Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	son_n	true_a	9,981	5	5.4328	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46634	A vindication of that part of Spira's despair revived which is challenged by the Anabaptists, and shamefully callumniated by John Wells, a Baptist preacher : wherein also some things are handled relating to infant baptism and dipping in baptism : particularly it is evinced that dipping is not essential to the sacrament of baptism / by Thomas James, author of Spira's despair revived.	James, Thomas.; James, Thomas. Spira's despair revived.	1695 (1695)	Wing J437; ESTC R32366	32,972	42

and cry out That I will give no Proofs or Satisfaction I appeal to those few present at that time when they attended me to use Mr. Well's own Words p. 9. after the publishing my Book I appeal I say to the Consciences of their Three Teachers whether I did not name several guilty of the things I laid to their Charge But to clear all at once and to satisfie their longing desires so far as is any ways meet and ●it of assigning Persons both those who were troubled and almost distracted by the Anabaptists urging it upon them to be Dipp'd as ever they hoped to go to Heaven and be saved and those who did trouble them laying this mighty stress upon Dipping I say to put an end to all that I may clear my self and shew how able I am every way to vindicate my self from the foul Slanders cast on me and to make my Charge good to a tittle let Mr. Wells know that I have several Depositions of Persons by me which fully prove the matter in Hand subscribed freely and which will be readi●y attested and solemnly upon just occasion Behold one in Form ●s I have it by me with so me others I N. N. do own and testifie That N. N. hath divers times and to my great Vexation and disquietude urged me to be Dipped setting forth the absolute necessity thereof to Salvation inveighing against those who practised Infant Baptism as Antichristian and urging me to be Dipped as ever I expected to enter into the Kingdom of God Witness my Hand N. N. But alas should I go about to lay open the Practises of the Anabaptists about us and reveal what many poor weak Christians have told me with great bitterness of Spirit how burthensome their very Life was to them by reason of their importunate Sollicitations to bring them to be dipped and their Desperate Speeches striking an Horrour into their Minds vexing their Souls continually it would I doubt sound very strange to many Readers But so it is in truth and yet forsooth these Persons would fain be counted innocent and cry out of the wrong I have done them One instance I cannot but produce and that a little largely it being so material and I am glad as the Case is to take the opportunity to let the World know it and judge thereof And because Mr. Wells hath sprinkled here and there a little of the point of Controversie and his Ashford Friends make advantage of his Reply such as it is to scatter their Books among us and surely the like was never known for to this Book of his they have tack'd another stitch'd them together yea and more than so at the end of his Reply there are these few Lines Printed to couple them together And as to the point of Baptism we refer that to the following Treatise formerly written by another Hand intituled The Reason why c. Good Mr. Wells why did you not send me a perfect Copy But I suppose you thought I should hardly be caught with your Chaff and therefore a few Books were provided for my self and such as could better judge what was written Truly this was civilly done not to trouble me with any more Books than your own and now it seems I have nothing to do to answer any thing but your Reply this is a kindness I acknowledge I say because Mr. Wells hath scattered up and down somewhat of Controversie I think it convenient to give a touch or two to the same to prevent Mistakes and Error and to send forth an Antidote for others as well as a Vindication for my self The instance by which I take occasion to write this was this A Woman aged near Forty Years came to me to be baptized Upon instructing her in the Principles of Christian Religion and her answering to such Questions about the same as seemed to me necessary first having consulted the Practice of other Churches in like Cases and professing her Faith and Repentance I baptized her on a Lord's Day in the Evening before the Communicants Now quickly upon her being so baptized the matter being noised abroad she was set upon by the Anabaptists even as I have represented the too common Practice of some of them and one of them in their Communion which they cannot disown did exceedingly perplex this poor Woman with Questions and Cavillings asking her what Faith she had in what was done and speaking against it as no Baptism seeing she was not dipped This really disturbed her so that she lamented it to me not that she was unsetled or believed them but because they followed her with such Discourses giving her no rest Yea at the very time of writing this which is now about two Years since her being so baptized the Design is carried on very busily to proselite her She declares to me how she is continually disquieted by that Party she now tells it me with Tears that she is wearied by them and hath desired them to let her rest being well satisfied in her Baptism But that which is yet more considerable is this At the time when those three Teachers were with me about about my Book among others whom they press'd me to name and instance in I named this Woman and represented the Evil of this Practice in going about thus to disquiet a poor weak Woman who was baptized so authentickly as one would think all Christians should allow being an adult Person having profess'd her Faith and Repentance before the Administration of the Sacrament Hereupon one of them had the confidence to tell me it was indeed no Baptism Monstrous Doctrine What will become of Christians at this rate and what hope can Millions have to whom it hath been applied in any other way than that of the Baptists What can a Mode destroy the Essence of the Ordinance and shall the Application of Water in a less quantity render it altogether ineffectual and destroy its end and efficacy When the Name of the true God Father Son and Holy Ghost is put upon the Person and the true Element of Water is used and the principal end of its application signified which is washing the Soul with Christ's Blood and purifying it by the blessed Spirit and all is done by a Minister ordained to that Office Is not this Baptism O but she was not dipped and that is Baptism and that only Poor ignorant confident Men thus to cavil The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chosen by Christ and the Holy Ghost doth signifie to wash as well as to dip it signifies a washing with Water not only a total immersion but a partial not only a Dipping but other applications of Water to wash Yea it is certain that some of those diverse Washings under the Law spoken of by the Apostle Heb. 9. 10. which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were not total immersions but partial of one par● of the Body and another and even Sprinklings as at the Consecration of the Levites Numb 8. 5 6