Baptist.
Bare simple innocency, harmlessnesse and freedom from hurt proves neither holinesse, nor holy spirit to be where it is, it being capable to be not onely in infants, who in respect of age and stature, though not of kind and nature, are in an or∣dinary way at least an uncapable subject of the other, but also in creatures by kind uncapable at any time of the spirit, viz. doves, sheep, lambs, every of which (as well as infants) are set forth also as examples of meeknesse, patience, innocency, silence, under suffering, as the Ant is also for diligence and forecast, the vine for fruitfulnesse, the Serpent for wisdom to the Saints, and yet have not thereupon the holy spirit, yea Eulogies for some one particular natural excellency, qualification and indowment, and those not inferiour to those of the best Saints may be given, and that as an example for the Saints, not onely to other creatures and innocent infants, but also to such as are elsewise injurious, and no way ex∣emplary to others at all, e. g. the unjust steward Luke 16. who though a meer child of the world, yet is commended by Christ as having done wisely, yea more wisely (in suo genere) then the children of light, and given as a pattern of pru∣dence and forecast to them, and yet I should be in doubt whether that man were well in his wits or no, that should argue from those Eulogies to those holy spirit.
Secondly from which innocency yet, if it would follow that the spirit is in in∣fants, it must be in all as well as some: for is one Infant more free from actual sin, and in point of innocency propounded as our pattern by Christ more then another? is