Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	jesus_n	lord_n	8,211	5	3.8236	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62868	Felo de se, or, Mr. Richard Baxter's self-destroying manifested in twenty arguments against infant-baptism / gathered out of his own writing, in his second disputation of right to sacraments by John Tombes.	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1659 (1659)	Wing T1806; ESTC R33836	48,674	44

Their first task is to make Disciples which are by Mark called believers The second work is to baptize them whereto is annexed the promise of their salvation The third work is to teach them all other things which are afterward to be learned in the School of Christ To contemn this order as Master Baxter doth in Infant baptism is to contemn all rules of order For where can we expect to find it if not here I profess my conscience is fully satisfied from this Text that it is one sort of faith even saving that must go before baptism and the profession whereof by the Party himself to be baptized He that believeth and is baptized not another then the believer make Disciples and baptize them not others then the Disciples made the Minister must expect of which see what is before cited out of Calvin and I●scator I shall be amazed reading this passage at the blindness of Master Baxter if he see not how unanswerably his own words overthrow Infant baptism or his hypocrisie if being satisfied as he saith in conscience of his own exposition he do not deny Infant baptism and bewail his alledging of Matth. 28. 19. in his Book termed Plain Scripture proof of Infants baptism Part. 1. chap. 3. And I pray God to deliver me from such hardness of heart be adds That it was saving faith that was required of the Jews and professed by them Acts 2. 38 41 48. is shewed already and is plain in the Text Acts 8. The Samaritans believed and had great joy and were baptized into the name of Jesus Christ vers. 8. 12. whereby it appeareth that it was both the understanding and will that were both changed and that they had the profession of a saving faith even Simon himself Acts 8. 37. The condition on which the Eunuch must be baptized was if he believed with all his heart which he professed to do and that was the evidence that Philip did expect Paul was baptized after true conversion Acts 9. 18. The Holy Ghost fell on the Gentiles Acts 10. 44. before they were baptized and they magnified God And this Holy Ghost was the like gift as was given to the Apostles who believed on the Lord Jesus and it was accompanied with repentance unto life Acts 11. 17 18. Acts 16. 14 15. Lydia's heart was opened before she was baptized and she was one that the Apostles judged faithful to the Lord and offered to them the evidence of her faith Acts 16. 30 31 33 34. The example of the Jaylour is very full to the resolution of the question in hand He first asketh what he should do to be saved the Apostle answereth him Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and thy house so that it was a saving faith that is here mentioned He rejoyced and believed with all his house and was baptized that same hour of the night or straightway It is here evident that he professed that same faith which Paul required Acts 18. 8. Crispus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue believed on the Lord with all his house● and many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized Here we have two proofs that it is saving faith that is mentioned Those in Acts 19. 5. were baptized as believers in Jesus Christ In a word I know of no one word in Scripture that giveth us the least intimation that ever man was baptized without the profession of a saving faith There is constantly this order in the prescribed duty that no man should seek baptism but a true believer and no man should baptize any but those that profess this true belief Acts 8. 37. Philip is determining a question and giveth this in as the decision If thou believe with all thy heart thou mayest And to say that this is but de bene esse meaning that it includeth not the negative otherwise thou mayest not is to make Philip to have deluded and not decided or resolved Use that liberty in expounding all other Scripture and you 'l make it what you please A Dogmatical faith is not the Christian faith nor anywhere alone denominateth men believers in Scripture I remember but one Text John 12. 42. where it is called believing on Christ and but few more where it is simply called believing but none where such are called believers Disciples or Christians or any thing that intimateth them admitted into the visible Church without the profession of saving faith I conclude that all examples in Scripture do mention onely the administration of it to the professors of saving faith and the precepts give us no other direction and I provoke Master Blake as far as is seemly for me to do to name one precept or example for any other and make it good if he can I conclude that all examples of baptism in Scripture do mention onely the administration of it to the same persons who in their own persons were professors of saving faith and the precepts give us no other direction And I provoke Mr. Baxter as far as is seemly for me to do to name one precept or example for baptizing any other and make it good if he can and if not by his own reason he ought to baptize no other but must reject baptism of Infants who do not in their own persons profess saving faith and give over his vain Plea of Parents or Proparents profession of saving faith as entituling Infants to baptism which unless his violence and wilfulness of spirit blind him his own words and arguments will inforce to do Pag. 156. Argum. 17. is from 1 Pet. 3. 21. The like figure whereto even baptism doth also now save us Not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience toward God whence I thus Argue If baptism be appointed for our solemn admission into a state of salvation as Noahs Ark received men into a state of safety from the Deluge then none should be baptized but those that profess that faith which entereth them into a state of salvation but no Infant professeth that faith which entereth them into a state of salvation as is manifest by sense and reason therefore no Infant should be baptized Here it is implied plainly that this is quoad finem instituentis as to the end of him that instituted it the common appointed of baptism which the Text mentioneth though eventually it prove not the common effect through the errours of the receivers and this appeareth 1. In that it was spoken plainly in the text of the very nature and appointed use of baptism and so of baptism as baptism without any exception limitation or distinction Therefore it is not spoken of any different use that it is appointed for to the elect as distinct from its common use to others It s spoken of that signification and common use to which baptism is appointed viz. to save else we shall never be able to understand the use of it or any ordinance from Scripture if we

the Holy Trinity that doth not first profess to believe in them therefore the Chuch over taught the Catechumeni the creed first in which they profess to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost And before they actually baptized them they asked them whether they believed in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost To which they must answer affirmatively or not be baptized And all that are baptized must first profess to believe in his Name and so to receive him and not onely promise to do it hereafter I adde that the same faith that is mentioned in the ordinary Creed in the Church is meant in the baptismal profession and to be required before baptism this will be confessed 1. Because the creed it self hath been this 1300. years at least professed before baptism 2. because the creed it self is but the 3. fundamental baptismal articles mentioned Matth. 28. 19. enlarged and explained on subsequent occasions as Sandford and Parker de Descensu have learnedly and largley proved and Grotius in Matth. 28. 19. proves out of Tertullian c. that the creed was not then in the form of words as now though the same doctrine was used in other words to the same uses Pag. 68. Argum. 3. The foregoing Argument was taken from the prerequisite profession the next shall be taken from the very work it self viz. the presenting and offering our selves to be baptized and willingly receiving baptism thus If it be the very nature or appointed use of the ex●eanal part of baptism it self yea essential to it to signifie and profess among other things the saving faith and repentance of the baptized then true baptism cannot go without such a profession But the baptism of Infants is without such a profession therefore the baptism of Infants is not true baptism The minor is manifest by sense The antecedent which onely requireth proof I prove thus It is of the instituted nature of baptism to be in general a professing sign as well as an engaging sign de futuro for the future This I premise as granted by all Christians that I know of that have written of baptism and then let us consider of the several parts of the sign or external Ordinance with the signification of each that it is essential to it to be significant and obligatory on our part as well as on Gods part is commonly confessed And 1. the Minister doth baptize him into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the party doth consent thereto 1. voluntarily offering himself to be bapitzed and then 2. voluntarily receiving that baptism And his offer of himself hereto goeth before the Ministers baptizing him and his reception of that baptism is essential to it So that baptism essentially containeth on his part a signal profession of consent to that which is meant in the form used by the Minister I Baptize thee into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And that is that God the Father Son and Holy Ghost be mine and I be theirs in the relations in which they are offered in the Gospel to Mankind for all confess that it is a Covenant that is here sealed and so a mutual consent which the signs are instituted by Christ to signifie Christ offereth himself to be related to me as my Jesus Christ and by offering my self to baptism and by voluntary receiving it I do actually profess my acceptance of his offer that is of himself so offered God the Father offereth himself to be my God reconciled in Christ and so my chief good and by voluntary receiving baptism I do signally profess my acceptance of him so offered The Holy Ghost is offered to be my Sanctifyer and guide and by voluntary reception of baptism into his Name I do signally profess my acceptance of him so offered So that it is a most clear case that baptism as baptism according to it s instituted nature and use doth contain the persons actual signal profession of present assent to the truth of the Gospel and acceptance of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as therein offered And it containeth as our Divines commonly maintain an actual signal profession that we there presently consecrate or devote or dedicate our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the foresaid relations 2. Another part of baptism is the Ministers washing the person and the person first offering himself to be washed and after actually receiving it doth thereby signally profess his consent Now this washing doth essentially signifie our washing from our former filth of sin together with the guilt our putting off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts of the flesh He that signally professeth his present consent to be washed by the blood of Christ from his former filthiness and guilt and to lay by the filthiness of flesh and Spirit doth co nomine profess saving faith and repentance But all that are baptized with the baptism of Christs institution do by the very voluntary reception of baptism so profess therefore they do thereby profess saving Faith and Repen● 3. Quad modum as to the manner it s commonly confessed by us to the Anabaptists as our commentators declare that in the Apostles times the baptized were dipped over head in the water and that this signifieth their profession both of believing the bu●ial and resurrection of Christ and of their own present renouncing the world and flesh or dying to sin and living to Christ or rising again to newness of life or being buried and risen again with Christ as the Apostle expoundeth in the forecited texts of Col. 2. and Rom. 6. And though we have thought it lawful to disuse the manner of dipping and to use less water yet we presume not to change the use and signification of it So then he that signally professeth to die and rise again in baptism with Christ doth signally profess saving faith and repentance But thus do all that are baptized according to the Apostles practice Therefore c. Pag. 74. Argum. 4. If we must baptize none that profess not their consent to enter themselves presently into the covenant of grace with God in Christ Then we must baptize no Infant but the former is true Therefore c. The consequence is manifest sith it is manifest even by sense that Infants profess not their consent to enter themselves into the covenant of Grace with God in Christ The antecedent I think will be granted by many of the Papists and it is the common Doctrine of the Protestants and therefore as to them I need not prove it I confess some of the Anbaptists and some few others do question whether baptism be a seal of the covenant of grace but the quarrel is mostly if not onely about the bare word Seal for they confess that in sense which we mean by sealing and particularly they confess that we do in baptism enter into the convenant of God and that it is a professing and engaging