Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	faith_n	rule_n	scripture_n	4,181	5	6.7162	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61417	An apology for, and an invitation to the people call'd Quakers to rectifie some errors which through the scandals givers they have fallen into : wherein the true original causes both humane and divine of all the divisions of the church and mischiefs in the state and among the people are plainly and briefly opened and detected.	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.	1697 (1697)	Wing S5417; ESTC R23660	29,103	65

most Sublime most Holy and most August Sacrament as it is deservedly call'd by Dr. Morton be taken in effect for a needless Ceremony or of no great Importance by others besides the Quakers and used or rather neglected accordingly even to this day These are the great things in it which I have now mentioned but rare to be found in our Books now a days or heard of from our Pulpits Nor can it conveniently here be explained as it deserves But as to both these what is said before pag. 13 14. ought to be consider'd These things I say well consider'd cannot choose but make great Impression upon the Minds of those who are sincere and have a due sense of their own Spiritual and Eternal concerns But when they shall also understand That the great Principle of the Guidance of the Spirit of God is not so peculiar to themselves as they imagin but the constant Doctrine of the Church of Christ in all Ages and of the Church of England in particular as I have shew'd in a Discourse of Mystical Divinity and some others under the Title of Asceticks or the Heroick Piety and Vertue of the Ancients and notwithstanding the Extravagancies of some inconsiderate Opposers of Fanaticism asserted by most eminent Men of this Church as the profound Dr. Cradock lately deceased who himself told me he had Preached twenty or thirty Sermons upon that Subject and others now living and that there are and have been before George Fox appeared in the World Persons in the Communion of the Church of England as well acquainted with Spiritual things as themselves and by consequence how little necessity there is of venturing upon the Sin of Schism for that cause And moreover consider that Christ appointed an Order of Men for his Ministerial Office to succeed in his Church by an external Call and Commission and notwithstanding the Corruptions of those who sate then in Moses's Seat would not suffer his Disciples to break Communion with them or disregard their Authority and by consequence how dangerous it may prove in the end for Men to presume to set up Parties and draw People after them contrary to his Orders and to continue so to do after fair Warnings and unanswerable Admonitions to the contrary To conclude When they shall farther consider how horrid a Sin it must needs be to presume to attribute to the Holy Spirit of God the Workings of their own Imaginations or perhaps the Subtile Suggestions of some wicked Spirit of Delusion and to expose and scandalize the Holy Doctrine of the Guidance of the Holy Spirit by denying of certain and manifest Truths and using such little Shifts and Evasions to oppose plain Evidence as an honest and ingenious Lawyer would scorn and be ashamed to ●se for his Client When all these things and ●ore that might be observed are well understood and considered why may I not with rea●on hope that all who are really such as they ●ave appeared in the several Conferences I have had with them to be should answer the End of my Letters and Questions with more than civil and kind Words in real and solemn Actions Why should I not hope that no pri●ate Interest nor any Temporal Concern should ●inder them Why should I not hope that ●nce God hath apparently again concluded all ●nder Sin which all Parties confess of all ●thers but their own and is true of all without ●xception that all should humble themselves ●efore Him return to mutual Charity one with ●nother and subject themselves and all their ●maginations to his Wisdom as well as their ●ctions to his Will to the intent that he may have Mercy upon all Why should I not hope I say since God hath done this and for thi● End that they if they be indeed partake●● of his Holy Spirit should be the first in giving Glory to God by such a just and reasonable Humiliation before his Divine Majesty and Acknowledgment of our Humane Infirmity if never so little left to our selves or but steping aside out of the Order of his Holy Conduct 〈◊〉 and subject themselves intirely and readily to a●● the Orders he hath appointed in his Church No sober wise Man will expose himself and lea● others into Danger or Hazard when he ma● without any Difficulty or Incumbrance put himself and them into Safety and Security No● will any ingenious Man if he have committe● a Mistake stand it out and maintain it agains● a Grave and Judicious Man Much less will any considerate Man who hath any sense of God and regard to his tremendous Majesty dare t● persist in Opposing or Disputing his Institution or Orders and therefore I shall here conclud● this But because I have received certain Question concerning these Matters but without an● Name of any who sent them or to whom 〈◊〉 should return Answer though I shall forbear t● expose them by making them publick yet b● cause I am debtor both to the wise and to th● unwise for their Satisfaction who are eithe● moved with such Scruples or rely upon such infirm Grounds I shall return a brief comprehensive Answer to the Eight Questions in these following Assertions The Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament is the only Rule of Faith and Practice rightly understood and used But it is in many Cases only a General Rule leaving the special Application in some to all Persons in others to certain determinate Persons And therefore to require Express and Plain Scripture for Faith and Practice in all things doth proceed from Ignorance and Weakness in some but too often from a disingenuous Spirit of Contention a dishonest Design or Satanical Delusion The Practices of the Primitive Christians were some Permanent to continue in the Church others Temporary and Alterable according as there might be occasion for Order Decency and Edification and did vary from the beginning in several Churches and parts of the World whereas the others were truly Catholick according to Vincentius Lirinensis his Rule that is universally observed without any known beginning since the Apostles The Spirit of God was poured forth upon all Flesh when the Gospel was Preached to all Flesh or to every Creature that is not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles also But as to individual Persons it was never so poured out upon all Flesh but there were some things pre-acquired as Faith in Christ Jesus and ordinarily Baptism with Water Obedience and Prayer c. Nor was the Manifestation thereof ever given to every one but to every one to whom it was given it was given to profit withall As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.14 9. But it is to be known and remembred that a great and principal and the most certain Leading of the Spirit of God is not sensible or easily perceivable how it comes but it is generally a Secret