The way to true happiness in a serious treatise /

I answer, 1. That there is an infallible connection between regeneration and salvation, as we have already showed, and I itch to be farther evidencing, but that 'tis against designed brevity. 2. Then men must be again born again, which carries a great deal of absurdity in its very face. And why may not men be twice born in nature, as well as in grace? Why not ⟨p. 12⟩as great an absurdity to be twice regenerated as to be twice generated? But 3. and above all, This grants however the thing I contend for, that whatever men do, or pretend to receive in baptism, if they be found afterwards to be grossly ignorant or profane, or formal, without the power of godliness, they must be born again, or else be shut out of the Kingdom of God. So then, they must have more to plead for themselves, than their baptismal regeneration.

I answer, 1. That there is an infallible connexion between regeneration and salvation, as we have already shewed, and I itch to be farther evidencing, but that 'tis against designed brevity. 2. Then men must be again born again, which carries a great deal of absurdity in its very face. And why may not men be twice born in nature, as well as in grace? Why not ⟨p. 12⟩as great an absurdity to be twice regenerated as to be twice generated? But 3. and above all, This grants however the thing I contend for, that whatever men do, or pretend to receive in baptism, if they be found afterwards to be grosly ignorant or prophane, or formal, without the power of godliness, they must be born again, or else be shut out of the Kingdom of God. So then, they must have more to plead for themselves, than their baptismal regeneration.

Well, in this you see all are agreed, that be it more or less that is received in baptism, if (when men come to years) they are evidently unsanctified, they must be renewed again by a through and powerful change, or else they cannot escape the damnation of Hell: Friends and Brethren be not deceived, God is not mocked;