Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	apostle_n	law_n	transgression_n	5,619	5	10.4785	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77227	The Quakers quaking principles examined and refuted in a briefe answer to some erroneous tenets held forth by James Naylor in his answers unto Mr Baxter, and some others that have publikely opposed that blacke spirit in the deluded Quakers. Wherein is also included a serious admonition, how wee ought to behave our selves towards the ministers of the gospell, in respect of communicating unto them; and for giving to the poore, so as the Gospell requires: and to beware of covetousnesse, and the effects thereof, least wee be left of God, and delivered up unto strong delusions, and a blasphemous spirit instead of the spirit of God. The heads of the whole discourse are also premised. / Written by Ellis Bradshavve.	Bradshaw, Ellis.	1656 (1656)	Wing B4147; Thomason E869_1; ESTC R207737	57,239	71

who value their carnall worldly things above God and Christ and the furtherance of the Gospell and things of an eternall nature Nay how can or dare they blesse such covetous men whom the Lord abhorres which is onely proper to wicked men I say it is onely proper for wicked men to blesse the covetous whom the Lord abhorres see Psal 10.3 And what greater signe of covetousnesse can be exhibited then the neglect of this duty And the love of money is the roote of all evill therefore how shall any man expect any good branches or sprouts from it I am very confident and not without many good grounds from Scripture which I can easily shew that this sinne of covetousnesse doth and may raigne in professors of Religion and they not discover it in themselves but may expect salvation through Jesus Christ till they depart this life and yet be eternally damned see onely for this Mat 25.41 to the end where their sentence is pronounced against them altogether for their neglect of duty even to the least of those little ones that beleeve in Christ and is really accounted as a neglect of duty to him to wit I was hungry and yee gave mee no meate c. The place is well knowne I wish it were as well laid to heart by all that professe Christianitie There would not so many goe blindfold to hell One would thinke it sufficient to know these things before-hand to warne all men as the Apostle doth to beware of covetousnesse as the most dangerous roote of sinne that can be least growing in the heart of man And the rather because it hath so many cloakes and covers both to hide it selfe from our owne eyes and the eyes of others As frugalitie good husbandry providing for our families the examples of other men that are well accounted of for Christianitie and the expectation of others that are nearer in relation for doing such works as are required of us and the faults discernable or suspected to be in the objects of our charitie or beneficence or because wee have not enough for our selves but that wee may come to want it for our selves or ours or wee are not yet sufficiently rich in lands or goods our neast is not throughly feathered for our selves and ours our ambition is not satisfied and such like many which are easily produced they are so common and every one hath them ready upon all occasions to hinder them from doing good the answering whereof would make my booke swell to a great volume But this I say briefly that if any of these or any other beare sway in us to hinder us in the least from our duties this way it is a great signe that covetousnesse raignes in us for the present and that so continuing it will bring us to hell one would thinke it enough to know that the Lord abhorres us if wee be covetous to make us to abhorre our selves and repent in dust and ashes for the least token of it to be found in us For whom the Lord abhorres wee ought to abhorre likewise wee ought to hate covetousnesse where ever wee see it in our selves or others And where wee see it raigne in any man wee ought to abhorre such a man as odious and abominable yea as a base spirited and ignoble person such as is not worthy of any Christian fellowship or communion The Apostle hath enumerated covetous persons amongst such as are so scandalous as that they are not to be compared together with if they be of such as are called brethren see 1 Cor 5.11 And so doe I likewise if they appeare to be such but these many cloakes doe so hide and cover them both from themselves and others as Judas was hid from the Disciples under specious pretences and covers to his utter destruction That they are not easily found out but goe for Saints of God and without so much as being suspected And were it not for swelling my booke over great it were easie to discover this odious sinne and such in whom it raignes and to make them appeare odious by convincing arguments and that from Scripture-grounds such as no man can deny But it would require a prettie volume I must not be so large in this Treatise but shall leave the further prosecution thereof till another opportunitie A paralell list of some of the manifest contradictions betwixt the teachings of the Spirit of God and of that spirit by which the Quakers are guided spirited and acted to wit 1. Their spirit teacheth them that there is no light but one spoken of in Scripture and that this light is within in every mans conscience and so they must turne their minds inward to looke for light and obey that measure of light they finde there for it is sufficient to leade them into all truth and to guide them in all the wayes of God and is an infallible guide so that if they obey that light within they cannot eire nor commit any sinne and that if they have but the least measure of the Spirit of God it is sufficient so that they need not to search the Scriptures for attaining to the knowledge of God and of Christ nor the teachings of men for they have that within them which will teach them sufficiently And all have this light they say yea every one that commeth into the world and this light is Christ the eternall light But the Spirit of God teacheth us That there are more lights than one though all from that eternall light For saith Christ As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world John 9.5 And saith he Yee are the light of the world speaking to his Disciples Mat. 5.14 15 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes c. And John was a burning and a shining light Now these inferiour lights are not lighted to be put under a bushell but on a Candlesticke that they may give light to the whole house to wit the whole Church they were lighted from that eternall light for that purpose and not to be covered Nor shall their light held forth in Scripture be covered from the true Church but they doe and shall give heed thereto as to a light shining in a darke place Nay though Satan himselfe be transformed into an Angell of light They shall not beleeve every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God seeing many false Prophets are gone forth into the world And by their fruits they shall know them and finde them to be Theeves and Robbers and shall detect them by the light of God held forth in Scripture which is a sure word of Prophesie containing many sure examples and patternes and commands which are and shall be as a lanterne to their feete and a light unto all their pathes And therefore they will give attendance unto reading and to exhortation and to doctrine and they will teach them to their children and to their childrens

children for so they are commanded by the Spirit of God in the holy Scriptures And to take heed to the Law and Testimonie whereby they will try the spirits whether they be of God for if they doe not speake according to these it is because there is no light in them but the spirit of darknesse that Ruleth in the children of disobedience as is more at large in the booke 2. Secondly their spirit teacheth them to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and to call them carnall and a dead letter But the Spirit of God teacheth us that every word of God is pure and that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and that the words which Christ hath spoken to us are spirit and life to them that beleeve them and receive them in love 3. Their spirit teacheth them to speake evill of all men that embrace not their lying doctrines and wayes But the Spirit of God teacheth us to speake evill of no man but to honour all men and as much as in us lyeth to have peace with all men 4. Their spirit teacheth them to Revile and disparage the Ministers of God and to blame and Revile those that heare them and maintaine them But the Spirit of God teacheth us to love and honour them and to communicate freely and liberally for their maintenance that they may have lacke of nothing nor need to labour and intangle them with the affaires of this life they being ingaged in a spirituall warfare against princiyalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse c. For if it be true that God hath so ordained that they that preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell Then it also followeth that such Churches or people whomsoever that doe not so ordaine and take care or doe not so communicate to those that teach them as that they may live of the Gospell and have lacke of nothing for themselves or theirs but doe inforce them to labour with their owne hands and to intangle themselves with the affaires of this life They are not obedient to the Gospell of Christ nor followers of God as his deare children neither doe they walke in love as Christ hath loved us nay they are so farre unlike Christians as that they are worse then Infidells for if it were an unjust thing and a worke of crueltie to mussle the mouth of an Oxe that treadeth out the corne How much more cruell will it one day appeare to mussle the mouth of a Minister and Messenger of God that Ruleth well and laboureth in the Word and Doctrine Are they not more in value in the sight of God then many sparrowes yea then many Oxen Doubtlesse they are so in the sight of God and ought to be so in the sight of Christians But how much pressing will this point need before it be effectuall so as to naturalize Christians like Christians indeed I have much more in a Manuscript that I writ long since concerning this point which when the Lord seeth good may likewise be held forth But 5. Their spirit teacheth and ingageth them also and that upon paine of eternall damnation not to use the word You but thou or thee to a single person But the Spirit of God never gave us any such charge nor are wee so limited by any Rule in Scripture but quite the contrary For wee are commanded to give custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare honour to whom honour Now it is the Custome of all true Christians in our English Nation to use this word You when they direct their speech either to man or woman especially if they be their superiours or if but their equalls and that in meere civilitie as it is accounted fitt And is seldome otherwise amongst civill men that have any breeding or humanitie in them and are not brutishly Irrationall and besotted in their minds save onely in case when men are transported with passion as sometimes civill men may in case when provoked by some injurie or incivilitie offred them and when they shew their displeasure or it may be are ready to fight they beginne to thou each other and to Revile and reproach and miscall one another just as the spirit of the Quakers also acteth them but never at any time whiles they are in love and friendship and sobrietie And that is the reason as I suppose why the spirit in the Quakers will not allow them to give us any civill language because hee cannot love us nor indure to be at peace with us but must needs shew his wrath and malice against us it is so implacable and bitterly seated and habituated in him for there was enmitie put betwixt the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent even from the beginning And therefore it is that if the Quakers should love us and give us civill language hee could not indure to have any fellowship with them nor would hee owne and spirit and act them as hee now doth if they did not obey him in acting so malitiously and opprobriously against the people of God and against all Gods Ordinances yea against the Scripture it selfe and so by consequence against the Spirit of God which gave it forth But it is wonderfull to mee how hee ever wrought them up to such a height of exorbitancies in all these things For it cannot be but meere civilitie and rationalitie and their wonted customes of civilitie ingaged them to be shie and unwilling at the first to use them it being so Improper a language and carriage for children to thou their Parents servants their Masters subjects their Majestrates and inferiours their superiours of all sorts and Relations and bringeth them into such a snare as that they are made uncapable of living amongst and conversing with men or occupying any trade merchandize especially and chiefly with strangers who cannot but thinke them either to be naturall fooles or distracted persons or some angerie uncivill malicious men which will make them afraid to have any trading or dealing with them And the truth is this their grosse incivilitie doth much hinder their growth and multiplying And without all question Satan would give them a full dispensation in many of these things if it were not so that hee is forced through his malice onely to act with and in such men as are really mal gniz'd against the people of God and are first really ingaged to him in voluntary obedience in something or other that he well knoweth will worke a separation from the children of light else hee could not exspect to keepe them in darknesse But to keepe them in darknesse hee first perswadeth them that it is their duty to God to observe the language held forth in Scripture and the examples of Christ and his Apostles and upon paine of damnation not to varie from it Now it is true that thee and thou were commonly used in Scripture-language But for ought wee know not because the word you had been a sinne for

it is not forbidden in Scripture and where there is no Law there is no transgression But the reason was because it was the customarie language in those dayes the which then to have aborated from had been offensive as the contrary is now And then againe hee telleth them that it is Improper to use the word you to a single person and they stand much upon the proprietie of the language thee and thou and thinke themselves wise and all others fooles that use any other Yet in case when they speake to more then one they use the word you and doe allow it as orthodox in their Religion Now if they will grant us this wee shall need no more to warrant our practise Rea For wee say with Solomon Eccle 4.10 Woe to him that is alone for when hee falleth hee hath not a second to lift him up And so also our blessed Saviour said of himselfe I am not alone but I and the Father that sent mee Joh 8.16 And I am one that beare witnesse of my selfe and the Father that sent mee beareth witnesse of mee vers 18. And in another place I and my Father are one Now the Quakers beleeve and are very confident and boast much of it that the eternall Spirit of God which was in Christ Jesus is in them also and if so then they are not alone but God is with them as hee was with Christ in some measure And as Christ said to his Apostles It is not you that speake but the Spirit of your Father speaketh in you And the truth is If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Now then if they be not alone they are not meerely single persons And therefore may properly use the word you one to another which yet they doe not And suppose that others who have not the Spirit of Christ ' have the spirit of Satan in them as the Quakers say that wee have Then yet such are not alone nor properly single but the word you may be properly used to such also and therefore if they sticke but upon proprietie of language if they will get a dispensation from their spirit to use it to us wee have a dispensation from that Spirit by which wee are acted to use it to them And I also beleeve that as Christ could truely say I and my Father are one So also may some of them say properly and truely I and my father are one For some men are as properly one with the Devill as Christ was with God and are as properly guided and acted by him and therefore are not alone in that respect but are two persons united so together as that they are properly one in one sence and properly two in another And therefore the word you nor the word thee or thou is Improper language to be spoken to any that is so spirited So that the proprietie of our language being cleared If they cannot finde it forbidden in Scripture wee have not onely a dispensation to use it but doe account it our dutie in regard it is the Custome of our Country least wee should offend For wee must give no offence neither to Jew nor Gentile neither to the Church of God And it is such grosse incivilitie and such an angerie kinde of language that any stranger would beleeve that wee are ready to fight them And so in stead of provoking one another unto love and to good workes wee are more likely to provoke them unto hatred and wrath and to doe us some injurie in regard wee give them such disgracefull language And by that meanes in stead of As much as in us lyeth to have peace with all men wee should bring it about to have peace with no man And that for no cause but to please the adversarie the accuser of the brethren and his complices the Quakers whom hee enslaveth and befooleth in these and such like things 6. And againe their spirit teacheth them not to put off their hatts nor bow their bodies in reverence or respect to any man at all in what place or Relation soever hee be nor in way of curtesie when they meete with friends neither to drinke one to another in a modest and moderate way for this they call worshipping of men and drinking one to another they say is to provoke them to excesse c. the which wee deny for they are not alwayes used for such ends But the spirit of God teacheth us so clearely to the contrary that wee need not to plead the custome of the Country to excuse us in these for they are all included under this command of the Apostle to wit Bee yee courteous and tender-hearted towards all men And it were easie to proove that bowing of the body was the customarie reverence in old time But I need not I shall rather aske them what courtesie at all they shew to any man upon any occasion And that taking off the hatt is a proper Reverend duty to those whom wee honour and doe and ought to reverence is easie to proove And wee are commanded to honour all men So that if wee know them to be dutyes either of love or honour wee are bound to use them Nay if they be proper expressions of love or honour and that wee have any spirit of love or honour in us it will naturally ingage us to use such expressions one to another if wee were not so commanded But there is doubtlesse some men in these last dayes are without naturall affections accoring as was prophesied 2 Tim 3.3 And those like bruit beasts made to be taken and to be destroyed 2 Pet 2.12 From such it is not to be expected no more then love for they should but dissemble if they should make a shew of what they have not And it were better to be without then to be deceived by their outward shews And therefore by my consent they shall never be perswaded to use them at all till their cordiall love and respects ingage them sincerely to it which can never be till they love us better And wee may not expect any love from them whiles they are acted and guided by our old adversarie the enemy of mankinde who hateth any thing in us that in the least resembleth the Image of God And wherefore is it required that wee should honour all men but because there is at least some Remnant of the Image of God excistent in them For man is the Image and the glory of God as I might shew at large but I have been too long about so cleare a point yet this further I shall make bold to assert namely That where the Spirit of God dwelleth there is also the Spirit of love for it is but the same For God is love And where there is love it will act curteously and tender-heartedly and that towards all men And doe but marke the Quakers how many of those fruits of the Spirit of God Gal 5.22 23. you can finde in them

or so much as the least shew of them and then you may judge by whose Spirit they are acted But saith the Apostle the fruit of the Spirit is love Joy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance against which there is no law Now for my part I see not so much as a shew of any of these in them but the quite contrary are manifest in them to wit hatred sadnesse of spirit and countenance no peace with any man no long-suffering but hastie rage no gentlenes but severe austeritie and imperious bitternes no goodnesse but cleare malignitie against all goodnesse no saith in God but in a lying spirit within them whom they obey and serve and worship as God no meeknesse for they are hastie and angerie and revengefull no temperance in their tongues and pens And therefore every Law of God is against them let them try themselves by this if they please and try them who will and they shall finde them such and so farre off from loving or honouring any man at all in whom the Image of God is in a great measure renewed As that they doe what they can to disparage and dishonour and to cause them to be abhorred For if they discover any fault or weaknesse or frailtie in any man they are readie with all the wit and skill they have to publish and aggravate the same to the highest pitch But I never heard them speake good of any man unlesse of themselves nor tooke notice so of them as to commend them for their vertues in the least degree but the Spirit of God doth otherwise Rev 2.2 though he have somewhat against them vers 4. c. 7. And againe their spirit teacheth them as much as in them lyeth to destroy and pull downe mens faith and hope which they have in God telling them they see death in their faces and that they are eternally damn'd and such like language judging all men they meete with before the time now the end of Satan in this is to destroy their weake faith telling them if they be not perfect and free from sinne they are sure to be damned But the Spirit of God teacheth us to judge nothing before the time but to edifie one another in our holy faith and not to quench the smoaking flax nor breake the bruised reede but to support and strengthen one another and to comfort one another by holding forth the promises and that to sinners for Christ came not to call the rightous but sinners to repentance and if any if any man saith hee hath no sinne hee deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him And if any man sinne hee is not presently damned by the Apostle as the Quakers would doe but hee telleth us Wee have an Advocate with the Father c. who is the propitiation for our sinnes And the truth is if none must be saved but such as have no sinne there will but few be saved indeed I beleeve all the Quakers will come short of heaven For if those their doctrines and wayes and practises be not manifest sinnes there is no sinne at all in men or Devills And what was the end for which Christ came into the world but to save sinners they would make his blood of none effect for if men could be saved by their owne righteousnesse Christ dyed without a cause And who ever is justified by the Law is fallen from grace for it is not of grace but debt if men be perfectly just of themselves But if it be of grace then it is by faith and that in the righteousnesse of Christ which is not properly ours but by the application thereof through faith which faith also is the gift of God and given freely of meere grace also and that to whom hee pleaseth yet it is given to all his Elect and that in due time And this will exclude all the Quakers boastings and trusting in themselves that they are righteous and despising others as Pharisaicall 8. And Eightly Their spirit teacheth them not to put off their hatts when they pray unto God or preach and that in publike Congregations so that it evidently appeareth that they give no honour or worship either to God or man but onely to to that lying spirit within them And surely if they thinke themselves too good to worship or honour God it is no marvaile that they give no honour or respect unto man who is but his Image at the best when perfect But the Spirit of God teacheth us That every man praying or prophesying having his head covered dishonoureth his head see 1 Cor 11.4 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head for as much as hee is the Image and glory of God vers 7. 9. Ninthly Their spirit teacheth them most prophanely to call the Psalmes of David Davids Rimes and Balads and jeare towards us because wee sing them in meeter Oh prophane spirits But the spirit of God teacheth us to sing them with grace in our hearts unto the Lord and biddeth us If any be merry let him sing Psalmes James 5.13 Coloss 3.16 They know not what it is to speake unto themselves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing and making melody in their hearts unto the Lord see Eph 5.19 No such strangers as they shall intermeddle with the Saints Joy It is too unspeakeable and full of glorie to be communicated unto them Though they sport themselves with their owne deceivings sometimes But it will not reach to such a measure of Joy as to expresse themselves in singing of Psalmes in praise unto God and thankfullnesse of heart as he requireth of us Neither doth any inforce them nor any other till they doe it heartily as unto the Lord yet the Saints are commanded see Psal 30.4 Sing unto the Lord yee Saints of his and give thankes at the remembrance of his holinesse But it is no marvaile at them in this for where is there any ordinance of God but they despise and jeare them and such also as observe and keepe them in sinceritie of heart Which maketh cleare to mee that they have no knowledge of God at all but of a wicked lying malicious spirit that is an enemy unto all goodnesse But I have raked too long in these stinking puddles that are so nautious to the stomackes of all the truely godly as that they will scarce reade them much lesse will they daigne to answer them in every particular accoridng to their folly Save onely in regard that their mouthes must be stopped because they subvert whole houses see Tit 1.11 Yet the holy Ghost biddeth us answer a foole according to his folly least he be wise in his owne conceite So that it is lawfull and a duty also to answer such who are in folly and thinke themselves wise in such their foolishnesse that so if possible at least their conceite of their owne wisdome might be remooved For a man once wise in his owne conceite there is more hope of a foole then of such a man And such I conceive some of the Quakers to be and therefore have little hope of prevailing with them Yet perceiving so many that are counted religious to plead much for them and rather incline to embrace their doctrine being seduced thereby and too much deluded I have taken some paines in searching their bookes to finde out the bottome and tendencie of their doctrines and wayes and practises and the depth of Satan and his enterprises therein that some of them at least might be undeceived and have endeavoured to discover them and make them to appeare in their owne native colours and from whence they come and whither they tend committing the successe and event thereof to the great Lord both of heaven and earth the God of the spirits of all flesh to make it effectuall as it pleaseth him and to take impression on whom he pleaseth according to his infinite wisdome and goodnesse and mercy To whom be for ever ascribed as it is justly due all the honour and glory and power and praise for ever and ever Amen Amen FINIS