Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	draw_v	evil_a	sprinkle_v	1,134	5	10.3564	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80854	The vertue and value of baptism: in which the dignity and duty of [baptism], the due right of infants to [baptism], and their right above that of grown persons by [baptism], the degrading and destructive principles and practices of [baptism] are / catechetically propounded, plainly preached, and now published as an antidote to the baptism-despising dictates of John Simpson. By Zachariah Crofton ... ; Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy.	Crofton, Zachary, 1625 or 6-1672.	1658 (1658)	Wing C7003B; ESTC R174314	79,234	315

chear themselves by a dream of childrens immunity from all guilt and so cannot be damned Or a Popish Limbus Infantum or some unusual way of comfort the Scripture doth not warrant Q. May not these benefits redound to such as are baptized in grown years A. No in no wise for such see not the extent of the Covenant to Believers and their seed nor the serviceableness of Relation natural in businesses of salvation nor do they enjoy the same and therefore it is our great happiness that we are not only Baptized but Baptized in Infancy under all the advantages that either Ordinance or season can afford us FINIS THE VIRTUE and VALUE OF BAPTISME Delivered in a Summary Sermon at the close of the Catechetical Considerations of the Doctrine of Baptism at Botolphs Aldgate LONDON TEXT Heb. 10. ver 22. the last words And our bodies washed with pure water THE Author of this Epistle intending a Confirmation of the Christianized Jews in the Faith they had r●ceived and administration of the Gospel to which ●hey were subjected doth assert ●esus Chrst to be the true Messiah ●oth in respect of Person as ●e is God-Man-Mediator and ●is Offices as Prophet Priest and King and opposeth him unto all ●hose Levitical Rites whereby he was typified plainly declaring that the appearance of the Substance put a period to all those Shadowie Ceremonies whereby they had worshipped God and necessitated another manner of administration of Gods Covenant and Worship fit to shew that the Messiah was come and no longer to be expected Which having by clear Demonstrations confirmed in the 19 verse of this chapter he enters upon the Application of this Doctrine which he manageth by 1. Stating the principle proved as granted and agreed on v. 19 20 21. 2. Special Inference of Duty v. 22. In the Inference we are to note three things 1. The Duty Inferred Let us draw near 2. The Dictated Qualifications of such as must draw near and they are two The heart sprinkled from an evil conscience the body washed with pure water 3. The directed manner of drawing nigh to God With a true heart in the full assurance of Faith I intend not a full Consideration and therefore shall not insist on a full Comment upon the whole verse but confine my self only to the words propounded and we see they are the Dictated quality of such as are required to draw nigh to God upon the account of the High Priest and liberty of ent●ance into the Holy place and therefore is to be Grammatically Read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we sprinkled and washed let us draw neer c. and herein there is among Expositors no difference but the difficulty is in the Interpretation of the words many of our modern Expositors differing from the Antients in the same the last understanding the Sacrament of Baptisme to be the qualification here spoken of the former Externall Sanct●ty by way of allusion unto Baptisme the difference is not much for if all Externall Sanctity be here intended then Baptisme and if the order of Sanctity be to be observed that first as it where External Sanctity must begin yet my judgement leads me to the interpretation of the Antients and such later Expositors as follow their steps and so I understand by the body washed with pure water the Person Baptized or qualified by due subjection to the Sacrament of Baptisme and hereunto I am guided 1. by the opposition of it to the heart sprinkled which intends the reall Sanctification of the whole Man and is so interpreted in the 9 ch 14. v. whilst the washing of the body signified Externall Sanctification alwayes in use among the Jewes and is so used by the Apostle Eph. 5.26 Sanctified by the washing of water as Expositors do agree So the opposition in this Text seems to me to distinguish the inward grace and outward signe in dictating the Gospell order of access to God to be by Baptisme of water on the body and blood or Grace on the heart and is the same with that in 1 Peter 3.21 Baptisme that now is saves us not the washing of water but the answer of a good Conscience 2. By the occasion which seemes to me to have been the preventing answer of an objection that might well be propounded by the Jewes thus You have put a period to all holy Rites and laid all the Administrations of the Covenant according to Moses in the dust and tell us positively that they which serve the Tabernacle must not eat at your Altar Heb. 13.10 nor enjoy with you the Priviledges of Grace we well know God is a Holy God and will be sanctified in such as approach unto him and the uncircumcised in heart or in flesh may not come nigh unto him Ezek 44.9 nor enter into his Sanctuary what order or outward ordinance of Sanctification is then prescribed in our approaches to God To which the Apostle answereth in stead of Circumcision of heart and flesh under the old you must according to the direction of the New Covenant and the Gospell worship draw near to God with an heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience and a body washed with pure water which will be to you a ground of full assurance which all the Ceremonies of the Law could not Create unto you So that the words seem not to me to be at all strained but of their own selves by a genuine Interpretation thus to speak that the outward signe and inward Grace of Baptisme are the onely qualifications of such as will in full assurance of Faith draw nigh to God in Gospell administrations and the priviledges of the new Covenant and in this sense and exposition I stand not alone for Aretius saith expressely Corpora Nostra debent esse abluta aqua pura hoc est Baptisme Christi debemus esse initiati Our bodies washed with pure water that is we ought to be initiated by the Baptisme of Christs appointment And Paraeus saith Intelligimus nos intus sanguine spiritu Christi purgari foris quod Baptismo ablui corporibus ad Sacramentum enim Baptismi Apostolus respicere videtur Par. in Loc. We understand an inward sprinkling of the Conscience with the Blood and Spirit of Christ and an outward washing the body by Baptisme for the Apostle lookes on Baptisme The words thus explained do plainly present to our observation and consideration this point of Doctrine Doctr. Baptisme or washing of the Body with pure water is a special qualification that fits us for confident approach to God In the prosecution of this Doctrine I shall explaine confirme and apply it with all convenient brevity In the explication we are to enquire what is Baptisme 2. What 't is to approach to God with confidence For the first I shall not stand upon the acceptations of the word Baptisme nor trouble you with the various senses in which 't is used but taking it in its vulgar acceptation as it denominates a Gospell ordinance and eminent

the Sons of Adam weare this liverie Is there a specialty in the application of water and hath it extended to mee shall I say I have received no favour peculiar to the Lords people and distinct from the mass of mankinde Nay I am by Baptism a matriculated Disciple in Christ his Schole an incorporated Member of the houshold of Faith Why then doe I feare to feede on childrens Bread and to use those priviledges that doe belong to the Citizens of the new-Jerusalem Why am I as an alien and stranger from the Commonwealth of Israel I have by Baptisme put on Jesus Christ and shall I feare to come before the Father is not hee his beloved Sonne in whom hee is well pleased Is not Baptisme a Seale of Gods Covenant Why then doe I not claime the promises What though I see not Gods privie Seale the Spirit of adoption is the broad seal of the Covenant of no force and value doth it in vain bear on it divine authority why then i● it called th● A●k of Salvation why hath God said he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Shall I lose my Salvation for not joyning faith to my baptisme What though I finde many rude Christians and p●ophane persons in the Church claiming priviledges by their Baptisme can I deny in some things their claim to be good though they be wicked And wherein it is not good to them breaking the Covenant may it not be good to me poor me that desire to keep the Covenant of my God In a word hath not God sanctified me to himself by the washing of water and doth he call men to draw nigh to him in assurance of faith having the body washed with pure water and shall I be dismayed in access to him Oh! the wickedness of my doubting that doth spring from ignorance of Gods holy O●●inances the sin of my despondencie that de●ers me from duty and exposeth my baptisme to contempt I will sure cast off this estate and hence forward continue with the Church in the Word breaking of bread and Prayer and use of all other priviledges of grace and composedly prize the benefit of Ordinances that by rational acts of faith in them I may at length arrive at the fulness of assurance Thus then Christians argue to your selves the duty and dignity of your Baptisme enjoy with comfort the priviledges thereby conferred Know and approve your selves as baptized and thereby Singled out of the world by Baptisme and set in a capacity of Salvation as was Noahs family in the Arke 1 Pet. 3.21 Sanctified unto God Baptisme being the solemne form of consecration Ephes 5.26 Sons and Subjects of the Covenant invested with Christ incorporated into his Church the seal of which is in your flesh by Baptisme Suited for divine society by the expiation of guilt extirpation of sins power and exact confederation with God all which the Scriptures note to be the effects of Baptisme or the washing of the body with pure water In the apprehension and argumentation of these priviledges let me guide your judgements by propounding to your consideration these several rules 1. Rule Salvation and sanctification and the like priviledges are naturally argued from Baptisme as it is an Ordinance of God ordained to that end Therefore the effects are to it attributed It in all things necessary bears an analogie with Circumcision and propounds moral considerations to that end to the reasonable soul of man to be argued by contemplative acts of faith 2. Rule All that will be sanctified saved and enjoy the before noted priviledges must be baptized All that will in an ordinary way possess them for extraordinary providences are beyond the reach of our debate must be baptized not only on the necessity of a command from God but the nature of the Ordinance being the means appointed rightly constituted and readily conclusive to such an end So that none unbaptized can on any ground expect to enjoy nor may warrantably be admitted to the priviledges of a sanctified and saved people of the Lord. 3. Rule Some baptized enjoy these priviledges of salvation sanctification and the like visibly and symbolically others really sincerely and savingly Some are seemingly saved and sanctified in the sight of men and esteem of the Church These enjoy the outward Ordinance only and that is the guide and ground of humane censure and the judgement of the Church Hence the term Saint Beleever Disciple Brother is in Scripture given and must be by the Church yeilded to hypocrites yea to visible prophane persons but baptized but others are sincerely and savingly possessed of these priviledges not only in the judgement of the Church but by the testimonie of their own conscience and spirit of adoption These enjoy not only the outward signe but also the inward grace of Baptisme have not only the body washed with pure water but also the heart spri●kled from an evil conscience The outward Ordinance and inward grace are sometimes divided according to the visible and invisible ministration of the Covenant Baptisme is to all the same in its nature but not in its effects it is in it self efficacious to all but in some not meeting with due capacity acts of faith to improve it it becomes not effectual Many baptized and by the Church called heirs of Glorie lose their hopes holiness and heaven it self not because Baptisme did not seal it and confer a ground or right but because the soul acted not faith in the right unto the claim of what was conferred None so deservedly lose their inheritance as those who improve not their sealed evidence to a due claim Take heed lest there be among you a prophane Esau heir of his fathers blessing who for a mess of pottage sold his birth right Men in the Church contented with Creature-comforts claim not the priviledges of the Covenant conferred by their Baptisme and so lose their birth-right 4. Rule The outward priviledges of Baptisme enjoyed visibly and in the judgement of the Church may be forfeited and by the censures of the Church taken away A brother may be made as a Publicane and Heathen a member of Christs body may be cut off and a servant of God may be delivered unto Satan the Citizens of Jerusalem may be disfranchised private persons may not at pleasure disown baptized souls but the publique censure of the Church if unworthy their received Baptisme may discharge them Church communion and divest them of salvation sanctification interest in the Covenant which clave non errant the Church not Erring is ratified in Heaven as well as in the Church visible upon earth 5. Rule Salvation sanctification and the priviledges of the Covenant may by Baptisme be conferred on them who are not sensible of the Ordinance or in a present capacity of using them Right may be formally conferred where it is not presently acted The King may be crowned in the cradle the crown be set on his head as a token of right before his hand can

to be admitted to the uncircumcised among the Jews nor unbaptized among Christians this unto me seems to be the drawing nigh intended in the Text and is that I intend in the Doctrine viz That the Leviticall Rites being abolished and the way of access to God is now by Gospell Ordinances they that will use them must begin at Baptisme and first have their bodies washed with pure Water and be thereby made members of the body or Church of Christ and be consecrated unto God without which such as have the charge of Gods Holy things must keep them from intermedling with them Confidence is the adjunct quality of this act of approach to God and stands opposite un●o the tremblings and despondency of the uncircumcised Gentiles who could expect no other but rejection and displeasure in their approach to God for that they were aliens and strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel without God and without hope in the world Eph. 2.11 12. Positively forbidden approach to God and the use of his Holy thing Ezek. 44.9 And to the terrors of the circumcised Jewes who though admitted into Gods presence were yet kept at a distance and might not enter the Holy of Holies in their own Persons but by their High Priest but now such was the priviledges of Believers and the advantage of Baptisme that the Baptized might not onely enter the sanctuary whence the uncircumcised were excluded but also the Holy of Holies not made with hands but eternall in the Heavens so that they who by Baptism have their body washed in the outward sign and their hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience the inward Grace of this Ordinance are required to shake off all feares and doubts and to encourage themselves to the enjoyment of all Ordinances and discharges of all duties whereby they may walke with God and hold communion with him for that they are the persons so qualified as that the Church must not onely admit them to outward acts of Worship but also a liberty of inward adoration by the nearest approach they can possibly make to God is their priviledge to them is given full assurance of ready acceptance for the way is open to the Holiest the Vale is rent the High Priest gone before and the liberty left Common to all such though none but such as having their hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and their bodies washed with pure water do draw nigh to the same both these are necessary qualifications for an approach to God without an heart sprinkled must needs be diffident and full of doubts and without a body washed dreadfull and full of horrour The Text and doctrine you have had explained and you see the point of doctrine plainely asserting That Baptisme or the body washed with pure water is the especial qualification that must fit us for an approach to God The next thing to be done is to prove the doctrine and it is in it selfe a truth so plaine that none that understand any thing of the method of Gospell worship and the necessitie of outward acts and bodie qualifications in approaches to an holy God but do subscribe unto the truth of it indeed the late spiritual Chymists who have by our late overlarge liberty of conscience I mean sinful toleration had the boldness to blaspheme all Gods holy Ordinances and under a pretence of spirituality to nullifie all outward acts of worship ●nd qualifications to duty have denied it and the late Intruder into this place hath openly decried the necessity of this qualification in access to God offering the liberty of Church Communion and the priviledges of the Covenant to such as never passed under water Baptisme as if the order of the Gospell were now inverted and Gods Ordinances not capable of profanation or the answer of a good conscience reall grace were obvious to every eye that hath the charge of holy things and is a Steward of the Misteries of Salvation I shall therefore briefly enforce this plain and Generally acknowledged truth with these commonly known observations as the reasons thereof Reas 1. Baptisme prepared the way of the Messiah or Christ his appearance in and approach to the Church the qualification that fits the Church for Christ his approah to her fits the Church for approach to Christ or God for these are reciprocall the one goes not without a return of the other and the same qualification must be in both for that holy Majesty is present Holinesse is in the Assembly of the Saints when God comes to his people as well as in Heaven where his People come to him and all that will walk in this consuming fire and meet this Messiah and be made fit to enjoy him must not onely have the heart sprinkled but also the body washed with pure water Baptisme is the Sanctification of the People directed to prepare them for Gods appearence in Mount Sion the voice of the Grand Herald crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths strait Mat. 3. Repent and be Baptised The Mace of Majesty borne by the Messenger of the Messiah to strike awe in and require subjection from the expectants of his coming was the Baptisme of amendment of life The levelling Engine that pulled down and made plain all mountainy and proud hearts that withstood the coming of Christ in his first appearance was Baptisme insomuch that the Scribes and Pharisees who rejected the counsell of God against themselves not being Baptized are all along branded as enemies who would not have Christ reign over them in a word the promised and prophesied Elias who was to come before the Lord to prepare his way is from his preparative work which is plainly declared to have been Preaching and Baptizing denominated John the Baptist and the way of the Lord thus prepared is proclaimed as a ground of Confidence to the Church Isa 40.3.9.11 So that if the way of the Messiah his appearance must be the way of the Churches approach to him as it is evident it must in that Baptisme did not onely precede but also followes his appearance for John the Baptist did not onely prepare for his coming but ever since his ascension his Ministers do go teach and Baptize into the name of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Baptisme hath ever been the Discipling forme method of matriculation in his Schoole and incorporation into his body and solemne consecration unto communion with him of all such as were afarre off but are now made nigh even the people of the living God their Baptisme is the qualification that fits for a confident approach to God without which we cannot be assured of acceptance Reas 2. Baptisme prepared Jesus Christ unto the work of Mediatorship The way of access to God is the same for the people as Priest for the Head as Members for the Church as for Christ the Mediatour as Man must manifest himselfe Holy in all things not onely in an immunity from all positive acts of sin