is you and not we that lend them Glasses Ribands Laces with Cappe and Fethers and Calles for their faces You suffer you Daughters to be May-ladies so long that shortly after you finde their Laces to short And then arrant Whore out of my doores when it is too late But all the while my Lady hath a Veluet Cap on her head a braue borrowed Gowne on her backe and a Nosegay in her hand You be as merry as Pyes though the name of God be blasphemed the Sabaoth prophaned the Minister contemned your Daughter defiled All is well so long as the Ale lasteth Ro. Haue you seene any of our Daughters in that case Cath. Did you euer see a Nose in a mans Face Madam Make-peace How now Neighbours still iarring haue you not yet eased your stomacks Sal. Now there is a third Woman come that is Madam Make-peace Maddam Truly this is not well Christian Woemen should striue to excell in sobrietie modestie and mildenesse of spirit and not in nipping and quipping and loudnesse of tongue If you should is contend and brawle with your Husbands as you vs one with an other then in Salomons iudgement It were better for them to dwell in the wildernesse Pro. 21.19.12.13.21.9 or to stand in a house that is euer dropping on their heads then to dwell with you I pray you agree for shame agree Cath Why Maddam What would you haue me to doe I haue heard Midwiues bid some Women put on the loose Kerchiefe and it be but to honour God and our Lady you know that it is no part of Gods honour he is not honored with Cloutes he is to be worshiped in Spirit and trueth And the best honour that we can giue to the blessed Virgin the mother of our Sauiour is to follow her vertues Mistresse Romana which neuer commeth to Church herselfe is euer snuffing at me because I frame not myselfe to please her humour she is euer stumbling at Strawes and leaping ouer Blockes Ro. If I stumble but at Strawes I shall not hurt my Toes if I leape ouer Blocks I shall not breake my shinnes Cath. You know my meaning You catch at our Moates and winke at your owne Beames Ro. I pray you Madam Make-peace marke their Moates when others be merry they must be mourning when we fast then they feast when they ly-in there must be no white-sheete for feare of superstition their Husbands holy day Cloake will serue the tourne well enough If we goe to Church vayled they aske vs if we be ashamed of that we haue done forgetting that some of their humour will wash Buckes eare their Child be Christned If any woman follow her that is Churched then they say our Lady must haue her traine If there be a Psalme read as they say your Ministers do read ouer when a woman is Churched then forsooth the Psalme is abused If the woman make her neighbours a dinner they say it pincheth the poorer sort Moris-dauncers be Rogues if they goe to the next Towne Christmas-pies be superstitious in the cold winter when your neighbours lacking foode should be refreshed and wanting Wood should be warmed Then vp to London if not to saue charges or for some other cause I know not what Thus you see their Moates and Beames Cath. It were well if these were your Beames Kerchiefe White-sheete Churching Dinner Morris-belles Christmas-pies Feastings and warmings of the Poore There be other matters that I call Beames you Whitson-lady some of her Maides were dismayded your Morris-dauncers and their followers prophane the Sabaoth they haue misused such Ministers as haue reprooued their vices by cutting off their Horse tayles breaking their Windowes plucking vp their Orchard Plants They poure in as much drinke in one day as would suffice a temperate man tenne daies Looke where is most misrule there with you is the best Christmas kept If some of you could cutt the throates of all that fauour not your customes then they would keepe a merry Christmas then sweare stare and a poxe of all Puritanes I will stirre your powder-plots because the more they be stirred the more they will stinke yea they will stinke in the nostrills of all such as follow Saint Peters counsaile Feare God Honour the King while Sunne and Moone endureth It is not your Keir-cheife Belles and Pies that I stand so much vpon It greeueth me to see how carefull you be for such matters and how carelesse in comming to Church in sending your Children to be Catachised in hauing an eye to them in their meryments in exhorting them to take heed of going foorth with Dina to see faces and fashions and to behaue themselues honestly and soberly in all companies and to come home in due time My Neighbours going to thankes giuing with fewe or many shall not offend me so that you controule not me for going as I thinke good And whereas you haue so often tolde me of our washing of Buckes and comming so soone into the street it may be some poore bodie wanting helpe is driuen to do that which is neyther healthfull nor seemly but you haue no reason to charge all of vs with that which is done by some fewe and that vpon necessity But touching these and such like matters let Madam Make-peace iudge what is best to be donne Ro. Content but first heere me a word or two As you would not haue me charge all precise women with that which is donne by some of the poorer sort so I hope you will not charge all of vs that haue beene brought vp in Poperie with those powder-plots you speake of God forbid we should all haue such murdering minds Cath. If you haue not it is the better for you but I pray you Madam speake your minde Mad. My comming hether was to make you friends but your iarres be so great and my braines so weake that I doubt I shall need helpe therefore I will goe home now and to morrow if God lende life I will bring our Minister with me Ro. Whome do you meane Maister Guide-well Mad. So indeede I haue heard you haue vsed to call not only him but all other of his profession for you thinke none doe well but Seminaries and Iesuits Ro. When you come bring Dame Cathara with you and you shall finde me and a Kinsman of mine walking in my Garden Salt Sith they be gone let vs depart also Chap. Shall I haue none of your Salt for these Women Sal. If the Minister and Madam Make-peace can doe them no good I know not what to say to them and so fare you well Chap. And you also Now retourneth Madam Make-peace with the Minister and Cathara Mad. God be heere and peace Ro. You are welcome Mad. I haue brought him whome you call Maister Guide-well with me Ro. I would you had brought Maister Doe-well also Mad. He commeth limping after he is not so quick-footed you know as Maister Guide-well Ro. I would he were and my Cousen here as quicke-tongued
past to try vs and seek the ground of our hearts Psal 139.23 proue and know our thoughts consider if there be any wickednesse in vs rid vs out of it and lead vs in the true way that bringeth to the true life wee beg these things and whatsoeuer thou knowest needfull for vs and thy holy Church in his name and for his sake which is the way the truth and the life saying as he hath taught vs Our father which art in heauen c. Chap. When these or any other that haue offended as who hath not haue made these or the like prayers confessing their sinnes with true sorrow of heart what shall they take to comfort their hearts againe if you haue no softer salt I must seeke further for I feare this salt will nothing but fret them Salt There are diuers sorts of Salt to be had at Bible-Spring some is sharp that â—â—rueth to consume grosse humors some is more milde hath vertue to heale wounds but because some Physitions setting down what is good for the heart say maces is best of all Hospit p. 42. Cant. 2.5 and the Spowse in the Canticles desireth to bee comforted with apples you may call that which I shall now deliuer vnto you apples or maces or wine and milke as the Prophet Esay calleth that which hee deliuereth where he maketh his cry saying Ho euery one that is thirsty come yee to the waters Esay 55.12 and yee that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money Chap. If men must not pay money for this milke and wine with what must they buy it Salt He telleth them in the second and third verses saying Hearken diligently vnto mee and eate that which is good let your soule delight in fatnesse incline your eares and come vnto mee heare and your soule shall liue Chap. It should seeme by his calling for hearing and eating with delight that it is the word of God or some other spirituall gift which is there meant by waters wine milke and fatnesse Salt Some by waters vnderstand the waters of grace in this present life Nicola dâ—lyra and of glory in the heauenly Citty to bee giuen by Christ himselfe according as hee himselfe saith Hee which shall drinke of the waters which I shall giue him shall neuer be more a thirst â—oh 4.14 but the water which I shal giue him shall be in him a fountaine of water springing vp to eternall life By wine and milke the same writer vnderstandeth the good things of grace and glory Benagr glâ—â— and by fatnesse the fatnesse of grace likewise Chap. Well let me haue some of this spirituall nourishing wine and milke or whatsoeuer you list to call it Salt Yee shall and first I will beginne where the aforesaid Prophet made his cry Seeke the Lord while he may bee found Esay 55.6 call yee vpon him while he is neere â— Let the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations returne vnto the Lord and he wil haue mercy vpon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgiue My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name 〈◊〉 103.8 â— My soule praise thou the Lord forget not all his benefits 5 Which forgiueth all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities 6 Which redeemeth the life froÌ„ the graue and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion 8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse 9 He will not alwaies chide neither keepe his anger for euer hee hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities 18 The louing kindnesse of the Lord indureth for euer euer vpon them that feare him c. think vpon his commandements to do them Chap. Yea but these for whom I come haue not feared the Lord nor made any reckoning of his commandements Salt This which I deliuer vnto you now as Apples for comfort is to bee set before them when as I said they are well seasoned with the salt of the law containing a fearefull curse against all the trangressors of the same and so beeing brought vnto a feeling of their sinne are entred into the feare of God which is the beginning of wisedome Pro. 9.10 Chap. Then belike those which feare not God how wise soeuer they seeme to themselues haue not trodden one step in the path of true wisedome Salt No doubt of that Chap. On then Salt Who is a God like vnto thee that taketh away iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Mich. 7 18. hee retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him He will turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea When the wicked turneth away from his wickednesse that hee hath committed Ezek. 18.28 and doth that which is lawfull and right he shal saue his soule aliue 28 Because hee considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that hee hath committed hee shall surely liue and not die 32 I desire not the death of him that dyeth saith the Lord God cause therefore one another to returne and liue ye Shee shall bring forth a sonne Mat. 1.11 and thou shall call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes And loe a voyce came from heauen saying 3.17 this is my beloued sonne in whom I am â—ell pleased I am not come to call the righteous 9.13 but â—â—nners to repentance Saint Paul saith this is a true saying Tim 1.15 â—y all meanes worthy to bee reciued that â—esus Christ came into the world to saue â—â—nners Come vnto me all ye that are laden meaâ—ing with the burthen of their sinnes and will ease you Mat. 11.28 Likewise Luk. 15.10 I say vnto you there is ioy in â—e presence of the Angels of God for one â—â—nner that repenteth 31 It was meete that we should make merry be glad for this thy brother was dead â—s aliue againe and hee was lost but hee is â—ound As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wilâ—ernesse Ioh. 3 14. so must the Sonne of man bee lift â—p that whosoeuer beleeueth in him â—hould not perish but haue euerlasting life We beleeue saith Saint Peter through â—he grace of our Lord Iesus Christ to bee â—aued euen as they do Acts 14 11. And it was the same Peter that said Acts 10.43 To â—im giue all the Prophets witnesse that â—hrough his name all that beleeue in him â—hall receiue remission of sinnes Chap. Are those then that beleeue in Christ pardoned and saued whether they feare God or feare him not whether they serue sinne or righteousnesse Salt What friend Chapman dost thou thinke
others that eate now and then eiâ—her at home or in traâ—elling by the way for healths sake warily and sparingly and those â—hat do it commonly offensiuely and conâ—emptuously still refusing fish and calling â—or flesh Salt Though gracious Princes no doubt of it as appeereth by licences do wish those that rule vnder them not to deale hardly with the weaker sort and such as feare God in things that be of themselues indifferent least summum ius should become summa iniuria too much law-pressing too much life crushing yet it is good for subiects both victualers their guests not to presume too much on pardons nor do any thing royoteously or in contempt of lawes but if in any point they faile in their obedience to examine themselues what reason they can reâ—der of their doing if they should be called to an account and to take heed that their conscience condemne them not inwardly for that which they seeme to allow outwardly but my good Chapman it should appeare by your talke you haue bene at Bible-Spring where is store of the best salt there I maruaile you brought none from thence for your purpose but come to mee Chap. Hearing that you were in towne and had salt of sundry sorts I thought good to try some of it to see whether it were right or no. Salt Come on then take this first Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God Submit your selues vnto all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the Superiour or vnto gouernors as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doe well Chap. If as S. Paul saith there bee no power but of God and if as S. Peter saith we must submit our selues to all manner ordinances of man then it should seeme we must obey them in euery thing least in disobeying them we disobey the ordinance of God Salt You are to vnderstand that if God which hath the hearts of Kings in his hand set vp a power that regardeth not his lawes but comandeth that which is contrary vnto them hating his faithfull messengers and making much of faithlesse flatterers that hee doth this partely to make knowne his wrath towards such as make more account of lyâ—s then of the truth partly that there might be some tryal wherby Mycheas with his plaine speeches and bread of affliction 1 Kin. 22. 11.17 might be knowne from Zedkijah and his false hornes and faithfull Daniell discorned from those that drew on Darius to seale to their wicked decree Dan. 6.8.9 Chap. But when that decree was sealed was it not to bee taken as the Kings ordinance Salt Whose ordinance soeuer it was Daniell was not to submit himselfe because such submission was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Peter saith it was not for the Lord it was not for his honour it was not agreeable to his will it was flat against the first commandement and in very deed if he should haue refrained from asking any thing at the hands of his God for the space of 30 daies yea if in that captiuity hee should haue asked any such petition of the King any one day as he ought to haue asked of his God he had not onely made the King an Idoll but also kept such a silence as had beene more fit for one that faileth away from God then for him whom the King himselfe confessed to bee a man that alwaies serued his God â—an 6.20 For you must vnderstand that by petitions in that place is not ment such as subiects make to their Princes to moue them to grant some thing that is in their owne power as if Daniel had framed a petition or supplication to the King himselfe to desire that of his Highnesse which hee required of the chiefe of the Eunuches that is that he might not defile himselfe with the portion of the Kings meate and wine for that petition had bene lawfull But if Daniell had yéelded to make any such petitions to the King as no doubt he vsed to make to the Almighty praying either that he or his brethren might doe nothing in that captiuity that might offend his gracious Maiesty or that his anger and wrath might be turned away from his Citty Ierusalem Dan. 9.16.17.18 that hee would cause his face to shine vpon his sanctuary for his great tender mercies and that hee would heare forgiue consider and doe it without deferring c. If I say he had yéelded to make such or the like petitions to the King it had bene grosse idolatry and a token that hee put his trust in man which is forbidden as in many other places so in Psal 146. v. 3. Put not your trust in Princes nor in any child of man for there is no helpe in him In a word that man of God knew well that such a yeelding would haue beene a reioycing to his enemies and a greater torment to his conscience then the Lyons could haue brought to his carcase Chap. But I maruaile that Daniel should think the Kings portions would defile him fith our Sauiour saith Math. 15.110 That which goeth into the mouth defileth not a man Salt It is true that meate and drinke and such like of themselues as they are the creatures of God do no more defile a man then the torches tapers crisme oile tunicles chisibles holy-water holy-bread whereof a learned and reuerend Father In defense of the Apol p. 24. Printed 1570. sometimes a Bishop in this land writeth thus Verily Maister Harding we hate not any of all these things for wee know they are the creatures of God but you haue so misused them or rather defiled and bewrayed them with your superstitions and so haue with the same mocked and deceiued Gods people that we can no longer continue them without great conscience It is the abuse then of meates drinks garments and such like that hurteth not the lawfull vse of them Chap. It is not like that Daniel would haue abused any meates or drinkes whatsoeuer Salt I grant it But you must remember that Daniel liued in a time wherein the people of God were not permitted to eate of many things which the Christian man is allowed to eate of It was not said to Daniel eate what thou wilt as to Peter kill and eate what God hath cleansed count thou not common or vncleane by which vision and voyce Peter was giuen to vnderstand that not onely meates forbidden by the Law being now clensed and meateable might be vsed Act. 9.13.15 but also the Gentiles such as Cornelius c. whom before being vncircumcised the Iewes counted vncleane were to heare of Christ that through faith in his bloud they might be purged and cleansed from their sinnes Daniel I say had not this liberty Chap. Then it should seeme
charge vs with it Rom. What the English of that speech is my cozen can tell but I cannot nor I care not but I see you are not greatly in loue with traditions Mad. As to reiect all traditions were rashnesse so to féede vpon them as substantiall foode and néedfull to eternall life the written word being left for that purpose is méere folly and a meanes to deceius vs. Rom. All your talke Madame is of the written word and your Churches are decked with nothing but Bibles Paraphrases the Creed the ten Commandements and such like but I see no Altars and Images no Crosses no Ashes nor any of our deckings vnlesse it be a surplesse and that to many of you is as welcome as snow in Haruest Guid. What say you mistresse Romana haue we neither Crosses nor Ashes had the bodies of those which were burnt in Quéene Maries dayes no Crosses nor Ashes Rom. Yes but not for the Popes sake Guid. You say true for it was for Christs sake that they suffered their flesh bloud sinewes artires and veines bowels mary-bones and braines to be burnt to Ashes which burning though it were a cruell torment considering who felt it yet nothing so horrible as fierie Fauxe his burning would haue beene because the other gaue some warning he would haue giuen none Tract Truly I for my part doe vtterly mislike that any religion should set in her foote by such diuelish deuises but my Couzen sayd your Churches wanted Altars and Images Guid. What should we doe with Altar or super-Altars we haue no such vse for them now as in the lawe Christ Iesus our Sacrifice hath offered vp himselfe once for all on the Altar of the Crosse Tract Did not he say Leaue thine offering vpon the Altar And againe Whether is greater the Offering or the Altar which sanctifieth the Offering Guid. Hee spake according to the time The Temple and the Altar were standing Christ was not come to the Crosse Rom. What say you to Images Guid. I say it is good not to be too farre in loue with them least wee make Idols of them As I feare me one Garnet did of that Image which I my selfe with two or three more that were appoynted to search that Colledge whereof the said Garnet was a member some 40 yeares agoe found in his study the which Image of Alablaster I hauing in my hand standing in the said Garnets study he said vnto me I pray you handle it reuerendly To whom I answered That I would handle it with as much reuerence as was due to a stone and so let it fall to the ground before his face What warrant hee had so to esteeme of it I know not but my warrant euen then was this thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image Exod. 20. Babes keepe your selues from Idols 1. Ioh. 5.11 They that make them are like â—o â—em and all that trust in them Psal 115.8 with vs part of the 113. Psal according to their diuiding it is the 16. verse of Psalm 113. to my remembrance Gregory Martin whom also I knew in Oxford would not haue any of these places vnderstood of Images of Saints but of the Idols of the Heathen But all that liued here in time of Popery or haue trauelled where such Images be much regarded must needes confesse that they haue beene and are made very Idols and that a number goe a whooring after them as the Heathen did after theirs They that tare the Church bookes heere and said Vp shall holy Crosse and you shall goe downe were not farre from this But howsoeuer other places of holy Scripture touching Images may bee vnderstood of heathen mens idols I can hardly be perswaded that S. Iohn in the place I cited before meant such only because he wrote to such Fathers as knew him that was from the beginning to such yong men as were stroÌ„g and had the word of God abiding in them and knew the truth And in the fifth chapter v. 13. he saith that they to whom he wrote beleeued in the name of the Sonne of God and therefore it is very likely that such were weaned from heathenish idols Rom. But what say you to our Sencings Offerings and such like Guid. You are so in loue with such matters that you giue vs occasion to suspect that you thinke God and the Saints are as well pleased with such things as the Heathen thought their Gods were with the bloud of Beasts Touching which Lactantius hath these words Quid enim Coelestis in se boni potest habere pecudum sanguis effusus quo aras inquinant Lactan dâ—uero cultu ca. 2 nisi forte deos existimaut eo vesci quod homines aspernantur aetingere c. For what Heauenly good thing can the bloud of Beasts haue in it wherewith being shed they pollute their Altars except perhaps they thinke the Gods doe eate that which men disdaine to touch and whosoeuer can make such a Feast though he be a Cutthroate an Adulterer a Sorcerer a Parricide he shall be a happy man him they loue him they defend he shall haue what he will worthily therefore doth Perseus after his manner deride this kinde of superstition Qua tu inquit mercede Deorum emeris auriculas pulmone c. With what wilt thou hire the Gods thee to heare With Bowels of Beasts and other like cheare So it should seeme that you thinke to winne Gods fauour by outward seruice shewes of deuotion If any of your family will go to Masse and carry a Crucifixe hee shall be your white sonne hee shall haue a farme but if he looke on a Bible or go now and then to a Sermon then out with the Hereticke he hath forfeited his lease Tract The carying of a crucifixe is but a badge of our profession Guid. Our Sauiour you know said all men should know his Disciples by louing one another Tract May not one carry a Crucifixe and loue to a Catholicke also Guid. You should loue those also whom you take for your enemies Christ saith sinners loue their louers Tract How do you know we loue theÌ„ not Guid. In that you go about to kill them Tract May not hereticks be put to death Guid. Do you accompt them Heretickes which hold that Athanasius faith is the Chatholicke faith and shall men dye ere they come to their answere Tract Athanasius saith Christ descended into hell what thinke you of that Guid. I do not onely think but stedfastly beleeue that as he suffered so farre forth in soule and body for the redemption of his people as his Father thought was sufficient for such an holy redeemer as he was to suffer So also in such sort hee hath descended into hell and lockt vp the power of the diuell for he hath the keies of hel of death and hee hath triumphed Reu. 1. hauing gotten the victory that none which repent and beleeue in him shall neede to feare the fiery force thereof
your old Latine Edition and in other places of the New Testament so in the psalmes And comming at last to the nintie psalme hee saith Sunt huius Psalmi versus septemdecim c. There bee seauenteene verses in this psalme and I dare bee bolde to say there bee more faults in the Translation of this psalme then there bee verses in the psalme And in the same Chapter he saith Itaque vere dici potest non esse hos Dauidicos Psalmos quos illi in suis sacris lectitant atque cantitant sed Graci Latinique interpretis errores Therefore it may truely bee said that the psalmes which they vsually reade and sing in their Seruice are not Dauids psalms but the errours of the Greeke and Latine Interpreter It were heere too long to recite all the faults he setteth downe in the twelfth chapter of that second question where hee noteth many places of the New Testament corrupted in the Latine Edition Towardes the end of the Chapter hee saith hee hath chosen a fewe out of manny if hee should set downe all hee should make a Volume If you list to buy the Booke it is Intituled Disputatio de sacra scriptura c. Tract Did not he which wrote that booke finde fault with them Pag. 118. which put ipsa for ipsum in the third of Genesis verse 15 Guid. Yes for finding Hu in the Hebrew and Autos in the Greeke He saw there was no reason why it should bee translated ipsae she as if not Christ but the blessed Virgin had broken the Serpents head Speake your minde M Tract did she or our blessed Sauiour dash the Diuels power Tract She brought forth him that did it Guid. We all agree in that and therefore she may be wel called blessed being preferred through the fauour of God to such an excellent office Mad. Me thinkes learned men that agree in this that the holy Scriptures are penned by the holy Ghost and contain such things as are true should leaue publishing one anothers ouersights or whatsoeuer you list to call it and ioyne together in Christian and louing sort to set forth a sound translation It is an easie matter to espy here and theee a broken quarrell in the windowes of a great building yea and of a little house too But to builde the whole house and so to build it as it may please euery mans eye that hath skill in building is another maner of matter Guid Yea Madame if charity had once so possest our hearts as to moue vs in a brotherly sort to seeke for the truth and to worship the fountaine of our life light as he might bee pleased with vs we might sing Ecee quam bonum c. Behold how good Psal 133. c. Rom. Before wee come to singing let mee heare what men of your side say of Baptisme Guid. A reuerend Father of this Land in one of his bookes saith thus Since Children be defiled by Adam B. B. if they may not be washed by Christ the disobedience of man shall be mightier to condemnation then the grace of God and the obedience of Christ to iustification which the Scriptures reiect as a wicked absurdity Wherefore the Church absolutely and flatly may not assure saluation vnto children vnbaptized lest they seeme naturally innocent or generally sanctified without baptisme albeit their parents desiring and seeking it Note if they be preuented by naturall necessity we must leaue them to the goodnesse and secret election of God not without hope because in their parents there wanted not will but an extremity disappointed them And in the Children the let was weakenesse of Age not wickednesse of heart And so the Sacrament omitted not for any contempt of Religion but by strictnesse of time In which cases Saint Augustine saith the want of baptisme may bee supplyed if it please God c. Tract Doth not your allowed Catechisme hold Sacraments generally necessary to Saluation Guid. Yes for that which is ordained by Christ to confirme our faith c. may well bee counted needfull to Saluation generally Tract What saith your Caluin is he of no request with you now Guid. I know in what request hee is Iust cap 15. But thus hee writeth touching the matter wee haue in hand No small wrong is done to the Couenant of God if wee doe not rest in it as though it were weake in it selfe whereas the effect thereof hangeth neither vpon Bapstime nor vpon any other Additions There is afterward added to it a Sacrament like a seale not that it bringeth effectualnesse to the promise of God as to a thing weake of it selfe but onely confirmeth it to vs. Whereupon it followeth the Children of the faithfull are not therefore baptized that they may then first bee made the Children of God which before were strangers from the Church Note Not by â—aâ—ure but by promise but rather that they bee therefore receiued by a solemne signe into the Church because by the benefite of the promise they did already belong to the body of our Sauâ—our Iesus Christ c. And in the sixteenth Chapter hee saith Baptisme besides this that it is a signe to testifie religion before men sheweth first the cleansing of sinne which we obtaine of the bloud of Christ then the mortifying the flesh which standeth vpon the partaking of his death by which the faithfull are regenerate to newnesse of lifâ— receiued into the fellowship of Christ Further he saith whatsoeuer agreeth with Circumcision agreeth also with Baptisme 1. The foundation in both is one to wit Christ 2. The promises whereupon the power of the signes consist are one namely of the fatherly fauour of God of the forgiuenesse of sinnes of life euerlasting 3. The thing figured is all one in both to wit regeneration Tract What else haue you of his Guid. Fateor oblatam scandali occasionem Epist resp si infans c. I confesse there is an occasion of scandall or offence offered to all the godly if by thy slackenesse or negligence the infant depart without Baptisme Wherefore not onely are they not to be borne withall which neglect baptisme but they also are not to be allowed which through a certaine boasting and for ostentations sake do long protract the administratioÌ„ of an holy thing But the infant by that meanes is depriued of the signe of health to with Baptisme yet I deny that his state is any thing the worse before God for albeit Baptisme be a seale of our adoption yet we are writteÌ„ in the book of life both by the grace of God and also by his promise For tell mee for what cause our children are saued but by that word Ego sum Deus seminis tui Gen 17.7 I am the God of thy seed and except that word did appertalne vnto them they were not to bee admitted vnto Baptisme Now if their saluation stayeth it selfe on the promise of God and that foundation bee fit of