Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	father_n	holy_a	son_n	6,458	5	6.0598	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76157	Confirmation and restauration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of the corruptions and divisions of the churches: submissively, but earnestly tendered to the consideration of the soveraigne powers, magistrates, ministers, and people, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the execution of so much, as appeareth to be necessary as they are true to Christ, his Church and Gospel, and to their own and others souls, and to the peace and wellfare of the nations; and as they will answer the neglect to Christ, at their peril. / By Richard Baxter, an unworthy minister of Christ, that longeth to see the healing of the churches.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1232; Thomason E2111_1; ESTC R209487	172,368	411

of the means now And 1. When I have proved it once Appointed it lyeth on the contrary minded to prove it changed or ceased That 's the task of them that affirm it ceased If I shew them an obligation once laid they must prove it taken off Their only Argument is that the persons and occasion were only extraordinary and are ceased and therefore so is the signe or means To which I Answer 1. By denying the Antecedent both as to persons and occasion They were not Only extraordinary 2. By the denying the Consequence as it is inferred from the persons For extraordinary persons were our patterns for ordinary durable works But I prove the Negative 1. The Use and Ends of the Ancient Imposition of hands do still continue Therefore we are to judge that the signe and means is not to cease For the proofe of the Antecedent remember that I have before proved that it was not only though very eminently the gift of Tongues and Miracles that was then meant by the Holy Ghost that was given but also Corroborating Grace And the necessity and actual collation and use of this doth still continue 2. There is still a discernable Aptitude in the means to these necessary Ends. The Baptized believer may yet want the Joy of the Holy Ghost and boldness of Access to God and the shedding abroad of fuller Love in the heart Rom. 5. 5 And that Consolation which is much of the work of the promised Spirit which therefore is called the Comforter and that Corroboration and Stability which he needeth Now to have a Messenger of Christ that hath received a binding and loosing power in the Name of Christ to Encourage us in our Profession and to put up Solemn Prayers for us and as it were take us by the hand and place us in the higher form at least to place us at our first personal Profession among Adult believers and make particular application of the Promise to us and Bless us in the Name of Christ by virtue of their Ministerial Office this must needs tend much to confirm and comfort and encourage the weak Though still further Ministerial Confirmation by Praying and Exhortation will be necessary to the end Acts 14. 22. 15. 31 32. 3. The Scripture signifieth to us that Imposition of hands was of standing use in the Church and therefore not to cease with Miracles In Heb. 6. 2. We find it named among the parts of the Foundation Laying on of hands Now all the doubt is what Impositon of hands is there mentioned 1. For them that think the Apostle meaneth Jewish Imposition when he mentioneth the Christian Foundation Points I think their Opinion saveth me the labour of Confuting it 2. Either then it is Imposition of hands in case of Ordination or in case of Confirmation or in case of Absolution or for working Miraculous cures The last alone it cannot be because we find it among Foundation Points and find it a continued thing and because there is no evidence to lead us to such a restrained exposition And if it be in the case of Absolution or Ordination that Imposition is to continue it will by consequence be proved that it no more ceaseth here then there And usually they that question the use of it in one case question it in the rest 3. For my part I think that it is no one of these cases alone that the Scripture here speaketh of but of the Power and use of it in General for the Ministers of Christ to be his Instruments in conferring Evangelical Gifts and Power by imposition of hands We must not limit and restrain the sence of Scripture without Evident cause It is as if the Apostle had said You are long agoe taught the Necessity of Repenting and forsaking the works of Death and of Believing in the true God and of being Dedicated and Engaged to Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in the Baptismal Covenant in which you your selves have been consecrated unto God and received the remission of sinne and you have seen the Power that is given to the Ministers of Christ that by their Prayers and Imposition of hands Miracles have been wrought to confirm their Doctrine and Grace is given to confirm the Soul and Absolution and Peace is given to the Penitent and Ministeriall Power delivered to others c. But however you understand this Imposition of hands without apparent violence you must confess either Imposition in the case that we are speaking of or that which will warrant it and stands on the same ground to be here meant So 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes Some think that here is meant Imposition of hands in Ordination and some that it 's meant only of Confirmation and some of Absolution but however it will help us in the following Argument 4. Scripture fully proveth that Laying on of hands is a thing to be continued to other Vses where the reason of continuance is the same Therefore we are not to judge it ceased as to this use This Text last named shews that it is a standing or continued thing and if for Absolution then for Confirmation and if for Ordination then for both the other So 1 Tim. 4. 14. sheweth that the Presbytery did lay hands on Timothy in Ordination And if it cease not to this it ceaseth not to other continuing uses This much from Scripture for Imposition of hands is more then Nothing though it may not be so full as you expected But on the contrary Nothing is brought to prove it unlawfull that 's worth the mentioning The last thing that I have to do is to argue from the Practice of the Church as the Exposition of these texts of Scripture If the Universal Church of Christ have used Confirmation by Prayer and Laying on of hands as a Practice received from the Apostles and no other beginning of it can be found then have we no reason to think the Ceremony to be ceased or to interpret the forementioned Scripture contrary to this Practice of the Universal Church But the Antecedent is true as I now come briefly to prove supposing what Mr Hanmer hath said It is commonly known that the Ancientest Canons of the Church do speak of this as the unquestioned Practice and duty of the Church So that to recite Canons were loss of time in so known a case And if any say that Anointing and Crossing were Ancient I Answer 1. That they were as ancient in the Popish use as the Matter of a Sacrament or as necessary signes is not true nor proved but disproved by our Writers against the Popish Confirmation frequently 2. Nor can it be proved that they were as Ancient as Indifferent things 3. We prove the contrary because they were never used in Scripture times their being no mention of them 4. So that we bring Antiquity but to prove the continuance of a Scripture Practice and so to clear the sence

sufficient condition of their Title thereunto 13. A Covenant breaker can claim no right to the benefits of the Covenant supposing him to violate the main conditions on which the benefits are suspended But all those at capable age that have nothing but their Infant condition to shew are Covenant breakers therefore they have no right to the benefits of the Covenant They therefore were engaged personally to be●ieve in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost when they came to the use of reason we have cause therefore to see whether they have broke or kept this Covenant and if they have broke it they can at present claim no Title to the benefits 14. He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Therefore those that profess not this belief cannot come to God and consequently not have Communion with the Church Without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 5 6. Therefore without a profession of Faith it is impossible to have right to just Communion which is purposely for the pleasing of God Object But its said Infants have Faith that is a Relative Faith and a Faderall Faith as well as a Relative Faederall Holiness Their right is not only in their Parents but in themselves and therefore their Faith is in themselves and this continueth with the aged till Heresie and Schisme cut it off Answ Call any thing under Heaven by the name of Faith so you will but explain your meaning and we will quarrell as little as may be with you about words But little know we what you mean by Relative or Faederall Faith unless it be plainly to be semen fidelium the seed of believers that there is a Relative and Faederall Holiness is Scripture Doctrine and good sense For the formall nature of the thing is a relation which commonly is expressed by the name of Holiness and which in that phrase is implyed But I remember not that Scripture ever speaks of a Relative or Faederall Faith For I believe not that it was Infants that Christ calls the little o●es that believe in him And Faith being an act or habit you must mean some other species of Faith which consisteth in relation I know it not nor will I use your Language though I think it more tolerable to call the Infant Relatively a Believer then to say he hath Relative Faith for in so saying no more is meant but that he is a Disciple of Christ or belongs to him as he is the Seed of a Believer in Covenant But let this word of Faederall Relative Faith be used by you as you please If the thing signified by it be any more then I have expressed you should tell us what you mean If it be no more but to be the Seed of a Believer then we doubt not but thi● continueth when they come to age but it doth them no good at age as to the continuing of their Title to Church-membership before God without a Faith of their own nor before the Church without a profession of it That the Infant himself is the Subject of h●s own Right is a thing that no man that I know makes doubt of that believeth him to have any Right But the active main condition of that right is not to be performed by himself but by the Parent and only the Passive Condition is to be found in himself that he be the Seed of that Parent If he must be a Believers Seed it s the Parent that must Believe But that will not serve his turne at age if he do not also believe himself 15. It is granted by the Dissenters that the ignorant for all their Infant Title have no Immediate right to the Communion of the Church And we will not contend about names this satisfieth us in the maine It is not Actuall right if it be not immediate plenary right that which they call a remote right is properly no actuall right but a term of Diminution as to it when right hath two Conditions you may call it right when the first and greatest is performed but actually it is none till all be performed For it is still but Conditionall while any part of the Condition is unperformed saith Learned Mr Fullwood page 274. The rule to give all their due is of indispensable Obligation but seeing ignorant persons have no such immediate right in the Supper what injury or wrong is there done them Object But ignorance doth not wholly cut a man off from the Church For such a knowledge goeth not to the ●ssence of the Church for ●●s fo●m is society or Community Answer 1. It s sufficient to our present purpose that it excludeth men meritoriously from immediate right to the Communion of the Adult 2. Ignorance qua talis materially is no sin as in Ideots Paralyticks c. and therfore cuts not off But ignorance in a Subject where knowledg should be found is culpable and complicate alwaies with Infidelity or not believing and therefore doth declare the person to be matter uncapable If you choose to say it cuts not off I easily can prove that it manifesteth that he is not in the Invisible and ought not to be esteemed of the visible Church by reason of his incapacity his former Title ceasing for want of the condition of its continuation 3. Knowledge in the capable Adult is an essentiall to the Church as a society A Church is a society of Christians As it is a society Christianity is not essentiall to it and so not Knowledge For there are societies of Heathens and Infidels enow But as it is a Christian Society Knowledge is essentiall to it and therefore as it is a Church It 's essentiall to a field of wheat that there be wheat in it Or to a heape of wheat that it be of wheat And yet not as a field or as a heap for there are heaps of dirt also The aggregation of a number of individuals makes it a Community and the form of the body aggregated as to the mutuall relation of the parts makes it a Body politick or society But the essentiall qualification of the Individuals viz Christianity is essentiall to that society in specie as a Christian Church And Faith in the Adult is essentiall to Christianity and Knowledge is essentiall to Faith or inseparable from it Object Then one should not take another to be a Church-member till he is satisfied of his Knowledge which were a stranger thing Answ Not so strange as true supposing him an Adult Person capable of Knowledg For he cannot be satisfied of his Faith without being satisfied of Knowledg nor of his Christianity without his Faith For we are yet unacquainted with the Christian Infidels But then Consider what must be satisfactory to other men concerning their Brothers knowledg It must satisfie them that he is by the Pastours of the Church who are to judge approved and annumerated with Believers and that he