Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	new_a	put_v	16,427	5	6.6347	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38578	Anabaptism considered Wherein the chief objections of that sect against infant-baptism, and the manner of baptizing by aspersion, or sprinkling, are fairly stated and answered; and reasons given why dipping is not to be taken as the essential or necessary mode of administration. In a familiar letter of advice to a parishioner inclining that way. By William Eratt, M.A. and minister of Hatfield near Doncaster.	Eratt, William, 1655 or 6-1702.	1700 (1700)	Wing E3220; ESTC R200374	28,824	40

in Baptism is now generally disused in these parts of the World and Sprinkling succeeds in its room because the tender Bodies of most Infants the only Persons now to be baptized could not be put under water in these cold Northern Climates without apparent prejudice to their Health if not their Lives And therefore in this as in other cases God requires Mercy rather than Sacrifice especially considering that the main Ends of Baptism are attained this way and the mystical Effects thereof as virtually represented by Sprinkling 〈◊〉 Dipping And to this Mode of Baptizing the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 36. ver 25 26. seems prophetically to refer when he saith Then will I sprinkle clean Water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your Filthiness and a new Heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you Now what has been said upon this Head will I hope satisfie you Neighbour and all other Persons that are not wilfully prejudic'd against Reason and Truth and as for such who are resolved to dissent and wrangle on whatever is said or whatever is proved I shall advise 'em to consult St. Paul for an Answer that may be more satisfactory namely If any man seems to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11.16 And now Neighbour having gone through the Particulars I was to speak to and having also fairly answered some of the main Objections our Adversaries the Anabaptists chiefly insist on I shall only leave the whole matter before you in order as it is written with some useful Inferences and so conclude In the Introductory Part of my Letter I gave you to understand that there is such a thing as Men call an Erroneous Conscience and that there is a Zeal sometimes which is not according to Knowledge and hence I infer what a prudent and sober-minded Christian ought to do when he had some Scruples upon him before he left the Communion of the Church he was in he ought first from Scripture and Reason to examine into the Validity of the Scruples that seem to dissuade him from his former Profession and when he has done the best he can herein if his Scruples still grow upon him before he quits his old way he shou'd then by all due ways and means examine into the Truth and Safety of the new way proposed unto him instead of the old one else it may so happen that his Change may be for the worse and this no wise Man wou'd make Now in the making this Examination I put you in this way for finding out whether your old Profession or the new proposed one was the better I advised you to consult the holy Scriptures the Standard of Truth and thereby try your old Religion and your pretended new one and see which of them is purer in Doctrine Discipline and Worship and if upon a Fair hearing of the Cause the old one should prove the better it would then be clear you ought not in prudence to change and till this is done you are to keep to your old way And For the more orderly trying this Cause our Adversaries being Complainants and accusing our Church of false Doctrines it lies upon them to prove what those Doctrines are and what be those unlawful Terms of Communion she requires that are not justifiable by the Word of God and till then we are to keep our Ground and to act only as Defendants in the Cause no Man being by Law bound to accuse himself And he that voluntarily espouses a Quarrel against the Religion he has been brought up in without knowing first why and wherefore acts the part of a weak not to say a contentious Christian and 't is a true Maxim He that accuses another of dishonesty ought to look to himself in the first place Therefore in dealing with our Adversaries who are so free of their obloquies I took this Method pursuant to the proverbial Saying now mentioned and so inquired what pretence they have for the Truth for if they are in the wrong there 's no colour for your joyning with them what ever there may be for your leaving the Church for suppose for Argument sake the way you have been in is not good yet if the new way you are invited to be worse 't is madness to change so that be the Title naught that in possession by the Courtesie of all Laws is to be look't upon the best and ought to be so esteem'd until a better is prov'd In examining then into the Goodness and Truth of their Cause in Matter of Religion I took this Method 1st I gave the Character of those Persons who were the first Broachers of this Sect of the Anabaptists and this Neighbour is a very material thing to be considered For suppose I had a journey to take of great Consequence and being a Stranger to the way some Persons come and do very officiously offer themselves to be my Guide pretending they understand the Road very well and are making to the same place well surely in this case before I give my self up to their Guidance and Conduct I shou'd know who they are enquire into their character whether they are boni legales Homines honest and true Men and shou'd I find them otherwise it wou'd be very madness to take them for Guides let them pretend never so fairly For thus has many an honest Man been choust out of his Money and sometimes his Life too by the fair Speeches of Thieves and Robbers In this Case he that values his own safety shou'd with all speed rid himself of their Company and while he may without hazard bid them adieu Now To bring this matter home I have let you know what the first Setters up of this Sect were when and where it was they cry'd up their stupendous Doctrine Repent and be re-baptized or else you are damn'd what horrid Exploits they play'd what Barbarous Acts they were guilty of how they sack'd and plundred all before them filling all the places wherever they came with Blood and Confusion at Leyden Munster Amsterdam Utrecht and other places Now this is matter of Fact and cannot be denied and pray what think you of these new Guides Is it safe to follow them Did Christ and his Apostles ever take these methods to plant the Doctrines of the Christian Religion And shou'd it be alledged that the present Leaders of the Anabaptists are other sort of Men I answer Where there are the same Principles there wants nothing but Power and Opportunity to produce the same Effects And this brought me 2ly To consider what Doctrines they taught They held that Christ was not the true God to this let them take St. John's answer 1 John 2.22 Who is a lyar but he that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son They taught also that we are to be saved by our own Merits and Sufferings and that there

And so much for unjust Anger in the aforementioned respects But then there 's an unjust Anger which goes farther and may come within the Verge of a malicious Temper Now should any be so uncharitable as to insinuate from my saying I was angry at you that I maliciously intended you an ill turn the occasion of it might be supposed one of these two things either it was in prejudice to your Person or in pique to the Sect of the Anabaptists which you seem inclining to As to both which I thus apologize for my self 1. As to a malicious Temper I appeal to all my Neighbours whether ever my Carriage or Behaviour among them has deserv'd such a Censure That I have been ever ready upon all occasions to serve my Parishioners and to do them any kindness that lay in my power I promise my self so much that every one of them not excepting John Woodward wou'd if need require averr in my behalf 2. As to any bitterness of Spirit towards Dissenters from the Church with that I hope none can justly charge me and I put the Question to your self Whether all the last Year in your Converse with me when Church-warden you ever at any time heard me rail against any Persons whatsoever that differ'd with me in point of Religion This then being premised I must tell you there 's a great difference to be made betwixt one who has all his Life-time been brought up a Dissenter whom Education and Custom has so far blinded that he cannot easily if he would discern and embrace the Truth and a Person that out of an unadvised and wilful Humour runs away from the Church and knows not Why or Wherefore The first is an Infirmity and is really to be pitied the other is a Disease and so proper means are to be made use of in order to a Cure Now in this case all gentle Methods are first to be taken and he must be reckon'd an unwise or an unfaithful Physician that shou'd do otherwise but if all this is done and the Disease still grows worse and worse turns to a malignant Distemper and threatens Danger to the Publick In such an Extremity when the Infection cannot be cured it has always been thought advisable to shut up or remove the Person infected though never so near a Friend And I think I may herein without being guilty of a Droll or lightness of Expression in so serious a matter as is now before us apply the common Proverb which is as true as plain That one scabb'd Sheep may infect a whole Flock But 2. There 's a just Anger And of this sort we have sufficient Examples in Holy Writ and thus Jacob did justly resent Rachel's too forward Petition Give me children or else I die as if that Blessing had been absolutely in the Power of Man and therefore Jacob's Anger was kindled against Rachel though 't is known he loved her well and he said Am I in God's stead who has withheld from thee the fruit of the womb Genesis 30. ver 1 2. And so was Moses justly displeased at Korah and his Company for their presumptuous usurping the Priest's Office and private tampering with the People to set them a murmuring against Moses and Aaron their Governour and their Priest Thus did our Blessed Saviour unkindly resent the Abuse of the Temple the House of Prayer in the Peoples profaning of it by their merchandizing in the same his Words and his Actions shew this He cast out them that bought and sold in the Temple and overthrew the tables of the money-changers and the seats of them that sold doves saying my house shall be called of all nations the house of Prayer but ye have made it a den of Thieves Mark 11.15 17. And thus is God Almighty said to be angry with his People when they offend either by their Words or Actions And to give you another Instance When the People out of a pretence of greater Holiness dissented from the publick Worship made their private Sacrifices and offered strange Incense Now as to the Crime and how God Almighty resented it hear from his own Word I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious People which walketh in a way that was not good after their own Thoughts a People that provoketh me to Anger continually to my face and how was this that sacrificeth in Gardens and burneth Incense upon brick which say Stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier than thou these are a smoak in my nose and a fire that burneth all day From what has been urged on this Head I infer That in some cases there is a very just Anger Thus Magistrates may and ought sharply to reprehend all seditious and villainous Practices So also Parents disobedient Children Masters unruly Servants and the Ministers of God's Word ought to tell the People under their charge of their Faults Cry aloud and spare not saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 58. ver 1. shew my People their transgressions and these related to Errours in Principles as well as Practice so I also as a Minister of the Gospel though one God knows the unworthiest of my Brethren do think I fall a share in this Authority or Power of reprehending Errours in my Parishioners whether of Opinion or otherwise And in this Case and upon this Account I am angry with you who having lived so long in the Communion of our Church who the very last Year performed the Office of Church-warden and I must needs say did I believe according to your Oath and the best of your Knowledge honestly discharge your self herein who was the same Year confirmed by the Bishop and did then if you understood your Duty therein renew your Baptismal Vow and promise to remain stedfast in your holy Profession Add to this your frequent receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper which is or ought to be the Seal of our Confirmation in the Faith and Doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ Now for you to have done all this and as soon as ever you was out of Office of Church-warden to run away from the Church from your Baptism from the late solemn Confirmation thereof from the Communion with your Brethren at the Lord's Table and never to tell your Minister Why or Wherefore you did it is to me very unaccountable as if the Profession of our Church was so groundless and so despicable that nothing cou'd be said for it worth your regarding But now to see how the Case is alter'd is admirably strange You are already more civil to your new way witness what you said Yesterday at Mr. Pryms among your Neighbours namely That did I come you had nothing to say to me but if I pleas'd one of your Teachers should give me a meeting and dispute it out with me In the name of Goodness what a shame is it that you should already be so muffled and blinded as to pin your Faith on another Man's sleeve It