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Rh our infancy sanctified, as to be thereby made sufficiently capable of Baptism, and to be interested in the rites of our new-birth for their piety's sake that offer us thereunto." Whence also. Hooker pronounces, (and the decision, so grounded, might remove some perplexities which occur now also,) "a wrong conceit, that none may receive the Sacrament of Baptism but they whose parents, at the least one of them, are, by the soundness of their religion and by their virtuous demeanour, known to be men of , hath caused some to repel children, whosoever bring them, if their parents be mispersuaded in religion, or for other misdeserts excommunicated; some, likewise, for that cause, to withhold Baptism, unless the father (albeit, no such exception can justly be taken against him) do, notwithstanding, make profession of his faith, and avouch the child to be his own. Thus, whereas, has appointed them ministers of holy things, they make themselves inquisitors of men's persons a great deal farther than need is. They should consider, that hath ordained Baptism in favour of mankind. To restrain favours is an odious thing; to enlarge them, acceptable both to and man."

"It is not written," says St. Augustine, "Except one be born again of the will of his parents or of the faith of those