R. I know some of your divided writers say that we have Sacramentum, but not Rem Sacramenti: But 1. You say that a Character is imprinted by Baptism, and all sin done away, and the person in a state of life, unless ⟨p. 52⟩he come feignedly; which you will not charge on Infants, nor can you prove it by those of the Anabaptists themselves that are baptized at age. And saith Aquinas when the fiction ceaseth, the fruits of baptism are obtained. 2. And it will be long ere you will prove that to be baptized into the name of the Trinity is uneffectual, if we leave out the Pope. 3. And you will hardly make a man understand what you mean by the validity of the Baptism of Heretics and Schismatics, if it neither take the Baptized into the true Visible Church, nor the invisible (or a state of saving grace).
And as to Infants losing it as you say at age by Heresy. 1. Will you save all the Anabaptists, that are baptized at age? If their baptism put them into a state of salvation, and they continue just of the same faith and mind that they were baptized in, sure that faith which put them in a state of salvation, will keep them in it; or not be damning through defectiveness to morrow, which made them heirs of Heaven to day. But you cannot make your doctrines hang together. 2. And they that are Baptized in Infancy are baptized into the same faith which they continue in at age. The Minister intendeth no other: The Parents, Sponsors, &c. intend no other: And will that prove defective even to Salvation after, which was saving then? 3. If Baptism make us Christians; and if Christianity be the true Religion, sufficient in suo genere to salvation, then we that continue in the Christianity which we were baptized into, by your confession continue in the true saving Religion; And this is all our Religion.
R. I know some of your divided writers say that we have Sacramentum, but not Rem Sacramenti: But 1. You say that a Character is imprinted by Baptism, and all sin done away, and the person in a state of life, unless ⟨p. 52⟩he come feignedly; which you will not charge on Infants, nor can you prove it by those of the Anabaptists themselves that are baptized at age. And saith Aquinas when the fiction ceaseth, the fruits of baptism are obtained. 2. And it will be long ere you will prove that to be baptized into the name of the Trinity is uneffectual, if we leave out the Pope. 3. And you will hardly make a man understand what you mean by the validity of the Baptism of Hereticks and Schismaticks, if it neither take the Baptized into the true Visible Church, nor the invisible (or a state of saving grace).
And as to Infants losing it as you say at age by Heresie. 1. Will you save all the Anabaptists, that are baptized at age? If their baptism put them into a state of salvation, and they continue just of the same faith and mind that they were baptized in, sure that faith which put them in a state of salvation, will keep them in it; or not be damning through defectiveness to morrow, which made them heirs of Heaven to day. But you cannot make your doctrines hang together. 2. And they that are Baptized in Infancy are baptized into the same faith which they continue in at age. The Minister intendeth no other: The Parents, Sponsors, &c. intend no other: And will that prove defective even to Salvation after, which was saving then? 3. If Baptism make us Christians; and if Christianity be the true Religion, sufficient in suo genere to salvation, then we that continue in the Christianity which we were baptized into, by your confession continue in the true saving Religion; And this is all our Religion.
