on the place we are made one that is one body by one spirit and the same laver or washing that is by Baptism By the Spirit as the principal efficient of by Baptism as the instrumental Agent in that Union Hence is Baptism by St. August called Ecclesiae jaâ—ua and porta gratiae primus introit us D. Aug. de Cate. chizand rudib l. 2. c. 1. sanctorum ad aeternam ' Dei Ecclesiae consuetudinem the gate of the Church and the door of grace and the first entrance of Saints to an eternal Society with God and the Church So St. Bernard calls it Sacramentum initiationis intrantium Christianismum investituram the Sacrament of Initiation and the Investiture of such as enter into Christianity And by the Council of Florence it is called Primum omnium Sacramentorum locum tenet baptismus quod vitae spivitualis janua est â— per ipsum enim membra Christi ac de corpore efficimur Ecclesiae Concil Flor. apud Caranz sol 391. the gate of spiritual life in as much as by it we are made members of Christ and to be of the body of the Church And hence very significantly Baptisteries or Fonts are said to have been placed at first without but after within the Church near the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Porch of the Church to signifie undoubtedly the Sacrament there celebrated namely Baptism to be a Rite of initiation or entrance into the Church as it were that door by which they that are baptized are let in and have admittance unto the priviledges of Christians which is to be Members of Christ § 3. This benefit I say Men have by Baptism And why not Infants whom the Scripture no where shuts this door of grace against whom it no where excludes from this benefit by it In consideration whereof St. Aug. proceeds to say of the Baptism of Infants that it is of efficacy and doth avail Ad hoc valet baptismus ut baptizati Christo incorporentur D. Aug. l. 1. de Bapt. Parvul Haec gratia baptizatos quoque parvulos suo inserit corpori D. Aug. l. 1. de Pecc Merit Remiss c. 9. Pueri sicut adulti in Baptismo efficiuntur membra Christi Aquin. 3. q. 69. a. 6. Hac de causa insantulos baptizamus ut ejus membra sint omnes D. Chrysost Hom. ad Neophytos to their incorporation into Christ And again that This grace doth ingraft and put in even the little ones that are baptized into his body So Aquinas Children as well as Adult persons are made members of Christ in Baptism And for this cause saith St. Chrysostom do we baptize Infants that they may be members of him that is of Christ § 4. And the reason is the same for the one and for the other Because it is not several Baptisms but one and the same Baptism that is administred unto the one and unto the other For there is but one Baptism for all One as well as the other Men and Children all that are baptized are baptized into Jesus Christ as the Apostle expresses it Rom. 6. 3. § 5. Now this being so what can be more visible than that Baptism is hugely beneficial to Infants For being by Baptism made Members of Christ they have union with him as the Members have with the Head and by that Union much benefit is derived to them § 6. For first there is great honour comes to them thereby The Members partake of the honour of the Head To be the Members of such a Head as is Head over all things Ephes 1. 22. the Head of all principality and power Coloss 2. 10. what an honour must this needs be to them Like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments so the honourableness of Christ the Head hath a descending influence on his inâ—erior members so as to render them also in some measure and degree honourable By vertue of the Union of Christs natural body with God there is a great honour comes to that his body so by vertue of the Union of the mystical body of Christ with Christ its Head there is a great deal of honour coming also to that body of his His natural body is not the mere body of a man but the body of God so his mystical body is not a mere humane body but the body of Christ 2 Cor. 12. 27. As it is with an imp or scion that is taken off from any stock of a meaner kind and ingrassed or inoculated into a nobler stock and partakes with the stock into which it is ingrassed of its honourable appellation so it is with Christians though by nature they be wild olive trees yet being by Baptism ingrafted into Christ the good olive tree made members of his body they do partake with Christ in some degree of that honour which is given unto him They have his name called upon them by others Acts 11. 26. He himself is not ashamed to call them brethren Heb. 2. 2. 11. Not the least Infant Christian but is a Brother a Branch a Member of Christ and so is honourable in its Relation to him and hath an honourable respect due unto it upon account of the Union that it hath with him § 7. But secondly they do not only receive honour by Christ but also influence from Christ by vertue of their Union with him The Head hath an influence upon the whole body and every member of it Sense and motion is by the animal spirits communicated to the whole body and every member of it from the head so hath Christ an influence upon his whole body and every the least member of it From him by his spiritual grace is communicated to his body and every the least member of it suitable to the manner and measure of its receptivity a principle of sense of God and Goodness and of motion to attain the enjoyment of the one by the practice of the other which though for a while it give forth no indications of its presence in them yet will in due time exert its proper efficacy and in the mean time it lies at the heart like the sap at the root predisposing it unto a future fructification Of his fullness saith St. John we have all received and grace for grace John 1. 16. There is a fullness of grace in Christ for and an influence of grace from Christ to all that are in him Of his fullness we all receive By partaking of the root we participate of the fatness of the olive tree Rom. 11. 17. There goes vertue from him to all that are his Not the least member of him but has an influence of grace from him There is from him an emanation of quickening efficacy to the smallest Infant member in him being united to him it partakes with him according to its condition and capacity and that seminal grace communicated
with Crispus and his house Acts 18. 8. And is to be supposed it was so with others of whose believing before their baptizing we read not as of Gaius and Stephanas 1 Cor. 1. 14 16. And this at this day is and ever hath been the way of the Churches dealing with adult persons § 19. But the Argument will not hold from Men to Children It follows not that because men that are capable of believing or disbelieving the Gospel are not baptized except they make profession of faith that therefore Infants who are neither capable of believing nor disbelieving must profess faith or not be baptized Faith being required of the one but not of the other § 20. When the Apostle commanded the Thessalonians that if any would not work neither should he eat 2 Thess 3. 10. did he mean the Infants should not eat that could not work 'T is plain he required working onely of those that were able to work not of those that were unable So in the case in hand 't is apparent that Believing is onely required of men able to understand and believe not of Infants neither able to believe nor understand For by the words immediately foregoing preach the Gospel to every creature it is most evident that it is of such persons onely as the Gospel may be believed or disbelieved by upon the preaching of it to them that it is said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned not of such persons as the Gospel cannot rationally be preached to in order to the bringing them to believe by the preaching of it in regard of their incapacity to understand it and inability to believe or disbelieve it And so Infants are utterly unconcern'd in this Text. And as from it we plead nothing for them so from it can nothing rationally be pleaded against them § 21. I have read that Men must be converted and become as little Matth. 18. 2. children I suppose for humility and innocency that they may enter into the kingdom of God But I have not read that little children must be converted and become as Men for understanding or Faith before they can have entrance in Gods kingdom A profession of faith by persons of understandâ—ng in the names of the Infants is required by the Church and upon that profession it baptizes them But that understanding and faith which is required in Adult persons as praevious to their baptism is not by the Church required in Infants as necessaâ—y to their baptizing Nor can it be proved that ever it was by Christ or any Apostle of his exacted of them as it cannot be proved that ever Christ or any Apostle of his ordered the delay of their baptizing till it might be in them § 22. And lastly if Infants baptism be an Apostolical Tradition that is a thing delivered down to the Church to be practiced in it by the Apostles and Apostolical Persons and as practiced also by themselves as there is better ground to believe it than there is evidence against it then the thing is out of question They would never have baptized themselves nor taught others to baptize such as wanted faith because incapable of believing if mere want of faith notwithstanding such incapacity to believe did render them incapable of baptizing And if not believing did not in the Apostles Age and the Ages succeeding it make Infants incapable of Baptism then can it not make them so in ours there being no more reason for the one than for the other § 23. And so here is nothing in the Infants themselves that renders them uncapable of being baptized CHAP. XXIV Children not incapable of being baptized in regard of any thing required of them or to be done to them in Baptism § 1. SEcondly There is nothing in Baptism required of or to be done unto Infants which hinders them from it or renders them incapable of it §. 2 Not the Thing signifying Water with the application of it by way of Immersion or Assusion They may be dipped into water in case of strength or they may have water poured on them in case of weakness § 3. Not the Thing signified The Blood of Christ and the Grace of the Spirit For what can hinder why they may not be sprinkled from the guilt of the sin of their Birth by the blood of Christ in the Grace of Justification Cannot the blood of Christ satisfie for that guilt that lies upon Infants Or cannot God apply the satisfaction made by the blood of Christ unto Infants And what can hinder why they may not be cleansed from the corruption of their nature by the Power of the Spirit in the Grace of Sanctification Cannot the Holy Spirit mortifie those dispositions unto evil which Parvulis datur gratia operans cooperans per baptismum sicut adultis sed parvulis in munere non in usu G. Biel in 4 l. Sent. dist 4. are in Infants Or can he not infuse dispositions to goodness into Infants Is not the spirit of grace able to inoperate the grace of the spirit in Infants Is not he able to give them a temper of heart capable to receive his Infusions Is not he able to make Infusions of grace into their hearts suitable to their temper No incapableness of Baptism then in Infants on these accounts § 4. Again may not children as well as elder persons be taken into Vnion with Christ May not they be incorporated into him What no lambs in his flock but all old sheep No little members in his body but all great ones No babes in Christ but all strong men Cannot the water do the same for them Cannot the spirit do the same in them to unite them unto Christ that is done by it either for elder persons towards their Union with him Surely the application of the Water of Baptism to their Bodies does as well signifie and declare and the infusion of the Spirit of Christ into their souls does as well operate and effect their Union with him as the Union of elder persons For what should hinder No incapableness then of Baptism in Infants on this account neither § 5. Again look upon Baptism as the Door of entrance into the kingdom of Heaven and so far are they from being incapable of that that they are made a kind of standard to the capacity of others for it For our Saviour not only saith that of such as infants is the kingdom of heaven Matth. 19. 14. which implies that they themselves are qualified for it and have all things required in them for entrance into it but also he saith Matth. 18. 3. Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven which again implies that Infants are duly qualified for an entrance into the kingdom of heaven for why else must others be converted and become as they are that they may enter into it and not only so but that
and prudent Governors and judicious Overseers as there are to care for him the greater happiness it still is to him For there is the better ground of hope that he shall be afforded towards his future happiness the present advantages of a religious and vertuous education And being trained up in the way that he should go when he is young it may well be hoped that when he as old he will not depart from it Prov. 22. 6. § 5. And as the prospect of this was as we are informed from the Author of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy one principal ground of the primitive Churches admission of Infants unto Baptism upon the undertaking of Sureties for them to whose care and managery for information and instruction in faith and manners she did from thenceforth commit them Aiunt enim id quod verum est pueros si in sancto instituto ac lege instituantur ad sanctaÌ„ animi constitutionem perventuros esse ab omni errore solutos ac liberos sine ullo impuro vitae periculo Hoc cum â—n mentom venisset divinis nostris praceptoribus placuit admitti pueros hoc sancto modo ut naturales pueri qui introfertur parentes tradant filium alicui corum qui initiati sunt bono pucrorum in divinis râ—bus informatori ac deinceps ei puer operam det ut divino patri sponsorique salutis Dionys Areop Eccles Hier. c. 12. so the Venetians a wise people in other things shew not the least of their wisdom in this that they confine not themselves to the number of three or four Godfathers and Godmothers as with us but have more many more even as many as they list insomuch that sometimes as my Author * Lewis Lewkenor observations on the Venetian Commonwealth out of Francisco â—ansovini informs me there have been an hundred and fifty at the Christening of the Child together in the Church § 6. Herein then is a great Benefit that Infants have by being baptized in their Infancy that they have thereby the care of several persons engaged for their instruction and education not only their Fathers and Mothers by Nature and Divine Imposition but also their Godfathers and Godmothers by Charity and Ecclesiastick injunction who when they do their duty to a child 't is rare if there be not in some measure a performance of their engagement to him when a man And if there might be instances of the ineffectualness of this care in some few yet is it reason all should be brought under that care since it is effective and beneficial in many and it cannot be beforehand told to what one it will not finally prove to be effective and beneficial § 7. And if ever there was need of Godfathers and Godmothers in the world to be Sureties for childrens pious and vertuous education unless I take my measures wrong and judge amiss of the face of affairs there is need of them now upon that account and need of as many as if not more than there ever were whilst our children are like to live in days which whether they shall be Halâ—yonian days of peace and tranquillity or boystrous days of trouble and persecution is a secret to us but to be sure perillous times times wherein it will 2 Tim. 3. 1. be a hard thing for a man much more for a child to keep upright and walk with an even foot without being warped and swayed aside from the ways of Truth and Godliness one way or other either corrupted in his Faith by the false perswasions of erroneous Believers or debaucht in his manners by the evil conversations of vitious Livers Which consideration I leave to be thought on by those that are wise CHAP. X. Baptism beneficial unto Children in regard of their being thereby united unto Christ § 1. FIfthly by Baptism Infants are made members of Christ united to him as members of his body Hence the little baptized Catechumen is by our Church taught to say that therein he was made a member of Christ Christ is to be considered two ways Personally so as he is one in himself and Mystically so as he is one with his Church that Body whereof himself is the Head In this latter sense Infants are by Baptism made Members of Christ that is they are admitted into Fellowship with him as members little parts of his mystical Body the Church § 2. This benefit Men have by Baptism For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ This was the listing espousing Covenanting Ingrafting implanting Ordinance Believers being expresly said hereby to be planted into Christ Gal. 3. 27. and baptized into Christ Rom. 6. 3. And which baptizing and planting into Christ is no other but an orderly entring into the Visible Church or Body of Christ H. D. Postscript to Treat of Bapt. p. 44. have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. What is it to be baptized into Christ Why sure to be made partakers of Christian baptism And what is it to put on Christ why sure to become united unto Christ to be joyned to the Lord as a man becomes united with and joyned to that which he put on to become a member of Christ Whence Primasius thus glosseth this Text Toti ejus membra per baptismi sanctificationem essecti being whooly made members of him by the sanctification of Baptism And St. Chrysostom describing a Baptized person Omnis â—rgo homo Dei indatus Christum fuge omnia quae sunt incentiva carnalium libidi num Non solum autem haec baptizatis dissero praedico sed etiam baptizandis praecipio D. Chrys Hom. de Militia Christianâ Ad hoc datur baptismus ut aliquis per ipsum regeneratus incorporetur Christo factus membrum ipsius Aquin. 3. q. 68. a. 1. does it by the Periphrasis of a man of God that hath put on Christ Avoid saith he O man of God who hast put on Christ all the incentives of carnal lusts Who he means by that Periphrasis appears by what follows And these things I do not only discourse and preach to them that already are baptized but injoyn them that are to be baptized Accordingly Aquinas saith To this end is baptism given that a man being regenerated thereby he may be incorporated into Christ being made a member of him Because they are members of him that are baptized saith St. August Quia membra ejus sant qui baptiz antur D. Aug. Sâ—rm 119. de Temp. For by one Spirit as St. Paul saith are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free 1 Cor. 12. 13. One bâ—â—y What bodie 's that Why the mystical body of Christ the Church Baptized into that What 's that why sure entred or ingraffed into it made members of it by Baptism the Spirit as the principal Agent using Baptism as his Instrument for that end Hence saith †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occumen in 1 Cor. 12. 13. Occumenius
that guard from sin and temptation which is by this Sacrament communicated in the grace of it to the party baptized Hence that of Greg. Nazianz. If thou hast an Infant let not iniquity get time nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Nazianz. Orat. 40. Ideo vivus oportet etiam infans baptizetur ne obsit animae societas carnis peccati quae participatâ fit ut nihil possit anima infantis secundum Spiritum sapere D. Aug. de Genes ad Lit. l. 10 c. 14. A quo Sacramento sc Baptismo nisi adjutus etiam juvenis carnalem concupiscentiam non domabit Id. ib. Hoc sc intelligere quandiâ— non potest valebit Sacramentum ad ejus tutelam adversus contrarias potestates D. Aug. Ep. 23. Bonifacio strength by that let it be sanctified in its intancy let it in its tender age be consecrated to or by the spirit And that of St. Aug. Therefore ought the lively infant to be baptized lest the fellowship of sinful flesh be a prejudice to the soul of the Infant hindring it from favouring any thing according to the Spirit And that without the help of that Sacrament carnal concupiscence will be too strong to be tamed by him in his youth And that till he come to understanding the Sacrament that is the power and strength of the Grace communicated by it will be able to defend it against the contrary powers § 9. What a cruelty then is it considering these things in those Parents towards the fruit of their own bodies that suffer their little children to live in a sinful and die in a damnable estate not doing what in them lies and God has put into their power to free them from the guilt of that sin and deliver them from the power of that corruption that they were born with Is not the damnation of their Persons a thing to be feared Is not the corruption of their Natures a thing to be lamented Is not a rescue from the one and a remedy against the other a thing to be desired O how can they find in their hearts to let them live under the tyranny of a rampant corruption and let them die under an obligation to an eternal damnation Surely if they had not lost even humanity in the midst of their boasts of high Christianity they would have compassion for their tender ones and let them have that relief against their Guilt and that remedy against their Corruption which God who sees their need in his pity to them has ordain'd and provided for them CHAP. XIX Childrens Baptism not to be neglected upon Presumption that God can or will save them without their being baptized § 1. TO talk of what God in his extraordinary grace can and it may be hoped will do for Infants dying unbaptized is a vain story For though God can do all he wills yet it follows not that he will do all We hold the same Necessity of Baptism that the Fathers held which is viâ ordinariâ yet non altigando gratiam Dei ad media no more than the Schoolmen do B. Andrews Answ to Perron he can And though he hath not tied himself to means yet he hath tied us And though to expect the end when we have desired and sought the means but cannot have it may be an act of hope yet when we may have the means and do despise it or neglect still to hope the end cannot but be an act of presumption § 2. And it may be that God having in his word declared the guilt that lies upon all hath said nothing as to the case of Infants dying unbaptized on purpose the more strongly to oblige parents Non autem latet quantum cordibus fidelium desidiae gigneretur si in baptizandis parvulis nihil de cujusquam negligentiae nihil de ipsorum esset mortalitate metuendum D. Ambr. de Voc. Gent. l. 2. c. 8. to baptize their children for the taking off that guilt from them since their own reason will tell them that in a case of doubtfulness it is wisdom to take the surer side as the baptizing of them in this case must needs be not knowing by what sudden providence they may be taken away unbaptized if the baptizing of them be neglected § 3. And be it that God in his extraordinary grace may save them which yet is more then any can positively say and there have been some they no mean ones that have thought the contrary and however that if they did escape the torments of the damned yet they did not partake of the enjoyments of the blessed yet sure it is safer and much more prudent to take a way that is revealed for their salvation Nisi enim quis natus fuerit ex aqua spiritu sancto non potest introire in regnum Dei Utique nullum excipit non infantem non aliqua praeventum 〈◊〉 necessitate D. Ambr. de Abrah Patriarch l. 2. c. 11. Neque credi fas est eos qui regenerationis non adepti sunt Sacramentum ad ullum beatorum pertineri consortium D. Ambr. de Vocat Gent. l. 2. c. 8. Sanè infantes quia hanc prohibente aetate non possunt habere fidem hoc est cordis ad Deum conversionem consequenter nec salutem si absque baptismi perceptione moriuntur D. Bern. Ep. 77. ad Hug. de S. Victore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. non baptizatos infantes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Nazianz Orat. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Qu. Resp ad Orthod q. 56. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Athanas q. 1. 4. ad Antiochum than to venture their salvation on an unrevealed way and whilest we neglect the ordinary means to expect theâ—r being saved by extraordinary grace § 4. Did I say neglect the means I doubt I should rather have said contemn the means For how in this case to distinguish between the neglect and the contempt passes my understanding especially when I find the use of it both in word and writing look'd upon as ridiculous and accordingly derided and contemned by neglecters of it who may very well go to hell for their contempt of the means though their children suffer nothing for the want of it God being more merciful to their children than themselves are and not suffering the children to perish through their parents neglect Which yet methinks they should have little hope of when they remember how in the time of Circumcision the parallel to baptism the manchild was to suffer excision cutting off from his people that is from the Church of God and that as being a breaker of Gods Covenant who was not at eight days old circumcised Gen. 17. 14. who yet might be as little guilty of his Parents fault in neglecting to circumcise him as ours can be of any neglect of ours to baptize them For what could a Jews child do at eight days old towards his own circumcision more than the child of a Christian
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the Praeterperfect Tense clearly shews it to signifie And the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath been sanctified is hath been baptized sanctification the effect of baptism being put for the act of baptizing by a Metonymie of the effect § 4. And from this use of the word by the Apostle here in this place I presume it is that it is so ordinary with Ecclesiastical Writers to express baptizing by a word that signifies to sanctifie whose so expressing it is a confirmation of this way of understanding it Thus Greg. Nazianzene speaking of children in some danger of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Naz. Orat 40. p. 658. Edit Paris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. ib. pag. 648. Timeat ne post agnitionem Dei â—ujus signaculo jam praenotatus est si non dignus agnitione percepta inveniatur indignus etiam sanctificationis munere judicetur D. Chrysost Homil. de Militia Christiana Fâ—lium â—â—i induti totiâ— us membra pâ—â— baptismi sandisâ—â—ationem effecti Fitii Dei sitis neceâ—le est Primas in Gal. 3. 23. Vt intra 〈◊〉 diem eam qui natus est baâ—â— andum san lisicanlam non put 〈◊〉 longe aliud in â—â—â—â—ili nostro omni'us â—isum est D. Cypr. l. 3. cp 8. Baptismum repeti Ecclesiasticae regulâ—e prohibent semel sanctificatis nulla deinceps manus itâ—rum consecrans praesumit accedere D. Cypr. Sâ—rm de â—â—lat ped Baptizâ—â—i sanctificari in Ecclesia Catholica vero unico Ecclesia Catholica vero unico Ecclesiae baptisms oporteat D. Cypr. l. 1. â—p 6. Johannes Baptista non tam peccata dimisit quam baptisma poenitentiae fecit in peccatorum remisionem id est in suturam remissionem quae est post ex Christ sanctificatione subsecuta Vt enim ante pracursor domini ipse sit baptisma ejus praevium domini baptismatis fuit D. Hieron advers Luciferian Igiur omnes aquae de pristina originis prarogativa Sacramentum Sanctificationis consequuntur invocato Deo Superâ—enit enim statim Spiritus de Câ—elis aquis superest sanctificans de senâ—tipsâ— ita sanctificata vim sanctifiâ—â—â—â—â— combibunt Tertull. de Baptismo Denique apud Auguitinum duodecimo ejusdem libri capite abi Paulinum illud expenâ—it 1 Cor. 7. Sanitaficatus est â—ir insidetis in uxore sanctificata est malier insidelis in sratre alioqui filii vestii immundi essent none autem sancti funt magnus haec commentatur antistes Aut sic est accipiendum que madmodum nos alibi Pelagius cum candem ad Corinthios epistolam tractaret exposuit quod exempla jam praecesserant virorum quos uxâ—res foeminarum quas mariti lucrisecerant Christo parvulorum ad quos facienlos Christimos voluntas Christiana etiam unius parentis evicerat Voss Hist Pelag. l. 1. c. 4. S. 3. p. 14. though he were not over hasty for their baptizing yet saith 't is better they should be sanctified that is baptized when they have no sense of it than that they should die unsealed and uninitiated And for others where there was no danger he advises their stay from being baptized for about three years and then advises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sanctifie them souls and bodies by that great Sacrament of consummation Again if thou hast an Infant let not iniquity get time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it be sanctâ—fied that is baptized in Infancy let it in its tender age be consecrated by or to the Spirit St. Chrysostom tells the Candidate of Baptism that if he be not found walking worthy of that profession whâ—ch he made when he was consigned unto Baptism he may well be afraid of being judged unworthy even of the gift of Sanctification that is of being baptized Hence Primasius speaks of being made members of Christ by the sanctification of Baptism So when St. Cyprian speaks of the new born Infants being to be baptized and sanctified that is by the Figure Hendiadys sanctified by Baptism So again saith he the rules of the Church do sorbid baptism to be repeated and to them that have once been sanctified that is baptized no hand presumes to come to consecrate them over again So St. Herom saith John Baptist preached the Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins that is that remission which afterward followed upon the Sanctification that is the baptism of Christ Where what he means by Sanctification is plain by what follows a little after For saith he as John Bapt was himself the forerunner of Christ so was his Baptism the leader on unto the Baptism of Christ Hence Tertullians saying of Infants that if either of their parents were sanctified that is were a baptized Christian the Infants were holy namely so far as to be capable of baptism as the children of Parents that were both mere Heathens were not Candidates of holiness that is of baptismal Sanctification such as were in the next capacity for baptism and as it were stood for it And hence his calling Baptism Sacramentum sanctificat onâ—â— the Sacrament of sanctification § 5. And this notion of the word may for ought I see be admitted in 1 Cor. 1. 2. Vnto the Church of God which is at Coninâ—h to them that are sanctified as we read it but according to the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that have been sanctified in Christ Jesus that say I may be baptized into Christ Jesus being separated from the community of the polluted world and received into the communion of the called Saints that Church of Christ which he so loved as to give himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word § 6. And this notion of sanctisying for Baptism may come from the Jews using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to sanctifie for Dr. Hammond Infant Bapt. §. 35. washing Whence the High Priests washing his hands and feet ten times on the expiation day are called his ten sanctifications § 7. Well now supposing that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sanctifico which we render to sanctifie doth sometimes signifie to baptize and particularly in this place hath that signification there being no other so commodious a rendring of it here as that nor any that will not be exposed to more objections than that especially theirs who interpret the Holiness of Children in this Text of Confut. of Ins Bapt. by Tho. Lambe p. 32. See Mr. Stevens Precept for the baptizing of Infants p. 5. their legitimacy and their uncleanness of Bastardy as if all children were illegitimate and Bastards that were born of Parents whereof one at least were not a Christian I say supposing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sanctifico here to have the signification of Baptizing as we have shewed it elsewhere to have that signification it will easily follow from hence