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	scripture_n	spirit_n	3,116	5	6.3634	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86667	The rebukes of a reviler fallen upon his own head, in an answer to a book put forth by one Iohn Stelham, called a minister at Terlin in Essex. Wherein is shewed unto all spiritual men, that he himself is justly proved to be a contradictor of the scriptures, while he falsly accuses others thereof, that are clear, and the saying is fulfilled upon him, he is fallen into the pit, which he digged for others, for even that way which he calls heresie, do we worship the God of our fathers. By R.H.	Hubberthorn, Richard, 1628-1662.; Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.	1657 (1657)	Wing H3229; Thomason E919_7; ESTC R207520	62,017	83

unrighteousness and taking them and such have the letter in their mouths but knows not the Word of God which who comes to know it restrains them from all such practises Again I. S. from his blindness and root of Errour and lying heart wherein dwells no truth but much confusion saith that the letter i. e. the Scriptures is the true ground of the believers Faith and again in the same page saith That Christ in the Scriptures is the true Ground of Faith And to prove the former he brings Prov. 22. 19. 20 21. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even to thee have not I written to thee excellent things in Counsels and Knowledge that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee Answ. By this Scripture the Lord is made the ground of Faith and not the Letter And therefore did the Prophet make known excellent things in writing in counsel and knowledge and for this end did the Apostles both preach and write that the Faith of those which heard them and read their writtings might not stand in the wisdom of words nor in the letter as its ground but in Christ the Power of God and Christ who preached the true doctrine that in it every one might believe said to the World and to the pharisees While ye have the light believe in the light that ye may be the Children of light and these had the letter but did not believe in the light which light is Christ and which light is the foundation of Faith and is the foundation of many generations in which many did believe before this letter which declares of it was written And that Faith which stands in the light and in the power of God is the ground of the Scripture letter from whence it did proceed after they believed they spoke and wrote that which is now declared in Chapters And every one which come to the true ground of Faith must come to the light to believe in it that they may be the Children of it and then the Scriptures will be profitable unto them they with the light having the understanding opened to see for what end they were given forth and how they come to be fulfilled and witnessed in that which gave them forth for the ground of Faith to believers is but one both before and since the Scriptures was written which is Christ in whom whosoever believeth shall be saved let Christ be in what he will for he was the ground of Faith when the letter was not and he is the ground of Faith when it is and no other foundation for Faith can any man lay than that which is laid Jesus Christ who is the true light and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world that all men in him might believe and they that believe not that he is so shall die in their sins as Christ saith Joh. 8. 24. But John Stelham going on in his own devised Fables would pervert the words of truth both in our writings and in the Apostles as it is manifest in his writing of this reviling Rebuke concerning R. F. and I. N. E. B. and F. H. and others which whosoever read their words and his they may discern truth from devised fables without much Reply unto it as in some places he is mingling his own words with theirs joyning a lye to the truth that he may contradict it as false as every one that reads with understanding will see which when they have spoken plain truths which he himself hath often in his Book confessed unto to be truth will afterwards give his meanings to their words as he hath done unto the Apostles words saying If they mean thus c. then he goes about to contradict his own meaning and when he hath contradicted his own meaning then he saith he hath contradicted their words though he have before confessed the truth of their words so he hath not contradicted the words as they were spoken but because they spoke not his meaning with the words therefore the true words must be false in his judgement and bear his rebuke as his Book doth make manifest and adding his lye to the words of truth these two things are his greatest proofs to resist the truth in page 77. he hath mingled his own words with the words of R. F. in which page he acknowledgeth a former addition and yet reneweth another R. F. having been speaking of the light which enlighteneth every man which cometh into the world he adds which where it is and it is in every man it reneweth the judgment c he here adding his own and then rebuking it would make people believe lyes that all might be damned who believe not the truth But on the contrary for we never have said that every mans judgement is renewed with the light though they be enlightened for they are enlightened who hate it and who are void of true judgement because they hate the light which they be enlightened withal And also the Apostles words he perverts and gives meanings unto which if he did not they would be a plain testimony with that which he hath set himself to oppose so giving meanings both to their words and our words his meanings must be the ground of his Believers Faith and not the Scriptures as he said before The Apostle Peter speaking of a more sure Word of Prophesie wherein they did well to take heed as unto a light that shined in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. Knowing this first that no Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation for the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost to this I. S. adds not heart-prophesie no breast-prophesie but written down in Books c. which is contrary to the Apostles words for he doth not exclude heart-prophesie for there was never any prophesie but did proceed out of the heart before it was written in any Book And the Apostle saith Until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts and that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and that which moved them to speak Prophesies was in their hearts and the Apostle did not bid them wait till the day-star did arise in the Scriptures but till it did arise in their hearts and then he told them how the Prophesies of the Scriptures came Peter saying Until the day dawn and the day-star arise in our hearts I. S. saith That is until by the study of the Scriptures more light be cleared up c. Now let all them of understanding read and compare his words and the Apostles and they may well conclude with his confession that he hath an old lying heart and flesh in

given to all that are to teach others and this doth make it manifest that himself is without the promise of God and is not yet taught of God and so without Gods Covenant being not learned in the teaching of God by his Spirit which is immediate And thus to confound truth he hath by his confession shamed himself and shewed himself to all men to be unlearned in the doctrine of Salvation Further he saith If God had intended to have given teachings immediately without any medium then would he not have sent Preachers abroad for them to hear mark this man● blind productions and what impudence is in his heart who holds forth That God intended not the thing to be what he promised should be he promised to teach his people himself and this man holds forth that he intended it not and so hath no less than charged God with Hypocrisie let the Reader mark this but this is the ground wherefore the Ministers and Preachers were and are sent abroad to bring all people to be taught of God by his Spirit and to inform their minds to the gift of God in them that by the Spirit received the knowledge of they might know the things of God which is not known but by the Spirit of God which all that are Children of God are led and guided by and they that are not led with the Spirit of God which Spirit is immediat are not the heirs with Christ nor none of his let I. S. say what he will or may this we believe and this the Scripture gives testimony of for us and with us Yet further to manifest his folly he saith It is erroneous enough and contradictious to the whole Scripture when R. F. truly tells him and saith Thou that art not taught of God shewes that thou speaks a vision of thy own heart and not from the mouth of the Lord let the Reader search where the errour and contradiction to the whole Scripture lyes in these words or whether he hath not proved himself blind and ignorant and in errour and contradiction to the Spirit of God Further he saith Never did any but God slayers and Spirit-wounders go about to separate the Word of God and his breath Now let this be considered Christ did tell them the Pharisees who had the words which God had spoken by the Prophets that they had never heard the voyce of God here he divides or separates betwixt the words and the voyce or breath and was no God-slayer nor Spirit-wounder as thou hast wickedly and blasphemously laid down thy Position where thou hast concluded Christ to be one against whom thy words are laid down let the Reader prove thy doctrine His 20th Head concerning Questions In this we do not contradict the Scripture I. S. is taken with a lye in his mouth who hath made it a subject to treat upon for Questions in their places we own but such as are of the Devil we deny as Christ did who shewed himself as a sool unto all mens wisdom when the subtil Pharisees and others tempted him who would not answer their crafty Questions though them that questioned insimplicity he did to resolve and satisfie them and inform them into the knowledge of the Father Then some leaves he hath filled with producing some of our Queries out of some of our Books Commenting thereupon and would prove them ignorant and unprofitable and the like but it had been more just and of a better report for him to have answered them and shewed them to be as he saith of them to all people rather then in a manner backbited them and reproached them and not shewing wherein it lyes and if they be so needless and vain a● he saith then the sooner had such a wise man as he thinks himself I. S. confuted them by sober and plain answers but what if our folly in the sight of men be wisdom in the sight of God and his wisdom foolishness with God no matter what he say of us who hath shewed himself already and confessed truly that his heart is old and lying and sinfull so we can expect no better judgement from his Pen then what is in his heart but while we are approved in the ●ight of God we matter nor what men say of us especially one that hath set himself to be our enemy and the Lords enemy and I leave the honest sober Queries to be read which he hath falsely branded with Pride and Ignorance and such like as this what rule have you in scripture for putting off the Hat this is an honest question which he wickedly slanders with pride and whether is your Gospel free without charge as the Apostles was yea or no these and such other questions he rails against to be Ignorant and quarrelous and vain and of the devil now it had been more honest to have confuted them in answering discreetly then to have thus branded them And he saith It is one thing to take hire for preaching and another thing to preach for hire whereby his scope is to excuse himself may be and his Brethren who are hirelings and would not be counted to preach for hire though he dare not deny lest all men should see his folly but that they have hire for preaching but then let him tell us when or where ever any of them preached and had no hire and then we will believe they preach not for it but such as receives sums of money of one man or a country which would not be given him except he preached to them this same man is a hireling and preaches because he hath hire and hath hire because that the ground he preaches Further he saith Christs righteousness which justifies a believing sinner is not the essentiall righteousness of his Godhead and here he hath spoken ignorantly and held forth as if there is two righteousnesses of Christ which I call for a proof from him for else let him confess to his shame that he hath added to the Scripture for the righteousness of Christ is but one by which all the Saints are justified Further he saith ignorantly enough that which is done according to the bare letter of the written command or from a gift of the Spirit or in a Gospel way from a living principle of grace acts of holiness by the holy Spirit and Faith given stirred up this is a righteousness of ours saith he and seems to separate it from the righteousness of Christ as he holds forth let men behold his ignorance Further he saith though it be wrought by the strength of Christ in us yet as to Justification Paul would not be found in it this for a word mark again Reader canst thou see any thing here but ignorance as if Paul were justified by another Christ then what wrought in him to will and to do Further he saith Paul counted all things but losse and dung even what he had done or suffered since conversion that he might win Christ Mark again what was

read any contradiction in it but only it seems I. S. hath set himself to cavell Further he saith We contradict our selves concerning Quaking and trembling from this confession that the same power that made Moses to quake and tremble the same power we witness but wherein doth this contradiction appear in these words let honest men try the cause and I. S. be silent and whereas he Instances I. P. standing in an evill cause and of I. P. he may be silent whose blood he or his Generation sought after and now might they well be quiet of him their wills being stifled by drinking his blood as it were but that wicked men must add to their own wickedness till it be fulfilled that they may receive their reward and I. P. was bold as is the children of God and though I. S. would clear himself and his company from what was done to I. P. yet by the effect it appeared that there was enough envy in them towards him and the truth and though his body be in the ground yet the Spirit of the Lord which guided him stands alive a sufficient witness against them and all their cruel and wicked dealing and let I. S. judgement be what it will neither concerning growth of Grace nor forms of Religion nor fruits of the Spirit do we at all contradict the Spirit of God neither doth he prove us in these things whereof he accuseth us in strife debate except against such as I. S. and the Devils Kingdom neither in emulation hatred scoffs or any of these things whom the Lord hath redeemed us from though we be falsely accused in these things as in many other by him and whereas he would prove their preaching in their method and Points and Reasons and Uses from the example of the Saints in former ages he falls far short in effecting his extent for he cannot prove that they studied for what they spake nor that in such a way they delivered what they said an hour by a glass c. as the Priests of this age do also if it were they preached in the like manner as the Apostles did yet not by the same spirit but by the spirit of error and for a wrong end that is the thing which makes their manner abominable when as they are not guided wth the same Spirit of the Apostles and their preaching in their method of points and particulars is rather an art of preaching by humane policy and not the gift of preaching by the Spirit of God neither do we concerning humility and love contradict our selves but are in humility and love towards all men even such as wrongs us we seek no revenge against and herein doth our humility and love appear yet cannot we respect any mans person with hat or knee and that is it which I. S. I suppose is offended with In his 13th Head concerning Ordinances He charges us with self-contradiction because we say we own praying c. and yet hath given over Family prayer morning and evening and at meals but this is no contradiction for we own praying in the Spirit of God but doth deny it without the Spirit and this is no contradiction he may as well say it was contradiction in Christ to cry against the prayers of the Pharisees yet to teach his Disciples to pray and to pray himself this is the same cause of ours which he foolishly charges with contradiction and as I have said the prayers of the Wicked we deny and yet doth own Prayer in the Spirit and who are moved by the Spirit morning or evening or at meals or otherwise and this is truth let I. S. gather what he can from it Further he saith If we teach one another why do we condemn them for teaching But to this I have answered Preaching or Teaching by the Spirit we own and without the Spirit we deny and because we say we own all that which is Gods as Baptisme the Lords Supper and Sabbath c. pet doth disown in practice their Water Baptisme and their form of breaking of Bread and Wine and their forms of Church-fellowship and their form of keeping a Sabbath this he charges to be contradiction but it is not so in the sight of the Lord though I. S. falsely so judge it for their Baptisme and breaking of Bread and Wine and their Church fellowship and keeping of a day I say their exercise in these things we do deny to be of God as in measure is proved and may be further if need require and I say we own that which is Gods and which is led unto by his Spirit and practised in his fear and counsel and yet we do deny all their Immitations of any thing which God commanded doth owne the command of God and yet doth not contradict our selves though I. S. falsely so judge of us Further he charges us with self-contradiction concerning speech and silence because we check some for speaking and yet speaks or writes our selves but this is the same with the former and the same answer will serve that speaking that which is not in the Spirit we check which is not the voyce of Christ but of the stranger and yet doth own that which is spoken by the Spirit of God and herein doth not contradict our selves Further he saith We contradict our selves concerning Conscience and Laws because we say there must be no Law concerning Religion viz. to bind any man to worship in this or the other way and to bind him from this or that way of Worship and yet in exhorting the Rulers that their Laws be according to that in the Conscience but in these words there is no contradiction for the Laws being according to the light in every mans Conscience that Law will not bind or limit the Conscience from this or that way of Worship in Religion for that Law is un just which binds or limits the pure conscience of any man but that Law which is contrary to the light in every mans conscience is oppression and we bear witness against it and though we do say no Law must be laid upon Religion that it is to say to bind any mans Conscience to or from such a form of Religion and though we further say that all just Laws is and should be according to the light in every mans conscience yet in this there is no contradiction And whereas I. S. speaks of such Laws who persecuted prisoned and crucified for the testimony of a good Conscience God hath hewen down in all ages saith he Let the Rulers of England take notice of this from the mouth of one of their Teachers And further I adde so will God hew down in this Age all those Laws by which many are persecuted and prisoned as he hath done ie other Ages therefore let it be considered by them And he saith The Magistrate is not to levell his Law with every mans conscience and light and this he speaks in opposition to us but he needs