Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A38779
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The voice of King Charls the father to Charls the son, and the bride say come being an invitation of King Charls to come in peaceably and be reconciled to his father's minde and shewing the integrity of His Highness Oliver Cromwel ... / by Arise Evans.
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Evans, Arise, b. 1607.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing E3471; ESTC R26694
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43,143
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81
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upon their own score And now let us see whether their then practice was agreeable to the Scripture delivered to us by Christ his Apostles I have delivered seven Arguments grounded upon the Gospel for the defence of Infant-baptism which are so invincible that I believe all the Ana baptists are not able in so few words to answer them which Arguments you shall finde in my book called The Eccho to the Voice from Heaven besides it is evident that the promise is aswel to their children as to the believing parents Act. 2. 39. and therefore the Apostles upon the confession of a master or head of a family baptized all persons both great and small in the house Act. 10. 33 47 48. Act. 16. 14 15 30 31 32 33. according to the saying of our Saviour to Zacheus Luke 19. 9. Salvation is come to this house that is to all in this house both great and small Infants being not excepted nor exempted for our Saviour counts them the purest Luk. 18. 15 16 17. Now to prove that Infants were baptized by their sureties or upon their account some Authors do ground it upon the command of God Isa. 8. 1 2 3. and the example Luk. 1. 57 58 59. These types indeed being well considered are very forcible and a sufficient warrant for it and the Apostles command bindes us to do it saying Rom. 15. 1. We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak And again Gal. 6. 2. Bear ye one anothers burthens and so fulfil the law of Christ Infants are most weak and we ought in charity to help them in what concerns their souls as we do in what concerns their bodies All by nature are born children of wrath Eph. 2. 1 3. that Infants are not onely dead in sins and trespasses but are also so dead that they know not wherefore they are plunged in water-baptism they know not what their washing signifieth though indeed they have Faith in Christ Mat. 18 6. and a dependency upon the supream power that brought them forth into the world far above that of the young Ravens which cry to God for their sustenance Job 38. 41. Psal. 147. 9. yet Infants are not capable of entring into atonement with God through Christ in baptism and if without it they depart this life they cannot be saved Mar. 16. 16. Jahn 3. 5. Therefore in charity we ought to help them and be sureties for them until they come to age Now Infants being dead in regard of original sin and in regard of speech and understanding what Baptism is 1 Cor. 14. 20. in the Apostles time there were some that did answer for them and perform that part in Baptism for them which they themselves being unable could not do and this is clear by the Apostles words 1 Cor. 15. 29. Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead that is if Infants do not awake to live righteously that God may be all in all their sureties must answer for it 1 Cor. 15. 28 34. and by these dead ones here is meant Infants for to what purpose shall any be baptized for them that are corporally dead as if that would raise them again And therefore the Church of England is right in this point for in the book of Common-prayer the question is not put to the Infant but to the suretie saying wilt thou be baptized in this Faith the surtie answereth That is my desire so that accordingly the surtie is more properly said to be baptized then the Infant though all is for the Infant's sake and the Infant if he by his washing perform the external part in Baptism that is all and that is but the ouside of it as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 3. 21. For Re-baptizing also you shall finde that it was put in practise in the Apostles time Act. 19. 1 2 3 4 5 6. for them Disciples being found ignorant were baptized again and if you compare Act. 10. 47 48. with Act. 19. 5. you finde they were baptized with water and to clear it further saith he Tit. 3. 5. He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Hence I conclude that here he spake of Re-baptizing mark the words regeneration and renewing it signifieth to make an old thing new again and as the renewing of a covenant cannot be done to him that never was in covenant nor can you renew your friendship with him that never was you friend so the renewing of baptism here intimated cannot be said to be done to them that never were baptized and it must needs argue from this place Tit. 3. 5. that in some measure when they were Infants they had baptism and that now being defiled by the sins of their youths they were rebaptized washed and had the Spirit renewed on them again and as David after he went in to Uriah's wife and by sin defiled his holy Spirit he desired God to wash him and to renew a right spirit within him Psa. 51. 2 7 10 11. yet David then had the holy Spirit though in a weak measure because of his sin therefore he desireth God not to take his holy Spirit from him but to wash him and renew the holy spirit he had by giving him a greater measure of the same spirit so in like manner them now that are rebaptized should not despise the holy spirit which they received in their Infant-baptism but with David desire God to renew that holy Spirit within them by giving them a greater measure of the same spirit Again from these Texts Heb. 10. 22. 1 Pet. 3. 21. we must needs understand the rebaptizing for how can Infants be said to come to baptism with full assurance of faith having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and their bodies washed with pure water whereas Infants understand not what conscience is and how can they have the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ seeing they are not able to know these things surely this baptism meant here is not to Infants but it belongs to them that are of ripe age to receive it And therefore from hence it is evident that those who are to be saved notwithstanding their baptism in their infancy ought to be baptized again As for them that died in the former times of ignorance which God winked at Act. 17. 30. doubtless God was merciful to them but now it will be required if you refuse rebaptizing for Infant-baptism is but as that of John which is appointed to prepare a people for the Lord and truely the holy Ghost is in some measure in John's baptism for our Saviour had the holy Ghost descended on him at his baptism Mat. 3. 16. but the fulness of all is in Christ's baptism who had not the spirit by measure John 3. 34. And St. Augustine understood it thus for speaking to God as if
not these men but I hate the evil Spirit that is in them and loving them I discover their wickedness if so be by it they come to repent and amend for a flock of Geese teacheth better doctrine then such men do And if you observe their goings their chief going before the rest following with their mutual chattering without division you shall finde that in all their wayes there is better order among the Geese then Withers Lily and Walker would have to be among men in the World Therefore God is pleased to judge such rebellious men by those Creatures which we count most foolish as we commonly say of one that is silly He hath no more wit then a Goose speaking as if a Goose had no wit but one Goose hath more wit then them three The Author's judgement touching Baptism BUt why do I trouble my self with these men it is onely to warn them to repent and to warn you not to believe such seducing Spirits that would divide the head from the body in Churches Kingdoms and Families for the end of my discourse is to bring all men to godliness order and unity under one visible Head or King as Jesus Christ hath said John 10. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 13. And now I must tell you That through the darkness which came upon the Church some hundred yeers agoe by reason when the corrupted Clergy who were without conscience or honesty got the power and records of antiquity into their own hands they destroyed Records which shewed the ancient Apostolical Custome of the Church that they might put upon us such a seeming Divine Law as pleased them and made most for their lazy ends and profits and through the malice and subtilty of the Serpent wrought much mischief by the corruption of the Popish Clergy for the destruction of mankinde yet unawares to them God hath reserved so much of the Records as clearly confuteth their practice in the Fundamental Point of our Religion even Baptism about which controversie begotten by the laziness of the Clergy many thousands lost their lives and themselves will come to ruine I finde that though Infants were baptized in old times by their sureties undertaking for them or christened which is a more proper word for them as I shall make it appear by St. Augustines own confession yet I finde that that which now we call confirmation or bishoping by the ancients was called The Baptism but our late Prelates being Lordly minded though they unjustly raised their hire above their Predecessors yet thought it too much labour and abasement for such as they were to baptize their flock again in Water being content to let that stand for Baptism which they received in their Infancy and onely to lay their hands upon them using a few words over them and so let them go making as though they could create a new Sacrament without its Element which properly is Water which is as if they should invite men unto the Communion-Table and then use the same Words as if they gave them Bread and Wine but give them nothing or just as Saint James saith Jam. 2. 13 14. If one see a man naked and destitute of daily food and say unto him Depart in peace be thou warmed and filled yet he gives him neither clothing nor meat and what is the poor man the better for his good words so your bishoping in like manner was unprofitable and the people finding it so did not esteem it nor did they care whether they had it or not for without Water it was but a starving of their souls And if the Bishops being ancient durst not for fear of danger go down into the water they might have commanded others to baptize the people Act. 8. 14 15 16 17. Act. 10. 48. Jeremiah fore-seeing the darkness that came upon the Church sends us to seek the good old way and bids us walk in it saying Then we should finde rest to our souls Jer. 6. 16. And when the Church had lost the way of Christs worship she enquir'd of him how she should come to his Saints rest he answereth her saying If she knew not the way to finde out their rest she must follow their foot-steps and so come to finde out their rest Cant. 1. 7 8. and this method is taker from shepherds which in time of snow finde out their sheep by following their foot-steps Therefore I say we must search the Scripture withal because we cannot agree in the understanding the Scripture for to help our understanding we must take notice how the Church did walk in those ages after the Apostles time when it came to its highest perfection by so doing we shall rightly understand the meaning of the Scripture which is the Apostolical rule of worship And I finde that Saint Augustine mistrusting the knavery of the Clergy that should follow in his discourse by God's providence did hide some things in secret which secret being now opened may shew us what they then did in what is most considerable and greatest in question now among us for so you shall finde it in the matter of Baptism if you observe Saint Augustine Confession 1 lib. chap. 11. saith he speaking of his Christening I was then signed with the sign of his cross and seasoned with his salt so soon as I came out of my mothers womb Whence it is clear this was his Infant-Baptism for you shall finde in the same Chapter that being come to some discretion and falling sick how earnest he was to have Christ's Baptism and speaking of Pontitianus Confession 8 lib. chap. 6. saith he He was both a Christian and baptized too Hence you may draw this conclusion that then they were called Christians from their Christening in their Infancy but not baptized Christians until they were manifest Believers and that they were baptized by their own consent and their Baptism was in those times deferred until men came to sobriety and that the heat of youthful lust and sin was almost overcome and commonly until they were married otherwayes though they were never so learned except they believed and were tempered or were in dying they were not admitted to have it as you may see if you will read and observe Saint Augustine's Confessions and the Rubrick that goeth before the Baptism in the book of Common prayer you shall finde that they say that in the old time the people were baptized at Easter or Whitsuntide and at no time in the yeer besides and if we compare this with Saint Augustine this must needs be their rebaptizing for Infants were not kept so long without it as you see by St. Augustine and see he was rebaptized at Easter and I am sure he was then about 30 yeers of age for he had a son was then 15. Confes. 9 lib. chap. 6. Here it is clear that the ancient Church though they baptized or christned their Infants by their sureties yet after they came to be men then they were baptized