Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	apostle_n	church_n	word_n	980	5	3.9234	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41778	The fourth principle of Christs doctrine vindicated being a brief answer to Mr. H. Danvers book, intituled, A treatise of laying on of hands, plainly evincing the true antiquity and perpetuity of that despised ministration of prayer with imposition of hands for the promise of the spirit ... / by Tho. Grantham.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1674 (1674)	Wing G1533; ESTC R43208	35,212	40

THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE OF Christs Doctrine VINDICATED BEING A Brief Answer to Mr. H. Danvers Book Intituled A Treatise of Laying on of Hands Plainly Evincing the true Antiquity and Perpetuity of that Despised Ministration of Prayer with Imposition of Hands for the Promise of the SPIRIT To which is added A Discourse of the Successors of the Apostles wherein the Office of the Messengers of Christ and the Church is Asserted to be Perpetual and of Divine Authority in the same Nature as Bishops Elders c. By THO. GRANTHAM Ps 119. 173. Let thine hand help me for I have chosen thy Precepts LONDON Printed in the Year 1674. THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY To all the Pastors of the Baptized Churches more especially to those who either omit or are indifferent about the Fourth Principle Heb. 6. 2. Brethren and Fathers YOV must needs have a greater sence of the matters Treated on in this Book then other men and are more Eminently concern'd to consider what is to be done in them God hath made you the Stewards of his Mysteries and among the rest hath committed the Fourth Principle Heb. 6. 2. to your Trust a necessity therefore lieth upon you to be as Faithful in that as in the Rest I shall upon this occasion offer a few things to your Enquiry and Consideration and the first is this Whether ever it entered into your Hearts to Teach with Diligence and to handle distinctly the Duties and Blessings which concern this Principle so that the Breasts of your Churches have afforded the sincere Milk of this Word or Principle as well as of the rest And if not then whether the true Reason be not because you know not what to say or do about it 2. Whether sleightly to pass over one Principle or Foundation Doctrine do not endanger making the rest like it and whether we can well support our other Principles against such an Adversary as should take us upon the Account of our neglect in this particular 3. Whether the neglect of this Principle do not lead Christians too much to neglect one of the greatest Blessings of the New Covenant even the Sealing Spirit of Promise whiles the means once so useful to obtain it is by you wholly laid aside I humbly beseech you to consider these things as also what I have here presented to you in the ensuing Discourses To the Pening whereof had I not been constrained by the unnecessary and unseasonable oppositions made against the Truths contended for I should more gladly have spared this Labour for to me it is nothing Pleasant but very Grievous that when many are seeking for those things that might make for Peace still new occasions do Intervene to Revive if not to augme●… Controversie How seasonably Mr. Danvers was in●…ated to forbear Writing against his Brethren some of you are not ignorant and how little he hath gained by his unnecessary undertaking will be yet more evident and if his Zeal shall yet inforce further opposition he may rationally believe those that make Conscience of this Truth cannot but endeavour to defend it God hath endued some of you with moderate and healing Spirits I intreat all such to stand up for Peace to do what they can to prevent these publick Jars I desire to be so happy as to see an end of this Controversy What I have written is my judgment and Conscience I have not writ for Discourse sake Nor have I injured the sence of any Author I meddle with so far as I know but have dealt with all good Conscience therein what I faile in by reason of humane frailty I know every good Christian will Pardon me therein I am Your Brother and Fellow Servant THOMAS GRANTHAM THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE OF CHRISTS DOCTRINE VINDICATED HOw hard a thing it is to bring those Sacred Truths of the Gospel to their due Use and Estimation in the Church which have been abused by the Corruption of the Ages past those cannot be ignorant whose Lot it hath been to Labour in that glorious Undertaking which yet is more particularly made manifest at this time by a late Book Intituled A Treatise of Laying on of Hands wherein the Churches adhearing to that Principle are not only represented to the World as founded in Sin Schism Errour and Ignorance By Mr. D. But the Principle it self also rendred Erronious * The Principle is this viz. The promise of the Holy Spirit which God hath made and Christ obtained for the Church under the New-Testament and Prayer with the Laying on of hands as the way of God for his people wherein to obtain it and presented to the world with such a Robe of Folly put upon it by the Vauity of Men in many Ages past as may expose it to the Mockage of the ignorant who know not to distinguish between Truth and mens sinful Adjuncts wherewith it hath been incumbred any more then the Soldiers who cloathed Christ in a Purple Robe and when they had done derided him By which kind of dealing it were easie for the Adversaries of other Truths as Baptism and the Table of the Lord to disgrace them to the World sith they also have been as much attended with Chrisms Crossings Creamings Exercisms Exsuffiations Sponsors Spitings Saltings and Superstitions or Idolatrous Adorations as this despised Truth of Prayer with Imposition of Hands for the promised Spirit .. All which Sacred and in their places precious Truths shall yet be more fully restored to their Integrity and Estemation in the Churches of Christ Maugre opposition Towards the advancing a work of which import Mr. H. D. hath had a prize put into his hand but wanted a heart to make use of it with respect to the Fourth Principle of Christs Doctrine chusing rather to disgrace it what in him lay whereby he hath as much ignobled himself as he justly advanced his repute in the Churches by his useful Labours in his late Treatise of Baptism Of which being seasonably admonished he must expect now to be more sharply reproved His Book consists of two General Parts the first Historical shewing the opinion of other men concerning the Laying on of Hands The second Polemical shewing his own opinion in opposition to most men in sundry important Particulars 1. From the Historical part with the Title page there is somewhat gain'd for the Truth which he would destroy whilst he tells us An account is given both from Scripture and Antiquity how it hath been practised in all Ages since Christ And beginning with the Scripture he plainly sets down the use of that service by the Apostles in several places only he minceth the matter in respect of the end for which they observed it as hereafter is shewed 2. He proceeds to other Authorities about whom he deals not so fair as might be wished and likewise he seems too bold 1. Not fair because he begins with a spurious Author who would besmear the Truth in question with Vnction or Chrism in the first Age and chiefly he

the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever c. I say this Promise is made to the Church for it were a strange exposition to restrain this FOR EVER to the age of the Apostles as some do for seeing the Apostles or the Churches could neither pray nor Prophesie as they ought but as that Spirit of Promise did help their infitmity it is strange the Succeeding Churches should be able to do those duties though deprived of that gratious assistance for it is evident that the Spirit of Promise is a Spirit of Prayer and Prophesie is one of the most excellent gifts thereof as before we have shewed That great Apostle S. Peter dates the Promise of the holy Spirit very Largely as descending to the very skirt or Last age of the Church of God on earth whiles he asserts it is the right and interest of all Saints even as many as the Lord your God should call Acts. 2. 39. And he hear takes the Promise in that sence wherein Joel meant it and the Christian Church had then received it which clearly intends both the gifts and graces of it for as t is sure they then received great gifts so t is said great grace was upon them all this very promise of the Father is by this Apostle appropriated to all the called of the Lord as we said even the servants and handmaids in these daies Now These daies must either be a few daies at the beginning of the Gospel or it must be refer'd to the whole time of that glorious dispensation if the first then how shall all the called of the Lord receive it Or who will tell us when these daies expired But we know that these daies the Latter daies Last time and Last daies are used with some frequency in Scripture to point out the whole time of the Gospell or Christian Church as it succeeds the time of the Law During all which time we are sure that the duties in generall 3. From the Nature and perpetuity of the duties of the Church and perhaps some difficult undertakings not formerly known which were imposed upon the first Churches are laid upon the Church to the end of the World Matth. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you c. Must the Churches now contend earnestly for the faith and that against both old and new errors must she be still the salt of the earth the light of the world Must she still strive to Preach the Gospel of the Kingdome to all Nations must she keep herself in the Love of God building up her self in her most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost c. if these Duties remain and the Lord requires that she should glorifie him in the constant and faithfull discharge thereof as also in suffering for his sake it cannot reasonably be immagined that he should recall his holy Spirit in the gifts thereof from his Servants who when they had all those gifts had nothing that was superfluous but stood in need of all to furnish them for the work they had to do as the Churches of Christ sith then our God doth require the same services of his Churches now which in generall he required of the Churches in the first ages of the Gospel Let us not imamagin he will require the same Brick and not allow the same Straw for he is not like Pharoah but just in all that he requireth That the gifts of the Spirit here intended by our Apostles are 4. That the Nature and perpetuity of the Exhortations to seek for the Spirit the portion of the Church in every age as her right appeareth further from the Nature of the exhortation she is under to ask them Luk. 11. 13. How much more shall your Heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that askt it ask and it shall be given unto you ver 10. How frequent is the Apostle in these three Chapters in exhortations to this Church and in them to all Churches to desire Spirituall gifts to covet earnestly the best gifts to covet to Prophesie wishing that they may speak with tongues and warning them not to Prohibit that gift Now to what purpose is all this if these gifts be ceased and if the Church may not now expect them why should she ask them I hope no man will say these exhortations are now out of date least in so doing ●… deprive us of the exhortation to Charity also for they are so Linked together as the one cannot cease as it is an exhortation before the other Follow after Charity and desire Spirituall gifts 1 Cor. 14. 1. Thus we see the Church being under Perpetual exhortations to Seek for Spiritual gifts without any restriction necessarily infers her perpetuall right to them and every of them which consideration alone is Sufficient as I conceive to satisfie any Christian that the promise of the Spirit even the same that was given to the first Churches generally in respect of its gifts as well as graces belongs to the Church of Christ thoughout all ages Let us now consider whether the Church of God do not 5. From the continuation of Spiritual gifts in the Church to this day even now enjoy the promised Spirit in the gifts and graces of it at this day For the graces I think none do question it and yet should the fruits or graces of the Spirit as they may be distinguished from gifts which now appear be strictly considered by what did formerly shine forth in the Churches it might without all peradventure put us to some pause yet may we not thence conclude that the graces thereof are ceased but it would surely become a Provocation to cry mightily unto God for an enlargment of what in that behalfe we have received And as I intend not to boast of the gifts of any so I may safely presume that the gifts received in these daies by the Church of God are far greater then I can set down or give you account of because the Church being diffused though many Nations her gifts must needs be unknowne to me I will then restrain my observations to the Churches in this poor Island who may not vie with all Churches but rather in humility conclude themselves inferious to many in respect of gifts And yet shall we say she hath none of the gifts of Gods holy Spirit or may we not rather say she hath many that are endowed with a Word Of Knowledg and that meerly by gift from God having otherwise no capacity or faculty more then others but therein far short of many of their Brethren only the gift of God and no natural faculty maks the differance How have men of knowledg in this world been found to have no skill in the things of God and the foolish to attain knowledge and some to excell so far as to confound the wisdome of the wise and to bring to naught the understanding of the