verè Goulartius in hunc ipsum notauit locum Quaecunque profere sâc epistola Cyprianus noster de S. Baptismi in electis Christi varijs effectis vt orthadoxè ad fidei analogiam scriptum amplectimur Cham. de sacram lib. 2. c. 6. parag 38. 2 Gregory Nazianzen calls Baptisme That Good thing which giues vs initiation into Christ Gregory NazianzeÌ„ which common benifit and foundation of new life we all receiue from God f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitationis diuina bonum quod commune beneficium secundae vitae fundamentuÌ„ a Deo omnes habemnus Greg. in Laud. Gorgo In his Oration or Homily touching baptisme after a large and eloquent narration of the efficacy of baptisme he saith that it hath force euen vpon Infants also and therefore would haue them baptized vpon this ground that he takes it for granted that they also are in some degree sanctified euen in baptisme Witnesse that speech of his It is better that they be sanctified without any apprehension of the thing done then that they should depart this life without baptisme and initiation And of this thing circumcision may afford vs president for that being the fore-runner of baptisme was administred vnto such as could n thy the vse of reason discerne what it meant g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edit Graecolat Billii Pa is 1609. Praestatu absque sensu sanctificari quam sine sigillo initiatione abscedere Atque huius rei ratio nobis est circumcisio die octauo pagi solita quae Baptismi figurâ—m quodammodo g râ—bat aâ—que tis qui rationis adhuc expertes erant offerebatur which place I vrge not to proue the necessity of Baptisme as if without reception thereof it were impossible for infants to be saued for I make no doubt that in the time of the Law many infants were saued that dyed before the eighth day wherein they were to be circumcised But I make vse hereof only to shew what that Gregory beleeued and taught touching that which is ordinarily communicated in Baptisme even vnto Infants as well as others supposing them to be admitted therevnto 3 That Great Athanasius who Athanasius in his time was the chiefe and in a manner the only professed Champion the Truth had left her when as Hierome complaines the whole world seemed to be turned Arrian A man that was by the sentence of all Divines the most approued Doctor as Vigilius h Omnium Ecclesiasticorum virorum iudicio probatissimus Vigil cont Eutich l. 2. c. 4. the Martyr titles him Hee in his Booke of Questions dedicated to Antiochus Quaest 2. propounds this Question Whence may a man knowe plainely that he hath beene baptized and receaued the Spirit in baptisme seeing hee was but an infant when he was baptized The answere hee giues vnto it is this As a woman with child by the springing of the babe in her wombe knowes for certaine that she hath conceaved fruit so the soule of a TRVE CHRISTIAN knowes not by the reports of his parents but by the springings of his heart especially vpon those solemne dayes wherein Baptisme and the Lords Supper are administred and by the inward ioyes that then hee conceaues that he receaued the Holy Ghost when he was baptized i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This testimony is so cleare and full that I knowe not what can be said to evade it He speakes indefinitly therefore he excludeth none that are Christians indeed but vnto them he doth restraine it in expresse termes so he speaks directly to our present point 4 Chrysostome one of the best and clearest Expositors of the New Testament among all the Fathers calls Baptisme our initiation into Christ k HoÌ„ 1. in Act. And to let vs see that hee meanes it not of an outward admission only into the visible Church hee afterwards declares himselfe when he makes the spirit to be the cheife part of baptisme as if there were no baptisme worth that name which is not accompanied with the presence of the spirit to make it efficacious Jn Baptisme the cheife part is the spirit by which the water becomes effectuall l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 1. in Act. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 40. in Act. If any shall say that this proues not that the spirit doth alwaies accompany the outward washing but rather the contrary because Chrysostome speakes this of the Apostles that had beene baptized and yet were commanded by Christ after his resurrection to stay at Hierusalem in expectation of the Holy Ghost saying Yee shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many daies hence m Act. 1.5 I answer that Chrysostome admits that in them the case was such indeed but saith he in vs both are performed together n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aom 1. in Act. I stand not to iustifie his Exposition of the place in respect of what he saith touching the bestowing of the Holy Ghost vpon the Apostles as if they had not receaued of the spirit in some measure before that time Let that opinion shift for it selfe as it can I only vrge the words to shew his iudgment of this thing viz that now we Christians receaue the spirit in baptâ—sme as well as the outward signe * That this was his iudgment even of infants also appeares in his Homil. on Ps 14. i 15. iuxta Heb. Adducit quispiam infantem adhuc vbera sugentem vt baptizetur statim Sacâ—rdos exigit ab infirma aetate pacta conventa assensiones mâ—noris aetate fiâ—â—â—ussâ—râ—â— accipit susceptorem interrogat Renunciat Satanae non dicit In finem vel cum Christo â—â—mungitur in sineÌ„ sed statim in principio vitae petit renunciationes coniunctiones And yet least any should imagine him to be so grosse as to thinke that all that partake of the outward washing doe receaue the inward grace heare him afterwards in the same Homily expressing his griefe for the contrary What anguish of heart saith hee doe J sustaine so often as I see some even when they are ready to breath their last runne vnto Baptisme and yet are never a whit the more purged by it o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eduio Savil. Ibid. Quos aestus pectoris sentio quoties alios video subextremum balitum festinantes ad initiatioâ—em nec hinc fieri puriores ibid. prope sin edit Lat. This Father therefore did not hold that all that are baptized doe partake of the Spirit in Baptisme how euer his iudgment were cleare for it in the Ordinary course of Divine dispensation Nor let any Arminian thinke to take me tardy as if I abused the Reader by alleaging that which mine Author speakes of Persons of yeares who doe oftentimes ponere obicem actually oppose the spirit of grace even while they be present at the meanes of grace to proue the like in the case of Infants For howeuer it be too
By this little so much is gotten that if all the diuines who haue professedly entred into the particular consideration of this point be not out and if the Anabaptists be not in the right there is a possibility for the spirit to be in an infant and yet not presently manifest his presence by any worke of grace actually so as it may be seene and knowne either by the infant himselfe or by the beholders 2 Wherefore in the next place I say that since the spirit may be in an infant and yet not worke actuall faith and regeneration therefore the consequent of this proposition that concludes the spirit to be idle if hee worke not such grace must needs bee false also Must he needs be idle that doth not alwaies let vs see his worke Shall wee conclude hee doth nothing because he will not tell vs what he doth Hath hee no worke but one in an infant Doe we knowe all the workes of God Or shall wee deny all that wee knowe not This is a bold speech to say either the spirit must worke this or that particular worke in an infant which hee vsually worketh in all persons of yeares where he pleaseth to dwel or else he is idle Was Great Basil a blasphemer when he q De spiritu sancto cap. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. affirmed that like as Art is in the Artificer so is the spirit in him that hath receaued him hee is alwaies present but doth not alwaies worke For Art is alwaies in the Artificer potentially but then is it said to bee in him actually when he exerciseth it so the spirit is alwaies present to such as are worthy but he workes only as their benefit and necessity may require To such therefore as are ready to say to mee of the worke of the spirit as Thomas of Christ except I see and feele I will not beleeue I can doe no more then the Disciples did to Thomas viz let them alone till the spirit himselfe doe bid them feele and see by perswading them to beleeue this truth For however I cannot demonstrate in what manner the spirit initially worketh in an infant the first principles of Regeneration because the worke is secret and both the worke manner of working are hidden from vs * I lle in quo omnes vivificabuntur praeterquam quod se ad iustitiam exemplum imitantibus praebuit dat eâ—iam sui spiritus occultissimam fidelibâ—s gratiam quam latenter infundit parvulis Aug. de peccat meritiâ— remiss lib. 1. cap 9 yet I answere such as put mee to it as Calvine did the Anabaptists r At quomodo inquiâ—nt regenerantur infantes nec boâ—i nec mali cognitione praediti Nos autem respondemus opus dei etiamsi captui nostro non subiaceat non tamenesse nullum Instit l 4. cap. 16. Sect. 17. There is a worke of the spirit in them although we cannot comprehend what it is yet we must not therefore conclude that there is no worke at all and as Dr Whitaker determined the question of the worke of grace in infants for a close of his disputation touching that subiect Å¿ In eis operari spiritum sanctii ineffabiliter dicimus De Sacr. Contro de Bâ—pt Quaest. 4. cap. 6. Wee say that the Holy Ghost workes in them in a manner to vs inexplicable Both Calvine and Peter Martyr and Doctor Whitaker are all cleare of opinion that there is some worke of the spirit in an infant and yet not any of them apart nor all of them together dare to determine what that worke is Calvine saith it is certaine there is some worke Peter Martyr saith it is enough that wee beleeue they haue the spirit the roote and principle of future grace and that if they dye in infancy they are saued Dr Whitaker comes after and saith the very same illustrates his and Peter Martyrs opinion by the former comparison of the reasonable soule commends Calvine for his modesty and professeth that hee would most willingly be his Scholler that could take off all difficulties from this point It is therefore an vnreasonable and captious demand of the Aduersaries to this position to require of me to shew what the spirit doth in an infant or else to confesse that he is idle or rather nor there at all So much for answere to the Major which would conclude from a false ground and groundlesse position that the spirit cannot be in infants because where he is he cannot be idle and he cannot but bee idle if he worke not in them actuall grace 2 I come now to the Minor Proposition which was this But in elect infants ordinarily no such worke doth appeare rather on the contrary many of them shew manifest opposition to all grace and goodnesse for many yeares together notwithstanding their baptisme and to this I giue a threefold answere 1 * Câ—lv in Mat. 19.14 Talâ—um est regnum Dei Sic scribit de Infantibus Quod poenitentiam vitaque novitatem simul illic figurati abâ—iciuâ—t facilis solutio est renouari Dei spiritis pro ae atis modulâ— donec per gradus suâ— tâ—mpore quae in illâ—s occulta est virtus auâ—escat palam refulgeat That infants doe cast off aâ—l repentance and newnesse of life that are iointâ—y figured in baptisme the answere to such as obiect this against the baptizing of infants is easie that they are renewed by the spirit of God according to the capacity of their age vntill by degrees that efficacy or virtue which lies hid in them doe in due season increase and openly sparkle shine forth That although no such worke doth appeare in them yet this proues not that no such worke is begun secretly in the soule as I haue before shewed in answere to the former Proposition Nor is it impossible that even actuall grace should ly hidden so as neither others nor the party himselfe in whom that grace is can discerne the same at all times as after shall be declared 2 That I never affirmed any actuall change of the soule in the baptisme of infants that afterwards liue to yeares of discretion no nor so much as any particular habits of particular graces answerable vnto those that are vsually wrought in others at the time of their actuall Conversion Yea so farre haue I been from affirming hereof that I haue alwaies vpon all occasions disclaimed it But I only say that the spirit is giuen to elect infants in baptisme ordinarily pardon my so often repetition of the substance of the Position which the Adversaries so often forget to be the first principle of regeneration in them and as the first seed whereby the heart is seized vpon for Christ and the whole man taken vp for his vse and made in a secret manner capable of a further worke in Gods good time This spirit is vnto such in the roome of grace as t Loc. Câ—m class 4 cap. 8. sect 14. Peter
of particular graces potentiall Regeneration may stand with such sinnes that in outward appearance for ought any man can discerne are noe other thē reigning sinnes which a man giues himselfe vp to the commission of without reluctation or feare The ground wee had but now No man either doth or can make actuall opposition against any sinne as sinne from any inward principle of grace till he be actually a new creature endowed with habituall and actuall graces of the spirit as appeares by that very text now vrged against mee For who is he that giues not himselfe to sinne but he that is borne of God 3 I adde further that if this obiection were of force against infants it would bee much more such against persons of yeares actually conuerted For it would proue that they haue not the spirit constantly abiding in thē because it doth not in great falls euidently shew it selfe at all but sinne seemeth to prevaile so farre as that for ought any lookers on or themselues can iudge the flesh hath gotten full dominion ouer them For they often sinne without any apparent reluctation at all What appearance of the spirit in Peter when through the strength of feare and weaknesse of faith hee not only denyed his Master and Sauiour againe and againe against his conscience but thinking thereby the better to saue himselfe tooke liberty to shew himselfe in that exigent a man of another stampe and disposition than Christ and his Disciples were of and fell to rageing to swareing and cursing when as no man or thing vnlesse his owne feare and cowardise vrged him to it You will say that was a sudden vnexpected surprizall and so could not bee a premeditated sinne and he was no sooner downe but he got vp againe True but this satisfieth not For in the carriage of that businesse as short as that time was what grace appeared What degree of evill was wanting to make that in all outward appearance a Reigning sinne You will say which indeed is the truth if S. Austine Chrysostome and Theophilact as * De Pontif. Rom. lib. 4. cap. 3. Bellarmine himselfe shall witnesse bee not deceaued the spirit at that time suspended the act of grace and lay as it were eclypsed in him to make him who before hand boasted so much of his valour the better to knowe himselfe This I acknowledge to bee true but this will not serue their turnes who must ever see the fruits of the spirit or deny him to be there If this of Peter will not serue for instance sufficient to shew that sinne may as farre as men can iudge by looking on so farre prevaile as that it may seeme to the beholders to reigne in some that are questionlesse actually regenerated and renewed because that was but a sudden assault and lasted but for a small space Then what say you to David For howeuer his adultery grew from a sudden temptation occasionally obiected yet his sending for Vriah the making of him drunke the murthering of him in the battaile and the drawing of Ioab into the conspiracy were deepe premeditated plots and he wallowed in all this mire and blood as most Divines thinke for the space of almost a yeare before he recouered himselfe and ere the spirit stirred in him sensibly to any purpose againe What shew of the spirit heere What opposition What was here wanting of reigning sinne You will say there might be inward combates I deny not what might bee but yet shew me what appeared If no worke appeared in all that time it is then possible that the spirit may lye hid and that for a long time together in some persons actually conuerted and not be discerned I know Dauid had the spirit all that while as appeares by that prayer of his take not thy holy spirit from me Psal 51.11 But I deny any sensible working of it that was able to differēce David by any outward carrage in any mans apprehension I except not his owne from a meere carnall man that euer made any formall shew of religion in the interim betweene his fall and recouery If any man reply Jt is perhaps true that Dauid lay in that miserable estate for so long a time as you mention but what is that to so many yeares as euen the elect lye in sinne before their actuall conuersion To this I must answere 1 That if the spirit lie hid a yeare a weeke or but an houre hee may possibly ly hid twenty yeares That which the obiection driues at is to proue that such a thing is not possible to be done at all for that which is possible to be for a short time is not impossible for a longer space 2. It is more for the spirit to lye hid in a person actually converted for the space of a yeare together than for him to lye hid in any other forty yeares as it is more for a wise man to play the foole once then for a child or a foole to doe nothing else 3. If you thinke the instance of David not to come home enough then for a close take also that of Solomon his sonne He lay yeares enow ere he repented He fell from God to flat Idolatry and that not on the sudden but by slow degrees when hee was in it he lay still for long continuance in so much that some make a doubt whether euer he recouered Yet those men that doe oppose this position will not I thinke deny Solomon to be regenerated by the spirit before that fall or to haue the spirit still abiding in him in all that time of his fall to restore him againe Therefore it cannot reasonably be denied that forasmuch as the spirit may and sometimes doth lye hid in persons actually regenerate for a long time together not shewing it selfe apparently in opposition against great and scandalous sinnes it is not impossible for the spirit to be in an infant elected from the time of his Baptisme vntill his actuall conversion without any such manifest opposition against sinne as may giue the person in whom he is any ground to beleeue that the dominion of sinne is taken away from out of his soule So much in answere to the Major 2 To the Minor Proposition that in infants sinne raigneth till they bee actually regenerated I answere that there is a Dominion in the full strength and a Dominion that is in the wane like that of a Prince who yet is possessed of his kingdome which daily waxeth like the house of Saul weaker and weaker There is a Dominion which is more intense and in the highest degree and there is a dominion which is more remisse and improperly so called This distinction hath footing in the scripture which saith of some that sinne shall not haue dominion ouer them and the reason is added because they are vnder grace Rom. 6.14 this is a Dominion in the highest degree It saith vnto others let not signe reigne in your mortall bodies Rom. 6.12 This is a Dominion
initiation into Christ and for their future actuall renovation in Gods good time if they liue to yeares of discretion and enioy the other ordinary meanes of Grace appointed of God to this end This Position I am now to make good to be agreeable to the Doctrine 1 Of the Church of England by which it appeares to be no priuate fancy 2 Of the Holy Scriptures vpon which this Doctrine of our Church is founded 3 Of the Ancient Fathers of best note in the truly Primitiue church 4 Of the Reformed churches beyond the Sea and particularly of Geneva 5 Of the most famous and eminent Divines both at home and abroad particularly of calvine and Dr Whitaker beside sundry others Lastly I will adde Answers to all the Obiections that euer I could heare of against this Assertion CAP. 3. This agrees to the Publique Doctrine of our Church BEfore I goe further I must aduertise the Reader of one thing constantly to be obserued throughout this Treatise and it is this Wheresoeuer I shall for brevities sake only say thus much that the Elect doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme my purpose is to haue it vnderstood with all those conditions and limitations before expressed in the stating of the Point So that it must alwaies bee thus interpreted viz That it is most agreeable to the Jnstitution of Christ that All Elect Jnfants that are baptised vnlesse in some extraordinary cases doe ordinarily receiue from Christ the Spirit in Baptisme for their first solemne initiation into Christ and for their future actuall renovation in Gods good time if they liue to yeares of discretion and enioy the other ordinary meanes of Grace appointed of God to this end This premized I may more securely goe on with my worke Nor shall any man that findes oftentimes in that which followes a more compendious expression of this Position haue cause to complaine that I deale ambiguously and sophistically because my resolution is to be alwaies tryed by this Conclusion so largely deliuered and so bounded as in the former Chapter you may behold it The first part of my taske is to make it good that this assertion is agreeable to the publique and established Doctrine of the Church of England And this I propound in the first place not as if I meant to tye any mans faith to beleeue the point meerely because the Church of England saith it For She will not assume so much Authority ouer any mans faith hauing declared her selfe expresly in the 21 Article of her Doctrine that euen Generall Councells which represent the whole Church of Christ on earth in things ordeined by them as necessary to salvation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may bee declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture I vrge not then the Doctrine of our Church to proue the point by it as some haue giuen out but only to shew the agreement that it hath with our Publique Doctrine that no man might proclaime it to bee a peece either of Popery or Arminianisme nor yet a priuate conceit of mine owne dissonant from the Churches of Christ but that it is a branch of that truth to which all the Ministers of our Church either haue subscribed or ought so to doe and so are as deeply engaged in the defence of it as my selfe whom some of them either ignorant or carelesse of what they subscribed to doe now so much oppose That this accordeth to the Doctrine of our Church may appeare in one or two plaine Syllogismes the first whereof shall be this Syllogis 1. Maior That which the Church in the Publique Leiturgie thereof exhorteth requireth vs to pray for when any Infant presumed to be truly and indeed within the couenant of Grace is brought to baptisme and that which it also teacheth vs to pronounce concerning that and euery such infant so soone as he is baptised must needs bee granted to bee agreeable to the Publique Doctrine of our Church touching all elect Infants that are baptised ordinarily Minor But the Publique Leiturgie of our Church exhorteth and requireth vs at the baptizing of euery infant presumed to haue interest in the Couenant of Grace as being within Gods Election a That our Leiturgy hath an eye to the covenant of Grace and presumes of any particular infant that vnto him the kingdome of Heaven doth indeed belong and therevpoÌ„ pronounceth the child after baptisme is administred to be regenerate may appeare most evidently by this viz That it leadeth vs to that which our Saviour spake in the Gospell touching those infants that were brought vnto him blessed by him vpon this ground that theirs is the kingdome of heaven Not that all children haue right to the kingdome for Esau had none Rom. 9. Yet because men cannot see Gods secret decree they are not to make doubt of any particular but knowing that some infants are elected and haue right to the Kingdome vpon this ground they know for certaine that this Child is regenerate by the Spirit if he be elected and if to him doe belong the Kingdome of God And therefore our Church in charity pronounceth so much of every Child considered individually and apart because in charity shee presumeth that vnto that very particular belongs the Kingdome of God For vpon this ground is the following exhortation and assurance built which vpon this consideration saith Doubt yee not therefore but earnestly beleeue that hee will likewise favourably receiue these present Jnfâ—nts that he will embrace them with the armes of his mercy that he will giue vnto them the blessing of eternall life and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdome to pray for the Spirit of Regeneration to bee giuen vnto him and so soone as hee is baptised to conclude him to be regenerated with the Holy Spirit and accordingly to giue thankes for this in Prayer vnto God Conclus Therefore it is agreeable to the Publique and established doctrine of the Church of England that all elect Jnfants doe ordinarily receaue the spirit of Christ in Baptisme in such manner and sense as is before expressed The Maior Proposition cannot be doubted of vnlesse we shall say that the Doctrine and Leiturgie of our Church are contrary to one another which no man wel in his wits will affirme and yet subscribe to both The Minor or as some tearme it the Assumption is the only Proposition then that must be proued I pray you therefore with patience see it done in the severall branches of it There are in it these two particulars 1 The Church in her Leiturgie requireth vs to pray for the spirit of Christ to be communicated to every particular infant brought to baptisme presuming of the particular that he is within the election of Grace 2 She concludeth him to be regenerate so soone as he is baptised that is to haue receiued the Spirit of regeneration as the first principle thereof 1. For the former let the Leiturgie it selfe be produced wherein the
of regeneration at al in baptisme 2 That the elect doe receiue a cleansing and washing from the guilt of original sinne so as if they dye in their infancy before their ACTVALL Regeneration and reall conuersion vnto God they shall be saued And all this he saith is done by the spirit Which is as much for mee as I can desire If my aduersaries haue no worse weapons to beat me withall I shall neuer complaine at their blowes because in page 89 he saith as I also euer said from the beginning viz. that all that are regenerated sacramentally are not necessarily and infallibly regenerated spiritually is cleare of this opinion pag. 90. Although the inward grace ordinarily accompany the outward signe and wee ought to beleeue by the iudgment of charity that all who are baptized are truly regenerate yet indicio veritais as Iunius distinguisheth that is by the iudgment of precise and infallible truth all are not so as the Fathers speake roundly plainly In which words we see first a concession of that wee contend for viz that the inward grace ordinarily accompanieth the outward signe Secondly that yet this is not alwaies for it is not done at all in the baptisme of some But who are those some They that are not elected for he denyes it of all that fall away and perish as the maine substance and drift of that discourse declares Thus you see that many English Diuines of best note speake clearely and fully to this point as well as I that alone am singled out and worried by passionate and heady men CAP. 9. 6 Obiections against the maine position answered I Haue at length gotten through all those particulars propounded in the end of the Second chapter of this Treatise and I hope made it euident to Iudicious and impartiall readers that in the iudgment of our Church according to the scriptures as they haue beene vnderstood by the Ancient Fathers by the present Churches of Christ beyond the seas and by particular Divines of cheifest note both forraine and domesticall All elect infants doe ordinarily receiue from Christ in Baptisme the spirit of regeneration as the soule and first principle of spirituall life for the first solemne initiation into Christ and for their future actuall renouation in Gods good time I haue also giuen answers to all such obiections as might occasionally fall in against my aâ—guments brought for confirmation of the point Now it remaines that I adde Answers to all such Obiections as either haue beene made by others or conceiued by my selfe as likely to be vrged by others against the maine assertion it selfe which I haue laboured all this while to proue and make good by so many witnesses In the performance hereof I shall endeavour to deale as clearly and plainly as possibly I can although I thereby be constrained to vse more words then may be needfull or perhaps gratefull to more acute capacities that I may not be thought to darken my meaning on purpose in the foggs of needles termes of Art not generally vnderstood which might giue ordinary Readers cause to complaine of Obscurity or sophistry And vnto ordinary readers I must premise one aduertisement which others need not viz. That in this part they expect not further corroboration of the maine conclusion but only a manifestation of the impertinency and weaknesse of their arguments that obiect against it If I can in that which remaines make it appeare that nothing of all that hath beene or can be said against my position is able to ouerthrow it but that it is possible for the point to stand whole and vnbroken notwithstanding all their battery I haue don enough how weak so euer mine owne grounds on which I haue hitherto built may to those that proclaime mee a dreamer and a broacher of a grosse and pestilent error seeme to bee 1 Obiection Christians are regenerated by Obiect 1 the word Jam. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.23 therefore not by baptisme in their infancy Answ Answere The Antecedent Proposition is granted being vnderstood of actuall regeneration of persons of yeares as it importeth an actuall and through chang of the whole man vpon their effectuall vocation inwardly by the spirit and outwardly by the Word in ordinary course And of this only those places are to be expounded For the words are spoken only of the worke of the word in vpon aged persons called either from Iudaisme or Gentilisme by the preaching of the Gospell who as Lidia Act. 16.14 had their hearts opened by the spirit to vnderstand and receiue the things preached vnto them and so were begotten anew vnto God that is made new men in Christ to performe new obedience actually vnto God contrary to their former course in the state of corrupt nature In this actuall conuersion and renouation the spirit is the efficient cause and the word an instrument only that he pleaseth to make vse of not as if hee could not dispatch this worke without it but this is that which he hath sanctified and commanded vs to attend vpon so soone as wee are able by accession of yeares to vnderstand the vse of it for conuersion in the ordinary course thereof Now marke the weaknesse and imperfection of this argument S. Iames and S. Peter doe both of them affirme that the persons to whom they wrote being persons of yeares were actually renewed by the Word therefore it is false that elect infants doe receiue the spirit in baptisme for their initiation into Christ and as the soule and principle of after actuall renovation by the word This is all the strength that this obiection hath in it when they haue improued it to the vtmost And how weake this strength is who doth not see It doth not reach home so much as to touch much lesse to peirce the point in question For the Apostles speake of persons of yeares wee of Infants they of actuall renouation wee of initiall regeneration only They of such as are able to make vse of the word wee of such as are not capable of any speech Those places therefore doe well proue that which I deny not viz that * Let the reader obserue that Whereas I often vse this phrase my meaning is not at any time to vnderstand thereby any other thing then what in the stating of the question c. 2. I haue expressed viz. such a worke of the spirit as doth actually renew a man and makes him a new man in Christ by effectuall conuersion wherein he receiues the habits of all sauing graces by the spirit actuall regeneration in persons of yeares is vsually wrought by the word but they doe not restraine regeneration either to persons of yeares only or to this meanes only nor deny the spirit to be giuen to infants before they come to make vse of the word for their first ingraffing into Christ and as the first principle of the new Creature If any shall doubt whether I be right in expounding the places alleadged and suppose that
Martyr affirmeth the roote also out of which all grace in due time floweth in all Gods children as the same Author who is also seconded by Dr Whitaker further speaketh and as Calvin had done before him This Principle of Grace lies hid as seed vnder ground as wheat vnder chaffe as fire vnder the ashes as the faculty of reason seemes to lye asleep till a child bee growne vp to some capacity and as the spirit of God moued vpon the waters before the severall creatures were actually produced by the word of his power By this wee may discerne what answere to giue to that Dilemma vrged by some to this effect viz If the spirit bee giuen to an infant in baptisme either the infant is aliue or dead regenerate or vnregenerate Regenerate he is not because there is in him no actuall change and how can the spirit of regeneration abide in him that is vnregenerate for a long space after the Spirit first entreth into him To this I say that the infant is aliue and regenerate seminally initially in respect of the roote and principle of life but not actually in respect of the particular habits actually wrought in him An infant may be said to be aliue so soone as he hath receaued a soule yet he cannot be said to be aliue actually in respect of a rationall life till the soule bee able to act in a rationall manner Of such an one wee cannot say hee is not aliue because hee hath in him the reasonable soule the principle of life nor yet can we say that he liues a rationall life till his reasonable soule doe put it selfe forth to rationall actions Therefore all men conclude such an infant to be aliue potentially and not actually in respect of that rationall life whereof we now speake The same distinction wil solue the present Argument and so is it resolued by all that touch vpon the point as I haue often shewed That which I haue vrged out of St Augustine Calvine Peter Martyr D. Whitaker and Daneus I will not rehearse in this place which yet I might doe in so large a Treatise for their sakes that cannot easily carry all with them Only I will adde one passage more of Daneus not before mentioned u Denique per baptismum infantes Christo inseruntur quia natura sua à Deo sunt alieni Baptizantur autem non vt statim suae in Christo regenerationis fructus edaÌ„t qui sint nobis conspicui sed vt interim foederis sigillo obsignati donati Deo conserventur et maneant Nam quum tempus advenerit sui baptismi fructus proserent eosdeÌ„ quos ii qui iam adulti baptizatisunt De sacram lib. 5. cap. 35. Infants by Baptisme are ingraffed into Christ forasmuch as by nature they are aliens from God And they are baptized not that they should presently expresse the fruits of their regeneration in Christ which might be conspicuous to vs but that in the meane season till they come to yeares being confirmed with the seale of the Covenant giuen vnto God they might be preserued and remaine vnto his vse For when the time shall be accomplished they will bring forth the same fruits that they doe who are baptized in riper age There is then in them a seed of grace howeuer it doe not presently spring vp and beare fruit and in respect of that seed wee say they are not wholy without life and regeneration as the smoaking flax so soone as it beginnes to smoake is not wholy without fire in it although as yet it bee not wholy kindled by that fire This is I confesse a great secret a deepe mystery of His whose works are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out Howbeit the incomprehensiblenesse of it must not make vs to deny it vnlesse we resolue to beleeue no more then we see or can fathom with the short line of our weake reason which were a sinfull resolution that would breed many * August de peccat Mer. Remiss l 3. c 8 Ecce vnde plerunque convalescit error cum homines idonei sunt bis rebus interrogandis quibus intelligendis non sunt idonei Idem de bono persev c. 14. Nunquid ideo negandum est quod apertum est quia comprehâ—ndi non potest quâ—d occultum est Nâ—quid impâ—â—m proptere a dicturi sumus quod iâ—a esse seâ—â—pâ—cimus non ita esse quoniam cur ita sit non pâ—ssumus inveniâ—e errors both in iudgment and practise of dangerous and desperate consequence There are workes as strange in nature yet no man makes doubt of the truth of them because he cannot come to see how they are done Therefore we must take heed how wee deny the spirit to bee in infants to worke in such a strange manner forasmuch as the workes of grace are more strange admirable then any worke in nature The wise King wisely giues a check to their curiosity that are too bold in prying into the secrets of God and that by posing them in a point of Naturall Philosophy As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit nor how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child euen so thou knowest not workes of God who maketh all Eccles 11.5 3 I answere that howeuer I will not affirme any actuall grace to be ordinarily in infants yet we may oft times see strange and admirable sparkes of grace and footsteps of the spirit in diuers infants long before they come to any ability of discourse so as for ought wee know the elect might ordinarily attaine to actuall Regeneration much sooner then many of them doe if there were that care taken of them by parents that ought to be in catechizing and training them vp in their infancy in the way that they should walke for so would they not forget it when they be old if Solomon mistooke not And how could hee mistake in that which the spirit himselfe dictated vnto him That part therefore of the obiection which saith that for many yeares they make opposition to all grace c. howeuer it make a great noise and seeme to aggrauate the matter much against this Position yet hath it in it more sounde than weight For the reason why so many stand out so long is not alwaies or ordinarily from the want of efficacy in their Baptisme but from defect of education Either they liued not vnder carefull faithfull religious parents that would haue beene diligent with all their might to teach them the feare of the Lord by all waies and meanes of instruction and good example to pray continually for them to watch ouer them narrowly to keepe them from euill company and euill practises or else they wanted a powerfull Ministry or both And if they want either the other for the most part does little good Cast your eyes vpon such as haue not wanted for either of the former helpes and tell mee how many you can
finde of those that euer come to good at all in respect of the best good who doe not ordinarily take in Religion and grace insensibly euen from their tender youth so as many of them cannot with their best search finde out directly the time of their Conversion although they cannot when they bee themselues free from temptation deny themselues to be conuerted As for such as haue enioyed the former meanes and yet fly out into debauched courses they seldome or neuer returne to God at all and therefore no marveile if they stand out long notwithstāding the helpes afforded for they by this declare themselues not to be of the number of Gods elect so not of those in whom baptisme is so efficacious as here wee affirme it to be And as for such as stand out longest come in at last you shall ordinarily obserue them to be such as had vngodly or carelesse parents or no sound and powerfull Ministry or had the reins too soone let loose vnto them or were poisoned with bad examples of Parents gouernors or companions or were not instantly pluckt out of some delightfull sinnes ere they were rooted in their wickednesse by long custome c. And then what wonder if they liue many yeares without apparent conuersion and actuall regeneration Notwithstanding if you aske some of these after they be conuerted whether in the time of their rebellion they had not sometimes strong conflicts in themselues to breake off their wickednesse and to come in and whether they did not sometimes finde inward risings of heart against their secret sinnes euen for the very filthinesse of them as well as for the danger and they will for the most part answere yea if they had had the grace to accept and follow those good motions within them but they found the contrary that after such inward stirrings vnto conversion their lusts haue presently raged and burst out more strongly than at other times This is the confession in substance of diuerse of them which shewes them not to be wholy destitute of the spirit euen when the flesh was most violent and insolent in them before actuall conuersion And this obseruation seconded by others of farre greater experience is mentioned here meerely to still their cry which tell vs that many are vnconuerted thirty forty fifty yeares and is it likely say they the spirit should be all that while in them and neuer actually convert them vnto God Although he can worke without meanes yet that he might grace those of his owne institution hee doth not vsually worke without them when hee vouchsafeth them And when he vseth them he doth not alwaies performe the worke at the first or second or many assaies of his Ministers because hee would haue vs to know vpon whom after Paul hath planted and Apolloes watered the increase dependeth By all that haue beene spoken wee now see that it is not vniuersally true which the Maior Proposition supposeth viz. that the spirit must either worke actuall faith and regeneration or else be confessed to be idle and that it is of no validity which the Minor assumeth and affirmeth viz that in infants ordinarily no such worke appeareth but rather the contrary for many yeares after baptisme For it is possible for the spirit to worke although hee doe not worke actuall grace nor is it materiall that such grace doth not appeare because there is no necessity that any particular habit of grace should bee at that time in them at all And therefore I conclude that this Obiection is of no strength forasmuch as it concludes nothing against the point in Question the premisses being thus examined and searched to the bottome 6 Obiection The very seede of grace cannot Obiect 6 be in the same subiect in whom there is reigning sinne as is plaine by that of the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God But in infants baptized till they be actually regenerated sinne reigneth Therefore the spirit is not giuen vnto them as the seede of after grace Answere Answere 1 To the Maior proposition I answere three waies 1 There is an ambiguity in the word seede For seede may be taken two waies Actiuely and Passiuely 1 Actiuely for some actuall efficient principle of grace going before both the acts and habits of particular graces which as in the naturall so in the spirituall seed wee may terme seed seeding Euen as those first plants or hearbs in the Creation were termed hearbs * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seminificantem semen vt vertit Arias Montanus seeding seed Gen. 1.29 2 Passiuely for that yeeld or fruit which is produced by the actiue principle thereof which may be called seed seeded as in the former place of Gen. 1. may also be seene Now when with other Diuines I say that the spirit is giuen to elect infants as the seed of future actuall grace I speake not of seede passiue or produced but of seede actiue or produceing a further seed in due time and season But contrarily the Apostle S. Iohn speakes of seede in the other sense which imports at least the particular habits of sanctifying sauing grace infused by this seeding seed wherof we treat This is manifest in the words of the Text Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not that is whosoever is actually regenerated doth not commit sinne as all expound the place and the reason is giuen because his seede abideth in him which is no other then the habits of grace infused by the spirit as all acknowledge Therefore this proposition speakes not to the point because it vnderstands by seede another thing from that wee meane in our assertion I speake not of seed in the eare but of the first seed cast into the ground that afterwards yeelds and brings forth the blade the stalke the eare and all that growes vpon it 2 I answere that I cannot see what absurdity would follow by granting that initiall regeneration may stand with actually reigning sinne because howeuer a man hath by the first principle of Regeneration a possibility of making opposition against sinne when that possibility comes into Act yet he is not by that possibility alone enabled for the present actually to resist sinne which resistance is a fruit of actuall conuersion no more than a man is enabled actually to reason and discourse so soone as the reasonable soule is infused before his senses doe actually exercise themselues vpon their proper obiects and thereby giue occasion to the rationall faculty to exercise it selfe Therefore as in an infant which may afterwards proue a very wise man the principle of reason may and doth consist with actuall folly till that child haue his senses excercised to discerne betweene good and euill so in the same infant the first principle of regeneration which wee terme initiall or * I call initiall regeneration potentiall in respect of the habits acts
as the roote and first principle of regeneration and future newnesse of life * Vid. Hooker lib. 5. Sect. 60. This I speake as then I expressed my selfe with reference only vnto such Infants as dye not in infancy but lâ—ue to yeares of discretion and then come to be effectually called and actually conuerted by the ordinary meanes of the word applied by the same spirit vnto them when and how hee pleaseth As for the rest of the elect who dye infants I will not deny a further worke sometimes in sometimes before baptisme to fit them for heauen For this am I peremptorily censured and condemned by many as guilty not only of Arminianisme but euen of direct Popery and of teaching a Doctrine of diuells To make good what they haue done they lay to my charge sundry passages as branches of my position which not only in stating the question but also in the prosecution of it I often and often disclaimed as errors in expresse termes This they know well enough it hath bin made manifest to some of their faces by others also Howbeit they owing me a spite for some thing else as by the effect appeares take no notice of their wilfull mistakes That which they haue once reported they are resolued to maintaine therefore they cease not to pursue me with clamors slanders and revilings without end or measure No protestations of mine owne either publique or priuate no Apologies made by my friends are able to shelter mee from their virulent dartes which daily fly in my face where euer I become This alone were cause sufficient of publishing this Treatise that I may purge my selfe of these odious crimes so vniustly imputed He that being a Minister is not carefull to vphold his necessary reputation among the people of God as well as to keepe a good conscience towards God is both cruell to himselfe Nobis enim necessari est vita nostra aliis fama nostra Aug. De Bono Viduit Mihi sufficit conscientia mea vobis necessaria est fama mea Jdem ad Frat. tu Erem and iniurious to his Master His Ministry must needs bee of lesse esteeme if not despised out-right who shall suffer himselfe to bee proclaimed guilty of Error and Heresie and sees his Good Name hang'd vp in chaines by the giddy multitude even before his owne doores and hee not endeauour in a meet temperate manner to declare himselfe innocent when he is well able to plead not guilty to the indictment If any man shall say Jt is a mans honour to passe by offences and therefore it had beene farre better to haue endured a while with patience the tongues of intemperate men then thus to haue spred the cause before the whole world this course being likely more to exasperate rather then to satisfie or mollifie such as haue appeared in opposition against me To such a person mine answere is this If the wrong had not trenched so much vpon the credit of my Ministry which ought to bee as deare vnto me as any mans is to him or if I had beene handled thus in priuate onely by priuate men I could willingly haue borne all that reproach and infamy that is laid vpon me without complaining but not without bewailing with a bleeding heart the strange pride and insolency of such spirits as dare thus wilfully to traduce any Minister of Christ That which hath imbarked mee in this publique action is of more importance then the maintaining of mine owne innocency against the murmur of priuate persons yea there are many weighty causes concurring to put vpon mee a necessity of doing something in this kinde If any shall take occasion hence to be more exasperated it shall be only his owne fault for I hope I shall so manage this worke that it shall evidently appeare to all Godly Iudicious temperate men that I no where giue any cause of offence vnto any peaceable Christian but endeauour only in a modest and humble maner to cleare and maintaine a Truth and to giue all satisfaction that I may vnto such as loue Truth better then Victory Breifly the Causes cheifly enducing mee to send these Papers vnto the Presse are these Three 1 The iust Defence of the publique doctrine of our Church which hath beene by some vpon this occasion publiquely opposed so farre as they durst For how freely sundry Ministers doe cry downe this Position and that publiquely too notwithstanding that this truth is so clearely consonant to the Leiturgy and Publique Catechisme of the Church in which wee liue is too well knowne Through my sides therefore haue they gored and wounded our common Mother who suffers in the cause much more then my selfe or then any Particular either doth or can 2 I finde that sundry sober and well affected Christians are often puzled and at a losse in this particular for want of information yea in danger to bee drawne vnawares into Schisme 2. Sam. 15.11 not vnlike those 200 men that followed Absolon in the simplicity of their hearts not knowing any thing of his conspiracy For their sakes therefore it is very requisite that this point should be throughly searched into and made publique This is not a quarrell about Goats haire Scomma nor so poore a businesse as should deserue in a Pulpit to bee compared to the action of a Famous Generall that levies a strong Army drawes them out into the field sets them in order or battaile and raiseth a great expectation of some honourable exploit which in conclusion proues to bee no other then the breaking of an Egge-shell * That Great Athanasius was of another opinion when he placed this very question how one may knowe whether be receaued the spirit in Baptisme amongst those which he termeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Questions necessary vsefulâ— for all Christians to bee acquainted with In titulo Iabri Quaest ad Antio h. Princ. tom 2. 3 Nor was there euer such need of opening this truth vnto the people as now because neuer since the heresies of the Sacramentarians and Anabaptists were hissed out of the Church of Christ were men so violent against it and so impatient of contradiction They cry out What vse what vse of such a Doctrine Whether doth it tend Mee thinkes they should be able to answere themselues without help Is it nothing vnto a Christian in time of a violent temptation when hee hath lost all sight of his Saviour to be assured that even in his Baptisme hee receiued the Holy Ghost as an anointing that shall abide with him for ever Is the consolation of God a small matter vnto a Christian Parent that in obedience to Christ and in faith in his promises hath presented his child to the sacred Laver * Quam enim suaue piis animis non verbo tantum sed oculari etiam spectaculo certiores fieri tantum se gratiae apud Patrem caelestem obtinere vt posteritas sua illi curae sit Hic enim
videre est vt providentissimi erga nos patris familias personam suscipit qui ne post mortâ—m quidem nostram solicitudinem nostri deponit quin liberis nostris consulat ac prospiciat Calvin Instit l 4. cap. 16. Sect. vlt. where the Holy Ghost hath seazed vpon him for Christ so as whether himselfe liue or die he may conceiue good hope that Christ hath taken the charge of his child will prouide all things needfull for it and giue it both grace and glory What a comfort saith a learned writer * M. T. Taylor vpoÌ„ Tit. 3.5 making it one Vse of this very Doctrine is it for a father to see his child washed with the bloud of Iesus Christ Clensed from sinne Set into the visible Church yea into the Body of Christ in the right vse of this Sacrament Wherein a Parent ought more to reioyce then if hee could make it heyre of the world All these considered I appeale to any Vnderstanding Man whether I haue not cause to publish my Labours vpon this subiect out of duty that I owe to the Church of Christ and whether considering how little is done in this kinde it were not worth the best search and greatest labour of the most able Diuines in the kingdome * I am sure D. Whitaker was of this minde Tract de Sacram controu de Bapt quaest 4. c. 5. in principio Where speaking of the efficacy of Baptisme in Infants he hath these words Est autem ea quaestio cum difficilis plena controversiae tum digna quae tractetur explicetur diligenter This is a question that is both difficult full of controversie and such also as is worthy to be haÌ„dled and carefully opened to cleare this point to the full for the edification and comfort of pious and peaceable Christians †What I haue performed herein I humbly offer to bee freely censured by the more Iudicious who truly and indeed are both able and willing to maintaine the publique Doctrine of this Church already established I will not take vpon me to tie all men or any man to my private opinions I knowe that the Learned may without blame dissent from each other in many things so long as they obtrude them not vpon others nor trouble the peace of the Church thereabout Howbeit if this of mine be a private opinion I renounce it and craue pardon of the whole Church of God for troubling the world with such a toy But if it appeare to impartiall Iudges able to weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary to be a truth such a truth as the whole Church of England is as much engaged in as my selfe I trust that then it shall finde acceptance with all sober men and by Gods blessing proue profitable to all that in humility and loue desire endeavour to imbrace the truth As for others I shall passe them by with pitty and prayer that they may at length come againe to themselues CAP. 2. The State of the Position NOt to trouble the Reader with any discourse touching the Name or Definition of Baptisme nor yet with the efficacy of Baptisme touching Remission of sinne which I willingly admit let vs now fall vpon the state of the Position touching the efficacy of this Ordinance vpon the Elect vnto Regeneration I shall haue occasion to declare my selfe in the other particulars as I passe along There is no terme in our Position needing explication vnlesse Two the Spirit and Regeneration By Spirit I meane not onely grace wrought by the Spirit but the Holy Ghost dwelling in every true Christian and working Grace Howbeit I consider this Holy Ghost not essentially not personally as the third Person in Trinity but operatiuely as the Spirit of Christ communicated from him to all his members to vnite them vnto himselfe and to bee in them the first principle and as it were the soule of spirituall life It is the Spirit himselfe and not his Graces that first knits vs to Christ * 1. Cor. 12.13 Graces are effects of the vnion not the bond it selfe Nor can some of those things which are attributed to the Spirit dwelling in a Christian possibly be applied to any created Gift or grace infused but only to the Holy Ghost himselfe as for example our Saviours speaking of that Comforter which he would after his departure send to his Disciples to dwell in them saith that when hee is come hee will reproue the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of iudgement Ioh 16.8 which must needs be the act of a person not of a created inanimate gift and in ver 13. whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake and hee will shew you things to come He shall glorify me for he shall receiue of mine and shall shew it vnto you c. In breife no place of Scripture can be produced wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The HOLY GHOST is put only for grace wrought or bestowed and not for the Author of it I am not ignorant that some moderne writers doe holde otherwise but sauing their iudgements I cannot but follow the Fathers soundest schoolemen who soundly maintaine this truth I will not trouble the reader with heapes of Authors * Of this see more in Zanth de Nat. Dei lib. 2. cap. 6. Quaest 2. 3. As also in my learned and much honoured friend Mr. I. Downham Christ-warf part 4. lib. 1. cap. 3. Choquet Lillan De Gra. Sanctific Tom 1. lib. 1. disp 1. ca. 4. I only pray the learned to consider well whether the admitting of this exposition of such texts of Holy writ as mention the dwelling of the Holy Ghost in a Christian viz. that by the HOLY GHOST is meant only Grace wrought or working doth not vnawares giue some countenance to the heresy of the Pneumatomachists Sure I am S. Augustine b Cont. Serm. Arrianorum cap. 20. cap. 29. Cont. maxim lib. 1. lib. 2. cap 11. lib. 3. cap. 21. alibi passim was wont to proue the Godhead of the holy Ghost by this very argument that wee are said to be his Temples and he to dwell in vs. That other of regeneration I take to be all one with spirituall life taken in the largest sense which life according to the Scriptures I distinguish into Initiall and Actuall For as in the naturall sometimes the soule which is vsually called the forme by which and sometimes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse the being it selfe of such or such a creature animated by his soule is put for life as that learned Zanchius well obserueth a De Nat. Dei lib. 2 cap. 5. quest 1. so is it in the Spirituall life whereof we are now to treat And vpon this foundation it is that wee rightly build our present distinction which hath cleare footting also in the sacred Volumes of Eternall Truth 1 Initiall which we may also terme Seminall or Potentiall life I call that which
consisteth in participatiō of the spirit of Christ as the forme of this spirituall life the spirit being the first principle of Regeneration by whom the first seede and foundation thereof is laid in a Christian And this is life as it were in the roote like vnto the first principles of reason laid vp in the soule rationall before it haue actually enabled the body to moue and act rationally And of this saith acute Iunius * De Paedobapt the◠7. our Saviour spake in John 3. more clearely to our purpose is that of the Apostle Rom 8.10 The spirit is life because of righteousnesse where the spirit which is the cause of life is put for life it selfe and by the spirit is meant not the reasonable soule but the Holy Ghost if Caluin and before him Chrysostome and Ambrose and after him Peter Martir hit right in the exposition of it b Gal. in loc Vocabulo spiritus ne animam nostram intelligas sed regenerationis spiritum quem vitam appellat Paulus whereof for my part after serious pensitation of all that any haue said to carry it to another sense I make no question 2 Actuall I call that which consisteth properly in the very spirituall being it selfe actually produced in a Christian by the spirit bringing him forth a new man in Christ in the ordinary course of Regeneration of such as liue to yeares whereby he is enabled actually to beleeue repent c. Rom. 6.11 Likewise ye reckon your selues to be dead indeed vnto sinne but aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. So Galath 2.20 and elsewhere The severall members of this distinction I further illustrated thus The former of these is as the transplantation of a tree into a new soile the later as drawing the fatnesse of the soile into the tree causing it to shoot vp spring blossome and beare fruit The former saith Iunius c ibid. Hac regenerantur infantes electi cum Christo inseruntur huius obsignatio sit iis dum baptizantur is as the transplanting of a man out of the first Adam into the second the later as his drawing vertue from him and liuing thereby The former is as the stretching of Elisha vpon the dead child the first time whereby the flesh of the child waxed warme but as yet it moved not * 2. King 4.34 the later is as his stretching himselfe vpon it the second time which caused it to neese seuen times and to open his eyes c Ver. 35. The former of these is like vnto the first incubation or resting of the spirit vpon the face of the waters while the earth was yet without forme and voide Gen 1.2 the later as the production of each particular creature afterwards in his kinde time and order appointed of God when it pleased him to speake the word The Spirit rested vpon the waters from the beginning yet the creatures were not presently produced by the spirit they came forth in their due time and place when God gaue his Fiat and not before This Distinction laid as a ground will of it selfe beare vs out in this conclusion There may be euen in order of time a communicating of the spirit of grace as a principle of future newnesse of life before any ordinary actuall infusion of actuall or habituall graces whereby a man on his part actually makes declaration thereof by a thorough change of his heart and life as a new man in Christ This being granted I adde further touching the ordinary meanes of manifest conferring on vs and confirming to vs the Spirit of grace a second Conclusion which is this The first ordinary and certaine meanes whereby we that descend of Christian Parents haue any initiall Regeneration begun in vs and doe ordinarily receiue and come to be ascertained of the spirit of Christ for this end that he may produce in vs future actuall spirituall life is the first ordinance of Christ that wee partake of to wit Baptisme This is our first certaine and manifest initiation into Christ Rom. 6. and receiuing of the Holy Ghost in the ordinary way of divine dispensation by meanes Act 2.38 and our ingrafting into the body of Christ 1. Cor. 12.13 So also saith the 27 Article of our Church f This Article is vrged and opened in the next cap. This is the Blocke at which so many haue stumbled This is the Arminianisme Popery and Doctrine of Deuills that I am charged with This therefore is the Point I am now to Labour in after I shall haue stated it somewhat more distinctly and fully for the effecting whereof I must first more punctually set downe 1 How farre all that are not Papists Lutherans or Arminians doe agree with me herein 2 what be the differences betweene mee and some others that though they hold neither with Papist nor Arminian doe yet dissent from me The things on all hands agreed vpon are these 1 That some Infantes may doe receiue the spirit to vnite them vnto Christ before Baptisme The question here is only of the first certaine reception of it by externall ordinary meanes applied 2 That by Baptisme is vnderstood the whole Ordinance consisting of the inward grace as well as of the outward signe 3 That there is as much efficacy in Baptisme vnto Remission of sinne as vnto Regeneration although we are now to treat only of the latter 4 That the spirit is not giuen to all but to the Elect only 5 That the outward element hath not in it any physicall force either by vertue of the consecration institution or administration to conferre the spirit to any at all but the spirit is communicated immediatly from Christ himselfe when the Sacrament is administred if then it be at all conferred 6 That God both may and doth euen in Baptisme bestow the spirit vpon some infants that liue and come to yeares as well as vpon other some that dye in infancy The differences then are only two which will be most breefely discerned in these 2 Quaere's 1 whether the communication of the spirit vnto infants from Christ himselfe for their first apparent engrafting into his body and to be in them as the first seede principle of Regeneration in the ordinary course of regenerating such as after Baptisme doe liue to yeares of discretion be ordinarily in the baptisme of the Elect 2 whether the former being graunted it doth also follow that All the Elect doe ordinarily receiue the spirit in baptisme so that such as receiue him before or after and not in Baptisme are to be held to receiue the spirit in an extraordinary and not in the ordinary course of divine dispensation thereof I hold the Affirmatiue in both these Questions and determine them thus viz It It most agreeable to the Jnstitution of Christ that All Elect Infants that are baptized The maine point fully stated vnlesse in some extraordinary cases doe ordinarily receiue from Christ the Spirit in Baptisme for their first solemne
to quote what he speakes either in private or publique but what he hath written vpon Tit. 3.5 where he saith this is done ORDINARILY Well but when all is done this Author doth not positiuely determine the point but onely speake what in charity may probably be coniectured for he saith We want wherewith to drawe certainty of resolution It is true Hee saith so indeed but what then are those collections out of the SCRIPTVRES and EXPOSITORS hee after talkes of They are but probable coniectures you will say True yet he saith that what he here deliuereth is MOST PROBABLE I looke for no more for what could he say more that is not divinely inspired with an infallible spirit which no man takes this Author to be Yet hee saith enough afterwards to make the last words a plaine contradiction to the first if he would be taken in this sense viz that he speakes only coniecturally and professes that if any should aske him whether any elect infant doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme hee would answere that hee cannot tell For mark hee that saith first that this is not certaine whether elect infants receiue the inward grace in Baptisme or not yet afterwards saith that they doe receiue it that by virtue of HIS PROMISE wee may expect it and here we MAY and OVGHT send out the PRAYER of FAITH for it what doth he but contradict himselfe Will not a PROMISE where the promise is to bee found lies vpon the Author to shew if any man doubt thereof will not the Prayer of Faith which wee OVGHT to put vp to God make this thing certaine Againe if the thing be yet vncertaine why doth hee collect such a certaine vse of comfort from this very discourse of his For afterwards making vse of the point he saith pag. 647. What a comfort is it for a Father to see his child washed with the bloud of Iesus Christ clensed from sinne Set into the visible Church YEA INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST in the right vse of the Sacrament wherein a Parent ought more to reioice then if hee could make it heyre of the world And doe I yet mistake this Author Or rather are not they Incendiaries Who haue bruited it abroad endeavoring to set him and me at oddes if it were possible Yea doe they not by such reports as daily fly vp downe of the contrariety of his iudgement to this point doe what in them lies to endamage him more then either he I hope will deserue or then those Boutifeu's will bee able euer to recompence againe vnto him if notice should bee taken thereof by some that watch for our halting and make a man a transgressor for a word Thus haue I cleared both my Author quitted my selfe of the vniust imputation of doing him wrong His iudgment thus according with mine will I hope somewhat allay their heat and fury who for this point accuse both mee of Arminianisme and our Church of Popery Obiect 2 2 It is obiected further Our Leiturgie is to be vnderstood to speake thus in the judgment of charity only and not as binding vs to beleeue infants to be so regenerated indeed Ans It is true our Church doth indeed teach vs to hope well of every infant that shee admits to baptisme and in charity to beleeue it is indeed regenerated because for ought any man knowes touching any particular infant it is elected yet bindes vs not absolutely to beleeue it de fide of all infants collectiuely taken because it is certaine that all are not elected But the judgment of charity must haue a certaine foundation to build vpon else it is not the iudgment of charity but foolish and sinfull credulity void of all iudgment For vnlesse such a thing bee true indeed of some infants yea ordinarily of all that belong to Gods election I am not bound to beleeue it of euery one in the ordinary course of divine dispensation nay I am bound not to beleeue it no not so much as in charity For charity beleeues nothing but things possible and probable yea more probable then the contrary and things sometimes certainely true of some particulars of the same kinde No charity could bind mee to beleeue Peter to be a reasonable creature if it were not certaine to me that some men that all men were such I am not tyed to beleeue this Professor to be an honest man no not by the bonds of charity if it were certaine to mee that no Professor is an honest man I were not bound in the iudgment of charity to beleeue that any of those stragling Athenian Hearers that in such multitudes flockt about me while I preached this point more then at other times did come for any other end then either to beare some new thing meerly out of curiosity or to catch carp to wrest my words to run away with wilful mistakes to censure and iudge to hope to see me foyled and shamed because forsooth I deliuered that which they haue heretofore rashly and vnsoundly taught or vnprofitably learned and because I will not conceale a truth which might convince them of error c. vnlesse it were either certainly knowne vnto me or vpon certaine ground to be presumed that some yea that many are better affected and more humbly and devoutly minded There must be a certainty in the Thesis else no iudgment of charity bindes a man to beleeue any thing in the Hypothesis Nor is it charity but folly that I should beleeue Peter receiues the spirit in Baptisme if hee that bids me beleeue it of him will not warrant me to beleeue it as a thing certaine of any at all And it were a very vncharitable speech to say that our Church meant to stretch my charity to beleeue impossibilities or improbabilities or that which is neuer yea not ordinarily certainely done Therefore when the Church when it teacheth me to beleeue in charity that this and that and t'other infant receiue the spirit for initiall regeneration in Baptisme teacheth and requireth me vpon this ground that for ought I know of those particulars they are elected to beleeue her meaning to be this that there are some yea that all elect infants doe ordinarily receiue the spirit of regeneration in Baptisme from the hand of Christ truly and indeed 3 Lastly it is obiected The Leiturgy of our Church is not the Publique Doctrine of our Obiect 3 Church therefore it followes not that this is the Doctrine of our Church because found in the Leiturgy thereof Answ I grant that the Leiturgie is not formally the Doctrine of our Church no more then the superstructure is formally the foundation Howbeit the Leiturgy is founded vpon the Doctrine and the Doctrine vpon the Scriptures as shall anon appeare If the Church teach mee such a prayer it is because it presupposeth the Doctrine to allow it else the prayer were without Ground The prayers of the Church are not intended principally for doctrinall instruction but yet they take this
onely those that belong truely and indeed to the election of Grace I must be content to beare this brand as many doe the name of Puritane without desert Obiect But they will say Both the Leiturgie Catechisme and Article speake generally excluding none therefore if you be in sober sadnesse resolued to sticke so close to the Doctrine of the Church of England you must hold this not of the Elect only but of all infants whatsoever Answ It is very true that our Church excludes none from participation of the inward Grace in the Sacrament but knowing for certaine that all the Elect doe partake of it and not knowing at all that this or that particular infant is not elected suffers not any of her children to speake or iudge of any particular infant that hee doth not receaue the inward grace no more then she permits him to say that such a particular is not elected For who hath knowne the mind of the Lord g Rom. 12.34 And who art thou that iudgest another mans servant h Rom. 14.4 Howbeit our Church knowes very well and presumes that all her children knowe also that in respect of Election knowne only to God They are not all Israel that are of Israel i Rom. 9.6 and that of those many that be called but a few be chosen k Math. 20.16 But who those few bee shee will not determine yet thus much shee doth determine that any particular infant rightly baptized is to be taken and held in the iudgment of charity for a member of the true invisible elected sanctified Church of Christ and that hee is regenerated indeed in the sense aforesaid And so doe I. Notwithstanding mistake not Her or me It is one thing to speake of all infants distributiuely singling them out individually one by one and passing iudgment of each particular apart and another thing to speak of them collectiuely and in the lump without restraining our speech to any particular To say that wee cannot iudge of any particular sonne of Adam not discouered by God himselfe to be reiected that he is reiected of God doth not proue that no sonne of Adam is reiected when we speake of all mankind in the general Masse or Lump for then what need of a Hell for cast awaies Thus that learned Bishop By the iudgment of charity the Faithful iudge every professed member of the visible Church when they speake of the particular persons to be a member of the invisible elected called iustified sanctified howbeit they knowe in generall that many are in the church which be not of it and that many be called but few are chosen l Dr Iohn Downham on Psal 15. ver 1. pag. 19. The like phrase wee haue in the forme of Burial wherein when wee bury any particular person whatsoeuer wee are taught to say and pray that wee with this our Brother c. may haue our perfect consummation and blisse c. and yet no man will say that all men that dye doe goe to heauen for euen in that very prayer we are taught to restrain this only to the elect Almighty God with whom doe liue the Spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord and in whom the Soules of them that bee elected after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh be in ioy and felicity So then neither our Leiturgie in the Publique Forme of Baptisme nor Catechisme nor Article doe intend to bind me or any man else to beleeue that every man without exception doth indeed partake of the inward Grace of Baptisme although it bind me and every man to conclude no other when wee pitch our speech vpon any particular Nor is this my Glosse alone but that Iudicious Hooker saith also that all receaue not the grace of the Sacrament that receaue the Sacrament of his Grace m Lib. 5. Sect. 57. So Mr Tho Rogers in his so often printed Commentary on the Articles of Religion For in Article 25 hee makes this one of the Propositions coutched in that Article All which receaue the Sacraments receaue not there with all the things signified by the Sacraments n Propos 11. Hee that shall hold otherwise doth in effect bring in opus operatum againe For although he will say that grace is giuen by virtue of the institution yet hee also saith that by virtue of the institution every infant outwardly baptized is partaker of the inward grace why so because baptized forsooth Now no Pp. will say that baptisme could confer grace if it were not by virtue of divine institution for there are none of theÌ„ so absurd as to say that the outward signes of themselues naturally without respect to the institution doe conferre grace This opinion therefore for substance is the very same with that of the Papists only they haue put on other cloaths vpon it It is as much â—lvâ—sh as the other onely it hath gotten on a Lambs skinne Therefore Dr Whitaâ—â—r disclaimes it in his Treatise de Sacram. in genere quaest 4 cap 1. Non enim ex opere operato ne parvulis quidem gratiam conferri à Sacramentis affirmamus vt necesse sit habere gratiam omnes qui Sacramenta percipiunt And before in explication of the third Proposition he saith In some the Sacraments doe effectually worke in processe of time by the helpe of Gods word read or preached which ingendreth faith Such is the estate principally of infants elected vnto life and salvation and encreasing in yeares And vpon Art 28. Prop. 4. The life spirituall is PECVLIAR to Gods elect Mr Hooker deliuers as much for hauing said that infants receiue the divine virtue of the Holy Ghost in baptisme which giueth to the powers of the soule their first disposition towards future newnesse of life afterwards addes Predestination bringeth not to life without the grace of externall vocation wherein our Baptisme is implied For as we are not naturally men without birth so neither are wee Christian men in the eye of the Church of God but by new birth nor according to the ordinary manifest course of divine dispensation new borne but by that Baptisme which both declareth and maketh vs Christians In which respect we iustly hold it to be the doore of our actuall entrance into Gods house the first apparent beginning of life a seale perhaps to the Grace of ELECTION before receaued but to our sanctification here a step that hath not any before it o Lib. 5. Sect. 60 pag 316. Some it may bee will cavill at the word PERHAPS and say that hee makes it but a Perhaps that men receaue baptisme as a seale of Election But before they doe so let them duly weigh the place and they shall finde that he makes no PERHAPS of this that such as partake of the Grace of Baptisme are elected but only of this that they doe perhaps receaue Baptisme as a seale of grace of election before bestowed on them For hee is dealing with
But Bellarmine is peremptory that whosoeuer is vnder the decree of Gods election how peruerse and crosse soeuer he be to the meanes of his conuersion and perseuerance in grace a Respondeo potest ille libere gratiam repudiare sed certum est non repudia turum quia deus vocabit illum sic vt videt congruum illi esse vt vocantem non respuat Hoc enim modo gratia dei vera a nullo duro corde respuitur quoniam ad hoc datur vt cor emolliat Haec Bel. de Gra. lib. Arb. lib. 2. cap. 15. resp ad 2. obiect and in respect of the liberty of his will may be yeelded to be such an one as may possibly refuse grace yet it is certaine that he will not refuse it because God will call him in such manner as may best agree to his disposition to the end that he might not reiect God calling him For by this meanes it comes to passe that the true grace of God is refused of no hard heart because grace is giuen to this very purpose that it might mollify the heart And all this hee speaketh to shew that Gods decree cannot faile but that all who are elected freely to true grace are as freely elected to glory and doe as certainely obtaine the one as they doe the other But yet some may here obiect one thing more and that is this The Church teacheth to beleeue all the elect to be regenerate actually and not only initially as you say Why may not any man expound it in that sense as well as in yours the termes are generall Seeing this child is regenerate c. Answ If by Actuall regeneration be meant an actuall change of the heart by the infusion and operation of particular habits of grace the best expositors of the Doctrine of our Church run otherwise and the very doctrine of the Church doth it selfe declare the contrary in the ordinary course of such as liuâ— tâ— yeares For expositors take M. Rogers in the place before cited where he is allowed to deliuer this to be the sense of the Church In some the sacraments doe effectually worke in processe of time by the helpe of Gods word read or preached which engendereth faith such is the estate principally of infants elected vnto life saluation and encreasing in yeares Å¿ in Art 25. prop. 3. And this booke hath beene printed with publique allowance many times * Yea this booke came abroad wâ—th iniunction from the Arch-B shop that thâ—n wâ—s that thâ—â—e should be one of them bâ—ught for every Parâ—sh in the Prâ—uinâ—e of Câ—â—â—â—bâ—ry And 〈◊〉 it now be onâ—e worth nothing If the Church will not be tryed by him then marke what Mr Hooker hath to this purpose Baptisme is a sacrament which God hath instituted in his Church to the end that they which receiue the same might thereby â—e incorporated into Christ so through his most pretious merit obteyne as well that sauing grace of imputation which taketh away all former guiltinesse as also that infused Diuine virtue of the Holy Ghost whiâ—h giueth to the powers of the soule their first disposition toward FVTVRE NEWNESSE OF LIFE f ibid. â—op sect 60. But you will say the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of our booke are plaine True so is HOC EST CORPVS MEVM for you know what yet you and I know these words must be expounded according to the true sense of them explained by other Scriptures which make plainly against both Trans-substantiation and Consubstantiation So then the words of our booke in the Leiturgy must admit of what sense our Doctrine elsewhere doth set vpon it Now our Doctrine is it selfe cleare against certaine actuall regeneration in Baptisme of infants liuing to yeares For in Act. 17. touching Predestination it is said they which be indued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirit working in DVE SEASON they through grace obey the calling they be iustified freely they be made the sonnes of God by Adoption c. So much of what Our Church holdeth herein CAP. 4. The point proued by authority of Scripture MY next worke is to make good the point in hand by Diuine and infallible Testimony of Holy Writt And this is that foundation only which I build vpon for proofe of the Position If any shall convince me to haue failed in this I will for euer abandon this opinion although it should be with perill of life what euer all the men and Churches in the world should professe and bind me to beleeue to the contrary a Nemo mihi dicat O Quid dixit Donatus aut quid dixit Parmenianus aut Pontius aut quilibet illorum Quia nec catâ—olicis Episcopis consentiendum est sicubi forte falluntur vt contra canonica Dei scripturas aliquid sentiant Aug. de Vnit. Eccl cap. 10. Si enim ratio contra diuinarum scripturarum authoritatem redditur quamlibet acuta sit fallit verisimilitudine nam vera esse non potest Idem epist 7. ad Marcellin That I may more methodically proceed and dispatch more speedily that which I haue to alledg out of the Scriptures I must necessarily bind my selfe to the lawes of Argumentation wrapping vp the force of my Arguments in some plaine Syllogismes as as I haue done in the former chapter and confirming the seuerall propositions that need proofe by expresse scriptures expounded by such learned expositors as mine adversaries pretend most respect vnto By this course I shall be sure not to abuse my Readers if they be able to iudge of reason When they see it My first argument shall be drawne from Arg. 1 the Nature of Baptisme in respect of the seuerall Parts of it which the scripture continually ioynes together when it speakes of that Sacrament and I frame it thus Maior That which the Scriptures attribute to Baptisme as the cheife part and as it were the soule of that ordinance is ordinarily communicated to all the elect when they partake of Baptisme Minor But the Scriptures doe attribute the confirming of the Holy Ghost to that ordinance as a principall part of it Conclus Therefore it is consonant to the Scriptures that all elect infants baptized doe ordinarily receiue the spirit in Baptisme The Maior Proposition me thinkes should not be doubted of by any vnlesse by Sacramentarians for will any man of vnderstanding deny vnto the elect that wich the scriptures doe euery where attribute as the cheife part and as it were the soule and life of that ordinance of baptisme If any man shall doe so he must grant that elect infants doe receiue but a peece of baptisme the shell without the Kernell the body without the soule And if this be true to what end are they baptized If they be not euen in infancy capable of the principall part of baptisme why are they admitted to it How shall wee answere the Anabaptists who pleade
no learned man would willingly be guilty of 2 I answere that of infants actuall faith is not required for that cannot be iustly required whereof in the ordinary course their very infancy makes them altogether vncapable This I haue so largely proued in the former Chapter as I should rightly bee condemned of tautologizing if I should stand to repeat all the testimonies before alleaged out of Zanchius Martyr Chameir D. Ames D. Davenant and the Author of the Com. vpon Tit. who all confesse that in infants it is enough to make them capable of the inward grace in Baptisme that they haue the Holy Ghost in them insteed of faith to apply the same 3 I answere that if these men will yet so farre gratifie the Anabaptists as to contend further that elect infants cannot be capable of the inward grace in baptisme without faith infants may in some sense bee admitted to haue faith and so not vncapable of the inward grace of that Sacrament Hee that said whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that beleeue in me p Mat. 18. would giue vs to vnderstand that it is no extraordinary thing for infants elected to haue in them some degree of faith not actuall but potentiall initiall seminall which is no other then the spirit of faith communicated as Zanchius and Peter Martyr well If my words bee worth nothing with these men if none of the worthies before alleadged may prevaile let them yet giue some credit to Mr Aynsworth a man farre enough off from from Popery and also from conformity to our present Church He in his Censure of a Dialogue of the Anabaptists when hee comes to that objection of theirs against the Baptizing of Infants viz that if it cannot be proued that infants haue their hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience haue faith repentance c. they ought not to be baptised giues a double answere 1. That this makes as much against circumcision of old as against baptizing of infants now 2. That Christian infants haue the graces they speake of repentance faith regeneration c. though not actually or by way of declaration to others yet they haue through the worke of the SPIRIT the seed and beginning of faith vertually and by way of inclination so that they are not wholy destitute of faith and regeneration though it bee a thing hid and vnknowne vnto vs after what manner the Lord worketh these in them This hee proueth solidly and fully and among other his arguments this is one They to whom God giueth the signe and seale of righteousnesse by faith and of regeneration they haue faith and regeneration for God giueth no lying signe hee sealeth no vaine or false covenants But God gaue to infants circumcision which was the signe and seale of the righteousnesse of faith and regeneration Gen. 17.12 Rom 4.11.2.28.29 Col. 2.11 Therefore infants had and consequently now haue faith and regeneration though not in the crop or harvest by declaration yet in the bud and beginning of all Christian graces Then marke his censure of such as deny this They saith hee that d ny this reason must either make God the Author of a lying signe seale of the covenant to Abraham his infants or they must hold that infants had those graces then but not now both which are wicked and absurd to affirme Or they must say that circumcision was not the signe and seale of the righteousnesse which is by faith and then they openly contradict the Scripture Rom. 4.11 And after more full proofe hee makes this sharpe conclusion Wherefore they are but a faithlesse and crooked generation that notwithstanding all that God hath spoken and done in this kind doe deny this grace of Christ to the infants of his people and the seale or confirmation of this grace by baptisme now as it was by circumcision of old Thus Hee pressed hereto by the Anabaptists Read the Author himselfe pag. 42. 43. 44. 45. whom it is not possible otherwise to shake off 4 Lastly I answere by retorting the argument vpon them that make it The same necessity which lies vpon an infant to haue actuall faith ere hee can partake of the spirit of Regeneration by his baptisme will also be as strong to exclude him from participation of the outward signe For baptismall washing is at least significant and obsignant too sealing to the party baptized the inward grace signified and exhibited by their owne confession that so much quarrel me for this Position of Baptismall Regeneration And if so what should an infant doe with this honourable mystery and sacred Ordinance he being not able to put any difference between baptismall washing by the Minister and ordinary washing of his face at home by his Nurse Now then if his present incapacity hinder not his partaking of the outward element which yet in the ordinary course of dispensation requires faith to discerne the vse and mystery of this Divine Institution as well as to apply the inward grace thereby signified what should hinder but that an infant belonging to the election of grace should partake initially of the grace of the Sacrament by the Spirit which is in him insteed of actuall faith Deny him this and deny him the Scacrament it selfe By all this I hope it is now evident out of the Scripture it selfe that either elect infants doe ordinarily partake of the spirit in Baptisme or else they receaue not whole Baptisme but only a peece if wee consider this Ordinance as the Scripture doth viz not only as an outward signe but as that which euer is accompanied with the inward grace to all that are elected My other Arguments drawne from Divine Testimony are two and both taken from two distinct vses of Baptisme which now follow in order Arg. 2 2. Argument Major That which was ordained to bee the Laver of spirituall regeneration renovation vnto all that are saued by it must needs containe in it the donation of the spirit by which this worke may be done Minor But Baptisme was ordained vnto this end that it should bee the Laver of regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghost vnto all that partake of it and are saued ordinarily Therefore Baptisme taken as the Scripture takes it for all that which in baptisme is vsually giuen to the elect containes in it ordinarily the conferring of the spirit to all the elect that partake of it The Maior is vndeniable vnlesse we will maintaine that the effect may bee produced without it's proper cause for how can Baptisme wash and renew a man spiritually without conferring of the Spirit This is as if I should grant a man to speake yet deny him to haue a tongue or to admit him to act and moue rationally and yet not yeeld him to haue a reasonable soule This Proposition therefore I take for granted This place was alleadged in the former argument but to another purpose there to proue the spirit of Regeneration to be
others of lesse note had set vpon them long before I medled with them least any man should say that I take vpon me to coine expositions of mine owne that might looke fauourably vpon that which is taken to be mine owne cause One thing more remaines that in a word must be dispatched There are some I know will like well enough the allegations of Scripture brought to proue that the Elect that all the elect doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme but with all they finde fault at the restraining of those scriptures to the Elect only for they will haue it thus that the scriptures are cleare to proue that all that are baptized doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme as well as the Elect. To this I breefly say thus much The scriptures doe not warrant any such extent of baptismall grace but plainly teach the contrary For What doe these men make of that place in Rom. 8.30 Whom be did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified The Apostle restraines iustification and effectuall calling to those that are predestinated to what to Grace only No to glory saith the Text expresly The ground of these mens mistake is this that they thinke the efficacy of baptisme depends so certainly and vniuersally vpon the Jnstitution that where there is no wilfull actuall opposition in the party baptized he cannot misse of the effect to wit the spirit of grace But they must know that howeuer by vertue of the institution we may assure our selues that the elect partake of the inward grace yet it is not the institution alone but Gods * See afterwards in cap. 6. 7 the iudgments of Caluine Iunius Dr Iewel and Dr Whitaker preordinatioÌ„ of them vnto grace and glory that makes the sacrament effectuall vpon them and not vpon others Wee admit the word in its kinde to haue efficacy to beget faith as an instrument in the hand of the spirit yet it begetts not faith in all Why Because they doe resist That may be true but why doth it worke faith in others Cheifly because they are elected vnto eternall life so saith the scripture as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued r Act. 13.48 Doth S. Luke in that place thinke wee meane other then this that they and only they that were elected did beleeue Lastly doe but consider one plaine place more it is in Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father He doth not say because they had receiued the sacrament of Baptisme which yet they had done nor yet because they did beleeue which no doubt many of them did but because ye are sonnes now this sonship depended not vpon the sacrament or any ordinance of Christ no nor yet vpon their faith inward grace but vpon the eternall decree of Gods free Election Ephes 1.4.5 So much of â—â—e Proofe of this point by the Holy Scriptuâ— CAP. 5. The iudgment of the Fathers in this point I Am now come to the third part of my taske which is to proue that this hath beene the iudgement and Doctrine of the cheife and best approued Fathers of the Primitiue Church In this I will enforce my selfe to all possible breuity contenting my selfe with a few instances least the worke grow too large and tedious to the reader And that I may be as good as my word I will mention only such as liued within the first 500 yeares after Christ because they that came after may be liable to chalenge 1 Then Cyprian to begin with Cyprian that eminent Doctor and famous Martyr who is stiled by Gregory Nazianzen the cheife and most approued Pastor of his time and the principall light so as not only the Churches of Carthage and Affrick but throughout the whole Christian world his fame and admiration did spread it selfe a Greg. Naz. in laudem Cyprian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Pastorum optimus probatissimus c. Hee in his epistle ad Pompaeium De Haeret baptizandis giues this for a reason why such as were baptized by Hereticks cast out of the Church were to be rebaptized viz because there is noe presence of the spirit among such as are not of the Church of Christ and therefore their baptisme is not sufficient His words are these Wherefore saith he let them grant that either the spirit is present where they say true baptisme is or that it is no true baptisme where the spirit is not because baptisme cannot be without the spirit b Quare aut spiritum esse concedâ—m illic vbi baptisma esse dicunt aut nec baptisma esse vbi spir tus non est quia baptisma esse sine spiritu non potest It is true that out of his zeale against Hereticks of that time who grosly erred in maine Fundamentalls he was ouer vehement against baptisme administred by such as the Church had then eiected out of her society because he thence inferred a necessity of rebaptization of all such as were so baptized by such Hereticks yet the allegation reacheth home to our present purpose in that this shewes his iudgment to be clearely for this truth that the spirit is ordinarily communicated in Baptisme Hence he afterwards inferrs in the same Epistle The natiuity of Christians is in their baptisme c Natiuitas Christi noâ—um in baptismo est And to make it euident that hee vnderstood this to be the ordinary effect of baptisme euen vpon Infants he elsewhere declares himselfe expressely For in his epistle ad Fidum de Infant Baptiz he vseth this as an Argument prouing the lawfulnesse of baptizing of infants that the spirit refuseth not to communicate himselfe euen to them The Holy scripture saith he declares that diuine grace is dispenced vnto all as well infants as others which was shadowed out in Elisha's stretching of himselfe vpon an infant insensible of the Good which the Prophet did vnto him d Esse denique apud omnes siue infantes siue maiores natu vnam diuini muneris aequalitatem declarat nobis scripturae diuinae fides cum Helisaeus super infantem viduae filium qui mortuus iacebat ita se Deum deprecans superstrauit vt capiti caput faciei facies adplicaretur supersusi Helisaei membra singulis parvuli membris pedes pedibus iungerentur By which it is manifest that had not Cyprian beleeued that the spirit communicats himselfe to infants in their baptisme he would scarce haue allowed them to be baptized for asmuch as this is the cheife ground that he builds vpon to iustifie their admittance vnto the same If any shall except against what is vrged out of this last epistle as being no other then an Heterodox opinion Goulartius will defend it if it be restrained to the Elect and Chameir iustifies Goulartius in that assertion e Et
true that Persons of yeares doe oft times resist the spirit by a wicked heart and corrupt life yet this Father speakes of men of another disposition for he speaks of men euen at the point of death apprehending a necessity of remission of sinne by Christ and hastening to Initiation p Festinantes ad initiationem Ibid. which argues an earnest desire after the grace of Baptisme and yet they goe away without it Therefore they of whom he speaketh are not such as doe resist the spirit when they are baptized and so the words are pertinent vnto my purpose 5 Basil to that Question How Christians are saued Giues this answere By being regenerated by the grace receaued in Baptisme q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Spir. Sanct. c. 10 And a little after Baptisme is vnto mee the beginning of life and the day of regeneration is the beginning of daies in that respect r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. In another place speaking of Baptisme hee saith that it is the death of sinne the new birth of the soule Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc exhort ad sanct Bapt. c. I will not adde more out of him This may suffice 6 Hierome in his third booke of Dialogues against the Pelagians brings in the Pelagian thus cavelling with the Orthodox I pray thee tell me why are Infants baptized To which he shapes this answere that in baptisme their sinnes might be remitted t Dic quaeso me omni ibera quaestione quare insantult baptizentur Orthod vt iis pectata in baptismate dimatantur And so much the Author of the Perpetuity of the regenerate mans estate acknowledgeth and professeth pag. 456. edit 2 And in the conclusion of that booke that hee might at once hisse that absurd distinction of the Pelagians that children are baptized not for remission of sinne but to make them partakers of the kingdome of heauen out of the Church hee thus speakes in the person of the Orthodox vnto the Pelagians u Hoc vnum dicam vt tandem finiatur oratio aut novum vos Pelagiani nempe lebere symbolum tradere vt post Patrem Filium Spiritum Sanctum baptizâ—tis infantes in regnum caelâ—â—â— aut si vnum in paâ—vulâ—s in magnis habetis baptisma etiam infantes in remissionem peccatorum baptizandos in similitudinem prevaricationis Adam credatis That I may at length put an end to this discourse I will say but this one thing either you must forge a new Creed and after that forme of baptisme I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost adde this that thou maist partake of the kingdome of heauen or if yee doe beleeue that there is but one baptisme of persons of yeares and of infants yee must hold that infants also are baptized for remission of sinne as well as others But this cannot be without the spirit in an infant then at least if not before communicated to apply the blood of Christ vnto him as the same Father against the Luciferians * Hiâ—rom â—â—uer Lucifer Nulli hominum sine spiritu sancto peccata â—imittuntur Quomodo antâ—quis sordibâ—â— anima purgatâ— quae 〈…〉 habet spiritum ibid. Neque enim 〈◊〉 lavat animaâ— sed prius ipsa lavatur à â—p ritu c. vide locum expresly teacheth Sinnes are remitted to none without the Holy Ghost And a little before thus How can that soule be purged from old sinnes that hath not the holy spirit And againe in the same Tract It is not water that washeth the soule but the water it selfe is first sanctified by the spirit not vnlike to that speech of Moses in another case The spirit of God moved vpon the waters whence it is evident that baptisme cannot be without the spirit To conclude Christ saith he was baptized and receaued the spirit in Baptisme not that hee had it not before for he never was without it but that it might be manifest to vs that true baptisme is that wherein the Holy Ghost is present And to this also Calvine giues testimony in his Institutions x Lib. 4. cap. 16. Sect. 18. 7 Ambrose speaking of the parts of baptisme y De iis qui initiantur mysteriis cap. 4. Ires sunt in baptismate aqua sanguis spiritus si vnum horum detrahas non stat baptismatis sacramentum Quid enim est aqua sinc cruce Christi elementum commune sine vllo sacramenti effectu There are saith hee in Baptisme three things Water Bloud and the Spirit Take away but one of these and yee destroy the Sacrament For what is water without the bloud of Christ or a common element without any effect of the Sacrament If any shall say that this is not cleare for the efficacy of Baptisme at the time of administration hee shall therein shew so much ignorance in that Fathers Writings as that the Learned would iustly blame me if I should take vp more time to demonstrate this vnto him and gnash their teeth at such an Ignoramus 8 Lastly Augustine that great famous Doctor of the Church is knowne to all to be very frequent in this very Argument It shall suffice to quote a place or two There is not saith he z Serm ad infantes Nulli est aliquantenus ambigendum tunc vnumquemque fidelium corporis sanguinisque Domini participem fieri quando in baptismate efficitur membrum Christi the least doubt to bee made by any man that then every one of the faithful is made partaker of the body and bloud of our Lord when in Baptisme he is made a member of Christ If any thinke that by the faithfull he meanes onely persons of yeares actually beleeuing let them consult his Epistle a Epist 23. tom 2. to Boniface a devout Earle touching the baptizing of Infants wherein they shall finde that Father to comprehend infants in the number of the faithfull and that by reason of the Sacrament of faith Againe b Epist 57. ad Dardanum Dicimus in baptizatis parvulis quamvis id nesciant habitare spiritum sanctuÌ„ Sic enim cum nesciunt quamvis sit in eis quemadmodum nesciunt métem cuius in iis ratio quâ vti â—â—â—dum possant veluti quaedam scintilla sopita est excitanda aetatis accessis We say that in infants baptized although they be not aware of it the Holy Ghost doth dwell For so are they without knowledge of his being in them although he bee in them as they are of the reasonable soule reason being in them who yet cannot make vse of it like a little sparke raked vp vnder ashes and is not stirred vp but by accesse of yeares And in the same Epistle with which I will make an end c Habitare autem ideo in talibus dicitur quia occultè in eis agit vt suit templum eius idque in proficientibus proficiendo
perseverantibus proficit ibid. The Holy Ghost is said therefore to dwell in them because he secretly workes in them that they may bee his temple which hee afterwards perfecteth in those that profit and make further proceedings persevere in the same Then which speech what can be said more plaine and full to my present purpose touching the Holy Ghosts ceazing vpon infants even in baptisme to prepare them in his owne time to be Temples for himselfe Such as would extend the efficacy of baptisme indifferently to all infants will be perhaps ready to wrest all these testimonies out of my hand make vse of them against mee for asmuch as all these allegations doe seeme to make for the vniuersall extent of grace to all that are baptized without restraining it to the Elect as I doe It is true the Fathers except none yet this proues not that therefore they held that none are exempted by God nay they often declare the contrary They considering the charge which Christ hath laid vpon his ministers to deny baptisme to none to whom belongs the kingdome of God and not taking vpon them to pry into Gods secrets to know who they be that belong to his election and who not as they baptize all so they pronounce of each one that his sinnes are remitted and the spirit is giuen him in baptisme yet withall confining the donation of these gifts only to such as haue indeed interest in the kingdome although they take not vpon them to declare who they be in particular that haue no share therein Now that notwithstanding their indefinite and illimited speeches touching the efficacy of Baptisme they did holde and declare that all are not indeed partakers of the grace of baptisme shall appeare by one or two of them which I thinke is enough to declare the iudgement of the rest that were sound among them Not to repeat what I formerly vrged out of Chrysostome to shew that he was not of opinion that all without exception did certainely receiue grace in baptisme although they did not actually resist it when they were baptized I will mention only one passage out of Hierome and another out of Augustine concerning this point St Hierome if it be not falsely fathered on him writing on Galath 3. d In Gal. 3. si igitur qui in Christo baptizati sunt Christum induerunt manifestum est eos qui non sunt induti Christum non fuisse baptizatos in Christo Ad eos enim qui fideles baptisma Christi consecuti putabantur dictum est Induite ves Dominum Iesum Christum Rom. 13. Si quis hoc corporeum quod oculis carnis aspicitur aquae tantum accepit lavacrum non est iudutus deminum Iesum Christum Nam Simon ille de actibus Apost acceperat Lavacrum aquae verum quia sanctum spiritum non habebat indutus non erat Christum Et Haeretici vel Hypocritae si qui sordide victitant videntur quidem accipere baptismum sed nescio an Christum habeant indumentum Itaque consideremus ne sorte in nobis aliquis deprebendatur qui ex eo quod Christi non habet indumentum arguatur non baptizatus in Christo As many of you as haue beene baptized into Christ haue put on Christ hath these words If they who haue bin baptized into Christ haue put on Christ it is manifest that they who haue not put on Christ were not baptized into Christ For vnto such as were thought to be faithfull and to haue attained the baptisme of Christ it is elsewhere said put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ Jf any hath receiued only that which is corporall and visible viz the Lauer of water he hath not put on Iesus Christ For euen Simon magus receiued the externall washing yet because he had not the Holy Ghost therefore he did not put on Christ And so Hereticks Hypocrites wicked liuers seeme indeed to receiue baptisme but I know not that they haue put on Christ as a garment Therefore let vs lay this to heart least any man be found among vs that being not cloathed with Christ should proue not to haue beene baptized into Christ Some perhaps may snatch at this testimony and say that St Hierome speakes here of such as are of yeares that doe obicem ponere make resistance to grace and not of infants of which the question is if he did speake of infants yet here is not a word of election as the reason why some doe receiue that which others goe without To these two cauills I must make answere in order First I deny that he speakes only of persons of yeares for from the generall obseruation thâ—t there be some who were not indeed baptized into Christ he makes application in particular to himselfe and others most of which were baptized in infancy though some of yeares were daily added and euen them would he haue to consider seriously whether it were not thus with themselues although baptized in infancy Nor doth he make reluctation in Simon Magus to be the reason why he was not baptized into Christ but his not hauing of the spirit and this is as much in effect as if he had said he was not baptized into Christ because he was not in the number of Gods sonnes by election for the scripture assignes this as the reason why some doe partake of the spirit because they are sonnes e Gal. 4.6 The rule of opposition therefore must needs make the contrary true no son no spirit no spirit none of Christs f Rom. 8 9. Wherefore secondly I say that in effect he restraines the grace of baptisme only to the elect and for this reason that they be elected For if Simon could not be baptized into Christ for want of the spirit it is true that he could not be baptized into Christ because not elected for if he had beene a sonne by election hee could not haue missed of the spirit as is clear both in Galath 4.6 and in Rom 8.14 Now forasmuch as the Holy scriptures doe so clearly teach that none partake of the spirit vnto sanctification and saluation but only the elect as by and by we shall by occasion see confessed also by Lombard himselfe it were too great a wrong to so worthy a Father as St Hierome was to interpret his speech vttered according to scripture as hauing in it a meaning contrary to the Scripture to bolster vp a tottering error of some that drew it immediatly from Bellarmine and the rest of that crew What need many words If Hierome be not thought cleare enough then see my other witnesse St Augustine who if Lombard abuse him not I am sure will put all out of doubt The g Sacramenta in solis electis efficiunt quod figurant ita Lombard 4. sent dist 4. in A. sacraments saith he doe effect or worke that which they signify only in the elect I willingly admit that Lombard seekes to giue an
And in Art 38 thus i Dicimus itaq elementum aquae quantumvis eaducum nobis nihilominus vtrè testificari interiorem animi nostri ablutionem in sanguine Iesu Christi per sancti spiritus efficaciam Rom. 6.3 Ephes 5.26 5 The Argentine confession cap. 17. thus determineth k De Baptismate itaque confitemur id quod passim scriptura de illo praedicat eo sepeliri nos in mertem Christi coagmentari in vnum corpus Christum induere lavacrum regenerationis peccata abluere nos salvare Rom 6 3. 1. Cor 12. Gal 3. Tit. 3. Act. 22. 1. Pet. 3. Touching Baptisme we confesse that which the scripture every where affirmeth of it that thereby wee are buried into the death of Christ knit together in one body we put on Christ it is the laver of Regeneration to wash away our sins and to saue vs Rom. 6 3. 1. Cor. 12. Gal. 3. Tit. 3. Act. 22. 1. Pet. 3. 6 The Augustane confession art 9. l Docet quod infantes per baptismum Deo commendati recipiantur in gratiam Dei fiant filij Dei sicut Christus testatur Mat. 18. non est voluntas patris vestri qui est in coelis vt pereat vnus ex parvulis istis teacheth that infants being by baptisme commended vnto God are receaued into the fauour of God and made his sonnes as Christ testifieth Math. 18. saying it is not the will of your father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish 7 The Saxon confession cap. 14 thus m Retinemus et infantium baptismum quia certissimum est promissionem gratiae etiam ad infantes pertinere c. nec iudicamus hunc morem tantum otiosam ceremoniam esse sed vere tunc à deo recipi sanctificari infantes We retaine the baptisme of infants also because it is most certaine that the promise of grace belongs even to infants c. nor doe we iudge this a meere idle ceremony but that then they are truly receaued by God and sanctified 8 The confession of Wirtemberg cap. de Bapt. to the same effect n Docemus eum qui baptizatur in nomine Patris filii spiritus sancti vngi spirituali Chrysmate hoc est fieri membâ—uÌ„ Christi donari spiritu sancto c. We teach that he that is baptized in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost is anointed with a spirituall chrysme that is he is made a member of Christ and endowed with the Holy Ghost 9 To all these we may adde the pious and orthodox confession of the Palatine extant in the same Harmony of confessions o De virtute efficacia sacri baptismi credo confiteor liberos nostros quia in hoc foedere vt iam dictum etiam ipsi vna includuntur cum in articulos antiquae nostrae catholicae fidei baptizantur sicut in iis ipsis educari institui debent etiam cruentis mortis domini nostri Iesu Christi omniumque eius bonorum quae illic morte sua acquisivit vnà participes fieri idque hoc modo quod quemadmodum externum sigillum sacrosanctum sacramentum nempe elementarem aquam à ministro veâ—bidivini extrinsecus in corpore recipiunt ita quoq simul à Christo ipso effuso illius sanguine in animabus suis hoc est interne baptizantur per spiritum sanctum de integro seu in novas creaturas regenerantur Touching the force and efficacy of holy baptisme I beleeue confesse that our children forasmuch as they also are included together with vs in the covenant before spoken of when they are baptized into the Articles of the ancient and catholike faith as in them also they ought to bee trained vp and instructed are made partakers as well as we of the bloudy death of our Lord Iesus Christ and of all other good things which in that his death he hath procured and that in this manner viz that as they receaue the outward seale to wit the holy Sacrament the elementary water from the Minister of the word externally in the body so also together at once by Christ they are washed with his bloud in their soules that is to say they are internally baptized and are regenerated a new as new creatures by the Holy Ghost But some may obiect that this last is not the Confession of the Church of the Palatinate but only of Frederick the third the Palsgraue of Rhene To which I answere 1. By confessing it to bee true that it was indeed the Confession of that religious Prince yet such as was approued of by that whole Church as appeares by the inserting of it among the publique Confessions of the Churches nor is there any other confession of that Church to be found in the Harmony of Confessions but only this by which it is euident that the whole Church of the Palatinate considering how full this confession was how exactly according with their publique catechisme thought it needlesse to draw any other publique body of confession but rather to rest in this so well performed to their hands 2 I say that it doth fully agree to the established doctrine of that Church set forth in their publique catechisme For in the 69 Quest of that Catech this is demanded p Qua ratione in baptismo admoneris confirmaris te vnici illius sacrificii Christi participem esse By what ground art thou admonished and confirmed that in thy baptisme thou art made a partaker of that one and only sacrifice ef Christ q Quod Christus externum aquae lauacrum mandavit addita hac promissione me non minus certo ipsius sanguine spiritu a sordibus animae hoc est ab omnibus peccatis meis lauari quam aqua extrinsecus ablutus sum qua sordes corporis expurgari solent The answere to it is this Because Christ enioyned that outward lauer of water with this promise annexed to it that J should be no lesse certaine that J am washed by his bloud and spirit froÌ„ all the filth of my soule that is from all sins theÌ„ that I am externally washed with water wherby the staines of the body are wont to be purged away To which I may further adde that learned Pareus in his larger explication of that catechisme how euer he require faith in the receiuer that will haue sensible possession benefit of the graces of that Sacrament yet in his commentary vpon the 74 Question of the same vndertaking to proue against the Anabaptists the lawfulnesse of baptizing of infants the second argument which hee there vseth is this * Ad infantes ecclesiae pertinet beneficium remissionis peccatorum regenerationis h. e. infantibus aeque ac adultis remissio peccatorum per sanguinem Christi spiritus sanctus fidei effector promittitur ergo infantes Christianorum debent baptizari that remission of sinnes by
licet ibid. sect 14. I hold that it is sufficient that wee acknowledge they shall be saued for as much as they by election and praedestination belong to Gods peculiar flock that they are endowed with the spirit who is the roote of faith hope loue and all other graces which spirit afterwards doth manifest and declare himselfe in the sonnes of God when they come to years Musculus of Baptisme giues this description b Defiâ—iemus baptismum esse sacramentum regenerationis purgationis initiationis sanctificationis obsignationis incorporationis in Christum seruatorem Haec enim omni no per spiritum Christi fiunt in electu fidelibus quorum sacramentum est baptismus vt rectè in illo profici dicatur quod per spiritum Christi reipsa spiritualiter perficitur Muscul de Bapt quest 1. Sect. 8 Loc. Com. Wee define baptisme to be the sacrament of regeneration purgation initiation sanctification obsignation and incorporation into Christ our Saviour For all these are effected in the elect and faithfull by the spirit of Christ of all which graces baptisme is the sacrament so as in it this may rightly be said to be done because truly and spiritually it is effected by the spirit of Christ If any thinke to obiect against me that Musculus speakes this of the faithfull and so vnderstands it not of infants I answere out of Musculus himselfe c Omnes Christianorum infantes ad Christum pertinentes deque numero fidelium existentes recte dicuntur esse in fide Christi fideles credentes licet nondum sint imbuti fide Musc in Mat. 18 All infants belonging to Christ borne of Christian parents and being of the number of the faithfull are rightly said to be in the faith of Christ to be faithfull and beleeuers although as yet they be not endewed with actuall faith Besides he that saith Christians being elect are by the Holy Ghost ingraffed into Christ in baptisme must not exclude elect infants for as much as none but infants are now vsually baptized in the Church Therefore hee must be vnderstood of what baptisme doth ordinarily effect vpon infants or else his definition is very improper yea false being applied to children beside whom there are none vnlesse in some rare cases of proselites baptized in these latter times Francis Iunius in his Theses of Paedobapt speakes as fully to this point as any of the rest d Si enim in Christi corpus baptizandi omnes electi si omnes christum induere debent infantes non secus ac adulti eos a christi corpore separare Christo non inserere nefandum esset Thes 4. If saith he all the elect are to be baptized into the body of Christ if moreouer all of them as well infants as persons of yeares ought to put on Christ then to separate theÌ„ from the body of Christ and not to engraffe them into Christ were a most wicked thing And againe a little after e Cum baptizantur infantes deus offert confert omnia bona faederis stipulatur ibid. Thes 10. When infants What infants he meanes he had sufficiently expressed before viz. elect infants are baptized God doth both offer and conferre all the good things of the Couenant and engageth himselfe vnto it In another place thus f Baptismus est actio sacra Dei lauantis suos intus lotione spiritus foris lotione aquae Mat. 3. Ioh. 1. passim Haec igitur relata sunt aqua spiritus lotio aquae lotio spiritu Relatio vt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est iâ—â—s illa siue applicatio vntus ad alteram secundum naturam relâ—torum formam constituexs sacramenti Quemadmodum igitur homo in actionibus humanis anima corpore actionem internam externam agit vnica operatione in qua sicut anima est forma corporis ita actio interna formalis quodam modo externa vero materialis est in cundum modum Deus spiritu suo aqua agit actionem internam externam vnica operatione in qua lotio interna a spiritu formalis est in â—terialis externa prâ— vt dicebat Ioannes ego baptizo vos aqua c. Iun. in Exam. Gratian. Prosp Par. 3. Baptisme is a sacred action of God washing those that be he his owne inwardly with the washing of the spirit outwardly with the washing of water Mat 3. Iohn 1. and elsewhere These two therefore the water and the spirit the washing of water and the washing of the spirit are relatiues And the relation it selfe is that application or vnion of these one to another according to the nature of relatiues which constitutes the forme of the sacrament Wherefore as a man in humane actions doth with his soule and body produce both an inward and an outward action in one and the same operation in which as the soule is said to be the forme of the body so is the inward action after a sort the formall and the externall the materiall part of the action euen so after the same manner God by his spirit and by water doth performe both an internall and an externall action in one and the same operation in which the inward washing by the spirit is the formall part and the externall washing with water is the materiall part of that his action according to that of Iohn the Baptist I indeed baptize you with water c. but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost c. This passage passing from that learned man in a scholasticall confutation of a subtile aduersary is perhaps more abstruse then it can be fully vnderstood of an ordinary reader yet all that are iudicious cannot see lesse in it than this viz that in the iudgment of Iunius that is not held for Baptisme of the elect wherein God doth not ordinarily accompany the outward administration of that sacrament with some inward worke of the spirit inwardly washing the soule as well as the water outwardly washeth the body in the Lauer of Regeneration But what manner of worke that is which is ordinarily performed by the spirit in the matter of Regeneration the same Author also describeth in the place first cited where he thus distinguisheth of regeneration and then explaines himselfe in what sense he affirmeth infants elect to be regenerated in baptisme g De regeneratio â—e aliter consideratur in fâ—â— lâ—â—ne to id est in Christo habitu aliter in nobis actu Pâ—imâ— regeneratio qâ—â—e dici potest transplantatio a vetere Id mo in novum tanqâ—am causa eâ—â— aâ—tera tanquam fructus sequituâ— De prima inquitur Christus Iohn 3. Apostolus vtramque coniungit Rom. 6. Hac regenerantur infantes electi cum Christo inferuntu huius obsignatio sit iâ—s duâ—â— baptizantuâ— De Paed. bap châ—â— 7 Touching regeneration it is one way to be considered in the foundation that is to say in Christ the habit thereof
infants after arguments to confirme the truth addes answeres to the principall obiections of the Anabaptists pleading against it And to that so often iterated cauill that infants ought not to be baptized because they want faith shapes this answere l Nec vlii iâ— est momenti quod aiunt incâ—edulos non esse baptizandos Nâ—m bifariam aliquis incâ—eduâ—us dicitur negatiue qui salutari fidâ—i quidem habitu destituitur non tamen contrario babi iâ— eâ—â— pollutus positiue autem qui habitu fideicaret contrario 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malo laborat Intanâ—es duntaxat negatiue sunt infideles hoc est nondum babentes fidem cuius ne quidem capaceâ— sunt per naturam Tamencapaces sunt spiritus fidei per quem anima accipit esse spiri uale ac supernaturale câ—ique principium operationum spiritualium suoque tempore est efficax ac cessantibus etiam actionibus in homine manet Absque hoc spiritu si essent parvuli non vnire itur Christo nec mystici eius coâ—poris membra forent eoque nec participes ess nt â—rivilegiorum ecclesiae quae in symbolo commemorantur Etu igitur infantes non credant actu tamen non magis hoc eos a baptismo aâ—â—ere debet quam cibus iis debet denâ—gari etsi ab Apostolo dictum sit qui non vult laborare non manducet Geraâ—d Vossius Thes Theol. de Paedobapt par 1. th s 15. nuper editis Jt is of no validity which they vrge namely that vnbeleeuers ought not to be baptized For one may be said to be an vnbeleeuer two waies viz. negatiuely so he that is indeed destitute of the habit of faith yet is not polluted with the contrary habit of infidelity or positiuely as he that both wants the habit of faith and also labours vnder the contrary of vnbeleefe Infants are vnbeleeuers only negatiuely that is they haue not yet the habit of faith of which they are not for the present capable Notwithstanding they are capable of the spirit of faith by which the soule receiues a spirituall and supernaturall being and that is the principle or beginning of all spirituall operations and is effectuall in his due time and remaines in a man euen when there is a cessation of the actions of it If they were without this spirit infants could not be vnited vnto Christ nor be made members of his mysticall body and so neither should they be partakers of the priviledges of the Church which are contained in the Creed Although therefore infants haue not actuall faith yet this ought no more to keepe them off from baptisme than meat ought to be denyed them because the Apostle saith he that will not worke let him not eat m 2 Thes 3.10 Here we see an initiall regeneration taken for granted and so described and so described also as there is no need of labour to draw it home to my present purpose * Let the reader here be aduertised that the Arminians are censured by the fowre publique professors of Leiden for ioyning with that blasphemous wretch Socinus and his Disciples in that they in their publique Confessions of their faith doe make baptisme to be only an externall rite whereby men are ingraffed into the Church and admitted to Gods ordinances without any obsignation and reall collation of grace in and vpon the parties baptized although the Remonstrants doe vse some words that may seeme to infinuate a purgation a deliuerance from sinne and a donation of grace yet those professors censure them because they speake of those things as that which is to be expected in time to come and not begun at the time of baptisme See the confessions of the Remonst at larg cap. 23. Sect. 3 And the censure of it pag. 304. where speaking of the former part of the Remonstrants description of baptisme they vse these words Siquidem prior plane Socinianizat quatenus baptismum hoc vsu tantum definiunt Quod hoc publico sacro ritu saederati per solennem aquae ablutionem Ecclesiae inseruntur cultui diuino initiantur Similia habent Sociniani in catetch Racoviensi quod fit ritus exterior quo homnes è Iudaismo vel Gentilismo ad Religionem Christianam accedentes manifeste profitebantur se Christum pro suo domino agnoscere Presse eos insequitur Episcopius Disputatione de Baptis Quod sit ceremonia ritus N T qui quo ii ad religionem chirstianam accedunt Ecclesia Iesu Christi publice accenseri cupiunt aqua abluuntur ad testandum vitae male anteactae derelictionem vitae melioris inchoationem Ita vt ex parte Dei nullam illi gratiae Dei in baptizatis obsignationem agnoscant Vnde Socinus lib de Offic hom Christ cont Evangelicos asserit baptismi finem non esse gratia Dei de remissione peccatorum per sanguinem Christi obsignationem sed tantum significationem nec fidei nostrae gratiae Dei confirmationem sed tantum professionem Paria è Socino suo Episcopius Thes 9. Effectus siue finis baptismi non est realis aliqua gratia collatio sed sola tantum diuinae gratie professionis nostrae significatio Ptior itaque illa Remonstrantium definitio plane Socinum exprimit And in page 306 thus the Professors to the latter part of their definition wherein they mention an inward purgation and donation of grace and glory they thus censure the Remonstrants Quum vero vsus illos futuro tempore enunciant nempe purgandi liberandi donandi vocibus si futura de continua actione accipiant recte sane c. Thus haue I made good what I vndertooke in producing the iudgment of many forraine Diuines of best note in the Church If any complaine of length and tediousnesse in citing so many let them consider that they are not a few that bandy themselues against this truth and sticke not to giue out in all places that there is not one of all those Authors which I haue alledged but rather makes against me than for me of which now let the equall and able reader iudge CAP. 8. The iudgment of some Diuines of speciall note in our Owne Church WHat iudicious Hooker Mr Thomas Rogers Dr Ames Mr Aynsworth the Author of the English commentary vpon St Paules Epistle to Titus haue written touching this point I haue already shewed in the third and fourth chapters of this Treatise by which it is euident that I am not the first * Nam multi protestantes etsi non fidem actualem infantibus tribuunt tamen inclinationes quasdam bonas novosque motus in pueris esse dicunt cum baptizantur Whitak de Sacram. cont de Bapt. quaest 4. cap. 5. in princ that haue set abroach this doctrine in the Church of England nor the first English man that hath published this point to the world although it be my hard hap to be first chalenged for it I will not in
such baptisme also is a confirmation of their incorporation But vnto all others baptisme is the first ordinary meanes that initiateth vs into Christ and we from that time grow vp vnto more and more perfection in his body then we partake of the mystery of the Lords supper wherein and whereby we are yet further nourished and confirmed in the body of Christ so as M. Harding shot beside the marke when he contendeth that the sacrament of the Lords supper doth first vnite vs vnto Christ And this is all that the Bishop aimed at in all these words D. Whitaker In the next place come wee to D. Whitaker whom none but a corrupt Barowist or Tompsonian will refuse to honour among men of greatest parts and highest worth He in that learned Treatise of the Sacraments howeuer he denyeth all manner of efficacy to be in the sacraments ex opere operato by virtue of the meere externall administration of the sacrament yet he euery where disclaimes as an intollerable calumny that which Bellarmine the rest of that rout cease not to lay to our charge viz. that wee make the sacraments and particularly Baptisme to be without all efficacy at the time of administration or that a De Sacram. Controv. de Baptis quaest 4. cap. 1. Calumniatur ergo Bellarminus sic etiam Patres Tridentini qui aiunt nos dicere peccatum tantum radi in baptismo non tolli quod olim Augustino Pelagiani obiiccrunt quorum ille calumniam diluit Non enim peccatum in baptismo tanquam novacula resecatur sic vt radex haereat starim renascatur quemadmodum isti insulsi nos sentire putant sed nos in Baptismo dupâ—tcem gratiam consequimur prima est remissio peccatorum secunda regeneratio Remissio est pâ—riecta regeneratio inchoaâ—a propter peccati reliquias propter originale peccatum quod in nobis perpetuo quoad suam substantiam remanet we will haue sinne to be only pared and not wholy taken away in baptisme in respect of the guilt of it For sinne is not only shauen or clipt as some young thing newly sprout vp which though it be cut yet the roote still staies behind and will presently spring vp afresh againe may be said to be as those absurd obiectors imagine vs to hold but we obtaine a double benefit in baptisme the first is remission of sinnes the second is regeneration Remission of sinnes is perfect regeneration in respect of the remainders of sinne and of originall sinne that for substance still abideth in vs is then only inchoate or but in the beginning Nor doth he speake this only of persons of yeares that can haue neither of these without actuall faith to apprehend them as hee proues strongly and at large in the first part of that b De sacram in genere quaest 4 cap. 3. Tractate but he affirmes it also of infants that some of them viz. the elect are partakers of these graces in their baptisme as may be seene in sundry passages of his booke collated for marke when Bellarmine obiecteth that c Ibid de sacr in genera quest 4. multotus some reape benefit by the sacraments without actuall faith and particularly infants in their baptisme it is Doctor Whitakers constant answere not simply to deny that proposition but to deny it in two respects only viz. 1 If the proposition be vnderstood of all infants because all are not saued that be baptized 2 If it be meant that they partake of these graces meerely by virtue of the outward worke done or that the outward element should be thought to containe in it any efficacy to convey these graces vnto any infant at all then also he reiecteth it as false but otherwise he admits it to be true So doth he receiue the d Ibid cap. 2. p g. 72. counsell of Nice so the Mileuitane counsel e Ibid câ—â— 2. pag. 73. Terâ—â—â—â—n testimoniuÌ„ suruiâ—ur ex CoÌ„â—â—lio Milovitano Parvuli qui nihil peccatorum in semetipsis adhuc committere potuerunt ideo in remissioneÌ„ peccatorum veraciter baptizantur vt in cis regeneratione mundetur quod generatione traxâ—runt Respondâ—o Baâ—tismum esse sacramentum regenerâ—tionis etâ—â—â— in parvulis non negamus sed non ex opere operato Deas operatuâ— libere eiâ— iâ— bâ—â—tisâ—o sadiâ—â— at quos â—â—iâ—lt c. which speaks expresly of infants thus Litle children who yet cannot commit any actuall sinnes of their owne are therefore truly baptized for the remission of sinnes that so that filth which they haue contracted by generation might be purged out by regeneration True saith he wee deny not Baptisme to be the sacrament of regeneration euen to infants but not by vertue of the externall worke done Yea but you will say he denies this to be done in all infants True and so doe I. But of what sort are they that he admitteth to partake of the efficacy of Baptisme Surely none but the Elect. For thus He e Deus in baptismo ut significat remissionem peccatotum salutem ita re operatur veritas cum signo coniuncta est in electis De sacram in genere quaest 4. cap. 2. Jn baptisme as God doth signifie the remission of sinnes and salvation so indeed he workes the same and the truth of the things is iâ—ined together with the signe in the ELECT Againe f Ibid. quaest 1. cap 3. pag. 15. Quare falsum est quod ait Bellarm. baptizari apud nos infantesea solum de causa vt sint membra Ecclesia externae quemadmod◠〈◊〉 circiicisi eli n infantes Iudeorum sum illa tantum de causa sed vt illis signum diuini soederis imprimatur quod etsi non venatiâ— praedestinatis nal p edest tanun electis predest co modo quo Dâ—us novâ—t Nam infantes clectâ—s moâ—teâ—ies antequom adoleverint Deus virtute sp ritus sui renovat si vero vitun longius pâ—opagare illis contigerit comacis ad studium renouationis accenduntur quod eius tessâ—ram se infantes accepâ—â—e scâ—â—t Ergo etsi infantes baptizantur tamen non semper infantes count sed tandem si vita 〈◊〉 longiuâ— contedatur vim eius Baptismisentient quem infantes susciperunt Wherefore it is false that Bellarmine affirmes that Infants with vs are baptized only that they might become members of the visible Church for neither were the Infants of the Jewes circumcised only for that reason but that the signe of Gods covenant might bee stamped on them which although it profit not such as are neither regenerated nor predestinated notwithstanding it is availeable in the Elect in such manner as is well knowne to God For such Infants as being elected doe die in infancy God renueth by the power of his spirit but if it happen that they liue they are thereby the more incited to the study of renovation the badge whereof they then come to know that they received in Infancy Therefore although they be
spiritus sanctus in iis apprehendat illa illis consentiat vt dicitur idem spiritus nobis nescientibus intercedere pro nobis orare quemadmodum oportet deum cum nouerit eius sensum illum audiret tamen cum scriptura non dicat parvulos credere neque hoc videat esse necessarium ad salutem satis essè indicat vt dicamus eos qui servantur cum sint de peculio Domini per praedestinationem electionem spiritu sancto perfundi qui radix est si lei spâ—i charitatis omnium virtutum quas postea exerit declarat in filiis dei cum per aetatem licet Posse ergo sic dici fideles vt dicuntur rationales Nam eâ—si non possunt infantes ratiocinari lamen animam habent ea facultate praeditam vt possint cumaetas accesserit rati cinariâ— ergo rationales dicuntur non propter praesentem vsum rationis sed propter insitum principium rationis nempe animam quae artium doctrinarum omâ—ium capax est fidem igitur expressamâ— equiri in adultis in parvulis suffirere fidem inchoatam in suo principio radice id est spiritu sancto quo praediti sunt ex quo fides suo tempore virtutes aâ—ae manam nam infantes a spiritu purgari cum sint in Ecclesia ad ecclesiam pertineant Ecclesiam autem Christus sanctificavit mundans cam lavacio aquae per verbum Si ad ecclesiam pertinent spiritu ornantur si in caelum recipiuntur a peccato purgantur c. Peter Martyr a man of most profound iudgment saith he dares not embrace their opinion that ascribe faith to infants not but that God can if he will infuse faith into them and enable them to reason before the ordinary time cause that though they doe neither vnderstand nor know the things which are to be beleeued notwithstanding the spirit in them may apprehend and giue consent to those things for them as the spirit is said to make intercession for vs vnto God euen when we know not what to pray for as wee ought and then God who knowes the minde of the spirit heareth the same Howbeit seeing the. Scriptures doe not say that infants doe beleeue nor doth this seeme necessary to them vnto saluation he thinkes it sufficient that we say that they who are saued for as much as they are part of Gods peculiar by Predestination and election are endewed with the Holy Ghost who is the roote of faith hope charity and all other virtues which afterward he produceth and declareth in Gods children when they come to yeares Thus farre he voucheth the words of Peter Martyr then he goes on in his owne words thus to illustrate the same They may therefore be called faithfull or beleeuers as they may be said to be reasonable creatures For although infants cannot rationally discourse yet they haue a soule whereby when they come to some yeares they may be able to discourse So that they are called reasonable creatures not because they haue present vse of their reasonable faculty but by reason of the principle of reason in them to witt the reasonable soule which is capable of all arts and sciences Therefore we say expresse faith is required in all of yeares but in infants only faith begun or in his first principle or roote namely the HOLY GHOST with which they are endewed and from whom faith and other graces in due time doe flow or issue forth For infants are purged by the spirit seeing they are in the Church and of the Church Christ sanctified his Church purging it in the Lauer of water through the word If then they belong to the Church they are adorned with the spirit if they be receiued vp into heauen they are then purged by the spirit The former passage is aboundantly sufficient both to proue that I haue not abused Peter Martyr and that D. Whitaker is fully of the same iudgment with him Yet let me haue leaue since I promised much out of this Author to alleadge a place or two more to the same purpose In the n Pag. 286. Sed ait ChristuÌ„ habitare in infantibus per fidem ergo â—abere eos fidem saltem quoad habitum Respon deo At hoc non minus de actu quam de habitu intelligitur Quid is enim dicamus in nullis Christum habitare n si qui actu creduat Et pueri habent tum actum tum habitum fidei in suâ—semirie id est in spiriâ—u sancto vt antea diximus Postremo ait trsands parvuâ—s occultam gratiam cum baptizentur idq Augustinam docere Respondeo Id nos quoque nicimas Sed Augustimes non ait habitum fidei insued sed gratiam Bellarminus â—escit an haec gratia sit Charitas cum side spo an qualitas alia cum qua tres illae virtutes perpâ—tuo sunt contunctae Quis vnquam de eusmodi qualitate audiuit quae nec spes nec charitas nec fides est sed has secum coniunctas habet Infundi gratia potest sine harum virtutumaut actu aut habâ—tu Vid â—â—r Augustinus id ensâ—sse hancgratiam esse spiritum sanctum qui efficit sidem licet non statim in infantibus next page following that we last cited answering that of Bellarmine who obiecteth that Christ is said to dwell in infants by faith therefore they must needs haue the habit of faith He answers thus But this may as well be vnderstood of actuall faith which Bellarmine denies to be in them as of the habit which the Iesuite saith they haue And what if wee should say that Christ dwels in none but such as actually beleeue he meanes what would Bellarmine haue to plead against it seeing he maintaines habituall faâ—th But euen infants haue both the act and habit of faith in the seede thereof that is to say in the Holy Ghost as we before spake Lastly the Iesuite saith that Augustine teacheth that there is a secret grace infused into infants when they are baptized I answere so say we too but Augustine saith not the habit of faith is infused but grace and Bellarmine knowes not what to make of this grace whether he should call it charity ioyned with faith and hope or any other quality with which all these graces are perpetually linked But who euer heard of such a quality which is neither faith hope nor loue yet hath all these conioyned with it Grace may be infused without either the act or habit of any of these S. Austustine seemes to be of this opinion that this grace is the Holy Ghost which indeed worketh faith but not instantly in infants Ibid. cap. 6. I will not dissemble that in the next chapter Dr Whitaker taking vpon him to lay open the Doctrine of the Fathers touching the faith by which infants are partakers of the grace of Baptisme and are saved if they die in infancie is very
him to his former estate before grace so as he should need any new totaâ—l and vniversa l regeneration in all parts of his soule for theÌ„ as they Well saw it would follow that such a man must b rebaptized ere he could be againe regenerated by the ordinary way Therefore they say he is only set out of the state of grace that is out of the fauour of God so as then it shines not vpon him for they cannot meane it of grace in the person himselfe because they confesse he hath not wholly lost all grace so as to need a new regeneration vntill he recouer it againe by repentance For see what they write a little before the middle of that declaration circa 5. Art de Persâ—ver Ex quo consequitur cum qui a verâ— fide deficit non protinus in eundem illum statum delabi in quo erat antequam ad fidem vocaretur ac proinde totali vniuersali regeneratione quoad omnes animae patres opus non habere neque vt novo baptismo rebaptizetur necessum esse sed tantum extra statum gratiae collocari quamdiu ad statum illum a quo defecit non revertitur â—f therefore I can cleare the point from both these absurdities which are thought to lay an impossibility vpon it and make it appeare that it is possible for the spirit to be in an elect infant from the time of his baptisme vnto his actuall conuersion many yeares after although no manifest signe of grace but rather the contrary doe to vs appeare in him I shall sufficiently quit my selfe of this obiection And this I will now assay by answering distinctly to both propositions in order 1 Then let vs examine their Maior proposition which hath in it 2 parts which wee may call the Antecedent and the Consequent The antecedeÌ„t or the main body of the proposition is this wheresoeuer the Spirit is he worketh actuall faith and regeneration the consequent this or else the spirit is idle To both these parts I answere thus 1 I deny the former part if it bee taken vniversally For it is not necessary that the spirit from the very first time of his entrance should worke actuall faith and regeneration in the sense before expressed in all in whom he may be said to be as hath beene sufficiently proued in the case of infants of whom only we treat I haue made it manifest by a comparison of the reasonable soule with the heauenly spirit as many others haue done before mee The reasonable soule is infused so soone as the body of an infant is organized and made capable of such an inhabitant yet it doth not presently act or enable the infant to act rationally so soone as it is infused But it will be said that so soon as the soule comes into the body the body is quickned and stirres euen in the womb true but that motion is not rationall but only animall Euen after the infant is borne it cannot moue it selfe rationally till the senses be first able to exercise themselues and be actually conuersant about and vpon their proper obiects present the same vnto the vnderstanding faculty by the Phantasy and Common sense So it is in the Spirituall being Therefore it followes not that infants must be presently made beleeuers regenerate actually so as to moue spiritually so soone as the spirit is giuen vnto them This is the answere not only of Saint n Dicimus in baptizalis parvulis quamvis id nesciant habitare spirâ—tum sanctum Sic enim nesciunt quamvis sit in eis quemâ—dmodum nesciunt mentem cuius in iis ratio qua vti nondum pâ—ssunt veluti quaedaÌ„â—â—intilâ—a sopita est excitanda aetatis accessiâ— Augustine in his 57 Epist ad Dandanum as I haue shewed before in the 5 chapt but also of Peter Martyr D. Whitaker and others which I will not here repeat hauing already set downe their words at large Thus also Daneus o In Augustini Enchirid. cap. 52. nec eoram animae rationalis opeâ—a vlla adâ—uc cernimus neque tamen propterea potest negari eos anima rationali esse praeditos â—rgo fidem regenerationem habent parâ—â—li electiâ— Dâ—i etsi nondum illius opera nobis apparent ea dona habent pro ratione aetatis â—d est pro capacitate vasis not only vpon Saint Augustines Enchiridion but also in his Treatise of the Sacraments where he saith that p Ergo qui effectus baptismi est in adultis idem est in infantibus quaâ—quam vim eius tam cito infantes non proserunt neque illius fructus edunt quam adulti sed demu n cum aeâ—â—s adueâ—erit vsus rationis De sacram lib. 5. cap. 25. looke what efficacy baptisme hath in persons of yeares the same it hath vpon infants although infants doe not manifest the same nor bring forth the fruits thereof as those of yeares doe but yet afterwards they doe it when they come to age of discretion M Aynsworth in his Censure of the dialogue of the Anabaptists is copious in this very particular See page 44. If saith he wee cannot iustly obiect against Gods worke in nature but doe beleeue that our infants are reasonable creatures and are borne not bruit beasts but men though actually they can manifest no reason or vnderstanding no more then beasts yea a young lamb knoweth and discerneth his damme sooner then an infant knoweth his mother then neither can we iustly obiect against Gods work in grace but are to beleeue that our infants are sanctified Creatures c. And againe page 45. answering that Cauill of theirs that if infants haue any grace it would appeare by the acts and exercise of it he saith thus They reason ignorantly and perversly not only against the light of Gods word but of nature As if some bruitish person should plead thus A man is a liuing creature that hath a reasonable soule and the proper affections of a man as he is a man are the faculty of vnderstanding of thinking capablenesse of learning of remembring reasoning iudging and discerning true and false good and euill c. of willing of nilling of speaking of numbring c. Now let them which affirme Jnfants are borne men as Christ doth Ioh 16.21 proue that infants doe vnderstand thinke remember iudg discerne good euill approue will speake c. or else they say nothing Were not such a disputer worthy to be laughed hissed at who requireth the actuall vse manifestation of humane affections faculties in infants which are in them but potentially and in the seede beginning because they cannot declare these things by their workes therefore he denyeth them to be of the generation of man kind or borne men into the world or that they haue the faculties of men in them any manner of way Euen such is the argumentation of these erroneous spirits against the truth of religion Thus farre he
This place therefore proues not Paul to bee without the spirit in his circumcision no more then it proues him to bee destitute thereof euen after his actuall Regeneration Wherefore now I turne this weapon backe vpon the Obiectors themselues and vrge it thus against them If the spirit may be in such as are carnall and sold vnder sinne then hee may be in elect infants although carnall and sold vnder sinne For if he may be yet in part carnall whom no man will deny to haue the spirit the spirit may bee in elect infants that are not after Baptisme vnder an absolute dominion of sinne as hath beene before proved So farre as there is any flesh not totally subdued so farre there is a want of the spirit even in a person regenerated therefore so farre as there is the least abatement of the absolute Dominion of sinne there is the spirit notwithstanding that the party be yet so far carnall as that he is sold vnder sinne and led captiue to the law of sinne in the generall course of his conversation till actuall regeneration be wrought within him 2 That place in 1. Tim. 1.13 where Paul saith J was a blasphemer a persecutor iniurious proues not Paul to be vtterly void of the spirit till his actuall Regeneration for if it doth it must bee either because the facts were so haynous as cannot agree to a regenerate man or because he committed them with such a witting malice as cannot subsist with the spirit of God in the same subiect 1 For the quality of the facts David after his conuersion committed as great sinnes for kinde haynousnesse as eâ—er Paul did in his kinde before his conversion What greater did Paul commit then Adultery Drunkennesse and murther committed by Dauid Now if the spirit were in Dauid notwithstanding so many crying sinnes at once especially in a time of warre when aboue all other times he should haue kept himselfe from euery wicked thing Deut. â—3 9 why might hee not bee in Paul If you say that to kill a Christian as a Christian that is because hee is a Christian is a greater sinne then to commit any other murther I answere that it is so indeed if the Persecutor doe willingly murther a Christian knowing him to be such and doing it out of malice to Christ and his religion Otherwise not Let vs therefore search a little further into the particular of Paul and wee shall finde That Paul did not commit those sinnes out of malice to Christ goodnesse nor so much as out of knowledge but onely out of ignorance that the way which hee blasphemed and persecuted was the truth He made conscience of the Law of God so farre forth as hee knewe it to bee the Law Phil. 3.6 and was zealous towards God Act. 22.3 even before his conuersion It was a blind zeale of the Law that made him to persecute the Gospell which he vnderstood not and not any malice to God So it followes in that very Text now vrged against me but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly Yea further he professeth that he did no more then what he thought himselfe bound in conscience to doe meerly in obedience vnto God For saith he J verily thought with my selfe that I ought to doe many things contrary to the name of Iesus of Nazareth Act. 26.9 And vpon this ground he did all those things wherewith hee so deeply chargeth himselfe Now if Dauid that committed as great sinnes for kinde and greater in regard of circumstances for hee did it wittingly willingly with premeditation knowing very well that hee ought not to haue done any thing of that he did shall be allowed to haue the spirit euen at that very time with what reason can wee deny the spirit to St Paul when he did those things which in that text of 1. Tim. 1.13 he so much bewaileth and condemneth in himselfe for as much as hee protesteth that all this was but through ignorance of the truth blind zeale towards God and the truth doing nothing wittingly either against God or his conscience but only that which he erroniously supposed would be acceptable vnto God All this therefore makes for mee and no way against me 3 As for that place in Tit 3.3 which is thought to make strongest against me it is as weake as those other two already examined Wee were sometimes foolish c. saith the Apostle When was that After Circumcision say some But how doth that appeare Those to whom hee writes were neuer circumcised for they were Gentiles Nor is there one syllable of his own Circumcision nor any circumstance of the Text that requires vs so to vnderstand it But he himself was circumcised True yet there is no mention in that place that he was such after circumcision as that he could not haue the spirit at all in him He only shewes what he they and all men are by nature before their effectuall calling or rather before their first initiation into Christ It will bee replied that this place shewes what he was euen after Circumcision for it containes a confession of sundry actual sinnes which must needs bee committed after his circumcision because hee was circumcised the eight day after his birth at which age he could not commit those actuall sinnes To this I answere that hee might be guilty of committing all those sinnes there reckoned vp and yet not wholy destitute of the spirit as hath beene proued before If the spirit may bee in such as are not actually conuerted they may commit many grosse sinnes in their course of life And in such hee may be notwithstanding the commission of such sinnes since they may sometimâ—s commit as grosse sinnes who are actually conuerted as we saw but now in the instance of David and others I neuer affirmed as the Obiection drawne from this Text would suppose that the spirit is so giuen either in Circumcision or in Baptisme as to keepe the elect from actuall sinnes it is enough that the spirit takes off that extremity of malice which is to be found in the sinnes of such as are not elected But haply there may bee more pregnant evidence in the words following viz in ver 4.5.6.7 I am content to ioine issue here also The words are these But after that the loue and kindnesse of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs. By what By the lauer of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified freely by his grace wee should bee made heyres according to the hope of eternall life And what of all this Doth any of this proue that Paul had not the spirit in his Circumcision Yes you will say it doth For Paul herein declares how and when hee and the rest of whom he there speakes were regenerated viz in their Baptisme of which
opposition to them in all things is the best and safest rule to walk by whereas they in the meane time can make it appeare that howeuer they may be wide in some degrees from the truth yet not so many degrees as we would make the world beleeue for in such and such particulars they can proue it to all men capable of vnderstanding that they erre not and yet we will not consent vnto them so farre as euery ingenious man will confesse them to haue truth on their side For my part I will not giue such an advantage vnto any aduerversary but rather hold my selfe bound to assent vnto him be he Papist Familist Turk or Iew in any truth whatsoeuer so that I may haue liberty to expresse my selfe clearly how and to what end I hold that truth with him and that I disclaime all such vses as he puts that truth abusiuely vnto Nor doe I take vp this resolution without warrant but haue vnquarrellable president for it For marke Saint Paul who professed that in matter of practise hee would be carefull not to offend a weake brother euen in those things which are not in themselues simply vnlawfull yet hee would not for any mans sake refuse to declare his iudgment concerning the lawfulnesse of the things that cannot be simply and absolutly condemned how much soeuer they haue beene and perhaps still are vnlawfully abused in their vse Hee giues instance in the matter of meats offered vnto Idols in that 1 Cor. 8. before mentioned Some were of opinion that they might be lawfully eaten being receiued with thanksgiuing and prayer and without reference to the Idoll or doubting about it Others held the contrary and were so stiffe in their opinion that they not only refused to eat thereof themselues but tooke great offence at others that vpon any reason whatsoeuer tooke more liberty therein than they did The Apostle comes in as an Vmpire betweene them He concludeth that for matter of practise he would so farre gratify the weake that he would forbeare to eate of such meats yet first protesting in that very place that he could not suffer his iudgment to be so farre captivated nor the truth to be so much wronged as not to hold the thing lawfull in it selfe Therfore in point of iudgment he concurred with those that held the truth but in matter of practise he professeth his dissent from them because thâ—y abused their liberty to the offence of the weake and so did swarue from the rule of Charity By which wee see that the abuse of any truth must not make any man vnwilling to hold it euen with those that doe abuse it so long as he abstaine from the abuse wherof they are guilty Therefore my discretion will not be much wounded by this obiection vnlesse it can appeare that this doth indeed as well as in shew trench too neere vpon Popish absurdities as the Minor affirmeth which now I come vnto 2 To the Minor I answere by denying it and by making good my deniall of it 1. I deny that this assertion of Baptismall regeneration of elect infants as it hath beene before stated prosecuted doth trench vpon any Popish absurdity at all 2 I make my deniall good thus If this assertion be any way guilty of what it is charged withall it must be either because it ascribes such a Physicall efficacy as they terme it to the outward element of water after consecration that the very water should haue force in it ipso facto to conferre the inward grace to euery person baptized at least to the elect so soone as they are sprinkled or washed with it in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the Holy Ghost by vertue of that externall worke done and performed outwardly by the Minister or else because it iumps with or at least drawes too neere to that other absurdity of theirs touching the impression of an indelible character vpon the soule of euery one that is outwardly baptized whether he be elected or not 1 Of the former it cannot be guilty because as in my preaching of the point all that heard me with attention and vnderstanding so in my publishing of it thus to the world all that will vouchsafe to pervse and consider the second chapter of this treatise cannot but beare me witnesse that I doe not hold nor euer did affirme that all that partake of the outward baptisme bee also partakers of the spirit in it nor that the elect themselues doe partake thereof by vertue of the outward worke done or that the water containes in it the spirit or hath in it any physicall effiâ—acy to convey the spirit as if the water were as a channel or conduit pipe thâ—ough which the spirit passeth vnto the soules of elect infants in that ordinance But I say expresly that the spirit is giuen immediatly by Christ himselfe at the same instant wherein the Minister performeth the outward act of baptisme Now the Popish tenent is directly contrary to all this as they well know that vnderstand what the Papists hold in this particular And it were but an vnthrifty wast of time paper to set downe the same more at large 2 It is no lesse free from the other absurdity of the Indeleble character This may bee sufficiently euident by shewing their doctrine herein coÌ„paring it with the point in hand It is very true that the popish schoolemen speake much and often of this supposed character which euery one that is baptized according to their fancy receiueth in baptisme and this Character they say can neuer be blotted out againe in any of those that haue once receiued it Howbeit as Soto out of Scotus affirmeth and confesseth this doctrine was neuer knowne to the Ancients because neither Lombard nor Gratian who tooke vpon them to collect all that the Fathers had written touching baptisme doe make any mention of it Therefore it appeares to be a new device of the latter schoolemen hatched after Lombard was dead and rotten But that Position which is here defended is of more antiquity in the Church of Christ as appeares by those testimonies of the Fathers before alleadged to which it were easy to adde many more if neede required After that toy was set abroach in the schooles there quickly grew as many different Opinions about it as there were Authors and abettors of it This is manifest to all that are conuersant in their writings of which the learned f De Sacram. l. 2. cap. 12. c. Chameir among many others haue drawne a short survey And as men differed about it when they were apart so they were not able to compose the differences when they met together in their Grand Councell of Trent it selfe where there was no small stirre about it as we are informed by the Author of the g Pag. 239. History of that Councell It was worth the knowing saith he what thing they meant by it where situated in such multiplicity
the words do not only affirme the Word to be the ordinary meanes of Regeneration but the only meanes also of regenerating all that are regenerated in any kinde or degree whatsoeuer let them be pleased to consult M. Calvine who interpret S. Peter that saith the same with S. Iames in the very same sense that I doe in his answere to the Anabaptists who were the first Fathers of this obiection and of all that follow against this point Thus Hee a Quâ—d câ—ntra obiâ—ctant spiritum in scripâ—uris nullam nâ—si ex incorruptibili seruine id est Dei verbo regenerationem agnoscâ—re perperam illam Petri sententiam interpretanâ—ur quâ fidâ—les modo comprehendit qui evangeliâ— praed catione edâ—cti fuerant Talâ—bus quâ—dem fâ—tentâ—â— verbum D miâ—i spiritualis esse reâ—â—nâ—râ—â—ionis â—emeâ— vâ—icum sed ex eo neâ—â—mâ—s câ—â—ligenguÌ„ nâ—n poâ—se â—ei virtute â—â—generari infâ—ntes quae illi tam â—â—ciâ—â—s prompta eâ—t â—â—â—n nobâ—s inâ—oâ—â—â—â—henâ—â— admâ—rabiâ—is Inst l. 4. cap. 16. Sect. 1â— Whereas they obiect that the spirit of God in the Scriptures doth acknowledge no regeneration at all but that which is by the incorruptible seed of the Word they do most absurdly interpret that place of Peter wherein the Apostle only comprehends such as had beene taught and instructed by the preaching of the Gospel Vnto such we confesse the word of God is the seed and the only seed of spiritual Regeneration but we deny that from thence may be gathered that God by his power cannot regenerate infants without it which to him is as easie and ordinary as it is to vs incomprehensible and admirable The like hee saith in the particular of faith in the very next Section as there more at large appeares Nor did this speech fall from him only once or vnadvisedly but it was the constant Answere he ever gaue to this obiection as himselfe professeth in his Answere to Servetus disputing touching the same subiect of the Baptisme of Infants as may be seene in the end of the same Chapter last cited For to Servetus obiecting that b Obijcit rursum Infâ—ntes nâ—n posse â—ovos homineâ— câ—nâ—eri quia non gignâ—ntur per sermonem Ego vere quod saepius iam dixi nunc quoque repeto ad nos regenerandos dâ—ctrinam semen esse incorâ—uptibiâ—e siquidâ—m ad eam percipiendâ sumus idonâ—i vbi verò nondum per aetatem nâ—bis inest dâ—cilitas Deum tenere suos regenerandi gradus Instit 4. ca. 16 sect 31. Infants cannot be thought new men because they be not regenerated by the Word Calvin makes this answere I haue said often and I now repeat it that the Word is the incorruptible seed of regeneration vnto vs provided that we be capable of it but where infancy makes vncapable of instruction by that meanes God doth retaine his course of working some degrees of regeneration without it If it be replyed Calvin speakes what may be and what in some extraordinary cases sometimes happens but not what is vsually done in the baptisme of the Elect I reioine That if Calvine meant only thus much his Answere could not satisfie the Anabaptists who therefore denie baptisme to infants because they are not then capable of regeneration and faith and hee on the contrary saith they be capable of some regeneration and therefore ought to be baptized If he meant not baptismall regeneration how can their possibility of regeneration be a warrant for baptisme seeing they haue or may haue that without baptisme Lastly if it were not ordinary with God to regenerate elect infants in baptisme his answere would fall short too For they might iustly reply that an ordinary practise of baptizing all infants is not to bee warranted from some extraordinary cases If you confesse that it is not ordinary that elect infants are regenerated in baptisme what reason haue you to tie all men to that wherein you cannot promise them the grace that is represented thereby and promised to all that vse it with vnderstanding and faith This and much more might be vnanswerable returned vpon Calvine by Servetus and his Clients if they had vnderstood him to deny Initiall Regeneration of elect infants to be ordinarily communicated to them in Baptisme I conclude therefore with iudicious Calvine However it be true which the Scriptures speake of the actuall regeneration of persons of yeares that they are regenerated by the Word yet Elect infants may be and are for ought appeares in either of the places of scripture obiected to the contrary partakers of Initiall Regeneration by the Spirit in their Baptisme and so this Obiection doth our Position no harme 2 Obiection But there is no such thing as Initiall Obiect 2 Regeneration distinct from Actuall as here is supposed Where ever the spirit is infused to regenerate he doth in the first instant actually regenerate therefore there being by your owne confession say they no actuall regeneration in any infant ordinarily at his baptisme there is then no regeneration at all this distinction of initial and actual regeneration being but a toy and a new device without warrant from the Scripture Answ â—â—sâ—ere If this Obiection containe a truth without equivocation I confesse the Posiâ—ion to be a toy indeed But there may ly some ambiguity in the termes of Initial and Actuall which being cleared the obiection may perhaps appeare as weake as they declare themselues rash and vncharitable who tooke vpon them to confute that distinctioÌ„ which they never vnderstood nor would ever vouchsafe so much as to heare explicated by my selfe either in publique or private Touching the distinction of Initial and Actual Regeneration I haue sufficiently declared before in my second Chapter in what sense I vse it I will therefore forbeare to repeat what there I haue written The Reader may view it at his pleasure If any man demande expresse Scriptures for the very termes he will soone declare of what Spirit he is But if by sufficient consequence the distinction be not clearely deduced thence he shall then haue cause to complaine Let him view the foundation on which it is built and afterwards tell me his minde if he remaine vnsatisfied In the meane time I shal only adde thus much that by Initial and Actuall Regeneration I doe not meane to insinuate two severall kindes of spirituall life for which I acknowledge there is no footing in Scripture but I vnderstand only two distinct considerations in respect of the degrees of spirituall life in the same subiect which the places of Scripture before alleadged in Chapt. 2. doe sufficiently warrant For by life in Scripture is sometimes meant the soule infused as the principle of life sometimes the very actuall being and enliuening of the subiect by that soule making it actually to produce the actions of life Hence I distinguish of life into Initiall and Actuall Not as if the Spirit were not actually communicated or did not actually worke or actually beginne from the very
first instant to dispose and prepare the soule to future actuall newnesse of life by infusing some potentiall and seminall grace but my meaning is that the Spirit doth not at that time ordinarily so plenarily change renew the whole man as to worke in him either actuall faith hope or loue c or so much as the habits of these or other particular graces for the present as afterward he doth Something the spirit doth from his first entrance toward actual regeneration therefore we cal that first worke Initiall thereby vnderstanding the first disposition to or degree of actuall regeneration But for as much as that first worke doth not for ought we know extend to a present actuall change of the whole man in the same manner and degree that afterwards is wrought in him at his effectuall calling therefore we call that latter worke Actuall Regeneration This ought not to seeme strange to any for iust so is it in the course of nature * Ipse Deus scil itaque animae â—umanae mentem dedit vbi ratio intellgentia in infante sopita est quodammodo quasi nulla sit excitandâ— sâ—ilicet atque exercendâ— aetatis accessu qua sit scientiae capax atque doct inâ—e habilis perceptioni veritatis amoris boni August de Civit. Dei lib. 22. c 24. To the same purpose also he wâ—â—te h lib 2 â— Peccat 〈…〉 25 aliâ—i So soone as the reasonable soule is infused there is in some sense not every way in respect of degrees a rationall life But how The soule is there and in that soule are included all the principles of reason but the soule doth not send forth those principles vnto action vnlesse in some insensible manner by little and little preparing the infant vnto humane actions till afterwards that the senses beginne to act Before that time the reasonable life cannot wholly be denied to be in an infant because the soule rationall is actually in his body yet forasmuch as the infant hath not at that time the actuall vse of reason for this cause we call the further perfection of his naturall principles by tract of time attained when reason puts it selfe into act actuall rationall life and wee terme the same life in respect of the first degree and principles thereof which together with the reasonable soule in the first infusion thereof it receiued Initiall life This is no more in substance then what wee haue learned from S. Augustine Calvine Peter Martyr Iunius Daneus Dr Whitaker Zanchius and sundry others whose iudgments haue beene at large set downe in this treatise in sundry places vpon sundry occasions And shall any man thinke it nothing in a magisteriall humor to traÌ„ple so many worthies vnder his feete at once as if he were wiser than all others if it be only the termes that displease him because perhaps the same are not found in any of these Authors he shall but shew himselfe a caueller to quarrell them vnlesse hee can shew that the termes are vsed to signify that which in substance these Authors doe not allow and teach Breefly then this Obiection is grounded vpon a false information and supposition for it supposeth mee to vse the termes of Initiall and actuall regeneration as intending thereby to teach that there be two distinct species or kinds of regeneration whereas my meaning is only to speake of the same spirituall life in two distinct considerations in respect of degrees And so the Obiection fights with a shadow and not with me But it will be replyed that in Regeneration there be no degrees but that it is performed and dispatcht at an instant as naturall generation is It is true say they that there be degrees in c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Renouation which noteth a growth in sanctification in a man regenerated But d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Regeneration is never taken for any other than for the first act of the spirit entring into a Christian and begetting him a new man in Christ in the very first moment of his entrance Therefore the distinction of actuall and initiall regeneration cannot bee admitted in any sense I Answere That those two words Regeneration and Renovation may perhaps by some be vsed the one to signifie the first infusion of grace making a man actually a new creature in all parts at once and the other to note the continual growth of a Christian in grace infused if men wil before giue notice of their meaning and for the more cleare expression of themselues will say when I speake of the first infusion of grace I will vse the word regeneration to expresse it by and when I speake of continuall growth from one degree vnto another I will ever call that Renovation Men may if they please make vse of words as they doe of Counters in casting of accounts wherein of the same set and value some Counters are made to stand for pounds some for shillings some for pence And yet as those Counters which stand for pence might as well haue stood for pounds as those that do stand for pouÌ„ds if it had pleased him that set them to haue so disposed them So men may put words of the same value and natiue signification to signifie diverse things by a liberty iustifiable enough in vse of speech yet those words may without wrong be vsed by others to signifie other things alwaies provided that when a man vseth a word in a sense different either from the prime signification of it or from the common acceptation of it he giue warning that where ever he vseth such a word he would be vnderstood in such or such a sense and not according to the etimology of it nor according to the common vse of it And thus I graunt that if it please any Divine to say that he will ever restraine Regeneration to note the first infusion of grace and by Renovation signifie a dayly encrease of grace in all his speeches or writings for want of fitter termes to expresse himselfe in he may doe it But if any man shall say that the proper meaning of the word Regeneration and of that which the Scriptures call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first infusion of the Spirit actually to make a man a new Creature in all parts at once so as in this there can be no degrees affirme that so the Scriptures doe ever vse that word and also adde that by Renovation the Scripture never meanes the same thing that it intends by Regeneration but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Renovation is ever put for another thing to wit for continuall growth in grace once infused I must craue leaue to dissent from him and to deny his assertion For neither is there any such difference in the proper signification of these words but that they may both signifie one and the same thing Nor is the Scripture so nice as to obserue such a difference between them as the Obiectors