Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	faith_n	prove_v	3,810	5	6.3590	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47744	Five discourses by the author of The snake in the grass viz. On water baptism, episcopacy, primitive heresie of the Quakers, reflections on the Quakers, a brief account of the Socinian trinity ; to which is added a preface to the whole.; Selections. 1700	Leslie, Charles, 1650-1722.	1700 (1700)	Wing L1133; ESTC R1214	55,897	120

the Jews writing against some Dissenters amongst the Quakers asserts the Authority of the Church very high and the Power of the Elders in the Church p. 13. and presses that Text Matth. xviii 17. Tell it unto the Church to extend to Matters of Faith and Worship as well as to Private Injuries or Offences amongst Christians That Christ says he as well gave His Church Power to Reject as to Try Spirits is not hard to prove That notable Passage Go tell the Church does it to our hand For if in case of private Offences betwixt Brethren the Church is made Absolute Judge from whom there is no Appeal in this World how much more in any the least case that concerns the NATURE BEING FAITH and WORSHIP of the Church her self But the Case was quite alter'd when he came to Answer that same Text as urged against the Quakers by the Church which he does in his Address to Protestants p. 152 153 154. of the Second Edition in Octavo printed 1692. And then that Text does not relate at all to Faith or Worship but only to private Injuries For having deny'd the Authority of the Church in Matters of Faith he puts the Objection thus against himself But what then can be the meaning of Christ's Words Go tell the Church Very well I Answer says he p. 153. 'T is not about Faith but Injury that Christ speaks and the place explains it self which is this Moreover if thy Brother shall TRESPASS against THEE go and tell him his FAULT between thee and him alone Here is Wrong not Religion Injustice not Faith or Conscience concern'd as some would have it to maintain their Church-Power The words TRESPASS and FAULT prove abundantly that He only meant Private and Personal Injuries and that not only from the common and undeniable signification and use of the words TRESPASS and FAULT but from the way Christ directs and commands for Accommodation viz. That the Person wronged speak to him that commits the Injury alone if that will not do that he take one or two with him But no Man can think that if it related to FAITH or WORSHIP I ought to Receive the Judgment of one or two or three for a sufficient Rule Therefore it cannot relate to Matters of FAITH and Scruples of CONSCIENCE but PERSONAL and PRIVATE INJURIES Thus he But tho' the Judgment of one two or three is not of it self a sufficient Rule none ever said it was yet may not one two or three ADMONISH one another even in Matters of Faith and Worship as well as of Private Injuries and in case of Refractoriness and Obstinacy bring the Cause before the Church Lev. xix 17. Thou shalt in any wise Rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him Yet was not the Judgment of every Man a sufficient Rule to his Neighbour And our Saviour's commanding to bring the Cause finally before the Church shews plainly that the Judgment of the one two or three was not meant for a sufficient Rule that is the ultimate Decision But in Answer to Mr. Penn's Argument That this Text Tell it unto the Church was meant only of Private Injuries I shall repeat but his own words before quoted and grant that as it was meant of Private Injuries so as Mr. Penn very well infers How much more in any the least Case that concerns the Nature Being Faith and Worship of the Church her self But to return The fifth Article in that Enumeration of Fundamentals Heb. vi 1 2. is The Resurrection of the Dead which the Quakers do likewise deny as it is fully prov'd in The Snake in the Grass Par. 2. Sect. 13. The last is that of Eternal Judgment which depends upon the former and may be made one with it and is likewise deny'd by the Quakers that is turn'd into Hymeneus and Philetus's Sense of an Inward only and Spiritual Resurrection or Judgment perform'd within us I have frequently heard Quakers say that they expected no other Resurrection or future Judgment than what they had attain'd already that is the Resurrection of Christ or the Light and the Judgment or Condemnation of Sin in their Hearts George Whitehead in his Book call'd The Nature of Christianity c. printed 1671 p. 29 thus ridicules it Dost thou says he to his Opponent look for Christ as the Son of Mary to Appear outwardly in a Bodily Existence to save thee if thou dost thou mayst look until thy Eyes drop out before thou wilt see such an Appearance of him And now what Wonder is it that these should throw off Baptism who have likewise thrown off all the other Fundamentals which are reckon'd with it in this Text VII But let us hence observe and beware of Neglecting or Despising the Outward Institutions of God because these depending upon the Authority of God no less than the Inward and Spiritual rejecting of the one overthrows the Obligation and Sanction of the whole and is a rejecting of God the Institutor who in His just Judgment suffers those to lose the one that think themselves too good for the other Men were made Partakers of Christ to come by the Sacrifices which were appointed as Types of Him under the Law So now are we Partakers of Him who is come by the Sacraments which He has appointed in Remembrance of Him under the Gospel And as those who neglected or despis'd the Sacrifices when they might be had from the Legal Priests according to God's Institution were made liable to Death and did forfeit their Title to the Participation of Christ the Archi-Type So those who neglect or despise the Sacraments which he has commanded as the Means of Grace and of our Inward Participation of Him under the Gospel do thereby justly forfeit their Title to such Participation For if we will not take God's Way we have no Promise nor Reason to secure us in the following of our own Inventions SECT XI The Quaker-Objection That there are no Signs under the Gospel I. THE Quakers throw off all Outward Institutions as not only Vseless but Hurtful to the Christian Religion which they pretend consists not only chiefly which is granted to them but solely in the Inward and Spiritual Part. They say That all Figures and Signs are Shadows and that when Christ who is the Substance is come the others cease of course That they have attain'd to Christ the Substance and therefore these Shadows are of no use to them That Baptism and the Lord's Supper are some of these Shadows and these were Indulging to the Early and Weak Christians but that the Quakers who have stronger Participations of the Spirit are got beyond these Beggarly Elements c. II. A Key c. by W. P. Printed 1694. C. 10. of Water-Baptism and the Supper P. 24. This is settl'd as a Foundation-Principle That no Figures or Signs are perpetual or of Institution under the Gospel-Administration when Christ who is the Substance is come though their Vse might

FIVE DISCOURSES BY THE AUTHOR OF THE Snake in the Grass VIZ. On Water-Baptism Episcopacy Primitive Heresie of the Quakers Reflections on the Quakers A Brief Account of the Socinian Trinity To which is added A PREFACE to the Whole LONDON Printed for C. Brome W. Keblewhite and G. Strahan 1700. THE PREFACE THE following Treatises being out of Print it was thought best to Re-print them in the same Volume with The Snake and Defence that that Author's Works upon this Subject might be all alike and more portable So that if others of them should be Re-printed or New Added it will be no prejudice to them who have this There is one small thing added to this which was wrote before that Author did engage with the Quakers It is a Letter concerning the Socinian Trinity But it is as proper for the Quaker as the Socinian Controversy for they are all one upon this Point And the Quakers have the same Salvo's as the Socinians to reconcile their Trinity making it only Three Manifestations or Operations And are answerable in the same manner as the Socinians for the many Absurdities and Blasphemies of this their Notion of the Trinity which they have taken up to avoid the far less Difficulties which they apprehended to be greater in the Catholick Doctrine of Three Persons in One and the same Pure Essence and Substance This small thing being only a Letter to a Private Friend which he procur'd to be printed was not meant to comprehend all that Controversy but to give in short a Summary View of it To shew the unreasonableness of their Exceptions And that they are divided into more and more Contradictory and Fundamentally Material Different and Opposite Hypotheses than what they object in the several Explanations of the Orthodox upon that Unfathomable and Glorious Mystery But if it please God to lend that Author Health and Ability he intends to consider of that Controversy with greater Care He not thinking it sufficient to have proved the Quakers to be Socinians though many of them know it not without likewise shewing the Falacy and Weakness of those Principles and Prejudices upon which both of them do proceed Which was not the Business of his Works against the Quakers they denying themselves to be Socinians and laying that Imputation upon others with great Contumely and Contempt as is shew'd in The Snake Sect. XI It was enough upon that Point to let them and the World see that they were Real though not Nominal Socinians But if God shall so bless his Labours as to speak to the Heart of the Socinian Heresie then will not only They and the Quakers be detected for meerly Nominal Christians but the Truth of the Christian Religion will be more and more vindicated and we be still further Confirmed and Built up in our most Holy Faith Quod faustum faxit Deus A DISCOURSE Proving the DIVINE INSTITUTION OF Water-Baptism Wherein the Quaker-Arguments Against it Are COLLECTED and CONFUTED With as much as is Needful concerning The Lord's Supper By the Author of The Snake in the Grass The Second Edition If ye Love me keep my Commandments Joh. xiv 15. LONDON Printed for C. Brome at the Gun at the West-End of St. Paul's W. Keblewhite at the White Swan in St. Paul's-Church-Yard And G. Strahan at the Golden Ball over-against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill 1700. THE PREFACE CONTAINS I. A Short Proof for Infant-Baptism II. The several sorts of Contemners of Baptism amongst us III. The Presbyterians in Scotland IV. In Ireland V. In England VI. Too many of the Communion of the Church of England VII Whence this Discourse useful to others besides Quakers VIII The Particular Occasion of Writing this Dicourse THE CONTENTS OF THIS DISCOURSE Sect. I. THat Matth. xxviii 19. was meant of Water-Baptism Page 1 Sect. II. That Christ did Practice Water-Baptism 2. That the Apostles did it after Him 3. That the Catholick Church have done it after Them p. 4 Sect. III. That Baptism must be Outward and Visible because it is an Ordinance appointed whereby to Initiate Men into an Outward and Visible Society which is the Church p. 11 The Arguments of the Quakers against the Outward-Baptism Sect. IV. 1. That the Baptism commanded Matth. xxviii 19. was only the Inward or Spiritual Baptism p. 16 Sect. V. 2. That Water-Baptism is John's Baptism and therefore Ceased p. 18 Sect. VI. 3. That Christ and the Apostles did Baptize with John's Baptism p. 21 Sect. VII 4. That Paul was not sent to Baptize 1 Cor. i. 14.17 p. 31 Sect. VIII 5. That Baptism is not the putting away the Filth of the flesh but the Answer of a Good Conscience 1 Pet. iii. 21. Therefore that it is not the Outward but the Inward Baptism which the Apostles Preached p. 48 Sect. IX 6. That there is but One Baptism Eph. iv 5. therefore not both Outward and Inward p. 50 Sect. X. 7. That the Outward Baptism is to be left behind and we to get beyond it Heb. vi 1. p. 54 Sect. XI 8. That there are no Signs under the Gospel p. 63 Sect. XII The Conclusion Shewing the Necessity of Water-Baptism p. 84 A PREFACE AS Baptism is putting on Christ giving up our Names to Him being Admitted as His Disciples and a Publick Profession of His Doctrin So the Renouncing of our Baptism is as Publick a Disowning of Him and a Formal Apostasy from His Religion Therefore the Devil has been most busie in all Ages but has prevail'd most in our latter Corrupt Times to Prejudice Men by many false Pretences against this Divine Institution Having been able to perswade some quite to throw it off as Pernicious and Hurtful Others to think it only Lawful to be done but to lay no great stress upon it and so use it where it is Enjoyned as a thing Indifferent Others deny it to Infants upon this only Ground That they are not suppos'd Capable of being Admitted into the Covenant of God which He has made with Men For if they are Capable of being admitted into the Covenant there can be no Reason to deny them the outward Seal of it But this being Foreign to my present Vndertaking which is to Demonstrate to the Quakers the Necessity of an Outward or Water-Baptism in the General for as to Persons capable of it we have no Controversie with those who deny it to All therefore I have not digress'd into another Subject which is that of Infant-Baptism in the following Discourse 1. Yet thus much I will say of it in this place That Infants are Capable of being admitted into the Covenant and therefore that they cannot be Excluded from the outward Seal of it The Consequence the Baptists cannot deny And that they are Capable I thus prove They were Capable under the Law and before the Law of being admitted as Members of the Covenant in Christ to come made with Abraham by the Seal of Circumcision at the Age of Eight Days And therefore there can be

the World against which no Objection can be rais'd Even the Being of a God has been disputed against by these sort of Arguments that is by raising Objections and starting Difficulties which may not easily be Answer'd But while those Demonstrative Arguments which Prove a God remain unshaken a thousand Difficulties are no Disproof And so while the Command of Christ and the Practise of his Apostles and of all the Christian World in pursuance of that Command are clearly Prov'd no Difficulty from an obscure Text can shake such a Foundation But I lay down this only as a general Rule because this Method is so much made use of by the Quakers and others who never think of Answering plain Proofs but by raising a great Dust of Objections wou'd bury and hide what they cannot Disprove I say that I only mind them at present of this fallacious Artifice for I have no use for it as to these Texts objected to which a very plain and easie Answer can be given And First I would observe how the Quakers can understand the Word Baptize to mean Water-baptism or no Water-baptism just as the Texts seem to favour their cause or otherwise For there is no mention of Water in either of the Texts objected only the single word Baptize And why then must they construe these two Texts only of all the rest in the New Testament to mean Water-baptism Why but only to strain an Objection out of them against Water-baptism But will they let the Word Baptize signifie Water-baptism in other places as well as in these They cannot refuse it with any shew or colour of Reason They must not refuse it in Acts xviii 8. where the Baptizing of Crispus mention'd in the first of the Texts objected is recorded And there it is not only said of Crispus that he was baptized but that many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized By which the Quakers cannot deny Water-baptism to be meant since they construe it so 1 Cor. i. 14. Secondly We may further observe that in the Text Acts xviii 8. Crispus is only said to have believed which was thought sufficient to infer that he was baptized which cou'd not be unless all that believed were baptized Which no doubt was the Case as it is written Acts xiii 48. As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed And Ch. ii 41. They that received the Word were baptized And V. 47. The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved So that this is the Climax or Scale of Religion As many as are ordained to Eternal Life do believe And they that believe are baptized And they that are baptized are added to the Church And to shew this receiv'd Notion That whoever did believe was baptized when Paul met some Disciples who had not heard of the Holy Ghost Acts xix 3. he did not ask them whether they had been baptized or not He took that for granted since they believed But he asks Vnto what were ye baptized Supposing that they had been baptized Thirdly Here then this Objection of the Quakers has turn'd into an invincible Argument against them They have by this yielded the whole Cause For if the Baptism 1 Cor. i. 14. be Water-baptism then that Baptism Acts xviii 8. must be the same And consequently all the other Baptisms mention'd in the Acts are as these Water-baptisms also But besides the Quakers Confession for they are unconstant and may change their Minds the thing shews it self that the Baptism mention'd 1 Cor. i. 14. was Water-baptism because Paul there thanks God that he baptized none of them but Crispus and Gaius Wou'd the Apostle thank God that he had baptized so few with the Holy Ghost Or wou'd he repent of baptizing with the Holy Ghost Therefore it must be the Water-baptism which was here spoke of Fourthly But now what is the Reason that he was glad he had baptized so few with Water-baptism And he gives the Reason in the very next words V. 15. Lest any shou'd say that I had baptized in mine own Name What was the occasion of this Fear It is told from V. 10. That there were great Divisions and Contentions among these Corinthians and that these were grounded upon the AEmulations that arose among them in behalf of their several Teachers One was for Paul another for Apollos others for Cephas and others for Christ This wou'd seem as if the Christian Religion had been contradictory to it self As if Christ and Cephas and Paul and Apollos had set up against one another As if they had not all taught the same Doctrine As if each had preach'd up himself and not Christ And had baptized Disciples each in his own Name and not in Christ's and had begot Followers to himself and not to Christ To remove this so horrible a Scandal St. Paul argues with great zeal V. 13. Is Christ divided says he Was Paul Crucified for you Or were ye baptized in the Name of Paul I thank God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius lest any should say That I had baptiz'd in mine own Name There needs no Application of this the Words of the Apostle are themselves so plain He did not thank God that they had not been baptized but that He had not done it And this not for any slight to Water-baptism but to obviate the Objection of his baptizing in his own Name Fifthly By the way this is a strong Argument for Water-baptism Because the Inward Baptism of the Spirit cometh not with Observation and Shew but is within us Luke xvii 20 21. Nor is it done in any Body's Name it is an inward Operation upon the Heart But the outward Baptism is always done in some Name or other in his Name whose Disciple you are thereby made and Admitted Therefore it must of necessity be the outward Baptism of which St. Paul here speaks because it was outwardly Administred in such an outward Name And he makes this an Argument that he had not made Disciples to himself but to Christ because he did not baptize them in his own Name but in Christ's Now this had been no Argument but perfect Banter if there had been no outward Baptism that the People cou'd have both seen and heard How otherwise cou'd they tell in what Name or no Name they were baptized if all was Inward and Invisible But I need not prove what the Quakers grant and contend for that all this was meant of Water-baptism because otherwise their whole Objection from this place does fall VI. But they wou'd infer as if no great stress were laid upon it because that few were so baptized I Answer That there is nothing in the Text which does infer that few of these Corinthians were baptized St. Paul only thanks God that he himself had not done it except to a few for the Reasons before given But Acts xviii 8. it is said That besides Chrispus whom Paul himself baptized MANY of the Corinthians