Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	call_v	great_a	part_n	2,184	5	4.0120	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45174	Cheirothesia, or, A confirmation of the apostolicall confirmation of children setting forth the divine ground, end, and use of that too much neglected institvtion, and now published as an excellent expedient to truth and peace / by Jos. Hall ...	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.	1651 (1651)	Wing H372A; ESTC R40542	23,459	98

difficulty to be atchieved they project and desire Sect. 14 The third Motive shall be the mischieves and inconveniences which follow upon the neglect and want of this holy Ordinance which do plainly appear as the right serves to set forth both it self and the wrong both in the privation of those benefits which we have fore-specified and in the seizure of those manifold evils which have sensibly ensued For whiles this institution is let fall we see Catechizing of Children then which nothing can be conceived more profitable and necessary in Gods Church is grown utterly out of fashion And what wofull distractions of opinions what horrible Paradoxes of contradiction to the Articles of Christian Faith have been and are daily broached to the world what good heart can but tremble to consider Certainly it was not without great reason that our wise and learned King James of blessed memory when complaint was made to him of the growth of Popery in his time returned answer that all this was for the want of Catechizing For surely if the younger sort were soundly seasoned with true knowledge of the grounds of Religion they could not be so easily carried away with every wind of Doctrine How cold and carelesse are Parents generally grown of breeding their children in a religious way for that they know they neither are nor shall be ever called to any account of their knowledge or proficiency How utterly regardlesse are the children themselves of so much as a verball learning the principles of Religion which shall never be required of them to the shame of their ignorance or unperfitnesse being in the mean time wholly taken up with vain toyes and idle impertinencies With what bold and sinfull ignorance do too many of the promiscuous multitude thrust themselves upon Gods table which might be clearly avoided if the prudent and Godly order of our Church were duly observed that none should be admitted to the Communion but those that have been Confirmed none Confirmed but those who are able to give account of the Catechisme set forth by the Church containing the main grounds of Christian Doctrine viz. the Belief the ten Commandements the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments Lastly how lawlesly vicious are the lives of too many which might have been in all likelyhood somewhat restrained if in the entring of their youth they had publiquely engaged themselves to God and the Congregation to renew their Baptismall Covenant in renouncing the World the Devill and the Flesh and solemnly promising to do their utmost indeavour to keep Gods holy Will and Commandements and to walk in the same all the dayes of their life In the account of most of these great inconveniences I am seconded by Master Calvin himself who plainly imputes to the want of this Discipline so much querrell in matter of Belief so much ignorance and rudenesse in too many and so fearfull distractions with new and wilde opinions set abroach every where in the World So as whether we consider the convenience and honour of our conformation to the Primitive Church of Christ or the great profit that ariseth from the due observation of this Ordinance or the no small inconveniencies and mischieves which ensue upon the neglect of it we have great reason to wish that it may be happily in the purity of it restored to the Church of God Sect. 15 In the mean timelet no man think to choke me with the objection of the disorder and utter inefficacy of this Ordinance as it was lately wont to be practised in our Church I may not deny that in too many places there was fault enough even on both parts both of the giver and receiver For the one Mr. Hooker gives a grave and modest touch of reproof No saith he there is no cause we should doubt of the benefit but surely great cause to make great complaint of the deepe neglect of this Christian duty almost with all them to whom by right of their place and calling the same belongeth Let them not take it in evill part the thing is true their small regard hereunto hath done harm in the Church of God thus he Neither can I but justifie his gentle reprehension The Fathers of the Church generally failed in the zealous prosecution of this so beneficiall a work being I suppose discouraged with either the coldnes or adversnes of too ma ny of their charge into whose thoughts some otherwise affected teachers had instilled a strong prejudice against this institution hereupon having eye enough to their own peace they were content silently to let fall the frequent and regular performance of that which their hearts allowed afterwards in the beginning of King James his Reign they were quickend with this Synodicall Constitution Forasmuch as it hath been a solemn ancient and laudable custome in the Church of God continued from the Apostles times that all Bishops should lay their hands upon children Baptized and instructed in the Catechisme of the Christian Religion praying over them and blessing them which we commonly call Confirmation and that this holy action hath been accustomed in the Church in former ages to be performed in the Bishops visitation every third year we will and appoint that every Bishop or his Suffragane in his accustomed Visitation do in his own Person carefully observe the said custome c. Upon this Canon the Bishops generally were not indiligent in performing this part of their charge insomuch as had there been a correspondent forwardnesse both in the people and in their Brethren of the Ministery who are by the Canon charged with the care of preparing and procuring the presentation of such persons as are meet to be admitted to Confirmation this service had certainly been accomplished with good effect and was by divers of them done accordingly But soon after divisions grew on the Authority of Ecclesiasticall Superiors began to abate in the minds of men and there wanted not who suggestit to be a piece of Piety to dislike and decry this which they termed a Superstitious Ceremony so as now there wanted heads on which hands should be imposed Whiles yet in some places of the remoter Diocesses this Episcopall Benediction was in the other extream sought with so too much heat as that it was not possible to be given otherwise then in a breathlesse and tumultuary way as I formerly intimated It is not then for us to say how an holy service is performed but how it should be what errors passe in any Godly administrations ought not so much to disgrace the Act as to invite an amendment and let me be bold to say that were this institution carefully and punctually acted on all parts according to the rules prescribed by the Church of England there could be no doubt of a plentifull blessing from heaven to be powred down upon that so Sacred and Religious Ordinance Wherefore dear Brethren laying aside all unjust prejudice that may arise either from the

of the imposition of hands is more worthy then the Sacrament of Baptisme These and whatever other excesses of Titles and Prerogatives have been cast upon this holy Institution to the disparagement of other more noble Ordinances have not a little blemished the face of it in some undistinguishing eies To which may be added the over-eager and tumultuous affectation wherewith it was wont not very long since to be prosecuted in some parts the Western especially of this Church It cannot be spoken with what fervour and violence of desire that people were wont to sue for this sacred ceremony What Fair-like confluences have we there seen of zealous ambients How have we been tired with the importunity of Suitors impatient of either deniall or delay How have we been oppressed with the throngs of the multitude striving for the first admission Insomuch as we have been forced to call for the help of Officers to our rescue from that well-meant impetuousnesse Yea so hath that people been formerly devoted to this religious institution that the want of it was one of the causes of their insurrection in the daies of King Edward the sixth falling out as then by reason of the absence or willing forbearance of Miles Coverdale their elected Bishop Now I must be pardoned if I impute some part of this height of zeal in those our modern Clients to an ungrounded over-weening of opinion which they have conceived of this godly Ordinance traduced unto them by their fore-fathers whereof if need were I could give too sufficient an account to the Reader an errour which by good counsel might in good time be redressed Sect. 5. But leaving the consideration of an excessive over-valuation whereof I dare undertake the greatest part of this Nation at this day are far enough from being guilty we descend to that other extreme of defect whereof I fear there are not too many free What an universall neglect is there of this holy duty in all the Churches that professe Reformation What a willing forgetfulnesse of it as if there had never been any such matter practised in the Church of God never any such ceremony so much as intimated by any Apostle never any mention or memory of it in the succeeding ages lastly as if there never had been never could be any profitable or godly use of it amongst Christians Yea rather on the contrary how odious is the very name of it grown to the ears of those who professe the strictest godlinesse How is the practice of it cryed down and hooted at as meerly superstitious and Antichristian Who can but wonder at this strange partiality that men who professe so awefull an observance and so strict and punctuall imitation of all the Apostolicall Ordinations and actions should willingly abandon and carelesly slight one of their prime and most apparent institutions Faine would I know what they can say to this irrefragable text Was there not such a thing in the Apostolick times as the Imposition of hands Was not the Doctrine and practice of it held so usefull as that it was singled out for one of the Principles of Christian Religion Is there not as much occasion and need of the use of it as ever Was this only a temporary Institution soon after to be abrogated What need was there then to trouble the heads and to clog the Catechisme of Christian novices with a vanishing and now already-gasping Ceremony And why is it ranked in the style of Faith Repentance Baptisme c. whose use and practice must be perpetuall Surely to coop up the Doctrine of Baptisme and Imposition of hands in a Parenthesis as some have poorly devised is both very unreasonable and injurious to the Spirit of God which would have this Scripture to run freely in all equall relations to the fore-going and following clauses what God will have laid open it is high presumption in any man to enclose Sect. 6. That the Apostles laid their hands on persons formerly baptized and hereby conveyed unto them the Holy Ghost is so clear a truth as none durst ever deny But did not this priviledge rest only in them and die with them As it could not be bought and sold according to the profane and sacrilegious offer of the wicked sorcerer so could it be bequeathed unto and feoffed upon their holy Successors Surely we hear our blessed Saviour at his parting say Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world Those blessed men to whom these cordiall words were spoken were not to stay long in the world not to their persons therfore but to their succession was this promise both made and verified Not in respect to those miraculous gifts which as persons extraordinary they both had and conferred in this singular qualification they neither had nor could have any Successors in the following times but in respect to those better graces which as Predecessours to the ordinary Pastours and Overseers of the Church their Ministery should convey to the souls of Gods people Hereupon it is that their Successors do justly claim a true right to this Divine priviledge and find a just warrant for their Imposition of hands For the effectuall performance whereof yet they challenge not any power by an inherent vertue in themselves or by any authoritative bequest from or to others but only in an humble way of impetration by their faithfull prayers which are the life of that holy Ceremony according to the practice of the Apostles themselves who though miraculously gifted yet aided still their hand with their tongue devoutly suing for what they intended to give Let no man therfore pretend that because the miraculous effects of the Apostolicall Imposition of hands are long since ceased therfore the act is now idle and uselesse Divine Institutions are ill-measured by sensible operations There are spirituall and indivisible fruits of holy Ordinances which as being most proper for them shall be perpetually produced by them through the blessing of the Almighty even when there is no appearance of any outward efficiency Such are they which proceed from the Imposition of sacred and authorized hands if the judgment of a learned Father and eminent Saint may find place with us It is not now saith he as it was that by the testimony of temporall and sensible miracles the Holy Ghost is by the imposition of hands given as formerly it was for the commendation and better setting forth of the then new moulded faith and for the enlargement of the newbegun Church For who doth now expect that those upon whom hands are imposed for the receiving of the Holy Ghost should suddenly begin to speak with tongues but invisibly and secretly by the bond of peace is the love of God conceived to be thus inspired into their hearts The instance that Bellarmine himself gives to this purpose is beyond exception In the beginnings of the Church those that believed wrought miracles as our Saviour foretold his Apostles now that