Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	2,142	5	3.6322	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41783	The Pædo-baptists apology for the baptized churches shewing the invalidity of the strongest grounds for infant baptism out of the works of the learned assertors of that tenent, and that the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins is a duty incumbent upon all sinners who come orderly to the profession of Christianity : also the promise of the Spirit [b]eing the substance of a sermon on I Cor. 12, I, to which is added a post-script out of the works of Dr. Jer. Taylor in defence of imposition of hands as a never failing ministery / by Tho. Grantham.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1671 (1671)	Wing G1541; ESTC R39521	38,200	120

when used in opposi●●on to it as it often falleth out they ●re and partly for that ignorance of ●hat God hath promised for his Churches comfortable subsistance ●roves a great occasion and temptati●● to Christians to trust to failing and ●●comfortable helps in the great bu●●ness of the Ministry of the word and ●rayer c. Now in the words which we have ●●osen the Apostle shews his care for ●●e Church at Corinthus and in them 〈◊〉 all Churches that they should not 〈◊〉 ignorant concerning spiritual gifts ●●d labours in three Chapters toge●●er to instruct them fully in that point ●●der several considerations and ●●●st 1. By giving them a definition of those gifts or shewing what they are verse 8. 9. 10. viz. A word of Wisdom a word of knowledge faith the gifts of healing the working of miracles prophesie discerning of spirits divers kinds of Tongues interpretation of tongues which definition or enumeration of gifts he seems to inlarge Chap 13. 26. a Psalm a Doctrine c. 2. By shewing that the Church hath a perpetual right to and interest in all these gif●s Chap. 14. 1. Desire sor be zealous after spiritual gifts Chap. 12 31. Covet earnestly the best gifts Chap. 14. 39. Covet to prophesie and forbid not to speak with tongues 3. By shewing whereto these gifts d●serve or to what end they were given Chap. 14. 12. Forasmuch as ye are zealous of the spiritual gifts seek tha● ye may excel to the edification of th● Church ver 31. that all may learn and all be comforted Eph. 4 12. fo● the perfecting the Saints for the wor● of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ 4. By distinguishing of gifts as they are more or less necessary and accordingly gives direction which to prefer in our asking them yet so as not to forbid the use of any of them so it might be done with edification Chap. 14. 1. Desire spiritual gifts but rather that ye may prophesie Ver. 5. I would have ye all speak with tongues but rather that ye prophesied for greater is he that prophesieth then he that speaketh with tongues Ver. 5. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifyeth himself but he that prophesieth edifyeth the Church 5. By shewing that all these gifts how excellently soever any are endowed with them yet therein he is not to rest satisfyed because there is yet a far more excellent way of receiving the s●irit without which all gifts are as nothing This more excellent way he refers to the fruit of the Spirit which he both distinguisheth by its several branches 1 Cor. 13. 4 5 6 7. compar'd with Gal. 5. 22. 23. and also comprehends the whole in that excelling grace of Charity follow after Charity Chap. 4. 1. The greatest of these is Charity 6. By giving a notable Rule to know who are indeed spiritual Christians from such as only pretend to be so Chap. 14. 35. If any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge the things I write unto you are the commands of the Lord. Those then are not truly spiritual or true Prophets who as many on the right hand do not only lay aside the commands of the Lord but prescribe to others their own Traditions neither those on the other hand who prefer their poor conceits and Notions as if the word of God came out from them when though perhaps it came to them yet it came not to them only ver 36. Thus much briefly to shew what the Apostle means in this place by spiritual gifts and in what respects he would not have the Church to be ignorant concerning them Nor shall I insist upon all those particulars now but only that which may be most needful to be demonstrated and that is the second particular For I find it is not only a general conceit among the National Churches that the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were only Temporary and now ceased but also very many in the baptized Churches are doubtful at the least in this matter as if that glorious promise of pouring out of the Spirit according to the prophesie of Joel and the reception thereof by the primitive Churches were taken away long since from the Churches which succeed them and not to be so much as looked for in these days But that this is a very great mistake and that the contrary even that that very promise of the spirit and every part of it from the time of its first effusion upon the day of Pentecost Acts 2. belongs to the Church throughout all Ages to the end of the World I hope to evince to the satisfaction such as desire to see the Truth in this matter And First from the scope of the Apostle in these three Chapters Where as it is his designed subject to discourse of the gifts of the Spirit so he informs us that God hath set them there namely in his Church that is he hath placed setled or fixed that one spirit in that one body nor for a few days only and then to leave her as a body without a spirit for ever after in respect of spiritual gifts but to abide there as in his temple both by gifts and graces even the same which Christ by vertue of his assention obtained when he ascended on high which gifts are given to the Church for the work of the Ministry for the edification of the body till the whole be compleated See to this purpose Ephes 4. from vers 4. to 16. Again The promise of the holy spirit is made by our Lord himself to the Church for ever John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever c. I say with the Church for it were a strange exposi●ion to restrain this for ever to the age of the Apostles as some do for sith the Apostles and first Churches could neither pray nor prophysie as they ought but as that spirit did help their infirmity it were strange the subsequent should be able to do it though destitute of that distance seeing prophysie is expresly one of those spirituall gifts as before we have shewed That great Apostle Peter dates the promise of the holy spirit very largely Acts 2. 38. c. As descending to the very Skirt or last age of the Church of God even to as many as the Lord our God shall call and he here takes the promise in t●at sence wher● in Jo●l meant it and the Church had then received it which clearly intends both the gifts and graces of the Spirit for as 't is sure they received then very great gifts so 't is said great grace was upon them all Act● _____ This very p●omise of the Father is by this Apostle appropriated to all the called of the Lord even the servants and hand maids in th●se days Now these days must either be a few days at the beginning of the Gospel or it must

excluding himself that they ●ee but darkly prophesie but in part know but in part so that perfection ●erein is not to be pretended 2. That the Apostles did deliver infallible and undoubted verities for all to submit to as the very word of God c. proceeded not hence viz. because they were gifted men But as being the chosen witnesses of God purposely ordained to that very end for which cause they saw that just one heard the words of his mouth and by infallible proves were assured of the Resurrection of our Lord and of his will concerning his Kingdom John 15 16. Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he may give it you see Acts 10. 40. 41. and Acts 22. 14. 15. The God of o●r Fathers hath chosen thee that thou should kn●w his will and see that just one and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth FOR thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast SEEN AND HEARD These are the Fathers of the Churches the Foundation layers the Master-builders in such an elevated consideration as that the authority of one is to be valued above the authority of ten thousand subsequent teachers which is a greater number then ever yet convened in a generall councell 1. Cor. 4. 15. 16. These were such Fathers as laid up such a stock of doctrine for their Children as whoso bringeth not along with them is not to be received 2. John 8. 9 10. And whosoever corrupteth by adding takeing away or perverting is to be held accursed to be nameless in the City of God and the book of Life The conclusion is this gifted persons on whom the Holy Ghost fell as it did on the Apostles were not thereby impowered to propose new Oracles or to be the Apostles Competitors and if any presume to these things as some did in the Apostles dayes they shall fulfill that sentence 2. Tim. 3. 9. They shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs also was Ob. 2. If the gifts of the spirit 1. Cor. 12. Have continued in the Church as you teach 't is strange we have no account of them since their days unless we regard the papacy who have claim'd the gift of Miracles in every age which they urge as an undoubted proof that they only are the Church of Christ Ans 1. It is true that people do pretend as 't is said in the objection and it is now my business to examine the goodness of that pretence only this I say they cannot find their Church to have had a being in every age since Christ and therefore very unlikely to prove what they say in the case of Miracles But put case that since they have had a being in the world some signs or wonders have been done among them yet hence to infer the truth of their Church state is very unsafe sith before an equall judge others will be found to have as clear a claim to Miracles as themselves Mat. 7. 22. Many w●ll say unto me in that day have we not prophesi●d in thy Name and in thy name have we cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wondrous works And then will I profess un●o them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity And though our Saviour saith no man can do a miracle in his Name and lightly speak evil of him yet that very speech supposes the thing possible It doth not follow therefore that wheresoever miraculous gifts are there is the true Church but she is only known by her Conformity to the Doctrine of God our Saviour chiefly in the principles of Religion Heb. 6. 1. 2. For we are his House if built upon that foundation of Repentance faith c and pa●takers of him IF we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast to the end otherwise not Heb. 3. 6. 14. If any come unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not to house no though he work miracles for thus saith the Lord. If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreams and giveth thee asign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee now note if he do this saying let us go after other Gods which thou hast not koown and let us serve them thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet For the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your Soul And hence learn this one thing that Gods Truth is not to give place to any gifts but all gifts are to subserve to the furtherance of his Truth To conclude as we ought not to be ignorant of the gifts of the spirit so neither of the means ordain'd of God to obtain those gifts The primitive Churches are herein our best guide as the word directs T is well known and I think granted on all hand● that they used the solemn Ordinance of prayer and imposition of hands for obtaining the promised Spirit at least with respect to these gifts Now be it so though I say for the Graces or Fruits also then seeing these gifts are promised to us as well as unto them and are attainable and in part at least attained by many what should hinder the Churches but that now they should tread in this path with faith and full assurance that a blessing is in it As in holy baptism we are placed as it were among those whose sins are washed away in the blood of the Lamb. So in this Holy Ordinance of prayer and imposition of hands we are in a solemn manner ushered into the promise of the holy spirit and as the pardon of our sins signified in baptism doth not prevent but better capaciate us to pray daily forgive us our ●●espasses so imposition of hands doth put us into a better capacity to seek dayly for the gifts and graces of the spiri● b●cause now solemnly intercessed in the promise by that very way the primi●ive Saints were intercessed therein Acts 8. 15 17. Acts 19. 2. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 6. Heb. 6. 12. Who when they were down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost then laid they their hands on them and they receithe Holy Ghost Have they received of the Holy Ghost since the believed And when Paul had laid his hand is on them the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 on them Wherefore I put th●e in rem●mb●ance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting o● of my hands The foundation of Repentance and of faith towards God of the D●ctrine of bap●ism and of laying on of hands of the resurrection of the dead and of Eternal Judgement What shall I 〈◊〉 the Scriptures are evidence sufficient that this Ordinance is of

THE Paedo-Baptists Apology FOR THE Baptized Churches Shewing The invalidity of the strongest grounds for Infant Baptism out of the works of the learned assertors of that tenent AND That the Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins is a duty incumbent upon all sinners who come orderly to the profession of Christianity ALSO The Promise of the Spirit ●eing the substance of a Sermon on 1 Cor. 12. 1. To which is added A POST-SCRIPT Out of the works of Dr. Jer. Taylor in defence of imposition of hands as a never failing Ministery By Tho. Grantham Mr. Perkins on Gal. 3. 27. Baptism alone is no mark of Gods Child but Baptism joyned with Faith for so must the text be consideres All the Galations that believe are baptized into Christ Printed in the Year 1671. To the Reader Friend I Have a few things to say before thou read this ensuing Apology and first The occasion of it is from the late unkind usages which the Baptized Churches have received from the Paedo-Baptists by violently dispersing their Assemblies by defacing and taking away their meeting places by imprisoning their persons seizing and wasting their Estates by injuring them in their Trade by means of excommunications by Writs de Capiendo and other penall proceedings both confining their Persons and exposing them to great inconveniencies And all this only as I conceive for their conscionable observance of the will of God in Preaching the Gospel to sinners ●●r the obedience of faith and for adhearing to that form of Doctrine once deli●ered to the Saints Heb. 6. 1 2. In which Doct●ine and sufferings being through the mercy of God a pertaker with them I thought I might lawsully write an Apology for them or at least for the Truth professed by them And that I might the ●ore effectually do this I chose to speak ●o their advers●ries by the learned ●ens of their own Doctors 2. My design in writing this Apo●ogy is to abate if it may be that great enmity which hath appeared generally between the parties concerned and more perticularly that spirit of opposition and disresp●ct which too much appears in the more refined sort of the Paedo-Baptists against such as labor to reform or rather to restore the Doctrine of Baptism to its first integrity and estimation among all that profess the name of our Lord Jesus Christ under what Epethets or den●minations soever And me thinks th● truth should prevail with all that do consider the authority and force thereof to be such that men are constrained as it were to speak for it though to the overthrow of their dearest errours so that we may say their Rock is net as our Rock our enemies being judges 3. I have not injured the sense of my authours and where I have added any thing for explycation of any word or passage I have distingushed the same partly by a different Letter and partly by this Character nor have I said much in the Apology as indeed it was not necessary considering the evidence of the word of God for us and the Record which our opposers do bear in favour of our Cause and beside they that will may see what may be further said in the case depending if they please to peruse the Learned works of those of our way viz. Denn his Answer to Dr. Featley Tombs his Antipaedo-Baptist Fisher his Christianismus Rediv●vous and many others 4. The second part intitled Of the Promise of the Spirit I though fit to be annexed because Acts 2. 38 39. such as are Baptized with the Baptism of Repentance for Remission of fins have the promise of the Spirit made to them which being sought for in the way ordained of God shall be received according to his will for he is faithfull that promised Thy servant in Christ Tho. Grantham THE Paedo Baptists Apologie FOR The Baptized Churches c. THere is no point of the Christian Faith of greater importance in order to the composure of Divisions among such as conscientiously profess the Name of Christ then the Doctrine of holy Baptisme in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins for as many as have been Baptixed into Christ have put on Christ And where this foundation truth hath been neglected or essentially corrupted there hath ensued great disorder in Religion because the being of the Church as visible is so concern'd therein that there can be no orderly proceeding in any Church Act nor participation in any Church Priviledge where Sacred Baptisme is not Antecedent And though Reformation or rather the restoration of this Truth be hard to accomplish yet must we not be discouraged but still pursue all lawful and probable wayes to effect it in this as well as in other cases And the way which I have chosen to help on this needful work at this time is to shew that notwithstanding the discord in point of practice yet there is a very great concord in doctrine touching the main questions which concern this Heavenly Institution between the Paedo-Baptists and the Baptized Churces The questions are these 1. What are the Qualifications required of all such as are to be bapt●zed 2. What is the aue Act or right Form to be observed and done in this solemn rite of Baptisme Touching the first the doctrine of the Baptized Churches is well known namely That Repentance toward God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ are prerequisites to the baptisme of every sinner And to this agrees the holy Scripture with full consent ●aying Repent and be baptized every one of you They were all baptized confessing their sins When they beleived Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdome of God c. They were baptized both men and women many of the Corinthians hearing believe'd and were baptised And hence this holy Ordinance is well called the Laver of Regeneration the Baptisme of repentance fo●th● r●mis●ion of sins Now let us hear the doctrine of the Paedo-Baptists touching this question 1. The Church of England both in her Articles and vulgar Catechism delivers her mind clearly to this purpose that such repentance whereby sin is forsaken and such Faith as by which the promises of God are stedfastly beleived is required of persons meaning all persons which are to be baptized and that in Baptism Faith is confirmed c. 2. M● Perkins a Learned Son of ●he same Church upon these words ●each all Nations baptizeing them saith I explain the words thus mark first of all it is said Teach them that is make them my Disciples by calling them to believe and to repent Here we are to consider the order which God observes in makeing with man the Covenant in Baptism first of all he calls them by his word and commands them to beleive and repent then in the second place God makes his promise of mercy and forgiveness and thirdly he feals his promise by Baptism they that know not nor consider this order which God used in Covenanting with them in