Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	church_n	member_n	visible_a	3,063	5	9.7114	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91797	Some briefe considerations on Doctor Featley his book, intituled, The dipper dipt, wherein in some measure is discovered his many great and false accusations of divers persons, commonly called Anabaptists, with an answer to them, and some brief reasons of their practice. In seven sections, viz. I. Dr. Featley his secret and haynous accusing the honourable Parliament. II. That he is guilty of greater errors, than to go into the water to be dipt. ... VI. Some reasons alledged against infants being baptized. A question proposed to consideration, that if it be an error to be baptized again, whether the punishment, some would have inflicted upon them, and some have suffered, be not too great? VII. How many sorts of Anabaptists he saith there are, and what they hold. Whereunto is added, what is conceived the Doctors mysticall frontispiece may more properly declare. / By Samuel Richardson.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.	1645 (1645)	Wing R1414; Thomason E270_22; ESTC R212288	20,332	22

we may know some after the flesh that is in a fleshly consideration but that is contrary to 2 Cor. 5. 16. Phil. 3. 45. 10. This abuseth the Word of God by making every believer to come in the place of Abraham and so assuming to each believer to be the Father of the faithfull yea the woman to have this priviledge which never any believer had besides Abraham Now they say if one of them be a believer the woman and not the man yet this promise they wil apply to her seed Gal. 3. 29. not considering that the parents themselves though believers come not in the place of Abraham but in the place of his seed it 's an high contempt of Jesus Christ as he is the husband of his Church to force upon him a natural wife himself being spiritual to found the Church upon naturall birth 11. It tends to overthrow this doctrine that the matter of the Church of Christ to be Saints living stones contrary to 1 Pet. 2. 5. 9. Ephes. 2. 19. 20. 21. 22. 46. 1 Cor. 12. 12 13 25 26 27. Eph. 5. 25. 26. 27. John 4. 23. Acts 20. 28. P●… 17. 14. the naturall posterity of beleevers are not so much as in appearance such 12. This inforceth such matter upon the Church as tends to the destruction of the form of it and bring the Saints in bondage for to found the Church of Christ upon naturall birth seeing to one born in the Spirit there appears to be twenty born in the flesh what then the major voice is like in a small time to be the worst and so oppresse those who are borne the second time it 's apparent it 's the next way to make the Church become carnall and tends to a Nationall Church And how shall the lesser voyce in the Church cast out the greater if they sin 13. It tends to make Gods holy ordinance a lying signe to confirm that which visibly is not secret things belong to God and revealed things to us Deut. 29. 29. and seeing such infants appeare not to have any right in the covenant they are not to have the seal of the covenant it being against the light of nature to set a seal to a blank And that any should have a visible right to the seals c. and yet not godly is strange doctrine 14. It tends to prove either that infants may eat the Lords Supper it being in the same nature end and use for kind or else that the Church may withhold from the members the priviledges ordinances of the same this is to acknowledge them fit for union who are not fit for comunion wth the church and seeing it puts an infant into a state of grace and remission of sinnes before calling contrary to 2 Tim. 1. 9. Acts 26. 28. Rom. 8. 30. Heb. 9. 15. And it constitutes them visible members of Christs body before calling contrary to 1 Pet. 2. 9. Rom. 6. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 2. It upholds a Nationall Church as Circumcision did of old contrary to Rev. 1. 20. And it maintains infants of beleevers to be born in a covenant of grace and to have a right to a promise of life in Christ Jesus contrary to Rom. 9. 9. 7. 8. Gal. 3. 9. 26. 28. 29. Rom. 9. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Psal. 51. 5. John 3. 6. Eph. 2. 3. And it maintains that grace is intaild to generation and not regeneration contrary to John 3. 5. 6. And it holdeth that beleeving Gentiles naturall seed have a right to the promise of life before faith is received contrary to Gal. 3. 21. John 1. 12. 13. And that infants of beleevers may bee saved by their parents faith contrary to Heb. 2. 4. Gal. 3. 11. And crosseth Christs commission first to sprinkle them and after to teach them contrary to Matth 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. And declareth that beleevers infants are fit subjects of baptisme before faith and repentance is manifested contrary to Acts 2. 38. 8. 36. 37. And crosseth the practice of the Apostolicall Churches Acts 2. 41 they that gladly received the word were dipped Acts 8. 12. 36 37 38. Acts 10. 47 48 16. 15. 33. Therfore we cannot conceive that this their exposition is right of the 17. of Genesis To conclude many of our opposites confesse there is no expresse command or example to baptize infants and that infants sprinkled by one of the Priests is sufficient baptisme and yet they cannot tell us where wee may find the place of Scripture where we may read it that it is so as they say but if any desire further satisfaction I referre them to John Spilsbery's book of Baptisme and other books of the same subject A question proposed to consideration that if it be an error to be baptized in the River whether the punishment some would inflict upon them and some have suffered for it be not too great SUppose infants sprinkling to be sufficient dipping and some were not so perswaded because they cannot find the place in the Scripture where they may read it that it is sufficient as Luke 10. 26. is this so great an evill that for this a man shall be more hated and suffer more from some men then the basest livers where they dwell because they went into the river to be ducked dipt and that but once more then they needed Is this so heynous an offence as to turne a beleever into an heretick and sufficient to deprive them of all hope of salvation and of breathing in the aire of their native countrey shall this one act of theirs turn a tender heart into hardnesse and be sufficient to accuse them of all errors and blasphemies and turn neer kindred and entire loving friends to bee bitter enemies and force an unwilling separation of husband and wife who are but one in affection and relation and the little ones who know not the right hand from the left shall they also suffer hunger cold and nakednesse and their posterity beg their bread and if it be possible bee more miserable then themselves because their progenitors were stripped of all and could by no meanes obtain so much favour as to enjoy the fruit of their labours which they sweat for but in stead thereof have been confined where they might have a dying life and after that suffer death pag. 70. and all this for so small a fault if any at all Matth. 19. 29. But they should consider Rom. 14. 23. what is not of faith is sinne and that which hath no precept or example cannot bee done in faith Sect. 7. Doctor Featley his three sorts of Anabaptists and what they maintain DOctor Featley saith Alstedius maketh 14 sorts of Anabaptists yet there are but 3. to whom the name properly appertaineth p. 24. Ans. Then you have done very improperly and unworthily scarce honestly to stretch your conscience to make the world beleeve there are 14. sorts by 15. pictures in the title of your book if this be equall dealing