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book_n	holy_a	read_v	scripture_n	8,342	5	5.9261	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79837	A full discovery and confutation of the wicked and damnable doctrines of the Quakers. As also, a plain vindication and confirmation of sundry fundamental points of the Christian religion, denyed or corrupted by the enemies of the truth in these times. Published for the benefit of such weak Christians, who are not so able to discover and oppugne the dangerous doctrines of subtil seducers when coloured over with fair words and pretences, and so are more apt to be taken in their snares. Whereunto is annexed an excellent discourse proving that singing of Psalmes is not only lawful, but an ordinance of God. / By Jonathan Clapham, a servant of Christ in the work and labour of the Gospel at Wramplingham in Norff.	Clapham, Jonathan.	1656 (1656)	Wing C4407; Thomason E498_7; ESTC R206047	81,821	100

Law above the Gospel and call'd men from the grace of Christ to the works of the Law c. now the Law was but a dead killing letter pronouncing a curse and death not could it quicken spiritually there being no promise in it of writing the Law in our hearts but in the same place he commends his Ministry for the Ministery of the Spirit and of Life therefore this place makes nothing for this wicked cavil of those enemies against the Scriptures V. They equal their books and pamphlets though commonly stuft with non-sense and railing ever with wicked errors to the holy Scriptures then which what can be more disgraceful to the Scriptures and more abominable to all sober spirits This appears clearly to all that have but read their papers for thus they commonly write Moved from the Lord written from the Spirit of the Lord given from the Lord c. and they boast commonly that they speak from God immediately and infallibly as the Apostles did formerly Whether this doth not bring them under that curse Rev. 22.18 for adding to the Scriptures let them look to it VI. They sometimes plead the Church was a long time without the Scriptures and therefore they are not necessary now and if ten thousand of those books were burnt they might do well enough the light in them is sufficient c. This I testifie hath been objected to me and there be others can witnesse it with me For the former part it is an old Popish Argument against the necessity of the Scriptures and I shall only reply what hath been answered the Papists to this formerly Whitaker de perfec Script cap. 7. tells the Papists though of old time when God familiarly shewed himself to the Fathers and by himself manifested to them his will the Scriptures were not necessary yet after God did change the course of teaching his Church and would have the Word written then the Scriptures began to be necessary To the latter part I answer such an expression would suit the mouth of an Irish rebel rather then of any sober Christian and therefore let him repent and pray if perhaps the thought of his heart may be forgiven him VII They appear enemies to the holy Scriptures in their daily practices as their neglecting to use the holy Scriptures Their speakers speak not out of the Scriptures as did Christ Luke 4.17 who opened the book and took his text out of Esay 61.1 and in all his Sermons he opened the Scriptures and proved all things by the Scriptures nor do their speakers exhort people to search the Scriptures to give themselves to reading meditation This they that have been present testifie c. but to look to the light in their consciences let them shew where ever Christ or his Apostles gave such an exhortation to look to the light within them And for their disciples they follow not the example of the noble Bereans Acts 17.11 who searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so but they take all spoken to them as given from God immediately and turn not to the Scriptures to try the doctrines they hear by the Law and testimony When they have no speakers they sit as mutes together looking on the ground or looking at the light within them as they say but not looking on the Scriptures nor conferring about them though sometimes they will read in their Assemblies their quaking letters or books besides some of them have offered to sell their Bibles Now the most ignorant may easily judge by all this what friends they are to the Scriptures I might adde hereunto if it were requisite to shew their enmity to the Scriptures their perverse wresting of the Scriptures in such a manner sometime as shews they have neither knowledge of the Scriptures nor any light of common understanding of men left in them G. Whitehead maintaining of perfection as the Papists do I brought him that place against it Eccles 7.10 not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not he perverted it as if Solomon did speak of a man in an earthy condition Another when that cripture 1 Cor. 6.20 was used to prove that we are not only to give God internal worship and service but outward and bodily he replied the Church was he body that was to glorifie God Again when Paul Rom. 7. cryed out ob wretched man c. he had not the Spirit And that the same Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.14 did not at all condemne long hair And many of them have said that the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.14 saying even so hath the Lord ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel doth not plead for outward bodily maintenance but their living by faith or living spiritually on the Gospel were ever any people more blinded in the world then these how dreadful a judgement is this upon them for leaving the Scriptures and looking to the light in them which appears by these things to be meer darknesse I could fill many pages with such instances of their perverse wrest of the Scriptures but this will appear more fully in the following Sections Let me but summe up these things together and then let the Reader judge whether this first charge is not sufficiently proved against them The proof runs thus if to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and thereby to insinuate they never came from God if to deny the special use of the Scriptures to be a rule of faith and obedience and to make as if they belonged to the Saints formerly but did not concern us now if to give vilifying expressions to them and to call them a dead letter if to equal foolish and wicked pamphlets with them if to plead there 's no necessity of them if to practise to slight them and perversly to wrest them if any or if all of these together will prove the Quakers to be enemies to the holy Scriptures then the charge stands good against them Let the weakest hereby discern and see and not be deceived by them though they pretend in words never so fairly to the Scriptures And thus for this first charge SECT II. The Quakers deny Christ come in the flesh as also his Death Resurrection Ascension Intercession and coming to Judgement THe Apostle John in his second Epistle ver 7. speaks of many deceivers and Antichrists come into the world who confesse not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and forbids to receive such into your houses and to bid them God-speed for such as do so are partakers of their evil deeds Let us therefore in the next place enquire whether the Quakers may be justly charged with this crime that if they be found guilty thereof all such as professe to be Christians may disclaime them and take heed of them as Deceivers and Antichrists I shall here first freely give Testimony for the Quakers and do acknowledge in their behalfs that they have the name of Jesus Christ

there is the vegetative sensitive and rational faculties and yet there are not three souls in man but one why should it seem then a contradiction to believe three persons to subsist in one only God Now let the Reader from hence see what impudence it is in these Quakers to call this doctrine a lie and how dangerously they erre in denying the Trinity what is this but to deny the true God who hath manifested himself thus to be one in three as before they denied the Man Christ and were proved enemies to the Scriptures this errour tends to ouerthrow all faith and Religion and is pernicious to mens salvation for we must believe in God as he reveals himself in his Word and no otherwise and worship and serve him accordingly if we will be saved It was hatched by the enemies of truth it hath been defended on purpose to overthrow the personal Deity of Christ whereby the infinite value of his merits is taken away and to undermine the personality of the Spirit which is so fully evidenced by the divine attributes appropriated to him in Scripture and therefore have the purest Churches of Christ ever disclaimed communion with such as deny the doctrine of the Trinity accounting them subverters of the fundamentals of Religion And thus for this third particular SECT IV. The Quakers hold they are equal with God and that the soul is one being with God THere is nothing may more plainly evidence to the weakest and most ignorant that this wicked Sect is of the Devil the Prince of darknesse what ever they boast of the light of Christ then this wicked Tenet that they dare maintain equality with God and the soul to be one being with God or a part of God as the Manichees of old and Familists have done This doctrine the Devil sought to instil into our first parents at the beginning ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Gen 3.5 What Christian spirit that apprehends the infinite Majesty and holinesse of God and its own basenesse and vilesse but will abhor the very mention of this opinion yet is this maintained and defended by this generation of men In their book called Sauls errand to Damascus is mention made that it was attested at a quarter Sessions at Lancaster that some of them affirmed themselves to be equal with God and that afterwards the same thing was acknowledged before many witnesse nor do they deny this publick evidence was given against them though they would shuffle about it while they covertly plead for the same thing p. 2 5 6. 10. Hubberthorn in his book against Sherlock p. 30. doth most ignorantly and blasphemously alledge that place for this Phil. 2.5 6. Let this minde be in you which also was in Christ who being in the forme of God thought it no robery to be equal with God where the Reader may see how he imitates Satan in corrupting the Scriptures both by leaving out the following words which must necessarily be known before the minde of the Apostle be understood viz. but made himself of no reputation took on him the forme of a servant humbled himself c. the sentence is not compleat without taking in these words and also perverting the scope and drift of the Apostle in that place who is pressing humility ver 3. and urging it from Christs example who though equal with God yet humbled himself it is far of from the Apostles mind there to perswade us to beleeve we are equal with God he is pressing humility they that desire to see fuller evidence for their holding equality with God may see Sword drawn p. 3 and also the many testimonies which the Ministers of New-castle bring for it in their first book p. 3 4. That they hold the soule to be one being with God or a part of God See also testimony for it in the book last cited p. 6. and Sword drawn p. 3 4. Hubberthorne in the book before named p. 29. saith there 's no Scripture which speaks of an humane soul then it seems the soul or spirit in man which the Scripture speaks so much of must either be God himself or the Devil One of them living in these parts did in discourse with my self argue as strongly as he could for the soul to be one being with God and though he did afterward give me the lie in the publick Assembly for reporting it of him yet I have now eight several witnesses of credit to prove the same thing and manifest him to be the liar besides what arguments passed betwixt us which clearly evidenc he pleaded for it Another of them argued with me that the soul after its departure out of the body which say they rots in the grave and never rises again is taken up into God and is one being with him urging that Scripture for it God shall be all in all For confutation of these things I need not say much they are so grosse and horrible Concerning the first Equality with God let but the Reader peruse these Scriptures Isa 40. v. 12 almost to the end of the chapter where the Lord makes a challenge twice repeated v. 18 25. To whom will ye liken me or shall I be equal saith the holy one and in the other verses sets forth his Greatnesse and Majesty he measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meateth out heaven with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in a ballance c. The Nations are as the drop of a bucket to him c. All Nations are before him as nothing yea lesse then nothing and vanity He sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grasse-hoppers He bringeth Princes to nothing c. See much more to the same purpose there Read also Job 38.39.40 all the three chapters and this opinion will be sufficiently confuted Oh what arrogance is this for poor wormes to make comparison with the Infinite Eternal Almighty Glorious God But perhaps they will say they equal not self nor the flesh unto God that is to perish but the spirit or soul which is one being with or a part of the divine essence like some in these times which have made reason to be God I shall speak something therefore for the confutation of this 1. The Scriptures speak of the soul or spirit of man to be a created thing made in time Isa 57.16 Zach. 12.1 Psal 33.15 and can this be one being with the eternal uncreated God 2. Many Scriptures speak of the sinfulnesse of the soul Micah 6.9 Lev. 4.2 Ezek. 18.20 James 4.5 2 Cor. 7.1 and can a sinful polluted creature be one being with the holy God 3. Many Scriptures speak of the destruction and death of the soul its perishing in hell Mar. 10.28 Mat. 16.26 Prov. 4 32. and can that soule that perishes in hell be a part of the being of God 4. The Scripture distinguishes betwixt Gods Spirit and ours Rom. 8.16

16. 1 Cor. 15.32 The devil did long since stir up his instruments to undermine the same the Sadduces Acts 23.8 denyed the resurrection Angels and Spirits and some amongst the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.12 said There is no resurrection of the dead Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.18 said the resurrection was past already and overthrew the faith of some even as this generation of men now pretend it s already accomplished and past in them the body or Christ is now risen in them and hereupon deny the future resurrection of our dead bodies But it pleased the Lord out of his goodnesse hereupon to cleare up this doctrine more fully so that there 's no doctrine in all the Scriptures hath a clearer and fuller evidence for it self then this hath It was sufficiently laid down before in the Old Testament in many places See these instead of many Job 19.25 Isa 26.19 Dan. 12.2 Ezek. 37.12 but in the New Testament it 's not only positively laid down and asserted but proved by many Arguments against them that denied it Mat. 22.32 Christ proves it against the Sadduces and silences them by an Argument taken from Gods Covenant with his people he is their God in Covenant with them and not only with their souls but with their bodies also therefore they shall rise again he proves that same resurrection which was denyed by the Sadduces for he silenced them now it 's clear they denied the resurrection of the body of flesh c. See v. 23 24. other places might have been brought to have proved this truth more directly whereas this Scripture proves it but by consequence though clearly enough but the Sadduces only owning the five books of Moses Christ brings a proof from thence for it Exod. 3.6 But more especially the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. doth so largely prove this doctrine that if other Scriptures had been altogether silent about it this one Chapter had been sufficient confirmation thereof Let the Reader observe there three things that the Apostle principally treats of in that chapter 1. He proves the resurrection of the dead 2. He shews with what bodies they shall arise 3. What shall become of them which shall be alive at the day of the Lord. I. He proves the resurrection of the dead and he evidences that by six arguments 1 From the resurrection of Jesus Christ from v. 3. to 19. for if there be no resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen but saith he Christ is risen therefore must the dead rise by vertue of their union with him Now that Christ is risen he confirms from the Testimony of the Scriptures ver 4. the Apostle names not what Scriptures but it 's cleare he intends Psal 16.8 and such like places then from those many witnesses that saw him verse 5 6 7 8. then from the evil consequences that would follow if Christ rise not the Apostles should be false witnesses and their preaching in vaine and the Corinthians faith should be in vain they should be yet in their sinnes and they that were fallen asleep should be perished 2 He proves the resurrection of the dead body because if it were not so Christians should be of all men most miserable verse 19. 3 He argues that all enemies must be overcome therefore death and if so we must rise again 4 He argues it from a practise amongst those persons that denied the resurrection probably the Corinthians those ancient hereticks who were baptized for the dead verse 20. and therefore their own practise might confute them 5 He argues it from the dangers and sufferings of the Saints verse 30 c. which they would not endure if there were no resurrection and reward after death Heb. 11.36 6 The denying the resurrection he shews would lead to all epicurisme and licentiousness then may we say let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die thus he confirms the doctrine of the resurrection of our dead bodies The 2d. thing in this Chapter is to shew with what bodies the dead arise II. verse 35. He answers in the following verses not with such vile weak corruptible bodies as now we have but with incorruptible powerful glorious and spiritual bodies so Phil. 3.21 Our vile bodies shall be fashioned like to the glorious body of Christ himself and it follows as a reason of this change ver 50. Flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God nor can corruption inherit incorruption Where observe the Apostle doth not overthrow what he before had built that is he doth not deny the resurrection of the dead body that it shall not rise at all as these deceivers would infer but it shall not rise in such a vile corruptible abject condition it were not capable of the glory of heaven then That this is the minde of the Apostle in these words appeares in that the Apostle doth not contradict himself and destroy what he had before built now having before proved the body shall arise again he doth not here deny it only he shews it shall not arise in such an abject and base condition as now it is in but in a more glorious condition and so he fitly answers the question propounded v. 35. with what body the dead shall arise It being also considerable that the word flesh is not in Scripture always put for the substance of mans body for the substance consisting of flesh blood and bones but frequently for the infirme weak state and condition of man as Esay 31 3. 1 Pet. 1.24 and thus the latter part of the verse shews it is to be taken here corruption shall not inherit incorruption corrupt frail flesh cannot inherit heaven it must be made a glorious spiritual body for its qualities and conditions when it is raised up again that so it may be capable of the happinesse of heaven III. The third thing the Apostle doth in this Chapter is he sheweth what shal become of them that shal be alive at the day of the Lord. v. 51. they shall not fall asleep but be changed or translated into a state of incorruption and immortality as it befell Enoch and Eliah in former times this also confirms the doctrine of the resurrection because those bodies that shall survive at the last day shall not be annihilated but only changed What clearer Testimony can be given to this truth then we have in this one chapter Many other places might be added as Acts 23.6 24.15 1 Thes 4.13 c. Phil. 3.20.21 Rev. 12. with other more but these may suffice But some object this is a thing impossible How can the dead body when consumed to ashes or dust and this driven away by the winde and scattered be raised up again the self-same body for substance Or when a body shall be eaten by wilde beast or fishes and they again eaten by men or by other creatures and their substances mingled and confounded how can these ever be distinguished and the selfe-same body that died