Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	heart_n	son_n	17,006	5	5.6134	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94717	The foot out of the snare. Or, A restoration of the inhabitants of Zion into their place, after their bewildered and lost estate by the operation of a violent power, and authority, wrought in the author by the Prince of Darkness, under an appearance of the brightest light. Being a brief declaration of his entrance into that sect, called (by the name of) Quakers. With a short discourse relating what judgment he was learned in, by the ministry of those people. Together with the revelation of a spirit in himself. Also, what desperate delusions he was led into by yielding a subjection to the teachings of a seducing spirit in him under a shadow of the true light; and how this body of deceipt came to be destroyed. With the manner of his separation from them. / By me John Toldervy, then servant to Col. Webb.	Toldervy, John.	1655 (1655)	Wing T1767; Thomason E861_13; ESTC R206654	40,712	60

understand That he did not witness a Command for the using of those Ceremonies though formerly in his own Will out of imitation they were practised by him but when he witnessed a Command then he should Obey Now being disquieted in regard of his perfect Separation from the Unity of Spirit which formerly he owned with us we parted at variance but after his departure being dissetled as touching them by what was spoken from him I went privately and examined with my self how I came to take them up and what it was that upheld their reign in me so finding that my will was the first cause I went to divers that were of us and contrary to my mind I held an Argument as though I owned those things which formerly with them I denied that I might learn from them what Reason or Ground they could declare to the destroying of my pretended Judgement so after examining the Scriptures much discourse I found not only some inclination of their Belief in respect of them but a real convincement in my self And so after a short time through the Mercy of God I came to see not onely a death of that extraordinary imaginary and devilish Spirit by which I was so extreamly deluded but also the weakness of that in me which through a Cloak of Righteousness debarred me of my living and conversing with men as I had done formerly in the way of my livelihood and now I affirm from the Truth of God manifested in me that through a slavish Fear that I was in bondage unto I was as others are kept in those Delusions and that there is no more sin in the not using of these Ceremonies than in the using of them provided that wisdom guides MUch time hath bin spent seriously in the Examination of every particular herein declared but the strangeness thereof might occasion many serious Minds to question the Truth of it but I solemnly affirm in the presence of the Eternal God before whom all things are manifest that with a clear Understanding in the sence of my Distress while under those Temptations and powers of Deceit I have endeavoured to make known the Truth in sincerity of Minde And the God of Truth beareth me witness That to my knowledge I lye not in any thing spoken also much of this might be justified by many Eye-Witnesses True it is matter of Admiration and also greatly might it be admired that the goodness of God should so far exceed the depths of Satan and the powers of Darkness as that the deceitful workings of this evil One should be made manifest and that by the discovery of his Grace through his abundant Love which alwayes rejoyceth in Mercy after so great an Apostacie from himself he should restore his own Heritage to the place of their abode and settle the Understanding the Minde and Affections of his lost Creature upon the Foundation-Rock which will abide when all things else must perish Praises to his Name for ever and all whose Mindes are united to the upright and faithful Obedience and staid therein let them say with me Amen Now since the Lord hath appeared so mightily towards me in restoring from the Death and in raising out from the Grave the Light of himself by which my Understanding is better established than before it may be judged acceptable and desirous to know what the Foundation of my Faith is now I say The Scriptures they do discover the Minde and Will of God and they are profitable to the edifying of all under what estare or condition soever but the Will of God is in part made manifest in all not only by what hath been learned from that Discovery of Truth in the Scriptures but where the Scriptures is not And by this invisible Law written in the Hearts of all Men are Men convinced of every secret Temptation which lusteth in them to evil if giving heed unto it and as this Law-giver in us is spiritual so that Ministration of Righteousness in us is spiritual and that Obedience which it requireth is in Spirit and in Truth by which those that give heed unto it are and may be guided out of all the Works of the Flesh above the Law into a possession of that Covenant which giveth Life and so witness a new Birth born of the Spirit without which there is no entrance into the Kingdom as saith the Scripture Except a Man be born again of Water and of the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdom of God and then will those Covenants be made manifest and fulfilled which saith Unto such who fear my Name shall the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and he shall turn the heart of the children to their fathers and the heart of the fathers to their children And ye shall be all taught of God from the greatest unto the least so that you need not say one to another Know the Lord. And I will write my law in their hearts and place my fear in their inward parts that they shall not depart from me c. Now where the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled there is God made manifest and so far as that Obedience which it requireth rules in man so far have they Unity with God But yet I do not say That the Scriptures are in the least to be disesteemed but great is the advantage of these who have them to assist in the wayes of God which guide to God For much was the profit of the Jews before the Gentiles in that the Oracles of God were committed unto them the Law the Prophets being made known to and amongst them which the Gentiles had not but now far greater is the benefit or if disobeyed the just Condemnation of those who have the Scriptures more plain to the edifying of them in the Way in the Truth in the Life which is of Christ and leads to himself than ever the Jews had before Christ was manifested in the world But surely greater deceit was never made manifest than is now the unclean thing having bewitched and darkned the Understandings of Men so mightily True it hath been his business alwayes to remove the Obedience required by God of Man and so disquiet their peaceable enjoyment that he might ingraft a rebellious Nature in or upon that Tree which God hath made on purpose to bring forth the Fruits of himself to make known his name in but now the subtilty of his workings are far more admired by them in whom he hath taken place than ever before for when before the will of God was so plainly discovered in the Scriptures to the view of the world as it hath been since Christ and the Apostles dayes much of that hold for his deceit which he hath now was not Those who lived by the Faith of the Son of God whose Habitation was with Christ in God who were exalted in heavenly places in Christ Jesus who witnessed Revelations in whom was established the Life of Righteousness that

new Name Immortality which abideth for ever those I say speaking forth mysteries which men by wisdom cannot know though not my steries to the simple who lived or doth live in the wisdom of God but men in their own wisdom even sensual men who have not the Spirit going about to comprehend those things which they enjoy not they drowned their understanding and darkned their sight and so the eyes of their Mindes being blinded they of themselve wrest the Scriptures to their own condemnation But to my understanding and great is my mistake if the Spirit of God doth not bear me witness herein where the minde is staid in that Truth which is manifest plainly in and unto all men and be guided thereby in faithfulness and respecting nothing before that Obedience which is required by it surely therein God will be glorified for his Grace hath appeared to all men and he requireth no more than what he hath given onely Grace for Grace and he that abides herein needs not desire to dive beyond himself thinking thereby to apprehend that knowledge which is acceptable though in the sight of God accursed but in time he will witness a Comforter which will lead him out of the Spirit of this world into the beginning where all Truth is made manifest and when in joying the same Spirit and living in the same Life which the upright and true Servants of the Lord hath done then will those mysteries of God which are hid from the fleshly wisdom be made known Life and Immortality being raised to Light and so being staid in a sound minde the glory of the Lord will be seen to the peace of his and surely if the Lord please to reprove convince and correct the wandrings of such as are gone astray from him and have exalted themselves upon the Mountains being lifted up above all what is called God and guide them to wait thus upon himself there needs no fear but the blessing which he hath reserved for his Chosen even the eternal rest with himself shall be their reward Whereas it hath been spoken That I was not right principled in the way of the Quakers so called and that I had not a clear understanding of what their Ministery held forth I say deceit speaks in those who thus report of me for before I was perswaded to comply with them I had a right Knowledge of their Belief and Practise but the occasion by which I became to be lost in my Understanding and so distracted and confused in Mind may be observed in divers particulars before spoken yet for the Truth sake I shall discover the thing more plainer But first I shall speak a little of what condition I was in before I came amongst them Having been very zealously affected in divers wayes before there was begotten in me much fleshly wisdom in which my hope did much rest believing it was the mystery and wisdom of the holy Spirit revealed unto me by which I was perswaded that the true worship of God was a true endeavouring to live up to that Obedience which the outward Law required wherein I failed of what this Law required that Doctrine I was learned in continually laboured to perswade me that Christ which died at Ierusalem had perfected for me and so I was not under the Covenant of Works but under the Covenant of Grace Yet nevertheless all this time I could not enjoy a true peace but was greatly dissatisfied with my Condition sometimes being perswaded that I was out of the Faith a Reprobate a Cast-away being out of the Election and other times when covered over with deceit I should glory in my condition Now when being fully perswaded by what I learned from these People before named that the Truth indeed was to be found in us which Truth was made known by the Light in us which Light as it was spiritual if following it it would guide out of all the works of the flesh to the worshipping of God in Spirit and in Truth I was then to begin a new Religion and to lose all that ever I learned before all that Wisdom that Knowledge Faith Hope Love Zeal c which before I hoped in and so to wait out of my own Thoughts and Imagination as in Obedience to the Ministration of Condemnation which was to pass upon all that which was of flesh by which the Spirit was to be renewed and as Death passed upon the one Life was to be restored unto the other until a new Birth was brought forth from which would proceed the Ministration of Righteousness unto Holiness the end of which as saith the Scriptures is eternal Life My Understanding being now thus opened I was posfessed with much Joy in the sense of that Love I had received and was in hopes to enjoy and on the other side I was incensed with much Fear lest I should be careless and so lose my way in the Wilderness before I came to the Land of Canaan and also lest I should die before I witnessed the first Resurrection Whereupon I was resolved to give all diligence that my Calling and Election might be made sure but being naturally of a very hasty forward Minde and my Resolution in part being a Covenant of my own there was speedily begotten in me an extream fiery Zeal so that in the general I was hastily carried for the before the true Light by which in a short time I became lost in my Understanding and then being to seek in the wilderness the Disputer was raised to Life and so exalted it self mightily pleading the cause of his people upon which there was proclaimed a desperate War in which division the Enemy which was for Condemnation having darkned the Light of the Sun formed it self in the shape of a true Light and so deceit having gotten the power to bear rule in Israel my mind was led forth out of the true Obedience as is before related by which the simple became exceedingly deceived but when after it had finished his course and I was restored to a right Understanding it is known that no weapon formed against the Just did prosper but my Life was as a clear Light in the sight of those amongst whom I was known being guided in that Obedience which was professed by those people amongst whom I was This may reprove the Gain-sayer for my witness therein is true Such who may be dissatisfied with any thing contained herein might judge of me otherwise then they ought because of those hands by whom what I have written is countenanced I therefore declare that before any of them had the least knowledge of my purpose I had writ of my self being perswaded it concerned me as a Duty chiefly for those Reasons before spoken but when after some considerable time that this discourse was wholly perfected I was perswaded in what I have done that so such serious mindes as might question the Truth of any thing contained in it might the better receive a satisfaction Since my separation from these people there hath been dispersed abroad concerning me divers scandalous and false abusive reports by which where it hath taken place I am presented as a lewd person changed from whatever it is known I have been but unto the Truth am I made manifest by which Truth in me and in all those that thus have spoken and do speak against me am I justified which Truth is and will be the Condemnation of what is believed or spoken touching me untruly True since it pleased the Father to make known the excellency of his power in the raising out of nothing this body that the Image of himself amongst other of his works might therein appear compleat both in Body and in Spirit to the glory of himself and to the praise of his Name I say since the beginning of this Creation of God a disobedient Mind hath appeared in me against that Will that Grace which God hath as his Law made known in and to me and I have amongst others many times rejected the offers of Grace by the presumptuous resolvedness of my own peremptory will so that I cannot justifie my self yet am I bold wherein I am made free in the sight of God being witnessed by the Spirit of Truth False reports and good reports must pass but my Witness liveth for ever I know and have heard of many which were of them that were convinced in themselves of much delusion they lay under and so their Understandings being enlightned they were reformed in their Judgements but not one of these have I known or heard that have not received from them the like Judgement and scandalous untrue reports that have been given forth concerning me Wherefore by right according to their Law though false I must come under the same Condemnation with them But herein is my Peace the Word of Truth bearing me witness against all deceitful Lyes The end