Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	church_n	scripture_n	word_n	20,860	5	4.7110	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79569	Church-Levellers, or, Vanity of vanities and certainty of delusion: discovered in the pamphlet, called The vanity of the present churches, and uncertainty of their preaching. / By a friend to both true churches and preachers.	Friend to both true churches and preachers.	1649 (1649)	Wing C3995; Thomason E561_5; ESTC R206008	13,994	16

to be most palpably evident that they of the Independent Congregationall or of any Church-way whatsoever have not that true essentiall mark of a true Church to be found amongst them c. viz. A true Church in the Scripture sense being such only as wherein the Scripture the very word of God is purely and infallibly preached that 's the mark But let it be observed first This man destroies his own discourse by a contradiction For he is labouring to shew the vanity of all and any Church way whatsoever which is to deny that there is any Church at all but mock churches as pag. 27. and yet here he gives us the definition of a true Church which yet is not to be found in this world He would prove also the vanity of Preachers and yet here he speaks of the word of God purely preached as a mark of a true Church If there be no Preachers then no preaching if preaching then Preachers How shall they hear without a Preacher How preach except they be sent How sent if no body no Church to send them to to preach unto Secondly If any shall say he means it of the present Churches as his Title imports that none of them are true but that there may be a true Church according to his definition I answer His scope is to perswade every man and woman privately to reade the Scriptures and to be the sole judge of the sense thereof for themselves deeding neither Preacher to instruct nor officer to order them and where is then his true Church unlesse every particular man and woman make his new Church which is a Bull and another contradiction for a Church is caetus a company called out and met together for the publick and common service of God Thirdly If he mean that in a true Church there is not one word preached praying or Sacraments it seems are no mark of his Church no part of his new Church-service but purely and infallibly the very Word of God that is no interpretation used besides the very words of Scripture to what purpose is that meeting of his Church for debate and conserence of the Saints spoken of afterwards for they may reade the word at home the pure and infallible word of God and so be their own preachers the sense whereof if they impart in any other words to others at their meeting and conference they make his Church to be false and none because the very word of God is not purely and infallibly preached there Fourthly But Readers what will you say if the design be besides other desperate consequences of which anon to set up reading instead of preaching as the Prelaticall party of late cryed it up for preaching They do justifie their dumb idoll ministers that could not for ignorance or would not for negligence● preach the word He perhaps wholly to level it seems there are Church-levellers as well as State the Ministry in the Church and to make all the people Preachers Or what if the design be in crying down all Churches and Preachers amongst us to cry up the boly marker Church of Rome where they will tell you there is the only preaching of the very word of God purely and infallibly read where little or no preaching to be found I leave you to consider it 4. He hath quickly done with the Churches his next and greatest work is to declaim against preaching and the Preachert Pag. 6 c. Who saith he usually pray to God that their word may be heard as the word of the everliving God This he cals a grosse imposture impiety belying and despiting the Spirit of God to pray that their erroneous doubtfull uncertain conceptions the word of man may be heard as the word of God c. 1. Here let it be observed that he doth not directly deny that there are such officers as Preachers in the Scriptures he acknowledges such creatures found in the word pag. 34. but only questions the infallibility of our preaching which none of us ever arrogated to our selves further then we preach that pure infallible word in Scripture sense ever though not alwaies in the very words 2. Who ever of ours said his Sermons were the very word of God for words and syllables But having praied that God would clear up their understandings and judgements in the scope and sense of the holy Ghost then they pray that people may hear it as the word of the living God And his reproach of such Sermonk that they are erroneous doubtfull uncertain conceptions for what other are your Sermons saith he is little lesse then blasphemy imposture and impiety Whereas while they expound and apply the Scripture in its own native sense according to the analogy of faith it is interpremtively the word of God Every true proper consequence from the word is by all godly learned and judicious men counted as the word of God and of divine authority though not so immediatly as the Scripture it self 5. But his meaning is that as there are no true Churches so no true Preachers in these times so he saith expressely pag. 18. That now in our times we have no Preachers of the Gospel but the Scriptures which how absurd an assertion it is we shall shew hereafter At present we hold to the point in hand to vindicate our preaching which he examines by the word we preach ●ag 7. You shall finde saith he that neither they nor your selves have any understanding at all of such divine or heavenly things as bring peace of conscience c. but only and solely by the Scriptures and that neither they nor your selves are taught by the spirit c. What 's this I hear Taught only and solely by the Scriptures without the spirit What understanding is that that is gotten by the Scripture only and solely more then historicall more or better then that which reprobates and devils have thereof This he speaks again pag. 49. They must acknowledge that they have no other infallible teacher of divine things but the Scriptures and that they partake no more of the spirit then what that blessed word of the spirit planteth in them How comes this opposition between things sweetly subordinated the spirit and the Scriptures the Scriptures outwardly the spirit inwardly saith not the Scripture They shall be all taught of God and that the spirit reveals the mysteries of the Gospel to his people writing the law in their mindes and hearts c. I had thought be had meant there needed no other preachers to teach us but the spirit it self speaking in the Scriptures so some fanatick spirits say and some are gotten above the Scripture to the immediate teaching of the spirit But it seems this Wildman is run as wilde to the other extream the Socinions recta rati● that the spirit is needlesse and that the Scriptures only and solely are sufficient to teach us Oh the wiles of Satan How subtle is this old serpent One while the spirit without

renounce as a delusion of Satan but is not he himself in the other extream saying as much of the word without the spirit Pag. 19. that it forceth it self into our dead naturall understandings plants it self there makes us one with it and forms us new c. If he say in the same place he cals it the sword of the spirit I answer then it can do no more of it self to those effects specified then a sword without an arm to wield it which whether it be not a contradiction to what he said afore that men have their understanding only and solely by the Scriptures Pag. 7. and are not taught by the spirit let him at leasure consider 9. And now again pag. 18. he asserts it peremptorily that now in our times we have no preacher of the Gospel but the Scripture the infallible word of God c. This is another piece of non-sense Is the Gospel and the preacher of the Gospel one and the same When Christ seat his Apostles and Paul and they sent others to preach the Gospel did they send the Gospel or the Scriptures to preach themselves Are not the Scripture● and the preachers of the Gospel subordinate helps of understanding to the people Doth not the Apostle clearly distinguish the Gospel from the preachers of it Rom. 10.14 c. How shall they hear the Gospel of peace vers 15. without a preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent How beautifull are the flee of them mark that the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice Evangelizing bringing glad tidings of good things Hath the Gospel any feet to be sent to preach it self and do the preachers make people firsake those living fountains c. when as they call them to them and open those Wels of salvation for them and draw Waters thence for them which they cannot some at least draw forth for themselves Suppose the people be such as cannot reade must they not have some to reade the the Scriptures for them to expound them to them These are preachers in this mans opinion reading is preaching with him If they have no Scripture but in Hebrew Greek or Latine though they can reade how shall they understand them unlesse there be some learned to interpret them But is not that with the iniquity of learning so he cals it pag. 19. to make a gain of godlinesse ●●g 19. c. And though he seem to magnifie the word the precious word translated into English yet what certainty will there be in such translations especially if the Interpreters shall as the Church of Rome hath done make use of the iniquity not of learning but of their own sedueing hearts and designs to cheat and abuse the people And who I pray are the men arrived at so much impudence as to make a gain of godlinesse c. and to become rich by pretended not preaching but reading the Scripture and saying of Masle in Latine telling men they had the spirit at Rome and that the Scriptures were a dead letter a nose of wax c. These blasphemous aspersions some disguised Jesuites have cast upon the Scriptures again and now cry out of the same 10. But that there are both Churches and Preachers now according to the Scripture rules might easily be manifested from the Scripture it self and by his own confessions First The Scripture is most clear 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set in his Church not only Apostles and Prophets extraordinary Ministers but Pastors and Teachers Where there are implied both Churches and Preachers and lest he should say those were in the Apostles times Churches planted by Apostolicall men and the Preachers extraordinarily inspired but we have none such now let him then consider another Scripture Ephes 4 1● 22. He gave to his Church some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry c. How long to continue Tell we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man c. That is till the day of Christ to the worlds end Now hence it follows either that these Preachers and Churches were ordinary or if extraordinary that the Church of Christ hath failed ever since the Apostles decease for we have had no such extraordinary infallible Preachers for many ages which is contrary to Christs promise and the intoution of this Scripture Again if there be Preachers continued that there may be Churches either they must only reade the word written by the Prophets and Apostles which is needlesse seeing every man and woman may yea must by his way reade it themselves and by reading only understand it as he after speaks Or else they must interpret the word expound and apply it according to the rules of Scripture and that is nothing else but preaching and so we have found other preachers beside the Scripture I might adde many texts more I name but one Act. 20.28 where he shall finde both a Church yea severall Churches and Preachers many Elders set over those Churches by the holy Ghost to feed them not surely by extraordinary Revelations besides the Scripture None such were found at that or in after times and himself disclaims the immediate tanching of the spirit in people or Preachers Nor yet by bare reading of the word the infallible word of God there need no officers for such a work only the people could do that themselves Therefore there was an office of Preachers to continue to the worlds end according to Scripture Secondly His own acknowledgements import as much hear him speak Pag. 34. We reade of Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors and Teachers and of the order and regulating of Churches and of gifts given to all these from on high c. Where say I do we reade of these but in those and the like places to those before named And the reasons before are constringent to prove them to continue still extraordinary we finde none Therefore it must be meant of ordinary both Churches and Preachers All he excepts to this is either That these are not so plainly exprest as to leave the consciencious without dispute c. or that these Churches and Pastors are short of and not to be compared with those we reade of To which we answer first That there are Churches and Preachere to be continued is clearly exprest in the word their order and qualifications plainly delivered 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. 1 Cor. 14. c. where note that there is not one word for such a qualification of a Preacher that he must have an infallible spirit 2. That they are not to be compared with the Apostles and Prophers we easily grant but that they are not to be compared with the Pastors and Teachers is miserably begged It 's evinced then that there are both Churches and Preachers now and all he saies against it is lesse then vanitie 11. But he

Church-Levellers OR VANITY OF VANITIES AND Certainty of Delusion DISCOVERED In the PAMPHLET called The Vanity of the present Churches AND Vncertainty of their Preaching By a Friend to both true Churches and Preachers 2 PETER 2.18 When they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonnesse these that were clean escaped from them who live in errour 2 ●IMOTHY 3.9 But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men LONDON Printed by A.M. for Tho. Vnderhill at the Bible in Wood-street 1649. To the READER THe little ingenuous Licenser Theodore Jennings professing his dissent in some things few things it 's thought in the Treatise mentioned and some other few things seeming dark and doubtfull to him yet at a venture passes his Imprimatur upon it twice for failing once at the beginning and once at the end for the many plain clear evident truths in it of great use I beleeve to the present designs to destroy the Ministry and to ruine Religion He seems to me to be neer allied to John Bacheler his brother Licenser who sometime Licensed * License to M. Tombes Treat against Infan Bapt. Heteredox Books with such a caution as this Just both of them like Mountebanks who give poyson to shew their skill to Antidote it or rather as those that lay Rats-bane to destroy vermine lay a little Sugar to allure them to eat their own bane Had they been Physitians of any valu● or skill they would have separated the poyson from wholesome ingredients or have given some characters asterisks or spits to distinguish the one from the other But to passe all at a venture to the Presse without any notice what it is they dislike what seems dark or doubtfull is considering mens inclinations to suck in poysin soonest as most sugarlike to nature no better then spirituall murder of souls and the issue will be so farre from making the Saints of one minde and edifying the whole body in love that the liberty here granted not disliked by this Quacksalver is like to make as many mindes as men and as many divisions in the body as there are members One thing I cannot but observe and that a main one wherein he seems to dissent from his Author He speaks in his License of Churches of the Saints and yet at the same time passes his Licence to a Book that is throwing down and destroying all Churches his very Title being The Vanity of the present Churches And as for uncertainty of preaching or Preachers which is the other design of his Author he seems at least to comply with him when he useth his very words or at least his sense saying That one necessary thing faith which is in Jesus Christ which is by the Gospel● the power of God to salvation preached unto us so his Author speaks pag. 28. That new in our times we have no Preacher of the Gospel but the Scriptures Their meaning seems to be the same That the Gospel as the Licenser or the Scriptures as the Author are the only Preachers and we have no other and sure if we have no other Preacher but the Scripture we have no Churches at all If then the Licenser and the Author agree in these two the main businesse of the Book I know not wherein they need to dissent But seeing he conceals his opinion and jumbles truth and errour together we shall endeavour to separate them that the credulous or unlearned Reader may not be infected instead of being edified Farewell VANITY OF VANITIES AND Certainty of Delusion DISCOVERED In the PAMPHLET called The Vanity of the present Churches c. THe Author begins well in words That there ought to be a true correspondence between the heart tongue and hands An agreement between conscience profession and practice But it 's to be feared these are at a great distance in himself if he be as is not without probable grounds supposed a Jesuite disguised for such mens hearts tongues and hands consience profession and practice do seldom agree in any thing that is good to the peace of Church or State But because he adds When the discord of those is continued as well as declared to the reproach of Christianity or humane society then certainly a reproof is not only requisite but the neglect thereof a sin of an high nature Therefore I thought it good to discover a little this discord of his from himself and from the truth it self to the great reproach of both the particulars mentioned 1. The scope and intention of his whole discourse is evidently this 1. To destroy all Churches except perhaps the Church of Rome 2. To decry all faithfull preachers of the Gospel 3. To cry up Liberty of conscience for all sects and heresies so to bring all into confusion to make them all at last concenter in the Sea of Rome This seems to be the design his only vertue seems to be his impartiality for he spares neither Presbyterian nor Independent by which we may suspect him to be a Jesuite or Jesuited for all sectaries are Independents though all Independents be not properly sectaries and yet himself is holding out the largest Independency that ever was heard of that every man and woman shall have no dependence upon any Church he cries down all Churches but be his own Minister hearer officer all as more hereafter 2. And now let us see what he blames them for viz. For receding from their former judgements and declarations ●ag 2 c. for a full compleat and utmost liberty of conscience in the exercise of religion This saith he the Presbyterians whil'st persecuted by the Bishops did clearly hold forth but since practised the contrary for which the Independents did sharply reprove them accounting nothing more base and unbeseeming a Christian then to question or vex or reproach any man for his judgement and practice touching matters of religion and yet the Independents themselves have done the same thing c. This is the summe of the charge but this is a slander and deserves a sharp reproof For as for the Presbyterians they never held out any such principles of an universall liberty of conscience in the exercise of religion the difference between them and the Prelates being not in doctrinals but ceremonials they ever detested it nor have they ever persecuted any for his conscience as never having had power if they had a minde to do it And if the Independents did so hold forth or dissembled so far as some think they did to gain themselves love and respect and to multiply their Congregations and get countenance from authority they are old enough to answer for themselves they are justly to be reproved and justly rewarded in that they have taught their party to desert themselves who deserted their own pretended principles 3. He now comes to prove his first proposition The vanity of all the present Churches ●●g 5. affirming it