holy, who are born of believing, i.e., baptized parents, since, without the gift of grace (Baptism) afterwards received and kept, they cannot be saved?" imagining, apparently (as Wall conjectures), St. Paul to declare the children to be holy from their birth, whereas their parents' hohness would not make them holy. And Theodoret—"Even if either party continue in their disease, the seed shall partake of salvation (i.e., by admission into the fellowship with Christ, which is at Baptism);" so, also, the author of the Quæst. ad Antioch. Q. 114, quotes this text, with Matt. xix. 14, in proof that "the infant children of believers, if baptized, enter into the kingdom of heaven, themselves spotless and believing."
Ambrosiaster also implies that this holiness arises from a dedication to God. "They are holy, because born amid the worship of the Creator. For, as whatever takes place amid dedication to idols is unclean, so, whatever amid the profession of God the Creator, is holy." (ad loc. ap. Ambrosii Opp.)
The above are quoted by Wall, art. Tertullian, St. Austin (c. 15. § 2.) Paulinus (c. 18. § 4.), Pelagian Controversy (c. 19. § 19.) In the following, although he names the authors, he hardly does them justice; Chrysostom (ad Heb.) Spurious but ancient books, c. 23. § 3.
It is useful, however, for the present times, to show (as above stated, p. 163), that the "reformed" writers, although they, for the most part, exaggerated the holiness which the infants of Christian parents brought with them into the world, still held that this belonged to them, because their parents were outwardly in the covenant, not on account of their personal holiness.—"Wee speake not of the inherent holinesse of the child as regenerate, i.e., immediately from God, but of holinesse federal and ecclesiastical, which may be applyable to persons unregenerate, as Ps. l. 5. 16, 17. The parents visibly believing and inchurched, are instiTimentall causes of that holinesse of their children; yea, whether believers in veritie or onely visibilitie, it sufficeth thereunto; nor are little ones thus in covenant with God and His Church, without the visibilitie of faith in the parents, either past or present: personal holinesse consisteth not with living in known sinnes, but federal hohnesse may. Ezek. xvi." Cobbet's Vindication of the Covenant and Church Estate of Children of Church Members, and of their right to Baptism, p. 20.
"We say of our infants, that 'tis enough for us that their parents, or any other in whose power they are, do present them to the Church." P. Martyr. "The Apostle doth manifestly declare, that the children of believing parents are holy, yea, though but one of the parents believeth; by which holiness nothing else can be understood, than being within the covenant; whereby holy persons are distinguished from profane." Beza. "Upon this ground doth Paul strongly prove the
