The Buckler of the Faith, Part 2 · Article 35 · Subpart 16
Of the necessitie of Baptisme in persons that are of yeares of discretion.
Sect. 18 Touching those that hauehave attained to that age to be capable of inst…uction, the Church of Rome makes a shew to disagree with vsus therein, but in effect, they hold with vsus, that the baptisme of water is not absolutely necessarie for them, & that if a man being of yeares of discretion dieth without baptisme, yet he may be saued, so that that want of baptisme happened not vntounto him by reason of contempt, or for want of will and desire, but by want of meanes and conueniencie. The Councell of Trent in the sixt Session, 4. chap: saith,*Quae quidē translatio, post Euangelium promulgatum sine lauacro regenerationis aut eius voto fieri nō potest. That a man cannot be admitted into the state of grace without the washing of regeneration, or without a desire or religious promise; that is, that no man can be acceptable vntounto God without baptisme, or for want of baptisme, without the desire or will to be baptized. And Thomas in his Commentary vppon the third of Saint Iohn saith, that to enter into the kingdome of God, a man must be baptized vel in re, vel in voto, vel in figura, either in effect, or in desire, or in figure, &c. In the 43. title of the Decretals, cap. Apostolicam, *Presbyterum quem sine vnda baptismatis extremum diem clausisse significasti quia in sanctae matris Ecclesiae fide & Christi nominis confessione perseuerauerit ab originali pecca…o solutū & coelestis patriae gaudium esse adeptum asserimut incunctanter.Pope Innocent 3. declareth, that a Priest dying without baptisme enioyeth eternall glory, because he perseuered in the confession of the name of Christ. For which cause, in the same chapter Saint Augustine is alledged in the eight booke of the Citie of God, saying. Baptismus inuisibiliter ministratur, quem non contemptus religionis, sed terminus necessitatis excludit: Baptisme is inuisibly administred to him that hath bene debarred thereof, not by contempt of religion, but by necessitie of time preuenting him. And thereupon the Glosse of the Canonists Doctors noteth that the Emperour Valentinian died without baptisme, and that neuerthelesse Ambrose in his Oration made vponupon the death of that Emperour, saith that he was blessed in heauen. That which is specially to be noted in this Historie, is, that the Emperour Valentinian was a Christian borne, and had a thousand meanes to hauehave bene baptized, if he would.
To the same end, and to make baptisme by water vnnecessary, the Church of Rome speaketh of two other baptismes which supply the want of baptisme by water, which are, baptisme of the spirit, which is sanctification and interiour renewing wrought by the Spirit of God; and baptisme by bloud which is martyrdome. But these two allegoricall baptismes are no Sacraments. For conuersion and renewing of a mans mind from sinnes, are not conferred by the ministerie of men, but it is a worke of the Spirit of God: wherein there is no element, nor any words added to the element. This can be no Sacrament of the new Testament, seeing that the same spirituall renewing was necessary in the old Testament. And it cannot be said that this worke of the holy Ghost in the hearts of the faithfull doth supply the want of baptisme, seeing it is necessarie to saluation, whether a man be baptized, or not baptized.
Martyrdome also is no Sacrament of the new Testament, for that the same was in the old Testament. And the Councell of Trent declareth, that Sacraments are not conferred, if he that conferreth them hath not an intent to confer them. And it is not to be thought nor beleeued, that the executioners of martyrs hauehave an intent to confer a Sacrament at their executions. And there is no likelihood, that of two Martyrs, whereof the one is baptized, the other not baptized, the martyrdome of the one should be a baptisme, and the others none. Neither can I see how the martyrdome of a man that is drowned or strangled without any effusion of bloud, can be called a baptisme or washing in bloud. Besides that, we often deceiue our selues in this word Martyr. For 1. Cor. 13.3. the Apostle sheweth, that a man may giuegive his body to be burned, and yet hauehave no charity. It is a common thing among men to suffer martyrdome, to win reputation. Among a number of the faithfull that are massacred in their beds without any leisure to speake, it is not vnlikely but that some of them would hauehave recanted for feare, if they had had any respite giuen them to thinke thereon. So that in calling him a Martyr which in Gods iudgement is not so, we giuegive the name of baptisme to sufferings which are vnworthy the name of martyrdome.
To be short: that rule so often times repeated in the Gospell, which is, That whosoeuer beleeueth in Iesus Christ, shall hauehave life euerlasting, will beare no exception. Therefore he that hath the faith of a Martyr, and loueth God more then his owne life, although God exempteth him from marryrdome, doth not lose the same reward. For God doth not reward the paines but the vertue of a man. Because dolour and paine for martyrdome cannot be suffered by Hypocrits, but faith is proper to the children of God, to whom life eternall is promised: for the want of baptisme by default of meanes cannot annihilate Gods promise.