The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin…

Thirdly consider, that there is a great difference between the state of an Infant, and of men grown to years: the scripture tells you,¹ that faith comes by hearing, that is in men grown in years they must get their faith in an ordinary way by hearing the Word preached: but this rule holds not for young Infants, because they are not capable of understanding, they wanting the use of reason, and God expects no more from them then he gives ability: faith comes by hearing, faith the scripture: but saith the Antinomian, what need I hear, what need I pray, for a man may have pardon without all? But consider, that though children cannot exercise faith, yet children may have habitual faith, as Divines say, children may have grace seminally, though they cannot have the exercise of grace. Thou canst not tell, saith Solomon, how the bones of a child grow in the womb, therefore much more how God by a strange and a powerful manner can implant and impress grace in the heart of a sucking babe; ⟨p. 102⟩yet there is grace in elect children: in an elect child there is seminal grace, and habitual grace. As there is sin seminal in a child's nature, that before a child can act sin, it hath sin; so by the same reason, they are capable of grace, you that will deny grace to children, will fall into the Pelagian error, that a child hath no sin: but a child hath a depraved nature, a nature inclining to sin; therefore when it comes to years, though it should never see a sin committed, yet would it sin: a child cannot act grace cannot act faith & repentance, that is true, but a child may have grace habitual;² therefore Christ took children in his arms and blest them, surely they must be gracious children; such children are pardoned: we know not how to express their faith, but they have an habitual faith. And thus much for the answering of that third case of conscience.

Thirdly consider, that there is a great difference between the state of an Infant, and of men grown to years: the scripture tels you,¹ that faith comes by hearing, that is in men grown in years they must get their faith in an ordinary way by hearing the Word preached: but this rule holds not for young Infants, because they are not capable of understanding, they wanting the use of reason, and God expects no more from them then he gives ability: faith comes by hearing, faith the scripture: but saith the Antinomian, what need I hear, what need I pray, for a man may have pardon without all? But consider, that though children cannot exercise faith, yet children may have habituall faith, as Divines say, children may have grace seminally, though they cannot have the exercise of grace. Thou canst not tell, saith Solomon, how the bones of a childe grow in the womb, therefore much more how God by a strange and a powerful manner can implant and impresse grace in the heart of a sucking babe;