Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A60556
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An apology for the innocency and justice of the Quakers cause And a short elucidation of their principles. With some reflections upon J. Ives his papers. Written in the behalf of the Christian religion. By William Salmon professor of physick.
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Salmon, William, 1644-1713.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing S421; ESTC R222357
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30,083
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114
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is there of Scriptures Ministers Teachers and the like Though the Spirit or Anointing be sufficiently able both to teach and reveal yet by reason of the darkness of mens minds John 14.26 and understandings being alienated from the life of God Eph. 4.18 through the Ignorance that is in them it was necessary to have the witness and directions both of the Scriptures Jer. 1.5 and Gods chosen Vessels some of which were sanctified in the womb for that purpose as Jeremiah to direct them to the knowledge of that Holy Spirit Isa 49.1.5 which shall lead them into all Truth And because the Spirit of Truth is the same in all and answers through every Vessel as face answers face in a glass 2 Pet. 1.12 therefore the Saints of old were not negligent to put us always in remembrance of these things though we know them and are established in this present Truth 12. What is the Office of the Spirit of Truth The Office of the Spirit of Truth is to Reprove to Teach and to Sanctifie Rom. 15.16 It Reproves of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment It teaches us the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ It Sanctifies in body soul and Spirit through Faith in his holy name 13. How does it Reprove It Reproves by witnessing in our Consciences against all our evil ways in thought word Ro. 1.32 Eph. 5.5 and deed testifying against and condemning the same showing that all such as do those things are worthy of death and can have no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God 14. How does it teach It teaches us by the example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to deny our selves and take up the daily Cross that as he dyed and offered one Sacrifice once for all for sin even the sins of the whole world so we also every one in particular should dayly dye to sin that through a mortification of the deeds of the the flesh we might come to witness a holy life in all righteousness in Spirit a new Birth a new man a new life in which Christ only rules and dwells all which is only to be known through the sanctification of the whole intire being 15. How does this Spirit Sanctifie It Sanctifies through Faith in the name of the dear Son of God which faith brings forth a lively hope by which the heart is purified as God is pure and if this Purification be not witnessed the faith is very much to be questioned for the true faith being grounded upon Knowledge and that Knowledge upon the Revelations of the holy spirit must needs have a purging force for who is he that shall really believe from a present Knowledge of the same the wrath of God to be revealed against the man of sin and all manner of unrighteousness of men and shall come to know the terrors of the Lord who is able to cast into Eternal Flames and yet shall persist on in their Wickedness what Vigor what force has the true Faith in it what a strong cord is that which holds the Anchor of hope no less than the possession of an Eternal Inheritance an Everlasting life in an Immense Ocean of Joy and unspeakable satisfaction in the Lord in the presence and communion of his Saints and holy Angels 16. How does this Faith Operate in the Soul There are several ministrations and dispensations and yet by the same Spirit the ministration of Condemnation which is a gloriouswork is first to be known Mount Sina is the way that tends to Mount Sion there is a Wilderness between AEgypt Canaan the Thunders the Jugments the Terrors are first to be past through before the feet of that Messenger which brings the Message of the glad tydings of Peace can be known there is nothing but the death of the first life can satisfie the wrath Isa 52. 7. and that Life that Spirit that Power is that which makes the Attonement and makes the Soul lay hold thereof thus the new Birth comes to be known the holy Life to be witnessed and that to appear which can behold the Mercy-Seat with open face Till then the Cherubims which are in number two according to the two dispensations of the Law and Gospel which are beaten out of the Mercy Seat and Figure out the Condemnation of the said dispensations Rev. 11.5.6 do like the two Witnesses out of whose mouth Fire proceedeth and who have power to smite the Earth with Plagues still remain 17. This Christian Pattern seems to be very hard how far must we go before we can enter into the good Land The work of Condemnation is first to be gone through before an enterance into the good Land can be administred mean season with Moses as a Servant upon Mount Nebo mayest thou have a sight thereof behold the excellency and the goodness thereof have great knowledge and openings of the Divine Life and infinitely desire it yet have no admittance till the vail of flesh is put off till the low carnal mind which is for death is dead and buryed till nothing but the pure part remains till even the Perfection of Holyness comes to be known 18. How Is perfection to be expected in this Life Yes And if our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ speak truth without any difficulty Mat. 11.30 Take my yoak upon you for my yoak is easie and my burthen light the which is confirmed by the mouth of the beloved Desciple who saith his Commandments are not grievous 1 Joh. 5.3 and what are his Commandments Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect love one another which Love saith the Apostle Paul is the bond of perfection to which he often exhorts the Saints But let us a little consider this Perfection more narrowly In what do we offend daily doubtless you will answer in thought or word or deed he then that offends not in one of these three is a Perfect man but saist thou how can this be I answer thee The God whom we worship and adore is an Almighty God and through his Almighty Power is not only able to keep us from falling Jud. 24. but also faultless and shall we mistrust his Power shall we doubt his Almightiness No No. How shall we do then I 'le tell thee thou must watch the Command is given to all I say saith the Lord watch Thou saist thou canst not how then that is true of thy self thou canst not the Psalmist saith Except the Lord keep the City the Watchmen watch in vain Thou hast many enemies to contend withal thou art but newly got out of Aegypt how shalt thou venture to engage them the answer is short and ready stand still wait and thou shalt see the Salvation of God since thou canst do nothing that is good go not backward rather stand still that good Spirit that has brought thee one step onward of the way if but barely out of Aegypt he
AN APOLOGY FOR THE Innocency and Iustice OF THE QUAKERS CAUSE AND A short ELUCIDATION of their PRINCIPLES With some Reflections upon J. IVES his PAPERS Written in the Behalf of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION By William Salmon Professor of Physick Non enim possumus quicquam adversus veritatem sed pro veritate 2 Cor. 13.8 Thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through Our Lord Jesus Christ London Printed in the Year 1674. TO THE READER OMnia Flumina properant ad Mare nec tamen Mare impletur Although all was written which might be written yet would not the Enemies of the Truth be satisfied should an Angel appear from Heaven with an evident Demonstration of the Justice of this Cause the Adversarys would hardly be enduced to confess their Error although the Evidence thereof be crowned with their own belief Such an Impression has the Spirit of the Enemy of Mankind the Devil made in their Souls that they had rather at present lose the Salvation of them than embrace that which would Eternally make them happy and only because it is our Friend and has had mercy upon us But my Counsel and Advice is that they would while there is a day and time lay hold of the Truth if not for our sakes or the Truths sake yet for their own Souls sake there would be more Comfort found in one hours enjoyment of the sweet Influences of that holy Spirit although in the ministration of Condemnation than in many days and months years living senceless thereof or in opposition thereto People may feed themselves up with Fables put their trust in broken Reeds the strength of the Aegyptian Hosts but shall at length come to know it may be when it is too late what they have dispised and how they have slighted and done dispight to that which only and alone was able to save them It is them that walk in disobedience to the Holy Spirit and make a mock at its reproofs which Crucifie the Lord afresh and put him to open shame this did our Enemies but seriously consider might put a stop to their slanderous Tongues if they made never so little inspection into their own Lives and Conversations A small reflection upon themselves by the Light of the Divine Spirit would strike their Souls with horror for that they should go to tax others with Denying the Lord and themselves his daily Murtherers I have only one small Objection to remove out of the way and that has relation to my self that whereas the following Papers are written in the Plural Number and I have put my self in that Discourse into the Body of that People this is to inform in the first place that I there speak what I know is the Truth according to the faithful perswasion of my Soul and so abstractly consider the cause according to the Justice thereof that only and simply for the real Truth sake But in the second place knowing the equity of their Cause the Excellency Glory and Power of that Truth which they hold I also put that Discourse in the aforesaid stile as being really one satisfied therein and so having by that conjunction a just cause to appear in their vindication and so the Adversary may take me if he pleases if not in the other sense But which way soever let him charge only me for what I have writ as being immediately concerned and responsable for the same and I have hope I shall approve my self to that holy and just Spirit of Truth in Faithfulness thereunto and by the Power and Assistance thereof not only maintain and defend that Truth which in the following Lines I have appeared in vindication of but take a part and portion with that and them from hence forth and for ever Fastend of Pauls neâ—r the Free-School William Salmon AN APOLOGY FOR THE Innocency and Iustice OF THE QUAKERS CAUSE I. Of our Religion and Faith in general 1. IT was an eminent truth which was delivered by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that the Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord if they have called the Master of the House Beelzebub how much more them of his Houshold It is the Portion of the little Flock to suffer Persecution which the Devil and his Instruments were ever ready to present them withal not only by exquisite tortures of their Bodies and ruine of their Estates but also by the wounding of their Reputation if possible through the detraction of slanderous and malitious Tongues But as we have learned of our Master to go through good report and evil so that holy and Christian Spirit has taught us to rejoice and be exceeding glad when Men speak all manner of evil of us falsly for its name sake And indeed there is little reason to be given why we should not be partakers of his Portion who enduring the Cross despised the shame and suffered the contradiction of sinners since we expect to be sharers with him in his glory How have Men incensed themselves with madness and sury against our Religion and taken up a resolution to condemn us without so much as hearing the reasons we offer for our defence And think that all the Calumnies slanders and abuses which Ignorance and Envy can heap upon us to be infinitely less than what we deserve Be pleased then to take this following refutation in Paper since you are dull of apprehension or will not understand it by word of mouth This truth which we profess and defend seeks no favour at your hands since we are without hope to meet with any better measure than what her Enemies have formerly given Our Religion drawing its Original from Heaven is indeed a Stranger upon Earth where we conclude it must meet with as many Enemies as the Author thereof all that we desire is that it might not be condemned unknown which if any shall refuse they will not only stand charged with manifest injustice but may be justly suspected to act wilfully against the secret witness in their Consciences 2. It is Ignorance of the truth we profess which makes your Censures against us unjust you say we are no Christians but it is because you know not what Doctrines we hold it is that which blinds your eyes which renders your Judgements faulty were it a thing which ought to be hated yet nothing is more unjust than to speak evil of it before it is known It is not the evil of the thing but a Mans knowledge thereof which gives him a right to condemn it till when we fall not under the lash of your Judgement Did you know our Religion the holiness and Piety thereof you could not but embrace it unless you wilfully should refuse the offers of the saving health We our selves when ignorant as you are believed as you do but when we became informed we were necessitated to hate what we formerly loved and the Progress which truth hath made in our Souls has forced us to