A compend of the controversies of religion wherin the trueth is confirmed, and errour convinced, by authoritie of Scripture, witnessing of antiquitie, and confession of partie. Most necessary for all, in this backe-slyding age. By W.G. minister of God's word.

§. That the Children of the Faythfull, de∣parting, are not deprived of the blessed vision of God, through want of Baptisme.

1. Authoritie of Scripture.

GEnes. 17.7. And I wil esta∣blish my cove∣nant betweene mee and thee, & thy seede af∣ter thee in their generations.

Marke then, That not onelie are the Parentes within the covenant of grace, but their children also, and their seede after them: and even as the female was comprehended vnder the male, because vncapable of circumcision, and so sa∣ved amongst the Iewes; so are Infants, dying in the Mothers wombe, compre∣hended vnder their believing Parents, because vncapable then of Baptisme, and

so are saved amongst Christians, if they belong to election.

Exod. 20.5. I am a jealous God, vvho visiteth the sinnes of the fathers, vpon the children, to the third and fourth generation, of them that hate mee, but show mercie to the thousandes of them that loue mee, and keepe my commandements.

Note then, That the Lord's promises are to shew mercie to thousands of the generation of the godlie, (excepting neither age, or sexe, nor whether they die in the wombe, wanting Baptisme, or liue in the World, and get the same.)

Acts 2.39. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are farre off, vvhom-so-ever the Lord our God shall call.

Ierem. 1.5. Before thou ca∣mest out of the vvombe, I sancti∣fied thee.

Note then, That if an Infant may bee sanctifyed in the Mothers wombe, then that Infant dying there-in, may bee sa∣ved: for whom-so-ever the Lord sancti∣fyeth, them also hee saveth.

Luk. 1.41. And it came to passe,

when Elizabeth heard the saluta∣tion of Marie, the Babe did leape in her Wombe.

Beholde then, heere a divine fayth in∣fused in the heart of the Baptist, while as yet hee was in his Mothers wombe, able, if hee had died there-in, perfectlie to haue saved him. And who can cer∣tainlie defyne of God's secret working, or deny the salvation of others?

Ioshua 5.5. Now all the people that came out, vvere circumcised: but all the people that vvere borne in the Wildernesse, by the vvay, as they came out of Aegypt, them they circumcised not.

Remarke then, That as the children that died during those fourtie yeares in the Wildernesse, were not for want of circumcision therefore condemned, vn∣der the Law: so neither are the children of Christians, for want of Baptisme, when it can-not bee had, condemned, now vnder the Gospell. It being not the want, but contempt of Sacraments, that is judged damnable.

1. Cor. 7.14. For the vnbe∣lieving Husband, is sanctified by the Wife, and the vnbelieving Wife,

is sanctified by the Husband; els vvere your children vncleane, but now they are holie.

Note then, If the children of one onlie believing parent bee esteemed holie, how much more then should the children of Parents, both believing, bee esteemed holie, and so charitablie judged of, (if they die without Baptisme) to bee eter∣nallie saved?

2. Witnessing of Antiquitie.

WHat Reason, or Nature, (sayth Ber∣nard) teacheth, that none of those who may die, can obtaine internall and eternall salvation, whose bodie outward∣lie is not sprinkled with the element of water? And therefore he affirmeth there∣after, that in case contempt bee not the cause, that then the Parents faith is not onelie profitable, but sufficient also for the chylde. Bern. Epist. 77.

3. Confession of Partie.

As to Infants, the Churches faith, and of them that offer it, is imputed as their owne: Even so, the will and desire of Baptisme, (sayeth Cassander) which the Church, and speciallie the Parents haue, is accepted by the same indulgent Father, who accepteth of the will, as the deed, and tyeth none to impossibili∣ties, nor his grace simplie to the ex∣ternall

action of Sacraments. Cassand. con∣sult. art. 9. And of this same mynde also Alphonsus de Castro testifyeth Ger∣son and Cajetan to bee. (Alphons. de Ca∣stro, de Heres. verbo Baptismus.) And Lom∣bard, speaking of the true sense of these wordes, Iohn 3. Except a man bee borne anew, &c. sayeth, But this is to bee vn∣derstood (sayeth hee) of them who may, but yet despyseth to bee baptized. Lomb. lib. 4. dist. 4. §. his autem.