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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	church_n	true_a	visible_a	6,007	5	9.0633	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78133	A discourse tending to prove the baptisme in, or under the defection of Antichrist to be the ordinance of Jesus Christ. As also that the baptisme of infants or children is warrantable, and agreeable to the word of God. Where the perpetuity of the estate of Christs Church in the world, and the everlastingnesse of the covenant of Almighty God to Abraham are set forth as maine grounds, and sundry other particular things are controverted and discussed. By P.B.	Barbon, Praisegod, 1596?-1679.	1642 (1642)	Wing B750; Thomason E138_23; ESTC R7333	22,862	40

gather any such conclusion as if I held the Church of Rome a tru Church for indeed I am farre from any such thoughts holding that State to be the Mother of Fornications the great where Sodom Egypt spiritually according to the account of the Scripture Now for this Discourse sent forth if it shall come into the hands of the Learned I desire they would take no exception at any Tottologie or want of Art they shall finde in it for the Author professeth it not and did applie himselfe to weaker capacities and so went over things the ofter that they might the lesse mistake or mis-construe his meaning If it shall come into the hands of those that minde the things as truths which this Discourse opposeth I pray them to consider the whole and one thing with another before they give judgement and if it shall please any to make Answere whereat I shall be nothing offended I desire they would please to measure such measure as I have measured to them whom I trust I have not in the least wronged And if in Answere they can discover any error I shall be content to lose so the truth may gaine If any shall meet with this that are like to Gallio I only counsell them not to increase their bonds by mocking Act. 18. 17. and if they will not be warned let them mock on If any moderate and indifferent affected shall read this Discourse and gaine any knowledge by it let them give the praise to God And so forbearing to trouble thee Courteous Reader with any thing further I leave thee to the perusing of it and the blessing of God to cause thee to profit and rest Thine in the service of Love P. B. A DISCOURSE TENDING TO PROVE the Baptisme in the defection of Antichrist to be the Ordinance of JESUS CHRIST THE holy Scriptures doe very fully and clearly hold forth the perpetuity and continuation of the estate of the visible or externall Church of Christ in the world a plant of his own planting not to be rooted out for ever This having continued from Abraham to Moses from Moses to our Lord Christ and from Him to continue till he shall come and deliver it up to his Father that God may be all in all The perpetuitie and abidingnesse of 1 Cor. 15. this last period of the Church under the New Testament it was foretold by Prophesie Esay 9. 7. 59. 21. Dan. 7. witnessed very fully Luke 1. 33. Acts 5. 29. Heb. 12. 29. and it is confirmed by Promise in the 16. Math. 18. 28. 20. these promises as all other are yea and Amen stable and true for ever and so to be accounted by all the Saints To all which places that give in witnesse to this we might adde that in the 13. Hebr. 8. Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever as in other considerations so the Head and Husband of his Church his Spouse his Body Certainly Jesus Christ was never a Widower or Head without a body be that farre from any to think which should be if at any time his Church seased to be or died out of the world This estate of Christs visible Church being thus to abide and abiding and continuing in the world It hath abode and continued under the defection of Antichrists usurpation or otherwise it hath abode and continued somwhere else in the world as from under that defection for some where remaining it must be of necessity The defection and falling away under Antichrist was very generall and marvelous universall as appeareth by what is written Rev. 13. 8. 16. And unlesse the defection had bin so how should those be the first fruits unto God that first appeared in the dawne of the day commonly accounted and that not untruly as I judge the Waldenses if there had bin any that had remained pure and undefiled as in a Church way Indeed the Greeks did not alwayes subject to the Roman power yet were very little short in defection I suppose according to the measure whereby the Romanist in defection are measured they will stand or fall together Truly it will be a piece of speciall service to the godly and very thankfully accepted if any could make it appeare such a continuance of the Church estate elsewhere in the world then as aforesaid it would tend to the settling of things very much and for my part I should blesse God for their discovery If none be foundable to make it appeare as to have continued elsewhere as I beleeve they cannot then it wil be more then probable that it hath continued under the defection of Antichrist according to that of the 2 Thess 2. 4. for some way and some where it must continue And as the Church that great Instituted Ordinance is to continue and hath continued so likewise the Ordinance of Baptisme by which the matter of the Church is differenced Now if what is before said concerning the perpetuity of the visible Church shall be found a truth and so esteemed then that must needs be found an errour and so accounted that supposeth or taketh that for a ground which is the direct contrary and flat deniall of this truth to wit That the Church hath leased at some time and bin utterly extingu●sht and Christ a Widdower for a good season till by themselves or some others it was revived and so came to live againe Such as take this for a ground of their practise they must needs erre and build upon the sands But the way of new Baptizing la●ely began to be practised by some supposing themselves and so others not to have bin Baptized with the Baptisme of Christ hath no grou●d for i●s practise but the sesa●ion of the Church and Baptisme with it as not remaining in the world That they are utterly seased where Antichrist prevail●d to exalt himselfe their practise doth ●ully declare and that it is so they take for granted and indeed so had they need for to prove it they cannot let that be minded 2 Thess 2. 4. Math. 16. 18. If it were so that under the defection the Ordinance of the Church and Baptisme ceased yet that it no where remayneth in the world may not be thought for the reverence of Gods Word before declared But till this also be beleeved that the estate of Christs Church and Baptisme by which the matter is differenced is no where else to be found remaining in the world there is no ground for this practise of raising Baptisme by persons Baptizing themselves But rather there would be a seeking out the Church where she were to be found and there receiving the holy Ordinance of Christs Baptisme as in a right line and so be added to the Church and from thence conveying the truth into these parts againe where Acts 2. 47. Psalm 133. it had ceased In Sion of old God appointed the blessing and life for ever and thither from the utmost parts of the earth the godly repair'd as

borne of him and if Abraham be honoured by Almighty God to be called their Father also he being a Father to all that beleeve he of old yea alwaies had such among his seed but knowne only to God that only knoweth the heart and knoweth his own As for these what ever they talke they cannot as of certaine infallibility shew us one of Abrahams Children according to this their sense but they must vaile the matter to charity and if they would please to extend their charity but a little further they without any error or absurdity may take in Children also There are sundry other Scriptures controverted about this matter and reasons pro and con which for brevity sake I will forbeare and shall only here intimate how uncomfortable a Doctrine this is of denying the lineall seed of the faithfull to be of the Church and within the Covenant of Almighty God as of old for from thence it must needs follow that Parents doe beget beare and bring forth Children to the Divell sure he is much beholding to them for increasing his Kingdome but what sad thoughts may hereupon attend them I leave it to them to consider that are of such beliefe and propound to them whether they could not thinke it were as good to burne as to marry or at least to be baren as to be fruitfull and beare Children and do such service to the Divell in the Augmenting his number But it may be they will thinke themselves that their children have no originall sinne and so resolve the case just as some doe Indeed it seemeth that such like sad and perplexed th●ughts or reasonings some of the Church of Corinth happily had whereof they desired to have resolution from the Apostle who telleth them that if one person either Husband or Wife be a Beleever then were their Children holy 1 Cor. 1. ● or separate otherwise they were uncleane or common This is a very considerable matter some knowne thing sure the Apostle alludeth unto that he speaketh thus we may take knowledge that of old the Nation and Church of the Iewes was holy and separate and all Nations and people else were common and uncleane The substance of which matter standing good causeth the Apostle to inferre by way of a reason here else were your Children common or uncleane but now are they holy or separate This reason hath little force or can give small satisfaction to the Corinthia●s unlesse some known thing were minded or understood of them This now is like to be something which the Scripture had held forth which must be this that persons not of the Church nor within the Covenant were common and uncleane To omit the many places that might be produced out of the Law wherein there is much strength which apeareth by the Apostles alleaging the Law in a like case 1 Cor. 9. 13. That in the 10th of the Acts will informe us concerning this very fully where by a vision Peter was taught not to call any common or uncleane namely the Gentiles that did beleeve in him we may see what was counted common or uncleane in a vision the creatures of all kindes are shewed Acts. 10. him and he is bidden to eate he replieth he never eate things common or uncleane that which Peter was taught by this followeth not to count the Gentiles beleeving as common and uncleane and this appeareth by his understanding of it ver 28. So the other beleevers accounted in like manner thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and hadst fellowship with them which they accounted common chap. 11. 3 and uncleane so was the common sense as is evident the Iewes meddle not with the Samaritans Yee know saith hee it is an unlawfull thing for a Jew to keepe company c. but God hath shewed that I should not account Iohn 4. 9. any common or uncleane that is for his kindred or Nation hee meaneth so hee feare God and beleeve otherwise the Scripture teacheth that the beleever hath no part with the Infidell but must come out and touch no uncleane thing and be separate Thus is the Apostles sense and 1 Cor 6. 15 17. meaning found out a common and knowne thing noe person whatsoever fearing God and beleeving are to be counted common or uncleane and as not they so not their seed or children yea if but one of them be such which is a further extending of the grace and favour to them for incouragment with comfort to continue together their Children being not uncleane or common but the children of God holy and separate which is the second thing we are to minde who according to the Scripture account and the reckoning of them to whom the Scripture did bebelong were esteemed holy and separate of old in the Law Deu. 7. 6. 14. 2. 21. 29. 9. we may plainly see and touching children in the 9 Esra 2. it is sayd the holy seed so in Dan. 8. 24 12. 7. the Apostle Peter alleadgeth an exhortation of the Law to this purpose and applieth it Be yee holy for I the Lord your God am holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. according to the substance of the truth known and held forth as before wee are to minde the Apostle here now are your Children holy or separate and so there is great satisfaction to the beleeving party that however their children are the children of God and ●oly whereas but only for them they were but common and uncleane yet now in regard of them and their being in the Covenant and of the Church their Children are accounted as Children both unto God as of old and holy as it was sayd of Israel the Sons which thou hast borne unto me Thus is this latter sense found out and discovered and the meaning of the Apostle manifested in way of Eze. 16. 20. the right of Children to the Covenant Church estate and Ordinances which they are capable of holy things belonging to holy persons such are Children according to the account of the Apostle But the opponents of the right of Children to the Covenant Church Estate and Ordinances tell us and would have us to beleeve them that by common or uncleane is meant Bastardy or illegitimacie and so they would have the sense thus else were your Children Bastards or illegitimate but no● they are holy that is true borne or legitimate Truly this is a wonderfull understanding and that which holds forth no light at all according to the Scriptures to satisfie the Corinthians with the Apostles reason if one be a beleever then your Children are true borne and not Bastards I say noe more to it but that sure it is a Bastardly sense and understanding of the Apostles reason and that which will make a many Bastards in the world and they will hardly exempt themselves from the number according to their own ground But they tell us further that the sanctitie of the unbeleever to the beleever is to his lawfull use which is the same