weighed and found them all cleare for the proofe of my conclusion Nor haue I beene mine owne iudge or expounded them out of mine own head but taken such expositions as the most Learned Iudicious Reuerend and eminent Diuines of this last age as well as
others of lesse note had set vpon them long before I medled with them least any man should say that I take vpon me to coine expositions of mine owne that might looke fauourably vpon that which is taken to be mine owne cause One thing more remaines that in a word must be dispatched There are some I know will like well enough the allegations of Scripture brought to proue that the Elect that all the elect doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme but with all they finde fault at the restraining of those scriptures to the Elect only for they will haue it thus that the scriptures are cleare to proue that all that are baptized doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme as well as the Elect. To this I breefly say thus much The scriptures doe not warrant any such extent of baptismall grace but plainly teach the contrary For What doe these men make of that place in Rom. 8.30 Whom be did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified The Apostle restraines iustification and effectuall calling to those that are predestinated to what to Grace only No to glory saith the Text expresly The ground of these mens mistake is this that they thinke the efficacy of baptisme depends so certainly and vniuersally vpon the Jnstitution that where there is no wilfull actuall opposition in the party baptized he cannot misse of the effect to wit the spirit of grace But they must know that howeuer by vertue of the institution we may assure our selues that the elect partake of the inward grace yet it is not the institution alone but Gods * See afterwards in cap. 6. 7 the iudgments of Caluine Iunius Dr Iewel and Dr Whitaker preordinatioÌ„ of them vnto grace and glory that makes the sacrament effectuall vpon them and not vpon others Wee admit the word in its kinde to haue efficacy to beget faith as an instrument in the hand of the spirit yet it begetts not faith in all Why Because they doe resist That may be true but why doth it worke faith in others Cheifly because they are elected vnto eternall life so saith the scripture as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued r Act. 13.48 Doth S. Luke in that place thinke wee meane other then this that they and only they that were elected did beleeue Lastly doe but consider one plaine place more it is in Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father He doth not say because they had receiued the sacrament of Baptisme which yet they had done nor yet because they did beleeue which no doubt many of them did but because ye are sonnes now this sonship depended not vpon the sacrament or any ordinance of Christ no nor yet vpon their faith inward grace but vpon the eternall decree of Gods free Election Ephes 1.4.5 So much of â—â—e Proofe of this point by the Holy Scriptuâ— CAP. 5. The iudgment of the Fathers in this point I Am now come to the third part of my taske which is to proue that this hath beene the iudgement and Doctrine of the cheife and best approued Fathers of the Primitiue Church In this I will enforce my selfe to all possible breuity contenting my selfe with a few instances least the worke grow too large and tedious to the reader And that I may be as good as my word I will mention only such as liued within the first 500 yeares after Christ because they that came after may be liable to chalenge 1 Then Cyprian to begin with Cyprian that eminent Doctor and famous Martyr who is stiled by Gregory Nazianzen the cheife and most approued Pastor of his time and the principall light so as not only the Churches of Carthage and Affrick but throughout the whole Christian world his fame and admiration did spread it selfe a Greg. Naz. in laudem Cyprian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Pastorum optimus probatissimus c. Hee in his epistle ad Pompaeium De Haeret baptizandis giues this for a reason why such as were baptized by Hereticks cast out of the Church were to be rebaptized viz because there is noe presence of the spirit among such as are not of the Church of Christ and therefore their baptisme is not sufficient His words are these Wherefore saith he let them grant that either the spirit is present where they say true baptisme is or that it is no true baptisme where the spirit is not because baptisme cannot be without the spirit b Quare aut spiritum esse concedâ—m illic vbi baptisma esse dicunt aut nec baptisma esse vbi spir tus non est quia baptisma esse sine spiritu non potest It is true that out of his zeale against Hereticks of that time who grosly erred in maine Fundamentalls he was ouer vehement against baptisme administred by such as the Church had then eiected out of her society because he thence inferred a necessity of rebaptization of all such as were so baptized by such Hereticks yet the allegation reacheth home to our present purpose in that this shewes his iudgment to be clearely for this truth that the spirit is ordinarily communicated in Baptisme Hence he afterwards inferrs in the same Epistle The natiuity of Christians is in their baptisme c Natiuitas Christi noâ—um in baptismo est And to make it euident that hee vnderstood this to be the ordinary effect of baptisme euen vpon Infants he elsewhere declares himselfe expressely For in his epistle ad Fidum de Infant Baptiz he vseth this as an Argument prouing the lawfulnesse of baptizing of infants that the spirit refuseth not to communicate himselfe euen to them The Holy scripture saith he declares that diuine grace is dispenced vnto all as well infants as others which was shadowed out in Elisha's stretching of himselfe vpon an infant insensible of the Good which the Prophet did vnto him d Esse denique apud omnes siue infantes siue maiores natu vnam diuini muneris aequalitatem declarat nobis scripturae diuinae fides cum Helisaeus super infantem viduae filium qui mortuus iacebat ita se Deum deprecans superstrauit vt capiti caput faciei facies adplicaretur supersusi Helisaei membra singulis parvuli membris pedes pedibus iungerentur By which it is manifest that had not Cyprian beleeued that the spirit communicats himselfe to infants in their baptisme he would scarce haue allowed them to be baptized for asmuch as this is the cheife ground that he builds vpon to iustifie their admittance vnto the same If any shall except against what is vrged out of this last epistle as being no other then an Heterodox opinion Goulartius will defend it if it be restrained to the Elect and Chameir iustifies Goulartius in that assertion e Et
verè Goulartius in hunc ipsum notauit locum Quaecunque profere sâc epistola Cyprianus noster de S. Baptismi in electis Christi varijs effectis vt orthadoxè ad fidei analogiam scriptum amplectimur Cham. de sacram lib. 2. c. 6. parag 38. 2 Gregory Nazianzen calls Baptisme That Good thing which giues vs initiation into Christ Gregory NazianzeÌ„ which common benifit and foundation of new life we all receiue from God f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitationis diuina bonum quod commune beneficium secundae vitae fundamentuÌ„ a Deo omnes habemnus Greg. in Laud. Gorgo In his Oration or Homily touching baptisme after a large and eloquent narration of the efficacy of baptisme he saith that it hath force euen vpon Infants also and therefore would haue them baptized vpon this ground that he takes it for granted that they also are in some degree sanctified euen in baptisme Witnesse that speech of his It is better that they be sanctified without any apprehension of the thing done then that they should depart this life without baptisme and initiation And of this thing circumcision may afford vs president for that being the fore-runner of baptisme was administred vnto such as could n thy the vse of reason discerne what it meant g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edit Graecolat Billii Pa is 1609. Praestatu absque sensu sanctificari quam sine sigillo initiatione abscedere Atque huius rei ratio nobis est circumcisio die octauo pagi solita quae Baptismi figurâ—m quodammodo g râ—bat aâ—que tis qui rationis adhuc expertes erant offerebatur which place I vrge not to proue the necessity of Baptisme as if without reception thereof it were impossible for infants to be saued for I make no doubt that in the time of the Law many infants were saued that dyed before the eighth day wherein they were to be circumcised But I make vse hereof only to shew what that Gregory beleeued and taught touching that which is ordinarily communicated in Baptisme even vnto Infants as well as others supposing them to be admitted therevnto 3 That Great Athanasius who Athanasius in his time was the chiefe and in a manner the only professed Champion the Truth had left her when as Hierome complaines the whole world seemed to be turned Arrian A man that was by the sentence of all Divines the most approued Doctor as Vigilius h Omnium Ecclesiasticorum virorum iudicio probatissimus Vigil cont Eutich l. 2. c. 4. the Martyr titles him Hee in his Booke of Questions dedicated to Antiochus Quaest 2. propounds this Question Whence may a man knowe plainely that he hath beene baptized and receaued the Spirit in baptisme seeing hee was but an infant when he was baptized The answere hee giues vnto it is this As a woman with child by the springing of the babe in her wombe knowes for certaine that she hath conceaved fruit so the soule of a TRVE CHRISTIAN knowes not by the reports of his parents but by the springings of his heart especially vpon those solemne dayes wherein Baptisme and the Lords Supper are administred and by the inward ioyes that then hee conceaues that he receaued the Holy Ghost when he was baptized i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This testimony is so cleare and full that I knowe not what can be said to evade it He speakes indefinitly therefore he excludeth none that are Christians indeed but vnto them he doth restraine it in expresse termes so he speaks directly to our present point 4 Chrysostome one of the best and clearest Expositors of the New Testament among all the Fathers calls Baptisme our initiation into Christ k HoÌ„ 1. in Act. And to let vs see that hee meanes it not of an outward admission only into the visible Church hee afterwards declares himselfe when he makes the spirit to be the cheife part of baptisme as if there were no baptisme worth that name which is not accompanied with the presence of the spirit to make it efficacious Jn Baptisme the cheife part is the spirit by which the water becomes effectuall l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 1. in Act. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 40. in Act. If any shall say that this proues not that the spirit doth alwaies accompany the outward washing but rather the contrary because Chrysostome speakes this of the Apostles that had beene baptized and yet were commanded by Christ after his resurrection to stay at Hierusalem in expectation of the Holy Ghost saying Yee shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many daies hence m Act. 1.5 I answer that Chrysostome admits that in them the case was such indeed but saith he in vs both are performed together n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aom 1. in Act. I stand not to iustifie his Exposition of the place in respect of what he saith touching the bestowing of the Holy Ghost vpon the Apostles as if they had not receaued of the spirit in some measure before that time Let that opinion shift for it selfe as it can I only vrge the words to shew his iudgment of this thing viz that now we Christians receaue the spirit in baptâ—sme as well as the outward signe * That this was his iudgment even of infants also appeares in his Homil. on Ps 14. i 15. iuxta Heb. Adducit quispiam infantem adhuc vbera sugentem vt baptizetur statim Sacâ—rdos exigit ab infirma aetate pacta conventa assensiones mâ—noris aetate fiâ—â—â—ussâ—râ—â— accipit susceptorem interrogat Renunciat Satanae non dicit In finem vel cum Christo â—â—mungitur in sineÌ„ sed statim in principio vitae petit renunciationes coniunctiones And yet least any should imagine him to be so grosse as to thinke that all that partake of the outward washing doe receaue the inward grace heare him afterwards in the same Homily expressing his griefe for the contrary What anguish of heart saith hee doe J sustaine so often as I see some even when they are ready to breath their last runne vnto Baptisme and yet are never a whit the more purged by it o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eduio Savil. Ibid. Quos aestus pectoris sentio quoties alios video subextremum balitum festinantes ad initiatioâ—em nec hinc fieri puriores ibid. prope sin edit Lat. This Father therefore did not hold that all that are baptized doe partake of the Spirit in Baptisme how euer his iudgment were cleare for it in the Ordinary course of Divine dispensation Nor let any Arminian thinke to take me tardy as if I abused the Reader by alleaging that which mine Author speakes of Persons of yeares who doe oftentimes ponere obicem actually oppose the spirit of grace even while they be present at the meanes of grace to proue the like in the case of Infants For howeuer it be too
Confessions of Reformed Churches I Doubt not but that I shall meet with some spirits that will deride and scorne all these testimonies of the Fathers as the dreames of erring men * Nec tamen Patres aliud dicunt quaÌ„ quod nos dicimus fieri nos in baptismo novos homines peccata nobis remitti et spiritum sanctuÌ„ esse efficacem omnia haec nos damus sed non ideo sequitur sacramenta conferre gratiam ex opere operato quasi quia sunt efficacia organa spiritus sancti ideo ex via sua ex opere operato efficacia sunt Whitak de sacram in genere quest 4. cap. 2. Et paulo post ibid. Tribuunt illi Patres nempe multum baptismo merito quidem remissionem peccatorum gratiam vivificationem regenerationem alia huiusmodi forsan aliqui nimium tribuunt quanquam re vera nihil dicunt quod non satis commode exponi potest Non enim dicunt illam gratiam esse inclusam in aqua aut ex opere operato couferri sed spiritum sanctum esse in aqua per aquam efficacem quod ex eo Basilij loco constare potest quem affert bellarminus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. vide ibi plura in pag. 73. 74. and so will bee ready to say it is not much matter what the Fathers speake forasmuch as they spake and wrote a great deale more than any sound Diuine will take vpon him the iustification of or is able to defend Therefore it is requisite that I now shew what the Churches of Christ since the last happy Reformation haue all conspired to acknowledge and professe in their severall Publique confessions printed at Geneva concerning this point by which it will appeare that herein they doe in substance concurre with those Fathers that some shallow braines please to set so light by The iudgment of our owne Church as it is expressed in the Forme of Baptisme the Catechisme and Articles of Religion wee haue already seene at large We are therefore now to produce the Confessions of forraine Churches only which here follow in order 1 The Helvetian confession cap. 20 runs thus a Baptizari in nomine Christi est inscribi initiari reâ—ipi in faedus atque familiam adeoque haereditatem filiorum Dei immo iam nuncupari nomine Dei id est appellâ—ri filium Dei purgari item à sordibus peccatorum donari varia Dei gratià ad vitam novam innocentem To be baptized in the name of Christ is to be inroled initiated and receaued into the couenant and family and so into the inheritance of the sonnes of God yea to be euen now called by the name of God that is to be called a sonne of God to bee purged from the filth of sinne and to bee endowed with the manifold grace of God vnto a new and innocent life And a little after b Nam intus regeneramur purificamur renovamur à Deo per spiri uÌ„ sanctum c. for we are inwardly regenerated purified and renewed by God through the Holy Ghost And for a close of that Chapter they adde c Damnamus Anabaptistâ—â— qui negant baptizandos esse infantulos recens natos à fidelibus Nam iuxta doctrinam evang liâ—am horum est regnum Dei sunt in foedere Dei 〈◊〉 itaq non daretur eis signum foederis Dei Cur non per sanctum baptisma initiarentur qui sunt pecâ—â—um in Ecclesia Dei Wee condemne the Anabaptists who deny young infants borne of faithfull parents to be admitted vnto baptisme For according to the doctrine of the Gospell theirs is the kingdome of God and they are within the covenant of God why therefore should not the signe of the couenant of God be giuen vnto them Why should they not bee initiated by holy baptisme that are Gods peculiar and within his Church 2 The confession of Scotland d Certò credimus per baptismum nos in Christo Iesu niseri 〈…〉 quam omnia nostra peccata teguntur remittuntur participes fieri We doe certainely beleeue that by baptisme wee are ingraffed into Jesus Christ and made partakers of his righteousnesse whereby all our sinnes are done away 3 The Belgicke confession art 34. thus speakes e SVOS igitur OMNES iussit Dominus in nomine Paâ—ris filii spiritus sancti pura aqua baptizari vt signâ—ficaret sanguinem Christi per spiritum sanctum idâ—m praestare efficere internè in animâ quod aqua externè operatur in corporibus Therefore did the Lord command all of his to be baptized with pure water in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost that he might signifie that the bloud of Christ by the Holy Ghost doth performe inwardly in the soule that which the water doth effect outwardly vpon our bodies And that they vnderstand this of Infants also they afterward expresse theÌ„selues by declaring against the Anabaptists that even infants partake of Christ in baptisme pro modulo suo according to their capacity as well as others saying f Re vera Christus non minus sanguinem suum effudit vt fidelium infantes quam vt adultos ablueret ideoque signum seu sacramentum rei quam Christus eorum causa est operatus illos recipere concenit certainely Christ shed his bloud that hee might no lesse wash infants of faithfull parents then those of yeares and therefore it is requisite they should also receaue the signe or Sacrament of that thing which Christ for their sakes accomplished 4 The confession of France which is also the confession of Geneva professeth this g Agnoscimus duo tantum sacramenta toti Ecclesiae communia quorum prius est baptismus nobis testificandae nostrae adoptionis datus quoniam in eo inserimur Christi corpori vt eius sanguine abluti simul etiam ipsius spiritu ad vitae sanctimoniam renovamur Art 35. We acknowledge only two Sacraments common to the whole Church the former whereof is Baptisme given vnto vs to witnesse our adoption because in it we are ingraffed into the body of Christ that being washed with his bloud wee might also be renewed by his spirit vnto holinesse of life Againe in the 37. Art h Credimus sicut antea dictuÌ„ est tam in coena quam in baptismo Deum nobis re ipsa i verè efficaciter donare quic quid ibi sacramentaliter figurat ac proinde cum signis coninâ—gimus veram possessionem ac finitionem eius rei quae ibi nobis offertur We beleeue as is aforesaid that as well in the Lords supper as in baptisme God doth bestow vpon vs in very deed that is to say truly and effectually whatsoeuer hee therein sacramentally doth represent vnto vs and therefore with the signes we ioyne the true possession and fruition of that thing which is therein offered to vs.
And in Art 38 thus i Dicimus itaq elementum aquae quantumvis eaducum nobis nihilominus vtrè testificari interiorem animi nostri ablutionem in sanguine Iesu Christi per sancti spiritus efficaciam Rom. 6.3 Ephes 5.26 5 The Argentine confession cap. 17. thus determineth k De Baptismate itaque confitemur id quod passim scriptura de illo praedicat eo sepeliri nos in mertem Christi coagmentari in vnum corpus Christum induere lavacrum regenerationis peccata abluere nos salvare Rom 6 3. 1. Cor 12. Gal 3. Tit. 3. Act. 22. 1. Pet. 3. Touching Baptisme we confesse that which the scripture every where affirmeth of it that thereby wee are buried into the death of Christ knit together in one body we put on Christ it is the laver of Regeneration to wash away our sins and to saue vs Rom. 6 3. 1. Cor. 12. Gal. 3. Tit. 3. Act. 22. 1. Pet. 3. 6 The Augustane confession art 9. l Docet quod infantes per baptismum Deo commendati recipiantur in gratiam Dei fiant filij Dei sicut Christus testatur Mat. 18. non est voluntas patris vestri qui est in coelis vt pereat vnus ex parvulis istis teacheth that infants being by baptisme commended vnto God are receaued into the fauour of God and made his sonnes as Christ testifieth Math. 18. saying it is not the will of your father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish 7 The Saxon confession cap. 14 thus m Retinemus et infantium baptismum quia certissimum est promissionem gratiae etiam ad infantes pertinere c. nec iudicamus hunc morem tantum otiosam ceremoniam esse sed vere tunc à deo recipi sanctificari infantes We retaine the baptisme of infants also because it is most certaine that the promise of grace belongs even to infants c. nor doe we iudge this a meere idle ceremony but that then they are truly receaued by God and sanctified 8 The confession of Wirtemberg cap. de Bapt. to the same effect n Docemus eum qui baptizatur in nomine Patris filii spiritus sancti vngi spirituali Chrysmate hoc est fieri membâ—uÌ„ Christi donari spiritu sancto c. We teach that he that is baptized in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost is anointed with a spirituall chrysme that is he is made a member of Christ and endowed with the Holy Ghost 9 To all these we may adde the pious and orthodox confession of the Palatine extant in the same Harmony of confessions o De virtute efficacia sacri baptismi credo confiteor liberos nostros quia in hoc foedere vt iam dictum etiam ipsi vna includuntur cum in articulos antiquae nostrae catholicae fidei baptizantur sicut in iis ipsis educari institui debent etiam cruentis mortis domini nostri Iesu Christi omniumque eius bonorum quae illic morte sua acquisivit vnà participes fieri idque hoc modo quod quemadmodum externum sigillum sacrosanctum sacramentum nempe elementarem aquam à ministro veâ—bidivini extrinsecus in corpore recipiunt ita quoq simul à Christo ipso effuso illius sanguine in animabus suis hoc est interne baptizantur per spiritum sanctum de integro seu in novas creaturas regenerantur Touching the force and efficacy of holy baptisme I beleeue confesse that our children forasmuch as they also are included together with vs in the covenant before spoken of when they are baptized into the Articles of the ancient and catholike faith as in them also they ought to bee trained vp and instructed are made partakers as well as we of the bloudy death of our Lord Iesus Christ and of all other good things which in that his death he hath procured and that in this manner viz that as they receaue the outward seale to wit the holy Sacrament the elementary water from the Minister of the word externally in the body so also together at once by Christ they are washed with his bloud in their soules that is to say they are internally baptized and are regenerated a new as new creatures by the Holy Ghost But some may obiect that this last is not the Confession of the Church of the Palatinate but only of Frederick the third the Palsgraue of Rhene To which I answere 1. By confessing it to bee true that it was indeed the Confession of that religious Prince yet such as was approued of by that whole Church as appeares by the inserting of it among the publique Confessions of the Churches nor is there any other confession of that Church to be found in the Harmony of Confessions but only this by which it is euident that the whole Church of the Palatinate considering how full this confession was how exactly according with their publique catechisme thought it needlesse to draw any other publique body of confession but rather to rest in this so well performed to their hands 2 I say that it doth fully agree to the established doctrine of that Church set forth in their publique catechisme For in the 69 Quest of that Catech this is demanded p Qua ratione in baptismo admoneris confirmaris te vnici illius sacrificii Christi participem esse By what ground art thou admonished and confirmed that in thy baptisme thou art made a partaker of that one and only sacrifice ef Christ q Quod Christus externum aquae lauacrum mandavit addita hac promissione me non minus certo ipsius sanguine spiritu a sordibus animae hoc est ab omnibus peccatis meis lauari quam aqua extrinsecus ablutus sum qua sordes corporis expurgari solent The answere to it is this Because Christ enioyned that outward lauer of water with this promise annexed to it that J should be no lesse certaine that J am washed by his bloud and spirit froÌ„ all the filth of my soule that is from all sins theÌ„ that I am externally washed with water wherby the staines of the body are wont to be purged away To which I may further adde that learned Pareus in his larger explication of that catechisme how euer he require faith in the receiuer that will haue sensible possession benefit of the graces of that Sacrament yet in his commentary vpon the 74 Question of the same vndertaking to proue against the Anabaptists the lawfulnesse of baptizing of infants the second argument which hee there vseth is this * Ad infantes ecclesiae pertinet beneficium remissionis peccatorum regenerationis h. e. infantibus aeque ac adultis remissio peccatorum per sanguinem Christi spiritus sanctus fidei effector promittitur ergo infantes Christianorum debent baptizari that remission of sinnes by
For Calvine even in that very Chapter so often before quoted saith expresly g Instit lib 4 c. 16. sect 21. Quare nihil plus in pâ—dobaptismo praesentis efficaciae requirendum est quâ—m vt faed is cum illis à Domino percussum ob fiâ—met sanci â—t Reliqua eius sacramenti significatio quo tempore Deus â—p e providerit postea consequetur There is no more to be required in the baptisme of infants in respect of present efficacy than this that the covenant of God made with them should be ratified confirmed the rest that is signified in that Sacrament shall follow after in Gods good time To which I answere that this is as much as I contend for viz so much efficacy as may for the present confirme an elect infant in Gods couenant But this confirmation is not in Calvines iudgement the bare reception of the outward signe but a conferring of the inward earnest of the spirit to assure theÌ„ thereby of after grace and glory For so himselfe speaketh in the 15. chap. and 12. Section of the same booke The Apostle saith hee hauing shewed that we are accepted of God through Christ hee subioynes h Subiungit eos omnes qui iustitia Christi induuntur simul spiritu regenerari huius regenerationis nos arâ—ham habere in baptismo That they all who are cloathed with the righteousnesse of Christ are also regenerated by his spirit and the earnest hereof we haue in our baptisme There is then a confirmation by an earnest and this earnest is part of the whole benefit promised and by him assigned in expresse termes to bee the Spiritâ— Baptizemur in mortificationem carnis nostrae quae à baptismo in nobis inchoatur quam quotidie prosequimur perficietur autem quum ex hac vita migradimus ad Dominum Sect. 11. yea look but into the very last words of the next Section immediatly preceding the Section now quoted and you shall finde him there affirming i That we are baptized vnto the mortification of our flesh which mortification is begun in vs from our very baptisme we daily goe forward in it and it shall be perfected in vs when wee depart hence vnto the Lord. Loe here what Calvine meanes by confirming and ratifying the covenant vnto an elect infant and what it is that is to bee expected to follow after in Gods good time even the breaking out grouth and perfection of that grace which was begun euen from his baptisme wherein he receaues the spirit as the earnest penny Author of the same But Calvine directly affirmeth that k Fatemur ergo baptismum pro eo tempore non profuisse nobis hâ—lum quando in eo nobis oblata promissio sine qua baptismus nihil est neglecta iacebat Instit lib 4. ca. 15. Sect. 17. Till by faith we lay hold vpon the promise sealed in baptisme our baptisme is not worth a rush vnto vs To this I haue sufficiently answered more then once before and particularly in chap. 4. in confirmation of the major Proposition of my third argument the summe whereof is briefly this The Sacrament profits no man of yeares without faith to apprehend the promise nor can the elect themselues sensibly perceaue the fruit and comfort of their baptisme in the ordinary course vntill after they haue obtained actuall faith at their actuall conuersion Nor doth it follow that they had not the spirit in baptisme because they were not capable of so much as knowing the same at that time much lesse of beleeuing for so saith the same Author l Etsi infantes quo circumcidebantur momento quid sibi vellet signum illud intelligentia non comprehendebant vere tameÌ„ circumcidebantur in naturae suae corruptae ac contaminatae mortificationem quam adulti postea meditarentur Denique nullo negotio solvi potest obiectio haec baptizari in futuram paenitentiam fidem quae etsi nondum in illis formatae sunt arcanâ tamen spiritus operatione vtriusque semeÌ„ in illis latet lib. 4. c. 16. sect 20. Although infants in the instant of circumcision were not able to comprehend what that signe meant they were yet truly circumcised vnto the mortification of their corrupt and defiled nature which after they came to yeares they meditated on And a little after infants are baptized vnto future repentance and faith which graces although they bee not actually formed in them yet by the secret operation of the spirit the seeds of both doe lye hid in them Now these two places laid together doe make it evident that when this Author said that Baptisme profits nothing till the promise be apprehended his meaning was not that the Spirit of God doth nothing at all at the time of baptisme in an elect Infant but only this that the party cannot haue any actuall sensible benefit till actuall faith be begotten in him and the same actually imployed in the application of those good things which were exhibited and sealed vnto him in his baptisme But it will be yet further objected that admit Calvine were of opinion that some infants are endowed with the spirit in their infancy yet he meant not to ascribe the communication of it to Baptisme but rather declares himselfe to meane it of grace receaued before Baptisme as appeares by the instances he giues of John Baptist m Documentum praebuit in IohaÌ„ne Baptista queÌ„ in matris vtero sanct ficauit quid in reliquis possit ibid cap. 16. sect 17. which he contendeth to haue beene sanctified in the wombe by God who therein gaue vs an experiment of his power to sanctifie others in like manner now what is this to the reception of the spirit in Baptisme To this I answere first that his maine scope is to confute the Anabaptists touching their supposed impossibility of the capacity of regeneration in an infant for which reason they would not haue him admitted to sacred baptisme as appeares in the beginning of the same Section n Ibid. RationeÌ„ quoque firmissima obtendere sibi videntur cur arcendi sint à baptismo pueri dum causantur non esse per aetatem adhuc idoneos qâ—i signa tum illiâ— mysterium assequantur Id autem est spiritualis regeneratio quae cadere in primam iâ—fantiam non potest Therefore hence I collect that his purpose was to ouerthrow this imaginary bulwarke by making evident not only a possibility but in that particular of Iohn a certainty of regeneration even in the womb which was sooner then baptisme so as their argument could not hold against Baptisme for if an infant bee capable of the spirit in the womb much more then in baptisme and therefore he ought to be baptized Secondly if his purpose were not thence to inferre that an infant not only may but doth receiue the spirit in baptisme it were no sufficient answere to their obiection for they might iustly reply thus if you intend
induit in qua perfectam causa viceque nâ—stra obedientiam praestaret ita ex spiritu sancto conceptus fuit vt eius sanctitute in assumpta carne ad plenum pâ—rfusus ipsam ad nos transfunderet Instit lib. 4 c. 16. sect 18. Christ was sanctified from his first incarnation that he might sanctify his elect of euery age without any difference For as he tooke to him our flesh in which he perfectly performed perfect compleat obedience for our sakes and in our roomes for the abolishing of the sinne of disobedience committed by vs in the flesh so he was conceiued of the holy Ghost that being fully endowed with the spirit vpon the assumption of our flesh he might transfuse the same holinesse vnto vs All which he speakes not of such as dye in infancy but of such as liue to ripe yeares also And if he meant not to affirme this to be the ordinary course of diuine dispensation in the baptisme of such as liue to yeares he could not possibly repell the argument of the Anabaptists who therefore disclaime the baptisme of infants because they receiue no part of the inward grace signified by the outward signe For if He should make such an imperfect answere as this viz that although elect infants who liue to yeares are not then in any degree partakers of the inward grace yet such as dye in infancy doe partake thereof and therefore for their sakes atleast infants should be baptized if I say he should thus answere they would hisse at so poore a shift and reply thus if you would haue all infants baptized because some of them may dye and in that regard may need baptisme for as much as they are to be regenerated in baptisme to make them fit for heauen this is a beggerly kind of reasoning for by your owne confession Å¿ At periculum est ne is qui aegrotat si absque baptismo decesserit regenerationis gratia priuetur minime vero Jnfantes nostros antequam nascantur se adoptare in suos pronunciat Deus quum le nobis in deum sore promittit seminique nostro post nos Hoc verbo continetur eoâ—um salus Instit lib 4. c. 15. sect 20. elect infants dying before baptisme cannot perish so as there is no necessity for baptizing of all infants for the regenerating of a few thereby that may happen to dye in infancy in as much as they would be sanctified although they should neuer be baptized and the rest although baptized would not by your owne doctrine be then sanctified at all Thus haue I largly declared the iudgment of that iudicious iustly honoured Caluine touching this point and haue beene more tedious herein then a iudicious reader will perhaps beare with patience but if any finde fault my apology is this they who should haue had more wit and honesty haue filled the heads of the multitude with this conceit that howeuer I made a great flourish with the name of Caluine for giuing countenance to my opinion yet the truth is Caluine deliuered no such thing but is rather against me then for me as they are able to shew at pleasure to any man that shall require it Now to cleare my selfe of this foule aspertion vniustly cast vpon me I held my selfe bound by a kinde of necessity thus copiously to set downe Calvines opinion and to meet with all obiections that could possibly be put vp against me to weaken the seuerall testimonies I take out of Caluine for my defence to the intent that after all that can be said on both sides the impartiall reader how meanly soever gifted may be able to iudge whether Caluine speake with or against me What was the conceit of Chameir touching the iudgment of all sound Diuines and particularly of Caluine you haue seene in part already And because Chameir is of such eminent note in the Church and so expresly deliuereth the iudgment of all Protestants and therein his owne concerning the efficacy of baptisme vpon elect infants v Constat vtrinque consentiri in prius caput de Iustificatione nempe quo ad culpam paenamque omnium peccatorum quam in baptismo significari id est effici neutri negant In altero itidem capite hoc saltem vtrinque poni sanctificationeÌ„ i. novitatem vitae conferri Quid igitur controuerti Nâ—mirum hâ—ius sanctificatioâ—is modulum mensuram c. De sacram lib. 5. cap. 4. par 10. I will produce a place or two more out of him He writing of this very point and stating the controuersy betweene the Papists and vs therein saith thus The question betweene them and vs is not 1 Whether iustification from all our sinnes be offered and conferred in baptisme for this neither part denies nor 2 whether any sanctification at all be then conferred for that both allow but the punctuall difference is only concerning the quantity and measure of sanctification The Papists contend that sanctification compleat is then giuen and this we deny saying that it is only then begun and is daily perfected by degrees Here least any man should dreame of an ambiâ—uity in his speeches take notice that Chameir in that very chapter had before shewed his meaning to be of that which is ordinarily communicated in the very instant of the administration of Baptisme v Duo dissentionis capita sunt primum de effectu praesenti alterum de futuro Praesentem effectum dico qui assignandus sit huic sacramento in ipso celebrationis legittimae momento futurum vero qui post eam celebrationem ibid. par 6. For thus He The present difference betweene vs and Papists touching the efficacy of baptisme may be reduced to two heads the first touching the present effect of it the other touching that which is future By the present effect J meane saith hee that which is assigned to be wrought in the very instant of the right administration of baptisme by the other that which followes after the celebration ended Then he goes on with his discourse that was but now propounded to shew that euen in the moment of Baptisme all Orthodox diuines doe allow of some present efficacy of baptisme vpon infants vnto sanctification as more at larg appeares in the Author himselfe Yea so resolute is he for the efficacy of baptisme vpon infants that he feares not to affirme that either theÌ„ or neuer it takes effect vpon theÌ„ See his own words m Etenim tantum abest vt dâ—ceamus nihil agere baptismum nisi cum adoleuerint infantes vt contra effectum baptismi quem Dâ—us ipse per se praestet sciamâ—s praecedere ipsam celebrationem baptismi Itaque aut nunquam vllum futurum aut tum esse reapse quum celebratur vere inquaÌ„ remitti peccata vere adoptione sed fieri moraliter de sacr l. 2. c. 6. par 4. So farre is it froÌ„ vs that we should teach that Baptisme effecteth nothing vpon infants vntill they come to age that
licet ibid. sect 14. I hold that it is sufficient that wee acknowledge they shall be saued for as much as they by election and praedestination belong to Gods peculiar flock that they are endowed with the spirit who is the roote of faith hope loue and all other graces which spirit afterwards doth manifest and declare himselfe in the sonnes of God when they come to years Musculus of Baptisme giues this description b Defiâ—iemus baptismum esse sacramentum regenerationis purgationis initiationis sanctificationis obsignationis incorporationis in Christum seruatorem Haec enim omni no per spiritum Christi fiunt in electu fidelibus quorum sacramentum est baptismus vt rectè in illo profici dicatur quod per spiritum Christi reipsa spiritualiter perficitur Muscul de Bapt quest 1. Sect. 8 Loc. Com. Wee define baptisme to be the sacrament of regeneration purgation initiation sanctification obsignation and incorporation into Christ our Saviour For all these are effected in the elect and faithfull by the spirit of Christ of all which graces baptisme is the sacrament so as in it this may rightly be said to be done because truly and spiritually it is effected by the spirit of Christ If any thinke to obiect against me that Musculus speakes this of the faithfull and so vnderstands it not of infants I answere out of Musculus himselfe c Omnes Christianorum infantes ad Christum pertinentes deque numero fidelium existentes recte dicuntur esse in fide Christi fideles credentes licet nondum sint imbuti fide Musc in Mat. 18 All infants belonging to Christ borne of Christian parents and being of the number of the faithfull are rightly said to be in the faith of Christ to be faithfull and beleeuers although as yet they be not endewed with actuall faith Besides he that saith Christians being elect are by the Holy Ghost ingraffed into Christ in baptisme must not exclude elect infants for as much as none but infants are now vsually baptized in the Church Therefore hee must be vnderstood of what baptisme doth ordinarily effect vpon infants or else his definition is very improper yea false being applied to children beside whom there are none vnlesse in some rare cases of proselites baptized in these latter times Francis Iunius in his Theses of Paedobapt speakes as fully to this point as any of the rest d Si enim in Christi corpus baptizandi omnes electi si omnes christum induere debent infantes non secus ac adulti eos a christi corpore separare Christo non inserere nefandum esset Thes 4. If saith he all the elect are to be baptized into the body of Christ if moreouer all of them as well infants as persons of yeares ought to put on Christ then to separate theÌ„ from the body of Christ and not to engraffe them into Christ were a most wicked thing And againe a little after e Cum baptizantur infantes deus offert confert omnia bona faederis stipulatur ibid. Thes 10. When infants What infants he meanes he had sufficiently expressed before viz. elect infants are baptized God doth both offer and conferre all the good things of the Couenant and engageth himselfe vnto it In another place thus f Baptismus est actio sacra Dei lauantis suos intus lotione spiritus foris lotione aquae Mat. 3. Ioh. 1. passim Haec igitur relata sunt aqua spiritus lotio aquae lotio spiritu Relatio vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est iâ—â—s illa siue applicatio vntus ad alteram secundum naturam relâ—torum formam constituexs sacramenti Quemadmodum igitur homo in actionibus humanis anima corpore actionem internam externam agit vnica operatione in qua sicut anima est forma corporis ita actio interna formalis quodam modo externa vero materialis est in cundum modum Deus spiritu suo aqua agit actionem internam externam vnica operatione in qua lotio interna a spiritu formalis est in â—terialis externa prâ— vt dicebat Ioannes ego baptizo vos aqua c. Iun. in Exam. Gratian. Prosp Par. 3. Baptisme is a sacred action of God washing those that be he his owne inwardly with the washing of the spirit outwardly with the washing of water Mat 3. Iohn 1. and elsewhere These two therefore the water and the spirit the washing of water and the washing of the spirit are relatiues And the relation it selfe is that application or vnion of these one to another according to the nature of relatiues which constitutes the forme of the sacrament Wherefore as a man in humane actions doth with his soule and body produce both an inward and an outward action in one and the same operation in which as the soule is said to be the forme of the body so is the inward action after a sort the formall and the externall the materiall part of the action euen so after the same manner God by his spirit and by water doth performe both an internall and an externall action in one and the same operation in which the inward washing by the spirit is the formall part and the externall washing with water is the materiall part of that his action according to that of Iohn the Baptist I indeed baptize you with water c. but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost c. This passage passing from that learned man in a scholasticall confutation of a subtile aduersary is perhaps more abstruse then it can be fully vnderstood of an ordinary reader yet all that are iudicious cannot see lesse in it than this viz that in the iudgment of Iunius that is not held for Baptisme of the elect wherein God doth not ordinarily accompany the outward administration of that sacrament with some inward worke of the spirit inwardly washing the soule as well as the water outwardly washeth the body in the Lauer of Regeneration But what manner of worke that is which is ordinarily performed by the spirit in the matter of Regeneration the same Author also describeth in the place first cited where he thus distinguisheth of regeneration and then explaines himselfe in what sense he affirmeth infants elect to be regenerated in baptisme g De regeneratio â—e aliter consideratur in fâ—â— lâ—â—ne to id est in Christo habitu aliter in nobis actu Pâ—imâ— regeneratio qâ—â—e dici potest transplantatio a vetere Id mo in novum tanqâ—am causa eâ—â— aâ—tera tanquam fructus sequituâ— De prima inquitur Christus Iohn 3. Apostolus vtramque coniungit Rom. 6. Hac regenerantur infantes electi cum Christo inferuntu huius obsignatio sit iâ—s duâ—â— baptizantuâ— De Paed. bap châ—â— 7 Touching regeneration it is one way to be considered in the foundation that is to say in Christ the habit thereof
such baptisme also is a confirmation of their incorporation But vnto all others baptisme is the first ordinary meanes that initiateth vs into Christ and we from that time grow vp vnto more and more perfection in his body then we partake of the mystery of the Lords supper wherein and whereby we are yet further nourished and confirmed in the body of Christ so as M. Harding shot beside the marke when he contendeth that the sacrament of the Lords supper doth first vnite vs vnto Christ And this is all that the Bishop aimed at in all these words D. Whitaker In the next place come wee to D. Whitaker whom none but a corrupt Barowist or Tompsonian will refuse to honour among men of greatest parts and highest worth He in that learned Treatise of the Sacraments howeuer he denyeth all manner of efficacy to be in the sacraments ex opere operato by virtue of the meere externall administration of the sacrament yet he euery where disclaimes as an intollerable calumny that which Bellarmine the rest of that rout cease not to lay to our charge viz. that wee make the sacraments and particularly Baptisme to be without all efficacy at the time of administration or that a De Sacram. Controv. de Baptis quaest 4. cap. 1. Calumniatur ergo Bellarminus sic etiam Patres Tridentini qui aiunt nos dicere peccatum tantum radi in baptismo non tolli quod olim Augustino Pelagiani obiiccrunt quorum ille calumniam diluit Non enim peccatum in baptismo tanquam novacula resecatur sic vt radex haereat starim renascatur quemadmodum isti insulsi nos sentire putant sed nos in Baptismo dupâ—tcem gratiam consequimur prima est remissio peccatorum secunda regeneratio Remissio est pâ—riecta regeneratio inchoaâ—a propter peccati reliquias propter originale peccatum quod in nobis perpetuo quoad suam substantiam remanet we will haue sinne to be only pared and not wholy taken away in baptisme in respect of the guilt of it For sinne is not only shauen or clipt as some young thing newly sprout vp which though it be cut yet the roote still staies behind and will presently spring vp afresh againe may be said to be as those absurd obiectors imagine vs to hold but we obtaine a double benefit in baptisme the first is remission of sinnes the second is regeneration Remission of sinnes is perfect regeneration in respect of the remainders of sinne and of originall sinne that for substance still abideth in vs is then only inchoate or but in the beginning Nor doth he speake this only of persons of yeares that can haue neither of these without actuall faith to apprehend them as hee proues strongly and at large in the first part of that b De sacram in genere quaest 4 cap. 3. Tractate but he affirmes it also of infants that some of them viz. the elect are partakers of these graces in their baptisme as may be seene in sundry passages of his booke collated for marke when Bellarmine obiecteth that c Ibid de sacr in genera quest 4. multotus some reape benefit by the sacraments without actuall faith and particularly infants in their baptisme it is Doctor Whitakers constant answere not simply to deny that proposition but to deny it in two respects only viz. 1 If the proposition be vnderstood of all infants because all are not saued that be baptized 2 If it be meant that they partake of these graces meerely by virtue of the outward worke done or that the outward element should be thought to containe in it any efficacy to convey these graces vnto any infant at all then also he reiecteth it as false but otherwise he admits it to be true So doth he receiue the d Ibid cap. 2. p g. 72. counsell of Nice so the Mileuitane counsel e Ibid câ—â— 2. pag. 73. Terâ—â—â—â—n testimoniuÌ„ suruiâ—ur ex CoÌ„â—â—lio Milovitano Parvuli qui nihil peccatorum in semetipsis adhuc committere potuerunt ideo in remissioneÌ„ peccatorum veraciter baptizantur vt in cis regeneratione mundetur quod generatione traxâ—runt Respondâ—o Baâ—tismum esse sacramentum regenerâ—tionis etâ—â—â— in parvulis non negamus sed non ex opere operato Deas operatuâ— libere eiâ— iâ— bâ—â—tisâ—o sadiâ—â— at quos â—â—iâ—lt c. which speaks expresly of infants thus Litle children who yet cannot commit any actuall sinnes of their owne are therefore truly baptized for the remission of sinnes that so that filth which they haue contracted by generation might be purged out by regeneration True saith he wee deny not Baptisme to be the sacrament of regeneration euen to infants but not by vertue of the externall worke done Yea but you will say he denies this to be done in all infants True and so doe I. But of what sort are they that he admitteth to partake of the efficacy of Baptisme Surely none but the Elect. For thus He e Deus in baptismo ut significat remissionem peccatotum salutem ita re operatur veritas cum signo coniuncta est in electis De sacram in genere quaest 4. cap. 2. Jn baptisme as God doth signifie the remission of sinnes and salvation so indeed he workes the same and the truth of the things is iâ—ined together with the signe in the ELECT Againe f Ibid. quaest 1. cap 3. pag. 15. Quare falsum est quod ait Bellarm. baptizari apud nos infantesea solum de causa vt sint membra Ecclesia externae quemadmod◠〈◊〉 circiicisi eli n infantes Iudeorum sum illa tantum de causa sed vt illis signum diuini soederis imprimatur quod etsi non venatiâ— praedestinatis nal p edest tanun electis predest co modo quo Dâ—us novâ—t Nam infantes clectâ—s moâ—teâ—ies antequom adoleverint Deus virtute sp ritus sui renovat si vero vitun longius pâ—opagare illis contigerit comacis ad studium renouationis accenduntur quod eius tessâ—ram se infantes accepâ—â—e scâ—â—t Ergo etsi infantes baptizantur tamen non semper infantes count sed tandem si vita 〈◊〉 longiuâ— contedatur vim eius Baptismisentient quem infantes susciperunt Wherefore it is false that Bellarmine affirmes that Infants with vs are baptized only that they might become members of the visible Church for neither were the Infants of the Jewes circumcised only for that reason but that the signe of Gods covenant might bee stamped on them which although it profit not such as are neither regenerated nor predestinated notwithstanding it is availeable in the Elect in such manner as is well knowne to God For such Infants as being elected doe die in infancy God renueth by the power of his spirit but if it happen that they liue they are thereby the more incited to the study of renovation the badge whereof they then come to know that they received in Infancy Therefore although they be
spiritus sanctus in iis apprehendat illa illis consentiat vt dicitur idem spiritus nobis nescientibus intercedere pro nobis orare quemadmodum oportet deum cum nouerit eius sensum illum audiret tamen cum scriptura non dicat parvulos credere neque hoc videat esse necessarium ad salutem satis essè indicat vt dicamus eos qui servantur cum sint de peculio Domini per praedestinationem electionem spiritu sancto perfundi qui radix est si lei spâ—i charitatis omnium virtutum quas postea exerit declarat in filiis dei cum per aetatem licet Posse ergo sic dici fideles vt dicuntur rationales Nam eâ—si non possunt infantes ratiocinari lamen animam habent ea facultate praeditam vt possint cumaetas accesserit rati cinariâ— ergo rationales dicuntur non propter praesentem vsum rationis sed propter insitum principium rationis nempe animam quae artium doctrinarum omâ—ium capax est fidem igitur expressamâ— equiri in adultis in parvulis suffirere fidem inchoatam in suo principio radice id est spiritu sancto quo praediti sunt ex quo fides suo tempore virtutes aâ—ae manam nam infantes a spiritu purgari cum sint in Ecclesia ad ecclesiam pertineant Ecclesiam autem Christus sanctificavit mundans cam lavacio aquae per verbum Si ad ecclesiam pertinent spiritu ornantur si in caelum recipiuntur a peccato purgantur c. Peter Martyr a man of most profound iudgment saith he dares not embrace their opinion that ascribe faith to infants not but that God can if he will infuse faith into them and enable them to reason before the ordinary time cause that though they doe neither vnderstand nor know the things which are to be beleeued notwithstanding the spirit in them may apprehend and giue consent to those things for them as the spirit is said to make intercession for vs vnto God euen when we know not what to pray for as wee ought and then God who knowes the minde of the spirit heareth the same Howbeit seeing the. Scriptures doe not say that infants doe beleeue nor doth this seeme necessary to them vnto saluation he thinkes it sufficient that we say that they who are saued for as much as they are part of Gods peculiar by Predestination and election are endewed with the Holy Ghost who is the roote of faith hope charity and all other virtues which afterward he produceth and declareth in Gods children when they come to yeares Thus farre he voucheth the words of Peter Martyr then he goes on in his owne words thus to illustrate the same They may therefore be called faithfull or beleeuers as they may be said to be reasonable creatures For although infants cannot rationally discourse yet they haue a soule whereby when they come to some yeares they may be able to discourse So that they are called reasonable creatures not because they haue present vse of their reasonable faculty but by reason of the principle of reason in them to witt the reasonable soule which is capable of all arts and sciences Therefore we say expresse faith is required in all of yeares but in infants only faith begun or in his first principle or roote namely the HOLY GHOST with which they are endewed and from whom faith and other graces in due time doe flow or issue forth For infants are purged by the spirit seeing they are in the Church and of the Church Christ sanctified his Church purging it in the Lauer of water through the word If then they belong to the Church they are adorned with the spirit if they be receiued vp into heauen they are then purged by the spirit The former passage is aboundantly sufficient both to proue that I haue not abused Peter Martyr and that D. Whitaker is fully of the same iudgment with him Yet let me haue leaue since I promised much out of this Author to alleadge a place or two more to the same purpose In the n Pag. 286. Sed ait ChristuÌ„ habitare in infantibus per fidem ergo â—abere eos fidem saltem quoad habitum Respon deo At hoc non minus de actu quam de habitu intelligitur Quid is enim dicamus in nullis Christum habitare n si qui actu creduat Et pueri habent tum actum tum habitum fidei in suâ—semirie id est in spiriâ—u sancto vt antea diximus Postremo ait trsands parvuâ—s occultam gratiam cum baptizentur idq Augustinam docere Respondeo Id nos quoque nicimas Sed Augustimes non ait habitum fidei insued sed gratiam Bellarminus â—escit an haec gratia sit Charitas cum side spo an qualitas alia cum qua tres illae virtutes perpâ—tuo sunt contunctae Quis vnquam de eusmodi qualitate audiuit quae nec spes nec charitas nec fides est sed has secum coniunctas habet Infundi gratia potest sine harum virtutumaut actu aut habâ—tu Vid â—â—r Augustinus id ensâ—sse hancgratiam esse spiritum sanctum qui efficit sidem licet non statim in infantibus next page following that we last cited answering that of Bellarmine who obiecteth that Christ is said to dwell in infants by faith therefore they must needs haue the habit of faith He answers thus But this may as well be vnderstood of actuall faith which Bellarmine denies to be in them as of the habit which the Iesuite saith they haue And what if wee should say that Christ dwels in none but such as actually beleeue he meanes what would Bellarmine haue to plead against it seeing he maintaines habituall faâ—th But euen infants haue both the act and habit of faith in the seede thereof that is to say in the Holy Ghost as we before spake Lastly the Iesuite saith that Augustine teacheth that there is a secret grace infused into infants when they are baptized I answere so say we too but Augustine saith not the habit of faith is infused but grace and Bellarmine knowes not what to make of this grace whether he should call it charity ioyned with faith and hope or any other quality with which all these graces are perpetually linked But who euer heard of such a quality which is neither faith hope nor loue yet hath all these conioyned with it Grace may be infused without either the act or habit of any of these S. Austustine seemes to be of this opinion that this grace is the Holy Ghost which indeed worketh faith but not instantly in infants Ibid. cap. 6. I will not dissemble that in the next chapter Dr Whitaker taking vpon him to lay open the Doctrine of the Fathers touching the faith by which infants are partakers of the grace of Baptisme and are saved if they die in infancie is very
loath to declare himselfe against that charitable conceipt of Antiquity viz. that for as much as infants having in them no sinne that is every way their owne but originall which is done away in baptisme if any faith be farther required to bring them to heaven in case they then depart this life they may be saved by the faith of their parents But this he doth as admitting this rather then the other touching actuall or habituall faith of their own which in the ordinarie course he thinkes as all other judicious Divines ever doe and ever did to be very incongruous and absurd whether we consider the nature of grace or the capacitie of nature in an infant for reception of such grace But for a Conclusion however he following the iudgment of many more in the ancient schooles of the Papists themselues * Vid Alex. Hâ—l par 4. q. 8. 〈◊〉 â—rt 3. 〈…〉 espâ—t 〈…〉 â—ast in 4. sen dist 4. c. non Extrast de Bapt. maiores will not heare of any infusion of so much as of the habit of faith in infants hee commeth backe to his former position wherein wee saw his accord with Peter Martyr and S. Augustine and shuts vp all thus o Sed etsi infantes non habere fidem habitualem tamen à spiritu sancto purgari dicimus sieri novas creaturas quia caro sanguis regnum culorum non possiarbunt â—â—â—ex aqua spiritu sancto râ—nati suerint 〈…〉 in regnum 〈◊〉 â—â—â—cperaâ—t spiritum saâ—ctum â—â—dabiliter 〈◊〉 Contâ—â—â—ce Bapt. quâ—dâ— 4. cap 6. in conclus But although infants haue not habitual faith yet we say that they are purged by the holy Ghost and made new creatures for as much as flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdome of heaven and vnlesse they be borne againe of water and of the spirit they cannot enter into the kingdome of God therefore wee conclude that the spirit of God worketh in them in such a manner as cannot by vs be expressed I willingly admit that this purging and renuing of infants which he speakes of is to be vnderstood of the worke of the Spirit in such as die in infancie and are saved Howbeit he yeeldeth the spirit to be in all the rest also that belong to Gods election although the same effects bee not produced till they coâ—â— to age as those two plaine and pregnant pâ—â—ces alleadged but now our of his 5. Chapter concerning the efficacie of baptisme clearely and fully proclaime to all the world And so I haue done with him also D. White B. of Norwich Our next witnesse is that learned Doctor Francis White now L. Bishop of Norwich in his Answere to Fisher the Jesuite whom though I haue alleadged before and might therefore well be excused if I should passe him over here Yet because some that are resolued neuer to assent to this truth when they see or heare any testimonie produced out of anie good Author that is clearely for me they vse to shift it off among those that either cannot or will not examine the Authors themselues with this aspersion cast vpon me It is true say they that he makes a noise with quotations out of many Authors but how He catcheth vp here and there a word or a sentence that seemeth to make for his purpose and vseth them quite contrary to the Authors meanings as would easily appeare by examination of what goeth before and followes after in those Authors I am therefore constrained to bee tedious in many things not only to others but to my selfe also in being more large then I intended at the first meerely to vindicat my selfe from that which I am afraid they too well know that they vniustly lay to my charge vpon all occasions And for this reason am I compelled to repeate what formerly I alleadged out of this Author and to adde therevnto all that he hath spoken of the point that it may be manifest that I haue not wronged him as some giue out to their disciples The charge which Fisher commeth on withall vpon all Protestants at once is this Their errors against Baptisme the gate and entrance into Christian life wherof they deny the virtue to sanctifie men and the necessity thereof for infants to whom they grant salvation without Baptisme In which complaint the Iesuite would faine perswade that Protestants deny both the efficacie and the necessity of Baptisme Our Author answeres him to both particulers We haue here to deale only with the former touching which the whole passage runnes thus viz. p Pag 175.176 Although some persons haue beene Christians before their Baptisme as S. Augustine saith of Cornclius Even as in Abraham the iustice of faith was precedent and the seale of circumcision followed after so likewise in Cornelius spirituall sanctification by the gift of the Holy Ghost went before and the Sacrament of Regeneration in the Laver of baptisme succeeded yet notwithstanding the ordinary gate and entrance into Christian life is baptisme S. Ambrose sive Prosper d. vocat Gent. li. 1. ca. 5. The beginning of true life and righteousnesse is laid in the Sacrament of regeneration that looke where man is new borne there also the verity of vertues themselues may spring Neither doe Protestants deny the virtue and efficacy of Baptisme to sanctify men But according to the Holy scriptures Ephes 5.26 Tit. 3.5 Gal. 3.27 1 Pet 3 21. Act. 22.16 Rom. 6.3 And the ancient church they teach and maintaine that this sacrament is an instrument of sanctification and remission of sinnes The Leiturgy of the Church of England in the forme of administration of Baptisme hath these words Seeing now D.B. that these children be regenerate c. Wee yeeld thee hearty thankes most mercifull father that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant with thy holy spirit to receiue him for thine owne chiâ—d by adoption c. And master Hooker saith Baptisme is a Sacrament which God hath instituted in his Church to the end that they which receiue the same might be incorporated into Christ and so through his most pretious merit obtaine as well that saving grace of imputation which taketh away all former guiltinesse and also that infused diuine virtue of the holy Ghost which giueth to the powers of the soule their first disposition toward future newnesse of life Zanchius hath these words When the Minister baptizeth I beleeue that Christ with his hand reached as it were from heaven be sprinkleth the child baptized with water with his blood to remission of sinnes And in another place The Holy Ghost moveth vpon the water of Baptisme and sanctifieth the same making it to be a Lauer of Regeneration Calvine saith Per Baptismum Christus nos mortis suae participes fecit vt in eam inseramur By baptisme Christ hath made vs partakers of his death that wee may be ingraffed into it And in another place If any demand how can infants which want vnderstanding bee
bee any grace or vertue in the water it is not from the nature of the water but from the presence of the spirit for baptisme is not the deposition of the filth of the flesh but the answere of a good conscience vnto God Vpon which words of Basil i Vides v m purgandi denegari aquae asseri spiritui sancto praesenti quidem argumento á verbis Petri De Sacram lib. 2. c. 9 par 11. Chameir thus descanteth You see that the power of purging the conscience is denied to the water and affirmed to be in the spirit there present and this hee proues by an argument drawne from the words of Peter And in the same manner iudicious k De sacram in genere quaest 4. cap 2. pag. 73. Whitaker vnderstandeth approueth that of Basil Bullinger is of the same iudgment for thus l In 1. Pet. 3.21 Ne quis pâ—aecedentia de nudo baptismi signo intelliâ—eret hoc addit non is quidem baptismus nos salvaâ— quo abluimus sordes externas humani corporis sed per baptismuÌ„ intelligo illam vim fidei illum spiritum virtutem Christi quae cum externo signo coniuncta est qua sit vt conscientia nostra pacata secure agat coram oculis Dei Marlorat alleageth him vpon the place Least any man should vnderstand him to speake those words of the naked signe of baptisme he addes these that baptisme saues not which purgeth the outward filth of the flesh but by baptisme J vnderstand that efficacy of faith the spirit and power of Christ which as Marlorat addes is ioined with the outward signe whereby it comes to passe that the conscience being pacified it may confidently appeare and plead before the Lord. To the same purpose speakes the English note in our old Bibles which vnderstands hereby Christs inward vertue which the outward baptisme shadoweth So that the purpose of the Apostle here is only to teach what it is in baptisme that is so efficacious as to saue a man namely not the outward element or washing with that element but the inward grace thereby signified which grace is here set forth by the effect of it in such as are of yeares which is the enabling of them with a good conscience to make good their vowes as also confidently to depend vpon God through Christ for their saluation Bucer is large in the explication of this Text his conclusion is this m Neque enim seruat Baptisma adultos nisi credentes Salus quidem baptismate offertuâ— omnibusâ— reâ—ipiuat autem illaÌ„â—dulti non nisi per fidem infantes per arcanam spiritus sancti operationem qua ad vitam aeternam sanctificantur In script Anglic. de vâ— essic Bapt. in calce Baptisme saues none of yeares but beleeuers Indeed saluation is offered in Baptisme vnto all but none of yeares receiue it but by faith As for infants they are saued by the secret operation of the spirit which sanctifieth them vnto eternall life Now take the words which way soeuer any of these Worthies haue expounded theÌ„ what doe they make when they are cleared so much as in shew against the present Position that Elect infants doe ordinarily receiue the spirit in baptisme as the first efficient principle of future actuall regeneration For let any man frame an argument from this place though he make the best improument that any exposition of it will yeeld he cannot make â— more forcible then this viz. Saint Peter saith that Baptisme is effectuall to none of yeares vnlesse they partake of the inward grace of the spirit and blood of Christ by faith that may both assure then on Christs part that they are ingraffed into him haue their sinnes pardoned and the old man in them buried and also enable them to keepe touch with Christ actually on their parts in all such things as they promised Therefore elect infants doe not receiue the spirit in baptisme to beget faith and other graces in them afterwards by the word when they come to yeares Would not such a kinde of arguing seeme very ridiculous It is iust as if one should dispute against the slowing of the water at London Bridg at any time saue only about three of clock in this wise It is neuer high water at London Bridg about three of clock but when the moone is either at the full or the chang therefore there is not the least beginning of any new flood ordinarily at all till either it be about three of cloâ—k or till the moone be at the full oâ—â—hâ—ngâ—â—o here persons of ripe age baptisme doth not saue without faith therefore not infants yea therefore there can be no seed of grace no spirit of grace communicated to infants till they doe come to yeares as if there could be no beginning of a following of the water till it be high tide This and no other is the force of the Obiection founded on this place so as now I appeale to any ordinary capacity whether our PositioÌ„ haue any cause to feare the least shaking by it I haue beene larger in answere of this obiection then the strength of it deserueth because I was willing to cleare the Text which hath difficulty in it Obiect 5 5 Obiection Wheresoeuer the spirit is hee worketh faith and regeneration else it would follow that the spirit were idle which were little lesse then blasphemy to affirme But in elect infants ordinarily no such worke appeares rather on the contrary many of them shew manifest opposition to all grace and goodnesse for many yeares together notwithstanding their baptisme Therefore we must conclude that either they loose the spirit receiued in Baptisme so soone as they be able to commit actuall sinne or else that they doe not ordinarily receiue him in their Baptisme Answ Answere This is the argument which of all others is thought to haue in it greatest strength and is supposed to be impregnable Wherefore I must endeavor to giue it a full and satisfactory answere or else I shall loose all my labour in answering of all the rest And here before I begin to answere to either Proposition I must entreat the reader to take notice that this argument would draw the matter vnto an Impossibility that any such thing as the conferring of the spirit on infants in Baptisme should ordinarily be because of the grosse absurdities that thence doe follow viz that then the spirit must either be confest to be idle which is no better then blasphemy to affirme or else that the spirit of sanctification and adoption may be wholy lost so as a maÌ„ once truly regenerate may totally loose all regeneration be in the same state in which he was before his baptisme which is flat Popery to maintaine * The whole company of Remonstrants convented at the synode of Dort in their declaration touching the 5 Art set forth by themselues doe with one consent disclaime such a falling from grace as renders
him to his former estate before grace so as he should need any new totaâ—l and vniversa l regeneration in all parts of his soule for theÌ„ as they Well saw it would follow that such a man must b rebaptized ere he could be againe regenerated by the ordinary way Therefore they say he is only set out of the state of grace that is out of the fauour of God so as then it shines not vpon him for they cannot meane it of grace in the person himselfe because they confesse he hath not wholly lost all grace so as to need a new regeneration vntill he recouer it againe by repentance For see what they write a little before the middle of that declaration circa 5. Art de Persâ—ver Ex quo consequitur cum qui a verâ— fide deficit non protinus in eundem illum statum delabi in quo erat antequam ad fidem vocaretur ac proinde totali vniuersali regeneratione quoad omnes animae patres opus non habere neque vt novo baptismo rebaptizetur necessum esse sed tantum extra statum gratiae collocari quamdiu ad statum illum a quo defecit non revertitur â—f therefore I can cleare the point from both these absurdities which are thought to lay an impossibility vpon it and make it appeare that it is possible for the spirit to be in an elect infant from the time of his baptisme vnto his actuall conuersion many yeares after although no manifest signe of grace but rather the contrary doe to vs appeare in him I shall sufficiently quit my selfe of this obiection And this I will now assay by answering distinctly to both propositions in order 1 Then let vs examine their Maior proposition which hath in it 2 parts which wee may call the Antecedent and the Consequent The antecedeÌ„t or the main body of the proposition is this wheresoeuer the Spirit is he worketh actuall faith and regeneration the consequent this or else the spirit is idle To both these parts I answere thus 1 I deny the former part if it bee taken vniversally For it is not necessary that the spirit from the very first time of his entrance should worke actuall faith and regeneration in the sense before expressed in all in whom he may be said to be as hath beene sufficiently proued in the case of infants of whom only we treat I haue made it manifest by a comparison of the reasonable soule with the heauenly spirit as many others haue done before mee The reasonable soule is infused so soone as the body of an infant is organized and made capable of such an inhabitant yet it doth not presently act or enable the infant to act rationally so soone as it is infused But it will be said that so soon as the soule comes into the body the body is quickned and stirres euen in the womb true but that motion is not rationall but only animall Euen after the infant is borne it cannot moue it selfe rationally till the senses be first able to exercise themselues and be actually conuersant about and vpon their proper obiects present the same vnto the vnderstanding faculty by the Phantasy and Common sense So it is in the Spirituall being Therefore it followes not that infants must be presently made beleeuers regenerate actually so as to moue spiritually so soone as the spirit is giuen vnto them This is the answere not only of Saint n Dicimus in baptizalis parvulis quamvis id nesciant habitare spirâ—tum sanctum Sic enim nesciunt quamvis sit in eis quemâ—dmodum nesciunt mentem cuius in iis ratio qua vti nondum pâ—ssunt veluti quaedaÌ„â—â—intilâ—a sopita est excitanda aetatis accessiâ— Augustine in his 57 Epist ad Dandanum as I haue shewed before in the 5 chapt but also of Peter Martyr D. Whitaker and others which I will not here repeat hauing already set downe their words at large Thus also Daneus o In Augustini Enchirid. cap. 52. nec eoram animae rationalis opeâ—a vlla adâ—uc cernimus neque tamen propterea potest negari eos anima rationali esse praeditos â—rgo fidem regenerationem habent parâ—â—li electiâ— Dâ—i etsi nondum illius opera nobis apparent ea dona habent pro ratione aetatis â—d est pro capacitate vasis not only vpon Saint Augustines Enchiridion but also in his Treatise of the Sacraments where he saith that p Ergo qui effectus baptismi est in adultis idem est in infantibus quaâ—quam vim eius tam cito infantes non proserunt neque illius fructus edunt quam adulti sed demu n cum aeâ—â—s adueâ—erit vsus rationis De sacram lib. 5. cap. 25. looke what efficacy baptisme hath in persons of yeares the same it hath vpon infants although infants doe not manifest the same nor bring forth the fruits thereof as those of yeares doe but yet afterwards they doe it when they come to age of discretion M Aynsworth in his Censure of the dialogue of the Anabaptists is copious in this very particular See page 44. If saith he wee cannot iustly obiect against Gods worke in nature but doe beleeue that our infants are reasonable creatures and are borne not bruit beasts but men though actually they can manifest no reason or vnderstanding no more then beasts yea a young lamb knoweth and discerneth his damme sooner then an infant knoweth his mother then neither can we iustly obiect against Gods work in grace but are to beleeue that our infants are sanctified Creatures c. And againe page 45. answering that Cauill of theirs that if infants haue any grace it would appeare by the acts and exercise of it he saith thus They reason ignorantly and perversly not only against the light of Gods word but of nature As if some bruitish person should plead thus A man is a liuing creature that hath a reasonable soule and the proper affections of a man as he is a man are the faculty of vnderstanding of thinking capablenesse of learning of remembring reasoning iudging and discerning true and false good and euill c. of willing of nilling of speaking of numbring c. Now let them which affirme Jnfants are borne men as Christ doth Ioh 16.21 proue that infants doe vnderstand thinke remember iudg discerne good euill approue will speake c. or else they say nothing Were not such a disputer worthy to be laughed hissed at who requireth the actuall vse manifestation of humane affections faculties in infants which are in them but potentially and in the seede beginning because they cannot declare these things by their workes therefore he denyeth them to be of the generation of man kind or borne men into the world or that they haue the faculties of men in them any manner of way Euen such is the argumentation of these erroneous spirits against the truth of religion Thus farre he
By this little so much is gotten that if all the diuines who haue professedly entred into the particular consideration of this point be not out and if the Anabaptists be not in the right there is a possibility for the spirit to be in an infant and yet not presently manifest his presence by any worke of grace actually so as it may be seene and knowne either by the infant himselfe or by the beholders 2 Wherefore in the next place I say that since the spirit may be in an infant and yet not worke actuall faith and regeneration therefore the consequent of this proposition that concludes the spirit to be idle if hee worke not such grace must needs bee false also Must he needs be idle that doth not alwaies let vs see his worke Shall wee conclude hee doth nothing because he will not tell vs what he doth Hath hee no worke but one in an infant Doe we knowe all the workes of God Or shall wee deny all that wee knowe not This is a bold speech to say either the spirit must worke this or that particular worke in an infant which hee vsually worketh in all persons of yeares where he pleaseth to dwel or else he is idle Was Great Basil a blasphemer when he q De spiritu sancto cap. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. affirmed that like as Art is in the Artificer so is the spirit in him that hath receaued him hee is alwaies present but doth not alwaies worke For Art is alwaies in the Artificer potentially but then is it said to bee in him actually when he exerciseth it so the spirit is alwaies present to such as are worthy but he workes only as their benefit and necessity may require To such therefore as are ready to say to mee of the worke of the spirit as Thomas of Christ except I see and feele I will not beleeue I can doe no more then the Disciples did to Thomas viz let them alone till the spirit himselfe doe bid them feele and see by perswading them to beleeue this truth For however I cannot demonstrate in what manner the spirit initially worketh in an infant the first principles of Regeneration because the worke is secret and both the worke manner of working are hidden from vs * I lle in quo omnes vivificabuntur praeterquam quod se ad iustitiam exemplum imitantibus praebuit dat eâ—iam sui spiritus occultissimam fidelibâ—s gratiam quam latenter infundit parvulis Aug. de peccat meritiâ— remiss lib. 1. cap 9 yet I answere such as put mee to it as Calvine did the Anabaptists r At quomodo inquiâ—nt regenerantur infantes nec boâ—i nec mali cognitione praediti Nos autem respondemus opus dei etiamsi captui nostro non subiaceat non tamenesse nullum Instit l 4. cap. 16. Sect. 17. There is a worke of the spirit in them although we cannot comprehend what it is yet we must not therefore conclude that there is no worke at all and as Dr Whitaker determined the question of the worke of grace in infants for a close of his disputation touching that subiect Å¿ In eis operari spiritum sanctii ineffabiliter dicimus De Sacr. Contro de Bâ—pt Quaest. 4. cap. 6. Wee say that the Holy Ghost workes in them in a manner to vs inexplicable Both Calvine and Peter Martyr and Doctor Whitaker are all cleare of opinion that there is some worke of the spirit in an infant and yet not any of them apart nor all of them together dare to determine what that worke is Calvine saith it is certaine there is some worke Peter Martyr saith it is enough that wee beleeue they haue the spirit the roote and principle of future grace and that if they dye in infancy they are saued Dr Whitaker comes after and saith the very same illustrates his and Peter Martyrs opinion by the former comparison of the reasonable soule commends Calvine for his modesty and professeth that hee would most willingly be his Scholler that could take off all difficulties from this point It is therefore an vnreasonable and captious demand of the Aduersaries to this position to require of me to shew what the spirit doth in an infant or else to confesse that he is idle or rather nor there at all So much for answere to the Major which would conclude from a false ground and groundlesse position that the spirit cannot be in infants because where he is he cannot be idle and he cannot but bee idle if he worke not in them actuall grace 2 I come now to the Minor Proposition which was this But in elect infants ordinarily no such worke doth appeare rather on the contrary many of them shew manifest opposition to all grace and goodnesse for many yeares together notwithstanding their baptisme and to this I giue a threefold answere 1 * Câ—lv in Mat. 19.14 Talâ—um est regnum Dei Sic scribit de Infantibus Quod poenitentiam vitaque novitatem simul illic figurati abâ—iciuâ—t facilis solutio est renouari Dei spiritis pro ae atis modulâ— donec per gradus suâ— tâ—mpore quae in illâ—s occulta est virtus auâ—escat palam refulgeat That infants doe cast off aâ—l repentance and newnesse of life that are iointâ—y figured in baptisme the answere to such as obiect this against the baptizing of infants is easie that they are renewed by the spirit of God according to the capacity of their age vntill by degrees that efficacy or virtue which lies hid in them doe in due season increase and openly sparkle shine forth That although no such worke doth appeare in them yet this proues not that no such worke is begun secretly in the soule as I haue before shewed in answere to the former Proposition Nor is it impossible that even actuall grace should ly hidden so as neither others nor the party himselfe in whom that grace is can discerne the same at all times as after shall be declared 2 That I never affirmed any actuall change of the soule in the baptisme of infants that afterwards liue to yeares of discretion no nor so much as any particular habits of particular graces answerable vnto those that are vsually wrought in others at the time of their actuall Conversion Yea so farre haue I been from affirming hereof that I haue alwaies vpon all occasions disclaimed it But I only say that the spirit is giuen to elect infants in baptisme ordinarily pardon my so often repetition of the substance of the Position which the Adversaries so often forget to be the first principle of regeneration in them and as the first seed whereby the heart is seized vpon for Christ and the whole man taken vp for his vse and made in a secret manner capable of a further worke in Gods good time This spirit is vnto such in the roome of grace as t Loc. Câ—m class 4 cap. 8. sect 14. Peter
finde of those that euer come to good at all in respect of the best good who doe not ordinarily take in Religion and grace insensibly euen from their tender youth so as many of them cannot with their best search finde out directly the time of their Conversion although they cannot when they bee themselues free from temptation deny themselues to be conuerted As for such as haue enioyed the former meanes and yet fly out into debauched courses they seldome or neuer returne to God at all and therefore no marveile if they stand out long notwithstāding the helpes afforded for they by this declare themselues not to be of the number of Gods elect so not of those in whom baptisme is so efficacious as here wee affirme it to be And as for such as stand out longest come in at last you shall ordinarily obserue them to be such as had vngodly or carelesse parents or no sound and powerfull Ministry or had the reins too soone let loose vnto them or were poisoned with bad examples of Parents gouernors or companions or were not instantly pluckt out of some delightfull sinnes ere they were rooted in their wickednesse by long custome c. And then what wonder if they liue many yeares without apparent conuersion and actuall regeneration Notwithstanding if you aske some of these after they be conuerted whether in the time of their rebellion they had not sometimes strong conflicts in themselues to breake off their wickednesse and to come in and whether they did not sometimes finde inward risings of heart against their secret sinnes euen for the very filthinesse of them as well as for the danger and they will for the most part answere yea if they had had the grace to accept and follow those good motions within them but they found the contrary that after such inward stirrings vnto conversion their lusts haue presently raged and burst out more strongly than at other times This is the confession in substance of diuerse of them which shewes them not to be wholy destitute of the spirit euen when the flesh was most violent and insolent in them before actuall conuersion And this obseruation seconded by others of farre greater experience is mentioned here meerely to still their cry which tell vs that many are vnconuerted thirty forty fifty yeares and is it likely say they the spirit should be all that while in them and neuer actually convert them vnto God Although he can worke without meanes yet that he might grace those of his owne institution hee doth not vsually worke without them when hee vouchsafeth them And when he vseth them he doth not alwaies performe the worke at the first or second or many assaies of his Ministers because hee would haue vs to know vpon whom after Paul hath planted and Apolloes watered the increase dependeth By all that haue beene spoken wee now see that it is not vniuersally true which the Maior Proposition supposeth viz. that the spirit must either worke actuall faith and regeneration or else be confessed to be idle and that it is of no validity which the Minor assumeth and affirmeth viz that in infants ordinarily no such worke appeareth but rather the contrary for many yeares after baptisme For it is possible for the spirit to worke although hee doe not worke actuall grace nor is it materiall that such grace doth not appeare because there is no necessity that any particular habit of grace should bee at that time in them at all And therefore I conclude that this Obiection is of no strength forasmuch as it concludes nothing against the point in Question the premisses being thus examined and searched to the bottome 6 Obiection The very seede of grace cannot Obiect 6 be in the same subiect in whom there is reigning sinne as is plaine by that of the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God But in infants baptized till they be actually regenerated sinne reigneth Therefore the spirit is not giuen vnto them as the seede of after grace Answere Answere 1 To the Maior proposition I answere three waies 1 There is an ambiguity in the word seede For seede may be taken two waies Actiuely and Passiuely 1 Actiuely for some actuall efficient principle of grace going before both the acts and habits of particular graces which as in the naturall so in the spirituall seed wee may terme seed seeding Euen as those first plants or hearbs in the Creation were termed hearbs * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seminificantem semen vt vertit Arias Montanus seeding seed Gen. 1.29 2 Passiuely for that yeeld or fruit which is produced by the actiue principle thereof which may be called seed seeded as in the former place of Gen. 1. may also be seene Now when with other Diuines I say that the spirit is giuen to elect infants as the seed of future actuall grace I speake not of seede passiue or produced but of seede actiue or produceing a further seed in due time and season But contrarily the Apostle S. Iohn speakes of seede in the other sense which imports at least the particular habits of sanctifying sauing grace infused by this seeding seed wherof we treat This is manifest in the words of the Text Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not that is whosoever is actually regenerated doth not commit sinne as all expound the place and the reason is giuen because his seede abideth in him which is no other then the habits of grace infused by the spirit as all acknowledge Therefore this proposition speakes not to the point because it vnderstands by seede another thing from that wee meane in our assertion I speake not of seed in the eare but of the first seed cast into the ground that afterwards yeelds and brings forth the blade the stalke the eare and all that growes vpon it 2 I answere that I cannot see what absurdity would follow by granting that initiall regeneration may stand with actually reigning sinne because howeuer a man hath by the first principle of Regeneration a possibility of making opposition against sinne when that possibility comes into Act yet he is not by that possibility alone enabled for the present actually to resist sinne which resistance is a fruit of actuall conuersion no more than a man is enabled actually to reason and discourse so soone as the reasonable soule is infused before his senses doe actually exercise themselues vpon their proper obiects and thereby giue occasion to the rationall faculty to exercise it selfe Therefore as in an infant which may afterwards proue a very wise man the principle of reason may and doth consist with actuall folly till that child haue his senses excercised to discerne betweene good and euill so in the same infant the first principle of regeneration which wee terme initiall or * I call initiall regeneration potentiall in respect of the habits acts
of particular graces potentiall Regeneration may stand with such sinnes that in outward appearance for ought any man can discerne are noe other thē reigning sinnes which a man giues himselfe vp to the commission of without reluctation or feare The ground wee had but now No man either doth or can make actuall opposition against any sinne as sinne from any inward principle of grace till he be actually a new creature endowed with habituall and actuall graces of the spirit as appeares by that very text now vrged against mee For who is he that giues not himselfe to sinne but he that is borne of God 3 I adde further that if this obiection were of force against infants it would bee much more such against persons of yeares actually conuerted For it would proue that they haue not the spirit constantly abiding in thē because it doth not in great falls euidently shew it selfe at all but sinne seemeth to prevaile so farre as that for ought any lookers on or themselues can iudge the flesh hath gotten full dominion ouer them For they often sinne without any apparent reluctation at all What appearance of the spirit in Peter when through the strength of feare and weaknesse of faith hee not only denyed his Master and Sauiour againe and againe against his conscience but thinking thereby the better to saue himselfe tooke liberty to shew himselfe in that exigent a man of another stampe and disposition than Christ and his Disciples were of and fell to rageing to swareing and cursing when as no man or thing vnlesse his owne feare and cowardise vrged him to it You will say that was a sudden vnexpected surprizall and so could not bee a premeditated sinne and he was no sooner downe but he got vp againe True but this satisfieth not For in the carriage of that businesse as short as that time was what grace appeared What degree of evill was wanting to make that in all outward appearance a Reigning sinne You will say which indeed is the truth if S. Austine Chrysostome and Theophilact as * De Pontif. Rom. lib. 4. cap. 3. Bellarmine himselfe shall witnesse bee not deceaued the spirit at that time suspended the act of grace and lay as it were eclypsed in him to make him who before hand boasted so much of his valour the better to knowe himselfe This I acknowledge to bee true but this will not serue their turnes who must ever see the fruits of the spirit or deny him to be there If this of Peter will not serue for instance sufficient to shew that sinne may as farre as men can iudge by looking on so farre prevaile as that it may seeme to the beholders to reigne in some that are questionlesse actually regenerated and renewed because that was but a sudden assault and lasted but for a small space Then what say you to David For howeuer his adultery grew from a sudden temptation occasionally obiected yet his sending for Vriah the making of him drunke the murthering of him in the battaile and the drawing of Ioab into the conspiracy were deepe premeditated plots and he wallowed in all this mire and blood as most Divines thinke for the space of almost a yeare before he recouered himselfe and ere the spirit stirred in him sensibly to any purpose againe What shew of the spirit heere What opposition What was here wanting of reigning sinne You will say there might be inward combates I deny not what might bee but yet shew me what appeared If no worke appeared in all that time it is then possible that the spirit may lye hid and that for a long time together in some persons actually conuerted and not be discerned I know Dauid had the spirit all that while as appeares by that prayer of his take not thy holy spirit from me Psal 51.11 But I deny any sensible working of it that was able to differēce David by any outward carrage in any mans apprehension I except not his owne from a meere carnall man that euer made any formall shew of religion in the interim betweene his fall and recouery If any man reply Jt is perhaps true that Dauid lay in that miserable estate for so long a time as you mention but what is that to so many yeares as euen the elect lye in sinne before their actuall conuersion To this I must answere 1 That if the spirit lie hid a yeare a weeke or but an houre hee may possibly ly hid twenty yeares That which the obiection driues at is to proue that such a thing is not possible to be done at all for that which is possible to be for a short time is not impossible for a longer space 2. It is more for the spirit to lye hid in a person actually converted for the space of a yeare together than for him to lye hid in any other forty yeares as it is more for a wise man to play the foole once then for a child or a foole to doe nothing else 3. If you thinke the instance of David not to come home enough then for a close take also that of Solomon his sonne He lay yeares enow ere he repented He fell from God to flat Idolatry and that not on the sudden but by slow degrees when hee was in it he lay still for long continuance in so much that some make a doubt whether euer he recouered Yet those men that doe oppose this position will not I thinke deny Solomon to be regenerated by the spirit before that fall or to haue the spirit still abiding in him in all that time of his fall to restore him againe Therefore it cannot reasonably be denied that forasmuch as the spirit may and sometimes doth lye hid in persons actually regenerate for a long time together not shewing it selfe apparently in opposition against great and scandalous sinnes it is not impossible for the spirit to be in an infant elected from the time of his Baptisme vntill his actuall conversion without any such manifest opposition against sinne as may giue the person in whom he is any ground to beleeue that the dominion of sinne is taken away from out of his soule So much in answere to the Major 2 To the Minor Proposition that in infants sinne raigneth till they bee actually regenerated I answere that there is a Dominion in the full strength and a Dominion that is in the wane like that of a Prince who yet is possessed of his kingdome which daily waxeth like the house of Saul weaker and weaker There is a Dominion which is more intense and in the highest degree and there is a dominion which is more remisse and improperly so called This distinction hath footing in the scripture which saith of some that sinne shall not haue dominion ouer them and the reason is added because they are vnder grace Rom. 6.14 this is a Dominion in the highest degree It saith vnto others let not signe reigne in your mortall bodies Rom. 6.12 This is a Dominion
in a more remisse degree as sinne is taken for a masterly tyrant that hath by want of vigilancy in a Christian gotten the vpper hand in some particular Vnto this they to whom he wrote were subiect if they looked not the better about them For the Apostle himselfe euen after his actuall regeneration complaines that sinne was yet a Law in his members warring against the law of his minde and bringing him into captiuitie to the law of sinne Rom. 7.23 Now in that hee calls the power of sinne by the name of a Law that did captivate him hee plainely intendeth to giue vs notice of some kinde of soueraignty which sinne at some times exercised ouer him after his conuersion This will appeare by comparing this phrase with the very same in ver 1.2 The Law hath dominion ouer a man as long as he liueth For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liueth but if her husband be dead shee is loosed from the law of her husband that is frō the power and soueraigne authority which in the family her husband did exercise ouer her So that where there is a law in force exercising it selfe there is a kinde of dominion for none can set vp a law and giue such life vnto it but such as haue soueraigne authority And if it might be thus in Paul then much more in the Romanes to whom hee wrote Therefore he bids them to take heed and not to let it raigne that they should obey it in the lusts thereof And yet they were regenerated for hee saith they were vnder grace ver 14. and so vnder grace that hee assureth them sinne should not haue dominion ouer them as there he speaketh that is not an absolute compleat dominion which cannot stand with sauing grace although they were in danger to be vnder some kinde of Dominion of it notwithstanding Grace So then there is an absolute dominion which cannot consist with saving grace and there is an improper more remisse dominion which may bee for a while in the same subiect with sauing grace If any man aske me what that absolute dominion is in a word I conceiue it be this viz Such a compleat soueraignty over the whole man as makes him to be totus totum in toto peccato whole wholy in the whole sinne he giues himselfe vp vnto wittingly willingly wilfully desiring he may euer liue in that sinne and enioy his fill of it that there were no law forbidding it nor God to punish it and although there be both yet hee will follow it still and cannot for his heart so much as get free of the loue of it desire after it but will part with any thing rather then with his sinne This in scripture is called presumptuous sinne Psalme 19. But this no man can warrantably affirme to be in Elect persons after their baptisme euen before their actuall regeneration And I thinke if I should deny the proposition they that frame it had neede to take day enough to proue it For to tell me that they commit many grosse and scandalous sinnes that they be some of them as Paul was persecutors and blasphemers doth not sufficiently proue that sinne hath any absolute Dominion ouer them ordinarily although in respect of their outward carriage no man can discerne their sinnes to be other then reigning sinnes for so you know doe many sinnes committed by such as are actually renewed Therefore their outward carriage alone is not enough to warrant such a censure of them That sinne reigneth and domineereth as a tyrant ouer them in a more remisse degree than he doth in reprobates is too too euidēt by daily leading them into captiuity to the law of sinne This is not denied But for any man to say that the elect after their baptisme till their actuall conuersion and regeneration are vnder that absolute and compleat dominion of sinne that the diuells and reprobates are is a thing which may be said but will neuer be proued For suppose the spirit did not worke any generall dispositions and inclinations vnto grace in infants which yet the soundest diuines affirme yet it is something that there is that in them which will so farre abate the edge of the malice of sinne that they cannot sinne that great sinne against the Holy Ghost No elect person can according to the principles which the adversaries to this point and I agree in sinne that sinne against the Holy Ghost as the opposites will freely confesse for if he could how were it possible for him to be at all converted and saued And if notwithstanding his want of actuall regeneration he cannot sinne against the Holy Ghost I demand then what is it that keepes him from that sinne Is it not the spirit that restraines and curbes the malice of his corruption against God and his grace But you will say this restraint is common to reprobates as well as to the elect for the most part and therefore I may say you as well proue the spirit to be in the one as in the other if this be all the ground I haue for it To which I reioyne that there is a maine difference betweene the elect and reprobate viz. that the Elect not only doth not but cannot commit that sinne for the spirit keepes him that hee may be a vessell of grace and honour but the reprobates are restrained not by the spirit of Christ but rather by the powerfull prouidence of God meerely that they might not hurt the Elect as otherwaies they would doe And yet notwithstanding that restraint they are neuer cōuerted nor saued which shewes that they neuer had the spirit of Christ Nor is there in the elect so neere approaches to that sinne as there is in reprobates But of this I shall haue some occasion to speake more afterwards therefore I spare to adde more thereof in this place praying the reader to remember that I haue sundry other grounds beside this so as what euer becomes of this the point it selfe cannot suffer by it so long as the other stand vnbattered And thus much of this sixth Obiection CAP. 10. 6 Obiections more against the maine position answered I Haue in the former Chapter giuen answere to such obiections as are thought to be of cheefest ranke and to make most strongly against the maine tenent here discussed In performance wherof I haue not God is witnesse strained my witts to set a shew vpon any one passage Which hath not substance in it so farre as I am able to iudge betweene substance and shaddowes but haue dealt candidly and syncerely throughout to the full satisfaction of mine owne conscience and I hope to the content of others also that are not studious of parts but of the truth I might therefore iustly demand my quietus est and craue a discharge here because the maine worke is ouer and those obiections that follow after are of lesse weight But because I
they were partakers not till they were of ripe age so as by faith they apprehended the inward grace and so came to be partakers of the spirit But doth this place proue that Paul had not the spirit before his baptisme I trow not for then who wrought in him that faith to appreheÌ„d the grace of his baptisme Rather therfore it proues the contrary that he receiued it in his circumcision for it is plaine he had it before And if he had it before why not in his Circumcision No may some man say not so for in Acts 9.17 Ananias deales with him as with a meere carnall man wholy destitute of grace and tells him that God had sent him to him that he might be filled with the holy Ghost and it followes in the next place that he was baptized which shewes that hee had not the Holy Ghost before that time But to this I answere breefly that this proues not that he had not the spirit in any measure before that time for it is not said that God had sent Ananias vnto him that he might receiue the Holy Ghost but that he might bee filled with the Holy Ghost and that not only vnto sanctification but to the performance of an Apostolicall function for it is afterward added that straight way he preached Christ in the Synagogue ver 20. Now although he receiued the spirit in his circumcision yet he was not filled with the spirit nor was he filled with the spirit in the first instant of his reception of it at what time soeuer hee first receiued it for the spirit doth not worke all his graces at once but by degrees It may here bee remembred what haue beene formerly spoken vpon that place in Acts 2.38 Saint Peter bids those that were pricked at their hearts to repent and be baptized telling them that so they should receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost Now if they must repent certainly they must haue the Holy Ghost to enable them herevnto else they could not repent Therefore it must be confessed that their receiuing of the spirit in baptisme was no sufficient proofe that they were not at all partakers of him before they were baptized Before they receiued him but more secretly and sparingly now they receiued him againe but more solemnely and plentifully And thus wee see that none of these places apart or together no not when they be wyre drawne to the vtmost haue in them any solid proofe to make good the Minor proposition that the spirit was not giuen in circumcision and so wee haue ouerthrowne this argument also without the least preiudice to our position 8. Obiection Those places of scripture that speake of baptisme Obiect 5 doe vsually speake of the spirit giuen before baptisme as that in Acts 10.44 the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word and then afterward it followeth in vers 47. Can any man forbid water that thâ—se should not be baptized that haue receiued the Holy Ghost as well as we or else they speake of Faith or repentance going before baptisme which is equivalent to the former speech for it supposeth a reception of the spirit before baptisme Therefore baptisme was not intended for the conferring of the spirit nor can the places of Scripture brought to proue it be sufficient proofe of it but rather of the contrary Answere Answere 1 I confesse it to be very true that some places speake of the giuing of the spirit before baptisme Howbeit that place in the 10. of the Acts is improperly alleaged for it because it speakes of an extraordinary bestowing of the spirit vpon such as Peter preached vnto in respect of the gift of tongues as appeares in vers 45.46 where it is said that they of the circumcision which beleeued were astonished as many as came with Peter because that on the gentiles also was powred out the gift of the Holy ghost for they heard them speake with tongues and magnified God Notwithstanding I say It is manifest that faith and repentance were to precede the baptisme of such as were of yeares at least the publique and solemne profession of those graces was to be made by them before they were baptized Yet as not only Saint c Vide supra in cap. 7. Ambrose and Saint d Quaest 84. super Levit. quaest 33. in Num. Augustine and after them e Instit lib. 4. cap. 16. Calvin well speaketh they receiued the spirit in Baptisme more solemnly which they had receiued more secretly before They being of yeares ought to expresse their faith therefore there was a necessity of their receiuing of the spirit before Baptisme But this concludes not that therefore it must needs be so in infants also forasmuch as in them actuall faith is not required nor yet that therfore elect infants doe not receiue the spirit in baptisme because there is no neede of faith to receiue the spirit but only need of the spirit to work faith in due time 2 I say that howeuer some places doe suppose the spirit to be giuen before baptisme yet that proues not that therefore those places of scripture which I haue alleadged doe proue no such thing as I would inferre thence because I haue not brought one of those places for a proofe which mention actuall faith and repentance forasmuch as they concerne persons of yeares only Now this obiection would haue the world beleeue that I haue taken vp some of those places for my vse which speake clearly of faith and repentance going before baptisme which is not so And so it doth cast an vniust aspertion vpon me and not giue any blow to the point it selfe 3 I neuer affirmed that infants doe not at all receiue the spirit before their baptisme but only that Baptisme is the first instrument or meanes applied for their first solemne receit of the spirit that may be taken notice of by vs as also for their first manifest initiation and engraffing into the body of Christ Admit that they had the spirit before yet it followes not that they receiue him not also in baptisme in respect of confirmation therof if not in respect of a further degree and measure of his grace The Holy Ghost descended vpon Christ in his baptisme yet no man will say Christ had not the spirit before he was baptized They in Acts 2. before mentioned were bid to repent before they were baptized and no doubt they did so which yet could not be without the spirit as I haue often said And yet for all that The Apostle assured them that in Baptisme they should receiue the Holy Ghost What letteth then why elect infants should not doe so too I conclude therefore that in persons of yeares the spirit must goe before to qualify them with actuall grace thereby to make them capable of the inward grace of baptisme and to elect infants also the spirit may be giuen before baptisme but yet both vnto the one and vnto the other he is giuen againe in
Baptisme seemes to be turned out of the society of the meanes of grace and saluation and which is insinuated further that for the ill consequences which by accident carnall persons may haply drawe from it I should rather haue taught the contrary doctrine as some others seeme to doe or else haue held my tongue what euer the truth be in this point how deeply soeuer I haue beene charged with Error and Heresie in which cases no good man ought to be so patient as not in a faire manner to cleare himselfe if he know himselfe to be innocent Forbearing I say all such aggravations I deny the Antecedent and render a reason of my deniall as followeth The bare and cleare propounding of this truth giues no occasion at all of any such corrupt deductioÌ„s If any such abuses follow Occasion by accident is taken vp by them who are too apt doe too vsually attempt to abuse all other the ordinary meanes of saluation to their owne destruction as well as this This giues no more occasion of such ill consequences then the doctrines of Gods free and absolute Election of particular persons vnto life and glory and of the finall perseuerance of the Saints doe For what ever ill collection may be drawne from this Position may as well be drawne from either of those but now mentioned A carnall person say you when he heares it proued and so much inculcated that the Elect doe ordinarily receiue the spirit and first principle of grace in their Baptisme will be ouer apt to conclude thence as followeth Why then there is no such need of so much preaching hearing praying fasting c. For if I belong to God J haue the spirit in me already how wicked soeuer J appeare to others to be and I haue had the spirit euer since I was baptized And if the spirit I cannot misse of grace and saluation though J neuer heare sermon nor pray all the daies of my life but follow my lusts as freely as any man To this I say that if a man will be so wicked he may But who is in fault but himselfe May not he conclude as much from both the other is it not perpetually bawled by the Arminians viz. that the doctrine of Gods absolute election taught by the Calvinists as they please to nickname all maintainers therof doth make many men exceedingly presumptuous and secure it occasioneth in them such desperate conclusions as these If I bee elected I shall certainly be saued let me liue as J list and doe what I will what need I care for prayer sermons holinesse of life c. If I shall be saued I shall bee saued let mee doe what I will to hinder it But if J be not elected I shall be damned let me doe what I can to preuent it Againe how is the comfortable Doctrine of finall perseuerance daily calumniated as if it taught no lesse security and presumption than the former will not this saith the Arminian make men carelesse and impenitent when they shall be told that let them doe what they will they cannot either finally or totally loose all grace if euer they had any at all Will not such persons coÌ„clude against any man that shall exhort them vpon any falls into some grosse sinnes to speedy and serious repentance that hee is much mistaken in them they are sure that they had grace once and they are taught by such and such Divines that they can neuer loose all grace againe by any sinnes never so grosse and scandalous therfore no necessity of any such hast vnto repentance as he pretendeth Their state is good and sure enough They haue that in them which cannot be lost and that being not lost they cannot miscarry It may not be dissembled that such wicked conclusions may be made from those heauenly Doctrines by hellish men But yet we can finde answers to all such obiections easily enough and those not shifts but sufficient abstertions of all such calumnies We can tell such obiectors that the Doctrines of Election and Perseuerance doe not in themselues lay any grounds for such divelish conclusions no more than good meat intends to yeeld matter of corrupt humors in a bad stomack but doe sufficiently declare and teach the contrary and all that are vnder the one and partakers of the other doe take out the contrary lesson from them Wee can tell theÌ„ that they who are elected to the end are elected to the meanes to a conscionable vse of the means wherby the end may be attained So also the doctrine of perseuerance teacheth that though perseuerance be certaine yet it is also of the nature of that grace in which men perseuere to make and keepe them diligent in the vse of all good means wherby they may and doe perseuere and worke out their saluation with feare and trembling according to that of Saint Peter 2 Epist 1.8 If these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neuer be barren nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ Therfore we vsually adde that if any shall or doe make any other vses of these sweet and divine Truths therby to continue in sinne this is not to be imputed to the Doctrines themselues but to their wicked heads hearts that dare thus damnably to draw them awry The Gospell which is the wisdome of God and the power of God vnto salvation to all that are saued is yet held for no better than foolishnesse to the rest of the foolish and vnbeleeuing world So the law which was ordained for the means of life worketh death in all that abuse it But neither the law nor Gospell are in fault of this nor must therfore be concealed not taught inculcated because wicked men doe daily wrest them to their owne damnation And will not the same answere be good enough to vphold the point in hand against the same obiection And if it will why should it be held a greater indiscretion to publish this doctrine so daily vsefull and so fully comfortable to all the Elect both parents and children than to publish those other points before touched as deepely charged with the same ill consequences as this is When I say that Jn the baptisme of Elect infants Christ doth ordinarily bestow his spirit I adde withall that this is not sufficient for the saluation of such as liue to yeares of discretion but actuall conversion and renouation is to be expected and laboured for in due and conscionable attendance vpon the vse of all those further helps and means which God hath sanctified to that purpose For so God vouchsafeth to grace all his ordinances that hee will not haue any of them despised nor neglected by leauing either of them vnvsefull through such an efficacy of any one that haue gone before as might leaue nothing to be done by those that follow after As he puts his spirit in the hearts of the elect in their baptisme so he afterwards puts power into his word effectually to call them home vnto himselfe then the same spirit workes mightily by that word and infuseth the habits of faith and all sanctifying graces that doe accompany salvation The word therfore and the rest of Gods ordinances must be carefully humbly and constantly attended vpon by all that expect any actuall and sensible assurance comfortable feeling of the spirit bestowed on them in their baptisme As for such as rely vpon baptisme alone making no conscience of the word and other means of grace ordained of Christ but liue securely in their sinnes they therby giue iust cause of suspition that they neuer receiued the spirit in their baptisme nor were in the number of Gods elect whose names are written in the booke of life If they will needs take offence at this doctrine they take what was neuer giuen The Godly Will imploy it better and for their sakes it ought to be not only somtimes taught but often pressed to the vttermost vnlesse wee should suppresse euery good necessary truth wherof wicked men will make an evill vse Musculus on Math 19.14 Ratio humana non sustinet agnoscere gatiam Dei in hacre sed putat vbique opus esse vsu rationis scientiae alioqui nihil commercij posse homini infanti esse cum Deo Videmus autem hic potiores esse in regno Dei infantes tam abest vt non sint illius participes Humane Reason cannot endure to acknowledg the grace of God in this particular but thinkes that without all difference there is need of the vse of reason and knowledge or else that a man whiles hee is an infant can haue no commerce with God But by this Text wee see that infants rather than others haue interest in the kingdome of God so farre are they from not being at all partakers of it FINIS ERRATA PAge 5. line 14. read see p. 8. l. 15. r. of battaile p. 12. l. 20. r saui ur p. 20. l. 19. r. Ordinary p 37. l. 3. r. race p. 45. l 11. dele the first when p. 41. l. 1 r professe p. 52. in marg l. penult r. de Sacram. l. 5 p 58. in mar r. D. George p 69. l. 12. 1 Art p 77 l. 10. r vnto p. 83. in marg l. 9. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. l. 12. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 106. in marg l. vlt r. 16 cap. p. 117 l 17. r in the Churches p. 151 l. 11 r â—dhere p. 154 in marg r. Dan. Chameir tom 4 l b. 2. De sacram â— ip 2. par 8. p. 157. in marg l antepenult r. Migrabimus p. 174. l. 10. in mar r. perfundi p. 176 mar l. 14. dele vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. verò p. 181. l. the last r. abrood p. 187 l 5 r doe giue somtimes in the top of the leafe viz p 231. pag 240. odiections is put for obiections p. 248 l. 5. r. nicity p. 262. l 6. r. slowing p. 266. l. 9. r. Dardanum p. 297. l. 15. r. obiection p. 300. l. 22. r. is There are also some errors in the pointing which haue happened by the Authors absence from the presse and those the Charitable reader is requested to correct or pardon as he passeth by them