or gospels But there is no mentyon of any suche lyke custome Therfore ther hath ben no such custome in Christes moste holy religyon except there be a most holy relygyon of Christe wherof is no mentyon at all nether in Christes gospell nether in any part of the hole newe testamente Christe neuer tyed vnto any time the receauinge of baptyme nether dyd the Apostles orden that at Easter euen and Wytson euen baptisme shoulde be receyued Nay the custom of Christes primatiue church and hys Apostels is contrary vnto the custome vsed in your moste holy religiō For I reade in the second chapter of the actes of the Apostles that ther was .iiij. M men baptised on the same daye that thei hard Peters sermon that without any delay The wordes of the scripture are these When they had heard Peters wordes they were prycked in their herte and sayde vnto Peter the other Apostles what shall we do ye men whyche are our brethren Peter sayde vnto them repent you of your sinnes and let euery one of you be Baptised in the name of Iesus Christ to the forgeuenes of sinnes and ye shal receiue the gifte of the holy goste to you and to youre chylder and to all them that are afar of whome soeuer our Lorde GOD shal call And with many other wordes he witnessed exhorted sayng kepe your selues from this frowarde nacion Therefore they that gladly receiued the worde wer baptised ther came to the churche that same day about .iij thousand soules How say you fynde ye any mention of these wordes competentes of Cathechumeni of differinge baptime vnto easter euen and Witsoneuen or of any yere of probation After that Philip in the .iiij. of the actes of the apostles had with in the space of few houres diligētly instructed the gelded mā Thesame said vnto Philip whō he saw the water beholde here is water what let is there but that I may be baptised What wold ye haue done if that ye had bene in Philips place it dothe appere by your writynge that ye wolde haue aunswered syr it is the custom in our moste holy religion to baptise only vpon Easter euen witsonday euen and suche as haue bene competentes cathecumem and haue bene longe tyme approued and that haue geuē a sufficient profe of true repentaunce But howsoeuer ye wolde haue aunswered Phylyp aunswered and dyd thus If thou beleuest with al thy hart thou mayest be baptysed and the Enuch aunswered I beleue that Iesus Christ is the sone of God and he commaunded to holde still the wagen and thei went both downe into the water Philip and the Enuch Philip baptised hym Did Philip require of this mā a yere of probatiō that he shuld be catechumes and competentes a greate whyle before he shulde be baptised No forfoth For he Baptised hym streyght waie wythout any delay at all Peter in the .x. of the Actes after that his heres hadde receiued the holy goost sayde these wordes can there any man let but that these may be baptised whiche haue receyued the holy goste as wel as we what wold ye haue answered vnto S. Peter if ye had ben ther It is likely that ye wold haue answered lack of faith age in al thē that are vnder the age of .xiiij. yeres and the vse of Christes primatiue churche is to baptyse none with so sclender a trial of vnfained repentaūce nother is it the custome in our moost holy religion that any that haue not ben longe tyme tryed and haue not ben competētes and Cathechumeni shuld be baptised and the time serueth not for it is nother Easter euē nor Witsonday euē Wel I can not suerelie tel what ye wold haue answered but Peter dyd commaunde them al to be Baptised in the name of the Lorde thei were baptised with out any further delay or triall Ananias in the .ix. Chapiter of the actes came vnto Paule layinge his handes vpon his head and seide thus Brother Saul the Lorde whome thou sawest in the way wherin thou came hath sent me that thou shuld receiue thy sight againe and be filled with the holy goste forthwyth there fell from hys eyes as they had bene scales and he saw again and rose was baptised Howe many wekes was Paule a competentes and how longe was he cathechumenus Can ye proue that Ananias did differ his baptime vntil Easter or witsonday In the .xvi of the actes Lidia was baptised with out any delay The dysciples that were at Ephesus and had ben only baptised of Iohn with out any prolongynge of tyme were baptised out of hand It is also wryten of Paul in the .xxij. of the Actes of the Apostels that Ananias sayd vnto Paule as sone as he hadde receyued his sight why taryest thou ryse vp and be baptised It appeareth plainly if you had bē in Pauls stede that ye wold haue thus holyly and wysely haue answered Ananias what hast It hath bene a custome long in our moste holy religion that no man shall be baptised except he haue ben competens and Cathechumenus and haue shewed some suer tryall of hys vnfayned repentaunce yet for all the custom in your most holy religiō Paul was streight way baptised Now seynge that I haue brought furth .vij. sundrye places and examples to proue that the custom in Christes holy Relygyon in the primatiue churche was contrarye vnto the custome that ye sayde was in youre mooste holy relygyon seuen score yeres How shameles a lyer ye be ye are sufficiently declared yf that ye meane by your moste holy religion Christes religiō By the same places is your supersticious admitting of men to baptim your diabolic al delaies that Christes people haue ben longe tryed ben competentes Cathechumeni vtterly confunded Wher as ye say that your custū endured .vij score yeares it is not true for though Hyginus whom ye cal very vnlearnedly Iginius had ordened the baptisinge of children whiche I will not graunte you yet had not youre scrupulous custom of dilaying of baptime endured seuen score yeares for ye must take out the tyme that goeth betwen Christis byrth and the tyme that Paule dyd preache in which time wer about .xlix. yeares after Christes natiuitie at the leste for Christ was aboute xxxiiij yeares old when he suffered Thapostels preached after Christes passion a greate while before Paule was conuerted whiche beynge but yonge kept the clothes of them that flew Steuē and thē a good while after was Paule called Let me se where youre dilayinge custom can be found in Christes tyme whose actes and doctrine the foure Euangelistes haue fully described and committed vnto writinge and I haue proued that the custom of the primatiue church is clene contrary vnto your custō this is also approued to be true Higinus was bishop in Rome An .c.xxxix. yeres by the abrigement of Chronicles and by Pāthalion in hys Chronographia In C.xi. and by Eusebius he entred in to hys office An.
Sacramente For Christ sayeth Accipite edite bibite facite in mei recordationem Take ye eate ye drinke ye and do ye thys in the remembrance of me Then when as the chylder can not receyue the Sacramēt and can not eat drynk nor do that in the supper that God requireth that is to eat drink in the remembraunce of hym it is mete that chylder be dyfferred from the supper vntyl they may and can eat and drynk and receyue the supper as Christ ordened it to be receyued And because baptim is a passiue Sacrament no man can baptise hym self but is baptise do◠an other childer may be as wel dipped in to the water in the name of Christ which is the outward baptym and as myche as one man can gyue an other euen as olde folke and when as they haue the promisse of saluation as well as old folk can receyue the signe of the same as wel there is no cause why that the baptyme of chylder shulde be differed CHRIST dyd not baptyse hymself but Iohan the baptist baptised hym In the second of the actes and the .x. where as manye were baptised no man baptysed hym felf nother do we rede in any place of the new Testament that any man baptised hym self then when as baptym is gyuen by other and the supper of the Lorde is taken of a man by hym self it foloeth not that baptym ought to be differred so longe as the supper ought to be differed Wee reade in the actes of he Apostels that all they that came into the felowshyppe of Christes churche entred in by baptym and dyd not cōmunicate streighte waye after they were baptised Allthough I grant with in a shorte tyme after they receyued the supper of the Lorde as many as were able to receuer it Then when as chylder perteyne vnto christes churche it is mete that they entre in by the same dore that olde folke enter in by then oughte they not to be holden out from the churche vntyll they may allso receiue CHRISTES supper Baptym is the putting on of CHRIST as Paule sayeth Quotquot baptizati estis Christum induistis As many of you as ar baptised haue CHRIST put vpon you Is it conuentent that the pore infantes shal be naked and want CHRIST vnput vpon them vntyll that they come to the .xiiij. yeare of theyr age Howe shall they come worthylye to Christes supper and haue not CHRIST for they garmēt Therefore they must fyrst put on Christe by baptyme and then afterward at conuenient tyme receyue the Lordes supper I shewed that water presupposed vnclenes in all that ar baptysed and I set the sygne of the water as an argumente agaynst thē of your sect which deny originall syn But ye saye that I haue proued nether of both vnlesse I proue that Christ ordeded that chylder shulde be baptised To proue that the water in baptyme signifyeth the impurite of them that are Baptysed Ananias sayde vnde Peter Exurge baptizare ablue peccata tua Ryse vp and be baptysed and washe away thy synnes saynt Paul calleth baptym the bathe of regeneration and the bath of water wherby the churche is made clene In all thes places ye hear mention of wasshynge and water and of scouryng by the water wherfore that water of baptysme signifyeth that they that are baptysed haue nede of washynge and are vnclene yf they be chyldern and haue committed no actuall syn then it folowethe that they are defyled with originall syn yf they be commede vnto perfyt age that then they ar spotted both with originall and actual synne The former part is proued The other parte I proue thus Baptym signifieth in all them that are baptysed that they are vnclene and haue originall syn but chyldern are baptised therfore the water signified in theyr baptym that they are gyltye of original syn seyng that they haue commytted no actuall as yet If ye saye that chyldern are vnworthlly baptysed therfore the water of theyr Baptyme condemneth them not of originall synne and wanteth the sygnyfication I answer that the vnworthynes of the receyuynge of the Sacramente hyndereth not the sygnification of it allthought it be both vnprofytable and also damnable to the receauer of vnworthelye When as a noughtye mane receyueth the Sacramente of CHRISTES bodye vnworthelye doth the brekinge of the bread leue of sygnifying that CHRISTES body was broken for that synfull and vnworthy receyuer Therfore baptym in all that ar baptysed betokeneth that they are gyltyl of originall syn at the leaste Where as ye saye that for lack of scripture I am faine to flye vnto rryginall syn to proue the baptym of chyldern I praye you what scripture haue ye broughte sence the beginninge of your boke to proue the contrary Whether I haue broughte any scripture for the probation of my opynion or no I reporte me vnto the readers of my sermon and of thys booke also Where as the commaundement is generall and perteyneth vnto an hole speciall kynd it perteyneth to euery one conteyned vnder the speciall kynde althoughe the particular be not expressedly named as in thys example if that all men be resonable lyuynge creatures then chylder are also resonable creatures because they are conteyned vnder the name of a man thoughe they are not expressed by name in the generall Or els yf that were not true howe shoulde ye proue that wemen shoulde be saued that wyues wydowes and maydens shoulde receyue the Lordes supper and be baptysed seynge that the apostels haue no expressed commaundement of GOD neyther the women shulde be baptysed nother be receyued vnto the supper of the Lorde Wherfore excepte ye wil exclude and shyt out wemen from the supper of the Lorde and from baptim because there is no expressed word to commaunde them to be baptised and to receyue Christus supper ye cā not shyt out ceylder from baptime For chylder are as well conteyned vnder thys worde nations as wemen bee in thys generall precepte teache all nations and baptyse them into the name of the father and the sonne and the holy ghoste If that ye aunswere that preachyng and Baptysynge be tyed together and they oughte alwayes to bee doone together I reade that Chryste sayde vnto hys Apostels Mar. xvi preache ye the Gospel vnto euery creature If thys worde creature do signifie here man then are the Apostels when as baptime is vnseperably ioyned with preachynge bounde to baptise all that they preache to and they are bounde to preache to all men therefore by youre reason they are bounde to baptise all men Chylder are men therefore the Apostels are bound to baptise chylder and to preache vnto chylder If that ye saye that preache the Gospell vnto all menne is to be thus vnderstande preache the Gospel vnto all men that can receyue the preachyng then is the lyke generall precept baptise all men so to be vnderstande that they are to be baptised whyche can receyue baptime But the childer of the Christians
canne as well receiue the ouer baptime whiche is the dippyng into the water in the name of Christe as the infantes of the Iewes could receyue the sacrament of circumcision Then are childer as well to be baptised as olde folke are to be preached vnto and to be baptised Ar we now so destitute of scripture to proue that infantes maye be baptysed that we are fayne to fly for helpe to original sinne Whē as I proue by that that chylder haue originall synne that they hadde nede of the bath of water and regeneration do I flye from scrypture is the matter of origynall synne no part of scripture you do holde that there is none at all and therefore that the childer nede not nother ought to be baptysed vntyll they be .xiiij. yeare olde before whiche tyme they haue done many actuall synnes whyche hadde nede to be wasshed awaye wyth the bath of baptime Therefore it is no meruell that ye exclude originall synne from scripture as a thing whiche can not be found in scripture In youre nexte question ye make as wise a reason agaynst me as ye dyd in the begynnynge of youre booke dyuerse times This is my reason that ye go aboute to confute and ouerthrowe As for the vse of water is to clenge and scoure thynges that are vncleane and sygnifyeth where it is brought that there is some thynge whyche nedeth to be made clene so in oure baptyme the water doth signifye vnto vs that there is some vnclennes and fylthynes in our nature that had nede to be washed For thys cause I may sett the water in our baptym for an argument agaynst them that say that men as soone as they be borne haue no originall synne But let vs se your argument agaynst thys my saying ☞ Is that a suffycyent cause to proue orygynall synn to be in infantes because ye offer them water ¶ I aunswer the baptim of infantes being lawfull godly as I do presuppose it thē the water of baptim which vnfaithfullye ye cal onli water leuing out of baptim must nedes signifi vnto childer that they are vnclene But when as they haue committed no actuall synne and are yet synnes it foloweth that they haue origynall synne excepte there be mo synnes then actuall and originall But nowe let vs heare youre hole argument wherewith ye intende to boxe me Is that a sufficient cause to proue originall synne to be in infantes because ye offer them water Then is it as sufficient to proue that the Turkes and Iewes wyth al the rest of the people of the worlde haue it not nor are infected therewyth because ye offer it not vnto them I aunswere vnto thys argument by shewyng the like how stronge and myghtye thys of yours is Preachyng of Gods worde presupposeth that ther where it is preached men are infected with originall and actual synne but ye offer no preaching of Gods word vnto the Iewes Turkes and vnto the rest of the infydeles in the world therfore ye recken that nether Turke nor Iew nether any other infydele hath ether originall or actuall synne If that ye thynke that all the aboue rehersed infideles haue both originall and actuall synne for all that ye offer them no preachynge so I thynke that the forsayd infydeles haue orygynall synne not withstandyng that I offer thē no water In your next reason ye presuppose it that I dyd neuer beleue sence I hadde anye knowledge in the scripture that is that the water of baptyme taketh awaye the vnclennes of the soule but well wot I that the holy ghoste worketh onelye that worke and no creature in the worlde I knowe that Christes hole baptyme that is both the outwarde and the inner together purgeth both bodye and soule And I do fynd in dyuerse places of the newe Testament that it hath pleased GOD to graunt forgyuenesse of synnes by the inwarde baptyme when the outward baptyme was ministred that the thyng signyfyed shulde agree wyth the outwarde signe and sygnyfycatyon Peter sayd in the second chap. of the actes Let euery one of you be baptysed in the name of Iesu Christe to the forgyuenes of synne and ye shall receyue the gyft of the holy ghost Peter also sayeth Acto x. What lette is there that these be not baptysed in water whyche haue receyued the holy ghoste as well as we And Luke telleth that the meany of Cornelius receyued the holy ghoste and were contynentie baptysed with water Ananias also in the .ix. of the actes sayeth vnto Paule Brother Saule the lorde whom thou sawest in the way hath sente me that thou shouldest receyue thy syght agayne and be fylled wyth the holy ghoste and immediatelye there fell from hys eyes as they had bene scales and he receyued hys syghte and rose was baptysed ye se now how that God ioyneth in hys word the two baptymes together so that the outwarde baptyme is not a vayne signe and to be dispysed as ye seme to do where as ye axe how can water he le the woundes of the soul But leaste ye saye that I alledge your mynde falsely I wyll rehearse your wordes as ye wrote thē ☞ But nowe I saye that all the worlde hath synned and is defyled in Adā Howe nowe wyll water scoure awaye the fylthe of thps corruptyon No. It is a wounde receiued in the soule and is washed away but wyth the only fayth in the bloude of Christ ¶ Ye say here that all the world hath synned and is defyled in Adam and yf ye meane no subtylte and vnderstande by the worlde both the electe and the other lykewyse ye graunte openly orygynalle synne whych in other places ye haue denied and do denye as hereafter we shall proue both by your saying and doynge If that all the world hath synned in Adam thē haue also yonge chyldren synned in the same and ye saye that the corruption of Adam can not be scoured awaye wyth anye thynge sauyng only wyth the fayth in the bloud of Christe Ye saye also that no chylde hath fayth and therfore call all infantes vnbeleuers It foloweth of youre sayenge that ye are of that opynyon that all the chyldrē which dyed sence the begynnynge of the worlde vnto thys daye dyed vnpurged from the fylth of the soule and wythout forgyuenes of origynall synne Whose rewarde seynge that it is the death of the soule and euerlastynge dampnatyō herevpon it maye be gathered that ye are of thys opynyon that all chylderen are in the state of dānatyon and that yf they dye they are all dampned For thys argument maye be clearelye and truely gathered of youre owne sayinge ¶ None shall be scoured frō the corruption of orygynall synne but suche as haue fayth in the bloude of Christe But all chylderne wante fayth in the bloude of Christe as ye teache both openlye and pryuelye Therfore by you no chylderne are scoured from the corruption of orygynall synne ¶ Wherevpon it foloweth yf these sayinges of Paule be true Euyll was
in these wordes He that wyll beleue and be baptised shall be saued What wood spret taught you this folish philosophy that one cause shuld bring lurth two diuerse and contrary effectes as ar saluation condemnatiō It is a great maruell to se such great arrogantie as ye haue to be ioyned wyth so lytle knowlege But so are thei al that are blasted with the Anabaptistical sprit as you be If that I could haue made no other shyft when ye argued with me that al Turkes and Iewes were withoute origynall synne because they had no water offered vnto thē I might here by youre helpe in this place haue answered thus ye say that remission of syn and baptim is offered vnto all then when as baptim is not without water water is offred vnto al thē by your own graūt all haue originall synne whyche ye denied stoutly before because sum wanted the offeryng of water To that ye say the Gospel hath no powre vpon infantes and muche lesse sacramentes that therfore nother preachyng nor administration of sacramentes ar dew to infantes by the word of god I meruel what ye mean by hauyng power If ye meane by hauynge power ouer to belonge and to be profitable your sayng is twise false for both the word of God belōgeth vnto infantes presently by the reason of the promys whyche is made vnto thē in the worde and it is dew vnto thē against thei come to age as a chylder landes are dewe vnto him thoughe he can not inioye them afore he come to age that the administration of Sacramentes ar dew vnto chyldren the Sacrament of circumcisyon and the rayn bow are witnesses agaynst you and proue yow ar a fals a shameles lyer therfore who wyll beleue yow hereafter no mā but such as haue delyte in lyes and abominable heresies Youre conclusion agreeth as well with your antecedēt as thys argument doth folowe a staff standeth in the corner ergo a man rinneth and it is of such a fasshon made that I dowt whether it be more folyshe vnlearned or more malicious for it presupposeth that I brought in to proue that childer had originall synne a brushe when as made mention of a brush not to proue that chyldren had origynall synne but for a similitude after this maner Euen as whē one bryngeth a mā a brushe that is commed home from hys iorney it is a signe that his clothes ar dusty so when as water is offered vnto thē that ar baptised it is a token that they had nede of scouryng and clengyng and ar vncleue Nether dyd I holde that water dyd scoure the sowle but I shewed that the water betokened that the sowl of thē that were baptised had nede of scowryng Then let all christian and learned men iuge how learned and charitable is this your conclusion So that your brushe proueth the contagion of infantes as ruyche as your water and helpeth alyke to scoure the same ¶ After this your vnlearned and malitious conclusion ye begin a new mater feyn a sayng of your own braine as thoughe I had sproken it and them ye scourge me for your foolishe dawishe and vnlearned lyinge for after these my wordes Well it is good to remede a diseas in the beghinnyng and to stay hys course lest at lenght it grow ford far that it be past remedie or help It is spoken lyke a Phisition and that maketh yow to lay a playster of colde water to the synn of infantes so tymely But suerly out of dew tyme and other to parly or to late for they ar wors afterwarde ¶ Is not thys a prety fashion of confutyng for lack of scripture reason and learning to feyn lye and scof after thys manerye ar lyke to wyn but a few scolares that ar honest men after this maner All myghty God in the olde Testament knowinge that the infātes of his people wer sike in original syn gaue them the medicine of remissyon of synnes commāded that they shulde haue circumcision layde vpon them as a seale and token of goddis promised and fauour vnto them That all myghty GOD promised the chylderen of the Iewes remission of sinnes these wordes do testifi Genes xvij I wyll streynge then my cumnant betwene me and the and betwene they sede after the in theyr generationes with an euerlastyng cōnant that I may be a GOD vnto the and to thy sede Then to bee a God is to be a sauiour but he sayde he wolde be a GOD vnto the chyldren of the Iewes therfore he promysed that he wold be a sauiour vnto them So that the promyss of saluation belongeth as well vnto the chyldren as it perteyneth vnto theyr fathers It is expressedly declared in the same chapter that the loue of GOD was so great vnto chylderen that he not only graūted vnto chylderen saluation but also the seale and sygne of saluation the Sacracrament of circumcision as these wordes bear witnes Thys is my comnant whych ye shall kepe betwene yow and me and also betwen thy sede after the let euery male be circumcysed among yow But ye shal circuncyse the fleshe of your forskynne whiche shall be the sygne of the couenant betwene yow and me and they ought to be circuncysed that my couenant myght be in your fleshe If GOD be true as he can not befals there the yong chylderen obteyned it That GOD promised and that was remissyone of synnes whych was the promised blissyng and that GOD commandeth the sygne and seale of remission of synne to be layd vpon chyldern this is also certayn Then whē ay all myghty GOD the archephisiccon and heler of both body and soule began so tymely and erly to heale yong chyldern no godly man wyll mock Christes ministres while they lay vpon the infantes of the christianes the sygne of saluation of remission of sinnes after that almyghty God hath heled thē from originall syn as well as he heled the childer of the Israelites If that ye deny that the childer of the Israelites were healed ye must deny that God promysed to be a God vnto them If they were healed thē ar our children also healed by thesame physician as erly and tymely as the Iewes chyldren were healed seyng God loueth the Christianes chyldren as well as he dyd the Iewes chyldren and hys promis of helth and saluacion was as well made vnto our children as to the Iewes chylder All chylder ar infected with originall synne whiche if it were not taken away should turne them to damnacion then to offer vp chylder vnto Christ that they may receyue at the cōtemplacion of the prayers of the church and for the promis that God made vnto them remissiō of theyr originall vnclenenes is that to tymely don when as they ar conceyued in wykkednes and borne in synne But I know your meanyng well ye ar of that mynde that ye thynke that chylder haue no synne and that therfore ye reken that they nether nede goddis physik nor any seale of