Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	scripture_n	sense_n	10,477	5	7.5114	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57809	The Quakers refuge fixed upon the rock of ages, though the swelling waters dash never so violently to overturn it wherein is prov'd, that the narrative of Ralph James is an absolute lying-wonder, according to his own definition : and also, the great controversie between the people of God called Quakers, and others, about the holy spirit of God and the Scriptures, truly stated, and very briefly discoursed, as it is owned by the Quakers, and the truth cleared from the false suggestions and deceitful insinuatins of the anabaptists about the said controversie : in answer to a subtil pamphlet, lately published, intituled, The Quakers subterfuge or evasion overturned : also a few queries propounded unto Ralph James, and the author of the subterfuge &c. / by Robert Ruckhill ; to which is added another postscript in answer to some queries propounded in the said pamphlet, wherein many untruths are suggested ; but herein the truth is cleared, and the evasion and deceit of the Baptists made more fully manifest by John Whitehead.	Ruckhill, Robert.; Whitehead, John, 1630-1696.	1673 (1673)	Wing R2169; ESTC R21457	28,153	51

were any thing at all he was most certainly an Anabaptist whereof T. R. in both his Books hath given evident Demonstration Upon the whole matter it 's worth remarking First That the Glory of the Anabaptist Churches is in its swift Declination toward the Western Horizon forasmuch as they are sai to fly to Signs and Lying Wonders to oppose the ●●th and to countenance their false Wayes and ●o●trines Secondly That the Anabaptists Cause in this hot Conflict between them and the ●●akers is now at the very utmost Crisis 〈…〉 this Champion who is mostly ingaged when the ●●se grows desperate is constrain'd in so eminent a Danger to make use of such poor Matter such pittifull shifts as are the Contents of this whole book now under tryal to the great Regret doubtless of their whole Party or such of them as have not yet sacrificed their Intellects to their Envy For it was foolishly boasted by divers Professors and others That the Book now under examination would be like Hercules 's Club or Goliah 's Spear in a word Unanswerable And this brings me to the very Heart of the great Controversie Whether the Holy Spirit or the Scriptures ought to have Priority The Controversie between the Anabaptists Independents together with other Professors the People of God called in Scorn Quakers concerning the Authority of the Holy Spirit in Judging or Discerning the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures truly stated as owned by the Quakers WHether the first Pen-man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes or whether both these are not one or whether there are not many words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit whether some words were not spoken by the grand Impostor some by Wicked Men some by Wise Men ill applied some by Good Men ill expressed some by False Prophets and yet true some by True Prophets and yet false is not the Subject of my Argument at this time But such Scriptures and Prophecyes as have been written and prophesied by the Holy Men of God as they were moved by the Spirit of God treating of the Mystery of God in the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ and the Duty of Man in his Obedience to and Worship of the same God as his reasonable Service for the Gift of so great Salvation are the great Concerns now under our most serious Consideration The People of God scornfully called Quakers have unseignedly believed and often declared to the World That the Scriptures as above distinguished are a true Record and Declaration of the Love of God in the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ and also of the Duty of Man as before recited But they also believe and have declared to all the World That the Carnal Mind of Man being at Enmity with God and darkened by reason of Wicked Works cannot perceive nor discern the Mystery of God in the Scriptures declared and testified of For there is a Vail spread over the Hearts of all Men even in their Reading of the Scriptures so as they cannot see through the Letter unto the Mystery either in abolishing the old Covenant with its carnal Ordinances and Beggarly Elements or in introducing the new Covenant with its Spiritual Worship and Services and so being intricated and bewildered in the Letter cannot possibly attain unto the Knowledge of the Spiritual Mystery Now this most excellent Truth having by the Spirit of the Lord been opened and revealed to the Quakers they must of necessity be of this Faith viz. That without a Measure of the holy Spirit of God received and turned unto whereby the Vail is removed from the Heart no Man living can possibly discern or understand the great Mystery of Man's Salvation by Jesus Christ which was exhibited in Shaddow under the old but in lively Substance under the new Covenant although he had a Thousand Bibles in his House and every word of them at his Fingers ends So that upon this Consideration the People of God scornfully called Quakers do unanimously conclude and declare and testifie unto the whole World That the Holy Spirit of God is the only supream Judge Opener and Revealer of the Mind and Mystery of God and Duty of Man treated of in the Scriptures This oh ye Anabaptists and Independents and all other Opposers of this eternal Truth in the whole World this is the true State of the great Controversie betwixt the Quakers and you and if you will joyn issue with the Quakers in this Controversie you must do it as it is here stated at least in Substance for I am willing to give place to better words and order from whomsoever and you must lay aside all your prodigious Signs and lying Wonders and pretended Cures for these will not decide this great Controversie as ye vainly imagine And you must bring forth your strong Reasons and sound Arguments grounded upon plain Demonstrations of Truth and clear Evidence of Scripture and if the Truth be on your part you will be able to make it appear before wise understanding Men whoever your Opposers are and you will overcome us if you have the Truth for great is the Truth and will prevail and we must and will submit unto the Truth and to you But if the Truth appear on our part we in the Wisdom of God shall make it manifest the Truth will stand over your Heads and we will thresh you and winnow as the Chaff on the Threshing-Floor and the Wind of the Lord will blow you away with your Refuge of Lyes and your Nakedness will be discovered in the sight of all Men. Again This Author Subter pag. 5. falsly suggests to his too credulous Readers as if the Controversie depending between the Baptists Churches and the People called Quakers was touching the holy Scriptures or to express it more fully saith he The Authority of the Holy Ghost as he speaks in the Scriptures to try and judge the Spirits of Men which they term the Spirit of God Thus he But whether there be not a Lying Spirit however a Lying Tongue in the Mouth of this False Prophet let the Sober-minded judge And I here challenge him upon his Credit and Reputation with his own People either to produce in open view one clear Proof at least of any Declaration either by word or writing where any of the Quakers have termed the spirits of Men the Spirit of God or else let his stand opon record among his own People as a Lyar and a Slanderer to all Generations Again The Deceit of this Author further appears in his recital of the Narrative for the first Copy renders R. James and R. A. contending Whether the Spirit should try the Scripture or the Scripture the Spirit mark here is Spirit Spirit in the singular number as the Spirit of God is but one but in his recital Subter p. 7. he renders them contending Whether the Scriptures were to try the Spirits or the

Spirits to try the Scriptures It s possible some Readers may judge me too Nice and Critical in this Observe but I must beg their Excuse if it be worth begging for I see his Design in it is to steal a Conceit unperceived into the Reader 's Mind that the Quakers hold That the Multifarious Spirits of Men were to try the Scriptures and not the Scriptures to try that Many-headed Monster Let all sober People take notice of his spirit in this But its worth our Consideration what should be the bottom of this Man 's Meaning where he so often makes use of this unusual manner of speaking viz. The Authority of the spirit as he speaks in the Scripture to try and judge c. Does he mean that the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit respecting the Truths recorded in the Scriptures is the same at this day as it was in old time when it indicted the Scriptures in the Hearts of the holy Men of God If so I must confess I cannot assign him an Opposite for saving the change of Dispensations and Rudiments the blessed Truths revealed or declared of in the Scriptures are the same now as ever and with the holy Spirit there is no Variableness neither any shaddow of Turning Or if he intend thus for I would not mistake him Judging all labour lost that is spent upon mistakes That seeing it is true that the holy Spirit gave forth the Scriptures at the first there is unto this day such an inseparable and intrinsecal Conjunction between the Authority and Mind of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures that he that hath the Scriptures hath the Authority and Mind of the Holy Spirit also This I confess of the two seems to be nearest his meaning by how much it is furthest from the Truth yet forasmuch as I have it not as his sence under his own hand and also have cause to fear that if it be his sence yet when he perceives a Quaker owns it he will recede from it he shall find me a fair Opposite That there is an inseparable Conjunction or Union between the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit and the essential or substantial Truth declared in the Scriptures I grant and confess unto it but do not start back now because a Quaker confesses the Truth as the manner of most of you is but that therefore he that has the Scriptures hath also the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit I deny If I have hit right of his meaning as till I know the contrary under his Hand I believe I have he ought to prove that part of his Position which is denyed but seeing Truth is precious as well as Time and the green-Grass to day may be withered to morrow I shall invert my Capacity take the sword by the Point and endeavour to prove That a Man may have the Scriptures in his Mother-Tongue and yet be utterly without or ignorant of the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit For Proof of this Position I shall not stir one Foot from my Opposite who in p. 7. of his Subterfuge now under search tells us That after R. Anderson had made his Confession of the Anabaptists Faith in that Cardinal Point of Water-Baptism he met with the Quakers who told him as he said that these things i. e. Water-Baptism was low Now here my Opposite interposes his own Faith and Judgment in the Case and is not afraid to tell the Quakers and the whole Nation That the Water-Baptism is the Way of Life above to the Wise so to procure their more reverend esteem of it and because he perceived such a bold Averment stood need of Scripture-Authority to back it he cites Prov. 15.24 the words run thus The Way of Life is above to the Wise to avoid from Hell beneath Now let the Spiritual Man judge in this case Is Water-Baptism to take it at the best the Way of Life Did the holy Spirit in the Wise Man mean so Can Water-Baptism deliver or save from Hell Is that the Authority or Mind of the holy Spirit in that Scripture Let the Spiritual Man judge I am the Way saith Christ Water-Baptism is the Way saith this Author I was manifest to destroy the Works of the Devil and to save from Death and Hell saith Christ Water Baptism is the Way on high to avoid from Hell beneath saith my Opposite Now whose Testimony will ye receive Let the sober Christian judge whither these Anabaptists are going The parallel Scriptures with this are Phil. 3.20 and Col. 3.1 both which direct us to set our Assections on things above where Christ is at the Right-Hand of God our Saviour Hence of necessity will follow these Conclusions First Though this Author hath the Scriptures yet he is ignorant of the Authority and Mind of the Holy Spirit Secondly Through Ignorance of the Authority and Mind of the Holy Spirit he hath erred from the Truth and fairly convict himself 1. Of a most gross Idolatry as hath been fully manifest 2. Of a Ridiculous Solecism in terming Submersion or Plunging under Water a Way on high From his Idolatry nothing but a Re-baptization in the Tears of Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ can redeem him But for his Solecism that Offence being rather against Grammar then Scripture if the intelligent Reader will please but to indulge him with a favourable Aspect the Quakers will pass it by The Third and Last Conclusion is clearly this as before asserted That without a Measure of the holy Spirit of God received and turned unto whereby the Vail is ●ent from the Heart no Man living can understand or discern the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit as he spake in old time by his Prophets of the great Mystery now revealed to wit Christ in you the Hope of Glory And this gives a full and undeniable Probation unto that grand Position the Ground and Original of the Anabaptists great Controversie with the Quakers That the holy Spirit of God is the only Supream Judge Discerner and Revealer of the Mind and Mystery of God and of the Duty of Man required in the Scriptures Now if any Man object against this and say I have been too rash and hasty to conclude thus only upon one Mans Error and Mistake and that many others may notwithstanding be more clear I answer Be it far from me to conclude all under this Man's Error and Idolatry nay I know there are many of the People of the Lord who by the Illumination of his good Spirit are inabled to discern in measure what his Mind and Will is but if you do but impartially consider the Ground and Cause of this Man's Error and Idolatry you may perceive the Argument will hold from Particulars to Generals as thus If one Man be blind for want of his Eyes then ten thousand Men wanting their Eyes must be blind also If this Author hath committed a gross Idolatry for want of the