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	holy_a	jesus_n	13,652	5	5.8822	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33735	The perfect pharisee under monkish holinesse opposing the fundamentall principles of the doctrine of the gospel, and scripture-practices of gospel-worship manifesting himselfe in the generation of men called Quakers, or, A preservative against the grosse blasphemies and horrid delusions of those, who under pretence of perfection and an immediate call from God, make it their business to revile and disturb the ministers of the gospel published for the establishing of the people of God in the faith once delivered to the saints, and in a speciall manner directed to beleevers, in Newcastle and Gateside.	Weld, Thomas, 1590?-1662.; Cole, William.	1653 (1653)	Wing C5045; ESTC R37653	40,293	52

Christ imputed to me but by the righteousnesse of Christ inherent in me Confut. 1 This assertion is fully and industriously confuted by the Apostles and we may cry out Gal. 3. 1. Who hath bewitched the hearts of these men Gal. 3. 10. As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things c. clearely holding forth an universall impossibility to fulfill the righteousnesse of the Law Ver. ●2 and ver. 21. If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnesse Even as David himself describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works v. 6. This Doctrine beleeved and practised was the very reason of the Iewes stumb●ing at the Gospel Rom 9. 30. 31. Rom. 10. 3. 4. We might weary you with quoting such Texts as Rom. 3. 19. to the last multitudes of Scriptures fully clearing up this soule-ravishing truth of justification not by inherent holinesse but by Faith in the bl●od of the Lord Iesus but we shall close it up with these in stead of all 1 Cor. 4. 4. Phil. 3. 8. 9. 10. Position 8. That God and man cannot be wholly reconciled till ●e be brought into the state of the first Adam and able in his owne power to stand perfect Proofe We referre the Reader for proofe hereof to a Booke of Naylers pag 26. where he is so confident of this Doctrine that he proposeth it as a Quaere to all as if none should have the boldnesse to gain-say it your owne Eyes may satisfie you there Confut. 1. Is not this to bring us perfectly under the covenant of workes and to make us our owne reconcilers and so to make voyd the death of Christ But he that hath an Eare to ●eare let him heare what the spirit saith Rom. 5. 10. When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 8. 3. what the Law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sent his owne Sonne to performe 2. And let the Reader observe that as the merit of Christ is by their horrible Doctrine before mentioned wholly made uselesse as to righteousnesse so by this Position the very spirit and power of the Lord Iesus is wholly cast out as to sanctification and holinesse And so this Anti-Christian Generation have totally renounced the Lord that bought them For this our standing perfect is in that assertion attributed wholly to our own power Alas who knowes not that Iohn 15. 4. 5. Iohn 1. 16. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1. 19. Phil. ● 13. it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe that is the Alpha and Omega the very a●thor and finisher of our Faith Heb. 12. 2. Phil. 1. 6. These are the People that pretend to leade you to Christ that thus leave you to the meere strength of your weake and rotten natures both for life and holinesse 3. This bringing us againe to the state of the first Adam till which time this people say God and we cannot be fully reconciled is nothing else but to bring us againe under a covenant of workes And though perhaps to be restord to the state of Adam may seem a glorious thing yet it will clearely appeare to be short of that Gospel-state you are translated into to the more infinite advancing of Free Grace Are you not clearely told the second Adam the Lord Iesus Heb. 7. 22. is made a surety of a better Covenant Heb. 8. 6. Established on better Promises For whereas the first Adam by that Covenant First Was to doe and live Secondly Had no Promise of perseverance in that state Thirdly Nor was there a Mediator to enterpose in case of breach the tenour of the Law in it selfe considered as a Covenant clearely dis-owning any Mediator 4. In a word the sad condition of Adam under such a covenant though for a time in so good an estate if it be not enough experimentally seen in all our falls by his yet may in the ruine of damned Angels standing upon the like tearmes be known apparantly First Yet in the Gospel-state Iesus Christ purchased life for us to be received not by working but by beleeving Rom. 4. 5. 6. And secondly None can take out of his hands Thirdly If any man sinne we have an Advocate with the Father 1 Iohn 2. 2. And fourthly Are delivered from the wrath to come Rom. 5. 9. So that it will appear that this restitution to the state of the first Adam being so magnified by these men fully speaks how low their spirits are as to the things of God how Legall their conceptions of the way of salvation and that it is but a miserable state in comparison of what you are brought to by the Covenant of Grace For how doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in Glory 2 Cor. 3. Position 9. That no man that commits sin or that is not perfectly holy can ever enter into the Kingdome of Heaven unlesse there be a Purgatory Proofe Iames Nayler in his Booke before quoted pag. 26. puts it by way of quaere And the very reading of the said page will evidently manifest it that this is not onely his Principle but any assertion to the contrary looked upon by him as an impossibility or grosse absurdity Confut. Our Purgatory is the blood of Iesus which cleanseth the soule otherwise as to its personall actings very guilty from all sinne as 1 Iohn 1. 7. And though perhaps these tremblings and quakings which the Administrator at Haxham in his Banners affirmes pag. 18. doubtlesse his false Iew could doe and which kinde of extasies pag. 24. he derives from the Francif●an Fryars may be looked upon by these People as a Purgatory from their sin●e●●●et we dare not trust our eternity upon such impost●r●● or be they never so reall on things so evidently rather the ●●●●e of Legall conviction and the horrour of an unbeleeving ●o●l● ●●●● of any saving knowledge of the Gospel How 〈◊〉 doth this one Position lay the very whole designe of 〈…〉 ably naked and bare as to an overturning of righteousnesse by the blood of Iesus Our way and the onely way into the holy of holies is by that blood Heb. 10. 19. 20. by Faith in which a soule otherwise wicked ungodly c. Rom. 4 5. is justified and though guilty as to his own actings of many infirmities shall be absolved and stand undeniably righteous before the Tribunall of the Father But alas how sottish are the spirits of these men in this discovered to be how grossely ignorant

death Rom. 7. 23. 24. And shall sinfull man be equall with God he whose righteousnesse is but raggs drosse and dung whose goodlinesse but as the Flower of the Field Isay 64. 6. Phil. 3. 7. 8. Isay 40. 7. Whose Breath is in his Nostrils Psal. 144. 4. Whose station is lower then the Angels Psal. 8. and the best of whom is so farre from being just with God as that he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 9. 2. 3. If they affirme he is so from some worke of conversion since he was Borne 1. Then the worke of conversion is to make new gods 2. And growth in Grace shall be the growing of God and so God shall be lesse or more God according to the different degrees of Grace on the soule But the Blasphemy is so horrid that to name it is enough to make true Saints loathe it and abhorre this pretence of Naylers to an holinesse justice and goodnesse equall unto Gods As for the other Attributes powerfull omni present c. we send them to Gods Challenge of Iob. in Iob 38. Where wast thou when I layd the Foundations of the Earth ver. 4. Canst thou binde the sweet influences of the Pleiades and loose the bands of Orion Canst thou bring forth Maza●●th in his season Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sonnes ver. 20 31. to chap. 40. 9. Hast thou an Arme like God Canst thou Thunder with a voyce like him 4. If equall then the same God or another other there can be none but he that was before all time T is a contradiction if another so many Saints so many Gods if he be the same then God wanted something of his infinite perfection which he receiveth by Naylers being god c. These things we should not mention but that Saints might be warned of such devilish Doctrines the very smoake of the bottomelesse Pit Position 2. That there is no distinction of Persons in the God-head Proofe George Fox layes downe such a Principle as you may see in their Booke called Sauls Errand to Damascus pag. 12. with other ascertions of the same kinde knowne to some of us Confut. We hope we need not say much to the confuting of so knowne an Heresie raked up out of the dust and which the Saints have ever loathed as pulling downe one great Pillar of their Faith the Personall Deity of Christ being the maine ground of the infinite value of his merits and the Personality of the Spirit being so fully evidenced by the Divine Attributes appropriated to him in Scripture But we referre you to these unanswerable Scriptures Heb 1. 3. Mat. 3. 16. 17. 1 Iohn 5. 7. Mat. ●8 19. Isay 6. 1. 3. compared with Iohn 12. 39. 40. 41. and Acts 28. 25 c. Position 3. That the soule is a part of the Divine Essence Proofe One of us W. C. had this positively asserted by Coll. Benson and Captaine Ward at Kendale and discoursed the controvercy with them Confut. Let the Christian Reader consider 1. That if this could be so then should the Essence of God be divided into so many finite beings or parcels as soules 2. Yea and by this Doctrine that Essence of God which is infinite in him should come to be finite when it becomes a soule in man The Heavens of Heavens are not able to contain him and the finitenesse of our created spirits who doth not know 3. How shall the All Creating Essence of God become a Creature and who understands not the Creation of soules Gen. 2. Heb. 12. 9. 4. If this be so then shall a part of God be sinfull which how blasphemous unlesse men most wretchedly dare deny that there is a sinfulnesse in any soule 5. And then shall God hate himselfe burne in wrath for ever against his owne Essence and it lye under damnation for evermore for so is the state of thousands of soules How horrible i● any of this to be ascerted of him in whose presence is fulnesse of joy Psal. 16. and that is God blessed for ever Rom 9 5. 6. Hereupon when Jesus Christ gave himself to death for the soules of men either he dyed for himselfe and for the Essence of God or else he dyed altogether in vaine What soule not grossely Apostatized dare vent such things Position 4 That Christ is in every man and in the reprobates he is held under corruption Proofe * One of us received this assertion from James Nayler in conference with him wherein he extended the in-dwellings of Christ to Indians that never heard the Gospel 2. Those whom they call Reprobates Devils they usually tell notwithstanding that they Crucifie Jesus Christ within them As is cleare in a Letter one of us hath Read from John A●dland to Edward Brigs an holy humble Saint in Westmerland whom God was pleased to deliver out of their snares with which for some time he was entangled And in ordinary experience it is very much apparant Confutation 1. 1. If so then either Christ Personall or els he is in them by his Spirit we rather suppose they understand Christ Personall and our reason is because Mr. Higgison in his Booke pag. 5. which he offred the Supreame Power to make good in his Epistle affirmes it to be their Doctrine That Christ as Man dwells in them which is so grossely Blasphemous and horrid a contradiction to the Personall Ascention of Christ Acts 1. 9. and his sitting at his Fathers right hand till the restitution of all things Acts 3. 21. that it needs no further confutation If Christ dwels in every man by his Spirit Then 1. Are the fruits of the Spirit in all men Gal. 5. 22. the fruits of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith me●knesse temperance Are these in Turks Indians Papists Drunkards whoremasters Atheists c. 2. Where the Spirit is it is a quickning Spirit Ephes. 2. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 6 9. yee were such and such but now yee are sanctified by the Spirit of our God but it is most apparent that there is no such quickning in all Nay the whole world lyes in wickednesse 1 John 5. 19. If they shall affirme as they have done that the Spirit of God is in such kept under by corruption then it is so either first for want of will in the Spirit of the living God to get the Mastery over sinne Or secondly for want of Power Not for want of will For the will of the Father Christ and Spirit are all one which will is To destroy the works of the Devill wheresoever the Spirit dwels 2 Cor 3. 17. where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty and so not kept under corruption For the Apostle comfortably concludes that sinne shall not have Dominion over those who are implanted into Christ because they are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6. 14. Nor can he secondly be kept under for want of Power 1 John 4. 4. You overcome the World because

of the great businesse of justification of sinners by Faith of Iesus Christ that dare trust to so filthy raggs in the presence of so just and so holy a God Position 10 No reall Saint but he that is perfect and perfectly holy in this life and doth not sinne Proofe It is the designe of Nayler in his Booke in severall Paegs to prove this see his Book pag. 21. 22. Nayler hath oft spoken it of himselfe and said he witnessed it So G. Fox hath done others some of us doe know have said they witnesse perfection in Nayler Nay so farre doth Farnesworths ignorance of the Gospel proceed that in his Booke pag. 20. he thus writes They say they can never overcome the body of sinne or be made perfect here and they say no un ●l●ane thing shall ever enter into the Kingdome of God How doth this agree It s one of their ordinary out-●ryes against the Ministers because they oppose this Doctrine And t is the most generall Doctrine of all their Books and Papers Confut. 1. Let the Reader consider there must be of necessity a distinction of the word perfect and perfection in Scripture though we know this Generation of men will cry downe distinctions and pronounce that cur●e against us Rev. 22. as if we added to the word Yet the following cases will evidence the absolute necessity of distinctions if the unity of truth and the faithfulnesse of the word be owned at all Reade 1 Iohn 1. 8. 10. If we s●y that we have no sinne the truth is not in us compared with 1 Iohn 3. 8 9. Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne Reade 1 Iohn 5. 16 There is a sinne to death and there is a sinne not to death So Isay 9 7. Of his Gouernment there shall be no end compared with 1 Cor. 15 24 Then commeth the end when he shall deliver ●p the Kingdome c 2. Now as to a necessity of it in the case in hand consider the various use of the word in Seripture Phil. 3. is very full ver. 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect compared with ver. 15. where t is a word of the same root the Apostle speaking of the Saints and taking in himselfe in that expression adds Let us therefore as many as are perfect be th●● minded In which is plainely evident that Paul shall grossely contradict himselfe unlesse there be a distinguishing betwixt the variety of the sense of the word perfect 3. That perfection therefore ver. 12. is perfection in Glory as the verses both before and presently following it doe fully cleare it s that for which Paul was apprehended of Christ as is evident 1 Cor. 13. 10. where t is opposed to Pauls present state When that which is perfect i● come then that which is in part shall be done away clearely meaning his injoyment of God in glory as is plaine ver. 12. Now we see through a glasse darkely ●●en face to face Now the same word perfect in ver. 15. that it cannot possibly be meant of the same sort of perfection is evident For as the Apostle tells you that he enjoying the perfection v. 15. is yet short of is pressing forward towards the perfection in ver. 12. as to a thing that 's yet before so taking the word in both places in the same sense it were a contradiction for him to say he is perfect and is not perfect For the true meaning thereof we give you three Scriptures 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speake wisedome amongst those that are perfect 1 Cor. 14. 20. In malice be yee children but in understanding be yee men or be ye perfect for the word is the same with the former Text Heb 5 last Stong meat belongs to those that are of full age or that are perfect In all which places it is evident in it selfe that the word imports Christians growne up to more knowledge in the Gospel then others had who are in these quotations called Babes From the consideration of this Text it may be fully seen that perfection of Saints here is not that absolute perfection in glory which Paul professed he had not attained to but that comparative perfection of being growne up to more then ordinary measures of Grace and understanding much beyond the attainement of Babes in Christ 2. As for our perfection by justification the Scriptures fully hold it out upon the account of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ whereby the spouse appeares altogether lovely not upon the account of her own holinesse for so she is blacke and an infant in her blood but we know that t is not this perfection they speake of as he that hath but looked into their Books may presently discover 3. There is a perfection which the Scriptures expresseth integrity by as that word speaks the truth of grace in opposition to hypocrisie Thus Iob is called perfect Iob 1. 1. but that this perfection doth not imply a totall absence of sinne is plaine witnesse his sinfull passionate cursing the day of his birth Iob 3. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was borne Job 6. 8. 9. Oh that is would please God to destroy me that he would let goe his hand and cut me off See his owne confession Job 9. 20 2● If I say I am perfect my owne mouth shall prove ●●● perverse Thus Asa is called perfect 1 Kings 1● 14 The high places were not removed neverthelesse Asa's heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes Here is the perfection of Asa's heart with God and that all his dayes yet you shall ●nd● first He tooke 〈◊〉 away the high places which was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly He tooke the gold and silver ou● o 〈…〉 the ●●●se of the Lord and sent them to the 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 ue ●Chron 16. 7. 9 Thirdly 〈…〉 an● put him in the Pri 〈…〉 ppressed the People at 〈…〉 And ●● his D●●●as● sought not to the Lord 〈…〉 So that you may clearely see in wh 〈…〉 h● was s●●d to ●●perfect As for other examples in this kinde ●● this time it may be clearely understood in what sense the spirit c●l●● them perfect who otherwise had their personall grosse infirmitie● 4. You are to disting●●sh betwixt the perfection of God and the perfection of the creature in reference to that Text Mat 5. last In which place perfection cannot signifie that which brings up to an equality with God but a similitude unlesse you runne upon that blasphemous Principle of equallity with God of which we have said enough before 5 By our thus comparing Scripture with Scripture we expect from their former usage in this kinde they will charge us with pleading for sinne though we are but discovering the imperfections of the best Saints lest they shou'd live upon their owne righteousnesse which to set up and establish in opposition to that of Christs imputed is evidently the designe of Quakers And that so the strength of the Lord may

that of George Bateman to Mr. Ledgard pag. 25. 26. a● also their casting away their Bibles W●● Strickland told Mr. Archer If he had never Read the Bible it had been better for him How constantly doe the Scriptures passe under no better name from them then the Saints conditions Davids Moses Isays Pauls conditions and a declaration of the condition of them that spake them forth Confut. This Position is so grosse that we hope it will never sinke into any Christian heart but will be a confutation to it selfe in the thought of any sober minded Christian yet we shall propose these things 1. That when the Word of the Lord came to the Prophets Samuel Isay I●remiah c. it cannot be understood of the Word that was made Flesh the Lord Iesus but must necessarily signifie that minde or message of the Lord contained in those words or Scripture Writings as 1 Sam. 15. 10. Then came the Word of the Lord to Samuel saying It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be King Isay 38. 5. then came the Word of the Lord unto Isay saying Say to Hezekiah c. I will adde unto thy dayes fifteene yeares Ier. 14. 1. The Word of the Lord that came to the Prophet Ieremiah concerning the dearth Iudah mourneth and the gates thereof languish It s a grosse absurdity to say this word of the Lord was Christ and it is as much to say they were the experiences of those Prophets or their conditions but they were the word of the Lord by these Prophets spoken to the Persons therein concerned 2. As for the Phrase in the New Testament the Word of God it is cleare both Christ and the Apostles in their mention thereof doe understand that which they Spoke Preached or Wrote and not the Person of Christ of the Father or Spirit So Christ speaks to the Iews Marke 7. 13. making the word of God of none effect by their Traditions which word can be understood alone of that fifth Commandement ver. 10. Honour thy Father and Mother Luke 11. 28 Blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keep it which plainely hints a word spoken written or engraven c. not the eternall word the Lord Iesus Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing hearing by the Word of God where the word Preached or the Scriptures of the Apostles which we now have is plainely called the Word of God 3. As for those Writings of the Prophets and Apostles that they are the word given forth from the living God and of authenticall and undenyable authority over every conscience good and bad we could fill Pages with the proofes and evidence thereof but the Reader may observe we are speaking of the Scriptures in reference to these mens cavills and no further And so shall leaving so plaine so Fun●mentali a Principle rather fall upon their owne notion of the word of God calling it A declaration of the conditions or experienc●● of them that spoke them 1. This is fully to take away the very Foundation of the Faith of Saints which is onely built upon the authority of God not upon any experience of the best Saints or the declaration of it Luke 24 25. O fooles and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have spoken where Faith is bottom'd upon Scripture authority as Acts 18. 28. Apollos mightily convinced the Jews shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus is the Christ Acts 28 23. Paul perswaded them concerning Iesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophe●s Now be this Law and the Prophets what they will if they fall any thing lower then the truth and word of God they can be no bottome for the Faith of Saints and Paul takes a weake argument to convince them by And yet that those were not the conditions of those Prophets or the experience of things fulfilled in themselves is as cleare as the day to any not grossely ignorant and especially from 1 Pet. 1 10. 11. 12. Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophe●ied of the grace that should come unto you Searching what or what manner of time the shirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when i● testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have Preached the Gospel unto you And as in this its cleare that they spoke not forth their own conditions and experiences so also the Apostle sends the Saints to a word of Prophesie as a more sure foundation of Faith then the most glorious experience or enjoyment in the World 2 Pet. 1. 18. 19. 2. This is to make the Scripture lose his authority save onely when we experience it or where it is fulfilled in mens soules and so doth make voyd every command and Promise and all wicked men that can experience little of it shall be left excusable before God at the last day because not having the Scripture fulfilled in themselves according to the Quakers Doctrine it had no authority over them This is the most pleasant Doctrine for desperate Atheists that can be Whereas John 12 48. He that receiveth not my words hath them not fulfilled in him yet the words that I have spoken they shall ●udge him at the last day 3. This at once nulls and destroyes the Divine Authority of the whole Hystoricall and Propheticall Part of Scripture together with all the threatnings of Scripture of Hell and iudgement unlesse they say the Sainss have those threats of Hell fulfilled in themselves and that condition of Dives in Hell is the condition of Saints as also the promises therein of mercies yet to come their futurity denying their being the already experiences of the Saints 4 Consider what impossibilities contradictions falshood doth this woefull Doctrine bring upon most parts of Scripture wherein such things there spoken of were not could not be the conditions of either God that gave the Word or the Prophets and Apostles that Published it In the close of this consideration we disire to mind you of the reproachfull earmes this people every where give to the Written Word though the Spirit Rom. 15. saith These things were Written that we through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope And the holy Ghost still referres to the Written Word Luke 20. 17. John 15. 25. Heb 10. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 17 because it is Written Be yee holy as I am holy where the Spirit of God doth evidently put an authority upon the Written Word which is the same in signification and thing with the word Scriptures of which see how glorious things the holy Ghost reports thereof how sleightly soever the Quakers esteeme thereof 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. The holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to salvation All Scripture is given by inspiration from God and