Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	world_n	write_v	yield_v	35	3	6.2100	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74872	Letters that passed between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Tombes concerning the dispute.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. Plain Scripture proof of infants church-membership and baptism.	1652 (1652)	Thomason E659_9	11,791	13

LETTERS That passed between Mr. BAXTER AND Mr. TOMBES Concerning the Dispute LONDON Printed in the Year 1652. IT goes against my mind to trouble the Reader with these following Letters between Mr. T. and me But his Relations have made it necessary that it may appear Whether all my endeavour was not to keep off if possibly I could from appearing against him in this Cause in writing nor did I ever desire the Dispute but meerly to shift off writing when his followers drove me on to it and had far rather have been quiet from both but it was beyond my power to attain it without the betraying the truth For I discerned a strong probability of his Design was to have got something from me and then have published his answer to it which he now denyes not as superficially as he did by others or else have forced me to disclaim the contest that so it might be carryed abroad either that I was confuted or that I durst not dispute it After his Followers had earnestly pressed me to write my Arguments and I to put it by had told them I thought verbal disputing more convenient if they must needs have one this following I received from Mr. Tombes For my Reverend and much Honoured Brother Mr. Richard Baxter at Kidderminster these SIR I Perceive by some speech with Philip Munne that you propound a disputing the point in difference between me and you about Infant-baptism in some open way of speech and to have me declare my arguments against it Open dispute by words for a great number of reasons I affect not my affairs and the state of your body and business are likely to make it uncertain and to protract the time my Arguments are to be seen in my Writings This is in effect my plea against it that it is Will-worship because not appointed by God The most expedite and surest way I conceive to bring the controversie to an issue for you in a Syllogism or two written by you to produce what Medium you have to prove a Divine institution of Pedo-baptism which being written may the better be examined verbal conference is less deliberate and more unsatisfactory If you cannot your self write if you shew in a printed Author the best Argument you know for it it may perhaps serve the turn as well I leave it to your self to do as you see good and rest Bewdley Sept. 2. 1649. Your loving Brother and Fellow servant in Christ John Tombes To my Reverend and much valued friend Mr. Tombes Preacher of the Gospel at Bewdley SIR THough your people my neighbours have much room in my affections and I heartily desire their unity and stedfastness yet do not think that I have a mind to take upon me to be their Teacher and to play the Bishop in your Diocess much less to be so rude as to challenge you to a Dispute But some of your people having been severall times solliciting me to do something towards the determining of this controversie I stil told them that I thought a dispute the fittest way but they told me that you refused it The messenger that came on Saturday came on the like errand and before I understood that he came with your consent and privity I told him I would do nothing without a call from more of your people and without your consent The offer I made to him I now make again to you that if to you or your people a debate seem necessary and desireable for I or my people do not desire it much but affect quietness I shall if God enable me spend a day or two in publick conference with you as far as my strength will bear 2 Or if you so absolutely refuse that that there is no hopes of it I offer that if you will preach two Sermons against it and I two for it and so let fall the debate and leave it to the peoples judgment I shall agree to it 3 If you absolutely refuse both these which seem to me the only means if you can contrive how to make a short dispatch and give me sufficient assurance of it upon equall terms before we begin I shall consent to write But to write without such assurance I cannot for these reasons 1 I have ground enough to be confident that it will never be ended while you and I both live except either be convinced which I discern to be unlikely Though for my own part I resolve to yeeld to the most disgraced truth and to search as impartially as I can yet I am somewhat confident that you are in an errour and you are more confident that you are not and so we are likely to remain 2 If I should waste so much time on so small a thing comparatively it would wound my conscience 3 Especially being ignorant in so many far greater which I am bound to study in the first place 4 I am engaged in more work already then I am able to goe through having one Treatise in the Press whereof part is unfinished and another or two at least under hand besides publique preaching which takes up all my time save one day in a week at best which one day I bestow in the aforesaid writings and besides the practice of physick for the poor which their necessity compels me to and which taketh up very much time 5 The weakness of my body is such that I am able to study but 2 or 3 hours in a day besides my sick dayes when I can do nothing 6 I have sweeter and more pleasing work for my thoughts I would not steep them in so bitter a subject as this unpleasing controversie and so lose the rest of the comforts of my life for a world 7 If you and I should write many tedious volums the people would be no more able to discern the truth then they are from what is already written 8 I am afraid of giving my people so ill a president as to strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel to waste their precious time and thoughts and speeches on such a question while a 100 each of incomparable greater moment are unstudyed and unknown Now to your Letter Whereas you think either writing or referring you to some printed book will be the most expedite and sure way I wonder how you can force your self to think so It is many years since you begun your self to write with Mr. Marshall Mr. Blake c. and you have not yet expedited the business no man yeildeth nor doe you see me any nearer an end then when you begun except weariness cause any partie to give over 9 Besides your body is healthfuller I discern you can better sit at your study 8 hours then I can one 10 And I perceive you content your self more easily then your Reader you marvel that your Books satisfie not and I marvel you should think them satisfactory 11 Many people will think that when they can say you have answered it that an argument is overthrown

the vulgar Christians in so great a difficulty being little able to discern the insufficiencie or fallacies 12 And lastly I am like to live on earth but a while and therefore as I have more need of other thoughts so you are like to have the last word which with most will give you the conquest But why you should wish me to refer you to a printed argument I know not they being all extant in your hands already and you pretending to answer to the substance of almost all That you should deny an open verball dispute I cannot but much wonder your affairs will sure give you more leasure for 2 or 3 hours dispute then many months writing and so I am sure will the state of my body Truly Sir the disadvantage on my side is so great and the advantage on yours that I should not venture on it but as urged on for the truths sake you being Batchelour of Divinitie of so long standing and I having scarcely known an Universitie you being so long studied and versed in this Controversie and have all at your fingers ends and so confident in your Cause that you make light of all that may be said against you by all the Divines that are If I should refuse a conference on such advantages I should think it were almost to yeild my Cause naught Sir of my first three offers if you please to yeild I find the people like best of preaching which I leave to your choice and rest An unfeigned lover of the Truth and You Richard Baxter To the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter Preacher at Kidderminster these present SIR SOme of my Neighbours conceived it would be their best way to resolve their doubts about baptism to know what arguments you could bring for Infant-baptism and against their being baptized notwithstanding the pretended baptism they had in Infancie Whereupon with my privitie came one to you upon whose relation of your answer to him I wrote to you and upon receit of your Letter to me I think good to let you understand that I said not I utterly refused open dispute but that I affected it not it being fit for schools and not for common Auditories entered into usually with animosities and eagerness to obtain a supposed victory managed with heat and multitude of words with Answers and Replies not so deliberate as were requisite to settle any ones judgment and usually misapprehended by Auditors who commonly take him to have the better who speaks most ending usually in some wrangling or something like it followed with misreports accompanyed with disorderly throngings confused noise and many other inconveniencies in so much that except in case of betraying truth by declining it I can hardly bring my self to yeild to it And whatever you conceive of my advantages you may if you will and perhaps doe know that you have such advantage in your ready wit and speech and the favour and generall acclamation to any thing that is said for the superstition of Infant-baptism as to bring things so about that the event shall be crying down truth and disgrace of my person Nor have your disparaging speeches of my Writings without animadversions on them communicated to me or your carriage at or not long after the receiving of my Letter encouraged me to hope for all candor from you in this matter For preaching sith it belongs to you to maintain the divine Institution of Infant-baptism I shall be willing to examine what you say when you have said what you think good for Infant baptism if I may obtain a copy of your Sermon which you will own and if it satisfie me I shall confess it if not in a Sermon in the same place or else where I shall give a distinct and plain answer to it For writing which I like best I desire not to put you to any tedious or voluminous way but that in the most compendious way of Syllogisms yea if it may be in one Medium you put the strength of all that you can say For short dispatch you may being Disputant or Opponent assure your self my answer will be as short as your argument will permit and the more you contract keeping to the point the more satisfactory it will be If you conceive this point of lesse moment others conceive otherwise Though Justification Redemption c. be of greater moment yet not all you discourse about them If it were yet this being of frequent practice needs perhaps resolution before other points that come not into so frequent use You say in your Aphorisms pag. 149. the neglect of Sacraments is a breach of the second Commandment If so how can a godly man safely live in neglect of Baptism The enquirie after it is ill judged a straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel as our Saviour meant Mat. 23 24. In a word my declining open disputation doth not make me think my Cause naught but your shunning to give us your arguments in writing whereby we might better judge of them then upon a verball conference makes me imagine your cause is not good especially considering your use of indirect Arguments to create prejudice and your not denyed prejudice which how it can suit with an impartiall examination of truth I do not see Other things in your Letter to me I let pass and am Yours as is meet John Tombes Bewdley Sept. 10. 1649. SIR I Received yours and therewith from five of your neighbours their desires of engaging me in this controversie you mention many inconveniencies of verball dispute most of which I acknowledge probable but the inconveniencies of writing far greater as I expressed to you If it were among the rude Vulgar much of that you say might fall out but I have no such desire to be publique but that if you like it better before a competent number of the intelligent I am content If you think that I desire the disgrace of your person you are less free from sinful censoriousness then I took you to be My disparaging speeches of your writings being not particularly expressed I am uncapable of understanding what you mean I know not that ever I said more against them but that they were in many things to me unsatisfactory and my reasons I was ready to produce And I pray you how could I choose but yield to you and be of your judgment if I thought your writings sound in the main so that you seem offended that I do not believe as you which I cannot yet help my judgment being not wholly in the power of my will That you should so expect from me animadversions on your writings seemeth to me exceeding strange I have given you my reasons why I am loth by writings to engage in this controversie at all much more to begin in a way of Animadversions What my carriage was that offended you as you express not so I know not and therefore your reproof must needs be vain I asked your messenger who answered that he saw no