/4 4d`isn ¡g, ' rUatlon. Y The V.I. erreur. Bápttfine isabfolutey neeefJarietofaGtation, efpecìa j for children. The Confutation, Wedenie that Baptifine isofabfolute neceflitie to faluation. Reafons. I. Sacraments-doe not conferre grace, but rathercönuirme grace , when GOD pathconferred the fame. The children ofraithfull parentes areborneholie, not bynaturall generation, but by the grace ofGod,andare not Ell made ho lie by baptifine : and as forfuchas are ofyeares ofdifcretion before they bee baptifed ,they cannot be baptifed vnleffethey beleeue. Now all fuch as be- leeue , theyare both iuffified, and reconciled to God ; and therfore,albeit they without their owne default , are depriued ofthe Sacramentes, it is vnpoffible forthem toperifh. H. Goddid precifelyappoint circumcifionto bee on the eight flay, not on the firfl, or the fecond : now there isno doubt but that ma- ny inr:4ntesbefore their eight daywerenreuentcd of circutncifionby death, all which for a man peremptorily tofetdown'as condemned , were very ab- furd. III. lfcircumcifion were of fuch abfolute great necefíitie, why was it for the (pace offourtie yeares in thedefart intermitted ?and that onlie becaufe the"lfraelites being often in iourney, fuch as were circumcifed were by it in ieopardy ofdeath: no doubt Mofes and Aaronwould neuer haueomitted this Sacrament Polo:g, ifithadbeenabfolutelyneceffarie töfaluation. IV. This do trine ofthe abfolute neceffitie of Baptifine was vnknowne to. the anci.. ent Fathers. Forthe primitiueChurch did tolerateverygodly men (though we allowe not this their fail ) that they fhouldcdeferre their baptifine manie yeares,yeaoften to the time oftheir death. Hencewas it that Conflantine the great wasnot baptifed till a little beforehis death: and Valentinian by reafon ofhis delay, was not at all baptifed:wh6notwithflandinpAmbrofe pronoun ceth to bee in heauen. And Bernard inhis 77. epiff. difpuuteth , that not eue- tie deprivationofBaptifine,but thecontempt orpalpable negligence, is dam ruble. The ri t rrostr. 1114nafter thefaltofAdzmbathfree-mifltsrell to do: that which is good, as that which is esull,althongh it bein a dicersmanner, i hat is , be bathfree-tail todoe euill f n?plie , andwithout a.nie externallaide : but te doe well, noneat af, but by thegraceofGodpreventing, orgstidingvs: the whichgracenotwithflan- drng perymanhath,and to thewhichgrace it is inourfree -w lleither tocontent and tegetherworke. with thefame , ornot. And therefore the power offree-wilt todo that whiob isgood&acceptable to God,isonlyattenuated&weakncd before contterlion,and therforeman canofhimfelfworkapreparation toiuffificat ion. M 3 The
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