Merits and Remission of Sin, and Infant Baptism

We are driven at last to yield our assent on divine authority to that which we are unable to investigate with even the clearest intellect. It is well that they remind us themselves that Christ's righteousness is unable to profit any but believers, while they yet allow that it somewhat profits infants; according to this (as we have already said) they must, without evasion, find room for baptized infants among the number of believers. Consequently, if they are not baptized, they will have to rank among those who do not believe; and therefore they will not even have life, but “the wrath of God abides on them,” inasmuch as “he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him;” and they are under judgment, since “he that believes not is condemned already;” and they shall be condemned, since “he that believes, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.” Let them, now, then see to it with what justice they can hold or strive to maintain that human beings have no part in eternal life, but in the wrath of God, and incur the divine judgment and condemnation, who are without sin; if, that is, as they cannot have any actual sin, so also they have within them no original sin.