Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	point_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	4,854	5	9.5473	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65849	Christ ascended above the clouds his [brace] divinity--light in man, his being [brace] the Word in saints the only way and rule [brace] vindicated [brace] from the cloudy, erroneous, heretical, and blasphemous conceits of John Newman and his brethren : and the only rule of faith demonstrated for the general information of professours (and people) of all sorts, and the said J.N. his book stiled The light within &c. (with his manifest contradictions) both scripturally, historically, and rationally examined / by a servant of Christ, G. Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1669 (1669)	Wing W1904; ESTC R38309	50,991	74

mouth and that they had a more infallible Word to walk by than is now to us for it 's possible that some Scriptures may be corrupte● having been in the hands of corrupted men c. Thus far thou J. N. hast confuted thy self and manifestly broke the neck of thy own Cause First in that thou hast confessed to a more infallible Rule or Word than the Scriptures so that the Scriptures are not the only Rule nor yet the ground of Faith Assurance as often thou hast falsly misrepresented them 2dly In that the Scriptures might be corrupted they are not inseparably one with the Spirit in Nature and Purity 3dly Thou having granted That the Directions or Word th● Ancients had from God's own mouth was impossible that should be corrupted p. 106. From whence it follows That the immediate Word and Directions of God are the only infallible Rule in all such as receive them and not the Scriptures which might be corrupted as is confessed But whereas thou sayest The New Testament Letter that now is is to be our Rule p. 103. And often sayest The Scriptures are the only Rule of Faith for all men to walk by unto the end of t●● World and none other c. Herein thou hast set the Letter or Writing above the Spirit and its immediate Directions from God contrary to what thou hast acknowledged as if thou wouldest now place all Rule upon the Letter and leave no room for that which thou hast confest to be more infallible and thus thou art found shuffling saying and unsaying reeling to and fro like a man drunk in Confusion For though many times wherein thou hast granted to truth contrary to thy own corrupt Principle thou dost not keep to it but turnest round again to thy own Confusion which in the tenour of it runneth thus viz. The Letter is the only Rule for all men to the Worlds ●nd nay the Rule of the Spirit or immediate Word which the Ancients had before the Scriptures were written was a more infallible Rule than the Scriptures for they might be corrupted But to go round again They cannot be separated in their Nature and Purity c. Is it not easie to see here what a labyrinth of Confussion and self-Contradictions thou art run into who hast presumed to confute others though to thy own final Confutation And seeing thou pretendest to pray for and own the Spirit of Truth in its help or work as thou sayest in the Word Doest tho● mean that the Spirit is in the Scriptures not distinct from them Or That it cannot be separated from the Letter according to thy words before What then Doest thou think that the Spirit is essential in the Writing and so that all that have the Scriptures must needs have the Spirit as it follows from thy own words whereas there 's a multitude of Examples to the contrary even in this Age and Nation of both many Hypocrites and empty Professors and others who are not led by the true Spirit and yet have the Scriptures As also thou thy self who professest the Scripture to be thy only Rule yet art found in Confusion and Error which God is not the Author of not yet his Spirit and what Scripture hast thou that sayeth these words viz. The New-Testament Letter is to be our Rule Produce plain Scripture for these words and it shall end the Controversie or otherwise be ashamed of professing the Scriptures thy only Rule when thou wilt not be ruled by them but presume to assert what thou canst not prove therein And yet for all thy high Assertions and Titles put upon the Scriptures thou hast confessed That another Foundation can no man lay than that which is already laid which is Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 3.11 But hast not thou often essayed to have laid another Foundation for Faith and Assurance even the Scriptures or the Letter yet knowest not but that they may be corrupted what an implicite Faith wouldst thou beget all People into of that which thou canst give no infallible demonstration of If thou shouldest thus preach to the Jews Turks or Infidels and tell them the Scrip●ures or Letter of the New Testament must be their only Rule for Salvation as thou sayest it must be for all men to the Worlds end and then shouldst tell them that corrupt men for ought thou knowest have corrupted the Scriptures What Conviction thinkest thou would this work upon them and how would it answer either that Light or Reason that is in them and whilest thou seemest not to own the immediate teaching of God or his Spirit now for the Rule but the New Testament Letter or Scriptures only How camest thou by thy Faith concerning them And if thou meanest That the Doctrines contained in the New Testament are the Rule and not the Letter abstractively then how shall a man know these Dostrines and which do particularly relate to his state and condition seeing there are diversities of states written to Do not many misapply them whilest they place the Rule only in the literal Prescriptions and do not begin in the Spirit which gave forth the wholsome Doctrines in Scripture which Spirit is still sufficient to lead into all Truth and doth immediately teach the same wholesome Doctrines and now though every wholesome Direction or Doctrine prescribed may admit of the term A Rule as it is rightly received which thing I granting I thereby do no more grant the Scriptures to be the only Rule than that they are the only Word because I grant that words of God are recorded in them For to say the Scripture-Letter or Writing is the only Rule of Faith for all is a gross mistake and excludes the immediate Teachings Rule and Law of the Spirit which every spiritual mind is led by and supposes no true Faith but what the Letter or Writing is the Ground or Rule of whereas it can be but an historical traditional and implicite faith that is meerly founded upon Tradition and Letter and not Spirit or th●t that is without the divine and immediate Illumination of the S●irit without which is no Divine Faith but mens Knowledge Faith and Religion are all but traditional literal and lifeless for in the true Knowledge of the Scriptures there must be an immediate reflection of Divine Light upon the Understanding from that Infallible Spirit which they were Ministers of who could truly distinguish between the Ministration of the Spirit and that of the Letter which thou hast not done p. 104. who sayest the Scriptures of the New-Testament are the Spirits New Administration from whence it follows that all that can preach those Scriptures are Ministers of the Spirit or New-Testament whereas many both can re●d and preach them litterally who are yet but Ministers of the Letter and never knew the immediate and living Administration of the Spirit from which the true Ministers preached who immediately were commissioned and whose Gospel came not in word only but in Spirit and in Power it

the only Wise God the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 where Only is both used in a most eminent sense and excluding all others from that eminence And if in this sense according to Jer. Ives his Instance the Scriptures be taken as the most eminent Rule before and above all other Rule what is this but to set the Scriptures above the Spirit that gave them forth and above all Divine Illuminations although without it the Scriptures cannot be understood which is as much as to set them above God and Christ. And yet Jer. Ives in Contradiction to their own Assertion granted That they did not intend that none have Faith but they that have the Scriptures some may have Faith who have them not c. It follows therefore that that some have the Rule of Faith without the Scriptures See what a deadly blow he hath given to his and their own Cause Jer. Ives God doth not require any thing to be believed as a Point of Faith or to be practised as a Duty for which there is not a Rule laid down in the Scriptures and that there is not any sin committed but what is there mentioned there is no sin that I commit but I may correct it by the Scriptures c. Obs. See how both these passages do egregiously vary from the state of the Question and their general Assertion before Of the Scriptures being the only Rule of Faith For a Rule in the Scriptures and they to be the only Rule are much different And however if it were granted which 't is not That God doth not require any thing to be believed c. or practised as duty for which there is not a Rule laid down which imports a particular Rule or measure specified for every particular point or practice or else not to be believed nor practised then it follows That if there be not a particular Rule in Scripture to prove That the Scriptures are the only Rule of Faith nor which so saith of them We are not bound to believe these men's Assertion therein as any Point of Faith for God doth not require us to believe it however they contend for it and would impose it upon our Faith But further 1. If by a Rule laid down it be intended that there is a particular Rule Command or Precept specified exactly to measure every particular duty or thing to be believed or practised by all Christians as there are many express Commands and Precepts expressing the particular duty and forbidding the offence this is not so expressed under a general Command nor yet proved as Jer. Ives endeavoured as when I put the Q●estion viz. Whether God doth not or may not by his immediate Power in these dayes raise up and Commissionate Prophets to declare peculiar Messages to particular Places People or Governments yea or nay To this Jer. Ives granted That God might for any thing he knew do so But suppose there may be Prophets now sent with immediate Commission to a particular Place as Rome c. said he The Scripture hath a Rule in it that such Prophets ought to obey their Master and that the Scripture commands to hear Christ in all things and not to quench the Spirit nor despise Prophesie c. Thus far Jer. Ives But while he cannot prove that all those things are particularly prescribed in Scripture which they are to hear and learn of Christ and which are to be prophesied but hath granted the contrary to wit That there may be immediate Commissions and peculiar Messages from God to particular Places c. suppose Rome or London which are not particularly specified in Scripture however Christ is to be heard in all things and his Spirit not to be quenched Therefore it follows that the Scriptures are neither the Rule of those Prophets Faith either for such their Commission or peculiar Messages for they have neither from the Scriptures but immediately from God And therefore if they should go to question their Commission and try such their Messages by the Scriptures and not find them there this would argue unbelief and cause disobedience whereas their particular Commissions and Messages are evidenced to them by the Spirit and Power of God whether it be by Vision or Revelation which is the immediate Object Rule and Foundation of their Faith therein 2dly And in our dayes there hath been such Prophets raised up both to this Nation and City of London witness Humphry Smith's Vision of Fire to London Jo. Rance his Prophecy in Meeter before the Contagion of the great Wo and debacement of London T. Ibbot's Vision of the Fire which he came to proclaim and went through the Streets as a sign thereof and of the great Distraction upon it the day before it broke forth But W.K. his surmise or may be that these might have a hand in it was malitious and wicked as divers present took notice Yea many more have truly foretold of the Judgments and Calamities of this Nation and City and it would be voluminous to repeat what hath been truly foretold by divers of the Servants of the Lord concerning O. C. and those persecuting Professors that persecuted us in his Name and what 's yet to come upon the Persecutors who follow their steps and of the Confusions that his Priests and those persecutors of the Innocent would fall into as also the temporizing of many of them which is manifest both upon many of the Presbyterians Independants and Baptists at this day whose insatiable enmity is still continued against us though they be confounded among themselves and their horns broken that they cannot push as formerly 3dly As the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith nor is there a particular Rule therein for every individual motion or action so are they not the sole Rule of discovery of sin and evil in men particularly though they witness against all sin Nor are they the immediate or original Obligation upon the Conscience to Righteousness or Duty in the sight of God for it is the Light of Christ within that immediately opens an inward eye that discovers to men their particular sins and guilt and that immediately obligeth to Righteousness and did so oblige man in the beginning before it was so written in letters because of God who both telleth unto man his thoughts and what he ought to do as his duty And whatsoever makes manifest is Light all things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light yea by that Lig●t which Christ giveth Eph. 5.13 14. Howbeit every one that doth evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his deeds should be reproved but he that doth truth cometh to the Light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Joh. 3.19 20 21. So that it 's evident the Light is that Rule that tryes and manifests all things and this was before the Scriptures and is where they are not Many over-look and will not see

their own evils though they read those very Scriptures that testifie against them but if they turn to the Light of Christ within it will make them manifest and bring them under a sense of their own guilt therein that they may repent and cease from sin and so receive remission 4thly And now as for this great Point or Article of our present Opposers Faith viz. That the Scriptures are the only Rule of Faith the Spirit being absolutely excluded as a Rule by W. K. It is to be noted that since Jer. Ives in a Letter to me saith viz. Though I might own this Question in their sense yet I never owned it in their words c. Whereby the Reader may see That Jer. Ives upon a more deliberate Consideration hath disserted his Brethrens Cause he perceiving as it seems that they cannot maintain the Scriptures to be the only Rule But 1st where he saith He might own it in their sense this is not true For his sense of owning it was That he did not exclude but included the Spirit But his Brother Kiffin's sense was absolutely to exclude the Spirit as a Rule so their senses herein absolutely opposed each other 2dly His saying He never owned it in their words is as false however he now evades or disowns it for many Persons of Credit that were present can testifie as also the Relation of the Discourse taken by an expert Short-writer that he did own the Question whether the Scriptures are the only Rule in these their terms for some time however now he would acquit himself of it and thereby has failed his Brethren and broke the neck of their Cause These few Questions are for W. Kiffin and the rest who own him in his Principle Quest. 1. BY what Rule would you have us believe you when you say the Scriptures are the only Rule of Faith and Practice and absolutely exclude the Spirit as a Rule 2. Whether any can truly know and believe the Scriptures without having their understandings divinely enlightned by the Spirit that gave them forth yea or nay 3. Is not the true beginning of Believers in that Spirit In order to Righteousness Life and Salvation 4. Do you own the immediate Teaching of the Spirit or divine Revelation to be attainable in these dayes Or 5. Can any come truly to know the true God or Jesus Christ without immediate Revelation 6. What is the key of true knowledge 7. What was the Rule of Abel Enoch Abraham Moses c. their Faith before the Scriptures were written 8. Do you think the Spirit is to be received in the Scriptures Or that the Letter and the Spirit are inseparable yea or nay 9. What Rule would you make use of for the Conviction of those that either oppose the Divine Authority supposed or Translation of the Scriptures seeing such cannot be Convicted by the Scriptures themselves 10. 〈…〉 Meas●re and ●●le whereunto the tr●e Mini●●ers and belie●ing Ge●●iles had attained ●hich they were to walk by mentioned 2 Cor. 10 13 15. Phil. 3.16 Gal. 6.16 was that Rule the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament or Bible yea or nay Here follows a few Doctrines asserted by one Wheatly at Lambeth in a Book directed in Manuscript to one Mr. Cox as he calls him this Wheatley seems to be a Brother of these Baptists by his opposing the Light within and pleading for their outward Forms and their Water-Baptism from the Example of Christ's going down into the Water to be Baptized of John Wheatley his Doctrine viz. DO not blame the Devil to exclude the example of the Children of God if he can by any pretence do not blame the Devil to perswade men to trust to the Light within c. pag. 4 5. Answ. However this man seems to be a Friend to the Devil in that he exhorts not to blame him he is grosly mistaken in saying The Devil perswades men to trust to the Light within for the Devil and such his Instruments perswade men against the Light as much as they can for his Kingdom is held up in the dark and his way is darkness it self wherein his Followers walk who will not bring their deeds to the Light lest it should reprove them but the Light of Christ in every man and the sufficiency thereof and the Scriptures of Truth which testifie to it we beat witness unto and against both the Devil and this Opposer and against all such as are in the same spirit of dark●●ss and enmity with him and the Devil who oppose the True Light And he that saith The Devil perswades men to trust to the Light within he hath highly advanced the Devil and conferred as much dignity upon him as the Ranters when they have told us That the Devil is Gods good Servant his faithful Servant c. This is like his blasphemy who setteth the Devil in the place of God's faithful Servants and Ministers whose work it was to perswade men to his Light within but both the Devil and Ranters are enemies to the true Light within W's Doct. There may be a Light amongst men and not within for Jesus Christ said to the Pharisees the Kingdom of God was within them when indeed it was but among them saith he And to prove it he citeth Luke 17.22 Answ. See how he hath proved the Light not within viz. The Kingdom of God was within the Pharisees Christ saith It is within but this Man saith Not within Shall we believe Christ or him But as if he would plainly let us know how he is set to oppose Christ after he hath told us That Jesus Christ said The Kingdom of God was within them In Contradiction to Christ he saith When indeed it was but among them and this to prove the Light not within It is no marvel this man sets himself to oppose Christ's Followers and Servants for asserting his Light within when thus he opposeth Christ himself for saying That the Kingdom of God is within but this man saith it was not within it was but among them Now then here is the case and state of the Controversie Christ and his Followers do bear witness to the Kingdom of God and his Light within But the Devil and his Followers strive and war against the Light and Kingdom of God within as much as they can the Devil he hath blinded their eyes from seeing the Light he hath made fools vassals and slaves of them to do his drudgery to shew their enmity and vomit out their shame and principles of darkness against the Light within Oh! how hath the Devil deceived such wilful Opposers and Unbelievers W's Doct. If God and Christ and Holy Spirit be within them then there is none above them Is not this spiritual pride c. Answ. No it was not spiritual pride in the People of God and Followers of Christ to witness God and Christ to dwell in them neither did this argue at all that God and Christ were not above them for God is