Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	gospel_n	truth_n	word_n	5,260	5	4.1874	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91973	Pædo-baptisme: or, the baptizing of infants justified: by the judgement and practice of ancient and moderne Protestant divines, both foraine, and of this nation: clearly proving the absolute necessity of baptizing infants, from the authority of sacred scripture and the force of undeniable reason. Together with an excellent letter of Mr. John Philpots to the same purpose. / Collected by Robert Ram, minister of Spalding in Lincolnshire. Published by authority.	Ram, Robert, d. 1657.; Philpot, John, 1516-1555.	1645 (1645)	Wing R194; Thomason E276_12; ESTC R209870	23,751	33

and unchangeable love to his elect 2. The occasion of the covenant the same as mans misery by his fall in the loynes of Adam of which this covenant of grace is a pregnant and mercifull remedy 3. The Author is the same as God gracious mercifull slow to anger pardoning iniquity c. 4. The thing promised is the same as Christ the redeemer and Saviour of mankind 5. The spirituall efficacy of the Ordinances the same as the mortification of the flesh and the renewing of the creature to Gods Image in Jesus Christ 6. The subjects the same as a people in covenant with God to yeeld obedience to the faith 7. The end cujus the same as the glory of Gods mercy to his elect and the unexcuse of the reprobate 8. Finally the end cui the same as good workes here in this life and the immortality of the soule and eternall blessednesse in the life to come In another place concerning the baptizing of all without difference he saith That though divers borne within the Church are reprobates yet as they come one and one unto us we cannot say that this or that child is a reprobate he may be an elect vessell for ought we know And the adequate end of baptisme administred is not salvation of the baptized The glory of God is the principall end namely the glory of Gods singular mercy in the salvation of his elect and the glory of Gods justice in the unexcuse of the reprobate As all outward ministrations in the Church serve for the glory of Gods mercy and justice We put them all under the initiall seale of the gospell that they may be made subject to the gospell and be judged by the gospell Wynells covenants plea for Infants Next to the arguments drawne from expresse testimony of Scripture for the baptizing of children Dr. Featley we have a most forcible argument drawne from the consent of the universall Church testified by their constant practice of admitting children to baptisme even from the Apostles daies unto this present This argument if it be well weighed is of very great moment and may convince the conscience of any ingenuous Christian For no Christian doubteth but that the Apostles were inspired by the holy Ghost and Christ promised his Spirit to lead his Church into all truth which promise he hath hitherto made good in such sort that it cannot be proved that ever the whole Church of Christ universally erred it is true particular Churches have erred and may erre and generall Councels which the Schooles terme the representative Church are subject to error and have sometimes decreed heresie and falshood for truth but the formall Church as they speake that is all the assemblies of Christians in the world cannot be impeached with error at any time whence I thus frame my argument That which the Apostles in their daies began and the whole Christian Church scattered over the face of the whole earth hath continued in all ages and all Countries where Christianity hath been and is professed cannot be an erroneous practise But the Catholike Christian Church in all places and ages even from the Apostles times hath admitted the children of faithfull parents to holy baptisme Ergo the practise of christening children cannot be erroneous or unwarrantable as the Anabaptists teach Featly Disputation with Anab. pag. 19. Confessions of Reformed Churches for Baptizing of Infants Helvetian WE condemne the Anabaptists who deny young infants born of faithfull parents to be admitted to baptisme for according to the doctrine of the Gospell theirs is the Kingdome of God and they are within the covenant of God why therefore should not the signe of the covenant of God be given unto them why should they not be initiated by holy baptisme that are Gods peculiar and within his Church The Helvetian confession cap. 20. Belgick Certainly Christ shed his blood that he might no lesse wash infants of faithfull parents then those of yeeres and therefore it is requisite they should also receive the signe or Sacrament of that thing which Christ for their sakes accomplished The Belgicke confession Article 34. French We acknowledge onely two Sacraments common to the whole Church the former whereof is Baptisme given unto us to witnesse our Adoption because in it we are engrafted into the body of Christ that being washed with his blood we might also be renewed by his Spirit unto holinesse of life Confession of France Articl 37. Augustane Infants being by Baptisme commended to God are received into the favour of God and made his sonnes as Christ testifieth Matth. 18. saying It is not the will of your Father which is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish Augustane confession Article 9. Saxon. We retaine the baptisme of infants also because it is most certaine that the promise of grace belongs even to infants nor doe we we judge this a meere idle ceremony but that then they are truely received by God and sanctified The Saxon confession cap. 14. I believe and confesse that our children forasmuch as they also are included together with us in the covenant when they are baptized into the Articles of the ancient Catholique faith Palatine are made partakers as wel as we of the death of Christ and of all other good things c. Palatinate confession Baptisme is a notable badge of the people of God Harmony c. for it serves us to shew of what profession we be and by our baptisme we declare in the Church what faith we professe both we our children and our families namely the Christian Religion Ex actis concordia inter Lutherum Bucerum Helveticas Ecclesias A Letter of Mr. Philpot to a friend of his prisoner the same time in Newgate Wherein is debated and discussed the matter or question of infants to be baptized The God of all light and understanding lighten your heart with all true knowledge of his Word and make you perfect to the day of our Lord Jesus Christ whereunto you are now called through the mighty operation of his holy Spirit Amen I Received yesternight from you deare brother S. and fellow prisoner for the truth for Christs Gospell a Letter wherein you gently require my judgement concerning the baptisme of infants which is the effect thereof And before I doe shew you what I have learned out of Gods Word and of his true and infallible Church touching the same I thinke it not out of the matter to declare what vision I had the same night whiles musing on your Letter I fell asleepe knowing that God doth not without cause reveale to his people who have their minds fixed on him speciall and spirituall revelations to their comfort as a taste of their joy and Kingdome to come which flesh and blood cannot comprehend Being in the middest of my sweet rest it seemed me to see a great beatifull City all of the colour of Azure and White foure square in a

sealing up of the covenant did not onely circumcise Ismael his sonne that was 13 yeers of age but all other infants that were born in his house among whom we reckon Isaac Even so faithfull people which were converted from Heathen idolatry by the preaching of the Gospell and confessing the faith were baptized when they understood their children to be counted among the people of God and that baptisme was the token of the people of God they procured also their children to be baptized Therefore as it is written Abraham circumcised all the male children of his house Semblably we read in the Acts and writings of the Apostles that after the master of the house was turned to the faith all the whole house was baptized And as concerning those which of old time were compelled to confesse their faith before they received baptisme which were called Catechumeni they were such as with our forefathers came from the Gentiles to the Church who being yet rude of faith they did instruct in the principles of their beliefe and afterward they did baptize them but the same ancient fathers notwithstanding did baptize the children of faithfull men as I have already partly declared And because you doe require an hasty answer of your Letter of one that is but a dull writer I am here enforced to cease particularly to goe through your Letter in answering thereto knowing that I have fully answered every part thereof in that I have already written although not in such order as it had meet and I had purposed But forasmuch as I understand that you will be no contentious man neither in this matter nor in any other contrary to the judgement of Christs primitive Church which is the body and fulnesse of Christ I desire you in the entire of him or rather Christ desireth you by me that your joy may be perfect whereto you are now called to submit your judgement to that Church and to be at peace and unity with the same that the coate of Christ which ought to be without seame but now alasse most miserably is torne in pieces by many dangerous sects and damnable opinions may appeare by you in no part to have been rent neither that any giddy head in these dog-daies might take an example by you to dissent from Christs true Church I beseech thee deare brother in the Gospell follow the steps of the faith of the glorious martyrs in the primitive Church and of such as at this day follow the same decline from them neither to the right hand nor to the left then shall death be it never so bitter be more sweeter then this life then shall Christ with all the Heavenly Hierusalem triumphantly embrace your Spirit with unspeakable gladnesse and exaltation who in this earth was content to joyne your spirit with their spirits according as it is commanded by the word that the spirit of Prophets should be subject to the Prophets One thing aske with David ere you depart and require the same that you may dwell with a full accord in his house for there is glory and worship And so with Simeon 1 Cor. 14. in the Temple embracing Christ depart in peace To the which peace Christ bring both you and me and all our loving brethren that love God in the unity of faith by such waies as shall please him to his glory Let the bitter passion of Christ which he suffered for your sake and the horrible torments which the godly martyrs of Christ have endured before us and also the inestimable reward of your life to come which is hidden yet a little while from you with Christ strengthen comfort and encourage you to the end of that glorious race which you are in Amen Your yoke-fellow in captivity for the verity of Christs Gospell to live and die with you in the unity of faith JOHN PHILPOT I conclude 1. THat the practice of Infants hath sufficient and undenyable warrant in the holy Scripture 2. That if it were not the mind of God that Infants should be baptized surely Christ or his Apostles would have given some plaine direction to the contrary especially seeing baptisme comes in the roome of circumcision and that Infants were circumcised 3. That the universall Church of Christ ever since the Apostles times hath continued this practise of baptizing infants 4. That not so much as one Nationall Church since our Saviours time hath forborne or disallowed childrens baptisme 5. That the great and grosse mistake of the Anabaptists ariseth from their not distinguishing betweene persons borne in the covenant and them that are borne out of the covenant 6. That onely private obscure and for the most part illiterate persons have opposed this doctrine 7. That the Anabaptists and their doctrine have so lurked in dark corners from time to time that it is easie to see they cannot abide the light 8. That most Anabaptists in former times were men branded with some notorious infamy and commonly poysoned with other dangerous and hereticall opinions 9. That the Anabaptists grounds and arguments against infants baptisme are all very poore many of them very peevish 10. That God hath so blest this Sacrament of baptisme even to infants as that millions of Saints in Heaven most believers in this Kingdome yea in the whole world being baptized in infancy are and shall be saved without re-baptizing 11. That it is an extreame injustice yea sacriledge yea cruelty to hinder infants of that grace and priviledge which Jesus Christ hath purchased for them That it is an impudent arrogancy and highest presumption to question or contradict the Word of Christ who commands that little children should be suffered to come unto him FINIS