A85311:80
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.
That Infants saved must be Regenerated, the Text is clear 3 John 3. [Greek or Hebrew]. The word [Greek or Hebrew] is an indefinitive word, limited to no age, Infant or Adult. Infants are born once, but whoever are generated, and born after the ordinary course of Man, if saved, must be born twice, or again. [Nicodemus [Greek or Hebrew], in the fourth verse tells us how Christ's [Greek or Hebrew], in the third verse is to be translated] so must Infants, else no Heaven. Secondly, That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, 3 Joh. 6. So are all Infants, then they must be born of Water, and the Spirit, ver. 5. else no Heaven for Infants. Besides the other Scriptures I mentioned before.
That Infants saved must be Regenerated, the Text is clear 3 John 3. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. The word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is an indefinitive word, limited to no age, Infant or Adult. Infants are born once, but whoever are generated, and born after the ordinary course of Man, if saved, must be born twice, or again. [Nicodemus 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, in the fourth verse tells us how Christ's 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, in the third verse is to be translated] so must Infants, else no Heaven. Secondly, That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, 3 Joh. 6. So are all Infants, then they must be born of Water, and the Spirit, ver. 5. else no Heaven for Infants. Besides the other Scriptures I mentioned before.
I should define Regeneration thus: It is a work of the (a)