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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	believe_v	faith_n	fundamental_a	3,198	5	10.0998	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78093	Temple-defilers defiled, vvherein a true visible Church of Christ is described. The evils and pernicious errours, especially appertaining to schisme, anabaptisme, and libertinisme, that infest our Church, are discovered. And directions to preserve from the sin and punishment of temple-defiling, delivered in two sermons preached at the lecture in Kingston upon Thames, Feb. 20. & 27. 1644. out of I Cor. 3.17. / By Richard Byfield pastor in Long-Ditton, Surrey.	Byfield, Richard, 1598?-1664.	1645 (1645)	Wing B6394; Thomason E278_20; ESTC R200019	46,454	48

fornicators of the Church these we judge If we doe neglect this Discipline the Apostle doth not say separate you that are Saints indeed set up a new Church but blames us saying Doe not ye judge them that are within 1 Cor. 5. 12. and injoynes reformation not a separation for such a fault saying Therefore put away from among your selves that wicked Person It is a lamentable thing to read in the Church of Corinth the Temple of God which is holy this mixture brother Fornicator brother Drunkard brother Idolater c. yet so it was “ Aug. Tom. 7. cont Ep. Parmen l. 2. c. 1. Quisquis vel quod potest arguendo corrigit vel quod corrigere non potest salvo pacis vinculo exclu●it vel quod salvo pacis vinculo excludere non potest aequitate improbat firmitate supportat hic est pacificus ab isto maledicto immunis quod Scriptura dicit vae his qui dicunt quod nequam est bonum quod bonum est ncquam so it hath been in the Primitive purest times if it be so now be not so offended as to run out of your little wit while you are running from pollution run not from Gods Temple while you flee the touching of the unclean thing rather let your holinesse be accompanied with love your love with severity your severity with tolerance and longanimity your long-suffering with zeal your zeal with compassion and all with meeknesse of wisdome 2. For the Structure 1. The Temple was built on mount Zion which was first a strong hold of the Jebusites but conquered and taken by David was called the city of David and because a mountain therefore strong and steddy So Christ hath no Church but what he gets by spiritual conquest they were before calling a Fort of Jebusites but our David subduing the strong holds of Satan brings them to God the Rock of Ages Is 26. 4. Jer. 17. 5. 7. the only Iehovah and on him that is on him as he hath named revealed himself in his holy word are they built 2. The Temple had goodly foundations so the Church is built on Christ the Foundation-stone elect and precious tryed and sure on whom whosoever beleeveth shall never be confounded It is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Apostles are the highest Office and Calling that ever was in the Church and therefore named first not upon their Persons but upon their Doctrine called the foundation because it layeth Christ the Foundation and layeth him out and sets him in his proper place to the full in two sorts of fundamentall truths the Law and Gospel or as it is in Revel 14. 12. The Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus The Church is the Communion of Saints that keepeth these two This is the Zion of God opposed to Antichristian Babylon There is not a clearer Text in all the Bible nor more lively distinguishing it concerns our dayes well is this Book of Prophesies called the Revelation not onely because it opens and reveals the Prophesies of things to come all Prophesies but also because it carries such beams and rayes of lightsome doctrinall truth wherewith it is bespangled and shines in severall parts of it to enlighten the times which the Prophesies concern 3. The walls of the Temple were conjoyned by corner-stones Christ Iesus is the chief corner stone that holds both parts of this spirituall building both Iews and Gentiles that are called fast together so that they do concorporate Eph. 3. 6. 4. The severall stones in this Temple or curtains with tapes and loops and tenons posts and sockets are the severall members variously gifted and yet united in the unity of profession and of the spirit and of faith and of Baptisme and in the bond of Peace 5. The outer and inner coverings are the double condition of the Church the inward Psal 45. 14. comely and glo●ious the outward black and tann'd with afflictions and persecutions Cant. ● 5. 6. The Temple had pillars and walls and the visible Church in respect of the Ministery of it is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. 17 Gal 2. 9. Col. 2. 19. The Officers and Members in the Church are the sustainers of the fabrick and the body 3. But for the Furniture chiefly is the Church of God his holy Temple For. 1. There being retained held and held forth the Doctrine of Reconciliation by Christ alone that one Mediatour that God is onely to be found gracious to a sinner in Christ fully satisfied in his blood which is belonging to no sinner but to him that beleeveth here is the true Mercy-seat God in Christ We need not say O thou that dwellest between the Cherubims but know and pray to God as the God Father of our Lord Iesus Here being taught that Christ is true God and true Man in one Person here is the Ark over laid with gold the true flesh of Christ under which his God-head was covered is the Vail between the Holy-place and the Holy of Holies 2. The Doctrine of Christs sacrifice on the Crosse and of his intercession in heaven is both the Altars the Altar of whole burnt-offering and the Altar of incense 3. The Tables of the Covenant in the Ark the Manna and Aarons rod by it this is in the Church that sets up Christ the Bread of Life the onely Prophet that teacheth to profit and the high Priest over the house of God whom we ought to obey 4. The Candlestick is the light of the Word the Law and Gospel that all in Gods house may walk in the light of the Lord and see to do his work 5. The Laver is the Doctrine of Regeneration and Iustification by Christs blood and spirit 6. The Golden Instruments and vessels for Incense-offering and sprinkling with the rest are the gifted Ministers gifted with pastorall and teaching aptnesse and abilities and sanctified for the applying of Christ and his benefits by their Ministery which gifts Christ giveth but the Church upon due triall acknowledgeth owneth receiveth confirmeth with her testimony and honoureth 4. For the glory inhabiting there 4. God in Christ is there giving the blessing and life The name of that City is Iehovah-Shammah Ezek. 48. 35. or The Lord is there 5. For the cover on it all 5. There is over every such assembly and over the whole Zion of God Isa 4. 5 6. a speciall Protection a speciall Direction and a speciall safety to them that shrowd there from the heat and from the storm This is the defence upon all the glory Now from this branch of the Doctrine and from this true and plain explication of the same we may describe or direct to the infallible note of the true Church on earth and of a true particular visible Church 1. Where ever Iesus Christ is held for the foundation and corner-stone and the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles touching the faith of Iesus and the Commandments of God

the walls and fabrick of the Church Heresie is worse than Schisme that of our Apostle imports so much where he saith 1 Cor 11. 18 19. I heare that there be divisions among you and I partly beleeve it for there must be also Heresies among you Also sheweth that Heresie is a greater evill than Schisme when he saith there must be also or even Heresies he speakes of somewhat more than that was signified by the word Schismes Heresie is an election or chusing to ones selfe an opinion not only contrary to the Doctrine delivered in Scripture but also contrary to that Doctrine which is of the substance of faith and holinesse Heresie is a perverse Doctrine Schisme in the deed of a perverse separation he that denyeth or teacheth contrary to any Article of Faith and yet will hold communion with a Church professing the true faith he is guilty of Heresie but not of Schisme he that beleeveth all the Articles of Faith and holds a pure confession and yet will not communicate with a true Church in holy duties he is guilty of Schisme though not of Heresie in the Epistle to the Galathians Gal. 5. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are two distinct workes of the flesh Divisions and Heresies The foundation-truthes on which Zion Rev. 14. 12. is laid are the Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots who is to be destroyed opposeth the Keepers of these labours to demolish these Papisme or Popery it is not any one lone Heresie but a body of many Heresies the sinke of Heresies A Mystery of iniquity Heresies therefore in a Mystery a cunning serpentine invasion of Christ and his Faith and Worship under the name and title of the Church of Christ his Faith his Spirit his Honour his Worship therefore for this man of sinne I shall set him by himselfe next after these Temple-violaters these Hereticks not as not guilty of Heresie but as guilty in a higher degree And here let me mention only those that we are most in danger of and troubled with at the present these Hereticks polluters of the Temple of God are 1. The Antinomians they over-throw the Law Morall they hold that Christ came to abolish it that a beleever hath nothing to do with keeping the Commandements that the Gospell takes away all obedience to the Commandements they are against all urging of doing of duty of Humiliations of Repentance for sins after Iustification of praying for pardon of sin by a bele●ver they hold that the Law ought not to be Prea●hed to beleevers with a great deale more of the like pernicious Leaven all which savoureth of ignorance pride and conceitednesse and of affectation of licentiousnesse and lawlesse liberty the spirit of Libertinisme inspireth these men 2. The Anti-Sabbatarians They evert the fourth Commandment teaching that it is Ceremoniall and so taking away all conscience of sin against the Commandment of God though no day be kept a Sabbath in the week and thereby all preaching and attendance on duties of Gods Wo●ship publike and priva●e on ●he Lords day in conscience to Gods Commandment laid aside they at one blow lay flat all that would uphold the power of godlinesse 3. The Germane Anabaptists that hold that a Christian ought not to be a Magistrate that Christians may not take the sword nor wage war these evert the fifth Commandment I call them the Germane Anabaptists for there divers Sects of them are and have been for this hundred of ye●rs past through Gods just judgement their errours some of them begin to spread in England these ghosts can passe the Seas and swim thorow the billows and waves of mighty waters they are in their first spawning to be looked unto for who knows unto what destructive Principles and Practices such giddy self-willed spirits may run Bellarmine slanderously calls them Proles Lutheranismi the off-spring of Lutheranisme ●hey are inde●d the off spring of hell for hell it selfe is moved when God rents the heavens and comes down to the great work of the Reformation of his Church Satan that sent these Furies out to defame the work of Reformation which God began by Luthers glorious Ministery he is Satan still and sends these ●uries among us for the very same end For the present I will name no more that are against the Commandments of God Against the faith of Iesus I shall onely mention two 1. The A●minians that teach universall grace ●nd the falling away of the Saints and deny that the efficacious working of internall grace from Gods Spirit is necessary to conversion and to the begetting of faith in a sinner They teach that the grace of conversion is resistible that we cannot have assurance and the like 2. The Socinians which among other damnable errours run into these two First they deny the Deity of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the great God our Saviour God blessed for ever Secondly they deny that Christs death was for satisfaction Isa 53. 5 6. Gal. 3. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 24. or for merit 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. Act. 20. 28. and that it was a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. 1 Tim. 2 6. of our redemption but onely hath in it the nature of an example how we should suffer that Christ is our Redeemer not by being a ransome or paying a price or as our Surety Heb. 7. 22. making satisfaction but onely by leaving us an example that we should follow his steps The foregoing Texts of Scripture are expresly against this most hellish heresie These and the like to these are Dogs Wolves in Sheeps skins evill workers the Concision as those that urged Circumcision are called Phil. 3. 2. they are to be named with such names of disgrace as tell truly what they are that all may beware of them they cut themselves others that hearken to them off from Christ and from his Church in Jucunda prosonomasia conjunxit inter se 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conciditur e nim qu●d discerpitur planè distrahitur circu●ciditur quod supervacaneis resectis purgatur Bullinger in locum this respect all the hereticall teachers are the Concision they are evill-workers for they should build up the Church of God but they pull it down and destroy it like dogs they bark at the truth they grin at Orthodox Ministers and fasten on the simple the fangs of their poisoned doctrine There 's the Wolfe beware and thrice beware 4. Antichrist and the Spirit of Popery which hath turned Zion into a Babylon I mean Rome-Christian into Rome-Antichristian and it is now a cage of unclean and hatefull birds a den of beasts a stie of foule spirits This Spirit of Antichrist discovers it self in four things 1. In Self-exaltation and Domination over the Church that the Pope might sit in the Temple of God as God 2 Thess 2. 4. 5. 2. In Apostacy from the faith that the man of sin might be the head of the Church thus he becomes

against thee because thou hast there Rev. 2. 12. 14 15 16. them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam and the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans He is not charged with so great a fault as a toleration but there they were and there he should not let them be his connivence or invigilancy or remissenesse in not executing his power must be repented of or else Christ will fight against him from that place in Ieremiah chap. 32. 39. this Argument is full of power Whatsoever God hath promised and is a branch of the Covenant of Grace with his people to be made good chiefly in the time of the New Testament all Christians ought to seek and aspire after To give his people one heart and one way in his fear for the good of them and their Children God hath promised and it is such a branch of his Covenant therefore this all christians ought to seek and breath after To seek after a toleration of divers wayes in Religion is not to seek after one heart and one way in godly fear and so not to seek after that branch of Promise and Covenant made to Gods people and to be made good chiefly in the times of the New Testament therefore to seek after a toleration of divers wayes in Religion is that which ought not to be in any Christian Adde to this that in Phil. 1. To stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel is the conversation becoming the Gospel especially in times of terrible Adversaries and to stand thus united unterrified is an evident token of the Adversaries perdition and of our salvation And that of God Phil. 1. 27 28. to fall into Divisions and plead for tolerations of Opinions of divers mindednesse in one faith is not to stand fast in one spirit with o●e minde striving together for that one faith of the Gospel and it is not to stand thus united unterrified therefore to fall into Divisions and plead for tolerations of opinions of divers mindednesse in faith is not the conversation becoming the Gospel especially in times of terrible Adversaries and is not an evident token of the Adversaries perdition and of our salvation and that of God What is it then It is an evident token of the Adversaries prevalency and of our succumbency under the present judgement as yet And of the further wrath of the Almighty and that from a just God I have heard of some that say this is that which can never be that all Christians should be of one heart and way let such believe in him that is faithfull and hath promised and not dishonour and weary God by unbelief God hath heretofore made good this Article of his Covenant In the first primitive Christian Church they were all the multitude of them that believed of one heart and of one soul Act. 4. 32. they continued stedfastly in this holy unity Act. 2. 42. 44. 46. There were two glorious fruits and concomitants hereof Fear came upon every soul Act 2. 43. and great grace was upon them all Act. 4. 33. Now the same God that hath thus powred out his owne holy and one spirit the spirit of unity by the Preaching of the Gospel can do the same again His Covenant is the same The great God delights to do great things the fruits would be alike excellent nothing more full of Grace and amiablenesse or of terrour and dread Hence also ariseth a strong Argument that no Christian should plead for toleration for all ought to seek for Gods Church in the Reformation of it the utmost conformity to the first purest Primitive Church of Christ when she was as a heap of Whea● set about with L●llies True liberty of Conscience lieth in sweet communion in the unity of faith and in the perfect bond of love the souls of beli●vers knit together and cleaving one to another as Ionathans did to David unanimo●sly subject to Gods Law all other Liberty is the Liberty of lust 10. There are also that will not joyn in Prayer with any other though th●y be Christians unlesse they know them to be godly and that they be of their judgement and way they refuse to pray with us no● only in our publique Congregations but in our private or occasionall meetings The Lords P●ayer directs us to Pray Our Father Our respects the whole community of Professors of Christs name and not any Segregated part It taketh in all that call on the name of our Lord Iesus Christ What spirit are they of that can deny to pray with those that say Za. 8. 21. Come let us go seek the Lord pray before him Not of the spirit of one that is a Iew inwardly Holy Paul among Sea men and Mariners who are none of the best among souldiers prisoners for severall sorts of wicked deeds Heathens of severall Nations and Religions prayed as the mouth of them all or with them all beseeching them all to take meat he took bread and solemnly prayed as the Text saith He gave thanks to God in the presence of them all Act. 27. 35. Christ hath broken down the partition Wall and now none are to be called common Act. 10. 11 12 14 15. or unclean The Gospel is to be preached to every creature to all Nations therefore prayer is to be made with every creature with all Nations to whom we may preach with them we may pray and ought yea prayer to God is not only an instituted worship but naturall or of the Law of Nature These Doctrines of division rent and tear the Church of Christ and this now mentioned is a pricking Bryar and grieving Thorne 11. Like to these also are those that make up Churches of those of their own opinion and separate from others that do hold the unity of Faith and the Rule of righteousnesse But who can separate from those that are of the same Faith and not break fellowship with the Lord Iesus D●fferences in opinions should not dissunder us in affections much lesse make divisions separate us into Church-wayes against C●urch-wayes the same Faith and the same Commandments for holinesse should be more powerfull to cement us in one Church then difference in opinions through petulancy to put every opinion into practice note this should be of force to loose us in the building or lay us in a frame whose cemen● and morter whose mould and fashion is from a conspiring in an opinion these conspiracies in opinion joyned with separation from other Churches that hold the faith of Iesus and the Commandments of God are no right gathering of Churches they are Conventions sinfull and Schismaticall and unlawfull carnall and proud separations they that hold one Faith ought in lowlinesse of minde and forbearance of one another in love to indeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4. 2 3. 12. In like manner it is a violating of Gods Temple to separate because some wicked livers are not cast

Temple-defilers defiled VVherein a true Visible CHURCH OF CHRIST Is described The Evils and pernicious Errours especially appertaining to Schisme Anabaptisme and Libertinisme that infest our Church are discovered And Directions to preserve from the sin and punishment of TEMPLE-DEFILING DELIVERED In Two Sermons preached at the Lecture in Kingston upon Thames Feb. 20. 27. 1644. out of 1 Cor. 3. 17. BY RICHARD BYFIELD Pastor in Long-Ditton Surrey Mal. 3. 1 2. The Lord cometh suddenly to his Temple But who may abide the day of his coming For he is like a Refiners fire and like Fullers sope Miror quod non cogitant posse aliquem aliquando utrumque novum scilicet vetusque Testamentum legere divina ope intellectum utrumque laudare ●raudemque istorum atque malitiam vel dolere tanquam hominum vel cavere tanquam Haereticorum vel irridere tanquam imperitorum superborum Aug. Tom. 6. l. contra Adimantum Manichaei discipulum cap. 13. London Printed by John Field for Ralph Smith at the sign of the Bible in Cornhill neer the Royall-Exchange 1645. To the Right Worshipfull and the rest Dearly Beloved in CHRIST JESUS the Auditory at the Lecture in Kingston upon Thames in Surrey IT is the mighty worke of God beset with wonders of fatherly Providence that you enjoy againe a Thursdaies Lecture Preached by some of the Ministers now standing on their feet by the spirit of life from God entring into them who upheld it heretofore untill Prelaticall usurpation with furious tyranny suspended them and spoiled their Nest as their proud threats phrased their malicious Pharisaicall Act a little before they had fully acted it The fourth Commandement must be turned up by the rootes the power of godlinesse and of faithfull Preaching with Prayer in the Holy Ghost as bad with them as Preaching the undeniable enemies of the Prelaticall Kingdome Crown and Dignity must all be outed Lectures by godly Ministers that desired to be found faithfull may not b● endured and now for this work that was their day Their power through their interest in the Royall favour was superlatively great their Hierarchy fastly rooted in the ancient Lawes and grown up with the body of the Kingdome Parliaments exploded the Vniversities theirs All preferment in their hands thousands of their Enemies gone in Colonies to the Indies the utmost ends of the earth many great and choice wits with them some of them profound Schollers some with them preferred by them to the choisest Sees for ancient fame and present maintenance as good men and of as good report even among the godly as ever any Age had all the rest of them painted Tombs goodly Pharisees to see to And their old friend Rome had got no little ground among us by matching one of his Daughters here and for all the Reformed Churches beyond sea they were brought very low What wisdom of man would not have thought but that in such a day they should undoubtedly have ●ad the day For my part I sate down under their unjust illegall Sentence with this saying to some of my acquaintance yet alive through Gods mercy There is no coming in for me again but with the breaking of the whole State An alteration that must change the Kingdom and the Laws thereof I sate down willing to see the way of God in his work the desires of my soul were towards him in that hour and power of darknesse I drew a small draught of it for my own direction Little did I think the return of our captivity had been so neer and who could conceive the glory and terrour of it Neverthelesse in the time of that four yeers and four weeks suspension and sequestration that I suffered my thoughts among other things were on that Text in Zach. 2. 13. Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised out of his holy habitation In which collecting the signes of the Lords arising I saw the ruine of these Luciferian Vsurpers yet not conceiving it to be so neer in such unparalleld wayes of high providence with such well founded proceedings of legality that hath slain all them and cast out their carc●ses and their worm dyeth not and their fire is not quenched and they are an abhorring unto all flesh With such streams of blood with such executions ●pon a sensuall Nobility Gentry seat of Iudges shop of Lawyers ●●nke of Civilians and sinfull body of a Malignant Commo●alty Of which we may say not without astonishment and high ●raises What hath God wrought Must this be the way of Vindication of the Ministeriall Liberty of such a miserable sinfull worme as I am From the Lords right hand went a flame of that fiery Law for us A fiery Law is the Decalogue of the ten Commandments called the fourth Commandment is then a flame of the fire Deut. ●3 2. and it hath fiered the State and habitations of these transgressors that sentence warmed and refreshed my heart and touched my tongue in that winter season and now should fire us with Gods praises for the time draweth on ●pace of the Churches Hallelujahs Rev. 19. I write this that you may not forget how we come to preach again unto you at all But now when I came to preach to you at this time not only neighbourhood of habitation and former ancient relation to you and my unfeighned desire to do you good by imparting some spirituall gift but your desires your divisions and the care of the Churches which towards you came upon me because of your divisions did much move me I had no thought at all of making these Sermons publique your import●●ity brings them forth that word Paul Apolles Cophas all the Ministers ar● your● that word bound me Being bound two things more facilitated my yeildance when I durst not withstand the suitablenesse of the subject to the times and the diseasednesse of the Congrega●ion of Kingston to which I was once though most unworthy a Teacher this year disease is The Lord help and heal the disease of the Church of England through grievous poverty grown upon her under the impositions and oppositions of her Diotrephesses the Spring of the year of glorious Gospel-●iberty coming on there appears a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ph●hiriasis she begins Ph●hiriasis to swarme with Vermine this ariseth from want of concocting the wholesome food of sound Doctrine even the truth which is after Godlinesse if we feed favourly on the solid substantiall truths that concerne faith and love which is in Christ Iesus and not turn aside after watery trash that food will quickly set us sound and so nourish us that we should ru● off and rid us of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pht●ires these Lice and Wormes Phthires Wash you with the waters from under the Sanctuary and that is Soveraigne to kill them and clear the body and cleanse the skin of the Church I le reach you some that flowes out of one vein of Scripture it r●ls

the wayes and spirit of s●ducers Their wayes are such as these 1. To draw the heart from and to destroy the fundamentall truths the 2 Tin 2 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first truths pretending they are low dry and saplesse in comparison of their depths and their high speculations giving metaphoricall and farre fetcht meanings and interpretation● as 〈◊〉 and Phil●●us did upon the Article of the Resurrection saying it was past already or annexing to those foundation truths opinions which overthrow them by consequence laying one foundation in appearance and another in deed as the Apostle implieth in 1 Cor. 3. 11. So the Papists do about the Article of Christs Ascension into Heaven when they teach his corporall reall pres●nc● in the Masse of th●se kindes of Seducers the Apostle saith that their word will ●a● as doth a Canker 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2. To beguile by Paralogismes or d●ceitfull reasonings and sophisticall Col. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 1. 22. Nitor ser p●o non Argumento Ambr. de spiritu Sancto Col. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eustachius dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 2. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal 3. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arguings when upon misconceived principles of 〈◊〉 said as premises wrong conclusions are drawn like Satan their Father who beg●●les mens hearts by a self de●●it when they set up a profession of the wo●d 〈…〉 hear●t often and thereupon conclude they ●re blessed though they neglect the practise and obedience 〈◊〉 against this ab●●d of the usefull Art of Logicke●it is safe to rest upon the plain Scriptures and avoid the sub●ilty of Argument brought to lead from plain truths 3. To use perswasive and enticing words that they might induce to their errours and the Morall Philosophy of Heathen Authors about ●●●●ue naturall abilities and the chief good which poste us of Christ and true consolation through Fai●●●in him these en●●●ing words are also e●ther the swelling words of Vanity ●●d of w●●dy ostentation or good words and f●ir speeches 4. To inchant the people through a mournfull behaviour the old g●●●e of most of the orders of Fryars and Monkes and the new gusse of many with us in 2 Tim. 23. ●● He useth a word for Seducers that signifieth an Incha●●er by 〈◊〉 and lamentation 5. To lead us out of the common b●aten high way when affectation of a Notion and of a curious ●each makes men innovate word● and phrases formerly received in the Church as best expressing the sense of Scripture 6. To bewitch with fascinations that is to delude simple mindes with glesings of some speciall care of t●●m abou● some point of truth pre●●nded as witches do doe eyes of the body that they thinke verily they see that which they do not see and do not see that which is absolutely necessary they should see and know these be witchings are most dangerous when the mist is cast over the soul with jugling pretexts of shewing you Christ and F●ee grace in a more excellent manner till you know neither Christ no● Free-grace 7. To wrest and w●y things that are streight and plain Act. 20. ●0 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 11. 3. 8. To lead people to the admiration of their persons another way of bewitching bringing them into astonishment and a trance upon the conceit of the great power of God in them and some inspirations of the Holy Ghost 9. To corrupt mens mindes from the simplicity that is in Christ by adding or diminishing somewhat of the purity of the Gospel whereby we ●all from the obedience of faith as the Serpent dealt with ●●ve 10. To alleviate the threats of Gods word with vain words and to promise Ephes 5. 6. 2 Pet 2. 19 liberty and turn Gods grace into wantonnesse These are the chief path● of Seducers and for the spirit that ●●rrieth I om●● that of Miracles and lying Wonders of S●tan in 2 Thes 2. them it is an unruly spirit a self-willed spirit a proud spirit a giddy inconstant unquiet spirit a self-seeking spirit a spirit of timorousnesse and base fear not of love power and a sound minde a spirit of earthly mindednesse a spirit captived to mens persons a spirit that creeps into houses and leads silly wom●n captive laden with divers lusts and a doting spirit Of their dotages and deceits I shall give you two instances the one is this that they conceive they have a great light and a new light when their new great light is either some old errour raised from Hell again and new painted or some matter of opinion which is very doubtfull and controversall or somewhat of lesser moment ●rged and pursued with such zeale that the great things of the Law and Gospel are neglected the very disposition of the Pharisees of old But if any say should we not seek an increase and growth in our light and do not we look for it yes in some sense we do and we ought to grow in knowledge but this is not to be understood of any light of new truths there are no new truth● to No new truths be revealed yet the light may increase exceedingly in the more full distinct and shining knowledge of received truths in the clearing and fulfilling We expect a new and great light increasing in 8. things of some prophesies in the power of practise when Christians in name shine in holinesse power of faith and godlinesse expressed in their lives as so many great lights in the frmament of the Church in taking away the various contentions and quarrels that now darken and offuscate the mindes of men Satan chained up more from deceiving in the further manifestation of Gods judgements upon enemies of all sorts which thing doth exemplifie and illustrate the things we do already know In the increase of the number of able and faithfull Teachers and knowing holy professors and in clearer resolution of some obscure places of Scripture together with a more perfect union of the Church of Christ on earth which will be full of Grace Majesty and Terror now not one of these is found in or by the means of our men that boast of their new light for why do not they shew it to us Another Instance of their do●ing deceivable spirit is this that they cannot be brought to measure themselves and their tenets by the standard of the Scripture without shuffling It were a plain and easie way to see the truth in any matter in question about Religion if men did not love to doat thus propose the tenet nakedly see whether there be any plain Scripture for it if there be not we need go no further if there be but yet some other Texts seeme to say against it or a question may be moved about the sense hold the Analogy of Faith and rule