Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	blood_n	water_n	witness_n	7,183	5	9.0325	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37493	Baptismōn didachē, or, The doctrine of baptisms reduced from its ancient and modern corruptions and restored to its primitive soundness and integrity, according to the word of truth, the substance of faith & the nature of Christ's kingdom / by William Dell ...	Dell, William, d. 1664.	1697 (1697)	Wing D916; ESTC R37724	22,953	73

Spirit and the Servant to the Son So that Christ's Baptism put an end to Iohn's Free-Baptism to Water-Baptism and Spirit-Baptism to Creature-Baptism For as all the Prophets were until Iohn so Iohn was until Christ and Iohn must no more exceed his bounds than Moses and the Prophets theirs but as the Prophets gave up to Iohn so Iohn must give up to Christ. Iohn's Temporary Ministry had a Temporary Baptism but the Everlasting Gospel which is that Word in our Flesh hath an Everlasting Baptism which is the pouring out of the Spirit So then Iohn being a Servant and Forerunner of Christ Christ was not to take up his Baptism but Iohn was to resign up his Baptism to Christ yea and as a Servant to deliver up all things into his hands as Heir and Lord And so Iohn's VVater-Baptism was to last but till Christ's Fire-Baptism should come in and then the Fire should lick up the VVater and as Spirit Baptism should increase VVater-Baptism should decrease So that Iohn's Baptism or VVater-Baptism which is all one belongs not to Christ's Kingdom which is a Kingdom not of the Letter but of the Spirit not of Signs and Shadows but of the Truth And therefore we leave it where we found it even without the bounds and reach of Christ's Kingdom For Iohn's Office and Baptism reached unto Christ's Kingdom but hath no place in it and to bring Signs and Ceremonies into the Kingdom of Truth is if rightly understood to act against Christ Glorified Object But some will say This is strange indeed that Water-Baptism should have no place in the Kingdom of Christ And therefore pray stay a little for we have many things to object against it Object 1. Why this would rob us of our Christendom I Answ. No For it was not Water but Spirit Baptism that makes us Christians and Water-Baptism hath been an unlawful blending or mixing of the Church and World together so that hitherto they could not be well differenced from each other to the great prejudice of the Congregations of Christ. Object 2. But have so many Ages erred that have used Water-Baptism Answ. For the Errors of former Ages and their great mistakes in many of the Truths of God I have nothing to say but that of the Apostle How unsearchable are his Iudgments and his Ways past finding out 3. Object But you are the first Men for ought we know that ever opposed it Answ. One single mean Man with the Word may very justly and lawfully Contradict the whole World without it Truth is not to be Judged by Multitudes or an Unity but by the Word 4. Object But Christ himself was Baptized with Water and surely that perpetuates it in the Church Answ. Christ's being Baptized with Water under Iohn no more perpetuates Water-Baptism in the Christian Church than his being Circumcised under Moses perpetuates Circumcision in the Christian Church or his submitting to other Mosaical Ceremonies perpetuates them Christ brings no Temporal or Carnal thing into his Everlasting or Spiritual Kingdom though himself submitted to them under their several Dispensations in the season of them 5. Object But Christ Iustifies and Commands Water-Baptism in John 3. Except a Man be born of Water c. And Mat. 28. Teach and Baptize Answ. I confess these are places that many have mistaken to justifie the practice of Water-Baptism but I shall shew you that they do indeed misunderstand them For that first place Iohn 3. 5. Except a Man be born 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God I confess many of the Ancients have by Water here understood Material Water and have interpreted the place of External Baptism which was Iohn's only And hereupon divers of them have exceedingly magnified Water and ascribed it to the Washing of Souls and the Regeneration of Christians in some measure they not considering in the mean time what Christ saith in the very next Verse That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit by which they might have learned that outward and corporal Water can do nothing but outward and corporal things and can contribute nothing to the cleansing of Souls and Consciences from Sin So that this place cannot be understood of Corporeal Water and I could produce the Testimonies of many Godly Men of good Note to this purpose but do forbear because I would not have our Faith built upon the Authorities of Men but the thing is evident from the Text it self for it saith Except a Man be born of VVater which shews the VVater he speaks of must be such as is able to give a new Birth and to make a Man a new that is a Spiritual Holy Heavenly Creature and no VVater can do this but the Spirit and therefore Christ adds to VVater the Spirit by way of explication as if he had said No Man can enter into the Kingdom of God except he be born again of Water but the Water I speak of is no Material VVater but the Spirit which is able to produce in us a Heavenly Nature through which only we can have an entrance into a Heavenly Kingdom seeing Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God so that the Water Christ means in this place is the Spirit And many other places give witness to this Iohn 4. 10. If thou didst know who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou woudst have asked of him and he would have given thee Living Water And Verse 13 14. Iesus said unto her Whosoever drinks of this Water meaning the Water of the Well called Iacobs Well shall thirst again but whosoever shall drink of the Water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of Water springing up unto Everlasting Life and John 7. 37 38. Iesus stood and cried saying If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water but this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive Now by Water in all these places is not meant Material Water but the Spirit as Christ himself explicates and sure his Testimony alone is sufficient But again if in this place Except a Man be born of Water and Spirit you will needs understand Material Water why then upon the same ground you must needs understand that place in Matthew of Material Fire where it is said Mat. 3. 11. He shall Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire which is absurd to very reason to think But Water and Fire in each place added to the Spirit shew only the Efficacy of the Spirit and so you may as well bring in the use of Material Fire in Baptism from the Text in Mat. as of Material Water from the Text in Iohn So that this place in Iohn

shall put an end to my Water-Baptism And therefore Paul as you have heard after he had used this Baptism twice or thrice quite for bore it and yet planted many Churches of Christ and probably by degrees did other Apostles too for they knew that Christ's Baptism included Iohn's and was fully sufficient of it self without it and therefore we find Paul teaching in Christ's Kingdom but One Baptism and this the Baptism of the Spirit Eph. 4. from which the Church of the New Testament both Iews and Gentiles was to take its beginning and not from outward Elements or Water washing Wherefore seeing these things are so the Anabaptists have extreamly mistaken who have made their Water washing so Essential a work of the New Testament that they would neither hear the Word nor have Christian Communion with any one that was not so washed yea though they were convinced touching them that they had received the Spirit This I say hath been the great Error of very many honest and well-meaning People through misunderstanding the Word to make washing with material Water so necessary a thing in Spiritual Worship yea and more Essential to the Communion of Saints than the very Spirit it self whom I do not therefore Iudge but Pity And this much for Water-Baptism which was Iohn's and belonged only to that middle Ministry betwixt the Prophets and Christ. Now the other Baptism I am to speak of is Christ's which is Spirit or Fire-Baptism and this is the one and only Baptism of the New Testament as we find Paul affirming Eph. 4. 6. where he saith that in Christ's Kingdom where is but one Body and one Spirit and one Hope of our Calling and one Lord and one Faith there is also but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Baptism and this is the Baptism of the Spirit as the Apostle elsewhere shews saying 1 Cor. 12 13. For by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body and have been made all to drink into one Spirit Now this Spirit Baptism did not go along with Iohn's Water-Baptism but followed it about four Years after as you have heard and as appears by the forementioned place of Christ Act. 1. 5. where he tells his Disciples saying Iohn verily Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence and this Promise of Christ and of the Father was fulfilled at the day of Pentecost when the Apostles being all met together there came a Sound from Heaven as of a mighty rushing Wind and it filled the House where they were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven Tongues like as of Fire and it sate upon each of them and they were all filled with the Spirit Here was the first beginning of Christ's or Spirit-Baptism for it began not till after the Ascension of Christ into Heaven and his sitting down on the Throne of God and Iohn the Apostle also witnesses to this Chap. 7. saying The Spirit was not yet given because Christ was not yet Glorified but as soon as he was Glorified then did he begin to Baptize with the Spirit not the Apostles only but also the Iews and Gentiles and all sorts of People that did believe in his Name through the Word of the Gospel So that then Christ's Baptism began to take place and to prevail as you may see Acts 8. When the Apostl●s that were at Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the Word of God by the Preaching of Philip they sent unto them Peter and John who when they were come down Prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit for as yet he was fallen on none of them only saith the Text they were Baptized in the Name of the Lord Iesus i. e. they had only been Baptized with Iohn's Baptism who only Baptized with Water saying that they should believe on Christ that was to come after For Iohn's Baptism was yet usual inasmuch as Christ's Bap●ism was but new begun Then did the Apostles lay their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit So that here now was the Progress of Spirit-Baptism And after when Peter Preached to Cornelius and his Family and Friends the Holy Spirit fell upon them Act. 10. And Peter gives this account to those of the Circumcision at Ierusalem Act. 11. 15. And as I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell on them as on us at the beginning then remembred I the Word of the Lord how that he said John indeed Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Spirit So that Peter evidently declares the gift of the Spirit by the Ministry of the Gospel to be the Baptism of Christ or the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire which Christ promised at his Ascension into Heaven And this is the only Baptism wherein all the Church of the New Testament are to partake with Christ I say not the Baptism of Water but of the Spirit He and we drinking into one Spirit and the same Spirit descending on Us as did on Him The pouring out of the Spirit on the Flesh of Christ was his New Testament Baptism and it is ours too and all our true and sound comfort and happiness lies in this that we are Baptized with the same Spirit that He was for it would be as little Spiritual Comfort to be dipped in the same VVater with Christ as to eat with him at the same Table or to drink with him in the same Cup or to go along with him in the same Ship as Iudas did and divers of the unbelieving Iews but to drink with him in one Spirit is to partake of one Flesh with him and to be one Christ with him and this is a Comfort indeed Now the Outward Instrument of Christ's or Spirit-Baptism is not Material Water but the VVord as Christ shews Mat. 28. where he saith Teach and Baptize shewing that Teaching the VVord is the outward means of Baptizing with the Spirit And again Iohn 17. Now are you clean through the Word not which Moses but which I have spoken to you and therefore is the Gospel called the Ministration of the Spirit because it proceeds from the Spirit and Communicates the Spirit and Christ Baptizes with the Spirit thro' the Ministration of the Spirit which is the Preaching of the Gospel and Eph. 5. 26. Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the washing of Water by the Word that is Christ cleanses his Church by such a washing of VVater as is brought about by the VVord and the VVater with which the VVord washes in the Spirit for by the VVord the Spirit is given and the VVord cleanses by the Spirit and the Spirit by the VVord And therefore it is also said 1 Cor. 7. 1. Having these Promises Let us cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit From all this it appears that Spirit-Baptism is not to be performed by Water but by the