Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	ghost_n	holy_a	1,615	5	4.9281	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85173	A faithful discovery of a treacherous design of mystical Antichrist displaying Christs banners, but attempting to lay waste Scriptures, churches, Christ, faith, hope, &c. and establish paganism in England. Seasonably given in a letter to the faithful in and near to Beverley. Containing an examination of many doctrines of the people called Quakers in Yorkshire, together with a censure of their way, and several items concerning the designs of God, Satan, and men, in these things, recommended to the consideration of them who are in good earnest for Christ.	Pomroy, John.; Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660.; Glisson, Paul.; Kellet, Joseph.	1653 (1653)	Wing F568; Thomason E699_13; ESTC R202092	45,783	67

Spirit should accompany the word in the mouth of the seeds seed or successive Saints from age to age We confesse that though reading the Scriptures or Scripture Truths in books may be a means of Faith through the Holy Ghost working therewith yet this may be fitly comprehended under hearing of the Apostles and Prophets by their writings by which they being dead yet speak and doth still confesse the Gospel administred by Man and not by any other Creatures or by secret communication of light to the mind by God immediately which these Assertors affirm and we shall have further occasion to examine We contend not herein for any particular sort of Men or them who do most readily call themselves the Ministers of the word of God though we shall alway acknowledge the Order and Offices of the Church of God but our chief contention is for the Gospel as administred by Man whether in word or writing as not knowing how any should believe unlesse they hear the Testimony of the Apostles John 17. 20. or their Word For truly we should bear more easily the laying aside of Man or his Ministration though none may adventure to do it but Christ who hath declared his mind as we have observed and shall if these that advance themselves above him who is the true Christ did not aim to beguile you of the Scriptures themselves even while you are looking on and think not so Wherefore while they say this Light or Gospel is within you they proceed to say it is the sure word of Prophecy Is then a Prophetick light in all men or what doth it prophecy of life and righteousnesse for sinners in a Mediator or of Death because of disobedience or if this be the light that shines in a dark place what is the day-star and the Sun of righteousnesse if this be Christ as was before affirmed by them But as the legs of the lame are not equal no more are these parables but that we may shew their distance from the truth rather than from themselves we beseech you to consider that by this means Either first The Scriptures are laid aside not onely as not useful but as not true Scripture to you nor truth to you if they be not particularly dictated in your hearts after the same manner as to them that wrote them Thus they call it a dead letter which word was applied to the Law whereas though the ink and paper be dead yet the Truth or meaning of those words is called the Power of God and hath a Majesty Authority and Grace above the words of man stamped upon it and is said to convert comfort quicken and make wise the soul which is done no otherwise than by the conjunction of the Word with the Power of God Psalm 119. 50. 105. Surely the Scriptures were written for our learning and are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ and may be used for Doctrine Reproof Correction and Instruction in righteousnesse that the Man of God or a man who from God or for God is to attend upon the work of the Ministry * may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work As for the expected dictating the Scriptures by the Spirit to us as to the writers it is groundless but we shall touch on that afterward Secondly But if the evidence of Truth constrain them to return to the word of the Scriptures as binding in it self and useful yet by their Doctrine the Scriptures are turned into Allegories and so their frothie conceipts and catches of wit are established as the sure Word of Prophecy Thus doth the deceiver suck the Eggs and lay them in the nest again and while they allow the Scripture a nominal authority yet it must not be heard but as their conceivings put a sense upon it and in short thus is the Scripture judged but is not admitted to judge spirits and apprehensions but if they speak it must be an oracle and as the Pure testimony of Jesus or the light in them which must be credited but not disputed of this more in the sequel This calls to mind a sentence in one of Luthers Letters verily saith he God must incessantly be implored with fear humility and earnest supplication that we may have his assistance and protection otherwise truly it may soon come to pass that the Devil will present before our eyes such a Phantasm that we should swear it were the true Holy Ghost it self as not only those antient Heretiques but in our time also examples which have been and still are great and dreadful do forewarn This he wrote concerning this Generation that we contend against which began to his Time Some dare not quite lay aside the Scriptures neither turn it into Allegories yet do not look in them to learn because they think it is to build up themselves in Carnal knowledge which darkens the workings of the Spirit and again because they judge that none can open its seals but the Lamb and therefore they 'l not meddle at least not to search for understanding therein until the Spirit in them open it to them But let us consider 1. Jesus Christ spake many things to his disciples which they understood not at that time untill after his resurrection and the fulfilling of them which doubtlesse he would not have done if his wisdome had not judged it meet to treasure up knowledge in their memories for hereafter though they had not the present understanding of them or present benefit by them 2. Our blessed Saviour calleth them fooles and slow of heart because they did not believe All that the Prophets have spoken which taxeth them for negligence non attendance and willful ignorance of the Scriptures though the seals were not opened to them and beginning at Moses he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself v. 27. which was a teaching of knowledge from the letter of the word and he opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures which they had surely as they ought read before Likewise it is observable that the Lord seeing the Eunuch Acts 8. 32 c. reading a Scripture in a conscientious way for he was a worshipper of God v. 27. though he understood it not v. 30. sent unto him Philip to open that Scripture and from that to preach unto him Jesus so will God do with others in the like condition 3. Instruction of children in the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 14 15. was commended as a way blessed of God In this way seeds are sown which spring up it may be by way of remembrance long after for conversion or further increase in knowledge which they sooner make when they have the spirit if they keep in memory what they read or heard in the time of their ignorance Most true we find it it s not having but eating the Book doth us good and the word doth not profit us without faith neverthelesse searching

check chide and call home the wandrings of his people to make his grace exceeding glorious Thirdly Neverthelesse though we are tyed to all Means yet hath the Lord tyed himself to none so as that he may not in his Soveraignty withhold mercy untill his own time But if power alway go with light what shall we think of Paul who found the Law of his Members warring and leading him captive against his Will though he gave up himself to the Law of his inward man Rom. 7. 14. unto the end Surely the topstone of the whole frame of Spiritual graces and privileges is not laid untill the resurrection and second coming of Jesus Christ which is cleared in the Scriptures calling it our Adoption as it was written of Christ and of the day of his resurrection Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee also making our Life to be hidden untill then stating the life of a Christian now to be in Faith and hope which looks beyond death and charactering a true Saint by his waiting looking for and loving the appearing of Christ Heb. 10. 37 38. 1 Thess. 1. 10. Heb. 9. 28. Blessed are they who are the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus though all their life time they be found groaning under the burden of sin buffetings of Satan and are in heavinesse if need be through various Temptations which are to make them vile and little in their own eyes knowing what maketh them to differ And that Jesus might perfect his strength in their weaknesse and his Grace in their guiltinesse And might trie their faith which shall be found unto praise and glory at the appearing of Christ the hope of which is as an Anchor to their souls which Saves them from sinking under their pressures and perishing in their stormes Then shall they that now die not having received the Promises which are sure to all the seed receive them and the Crown of righteousnesse at that day who fight the good fight finish their course and keep the faith This putteth not the day of the Lord far from us as some charge us no more than did Abraham Isaac and Jacob who saw the Promises a farre off and because they apprehended themselves not likely to inherit them in this life on earth therefore they confessed themselves Pilgrims and strangers whose portion was not in this life Heb. 11. 16. Neverthelesse as we look for compleat victory over all and the last of enemies Death at the resurrection so we are to hasten to it 2 Pet. 3. 12. in all holy conversations and godlinesses if by any means we might attain unto the resurrection Phil. 3. 10 11. by being as like Christ as may be who in that he died he died unto sin and the world and in that he liveth he liveth unto God though for the changing our vile corruptible mortal natural bodies like unto his glorified body the Apostle looked not for it nor his Crown until the coming of Christ Phil. 3. 21. But that we may take the foxes and the little foxes that spoil our vines which began to have tender grapes let 's yet make search and see how for the driving on the great design of overthrowing the Gospel as administred by Man and weakning the Authority of the holy Scriptures they seek to perswade all Men that that light in them is the Gospel and the sure Word of Prophecy to which they would do well to take heed until the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts It may be the Accuser of the Brethren will say we are zealous in our own cause though our Consciences tell us we ought to be angry yet without sinne when we see the way of life stopped up from the children of men which we doubt not to demonstrate to the seeing eye in reference to the Gospel it self and its ministration First then to manifest that this assertion puts men quite beside the way of Salvation We pray you to consider that if it be not the voice of the Gospel but of the Law mans heart who hath no more light than the eternal Word enlightens him with as every one that cometh into the world then who so bids him seek righteousness peace and life in attendance and obedience thereto puts man beside the way of life Rom. 9. 32. Rom. 4. 5 14. Gal. 2. 16 21. But that it is the voice of the Law and not the Gospel hath been proved before by sundry couched Arguments as that Scripture and experience makes the moral Law the Counterpane of the Law ingraven in every mans Conscience Also that Man naturally establisheth his own self-righteousnesse which is of the Law Beside the book of Natural Conscience is the Creation and Providence which administer in themselves to the discursive faculty the knowledge of the Godhead as binding Man to glorifie God as God not as Father Saviour or Redeemer Should we here grant that he that walks up to the Law or light of Nature shall have the light of Grace or Gospel revealed to him although we never read nor knew the Gospel bestowed on any Person or People upon that account or the Spirit received by the works of the Law yet we do more than doubt whether ever there stood before the throne of Glory or shall any such who without Gospel-light and grace did obey the Law please God or rightly approach unto him for we know that faith in Jesus as dying for us and rising for our justification is the first stone in the spiritual building and the Fountain of Love Man loving God because he is first beloved of God without which mans specious works most upright worships are abhominations threapt on the Lord Wherefore the Lord builds not on the first Adams foundations or Covenant of works on which the higher man builds the more losse he suffers when he is brought to Christ but layes a Foundation in Sion even Christ in the Law of Faith or Covenant of Grace and thereupon builds all things new Secondly Moreover we add that if this Position take away the true and proper ministration of the Gospel it must needs shut up the Kingdom of God from Men For what are good tidings if they be not told But to the best of our understandings by this Assertion is the ministration of the Gospel taken away For we do not know that ever the gospel was published or promised to be made known without the ministration of man or without hearing But rather as Jesus Christ said I am with you in teaching to the end of the world so intended he teaching to be to the end also it was the Apostles care that the truth might be committed from one to another from age to age 2 Tim. 2 2. likewise the promise is Isa. 59. the last verse that the Word should not depart from the mouth of Jesus Christ and his seed and his seeds seed for ever and that the