Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	become_v	death_n	sin_n	4,652	5	4.7216	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81535	A discovery of the great fantasie, or, Phantasticall conceitednesse. That is to say, of the antichristian blindnes of those, that out of a meer false imagination and phantasticall conceitednesse, do hold themselves to be Christians, sprituall divines, deputies and messengers or spokes-men of Christ, and take upon them, as mediatours, to save others, whom they call the secular lay-men; therewithall, reviling, traducing, condemning, excommunicating, persecuting, exiling, and putting to death the true children of God, for not yeelding unto this phantasie of theirs, conceiving, that therein they do God great service, when they busie themselves in weeding the ground thus, according to their phantasies, and endeavouring to save the angels a labour against the time of the harvest. Together with a discovery of the great arch-whore, and her paramours or lovers, whereof the spirit of God beareth witnesse.		1642 (1642)	Wing D1651; Thomason E124_28; ESTC R6001	19,094	24

A DISCOVERY OF THE GREAT FANTASIE OR PHANTASTICALL CONCEITEDNESSE That is to say Of the Antichristian Blindnes of those that out of a meer false Imagination and Phantasticall Conceitednesse do hold themselves to be Christians Spirituall Divines Deputies and Messengers or Spokes-men of Christ and take upon them as Mediatours to save others whom they call the Secular Lay-men therewithall reviling traducing condemning excommunicating persecuting exiling and putting to death the true children of God for not yeelding unto this Phantasie of theirs conceiving that therein they do God great service when they busie themselves in weeding the ground thus according to their Phantasies and endeavouring to save the Angels a labour against the time of the Harvest Together with a Discovery of the great Arch-Whore and her Paramours or Lovers whereof the Spirit of God beareth witnesse LONDON Printed by T. P. and M. S. in Goldsmiths Alley 1642. PHANTASIE or FANCIE WHen the mind of man doth not deny it self in all humility before God and is not guided and acted by the Spirit and light of God but is wise and cunning of it self in it's own power or strength of Reason and the spirit of the world then is the same mind revolted from God and goeth on in it's own guidance and naturall wisdom and that is the Phantasie which under the name of Christ and palliating cover of the holy Scripture pretendeth great matters but indeed is nothing but a meer juggling even as Lucifer became such a Phantast and juggler when as he withdrew himself from the sacred government of the eternall light and essay'd in his own high mindednesse to be something of himself where also he seduced the first man that he forsook God and his command in disobedience Therefore O Man turn thy self from this power of the Devill unto the living God through Christ the Mediatour and Saviour lest by this Phantasterie and self-conceitednesse of thine inveigled-Reason thou become and abide a Phantasticall Juggler for ever in hell For without the Truth in Christ Jesus there is no salvation THE OCCASION OF THE ensuing Treatise WHereas in many Pulpits as also in sundrie writings of those that vaunt themselves true Christians and followers or successours of the Apostles there is nothing so common and ordinarie as reproachfully to abuse and traduce such as do not agree with their self-conceited-fond opinions by the termes of Weigelians Phantasts and Enthusiasts and that with as much clamour and bitternesse as can be devised It was thought needfull to shew those Praters something of their own Phantasterie whether it might please God to give them Repentance yet to acknowledge the Truth 1 Tim. 2.23 and to be freed from the snares of Satan by whom they are held captive according to his wil to grow sober again and by shaking off and renouncing their erroneous and phantastick spirit Ezech. 13.3 Isa 29.24 to receive understanding and instruction Which is likewise requisite for the simple people and such as want true information lest they do make themselves pertakers with the sins of others and participate of the plagues of Babel Revel 6.18 Ose 7.8 9. but rather that they may save their souls as a prey out of and sleighting the commandment of God and with pleasure and delight arrogating unto himself a wisdom and knowledge of his own He fell thereby off from God was captivated by the spirit of this world and subjected to the rule of Satan who so infected him with his spreading poyson that the same did cleave not onely to himself but likewise to all his posteritie whereby they are corrupted body and soul to everlasting death and become the children of wrath and are satanicall altogether Ephes 2. Yet seeing God ever good and gracious Wisd 1.13.2.3 made not the Death nor took delight in the destruction of the living but created man to eternall life and to his Image that he should be like unto him But by the devils envie Death came into the world therefore also God took heartie compassion of Man and of his Grace repaired this fall by his everliving WORD with the promise of the seed of the woman Wisd 10 20. Gen. 3.15 who also afterwards was born man and became an Attonement-offering and graciously gave such a light to man Ephes 5.2 Ioh. 1. Ioh 8.12 Col. 3.4 1 Ioh. 3.8 Ose 13.14 Ioh. 1. Col. 1.15 Ioh. 9.5 Luk. 2 39. Bar. 3.38.4.2 1 Ioh. 5.6.7 whereby he was set upright again and by the vertue whereof he was to fight against the seed of the Serpent and overcome the sinfull desires of the same in the faith of the Covenant For this womans seed the essentiall word of the Father is the light and life of men which doth destroy and overcome the works of Satan within them and this Word which was in the beginning whereby all things were created and are conserved is the light of men which enlightneth every man that cometh into the world all namely that receive it and love not the darknesse of their carnall lust and sinfull affections as the works of Satan more then the light but rather turn from them unto the light cleave unto it by faith and suffer themselves to be guided and governed by the spirit of it such have power to become the sons of God Ioh. 1.12 and by the gracious inhabiting of this light which is Christ to be made partakers of the Divine Nature Colos 1.27 For this light Christ the essentiall Word of the Father is the onely Mediatour and the onely means whereby the fall of Adam may be abolished 2 Pet. 1.4 Hebr. 3.14 1 Tim. 25. the losse recovered and man again reconciled with God And this is that day-spring from on high that giveth light to them that sit in darknesse Hebr. 1.3 Luk. 1.78 79. and in the shadow of death that they may walk before God in holinesse and righteousnes o all well-pleasing Who so hath this light in himself 2 Cor. 4.6 Rom. 8. 1 Ioh. 2.27 Act. 15.11 Ose 12 10. Col. 1.19.2.9 Ioh. 1.17.10.11 Ioh. 15.5 1 Cor. 10.3.12.13 the same is enlightned and whoso hath his spirit in himself the same is a Christian and anointed as likewise the Patriarchs and the Prophets had him and were saved onely by him who also did speak by them With him and in him is all the fulnesse of the Godhead and of him and of his fulnesse all of us must receive He is the true Vine and we are his branches participating vigour and life of him and his fulnesse and without him none is able to do any thing He is that spirituall Rock from whom the Fathers drank their spirituall drink and all the regenerate to this day still eat and drink this spirituall meat and spirituall drink Ioh. 14.6 Eph. 4.21 Rom. 7.6 Ioh. 4.14.7.37 38. not in a Phantasticall or imaginarie manner of sensuall reason but in Truth For in Christ there is Truth and Reality and from thence

do flow the rivers of living water springing up into everlasting life out of them that do beleeve in him and are partakers of his Spirit But whoso hath not this Spirit the same is no Christian Rom. 8.10 and whoso doth not in Truth eat and drink this spirituall meat and drink as the right and true bread of Heaven Ioh. 6.53 54. 1 Ioh. 5.9 Luk. 16.23 and water of life the same hath no life in him but his soul must eternally starve and perish and his body must become an everlasting Darknesse and whoso hath not this Light and Word of Life dwelling in his heart as in a living-Temple of God Ioh. 8.21.24.44 the same is none of Gods but a vessell of wrath and of the spirit of darknesse who sets him on to all evill and at last doth precipitate and cast him into perdition Now although this be the onely Truth and altogether undeniable according to the verdict of the Scripture of the old and new Testament and that onely and solely by this light of grace and Truth all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Act. 15.11 and all other children of God were saved Act. 4.11 12. Ioh. 14. Chap. 6.19 and yet are saved to this day as also indeed there is no other Gospel none other name or way wherein we shall or may be saved but Christ the WORD and Light of life 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. who truly and really hath his dwelling and aboad in the children of God and as the well-beloved Son of God maketh them to become gracious sons and daughters of God and partakers of the Divine Nature Yet many there are that boast and vaunt themselves the Ministers of the Word though falsely 2 Ioh. 5.7 Epist Iud. ver 19. c. who most impudently and blasphemously dare take upon them to deny and traduce nay like unto mad dogs with fearfull and execrable barkings ballings railings and calumnies to set upon and persecute this gracious inhabiting of Christ in his faithfull members warning and exhorting the simple ones to beware of such Men and their Doctrine whom they do call Distracted Mad Phantastike Enthusiasts Dreamers Inchanters c. as they would do of the Devill himself On the other side they are ready and forward enough to boast and brag much of the story of Jesus Christ Psal 12. Iam 2.19 according to their heathenish-Arts and deceitfull-prating sitting in the Chair of Pestilence Matth. 7.21 and puffing up themselves like so many proud and garish Mountebanks talking and glorying of Christ His Person his office how he hath satisfied for mankind how he hath sent them forth as his own Messengers Matth. 24. instead of the Apostles 2 Thes 2.4 that whosoever heareth them doth hear Christ himself what they say is the Word of God and spoken as from heaven Christ had said Come unto me all ye c. Therfore men ought to come unto them hear them for where else should they find Him Yea that such as heard them receive the Faith and holy Ghost thereby and none otherwise They are forsooth the means the pipes and conduits whereby God doth save men by them God takes away the sins of men By them he makes men partakers of the body and blood of his Son And he now that beleeveth them in all this and forsaking Christ the living Well doth seek the same in Christs stead at their hands and doth honour and make much of them for it He it is whom they commend for a true Christian and one that hath the true and saving faith albeit he live not accordingly nor shew forth such an holy conversation as Christ commanded and his Apostles and other Saints of God approved by being themselves living patterns and examples thereof O say they that matters not greatly and can do them no harm let them but acknowledge themselves poore sinners the Priests have power to pardon and absolve them in Gods stead and to take away the sins from them Christ hath suffered death for them that they need not live so exactly what had his dying availed else Let them but be of good chear and apply his merit to themselves why the verie Preachers themselves although they do exhort others to a Christian life and conversation and sit in the chair of the Apostles yet they are not able to live thus But the office which they are in hath that power and vertue that men should give heed unto it and to their preaching and speaking not to their life and conversation they were but men themselves even as others By this false prating the true spirituall knowledge of Christ is extinguished 2 Tim. 2.13 14 15 16 17. 2 Pet. 2. Ezech. 13 10.18 19 22. and nothing remaineth but an historicall relation together with the hypocrisie and apish imitation the children of men are utterly turned away from Christ and caused to walk in their vanities and the lusts of the flesh and corrupt reason Gen. 18.21 whereunto they are inclined by their old Adamicall-nature and do nothing but devise evill and it is manifest how according to the course of this world they live worse then the Heathen being altogether ruled driven and acted by the spirit of Darknesse Ephes 2.12 that hath his work in the children of unbeleef according to his own pleasure and yet do perswade themselves by reason of the promises of libertie their shepherds feed them withall that for all that they are very good Christians and have the faith if so be they do but frequently repair to them in their stone-Churches Pulpits and Confession-chairs and reverence the Ministerie then all is well enough with them Thus by the deceit of such men being the instruments of the Devill 2 Thes 2.9 Ezek. 22.25 and not Pastours but murtherers of souls they encourage and strengthen their old Adam in his carnall lusts and the sensuall desires of their self-love every where and in all occasions to seek and advance thereby their own glory ease and benefit Eph. 4.17 c directly against the commandments of Christ against the doctrine and examples of the Apostles R●● 6.12 Cap. 7.4 c. Gal. 5.16 Cap. 6.7 1 Pet. 2.12.4.3 Matth. 16.24 Luk. 17.33 Ioh. 12.25 Ioh. 15.5 1 Tim. 1.5.6.3 who incessantly insist and urge that the old Adam that is the outward man together with his sinfull lusts and deserts shall and ought to be subdued crucified and killed that man must deny himself forsake all evill in his heart and taking his crosse upon him follow Christ that we must cease to do evill fear God and do good and Christ alone must give the power and strength hereunto by his Spirit to whom being sealed by him we must submit to receive instructions Tit. 2.12 Gen. 6.2 3. Behold and consider now how farre these people are from Christ and the true faith and how shamefully they do beguil both themselves and others with unprofitable imaginations and supposed opinions

will be according to their works Phil. 3.19 But all true regenerate Christians are spirituall indeed and bring forth the fruits of the spirit let them be for outward office or charge what they will Emperor King Prince Noble Citizen P●sant Preacher hearer they are all of one spirit one soul Phil. 1.27 Gal. 3.26.4.5 Col. 3.11 and lay hold on the unity of the spirit and there is no difference they be all but one in Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew neither circumcision nor uncircumcision neither Barbarian nor Cithian neither bond nor free neither servant nor master maid nor mistresse and so also neither estates spirituall nor secular or temporall neither Laicus nor Clericus neither Priest nor Lay but Christ is all in all and Love the Bond of Perfectnesse doth tye and knit them altogether into one spirit also many members of one body wherof the head is Christ See now and consider the great Phantastery of those Col. 2 18.23 that among such as would be the people of God do vaunt themselves the speciall Priests the spirituall ones the powerfull Ministers of Christ pretending they teach the others in Christ his stead provide revive and comfort their souls with the assurance of everlasting salvation pardon them their sins which God did take away by their means nay they were the means whereby as by a pipe or conduit God did impart faith and the holy Ghost unto men and save them souls and bodies everlastingly they must be present by all means if any doth mean to enjoy a blessed departure out of this world of them and by them they are fed in their souls with the body and blood of Christ if they do but pronounce the word of consecration upon it and when they administer Baptisme that the same is the Regeneration that they themselves are the apple of Gods eye the Messengers of his mouth that he that heareth them heareth Christ himself and by them God doth teach and instruct mankind that God will do nothing without them unlesse it were in case of extremitie then he supplied their part himself yet not indifferently with all but with such onely that had formerly honoured and renounced them and their Ministery that none ought to stumble or take exception against their scandalous life and conversation but look onely upon their function and upon the word that it ought to be esteemed a great mercie of God that he is pleased to give and communicate his graces to other men by such polluted stinking vessels and conduits that the doctrine is pure and sound still be the Doctor never so vile and rotten nay though he were the Devill himself Lo the swelling and strange imagination and the Phantacticall conceitednesse thus men are inthralled withall by the deceit of the spirit of darknesse who casteth such a mist before their eyes in their arts and sciences that they are not able to discern the light of the truth for the thicknesse thereof 2 Cor. 4.4 but are fallen into these abominable Antichristian blasphemies against God and his Christ and seducing such as follow them into the same Phantasterie Silly and besotted men how I pray shall they be able to provide for comfort and solace their or other mens souls when as we see them to be so carelesse and superficiall in regard of their own Do they not live in all carnall pleasures in luxurie uncleannesse drunkennesse gluttonie debo●stnesse in greedie pursuit of vain glory and filthy lucre in pride envy wrath hatred strife contention falshood and deceit walking altogether after the flesh How can they be spirituall I pray they are stark dead in sin and utterly stranged from the knowledge of themselves how shall they be able to shew thee the way to life How shall they teach thee that knowledge of God that is proper onely to the anointing which they have not at all but slander and deride rather Their wickednesse and vice is the very same the Prophets taxed in the Priests and Shepherds and Christ and his Apostles reproved in the Pharisees and the learned among the Jews therefore read and peruse the same and thou shalt find all things agree with the practise of these falsly termed Divines or spirituall men and that they prove yet worse in all regard Blind-Guides alas Matth. 23. how should they be able to speak comfort to any mans soul and to allay their fiery trials agonies and temptations 1 Pet. 2.25 Psal 23. with heavenly cordials the same lying not all in any mans power for onely Christ and none but Christ is the Archshepherd and Bishop Ier. 31.25 Mat. 11.28 29. Psal 107.9 Col. 1.27 1 Thes 1.3 Isa 44.24 Ca. 45.19.22 Isa 42.8 ca. 41.11 Rom. 1.22 Ier. 23.24 Isa 57.15 16. yea the Physitian and the Physick it self of the drooping and distressed souls they can find no rest in any humaine comfort or babling but onely and solely in Christ that uniteth them with God and gives them life for Christ is our life and he in us is that firm and undeceiveable hope of everlasting glory He it is that blotteth out our transgressions for His sake and dispelleth our misdeeds as a cloud and our sins as a mist Therefore turn away thy self from these blind leaders to Christ himself for it is he that redeemeth thee and he will give his glory to none other neither to those self up-start carnall-Idols He needs no deputie nor Vicegerent but as he filleth heaven and earth so he dwelleth in sin-broken hearts as in his Temple and comforteth the spirit of the humble and drooping and hath not need of any other means or Mediator 1 Ioh. 1.2 3. Isa 45.11 Isa 44.2 And the true Messengers of God do testifie and declare this unto their brethren and direct the same to Christ himself as to the well and spring of Life to Him that made them and that was with them from their mothers wombe and they do not take upon them to be his Vicegerents as if they were able to comfort or save the souls of men Who am I 1 Cor. 3. saith St. Paul I have betrothed you to a husband that ye should cleave to Christ as a pure Virgin not suffer your selves to be led aside by the wiles of Satan 2 Cor. 11.2 from the simplicitie in Christ to be directed to such or such or to call your selves after them Ye shall have no Father on earth saith Christ namely of regeneration but onely the heavenly Father who is the onely true Father Matth. 23.9 of all that is called children in heaven and on earth How then can ye call these men the spirituall Fathers of your souls Eph. 3.15 which yet do more hinder then further you in coming to the heavenly Father having taken away the keyes of heaven Matth. 23.13 they neither themselves will enter therein nor suffer you to get into it shutting the gates against you and frighting you away from it with