Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians

This is the sum of these Verses; which Interpreters generally understand to be spoken of all the orders of Christians, and that there are no other than what are comprehended under these three names, viz. that all Saints are either little Children, or Young-men, or Father-Saints: but with submission I conceive that there is a fourth, inferior to, or younger than the youngest of these, who are (and are called) Babes, who do not (as such and as yet) know the Father; as the little Children are said to do. Mr. Cotton doth render [Greek or Hebrew] Babes, as the vulgar Latin doth, infants; but saith Beza, [Greek or Hebrew] inferius quiddam significat quam [Greek or Hebrew], and saith Erasmus, Insans a Babe is by the Greeks called [Greek or Hebrew] aut [Greek or Hebrew]; by which last word the Babe-Saint is expressed in Scripture, again and again, and is of a lower form than the little Children, as God willing shall be made to appear hereafter, when I come to handle the Characteristical differences of each state. Of which for the present I hint only this in the General, that the Fathers are so called (whether elder or younger for years) from their great experience and wisdom, having gone through each of the inferior States; the Young-men are denominated from their strength (of faith) whereby they overcome the evil or wicked one; the little Children have their Character from knowing the Father, which notes a state of assurance; and the Babes from eating milk, the first principles, viz. ⟨p. 9⟩repentance, saith, &c. with desires after growth; all which is evident from the several places of Scripture, where these distinct Classes and forms are mentioned, and that under these very names, all which we shall examine God willing in the following treatise.

This is the summ of these Verses; which Interpreters generally understand to be spoken of all the orders of Christians, and that there are no other than what are comprehended under these three names, viz. that all Saints are either little Children, or Young-men, or Father-Saints: but with submission I conceive that there is a fourth, inferior to, or younger than the youngest of these, who are (and are called) Babes, who do not (as such and as yet) know the Father; as the little Children are said to do. Mr. Cotton doth render 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Babes, as the vulgar Latine doth, infantes; but saith Beza, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 inferius quiddam significat quam , and saith Erasmus, Insans a Babe is by the Greeks called aut ; by which last word the Babe-Saint is exprest in Scripture, again and again, and is of a lower form than the little Children, as God willing shall be made to appear hereafter, when I come to handle the Characteristical differences of each state. Of which for the present I hint only this in the General, that the Fathers are so called (whether elder or younger for years) from their great experience and wisdom, having gone through each of the inferior States; the Young-men are denominated from their strength (of faith) whereby they overcome the evil or wicked one; the little Children have their Character from knowing the Father, which notes a state of assurance; and the Babes from eating milk, the first principles, viz.