Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	according_a	day_n	lord_n	3,508	5	3.5503	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30560	A vindication of the people of God, called Quakers ... being an ansvver to a book, dedicated to them, by one George Pressick of Dublin : in which book many lyes and calumnies are presented against the innocent people of God ... / by E.B.	Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing B6053; ESTC R2304	18,015	26

holy and righteous works and fruits and the children of the Devil who are the Reprobate are known also by their works and fruits of unrighteousness which they bring forth and this the Scriptures bear witness of 2. As for speaking little and living homely and sordidly If he means by homely and sordidly plainly and without superfluity this is also works and fruits of Holiness and it 's better to speak little than to utter multitude of vain words and it 's more justifiable to God and just men to be plain and homely as he saith in Apparrel than superfluity of naughtiness in vain attire and more holy for true holiness consists in the Power of God which crucifies all idle words and all superfluity in Apparrel and whatsoever is not like God And was this Accuser but as wise as he is envious he would never be seen to scorn the Quakers scornfully so called with speaking little and wearing plain and sober Apparrel but fools love to be medling to manifest their own folly as it is written Again The Accuser telleth another story of Muntzer how he did exhort some that were on his part viz. Anabaptists to kill every mothers son for a sacrifice to the Lord and saith he by this we may guess if Anabaptists and Quakers should get the upper hand what they would do c. Answ. 1. As for the Quakers getting the upper hand we strive not for it by carnal weapons to have victory over mens persons though we know the Lord will give us victory and dominion over the Beast and over the false Prophet for the Lamb shall get the victory and they that are with him who are called and faithful and chosen but this victory is spiritual and obtained spiritually and thus we believe the Lord will give us the upper hand even Victory over all our Enemies 2. But what a wicked envious surmise and suggestion is here couched under as if the Quakers if they had victory would kill every mothers son for a sacrifice and that they would make War c. The Lord rebuke his slanderous tongue who hath hatched mischief in his mind against the Innocent and presented you with forged lyes and surmises and imagined and guessed cruel and evil things against us who are far otherwise principled than as he guesseth but all this his own doings doth but manifest the folly of his own heart and his own wickedness for we are of the Spirit of Mercy and Peace and not of Murder and War not to kill mens Persons but to war with the Spirit of God against spiritual enemies that mens Iniquities may be slain and their Persons and Souls saved Again The Accuser pag. 4. tells a long story of Micher Hopman and others with him what things they held As they condemned the Baptism of Children they would not take an Oath they pulled down Magistrates they undertook to kill all Princes they taught that in their Churches all were holy and that it was lawful to have many Wives that all Learning is prophane and that mean men are fittest to expound Scriptures and there must be no ordinary calling in the Church but every man must speak as he is inspired And thus it is saith the Accuser with the Quakers and Popish Agents who are their Ring-leaders have been endeavouring in these three Nations these eight or nine years by-past c. Answ. 1. It is to be considered that all these things are fully charged upon us as bei●●●ilty thereof and so to every particular I shall answer As to that of the Baptism of Children we do say there is neither Command nor Example for it in all the Scripture God never commanded it nor did the Apostles ever practise it in their dayes but it is a Tradition of the Church of Rome introduced into the world long since the Apostles dayes and except better ground can be shewed for the practice of it than bare Tradition it is lawful to deny it as being no Ordinance of God in his true Church except I say that it can be proved that God ever commanded it or the Apostles and Saints practised it till which be done it is no errour to deny the sprinkling of Infants and to deny it to be the true Baptism into the true Church 2. Concerning taking an Oath we say Christ Jesus commanded Mat. 5. Not to swear at all and the Apostle Iames said Above all things my Brethren swear not so that to deny to swear and take Oaths is according to the Command of Christ and his Apostles and is no errour though the Accuser hath here charged it on us as a heinous crime but we do deny All Swearing in obedience to the Commands of Christ and our Yea is Yea and our Nay is Nay as Christ hath taught us without an Oath who hath commanded us not to take Oaths nor swear at all 3. As for pulling down Magistrates and killing all Princes and that it is lawful to have many Wives These are lyes and slanders charged upon us by a false Accuser for our Principle is to obey all Magistrates and all Princes in every thing either by doing or suffering and we would have Princes and Magistrates to rule and reign in the Power of God justly righteously and according to the Law of God and would not have them killed and pulled down And we say it 's better to keep in the single chast life than to have many Wives but any Accusation to make us appear vile this your Informer spareth not but according to his Work will be his Reward in the Day of the Lord 4. Concerning all being holy in the Church we say That every Member in the true Church of Christ is holy for the Church of Christ is his Body and every Member of his Body which are flesh of his flesh and bones of his bone are holy as he is holy in kind and quality and it is his Exhortation to his Saints Be ye holy for I am holy faith Christ So that to hold that every Member of the Body of Christ is holy is no errour though it be so reputed by an ignorant man 5. Concerning all Learning being prophane and that mean men are fittest to expound Scriptures I do say that Learning in it self is a gift of God and is not prophane though as to the knowledge of God and the things of his Kingdom learning in Tongues and Languages is little available for it 's the Spirit of God that teaches the things of God and reveals all the things of his Kingdom and none can know God but as the Spirit of God discovers him for the Disciples who were some of them unlearned men in books and letters had the knowledge of the matters of Gods Kingdom taught them by the holy Spirit and such as have the gift of the Spirit of God be they Poor or Rich are fittest to expound and understand Scriptures for none can understand the Scriptures nor the things therein declared but by the Spirit of

God that gave forth the Scriptures and it is not Latine Greek or Hebrew that teacheth to understand the Scriptures but it is the Spirit of God and to whomsoever that Spirit is given and God gives it to whom he pleaseth they only are fit to declare the things of God unto others and to expound Scriptures and none else but them who have experience of the operation of the Spirit in their own hearts and this we hold and believe 6. Concerning ordinary Calling and speaking as he is inspired I say the Scriptures no where speak of ordinary calling and if by ordinary Calling it be meant calling to any Office in the Church without the Spirit of God I say there was no such Calling for the Ministry of Christ in the Apostles dayes was called by the holy Spirit and the Ministry of the true Church is made ordained and called according to the gift of Gods holy Spirit which he giveth And as every one saith Peter hath received the gift of the Spirit so let him administer the same one to another So that it is manifest by the Scriptures that the Call to the Ministry in the Apostles dayes was not of man nor by man saith Paul but according to the gift of the holy Anoiming the Spirit of God And also every one in the true Church might speak as it was revealed to them for saith Paul If any thing be revealed to another that stands by let the first hold his peace for ye may all speak one by one that all may be edified So that it is no errour to hold that every one in the true Church may speak as the Spirit of God gives them utterance and to whom the things of God are revealed by the Spirit 7. That there are Popish Agents among us and that such are our Ring-leaders this is a false slander and you ought to put the Accuser to prove it it is your duty so to do and that such Popish Agents be named and where they are And I challenge the Accuser to name One among us or else let him stop his mouth for a Lyar who hath abused your Names with dedicating Untruths to you for your approof Again He accuseth us for saying The Spirit bloweth where it listeth and he saith we judge none have the Spirit but our selves Answ. 1. Christ himself said The wind bloweth where it listeth and so is every one that is born of the Spirit And we do judge God hath given of his Spirit to many that are yet ungodly and many are convinced of sin by the Spirit of God in their Consciences that are wicked and ungodly who are not of us but yet we say as the Saints in Ages past said We know that we are of God and that the whole world lies in wickedness and they that are of God hear us and are one with us and we do inform all People to the measure of the Spirit of God in their Consciences that they may come to the knowledge of God and to be one with us Again He accuseth us to be acted by the same deluding spirit as John of Leyden was acted by Answ. 1. What spirit Iohn of Leyden was acted by we now dispute not neither doth this Accuser well know but what he hath from the Reports of others which may be false as like as true in some particulars but the Spirit that we follow is the Spirit of God by which we are acted in the wayes of Truth and Righteousness and are not deluded nor followers of a deluding spirit for we are willing to be ●ied in our Doctrines and Practices according to the Scriptures and though we stand accused of these and the like things yet we challenge him to prove it before you and that we may be admitted to make our defeace and we shall the rather easily prove that our Accuser is acted by the spirit of the Devil who is an Accuser of the Brethren like the Devil and that is a deluding spirit that teacheth men to backbite lye and slander as this man hath done so he is proved fully guilty of that whereof he hath accused others and must own the shame and condemnation to himself which he would bring upon others Again The Accuser chargeth us that we would neither have King Magistrates nor Ministers but of our selves c. Answ. 1. I have before mentioned what kind of Rulers and Governours we would have even such as are just men and men of Truch and Righteousness and that hate Covetousness and every evil way and such are of us even such we would have to reign as are approved of God who would be a praise to them that do well and a terrour to evil-doers and that would only rule and reign for the Lord exercising and executing his Righteous Laws by the Spirit of God and such will be blessed in their Authority 2. And till such only rule and bear the Sword of Iustice in the Earth we do know peace and happiness can never be in the Kingdoms of the World but divisions and confusions will arise and be brought forth for it is the only Blessedness of a Government in any Nation when the Authority it self is just and according to God and when such as bear the execution thereof are Iust Kings Righteous Magistrates and Ministers of Iustice that will judge for God and not for man and we seek not the place of Government in this World nor do we intrude our selves into such places though this we say while that spirit reigns and rules in the Nations of the Earth which is not of God but contrary to us Peace and Happiness in good Government amongst men through the World can never be though we are truly subject to whatsoever Authority is set over us by doing or suffering Then the Accuser speaks of teaching the wayes of Righteousness and saith according to this the Quakers have gone through Ireland and he speaks of Gods wrath following for hardness of heart and this saith he is just like the Quakers Doctrines now Answ. That the Quakers scornfully so called have gone through Ireland and through many other Nations of the world to teach and preach Truth and Righteousnesse this is true and without occasion of an evil Charge against them for so doing and the Lord hath prospered us and been with us to the turning of many from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God and we have testimony in the Consciences of many for the truth of our Doctrines and Practices and this is not Errour nor Heresie to proclaim the Wrath of God because of the hardness of Peoples hearts for that is the portion of all hard-hearted men and we are not ashamed of this Doctrine for it is according to the Scriptures of Truth and but that this Accuser is given up to blindness of mind he would never have mentioned these things as against us nor used our names in reproach in this matter And lastly Whereas he saith some of the