Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	john_n	word_n	1,978	5	4.0371	3	false

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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

will allow us to use the Bread and Wine as the means to commemorate the Lords Body and Blood and not reject it and cast it off as useless So in like manner if laying on of hands be a figurative speech and understood for the Spirit that was given thereby we hope you must allow that laying on of hands ought to be used and practised as the means by which the Spirit was obtained and is given as well as you will the Cup and the Bread and Wine in your figurative instances and we desire no more 3. But we further say That laying on of hands is not figurative but is a plain practical Ordinance joyned with solemn and fervent Prayer to the most High in the Name of Christ for his holy Spirit that according to his faithful and never-failing promise them that believe and are baptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ might receive the Spirit by which as the means the Spirit was given to some of the Baptised in the primitive times in more than an ordinary manner and was necessary to the establishing Christian Churches than which extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit given then is a confirmation to us now that not onely the other Principles of the Doctrine of Christ are to be believed and practised but this in debate also as one Principle of the Foundation of Christianity God having confirmed them all to be the Word spoken and Foundation-Doctrine taught by the Lord bearing witness to them both with Signs and Wonders and divers Miracles and Gifts of the holy Ghost according to his own will and then how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2.3 4. Quest 27. If you shall say That simply the Act and Ceremony it self as you practise it is put for a Foundation Doctrine of Christ then we demand Whether the Apostles ever taught any thing for a Doctrine of Christ whereof we do not read Christ did either preach or practise before his Ascension And if you say That Christ did teach and practise laying on of hands upon all Disciples both Men and Women before his Ascension or any thing from which such a practice may be inferred pray shew it and we will believe it Answer 1. We say That Prayer and Laying on of hands as we practise is a Principle of the Doctrine of Christ one of the first Rudiments of Christianity But you demand Whether the Apostles ever taught any thing for a Doctrine of Christ whereof we do not read Christ did either preach or practise before his Ascension 2. What is it to the purpose when Christ taught laying on of hands whether before his Passion or after or before his Ascention or after by his Spirit It sufficeth he did teach it for it is one of the Principles of his Doctrine And can it be a Principle of his Doctrine and he not teach it We are certain it cannot And taught it was likewise by his Apostles for a Doctrine-Principle and an Oracle of God Heb. 5.12 6.1 and they did not only teach but practise it also Act. 8.17 19.6 And do you think they would both teach and practise it and never receive it from Christ but must invent it themselvs We cannot believe you do so think Then was it taught by Christ and taught and practised by his Apostles as a foundation-Principle And that sufficeth us and might you if you were willing and obedient See this answered before in Christs Doctrine p. 58. Quest 28. If laying on of hands upon all baptised Believers be to be practised in your sence as an indispensable Duty then we demand Why all the other Principles in Heb. 6. should be expresly and particularly commanded believed or practised in Christs time and not this as it is practised by you if there be that weight in it as you lay upon it c. Answer 1. If laying on of hands say you upon all baptised Believers be to be practised in our sence as an indispensable Duty then you demand Why all the other Principles Heb. 6. should be expresly commanded believed and practised in Christs time and not this as it is practised by us if there be that weight in it as we lay upon it We told you above that it matters not when Christ taught laying on of hands whether in the time of his Life or not And whereas you say That Faith and Repentance the Baptism of Water the Resurrection of the Dead and eternal Judgement were in Christs time plainly taught Pray where did Christ in the time of his Life before his Ascension or after it either so plainly command baptising with water Though we do not deny but there was both Faith Repentance the Resurrection and eternal Judgement plainly enough taught according to that Dispensation and so they were before Christs Incarnation by the Prophets of old nor do we deny but grant that there was Authority enough from Heaven for the Baptism of Water then practised and that there was them that did fore-tell that the holy Spirit should be afterwards given and so it was by the Prophet Joel all which were as preparatives to what afterward Christ should command and teach when he had suffered and was risen and all power in Heaven and Earth was given unto him Mat. 28.18 So John was sent to prepare the way and he taught the Baptism of Repentance saying They should believe on him that was to come so that between both the Faith and the Baptism then and that after Christ was come had suffered ascended and the holy Ghost was given there must needs be a vast difference therefore as you affirm Paul baptised the twelve Disciples he found at Ephesus again because they were onely baptised into John's Baptism who as was his Baptism so was his Doctrine of Faith and Repentance John verily baptised with the Baptism of Repentance saying to the People That they should believe on him which should come after him that is on Christ Jesus Act. 19.4 From whence or from which Dispensation we do not take the Authority of the Foundation-Doctrine of Christ no not of Repentance Faith Baptisms Laying on of hands Resurrection and eternal Judgement but from Christ dead risen and ascended to the Father from whom he sent his holy Spirit to confirm them all to be his Doctrine on which he hath built his Church Yet might these Principles be nay doubtless were left and commanded by Christ before his Ascension which they better understood and put in practice when they were endowed with power from on high Acts 2. by the Spirit of Truth which Christ sent to them to guide them into all Truth John 16.13 and of them whom Christ commanded by word of mouth to observe and teach these Principles have we received them as the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus of which Doctrine laying on of hands on baptised Believers ● such is one Principle taught also by the Apostles and by them practised Acts 8.17 19. ● And if we

you without any opposit●●● from you will these things you call condes●●●tions make you a right constituted Chu● that wanted a right constitution before ●●sides these condescentions might be just ● Christian and candid as his was that desired ● come under laying on of hands confessing i● be one of the first Rudiments of Christian mentioned afore 5. For there is cause to suspect that t● condescentions of yours were rather than C●●●stian and candid designs to raze out that ● of the foundation viz. Laying on of han● that is raze out the belief and practice of ● time or divide them about it that are unde● as appears by what some of you have said at so●● certain times viz. That in seven years tim● should not have that esteem of laying on of han● now we have And another at another 〈◊〉 should say That the Churches would stand with ●…rs in their eyes for their acting These condescentions then we say rather tended to the ●…tting laying on of hands and the esteem of 〈◊〉 out of their hearts that have submitted to it ●…t so the practice of it might perish and die in ●…e or if not so in all yet then to cause a ●…ecessity of dividing about it as great Pretenders as you be to Peace and Unity that thereby you might hide your disobedience to Christ ●nd so pass for currant a right-constituted ●hurch 6. What if some of you have desired to come ●…nder laying on of hands If they will make ●…nful conditions and bring them to us with ●…eir desire we then have just cause to keep ●…em from so sacred an Ordinance as laying on ●f hands is until they shall come to the obedience thereof upon Christs terms and conditions denying themselves and their own 7. Our refusing then communion with you ●…ough whether in reality or pretence you have ●…ade such large and loving condescentions as ●ou call them since you still want that loving condescention to Christ in obeying the Voice ●f that great Prophet doth not make us guil●… of Schism much less Schism greatly aggravated Quest 16. Whether there are not many among you that ● all they can to obstruct our reconciliation and ●dermine all our Endeavours after Unity cry●● down and condemning all but themselves lest t● should most of all condemn themselves for mak● unnecessary divisions in the Church of God L●● the Painter in Plutarch that had unskilfully painted a Cock afterwards chased away all Cocks 〈◊〉 Hens lest the imperfection of his Art should ● discovered And whether some among you in 〈◊〉 manner having made this unskilful Separation ● say no worse have not cast away all thoughts 〈◊〉 tenders of accommodation and them that tender ● lest their foul deformity of Church-breaking sho●●● be detected Answer 1. We Will and can without being asham● thereof freely acknowledge That there 〈◊〉 many we hope among us that do the best a●● all they can to obstruct such a Reconciliatio● as you would have and to undermine as yo● call it though we have and will play abov● board and deal plainly all your endeavo●● for Unity upon your terms of Unity Whi● would rather tend to a going back than a going on to perfection and would be rather ● combination against the God of Order an● Truth than a right well-approved Reconciliation and Unity which he will say Amen to 2. And in so doing we cry up truth and not our our selves otherwise then servants to it and lovers of it knowing withal we are but unprofitable servants for when we have done all we have done no more than what is our duty to do nor do we cry down you nor any but as the Word of the Lord doth for your disobedience to Christ we must not say light is darkness and darkness is light wo be to us if we should 3. Neither do we obstruct your endeavours after Reconciliation and Unity from any self-condemnation of making Divisions in the Church knowing the guilt of Church-dividing is not upon us the Word of the Lord and our own Consciences not condemning us but justifying us though you unjustly do that you might cover your selves under the mantle of mens approbation which covering would be too narrow had you by your late endeavours obtained your end for your only way will be to lay your Church-Foundation right submit to that you have long quarrelled about have respect to all the commands of the Lord Jesus so will you approve your selves to God and be united to his People 4. And as for your levity and flash about the Painter and his Cock we never drove you away as being ashamed of any thing we have ●one in separating from you but were alwayes willing to meet the best of you in any place in publick Conference or otherwise by all wayes and means we lawfully might use that our practice may be seen and tryed by the Word and never upon that account chased away your Cock nor no other but have given yours battel again and again nor do we fear to let ours be seen being drawn not by the unskilful Painter in Plutarch but by the Lord Jesus in the Gospel and therefore if we chase you away from us in point of Communion it is lest the deformity of your Fabrick having but a piece or part Foundation should bring us in time to the same deformity and disorder with you Quest 17. Whether to break Communion with or separate from the Communion of a Church of Christ for some single Errour not essential to a Church state be not a wounding to the weak and a hardening to the wicked Whether it doth not keep many out of the Church that would come in and give occasion of going out to many that are in Whether Divisions from a true Church are not an in-let to Atheism and Infidelity and whether all Christians ought not to eschew Divisions as great reproaches to Christian Religion Answer 1. A known Error is not to be suffered not tollerated in the Church of God for by the same rule one may more may till the Church be fuller of stinking weeds than choice flowers and what will the weeds do but eat out the living and thriving virtue of the flowers we would not be so much the Devils friend as to give him leave to plant much less to suffer any thing of his planting to grow in the Lord's garden Errour is of the Father of Lyes 2. Errour in the Church though held but by some if suffered threatens the ruine of the whole body Thou hast them there that hold the Doctrine of Balaam c. Repent or else I will come quickly c. Errour suffered in some Members may defile the body and make it culpable of the sin of Errour and Heresie A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump What will make the Church of God such a sinful confused unclean heap as the Church of Rome is sooner than such a tolleration 3. Yet such Errours as not eating meats though every creature

then you will not onely say but do something Quest 40. Again whereas you have both Preached 〈◊〉 Printed that you cannot prove laying on of hand● as you practise it any otherwise than by Inferen● and Deductions how can you be so daringly confident as to call those things Gods Oracles and Essentials of Religion that are but your interpre●●tions of Scripture unless with the Church of Rome you will say the Church cannot err Not but that we believe many profitable truths may be collected and infer'd by consequence from Scripture And Conjectures as one well observes if mannerly observing their distance and not impudently obtruding themselves for certainties deserve if not to be received to be considered So that if Laying on of Hands in your sense should be a truth yet it being but conjecturally so We Query why it should be advanced into the number of those express Duties which are essential to Salvation and Church Communion Answer How can you be so daringly impudent as to forge such an untruth and say that we have both Preached and Printed that we cannot prove laying on of hands as we practise it otherwise then by Inferences and Deductions where is such a thing Printed or who ever Preached so that hath not turned back to his vomit in some degree or hath not out-lived his love to those Principles he had received and was once built on May you not be ashamed of this when we have again and again by Printing Preaching and otherwise proved laying on of hands as practise it to be a Foundation-Principle of Christs Doctrine by plain and uninterpreted Scripture and without Inferences and Deductions as fully as any Duty that is practical can be proved without them and was never refuted by you yet how then can you stand in the face of God and his Congregation when you dare do thus Had there been upon you the feeling thoughts of those Texts Rev. 21.8 22.15 you would not have brought forth such a Monster into the world it being therefore false what you say we dare be so confident as to call laying on of hands as we practise it one of the first Principles of the Oracles of God and an essential of Religion without saying with the Church of Rome the Church cannot err we will leave that for you to say and with as much manners and modesty as the authority of so sacred an Ordinance will permit Laying on of Hands then is a Truth and such a one as is by Christ and his Apostles not by us advanced as you call it into the number of those express Duties which are Essential to Church-Constitution and Church-Communion FINIS POST-SCRIPT SInce the Searchers for Schism did direct their Questions to the Baptized Congregations under Laying on of Hands and did expect an Answer from them as appears by the latter end of their Epistle it may by some be thought strange that I should undertake to Answer them seing they were propounded to the above-said Congregations in general That therefore which hath moved me thereunto was partly the importunity of some Friends it being some considerable time after I saw their Questions ere I had any thoughts to offer any thing in Answer to them at least in so publick a manner thinking it was more the Concern of some other of my Brethren to engage now than mine because I had once and again appeared in Print according to my ability in answer to those gainsayers and opposers of laying on of hands but they being silent whose Zeal for Truth should as I might well hope and expect have put them with much forwardness upon the work together with the report that went abroad how many young and weak Christians were somewhat moved and stumbled others that have declined in some sort the Truth did boast and were encouraged put me upon this third Encounter being not well able to forbear having to this day praised be the Lord my God remaining in me some love to Christ and to that sacred and precious Word of his viz. Laying on of Hands yea and to the souls of them who are ready to be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine and among the rest by the blast which was blown from the Bellows of those Questions which their Authors pretend are for Conscience sake but however whether they were for Conscience-sake or for Strife and Contention this I can truly say they are answered with good conscience to God and love to the Authors of them that God may be glorified by their obedience and by the establishing and confirmation of the Churches in the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus from part of which at least it both hath been and still is the more it is to be lamented the endeavour of some especially the Authors of these Questions who not only now but heretofore have laboured to trouble the peace of them which have obeyed that form of Doctrine which Christ taught and was delivered by his Apostles to the primitive Saints But let my ends and aims in what I have writ be what I say they are yea and had I the Pen of never so ready and exquisit a Writer yet must I not expect nor do but to be smitten for my love and pains by them who bend their tongue like their bow for lyes but are not valiant for the Truth upon the Earth it being too commonly seen that he which departs from iniquity makes himself a prey when he that runs with a multitude to do evil shall have honour and praise but however I am esteemed my comfort is I seek not the honour nor praise of men neither do I fear the slanderous tongues of any mine only end as God knoweth being their soul eternal felicity who shall carp at me be it the Inquirers or others and therefore should they reward me with evil for the good I intend them they will in so doing wrong themselves and not me I will then leave the issue of these An●wers of their Questions to the Lord heartily desiring that Truth and Righteousness were imbraced in sincere love by all them that name the Name of Christ that there may be a departing from Iniquity and Error which is the cause of all Divisions and then and not till then will the Wound be healed Had the Searchers for Schism then considered that their Disobedience to and Errour in a Fundamental-Principle is the cause why those under Laying on of hands can have no Communion with them which I hope this brief Answer to their Questions may help them to see they would not be so irrational to conclude that Schism should be found where Truth is obeyed and walked in but that it is more likely by far to be where Errour and Disobedience dwells and such to be ●●e Dividers who refuse to obey but no more ●ow only desiring the Lord to make my poor Endeavours a Blessing to the Souls of them and all others and then I have my End VALE