Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	divine_a	faith_n	revelation_n	2,617	5	10.5414	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47193	The universall free grace of the Gospell asserted, or, The light of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ, shining forth universally, and enlightning every man that coms [sic] into the world, and therby giving unto every man, a day of visitation wherin it is possible for him to be saved, which is glad tydings unto all people, being witnessed and testifyed unto, by us the people called in derision Quakers : and in opposition to all denyers of it, of one sort and another proved by many infallible arguments, in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit of truth, according to Scripture testimonies and sound reason : with the objections of any seeming weight against it, answered it, answered / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Furly, Benjamin, 1636-1714.	1671 (1671)	Wing K228; ESTC R13258	128,214	140

THE Universall free grace of the Gospell asserted OR THE LIGHT Of the Glorious Gospell of JESUS CHRIST Shining forth universally and enlightning every Man that coms into the World and therby giving unto every Man a day of visitation wherin it is possible for him to be saved Which is glad tydings unto all People BEING Witnessed and Testifyed unto by us the People called in derision Quakers And in opposition to all Denyers of it of one sort and another proved by many infallible arguments in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit of Truth according to Scripture Testimonies and sound Reason With the objections of any seeming weight against it answered BY GEORGE KEITH Printed in the Year 1671. THE PREFACE THER be two maine and principall things held forth by us which are as it wer the two hinges and fundamentall principles upon which all other things relating either to Doctrins or Practises affirmed by us doe hang and depend The first is that ther is no saving knowledge of God or the things of his Kingdome attainable but by the Immediate revelation of Iesus Christ who is the Image Word and Light of the invisible God in which alone he can be manifest unto the Salvation of men The second is that this Image Word and Light which is Jesus Christ the Son of the Fathers love doth shine forth in some measure universally and enlighten every man that coms into the World and therby giveth unto him a day of visitation wherin it is possible for him to be saved Both which 〈◊〉 they are indeed in the truth are generally denyed but affirmed by us which two not withstanding I may truly say as they are indeed known and witnessed in the truth ar the cheife and principall veins and arteries which convey the very Blood Life and Spirit of the Christian Religion into the true members of that body wherof Jesus Christ is the head And the Lord hath made me plainly to see why the whole body of every Sect professing the Christian Religion up and downe the world is so leane barren dead and emptie of that Life and Spirit which becoms the true Church to have and which the true Church had in the Primitive times even becaus of their ignorance of and opposition unto these two blessed testimonies of truth and I may boldly say it never any society of people did flourish or ever shall or can with excellent induements of either piety or knowledge which denyeth these two testimonies of truth seing they are the very principall means and Ordinances of God which hee hath appointed as through conduits to convey both Pi●…y and knowledge and all other hevenly gifts and blessings unto men and seeing these are denyed the blessed effect which would follow upon the using of them cannot but be much wanting as where there is an obstruction or stop in the principall veins arteries and nervs of the naturall body that body cannot flourish but must needs be a very sick Paralitick diseased body and near unto death And for this cause it is that the whole body of Christendom so called is in a most lam●…table condition and death reigns in it and a thick cloud of darknes fills it and very few there be who know by sensible experience the life kernell and substance of the Christian Religion among all the many professions in it and that small remnant who doe know any thing thereof it is very weakly and faintly and their sight of the things of God is but like the poor blind mans halfe sight after Christ had a little cured him who saw men walking as trees the Reason of all this has beene the ignorance of and opposition unto these two testimonies aforsaid for the ignorance of the true manner of receiving either Piety or pious and Godly wisedome which is by way of immediat Revelation from the Father by Jesus Christ through the holy Spirit this hath hindred and stopped the growth and encrease of holines and piety and the Wisedome and knowledge there unto appertaining as to the Intension i. e. measur or degree of it in the particular which otherwise by this time might have been like the waters of the Sanctuary at a great height and againe the ignorance of that other blessed testimony of truth concerning the universality of the Light word Grace and spirit of God towards and upon all in a day of visitation for the saving and endueing them with holines and holy knowlegd and wisedom hath been a most mischeivous hindrance and lett unto the Extension or spreading of tru piety and knowledg abroad among people in the world The ignorance of the One I say hath hindred the Intension of it and the ignorance of the other its Extension as may be manifest to any who will consider these things wer it but with halfe an eye For what can tend so much to the universall gathering of all the nations Kingdoms languages and kinreds of the earth as to hold forth this universall principle unto them all the Light which lighteth all and every one of them and to informe them that therby and therthrough salvation is attainable by every one and peace reconciliation with God in their beleife of the light and obedience therunto And what can more hinder this universall gathering then that particular narrow straitning limiting principle of men of a pettish narrow heart and spirit who say that salvation never was is nor shall be possible unto the most part of men That God by an eternall decree hath wholly passed them by and left them in darknes without any light to shine in their darknes that can possibly at any time lead them out of it Doth not this discourage people and rather lay a block in the way of their Faith then to point ordirect them unto a pillar and ground of it Yea doth not this Doctrine that other being added to it viz. that immediate Revelation is ceased lay a much more probable foundation for any mans unbeleif and distrust in the Lords mercy and willingnes to save him then for his faith therupon For when any man comes with a call unto them to beleiv that they may be saved and therwithall tells them that God hath left most men without providing them any power by which it is possible for them to beleiv may not all begin to doubt or question with more ground then to beleive whether they be the persons that are thus passed by of the Lord yea or nay When the Lord said but to his disciples one of you shall betray me they wer exceeding sorrowfull all of them and began 〈◊〉 Question Master is it I. How much more then occasion have they to be sorrowfull and to question the very mercy of God for their salvation if it be told them that this mercy is denyed not only to a few but most of men and to many under the visible profession of the Christian Religion And for asmuch as they say immediate Revelation is ceased this shuts

doth comes to be cured thereby By the preaching of which universall principle we can reach unto the most Barbarous Nations unto their convincement and conversion this principle which is in them answering to the same in us as face unto face in a glass and so servs for a ground and foundation unto us wherby we may be and are incouraged to declare unto them the things pertaining to the faith of the Gospell even as the principle of Reason in men becomes a ground and foundation for a Master to instruct his Schollars in humane arts and sciences the proper object of Reason without which there would be no incouragement for Masters to take upon them to teach any body any thing For if there were no principle of humane Reason in the hearers to answer to and apprehend the things taught they might as well go teach the beasts of the field Just thus it is in this matter if there were no divine principle of faith in the unconverted and unbelieving to no purpose would it be to declare unto them the things of divine faith there being nothing in them that could answer to or were susceptible of them But this being opened above I shall proceed no further in it Yet though I say there is such a ground or foundation in all I must not be understood as if I said that this foundation were laid in all for the foundation cannot properly be said to be layd in any till it hath obtained its proper place in them Now this divine principle which indeed is the onely ground and foundation of divine faith and of all religion that is truly so though it be in all yet it hath not got its due and proper place in all But as I may say is in many or most displaced out of its place and order where it ought to be through the hearts being joined unto the contrary seed and principle which usurps the place and roome of this divine seed principle The work now of the true ministers of Christ is as his instruments through the influence of life and vertue from this divine principle in themselvs raised to reach unto the same in others that it may in them find and attain its due and proper place And this is as it were the laying of the foundation according to which Paul as a wise master builder said he had laid the foundation in the Corinthians which foundation to wit this universal principle was in them before but not layd in that proper due place that it ought to have had in them which he was in his ministry instrumentall to bring it to And indeed this is the great cause why this Noble seed remaineth as it were barren in so many people to wit because it is not permitted to have its due place in their hearts which is as requisit to its fructifying as it is necessary to every other Seed to be cast into its proper place as into its matrix out of which it cannot grow and come forth to the birth This divine Seed therefore requires the most inwards of the heart to cleave unto it in true love and that the contrary seed be expelled and then the seed of God will spring up and prosper bearing the most pretious fruits of vertue and knowledge by and through which the hearts of people will come in due time to receive every thing one after another that is of God according to the growth of this principle in them so that the hearers will as readily close joine with and assent unto the things declared as the speakers can utter or express them life answering unto life and light unto light in an excellent and wonderfull harmony And indeed this is the true and only method which should be used by Preachers for the bringing people in to the faith and acknowledgment of the Christian Religion First to inform them of this universall principle what it is and turne them towards it that they may observe its operation in them as it appeareth against the lusts of this world and for righteousness and temperance And so as wise builders to lay this true foundation in its proper place and as wise husbandmen and planters to place this divine Seed where it ought to be in order to its growth that it may spring up in them and the life power and vertue of God in it may be felt And this will naturally bring people to owne the Scriptures and things therin declared to owne Moses and the Prophets to own the dispensation of God to the Jews in that day and to own Christ in the flesh his miraculous birth his Doctrine miracles sufferings death resurrection and ascension together with the wonderfull end and designe of God therin to own the Evangelists and Apostles and the dispensation of life and glory through the spirituall and inward appearance of Christ among them in their day which was very powerfull and excellent and finally to own the same as it is now again revealed in this day after the Apostacy For this inward and universall principle beareth a most excellent concord and unity with all these and doth witness and answer unto them in most near and dear respects with kissings and embracings as it riseth or springeth up in any Vessell in the manifestation of its own life And thus men should be first turned towards this inward principle light word and seed of the Kingdom which being in them and they coming to feel it there they may the more readily be perswaded to own and believe it And as they come so to joine to it that it springs up in them in the light and glory thereof they will see and feel the Scriptures and the things therein declared to be of God and will tast relish and savour them in the life of this divine seed And this is good method and order in the preaching of the Gospell So that evident it is though it be ordinarily objected that the Quakers so called have no method that we have the best and only tru method in our words and writings as hath been declared first to turn people to the light that they may beleeve it which finding in them they can the more easily doe then to direct them to and inform them of the Scriptures and things therein declared which they cannot receive beleev or understand but in the divine light But to come to the Nations that have not nor do own the Scriptures and but few of the things therein declared and press them to beleev the Scriptures and own them as the words and oracles of God in the first place without first directing them to the great word and oracle of God in their own hearts in that to beleev and receiv them in which alone they can be truly and duly received is most contrary unto the tru method and order of the Gospell and against all tru method and order held in the knowledg of things naturall which always proceeds from the more known to

it Now how can they be glad tydings to any except through a speciall and immediat revelation but from this ground that they are so to all If it be replyed it may to some be knowne through their effectuall calling the Lord secretly persuading them by the secret operation and influence of his Spirit to apply the grace of the Gospell ontwardly held forth To this I answer How shall they in what manner can they be assured of the efficacy of their calling and that their beleef of it is not a meer presumption and groundless imagination for this again must either be knowne by its having an objective evidence of its owne or from the evidence of the Scripture If the first that I affirm to be as it indeed is immediat Revelation exparte objects Which thing these men utterly deny in this age For that secret operation influence or impression of Gods Spirit they will allow to be onely subjective and not objective Which therefore I may justly call as they understand it a blind impulse or impression From whence consequently they cannot infer the certainty of the Gospels belonging to them If they say the evidence is from the Scripture Then certainly it must be from the Scriptures holding forth the Gospell universally to all as glad tydings and so by consequence to them Because there is no Scripture that holds any such thing forth particularly as to them more then to others For as is already shewed that it is held forth as glad tydings to some gives no man firm ground to conclude it so to him as one of those some But waving now this principle of theirs that immediat revelation is ceased through most true it is that there is at this day immediat revelation and that no man can truly apply the Gospell to himself but by immediate revelation yet this Argument is of great weight and force As for example First it cannot be denyed that the truth of the universall being knowne and beleeved is a great and comfortable confirmation to the strengthening of mens faith in the particular application For if the Gospell hold forth good will unto all then certainly unto me So Secondly As I can savingly beleev the Gospell no other way but as held forth unto me by immediat revelation So by this immediat revelation it is not any singular or particular principle that is thus held forth unto me but that which is the universall the common salvation Viz the Light the word the seed which I sind revealed and made manifest in me reproving sin in heart word and deed and secretly drawing me from it unto righteousness which principle is revealed in me to be the grace of the Gospell not I say as any particular principle given unto me and not unto others but as that which is universally given and works so to speak universally answering every where to me in others and to others in me And so it is both outwardly preached and inwardly manifested to be that universall principle which is the grace of the Gospell Through closing with which peace with the Lord is obtained And because it is an universall principle and is so inwardly revealed therefore is my heart the more persuaded to close with it especially at first or in my first entrance For coming to hear that that which secretly reprovs for sin and appears against it in every conscience is the very grace of the Gospell and finding the same thing revealed in my particular this is an occasion or ground for me to beleev it Wheras if the principle were not universall and that there were two principles reproving and convincing of sin the one universal not saving the other particular and saving I might have much reason to question whether what I have be the saving and speciall principle or no. Thus I say The principle being in the first place declared so to speak as an universall thing it is a great help unto the poor soule at its entrance to facilitate its belief Of which thing I have had experience in my own particular who witnessed it revealed in me as universall and so closed with it not that I durst say that there was any speciall principle revealed or given to me For such was the darkness confusion and inclearness that was over my mind that I could not have distinguished it but yet I manifestly felt in my heart that which reproved all sin and weighted me for it working as fire against it But this I knew to be nothing but what was common to others For the same that made me know it in my self made me know and feel it in others And now this universall thing being by Gods faithfull messengers preached unto me as the very grace of the Gospell and the very saving Light of Iesus Christ. O! how glad tydings was it to my soule which closed with the truth thereof by the secret operation of Gods holy Spirit And truly in that day I must needs say that the greatest most manifest and clear prop or ground of my faith that was visible unto my mind that I had in my heart what was saving was even because I found in me that little universall common despised thing the least of all seeds which is at this day more precious unto my soule and more excellent then all the mountains of prey seing that was held forth to be the saving grace wich was universall which I found in mee answering to it in others yea when it was the least of all seeds in me it did wonderfully answer to its self in others in whom it was grown up to be the greatest of all herbs full of heavenly fruit and vertue and while it was yet burthened and oppressed and imprisoned in me it answered to the same the same I say for nature and kind in others where it was in Dominion and perfect liberty over all that oppressed it whereby I was exceedingly reached strengthened and confirmed to beleeve that it was of a saving nature conceiving a blessed hope that it would in due time be raised in me into the same Dominion victory and liberty that I felt it to be in in them which now in a measure I do witness all glory and praise be unto the Lord for ever So I say feeling that universal Principle in me and being perswaded of the Lord that it was universally saving I was thereby helped to beleeve that it was saving in me And indeed that immediate revelation by which faith at first is usually or commonly wrought in the heart is not so much given in a distinct form of words particularly saying this or that thing to the soule as in a manifestation of the divine power and vertu of Gods Spirit in that little seed which the heart is made to feel secretly working in it as sire soap and water as an hammer and two edged sword as a magnet or Load stone drawing the heart to it self And thus is faith at first wrought by the word of God speaking forth