Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	believer_n	church_n	visible_a	1,349	5	9.2573	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77739	A confutation of the Anabaptists, and all others who affect not civill government; proving the lawfullnesse of it: and a full answer to all their cavills, that are, or can be made against it. With a nut-cracker for an unnaturall nut, whose shell is as hard as the scales of Leviathan, and the kernell of his heart as hard as a piece of the nether mill-stone, Iob 41.15.24. yet the hammer of Gods word that breaketh in pieces the rocks, Ier. 23.29. will break this nut, that all may see the devillish kernell that is in it. Also arguments against the Anabaptists, proving that infants borne of Christian parents ought to be baptized: with a full answer to all their cavills that are (or can be) made against it. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford.	Bakewell, Thomas, b. 1618 or 19.	1644 (1644)	Wing B530; Thomason E51_20; ESTC R209932	98,225	89

this they plead that they are freed by Christ from all obedience to Magistrates I answer the liberty which Christ hath procured us is liberty of conscience and freedome from the power of sin Satan death hell and condemnation and therfore spirituall but not from temporall or civill subjection Sixtly from Ram. 13.8 the Apostle saith owe nothing to any man but love therefore say they no obedience or subjection I answer there be two kinds of debts 1. a civil debt occasioned by contract and bargaining between man and man the second is a debt to which we are all bound by Gods commandement Law or Covenant but this place is to be understood of the first of these so far as lies in our power but we are bound still in subjection and obedience to the latter and besides in this word love is comprehended all manner of duty whatsoever therefore love is the fulfilling of the whole Law For as love to God includes obedience so doth love to man the same Seventhly from Mat. 17.26 Where Christ had demanded before of whom the Kings of the earth take tribute whether of his owne Children or of strangers and Peter answered of strangers to which Christ replied then are the children free From hence they would gather that there is no subjection due to Magistrates because Kings Sonnes are freed from paying Tribute To this I answer that Christ here speaketh of himselfe who was by his birth the heire of the Crown and Kingdome of the Jewes and therefore by right was to pay none neither did he but to avoid offence but how doth this free othermen from their obeciēce to Magistrates Eighthly from these words of Paul Yee are bought with a price be yee not the servants of man 1 Cor. 7.23 I answer the Apostle here doth not free servants from their subjection and obedience to them that are their Masters for saith he Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh Col. 3.22 But they must not make them absolute Lords over their soules and Conciences and the graces of Gods spirit in them these are the things of God Now if our conscience move us to obedience it must be from Gods commandement and not from mans for ye serve the Lord Christ therefore do it heartily but mark how as to the Lord and not to men Col. 3.23 24. Ninthly they object from these words of Christ saving The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise authority are called benefactors but ye shall not be so Luke 22.25 But what of this here was a strife among the Disciples which of them should be accounted the greatest and Christ to suppresse their ambition told them that their ministery was not like to Kingdomes in which one man hath preheminence above the rest but how doth this place hinder Magistrates of that subjection which is due unto them It is cleare from hence that although the ministry should be equall that one should not exalt himselfe above another yet it ought to be so in Kingdomes therefore civill Government is warrantable and lawfull Tenthly they object that beleevers are governed by the spirit of God and so are able to governe themselves every way and need not any government of man I answer it is one thing what we doe and another thing what we ought to doe we ought indeed so to live as not to need any governours but we doe not live so yea if beleevers could live so yet were the reason nought for the visible Church containes as well bad as good hypocrites as well as sincere Christians and therefore the best Churches stand in need of Magistracy for the punishment of evill doers for the praise of them that do well yea the Church lying open to the malice of Sathan and wicked men standeth ever in need of Magistracy to protect it by force or warre or otherwise Eleventhly they object that all Christians by the law of God are forbidden to kill and saith the Lord speaking of these times under the Gospell that they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaines Isa 11.9 I answer Magistrates in executing justice do not do it of themselves but as they are Deputies to the Lord they do but execute his will Iehosaphat said to the Judges take heed what you do for ye judge not for man but for the Lord 2 Chron. 19.6 Then they doing all things by Gods authority they ought not to beare the sword in vaine Rom. 13.4 Therefore David rehearseth this among the vertues of a King To cut off the wicked of the Land and all the workes of iniquity from the Citie of the Lord Psal 101. This made Moses to forget his meeknesse and David his gentlenesse to doe the justice of the Lord The King that sitteth on the throne of judgement spreadeth his eyes over every evill man Again a wise King scattereth the wicked and bringeth the wheel over them Pro. 20.8.26 Take away the wicked from before the Throne and the Throne shal be established in righteousnesse An evill man seeketh only rebellion therefore a cruel messenger shal be sent against him Pro. 16.12.17.11 Thus you see that magistrates may cut off malefactors by death and yet be free from spilling blood or the breach of that Commandement which saith Thou shalt not kill Nay it is their righteousnesse to cut off the guilty malefactor and by so doing they do keep their own hands pure from the blood that those murderers have shed and on the contrary if they do not they are guilty of most horrible wickednesse yet a Magistrate must take heed that hee doth neither with rigorousnesse of mind wound them that he should heale nor with a superstitious affectation of clemency fall into most cruell gentlenesse 12. But they object that under the Gospell Christians shall turne their swords into Plough shares and their spears into pruning hookes Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn warre any more Isa 2.4 To this I have given a large answer in that book intituled the Saints Inheritance after the day of judgement when the Saints shall inherit all things but till the day that Christ shall come to judgment wars shall never cease they shall fall by the edge of the sword but when shall this be surely very neare the end when there be signes in the Sun Moon and Stars then they shall see the Son of Man in a cloud with power and great glory but what of this I answer when ye see these things come to passe know ye that the kingdome of God is nigh at hand Lu 21.24.25.27.31 Now will you know when wars shall cease I answer when the Son of Man shall come with power and great glory then is that Kingdome of God at hand in which there shal be no wars but then all that offend shal be gathered out of his Kingdome and cast into the furnace of fire and the righteous shall shine as the sun

him 17.9 and he blessed them but who are blessed of Christ but they whose sinnes are forgiven Psa 32.1 And Christ was displeased with those that kept them from him which plainly shewes his tender affection to them and he gave his Apostles a double charge that they should neither forbid those that brought them nor drive way but freely give them admittance into his presence and saith Christ Hee that receives not the Kingdom of Heaven as a litle child he shal not enter therein and saith he their Angels are in heaven beholding the face of my Father which is in heaven that is they stand ready and hearken for a command from God to bee sent for their good Psa 103.20 But the angels are ministring spirits onely for the 〈◊〉 of salvation Heb. 1.14 they incampe about those that feare the Lord Psa ●4 7 Then why should Infants be debarred from the Sacrament of baptisme who have so f●re a Title to the Kingdome of heaven But they will say those in the Gospell are to be understood babes in Christ or young converts To this I answer when they brought them to Christ he tooke them up in his armes when he blessed them Mat. 10.16 which she wes plainely that they were litle children Secondly the Disciples call them young children and litle children ver 13. and Luke saith they brought unto him Infants Luke 18.15 And when Christ called a litle child unto him Mat. 18.2 he set him in the midst of them which argues plainely that he had him in his armes but see Mar. 9.36 there you shall see in plaine words that he took that very child in his armes and spake unto them Thirdly Christ saith unto his Disciples who were strong Christians except ye be converted and become as litle Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but now will those men who say this place is meant of babes in Christ or young converts will they I say make their inference thus that strong christians must become weak in faith yea the Apostles must become as babes in Christ their strong faith must become weake againe or else they cannot enter into heaven these men declare their folly as Sodom delareth her sin Isa 3.9 For doth not Christ often blame a weak faith see Mat. 8.26.14.31 and doth he not highly commend a strong faith Mat. 8.10.15.28 Rom. 4.20 Then the true meaning is this the Disciples had beene reasoning who should be the greatest Mat. 18.1 Mar. 9.34 then Christ tooke a young child in nature up in his armes to convince their pride and envy as the Apostle saith in malice be ye children but in understanding be ye men 1 Cor. 14.20 So here in pride and envy Christ would have them to be as children saying except yee bee converted from your pride and envy yee cannot be saved that is your pride and envy must be mortified crucified which makes you affect high places he that would be first the same shal be last servant of all Mar. 9.35.36 So then the Disciples were already converted from the state of nature to the state of grace but yet they were not sufficiently converted from their pride envy so then you see all these testimonies of Christ to be concerning young children in nature and not of young converts being growne in age therefore infants having such approbation and testimony from the mouth of Christ I say againe who dares hinder them from the ordinance of baptisme Eightly from the ends of baptisme which are these First it is a pledge unto us in regard of our weaknesse to assure us of all the graces and mercies of God especially of our union with Christ and of remission of sins and both mortification of them and vivification to arise from them to newnesse of life Rom. 6.3.4 For he that is baptized into Christ hath put on Christ Gal. 3.27 The second end of our baptisme is to distinguish Christians from Tuckes and Pagans for it is a signe of our Christian profession against all the enemies of Jesus Christ as Circumcision was a token of the Covenant saith the Lord between me and thee Gen. 17.11 Christians may say as David did Thy vowes are upon me O God I will render praise unto thee Psal 56.11 The third end of our baptisme it is a meanes of our entrance or admission into the visible Church of Christ for saith Christ Except a man be borne of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God John 3.5 The Kingdome of God here hath a double signification answerable to the double qualification sometimes it is meant the visible Church so then except a man be baptized with water he cannot enter into it it is also meant heaven it selfe and so a man must be borne of the holy Ghost or else he cannot enter into it The fourth end of our baptisme it is a meanes of our unity with the Church and people of God For we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 There is one body and one spirit and one hope of our calling one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all who is above and through all and in you all Ephes 4.4 5 6. Then would you have a pledge of Gods love to you in regard of your children that they are united to Christ and their sins forgiven and mortified and that they are risen with Christ to the life of grace then let them be baptized And would you have them distinguished from the enemies of Christ and to have a signe and a badge of their Christian profession before the world then let them bee baptized And would you have them to be admitted into the Visible Church of Christ then let them be baptized And would you have them to enjoy the priviledges of the Church and to be at peace and unity with the people of God then let them be baptized But some will here demand whether baptisme be of absolute necessity to salvation or not I answer to make covenant with God and to be in the said covenant is of absolute necessity to salvation for unlesse God be our God in Covenant and we his servants we cannot be saved now baptisme is the seale of this Covenant and therefore necessary but in part 1. In respect of Gods command who hath enjoyned us to use it 2. In respect of our weaknesse that have need of all helper that may confirme our faith yet baptisme is not absolutely necessary to salvation For the want of baptisme doth not condemne the children of beleeving Parents if they dye before baptisme when it cannot be had for they being holy theirs is the kingdome of God although they dye before baptisme the thiefe upon the crosse and many other holy Martyrs dyed before baptisme that are now in the Kingdome of heaven and those parents that slighted this ordinance so that their children dyed without it if they repent of that sin it may be forgiven and their