Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

More particularly, 1. The Profession which we must take as valid, must seem to be made in a competent understanding of the Matter which is Professed. It's a known rule in Law that Consensus non est ignorantis. If a Parrot be taught to repeat the Creed, it is not to be called a Profession of Faith. The same we may say of any such Idiot or child, or persons at age, who are notoriously ignorant of the matter which they speak: therefore it is the duty of those that require such Professions, to endeavour to discern whether the person understand what he professeth, before he do it: and therefore in the ancient Churches their Catechists or other Teachers did first see to their understanding the sum of the Christian Faith, before they baptized any at age: and so should the Parents themselves be examined, before we baptize their children upon the account of their Profession, except it be when we have just cause to presume that the person understandeth the matter professed. Yet if any shall groundlessly so presume, and be mistaken this makes not the Profession Null, as to the use which the Church makes of it, though it be Null as to the real internal Covenant of man with God, or to the Benefits of such a Profession by any grant or Gift from God; for in in foro Dei, it is no Profession or worse.

More particularly, 1. The Professon which we must take as valid, must seem to be made in a competent understanding of the Matter which is Professed. It's a known rule in Law that Consensus non est ignorantis. If a Parrot be taugh to repeat the Creed, it is not to be called a Profession of Faith. The same we may say of any such Ideot or child, or persons at age, who are notoriously ignorant of the matter which they speak: therefore it is the duty of those that require such Professions, to endeavor to discern whether the person understand what he professeth, before he do it: and therefore in the ancient Churches their Catechists or other Teachers did first see to their understanding the sum of the Christian Faith, before they baptized any at age: and so should the Parents themselves be examined, before we baptize their children upon the account of their Profession, except it be when we have just cause to presume that the person understandeth the matter professed. Yet if any shall grounldesly so presume, and be mistaken this makes not the Profession Null, as to the use which the Church makes of it, though it be Null as to the real internal Covenant of man with God, or to the Benefits of such a Profession by any grant or Gift from God; for in in foro Dei, it is no Profession or worse.