Baptismal Regeneration of Elect Infants Professed by the Church of England, Treatise · Chapter 5
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 ſelfeaGreg. Naz. in laudem Cyprian. foreign, &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 bQuare aut & ſpiritum eſſe conced…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 cNatiuitas Chriſti: no…um in baptiſmo eſt.. And to make it euident that hee vnderſtood this to be the ordinary effect of baptiſme, euen vponupon 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 vntounto all, as well infants as others: which was ſhadowed out in Eliſha's ſtretching of himſelfe vponupon an infant inſenſible of the Good which the Prophet did vntounto himdEſſe deni que 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 hauehave allowed them to be baptized; for aſmuch as this is the cheife ground that he builds vponupon, to iuſtifie their admittance vntounto 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 aſſertioneEt verè Goulartius, in hunc ipſum notauit locum, Quaecun que 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 vsus initiation into Chriſt; Gregory Nazianzēwhich common benifit, and foundation of new life we all receiue from God fforeign. Imitationis diuina bonum, quod commune beneficium, & ſecundae vitae fundamentū 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 vponupon Infants alſo, and therefore would hauehave them baptized vponupon 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 vsus preſident: for; that, being the fore-runner of baptiſme, was adminiſtred vntounto ſuch as could n thy the vſe of reaſon diſcerne what it meant gforeign. Edit. Graecolat. Billii. Pa iſ. 1609. Praeſtatu: abſ que ſenſu ſanctificari, quam ſine ſigillo & initiatione abſcedere: At que huius rei ratio nobis eſt circumciſio, die octauo pagi ſolita quae Baptiſmi figur…m quodammodo g r…bat a… 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 vntounto 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 hOmnium 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 vntounto 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 vponupon 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 iforeign.. 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 vntounto 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 kHō. 1. in Act.. And to let vsus 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 lforeign. Hom. 1. in Act. foreign. 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 mAct. 1.5.I anſwer, that Chryſoſtome admits, that in them, the caſe was ſuch indeed: but, ſaith he, in vsus, both are performed together nforeign. 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 vponupon 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 bapt…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 Sac…rdos exigit ab infirma aetate pacta conventa & aſſenſiones, & m…noris aetate fi…uſſ…r… accipit ſuſceptorem & interrogat. Renunciat Satanae, & non dicit, In finem: vel cum Chriſto …mungitur in ſinē: 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 vntounto Baptiſme, and yet are never a whit the more purged by it oforeign. Eduio Savil. Ibid. Quos aeſtus pectoris ſentio, quoties alios video ſubextremum balitum feſtinantes ad initiatio…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 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 pFeſtinantes 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 vntounto my purpoſe.
5 Baſil, to that Queſtion, How Chriſtians are ſaued? Giues this anſwere; By being regenerated by the grace receaued in Baptiſme qforeign. De Spir. Sanct. c. 10. And a little after, Baptiſme is vntounto mee the beginning of life and the day of regeneration is the beginning of daies, in that reſpect rforeign. ibid.. In another place, ſpeaking of Baptiſme, hee ſaith that it is the death of ſinne, the new birth of the ſoule ſforeign. 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 tDic 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, vntounto the PelagiansuHoc vnum dicam, vt tandem finiatur oratio; aut novum vos (Pelagiani nempe) lebere ſymbolum tradere vt poſt Patrem, Filium & Spiritum Sanctum, baptiz…tis infantes in regnum cael… aut ſi vnum & in pa…vul…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 vntounto him, as the ſame Father, againſt the Luciferians *Hi…rom …uer. Lucifer: Nulli hominum ſine ſpiritu ſancto peccata …imittuntur. Quomodo ant… quis ſordib… anima purgat…, quae … habet ſpiritum? ibid. Ne que enim … lavat anima…, ſed prius ipſa lavatur à …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 vponupon 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 vsus, that true baptiſme is that wherein the Holy Ghost is preſent. And to this alſo Calvine giues teſtimony, in his Institutions xLib. 4. cap. 16. Sect. 18..
7 Ambroſe, ſpeaking of the parts of baptiſmeyDe 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 vntounto 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 hezSerm ad infantes. Nulli eſt aliquantenus ambigendum, tunc vnumquem que fidelium corporis ſanguinis que 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 onelyonly perſons of yeares actually beleeuing, let them conſult his EpiſtleaEpiſt. 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. AgainebEpiſt. 57. ad Dardanum, Dicimus in baptizatis parvulis, quamvis id neſciant, habitare ſpiritum ſanctū. Sic enim cum neſciunt quamvis ſit in eis, quemadmodum neſciunt & métem, cuius in iis ratio quâ vti …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 vnderunder aſhes, and is not stirred vp but by acceſſe of yeares. And in the ſame Epiſtle, with which I will make an endcHabitare autem ideo & in talibus dicitur, quia occultè in eis agit, vt ſuit templum eius, id que 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 vponupon 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 vponupon his miniſters to deny baptiſme to none to whom belongs the kingdome of God, and not taking vponupon 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 hauehave indeed intereſt in the kingdome; although they take not vponupon them to declare who they be in particular that hauehave 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.dIn 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. Ita que 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 hauehave beene baptized into Chriſt hauehave put on Chriſt, hath theſe words; If they who hauehave bin baptized into Chriſt, hauehave put on Christ, it is manifeſt that they who hauehave not put on Chriſt were not baptized into Chriſt. For vntounto ſuch as were thought to be faithfull, and to hauehave 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 hauehave put on Chriſt as a garment. Therefore let vsus lay this to heart, leaſt any man be found among vsus that being not cloathed with Chriſt, ſhould proue not to hauehave 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, th…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 hauehave 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 eGal. 4.6,. The rule of oppoſition therefore, muſt needs make the contrary true: no ſon no ſpirit: no ſpirit, none of Chriſts fRom. 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 hauehave 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 vntounto 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 gSacramenta 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 giuegive an anſwere to him; but ſuch, as rather ſtabliſheth then oppoſeth our preſent poſition. See what hee writes.
Peter Lombard takes vponupon him throughout his fourth diſtinction of his fourth booke hIn princ. Sacramentum & rem ſimul ſuſcipiunt omnes parvuli, qui in baptiſmo ab originali mundantur peccato: quamvis quidam diffiteantur illis qui perituri ſunt parvulis in baptiſmo dimitti peccata; innitentes illi verbo Auguſtini (Sacramenta in ſolis electis efficiunt quod figurant.) non intelligentes illud ita eſſe acc piendum, quia cum in alijs efficiunt ſacramenta remiſſi…nem, non hoc iis faciunt ad ſalutem, ſed ſolis electis., to ſhew the efficacy of baptiſme. He begins with infants, & as his owne opinion, affirmes firſt, that they all obtaine remiſſion of ſinne in baptiſme. Then he alleadgeth the opinion of others that ſeemed to thwart his, Some, ſaith he, thinke that ſome infants notwithſtanding baptiſme may periſh, grounding themſelues vponupon that of Auguſtine, the ſacraments doe effect that which they repreſent, only in the elect. But to euade this, he ſaith, that they want vnderſtanding in S. Auſtin who doe not ſo interpret him, as that the Sacraments doe not procure remiſſion of ſinne vntounto ſaluation, but only vntounto the elect. In which anſwere of Lombard to the allegation of the aduerſe parties out of Augustine, wee may behold theſe three particulars. 1 A diſtinction betweene that remiſſion of ſinne which is indifferently ſealed vntounto all in baptiſme, and that grace which is neceſſary for them to obtaine in it, that are vndoubtedly ſaued by it. 2 A confeſſion that this laſt to witt, grace vntounto ſalvation, is peculiar only vntounto the elect *Gab. Biel in 4 Sen. diſt. 4. 42 concl. 7. aſſigning ſome cauſes why ſome receiue more grace in baptiſme then others doe, among the reſt he puts down this for one. Cum Chriſtus communiter ponitur noſſe omnia quae Deus ſcientia viſionis, per conſequens novit electos omnes, & ad quem gradum gloriae ſint electi. Potuit ergo pro praeſtinato ad maiorem gloriam offerre plenius paſſionem ſuam & praecipue eum ſe obtulit pro genere humano ad hoc vt impleretur praedeſtinatio divina: And this be ſaith is a meritorious cauſe of the inequality of grace giuen in baptiſme. And a little before ibid., he aſſigned election to greater glory, to be the cauſe why ſome receiue greater grace; ſo he vrgeth it out of Scotus, which ſhewes clearely that the ſounder Schoolemen did euer take it for granted that the efficacy of baptiſme was extended only to the elect.. 3 A conceſſion that all they doe receiue in baptiſme what is repreſented thereby in the outward ſigne. I willingly acknowledge that his owne opinion is, that in ſome ſenſe, all infants doe receiue remiſſion of ſinne in baptiſme; but yet, in ſuch a ſenſe, as doth not ſuffice for their ſaluation, if they be not of the number of the Elect, as his owne words doe expreſſely manifeſt in the place alleadged, which reſtraint of his is full the ſame with that I hold*St Aug. de Pec. Mer. & remiſ. ad Marcellinum lib. 2. cap. 27. Sicut generatio carnis peccati per vnum Adam in condemnationem trahit omnes qui eo modo generantur, ſic generatio ſpiritus gratiae per vnum Ieſum Chriſtum ad iuſtificationem vitae aeternae ducit omnes qui eo modo praedeſtinati regenerantur. Sacramentum autem baptiſmi proſecto ſacramentum regenerationis eſt. And the ſame S. Auguſtine De bono perſeuerantiae. cap. 11. Proinde ſicut Apoſtolus ait, non volentis ne que currentis; ſed miſerentis eſt Dei: qui & parvulis quibus vult, etiam non volentibus ne que currentibus ſubvenit, quos ante conſtitutionem mundi elegit in Chriſto, daturus etiam iis gratiam gratis, &c..
And thus out of the firſt Father of the Popiſh ſchoolemen that euer reduced the body of Diuinity into a method out of the Fathers, you hauehave a confeſſion that S Augustine was clearely of this iudgement, that only the elect doe receiue the spirit, & grace in baptiſme; which therefore we hauehave reaſon to beleeue to be alſo the iudgment of all the Fathers that liued in his age or before him; vnleſſe we will make him a priuate opinioniſt that diſſenteth from the reſt, which were a miſerable ſhift, with palpable iniury offered to ſo eminent a Lamp in Gods Church, who hath on his ſide Chryſostome & Hierome, that for ſubſtance ſpeake as much as he doth; which is enough to acquit him of the ſtaine of a priuate opinion, and ſufficient to ſtop the mouthes of all gainſayers, that would faine ſhake out this arrow ſhott out of his bow into the ſides of that error touching the equall efficacy of baptiſme vponupon all that are partakers of the outward Element; an abſurdity not hatcht in the Church by the ſpirit of error, till after Peter Lombard was dead & rotten.
It may not be denyed that the Fathers in many paſſages ſpeak not ſo diſtinctly & cautiouſly, as the groſſe miſtakes of after ages would hauehave required; yet their exceſſiue ſpeeches and flowres of Rhetorique muſt not be ſo farre vrged, as to weaken their authority in what they tooke vponupon them to ſpeake poſitiuely, properly, and determinatiuely, according to the Scriptures. When no Aduerſary as yet appeared to abuſe their ſpeeches to a wrong ſenſe; they ſpake more ſecurely and freely, not giuing ſuch exact bounds to their words, as otherwiſe they would hauehave done. If they found any that would preſume vponupon ſaluation, becauſe they had beene outwardly baptized; whether they were Hereticks, Hypocrites, or lewd liuers, Chryſostome and Hierome (as we hauehave ſeene) begin then to reſtraine the ſauing grace of Baptiſme only to ſuch as beleeue and liue as they ought. And if any thinke that Election makes no difference betweene man and man, but that ſuch as are not elected, as well as the elect, may bee partakers of Baptiſmal grace equally; S. Auſtin will take off that opinion with proteſtation, that the Sacraments doe not effect what they ſignifie, but only vponupon the elect: and this, Lombard himſelfe will confeſſe to bee true, of the efficacy of baptiſme vntounto ſaluation. When therefore we meet with any of the Ancients that doe not thus limit their aſſertions, we muſt yet conceaue them to be of the ſame mind with S. Hierome, & S. Augustine in this point; eſpecially conſidering that the Scriptures themſelues (as in the former Chapter hath beene declared) doe ſo bound the ſame, from which we ought not to conceaue that thoſe ſounder Fathers would diſſent, foraſmuch as thoſe three Worthies before alleaged (who are better Expoſitors of the mindes of the reſt of their Brethren that liued with them or before them, then any peruerſe Papiſt or Arminian either is, or can be,) hauehave ſo fully and perſpicuouſly declared themſelues agreeable therevnto. And thus much concerning the iudgment of the Fathers.