Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	john_n	17,081	5	6.2026	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65885	The rector examined about his book scandalously stiled, An antidote against the venom of Quakerism, by John Meriton, who calls himself A.M. rector of Boughton in Norfolk : and his observations remarked, and the Christianity of the people commonly called Quakers, re-asserted and vindicated, from his perversions and aspersions / by George Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1699 (1699)	Wing W1953; ESTC R20277	40,584	48

Infants or Believers we are left at uncertainty by this Rector 't is enough with him to cry It must be with Water Water But who who must come under it Men or Babes Here we are at a loss What an easie way it is to make Christians and to get to Heaven if this be it viz. Learn and believe your Creed and that you are inwardly washed regenerated and entered into God's Kingdom by your Water-Baptism Whether as Infants or grown up is still the Question This Rector boldly tells us Nay further it appears That before our Saviour Baptized those in Judea he represented the Solemnity of Baptism as a thing necessary to enter Men into that Kingdom of God to which he invited them our Saviour not only telling Nicodemus John 3. 5. That except a Man be born again he could not see the Kingdom of God But yet more plainly That except he was born again of Water p. 5. and of the Spirit he could not enter into it p. 28. In this Interpretation of John 3. 5. to outward Water the Rector exactly agrees with the Popish Notion and Interpretation thereof That no Man can enter into the Kingdom of God nor into the Fellowship of Holy Church without Water-Baptism as held by the Rhemists see their Annotations upon John 3. 5. And therein opposed by the Protestants as appears in Dr. Fulk's Answer viz. It is not necessary in this place By Water to understand material Water but rather the Purifying Grace of Christ. As in Chap. 4. ver 11 14. where 't is called Living Water whereof he saith Washing with Water in Baptism is an outward Sign So that the Reform'd Protestants did place Salvation the New Birth and entering into the Kingdom of God upon the Inward Baptism by the Purifying Grace of Christ and not upon the Outward Element of Water they esteem'd that but an outward Sign of the Inward For the outward Baptism by Water the Rector urges our Saviour's Example and Practice from John 3. 22 26. p. 28. as if practised or ministred by Christ himself But that 's a Mistake for in John 4. 2. 't is expresly said Though Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples I have run the farther into this Point in this place to shew what a Composition the Rector has run Christianity into But to return to some of his invidious Abuses and Perversions For the Credit of his Charge of Venom and Blasphemous Opinions relating to Christianity as well as to the Government against us he saith And to this end and purpose in the Month of March last past there were two Books presented to both Houses of Parliament the one Entitled A Brief Discovery of some of the Blasphemies and Seditious Principles c. The other Entitled Some few of the Quakers many horrid Blasphemies Heresies c. And also a Sheet Entitled Some Reasons humbly offered why the Quakers should be examined p. 6 7. Here we may observe this Rector has owned these same Books as well as presenting them to the Parliament Now one of them that is a Libel stiled Some Few has an Owner with the rest Thou therefore John Meriton Rector so called art accountable for the manifold Abuses Perversions Calumnies and Traducings which are in those Books and detected in my Truth and Innocency vindicated which I doubt not but will turn to your great Shame and Disgrace who promoted them as will also your strenuous Endeavours to Insence the Government against us but that they had more Discretion and Prudence than to be influenced by two or three Invidious Persons against a Peaceable and Serviceable People Now concerning our Christian Profession on which the Rector makes his Observations to evince the Venom of Quakerism as he unjustly defames us He accuseth us with dubious and equivocal Terms agreeable to those of the Oracles of the Heathen p. 7. for our confessing That our Belief is That in the Unity of the God-head there is Father Son and Holy Ghost those Three Divine Witnesses that beare Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and that these Three are One according to Holy Scripture Testimony These the Rector has judged as dubious equivocal Terms though they are Scripture Terms see Matt. 28. 19. 1 John 5. 7. John 14. 26. Chap. 15. 26. But not being content with this our Confession he begs this Question i. e. But if not Three Persons what Three are they page 8. Let him prove these Terms by plain Scripture as we have done ours and then we shall be resolved so as not to charge him with dubious Terms He might have spared his bitter Insinuations against us as virulent Poison grossest Errors equivocal Reserves wherein they meaning the Quakers may be thought to exceed their Brethren the Jesuits page 8. It had been more Prudence for him to have forborne or reserved these bitter Aspersions than to impose them upon the Reader which shews a great Enmity and bitterness of Spirit in the Man His repeated and partial Citations and Charge against G. F. W. P. and G. W. in page 8 9 10. are answered and detected in the second part of the other Examination i. e. Truth and Innocency c. under the first Head and Title Concerning the Holy Trinity What is alledged against G. W. out of Ishmael c. page 10. about the Three Persons though wrongly cited by the Rector p. 9 10. I have positively disowned that passage twice already both as 't is in it self and as it is none of mine and do now a third time disown the same which none therefore but the Implacable will repeat against me About a Heaven within and the Locality of Heaven p. 10. I do not find either G. F. or W. P. truly quoted or cited upon Examination The Matter as it concerns G. F. is answered in the other Examination aforesaid To the Rector's thus construing our Confession i. e. When they speak of Three Divine Witnesses bearing Record in Heaven that is to say quoth he the Heaven within them p. 10. Thus he imposes his meaning upon us as if we confined the Divine Three bearing Witness in Heaven only to a Heaven within us and not as being in that Heaven without us also which is a mistaken Construction for the Heaven wherein the Divine Three bear Witness is above and distinct from the Earth 1 John 5. 7 8. and yet the same Holy Spirit which is God bears witness in Earth too even in Mens Hearts and Consciences His Spirit bears witness with our Spirits c. And he that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself 1 John 5. 10. And he that inhabiteth Eternity and dwells in the highest Heavens dwells also in the lowest Hearts even with them that are poor and of contrite Spirits and tremble at his word how despised soever they are in the Eyes of the Proud and Envious whom God will debase And it was no lessening of the Blessed Record of the Divine Three

there is a great difference between Christ's offering up himself by the Eternal Spirit a Lamb without Spot to God and the Acts of wicked Men inflicted upon him as 't is said by wicked hands they put him to death The Merit Deserving Dignity or Worth is placed upon Christ's Obedience in offering up himself and humbling himself to the Death of the Cross for Man's Redemption as intimated in the consequence Wherefore God hath highly exalted him Phil. 2. 9. Therefore the Merit or Deserving was not placed upon the Soldier 's Act of thrusting the Spear into his side and letting out his Blood thereby after he had given up the Ghost John 19. 33 34. But upon the Obedience of the Son of God even unto the Death of the Cross as that most acceptable Sacrifice for the Sins of the World Christ's deserving such high Exaltation into Dominion and Glory through his Obedience in Suffering was for the bringing many Sons to Glory Heb. 2. 10. consequently That in following him we might be received into Glory as they who Suffer with him shall be glorified together Rom. 8. 17. and this no ways interferes with nor varies from Our Sincere Belief of Salvation and Justification by Jesus Christ his Righteousness Merits and Works and not by our own Christ as our Mediator and the one Offering has obtained Justification Remission and Pardon of Sins and Eternal Redemption for us which he makes us partakers of by his Work of Righteousness and Sanctification in us so that both Christ's Obedience Deservings and Dignity without us and his works within us are concerned in our Salvation and Justification which his Light and Spirit Leads us to the living Knowledge and Experience of as We sincerely obey and follow the same for the Apostle describes both the washing Sanctification and Justification of true Converts to be in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Therefore I hope it will be no reproach to W. P. or any else to be in conjunction with G. W. in this point as he is accused p. 14. namely That our Justification and Salvation is not Effected wholly without us as if there were no need of the Spirit 's work within us for our Regeneration and Sanctification all which is Christ's work being done by his Spirit and Power which consequently does no ways lessen his Dignity Glory and Honour wherewith he was crowned through the Suffering of Death that he might bring many Sons after him unto Glory Heb. 2. 9. Again the Rector quotes G. Whitehead in Counterfeit Convert printed 1694. p. 17 18. That it is the Light and Life within in which is the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation And as for the Sufferings and Death of Christ in the Flesh they do but instrumentally contribute thereunto The Rector to abuse me Partially cites me in this place as if I ascribed Salvation to a Light and Life within without Christ or not to Christ for what else could he design in bringing this Quotation to confront or oppose our Confession before cited to Salvation by Jesus Christ And where do I say in which i. e. in the Light and Life within is the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation as if I should say something in the Light and Life of Christ were the Immediate cause of Man's Salvation and not the Light and Life of Christ it self this Rector would fain make me speak Non-sence as well as Blasphemy But by our confessing to the Light and Life of Christ within as the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation from Sin and Condemnation we do neither divide Christ nor make two Christs nor yet by confessing his Suffering and Death in the Flesh as a means of God's appointment instrumentally to contribute thereunto He being The Mediator of the New Covenant that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament or Covenant they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal Inheritance Heb. 9. 15. and as it was by means of Christ that true Christians believe in God who raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory and Honour that their Faith and Hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1. 20 21. So if Christ our Mediator be the Means the Cause and Great Instrument of our Faith and Salvation and his Death the Means of our Redemption and Remission of Sins in his Blood It can be no dishonour to him to confess his Sufferings and Death in the Flesh instrumentally to contribute to our Salvation and that Christ himself by his Light and Life in us is the Immediate and Efficient cause thereof thereby fulfilling and confirming in us the blessed and holy Design and Ends of his Sufferings and Death for us I am not ashamed of my Testimony for Christ in this matter and give it here more truly than my Adversary has done out of the place quoted out of Counterfeit Convert p. 18. viz. That Christ the Promised Seed through Death was to bruise under and destroy him that had the Power of Death viz. The Devil yet he effectually doth it by his divine Power Light and Life as the Immediate and Efficient cause of Man's Salvation wherein we still confess his Sufferings and Death in the Flesh instrumentally to contribute thereunto Christ Jesus as the Promised Seed who came of a Woman made under the Law bruised the Serpent's Head both without us and within us without us through his Sufferings and Death by his divine Testimony Word and Power within us by his Divine Life Light Word or Seed Spirit and Power which is all but one Christ himself not two Christs nor to be divided Else how could we be born again of Incorruptible Seed Or how doth that Seed remain in him that 's born again And is not that Seed Christ And is not the Word of Faith Christ in Spirit See 1 Pet. 1. 23. 1 John 3. 9. Rom. 10. 6 7 8. Now where 's the Venom charged in all this Doctrine When true and full Recitations are given of our Words how plain does the Truth thereof appear But when our Adversaries give their perverted minced and false Citations thereof to traduce us as Venomous in Doctrine as this angry Rector has frowardly and frequently done How cloudy do they make them and us look But Truth will work thorow and over all this dust and cloudy stuff they cast upon us To what he quotes against Tho. Lawson his Untaught Teacher printed 1655. p. 4 5. Against looking for Salvation from a means without and seeking a way to Salvation without p. 15. I have not the Book quoted but am apt to think T. L's unfairly or not fully cited in this place let the Rector produce a fair and full Recitation However I really believe upon our Principle that T. L. meant no other than that as Salvation from Sin is an Inward and Spiritual Work of Christ Men must expect and wait