Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	aaron_n	call_v	follow_v	18	3	4.8916	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89189	A sober ansvvere to an angry pamphlet, or, Animadversions, by way of reply, to Robert Barclays late book (entituled, Truth cleared of calumnies) in answere to A dialogue between a Quaker and a stable Christian by VVilliam Mitchell.	Mitchell, William, 17th cent.	1671 (1671)	Wing M2294; ESTC R43708	69,116	149

He asketh Why I cite Ephes 4.11 Answer To shew that Christ appointed Ministers to be in his Church and here is touched the principal and publick Officers given to his Church whereof the three first were extraordinary and but temporary and the three last ordinary and perpetual For should these cease as the former Then Christ might come under that imputation of not being faithful to his promise who gave them to continue till we all come in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man He addeth That it is owned by them that the Ministry is not common yet that hinders not but that any of them may speake when the saints are met together according to 1. Cor. 14.31 Answer I would aske how he can make out that the prophesying mentioned in that place is an ordinary Office And if it be extraordinary then it can be no foundation for Quakers to build an ordinary practise upon Besides when it is said ye may all prophesie one by one it is not to be understood of all the members of the Church indifferently for some are forbidden expresly to speak in the Church verse 34. And therefore that all must be referred to the Prophets all the Prophets may prophesie and the same Apostle saith all are not Prophets 1. Cor. 12.29 He alledgeth it is not proved that some are called to the Ministry īmediatly without the intervention of men and some mediatly by men authorized for that purpose Answer Were not the Prophets and Apostles called immediatly The Lord sent them by his own immediat command Amos. 7.15 Matth. 16.1.6.7 was nor Timothy set a part to the work mediatly by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1. Timothy 4.14 And it was given him in charge to lay hands suddainly on no man 1. Tim. 5.22 we deny not but such recorded in Scripture as had a mediat outward Call to the Ministry had also an inward Call that is competent qualifications gifts and abilities for the work but it must be observed that the inward call and immediat call are not the same thing In Scripture the one is opposed to the other Paul who was immediatly called to be an Apostle opposeth himself 1. To false Apostles who were called by the meer authority of men 2. He opposes himself to ordinary Ministers who might have an inward call from GOD and an outward call from men appointed by GOD for this work see Gal. 1.1 Paul an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ. He addeth That they who come preaching the Gospel not in speach onely but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit give sufficient proof that they are called of GOD. Answer Methinks then he should have more favourable thoughts of PROTESTANT MINISTERS who have been and are powerful Preachers of the Gospel being able to give as evidences of their mission from GOD besides their competent qualifications and ordination to the Ministry the success of and some dayly assistance of the Spirit in their Labours and yet the Quaker in the heat and anger of their spirits do not spare such But stepping up to the Throne of Judgement they impiously censure them as deceivers hypocrites and children of the Devil He maketh much ado page 58. as if we were falling in with Papists in pleading for miracles when as it is known we do not pretend to the doing of miracles onely if men be so bold as to assert an immediat call which the Quakers do such as the Apostles had we think it meet that they shew the signs of their Apostoleship and the tokens of their immediat call which hath been alwayes accompanyed either with the working of miracles foretelling of things to come or some other extraordinary thing Ionah foretold the destruction which within fourty dayes was to come upon Nineveh Iohns call was attended with extraordinary things at his conception and birth and there were singular predictions concerning him Object So there are special predictions concerning the Lords pouring forth of his Spirit upon many in these latter dayes to prophesie Answer I suppose the special prediction which he aimes at is Joel 2.28 now this prediction was accomplished in the extraordinary pouring forth of the Spirit upon the Apostles when they were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with tongues the Apostle urgeth this as the accomplishment of that promise in Joel see Act. 2.15.16.17 When Quakers can manifest that Scripture predictions of preparing the way of the Lord are applyed to them by Angels and confirmed by the testimony of Christ as they were to Iohn we shal then look upon them as called as he was but not till then He saith that Tit. 1.5 Act. 14.23 Prove not that those Elders had not the Call of the Spirit of GOD in themselves Answer What ever inward call they might have yet they had not an immediat call which is by the immed at voice and command of GOD without the intervention of men and therefore in that Moses consecrated Aaron it followeth that his call was not immediat but rather an extraordinary mediat call and yet he was called of GOD being set a part in that way which the Lord had prescribed and appointed SECT II. Proving the continuance of the MINISTRIE He addeth that my proof from Ephes 4.12.13 is altogether impertinent because we are against the perfection of the Sa nts in this life Answer This is a pregnant and pertinent proof to bold forth the continuance of the Ministry the terme whereof is the day of judgement For this Ministry must cōtinue till all the Elect come meet in that compleat unity not onely of opinion but also of he art and affection which is called the unity of the faith and it is that which the Saints shal attaine unto being come to the state and degree of perfection in the life to come which state is here called a perfect man Neither can it be gathered from verse 14. that this perfection is on earth where the Apostle onely sheweth that the Ministry of the word is a meane ordained by God to preserve keep his People from the poyson of dangerous errours and from the snares of subtile crafty seducers It is true the Ministry is given for perfecting of the Saints and hereby as a meane they are brought to perfection in parts and pressed to seek after an absolute full perfection even in degrees Now in casting of the Ministry that we plead for namely a Ministry according to the order delivered by the Apostles and prescribed in the word Quakers manifest themselves to be enemies to the Ministry of Christ and injurious to their own souls XIII HEAD Concerning the SABBATH SECT I. The observation of the SABBATH is warranted by the fourth Command He addeth page 59. That as the fourth Command requireth the observation of one day of seven so it expresly instanceth that day to be the seventh Ans Though the

but Pagans may have the same by their light else their Light is not sufficient Now is not the tendency of this opinion to make the Gospel a vaine and needless thing and mens labour in Preaching the Gospel wholly unnecessary Yea it tends to make men impiously proud as if they needed not to be beholden to GOD for more light And therefore if any of the Quakers judgdement had been over-hearing David when be prayed Open mine eyes that I may understand the wonderful things of the law give me understanding that I may keep thy precepts They might have been bold to correct David saying look to the Light within thee that 's sufficient what needest thou pray for more Whereas he saith page 17. That men are said to be brutish in their knowledge and to have no understanding because they turn their backs upon the light and will not follow it Answere This is but petitio principis a begging of the question which yet must not be given upon alms without solid proof taking it for granted that persons who are bruitish in their knowledge having no understanding yet have saving Light in them which they refuse to follow Before the Quaker speake of mens being in darkness because of their opposition to the Light It would concerne him first to prove that the wicked who in Scripture are called darkness have saving Grace and Light in them Can dead men have this saving Light And is not every man by Nature Spiritually dead Ephes 2.1 To assert that persons Spiritually dead have saving grace and light in them looks like a contradiction for then they should be spiritually dead and not spiritually dead And though according to Scripture they be children of darkness yet according to Quakers they should be children of light for to be a child of light is as much as to be one in whom there is saving grace and light sufficient to guide him to please GOD Luk. 16.8 If it may well be supposed as he saith that the light in some is darkness then the Quaker would do well in exhorting his Disciples to bid them take heed of their light and not to it This was Christs way of exhortation Luke 11.35 And as I remember that phrase take heed to the light of GOD within which is so common among Quakers is not to be found in all the Scripture Neither can saving light which is from Christ in any sense be called darkness as the Quaker insinuateth calling it darkness to them that reject it in that it giveth them not comfort and joy c. VVe owne that a disconsolate state wherein men walk without comfort is called darkness but this name is no where given to Christs saving light which he setteh up in the soul and though comfort and joy be the result of the souls assurance and confidence of being in a state of light yet this joy and comfort is not the proper effect of that light which proceedeth from Christ but of that Lord who gave the light who is therefore stiled the God of all Comfort 2. Cor. 1.4 He denyeth that having of saving light and grace presupposes Conversion which he illustrateth by the similitude of a wound and plaister the being healed of a wound presupposes the plaister but the applicatiō of the plaister presupposeth not the being healed Ans What is this to the purpose For when a man has saving light grace he is in part healed cured of the dominion and reigning power of sin And ths supposeth an application of healing grace which is conveyed into the soul by the converting and sanctifying Power of the Spirit of GOD and to make a difference between having of saving Grace and being in a state of Grace is but the figment of the Quakers own braine It s true the wicked do not stand in grace For how can they stand in that which they have not He addeth page 18. That there may be a sufficient light in men who may be said after a certaine manner not to have the Spirit as wicked persons have not the Spirit bringing forth the fruits thereof in them to wit love meekness goodness faith c. Answere Can that person be said to have sufficient light who is destitute of goodness and wants faith which units to Christ in whom the Christians strength and sufficiency lyes Philp. 4.13 And without whom we can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 Besids having the spirit implyes the souls receiving of the spirit and this phrase notes the implantation of the Graces of the spirit in the soul at its Conversion and Regeneration VVhere the spirit of the LORD is there is liberty 2. Cor. 3.17 this spirit is a spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4.13 and though the spirit reprove and convince the wicked and by his motions call upon them and strive with them yet it will not follow that they have sufficient light or saving light for men may have reproofes strivings convictions that are far from saving grace And unless the Quaker can make out that the Spirit calls upon every man and strives with every man in order to his conversion then he cannot conclude that all have the Spirit even according to his own notion of mens having the Spirit and if all have not the spirit then all have not sufficient light as for that place Ioh. 16.8 it rests for him to prove that the word world which is homonymous is there taken for all and every one throughout the world SECT II. The necessity of the Knowledge of Christs outward Crucifixion He telleth us page 19. 20. That the Apostle 1. Cor. 2.2 Speaketh not of Christ as crucified outwardly but of him as he was inwardly crucified in the Corinthians as the word imports being rightly translated out of the Greek I determined no to know any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in you Answere Here he hath no ground to except against our Translation the words being solidly and soundly enough translated for by an ordinary Enallage which particularly is called Protheseon Parallaga which is the putting of one preposition for another in is rendered among and this is consonant to the Hebrew and Greek see Genes 34.30 ye have made me to stink Bejoshev haaretz in incoll●s ter●ae and yet it s translated among the inhabitants of the Earth Then Acts 6.8 Stephen did great wonders and miracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in populo and yet who justly quarrel if it be said that the wonders and miracles were wrought among the people Then Luke 1.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedicta tu in mulieribus but yet it must be rendered for making it good sense blessed art thou inter mulieres among women 1. Cor. 2.6 we speak wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in perfectis in the perfect and yet the skilfullest Translators render it inter perfectos among the perfect Paul in delivering his message was not in them though they wanted not inward fruits of that Gospel which he Preacht to and among them That it

of duty The joy that is in a little hearty praying is beyond all the joyes that the world can afford Isaiah 56.7 Fourthly Persons cannot pray aright without the spirit and therefore the prayers of the wicked are said to be an abomination unto the Lord. Prov. 15.8 But it must be observed that though prayer without the spirit be an abomination to GOD yet omission of prayer is double abomination the reason is because to pray without the spirit is a sin for the manner but to neglect prayer is a sin both as to matter and manner He addeth whosoever can pray to the Lord indeed let him pray but that any can pray without the spirit that we deny Answer May he not according to this way of reasoning take men off from eating If they can eate to the glory of GOD indeed then let them eate but that they can eate to the glory of GOD without the spirit that 's denyed Likewise he may take men off from the works of their calling for as the praying so the plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 A motion of the spirit is an encouragement to but it is not our alone warrant for prayer GOD in his word hath commanded prayer 1. Thess 5.17 pray without ceasing in obedience to this command we ought to set to the duty And if it be alledged that we should pray when we have the spirit without ceasing but not otherwise it may as well be said that children should honour their Parents and husbands love their wives when they have a motion of the spirit to it but in the absence of this motion they may omit these duties He asketh what ground I have to believe that some Quakers for the space of a whole yeare have not so much as once bowed a knee to call upon GOD in their families Answer There is too much ground for the belief of it their infrequency in family prayer is too palpable One of them confessed whom I forbear to name that now he was come to that pitch that he prayed alwayes and though heretofore he was wont to call his family together and pray with them yet he had not done so for a twelve moneth past Is this a lovly Religion which takes men off from family prayer It is a miserable shift to tell that friends of truth who have any whom they can joyne with do meet waite and pray together Now grant that persons in Quakers families were enemies to truth would it not be a work of charity and demonstration of love and tenderness to their souls to pray with them and for them Must not Abraham keep up Religion in his familie because an Ishmael was in it Nor David because of the presence of Absolom Page 69. He looketh upon me as one wholly unacquainted with the wayes and motions of the spirit for supposing that an impulse of the spirit may be denyed for many yeares Answer Is there not ground to suppose that men may turne loose negligent and defective in waiting even for several yeares If so then the motions of the spirit may be denyed to them which he acknowledges are frequent but to those that waite for them and therefore all that time that they who neglect to waite want the motions of the spirit they must not adventure upon prayer yea they must not pray though they were at the gates of death and in danger of present drowning It is true he conceives that at such a season the breathings of the spirit will not be wanting to the Saints but what shal the wicked do in this case Must they keep silent Shal it not be lawful for them to follow the advice which the Apostle gave to Simon Magus Act. 8.22 pray GOD if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee The Quakers principle is that men should not pray without a motion of the spirit Now suppose that persons contract guilt by their not waiting hereby provoking the Lord to withhold the motions of his Spirit from them then these motions being with-held their not praying is not sin and therefore they need not to be troubled for their omission of prayer Now doth not this tend to lull people asleep in security and to keep them from charging themselves with that sin which without repentance GOD will charge upon them for he will call sinners to an account for their omissions as well as for their commissions SECT II. Quakerisme tends to render Mortification of sin useless He asketh page 70. Whether mortification of sin be useless where the end of it which is perfection is attained Answer There is a twofold perfection namely comparative and absolute the Apostle speaketh of both these kinds of perfection Philipp 3. and denyeth to himself an absolute compleate perfection verse 12. not as though I had already attained either were already perfect Yet he out-stripped many others in holiness and so had a comparative perfection verse 13. let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded Now when there is an absolute compleate perfection which is the thing the Quaker pleads for without the least indwelling corruption and sin to such there is no use for mortification Persons need not to be taken up in killing sin which is the importance of the word mortifie that have not sin in them to be killed He quarrels at my saying the opinion of a sinless perfection in this life wounds the very vitals of Religion and here the Quaker triumphs but it is before the victory Asking Whether the vitals of Religion consist in sinning or not sinning Answer The vitals of Religion consist in the means appointed by GOD and diligent improvment thereof for subduing and bearing down sin such as prayer repentance mortification believing application of the Blood of Christ And though the Quakers grant that these things are needful for attaining unto perfection yet supposing a sinles perfection to be actually attained unto by men in this world what need is there then to pray for pardon of sin to repent of sin apply Christs blood for cleansing from sin Seeing there is no sin to be pardoned repented of or cleansed from And therefore the Gentle-man not denying that such consequences do flow from his principle he is faine to shift saying that they who come to perfection witness the true use of these things but in the meane time he should remember that under a pretence of perfection he takes them off from the practise and use of the aforementioned duties and means and so Christianity in the vitals of it is struck at He accuses me of confusion and contradiction because as he saith I would inferre a sinless man to be a sinning man Answer Is it either confusion or a contradiction to affirme one of the Quakers conceitedly sinless men to be sinful who pretending to be without sin yet discover much sin by their pride passion bitterness censuring and condemning others and vilifying them by opprobrious termes and railing accusations if such