Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	body_n	member_n	mystical_a	1,656	5	10.4255	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85315	Stablishing against shaking: or, A discovery of the Prince of Darknesse (scarcely) transformed into an angel of light, powerfully now working in the deluded people called, Quakers: with a sober answer to their railings against ministers for receiving maintenance from their people. Being the substance of one sermon preached Feb. 17. 1655. at Shalford in Essex. / By Giles Firmin (pastour of the church there) upon occasion of the Quakers troubling those parts.	Firmin, Giles, 1614-1697.	1656 (1656)	Wing F967; Thomason E885_13; ESTC R202074	45,528	65

striving after perfection in degrees such perfection we own i. e. uprightnesse but for the Quakers perfection let them keep it Paul found a body of death Rom. 7. and saith he was not perfect Phil. 3.12 Where sinne hath no dominion that man is perfect i.e. Evangelically Psal 19.13 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall be perfect or complete upright yet such an one may have sinnes ver 12. so not perfect legally Who knowes his errours not David but the Quakers Minor But the Quakers light teach people to say they have no sin they are perfect not in our sense This their books are so full of that it were tedious to transcribe Mason spends the seven first pages of his book about this quoting some texts for it where perfection is mentioned which we owne in a sound sense then railing upon the Priests and damning them to hell because they crosse them Mason p. 3. makes great use of Ephes 4.12 c. perfecting of the Saints c. thus he argues if the Saints could not be perfect in this life were not these Apostles and Pastors put upon a needlesse imployment Can the Priests of the nation prove that Saints are tossed in heaven Were Englands blinde watch-men commissionated from Christ they would not prate thus against perfection But if Mason had well understood the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendered perfecting he might have known that the word is translated by others For the gathering together of Saints by others the Coagmentation joyning gluing together of Saints to Christ by faith to the body by love not noting the perfection of the growth but such a perfection as when a body hath all its members He addes presently for the Edifying of the body of Christ What need of Edifying when there is compleat perfection so that till this Mysticall body have all its Members the Ministery must last When a body hath all its Members none wanting broken or out of joynt yet then those Members must grow If he will fetch his strength from the 13. v. a perfect man c. and that perfect man to be meant of every singular believer to what I have said before about perfection I adde we acknowledge there are thousands through mercy of perfect men in England as perfect is opposed to children tossed to and fro in ver 14. saints who stand so unmovable and firme that all the windes of Quakers and other Hereticks doctrines cannot shake them here upon earth But by the former words Till we all come or meet c. he seems to speak of the whole mysticall body which shall be a perfect man when they meet All in the unity c. and of the knowledge of the Son of God But I doe not believe any man hath that perfect knowledge of him in this life which they shall have There are abundance of these true members who dye before they are perfect in inherent holinesse I am sure or else you must cut off most of the members nay all which your friend Castelio in this point dare not doe but hath so much charity to say that such shall be saved but there are no Pastours in heaven to perfect them then the Pastours worke is not needlesse though the members come not to the perfect growth in this life Nay the need of Pastours argue imperfection for when perfection is come there will be no need of these what need of Nurses Tutors School-masters c. when perfection is attained More may be said but I forbear Another Text the Quakers use is Phil 3.15 But what say they to the 12 ver Paul saith he was not perfect Here appears a contradiction But Perfect men may be considered two waies 1. Either with reference to the perfect rule so no man is inherently and legally perfect Or 2. Comparatively with other men thus some are but young scholars they understand not the fulnesse of the righteousnesse of Christ c. but are troubled about Circumcision v. 3. and other Jewish matters others are more growne in the knowledge of Christ and his grace more solid in judgement who are perfect in comparison of others and this perfection he means as the next verse and the observation of the Chapter proves thus some little children young men Fathers 1 Joh. 2.13 Some think he calls the false Teachers the perfect men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanch in loc speaking ironically and nipping them for their boasting Musculus upon this Text tells us of a debate he had with a Franciscan who with great impudencie boasted he was perfect but saith of him he did so rage that he seemed perfect in fury and madnesse the same is evident in these Quakers when crossed for fierce countenances fury raging railing I have not read nor seen the like of such as talke of perfection By what I have said you may answer all they alledge for perfection Thus also Priests ignorance p. 4. Parnel fr fast p. 24. But stay Parnel are you perfect too have you no sinne doe you so dwell in the righteousnesse of Christ I omit thy abominable pride which thou manifestest in thy Books with other sinnes easily to be proved I onely turn thee to 1 Pet. 2.23 When Christ was reviled he reviled not againe Doe you show this Spirit of Christ Let any reade your Reply as you call it to Dr. Draton where you have cut off Goliahs head then judge as you have printed your adversary yet any one shall see what he speaks is with reason scripture and sobriety but what is your return to a man of his quality and yeers Impudent lyar blinde sot blasphemer lyar hypocrite deceiver the book is stuffed with this language Come to the Civil power and see how your infallible spirit carry you there Fru fast p. 10. in your reply to your Mittimus as you call it thus you speak to the four Justices naming them In the Mittimus you finde severall lyes slanders c. I shall reply to the same and return the venome upon your venomous spirits c. This is the perfect man without sinne such also is Naylor and Mason I will give you leave to brag of your perfection but reade Jude 8.9 2 Pet. 2.10 Concluson I doe conclude both from your doctrine and your practice that your light is from Satan Argum 10 Major That light which teacheth people to revile and throw filth upon the true Ministers and true Churches of Christ that is the light of Satan not of Christ Minor But thus doe the Quakers light teach people c. For the Major none will question that 1 Tim. 5.17 There is double honour allowed the labourers in word and doctrine For the Churches they bear such an honourable relation to Christ that sure Christ will not thus teach people to revile them 2 Cor. 11.2 Minor But the light of the Quakers teach people to revile and throw filth on the true Ministers and Churches of