be saued or haue life life in Christ. Thus S. Augustine Idle then is this not imputation of sinne by Caluin maintained because they are borne of Christian Parents CAP. 4. VVhether Infants and children are to be Baptized before they come to yeares of discretion THe Anabaptist maintaine this heresie that children and Infants ought not to be Baptized but onlie those who are of yeares and vnderstanding and doe seeke it and desire it of themselues And some of this sect doe contend that they ought to stay vntill they come to thirtie yeares of age because Christ was at that age Baptized of Iohn All men may plainlie see in this age the worke of the Deuill who not only by heresie endeauoureth to destroy in ChristeÌ„dome the soules of a great parte of the elder sort but also to send to hell euen the poore Infants children in taking away froÌ„ them the vse of this Sacrament of Baptisme The Catholike Church and all Catholike Doctours haue alwaies practised and taught that Infants and children ought to be Baptized And first they proue it by example out of the old Testament Colos 2. Circumcision sayeth S. Paule was a figure of Baptisme but Circumcision was commanded to be giuen to children of eight dayes old Wherfore then may not Baptisme be ministred to children GeÌ„ 17. Secondlie Christ hath pronunced and giuen this sentence generally without exception that there can be no saluation without Baptisme Iâ—a 3. Vnlesse sayeth Christ a man be borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost he can not enter into the kingdome of heauen And that we may not thinke children to be excluded Christ hath recorded by three Euangelists Mat. 19. Mar. 10. Lâ—c. 18. Esay 49.22 Sinite paruulos c. Suffer children to come vnto me for the kindome of heauen is for such To signifie that he would not that children and Infants should be lest without remedie to saluation And that children should be members of the Church of Christ prophesied Esay Ecce leuabo ad gentes c. Behold I will lifte vp my hands to the Gentiles and will exalt my signe vnto the people and they shall bring their sonnes in their armes and shall carrie their daughters vpon their shoulders Therfore Children are to be admitted to the Sacrament of Baptisme Thirdlie the Church hath euer taught obserued and deliuered it as from the Apostles to be lawfull yea necessarie to Baptize children and Infants And no man can denie but that Baptisme of children hath bene euer held as an Apostolicall tradition Wherfore although it be not expressly commaunded in Scripture yet it is sufficientlie collected and deducted as I haue proued and no way contradicted therfore lawfullie to be practised We read in the historie of the Apostles Act. 16. that they Baptized whole families No doubt but their were some children amongst the familie Wherfore we must nedes conclude that Baptizing of children proceeded from the direction of the Holy Ghost or else we must confesse that the Apostles spake and practised not with the Spirite of God which were blasphemie Dionisius Areopagita S. Paules Scholler sayeth Dionis Areop Eccle. Hier. ca. vltimo Duces diuini nostri scilicet Apostoli probauerunt Infantes recipi ad Baptismum Our heaueÌ„ly guides the Captaines of our God the Apostles haue approued and allowed Infants to be receaued vnto Baptisme Finally no man can doubt vnlesse he will become a Pelagian Heretike but that Infants are borne in originall sinne therfore it is of necessitie that children be Baptized or els that they be left without remedie for their saluatioÌ„ as the Anabaptists would haue it Which were against the mercie of God who would haue all saued The difficultie of this question is because there is faith required in the Baptized and a will and desire to receaue the same How this can be in children that they may be admitted to Baptisme is the question Wherfore in the next ensuing Chapter we will put downe what faith is required in children and how this may be performed CAP. 5. VVhat faith is required to the Baptisme of Children and Infants Mat. 28. WE must vnderstand when Christ sayed to his Apostles Goe yee first teach then Baptize as S. Matheu reporteth And meÌ„ must beleeue before they be Baptized as hath S. Marke Mar. 16. And when the Eunuch asked whether he might not be Baptized S. Philippe answered Si credis licet If thou beleeue thou mayest Act. 8. to signifie that he must first beleeue before he could be Baptized And S. Paule sayeth That faith is by hearing Fides ex auditu and other such like places of Scripture we must vndestand I say that Christ spake of the Conuersion of nations of men of vnderstanding and such as had vse of reason who were by preaching teaching instructing and miracles to be brought to the faith and beleefe in Christ And for those who are at mans estate capable of vnderstanding apte to be taught readie to heare the word of God preached I say it is requisite yea necessarie that they haue actuall faith and beleefe in Christ and that of themselues they seeke and desire Baptisme before it can or ought to be ministred vnto them because the Scripture doth require this actuall faith and beleefe in full age the elder sorte and those at mans estate making no mention of Children Therfore say these Anabaptists that Children are not to be Baptized before they be capable of teaching preaching to receaue actuall faith to require of them selues Baptesme So that Infants and children if they neuer come to age should perish and be without remedie of saluation in these mens opinion But to confound these Heretikes and satisfie anie reasonable man in the precedent chapter it hath bene sufficientlie proued that children may and ought to be Baptized in their childhood and infancie Now because they are not capable of actuall faith for that they can not distinguish betweene good and euill Deu. 1. Ionas ca. vltimâ— nor be able to knowe the right hand from the left as Ionas the Prophet sayeth Therfore it is sufficient for them to be Baptized In fide aliena In the faith of an other that is in the faith of their Parents or those who offer and bring them to be Baptized if they be Christians Or In fide Ecclesiae In the faith of the Church if they be the children of Infidells This is the doctrine of the Church and the opinion of Catholike Doctours both ancient and moderne and that with reason For as these Infants contracted Originall sinne from their first parents Adam and Eue and were infected in their soules Alieno peccato with an others sinne so now also they should be cured and haue this sinne remitted in the faith of an other Therfore Saint Augustine writing to Bonifacius sayeth In Ecclesia Saluatoris paruuli per alios credunt c. Aug. ep 23. In the Church of our Sauiour
was enacted 1. Conc. CoÌ„staÌ„t can 7. commaunded and the order set downe We sayeth the Councell make them Cathecumines we exorcise and adiure Ter simul in faciem eorum insufflando Breathing three tymes one after an other in their faces and so we Catechise Celestin de Consec dist 4. c. Siue paruuli and then we doe Baptize Celestinus Pope the first of that name about the yeare of our Lord 423. aboue a thousand yeares agoe writing to the Bishops of France aduised that young or old Infant or aged before they come to the fonte of regeneration should haue the vncleane spirit cast out of them by the Exorcismes and exufflations of the Priest or Cleargie The sentence and opinion of S. Augustine is pregnant and manifest in many places of his workes First in his booke De Symbolo speakeing to the Cathecumines Aug. li. 1. de Symb. ca. 10. You know most deare brethren that not only aged but also Infants and Children are exufflated exorcised that this aduerse power of the Diuell may be driuen from them Non ergo creatura Dei in Infantibus exorcizatur aut exufflatur sed ille sub quo omnes qui sub peccato nascuntur Let therefore no man say that the Creature of God in the Infants are exorcised or exufflated but the enemie of man who deceaued man that he might possesse man and vnder whose power we all are who are borne vnder sinne Thus S. Augustine Aug. li. 2. de Nupt. CoÌ„cup ca. 29. And the same holy Doctor in an other place writing against the Pelagian Heretikes who contemned then as now our Protestants doe the Ceremonies of Exorcismes and Exufflations proued first plainlie that Infants are infected with Originall sinne and for remedie and remouing therof are to be Baptized with Exorcismes and Exufflations which Ceremonies the Church doth practise as deliuered vnto her by auncient Tradition as from the Apostles And they are Exorcised and breathed vpon before Baptisme sayeth he that by these meanes they may be translated from the power of darknesse of the diuell and his Angells vnto the kingdome of Christ Wiselie doeth that man order his worke who first seeketh to take away the impediments that may hinder him and this is the intention of the Church in the exorcismes to debilitate the power of SataÌ„ that he doe not hinder the effect of Baptisme You know the the ploughman will tyll his ground againe and againe and seeke to kill all weeds and to remoue all impediments before he will sowe his good seed according to the aduise of the Prophet Ieremie and Osee Ierem. 4. Ose 10. Nouate vobis nouale nolite serere super spinas Make newe your fallow fields and doe not sowe vpon thornes We read in Eusebius historie that it was particularlie noted in Nouatus the Archeretike Eus li. 6. ca. 34 who being vexed with an vncleane spirite and hauing spent some tyme with the Exorcists but falling desperatlie sicke that there was small hope of his recouerie they were forced hastelie to Baptize him lying in his bed without the Ceremonies And after neuer hauing them supplied nor receauing the Sacrament of Confirmation was neuer ridde of the vncleane spirite nor neuer could obtaine the gift of the holie Ghost Lib. 7. cap. 48. And Bredenbachius reporteth that a number of children in the lowe Countries neare Delphs beinge christened without the exorcismes and ceremonies of baptisme appoynted by the Catholike church were all strangly stroken sore sycke Their parents bethought them selues for remedie and humblie entreated a Catholike priest to supplie the wants of the exorcisme and other ceremonies which beinge performed presently they all recouered their healthes Worthy examples fitly declaringe the effects of exorcismes the force of the ceremonies and with all a caueat warninge that parents be carefull to haue the ceremonies of baptisme supplyed wheÌ„ in necessitie or otherwayes they are christened withouâ— them Therfor not without cause doth the Catholike priest commaund the deuil with these and the lyke exorcismes Maledicte diabole c Thou cursed deuil call to mynd with me the sentence geuen of thee and geue honor vnto the true anâ— lyuing God geue honor vnto Iesus Christ his sonnâ— and to the holly Ghost and departe from this seruant of God because God and our lorde Iesus Chrisâ— hath vouchsafed to call him to his holy grace anâ— gyfte of the holy Ghost This is the intention of the church this ceremonie hath bine practised from the begininge vnto this daye what then maye be the reason that the Protestants of this age should contemne and deride this so auncient and profitable a ceremonie I knowe no reason but on and that is because they haue no power nor commission ouer diuels no other I saye then that which dependeth of waxe and parchment no other holy orders of priesthood then they can deriue from their letters patents of Queene Elizabeth But how weak that aucthoritie and power is to deale with the diuels maye easely be discryed therfor maruel not that these ceremonies are derided and reiected by them CAP. 9. Whether Salte be to be blessed and geuen the Infant before baptisme COncerning this ceremonie of salt the priest after he hath blessed it taketh it and putteth it in the mouth of the chyld sayinge Accipe sal sapientiae c. Take and receaue the salt of wisdome that God maye be propitious and merciful vnto thee vnto life eternall And then maketh this prayer followinge Deus patrum nostrorum c. God of our fathers God the maker of all creaturs We humble beseeche thee that thou wilt vouchsafe mercifully to looke backe vppon this tâ—y seruant and hauinge tasted this first foode of salt doe not suffer him any longer to be hungrie but that he maye be filled with heauenly sustenaunce in so much O Lord as he maye be feruent in spirit ioyefull in hope and bringe him vnto the new lauer of regeneration that he maye deserue to obtayne with the faythfull the eternall reward of thy promises This is the ceremonie of the Catholike church and this is the prayer Christ hath sayed that his Apostles should be Sal terrae the salt of the earth to season the world Mat. 5 that is mankind with the wisdome vnderstandinge and doctrine of Christ And moreouer Christ sayed to his Apostles salt is good mar 9. Coll. 4. haue salt with you And S. Paule Counselled the Collossians that their mouth and talk should be seasoned with salt So the priest doth put salt into the mouth of the Infant to signifie that he should and ought to be seasoned with salt and make profession with his mouth of Christian faith Catholick religion and trwe beleife lib. 10. instit cleric In Esdram lib. 2. c. 9. Leuit. 2. mar 9. Habetur de Consec dist 4. Ca. sal calestis Hom. 6 super Ezech. can 3. Salt beinge blessed sayeth Rabanus is put in the mouth of the Infant that
Baptize publikely at their Church or Chappell by their Ministers I will briefly put downe the motiues that moued me to write this small ensuing treatise The motiues to write this treatise And first Good Reader I tooke this matter in hand to let thee vnderstand what Baptisme is and the necessitie therof to saluation It is here on earth the first begining of Christianitie the entrance into the Catholike Church the house of God The reason of the title of the booke the high-way to all other Sacraments in so much that without this no other Sacrament is auaylable a washing and cleansing our soules from all sinne Originall and others a Satisfaction for all paines due for sinne eternall or temporall a deliuerie from the bondage and power of the Diuell a restorer of Innocencie an incorporation to Christ as members of his bodie mysticall and finallie a reconciliation vnto the grace fauour of God Almightie wherby we are made the adopted Sonnes of God Coheyres and inheritors with Christ of the kingdome of heauen Hath it all these effects Take heed then that thou lay the foundation sure of thy Christianitie that is that thou be truely Baptised and Christened The second motiue was to lay open and make plaine vnto thee by way of questions and doubts which I suppose to be the easiest and plainest Course for thy better vnderstanding the effects the matter the forme the minister as well in necessitie as in publike Celebration with the solemnitie and Ceremonies of this Sacrament For that thou being more fullie herein instructed thou mayest haue a more especiall care to haue it perfectlie effected and trulie performed in these daungerous tymes of heresie For assuredly this is the gate that openeth to heauen which if it should be shutte and not duely ministred there were no hope of saluation but all open to hell and damnation Thirdly to giue thee a Caueat and warning of the daungerous opinions and assertions The daungerous points of Doctrine concerning Baptisme which are taught and spread abroad of this Sacrament by the Sectaries of this age The first daungerous poynt of doctrine is that the Sacrament of Baptisme was institued by S. Iohn Baptist and that the Baptisme of Christ and S. Iohns is all one and the selfe same which is against Scripture and reason For then we must needs say that the first and chiefe Sacramēt of the new Testament and Ghospell of Christ should be instituted by a precedent prophet and not by Christ him self which were absurde seing all Sacraments of the New Testament haue their institution by Christ and their force and vertue from his death and Passion Secondly that this Sacrament doth not conferre grace cleanse the soule from sinne as an efficient instrumentall cause by Christ instituted and endued with that vertu which were to destroy Baptisme Thirdlie that it doth not impresse in the soule a seale signe and Character of Christianitie indelible for euer which is to make no distinction betweene Iewe Gentill Pagan and Christian Fourthly that he who is once Baptised can not be damned which were to set all at libertie and make men carelesse of all other Christian life Fifthly that the only memorie of Baptisme doth iustifie from our sinnes which we shall commit after Baptisme which were to take away all satisfaction repentance and penance and other such like absurdities and daungerous poynts of Doctrine against Scripture Councells Fathers and all antiquitie Finallie I would haue thee to consider with what subtiltie the Deuill hath endeauoured in these latter tymes by his instruments the Heretikes The fourth motiue to disgrace the beautie of Christs Spouse the Church to depopulate roote vp and destroy like wild boares the vineyard of our Lord. And I compare the Sacrament of Baptisme to the tree of life placed in the middest of Paradise which the Heretikes of this age some of them haue hacked and hewed at the verie chiefe boughes and branches therof some others haue pilled the barke and pulled of all the leaues the beautie therof and some others haue destroyed all the fruite and vertu therof and put the axe euen to the verie roote to destroy all Martin Luther endeauoured at one blowe to cutte of two of the essentiall parts of this tree of life that is the forme and mater of Baptisme Luther in Symposiaticis collo ca. 17. For sayeth he no forme of words is necessarie It is sufficient with him To Baptise in the name of the Lord. And as for the matter anie liquor that is apte to washe as Ale beere or milke is sufficient Thus this Impe and instrument of Sathan maketh no scruple to destroy the two essentiall parts of this Sacrament to appoint anie liquor for matter and no forme of words Although this errour of Luthers be against Christs institution and expresse Commaundement who hath ordayned water to be the matter and the forme to be In the name of the Father Ioan. 3. Matth. 28. and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost M. Brentius will make himself so bould with Christ and his Church as to set downe an order of his owne neuer heard of before Let the Minister sayeth he recite the Creed and say Brentius de Baptis In this faith I Baptise thee and this shall passe for currant without anie other forme of words But M. Iohn Caluin goeth farther almost impudēt and blusheth not to say That the forme of words in Sacraments are meere Magicall charmes and enchauntments Caluin li. 4. institu cap. 17. And thus you may see how these Agents for Sathan doe dismember the essentiall parts of this Sacrament of Baptisme and doe cutte of the principall boughes of this tree of life Protestants Read S. Aug. li. 2. de nup. Concupisc ca. 29. Then come the Protestants in parte ioyning yssue with the Pelagians and pull of the leaues and pill of the barke of this tree of life that is they deride neglect and contēne the auncient Ceremonies of this Sacrament of Baptisme as well the precedent Ceremonies such as goe before the acte of Baptisme as exorcismes exsufflations hallowing of the fonte c as the Subsequent such as are after Baptisme videlicet holy vnction with holy Chrisme the vse of the waxe-candle or taper light the cloathing with the white garment commonlie called the Chrisome All which Ceremonies although they be auncient profitable significant and deliuered by Tradition as from the Apostles as shall appeare in the sequell yet are these derided neglected and contemned by the Protestants Last of all come the Puritans Puritans withe the axe of M. Caluin laying load at the very roote of this tree of life to ouerthrow all to beat downe this gate and entrance to saluation This Sacrament say they is not necessarie to Saluation for all men because Children borne of faithfull Parents may be saued without Baptisme either by Predestination or by the fayth of their Parents the elder sort being of vnderstanding
in the Conference had at Poissi by a minister of Mets whether the Infant Baptized by the midwife ought againe to be Baptized by the Minister Beza cont Hessu pag. 533. Beza in the name of all present at that Conference answered That a great number of the Ministerie had alreadie iudged and that with his consent that this Baptisme of the Midwife was of no effect Yet forasmuch sayeth he that the Contrarie opinion is not without ground of reason it is fitte and verie conuenient that the matter be remitted to the Resolution and determination of the Congregation of Geneua and Zurike Whervpon worthelie sayeth Florimond the Catholikes of France iested at their Conclusion in this their Conference Florim li. 8. c. 11. ane could not but maruell at the madnesse of these kind of people who could not decide this difficultie by Scripture by the written word wherevpon they would seeme wholie to relie in decideing matters of Controuersie but were now forced to referre themselues and the subiect to the Censure and Iudgment of men that is a fewe Ministers of Geneua and Zurike gathered togeather in a corner of the world And in this and the like cases stike not to skorne and cotemne the decisions resolutions and indgments of generall Councells lawfully gathered of the most vertuous Concil Later Floren. Trid. the wisest and best learned throughout the ChristiaÌ„ world and no doubt but according to the promise of Christ they were guided by the Holy Ghost As for example 1. That Children ought to be Baptized in their infancie 2. That the Baptisme of Lay-men is allowable and auaylable in case of necessitie in absence of the Priest 3. That the midwife in extreamities in danger of death may Baptize The resolution and determination of these cases haue bene decided by generall Councells and haue bene deliuered vnto vs as a Tradition from the Apostles as a practise of the primitiue Church as the sentence of antiquitie descending in the Church throughout all ages vntill this day And nowe to be condemned and censured by a fewe vnlearned ministers of Zurike and Geneua I say no more but leaue this Gentle Reader to thy best thoughts and considerations CAP. 7. VVhether an Heretike an Infidell or a Iewe may Baptize and if they doe VVhether it be auailable I Ioyne these three togeather and first I put an Heretike for that heresie is a kind of infidelitie or misbeleefe of Christ of his ministeries his Sacraments and his Church Or heresie is An obstinate resisting or striuing against the true faith of Christ his ministers his Sacraments or his Church S. Thomas sayeth More grieuous Tho. 2. 2. q. 10. art 6. or greater is the infidelitie of heretikes then of Pagan or Iewe. For the Heretike in that he is a Christian hath promised true faith and fidelitie to Christ to his Sacraments and Church which neither Iewes nor Pagan did It was the opinion of Saint Cyprian or rather his errour That Baptisme giuen out of the Church by Heretikes was no Baptisme nor auaylable Concerning which point S. Stephen Pope and Martyr writte to S. Cyprian That there should be no Innouation in the Church but that the auncient Tradition should be obserued forbidding those who were Baptized of Heretikes to be Baptized againe Whervpon this question was much agitated handled and disputed in his tyme and by the Church concluded That if the Heretikes did Baptize in the name of the most Blessed Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost with intention to doe and effect that which Christ instituted that their Baptisme was auailable and those by them Baptized were not to be Baptized againe Aug. li. 10. de Baptis con Donat c. 1. Idem ep 48. ad Don. Aug. li. 5. de Baptis con Donat. ca. 20. Aug. li. 1. cont Cresco And S. Augustine confuted this errour in many bookes his reasons were for that Baptisme was Vnitas orbis One through out the whole world And that Heretikes agreed generallie with Catholikes in this poynt And that it was not the goodnes of the Ministres that caused this Sacrament but Christ the principall cause therfore in necessitie auaylable of whom soeuer it was giuen And in his fifth booke of Baptisme against the Donatists he proueth that God doth giue this Sacrament by euill persons because they doe not minister this Sacrament Sua potestate sed virtute Dei By their owne power but by the vertue of Christ And therfore he concludeth Although there be no certaine example brought forth out of Scripture to proue that Baptisme of Heretikes is true Baptisme yet because the whole Church hath decreed it we obserue sayeth he the truth of Scripture for that the Scripture commendeth her authoritie and telleth vs that the Church being guided by the Holy Ghost can not erre in her decrees and deciding of doubtfull questions Therfore we doubt not of the Baptisme of heretikes so long as they obserue the true forme instituted by Christ and commended by his Church Some difficultie there was in the tyme of the Arrian heresie for that they held Christ not to be equall with his Father and consequentlie not God but man Yet it was concluded that their Baptisme was auaylable so long as they kepte the forme of Baptisme instituted by Christ and commaunded by his Church Niceph. lib. 16. ca. 15. Nicephorus Caâ—ixtus recordeth in his historie of one Deutrius â—n Arrian Bishop Baptizing at Constantinople one who was called Barbas and not obseruing â—he auncient forme of the Church but altered and changed it according to his hereticall humour saying Baptizetur Barbas in nomine Patris per Filium in Spiritu sancto Barbas be he Baptized In the name of the Fater through the Sonne in the holy Ghost the water presentlie dried vp and vanished a way out of the font At which miracle Barbas being moued ranne forth and published the facte where you may see how God by miracle condemned the Arrian heretike wen he did not obserue the forme of the Church Concil Nicen. can 19. GratiaÌ„ 1. q. 1. can Si quis coÌ„nfugerit Grego li. 9. epistol epis 61. IdeÌ„ de cons dist 4. cap hi. vero Wherfore those Heretikes who keepe not the forme of Baptisme by Christ instituted as the Paulianists Cataphrigians not beleeuing aright of Christ nor the Holy Ghost the Councell of Nice appoynted that those should be Baptized againe Statutum est eos omnino rebaptizari we decree and appoint in any case those to Baptized againe Yf any of the fore named heretikes flie for helpe vnto the Catholike Church Read Gratian. And the same hath S. Gregorie of the Cataphriges and Bonosians who did not Baptise in the name of the Trinitie because they thought the Father only to be God and the Sonne and the Holy Ghost to be but men I will conclude with this Corrolarium or addition Although in case of necessitie an Heretike may Baptise and that the Baptisme of