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
to quote what he speakes either in private or publique but what he hath written vpon Tit. 3.5 where he saith this is done ORDINARILY Well but when all is done this Author doth not positiuely determine the point but onely speake what in charity may probably be coniectured for he saith We want wherewith to drawe certainty of resolution It is true Hee saith so indeed but what then are those collections out of the SCRIPTVRES and EXPOSITORS hee after talkes of They are but probable coniectures you will say True yet he saith that what he here deliuereth is MOST PROBABLE I looke for no more for what could he say more that is not divinely inspired with an infallible spirit which no man takes this Author to be Yet hee saith enough afterwards to make the last words a plaine contradiction to the first if he would be taken in this sense viz that he speakes only coniecturally and professes that if any should aske him whether any elect infant doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme hee would answere that hee cannot tell For mark hee that saith first that this is not certaine whether elect infants receiue the inward grace in Baptisme or not yet afterwards saith that they doe receiue it that by virtue of HIS PROMISE wee may expect it and here we MAY and OVGHT send out the PRAYER of FAITH for it what doth he but contradict himselfe Will not a PROMISE where the promise is to bee found lies vpon the Author to shew if any man doubt thereof will not the Prayer of Faith which wee OVGHT to put vp to God make this thing certaine Againe if the thing be yet vncertaine why doth hee collect such a certaine vse of comfort from this very discourse of his For afterwards making vse of the point he saith pag. 647. What a comfort is it for a Father to see his child washed with the bloud of Iesus Christ clensed from sinne Set into the visible Church YEA INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST in the right vse of the Sacrament wherein a Parent ought more to reioice then if hee could make it heyre of the world And doe I yet mistake this Author Or rather are not they Incendiaries Who haue bruited it abroad endeavoring to set him and me at oddes if it were possible Yea doe they not by such reports as daily fly vp downe of the contrariety of his iudgement to this point doe what in them lies to endamage him more then either he I hope will deserue or then those Boutifeu's will bee able euer to recompence againe vnto him if notice should bee taken thereof by some that watch for our halting and make a man a transgressor for a word Thus haue I cleared both my Author quitted my selfe of the vniust imputation of doing him wrong His iudgment thus according with mine will I hope somewhat allay their heat and fury who for this point accuse both mee of Arminianisme and our Church of Popery Obiect 2 2 It is obiected further Our Leiturgie is to be vnderstood to speake thus in the judgment of charity only and not as binding vs to beleeue infants to be so regenerated indeed Ans It is true our Church doth indeed teach vs to hope well of every infant that shee admits to baptisme and in charity to beleeue it is indeed regenerated because for ought any man knowes touching any particular infant it is elected yet bindes vs not absolutely to beleeue it de fide of all infants collectiuely taken because it is certaine that all are not elected But the judgment of charity must haue a certaine foundation to build vpon else it is not the iudgment of charity but foolish and sinfull credulity void of all iudgment For vnlesse such a thing bee true indeed of some infants yea ordinarily of all that belong to Gods election I am not bound to beleeue it of euery one in the ordinary course of divine dispensation nay I am bound not to beleeue it no not so much as in charity For charity beleeues nothing but things possible and probable yea more probable then the contrary and things sometimes certainely true of some particulars of the same kinde No charity could bind mee to beleeue Peter to be a reasonable creature if it were not certaine to me that some men that all men were such I am not tyed to beleeue this Professor to be an honest man no not by the bonds of charity if it were certaine to mee that no Professor is an honest man I were not bound in the iudgment of charity to beleeue that any of those stragling Athenian Hearers that in such multitudes flockt about me while I preached this point more then at other times did come for any other end then either to beare some new thing meerly out of curiosity or to catch carp to wrest my words to run away with wilful mistakes to censure and iudge to hope to see me foyled and shamed because forsooth I deliuered that which they haue heretofore rashly and vnsoundly taught or vnprofitably learned and because I will not conceale a truth which might convince them of error c. vnlesse it were either certainly knowne vnto me or vpon certaine ground to be presumed that some yea that many are better affected and more humbly and devoutly minded There must be a certainty in the Thesis else no iudgment of charity bindes a man to beleeue any thing in the Hypothesis Nor is it charity but folly that I should beleeue Peter receiues the spirit in Baptisme if hee that bids me beleeue it of him will not warrant me to beleeue it as a thing certaine of any at all And it were a very vncharitable speech to say that our Church meant to stretch my charity to beleeue impossibilities or improbabilities or that which is neuer yea not ordinarily certainely done Therefore when the Church when it teacheth me to beleeue in charity that this and that and t'other infant receiue the spirit for initiall regeneration in Baptisme teacheth and requireth me vpon this ground that for ought I know of those particulars they are elected to beleeue her meaning to be this that there are some yea that all elect infants doe ordinarily receiue the spirit of regeneration in Baptisme from the hand of Christ truly and indeed 3 Lastly it is obiected The Leiturgy of our Church is not the Publique Doctrine of our Obiect 3 Church therefore it followes not that this is the Doctrine of our Church because found in the Leiturgy thereof Answ I grant that the Leiturgie is not formally the Doctrine of our Church no more then the superstructure is formally the foundation Howbeit the Leiturgy is founded vpon the Doctrine and the Doctrine vpon the Scriptures as shall anon appeare If the Church teach mee such a prayer it is because it presupposeth the Doctrine to allow it else the prayer were without Ground The prayers of the Church are not intended principally for doctrinall instruction but yet they take this
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
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
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