An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches

§. 4. But if there be such a power given, which never acteth Faith (which I think most probable) it is either in the Adult or Infants: if in the Adult, no doubt it's lost; for they that will not believe (to the last) retain not still the moral power in their Rebellion.

§. 5. But in the Case of Infants, I think those of them that die before the use of reason, lose it not, nor any of the Elect that live to full Age: But as to others, after¹ long doubt, How far Infant-Grace is loseable, this seemeth now the most probable solution to me.

1. 1How far Infants Grace is loseable.

§. 6. Viz. There is a Grace that reacheth but to a moral Power to repent and believe, before men have the Act or proper Habit: Such Grace to persevere, did put Adam in a present state of Life, or acceptation with God, this Grace Adam lost: Accordingly such grace that containeth but this m••al power in an Infant's Disposition¹ (with relative grace of Pardon) is sufficient to prov• his right to Salvation, if he so die; because he is not bound to the Act, nor capable of it; and even the Adult upon the Act, have right to Acceptance and to the Spirit to cause the Habit, in order of Nature, before they have the Habit: Therefore Infants may be in a state of such Right and Life before the Habit, though they shall not possess Glory without it: And yet the Adult are not in a state of such right by the mere Power, before the Act, because the Act it self is made necessary to their Justification, but so is it not to Infants: So that Infants and Adult may receive a mere power to repent and believe, and lose it after (at age) by actual sin, though this be a loss of a state of Justification to the one sort (their fins of Nature being pardoned), but not to the other (who are not pardoned without the Act:) And yet it followeth not hence, that the grace of habitual Sanctification is lost in any.