Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	blood_n	flesh_n	meat_n	9,640	5	9.2298	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54154	The invalidity of John Faldo's vindication of his book, called Quakerism no Christianity being a rejoynder in defence of the answer, intituled, Quakerism a new nick-name for old Christianity : wherein many weighty Gospel-truths are handled, and the disingenuous carriage of by W.P.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1673 (1673)	Wing P1305; ESTC R24454	254,441	450

more Spiritual Nature and Dignity then the Flesh Christ took of the Seed of Abraham for he was made the high Priest of the second Covenant was without beginning of Dayes or End of Life Fourthly Because Christ himself magnifieth the Spirit above the Flesh They look not farther then his Body or Flesh as it was visible to the World and he appointed them to look farther yea to his Flesh and Blood spiritually which is Meat indeed and Drink indeed being that Living Bread which came down from Heaven that who eats thereof shall live forever Joh. 6. 48 to 58 63. And those that see not through and beyond that visible Body of Flesh which was the Vail which the eternal Word took to trasact and represent as in a common Person that which every Child of God ought measurably to witness in his own particular unto the beholding and partaking of the divine Widom Power and Righteousness that dwelt therein which are Meat indeed and Drink indeed unto every hungry and thirsty Soul they are not yet come to the chief Corner-Stone that is Elect and Pretious but are carnal not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Mat. 22. 29. Fifthly Christ Jesus lay'd far more Weight upon the Coming of the Comforter or himself in his second and spiritual Appearance in them among whom he bodily conversed then upon the Continuance of his bodily Presence Joh. 16. 7. intimating that he intended a more spiritual Communion with them they in him and he in them even as he was in his Father his Father in him chap. 17 21 23. a Fellowship beyond what they had already known how could it otherwise have been expedient as the Text expresseth it if the Change from his visible to invisible Presence had not been both more glorious and advantageous His Disciples believed him for the Words he spoak Chap. 16. 30. But ver 31. 32. Jesus answerd them Do you now believe Behold the Hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every Man to his OWN as much as if he had said You shall then know me and believe in me upon a more clear and certain Ground when you shall have received thus of my Fulness and Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. and be scattered to it which is hard to be done while I stay in this Capacity among you therefore it is expedient that I go away as to my bodily Presence Joh. 16. 7. on which you have such great Dependence but I Christ will not leave you comfortless I will come a Comforter unto you Chap. 14. 3 18 19 20. For lo I am with you alwayes even to the End of the World Mat. 28. 20. this is the Christ of God Sixthly Because the Apostle Paul desired not thence forth to know Christ after the Flesh but spiritually as he was the Son of God revealed in himself 2 Cor. 5. 16. Gal. 1. 15 16. and as the Apostle counted all other Knowledge Dross Dung to that of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ reveal'd in him so was he not contented that the Galatians should rest in a fleshly Knowledge of Jesus Christ but travelled in Birth with them like a faithful Witness of the inward Work of God a second time until Christ was formed in them Gal. 4. 19. who doubtless was the true Christ Seventhly Because that Flesh of Christ is called a Vail but he himself is within the Vail which is the Holy of Holyest whereinto Christ Jesus our High Priest hath entered Hebr. 10. 20 21. And as he descended into and past through a suffering State in his fleshly Appearance and returned into that State of Immortality and Eternal Life and Glory from whence he humbled himself which was and is the Holy of Holiest then obscur'd or hid by his flesh or body the Vail while in the World so must all know a Death to their Fleshly Wayes and Religions yea their Knowledge of Christ himself after the Flesh or they stick in the Vail and never enter into the Holy of Holyest nor come to know him in any Spiritual Relation as their High and Holy Priest that abides therein Eighthly Because that Christ lives and dwells in the Hearts of his Children Joh. 14. 23. chap. 15. 5. chap. 17. 21. Coloss 1. 27. which cannot be said of the Outward Body of Christ Therefore I cannot by any means believe that the meer visible Flesh and Body constitutes Christ though I shall confess that respecting the Administration and the Service of that Holy Body fitted and quallified of God as an Instrument to usher introduce and bring it forth into the World it may very well have attributed to it the Name Christ being so nearly related But rather that Divine Nature Wisdom Power Righteousness Grace and Truth of which he is the Fulness whose transcending Glory was vailed by that Body of Flesh he wore and was only let forth in that Day as any were capable of beholding and receiving it which dwelt therein And those who at this Day do seed upon the History of the Bodily Appearance yet honourable in its place know not a breaking through the Vail by witnessing a Measure of the same Divine Wisdom Power Righteousness Grace Truth revealed and born forth in themselves they are but carnal and fleshly Christians being unacquainted with the Formation of the Christ of God in themselves which is the opening of the Mystery of Christ God manifested in the Flesh and Christ abiding the Hope of Glory in the Souls of his People This distinction friendly Reader of Christ and his Body is very unpleasant to me but I am thrust into it by the loud Clamours of our Adversary against us as too short he rests our words so as to rebuke his fond Absurdities I hope sufficiently detected and which was more in my Eye and indeed lay hardest upon my Spirit to oppose and defeat his Carnal Objections against the Glorious Christ of God for by his vehement Out-cries at us as Persons denying the Christ of God because we rather chuse to call that Body that was prepared of God the Body of Christ then Christ himself to beat People off at once from hearkening after our Doctrine of the Spiritual Second Coming of Christ into the Souls of Men for if his Doctrine be true Christ doth not really dwell in his Children thereby depriving the Children of Men from the most Heavenly Enjoyment and Priviledge God hath laid up for them that fear him For I am bold to affirm and that in the Name of the only True and Wise God The True Church is become Christ's Body and he the Divine Wisdom Power and Righteousness lives reigns and puts forth himself in and by her and that all those who come not thus to experience the Christ of God to dwell in them their King Prophet and High Priest who is without Beginning of Dayes and End of Life they are ignorant of God's Christ do stick in the

for them to have come to the true Sense and Knowledge of him and escaped that Wicked Murder and the Deplorable Consequences of it had not been to have waited upon God for the Convictions Discoveries and Guidance of his Holy Spirit since Flesh and Blood and the utmost VVit of Man with the Exactness of the meer Letter of the Scriptures could never give the certain Discerning Knowledge and Savour of him unto that Generation whose very VVords themselves were Spirit and Life It was by a Divine Touch Sense and Knowledge given from above that he was truly di●cern'd own'd and follow'd of those that believ'd in him and cleav'd to him therefore said Christ No man cometh to me but whom my Father draweth Where was that Drawing but within Again Simon Peter Flesh and Blood hath not revealed what who I am but my Father that is in Heaven So that at last Men must come to this Spiritual Sense in themselves to understand and apply the very Commands of Scripture otherwise not Justice but detestable Murder may under the Name of it be confidently perpetrated Wherefore we Exhort all To have Recourse unto God's Spirit that illuminates certainly and gives to act unblamably by which the Scriptures are only understood as they should be and People brought into the Possession of that Life of Righteousness they plentifully declare of Had it not been for this inward Discerning there had been no Ground for the Abolishment of the whole Jewish Service which follow'd some years after Christ's Ascension And it is the same Eternal Spirit that is the great Rule and Judge now which God promised more particularly to shed abroad in the latter Dayes and is the great inseparable Priviledge from the New and Everlasting Covenant But to conclude Why should it seem so Heter●dox in J. Faldo's Judgment since if Men believe the Scripture upon the Testimony of the Spirit they practise it by the Knowledge and Power of the same How else could Paul have decry'd Jewish Ceremonies or we know what to take and what to leave Or why do we omit any Command therein mention'd They Cicumcised therefore must I Circumcise They Baptized must I therefore Baptize with forty more particular Cases wherein nothing can secure any from the Imitation of them set Conviction or Spiritual Dis●erning aside I will offer two or three Testimonies from approved Men in our Defence William Tindal that ancient faithful Protestant Martyr whom J. Fox that writ the Books of Martyrs calls the English Apostle speaks thus That it is impossible to understand in the Scripture more then a Turk for whosoever or any that hath not the Law of God writ in his Heart to fulfil it Again Without the Spirit it is impossible to understand them John Jewel Bishop of Salisbury in his excellent Book against the Papists writ above One Hundred Years ago sayes thus to our purpose The Spirit of God is bound neither to Sharpness of Wit nor to abundance of Learning Oftentimes the Unlearned see that thing that the Learned cannot see Christ saith I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and the Politick and hast revealed them unto the Little Ones Therefore Epiphanius saith Only to the Children of the Holy Ghost all the Holy Scriptures are plain and clear Again Flesh and Blood is not able to understand the Holy Will of God without SPECIAL Revelation Therefore Christ gave Thanks unto his Father and likewise opened the Hearts of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures Without this special Help and PROMPTING of God's Holy Spirit the Word of God is unto the Reader be he never so wise or well learned as the Vision of a Sealed Book Now unless Men are bound to do what they do not understand how to do then only are they to do them where they are Revealed or Discovered to them which being by the Spirit only according to their Doctrine the Testimony and Discoveries of the Spirit are requisite to our understanding of the Scriptures which implies and comprehends a Discriminating Knowledge or Certain Discerning of what we should practise from what is not oblieging upon us to practise and consequently that we ought not to run head-long without such knowledge T. Collier an Ancient and Eminent Man among the Western-Separatists of our Nation writeth thus For me to speak of God because another speaks of him and to be able to talk much of God as I read of him in Scripture NOT BEING MADE ONE IN THE SAME TRUTH I see and speak BUT WHAT ANOTHER HATH SPOKEN and so may speak truly sometimes of God but it is by Hear-say ANOTHER MAN's TRUTH BUT NOT MINE So I doubt many a Soul BOASTS IN ANOTHER MAN's LIGHT Again I see that external Actings according to a Rule without is nothing if not flowing from a Principle of Life and Love within Which is more then E. B. said of whom J. Faldo with unworthy Reflection and base Wrestings hath said so much Thus much of sober Rejoynder and much more then my Adversary's scurrilous Reply deserves but the ConCernment I have for the Information of others drew this from me I shall pass by his Ranting Strain against us at the top of his 36th page desiring to keep close to the Business and where I may without breaking his Matter avoid troubling the World with a Transcript of them I am very careful to do it But this next particular as many more being little else and since he suggests thereby an Untruth with great Confidence against me I should wrong both the Truth and my self in omitting it He charged us with Denying the Scriptures to be any Means to know God Christ or our selves for which he quoted W. Smith's Primmer pag. 2. because he there tells the Questioner that Christ is the Only Way to which J. Faldo answered That though Christ said No Man can come to the Father but by me yet he did not say that there is no coming to the Knowledge of God but by Christ thereby making as I observed in my Return to him a Difference between coming to the Father by the Son and to God by Christ though no other Name be given under Heaven then the Name of Je●us Christ c. That we never deny'd the Scriptures to be a Means in God's Hand to convince instruct or confirm nor could this be W. Smith's Meaning since he would thereby have cut off all Benefit from accruing to People by his Books and also that Ministry he had receiv'd of God In short From our Denying that there is any other Way to the Father but Christ he concludes that we exclude the Scriptures and consequently our own Books and Ministry with them from being any way Instrumental of Good however if I err'd it was in good Company and that J. F. must acknowledge for worthy W. Tindal p. 80. of his Works and H. Bullenger a learned and famous Reformer in Switzerland