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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	baptism_n	john_n	water_n	8,157	5	7.3530	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65885	The rector examined about his book scandalously stiled, An antidote against the venom of Quakerism, by John Meriton, who calls himself A.M. rector of Boughton in Norfolk : and his observations remarked, and the Christianity of the people commonly called Quakers, re-asserted and vindicated, from his perversions and aspersions / by George Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1699 (1699)	Wing W1953; ESTC R20277	40,584	48

Infants or Believers we are left at uncertainty by this Rector 't is enough with him to cry It must be with Water Water But who who must come under it Men or Babes Here we are at a loss What an easie way it is to make Christians and to get to Heaven if this be it viz. Learn and believe your Creed and that you are inwardly washed regenerated and entered into God's Kingdom by your Water-Baptism Whether as Infants or grown up is still the Question This Rector boldly tells us Nay further it appears That before our Saviour Baptized those in Judea he represented the Solemnity of Baptism as a thing necessary to enter Men into that Kingdom of God to which he invited them our Saviour not only telling Nicodemus John 3. 5. That except a Man be born again he could not see the Kingdom of God But yet more plainly That except he was born again of Water p. 5. and of the Spirit he could not enter into it p. 28. In this Interpretation of John 3. 5. to outward Water the Rector exactly agrees with the Popish Notion and Interpretation thereof That no Man can enter into the Kingdom of God nor into the Fellowship of Holy Church without water-Water-Baptism as held by the Rhemists see their Annotations upon John 3. 5. And therein opposed by the Protestants as appears in Dr. Fulk's Answer viz. It is not necessary in this place By Water to understand material Water but rather the Purifying Grace of Christ. As in Chap. 4. ver 11 14. where 't is called Living Water whereof he saith Washing with Water in Baptism is an outward Sign So that the Reform'd Protestants did place Salvation the New Birth and entering into the Kingdom of God upon the Inward Baptism by the Purifying Grace of Christ and not upon the Outward Element of Water they esteem'd that but an outward Sign of the Inward For the outward Baptism by Water the Rector urges our Saviour's Example and Practice from John 3. 22 26. p. 28. as if practised or ministred by Christ himself But that 's a Mistake for in John 4. 2. 't is expresly said Though Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples I have run the farther into this Point in this place to shew what a Composition the Rector has run Christianity into But to return to some of his invidious Abuses and Perversions For the Credit of his Charge of Venom and Blasphemous Opinions relating to Christianity as well as to the Government against us he saith And to this end and purpose in the Month of March last past there were two Books presented to both Houses of Parliament the one Entitled A Brief Discovery of some of the Blasphemies and Seditious Principles c. The other Entitled Some few of the Quakers many horrid Blasphemies Heresies c. And also a Sheet Entitled Some Reasons humbly offered why the Quakers should be examined p. 6 7. Here we may observe this Rector has owned these same Books as well as presenting them to the Parliament Now one of them that is a Libel stiled Some Few has an Owner with the rest Thou therefore John Meriton Rector so called art accountable for the manifold Abuses Perversions Calumnies and Traducings which are in those Books and detected in my Truth and Innocency vindicated which I doubt not but will turn to your great Shame and Disgrace who promoted them as will also your strenuous Endeavours to Insence the Government against us but that they had more Discretion and Prudence than to be influenced by two or three Invidious Persons against a Peaceable and Serviceable People Now concerning our Christian Profession on which the Rector makes his Observations to evince the Venom of Quakerism as he unjustly defames us He accuseth us with dubious and equivocal Terms agreeable to those of the Oracles of the Heathen p. 7. for our confessing That our Belief is That in the Unity of the God-head there is Father Son and Holy Ghost those Three Divine Witnesses that beare Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and that these Three are One according to Holy Scripture Testimony These the Rector has judged as dubious equivocal Terms though they are Scripture Terms see Matt. 28. 19. 1 John 5. 7. John 14. 26. Chap. 15. 26. But not being content with this our Confession he begs this Question i. e. But if not Three Persons what Three are they page 8. Let him prove these Terms by plain Scripture as we have done ours and then we shall be resolved so as not to charge him with dubious Terms He might have spared his bitter Insinuations against us as virulent Poison grossest Errors equivocal Reserves wherein they meaning the Quakers may be thought to exceed their Brethren the Jesuits page 8. It had been more Prudence for him to have forborne or reserved these bitter Aspersions than to impose them upon the Reader which shews a great Enmity and bitterness of Spirit in the Man His repeated and partial Citations and Charge against G. F. W. P. and G. W. in page 8 9 10. are answered and detected in the second part of the other Examination i. e. Truth and Innocency c. under the first Head and Title Concerning the Holy Trinity What is alledged against G. W. out of Ishmael c. page 10. about the Three Persons though wrongly cited by the Rector p. 9 10. I have positively disowned that passage twice already both as 't is in it self and as it is none of mine and do now a third time disown the same which none therefore but the Implacable will repeat against me About a Heaven within and the Locality of Heaven p. 10. I do not find either G. F. or W. P. truly quoted or cited upon Examination The Matter as it concerns G. F. is answered in the other Examination aforesaid To the Rector's thus construing our Confession i. e. When they speak of Three Divine Witnesses bearing Record in Heaven that is to say quoth he the Heaven within them p. 10. Thus he imposes his meaning upon us as if we confined the Divine Three bearing Witness in Heaven only to a Heaven within us and not as being in that Heaven without us also which is a mistaken Construction for the Heaven wherein the Divine Three bear Witness is above and distinct from the Earth 1 John 5. 7 8. and yet the same Holy Spirit which is God bears witness in Earth too even in Mens Hearts and Consciences His Spirit bears witness with our Spirits c. And he that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself 1 John 5. 10. And he that inhabiteth Eternity and dwells in the highest Heavens dwells also in the lowest Hearts even with them that are poor and of contrite Spirits and tremble at his word how despised soever they are in the Eyes of the Proud and Envious whom God will debase And it was no lessening of the Blessed Record of the Divine Three

Legal Dispensation had no Faith in the Messiah or no Title to Christianity or were in no Christian State as implied page 4. seeing they had the Word of Faith in them as well as the Law without them Deut. 30. 12 14. compared with Rom. 10. 8. And all Israel drank of the same Spiritual Rock which followed them or went with them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. How could they drink thereof if they had no Faith therein 2. Now how this Reason describes a Christian in the Affirmative He tells us To entitle a Man to be a Christian viz. He must necessarily believe Christ to be already come nay that particular and numerical Man Christ Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary and was of the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh to be the Christ of God that was promised to come in due time That this very Man was Crucified died and rose again from the Dead and is ascended c. citing 1 Tim. 3. 16. This Christ God-man as come and Crucified was that main Foundation of the Gospel and Christianity These were new Articles founded upon a new Dispensation without the Belief of which not to name some others which may be thought by some also necessary such as Baptism by Water and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper by Bread and Wine a Man cannot be called a Christian page 4 5. If this Belief of the Blessed Man Christ Jesus his Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension into Glory as the Great Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh c. 1 Tim. 3. 16. be necessary to entitle a Man to be a Christian then we the People called Quakers sincerely believe all this of Christ the true and promised Messiah we really have all this Faith of and concerning him consequently we must have a true Title and right Claim to Christianity by the same Proposition we really believe both of Christ and in him even in his Name and Power wherein we hold the main Foundation of the Gospel and Christianity and the Doctrine thereof But this Rector has omitted a Living Faith in Christ unto Repentance Sanctification Regeneration the New Birth Newness of Life Purity and Holiness without which no Man shall see God or be a Christian in Nature The more uncharitable and inconsistent then is this Rector in charging us with Venom giving our Doctrine the Character of The Venom of Quakerism and the Quakers indefinitely that of Deceitful Workers Transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ cannot be looked upon any otherwise at best than good moral Heathens and many of them short of that page 5. Hence observe how uncharitable and furious this Rector is and how he had need to be corrected for his Rashness herein though our Profession taking the words thereof in their common Acceptation must be granted at least to seem Orthodox as he grants both of our Paper observed by him i. e. The Christianity c. W. P' s Key John Crook ' s Principles c. But still in his uncharitable and sower Humour he will presume to be Judge over our Sincerity from my seeing cause to construe my Friend's words and Intentions as if we were hence to be mistrusted in our Orthodox Confessions whereupon he presently passes Judgment against the Quakers viz. That they have a nauseous Pill to give you but that it may not be distastful they gild it over as the Writers of Popery in the late K. J's Reign the other day did with more such bitter envious Stuff and false Judgment to which we shall never submit nor give away our Sincerity or Holy Profession of Christ and Christianity which he cannot deny to be Orthodox in it self Nor extinguish our Sincerity therein but only strive to cloud by Reproaches groundless Jealousies and Misconstructions and Perversions which is not as he would be done by to be sure But if a Belief of Christ already come born of the Virgin Mary being of the Seed of Abraham and that he was Crucified died rose again and ascended as the Scriptures declare be sufficient to entitle a Man to be a Christian How many do believe and confess thus much of Christ and yet Unsanctified Unregenerate Impenitent Ungodly and Unchristian in Spirit and Conversation So that they are not in the true living Faith in Christ Jesus though they have an Historical and Traditional one and perhaps may be Baptized or Sprinkled with Water too But of that the Rector here writes somewhat faintly and dubiously as thought by some also necessary i. e. to make a Man a Christian page 9. But afterward he is more positive in this Point That 't is necessary as the Sacred Ordinance of Christ and Saving p. 27. Necessary to enter Men into the Kingdom of God from John 3. 5. p. 28. for Remission and doing away Sins cleansing of our Souls that the Spirit doth Sanctifie the Waters in Baptism to the mystical Washing away of Sin p. 29 31 32. But as for Infants partaking thereof he evades proof It is not his business here to prove he saith p. 27. So that he both evades defending their own Practice and leaves People at an uncertainty of the Subjects of this ignorantly supposed Saving Soul cleansing and mystical washing Ordinance making use of the Anabaptists Arguments for Baptizing Believers with Water which is no proof for Rantism or Sprinkling upon Infants Thus he attempts to shew People the way or means of Regeneration and entering into the Kingdom of God and he lays the stress thereof upon the outward Baptism by Water and not upon the inward Baptism of the Spirit he has found out an easie way to make Christians and to get to Heaven at this rate His business here being to prove Whether outward Baptism by Water is the Sacred Ordinance of Christ as necessary to be believed and Saving or Inward Baptism i. e. the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart or an Inward Conversion to God p. 27. So that by this the Saving Baptism must be the one or the other he places it upon the outward Waters of Baptism as necessary to the cleansing of our Souls mystical Washing away of Sin p. 31 32. therefore not upon the Inward Baptism of the Spirit for that was not sufficient he saith p. 29. No What was it good for then He tells us The inward Baptism was but a necessary Qualification for the Reception of the outward Baptism by Water p. 29. So that the Water is exalted above the Spirit or the Spirit 's Baptism But how many Infants who are Sprinkled can they prove are thus first qualified by the Inward Baptism of the Spirit What confused and bewildred work do we meet withal from some angry Opposers Upon the whole the Man's Definition of a Christian is summed up in this viz. That the Washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life the Inward and Spiritual Baptism is not Saving or sufficient to make a true Christian but Water-Baptism and whether that must be of

that the Inward Spiritual Baptism washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life the Spirit of Life the Power of Christ is the Saving Baptism the truly Regenerating Baptism the Baptism essentially necessary to Salvation and making Christians and not the outward nor the Sign Type or Shadow thereof is no venomous Doctrine but agreeable to Holy Scripture Testimony is evident from Isa. 1. Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes saith the Lord c. this was an Inward and Spiritual Washing Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine Heart from thy wickedness that thou mayest be saved This was a Heart-washing an Inward and Spiritual Washing whereby they might be Saved Zech. 13. 1. The Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Sin and for Uncleanness was a Spiritual Fountain The Lord God was the Fountain of Living Water which when they had forsaken they committed a great Evil therein as well as in hewing to themselves broken Cisterns which could hold no Water Jer. 2. 13. And the clean Water the Lord promised to Sprinkle upon his People to make them clean from all their Filthiness and to cleanse them from all their Idols Ezek. 36. 25. was a Spiritual Sprinkling with Spiritual Water and the Lord 's doing John 3. 5. Except a Man be born again of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God This was Spiritual Living Water Inward and Sanctifying Grace as the True Primitive Christians experienced and best of Reformed Protestants believed and not the outward Element of Water as Papists and this Rector believe and hold As in his page 28 before more fully observed yea he holds This poor Element as he calls it of Water as necessary to do away Sins and to work upon our Souls as the Waters of Jordan were to the Cleansing of Naaman 2 Kings 5. 13. so necessary quoth he are the Waters of Baptism to the Cleansing our Souls p. 31. Such Vertue he ascribes to this Element thus idolizing it even as highly as the Rhemists against the Protestants but contrary to Christ's own Testimony also If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me saith our Lord Jesus John 13. 8. who also required first to make clean the inside that the out-side might be clean also Therefore 't was the Inward Spiritual Washing of Regeneration the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart by the Word of Life the Holy Spirit and Power of Christ which was the Soul's Saving Baptism and not that of the outward Element Titus 3. 4 5. After that the Kindness of God our Saviour toward Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he Saved us by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost And if the Baptism which doth now save us be not the Putting away of the filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ according to that of 1 Pet. 3. 23. What can be more clear than that the Saving Baptism is that of the Spirit which is the One Baptism Ephes. 4. 5. whereby the Saints were all Baptized into One Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and not that of the outward Element which can neither cleanse the Soul nor wash away the Sin or Guilt thereof The Inward and Spiritual Grace Saveth the Soul from Sin and Condemnation and ought to be preferred to all outward and visible Signs which can neither Save nor Sustain or Relieve the Soul 't is Life and Substance which is divine can do that The One Spiritual Baptism and that One Bread that Spiritual Meat and Drink which cometh down from Heaven is that which both saves and nourisheth the Soul unto Eternal Life John 6. 1 Cor. 10. That Disciples and Apostles of Christ did Baptize with Water is not denied Acts 8. 36 38. ch 10. 48. ch 19. 3 4 5. but that they did Practice or enjoin it as an act of necessity pursuant to Christ's Commission in Matth. 28. 19. is to impose upon us or beg the Question but that it was rather permissively practised in con discention than by that Commission For 1st Water is not expressed in that Text. 2dly When they Baptized with Water they did not use the terms of the Commission in it We do not read in all the Acts of the Apostles that any of them Baptized with Water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost or that they used those expressions or terms in their Baptizing with Water but in the name of the Lord or in the name of the Lord Jesus If Water had been intended in that Commission of Christ Matth. 28. 19. the Apostle Paul must be concerned in it it must be as much binding to him as any other Minister but he declares the contrary that Christ sent him not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1. 17. he does not say Christ sent me not only to Baptize but positively for Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel which was part of the Reason he gave why he thanked God that he had baptized no more than those he mentions 1 Cor. 1. 14 15 16. as well as Lest they should have said he had baptized in his own name for 't is not to be supposed he would thank God for not performing part of his Commission if it had been to Baptize with Water as well as to Preach the Gospel but that positive and general Reason for Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel leaves no room for him to say Christ sent me to Minister Water-Baptism in his Commission in Matth. 28. 19. for Water-Baptism was properly John's Baptism and Ministry to make way for Christ's higher Dispensation and Spiritual Ministry Matth. 3. 11. Mark 11. 8. Luke 3. 16. John 1. 16. Acts 1. 5. 10. 16. compare with Acts 19. 2 3 4. But I need not enlarge on this subject to answer the Anabaptists Argument for Plunging or dipping Believers in Water unless this Rector were in the Practice thereof and renounced his Rantism as they do as a Scriptureless Thing as they term Sprinkling Infants But referr him to a Treatise of one that was of his Coat i. e. William Dell his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or The Doctrine of Baptisms To the Rector's Referring the Reader to that Excellent Piece of Water-Baptism as he terms it writ by that worthy and Ingenious Author as he applauds him of The Snake in the Grass c. printed 1697. p. 29. Thus highly has he commended the Author of that Great Defaming and Reproaching Libel i. e. The Snake in the Grass but it would be too difficult a Task for him to defend the manifold Gross and Abominable Lies and Calumnies contain'd therein against the manifest detection and discovery made of them not only in my Antidote against the Venom of

like unto which his Body the Church shall be fashioned saying That Affliction did still attend these Members of Christ's Body and that this Body i. e. the Church though not free as yet from suffering Afflictions yet shall be fashioned like to his glorious Body J. C ' s p. 332. So that he owned Christ to have a glorious Body above that of his Members Therefore it appears neither from hence nor yet from this Rector's unjust Charge or false Quotation that the Quakers deny the Mediator the Man Christ Jesus as he falsly saith much less that they do Scornfully Contemn the Blood of Christ p. 23. as they are grosly Calumniated and Slandered What he cites against E. B. and W. P. p. 23 24. is answered in the foregoing Examination And as to Christ's Prophetick Office we are satisfied that we own it more than these our Adversaries in that we believe we ought to hear him in all things by his Light Word and Spirit in our Hearts for which they so much slight and contemn us opposing his Immediate Revelation Teaching and Ministry in these days and confining his present Ministry to the Scriptures in opposition to his Light and Immediate Teaching in Man for though Christ did frequently preach from Scriptures yet his Preaching was with Power and Efficacy he had power both to open the Scriptures and the Understandings of them that heard him in opening them and also so to touch their Hearts that they said Did not our Hearts burn within us while he spoke unto us Which Mens meer literal Preaching cannot do nor work those Effects We are to hear Christ in all things him that speaketh from Heaven but saith the Rector they i. e. the Quakers neither do nor will hear him no their Christ within which they are obliged to tells them other things than our outward Christ or Prophet does p. 24. What an Ignorant and Scornful Reflection and Abuse is this as if either we owned another Christ within than the true Christ and Prophet whom we are to hear which is a false Insinuation or else that Christ as within and Christ as without is not one and the same Christ which is false also neither is Christ divided though he be both without and within And where proves this Rector that the Scripture is the Touch-stone to try Spirits withal wherein he takes part with Mat. Caffin the Anabaptist Preacher his affirming the same against the Quakers p. 25. Christ said Have Salt in your selves and discerning of Spirits was the Gift of the Spirit without which none can truly understand or make use of the Scripture If Tho. Lawson said The Scripture is not the Tryer of Spirits as 't is alledged against us p. 25. I find no Scripture produced to prove this Erroneous Christ is the Great Judge and Tryer of Spirits who searches and tryes the Heart and the Reines and it is by his Light and Spirit that Spirits must be tryed and judged not by the Carnal but by the Spiritual Man And what the Rector again cites out of p. 7. against studying to raise a living thing out of a dead and the Spirit out of the Letter c. was never intended to oppose the Teaching of Christ's Prophetick Office for his Office never allowed any such Study Neither do the Quakers deny Christ's Gospel Ordinances which are really such and by him perpetuated Here the Rector imposes upon us and his Allegations fall short of proof And our not continuing under a Literal and Shadowy Dispensation of Types and Figures carnal Ordinances and outward Element but under a Spiritual Ministry is rather an Indication of our owning Christ's Offices his Gospel his Ministry or Dispensation than any refusing to hear him who speaketh from Heaven by his Holy Spirit Light and Grace in Mens Hearts What seems most materially objected hitherto in the Rector's Antidote being answered I may take notice of some Passages hereafter farther to shew what he falsly deems Venom of Quakerism according to his Title and Observations against our Profession Quest. Do you believe or own Baptism as Essential to Christianity or necessary to Salvation and for the ingrafting us into Christ and his Church Our answer is We believe and are fully perswaded That Baptism which is Essential to Christianity and the Saving Baptism or the Cause without which none can be true Christians or Saved is the Inward or Spiritual Washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life This is the Saving Baptism into Christ and his Church which produceth the Answer of a good Conscience towards God of which the outward was a Figure 1 Pet. 3. 21. This is that One Baptism of Christ by One Spirit into that One Body whereof Christ is the Head As to Dipping or Sprinkling Infants or young Children we find no Precept or President in Holy Scripture for the Practice thereof and therefore we cannot think our not-believing it Essential or necessary to Salvation or making Christians a sufficient Argument to prove us no Christians unless it can be proved that none are Saved without it and that all are Saved that have it Considering also what 's positively affirmed in the 39 Articles as in the sixth Article That whatsoever is not read in the Holy Scriptures nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And in the 20th Article That the Church ought not to decree or enforce any thing against or besides Holy Writ to be believed for necessity of Salvation And in Article 21 That things ordained by General Councils as necessary to Salvation have neither Strength nor Authority unless that they be taken out of Holy Scripture On the first part of this Profession the Rector makes this Observation against us viz. By this their Answer they i. e. the Quakers do not Insinuate to but plainly tell the World what Baptism it is that is essentially necessary to Salvation or making Christians that is the Inward or Spiritual Washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart or an Inward Conversion to God p. 26 27. And herein we plainly tell the World the plain Truth according to Holy Scripture And what Venom is in this pray Had not this Rector need to be severely corrected for opposing this Doctrine as Venomous and making the outward Baptism by Water the Saving Baptism and not the Inward and Spiritual As if all the World of Mankind were in a State of Damnation who are not so outwardly Baptized with Water or could be no Christians nor Saved if they be not so Baptized or Rantized as he would have them this is like Dip or Damn Oh! uncharitable and unchristian Doctrine Has Salvation by Grace been preached so long among us and must it now be placed on Works or on such a superficial Work as that of outward Baptism Sprinkling Dipping or Plunging Persons in Water But