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book_n	apostle_n	church_n	word_n	2,112	5	3.9891	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62893	The Muggletonians principles prevailing being an answer in full to a scandalous and malicious pamphlet, intituled A true representation of the absurd and mischevious principles of the sect called Muggletonians : herein the aforesaid principles are vindicated, and proved to be infallibly true : and the author of that libel, his scandalous title and subject proved as false to truth, as light is to darkness, and that he knows no more what the true God is, nor what the right devil is, nor any true principle or foundation of faith, for all his great learning he so much bosts of, then those Jews that put the Lord of life to death, for learned and taught reason is but natural, and so falls short of the glory of God, as will appear in the following discourse / by T.T.	Tomkinson, Thomas, 1631-1710?	1695 (1695)	Wing T1840; ESTC R18719	47,859	79

Bishops Then must them Books and Traditional Reports be viewed by the Learned now made Bishops and what Agreed and Aquiest with their Principles was counted Apostolical and what did not agree Revel 2.2 was rejected and counted Heresy or else they Translated them falsly playcing down some things of their Sayings and leaving others out that made against them And when any Man was by these established Bishops Judged or Accused for Heresy tho he lived before their Days then all his Books must either be Currupted or Burn'd for they must be made to speak quite contrary to what they did in several things on purpose to make those Authors the more Contemptible For it was ever so that all that are Non-Commissionated Ministers of God and such as head an Anty-Church are for hideing Truth from the People as the Papists do the Scriptures to the end they may keep up their fleshly Honour so that there is but little known and received in the World at this Day as well as heretofore but the universal common Opinion Therefore it is that your National and Traditional Churches doth so sound forth their own Triumphs raise heaps of Authors of the First Centuries as agreeing with their Catholick Principles Crying Antiquity Church-Visability famous Men are on our Side c. When as the Truth on 't is all is but Clamour and Noise for many of your Authors are meer Forgeries and Lies For Instance 1. There be several Books that have the Name of such Mens Works as were never their Works as Abdyus Bishop of Babilon is said by some of your Catalogue Makers to live in the Days of Christ others say that he knew their great Church-Historian Egisipus that lived near Two Hundred Years after Now the one of these must be a Ly and they make the Substance of this Book to be of curious Talk with Bodilis or Infernal Devils which is a mear Roman Forgery 2. There is also that which is called Saint James the Apostles Leturgie which hath a Prayer in it for all that live in Monastries and yet there was none built of some Hundreds of Years after the Apostles Days 3. And that Egisipus before spoken of hath Five Books under his Name But it is said by some of your Church Writers that Ambrose that Roman-Church-Bishop who lived in the Year 380. was not only the Traslator but the Author of them Books which is like enough for he was not chosen Bishop for his Goodness but for his Greatness even as one of the Dukes of Savoy was chosen Pope for his Greatness sake as your Church History doth shew 4. These Corruptions have been very Common and very Antient for Dionisius Bishop of Corinth who lived about the Year of Christ Two Hundred complained sadly of his being abused in this Nature Therefore said he in one of his Books if that Book was his I wrote several Epistles but the Messengers of Satan hath sown them with Tares pulling away some things and puting to other some for whom said he Condemnation is laid up And as there was these Forgeries and Corruptions aforesaid so likewise there is many of your other great Authors which you would make Apostolical and yet they do not agree with you in several things that you quote them for nay some Differences are so great between you that I wonder you do not Condemn them for Hereticks as for Example 1. Turtulyon who lived in the time of the Ten Persecutions being a great Historian and by your Church counted famous did not much contend for Bishops nor much valued Ordination but said That Lay-men were Priests and gave this Reason for it saying That after Faith is Received then Man lives by his Faith and that Faith said he becomes Christ's Vicar and from hence he concluded that Three Believers will make a Church He also denyed Childrens Baptisme and therefore said he Why hastneth this Innocent Age to the Remission of Sins we are much more wary in worldly Things Is it meet we should commit the Sacrament of Baptisme which is a divine Thing unto them we would not commit the Things of this Earth He also condemned Second Marriages and much more Persecution for Consience All these things are quite contrary to you 2. Irinius Bishop of Lyons who it is said knew Ignasius and Policarbus yet he held and tought the Souls Mortality 3 And Justinus who lived in those Days you cannot deny but that he did both hold and teach That God was in the Form of a Man from all Eternity 4. And further There was never a one of all these aforesaid that held a Trinity of Persons in one God-Head No not Oregen himself whom your Church doth so extol altho he turned Apostate and denyed the Faith and Sacrifised to Devils to save his Life but what is he so cry'd up both by Papist and Protestant for is it not for his lofty Stile and philosophical Notions and in that he would make his Divinity to stoop unto his Philosophy For he held with Plato 1. The Souls Infusion and tought that all Souls were made together and sent down from Heaven to be Imbodyed 2. He Tought That after we rise again we shall have all need of Baptisme to purge us clean 3ly He in one place condemned Second Marriages and in another Contradicts it again 4ly He Tought that Devils were Bodilis-Spirits and also that all Devils would be saved at last This sure is it that pleases you at a Haire But as to his Doctrin concerning God that cannot please you so well for the Arians challing him to be for them and therefore they say That Oragen denyed That the Son was to be Adored or Prayed too for he is saith Oregen not the Author but the Procurer of the good Things of God So that we pray not to him but to God for his sake And Augustin your Saint produces this as Oregen's Opinion concerning God And thus much as to your great Apostolical Fathers as you call them who lived in the time of the Ten Persecutions As to those other Antient Popes Bishops Fathers and Counsels that have been set up by the Roman Imperial Power and Authority I shall not treat on them here for he that hath but a Grain of spiritual Sense predominating in him will easily see them no other but the Mother of Harlots or Mistery Babilon that sets upon Tongues Nosions and Languages as hath been unfolded in a Treatise intituled The White Devil uncased which may come to be extant in time This is the Sum of your Church-History so that what Satisfaction can any Man have by all your Authors and Apostolical Fathers as you call them as also your Translators of their Works who were most of them Corrupters each one endeavouring to force the Matter to sute with his own Opinions as Epephanius Rufenus and several others who it is said corrupted several Authors So that all their Books are but troubled Waters to drink being not of that Ephecasy as to

the Words from your Neighbour the Seed of Faith and then Cry Thus saith the Lord. What do you bring as an Offering but what you have stolen from others do you delver anything but Trascriptions and Historical Notions the Repetitions of the Letter of the Scriptures and the Sentences of the antient Fathers 2 Cor. 10.16 there is the Line you boast in so that you do no more in ephect but rob the Dead to cloath the Living For have you so muth as opened the Meaning of one Text of Scripture in all your blind Pamphlet you have named the Words and then left them to Answer for them selves as I shall shew hereafter Again you further Object against their Doctrin of Infalibility in that they say They write by an unerring Spirit Now say you an Infalible Spirit implys the highest Certainty But say you his Book is Inconsistant with it self for Muggleton saith I am perswaded in my spirit and I do rather belive that there were Seven Hundred Thousands than Seven Thousands Revel 11.13 though the Revelation of John doth but express it but Seven Thousands Now say you to be perswaded and to belive a Thing to be so are Inconsistant to Infalibility for that admits no less than I am sure of it say you CHAP. IV. ANSWER THE Prophets did both of them write by an infallible and un-erring Spirit the Doctrine of them Six Principles the Knowledg of which John 17.3 Salvation doth depend upon but as to some perticular Points that are besides the Foundation there is not that Nessessity to be so positive But as to the Essential Points of Faith they were written by an un-erring Spirit and are infallibly True and against Men and Angels they affirm it and we as truly believe it to the great Peace and Satisfaction of our Minds For what is it that can satisfy the Mind of Man but Truth having the Seal of Life in it as every true Minister of God hath For every true Minister of God hath Power to set Life and Death before Men and can say Matt. 18.18 Now is fulfilled such and such Things Also he that is sent of God 1 Cor. 2.15 knoweth the Things of God and he that believeth in such a One knoweth the Things of God likewise But how can you judg of Infalibility that do not own your self Infalible but Falible What is Falible but a Lye and must a Lye be the Judg of Truth He that knoweth the Mind of the Lord he may Instruct from the Lord 1 Cor. 2.15 Vers 16. but he that hath not the Infalible Spirit doth from his lying Spirit prescribe Rules to God and would be God's Counsellor Now must such ignorant carnal sleshly Men as these Judg Infalibility that have nor own no other Spirit but what is Falible But to come to the Point and Charge against Lodowick Muggleton For although the Prophets and Apostles were Infalible as to all essential points of Faith yet as to other things that were circumstantial and not so essential in such things Prophets and Apostles may differ about them in their Experience and Judgment Thus Paul withstood Peter Gal. 2.11 and Reproved him and though Paul there gainsaid Peter yet in som other things Paul himself was not positive As for Instance Paul treating on Marriage 1 Cor. 7.6 he speaks as the Prophet Muggleton doth here and tells the Believers That it was his Judment That it were better for them not to Marry And further adds That he thinks ● V●se 39.10 That this his Judment is right and that it was from the Spirit of God Now I presume by what you have said of these that had you been living then and had heard of Paul's talking of having the Infalible Spirit of God you would presently have judged him a false Apostle notwithstanding the Miracles he had done and that he had contradicted himself and that his thinking was inconsistant to his Infalibility and so was not to be Believed Again if you had heard that Paul Circumcised Timothy Asts 16.3.2 Gal. 5.2 and yet nevertheless told the Galatians That if they were Circumcised they could not be Saved I say had you been in those Days Would not you have said That Paul had Contradicted himself and the Scriptures both Matt. 28.2 Luke 24.2 and would not you also have judged the Four Evangelists to have Contradicted one another in several places for as you Judg and Condemn these so you would have Judged them for these were sent by Jesus Christ and Paul was sent by no other God Again in Page 9. you quote John Reeve saying that he saith That he is Indued with a divine Gift to write a Volom as large as the Bible and as pure a Language as that is without looking into any Book or having any real Contradiction in it Upon these Words you make the Reflection fallowing Your Accusation runs thus saying That if the purity of the Language be a Sign of Truth Then say you I am sure it is far from being either True or Infallible For said you they do not write true English nor good Sence as likewise it often fails in the propriety of Words in Concord and Connexion being without Method Purity or Elogancy c. CHAP. V. ANSWER SIR in Answer to this The truly Wise do know that God's Messengers never regard fineness of Speech but soundness of Matter Not so much the Original of Words as the Original of Things even such as they are moved too by the Holy Ghost and not such Language as you are moved too by your Educated Spirit of Reason which is the Angels nature Fallen But in that you have no where contradicted our Principle which shews what the Person and Nature of Angels are therefore there is no Occasion given here to Dispute it but to Return to the matter aforesaid Spiritual Truth or Gospel Life was ever plain and was never delivered with new quined or high-flown Words of Man's Wisdom 1 Cor. 2.1 This made an old learned Philosophical Bishop Judg so hard by the Revelation by John not thinking it John's because of the Rudeness of the stile Dionisius For said he I see his Greek not exactly uttered the Dialect and Phrase not observed I find him said this Bishop using barbarous Phrases And Paul was called a clouter of Skins a Cobler by the Philosophers and a Man of no Breeding And he acknowledged himself but rude in Speech though not in true Wisdom but he had taken some Learning up at the Foot of Gamalial but he laid it down there again as soon as the Spirit of Faith became his Teacher All his Wisdom that he now valued was the Knowledg of Christ Crucified and Risen again which his former Wisdom could not know Acts 22.3 but on the contrary was the Persecutor of him Again Spiritual Truth or Faith was ever brought in Naked and Simple and in poor Array But Falshood doth ever indeavor to

quench the Thirst of Sin for their Silver is become Dross their Wine is mix'd with Water of a standing Poole Isaiah 1.22 John 4.14 This will not pass currant with us for no VVine to us like the VVine of the Spirit no VVater to us but the VVater of Life no Balme for us but what is in Gilliad in one Personal-God-Man Christ Jesus blessed for ever that will be accepted of with us the only true Christians in the World at this Day Therefore take you all your Books and Learning to yourselves we have but Three to Read to wit the Prophets the Apostles and the Witnesses of the Spirit In these is fulness of Perfection for the Light and Life of their Words shining in our Hearts is the Rule Prop Stay and Guide of our Faith which is but one and this one Faith hath one God of a single Person or Substance for its Object to pitch it self upon and not a Trinity of Persons or Substance but Father Son and Holyghost is one single Substance and no more which cannot be denyed neither by Scripture or sober Reason for First Was not the Eternal God-Head-Spirit the everlasting Father Secondly Was not that glorious Body wherein God the Father did eternally Dwell The eternal Son Thirdly And was not that powerful Word which proceeded from his God-Head-Spirit through his glorious Mouth the Holyghost or holy Spirit by which he made the Worlds and governeth all things Is not this Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Heb. 1.3 John 1.13 Ephes 4.5 Isa 45.21 22. Chap. 43.10 more agreeable to the Scripture of Truth then any other Trinity to all Men that acknowledge but one eternal Being and no more Now your Trinity of Persons will neither be made to agree with Scripture Reason nor Sence so that your striving to explain it doth but the more darken the Sence about your Airy God and you are quite lost in your Definition and now of late more than ever Are you made a confounded Babel and your Clargie doth clash one against another which doth make your Hearers begin to stager as well it may For 1st One Party of your Church doth Hold and Teach that God is Three distinct Persons and but one Substance which is a Contradiction 2ly The other Party of your Church Teacheth That God hath not only Three distinct Persons but Three distinct Substances likewise and from hence doth boldly charge the Homansion or one Substance with the Heresy of Sabilism as they call it 3dly The contrary Party makes their Rejoynder again and chargeth the other Party with holding of a plurality of Gods For say they if there be Three Substances then there is Three Gods which is true enough 4thly Again the adverse Party Replys saying That if there be Three Persons there must be Three Substances which is true enough too And they give the Reason why they are to hold Three Substances as well as Three Persons it being a forst-put For say they there is now a greater Necessity than ever there was to Hold and Maintain Three distinct Substances as well as Three Persons Otherwise say they we are in great Danger to loose the Catholick Faith by the revival of the Heresie of Sabalus which walks publickly abroad tho under the Disguise of a new Name And therefore if we do not allow the God-Head intirely to be Three distinct Substances as well as Three distinct Persons then comes in Sabalism And there 's an end then say they of the Trinity 5thly To this the other old dark Light Replies saying That if by Retaining the old Words of Three Persons and one Substance there is Danger of loosing the Catholick Faith it must be lost out of the Catholick Church And the Revolt by Sabalism say they must be both the most lasting and the most general Apostatise that ever was foretold or feared should happen to the Christian World But say they we hope wee need not to be frighted out of our Religion And thus Revel 18.10 you see what a Confusion is fallen upon you your Babilon is now crying out Alas Alas Did not the Prophets and Apostles speak of these Things Now is fulfilled that Saying of David's to the full Divide their Tongues O Lord Psal 55.9 for I have seen Violence in the City Doth not this your Division tend to Confusion Isa 11.11 15. or is it not Confusion it self in a superlative Degree For tho you be divided yet our God is not divided 1 John 5 7.20 but is one Yesterday to Day and for ever For I demand First How can Christ be called the greate Heb. 13.8 Titus 2.13 1 Tim. 1.17 6.12 the High and Mighty God if he hath Two other Gods to share with him And Secondly How can Christ be Eternal in your Creed if he were begotten Thirdly And how can that which receives a Being from another ever be made equal with that which hath its being of it self alone Certainly whatever you Trinitarians say to the contrary yet it is evident that you make Christ no more than a titular God the very same with John Biddle that you so much disown in your Pamphlet But I cannot see any great Difference between you I am sure you are as much out of the Way of Truth as he For said John Bidle Christ is our Lord and God But how Why said he not Really but Apelitive as Magistrates are called Gods and so he makes him God by Deputation as to Title being God not in Nature but in Name and so is subordinate to God Now do not you do so too for you make the Son but to be begotten And if you will make him God yet he must be divided from the Father and Holyghost Now this is certain that if there be a Father distinct from that blessed Body of Christ it must then be as John Bidle said and therefore it is that John Bidle as well as Arius and S●sinus make him but Man because they would have but one single God But you if you make him God yet you will divide him from the Father and from the Holyghost and so at the best you make him but a Third part God And whereas you are so bold as to condemn Sabulus and Noetus for worshiping one personal God under the Names of Father Son and Holyghost condemning and judging them for Broachers of Heresy how will you free yourselves from this Crime As also those Counsels of Arians and Trenitarians as cursed them and their Principles together with those Counsels and Sinods on both sides judging and condemning each other with deadly Malice as your Church History doth shew What were those the Church of God No. But when God gathers up his Jewels many of those that have been judged Hereticks will rise Saints Mal. 3.15 16 17 18. Acts 24.14 and many of those that your Churches have Canonized for Saints will rise Devils For no Persecutors of Conscience will escape the Stroke If any