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
A preseruatiue or triacle agaynst the poyson of Pelagius lately renued styrred vp agayn by the furious secte of the Annabaptistes deuysed by Wyllyam Turner Doctor of Physick Beleue not euery spirite but proue the spirites whether they be of God or no. To the moste stedfast godly true preacher of Gods worde maister Hughe Latimer Wylliam Turner Physicion wyssheth long lyfe and good helth if it be the wyll and pleasure of almighty God with continuaunce in al vertues and godlynes and Christ our ryghteousnes THe same thing chaunceth nowe and hath chaunced euer since the begynning vnto all true prechers and defenders of Goddes holy worde that chaunced vnto the noble and doughtye warryer Hercules Hercules for the loue that he bare vnto his country toke many a ieoperdous and labor sum worke in hande and euer after that one was ended another began so that they myght haue semed to be tyed together wyth chaynes one dyd alwayes so coÌ„tinually and almoste touchingly folowe onother But his trouble and busines that he had with the kylling of the seuen hedded water snake called Hydra is moste lyke in all poyntes vnto the labour sum worke of Christes souldiers and true preachers for euer as he kylled one heade with his arrowes and strooke it of with hys sworde There rose vp another agayne vntyll that at the length he destrâ—… them wyth fyrebrandes Euen so the Aposteâ—… of Christe as they had ouercoÌ„med one labour they were cumbred streigth way with another Fyrst they had much a do in conuertyng the Iewes from theyr euil lyfe and not a litle to do to pull them from the false beleue that they had to be iustified by the workes of the law whichâ— for all that they kept not they had muche to do to bryng the Iewes from the ceremonyes of Moyses lawe and to make them beleue that they were put downe by the death of Christe The turning of the heathen from ydolatry vnto the belefe in Christ after that they had conuerted many of the Iewes was both a ieoperdous and a tumbrous labour But after all these great laboures there rose vp a sort of heretikes who wold haue not only defaced blotted out all of the prayse that the Apostels wan by theyr labours but vtterly haue destroyed and vndone all their doynges The names of the heretikes were Simon Magus Ebion and Corinthus Austen Ambrose and Hierom with other lyke fathers in their tymes had great trouble and beesines with the innumerable enemies of Christes trueth And we in our tyme are not in all pointes vnlike vnto Hercules For one labour euer successiuely receyueth and foloweth another First in Cambridge about .xx. yeares ago ye toke great paynes to put men from their wyl workes as pylgrimage and settyng vp of candels and with great labour ye brought many from them vnto the workes that God commaunded expressedly in his holy scripture and to the reading study of Gods worde al dreames and vnprofitable gloses of men set a syde and vtterly despised Then this fundacion of Goddes worde ones layde we that were your disciples hadde much to do in Cambridge after your departing from vs with them that defended praying vnto sayntes iustification of workes holye water superfluous holy dayes the sacrifice of the masse lyinge of parsons froÌ„ their benefices prouision for purgatorye the syngle lyuyng of ministers and the superstitious choyse of meates many suche other doctrines contrary vnto the scripture And though this stryfe agaynst Gods enemies were common to me 〈◊〉 many yet I had specially to do with a bucke wiâ—… a certayn man that had a name of the colour of â—…adder with the fox and hys foster and with a certayn wytche called maystres missa But after I was easid from al these monsters by the help principally of almyghty God and by the â—yde of the kyng and his counsell I thought to haue bene at good rest and quietnes from contentious striuinges wherewith I had bene muche troubled in tymes past and had fully purposed to haue set all my ordinaunce against grosse vyces and noughtye lyuyng of the people in this realme But beholde sodenly sterte oute a woode spirite muche perillouser then all the beastes that I had to do with before not because he is stronger then the other but because his poyson that he intenderh to spoute oute is more perillous then the others poyson was Some man peraduenture wyll saye that if I woulde I myght haue auoyded all these perilles if I would haue medled with my Physick only not haue cumbred my self with matters of diuinite and that I am therfore well worthy this trouble To whom I aunswer that if that I had had such a conscience as to many now a dayes haue that I could haue founde in my harte to take the dignities rewards and lyuynges of Christes churche and to do nothyng for them and if that I hadde not thought it better that one man should runne into ieopardy then that many thousandes should haue ben poysoned with the poyson of Pelagius I myght in deede haue easely auoyded this perillous labour But after that my lorde Archebyshop of Yorke had ones geuen me a prebende I could not be quiet vntill that I had licence to reade or preache Whiche obteyned I began to rede and so to discharge mi conscience And because I dyd perceyue that diuerse began to be infected with the poyson of Pellagius I deuised a lecture in Thistelworth agaynst two of the opinions of Pelagius namely against that childer haue no original sin that they oughte not to be baptised But within a few wekes after one of Pelagius disciples in the defence of his masters doctrine wrote against my lecture with all the cunnyng and learning that he had But lest he should glorye and crake amonge his disciples that I could not aunswer him and to the intent that the venemous seede of his soweyng maye be destroyed and so hyndered from bryngyng forth frute I haue set out this boke to aunswer hym in the one of his opinions and God wyllyng when I haue set out my Herbal I shal aunsuer hym to the other And this small worke I dedicate vnto you as a worthy patrone for it I myght haue dedicated it vnto some great man of aucthoritie power and ryches but consyderyng that nether aucthoritie power nor ryches are able to defende my boke if the Pelagians should write agaynst it I haue chosen you as a patron to defende it with your learning whiche is only a better defence then all the dignitie riches of the worlde be they neuer so great Nowe after that I haue desired you to be a patrone vnto my boke I must aske you counsel how that I and my felowes shal behaue our selues agaynst this monstere of our tymes that ye may by our labours be put afterwards to lesse payne This monstre is in many poyntes lyke vnto the watersnake with seuen heades For as out of one bodye rose seuen heades
broughte by lynage into all men by the trespasse of one man vnto condemnatyon The rewarde of synne is death By Adam all men do dye and by one manne synne entred into the worlde and thorough synne death as farre furth as we haue all synned that all chyldern whych as ye holde are vnbeleuers and therefore can not be purged for lacke of fayth in Christes bloude muste nedes be damned Whych opinion howe wycked it is and howe contrarye vnto the holye scrypture lette the chyrch of CHRIST gyue sentence Haue ye not taught holsome lessons in youre boke wherof suche a damnable conclusyon foloweth Are ye not worthye to be dubbed a doctour of heresye If ye be not I can not tell who is Wher as ye say that water cā not scoure the soule because orygynall syn is a wounde receyued of the soule ye seme to mene that the bodye shall not be damned for orygynall synne as a thing that neuer receyued it Is it not agaynst iustyce that they shoulde be condemned together whych were not conioyned in the dede doynge that deserued damnation ¶ Ye holde in youre nexte sentence a maruelous opynyon whyche is thys It is to be vnderstande that thoughe synne be common to all yet baptyme is not common to all Whych sentence semeth not to be true For to whomsoeuer preaching is common to the same is also baptyme common For preachyng and baptysyng are ioyned and commaunded together in these wordes Euntes docete omnes gentes baptizantes eas Go and teache all natyons baptysyng them Then is baptyme as common as preaching is hut preachyng is common to all ▪ therfore is also baptyme common to all though all wyll not receyue it For a man hauinge seuerall grounde ynough of hys owne oft tymes putteth no cattell into the comon allthough hys parte is as commō vnto hym as vnto anye other man Are the feldes no more cōmon vnto a man after that he enioyeth no longer the profyte of the common feldes Answer me wyth scrypture as I do confute yow wyth scrypture and let your arrogant I says whyche ye haue wythin thre leues of the begynnyng of your booke in the stede of scrypture boldly brought in thre tymes goo shake theyr eares For thoughe ye haue inchaunted your wretched scholars so that they beleue that it is the gospel whatsoeuer ye say yet are ye in no such autoryte maister doctor with me that I wyll beleue your I say when as ye bryng neuer one text of scrypture to bylde your I say vpon Well I deny the doctor saye what he wyll and set these textes of the scripture agaynst hym Paule wryteth vnto the Romanes thus As by the trespas of one man euel was brought by lynage into all men to condēnation so by the rightuousnes of one good came vnto all men to the iustifycation of lyfe Then is iustifycation as comon as condemnatiō And baptym is as cōmon as iustifycatyon is then is baptyme common vnto as many as sinne is common to Saynt Ihon sayeth that Christ obteyned mercye for our synnes and not only for our synnes but for the synnes of the hole worlde Lo here is mercy and remyssyon of synnes as generall and as commō as synne is And baptyme is common to all to whome remissyon of synne is common for baptym is the seale of forgyuenes of synnes and so he that maketh the one common maketh also the other common youre meruelous sentence therefore will not stand with scripture Of lyke folyshnes is youre conclusyon that foloweth that is that baptyme is to be offered to all men yet is it not to be gyuen to all men nor to be taken of all men Whosoeuer offereth anye thynge to anye creature and intendeth not to gyue the same mocketh the creature as when the Popishe priest sayeth vnto hys parishoners Accipite comedite take ye and eate ye and gyueth them nothyng but eateth all hym selfe mocketh hys parishoners And ye captaynes of catabaptistrye offer baptyme vnto all chyldren and intend not to gyue it vnto them Therfore ye mocke all chylderne lyke as boyes mock yong byrdes and yong choughes whyles ye offer vnto thē baptyme whych ye neuer intende to gyue them ¶ For the confutacyon of the laste parte of your sayinge that is that baptyme is not to be taken of all men I aske you whether mortification and regeneracyon ought to be taken of all men or no If that mortificatyon and regeneratyon ought to be receyued of all men and true baptym is true mortifycation and perfyt regeneracyon then ought all men to receyue baptym That baptim is mortyfycacyon and regeneracion Paule beareth witnes to the Romanes in the sixt Chapter and vnto Titus the thyrd chapter and in other places whych I might here reherse if I thought not these sufficient And so is your sayng false that all men ought not to the baptysed But what if all men ought not to be baptised What hindereth that baptisyng of yōg childrē What if many wicked persones be not worthy to receiue the seal of saluaciō I mean the outward baptime because thei wilfulli willingly refuse mortification wtstand the word of God shal their vnworthines make the innocent childer whō Christ hath wasshed with his bloud vnmet vnworthy to receiue the sacramēt of saluatiō regeneratiō the seal of the promis which god made vnto thē Thē this sayng of yours that al mē ought not to receiue baptī proueth nothing that chylder ought not to be baptized here may al mē se that your ground that ye wold make is but sande falleth whē it is but lightly touched that the worke that ye wold bylde vpō your fundaciō can fynd no fast groūd to rest vpō Wherfore ye ar not lyke to prosper in your purpose baptim say ye is onli dew to the elect churche chosen in Christe Iesus before al worldes What maketh this agaynst the christening of yōg childer I thāk yow for ye help me with argumētes agaynste your false doctrine For if baptim be only dew vnto the elect churche chosen in Christ Iesus before al worldes then is baptim dew vnto al the mēbres sparkes of the same churche but chylder ar membres a part of the elect churche Therfore baptim is dew vnto thē What nede vs now to dispute any longer in this matter seyng that by your own sayēg baptim is dew vnto childer as the membres of Christes elect churche chosen befor the worldes Is baptim only dew to the elect and chosen if that be so your brether anabaptistes of munster did wrong whē they baptysed so many deuilishe and reprobat persones of your sect that they by theyr myght and strenght put down all lawfull magistrates and rulers there and set vp a Kyng among them selues which had .xvi. wyues were these murderers and dispisers of goddis ministers of the elect chyrche was thys kyng ryghtly regenerate and a mortifyer of hys membres vpon earth which had so many wymen to
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
is as well promised vnto chylderen as to old folk childer mai be aswel be saued thereby as old folk haue theyr vnclenenes as well taken away by it as old folk haue theyr offences taken away by it allthoughe they be not as yit cūmed vnto the vse of faythe I bryng for an example the infantes of the Iewes whose naturall vnclenenes other God thorow his mercy took away befor they cam vnto the vse of fayth or elles they were all damned for they were both gotten and born in original syn Then your general proposiciō is not trew without a trew vnderstāding nothīg agaīst me nother serueth it for your purpose with a trew vnderstāding for ye brīg it into proue that chylder haue no syn thus wold ye haue resoned and ye had had learnynge to your mynde Where as there is no faith there is no remissiō of synnes but no chylde hath faythe therfore no chyld hath remissiō of synnes If that chylder had synnes they shuld haue had remission of them by faythe but when as they haue no faythe then haue they nether synne nor remission of synne I haue twise al redy āswered vnto this your argument before wherefore I shall not nede at thys tyme to confite it any more Where as ye thynk that I am not healed from synne my self because I wold haue yong chyldrē baptised I cā not let yow to thynk of me what ye list but if ye iuge falsly there is a iuge wil ponishe yow for your fals iugement And to say that I am not heled from the romisshe pok is suche a lyke wepō as .ij. wyues scoldyng vpon .ij. dong hylles te vse to feygh whyh one agaynst an other The on sayeth thow art a drab the other asketh why she is a drab the former answereth for thow art a drab shewyng no cause why that hyr neybor shuld be a drab Euē so ye haue sayd sence the begynnyng of your bok diuers tymes that the baptym of chylder is a popish ordinance here ye saye that the romishe pok is to baptise infantes but ye haue not as yit shewed one worde to proue that the baptyme of chylderen was popishe except that your oft rehersall of it be a sufficient profe to proue it with all thynk you because ye haue with your importune bablyng bewiched certayn vnlnearned simple mē that thei beleue to be true what soeuer ye say ons vnto thē that your thryse sayng of a lye shall purches credence because ye do so oft repete the same Can it that is by nature false by oft rehersyng be cū true what other profe haue ye hither to brought that the baptym of chylder is popishe sayng only your own oft rehersal of it whych hath as mych autoryte with me and all that cleue to the wryten worde of GOD as the gospell of Munster hathe Hytherto haue ye bene about to confute my opinion that yōg chyldren may be baptysed but ye haue brought in for you nothynge sauyng one text of scripture and that negatiue Which I truste I haue so taken from you that it dyd not serue your purpose Now doth my opynion abyde styll vnmoued and vnreproued and yit haue ye donn that ye can ye may se what it awayleth your wood sprete to fyght agaynst the scripture Then ye beyng wery in wadyng in this mater with small honestie begyn a newe mater that is that chylderen haue no originall synne and in the fyrst sayeng ye ar as clere agaynste your self afterwarde as here is to colde lyght vnto darknes for thus do ye begyn But your deuelishe pok is thys to cleare infantes from synn whiche ye call originall ¶ If thys he a deuelishe pok then haue ye the deuelles pok for ye go ernestly about to proue that chyldern haue no originall synne And as for me it is as manifeste as the clere daye lyght that I do not clere chylder from originall synn for that is one of the maters that I go moste earnestly about in my sermon to proue that chylder haue originall synn not wichstandyng that I do grant that all myghty GOD purgeth and scoureth them from it in theyr infancie by his mercy accordīg vnto his promyse which he made vnto them By this contradiction with it that foloweth here after ye may bether learne this great clerk is wit and the agrement of his spirite with it self Then after this monstrous cōtradictiō ye brust into a sterklye which is conteyned in these wordes folowyng ¶ This is the pok ye take in hande to cure ether with water or fyer I neuer went about to take original syn away by water but I went about to proue that chylder had original sinne and that Christe taketh the same synne from chylder by his promysed mercy and that therfore the sacrament of baptim shuld be offered vnto them as a sygne and seale of saluation whiche they haue receyued by the merites of Christis passiō It is therfore both maliciously lyingly sayd of yow that I take in hande to cure originall syn with water And of lyke truthe is it that ye wryte in the margen that I go about to cure yow with fyre For if I wolde haue gon about that I knew and know meanes enow to bryng that to pas For as muche as ye ar an open felon against the kyngis lawes and haue committed suche felony as ye ar excepted out of the pardon where of theues and robbers ar partakers Almyghty GOD amende yow and bryng yow in to the hygh way agayn and saue yow from it that ye haue iustly deserued The first argument that ye make to proue that chylder haue no originall synne is this ¶ If Christe had counted infantes so defiled with Adames sinne as ye do he wold neuer haue sent his Apostelles vs vnto childer to be defyled of them But now he sendeth vs thyther for clennes to becum suche as they ar if we wold entre into the kyngdom of God wasshed to the vnwasshed Christened to the vnchristened beleuers to vnbeleuers Not to becum pocky or leprose but that we shuld be ful of innocēcie simplicite For it is writē except ye conuert becum as these infantes ye shall not entre in to the kyngdom of heuenes I am glad that ye ar now cōtent to allege scripture for your purpose Hetherto ye haue foughten agaynst me only with I say and certayn scoldynges vnreasonable resones which ye feyned of your own brayne But now let vs se how ryghtly ye haue alleged the Scripture and whether it that ye intende doth folow of the place alleged or no. Christ seyng the disputacion of the hartes of his disciples amōg them selues who shuld be greatest among them as Matthew and Luke do testify set a chyld amongest them and seyde except that ye be turned and be made lyke vnto litle chylder ye shall neuer entre in to the kyngdom of heuen Christe byddeth hys disciples here to learne of chylder humilite