Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	circumcision_n	covenant_n	seal_n	6,166	5	10.0625	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78566	A brief apology in behalf of the people in derision call'd Quakers. Written for the information of our sober and well-inclined neighbors in and about the town of Warminster in the county of Wilts. by Will. Chandler, Alex. Pyott, Jo. Hodges, and some others.	Chandler, William.; Pyott, Alex. (Alexander); Hodges, Joseph.	1693 (1693)	Wing C1934; ESTC R229320	34,744	78

once glewed and some of them would have had the believing Gentiles come under that Yoak and be circumcised which Paul their great Apostle withstood seeing beyond all those things knowing that the Kingdom of God was not Meats and Drinks but Righteousness Rom. 14. 17. Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and not in Word but Power 1 Cor. 4. 20. not divers Washings and carnal Ordinances which were Shadows and to Colos 2. v. 14 16 17 22 10. Heb. 9. 9 10. Gal. 5. 2. perrish but the Body is of Christ and those that are in him are in him compleat believing that if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing and yet we see such was his Condescention that he himself notwithstanding circumcised Timothy and when he was at Jerusalem shaved his Acts c. 21 v. 20 to the 28. head c. behaving himself as a Jew for the sakes of those who saw not so far as himself And notwithstanding he was such a labourious and zealous Publisher of the Gospel yet we find 1 Cor. 1. 14. he baptized but very few and thanks God that he baptized no more surely 't was not then essential to the Gospel but saith plainly That he was not 1 Cor. 1. 17. Colos 1. 13. sent to baptize but to preach the Gospel to turn People from Darkness to Light from the Power of Satan to God who had delivered them from the Power of Darkness and translated them into the Kingdom of his dear Son 't is this that is of absolute Necessity to our Salvation he did not then baptize because some others did it which yet is as large a Commission as perhaps any pretend to now-a-days Of which we say as he did of Circumcision though we do not grant 't is the Seal of the Covenant and introduced in room of Circumcision as some will have it but without Scripture-authority Baptism or no Baptism availeth any thing short of a new Creature which is the truest Sign of possessing the inward spiritual Grace and of being in Christ and is beyond all visible Signs whatsoever The Apostles having thus indulged it 't is no wonder that 't was continued and since got footing under the Degeneracy for as Corruption entred the Church and was encreased the Spirit and Life of Christianity was more and more eclipsed and the minds of its Professors grew darker and then adhered more to external Performances and not only continued that which had been used by their Predecessors or at least something in its stead but by degrees added more Rites and Ceremonies and at length began to trim and deck that Religion that in itself was plain simple and homely and consisted more in Power and Divine Love than outward Observations which in process of time was so drest and garnisht that its August Splendour became inviting to others Under this Degeneracy in degree sprung up Infant-Baptism a meer Humane Invention without any Scripture-authority either by Precept or Practice wherefore for those who do not use Baptism as 't was instituted under its proper Dispensation to upbraid us for neglecting it is abfurd and unreasonable But that which makes the loudest Out-cry of all is our Disuse of the Sacrament so called of Bread and Wine 't is this is that pestilent mortal Error that in our Opposer's Account renders us worse then the Papists whatever 't is that makes us the Spawn of the Jesuites which with several others are Epithets that to be sure were calculated tho' unjustly to render us as odious as may be to the People and carry a great deal of Rancour in them and savours of too much Gall to proceed from the meek Spirit of Christianity 2 Tim. 2. 22. that teacheth to be at Peace with and have Charity for all that call on the Lord out of a pure heart But whether upon the whole Matter we deserve this severe bitter Censure or whether those that so liberally bestows it upon us have a just right to cast the first Stone is what we desire our sober Neighbours to consider and not judge us also by whole-sale from an implicit Belief of what others say of us We are not ignorantof the great Noise and Stir there hath been about this in Christendom to the scandalizing Christianity among both Jews and Turks the Papists have improv'd it to downright Idolatry affirming 't is the real Body and Blood and as such adores it one would think 't were better let alone others that Christ is in it though they know not how one saith 't is this another 't is that while they all seem to expect that from it which it doth not necessarily administer for want of distinguishing between that Bread of Life that John 6. 51 56. came down from Heaven that Flesh and Blood of Christ which giveth Life to all that feed thereon by which they dwell in him and he in them and that Supper which was eaten by the Primitive Christians in Commemoration of his Death and Sacrifice which are not so connext as that the one necessarily includes the other as Experience abundantly testifies would People but be true to themselves herein how many are there that receive this from Year to Year who yet complain all their lives of Deadness Dryness and Leanness of Soul and want of Power not receiving that renewing of Life and spiritual Strength that is proposed in it and so but an empty Shadow indeed for how can they in truth expect to feed on John 14. 20 21 23. Christ spirituallyin their Hearts who will not admit that he really dwells in his Saints but esteem it an Error in those that do however we believe all People ought to be well perswaded in their own Minds and seriously considerate in these and other religious Practises and not take up things meerly tradititionally because others do it nor ought they to be vehemently prest to or against things not absolutely essential to Salvation in which their Understandings are not clear nor should any be scoft or reproacht for those things which to them are Matter of Conscience and therefore Sacred though to others it may appear of less moment a Practice that is a great Shame among People professing Christianity Nor do we judge and condemn those that are found in the Practice either of this or Water-baptism as 't was primitively used whose sober Christian circumspect Lives witnesseth to their sincere Intentions herein who may be conscientiously tender in it and fearful to omit it till they are otherwise fully perswaded But for us to whom the barrenness and emptiness of these outward visible Things are manifest we cannot continue therein yielding no true Soul-satisfaction nor administring any inward spiritual Grace to us Wherefore having tasted that 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. the Lord is good and gracious we wait for the sincere Milk of that Word by which we have been begotten to God that we may receive strength thereby and grow in Grace and the