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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	word_n	3,246	5	4.1696	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41783	The Pædo-baptists apology for the baptized churches shewing the invalidity of the strongest grounds for infant baptism out of the works of the learned assertors of that tenent, and that the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins is a duty incumbent upon all sinners who come orderly to the profession of Christianity : also the promise of the Spirit [b]eing the substance of a sermon on I Cor. 12, I, to which is added a post-script out of the works of Dr. Jer. Taylor in defence of imposition of hands as a never failing ministery / by Tho. Grantham.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1671 (1671)	Wing G1541; ESTC R39521	38,200	120

designs prevented and though perhaps charity for some time hath born with such in hope of the best yet this is no other thing then ought to be as may be seen by the carriage of our Lord toward Judas and his Apostles towards fome others The gifts of Doctrine and praising our God with a Psalme is not yet removed our Teachers as taught of God remaining in every Church where also are some that are skillfull in praisiing the Lord to the edification of the Church As for Revelations there might perhaps sometimes be strange or hidden things made known by some speciall gift of God and why may not God do such things now However it is not unsafe to understand the Revellations here ment by Chap. 14. 30. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace c. which cannot so well be understood af a new Oracle as of some further subject or more full explication of the matter treated on by him that spake first according to which interpr●tation we may say the Church hath yet the gift of Revellations And thus far we seem to be got safe not any thing so materiall intervening as to conclude against the continuance of these spirituall gifts in the Church to this day so that the present repairers of the House or City of God may comfort themselves by the consideration of the words of the Prophet Hagg. 2. 5. According to the word which I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt so my SPIRIT REMAINETH amo●g you fear ye not But now the g●ft of Tongues and interpretation of Tongues these where shall we find them Doubtless these gifts are rarely if at all found in these days and in this Nation so as to sute with those who frequently in some Churches at first received those gifts the reasons are many but none such as conclude the Church from under the promise of these gifts as first these gifts differ much from the rest chiefly in this that they may be supply'd another way for the conversion of persons of all Languages or such as can speak other Languages and interpret the same to others doth supply the absence of those gifts 2. The Churche in this and I suppose other Nations have very little need of these gifts and therefore considering that they are not so necessary as the rest the Apostle leaves these with a forbid them not whilst the rest he wills us to c●v●t earnestly But 3 one great cause as I conceive why these g●fts are so much absent and the other no more received i● because we either ask them not at all or else we ask them amiss For many have been so ●ar from a king these gifts of the spirit that in truth they have been arguing that these gifts are not attainable and then t is no wonder they have not been received Again where there hath been some understanding of the interest we have in those gifts there faith in asking hath been and is very low and atended perhaps with great wavering and then little can be expected at the hand of the Almighty Jam. 1. And here let me premonish you of one thing which by my little reading I perceive to have been a great provocation to the Lord to wi●hdraw his gifts in times p●st and I fear it again And that was ●and and I doubt is an over curious performance of that which God gave spirituall gifts for to wit the ministering of the word when the Churches grew populous and great personages came to her communion the unwary pastours let go the simplicity of th● Gospell enclining so much to curiosities that some Counsells decreed tha● a B●shop should not read Heathen Authors and Gra●ian is said to have this passag● viz. Doth not he seem to wa●k in vanit● and da●kness of mind who vexing himself day a●d night in the studies of Logick in the persuite of physicall specula●ion one while elevates himself above the highest Heavens and afterward throws himself below the nethermost part of the Earth True the use that may be made o● reading is one thing and the abuse another however let the least gift o● God be preferred in the ministry o● the word above the greatest of human Arts otherwise we are in danger to incur the guilt of despising Prophysyings Lastly the truth in hand appeareth from the silence of Scriptures touching th● privation of any of the gifts of the spi●it till that which is perfect become 1. ●or 13. 8. 9. Charity never faileth but whether there be prophesies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away for we know in part and we prophe●●e in part But when that which is perfect is come THEN that which is in part sha'l be done away Hence observe a finall determination of the matter in question If any ask when the gifts of prophysie knowledge and tongues c. Shall cease The Apostles answer is even THEN when that which is perfect is come or when we come to see face to face or as we are seen So then seeing the gifts of the spirit do yet remain to the Church and every of them as her need requires are attainable it remains that we humbly consider our wants and desire spirituall gifts you ●ove● earnestly the best gifts From these considerations I conclude that howsoever it is too true that the gifts received by the present Churches are but low and truly so are her graces yet thence we may not we ought not to infer that the gifts promised are ceased or that the Church hath now no interest therein But contrarywise as the promise of gifts as well as graces pertains to us as we are the called of God we ought to ●tir one another up to seek with all dilligence and full assurance for the spirit of promise which being received will abundantly supply our wants help our infirmities convince the contrary minded by its powerfull evidence and demonstration in the ministry of the word and prayer There be two things objected against that which is said the first Ob If the promise of the spirit do thus belong to the Church then this will follow that the doctrines delivered by such gifted men must pass for Oracles of God being the effects ●f the spirit of truth whose propertie it 〈◊〉 to lead into all truth And hence ●ome have conceived the decrees ●f their Counsells to be infallible and ●thers have given out of their private ●tters or books that they were as in●allibly the word of God as the Scrip●ure c. Ans 1. Those gifts do not argue ●he infallibillity of him that hath them ●or then all the gifted brethren at Co●inth had been infallible which yet they ●ere not witness their great want of Wisdom how to use their gifts to edi●ication as also the Apostles refer●ing what they delivered to Tryal telling ●s of gifted person in general and as ●uch not

excluding himself that they ●ee but darkly prophesie but in part know but in part so that perfection ●erein is not to be pretended 2. That the Apostles did deliver infallible and undoubted verities for all to submit to as the very word of God c. proceeded not hence viz. because they were gifted men But as being the chosen witnesses of God purposely ordained to that very end for which cause they saw that just one heard the words of his mouth and by infallible proves were assured of the Resurrection of our Lord and of his will concerning his Kingdom John 15 16. Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he may give it you see Acts 10. 40. 41. and Acts 22. 14. 15. The God of o●r Fathers hath chosen thee that thou should kn●w his will and see that just one and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth FOR thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast SEEN AND HEARD These are the Fathers of the Churches the Foundation layers the Master-builders in such an elevated consideration as that the authority of one is to be valued above the authority of ten thousand subsequent teachers which is a greater number then ever yet convened in a generall councell 1. Cor. 4. 15. 16. These were such Fathers as laid up such a stock of doctrine for their Children as whoso bringeth not along with them is not to be received 2. John 8. 9 10. And whosoever corrupteth by adding takeing away or perverting is to be held accursed to be nameless in the City of God and the book of Life The conclusion is this gifted persons on whom the Holy Ghost fell as it did on the Apostles were not thereby impowered to propose new Oracles or to be the Apostles Competitors and if any presume to these things as some did in the Apostles dayes they shall fulfill that sentence 2. Tim. 3. 9. They shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs also was Ob. 2. If the gifts of the spirit 1. Cor. 12. Have continued in the Church as you teach 't is strange we have no account of them since their days unless we regard the papacy who have claim'd the gift of Miracles in every age which they urge as an undoubted proof that they only are the Church of Christ Ans 1. It is true that people do pretend as 't is said in the objection and it is now my business to examine the goodness of that pretence only this I say they cannot find their Church to have had a being in every age since Christ and therefore very unlikely to prove what they say in the case of Miracles But put case that since they have had a being in the world some signs or wonders have been done among them yet hence to infer the truth of their Church state is very unsafe sith before an equall judge others will be found to have as clear a claim to Miracles as themselves Mat. 7. 22. Many w●ll say unto me in that day have we not prophesi●d in thy Name and in thy name have we cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wondrous works And then will I profess un●o them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity And though our Saviour saith no man can do a miracle in his Name and lightly speak evil of him yet that very speech supposes the thing possible It doth not follow therefore that wheresoever miraculous gifts are there is the true Church but she is only known by her Conformity to the Doctrine of God our Saviour chiefly in the principles of Religion Heb. 6. 1. 2. For we are his House if built upon that foundation of Repentance faith c and pa●takers of him IF we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end otherwise not Heb. 3. 6. 14. If any come unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not to house no though he work miracles for thus saith the Lord. If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreams and giveth thee asign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee now note if he do this saying let us go after other Gods which thou hast not koown and let us serve them thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet For the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your Soul And hence learn this one thing that Gods Truth is not to give place to any gifts but all gifts are to subserve to the furtherance of his Truth To conclude as we ought not to be ignorant of the gifts of the spirit so neither of the means ordain'd of God to obtain those gifts The primitive Churches are herein our best guide as the word directs T is well known and I think granted on all hand● that they used the solemn Ordinance of prayer and imposition of hands for obtaining the promised Spirit at least with respect to these gifts Now be it so though I say for the Graces or Fruits also then seeing these gifts are promised to us as well as unto them and are attainable and in part at least attained by many what should hinder the Churches but that now they should tread in this path with faith and full assurance that a blessing is in it As in holy baptism we are placed as it were among those whose sins are washed away in the blood of the Lamb. So in this Holy Ordinance of prayer and imposition of hands we are in a solemn manner ushered into the promise of the holy spirit and as the pardon of our sins signified in baptism doth not prevent but better capaciate us to pray daily forgive us our ●●espasses so imposition of hands doth put us into a better capacity to seek dayly for the gifts and graces of the spiri● b●cause now solemnly intercessed in the promise by that very way the primi●ive Saints were intercessed therein Acts 8. 15 17. Acts 19. 2. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 6. Heb. 6. 12. Who when they were down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost then laid they their hands on them and they receithe Holy Ghost Have they received of the Holy Ghost since the believed And when Paul had laid his hand is on them the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 on them Wherefore I put th●e in rem●mb●ance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting o● of my hands The foundation of Repentance and of faith towards God of the D●ctrine of bap●ism and of laying on of hands of the resurrection of the dead and of Eternal Judgement What shall I 〈◊〉 the Scriptures are evidence sufficient that this Ordinance is of