Chapter 24 [XIX.]—Infants Saved as Sinners.

And let no one suppose that infants ought to be brought to baptism, on the ground that, as they are not sinners, so they are not righteous; how then do some remind us that the Lord commends this tender age as meritorious; saying, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven?”80    Matt. xix. 14. For if this [“of such”] is not said because of likeness in humility (since humility makes [us] children), but because of the laudable life of children, then of course infants must be righteous persons; otherwise, it could not be correctly said, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven,” for heaven can only belong to the righteous. But perhaps, after all, it is not a right opinion of the meaning of the Lord’s words, to make Him commend the life of infants when He says, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven;” inasmuch as that may be their true sense, which makes Christ adduce the tender age of infancy as a likeness of humility. Even so, however, perhaps we must revert to the tenet which I mentioned just now, that infants ought to be baptized, because, although they are not sinners, they are yet not righteous. But when He had said: “I came not to call the righteous,” as if responding to this, Whom, then, didst Thou come to call? immediately He goes on to say: “—but sinners to repentance.” Therefore it follows, that, however righteous they may be, if also they are not sinners, He came not to call them, who said of Himself: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” They therefore seem, not vainly only, but even wickedly to rush to the baptism of Him who does not invite them,—an opinion which God forbid that we should entertain. He calls them, then, as a Physician who is not needed for those that are whole, but for those that are sick; and who came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Now, inasmuch as infants are not held bound by any sins of their own actual life, it is the guilt of original sin which is healed in them by the grace of Him who saves them by the laver of regeneration.

CAPUT XIX.

24. Infantes ut fideles, ita et poenitentes dicuntur. Peccata sola inter Deum et homines separant. Ac ne quis existimet ideo parvulos ad Baptismum afferri oportere, quia sicut peccatores non sunt, ita nec justi sunt: quomodo ergo quidam meritum hujus aetatis a Domino laudatum esse commemorant, ubi ait, Sinite parvulos venire ad me; talium est enim regnum coelorum (Matth. XIX, 14)? Si enim hoc non propter humilitatis similitudinem, quod humilitas parvulos faciat, sed propter puerorum vitam laudabilem dictum est, profecto et justi sunt. Non enim recte aliter dici potuit, Talium est regnum coelorum, cum esse non possit nisi justorum. Sed forte hoc quidem non congruenter dicitur, quod parvulorum vitam laudaverit Dominus dicens, Talium est regnum coelorum: cum verax sit ille intellectus quod humilitatis similitudinem in parva aetate posuerit. Verumtamen forsitan hoc tenendum est quod dixi, propterea parvulos baptizari debere, quia sicut peccatores non sunt, ita nec justi sunt. Sed cum dictum esset, Non veni vocare justos, quasi ei responderetur, Quos ergo vocare venisti? continuo subjunxit, sed peccatores in poenitentiam (Luc. V, 32). Ac per hoc, quomodo si justi sunt, ita etiamsi peccatores non sunt, non eos venit vocare, qui dixit, Non veni vocare justos, sed peccatores? Et ideo Baptismo ejus qui eos non vocat, non tantum frustra, verum etiam improbe videntur irruere; quod absit ut sentiamus. Vocat eos igitur medicus, qui non est 0123 opus sanis, sed aegrotantibus, nec venit vocare justos, sed peccatores in poenitentiam. Et ideo quia suae vitae propriae peccatis nullis adhuc tenentur obnoxii, originalis in eis aegritudo sanatur in ejus gratia qui salvos facit per lavacrum regenerationis.