Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	day_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	63	3	9.3408	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77497	The doctrine and practice of paedobaptisme, asserted and vindicated. By a large and full improovement of some principall arguments for it, and a briefe resolution of such materiall objections as are made against it. Whereunto is annexed a briefe and plaine Enarration, both doctrinall and practicall, upon Mark 10.V.13.14.15.16. As it was some time since preached in the church of Great Yarmouth: now published for an antidote against those yet spreading errours of the times, Anabaptisme and Catabaptisme. / By Joh. Brinsley.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing B4712; Thomason E300_14; ESTC R200258	127,125	196

in repulsing these Infants they erred not knowing the scriptures The scriptures would have told them that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings God hath ordained himselfe prayses Psal 8. The scripture would have told them that God maketh Infants to hope whilest they hang upon their mothers breasts and that hee is their God from their mothers 〈◊〉 Psal 22. The scripture could have told them what their Lord and master had said All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and him that cometh unto me I will in no wife cast out Joh. 6. As also what he had done and that but a little before this act of theirs How he had expressed his affection to Infants by taking one and setting it in the midst amongst them propounding him as a patterne for their imitation This they either knew not or remembred not or considered not Thus they erred not knowing the scriptures nor the power of Jesus Christ how he was able to communicate his vertue to Infants as well as any others Even so doe the Anabaptists at this day They erre not knowing the scriptures which will informe them that children are conceived in sinne and brought forth in iniquity and are by nature children of wrath and consequently have need of Christ and of this ordinance of Christ Nor yet knowing the power of God how he is able to make this ordinance effectuall unto them though for the present destitute of actuall faith Here is the first ground of this errour in the disciples ignorance misapprehension The second is not much unlike viz. their blinde-Zeale zeale for their master 1. For his honour 2. For his ease both which probably they had an eye at First his Honour They thought it dishonourable to their Lord and Master that he should be troubled with such Clients Non vacat exiguis Had they beene Kings and Princes or persons of quality such as those three Wisemen of the East were that brought Presents to him in his Cradle Had they beene persons that came to doe him homage to put any temporall honour upon him had they brought a Crown to put upon his head to make him a King Now saith Calvin in all likely-hood they should have beene welcome none more For ●his it was that had dazeled the Disciples eyes even a mis apprehension of a temporall kingdome which they expected and hoped their Master would take upon him Whereupon what ever made and tended that way they were ready to embrace it In the meane time not understanding that the Kingdome of Christ was not of this world which if they had in likely-hood they would not have repulsed these Infants as they did as if it would have beene a disparagement to their Lord and Master to have any thing to doe with them 2. They had an eye herein to his ease they saw that their master wanted no worke no employment already so many of all sorts flocking unto him as that he had scarce leisure to take his repast for them Now if Infants also should be admitted they feared he would be over-charged over-burdened These were their thoughts as Expositers most rationally and probably conjecture Certainly however some carnall reasoning it was seconded with a blind-Zeale that made them do what they did Two dangerous things to consult with and to bee led by in the matters of Christ 1. A dangerous thing to consult with carnall reason To make sense and reason sit as Judges upon Christ and upon the mysteries of the Kingdome of God Surely this it is that hath brought a world of errours into the world Men will not submit to the judgment of the Word but they will call in carnall reason to advise with Hence are most of the errours in the Church of Rome at this day Their Bread-worship wherein they thinke they doe a speciall honour unto Christ in falling down before the consecrated Hoast being Transubstantiated turned into the Body of Christ as they conceive Their Saint-worship wherein againe they thinke they do great honour unto Christ in not comming unto him immediately but making use of Court-favourites Saints or Angels as their mediatours to make their way and present their Petions for them This doe they by this meanes fancie a new Christ unto themselves taking from him that which properly belongeth to him and attributing to him that which is heterogeneall not agreeable but dishonourable to his nature From the same fountain spring many of the errors of the times Socinian and Arminian errors generally all of them Anabaptisticall errours many of them They judge of divine mysteries decrees ordinances not by faith submitting to the Word but by sense and reason A dangerous Counsellor in these matters not to be hearkned to without much lesse against the Word 2. And as reason is a dangerous Counsellour so blinde-zeale is a dangerous guide This was that Ignis-fatuus that led Pauls Countrymen the Jewes wilde that led them into those bogs and quick-sands of legal Ceremonies and ran them on ground upon the main of their owne legall righteousnesse They had a Zeale of God or for God but not according to knowledge as the Apostle tells them And this it is that mis-leadeth many poore devout soules in the Church of Rome whose case is to be pittied putting them upon all their superstitious will-worship wherein they take a great deale of paines to go to heaven more than the most of us doe They have a Zeale of God of Christ but not according to knowledge And surely this is the grand-seducer amongst us at this day that which misleadeth a multitude of well-meaning soules in this Kingdome Anabaptists Antinomians Seperatists They stand for Christ whom they desire to have exalted and as they thinke for the ordinances of Christ which they desire to have set up with the greatest puritie and simplicitie And herein they shew themselves Zealous I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Paul said of himselfe before his conversion more exceedingly Zealous but alas their zeale is not according to knowledge Even as the Disciples here they have a Zeale for their Master as for his ease so for his honour and thereupon they keepe backe these Infants from comming to him But it was not according to knowledge a blinde-Zeale By this meanes contrary to their intentions they came to dishonour him whom they intended to honour For wherein lyeth the honour of a Prince more than in the multitude of Subjects In the multitude of people is the Kings honour No one thing more honourable unto Christ than to have multitudes of all sorts of persons both old and young repayring and resorting to him and receiving benefit by him To keepe backe any of these from comming to him is an act not more injurious to the persons so repulsed than dishonourable unto him Like issues and fruits of blinde-Zeale are but too observable amongst some of the Sectaries of the times

by open Profession and Confession Such was the manner of Iohns baptisme having to deale with unbeleeving Jewes He baptised them confessing their sinnes and professing their faith in the Messiah Thus the Apostles having to deal with unbeleeving Gentiles heathens they first preached to them as Iohn the Baptist did and then baptised them upon the confession of their sinnes and profession of their faith And such was the practice of the Pri●●●i●e Church in like cases Having to deale with Infidels they first catechised them instructed them in the principles of Christian Religion whence they were called by the name of Catechumeni persons that were to be catechised That being done and they brought to some measure of knowledge then they declared and testified their repentance and faith by an open and publick confession in the congregation where they were to be baptised And this they did as it seemeth by answering unto some questions which were propounded to them by the Minister To which practise St. Peter seemeth to allude 1 Pet. 3. 21. where speaking of Baptisme he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the answere of a good conscience towards God So our translation renders it though as Beza notes upon the place not so fully expressing the force of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth an Interrogating a Questioning So the vulgar Latine there renders it Interrogatio bonae conscientiae the Interrogation of a good conscience Which though it be somewhat obscure yet it will lead us to the right understanding of that phrase Beza translates it Stipulatio bon● conscientiae the stipulation of a good conscience Now stipulation properly it is an answer to an Interrogation when one being demanded concerning a thing he returnes answer and by his answer ingageth himselfe to doe somewhat that is demanded and required of him Such a Stipulation there was in Baptisme where the party to be baptised being demanded by the Minister concerning his repentance and faith he made answer before the congregation professing both and obliging himselfe to both Such an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a stipulation we finde betwixt Philip and the Eunuch Act. 8. 37. 38. The Eunuch desiring Baptisme Philip interrogates him concerning his faith If thou beleevest c. To this the Eunuch answereth I beleeve that Iesus is the Sonne of God And such was the practice of the Primitive times Those which tendered themselves to Baptisme being Adulti able to answer for themselves of which sort then there were many they had certaine questions propounded to them to which they made answer as Credis Credo Abrenuncias Abrenuncio Dost thou beleeve saith the Minister I doe beleeve saith the party Dost thou renounce the Devill and his pompes c. I doe renounce them Such was their manner then of Baptizing persons come to yeares of discretion which as Beza notes upon that place of Peter after ages out of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perverse imitation drew downe and applied to the Baptisme of Infants but not so fitly they being not able to answer for themselves And this was the stipulation which St. Peter there speaketh of and to which he attributes that saving property it saveth us which is the fruit and effect not of the outward Baptisme the putting away the filth of the flesh bodily washing but the inward Baptisme testified by the answer or stipulation of a good conscience towards God To which agreeth that of Tertullian cited there by Beza as an apt glosse upon that Text. Anima non lavatione sed responsione sanatur In Baptisme the soule is healed not by washing but by answering even by that answer of a good conscience Thus were their Adulti persons come to yeares of discretion baptised then And after the same manner ought they to bee baptised now But I will not dwell upon this wherein wee are all agreed The maine businesse we have to deale with and that which I chiefly aimed at when I fell upon this Subject is touching the Baptisme of Infants whether they or any of them may be baptized Here the Anabaptists and we are at variance We allow it to some they deny it to all Whence it is they are called by the name both of Anabaptists and Catabaptists because they oppose the Baptisme of all Infants as a thing not onely inconvenient but unlawfull and in case any of them bee baptized in their infancie they looke upon that Baptisme as a nullity and so impose upon them a Rebaptization when they come to yeares of discretion With this Errour of theirs I am now to encounter An Errour not only opposing the constant and universall practice of all the Churches of God in the world but dangerous and pernitious to them tending directly not only to the unchurching but unchristianing of them Of such consequence is this doctrine of theirs that if it be true there are but a few Christians to be found this day in the world To vindicate the truth of God and the practice of the Churches as also for the staying of unstable soules who are subject in these unsetled times to be carried away into this Errour amongst others Come we as plainly as we can to joyne issue with them putting it to the tryall whether any Infants be baptizeable or no. So I shall state the controversie and that to prevent impertinent disputes and collaterall differences which otherwise might fall in betwixt us and the Semi-Anabaptist or else some others of our Brethren who deny baptisme unto some Infants though borne of beleeving parents upon other grounds which now I forbeare to mention My quarrell here is with the compleat Anabaptist who holdeth that Infants quâ Infants are not baptizeable let their parents be never so holy and the administration in all other respects never so pure and regular To meet with them I propound the question in these tearmes Q. Whether children of the holiest parents and in the purest Churches may and ought to be baptized in their infancie Of this Question we maintaine the Affirmative that they may and ought they the Negative that they neither ought nor may It remaines then that we come to see what can be said of either side I shall beginne with the Affirmative shewing you what grounds what warrant we have for our doctrine and practise Then come to the Negative shewing what they can say by way of opposition against it Begin with the former pleading for our selves and all the Churches of Christ whose very practise in all ages in all places of the world for so many hundred yeares together ought not to be despised by us But letting that passe Infants of beleeving parents are subjects capable of baptisme This we might prove by divers arguments Take but two or three of the principall and those no new ones New arguments in this cause are not to bee expected onely the improving of old ones the driving home of those nayles which have beene