Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	believe_v	church_n	doctrine_n	1,773	5	6.7675	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42146	The searchers for schism search'd, or, Their pretended questions for conscience sake answered wherein is proved that those baptized congregations under laying on of hands are not guilty of schism in separating from them : shewing, in opposition to their threeforld hypothesis, that their church constitution is not true, separation from them proved lawful, the truth and authority of the doctrine about which they separate, vindicated / humbly presented to all concerned [by] J. Griffith ...	Griffith, John, 1622?-1700.	1669 (1669)	Wing G2003; ESTC R41670	59,153	128

and do not understand laying on of hands to be your duty according to the will of God to submit to 3. That if you did understand as aforesaid laying on of hands to be according to the will of God your duty you would do it 4. And you being thus qualified de●and whether you ought not to be esteemed a●●●urch of Christ These things premised we now answer 1. How can you be ignorant that laying on of hands is your duty to do when one of you and one that is esteemed eminent among you for parts and knowledge yea and one of the chief if not the alone Author of your Search did not very long since receive laying on of hands upon the same ground and to the same end we practise it giving of it first under his own hand as is still to be seen 2. Can he then be ignorant that laying on of hands is his duty to do according to the will of God when he shall submit to it as to one of the first Rudiments of Christianity Either he did submit with understanding or he offered the Sacrifice of Fools which know not what they do or did he design to deceive the Brethren that administred Prayer and laying on of hands upon him that so he might be the better able being now admitted a Member of a Congregation under laying on of hands and with the less suspition to undermine that part of the Foundation on which the House was built To say he did as Fools do would be too saucy a reflection to say he received laying on of hands designedly would proclaim that action of his rather Jesuitical than Christian and conclude him notorious for Hypocrisie 3. How can it be thought he should not understand prayer and laying on of hands to be a foundation-Principle of the Doctrine of Christ when he hath more than once in the presence of many people confess'd it so to be and at length confest it under his hand submited to the practise thereof as one of the first Rudiments to use his own terms of Christianity 4. But suppose he nor you understand not laying on of hands to be your duty according to the will of God will it follow that therefore you ought to be esteemed a Church of Christ rightly and duely constituted c. We believe that there are many that sprinkle their Children whose Confession of Sin and Profession of Faith in Christ we and you can own that you have so much Charity for that did they believe it to be the duty of Believers only to be baptized and not Children they would submit to Baptism themselves and never sprinkle no● own sprinkling of Babes more Will this give you sufficient ground to esteem them a Church of Christ You will say No And why no Because they are not baptized according to the will of God and Baptism is one Principle o● the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.2 Even so say we having so much Charity for some of you that did you understand laying on of hands to be your duty to submit to according to the will of God you would do it yet may you not be esteemed a right constituted Church though you have obeyed one Principle of the Doctrine of Christ more than they which sprinkle their Babes and are right in Faith and Repentance because you are not under laying on of hands which also is one Principle of Christs Doctrine Heb. 6.1 2. Ignorance will be no excuse where Knowledge may be had we may not own you a true constituted Church for your Ignorance 5. If you be ignorant that laying on of hand● is your duty to submit to where is the fault Not in God He giveth liberally and upbraidet● not Jam. 1.5 nor in his VVord that is able t● make a man wise to Salvation through faith i● Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3.15 Is it not written i● the Scriptures of Truth and hath it not bee● asserted both by preaching and printing as you your selves know and say Insomuch that the Light of this Truth had you not rejected it might have shined into your hearts long ere this day and you brought to the knowledge of the mind of Christ If they have not enlightened you who knows since no answer hath been given by you to those Books wherein Laying on of Hands hath been asserted especially * See Gods Oracle and Christs Doctrine p. 91. considering that you have been invited to answer them with a promise that the mistake and error should be acknowledged when you should prove laying on of hands to be no Principle of Christs Doctrine 6. You do not onely seem to plead ignorance but you give us to understand that you are resolved to believe do and suffer what from time to time shall be made known unto you c. further than your present attainments The words are good words it 's true but how can they agree with your practice For from before the time we departed from you down to this day you have been constant and unwearied opposers of laying on of hands speaking evil of the way disputing publickly against it and now lastly make opposition in your Questions for Conscience-sake as you pretend with scurrilous and taunting expressions as in several places doth appear which makes it not easie to be believed that if you are ignorant you desire to understand or understanding resolve to do as you say you will 7. Will resolving to do the Will of God when known in a fundamental give you the esteem of a Church of Christ rightly Constituted if you then it will give others we hope in your eyes the like esteem that are short of you in one principle of Christs Doctrine as you are of us in another and if so then ought you to esteem those in the Presbyterian and Independant way especially those of them that believe Christ died for all as you do between whom there is no fundamental difference but in Baptism of Water and that only too about the subject and manner of Baptizing and no doubt but they are as ready to attest their resolution to own and submit to Baptism as Believers or any other thing whatsoever shall from time to time be made known to them according to the will of God as you are or can be 8. And whereas you say you are not only resolved to believe and do but also to suffer c. Your actions some of you and those some none of the meanest for place and parts will rather speak the contrary witness their freeing of themselves from the yoke of Suffering by sinful swearing out-living their Testimony for Christ preferring the world and their interest therein above his righteous Cause 9. We then have cause to doubt whether you are ignorant as you insinuate and so resolved as you say but if you are we thus answer your demand That it is not any Peoples resolving to believe do and suffer what hereafter shall be made known to them c. but the knowing

●earned and Judicious as any in the Church of England and as well read in the Customs of the ●rimitive Times tells us in his Annotations ●●on that place That the laying on of hands there ●●ken of is understood for a laying on of hands up●● such as had fallen after Baptism 2. It 's notably done and well thought on seeing help fails you from the Scriptures to see whether the learned judicious and well-read Doctors in Mystery Babylon can lend you any But pray doth not this learned judicious and well-read Doctor tell you no where in no place of his Annotations That the baptising of Infants was a primitive Practice or that it came in near those Times by good authentick Orthodox Authority If he doth pray do you consider how you can infallibly infer from Mat. 28.19 the Baptism of Believers as you practise it since so learned a judicious and well-read Doctor was in his Judgement and Practice for sprinkling of Babes and no doubt but he so learned and wise hath something to say for his Practice 3. But this say you he further proves fro● Paul's advice to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.2 where he ● not speaking of any other thing but Church-Censures Look again the whole Chapter thorow i● that a Church-Censure v. 18 19. if not the● that v. 22. may not be a laying on of hands suddenly upon any that had been censured by th● Church And this will appear more plain 〈◊〉 comparing the third Chapter with this the● may it be as fairly and as wisely conclude● That this laying on of hands which Timothy m●● not be sudden in was for Ordination of Bishop and Deacons rather than a laying on of han● upon such as had fallen after Baptism for where read you of such a laying on of hands in all the Scripture either taught or practised by any the deep silence thereof makes us we can neither credit the Doctor nor you in this matter though he be learned judicious and well read in the Primitive Customs But if what he saith were true yet will it do you no service because if such a laying on of hands were then practised neither you nor Dr. Hamond to help you nay take Victor and the third Council of Carthage with you also can prove such a laying on of hands to be that menti●●ed Heb. 6. which is there said to be a Principle of the Doctrine of Christ a Foundation-Principle But no more in this place to such a Scriptureless-notion 4. To your second consideration we shall say no more yet than what we have already said in answer to your former printed Questions where this is stated and by us answered See Gods Oracle and Christs Doctrine p. 39 40. But we grant You do read of a laying on of hands on the Sick but how delivered in the Commission we shall hereafter examine And you do read of laying on of hands to ordain Officers and of laying on of hands by which men received the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit But why do you not make up just half a dozen but leave out that now you brought in with the rest in your printed Questions before mentioned Luk. 21.12 But the fifth you say is that laying on of hands which was afterwards call'd Confirmation because by the Gifts of the holy Ghost the Christians were confirmed in the truth of the Gospel and though those Gifts ceased yet they continued the practice of it in the Church of Rome and many other Protestant Churches to this day 5. Here you confess that the laying on of hands mentioned in Act. 18.17 19.6 is practised by the Church of Rome and many Protestant Churches down from the primitive times to this day May we not think it str●●ge if it be so that you should oppose and refuse to practise that which so many learned judicious and well-read Doctors as have been all along in the Church of Rome and many Protestant Churches do practise but rather against many take the private opinion of some few who by their opinion if true do not contradict nor oppose that laying on of hands mentioned by you in the fifth of your numerations considering withall that the Doctors in Rome and in many Protestant Churches do not consent to such a practice as laying on of hands when they receive any that are fallen after Baptism at this day 6. In your next you seem to thrust in by head and shoulders another sort of laying on of hands or if not another ground the Apo●●les and primitive Churches had to practise the former you numerate than the Authority of Christs Doctrine when you say It was practised by them by way of accomodation to the Jewish Customs as you say appears in Moses laying his hands upon Joshua Numb 18.19 22 23. Deut. 34.9 and so Jacob blessed the Children of Joseph by laying his hands upon them Doth it appear from those places and passages you quote that the Apostles and primitive Churches did practise laying on of hands by way of Accommodation to the Jewish Customs We think when you consider better what you say you will not be of that mind For may it not is well be concluded That the Apostles practised the Baptism of Water by way of Accommodation to the Jewish Customs as appears because the Jews among their Customs had divers washings Heb. 9.10 And is not this as good a proof of the one as yours is of the other 7. And what though the people brought their Children to Christ for him to bless Mat. 19.13 in observation of a Jewish Custom and the Ruler of the Synagogue did the like Mark 5.23 And what if it should be granted that Christ did lay his hands on them to confer Blessings on the one and to heal the other by way of Accommodation to the Jewish Customs Will it follow therefore that his Apostles after his passion● when he had blotted out the hand-writing o● Ordinances nailing them to his Cross Col. 2● 14. Ephes 2.15 and after his Resurrection when he had given them their Commission Mat. 28.19 20. yea and after he was ascended and had sent them according to his Promise the Spirit of Truth which should guide them into all Truth should practise laying on of hands by way of Accommodation to the Jewish Customs and call it a Principle of Christs Doctrine Heb. 6.1 Surely no man in his right mind will so conclude But leaving this too as a Scriptureless-notion we will proceed 8. You then demand Which of all these layings on of hands is intended Heb. 6. and is that which we call a Doctrine of Christ You have been told long since which laying on of hands is intended Heb. 6. that it is that practised by the Apostles Act. 8.17 19.6 for which let the Reader consult Gods Oracle and Christs Doctrine from page 41. to page 54. where this Question is stated by you and answered yea and clearly proved to be that laying on of hands on baptised Believers as such and