Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	law_n	work_n	8,151	5	6.0996	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86489	The skirts of the whore discovered, and the mingled people in the midst of her. In a letter sent by Denys Hollister to the independent baptiz'd people, who call themselves a Church of Christ in Bristol, but are found to be a synagogue of Satan, in answer to a charge brought to him from them by some of their members, and by him ... published. Together with another letter written by him to Thomas Ewens, a teacher among them, ... referring to his speaking among his people of having Sarah Latchet a servant of Jesus, once a member among the Baptists, sent to Bridewell, and whipt for testifying to them in the name of the Lord in their meeting the second day of the ninth moneth. 1655. And likewise an answer to 16 antiqueries directed to the people called Quakers, which answer was sent to Thomas Ewens, from whom the antiqueries were received, though Iohn Pendarviss a long time after published the antiqueries by the name of Queries, without the answer to them, or taking the least notice of it in a book entituled Arrows against Babylon which hath occasiond the presenting of the one, and the other, now to the view of those who read, and understand, to judge of the whole, and of their unfaire and deceitfull dealing.	Hollister, Dennis, d. 1676?	1656 (1656)	Wing H2508; Thomason E896_3; ESTC R202571	35,627	37

but to us of salvation and that of God But what shall I advise or counsel you I know from of old many of your hearts are hardned and you will not hear and therefore I shall say no more but with Paul From henceforth let no man among you trouble me for I must bear about in my body the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life also of Iesus may be manifested in my mortal body however you take it this is written in much feeling and love to your souls and therefore in plainness by one that hath been and still is a great lover of your souls though a witness against your deceit Known to you by the name of Dennis Hollisler POSTSCRIPT I Shall spare to make much mention to you of your carriage to a Servant of the Lord who came into your meeting the second day of this ninth moneth and of your threatning her with Whips Stripes and Prison Having written more largely of it to Th●mas Ewens your Teacher where you may see how contrary your practice is to the Saints in all ages and the Churches of Christ and one with the Seed of the Serpent the enemies of Christ who was ever found in imprisoning and persecuting the Saints as the Scriptures testifie The Letter to Thomas Ewens Thomas Ewens THy Letter of the second day of the last Moneth I received with the enclosed Papers from Henry Iessey and Iohn Pendarviss as thou saist in answer to some Queries sent to me by them which is not true for I sent none to them in particular that I know but to the People to whom they were directed viz. The Baptists of which as that time a very great number was in Town from whom some reasonable answer might be expected instead of which I reveived a Paper signed Henry Iessey Iohn Pendarvis pretending some Reasons why they answered not and in thy Letter a shew of an answer to them the said Quaeries but indeed a parcel of such dull stuff that it s not worth observing much less replying thereto by those whose time is not their own but his that sent them Enclosed thou maist receive an answer to their Anti-quaeries from those to whom they were directed A reply also to the pretended answer of the Quaeries thou and they might have expected had it been worth the while but instead thereof you viz. the Baptists are desired to review your own Answers and take notice of the confusion and deceit therein contained and how far short it is of an answer to the Queries and amend the same I shall instance in one particular namely your answer to the eight Query in which you speak of two Baptisms under the New Testament besides that of Iohn when the Scripture saith One Faith one Baptism you say Christ in his own Person onely Baptized with the Spirit none other being appointed nor inabled c. When the Scripture saith Some were made able Ministers of the Spirit not the Letter And he that ministred the spirit among the Saints Did he it by the works of the Law saith that able Minister of the Spirit And where was it that Christ in his own person Baptized in Scripture expressions Were not all the Saints Baptized by one Spirit into one Spirit into one Body See ● Cor. 12.13 without wresting sithence the Spirit was not given till that person was ascended And he that spake by the Spirit said Though ye have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know ye him so no more And what is that Name of the Lord Iesus in which you say you Baptize I shall say little to your Spiritual ends there mentioned of your water Baptism or my stical holdings out or representtions c. But would rather have the tearms and things proved by the words of Scripture to be so because the shadows do now begin to flie away and the true Light shines and deceit is manifested so that words colours and pretences will not now prevail to blinde and deceive those that live and walk in the true Light And whereas thou saist If there be any thing in either of the Papers that may tend to recover my precious Soul out of the pit and snare into which it is faln as it would be a rejoycing to others that love me so to thy self who would be as ready as ever to serve me in love and in the Lords way To which I reply Were my soul which indeed is precious in the eye of the Lord faln into a pit or snare I see nothing in either of those dull confused liveless and powerless Papers like to recover or lift it out But why dost thou not tell me what the snare and pit is into which it is faln The mistaken blinde generation in all ages accounted the people of God who were escaped their pollution and snares and turned from the darkness to the Light and from the power of Satan unto God deceived faln and mis-guided and therefore hated reviled and persecuted them as people faln into a snare fit for their prey and spoil and to be whipt and imprisoned c. I do not say in Bridewell but shall leave it to come out of thy mouth as it did the second day of this present month and is that the Lords way in which thou art so willing to serve me I utterly deny that way and the Lerd of it which is the god of the world the Devil and all that by him are led and guided therein it is the devil that casts the Saints into Prison as the Scripture saith It was wretched Pilate that scourged Iesus It was those Masters whose gain came in by Divination joyning with the multitude that carryed Paul and Silas before the Magistrates and caused them to be beaten and many stripes laid upon them and cast into prison It was Iesus that foretold his Disciples they muse be so used by the world the generation of Vipers that must fill up the measure of their Fathers iniquities that upon them may come all the righteous blood that hath been shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel c. It was Paul the able Minister of the Spirit not of the Letter that proved himself the Minister of God in much patience intumults in stripes in imprisonments c. and more a Minister of Christ then the false Ministers that encountred him were by labors more abundant in stripes above measure in Prisons more frequent that five times of the professing Iews received forty stripes save one and was thrice beaten with rods But is is Thomas Ewens a Minister of the Letter not of the Spirit as all the false Apostles and deceitful Workers were who trans form themselves into the Ministers of Christ as Satan doth himself into an Angel of Light that is at least threatning the servants of God and witnesses of Iesus with stripes with whipp ings and with Bridewel O my Friend How great is the wrath and how heavy is the indignation that from the

appointed Pastors and Teachers is answer'd in the query and what he appoints is not needless Quere 7. Whether the Scriptures you bring to oppose the Practice of Gospel-Ordinances doe not serve onely to reprove the practise of Circumcision or the walking after the traditions of men or the carnal formalist practise or Idolizing of the true Gospel-Ordinances all you say making not at all against a spiritual practice of Gospel-Church-Ordinances as of Breaking of Bread and Exhorting one another c. Answer We bring not Scripture to oppose the practice of Gospel-Ordinances but we bear witness against your traditions carnal formalists and Idolizing practises by the same spirit as they did then who said It is neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision but a new Creature And the spiritual practice we own and press unto it and against the formall and the carnall all we say not making at all against a spiritual practice of Gospel-Church-Ordinances And whether the spiritual be taken practis'd and fulfill'd in the carnall let the Spiritual Judge who compares spiritual things with spiritual and here your queries are in your confusion who before drew a conclusion we cried all down without mercy and now say all we say makes not at all against a spiriruall practice Here the unclean Spirit hath confess'd truth Quere 8. Whether it be better to wait on God in his good old wayes expecting his work to be gradually carried on so running with patience your spirituall race or as the manner of some is to forsake the assembling our selves together in hopes to start up from a low stature suddenly into perfection by embracing a new Doctrine Answer In this query we are not concern'd by your own confession we informe and instruct our selves and others and we assemble our selves together for edifying waiting upon the Lord in patience to runne the spiritual race and for your starting up into perfection your envy is seen and against what you start and such starting we deny your slander returns upon your own head Quere 9. Whether Iesus Christ hath not prayed for those that believe through the word of the Apostles Is so whether they are not in a good and safe way who believe accordingly And whether it be better to credit their testimony so fully confirm'd and owned by the Lord or to forgoe that and embrace and follow the sayings of some of your company Answer Christ hath prayed for those that believe and they are in a good and safe way that believe accordingly and for crediting their testimony so fully confirm'd you have Drunkards Lyars Swearers Covetous proud Hyocrites and deceitful Ones to be of your company to confess the truth of their words but are as far from witnessing the life and power the Believers witnessed as the Hypocrites as the Drunkards swearers yea and many in this day of the Lord are brought to repentance and enter into the Kingdome before ye graves and painted sepulchres And for your secret slandering some of our company where nothing is instanced there needs no answer But all we say as you confess making nothing at all against a spiritual practice we judge it safe to follow that and they that believe and follow otherwise it is not for the better Quere 10. What is that Faith which the Spirit speaketh expresly some should depart from in the latter dayes giving heed to seducing spirits and dostrines of Devils Answer It is the Faith of the Son of God and Faith is a Mystery held in a pure Conscience and you that are ignorant of this Faith are among the seducing spirits and the last and perillous time is fulfilled upon you reprobate concerning the faith having a forme of godliness but denying the power as you confess that you profess no tto have the power the Apostles had by which the foundation was laid yet you say you can build but what your building is worth let the wise in heart judge who have not the power that layd the foundation O ye blind guids are your consciences so seared that you cannot see that you are out of the doctrine of Christ without the power that laid the foundation building among the company beforemention'd In the presence of the Lord are you seen witness'd against to be in the doctrine of devils without the power of God giving heed to seducing spirits seducing Repent repent ye Hyyocrites this is love to your souls and the Witness in your Consciences will answer it in the day of the Lords account Quere 11. Whether that Doctrine which in some is no more but look to the Light Within with a curse upon disobedience and a blessing upon obedience thereunto be that glorious Gospel Preached by Christ and his Apostles or whether it be not a renewing the old Doctrine of Iustification by Works w●●…ein the mystery of iniquity works to darken the grace of God in justifying the Vngodly without works freely by his grace and to make void the sufferings of Christ Answer This query is grounded upon a lye but the true Ministry is to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God And this is the way to receive forgiveness of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in C. Jesus and that the wrath of God is to be revealed upon the disobedient is found Doctrine and your deceitful coverings will not hide you who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And glad tiding and plenteous redemption through his blood doe we witness and the old doctrine is denied by the summ of what we declare and the carnal profession and hypocrisie contrary to the grace of God which teacheth to deny ungodliness and the forme without the same power that laid the foundation there the mysterie of iniquity worketh and from thence came this query which is utterly false as it is applied to us Query 12. Whether the Light that is in every man doth reveale Iesus Christ as crucified for sin and risen again If so how came it to passe that so many strict men and Paul himself walking according to his Conscience before Conversion were ignorant of him Answer Do you not here shew your ignorance Is Christ reveal'd crucified for sin and raised again before Conversion Is this a learned question how it comes to passe that Christ is not known before Conversions seeing the Light reveales him The Light condemnes the Vnbelievers though they make a Profession that Christ is come and crucified for sin and risen Ye are in the darkness it self as neer Egypt as Babylon Did Paul know Christ til he was revealed in him and doth darkness reveale him While Paul walked in the zeal without the true knowledge persecuting he was ignorant and injurious and the Son not reveal'd But in the Light is Christ known and reveal'd and the true Light lighteth every man and he that believeth in the light is a child of light But one question after your manner of counting to you among

to be in such confusion that you cannot discern the mother of Harlots the father of Lies neither know the Wine the Church the cup nor the Kingdom of the Lord further then you can imagine in your earthly sensual wisdom and you being so blinde and in such confusion without the power which laid the foundation as you confess we deny your spirit and account your stuff in your Answer as not worth mentioning to rake up after you but what you want in answering you can make up in asking shewing unreasonableness by your own confession And likewise appears that you would cover your selves and hide your perswasions and had rather pry into the conditions of others then bring your own deeds to the Light and seeing there is insulting because of our not answering in your time and false conclutions drawn we bear witness against your deceit and proceed to answer declaring that we differ by the power of the living God who by his spirit hath quickned us by which we see and discern you to be in the Will-worship in the wisdom which is from below of that number who are measuring your selves by your selves and comparing your selves among your selves and not according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed with which we agree but that to us from you doth not reach and therefore your voice and spirit we deny though you take the Scriptures to talk upon and trade withal in your earthly imaginations looking that the Kingdom of God should come with observation and say The cup of the Lord which is the true Vine is an outward cup when as the Kingdom of God is within O ye blinde guides how can you teach others who are your selves ignorant of the Kingdom and of the cup of the Lord and we bear witness to the sive things at least of great concernment and with your spirit we do not agree First We own and witness that God by Jesus Christ calls sinners to repentance and saves his people from their sins and redeems them from the wrath to come soul and body as many as rightly believe and work by love And that the same Jesus that at Ierusalem was crucified and before Pilate witnessed a good confession is now in the Heaven and the same that descended did ascend and comes again in like maner and also that our vile bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body and be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone And again Every spirit we credit not but believing in the Lord Jesus we try the spirits and yours is tryed and seen to be the spirit of the world and not believed by us nor credited though you pretend to come with light therefore your spirits are rejected And lastly We know that it is not every one that saith Lord but he that doth the will of the Lord that enters into the kingdom of God And such have right to the Tree of Life and interest in the Promises made to Believers who worship God in Spirit and Truth and keep the Commandments according as they have received not by tradition nor imitation by and in the earthly carnal wisdom but led and guided by the spirit of the living God by which spirit we bear witness against your traditions and inventions and herein we differ and we do agree with that which convinceth you of sin and makes manifest your deceit and calls you to repentance from dead works that is the light which we love and you hating it and walking contrary to it and loving darkness differs you from the children of God and there is your condemnation and for answer to your other Quaeries take as followeth Query 2. Whether you doe not by many of your sayings craftily hide your perswasions from the sight of some honest people And is not this dissimulation at the best or lying after the manner of Ananias Acts 5.2 Answer Dissimulation at the best or lying against the Spirit we deny and from honest people we doe not craftily hide our perswasions but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans Conscience in in the sight of God not walking in craftiness but renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty and if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost Query 3. Whether your selves even all of you be not Men and Women of finfull failings and imperfections as those godly people you cry down If not tell us who are the persons among you without their failings and imperfections and how they came so to be Answer This Query is rais'd from a Lye godly people we cry not down but deceit in all we witness against by that which is Eternal without imperfection And for being free from sin we say the Sonne of God is come which takes away sinne and he that 's borne of God sinneth not he that is in Christ is a new creature and this many among us are Witnesses of but the sinfull failings are without and such we do not justifie by saying they are not where they are or pleading for them where they are Query 4. Doe your in your judgements of the Congregations of Believers look after those things which are commendable as well as those which are condemnable in their practises doc you not on the contrary cry them down in general without any mercy Answer Yea we doe look after those things which are commendable in Believers and own them but they that say they are Believers and are not are to be witnessed against But to cry all down without any mercie is false and the lyar is for condemnation with the Light and with it we have unitie Quere 5. Whether your declaring against instrumentall Teaching and yet going about informing and instructing your selves and others doth not discover a grosse contradiction between your principles and practises and whether it be right to set them against it to bring them to hear your declaring altering only the name Answer Against the Teachings of Man or such who know what they know naturally we declare yet we are sent to turne from darkness to light and this is right and no contradiction but as the Prophets and Apostles who went up and down declaring against Seducers Deceivers and false Teachers and they informed and instructed and they that were of God heard them and this is not only altering the name But the Spirit is another and so the nature which beares witness against the spirit of the world where ever it rules Let your name be what it will your nature is seen and witnessed against Quere 6. Whether instrumentall Teaching be unsuitable unto the new Covenant If so why did Christ being ascended appoint Pastors and Teachers till all came into the Vnity ordaining Ministers for the Work while Work remaines did Christ burden his Saints with needlesse appointments Answer It s confest we goe about informing and instructing our selves and others and the New Covenant we own where all are taught of God and why Christ