A85311:108
The answer of Giles Firmin, to the vain and unprofitable question put to him,…
The answer of Giles Firmin, to the vain and unprofitable question put to him, and charged upon him by Mr. Grantham, in his book, entitled, The infants advocate : viz. whether the greatest part of dying infants shall be damned? : Which advocate, while he shuts all infants out of the visible church, and denies them baptism, opens heaven to all dying infants, justifying those of his party, who admit them all as he doth, into Heaven without regeneration.The answer of Giles Firmin, to the vain and unprofitable question put to him, and charged upon him by Mr. Grantham, in his book, entituled, The infants advocate : viz. whether the greatest part of dying infants shall be damned? : Which advocate, while he shuts all infants out of the visible church, and denies them baptism, opens heaven to all dying infants, justifying those of his party, who admit them all as he doth, into Heaven without regeneration.
London: printed for John Lawrence, 1689
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Infants have sufficient assistance, because they do not resist, say you. This is something odd methinks.
First, What then are Infants active, tho' weak, and so the Spirit assist them; for so I conceive assistance doth properly respect one that acts, but is too weak to perfect his act. Are we said properly to assist them who do nothing at all? we assist weak men, not dead men.
Secondly, Do the Spirit work morally, by way of Suasion with Infants, and they not resist him, as they 7 Acts 51.
Thirdly, The corrupt Nature in Infants incline them to resist him, and not to comply with him.
Fourthly, Are you sure that Christ shed his Blood for every Individual dying Infant intentionally? 2. And was it not for all Infants as well as dying Infants? 3. And did he shed it for them only while they were Infants, and not when they grew up to be adult? 4. And doth he then give to them all sufficient Grace? 5. And is that sufficient Grace statu lapso, that doth not attain its end? If the stony Heart that is to be taken away, be for stoniness six Degrees, the Grace which takes it away must be seven Degrees, else 'tis not sufficient. 6. How comes it about then that Christ fails so much, even