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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	find_v	scripture_n	word_n	3,449	5	4.1562	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46867	The friendly enquirer's doubts and objections answered concerning the light within, the word of God, the church of Christ, gospel ministers, ordinances in general and in particular, water baptism, and the Lord's supper : together with a brief testimony against oaths and swearing / first intended and written for the satisfaction of some particular acquaintance and now published for more general service by James Jackson.	Jackson, James, fl. 1674-1708.	1698 (1698)	Wing J73; ESTC R34952	26,741	110

every Man that cometh into the World John 1.9 and our blessed Lord said John 8.12 I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life While ye therefore have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light John 12.36 and he bids seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof which Kingdom he told the Scribes and Pharisees was in them Luke 17.21 whence it is evident that every true Convert must inwardly turn from the Power of Satan and Kingdom of darkness within and inwardly seek and feel after the marvelous Light of God's Kingdom to seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him tho' he be not far from every one of us Acts 17.27 and the Apostle James writing to Sinners bids them lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted Word which is able to save their Souls which Peter calls the sure Word of Prophesie unto which says he ye do well to give heed as unto a Light that shines in a dark place till the day dawn and the day star arise in your Hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 which said ingrafted Word and sure Word of Prophesie cannot be intended or meant by the Holy Ghost to be the Scriptures because they are not able to Save Mens Souls or give Eternal Life to such as think to have it thence John 5.39 but it is the Light of Christ our Lord in whom is Life Eternal and the same Life is the Light of Men and his Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 2 Object But dost thou deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God Which is the only rule both for Life and also to judge of Doctrines and the only Weapon to resist Satan and confute his Ministers and Christ overcame the Tempter only by the Scriptures which are the Sword of the Spirit and the Word of God Answ 1. In obedience to the command of Christ John 5.39 I have perused and diligently searched the Scriptures both in the Originals and several Translations it may be as much as any Man and find that they sufficiently declare and testify of and for our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ to be the Word of God But through the whole Volumn of this holy Book called the Bible and Scriptures of Truth I find not therein that they are called by this Name 2. And therefore that the Scriptures are the Sword of the Spirit or the Word of God I have no Scripture warrant to believe but that the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit I own and witness experimentally and that it is sharper than a Two edged Sword like a Hammer and Fire the Ax at the Root of the Tree and that 't is Vnchangeable Incorruptible and Eternal without beginning of Days or end of Time and so are not the Scriptures 2. Nevertheless we preferr the Holy Scriptures above all Books as they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God and therefore of Divine Authority and believe them to be a true Declaration of God and of his Word yet we must not fix our hopes of Eternal Life in the Scriptures as the Jews did and would not believe in Chirst nor come to him that they might have Life John 5.38.39.40 It is not they therefore who have the Scriptures but only they who have the Son of God that have life 1 John 5.12 4. Wherefore we preferr Christ Jesus above the Scriptures for in all things he must have the preheminence therefore said John he is preferr'd before me for he is before me and before Abraham was saith Christ I am Wherefore know that we build not upon the holy Prophets and Apostles their Words Works Writings and Experiences but upon Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone and the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles so that we have not received our Light Life Peace Comfort Faith Hope and Assurance from the Writings of the Saints but from him that was their Light Life Hope Rest and Foundation and have our teaching from that inward Light Law Word and Vnction whereby Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob and Joseph walked with and pleased God long before the Scripture or Scriptural Rules were written and manifested 5. Neither are the Scriptures the only Rule for they declare and testifie of the Law written in the Heart and the Rule of a new Creature Gal. 6.15.16 and as for the only Judge of Doctrines we know that the Scriptures are hard to be understood and therefore Men in their Carnal Wisdom are putting their several meanings upon one and the same Scripture wherefore we say the Spirit of God is the Judge of Doctrines because he alone who gave forth the Scriptures best knows the meaning thereof For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 Answer 6. Neither yet do I believe that the Scriptures were the only means which Christ made use of to overcome and repel the Tempter in the Wilderness for Satan allegdd and pleaded Scripture till he indeed took the Sword of the Spirit even his Divine Power and commanded him to be gone and said Get thee behind me Satan Object 3. Though it is granted that Christ by his Light and Spirit is in every true Believer yet we cannot believe him to be so in every Man for Paul tells the Ephesians that before their Conversion they were without God and without Christ in the World Eph. 2.12 and the same Apostle bids others to examine and prove themselves and to know that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 whereby it appears that Vnbelievers and Reprobates are without Christ Answ 1. As to Vnbelievers before Conversion they are alienated from the Life and Light of Christ and under the Powers of the Prince of Darkness nevertheless the true Light shines in this Darkness but the Darkness comprehendeth it not John 1.5 and I can truly witness to the Truth hereof knowing the time when I was without Christ and without God in the World i. e. without the true knowledge of them living as if there was no God yea without any awful regard to the Eye of God yet I can as truly affirm that at that time the Light of Christ was in me testifying against all mine Iniquities And tho' this may seem to be a Mistery that a measure of his Light should be in a Man when that Man is without Christ yet having experienced the truth hereof do therefore testify that it is one thing for the Light of Christ to be in a Man and another thing for a Man to be in the Light of Christ and therefore affirm that the Light of Christ is in every Man but no Man is in Christ Jesus till he be a new Creature Answ 2. And as to Reprobates such as the Scripture testify who have sinned out the Day of Grace

And therefore to that pure Invisible Unchangeable and Immortal Seed and Principle of Life and Light Which enlightneth every one that comes into the World that Word which is nigh in the Heart that everlasting Gospel which is preached Col 1.23 In every Creature for so it is in the Greek Copie under Heaven even to that Grace and Spirit of God which appeareth and offereth Salvation to all Men which inwardly makes manifest the hidden works of Darkness reproves and condemns all unrighteousness in Heart and Life directs and leads into the way of Life and Peace accepteth of and rewardeth for well-doing let every one who love their own Souls be inwardly turned to love it believe in it and obey it that ye may no longer remain in Darkness but walk and abide in the Light of the Lord to whom be Glory Honour and Obedience for ever Amen God the Father hath committed all Power in Heaven and upon Earth to his Son and made him Supream Head and Governour over his Church and He in his own Divine Light manifests and reveals himself his mind and will to Man and is all-sufficient and ever present to direct and lead his People into all Truth And being our Lord our Judge and Law-giver requires universal Obedience to his Royal Law written in our Hearts and hath always the Soveraign Power to lay aside alter abolish and lead his People from the use of outward Observations and Ordinances that are idolized or abused as well now as he did formerly by Temple-Worship Sacrifices the Passover and Circumcision which at first was commanded the Jews and their Seed for an everlasting Covenant 1. Even as Swearing under the old Testament an Oath was then taken for confirmation c. which under the Gospel is expresly forbidden by Christ Mat. 5.34.35 and by the Apostle James 5.12 The Primitive Christians kept this Doctrine against the commandments of Heathen Emperors Popes and persecuting Princes As Policarpus refused to Swear affirming it a special Character of a true Christian not to Swear at all he was burn'd therefore in the 86 Year of his Age Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 55. Basiliades another Martyr affirmed it was not lawful for a Christian to Swear Euseb c. 6. p. 98. In the Plowman's Complaint we have this Expression Lord thou givest us thy Commandment of Truth not to Swear but to say yea yea and nay nay and to be Humble and Meek but he that calls himself thy Vicar on Earth hath broken both these Commandments compelling Men to Swear and teacheth that to save Life a Man may forswear himself Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 527. Walter Brute affirmeth that as it was the Perfection of the Ancients in the Old Testament not to forswear themselves so the Perfection of a Christian Man is not to Swear at all Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 653. And Chrisostome declares it is a Sin to Swear upon any account Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 701. Yea a great Master in Divinity saith It is not lawful either to give or take an Oath upon a Book for saith he a Book is nothing else but divers Creatures whereof it is made therefore to Swear upon a Book is to Swear by Creatures and this Swearing is ever unlawful Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 701. So likewise other Customs which had their Rise and Authority of the Romish Church and Popish Councils intruded meerly for filthy Lucres sake ought to be laid aside viz. Ignatius Bishop of Rome was the first who ordained that Infants should be baptized and have God-fathers and God mothers And anno 1500. it was ordained by the Council held at Pïsoy in France that Infant Baptism should be received by Tradition because it could not be proved by Scripture And Higinus the ninth Bishop of Rome ordained the Communion to be celebrated three times a Year 2. And as for paying Tythes under the Gospel Dispensation 't is sufficiently manifest to be a Popish imposition Pope Pius the 5th commanded Tythes to be paid under the penalty of Excommunication The Bohemians in their Christian Exhortation to Kings and Princes to stir them up to Zeal for the Gospel against the covetous practices of the Clergy say They receive Tythes of Men and will have them and preach that Men are bound to give them Tythes but therein they say falsly for they cannot prove by the new Testament that our Lord Jesus commanded it neither did his Disciples receive any and tho' in the old Testament it was commanded to give Tythes yet can it not thereby be proved that Christians are bound thereunto for this precept of the old Testament had an end in the first Year of our Lord Jesus Christ like as the precept of Circumcision Wherefore consider and see how your Bishops seduce you with things that have no proof Christ said in the 11th of Luke Give Alms of those things that remain but said not give the Tenth ye possess Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 860. Finally The Main and Principal Foundation of the Law of England is the Law of God so saith the law-Law-Book Doctor and Student c. 2. p. 4. in these Words There is a Law written in the Heart of Man which is Man created in the Image of God and this Law is always Good and Righteous stiring up the Man to do that which is good and abhor the evil and therefore against this Law saith the Book Prescription Statute Custom may not prevail and if any be brought against it they are void and against Justice Wherefore it doth necessarily follow that all Popish or Prelatical Prescriptions Customs or Penal Statutes concerning Oathes or Tyths or any other thing not sounded on the Law of God written in the Heart are void and against Justice For undoubtedly they who laid the first Foundation of Government had Authority to make such a Constitution as cannot be altered by Posterity for Foundations cannot be removed without hazzard of the whole building but if any do here plead the necessity of times the expediency or usefulness of some such Statutes or Customs I Answer 1st the greatest necessity and care is and should be to secure and maintain the Foundation and 2ly however necessity might support and indulge other Laws it cannot such as alter and are pernicious to the Constitution but every legal advantage should be taken for restoring it together with our just Rites and Freedoms from all Arbitrary oppressions and innovations and more particularly from the aforesaid Popish intrusions and impositions for Oaths and Tythes And this is the humble and earnest desire of every good subject that they who are more especially concerned may so Vote and so Enact As those that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty James 2.12 for by this Law in the Heart God hath shewed unto them that Govern as unto us who are under them what is good and what he requires of us all Mic. 6.8 And that they who sit to Judge us according to the Law