Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	1,647	5	11.3808	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82020	A publick discovery of a secret deceit. Or, the man of sin unmasked, his sheeps-clothing of glorious pretences pulled off; and his wolvish inside set forth in its colours. Where may easily be discerned Satan transformed into the resemblance of an angel of light, in that sect or society commonly called Quakers. Being nineteen quæries, directed to their speakers at the Bull and Mouth neer Aldersgate: and answered by that grand fomenter of heresie, James Nayler. With a reply thereunto, and fourteen queries more returned by him unto me, fully answered: and twenty four more proposed. / By me John Deacon.	Deacon, John, 17th cent.	1656 (1656)	Wing D487; Thomason E884_6; ESTC R207313	47,188	67

journey to their rest at Mount Sinai God made unto them a repetition of that Law once written in mans heart which Steven calls the lively Oracles of God then not a dead letter This is the time and manner how it was changed and that which once was written in mans heart and was sufficient is now become unsufficient Act. 7 38 53. for else if it either then was or how is sufficient of it selfe then hath God wrought a work in vaine which to assert is to suspect if not to accuse God of folly But then if that Law written in mans heart were not sufficient to its proper end as to direct and guide in matters of moral righteousnesse but that it was necessary that the Law should enter on mount Sinai Rom. 5.10 Rom. 3.19 20 21 22 23. Rom. 7.9 10. Heb. 10.20 Isa 42 16. Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.13 as an exact rule that so offences which were not manifest might abound in the eyes of sinners how much lesse could or can that Law which brings the knowledge of sinne and a curse and yet is but the same that once was written in mans heart and therefore that which you so much stand for both justifie and glorifie wherefore it was a gaine not onely necessary but of necessity that the Gospel or Law from Mount Sion the Law of Faith should also enter which leads us in a neerer way by a Mediator who came to doe what the Law from Mount Sinai or in mans heart could not do and hence it is that both your Society Rom. 2.14 Phil. 3.9 Isa 53.1 Rom. 10.14 Luke 24.47 and naturally all men runs unto Mount Sinai for righteousnesse and life in and by personal obedience because it is that Law which is or at leastwise once was written in mans heart which cannot but own what it could not so fully dictate and you with the rest of your factious Fraterty put your Proselytes upon Rom. 4.15 and man so easily closeth with contrary unto the Gospel which is not first made known this I dare boldly assert by seeing within but hearing tydings without and in that you ask what that was which led the Primitive Saints before the Letter was written in wayes accepted I say when there was no Law there was no transgression Exo. 16.8 Josh 5.11.12 so then it must needs follow that their sins were no sinnes because they were not imputed not that I beleeve this onely though perhaps more principally presented them excepted but it is probable and I partly beleeve it too that they had immediate Revelations of Gods will for before the Scriptures were in the Letter visible there was still a supply of Prophets whereby that which is now fully written was then by peece-meals revealed as occasion required and as Israel when they had no crop or vintage they were supply'd with a sufficiency of manna from Heaven but when they came into the land of their rest a land flowing with milk and honey where all things were setled in a competent standing order they had no more manna by piece-meals as their allowance they had all things supply'd by a constant course sufficient Heb. 1.29 nay in redoundancy and lay as we use to say at rack and manger so when that which by peace-meals was revealed was written in an absolute literal method there needed no more revealing by degrees when we have alwayes in store the whole and despise them not for such offence hath certainly a reward Quere 2. Seeing you say the Scripture is a Rule declare in plainnesse is the whole Scriptures a rule to all men women to take up the practice thereof or how much of it is and to how many people and to whom in particular seeing the Saints in all Ages had their particular commands how may weak people know which of their commands they must take up and which they must not and when they have found the commands where they must have the power whether that which gives the commands be not the power only accepted for performance deal plain herein that people may know what to doe and what they have done that they be not alwayes learning and never able to come to the end of their labours and rest of God An Answer to the Second Query When first I considerately perused this your Query I in part determined to have returned it back as I found it holding it a thing cautious whether it were a subject lawful to dispute without a prejudice to conscience savouring so much of spiritual presumption that I leave it unto you to consider and examine whether it extend to heretical abomination or no But considering the instability of your vitiated braines which with a blast mounts upon the falatious clouds of vain glorious imaginations as to boast of the victory before the encounter I thought better to give it a curb then to passe it by uncorrected Forasmuch as you query how much of the Scripture is useful how much not it evidently appeares you suspect if not assert some of it to be uselesse which seemes unto me an apparent suspecting of Gods perfect wayes in his actings for if God hath made or composed any thing that is uselesse then hath he wrought in vain and this to believe and teach appeares unto my apprehension little better if any thing at all then blasphemy in a high degree for private Saints had never particular peculiar commands but that which was pleasing to God in one was also acceptable in another so the command was not particular or at the least not peculiar for this were to affirm mutability in God that the thing which pleased him now should not content him another time except upon some more then extraordinary occasions and this would be at the least partiality in him which is abominable to suppose but it is freely confessed that the Saints in their particular employments had particular commands as Noah Gen. 6.13 14. that all mankinde might not be destroyed had a particular command to build an Ark and Moses to deliver Israel from their bondage had a peculiar command to Egypt to lead them through the Sea to hew forth Tables to receive the Commandements and to consecrate Aaron had a command to array himself in Priestly Ornaments Exod. 3.10 11. Exod. 14.16 22. Exod. 34.1 Exod. 28. chap. ● Joh. 1.33 Mat. 10.5 6 7. Mark 6.7 Luk. 9.1 2. St. John to Baptize and the Apostles to Preach and the like all except the two last were peculiar to them without others the two last particular to them with others and an innumerable more might be named but it is needlesse yet this is no inducement at all to occasion a division of that sort in that which God hath inseparably united although there be remedies for every malady cures for every contagion and medicines for every misery spiritual and as the Pooles of Bethesda for all persons and all diseases This hath been discoursed of at