Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A65854
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The Christianity of the people commonly called Quakers vindicated from antichristian opposition sincerely tendered in behalf of the aforesaid people and their ancient friends by some of them.
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Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing W1912; ESTC R27067
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25,012
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34
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unfairly quoted G.F. upon trust leaving out what 's most material both Distinction and Explanation about the Soul or Spirit of man both with Relation to its Creator and to the Creature man being spoken of in both respects by our Friends 1. Where G.F. insists on the Words God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul It was to this Breath of Life as immediately coming from God that our Friends Words related as his Question plainly shews i. e. Was not that of God and of his Being which came out from God meaning that divine Breath or Spirit of Life by which Man became a Living Soul and from whence came not only Man 's natural Breath and Life but also his spiritual and this does distinguish between the divine Being and the Creature Man and not confound their Beings And for the Soul or Spirit of sanctified Man to center with God this is not to render it the Being of God or God himself We know none professing the true God and Christ so grosly absurd as to say That Man made himself or was his own Maker Saviour or Redeemer 2. Our Friend speaks plainly in the same Book quoted against him Gr. Myst. Fol. 90 91 100. That the Soul should be subject to the Power of God that Christ is the Bishop of the Soul who brings it up into God the Soul being in Death in Transgression Man's Spirit not sanctified c. This could not intend the Being of God for that never sinned though there be something thereof in the Soul even in that reasonable Soul or Spirit of Man which God by his divine Word Breath or Spirit formed in Man Zech. 12.1 and so made Man a living Soul On Jonathan Clapham's Authority and Report R. Hubberthorn is charg'd by this credulous Dr. That he expresly said The Soul was the Being of God Quoting R.H. his Truth and Innocency and Clapham's Discovery Epist. to the Reader for proof How envious and unjust is it thus to condemn Persons upon report of their Enemies who regard not Truth but revenge and perversness as in this We find not in all R.H. his Answer to Clapham any such Expressions as that the Soul of Man was the Being of God but rather the contrary yet that 't is immortal That the first Man Adam was made a Living Soul that the immortal Life in the Soul came from the same Being and so says Clapham that the Soul came indeed from God and is Immortal and that God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a Living Soul that the Soul is to be watched over that Peoples Souls are to be redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb raised up by the Power of God out of Death R.H. his Collect. p. 30.38 How can the Charge before stand with these Passages i. e. That the Soul of Man should be the Being of God and yet to be watched over by his Ministers redeemed by Christ and raised up by his Power That divine Sense which he hath given us would never admit us so to confound the Being of the Creature with the Being of the Creator as to render them both one and the same Being For though the Soul of Man be a Spiritual Being it is not God nor Christ but is saved by him This Adversary by his Instance in his second Charge which he takes upon Trust from our old Adversary Jonathan Clapham his saying that R.H. in his Book against Sherlock p. 30. brings Phil. 2.5 6. To justifie the Quakers Equality to God We look upon this Charge to proceed from meer Malice and as a foul Abuse of R.H. his words for the same Mind that was in Christ to be in us Phil. 2.5 6. was in respect to his Humility and Obedience There 's no mention of the Quakers Equality to God in R.H. his Answer But of Christ being Equal with God on Phil. 2.5 See his Collect. p. 34 Charge 3. Against W.P. and R.H. about the Term Trinity That God is the Holy One c. That few are so blind as either to affirm or believe that there are three Subsistences and but one Divine Being c. Obs. Pray where is the Unchristianity or Antichristianity here If he believes the contrary Viz. That God is not the Holy One that there are three Subsistences or Bottoms in the one Divine Being This appears not to us either consistent with the Holy Scriptures or good Sense See Deut 6.4 Mark 12.29 32. 1 Joh. 5.7 Joh. 10.30 Besides he has dealt very unfairly in this Charge taking no notice either of the Doctrin opposed by our Friendâ— which was that of Three distinâ—t and separate Persons in the God-head which we do not find their own Articles of Religion will warrant nor yet of their Arguments to the contrary See our Friend's Book Divinity of Christ yet the Dr. grants they i. e. the Quakers seem to own the Thing but not the term Trinity he might have added of separate Persons in the Deity because the Father Son and Holy Ghost are One and Inseparable and then his Sentence or Charge against us is because we are not satisfied with those unscriptural Terms of Trinity of Three separate Persons or Subsistences in the God-head and reverently profess the Father Son and Holy Spirit in the words which the same Spirit hath taught us in the Holy Scriptures Thus uncharitable and envious some of the Priests have appeared against us to condemn us as no Christians because we could not in point of our Christian Conscience come under their imposing unscriptural Terms upon us whilst they cannot deny but grant that we own the Thing or Doctrin intended Charge 4 5 6 and 7. Against some of our Friends for manifesting their Dislike of the Terms Human Personal Christ and that he took to himself an Human Soul and some Adversaries terming Christ himself an Human Body and some Friends asserting the Oneness of Christ's Body 1 Cor. 12.20 and his Heavenly manhood and Christ as but one in all his Saints Obs. Here again the Dr. has condemned our Friends as Unchristian about Unscriptural Words and Terms imposed upon us whilst we deny not the Thing it self namely the real Manhood of Jesus Christ as he is compleat Man the Heavenly Man yet his Soul Divine and Body Heavenly Spiritual and Glorious And cannot the Dr. with all his Learning find out an Oneness between Christ in Heaven and his Members on Earth and between his Members or Church on Earth and his glorious Body in Heaven so as to admit his Body in the fulness of it in Heaven and Earth to be but One are not his Members in spiritual Union with him 1 Cor. 12.12 And why the Man should either Antichristian or Unchristian any of our Friends because they think the Term Human too low to give to the Soul of the Messiah whilst he cannot prove it so termed in Holy Scripture we are yet to seek He still imposes without Proof or Demonstration as if his
Christ's second coming without Sin unto Salvation mentioned Heb. 9.28 is called in Scripture A Personal Coming This he should have prov'd before he had assumed the Charge of Unchristian or Antichristian against any of our Friends for such a plain question See what the Scripture saith Heb. 9.28 Christ was once offered to take away the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation They who then looked or waited for Christ's Appearance the second Time to their Salvation surely were not disappointed of their Hope and Expectation in him For he did spiritually appear to their Salvation to save and set them free from Sin See Tit. 2. Charge last Of the Judgment it self and Heaven and Hell 1. Against Wm. Dewsbury For saying Mind the Light in thy Conscience and it will bring thee to Judgment and the Righteous law and the Book will be open'd in thee wherein thou shalt see all thou hast done and give account for every idle word and the Law will cut thee down and cast thee into Hell where is weeping and wailing for want of the Presence of God 2. And then the Dr. addeth Mr. Jonathan Claphan taxeth the Quakers that they granted no local Heaven or Hell none but what is now within Men. 3. And that R. Hubberthorn in a Book in answer to Mr. Clapham called Truth and Innocency spends many liâ—es in proof that there is something of Heaven and Hell felt here which Mr. Clapham denied not Obs. 1. For Men to mind the Light of Christ in their Consciences this is no Unchristianity but their Duty even to believe in the light and walk in it John 12.35 36. This Divine Light of Christ and Law of God in the Heart if minded will discover and reprove all evil Deeds and bring the evil doer to Judgment and to feel Condemnation and Sentence of Death Tribulation and Anguish upon the Soul the Terrors of the Lord and Sorrows and Pains of Hell in some degree because of Sin and Iniquity that through Judgment men may be prepared for Mercy No true Christians will count these being their manifest experiences either Antichristian or Unchristian 2. The Charge he has from our Old Adversary Jonathan Clapham against the Quakers is not true i. e. That they grant no Heaven nor Hell but what is Now within Men. For we really believe that the Righteous shall know and enjoy more of Heaven hereafter than now they do here in this Life though they have the earnest thereof here And that the Wicked shall know more of Hell hereafter than now Yet some degree or earnest thereof many feel before they go hence as Tribulation Anguish and Terror comes upon them and they receive in themselves the Recompence of their Error 3. To his Charge of granting No local Heaven or Hell we know no ground for it If by Local he means Place we grant to what the Scripture saith i. e. Hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling Place 1 Kings 8.30 And Dives being in Hell in Torments calls it this Place of Torment Luke 16.28 4. That there 's something of Heaven and Hell felt here is certainly true Our Conversation is in Heaven Phil. â—3 20 This was experienced by true Christians who were made to sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus Ephes. 2.1 And did not David feel something of Hell when he said The Terrors of Death compassed me and the Pains of Hell took hold on me Psal. 116.3 See also Psal. 18.5 and 49.15 and 86.13 But 1 st what does the Dr. mean by Local Heaven and Hell 2 d. Whether there are not more Heavens and Hells than One Else what means the Heaven of Heavens and the Lowest Hell 1 Kings 8.27 Deut. 32.22 3 d. Whether Hell be always spoken of or intended in Scripture as a limited Place as where it is said Hâ—ll hath enlarged her self and open'd her Mouth without measure Isa. 5.14 And Hell beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming Isa. 14.9 And Death and Hell wâ—re cast into the Lake of Fire Rev. 20.14 God has no doubt prepared Degrees of Punishments and the Limitations thereof suitable to the Degrees of Wickedness which the Finally impenitent and wicked are justly condemn'd for II. Henry Osland's abusive and insulting Manuscript examined and briefly answered HEnry Osland saith Few in these parts knew them the Quakers sooner than I did some years ago and then so far as I could judge their Religion was composed of some Pagan some Popish and some Christian Points of Doctrin Ans. This is a blind Charge without distinguishing which he calls Pagan and which Popish points and we deny his Judgment against us H.O. They then held The Christ that dyed at Jerusalem was a Christ without but the Christ within was all in all Ans. This is a false Charge as if they held two Christ's whereas they own but one and the same Christ who died and rose again and ascended c. and is revealed within was and is Spiritually in the Saints their Hope of Glory 1 Cor. 15.8 2 Cor. 13.5 Col. 1.27 H.O. They denied the Resurrection of the Body Ans. This is a false Charge also the Resurrection was never denied by us H.O. You cannot perswade some of us that you own Christ for your Lord and Lawgiver and the Scriptures Ans. That 's because of your prejudice envy and unbelief we own Christ for our Lord and Lawgiver nevertheless H.O. I hear not that you baptize any with Water Young or Old Ans. We have no Scripture for sprinkling Infants nor commission to baptize Believers any more than Paul had 1 Cor. 1.17 H.O. On Acts 10.47 Can any Man forbid Water c. Had there been any Quakers there they would have forbid the Water Ans. That 's more than he knows what they would have done at that Time and Occasion H. O Perhaps you will say that this is of the same Nature as the other Signs and Shadows and Figures which were of a decreasing Nature Ans. Water-Baptism is confest to be an outward and visible Sign and it was but a Shadow or Figure of a decreasing Nature for so John's was H.O. Hath not our Lord promised his Presence and to be with us to the End of the World that use and are sound in his Ordinances Go saith he Teach and Baptize and I will be with you Ans. 1. The Lord is with his Ministers that preach freely not with the Covetous nor with Hirelings who make a Game and Trade of their Preaching 2. Christ mentions not Water in his Commission but Teach Baptizing them into the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Father Son and Holy Ghost H.O. Pray tell me who can Baptize with the Spirit Is it not John 's Work or any Man's or Christ's Work alone Read Matt. 3.11 12. Ans. It is Christ's Work to baptize with the Spirit to convert to save c. Yet his Ministers attended with his Power and