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
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.
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