Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	apostle_n	church_n	primitive_a	4,139	5	9.1134	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41790	A sigh for peace, or, The cause of division discovered wherein the great Gospel promise of the Holy Ghost, and the doctrine of prayer with imposition of hands, as the way ordained of God to seek for it, is asserted and vindicated, as the interest and duty of Christs disciples in general : in answer to a book intituled A search for schism / by Tho. Grantham ...	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1671 (1671)	Wing G1548; ESTC R39437	69,616	172

Heb. 6. 2. is not a foundation Principle nor a practical Duty Against which I laid down this Position VIZ. Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. is a Principle of the Doctrine of Christ to be practised by his people and a part of the Foundation there mentioned Which my Opposite did wholly deny It was argued that I should be Opponent whereupon I offered this Argument Arg. 1. Opponent The word Principles Heb. 6. 1. being of the plural number is refer'd to all these particulars namely Repentance Faith Baptisms Laying on of Hands the Resurrection of the dead and the Eternal judgement Ergo Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. is a principle of the doctrine of Christ Respondent You ought not to prove it a Principle by that Text. Opponent My position is not the Text therefore I may prove it by this Text. Respondent The Text about which we d●ffer will not prove it Opponent If any Scripture will prove it it is sufficient and therefore answer to the Argument Either distinguish or deny the Antecedent or consequence Respondent I will prove that Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. is no foundation principle thus Opponent Sir you would by no means be Opponent when I desired you to make good your Assertion but complain'd as if I put you upon that which was not your part Why then do you now refuse to answer and put your self into the place of the Opponent which you know is contrary to rule sith I am now to prove Respondent Well I answer by denying the consequence Opponnent I desire to know whether you grant the Antecedent for your denial of the Consequence only supposeth that you grant the Antecedent Respondent I do grant your Antecedent Opponent Then take notice that you grant the first branch of my Position which you denied saying I deny it all for that the word principles Heb. 6. 1. refer to all the particulars aforesaid then to Laying on of Hands and so the Consequence will follow Thus you grant as much as I can desire Respondent I will prove Opponent Brother you ought not to prove till you be Opponent this you know better than I do Therefore either recal your answer to the Antecedent or confess your errour in denying the first branch of my position Respondent Well for Argument sake I grant an errour in matter of form Opponent No Brother your errour is an errour of judgement First to deny Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. to be a principle of the Doctrine of Christ and then to grant it in one of these you must needs err in judgement Here my Respondent was not willing to acknowledge an errour in judgement And therefore as also for divers other pressing occasions that was to be considered and the time but short I put a period to the dispute And because I had many other things to say which time would not then permit to be spoken I will now offer them to consideration and that as for other causes so chiefly for that I hope it may tend to the satisfaction of my honoured Brother and others that are under the same mistake Argument 2. Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. is a Principle of the Oracles of God Ergo Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. is a Principle of the doctrine of Christ The Antecedent is manifest because the same particulars which is called the principles of Christs doctrine Heb. 6. is called the principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5. 12. which is evident Because as the principles of Gods Oracles He● 5. 12. were the things which the Hebrew Church ought not to have any need to be taught again so the principles of the doctrine of Christ Heb. 6. 1 2. are the things which as a foundation among them ought not to need any laying again Argument 3. All those particulars which in Heb. 6. 1 2. the Apostle saith he would intermit and so go on to perfection are the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ But Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. is one of the particulars which the Apost●e said Heb. 6. 1. th●t he would intermit Ergo Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. is a Principle of the D●ctrine of Christ I take this Argument to be irrefragable therefore I proceed to the second branch of the position which is That laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. ought to be practised by the people of God But first must explicate the words Laying on of Hands which in the understanding of any considering man must needs signifie an Act and therefore cannot be restrained to the passive for as the subject on whom Hands is laid is passive as to the Act but not in faith so the party imposing of Hands is active And evident it is that the word Principle Heb. 6. 1. refers to the Act expressly and to the passive implicitly as any considering man may understand Whence I argue Argument 1. Seeing the Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. as it is a Principle or D●ctrine of Christ if you please is not passive only but active als● It must needs be pract●sed either by the servants of Christ or the servants of Sathan But Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. as it is a principle of the doctrine of Christ is not to be practised by the servants of Sathan Ergo Laying on of Hands as it is a principle of the doctrine of Christ is to be practised by the servants of Christ The Major is plain The Minor surely will not be denied For who will presume to say that the principles of Christs doctrine as such are to be practised by the servants of Sathan Seeing it is Christians not the devils Vassals who as they are once to lay it so are not to lay again the Foundation As for wicked men they will persecute the Saints again and again and so Christians must have the hands of wicked men laid on them again and again and that when they are gone on to perfection as well as when they begin their profession so then this Laying on of Hands He● 6. being but once to be laid cannot be that which the wicked do impose sith it s certain as they do it often so sure it is they ought not to do it so much as once Again The laying on of Hands by the wicked to per●●cute the Saints is the doctrine of the Devil Ergo no principle of the D●ctrine of Christ Ergo Not that laying on of Hands mentioned Heb. 6. 2. Argument 2. Laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. was held and practised by the primitive Church as a principle of Christs Doctrine Ergo It ought to be held and practised as a principle of Christs Doctrine now by the subsequent Churches The Antecedent is proved above therefore the consequence is indubitable which yet I may demonstrate thus Argument 3. None of the principles of Christs Doctrine which were practical are abolished no more then those which are not practical Ergo Laying on of Hands as a practical principle

or Congr●●tions of Christ as are free from these corrup●ions I will descend to those grounds which ●re more familiar to us and then see how it ●ay reach the case depending between the ●earchers and their Brethren And first from Acts 15. 2. It appeareth that ●here was not only great disputation but dissention also in the Primitive Churches about matters of Doctrine which word dissention doth imply the discontinuance o● communion between Paul Ba●n●bas with those which did adhere to them and that part of the Church which were zealous for Circumcision and the Law And yet we do not finde that they did one unchurch another but used the most effectual means tha● might be to put an end to the strife And very remarkable it is that though the Assembly a● Jerusalem did plainly determine the point o● Doctrine yet did they forbear their censure against the persons who erred in that case 〈◊〉 chusing to exercise all Longanimity rather then severity knowing that their power was given more for Edification● then for destroying any mans attainments in the paths of Christianity Howbeit when this lenity would not effect th● Reformation of the ill manners of those corrupters or depravers of the Gospel then di● the Apostle lay greater weight upon them wh● would not cease to trouble the Churches Gal. 5. 12. Nor is there any reason to doubt but that the Judaizers had generally been held at some distance in point of Communion or privileges in the Churches before Paul wrote to the Gallatians For seeing that Epistle written by Paul Si●vanus and Timotheus did impower the Church at Thessalonica to note such as dis●beyed it with a note of di●inction from the rest of the Christians who conform'd themselves to its directions Then doubtless that Epistle Acts 15. written in the ●ame of the great Assembly at Jerusalem did every way as much impower all Churches to put ●he like note of distinction upon all that did not ●hey the same which note of distinction howso●ver it might lie as a bar against their present Communion yet did it not destroy their Bre●her-hood 2 Thes 3. 14 15. So that it is further evident that a people ●ay be esteemed Brethren in Christ or a Church 〈◊〉 Christ and yet justly be denyed communion ●●th other Churches or Brethren in Christ For ●he matter in short lyeth thus As a Brother is 〈◊〉 member in respect of that Congregation or ●hurch to which he is immediately related ●o a particular Congregation is but a member in respect of the Church universal As therefore a man may be called a Christian Brother and yet justly for some cause be denyed present communion with his fellow Brethren So a Congregation may be accounted a Church of Christ and yet justly be denyed communion by her Sister Churches and chiefly when she is such a Church as causes divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which the Primitive Churches received from the Apostles All which being considered may well serve to satisfie our Brethren that we commit no absurdity in refusing to communicate with them though we grant them the Appellation of the Church of Christ and Brethren in particular as before we have said Having shewed that al● manner of Divisions which happen in the Church are not properly against her they being after a sort rather nec●ssary for her Reformation then to bring he● to desolation when corruption in Doctrin● or manners have made in vasions upon he● Though it must needs be granted that eve● those divisions are accidentally against th● Church and that as for other causes so chiefly for that they are a scandal to the World and a stumbling to weak Christians It behoveth that we briefly shew what we mean by divisions which are properly against the Church and they are such as these 1. When both parties contending strive to set up some sinful thing or their own devices 2. When they divide about that which is not necessary but indifferent only 3. When the point in question is not so much the thing sought for as revenge upon the persons against whom the controversie is held Those and such like tend only to the ruine of Churches having no tendency at all to Edification The first of these shewed it self among the Corinthians when they strove to set up men some this man and others that and this in opposition one unto another 1 Cor. 1. 12. Which folly hath been the overthrow of Congregations where mens persons have been admi●ed and truth neglected The second is rebuked Rom. 14. But why dost thou judge thy Brother or set at nought thy Brother meaning for things indifferent Therefore who art thou that judgest another mans Servant to his own Master he stands or falls yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand The third is detected Gal. 5. 15. for whatsoever the question was this was their sin they did bite one another Thus men may hold the truth in unrighteousness and without Charity preach Christ meerely of envy to add thereby some affliction to the bonds of their brethren Those kind of divisions in the ages bordering upon the Apostles became the Heathens sport and the Christians shame upon their ●pen Theaters Let us therefore now return to consider the Nature of that distemper which hath befallen our body about the fourth principle of Christ his Doctrine Heb. 6. 2. The Searchers have declared it to be the sin of Schism and the part distempered to be only the Congregations under the practice of Laying on of Hands as is evident from the whole Contexture of their search and the directon of the Epistle prefixed to it as if there were nothing amiss in this matter on their part who if I may so speak have made and defended a Schism in the principles of the Doctrine of our Lord and there withall divided themselves from a principle thereof And this word SCHISM is taken by the Searchers not in a mild sense such as wherein it may be taken by propriety of Speech to signifie division in some lower consideration as the word is translated 1 Cor. 1. 10. But they have hoysed it in their application of it to the Congregations professing the fourth principle to the most extream signification even that of Sedition yea to such a degree as if we unchurched all Churches but our selves As if it were a light matter to brand all those Churches for Schismaticks But they should have considered that bare abstaining from communion chiefly at the Table of the Lord which is all that hath been done generally if so much have been done and that upon such immergent occasion as hath at least in the time of hot contention been given for it is far from being sufficient to bear them out in this their rash charge against their Brethren Seeing our Saviour himself puts a bar for coming to the Altar while differences between Brother and Brother only remains undecided which being duly

the peace of our Churches Let me now conclude with a free Word to the Brethren of both perswasions And that is to beseech you to consider one another as Brethren and not as Adversaries and as Brethren to put on Charity one towards another and chiefly you that are zealous for the principle under debate the more you walk in the truth the more it concerns you to shew forth your works with meekness of wisdom and to abound in that gift of the Spirit which hopeth and believeth all things which doubtless will teach you to believe this of your Brethren in general that if they saw the truth as you do they would be nothing less zealous for it then your selves and consider in the mean time as they are erroneous in our judgments and certainly erroneous they are so we seem to be to them And though the consequence of their rejecting one principle of Religion do indeed endanger the rest yet let us believe that if they were awar of this they would abhor such an opinion as doth so prejudice the Doctrine of Christ Our Brethren do err it is true but they err with a conscience void of errour because as may be hoped they know not that they err Now Charity suffereth long and is kind is not puffed up against any that zealously serve the Lord though perhaps they err from many of his Precepts Charity is not the companion of that excess of indiscreet zeal which abounds in some men for it knoweth that temperance is as necessary in our zeal as mercy is in judgment violent Spirits seldom or never doth the Church service without disservice And let us consider that the truth we stand for hath no need of our passions to defend it no it s own authority will support it against the strongest opposition therefore let your moderation appear to all men To the Brethren on the other side Let me thus speak beware that you despise not your Brethren especially you that are men of parts because you being taken for Brethren of high degree must now if you own the truth which you have opposed seem to be abased You that have been Instructers of the simple must now learn of Babes or at least such things as pertains to Babes Whereupon if you ask your consciences I am perswaded you or at least some of you have met with such reasonings as once a Wise man met with upon an occasion like to this when he reasoned with his friend after this manner Because others are gone before is it a shame for us to come after or is it not rather a great shame not at all to go after them Aug. Confess l. 8. c 8. And let it be considered how upon the discovery of the right manner of Baptizing for men had forsaken the way of God both in the subject and manner of that Ordinance there was found a kind of necessity for Christians of ancient standing as it were to begin again And yet some then as you now was by no means to be prevailed with but would at least have the way of baptizing left to every mans liberty as you would have the 4th principle and now the Lord hath pleaded that cause when no other endeavour could prevail for those that stumbled at that truth are in a manner wholly extinct in this Nation whilst those that imbraced it are blessed with great encrease And what shall befall you if to your disobedience you shall add pertinacity a little time may determine By that which hath been said you may perceive Brethren how the case stands betwen us gladly would we have communion with you in all Christian priviledges but your willful want as of some may be feared of one principle of Christian Religion and therewithall your endeavours to deprive our Churches of it as is too evident to be denyed puts a stop to that which is so much desired and how it shall be obtain'd is the business for time to determine and O that the set time were come Mean while we must leave the Searchers and their search our selves and our Sigh to him that will cause all the Churches to know that it is he that searcheth the heart and tryeth the Reins and will give to every man according as his work shall be A Defence of the Offices of Apostles and of the continuance thereof in the Church till the end FOr men to strain more at the Word Apostle as some do at the word Bishop then at the work or Office signified thereby is no other thing as I conceive then groundless humility or hypocritical subtilty seeing it is evident that those Titles are as lowly as any that can be given to sute with the matter thereby intended The first signifying a Messenger or one sent the other an Overseer Wherefore that I may avoid this humour I will not fear to call old things by their old names and therefore shall call the Officers of the Church by the same names which the wisdom of God hath given them not to make them proud but rather humbled and to be as a Memento concerning the work which by their Office they stand engaged to do Nor shall we need at this time to say much of the Officers of the Church generally but only of the Office of Apostles or messengers this because some of our Brethren do not only doubt but endeavour to make others doubtful also whether God hath given to his Church ANY Apostles or Messengers to succeed the Primitive Apostles as a constant Ministery in the Church to the end of the World And albeit we say that the Apostles have Successours as well as Bishops c. yet our meaning is not that there are any that succeed them in all respects for there was in the Office of the chief Apostles something ordinary ●nd fixed and something extraordinary and ●emporary the latter was first their immediate ●ission Secondly they ●earned their Doctrine ei●her from the Sacred Lips ●f the Lord Christ or by ●●fallible Revelation and were not taught it ●y man as Timothy and ●ther their successours ●ere Heb. 2. Great sal●ation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that heard ●im That which we have heard which we have ●●en with our eyes which we have look'd upon and our hands have handled of the word of Life tha● which we have seen and heard declare we unto you 1 John 1. 1 5. But I certifie you Brethren th●● the Gospel which was preached of me was not afte● man for I neither receive● it of man neither was taught it but by the Revelatio● of Jesus Christ Gal. 1. 11. Thirdly They were t● lay a Foundation and t● propose a form of Doctrin● for other Teachers to buil● on and to keep as their pattern and a Standard by which to trie others Doctrine an● Spirits 1 Cor. 3. 10. as a wise Master builde● I have laid the Foundation and another

in their Office Apostolical Which is yet more evident by the consideration of those gifts which our Lord obtained and gave to his Church by virtue of his Ascention Eph. 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edyfying of the body of Christ Till we all come into the unity of the Faith c. See 1 Cor. 12. 28. It were certainly a very dangerous thing to say that any of these gifts are taken away from the Church of God albeit some of them are perhaps but rarely found at least in that part of the World which do profess the name of Christ especially Miracles c. which yet may not be said to be wholly absent from the Churches in these days and in this Nation of which I could say something partly from such information as I know to be true and partly from what I have heard and seen in that behalf But as touching the gift of Offices here repeated why any of them should be taken away from the Church I see not any ground at all they being so evidently fixed in the Church 〈◊〉 the whole Church be compleated and the use of these Offices respectively as before we have defined so needful that the Church would easily find the want of them if indeed they be taken from her as we shall see more anon And although we said before that the gift of Miracles Tongues c. was necessary to the Office of the chief Apostles and yet was only temporary and now say the gifts of Miracles may not be denyed to have a being or continuance in the Church In this there is no contradiction for the making those gifts temporary or but for a time as they were necessary to the Office of those which first preached the Gospel doth not at all conclude that they are wholly abnegated or taken away from the Church And when we say that these gifts were necessary to the Office of the chief Apoostles our meaning not that Miracles was a part of their office but only a necessary concomicant thereto so that though this concomitant should not befound it is no prejudice to the Office considered as we have defined it We come now to enquire into the order of the Primitive Churches who certainly had many Apostles beside those that were Foundation layers and Master-builders such were Andronicus and Junia Rom. 16. 7. who are ●●id to he men of note among the Apostles some conceive they were of the seventy Apostles then they were for it were a strange interpretation to say they were noted by the Apostles it being to wrest the words of Paul from their native signification which clearly gives Andronicu● and Junia a place among the Apostles not among the chief Apostles but those that were called the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ as such we read of 2 Cor. 8. 23. And such in all probability were those 3 Ep. John who are said to go forth for the names sake of Christ taking nothing of the Gentiles whom Gaius is commended for courtesly entertaining and Dioteophes for rejecting Had not these brethren been sent topreach I see not how John should reprove them that received them not or stir up Gaius to bring them on their journey WHETHERSOEVER they would go but John's care of them and his h●lding them in reputation and defending them against opposers of their Ministery and therewithal their forsaking all for the name of Christ and their freely preaching to the Gentiles that they might be saved shews that they were the Messengers of the Lord and of his Churches otherwise if they ran before they were sent they could not manage the great affairs of the Gospel among the Gentile● And though it is true John calls them Brethren only yet this doth not argue that they were not in Ministerial capacity for we find the same phrase used by Paul concerning those who were Messengers of the Churches 2 Cor. 8. 32. Or if the Brethren be enquired o● they are the Messengers of the Churches and the glo●y of Christ To say that those Brethren were messengers only as they were sent to carry the contribution from the Gentile Churches to the Church at Jerusalem as some would have it is a very cold exposition for first it cannot be proved that they were imployed in that business but secondly if they were how should they for this service only be called the glory of Christ Surely this character must needs refer to their being intrusted with better treasure then Silver and Gold sith either Brethren or Sisters of very ordinary capacity if faithful might have been sent with earthly treasure Again Epaphroditus is not only called the m●ssenger of the Church at Philippi but also Pauls companion in labour and his fellow souldier which shews that though he might bring the Churches bounty to Paul yet this did not confer upon him the Title of Apostle or Messenger sith he had a greater imployment than that namely to labour in the work of the Gospel and to war in that holy warfare even as a companion of Paul himself and therefore worthily might he be called a messenger of the Church of God Of this sort of the Ministers of the Gospel was Barnabas Luke Marke Silas Sylvanus Titchicus Troplimus and Apollos as appears from their being frequently fellow Travellers and Labourers in the Gospel with the Apostles concerning whom I argue thus These persons were Ministers of the Gospel But they were not intrusted with the care of particular Churches therefore their Office was general and by consequence travelling Ministers ●r m●ssengers of the Gospel The major is true otherwise they ran before they were sent and then how could they preach Rom. 10. or be Pauls fellow-souldiers and fellow Labourers The minor is out of doubt because of their unfixedness in respect of place as before we have said and beside some of them are expresly called the Apostles of Christ 1 Thes 1. 1. where Silvanus is joyned with Paul as speaking to the Thess●lonians and so throughout that Epistle and chap. 2. 6. it is thus said nor of men sought we glory We. What we Paul and Silvanus when we might have been ●urthensome How might Paul and Silvanus have been burthensome why as the Apostles of Christ for such they were otherwise they might not have been burthensome as such Timotheus and Titus are evidently Ministers of the same rank as appears partly from the Scripture even now alleadged where as Pa●l and Silvanus so also Timotheus is expresly called an Ap●stle of Christ And partly from those Epistles which Paul wrote to them respectively 1 Tim. 1. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedoian that thou might w●rn some that they teach no other Doctrine so do Had Timothies charge been only at Ephesus as Pastour only of that Church there had been no