Fathers

A Candid Inquiry into the Controversies among Evangelicals · §81

Three leftover disputes: infants' actual faith, how far baptism is necessary, and whether the Spirit's baptism is tied to the water

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The leftover controversy runs like this. First, about infants' actual faith. The Reformed take them as able to receive faith in its principle, seed, root, and habit — poured in by God in a way we cannot grasp — and so able to receive some grace, even inward grace: federal grace, as children taken with their parents into the covenant and sharers of the promise (Acts 2:39).

So they are capable of sacramental sanctification, as by circumcision (Romans 4:11), so by baptism (1 Corinthians 7:14; Colossians 2:14); and finally capable of the remission of original sin and of justifying grace.

Second, about how far holy baptism is necessary. On their side, bare lack of it — with no willful neglect — already works either loss of salvation, or at least danger of that loss.

Third, about the mode of efficacy: that regenerating grace is bound to the baptismal ceremony, or (in their phrase) the baptism of the Spirit is bound to the baptism of water as its effect — ordinarily, they add — yet not by the Papists' opus operatum, but by the Holy Spirit's own working.

Latin

Talis est Controversia, 1. Circa fidem actualem Infantum: Quos Reformati censent subjectum capax fidei, quoad hujus principium, semen, radicem, habitum, modo nobis ἀκαταλήπτῳ divinitus infusum; Capaces adeo esse gratiae alicujus, etiam internae, uti sunt gratiae foederalis, scil. cum parentibus assumpti in Foedus, & participes promissionis, Act. II.39. Sic capaces sanctificationis Sacramentalis, uti per Circumcisionem, Rom. IV.11. ita per Baptismum 1. Cor. VII.14. Col. II.14. Denique capaces remissionis peccati Original. & gratiae justificantis. 2. Talis quoque Controversia, circa gradum quendam necessitatis S. Baptismi; Unde secundum illos, ex sola privatione, citra neglectum ullum voluntarium, oriatur aut privatio salutis, aut periculum saltem hujus. 3. Talis & circa efficaciae modum; Ut Ceremoniae Baptismi sit alligata gratia Regenerationis, vel (ut loquuntur) Baptismo fluminis alligatus Baptismus flaminis, tanquam illius effectus, sed (ut addunt) ordinariè; neque tamen ex opere operato Pontificiorum, sed operatione Spiritus S.

About this text

Samuel Strimesius — Prefatio through Controversiae Post Lutherum Controv. III-XIII + XV Tolerantia, Hexades Annotationum Prooemium and Annotatio I through Decem Theses / Francus plus Annotatio II §.I-§.VI and Annotatio III §.I–§.VII (through Cassellanum 1661) from Ingenua in Controversias Evangelicorum (Frankfurt an der Oder, 1708). Honest partial; Prefatio silence reasons, Annotatio III §.VIII+ fruits / §.IX+, Hexades theses body, deeper Controversiae / Part II remain.

English follows the locked 1708 Francofurti ad Viadrum Latin of Prefatio §I–II, Crimina defenses through III, Part I Protheoria through Controversiae Obices/Historia/Varii gradus, Formula Discord/Disparitas, Ulterius confirmatur / Classes / Formula protest / triplex differentia, Coena Domini Controversiae Priores through Precariae Hypotheses (Controv. print pp. 34–40), Controversiae Post Lutherum Natae Controv. III–XV tip (providence through De Tolerantia mutua; Controv. print pp. 40–78), Hexades Annotationum Prooemium H.I–§.III (Hexades print pp. 1–4 / PDF ~182–185), and Annotatio I De Augustana Confessione §.I–§.VIII tip (Hexades print pp. 5–24+ / PDF ~186–205+), reconstructed from Google Books PDF page images (ONB copy, id 3epYAAAAcAAJ) with pdftotext as check. No modern English was copied. Sister Halle digitization of Ingenua in Arminianismum (DOI 10.25673/65287) remains Anubis-blocked — skipped; Controversias only. Prefatio silence reasons, Annotatio I §.IX+, Hexades theses body beyond §.VIII, and remainder of Controversiae / folio remain.

Witnesses

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