Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bear_v	truth_n	witness_n	3,073	5	8.6773	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41792	Truth and peace, or, The last and most friendly debate concerning infant-baptism being a brief answer to a late book intituled, The case of infant-baptism (written by a doctor of the Church of England) ... whereunto is annexed a brief discourse of the sign of the cross in baptism, and of the use of the ring, and bowing at the altar, in the solemnization of marriage / by Thomas Grantham.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1689 (1689)	Wing G1550; ESTC R41720	89,378	100

Christ and the Holy Spirit they are washed in Water 3. In the third Age Mr. Baxter tells us out of Tertullian Origen and Cyprian That in the Primitive Times none were baptized without an express Covenanting wherein they renounced the World c. and engaged themselves to Christ 4. In the fourth Age Basil saith That none were to be baptized but Catechumens and those that were duly instructed in the Faith. 5. In the fifth Age Chrysostom saith The time of Grace or Conversion was the only sit time for Baptism which was the Season in which the three thousand in Acts 2. and others afterward were baptized 6. The African Churches commonly called Donatists taught That none should be baptized but those that believed and desired the same 7. The Waldensian Churches tell us That by Baptism Believers were received into the Holy Congregation there declaring their Faith and amendement of Life 8. The Churches in Germany own'd the same Faith and Practice 9. The Churches in Helvetia asserted the same and suffered for their Testimony 10. The Bohemian Churches by great Sufferings bore witness to the same Truth 11. The Churches in Thessalonica did the same 12. The Churches in Flanders suffered for the same cause 13. The Hungarians did the same 14. And so did the Churches in Thessalonica 15. The Churches of the Ancient Britains did the same and died for their Testimony Here some will be ready to say We value not Mr. Danvers he was mistaken in his Quotations But let me reply Would Men but impartially read his Defence they would see cause to justify him from most of the Clamours which have been vented against him Neither do we censure good and pious Men in the darker Times above us who perhapps had not opportunity as we have to see and avoid the Error God Almighty indulging the oversights of his sincere Ones in all Ages as we trust he will do ours in this for some may yet come after us to restore some Truth which we have not minded being so much busied both by Writing Preaching and Suffering in defence of some particular Truths which are the Controversy of our Age. And this was the Case of our worthy Predecessors who were called to contest with the Spirit of Error And we doubt not but all sincere Christians who have not wilfully opposed themselves to any Truth shall find Mercy in the Day of Christ and receive a Reward according to the Infinite Goodness of God who will not suffer any to go without a Reward who have been but so kind to any because they belonged to Christ as to give them a Cup of cold Water to drink And in the mean time I am for so much Communion with all Christians as will do them and my self good But seeing it is impossible for any to maintain full or ample Communion with all sorts professing the Christian Name at this Day There is a necessity either for some powerful Party to kill all the rest that she may be the only Church or else Brotherly to agree to permit all to chuse their Communion where they can most comfortably enjoy it and I heartily desire that none for any cause but true inward Peace would make use of this Liberty But about this we have more fully treated in the fifth Chapter that here we shall add no more at present but shall conclude with our humble Request to the Church of England to consider how great a Pressure it must be upon our Conscience to break up our Assemblies which we believe to be truly constituted Churches and to unite with Hers which we believe to be so defective in her Constitution as to have no Baptism at all Now that the Baptism of Repentant Believers is of Heavenly Original is granted on all hands that it stands clear both in Scripture and unquestionable Antiquity next to the Scripture is altogether undeniable and that this Baptism is to be continued to the end of the World cannot be spoken against And on the other side Does not even Mr. Baxter and other Learned Assertors of Infant-Baptism confess 't is a very difficult Point to prove by Scripture And do not the Learned Papists and some Learned Protestants acknowledg there is no Scripture for Infant-Baptism Neither Precept nor Practice in Scripture for Infant-Baptism That it was brought in without the Commandment of Christ That it is only a Church Rite and not of Divine Institution These Things cannot be hid from you and therefore there is a necessity that some speedy and prudent way be taken by the Church of England to restore this Holy Ordinance to its purity in respect of the Subject to be baptized For though the Church of England does retain the Doctrine of Baptism with respect to its precedency to other Ordinances its Utility and Dignity in the Church of God yet this is to little purpose still so long as another thing is substituted in the room of it both in respect of the Subject and manner of Administration Concerning the latter let the Church of England be intreated to consider the Reflections which have been made upon this Alteration of Immersion to Sprinkling by the learned Bossuet in his Book of Communion c. And the Conviction which some learned Protestants in France have lately met with upon that occasion I will set down the words of the learned Author who calls himself Anonymus as they are translated by Dr. Duveil upon the Acts of the Apostles p. 292 293. It is most certain that Baptism hath not been administred hitherto otherwise than by Sprinkling by the most part of Protestants but truly this Sprinkling is an Abuse This Custom which without an accurate Examination they have retained from the Romish Church in like manner as many other things makes their Baptism very defective it corrupteth its Institution and ancient use and that nearness of Similitude which is needful should be betwixt it and Faith Repentance and Regeneration This Reflection of Mr. Bossuit deserveth to be seriously considered to wit that this use of plunging hath continued for the space of a whole thousand and three hundred Years that hence we may understand that we did not carefully as was meet examine things which we retained from the Roman Church and therefore since the most learned Bishops of that Church do teach us now that the Custom established by most grave Arguments and so many Ages was abolished by her this self-same thing was very unjustly done by her and that the Consideration of our Duty doth require at our hands that we seek again the primitive Custom of the Church and the Institution of Christ Though therefore we should yield to Mr. Bossuet that we are convinced by the force of his Arguments that the Nature and Substance of Baptism consisteth in Dipping what may he hope for from us but that the Professors see themselves obliged to him by no small Favour and thank him that he hath delivered us from Error when we greatly erred in this