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[It is evident that the meaning of these words is, that Children Baptized, * 1.1 and dying before they commit actual Sin, are undoubtedly Saved, though they be not Confirmed; wherein we see not what danger there can be of mislead∣ing the vulgar, by teaching them truth: But there may be danger in this de∣sire of having these words expunged, as if they were false; for St. Austin saies, He is an Infidel that desires them to be true, Ep. 23. ad Bonifac.]
Repl. What? all Children Saved whether they be Children of the Pro∣mise or no? Or, can you shew us a Text that saith (Whoever is Bapti∣zed, shall be Saved)? The Common-Prayer-Book plainly speaks of the non-necessity of Unction, Confirmation, and other Popish Ceremonies and Sacraments, and meaneth that, ex parte Ecclesiae, they have all things necessary to Salvation, and are undoubtedly Saved, supposing them the due Subjects, and that nothing be wanting ex parte sui; which certainly is not the case of such as are not Children of the Promise, and Cove∣nant. The Child of an Heathen doth not ponere obicem actually quo minus baptizetur, and yet being baptized is not saved, on your own reckoning, (as we understand you); therefore the Parent can ponere obicem, and ei∣ther hinder the Baptism or effect, to his Infant. Austin speaks not there of all Children whatever, but those that are offered per aliorum spiritua∣lem voluntatem, by the Parents usually, or by those that own them after the Parents be dead, or they exposed, or become theirs: He speaks also of what may be done, & de eo quod fieri non posse arbitratur: But our que∣stion is, What is done? and not, What God can do: Our great Question is, What Children they be that Baptism belongeth to?
[After the Catechism we conceive that it is not a sufficient qualification, &c.] We conceive that this qualification is required rather as necessary, than * 1.2 as sufficient; and therefore it is the duty of the Minister of the place, Can. 61. to prepare Children in the best manner to be presented to the Bishop for Confirmation, and to inform the Bishop of their fitnesse; but submitting the judgement to the Bishop, both of this, and other qualifications, and not that the Bishop should be tyed to the Ministers consent. Compare this Rubr. to the second Rubr. before the Catechism, and there is required what is further ne∣cessary and sufficient.
Repl. 1. If we have all necessary ordinarily, we have that which is sufficient ad esse: there is more ordinarily necessary, than to say those words. 2. Do you owe the King no more obedience? Already do you contradict His Declaration, which saith, Confirmation shall be performed (by the information, and with the consent of the Minister of the place?) But if the Ministers consent shall not be necessary, take all the charge upon your own souls, and let your souls be answerable for all.
They see no need of Godf. here] The Compilers of the Liturgie did, and so doth the Church; that there may be a witnesse of the Confirma∣tion.] * 1.3
Repl. It is like to be your own work as you will use it, and we cannot hinder you from doing it in your own way. But are Godfathers no more than witnesses? &c.
[This supposeth that all children, &c.] It supposeth, and that truly, that all children were at their Baptism, regenerate by Water, and the Holy Ghost, and had given unto them the forgivenesse of all their Sins; and it is chari∣tably presumed, that, notwithstanding the frailties and slips of their Child∣hood, they have not totally lost, what was in Baptism conferred upon them, and therefore addes, Strengthen them we beseech thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, and daily encrease in them their mani∣fold gifts of Grace, &c. None that lives in open sin ought to be Confirm∣ed.]
Repl. 1. Children baptized without right, cannot be presumed to be really regenerate, and pardoned. 2. We speak only of those that by li∣ving in open sin, do shew themselves to be unjustified; and these you con∣fesse should not be Confirmed. O that you would but practise that; If not, this Confession will witnesse against you.
[Before the imposition of hands, &c.] Confirmation is reserved to the * 1.4 Bishop, in honorem Ordinis; To blesse, being an Act of Authority; so was it of old. St. Hierom, Dialog. Adv. Lucifer. saies, it was totius orbis con∣sensio in hanc partem. And St. Cyprian to the same purpose, Ep. 73. And our Church doth every where professe, as she ought, to conform to the Catholick usages of the Primitive times; from which causelesly to depart, argues rather love of contention than of peace. The reserving of Confirmation to the Bishop, doth argue the Dignity of the Bishop above Presbyters, who are not allowed to Confirm; but does not argue any excellency in Confirmation, above the Sacra∣ments. St. Hierom argues the quite contray, ad Lucif. cap. 4. That be∣cause Baptism was allowed to be performed by a Deacon, but Confirmation on∣ly by a Bishop; therefore Baptism was most necessary, and of the greatest va∣lue; The mercy of God allowing the most necessary means of Salvation, to be administred by inferiour Orders, and restraining the lesse necessary, to the higher, for the honour of their Order.]
Reply. O that we had the Primitive Episcopacy, and that Bishops had no more Churches to oversee, than in the Primitive times they had; and then we would never speak against this reservation of Confirmation to the honour of the Bishop: But when that Bishop of one Church, is turn∣ed into that Bishop of many hundred Churches; and when he is now a Bishop of the lowest rank, that was an Arch-bishop, when Arch-bishops first came up, and so we have not really existent, any meer Bishops, (such as the Antients knew) at all, but only Arch-bishops and their Curates; Marvel not, if we would not have Confirmation proper to Arch-bishops, nor one man undertake more than an hundred can perform: But if you will do it, there is no remedie, we have acquit our selves.
Prayer after the Imposition of hands, is grounded upon the practice of the * 1.5 Apostles, Heb. 6. 2. & Acts 8. 17. Nor doth 25. Article say, that Confirmation is a corrupt imitation of the Apostles practice, but that the 5. commonly called Sacraments have ground partly on the corrupt following the Apostles, &c. which may be applied to some other of those 5; but cannot be applied to Confir∣mation, unless we make the Church speak contradictions.
Reply. But the question is not of Imposition of hands in generall; but this Imposition in particular: And you have never proved, that this sort of Imposition, called Confirmation, is mentioned in those Texts: And the 25. Article cannot more probably be thought to speak of any one of the 5. as proceeding from the corrupt imitation of the Apostles, than of Confirmation as a supposed Sacrament.
We know no harm in speaking the language of holy Scripture, Acts 8. 15. * 1.6 they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost; and though Impositions of hands be not a Sacrament, yet it is a very fit sign, to certifie the persons what is then done for them, as the Prayer speaks.
Reply. It is fit to speak the Scripture language in Scripture sense; But if those that have no such power to give the Holy Ghost, will say, Re∣ceive the Holy Ghost, it were better for them to abuse other language, than Scripture language.
Sect. 1. Rub. 1.
Sect. 2. Rubr.
Sect. 3. Ex. 1▪
Sect. 5. p. 30. Rub.
Sect. 6. Ex. 1.
Sect. 7. Ex. 2.