Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	grace_n	8,077	5	5.8830	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76157	Confirmation and restauration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of the corruptions and divisions of the churches: submissively, but earnestly tendered to the consideration of the soveraigne powers, magistrates, ministers, and people, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the execution of so much, as appeareth to be necessary as they are true to Christ, his Church and Gospel, and to their own and others souls, and to the peace and wellfare of the nations; and as they will answer the neglect to Christ, at their peril. / By Richard Baxter, an unworthy minister of Christ, that longeth to see the healing of the churches.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1232; Thomason E2111_1; ESTC R209487	172,368	411

Scripture that the Holy Ghost is in a special manner promised to Believers over and above that measure of the Spirit which caused them to believe 3. We find that Prayer with Laying on of hands was the outward means to be used by Christs Ministers for the procuring of this blessing 4. We find that this was a fixed Ordinance to the Church and not a temporary thing Lay all this together and you will see as much as my Proposition doth affirm Let 's try the proof of it I. Though the proof of the first be not Necessary to the main point yet it somewhat strengtheneth the cause Mark 10. 16. Christ took the Children up in his armes put his hands upon them and blessed them so Math. 19. 15. This is not I confess a Confirmation upon personal Profession which I am now pleading for But this is a Benediction by laying on of hands And the subjects of it were such Children as were Members at least of the Jewish Church being before Circumcized II. But to come neerer the matter let us enquire what this Gift of the Holy Ghost was that is promised to Believers Whatsoever the Pelagians say the Scripture assureth us that Faith and Repentance which go before Baptism in the Adult are the gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet for all that the Holy Ghost is to be given afterward And though very often this after●gift is manifested by Tongues and Prophesie and Miracles yet that is not all that 's meant in the promise of the Holy Ghost Gad hath not tyed Himself by that promise to any one sort of those extraordinary Gifts no nor constantly to give any of them But he hath promised in General to give Believers the Spirit and therefore there is some other standing gift for which the Spirit is promised to all such And indeed the Spirit promised is One though the gifts are many and the many sorts of gifts make not many Spirits If any man therefore shall ask whether by the Promised Spirit be meant Sanctification or Miracles or Prophesie c. I Answer with Paul There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit as there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and diversities of operations but the same God 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6. It is therefore no wiser a question to ask whether by the Spirit be meant this gift or that when it is only the Spirit in General that is promised then to ask whether by the Lord be meant this or that administration and whether by God be meant this or that op●ration To one is given the word of Wisdom by the Spir●t and to another the word of Knowledg by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit c. vers 8 9 10. Now I confess if any man can prove that this promise of the Spirit to the faithfull is meant only of the extraordinary gift of Miracles then he would weaken the Argument that I am about But I prove that contrary 1. Cor. 12. 12 13. It is the gift of the Spirit by which we are One body which is called Christs by which we are all baptized into this one body and such members as have a lively fellow-feeling of each others state vers 26. 27. Yea such as giveth to the Elect the excellent durable grace of Charity vers 31. and Chap. 13. Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father Note here that it is not only the gift of Miracles but the Spirit of Adoption that is here mentioned and that it 's given to Believers because they are Sonnes And all the first part of Rom. 8. to vers 29. doth shew that it is the Spirit of Adoption Supplication and that by which we mortifie the flesh that is given to Believers 2 Cor. 1. 21 22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts It is not the common gifts of the Spirit only that are here spoken of nor is it the first gift of Faith but it is Confirmation or inward establishment in Christ and that Spirit which is the Fathers Seal upon us and the earnest of the Inheritance I believe not that it is outward Anointing or sealing with the signe of the Cross that is here mentioned as many Papists dreame but inward unction seal earnest and confirmation by the Spirit are here exprest So 2 Cor. 5. 5. Zach. 12. 10. It is the Spirit of Grace and Supplication that is promised to the Church And see the pattern in Christ our head on whom after Baptism the Spirit descended and to whom it is promised Matth. 12 18. Ephes 1. 13 14. In whom also after yee believed yee were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance Here it 's evident that it 's such a gift of the Spirit which is an Earnest of Heaven that is given to men after they believe Joh. 7. 39. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given them because that Jesus was not yet Glorisied Yet the Apostles had Faiththen And that it is not meant only of the Apostles extraordinary gifts of Miracles the foregoeing words shew He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow living waeters but this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive By all this it is evident that there was an Eminent gift of the Holy Ghost promised to them that had already the grace of Faith and Repentance and Love to Christ wrought in them by the Holy Ghost and that though this Eminent Gift did very much consist in gifts of Languages Prophesie and mighty works for the Confirmation of Christs Doctrine which was then to be planted in the world yet was it not only in those gifts but as some had only those common though extraordinary gifts for the good of the Church so some had an Eminent addition of Special Gifts to seal them up to the day of Redemption and be the earnest of the Inheritance to the saving of the Soul If you ask Wherein these special Eminent Gifts of the Holy Ghost do consist I Answer 1. In a clearer knowledg of Christ and the rsteries of the Gospel not an uneffectual but a powerful affecting practical Knowledge 2. In a fuller measure of Love agreeable to this Knowledg 3. In Joy and Peace and sweet Consolation 4. In establishment and corroboration and firmer resolution for Christ and everlasting Life For the understanding of which we must know that as the Doctrine is the Means of conveying the Spirit so the Spirit given is answerable to the Doctrine and Administration that men are under It 's a very great question whether Adam in Innocency had the Spirit or not But as the Administration according to the meer Light and Law of Nature is eminently in Scripture attributed to the

Father so Adam certainly may be well said to have had the Spirit of the Father to enable him with gifts that were answerable to the Law that he was under and the state that he was in But we cannot fitly say that he had that which the Scripture calleth the Spirit of the Sonne as not being under the Administration of the Sonne But after the Promise till the coming of Christ as the Administration was mixt of Law and Promise Nature and Grace as the dawning of the day before Sunne rising doth partake of darkness and of Light so the Spirit that was then given was answerable to the Administration and Doctrine And therefore as there was somewhat of the Gospel in those times though yet God hath not thought it meet to call it at least usually by that name but rather by the name of the Promises and Prophecies of Christ so there was somewhat of the Spirit of Christ though it be not usually so called but when it appeared in some eminent Servants of Christ as the Prophets were in whom the Spirit of Christ is said to have been 1 Pet. 1. 11. Now as it was part of that work ascribed to the Father to send and give the Sonne and to Give men to the Sonne so commonly those Gifts are ascrbed to Him which are cotained in these expressions and are the accomplishment of this work And that not only in the old Testament but in the New and therefore it is called the Giving and the Drawing of the Father by which we are brought to Believe in the Sonne though yet the Grace of Faith is a special Saving Grace and not common to the wicked as the Papists dreame because they find an uneffectual Assent to be common But now as Christ at his coming doth bring to the world a clearer Light and fuller Revelation of Himself and the mysteries of Redemption and bring Life and Immortality to Light in the Gospel and as the rising Sunne dispelleth the remnants of Legal darkness and his Doctrine is fully called The Gospel the Testament of Jesus Christ so answerably he doth by and with this Doctrine give out such a measure of the Spirit to the Church as is Eminently called the Spirit of Jesus Christ Which carryeth us higher then the first Grace of Faith and Repentance to those fuller degrees which were not ordinary no not to the Godly in the time of the Law And as this Spirit of Christ did extrinsecally shine in the Glory of tongues and wonderous works while those were necessary to the Church and Christs service so both then and ever after it doth work but in various degrees for the Sanctifying of believers and conforming their hearts and lives to Christ in his humiliation patience self-denial meekness contempt of the world obedience c. till at last we be conformed to him in his Glory III. I have cleared the second point that there is an Eminent Gift of the Holy Ghost to be expected after our first Believing even such as ceased not with Miracles I now come to the third point which is That Ministerial Prayer with Laying on of hands was the Scripture-way for the giving of this Eminent gift of the Spirit For the understanding of this observe these things 1. How Sacraments and Investing signes conferre Grace 2. How the Spirit is given in Baptisme 3. How far God hath as it were tyed himself to Ordinances for conferring Grace 4. What proof the Scripture yields us of the Proposition 5. What aptitude there is in Ministerial Confirmation for the attainment of these ends 1. We find in Scripture that Sacraments are not appointed nor to be used according to the intent of the instituter for the conferring of that Grace which men have not in any degree already but they are 1. Partly a Solemn Investiture in that which before we had a Fundamental Right to as the Listing of a Souldiour or the solemnization of Marriage after a firm contract the Crowning of a King the delivering possession by a Key a twig or turf the Knighting a man by a sword c. This is as to Relative benefits and Right to Phycal benefits 2. And withal they are by actual excitation of Grace to Increase the Inherent Grace received and so to give us more All this is evident in Baptism it self where we are to receive both Remission of sinnes with right to Everlasting Life and also an increase of Grace in the Adult And yet no man at age is to come to Baptism to require it that is not a Penitent Believer already and consequently that hath not the beginning of special Saving Grace and somewhat of Christ and the Holy Ghost and title to forgiveness and Everlasting Life For he is under the promise that Whoesoever believeth shall not perish but have Everlasting Life and a Papist will grant that the Votum Baptismi may serve to his Sa●vation if he die without it And the case of Infants is the same as to these Mercies which are Necessary to their state of life Their Parents must be Believers before they Dedicate them to God and consequently the Child hath the Covenant right before it is sealed And it is ridiculous in the Papists to damn all Infants for want of Baptism and not the Aged and to make the Votum to serve for the Parent and yet not for his Child when yet the Parents Faith must serve to prove his Title to Baptism it self But to leave these Corrupters and Innovatours we see now what is to be expected by Confirmation Not that men that have no signes of Corroborating Grace should come thither first to receive it but that such as appear Initially Resolved Confirmed and Corroborated may be though not by a full and proper Sacrament yet Ministerially 1. Invested into the state of the Confirmed and their Priviledges which is a higher form in the Schoole of Christ 2. And may receive yet further Confirmation and Corroboration by Gods Approbation and Ordinance 2. But hath not Baptism done all this already seeing we are Baptized into the Name of the Holy Ghost This is our second Point to be resolved I Answer It is a great errour to think that Adult Persons that have nothing of the Holy Ghost may demand Baptism and that Baptism doth not give the Holy Ghost But yet it 's one thing to give the Holy Ghost in Relation and Fundamental Right and another thing to give the Graces of the Spirit and it 's one thing to seale and increase the Initial Special Grace of the Spirit and another thing to Invest in a stablishing degree And so it is evident that Baptism as such is appointed but for the two first That is 1. As we must have some Faith and Repentance before a person at age may come to Baptism and so must have Fundamental Right by promise to Christ and pardon and life so this is sealed in Baptism and we are solemnly Invested in it and our Grace excited for increase But it

Baptism was an Actuall Profession 9. The constant Practice of the Universal Church hath given us by infallible Tradition as full assurance of the order of Baptism and in particular of an Exprss Profession and Covenant then made as of any point that by the hands of the Church can be received by us 10. And it was in those daies a more notorious Profession to be so Baptized and to joyn in the holy Assemblies then now it is When the Profession of Christianity did hazard mens liberties estates and lives to be openly then Baptized upon Covenanting with God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and openly joyn with a hated persecuted sort of men was an eminent sort of Profession It being also usually Private in houses as separated from the main body of the people and not in publike places like ours where men are justly driven to come as leaners for instruction Moreover it 's said of all that were Baptized being then at Age that they first Believed And how could the Baptizers know that they believed but by their Profession Yea it 's said of Simon Magus that he Believed and was Baptized which though he might really have some historical Faith yet implyeth that he openly Professed more then he indeed had or else he had scarce been Baptized Which hath caused Interpreters to judge that by Faith is meant a Profession of Faith And if so then sure a Profession was still Necessary Yea Christ in his Commission directeth his Apostles to make Disciples and then Baptize them promising that he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved And who can tell whether a man be a Disciple a Believer or an Infidel but by his Profession How was it known but by their Profession that the Samaritans Believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ before they were Baptized both men and women Act. 8. 12. Philip caused the Eunuch to profess before he would Baptise him that he believed that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God which upon his teaching the rest did import the rest if it were not more fully as is likest Professed Act. 8 37 38. Saul had more then a bare Profession before Baptism Acts 9. 5 15 17. Cornelius and his company had a Profession and more for they had the Holy Ghost powred on them speaking with tongues and magnifying God that use of the gift of tongues imparting more then the gift it self Acts 10. 46. Yea the Spirit bid Peter Go and not doubt Acts 11. 12 And it was such a gift of the Spirit as caused the Apostles to conclude that God had granted the Gentiles Repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. How was it known but by their Profession Acts 11. 21. That that great number Believed and turned to the Lord And the Grace of God was such as Barnabas saw vers 23. And when Saul after his Baptism assayed to joyn himself to the Disciples at Jerusalem they so suspected him that they would not receive him till Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles and declared to them how God had dealt with him and how boldly at Damascus he had preached in the Name of Jesus which shews that they admitted not men to their Communion till their Profession seemed Credible to them For no doubt but Saul told them himself that he was a Believer before he was put to make use of the testimony of Barnabas The Converted Gentiles Acts 13. 48. shewed their Belief and gladness and openly glorified the Word of the Lord. How but by a Profession did it come to pass that the great multitude at Iconium both Jews and Greeks were known to be Believers Acts 14. 1. The same I may say of the Jaylour Acts 16. Who by works as well as words declared his Conversion And the Bereans Acts 17. 12. And the Athenians Acts 17. 34. And Crispus with the Corinthians Acts 18. 8. Acts 19. 18. The believing Ephesians Confessed and shewed their deeds and many of them burnt as many of their Books of ill Arts as came to fifty thousand pieces of silver In a word it is the standing Rule that If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousnes and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation He that bids us Receive him that is weak in the Faith but not to doubtfull disputations implieth that we must not receive them that Profess not at least a weak Faith Heb. 5. 6. 1 2 3. Shew that the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ were first laid as the Foundation before Baptism And who received those Principles could not be known but by a Profession To this let me adde that Poenitentiam age●e was judged by the Ancient Doctours the Repentance that was prerequisite to Baptism and that is A manifested professed Repentance Gods order is to the Adult first to send Preachers to proclaim the Gospel and when by that men are brought so farre as to Profess or manifest that their cies are opened and that they are turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God then must they be Baptized for the Remission of their sinnes and to receive the Inheritance among the Sanctified by Faith in Christ Acts 26. 17. 18. As their sinnes are not forgiven them till they are Converted Mark 4. 12. So they must not be Baptised for the forgiveness of sinnes till they Profess themselves Converted Seeing to the Church non esse non apparere is all one Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ is the summe of that Preaching that maketh Disciples Acts 20. 21. And therefore both these must by Profession seem to be received before any at age are Baptized If as many as are Baptized into Christ are Baptized into his death and are buried with him by Baptism into his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead so we also should walk in Newness of life Rom. 6. 4 5. Then no doubt but such as were to be Baptized did first Pro●ess this mortification and a consent to be buried and revived with Christ and to live to him in Newness of life For Paul was never so much for the Opus operatum above the Papsts as to think that the Baptizing of an Infidel might effect these high and excellent things And he that Professeth not Faith nor ever did is to the Church an Infidel In our Baptism we put off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ being buried with him and rising with him through Faith quickned with him and having all our trespasses forgiven Col. 3. 11 12 13. And will any man yea will Paul ascribe all this to those that did not so much as Profess the things signified or the necessary Condition Will Baptism in the judgment of a wise man do all this for

the Souls of our poor people are deluded and they are made believe that they are Christians when they are not and in a state of Salvation when it 's no such thing As Mr Thorndicke saith as aforecited No man is to be admitted to the Assemblies or visible societies of Christians till there be just presumption that he is of the Heavenly Jerusalem that is above And admitting to and excluding from the Church is or ought to be a just and Lawfull presumption of admitting to or excluding from Heaven It is morally and legally the same act that entitleth to Heaven and to the Church that maketh an heir of life Everlasting and a Christian And if so then what greater mischief can we do the Soul of an ungodly man then so to delude him by our admitting him into the Church and make him believe he is in a state of Salvation when it 's no such thing False faith and false hopes are the things that fill Hell and are the common undoing of the world And all that ever we can do is too little to cure it When I bend all my studies and labours but to make a wicked man know that he is wicked I cannot procure it I can make him believe that he is a sinner but not that he is an unconverted ungodly sinner and in a state of Condemnation O the power of blinding self-love that will not suffer them to see themselves miserable when they see themselves sinfull and all because they would not have it so when yet it 's most visible to others And shall we all joyne to strengthen this potent Enemy and lay this share and thrust men headlong into Hell that are running down-hill so fast already and all under pretence of Charity and Compassion 7. We shall put them by this means into a way not only of losing the fruit of Ordinances but of misapplying all to the increasing of their deceit When we preach Peace to the true believer the wicked will misapply it and say it belongs to them When we speak against the unbelievers and ungodly they 'l think that this is not their part but bless themselves because they are Christians In our praises they are tempted with the Pharisee to thank God and perhaps for mercies which they never had as Justification Adoption Sanctification c. The Sacraments by misapplication will confirm them in Presumption And thus as they enter by deceit among Adult-believers so will they turn all the Ordinances of God and the Priviledges of the Church to feed that deceit more effectuall then among the expectants it would have been 8. But the greatest mischief that troubleth me to think of is this that by this hastening and admitting all the unprepared into the Number of Adult-Christians and members of the Church we do either put a necessity upon our selves to throw away Church-discipline or else to be most probably the damnation of our peoples Souls and make them desperate and almost past all hope or remedy I must confess that what I am saying now I was not sensible of till lately that experience made me sensible While I medled not with Publike reproofs or censures I disputed of these things without that experience which I now find is one of the greatest helps to resolve such doubts which makes me bold to tell the Church that the Practice of so much Discipline as we are agreed in is a likelyer way to bring us all to agreement in the rest then all our Disputings will do without it And that I resolve hereafter to take that man for an incompetent Judge and unmeet Disputer about Church-discipline that never exercised it or lived where it was exercised And I shall hereafter suspect their judgments and be almost as loath to follow such as to follow a swimmer that never was before in the water or a Pilote that was never before at sea or a Souldiour that never saw warres before but have only learned their skill by the Book Our case stands thus If we take all our Parishes according to the old Church-constitution to be particular Churches and all the Parishiones to be members then either we must exercise the Discipline which Christ hath commanded or not If not then we disobey our Lord and Master and own such a Church as is utterly uncapable of Church-ends and consequently of the essence seeing that it is a Relative being For it 's supposed that it is not for any unusual accident that we cannot exercise this Discipline but from the very Church constitution or incapacity of the matter And then 1. We shall be Traitours to Christ under the name of Pastours if we will wilfully cast out his Ministerial Kingly Government 2. We shall betray the Church to licentiousness And 3. We shall set up a new Church-way which is contrary to that which hath been practised in all ages from the Apostles daies till Impiety had overspread the Christian world He that dare take on him to be an Overseer and Ruler of the Church and not to oversee and rule it and dare settle on such a Church-state as is uncapable of Discipline is so perfidious to Christ and ventureth so boldly to make the Church another thing that I am resolved not to be his follower But if we shall exercise the Discipline of Christ upon all in our ordinary Parishes what work shall we make I will tell you what work from so much experience as that no reasonings can any more perswade me to believe the contrary then that wormwood is not bitter or snow not cold 1. We shall have such a multitude to excommunicate or reject that it will make the sentence grow almost contemptible by the commonness 2. We shall so extreamly enrage the spirits of the people that we shall go in continual danger of our lives Among so many that are publikly reproved and cast out it 's two to one but some desperate villains will be studying revenge But all this is nothing but that which sticks upon my heart is this 3. We shall be the cruellest enemies to the Souls of our poor people in the world and put them the very next step to Hell For as soon as ever we have rejected them and cast them under publique shame they hate us to the heart and either will never heare us more or heare us with so much harted and malice or bitterness of spirit that they are never like to profit by us If you say that doubtless Discipline will have better fruits if it be an Ordinance of God I Answer 1. It 's no time now in the end of the world to question whether that be an Ordinance of God which Scripture speaks for so fully and so plainly and which the Catholike Church hath so long practised and that with such severity as it hath done 2. I know the Discipline is of excellent use and is likely to have excellent effects But upon whom Upon such as are fit to come under Discipline and with