this place repeat what hath beene formerly produced out of any of these nor yet stay you with a large view of all those that vpon further search might be added vnto these to witnesse the same truth with them It shall suffice that I alledg only these 6. viz. Bishop Iewel Doctor Whitaker Doctor Francis White now Lord Bishop of Norwich Doctor Davenant now Lord Bishop of Salisbury Doctor Fulk and the learned Author of the second Parallells B. Iewel 1 I begin with that rare and much honoured and admired Iewel the first champion of our English Church since the last happy reformation that both by publique Apology for our refusing to communicate any longer with the present Romish synagogue and also by open chalenge made to that side for prouing their principall tenets now in difference betweene vs to haue bin so much as knowne to the Ancient Fathers for the doctrine of truth within the first six hundred yeares after Christ entred the lists with that great Goliah in the name of the Church of England and came off so happily that all that wish well to the truth doe to this day and for euer shall call him blessed What testimony approbatioÌ„ this worthie mans workes frequently receiued from our late learned K. Iames they who last published B. Iewels Workes in their Epistle Dedicatory to giue publique witnesse viz. that they haue long and frequently vpon all occasions had a most singular testimony approbation of his Maiestie for the most rare and admirable workes that haue beene written in this last age of the World And what generall acceptance they finde in the whole Church of England is euident by this that euery parish in England is enioyned to buy them and to haue them opeÌ„ in the parish Churches for all that desire instruction in the truth to read and pervse And lastly what extraordinary approbation he receiued from the most iudicious and eminent diuines beyond the seas their frequent epistles and dedication of bookes vnto him of which wee may read in the history of his life doe amply declare Therefore I thinke that what I alledg out of him may iustly be receiued if not as the doctrine it selfe of the Church of England yet as that which no iudicious sonne of this Church will refuse as dissonant from much lesse repugnant to the publique doctrine of our Church but as most agreeable both vnto it and vnto the truth of God maintained therein This Chariot of Jsrael and Father of our Church in his Apology of the Church of England which was first written in latine and translated almost into all languages for the great esteeme it receiued in all the Churches of God speaking of the sacraments and denying transubstantiation in the Lords supper thus saith a Nec tamen cum ista dicimus extenuamus coeâ—â—m Domini aut eam frigidam tantum ceremoniam esse dicimâ—s vt in ea nihil fieri quod multi nos docere calumniantur Christum enim asserimus verè sese praesentem exhibere in sacramentis suis in baptismo vt eum indumus in Coena vt eum fide spiritu comedamus de eius cruce ac sangume habeamus vitam aeternam idque dicimus non perfunctorie frigide sed re ipsa vere sieri In B. Iewels workes last set forth you shall finde this in english in the defence of the Apology cap. 14. divil 1. pag. 269. And in speaking thus wee meane not to abase the Lords supper or to teach that it is but a cold ceremony only nothing to be wrought therein as many falsly slander vs that wee teach For wee affirme that CHRIST DOTH TRVLY AND PRESENTLY giue himselfe in his Sacraments In baptisme that wee may put him on and in his supper that wee may eate him by faith and spirit and may haue euerlasting life by his Crosse and blood And we say not this is done slightly or coldly but effectually and truly Now in this passage this renowned Prelate makes no difference betweene the efficacy of the sacraments he allowes a presence of Christ in the one as well as in the other he professeth that in Baptisme Christ is as truly put on as he is fed vpon in the Supper and when he saith that in the Supper he is fed vpon by faith and the spirit saying no such thing of the necessity of faith for putting on of Christ in Baptisme when an infant is baptized he plainly yeeldeth that in baptisme of infants that truely and indeed belong to God Christ is truly and indeed put on although they be not endewed with actuall faith which is required of persons growne to yeares of discretion And when M. Harding quarrelled him for this and charged him of error in making the presence of Christ in baptisme like to his presence in the supper He thus answeres b Defence of Apology pag. 264. Chrysost in Epist ad Ephes hom 20. Bernard super missus est hom 3. Leo in serm de 4. feria c. 1. Here is one error more then any of the learned Catholique Fathers euer noted Saint Chrysostome saith In the sacrament of Baptisme wee are made flesh of Christs flesh and bone of his bones Saint Bernard saith Lavemur in sanguine eius Let vs be washed in his blood Leo saith Christi sanguine rigaris quando in mortem ipsius baptizaris Thou art washt in the blood of Christ when thou art baptized into his death By these few it may appeare that Christ is present at the sacrament of baptisme as he is present at the holy supper vnlesse ye will say we may be made flesh of Christs flesh and be washt in his blood and be partakers of him and haue him present without his presence Therefore Chrysostome when he had spoken vehemently of the sacrament of the supper hee concludeth thus Sic in baptismo euen so it is also in the sacrament of baptisme The body of Christ is likewise present in them both Beda in 1. Cor. 10. And for that cause Beda saith and he saith it out of Saint Augustine nulli est aliquatenus ambigendum tunc vnumquemque fidelium Corporis sanguinisque Dominici participem fieri quando in Baptismate membrum Christi efficitur No man may doubt but euery faithfull man is THEN made partaker of the body and blood of Christ when in Baptisme he is made the member of Christ All this B. Iewel vrgeth out of the Fathers and by approuing their doctrine confoundeth his Aduersary If any question be made of the word faithfull I haue sufficiently shewed how that is to be taken And if Saint Augustine be not mistaken he tells vs that euen c Vbi ponis parvulos non baptizatos profecto in numero credentium De verb. Apost Serm. 1. Infants were reckoned among the faithfull nor was there euer any question among the Fathers in any Age of the Church but that elect infants did receiue remission of sinne in baptisme and by
as the roote and first principle of regeneration and future newnesse of life * Vid. Hooker lib. 5. Sect. 60. This I speake as then I expressed my selfe with reference only vnto such Infants as dye not in infancy but lâ—ue to yeares of discretion and then come to be effectually called and actually conuerted by the ordinary meanes of the word applied by the same spirit vnto them when and how hee pleaseth As for the rest of the elect who dye infants I will not deny a further worke sometimes in sometimes before baptisme to fit them for heauen For this am I peremptorily censured and condemned by many as guilty not only of Arminianisme but euen of direct Popery and of teaching a Doctrine of diuells To make good what they haue done they lay to my charge sundry passages as branches of my position which not only in stating the question but also in the prosecution of it I often and often disclaimed as errors in expresse termes This they know well enough it hath bin made manifest to some of their faces by others also Howbeit they owing me a spite for some thing else as by the effect appeares take no notice of their wilfull mistakes That which they haue once reported they are resolued to maintaine therefore they cease not to pursue me with clamors slanders and revilings without end or measure No protestations of mine owne either publique or priuate no Apologies made by my friends are able to shelter mee from their virulent dartes which daily fly in my face where euer I become This alone were cause sufficient of publishing this Treatise that I may purge my selfe of these odious crimes so vniustly imputed He that being a Minister is not carefull to vphold his necessary reputation among the people of God as well as to keepe a good conscience towards God is both cruell to himselfe Nobis enim necessari est vita nostra aliis fama nostra Aug. De Bono Viduit Mihi sufficit conscientia mea vobis necessaria est fama mea Jdem ad Frat. tu Erem and iniurious to his Master His Ministry must needs bee of lesse esteeme if not despised out-right who shall suffer himselfe to bee proclaimed guilty of Error and Heresie and sees his Good Name hang'd vp in chaines by the giddy multitude even before his owne doores and hee not endeauour in a meet temperate manner to declare himselfe innocent when he is well able to plead not guilty to the indictment If any man shall say Jt is a mans honour to passe by offences and therefore it had beene farre better to haue endured a while with patience the tongues of intemperate men then thus to haue spred the cause before the whole world this course being likely more to exasperate rather then to satisfie or mollifie such as haue appeared in opposition against me To such a person mine answere is this If the wrong had not trenched so much vpon the credit of my Ministry which ought to bee as deare vnto me as any mans is to him or if I had beene handled thus in priuate onely by priuate men I could willingly haue borne all that reproach and infamy that is laid vpon me without complaining but not without bewailing with a bleeding heart the strange pride and insolency of such spirits as dare thus wilfully to traduce any Minister of Christ That which hath imbarked mee in this publique action is of more importance then the maintaining of mine owne innocency against the murmur of priuate persons yea there are many weighty causes concurring to put vpon mee a necessity of doing something in this kinde If any shall take occasion hence to be more exasperated it shall be only his owne fault for I hope I shall so manage this worke that it shall evidently appeare to all Godly Iudicious temperate men that I no where giue any cause of offence vnto any peaceable Christian but endeauour only in a modest and humble maner to cleare and maintaine a Truth and to giue all satisfaction that I may vnto such as loue Truth better then Victory Breifly the Causes cheifly enducing mee to send these Papers vnto the Presse are these Three 1 The iust Defence of the publique doctrine of our Church which hath beene by some vpon this occasion publiquely opposed so farre as they durst For how freely sundry Ministers doe cry downe this Position and that publiquely too notwithstanding that this truth is so clearely consonant to the Leiturgy and Publique Catechisme of the Church in which wee liue is too well knowne Through my sides therefore haue they gored and wounded our common Mother who suffers in the cause much more then my selfe or then any Particular either doth or can 2 I finde that sundry sober and well affected Christians are often puzled and at a losse in this particular for want of information yea in danger to bee drawne vnawares into Schisme 2. Sam. 15.11 not vnlike those 200 men that followed Absolon in the simplicity of their hearts not knowing any thing of his conspiracy For their sakes therefore it is very requisite that this point should be throughly searched into and made publique This is not a quarrell about Goats haire Scomma nor so poore a businesse as should deserue in a Pulpit to bee compared to the action of a Famous Generall that levies a strong Army drawes them out into the field sets them in order or battaile and raiseth a great expectation of some honourable exploit which in conclusion proues to bee no other then the breaking of an Egge-shell * That Great Athanasius was of another opinion when he placed this very question how one may knowe whether be receaued the spirit in Baptisme amongst those which he termeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Questions necessary vsefulâ— for all Christians to bee acquainted with In titulo Iabri Quaest ad Antio h. Princ. tom 2. 3 Nor was there euer such need of opening this truth vnto the people as now because neuer since the heresies of the Sacramentarians and Anabaptists were hissed out of the Church of Christ were men so violent against it and so impatient of contradiction They cry out What vse what vse of such a Doctrine Whether doth it tend Mee thinkes they should be able to answere themselues without help Is it nothing vnto a Christian in time of a violent temptation when hee hath lost all sight of his Saviour to be assured that even in his Baptisme hee receiued the Holy Ghost as an anointing that shall abide with him for ever Is the consolation of God a small matter vnto a Christian Parent that in obedience to Christ and in faith in his promises hath presented his child to the sacred Laver * Quam enim suaue piis animis non verbo tantum sed oculari etiam spectaculo certiores fieri tantum se gratiae apud Patrem caelestem obtinere vt posteritas sua illi curae sit Hic enim
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
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
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