CHAP. XXXIV.

A great comfort to the Scrupulous Woman, fhewing that all the little Children that dye without Bape tifm, are fav'd.

BY

Y little Children, I mean thofe that have not yet the ufe of their reafon, and I fay, (though the contrary be afferted by a great many) that if they dye without Baptifm, they are faved notwithstanding. For our Salva tion doth not meerly depend upon ar Element which is not always in our power. The Baptifm that faves us, faith St. Peter, is not that that puts away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good Confcience towards God, 1 Pet. 3. 21. he that finneth, fhall be punifhed. Every one 'fhall dye for his own iniquity. Therefore the young Children, before. they can use their reafon, being not a ble to commit fin, ought not to be pu nifhed (for God hates and punithes nothing but fin) and confequently, if thev

ne hait, & ne punit que le peché ) & confequemment s'ils viennent à mourir, ils font Sauvez. Mais, me dira quelqu'un, Il ya un peché actuel, & un autre qu'on appelle originel; il eft vray que les petis Enfants, avant l'ufage de leur raifon, ne font pas capables de celui la, mais par le peché d'Adam ils ont encouru celui cy, & en doivent recevoir punition. Je repond qu'il eft vray que les petis Enfants ont encouru le peché originel, mais auffi qu'il leur a été pardonné; car comme par une feule offence la coulpe eft venue fur tous hommes en condemnation, ainfi auffi par une feule justice juftifiante le don eft venu fur tous hommes en juftification de vie, Rom. 5. 18. on ne dira plus les Peres ont mange l'aigret, &. les dents des Enfants en font agacees, ains un chacun moura pour fon iniquité; tout bomme qui mangera l'aigret, fes dents en feront agacees, Jer. 31 29. Le pechéoriginel eft remis, non quant à la mort temporelle, & autres affitions de cette vie qui font des confequences de ce peché, mais quant à la mort eternelle, & autres torments que l'on foufre, dans l'Enfer,que meritoient ce même peché.

Si

they dye, are faved. But, fome will fay, there is an actual fin, and an other call'd original. 'Tis true that young Children before the ufe of their reason are not capable of the former, but by the tranfgreffion of Adam they are guilty of the latter, and ought to be punished for it. Ianfwer it is true that the young Children have encurred the original fin, but it is true alfo it was forgiven unto them; for as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to condemnation, even fo by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Fuftification of life, Rom. 5. 18. they fhall Say no more the Fathers have eat a fower grape, and the Childrens teeth are fet on edge, but every one shall dye for his own iniquity. Every Man that eateth the fower grape, his teeth fhall be fet on edge, Jer. 31. 29. the original fin is remitted, not as concerning temporal death and other afflictions in this life which are the confequences of that fin, but as concerning eternal death, and other torments in Hell, that did deferve that fame fin. If any is now damn'd, and fuffers in the other world, 'tis for his own fin. Suf fer little Children to come unto me faith.

Chrift,

C

Ba

Si quelqu'un eft damné, & foufre aprfent dans l'autre monde, C'est pour fon propre peche. Laiffez venir a moy les petis C Enfants, & ne les empechez pas, car à tels eft le Royaume des Cieux, Mat. 19.13. Remarquez que J. Chrift parloit à dés petis Enfants qui n'étoient pas Baptifez, à tels, dit il, appartient le Royaume des Cieux, donc ils font Sauvez bien qu'ils meurent fans Baptême: La Promeffe n'eft pas feulement faite à nos Peres, mais encore à nos Enfants, il est th le Dieu des uns & des autres. & damner les petis Enfants purement parce. qu'ils n'ont pas receu le Baptême, qui n'etoit pas en leur pouvoir, ce feroit en Dieu une espece de cru autés

CHAP.

Chrift, and forbid them not, for of fuch is the Kingdom of God Mark, that Chrift fpoke to young Children not Baptized; of fuck, faith he, is the Kingdom of God, therefore they are faved, though they dye without Baptifm, the promife is not onely made to our Fathers, but to our Children alfo. God is the God of the one, as well as of th'others; and to damn little Children meerly because they have not received the Baptifm, which was not in their power, it would be in God a kind of Cruelty.

CHAP.