And as it is true of the Ancient Church that they never baptized any without the Profession of saving faith and Repentance, so it is true of all the Christian Churches in the world, that I can hear of to this day. The Papists themselves do use the same words in Baptism, as are afore expressed, and require a Profession in the Parents or pro-Parents, or the person, if at age, that they believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that they renounce the Flesh, the World, and the Devil. And though their false Doctrine force them to mis-expound their own words, yet custom hinders them from changing them. And about the sense, they are not agreed among themselves. Some of them, as is said, would have Baptism only (necessarily) to admit Infants into the visible Church, and place them under Government and ordinances and give them ex opere operato a certain preparatory grace. Some of them will have it to imprint an indelible Character (they know not what) and to give them true Sanctification (which they call justification) by inherent grace. Some of them affirm, that as to Infant-Baptism the Council of Trent hath not defined whether it justify or not, and therefore it is not de fide. And Accordingly, some of them make true faith pre-requisite in the Parents; and some of them make a certain congruous disposition (Meritum de congruo) to be pre-requisite; but wherein that congruous Merit must consist, they know not, or are not yet agreed: Commonly its thought to be in a fides informis, or bare Assent. (Which Mr. Blake calls a dogmatical Faith) conjunct with a reverent esteem of the Sacraments and a consent to become members of the Catholic Church, and to be under their Government, and use the Ordinances: Or a consent in the Parent that the child do these.
And as it is true of the Ancient Church that they never baptized any without the Profession of saving faith and Repentance, so it is true of all the Christian Churches in the world, that I can hear of to this day. The Papists themselves do use the same words in Baptism, as are afore expressed, and require a Profession in the Parents or pro-Parents, or the person, if at age, that they believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that they renounce the Flesh, the World, and the Devil. And though their false Doctrine force them to mis-expound their own words, yet custom hinders them from changing them. And about the sense, they are not agreed among themselves. Some of them, as is said, would have Baptism only (necessarily) to admit Infants into the visible Church, and place them under Government and ordinances and give them ex opere operato a certain preparatory grace. Some of them will have it to imprint an indelible Character (they know not what) and to give them true Sanctification (which they call justification) by inherent grace. Some of them affirm, that as to Infant-Baptism the Council of Trent hath not defined whether it justifie or not, and therefore it is not de fide. And Accordingly, some of them make true faith pre-requisite in the Parents; and some of them make a certain congruous disposition (Meritum de congruo) to be pre-requisite; but wherein that congruous Merit must consist, they know not, or are not yet agreed: Commonly its thought to be in a fides informis, or bare Assent. (Which Mr. Blake calls a dogmatical Faith) conjunct with a reverent esteem of the Sacraments and a consent to become members of the Catholike Church, and to be under their Government, and use the Ordinances: Or a consent in the Parent that the child do these.
