Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

f!ireEl:iom for a JVe!l .'Srounded Faith. 77 DIRECT. Ill. Unde 1 ftmul JVe!l JVIJat it is to beliew in tl>e Holy G/,oft : a111l fee that l>e J.1vell ~;-~;~;.!;n aJid operate in thee, ar the Life of thy foul, and that tlml do uot refift or quenc/1 ~ho~~1:ind tl>e Spirit, but thm1h{tJlly obey him. ~~~i_0" h;, ~.J· EAch pcrfon in the 1rinity ~s fo believed i_n ~y Chrifiians, as that _in Baptifm, they enter Scr~tati tt'-· -( diOindly into Covenant wlth them : whtch IS, to Accept the Merctes of, and perform the ment:ls ~U, duties ro, each pcrfon dillinCtly. As to tak~ God for 011r God is mor: than to h_elicve that.tbcre if ~~~e':~t~~~m, a God; and ro take Chrifi for Our S1JViour, jS more than barely to believe _that he 1s the Mefllah: fo Bm;ard. de to Believe in the Holy Gholl, is ro take him for Chrills Agent or Advocate wuh our fouls, and for our conftd. ad E.u– Guide, and San6titicr, and Comforter, and not only tq believe that he is the third pcrfon in the Tri- gt:.l. S· nirr. This therefore is a moll practical Article of our Belief. §. 2. If the BlaJPbcmy again}i tbe Holy Gbojl be the unpardo>table. fin, then all fin againfi the Holy Gh1/ mufi needs have a fpecial aggravution by bemg fuch : And tf the fin agamfi the Holy Ghofi be the 11rt:attjl fin, then our duty tc wards the Holy Ghofi is certainly none of our fmallefi duties. The~fore the Doarineoftbe Holy Spirit, and our duty torvardJIJim, and fin again{l bim, deferve not the l!:all, or laft plJce in reaching, learning and mofi ferious confideration. §. 3· Two forts do moft dangcroufly lin againfi, or abufe the Holy Ghofi. The firfi is the Pro· pb;re, who through cujlom and education can fay [I believe in the Holy Gl~oft. J and fay, that (He {an11ifirtl> thtm and aU tbe Elell peopltoJGod: J but _l:are or r~fiH aJI fancbfymg works and motions . .,,.n •rin· of the Holy Ghofi, and hateall thofe that are fancblied by lmn, aud make them the objects of thm ~;ium ,Ill"<· fcorn, and deride the very n..zmc of fonliification, or at lcafi the tbing. (t 1 i\'um io Crcationc,r~~ fcctivum in redcmptione, pcrK8ivun't in fan8ifico.tione. Job. Co'1.bis comp. Th:ot. l. 4· c. 1. The f<:cond fort is the Enthufiafis or true Fanaticks, who advance, extoll, and plead for the Spirit, Rcjc.a.is :_ro·J againll the Spirit; covering their gre~te~ finsagainfi the ~oly Gho~,.by. cryin_g up, and pretending ~o .~he~fi~iicis the Holy Ghofl:: They plead the Spint m the~felvu agam.fi_ t~e Spmt m !he1r Bretbrm~ yea, and I_n rc~iptis,M,.ni· almoli all tbc Church: They plead the authomy of the Spzrzt zn them, agamjt the attthoray ofthe Spz- cha!i novum . rit i~ the holy Scrip~urrs : an~ ~gainfi parti~ular. truths of Scripture; .and again~ .fe~c:r,ll great a.nd Ev~~eliu~ nccdtd Dmics, wh1ch the SpJClt harh reqUired m the Word; and agamtl the Spmt m their rnofl JU- fcup erunt · 1 dicio~1s, godly, faithful Teachers. But can it be the Spirit that fpeaks agai11jt the Spirit l Is the Spirit f utc~:t~:·;i of God againll it felf? Arc we not aU, baptized by Om Spirit (and not divers or contrary ) imo one l~~inum bqdy? 1 Cor. 12• 12, 13. But it into marvel, for Satan to be transformed into an Angel of ligiJt, or mul.tiru~in.i,& bi4 Mi;,ijfcrt iHto the Mini/lcrs ofChrijl, and o[Rightermfncfi, whofe end fhaU be according to their ~VtJTk,_t, femt·d~tt~e· 2 Cor. 1 r. ~3, 14, I 5· The Spirit him[elf therefore hath commanded us, rhar we believe, not evrry J~;~~~,E~~h~~ Spirit, bta tr)' the Spirits whether they be of God; becaufe many fa/fe Prophets ore J:.one out i1;to the fi:tfmos fen wm·ld: 1 John 4· 1· Yea, the Spirit [peal<..ctb exprcfly, that in the !,mer timet fomejluU depart from the ?ffia:u~,fu1 ita faith> givinn heed to feduciJtg Spirits, and doCJrines ofDevils: I Tim. 4· t. Therefore take heed that 1 ~1 tur.;a ~ m you ne.ithe/MiJtallt nor abu/e the Holy Spirit. :~:~~:1:;~!~1~; anoniti diu u centes; dcinde t:ln'IlDOl redcuntes ex fp:cn ~rophonio & plormre•, mulo l'~ticinlti funr ; Prorfus ut Anabl.pti(i;x" reccns f:.-c<.'J'UI'l: in fcditione Monafiericn~. Edi :tucem in qmbu:dam marufefi.a fintulauo fu1: , tamcn ::aliquibus l'eipfa :i Diaboli~ furores im... 111iffcs diC certumcfl. cadD.~. chrou.t. 3· p. 54. §. 4· r. The Doctrine concerning the Holy Ghofi, to be believed, is brirfly this. J. That the Holy Ghofras given fince the Afcenfion of Chrifi, is his Agent on earth, or his Advocate with men (called by him the Pa,.c/ete): lnfiead of his bodily pre[rncc which for a littlefpm he vouchfafed to afew,be- John t6.7, s; ing afcended, he findetb the Holy Spirit as better for them, to be IJH Agwt continHally to the md, and untoall, and in all that do believe. 2. This Holy Spirit fo fent, inlallibly infpired the holy AP>f!les John If. 25. a~d E~angclijlt, firfi ~o preach, and the~ to r::''i!e the D~Chine of Chritl, conrained (as indited by {3;1~ ~-~·:.: ;. h.'n:t) 10 the Holy Scr~pwrcs; pcrf~ly trnpnntmg t.herem the Holy Image ofGod. 3· The fame Spi- Heb.3 2 , ~, ~.4 n t m rhcm, fealed thts holy DoC.hme, and the Tefi1mony of thc.fe holy men, by many Miracles and wonderful Gifts, by which they did actually convince the unbelieving world , and plant t~e Churches. 4· The fame Spirit ( having tirft by the Apofiles given a Law or Canon to the Univerfal Church, confiiwring its Offices and the duty of the Officers, and the manner of their entrance) ~ph. !J 1 , 3; dorh fi.:!~Zlifir and Di[p"[e men !or the flared ordinary Minifierial work, (which is to Explai;z and •h 8, 13. Apply lo1C. fon..fJid ~criptures ), and dircd~th thofe that are to Ordai11 and Choofe them ( they being not wanrmg on rhcu part) and fo he appomttth Pafi:ors to the Church. 5· The fame Spirita!fifteth the Mimlkrs thuc; fcnt in 1hcir faithful ufe of the means) to Teach and Apply the holy Scriptures ac- . cording to the neccffitic<; of the people, the weight of the matter, and the Majefly of the \Vord of God. 6. The fame S[irit doth by this Word (heard, or read) renew and fanctifie the fouls of the · EleCt,

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