Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	abraham_n	promise_n	seed_n	2,290	5	8.4156	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02435	A description of the Church of Christ, with her peculiar priuiledges, and also of her commons, and entercommoners With some oppositions and answers of defence, for the maintenance of the truth which shee professeth: against certaine Anabaptisticall and erronious opinions, verie hurtfull and dangerous to weake Christians. Maintained and practised by one Master Iohn Smith, sometimes a preacher in Lincolneshire, and a companie of English people with him now at Amsterdam in Holland. Whome he hath there with himselfe rebaptised. By I.H.	Etherington, John, fl. 1641-1645.	1610 (1610)	STC 12567; ESTC S118987	75,210	130

by that righteous law the olde Testament Take heede make not another Testament two is all What carnall couenant doe you meane The Scriptures neuer told vs yet of a carnall couenant The two Testaments of God are both holy spirituall Rom. 7.14 as the Scriptures witnesse Heb. 7.16 Indeede there were carnall commaundements rites and shadowes belonging a while as seruants and Ministers to the new Testament teaching and preaching Christ Iesus which are called Rudiments impotent and beggerly Gal. 4.9 in regarde of their weakenesse leanenesse pouerty Yet the best means that then was to teach Christ till Christ himselfe came And were euen as a bondage yea to Abrahams spirituall seed compared with after times yet great thinges were taught by them though very darkly and weakly But when the substance came shadowes were cast away They are blinde men that can goe as well by night as by day The day is come the night is past the true light now shineth Who doe not walke therein but blinde men yet they say they see and therefore their sinne remaines Night birds they are and cannot see by day The day-starre neuer rose in their hearts And Master Smith though shadowes be gone the substance still remaines The two Testaments are both whole and sound as euer they were Math. 5.17.18.19 and still continue in their strength and force And the children of cursing and blessing doe still continue And whosoeuer they were in any age or time that put confidence in workes of any kinde whatsoeuer Either those contained in the ten commandements or any other letter sacrifice or ceremonie or any other religious exercise except the promise were all in bondage and were children to Hagar And also whosoeuer he be and when and wheresoeuer since Christ that puts trust and confidence in works whether workes of the law or of the Gospell or any ceremony or shaddow or religious exercise whatsoeuer or knowledge or faith except the promise of mercy and loue in Christ Iesus He or they whatsoeuer shal befound the bond-womans children of the race of Came and Ismael and inherite not with the heyres of promise And as then before Christ Ierusalem that should haue beene free whose children boasted much of their freedome and in his daies and the Apostles time also euen till her destruction was in bondage with her children euen so Ierusalem that now is who boasteth as much as they could do of her beauty riches and fulnesse I meane the great and famous Church of Christians through the world fulfilling her workes answering vnto her as shee did vnto Hagar and Sinai is also in bondage with her children Onely Ierusalem from aboue with all her children is free though her name be hid and her face couered with dust Arise thou captiue daughter Sion and put on thy garment of beauty for thy day is euen at hand Esay 54.7 For a little while in his anger he hid his face from thee but with euer lasting mercy will he embrace thee And tell me yet was the ceremoniall law the carnall couenant you meane that you say circumcision is the seale of For I would willingly search out all your holes and not leaue you one to runne into will ye say so Is it possible that a Ceremony can be the seale of a Ceremony or of Ceremonies For I trust you agree that Circumcision is a Ceremonie and did belong and make one with the rest What great thing was there in that law besides the promise of taking away of sinnes that Circumcision was a seale of for indeede the whole ceremoniall lawe may as well be called a Ghospell as a Law insomuch as it wholly intended Christ and the whole truth in him Exod. 25.40 Acts 7.44 Heb. 8.5 And therefore Moses is commaunded to make and order all things according to the patterne which hee saw in the Mount and so Circumcision was a seale of the promise and righteousnesse of faith not onely to Abraham but to all Abrahams spirituall seede both male and female Iew and Gentile Howsoeuer in their spiritual generation there is neither male nor female Iew nor Gentile Gal. 3.28 but they are all one Virgine and Spouse of Christ Iesus Mistake me not in my former speech as if I entended to make another Gospell of the law of Ceremonies but I call it so because it serued the Gospell and kept aschoole as it were to teach Christ and therefore it is said they were vnder Tutors vntill the time appointed of the father Gal. 4.2 neither is it another Testament besides those two Testaments which are described before but was a shaddowing law attending vppon Christ vntill he had offered vp himselfe which must all then vanish but the two Testaments are firme and stable spirituall holy and endure as I haue said before But to the matter againe for tenne to one Master Smith will runne to the land of Canaan and take it for his refuge but if you doe truely it will leaue you in the same distresse that you were in before for it is no land of rest for you now But tell me was it the carnall Couenant you talke of If you remember in the beginning of your answer shewing your skill in the origmals yet prouing your selfe very ignorant in the two Testaments as appeares by your distinguishing them you say the two Couenants or two Testaments for so you say Tell me doe you meane the two Testaments which the Scripture doth set forth and so often tell vs of And I pray you was the land of Canaan one of these two Testaments because the land of Canaan was promised to Abrahams seede Is it therefore one of the two Testaments If you will make euery promise that is in the Scriptures a seuerall Testament you distinguish faire you wil haue a hundred Testaments then at least And is this the Testament Circumcision did seale to the carnall seede What was the reason then they were caried into Babylon captiues It should seeme by your saying that God had forgot his Couenant quite for they were Abrahams carnall seede as you meane by carnall euery one of them Let me tell you They were not carried thither because they were not carnall 2. Chr. 36.15 26 17. but because they were not spirituall they circumcised their sonnes then in Babylon and doe still to this day Are they so blinde as you to thinke that circumcision dooth seale the land of Canaan vnto them Indeede it may well be for they are very blinde although experience might haue taught them otherwise long ere this day Indeede the land of Canaan was promised Abrahams seede and they were set in possession thereof with a strong hand but with what condition was that inheritance giuen them and for whose sakes Had it not been for Abraham his faithful one his spiritual seed Iacob his beloued they should neuer haue possessed that land Gen. 17.7.8 Deut. 4.37.38 Gen. 26.3.4.5 God would neuer haue cast out

your house And if you would but search these Scriptures diligently and compare them together I hope you should finde these things true and then I trust you shall see that which we now see at this present and which may appeare also euidently to all that will weigh thinges vprightly without partialitie your frame and building pulled downe from the toppe to the bottome The outer Court and the Temple that common things are for the many and the peculiar things for the few One thing remayneth but not of your building which you cal the Character and marke of the beast not worthy to come vnder the roofe of your house Namely the baptising of Children against the which we will see and examine what you say I haue seene a principall answer of yours to an argument drawne frō Circumcision to proue the baptising of Children Wherein you deny circumcision to be a seale or signe of the new Couenant and the righteousnes therein of faith Affirming that it was a seale of a carnall couenant made to a carnall seede and calling that carnall Couenant of yours one of the two testaments and abusing them by your carnal conceit who are both of them most holy and spirituall Rom. 7.14 and not carnall as you affirme And therin you seeme to your selfe to be so wise in your application of circumcision to a carnall couenant made to a carnall seed that you by meere Ignorance and error to the charge of all that take it otherwise and so almost in all your answeres and reasons this is your principall obiection still that we mistake the couenants and build the baptising of children vpon a false ground but herein by the grace of God we will see who it is that is mistaken and that doth erre and buildeth vpon the sands And because that by the mistaking of the two Testaments and the two seeds and by the false distinctions them not onely all your errours but all other false doctrine doth depend as in the true vnderstanding of them and right distinguishing both of the two Testaments and also of the two seeds all truth doth consist wee will therfore more carefully by Gods assistance set down what the two Testaments are and also distinguish betweene them and what the two seeds are and also distinguish betweene them that so we may the more cleerely discerne the truth from that which is erronious And then we shall see to which of the two Testaments Circumcision doth belong and whether baptisme may not be administred vnto children as well as Circumcision was And although baptisme is nothing nor vnbaptisme nothing as circumcision is nothing and vncircircumcision nothing compared with a new creature nor yet is able to pollute any though he had receiued it in the Church of Rome and though it bee not worth the contending about nor yet the speaking of compared with the doctrine of baptisme which is regeneration the washing of repentance and the purging of the holy Ghost through Iesus Christ and faith in him which is indeed the true begining of euery liuing stone of his Church and Temple whereof he is the foundation and head stone of the corner because you trouble Israel with your flashes and false lights affirming from your fleshly wisedome that the baptisme of children is the marke of the beast we will therefore discouer how you of meere ignorance erre therein by your mistaking the two Couenants and the two Seeds and how by your false distinguishing both of the two Testaments and the two Seeds you deceiue both your selfe and others Master Smiths aunswere The summe of your answere is this First you distinguish the two Testaments but very vntowardly for you say one was made with Abraham and his Carnall seede and of that Couenant was Circumcision a seale Another Couenant was made with Abraham and his spiritual seed and of that Couenant was the holy spirit of promise the seale for the carnall Couenant had a carnall seale vpon the carnall seede The spirituall Couenant had a spirituall seale vpon the spirituall seed and circumcision which was a carnall seale could not seale vp the spirituall Couenant to the spirituall seede The two Testaments being thus by you distinguished you goe on to disprooue the baptisme of children for we vnder the Gospell you say doe not receiue that carnall Couenant which was made to Abraham and his carnall seede whereof circumcision was the carnall seale but that carnall Couenant and seale together with the subiect of that seale viz. a male of eight dayes old is taken away by Christs crosse And in the roome thereof wee haue the spirituall Couenant typed by that carnall Couenant and the spirituall seale viz. the holy spirit of promise figured by that carnall seale and the spirituall infant viz. A new borne babe in Christ in whom Christ typed by the male is newly formed signified by that carnall infant That all these particulars are so you proue it plainely you say by these places of Scripture There are two Testaments made with Abraham Gal. 4.24 For Agar that is the olde Testament and Sara that is the new Testament were both married to Abraham and Abraham had them both Vers 23 There are two seeds Ishmaell of Abraham and Agar who typed the carnall seed borne after the flesh and Isaack of Abraham and Sara typed the spirituall seede borne by promise There are two seales Circumcision a seale of the carnal children and the holy spirit of promise Gene. 17.11 a scale of the spirituall couenant vpon the spirituall seede 2. Cor. 1.22 And as Circumcision was a seale from God Ephe. 1.13 to the carnall seed of the promise and from the carnall seed to God in obedience So the spirit of promise is a seale from God to the spirituall seed of the promise Ephe. 1.13 Iohn 3.33 and from the spirituall seede to God in obedience These thing are euident you say and so you proceed to proue and disproue accordingly And here I cannot but meruaile what you meane by this carnall couenant you talke of which you call one of the two Testaments and of which you make circumcision the seale and also what you meane by Abrahams carnall seed Which couenant seale and seed you say is taken away by Christs Crosse For you speake so doubtfully that one had need dwell in your heart that would known your meaning But if you meane as the Scriptures meane which you cite then it is certaine you say one thing and meane another For the Scripture faith and meaneth thus Gal. 4.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.31 that Abraham had two sonnes one by a seruant and one by a free-woman but hee which was of the seruant was borne after the flesh And hee which was of the free-woman was borne by promise by the which things another thing is ment for these are the two testaments The one which is Agar of Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage for Agar or Sinai is a mountaine in Arabia

Rom. 11.26 and yet that some of them may and shall prooue cast-awayes contrary to the Scriptures which saith All Israel shall be saued meaning all Abrahams spirituall seed Iewes or Gentiles It is possible that ye can be ignorant how in the Churches of the Apostles times there were many euill workers euidently knowen vnreturned earthly minded of whom Saint Paul saith Many wake Phil. 3.17.18.19 of whō I haue told you often now tel you weeping c. Is not this manifestly to be seene throughout all the new Testament Did the Lord himselfe who knewe all thinges entertaine Disciples Iohn 6.64 baptising them whom hee knew did not beleeue in him nor yet were returned yea one whom hee knewe should betray him The Lord I say who could haue made his choise and haue taken the best and left the worst at his pleasure If he had beene so disposed or had intended to make the outer Court of his temple as pure as the temple it selfe whereunto none doth come to sacrifice but onely his royall Priesthood Did the Lord I say still who knew all things doe thus to teach vs in these cases what to doe to the worlds end And dare you which know nothing in comparison take vpon you to teach him and to contradict his practise Did hee entertaine all that came to him into his outward Court yeelding vnto them all the common things thereof And dare you so boldly to change his ordinance reiecting such as then hee entertained If hee had intended that none should be baptized but such as brought forth the fruites of regeneration hee would not haue then baptized nor haue suffered any to be baptized that were not first regenerate seeing that he knew them one from another he would haue giuen vs example both by himselfe and his Apostles and would not haue baptized any one Ioh. 8.39 but Abrahams true spirituall seede who should first haue wrought the works of Abraham of whom not one sonne of perdition should euer haue beene found This would the Lord haue done I say if his will and truth had so been in this outward condition of his Kingdome he would haue performed it persectly Seeing hee could doe in this case what he would he would not haue beene found vnfaithfull in his house as it is plaine hee was if that doctrine of yours be true All agree that the sinne of knowledge is greater then the sinne of ignorance Did Christ know his Fathers will was that none should be baptized but Abrahams spirituall seed and would he baptize those Ioh. 6.60 that knew not what it was to eate his flesh and drinke his bloud which all Abrahams seed did both eate and drinke of and therefore must needes know what it is would he haue entertained Iudas and baptized him seeing he knew from the beginning that he was the child of perdition and that he should betray him No no Christ our Lord would neuer haue done all these things if he had knowne his Fathers will to haue beene contrary he would neuer haue sinned so highly against his Father with his knowledge as he did if that be true which you affirme But you are the lyar and the sinner be it knowne vnto you It is you that breake the law of God and violate the word and waies of Christ by your cursed wayes and doctrine For his will is that common things should be for the many that are called but his peculiar things for the few that are chosen Wherefore hee compareth the common Court and Kingdome of heauen to a Net cast into the Sea Mat. 13.47 which taketh all sorts of fish both good and bad And his spirituall kingdome and holy temple Mat. 13.31 and 33. he compareth to a graine of Mustard seed to Leauen To a field wherein lieth a treasure hid of great worth which whosoeuer will enioy must purchase it with all hee hath Mat. 13.44.45.46 Which Kingdome the Lord saith Except a man be borne againe he shall neuer enter into nor see Perceiue you not these things M. Smith Iohn 3.3 are they hidden from your eies Matt. 3.52 Then are you not the Scribe which the Lord speaketh of which is taught vnto the kingdome of heauen compared to a housholder which bringeth forth of his treasurie things both new and olde Obiection But peraduenture you will yet obiect that although there be some caught in the Net that doe afterwards proue bad yet they were good when they were first caught and brought forth good fruite before they were baptized and therefore Christ gaue Rules to his Church to the end that when any should offend if he would not be reformed after he had beene orderly dealt withall by the Church that then hee should be cast out and so cut off from the bodie Answere Is it possible that a branch of the Vine which brought forth good fruite should euer bee cutte off from the Vine for bearing of euill fruit seeing God is the husbandman of his vine Iohn 15.1.2 and euery branch that bringeth forth good fruite the same he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit Did you euer read in all the Scriptures that a good man one of Abrahams seed which brought forth good fruit and did the workes of Abraham that afterwards prooued an euill man and brought forth euill fruit and was therfore cut of for euer from the vine and from Abrahams spirituall house Hath Christ giuen rules to this end to cut of fruitfull branches Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem for so ye call them all whom yee Baptise His rules are not for you if you can rule no better then so But hee hath giuen them to his Church you say Obiection and we know no Church he hath but ours Know ye not indeed are ye altogether ignorant What say you to Master Francis Iohnson and his company at Amsterdam Answere They bost as much of rules as you And to all the seuerall companies of your fellow Anabaptists who haue beene such auncient professors of your faith Haue you shut them all out of dores to day and came in your selues but yesterday Is this the rule you keepe I pray you tell vs one thing Master Smith By what rule baptised you your selfe what worde or example had you for that in all the Scriptures Doe you affirme the baptisme of children to be the marke of the Beast because you say there is no word nor example in all the Scripture to proue that they may be baptised And yet durst you presume without either word or example to baptise your selfe If you go about to proue that lawful which you haue done by any word or example in the Scripture I say you cannot set one step forward to that purpose but you must allow thereby the baptisme of Children I maruell you did not preuent this obiection which wil be as hard a bone for you to gnaw vpon as you thinke the baptisme of Children is to vs. It was

the same works being foule within and doe make one and the same generation with them and with all such heathen in the world being vncircumcised in heart like them To fulfill the word of the Lord which saith Reuel 8.24 That in her should be found the blood of all that euer for righteousnesse were slaine vpon the earth Prouing indeed that all that are vncleane in heart and doe the same workes doe make one generation be they what they will These are all the euill seed the children of the wicked and of the bond woman This is Hagar and her sonne which must be cast out These are the serpents seed that neuer did loue the seed of the woman But you Master Smith vnderstand not these things so you shut out Hagars house from these times you will haue the Church of another fashion you will haue it of your owne building you like not the frame which the Lord alloweth you will not haue so many sorts of vessels in the Lords great house 2. Tim. 2.20 as the Scriptures doe speake off and yet you will haue more in his little spirituall house then the Lord alloweth You will not haue vessels of gold of siluer of wood and of clay some to honour some to dishonour in his great house together in commons And yet you will haue vessels of dishonour to partake in the peculiar things pertaining onely to his little house Mat. 16.18 and to be of it But the best is the Lord hath not made you the builder of his house hee meanes to build still as hee hath euer done his little spirituall house himselfe Luke 12.32 Reuel 21.27 hee will haūe the vessels thereof all of gold and siluer prepared to honour build you and prepare the other of wood and clay for although this great house be all one in commons yet it is two in specials which shall be more at large distinguished hereafter But wee will first see what fashion your house is of You say all that you baptise are first borne againe and being borne againe and baptised they are all Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem and the Congregation of the first borne the peculiar people and holy nation those returned little ones which the Lord spake of And that none but such ought to be baptised Mat. 11.14 and that whosoeuer is baptised before he is reborne of the spirit that baptising is Antichristian and must be reuoked He must first be a new creature and then rebaptised And yet you say some of these may fall away and perish This is your Church you say and so it is constituted Indeede you haue framed it finely but it will not stand The foundation is sand and the toppe is so light that the winde will carrie it away to perish for so you say and it may well be for an errour in the ground worke doth argue slight worke in the raising and finishing for he that is carelesse in laying the foundation of his house will surely be very negligent in the framing and ending thereof and if a skilfull workeman should search that house he should doubtlesse find many vnsound ioints therein Obiection But some man perhaps will say that Master Smithes foundation is very sound and sure for hee begins with regeneration and hee will haue none baptised into his Church till hee be borne of God and who can lay a more sure foundation then this Indeed a faire shew it makes Answere but we will search it from the toppe to the bottome for though he that builds a house doth first begin with the foundation and bottome thereof yet he that will pull downe that house had neede first begin at the top Therefore wee will search it from the top to the bottome and by that time I hope wee shall see whether it bee sound or no. Your conclusion is that some of your Church may fall away and shall perish and yet you say they are all of them those little ones whom our Sauiour speaketh of this is euen as contrary as saluation and damnation for the same Lord saith It is not the will of your heauenly Father Mat. 18.14 that one of these little ones should perish but your will is they shall The Scripture saith Heb. 12.23 that the Congregation of the first borne are written in heauen but you say some of them are written in hell Christ saith the gates of hell shall not preuaile against his Church and many other most sure promises that the second death shall take no hold of any one of the least stones thereof Reuel 20.6 but you dare boldly affirme the contrarie And yet you will baptise none but such as are borne a new you say and that none ought to bee baptised but such a litle one which is the beginning foundation of your building And how contrary are these things How weake and rotten is your worke from the top to the bottome For whereas you say that none ought to bee baptized but they must be first borne againe it is vtterly false for the Scripture saith that Iesus made baptised moe Disciples then Iohn And it saith also Iohn 4.1 John 6.53.60 that when the Lord told them that except they did eate his flesh and drinke his blood they had no life in them which is the chiefe and principall point of regeneration they answered It was a hard saying who could indure it which proueth euidently they were neuer borne againe and yet baptised for euery Disciple was baptised And they were Disciples the text faith and whatsoeuer he were that did subiect himselfe to learne and came into the fellowship was one of the disciples though he were not one of the new borne babes These things are as cleere as the light throughout the scriptures but you being ignorant of the Scriptures through your wisdome would delude vs with doubtfull and double speeches as you do some innocent as I hope and vpright soules that depend vpon your wisedome and skill whose consciences I perswade my selfe doe tell them al is not well You striue so much to make your Church differ from the Church of the Iewes because you mistaking would haue the whole estate of the Iewes Church containe the bond woman and her sonne and the whole stateof the Gentiles Church to containe the free woman and her sonne so that you will haue your Church not onely to differ from the Iewes Church but from the very word and practise of Christ and his Apostles and from the Church that then was You will not haue a sonne of the free woman in the Iewes Church nor the sonne of a bond woman in the Gentiles Church but all must shew forth the fruits of regeneration that ought to be baptised and so consequently being all reborne and baptised must needs bee the children of the free woman What a Laborinth haue you brought your selfe your company into You will haue all your Church to be the spirituall seed of Abraham