Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A43045
|
The ministers office, the infants inheritance By James Harwood, B.D.
|
Harwood, James.
|
1659
(1659)
|
Wing H1099; ESTC R221283
|
28,474
|
108
|
begin at the leaft Novum Nomen a new name now christened you have two names the one is nomen naturae the other nomen gratiae commonly called Sirname Christen name But objected what am I bettered Much if thou have wit or grace thy two names put thee in minde of thy two natures and with Rebesca that there are two strugling within the womb of thy heart Nature and Grace Old Man New Man the Flesh the Spirit yea thy Sirname puts thee in minde of thy sinful Generation thy Christen Name of thy Spirituall Regenration by the Grace of our Lord Jesus thus whilest the one makes me fear the other puts me in hope whilest the one tells me I am of a sinful seed and to suffer and the other comforts me assuring me I am a Member of Christ Jesus 2. The second good got is recorded Gal. 3.27 I can assure you it is a very comfortable place and a spur to prick every Christian on to baptize their yong ones the words are these Ye who are baptized have put on Christ you are hapt with him as with a garment he is the Robe of Righteousness all over-spreading the late Biptized you are armed with his as with a coat of mail able to bear off all the fiery assualts of the devil Saith the Spouse in the Canticles I have put off how can I put on again Being baptized we put on Christ with a resolve never to put him off any more and it is this Church Cognizance whereby we are known to be of the Household of God The third good got is Admittance into Heaven and hence sayes our Saviour Except you be born again of Water and the Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Baptism of Water assures the Visible Church that you are made Members of Christs Congregation here the Baptisme of the Spirit when you are of ripe years asserts you shall be Members of the invisible Church hereafter our outward Baptisme ingrafts you into the Church Militant an Ordinance of Grace conducting to the Baptisme of the Spirit being an assurance you shall be admitted into the fellowship of the Church Triumphant if wilfully you sleight this 't is not probable how God will bestow upon you the other the laying hold on this Ordinance within humane reach puts me in hopes to attain that other onely conferred by the Divine Power when I scornfully neglect what proffered by Gods Church what hopes have I to attain that without which I cannot come to Gods Kingdom since you cannot enter into Gods Kingdom except you be born of Water and the Spirit let us use the water lest we deprive our selves of the hopes we have to acquire Gods Spirit The words recorded by the Evangelist are spoke to all of all Sexes Ages and since the major part are Younglings there being more children then men let not us disinherit so many Infants to humour a few Hereticks hinder not your children from Baptism for not having the perfect use of reason since we are unsure whether theelder believe but onely by professiion it were to be wished at one instant we might be baptized flumine flamine with water and the Spirit but the aged may receive the first want the latter Let us then who have prayed for the Infant that he may receive the latter not debar him from the former The Catholick Church way is a safe way to walk in and who so obstinately scorns Baptisme hath small hopes that the Spirit will land at the haven his heart nay 't is to be feared that he shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven As none in Rome could enter into the Temple of Honour but first went thorow the Temple of Vertue so none can be admitted into the Kingdom of glory but such who first have had admitttance into the Kingdom of grace And this Sacrament is the ordinary key which opens your children the door that they may enter in by and may rest assured this Water Baptisme takes away the mulct though not the guilt the blame though not the stain and that the Infant baptized who dies before it have usum rationis to sin with a free will shall certainly depart in peace to a place of immortal bliss whither God of his mercies send all of us And so I come to the sixth and last thing to be discust upon Whether it be lawful to baptize Infants in discoursing upon this controversie I shall first set down the Adversaries Arguments against Baptisme and by the help of my God the answer to every of them then give you my Reasons why Infants ought to be baptized lastly shew you the punishments have been enacted to be inflicted upon Anabaptists And because this age is desirous to read much in few lines therefore I will rather offer the courteous Reader matter then words and as much as I can match solidity and brevity both together and with the one win the ear of the more judicious and by the other prove my self not much to prejudice such as have high employments The Anabaptists the more hopefully to lay their foundation against Infants Baptisme have first cunningly gone about to prove rebaptizing lawful which Block I purpose to remove out of our way that so we may the better answer all they object against baptizing Infants To countenance their cause they labour to prove out of the Acts That those whom John baptized that had not heard of the Holy Ghost Paul again baptized To this hear what St. Augustine saith Discipulos Joannis iterum baptizatos fuisse non iterato Baptismate for as Philip Melancton saith Ioannis Baptismum The Baptisme of John was signum mortificationis Christi Baptismum signum vivificationis for to Christs was added condonatio peccatorum oportuit iterum baptizari qui Ioannis Baptismo loti erant quo certi essent se jam consecutos esse remissionem peccatorum To Christs Baptism was added remission of sin and it was most might and right for those who were washed with Iohns Baptisme to receive also Christs Baptism that so they might be ensured of remission of sin by being baptized into the Faith of our Lord Jesus The Anabaptist let him produce any so baptized by Iohn and we shall not refuse them Christs Baptism till such a one be produced this Argument must be shouldered out We have not now to do either with the Novatians who were admitted into the Church without any new Baptism or yet with the Hereticks sprung from the corrupt lungs of Samosatenus who were excluded from being members of the Church Catholick till anew baptized because they denied Fundamentalls but with Anabaptists who will allow no Infant to be baptized and yet this Heresie the very Hereticks called the Donatists and Pelagians cried down It is at least a thousand years since this execrable Tenet sprang up and the new Fomenters of it in Germany were Nicholas Stock Iohn of Leiden and Knipperdolin but now it is ferried over into England
Bellarmine for sayes he The seven Vertues the seven capital Sins the seven Planets the seven Defects the seven golden Candlesticks the seven Seals the seven Trumpets the seven Angels blaze there are seven Sacraments I wonder they forgat the woman in Rev. 17.3 with her seven Heads But if this plea were satisfactory I could likewise countenace the number of two with two Tables two Testaments two Trumpets two Swords two Witnesses but this is childishness That these are two Sacraments it is confessed by our adversaries that these two are all is justified by us of the Reformed Churches and proved by Gods word 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. And we have the unity of the Fathers St. Jerome St. Ambrose St. Angustine all averring two onely and necessary to salvation The fountain out of which they did flow was Christs side when he swet water and blood These two Gospel Sacraments he left us instead of the two Sacraments under the Law the one we once recieve the other oft Baptisme presently after our birth the Lords Supper when we come to maturity or full growth and as the childe is once born but must oft eat so we are baptized but once oftentimes feed upon the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus Having spoken upon these two Sacraments conjunction now give me leave to speak upon this Sacrament of Baptisme disjunction single by it self And since it belongs to my Office to baptize I think it very fit to let you know what is Baptisme Secondly what is covenanted at it Thirdly why the Church requires Sureties Fourthly why commonly administered at the Church door Fifthly whether absolutely needful Sixthly what good got by it Lastly whether lawful to baptize Children And of every of these a word and but a word till we come to the last so much controverted And first of the first I take Baptism to be primum novi foeder is Sacramentum in quo elect is in Dei familiam receptis externae aquae aspersione peccatorum remissio regeneratio per sanguinem Christi Spiritum sanctum obsignatur Baptism is the Seal set to the New Covenant whereby we being received into Gods Houshold by the washing of water have sealed unto us by Christ and his Holy Spirit Remission of our sins and Regeneration The Word of God is Gods hand writing which he passes to ensure us we shall be saved and this Sacrament is his Seal what would you have more then hand and seal O this Sacrament seals our pardon and ensures us heaven yea it is the general Tenet of the Catholique Church That no Christians childe baptized dying before it come ad usum rationis was ever damned but of this suo proprioloco in its properplace The next thing to be considered is what covenanted when the child is baptized know it this is the good the adulti which those of ripe years get by staying out the Administration of this Blessed Sacrament O! it puts you in minde what covenanted when you were Christened I will give you it in my Common Prayer Books Language and the rather Because I dearly love it neither care I who know it At you Baptism you covenant to forsake the Devil and all his Works the vain Pomp and Glory of the World with all covetous desires of the same the carnal desires of the flesh so that you will not follow nor be led by them in one word you promise to forsake the world Flesh and Devil to leave being at the command of those three and be obedient unto the other three Father Son Holy Ghost but why will not the Anabaptists suffer their new born children by their Sureties to make this holy League with God Is it because that as their fathers have made a league with Hell Death and the Devil freely giving themselves over to a reprobate sense to work all maner of wickedness with greediness so their children being kept from Christendom as being free from the Tripertire Bond in Baptism might more swiftly run to the devil after them the contempt of this Head of Christs Ordinance and the practice of the Church Catholick imbitters my charity towards them while they show so little love to their young ones Know this for certainty how that Gods Ordinance is a Teacher which stints us from running into gross sin which as Infants while Infants are uncapable to commit so after their mature age as oft receiving lifts up their hearts from earth to heaven so this bond past in Baptisme and their calling to minde their solemn Covenant past at Font draws them from the love of the world to love our Lord God who made the world and our Lord Jesus who died for our sins and rose for our righteousness The third thing to be enquired after is why the Church but we are grown in this age wiser then the Church why the Church appoints Sureties at the Font and three at the least 1. For that the Infant is to pass promise by the three Sureties to forsake three the World Flesh and Devil 2. To make the baptized coming to years of discretion have more care to hold promise with God 3. That if Parents were neglecting among so many some might have a care of the Bond past to God in Baptism 4. To rub up our memories and put us in minde how man is more likely to break Bond with God then man with man and therefore in common Contracts there are no more then the Principal and two Sureties but at the Christening the Principal the Baptized and three Sureties and to countenance this commendable custom the Council of Mentz in the ninth Century ordained Godfathers to be and to attend and see that their spiritual children be brought up in the true Faith 4. And now in the fourth place These Sureties of the Baptized Infant commonly stand over against the Church Door and there this Sacrament of Baptisme usually is administred O! our Mother the Church there set the Font that you may know how Baptism is the Door lets us into Gods Church by it we enter in into our Masters House the Church Militant 5. But not in the fifth place it is enquired whether Baptism be of absolute necessity To this I answer No for we have this Sacrament instead of Circumcision enjoyned by the Lord not to be administred till the eighth day and I am confident that as all the children which died before the eighth day were not damned no more those who dye unbaptized but I will end with Saint Bernard who saith Non privatio sed contemptus damnat it is not the want but contempt that damns the default being in the Parents let them fear the punishment and since the neglect is dangerous let us be sure that there be no defect in us but let us bring our young to be washed in this Jordan 6. And so I come to the sixth thing considerable viz. What good is got by Baptism ne parum quidem yet we will