not onely for their not beleeving in Christ but also for their unmercifulnesse idolatries adulteries and other crimes Math. 25.41.42 Rom. 2.5 9. Secondly the sinne of unbeliefe cleaveth unto all Adams children as other sinnes and shall be imputed as well as the sin of lust or any other iniquitie Thirdly to beleeue is not in the will or power of man but is the gracious gift of God to such as he hath ordained unto life Eph. 2 8 Act 13.48 Againe they alledge that Adam by that transgression deprived himselfe of Gods favour in that estate wherein he was in paradise and notwithstanding the promise of Christ hath by his siâ— procured this judgment Cursed is the earth for thy sake c Gen. 3. Thus Adam brought himsâ—lfe and all his posterity the earth and every creature in it to vanitie and bondage of corruption Rom. 8.20 c. And in this estate are all Adams sonnes begotten and borne so that by Adams sin vanitie corruption and death went over all c. So infants haue originall corruption as other creatures haue Yet those that dye and haue corruption by Adams sinne shall not be cast into hell fire Answ. A felon murderer traytor that is apprehended by the magistrate imprisoned kept in fetters and afflâ—ction his lands and goods confiscate c. pleadeth he ought not to be put to death because he hath suffered for his crimes losse of liberty goods c. But will this plea saue him Even such is the plea of thâ—se evill men For all men being in Adam fallâ—n from God and traytors to his maiestie children of wrath seruants of sin and Satan because God hath cursed the earth for their sake cast them out of earthly paradise made the creatures subiâ—ct to vanity and themselues subject to sorrowes and miseries therfore they dâ—serue not to die in hell if these vaine men may be judges But we know the judgement of God is according to truth against all evill doers He telleth us the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Rom. 6.23 where eternall life being opposed to death sheweth that eternall death is the wages due for sin And what sin is is there that desâ—rveth not hell 2. Whereas they say Adam by his sin deprived himselfe of paradice it is true But if they mean earthly paradice onely they erre from the truth for by his sinne he was deprivâ—d also of the heavenly paradice to which there is no restoring but by Christ Luk. 23.43 Reu. 2.7 and as himself so all his posteritie that sinned in him Rom. 5. Thirdly so where they say all his posteritie were subjected to vanitie and corruption it is true but not all the truth unlesse they understand such corruption as Peter speaketh 2. Pet. 2.12 which is eternall destruction and then they yeeld the cause But they meane not so but corruption such as is in beasts birds c. wherein they goe quite astray For beasts and other brutish and sâ—ncelesse creatures are not sinners as all Adams children are Rom. 5 12.19 sin is not but in reasonable creatures onely as Angels and men Neither is any creature subiect to eternall torment but sinners onely Other creatures when they perish there is an end of them and of their miserie with them but they that perish in their sins haue no end of their miserie but it is eternall Math. 25.46 Mark 9.45.46 Wherfore they doe not well to expound Rom. 5. by Rom. 8 because the Apostle speaketh not of the same but of divers things and estates in those two chapters Fourthly take that which they say and it overthroweth them For how should Adams sin bring all his posteritie unto death but by their guilt in Adams sinne If it made not them sinners the scripture which they formerly alledged Ezek. 18. teacheth that the children should not dye for their fathers sinnes Now seing many infants dye daily it proveth them all to be sinners because death is the wages of sin Rom. 6 23. Gen. 2.17 At length they come to answer Rom. 5. with this perverse doctrine This is the meaning of the holy Ghost that by Adams sinne all his posteritie haue weak natures Rom. 8.3 by which when the commandement comes Rom. 7.10 thâ—y cannot obey and liue but sinne and so dye till when they are aliue without the law so sayth the Apostle vers 9. and thus is verified that all both Iewes and Gentiles are under sin c. Read on the scripture and you may evidently see that neither this nor any part of Gods word is spoken to or of infants Answ. This is not the Apostles meaning for he sayth not they haue weake natures but that all haue sinned and through the offence of one many are dead many were made sinners Rom. 5 12.15.19 which is more then weaknesse of nature and pronenesse to sin Secondly in Rom. 8.3 it is sayd that it the Law is weake through the flâ—sh and so cannot saue any man vvhich vvords these men vvrest as if it meant Adams children vveak Which thing though it be true yet is it not that which is spoken of in Rom. 8.3 Thirdly vvhen the Apostle sayth in Rom. 7.9 that he was aliue without the law this contradicteth according to their sense the other scripture in Rom. 5 12. that all haue sinned and are dead The Apostle in Rom. 5. speaketh of things as they are in Rom. 7.9 he speaketh of things as they seemed to be but vvere not indeed Paul vvas aliue in his owne conceit thinking himselfe able to keep the Law as naturall men doe suppose they can But vvhen the commandement came to wit unto his knowledge and conscience then sin revived and he died How could this be seeing the commandement is holy just and good v. 12 He telleth us in 13 v. that sinne wrought death in him by that which was good So then he vvas sinfull though he knew it not before the commandement came sinfull by nature but not discerning this his wofull state the Law vvas given to shew it him for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3.20 Againe saying in Rom. 7 11 that sinne took occasion by the commandement deceived him and slew him he plainly acknowledgeth sin to haue been in him before the commandement came this hee confirmeth in v. 14. saying the law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sinne Whereupon he applieth the evills vvhich he did to siâ—ne dwelling in him v. 17.20 and this inhabiting or indwelling sinne is that originall sinne vvhereof we treat vvhich Paul for a vvhile could not discerne to be in him as all naturall men discern it not but count it an idle terme and think there is no such thing till by the Law he came to discerne it and to lament it Fourthly it is here to be observed how the Anabaptists â—grant all men haue weake natures and cannot obey and liue but sin and dye How commeth this to passe By Adams
was one and the same Answ. It is even a vvonder to bâ—hold how these men pervert erre and slander as if they had sold themselues to vvorke iniquity We teach not as the perversly speake that David sinned in being conceived and borne for these being the workes of God and nature are good But David was a sinner because hee was conceived and borne in sin as himselfe confesseth 2 They erre in saying the soule is the subject of sinne for neither the soule alone nor the body alone but the vvhole man vvhich differeth from both and consisteth of both he is the subject of sinne Neither doth the body vvithout the soule nor the soule without the body commit sinne but the man vvhiles the soule is in the body sinneth 2 Cor. 5 10 and as the soule vvas not created but in the body Zach. 12 1 so vvhen it departeth from the body it sinneth no more but goeth for judgement Heb. 9 27 Eccles. 9 5 6 10. 3 Whereas they alledge that wickednessâ— is from the heart Mat. 15 19 it is spoken of living men consisting of soule and body Madnesse as Salomon saith is in their heart while they liue and after that they goe to the dead Eccles 9 3. And vvhere they say the soule comes from God the matter of the body from the parents they lay not down the truth fully For though the soule is created of God and is not materially from the parents as the body yet the parents giue occasion to infuse the soule for vvithout corporall generation no soule is created and so the soule may in some sort be said to haue the beginning from Adam though not of any matter from him The essence of is of God the subsistance of it is from the parents from vvhom it hath the manner of subsisting in the body 4 Though the soule as it is created of God is very good as the body also respected naturally is good yet they erre in saying the body sinneth not till it be infeâ—ted with the soule by transgression of a law whereby they meane actuall transgression after it knowes the law For first it is not the body but the man of body and soule that sinneth as before is shewed Secondly the body is not infected vvith the soule but both body and soule are infected with sinne to wit that inbred and inhabiting sin vvhich came from Adam as before is proved from Rom. 5. And this sinne man hath both by imputation and inherence before he actually transgresseth the law Rom. 5.14 Psal. 51 for that which is borne of the flesh is flâ—sh Ioh. 3.6.5 They notoriously slâ—nder us that we should affirme the very matter or substance vvherof David vvas made to be sin Wee affirme no such thing The matter or substance we say is good as every creature of God is Sinne is an evill accident cleaving to the substance to the body and soule of man Of like falshood it is that we should affirme David to confesse in Psal 51. that the substance vvhereof he vvas made vvas sin Neither David nor we ever so spake So the Argument vvhich by consequence they frame touching the substance of Christs body that it should be sin is frivolous collected from a fictâ—on of their idle heads For if no mans substance be sinne as we firmly hold much lesse Christs After this they cast a stumbling block in the vvay and vvould haue us shew how infants that haue sinned and are under condemnation of hell can be reconciled to God but onely by faith in Christ Iesus and if they cannot but by repentance and faith then are they all left under condemnation not for any law that thâ—y haue broken but for their father Adams sinne Answ. That all haue sinned and are under condemnation is proved by the Apostle Rom. 5 12 18 how infants can be reconciled to God he also teacheth namely through the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ Rom. 5 15 18. The manner if it be shewed I feare these men vvill not receiue it for they that haue so kicked against the pricks touching all mens fall and sinne in Adam how should they receiue the doctrine of restauration by Christ. Howbeit I will indevour to shew it if it doe no good to them it may to others 1 The faith and repentance vvhich they require in infants namely actuall is not to be found as such actuall sinnes are not found in them as are in older men The one of these exemplifieth the other as the first Adam figured the second Rom. 5 14. By the first Adam vve haue sin Rom. 5 12 offence v. 15 disobedience v. 19 â—udgement v. 16 death v. 14 condemnation v. 16. By the second Adam Christ we haue grace the gift by grace v. 15 the gift of righteousnesse v. 17 the free gift to justification v. 16 even to justification of life v 18. By the first Adam vve haue three evils 1 imputation of his sin 2 corruption of our nature 3 guiltinesse of death temporary and eternall By the second Adam vve haue three opposite good things 1 imputation of his righteousnesse 2 regeneration or renewing of our nature 3 and deliverance from death temporary and eternall As the corruption or viciousnesse that vve haue by Adam is in the bud or spring in the beginning not in the full growth and inclineth us to all actuall sinnes so the regeneration we haue by Christ is in the spring and beginnings thereof vvhen we â—re infants and inclineth us to actuall faith and obedience And thus repentance and faith are in Christian infants in their bud or beginning inclinatiuely even as impenitencie and unbeliefe are in Adams infants in their beginning and by inclination If any man aske vvith Nicodemus how can these things be Let him consider that as he knoweth not the way of the winde or of the spirit or how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child even so he knoweth not the workes of God who maketh all Iob. 3 Eccles. 11 5. Lastly to the many examples of Gods judgements upon infants as at Noes floud the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah c. they answer though they had bodily death for the sinnes of their parents yet they perished not with the wicked in hell For of this bodily death other unreasonable creatures as well as infants haue alwayes had their portions All flâ—sh must die and death is losse to none but to the wickâ—d to the godly and innocent death and all afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shâ—ll be shewed Answ. 1 In that they grant Infants haue bodily death for their parents sinnes they contradict their own plea before from Ezek. 18 20 the soule that sinneth it shall die the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father c. for there the Prophet speaketh even of bodily death and miseries in this world vvhereof the Iewes complained And unlesse they confessâ— that infants are sinners in
their parents they cannot maintaine the justice of God for killing infants and that oftentimes with strange and horrible deaths And if they grant that infants are sinners they cannot with any truth deny but hell is their due unlesse they be redeemed by Christ. And by infants death we certainly conclude that they are sinners from the Apostles ground in Rom. 5 12 14 6 23. and that for their sinne they may and shall be cast into hell unlesse Christ saue them is evident by Christs doctrine in Ioh. 3 3 Except a man bee borne againe he cannot see the Kingdome of God And that infants are there implyed is plaine because an infant is borne a man as Christ speaketh Ioh 16 21 and being borne a sinner Psal. 51 Rom. 5 must be borne againe of the Spirit or else shall not see the kingdome of God If it see not Gods kingdome it shall see the divels prison for a Limbus or third place will no vvhere be found And how these men can exempt wicked infants from hell otherwise then by their own fansies I know not â—he Apostles taught no such doctrine vvhen vvithout exception of infants they call the old world that perished the world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2 5 and reckon none saved but Noe and his house Heb. 11 7 1 Pet. 3 20 21 and tell us that Sodom Gomorrha and the Cities about them are set forth for an example suffring the vengeance of eternall fire Iude v 7. But these presumptuous men vvill controll the judgements of God and tell us that which no Prophet or Apostle ever taught that all the infants in those cities suffer no such vengeance yea though God himselfe promised that if but ten righteous had been found in Sodom wherein vvere many times ten infants he vvould not haue destroyâ—d the citie for tennes sake Gen. 18 32. 2 The reason vvhich they vvould ground upon because other unreasonable creatures as vvell as infants haue alwayes had their portions in bodily death this reason is brutish and beseemeth not men For no unreasonable creature is a sinner as all men in Adam are sinners no unreasonable creature hath a soule immortall infused of God as all mankind hath no bruit beast shall be raised from the dead as all men shall both old and yong to life or death eternall And vvhen a beast dyeth it hath an end both of vvelfare and misery so hath none of Adams children What comparison then is there between men and beasts Where they say death is losse to none but to the wicked it is true And hereupon it followeth that seeing infants are wicked as is formerly proved untill they be made righteous by Christ and borne againe death is a losse unto them and a gaine to those onely whether old or yong which are made partakers of the grace and gift of righteousnesse by one Iesus Christ Rom. 5 12 17. Of Baptizing Infants AGainst baptising of Infants the adversaries first lay this ground Baptisme perteyneth onely to them that declare their repentance and faith to those Disciples of Chriâ—t that baptise them This appeareth by Iohn Baptists doctrine and practice Mar. 1 4 Mat. 3 6 and Christs disciples Joh. 4 1 3 22 by Christs commission for all nations Mat 28 19 Mar. 16.16 by the Apostles practise Act. 2 38 41 8 12 36 c. Answ. That baptisme pertaineth to such as declare their repentance and faith is true and the Scriptures alledged proue it But that it pertaineth to such onely is untrue and none of the Scriptures vvhich they bring doe so teach The infants of the Church vvhich cannot declare repentance or faith are also to be baptized as after shall be manifested That the practise taught by the foresaid Scriptures is to be perpetuall we grant and they needed not haue taken paines to proue it Infants say they may not be baptized because there is neither commandement example nor true consequence for it in all Christs perfect Testament c. Answ This we deny commandement there is for it in Math. 28 and Mark 16 necessary consequences from many Scriptures confirme it as shall be proved Baptisme they say is in that a good conscience maketh request unto God 1 Pet. 3.21 it is of repentance for remission of sinnes Mar. 1 â—â— the washing of the new birth Tit. 3 5 c. If it cannot be proved by the Scriptures that infants haue their hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience haue repentance faith c. they ought not to be baptized Answ. Their argument hath onely a shew no substance of truth For first a man might frame as good a reason thus Circumcision is not that which is outward in the flâ—sh but that of the heart in the spirit Rom. 2 28 29 it is the putting off of the body of the sinnes of the flesh Coloss. 2.11 it sealeth the righteousnese of faith which they haue Rom. 4.11 and the circumcising of the foâ—-skinne of the heart Deut. 10 16 to loue the Lord c. Deut. 30.6 Now if it cannot be proved by Scripture that infants haue the lâ—ue of God in their hearts the righteousnes of faith the putting of of the body of sin c. they may not be circumcised and theâ—r circumcision is nothing If this be not a good argument to keep children from circumcision the other is no better to keep thâ—m from Baptisme Secondly Christian infants haue the graces they speak 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 virtually and by vvay of inclination so that they are not wholly dâ—stitute of faith regeneration c. though it be a thing hid and unknown unto us after vvhat manner the Lord vvorketh these in them Eccles. 11 5. Which I further proue thus If infants naturally are some vvayes capable of Adams sinne and so of unbeleefe disobedience transgression c. then Christian infants supernaturally and by grace are some wayes capable of Christs righteousnes and so of faith obedience sanctification c. But infants are capable of the former evils by Adam therefore they are capable of the latter good things by Christ. That they are capable of the former is before proved vvhere vve treated of originall sin by Rom 5 Psal. 5 1 Ioh. 3 and many Scriptures The consequence that therefore they are capable of the latter also â—o wit of Christian graces is thus manifested 1 Because the first Adam was a figure of the second Adam Christ so that as the sinne of the first Adam his fault disobedience and death for it came on all his children both by imputation and infection or corruption of nature so the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ commeth on all his children both by imputation and renewing of nature unto life and salvation as the Apostle compareth them Rom. 5.12.15.16.17.18.19.21 2 Because infants being by Adam sinners children of
vvrath c. must be borne againe of the spirits or else they cannot see the Kingdom of God Ioh. 3 3.5.6 But the Christian infants dying in infancie shall see the Kingdom of God and not be damned as the adversaries grant therefore by Christs doctrine they are borne again of the spirit and so must needs in some measure haue repentance faith holines vvithout which there is no regeneration Again that infants haue the faith and loue of God in them and regeneration in their measure is thus proved They to vvhom God giveth the signe and seale of righteousnesse by faith and of regeneration they haue faith and regeneration for God giveth no lying signe he sealeth no vaine or false covenants But God gaue to infants circumcision vvhich vvas the signe anâ—â—ale of the righteousnesse of faith and regeneration Gen 17.12 Rom. 4.11 2.28.29 Coloss. 2.11 Therefore infants had consequâ—ntly now haue faiâ—h regeneration though not in the crop or haâ—vest by deâ—laration yet in the bud and beginnings of all Christian graces They that deny this reason must either make God thâ— author of a lying signe and seale of the covenant to Abraham and â—is infants or they must hold that infants had those graces then bâ—t not now both vvhich are wicked and absurd to affirme Or tâ—ey must say that circumcision vvas not the signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith and then they openly contradict the Scripture Rom. 4.11 Moreover as the Apostle in Rom. 5 compareth our naturall estate in Adam and our spirituall estate in Christ so may vvee in this case If wee cannot justly objâ—ct against Gods vvorke in nature but doe beleeue that our infâ—nts are reasonable creatures and are borne not bruit beasts but men though actually they can manifest no reason or understanding more then beasts yea a yong lamb knoweth and discerneth hâ—s damne sooner then an infant knoweth his mother then neiâ—her can we justly object against Gods vvorke in grace but are to beleeue that our infants are sanctified creatures and are borne beleevers not infidels though outwardly they can manifest no faith or sanctification unto us And why should it be thought incredible that God should worke faith in infants If because we know not or perceiue not how it can be let us consider that wee know not the way of our naturall birth and other earthly things Eccles. 11 5. Ioh. 3 8 how then can we know heavenly things If we make question of the power of God nothing is unpossible with hâ—m Hee made all things of nothing he can make the dumb beast speake with mans voyce Numb 22 hee can make the babe in the mothâ—rs wombe to be affâ—cted and leape for joy at the voice of vvords spoken to the mother Luk. 1.44 and can he not also work grace faith holynesse in infants Hath Satan power by sin to infâ—ct and corrupt infants as is before proved and shall nor God haue power to cleanse from corruption and make them holy If we make doubt of the will of God herein behold we haue his promises to restore our losses in Adam by his graces in Christ as he shâ—weth in Rom 5 that he will circumcise our heart and the heart of our seed to loue him Deu. 30 6 we haue the seale of his promise in giving circumcision to infants to signifie and seale the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 Gen. 17. And we haue assurance of all his promises and of that to Abraham his seed in particular to be confirmed unto us not abrogated or lessened by Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 Luk. 1.72.73 c. Gal. 3.14 c. Wherefore they are but a faithlesse and crooked generation that notwithstanding all that God hâ—th spoken and done in this kinde 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 But they proceed to plead against the truth thus Regeneration is a turning from sin to God Rev. 6.11 1 Thes. 1.9 Tit 4.5 Repentance is a sight and knowing of sin by the law a confessing and sorrow for sin c. Faiâ—h is thâ— ground of things hoped for c. Heb. 11.1 and is accompa-with obedience Iam. 2. Let them either now proue that infants are turned from sin see know confesse and sorrow for it beleeue the promises of God c. or they say nothing Answ. They reason ignorantly and perversly not onely against the light of Gods word but of nature As if some brutish person should plead thus A man is a living creature that hath a reasonable soule and the proper affections of a man as he is a man are the facultie of understanding of thinking capablenesse of learning of remembring facultie of reasoning of judging and discerning true and false good and evill of approving and improving of willing nilling of speaking of numbring c. Now let them which affirme that infants are borne men as Christ doth in Ioh. 16.21 proue that infants doe understand do think remember judge discerne good and evill approue will speak c. or else they say nothing Were not such a disputer worthy to be laughed and hissed at who requireth the actuall use and manifestation of humane affections and faculties in infants vvhich are in them but potentially in the seed and beginning and because thâ—y cannot declare these things by their workes therefore he denieth them to be of the generation of mankind or borne men into the vvorld or that they haue the faculties of men at all in them any manner of vvay Even such is the argumentation of these erroneous spirits against the truth of religion For as before they reasoned against the sin transgression and condemnation of Infants contrary to Pauls doctrine in Rom. 5 because infants actually understand not the law nor transgresse against it and will not consider how they are sinners originally in Adam so now also they reason against the grace of Christ in infants and his work of regeneration in them because they cannot outwardly manifest the effects of regeneration or fruits of faith such as the scriptures that they allege do require in older persons wil not understand that these graces are in them through Christ and his spirit but in the beginnings onely as I haue formerly proved and are not in them as in those of full age who by reason of use haue their sences exercised to discerne both good and evill And here I desire to know of the Anabaptists in their next vvritings about these matters first when they thinke that children vvho in their opinion are borne without aâ—y sin begin to be sinners vvhether at 2.3.5.7 or other yeares and vvhen they can justly reproue a child for sin if it shew in vvord deed or gesture any thing contrary to the law of God as if it sweare curse lye disobey parents take anothers goods be froward angry or the likâ— Yea let any of