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	receive_v	18,187	5	5.7163	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01210	The forbidden fruit· or A treatise of the tree of knovvledge of good & evill of which Adam at first, & as yet all mankind doe eate death. Moreover, how at this day it is forbidden to every one as well as to Adam; and how this tree, that is the wisedome of the serpent planted in Adam, is that great image, and that many headed beast, mentioned in Daniel and the Apocalyps, whom the whole world doth worship. Lastly, here is shewed what is the tree of life, contrary to the wisdome, righteousnesse, and knowledge of all mankind: with a description of the majestie and nature of Gods Word. By August: Eluthenius [sic]. Translated out of Latine into English.; De arbore scientiae boni et mali. English	Franck, Sebastian, 1499-1542.	1640 (1640)	STC 11324; ESTC S102619	62,776	198

and yet neither know nor understand Therefore we confesse that the letters are a certaine image and figure of the word yet they are not truely the very word because they are but onely an image figure thereof This is the reason wherefore we admitt no other word but what is answerable to this Image or Example of the Scriptures and to the true and spirituall sence Therefore the Scriptures are as the Index or golden Scales of the word so they be understood not according to the dead letter but according to the minde of Christ and will of the Spirit Therefore we reject not what is agreable to the true meaning of the Scriptures so we doe not deny what is not contrary unto them For whosoever is not against us is of us Therefore we deny not the exterior word written or spoken so doe we confirme the interior or living so it is wee grant the maistery and unction of the Spirit and doe not deny the guift of Prophecye and interpretation of the Scriptures For the word hath something to come and something obscure difficult to the flesh That which is to come the Spirit taketh it of the word and declareth it unto us that which is obscure hard to be understood it dayly teacheth unto us and leadeth us into all truth Therefore under the name of the word of God the Letters are not onely understood but all prophecies visions dreames unctions inward speakings Doctrins of the Spirit revelations if they be frō God also whatsoever holie men by the instinct of the spirit have either spoken or done Therefore no man must adhere peremptorily to the onely letter where the Holy Ghost is there is libertie and the free word is bound to none Moreover the Holy Ghost suffereth no rule or limit to be prefixed to it in its owne therefore to nothing it is tyed but to it selfe that is be not contrarie and disagreeing to it selfe as therefore many things come and are spoken frō God al which nay not the thousand part are writtē in the scripturs So many things at this day happen are spoken by God which are not written And yet neverthelesse they are the word of God and wrought by him Add to which that many things there are not written nor expressed in words which wee yet receive for the word of God and onely by hand as it were have received them from our Forefathers of which kinde are the abrogation of the precepts of the first counsell renewed after by the Holy Ghost to the Church So as the Church was freed from the same Of which things wee notwithstanding have no written or expresse word Christ himselfe taught all in word and writt nothing and commanded his Apostles to preach not to write And the Church is begotten rather by word then by writing Moreover the Doctors preachers of the new Covenant were called and indeed are the Ministers of the Spirit not of the Letter By all these it is manifest that the free and swift Spirit is not tyed unto letters nor the Doctrine of the Spirit can bee included into the Jayle prison and corner of the Scriptures Therefore although there bee many bookes of the Law something sometimes may change to come in handling of which there is no expresse Canon or Law to be found but it is to be excogitated and ruled by reason So oftentimes such a rare thing happeneth the letters doe universall forsake a man that they cannot teach comfort guide or appease him but a man must necessarily repaire unto God and consult with the peculiar word of the Spirit by prayer to comfort and strengthen his weakned conscience For it is not sufficient to have the common call and word except a man have speciall proper and inward call which yet is not contrary unto the common And although the word of God is altogether one and undivided yet how much thereof a man hath received by faith so much of it is his and this is his word His issue the Word of God is as God himselfe must be made every ones by faith No otherwise then whereas the Light of the Sunne is common yet as much as every one is enlightned thereby so much is the Sunne his and no more So as much as every one hath of God and his word so farre is he his God and so farre hath he God and his word which are common to all peculiar to himselfe Therfore the letters are farre weaker then to satisfie a troubled conscience in the offences thereof and to make quiet againe the lively word of God must doe this and this honour hath God reserved onely to himselfe neither will he permitt it to the letters or any Creatures whatsoever Moreover the Holy Ghost will not be bound or captivated in those that are his nor be subject to the masterie of any one nor suffer that it should be taught by any writing or mouth of man but will it selfe be the light the Doctor master captaine and in a word all in all things Moreover he who useth the Scriptures for a testimony of that worke spirit so hee doe it according to the minde of Christ not interpreting them according to the interpretation of the Scribes and Puarisees doth onely use the Scriptures aright according to the will of God according as he ought all others are meere abuses and the worship of images as the whole world busies it selfe in the Scriptures and esteeme them to be their Apollo as if the Holy Ghost God were no longer to be consulted with concerning any affaires but onely the letters In a word here they enquire and have all things here with the Pharisees they think to have life neither will they grow by an others mans harme nor will they see how blinde impious ignorant and dead they ever have beene in all ages in divine things and in the word of God who have beene the most Learned and could all the Bible at their fingers ends having for all that neede to heare and learne the truth from Christ So darke and deadly are the Letters which they make their Idols Paul calleth the Letters death but they life but indeed they are eternall darknesse death aenigma allegorie and a sealed booke Unlesse thou have the living word of God unto the Light and in them relie upon the Holy Ghost For thy teacher inspirer interpreter guide and master and yet many of them dare make the booke to be open when as yet they cannot agree in the exposition of it And from thence doe as many Sects and Heresies arise as Readers and Heads doe attempt to reade it But know thou and have it as a thing most true that they are cleane onely to the cleane Spirituall to the Spirituall the Word of God to them who are of God and Religiously studie them by the direction and guidance of the Holy Ghost whom they carie alwayes with them and put as a Light into this otherwise darke Lanthorne so as by the the doctrine of the Spirit direction of it they bring more light unto them then they receive therfrom what they receive therefrom is nothing else or no other but a certaine Testimonie of the Spirit of them and all Doctrine The Bereans used the Scriptures as Christ would have them to bee used Acts 17. Search the Scriptures saith he in which yee thinke yee have Eternall life Ioh. 5. But he thinkes otherwise For it followes they are they which testifie of me that I am the Life and Word which speaketh unto you John 8. As therefore we graunt that the Scriptures are the rule of the word judge of spirituall things So in no wise will we remove out of the Church the word of God and unction of the Spirit For even as wee defend the Majestie and authoritie of the word of God against the dead Letter so will we maintaine the masterie of the Spirit against the executioner of the Letter And so doe we grant the fulfilling of the swift and short word as in the onely precept of loue all is contayned both the Law and Prophets be comprehended therein we ingenuously confesse Wherefore as wee doe not take away the word of the Law but confirm it So we doe think that something is yet dayly to be opened in the Church by the unction of the Doctors thereof the signe and earnest not of that which is necessary to salvation but to the guift of Prophecying and the hidden interpretation of the Scriptures Since Christ never forsaketh his Spouse but is alwayes present with her unto the end Math. 28. and being ever in the midst of her doth guide direct her 2 Cor. 9. This is the reason wherfore we doe not force or include the Majestie of the word of God within the narrow prison of the Letters FINIS Luke 10. Deut. 11.

day to gett and heape up riches Wherfore are they so forgetfull of the word of God and so little esteeme his precepts and commandements But that they thinke God cares not for them or that he cannot or will not revenge them therefore it is necessary that they helpe and revenge themselves or that they thinke that while to long to wait and expect the helpe of God before that he take vengeance and punishment they themselves shall be overthrowen And because they thinke that nothing but povertie comes upon them if they have any commerce and communion with the truth of God therefore it is necessary that they helpe themselves and labour for their living by lying cogging deceiving and usury and the like this makes a man rich and honourable As for the word of God that is but a late helpe and deficient in adversitie it stands us in hand therefore to adore our selves speake bigge swelling words elevate our selves as much as we can VVho but my selfe is God saith the world in the course of her Life CHAPTER X. An ansvver to certaine obiections that we ought to be wise and not fooles and how we ought to be wise and how foolish But you wil say that the learned shall shine as the Starres or Sunne in Heaven and in a thousand places wee are commanded to apply our hearts unto wisdome as in the Proverbs and Eccles. wise men are commended To which I answer that it is rightly spoken if it be rightly understood to wit of the tree divine heavenly knowledge which God himselfe doth worke teach in those that are poore in spirit I say it is understood of the wisdome of the tree of life and not of the deadly and foolish wisdome of the Flesh which is the knowledge of good and evill and the Scriptures will have us to acknowledge our folly and to be made fooles in our owne judgement and indeed we are so but we would not be accounted so and forget all things wherby we may become truely wise and receive the influence of divine knowledge into our soules For we are all foolish wicked and we will not see and perceive it nor beleeve it and therfore God would have us by confessing our folly in true simplicity to give a farewell unto it by submitting our selves over unto God be made truely wise and learned by him Hereupon it is that Solomon calls them fooles whom Paul calls wise prudent Solomon calls them what they are indeed in the sight of God but Paul calls them what they seeme to be in their own eyes and in the sight of men We must unlearne and therein strive to be fooles in that wherin we learne and strive to be wise in But as it is given us of God so it can be learned from none but God and as the love of God shed abroad in our hearts begets a mutuall love of him againe Even so Gods knowing of us begets in us a knowledge of him as Paul witnesseth to the Gal after that ye knew God or rather are knowne of him As also to the Phill. I desire to know as I am knowne And also 1. Ioh. 3. He first loved us Also in another place if any man love God he is borne of God Out of all these places I gather that God is never knowne loved sought or found of us untill we be knowne loved sought and found of God as Christ saith to the Pharises the Kingdome of God is in you and Paul to the Athenians Hee is not farr off from every one of us for in him we live move have our being But this is most miserable and lamentable that those who professe themselves to know God know him not as they ought as Paul testifies of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And againe if any man seeme to know any thing he knoweth nothing as he ought VVe should know this that by nature we know nothing but are altogether blind dead and foolish in spirituall things and this knowledge should make us nothing foolish and Children in our owne eyes But wee desire to know and seeme wise whereby it comes to passe that we know not how or for what end we ought to learne knowledge for wisdome is not given unto us for this purpose that thereby being puffed with pride we extoll our selves and become something in the eyes of the world but on the contrary to make us nothing This is the knowledge of God that makes us Fooles and Children to our selves and the world it doth not puffe us up making us seeme wise in our own opinion Noe for that is the knowledge of the Serpent both most devilish and deadly Thus you see that the whole world knowes not what how and for what end they should desire to know but alwayes strives against God in their knowledge and know not of what things they ought to be ignorant off but cheifly are desirous to know those things they ought to be ignorant off and so by their owne art and knowledge make themselves Fooles Breefly that which they doe know and doe desire to know that they should learne to unknow and what they resist to know that they should learn to know otherwise God will never acknowledge them for his owne because God hath determined never to acknowledge crowne or reward any thing in us but his owns guifts and workes that is never to love or accept any thing in us but himselfe For he alone is the Light Life the way and the truth so that whosoever is not in him or he in them they alwayes wander in the pathes of errour and shadow of death Now every man knows what it is to walk in darknes The walls of Ierusalem were not to be opened before the Sunne did rise even so should no man intend to goe forth before the Sonne of righteousnesse arose in his heart since all things depends upon him and bee should be our Teacher and Example by whose instruction we should learne and by whose Example wee should walke as the Scriptures testify It is an easie thing to say that the world is in darknesse and uncapable of the spirit of truth but no man will either acknowledge or beleeve himselfe to be the world or that the whole world to God is all Fleshe as the Sonnes of Adam all were naturall men with the universall righteousnesse reason and wisdome therein but by the world men thinke to be understood the Turkes Gentles Heathens and I know not what people of the farthest parts of the world attributing so much to arts tongues Scriptures which they almost preferre above the spirit and if a man doe reade and have a Bible they thinke it enough and that by which they may easily obtaine the Holy Ghost not considering that either the Holy Ghost must bee their guide and enlighten them in the knowledge of the word or otherwise it is but a dead Letter and is so farre from bringing Life with it that it mortifies kills the Reader as Paul implies where he sayth the spirit quickens

the same and confirmes the truth thereof with all assurance not so craftie subtiltie can be objected against the truth but that may be battered weakened and refuted with one word neither can any thing so accute be produced which weakened with the like accute may not be overthrowne onely the word of God overcommeth with such force that even the minde of the enemy is overcome and taken with it the outward man alone and the face of the flesh which would not be bridled seekes out all kinde of ambushes trickes and turnings to escape this thunderclapp And falshood for shame covers its face with its hands and thereby thinks that the whole body is covered that it cannot be seene Moreover it is behovefull that all other traditions of arts words and spirits bee examined by the word of God as by an index golden rule and touch-stone I call that the word of God which is the Spirit and Life not the Letter written without Inke and paper in the hearts of beleevers which speakes unto the soules of all those that are obedient unto it This J call the Word of God Not the Scriptures For if we speake properly the Scriptures or Letters are not the word of God but the minde spirit and that true divine meaning which Paul calleth the sence of Christ and mind of the Spirit and Christ the Word of God This I say is the word of God as saint Paul doth testify The Letter sayth he doth kill but the Spirit that is the true and spirituall meaning thereof which onely spirituall men are indued with which doth quicken These alone have the Key of David for the opening of all the Seales of this closed booke to all other the booke is Sealed with seven Seales Of which mention is made in Dan. 7. Apoc. 5. and Mat. 13. by way of parable and the vaile of the Letter doth hang before their eyes untill they turne unto God and seriously will obey his will The spirit of understanding entreth into no froward scorner who in the letter only desireth to shew his nicitie and Clarkeship For the truth is that word of God and his secrets are made manifest to them that feare him Therefore many in our times are snared who betwixt the writings and the word of God doe know no difference and so doe they esteeme the Scriptures for the word of God so as beside it they knovv no other But it appeares by the Testimony of many divinely taught that the scriptures are nothing but the huskes the shell the sheath the Lanthorne the shrine the letter the cave the vaile of the word of God From whence it ariseth that they appeare so sinister and in shew often repugnant and are hidden from wicked men But the Word of God placed in and under them is the kernell the life fulnes and thing it selfe or substance For otherwise those learned men the Scribes and Pharisees had been blessed and happy if the Letter had beene the word of God viz. the light c. because they had so well conned the Scriptures that most part of them they could say by heart yet were they for all that most miserably to perish with this Art and so death is eaten by the Tree of good and evill while yet men thinke thereby to have Life But Christ doth more ingenuously testify that they know not the Scriptures that is what in the Scriptures is the word of God for what otherwise belonged to the Letter and grammaticall sence they writt but knew not the mind of Christ which was the force and meaning of the Letters and the Letters in my judgment are of sett purpose so sinister and darkly dictated by the Holy Ghost comprehended and declared that those impious Swine and Dogges may not understand them according as Christ out of Esay doth alleadge them and giveth this reason why he speaketh so obscurely by similitudes and demonstrateth the same thing more significantly in Iohn least we should make an idoll of the Letter And that wee should thinke some other thing more necessarie to salvation then Bibles to weet that of God we should desire the Light of his word which is hidden in this Lanthorn and also that true teacher the Holy Spirit which may direct lead and instruct us in the holy Scriptures and may open the Seales thereof declaring unto us the mysterie of this shrine that is his divine word Law pleasure will and meaning hidden under the dead Letter Many thinke it enough that they have Bibles and know how to reade Here forsooth they find the Holy Ghost the word of God that double Sword of the Spirit yet wrapped up and closed in the sheath But who can understand gaine finde and brandish the same He answers by the Prophet Esay Yong Children who will be affrayd at this killing Letter they are sore out of heart tremble and dye for feare Therefore it is not enough although it is good to have Bibles What to have Bibles All the Pharises had the same could say them by heart and yet they lived no lesse blinde and dead These very Bibles are the Tree of Good and Evill of which they did eate death although to the godly who consult with God about the meaning of them and renouncing themselves pray unto him for the obtaining of his Spirit they be the Tree of Life God will give his glory to none other no not to the Scriptures but hath made them darke unto us and hath reserved the interpretation to himselfe that he may teach enlighten rule and guide how when and as hee will and his will is that we alwayes wax stronger and by degrees come nearer to the knowledge of the truth if so be we would doe the same by his helpe but hee hath not sowen his word by the way side for dogges and swines but hath covered it the same beeing hiding in the Letter that we may not rest our selves contented in the Letter but digg up the hidden treasure and with all Religion pray for grace and understanding and consult with his Holy Spirit that he may take us into his tuition guide us teach us leade us unto the Tree of Life the Fruit whereof may feed us up unto eternall Life And this is the tryall of all Arts Doctrines and Spirits that they be compared and agree with the word of God that that which is divinely unto us we finde to be true by his word in our hearts In a word that our spirits may confirme the same so to be by its testimony as wee have divinely learned the same and that we sustaine for the defence thereof to dye Therefore it is likely and so it shal be indeed what Doctrine soever commeth frō god the same is not repugnant to the word which divinely taught we have in our hearts but agreeable thereunto giveth testimony that wee know his word as we are knowne of God and comprehended as we are comprehended of him otherwise how could we say Amen and assent if

againe nothing so great that can receive or circumscribe God As nothing is so little but God is lesse and nothing so great but God is greater beyond without below above all Creatures So also is his divine word As the free almightie eternall immutable omniscient incomprehensible invisible and unconceivable God is the beeing of all things So as as all things consist rather in him then in and by themselves as Taulerus and the Germain Theologie in a 1000 places doe avouch and is none of these things which can be seene or comprehended by sence or expressed by word So his divine word is free in all and beyond all bound unto nothing neither tyed to the prison or letters or cover of the Letter concluded included and so tyed unto it that otherwise it is no where even as the following Position and Sentence of a Learned man divinely instructed doe show As the word is covered and hidden by the Letter so it is opened and revealed by the spirit Hence it commeth to passe that the Letters be as a closed or sealed Booke so as the dark Letter except it be opened doth slay but the Spirit doth quicken and the Letters are as a certaine Image void of Life and Spirit that is a printed and dead expression of the Spirit therefore they want Life except the soule of the spirit be present and doe erre Therefore the Letters cannot be the word of God Since the word is farre otherwise an other thing then the letters For it is a spirit truth life but the letters are cōtrary flesh the letter death yea the letters if they want the Light of the word are an offence if they want the soule of the spirit are a stumbling block Therfore the Letters are an otherwise thing then the word that is they are not the Sword of the Spirit but a sheath For as the womb of the virgin conceived the word so the Letters For the word is clothed both with flesh with the Letters that Seede of Abrahem layeth hould of the Scriptures or Letters for they are both one and againe is apprehended by them but the spirit is not apprehended in the flesh or Letter of the Scriptures The cause thereof is this the flesh or Letter cannot containe conceive or comprehend the Majestie of the word yet even as it was so in the flesh that the Majestie thereof did not appeare so it is in the Letter that true neither to all or to any one that reads is it obvious and apparent This is witnessed by all Learned men in the meere Letter since the world began who neither could know finde or comprehend Christ in the flesh nor the word in the Letter which they should have done if Christ in the flesh or under the miserie of the flesh had beene known unto all not hidden but manifested and the Letter had beene not the covering mysterie but the true living and enlightning word of God it selfe As therefore the flesh was not the word but the cover thereof and a certaine great mysterie So the Letters are not the word properly but the shell the barke and cover thereof The word was made fleshly assumption not mixture and so the same word is made Letters yet not so as the same can be said of the Letters as of the word but as in a certaine Seale Therfore so farre are the Letters from being the word of God that they onely be the figure and barke thereof For the word is not that which is spoken by the Letter but that which is expounded by the Holy Ghost and understood onely of the Faithfull Therefore the Letters doe paint out shadow out and after a certaine manner set forth unto us the word and expresse something but are not the word although they be spoken and expressed For the word did not assume the flesh that it is not out of the flesh So it did not so fall into the Letter that it is not out of the Letter For there was the word when there was no Letters and the same will remaine after the Letters are perished Therefore as the word was never included and circumscribed in the flesh neither is it in the Letters For so it was in the bodie as it never yet left heaven and in the same manner it is so in the Letter as yet it is every where Therefore the word is in the Letter altogether but not all Hereupon we see that the letters have been exercised with a continuall encrease and addition Therefore the Letters are the Image of the word and not the word it selfe And if they be they are altogether a written and a dead not a living word For there is a twofould word one that quickneth viz. the Spirit another the Letter which is said to kill and slay The living word is that which inwardly teacheth and maketh us to fructifie the dead word is that which in the Flesh and Letter is proposed unto us The living word is a true Light which enlightneth all men and therefore a regenerating spirit because it reneweth all things In a word it is the power and might of God which giveth unto us that knowledge sence soule and Life which is from God A certaine brightnesse of the face of God which enlightneth us from above imprints in us the unction of the Holy Ghost by which it teacheth and instructeth us in all things But the dead word are the Letters that sealed booke and dead Letter sence and will which is the word of the flesh not of the Spirit of God The true and living word is that which God begetteth in us and the spirit of God effecteth in us But the dead and Litterall word is that which the Letters show unto us and men propound Therefore he doth not alwayes want the word who hath not the Letters For he may have the interior who wants the exterior word to witt the Law of God written in our hearts Hence it comes to passe that no man hath absolute neede to be taught of an other or to admonish his brother concerning the knowledge of God For al these shall know from the least to the greatest and are all the Disciples of Christ divinely taught This writing is not printed with inke and paper but written with the finger of God in the tables of our hearts This is the Doctrine of the truth and the inspiration of the Spirit to wit the propheticall breathing the inspiration of the Spirit and the true art of God Moreover hee may have the living word of God who wants the dead of the Letter and the thing it selfe who wants the signe that is the Life of the word though he wants the dead Letter For two things are cheifly to be considered in the word The first is the disposition and nature of the word which is a certaine Light intended for the enlightning of men The other is the action of it that is the spirit which giveth action and operation to

his fleshly wisdome and forsake that good he hath gott already then from the beginning to learne it for his profitt In so much that this is true who once hath played the Asse will scarcely learne to leave those doultish tricks O how difficult is it for them to become Fooles who have grounded themselves in a presumption of their owne witt And yet it is necessary that this they must bee or otherwise they shall bee nothing lesse then that which they desire to bee Therefore so requisite is this denyall hatred forgetfulnesse of himselfe that without it no man can be the disciple of Christ that is no man can be indued with divine wisdome unlesse in his affections he hath excluded and given a farewell adewe to his owne Wherefore what wonder is it if the worldly Man who is busied about the things of this life be altogether ignorant of the knowledge of God For since he is not obedient to that wisdome that is sp●rituall neither can perceive any divine thing nor receive the spirit of truth nor for the wisdome of God exchange his owne For he neither cares to nourish that wisdome in his heart neither desires to learne it and because hee desires it not he cannot learne it And now it is requisite that as Sainct Paul sayes if any man will be wise with God he must be a foole in the World that thereby he may become truely wise That is he must cease to thinke as the world doth labour to gett a new minde and deliver over his sences thoughts to be renewd by God The cause of which Paul immediately annexeth to the same For the wisdome of the World saith he is foolishnes to God And in his Epistle to the Romans hee calleth it death and enmity to God And the same Paul bids adew to all his owne witt which he had learned at the feete of Gamaliell above all his equals and accounts all his owne righteousnes and knowledge as dung and drosse in respect of the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ And elsewhere he glories in this that he had learned to unlearne and forget all things and now desired to know nothing but Christ him crucified In the same manner all the Apostles become little Children again Besides Nichodemus and all other whosoever as Christ had said unto them unlesse they be changed and become as little Children they cannot see the Kingdome of God And a little after Christ saith that the Kingdome of God is of such little Children This is the reason why the Scriptures admonish us so often to beware of our owne witt least we doe any thing that seemes good in our owne eyes As also that we resist our owne wils neither that we suffer our selvs to be led and guided by our owne affections and desires and also those that trust in their owne hearts obey their own cogitations are foolish and wicked also that we seeme not wise in our owne conceits nor magnify our selves but feare and in feare and trembling worke out our owne salvation And lastly that we trust not nor leane not to our owne witt For what is or can be more wicked then what flesh and blood hath found out Truely the flesh cannot of its owne nature seeke God and have him in estimation unlesse it renounce it selfe and hate its owne life and soule that is all its owne workes though it gloze them over with a pretence of the word honour and glory of God for he cannot be beleeved loved prayed unto or found but only in God Therefore all the endeavour study art diligence of is altogether void of God and want his grace and spirit For the word of God requires an humble submissive trembling and abiected mind and a soule poore in spirit free from the bondag of the creatures like to tender wax or clay plyable in the finger of God to receive the figure and stamp of his image imprinted upon it To these Fooles and Children such as feare God and are seperated from the Dugges of the World doth he open his secrets and teach his divine wisdome knowledg if there be any man that fears God to him the Lord will shew the way that he may choose and he walke in the truth and his posterity shall inhabit the Land He sayes not to the Learned and to the wise of the World as also in an other place the Lord reveales his secrets to the righteous For this cause Christ the Sonne of God gives thankes to his Father that he had hidden his secrets from the prudent and wise of the World and had revealed unto Children and Babes That as wee have already spoken out of the mouths of sucking Babes Such as were Moyses Ieremias Amos and the Apostles c. hee might speake his praise and extoll his Kingdome and Glory Againe the rich proud he sends away emptie and filleth only the hungrie with good things Now no Money-master nor rich covetous Churle is more swollen up with the vaine confidence of his riches nor any woman more proud of her bewtie then these wise men pride and boast themselvs of their wisdome and knowledge perswading themselvs that this is the divine wisdome and riches of the soule which neither theevs can steale nor rust canker it nor moath corrupt it when notwithstanding it is nothing but meere death foolishnes and enmity against God and in a word the knowledg of the forbidden Tree Therefore the holy Scriptures speake expresly of the wise of the world these righteous men famous for their arts priding themselves in their owne hearts who are arrogant and proud and are indued with nothing lesse then the spirit of God who abides onely in simple Doves By this it appeares that no kinde of men are farther from the Kingdome of God and doe lesse square and agree with his word and more disagree from his will then those who leane and trust to their owne wisdome knowledge reason and will Christ in the holy Scriptures speaketh not so much against Publicans and common sinners as these who being puft up with a conceit of their owne righteousnes reflect upon themselves with a selfe pleasingnes with these can Christ least accord unto them doth so often threaten woes in the Scripture and sayes that adulterers and Publicans shall enter before them into the Kingdome of Heaven These are those wicked men against whom David so fervently and often prayes and of whom Christ hath so little hope and unto whom he with his Apostles and Steuen give so cutting language who being men of a wicked mind would seeme nothing lesse But those things which are written concerning wicked men they ignorantly interpret of others these are such whom the whole world esteeme and accounts to be the shining lights thereof Such were Nichodemus and Paul before his conversion these are those who in David Moyses Christs and all other times of the church have beene the righteous Scribes Pharises

word of God which in it selfe is perpetuall and semperternall can neither be written in Letters nor expressed in word endureth for ever Hence it comes to passe that whatsoever is spoken or written of it as that which is not of God himselfe remaines but as a shadow a figure and testimony thereof and is not properly God and his word Now no man can speake or utter this word therefore it is necessary that it speake it selfe in an obedient and willing heart and for this cause it is required of every man that hee submitt himselfe under the potent hand of God void of his owne will free and cleare from his owne heart and subordinate to the will of God that God or his word may speake teach seeke love finde acknowledge beseech hear praise honour feare and adore it selfe This alone is the art of God which he himselfe doth teach in us without this all other arts are nothing For besides this to know all things is to be ignorant of all things All arts without this art is vanity which yet is better conceived in heart then it can be uttered in word yea it cannot be expressed or declared in worde therefore no man can teach the same to an other but it is to be taught and manifested by God to the teaching of which whosoever are sent they are not Doctors or Masters but onely witnesses of that word which by the vertue of God is before in our hearts Therefore it hath many names which oftentimes are used one for an other so that as sometimes the Father sometime the Sonne and sometimes the Holy Ghost is called the Fountaine of Life or Truth So the word of God is sometimes called the Seed of God sometimes his soule sometimes his soonn sometime his arme sometimes his hand sometime his right hand sometime his Law sometime his will sometime his image sometime his inspiration And hither may be referred all the names which the Scriptures give to the Father Sonne and Holie Ghost and the word of God which are all one and referred unto one serve to the signification of the same thing And this Word which in the New Covenant is called Christ is the essence of all things which are and all things are created by it and also are preserved nourished and sustained by it and in it So that all things have their beeing rather in the Word then in themselves And if God should withdraw this word to himselfe as was the estate of them before the beginning of the world while yet the world was not made of him so should all things necessarily in the same moment be turned to nothing againe Therefore doth God even to this day preach this word unto us and yet it is ineffable as Taulerus saith though in him all things have their essence and being in from God Wherefore to committ and consecrate a mans selfe to this living word of God is the onely life eternall and that true one art and part of Mary which cannot be taken from her all other arts are vaine and must perish with the inventors and professors only to know God obey his word which the Scriptures calls to eate Christ to beleeve in him to putt on the new man to adhere unto God to be born a new to live to the spirit to heare and receive the word of God to be baptized to be ingrafted into Christ to receive Christ and many other tearmes is not onely of it selfe immortal but preserveth all from death who are indued with the same No man can consume this bread but it preserves him the eater thereof from eternall death and hunger unto eternall life This treasure can no theefe take away no rust or moath corrupt In a word this eternall word is to a Christian all things in adversitie a Sword Weapon against all dangers meate to him that starves cloathing to the cold for want of divine grace and a sure sanctuary to every fugitive But he that knoweth all things and is ignorant of this knoweth nothing even as hee who knoweth and hath all things and wanteth God possesseth nothing and if it could be that any man could know all arts which all men at any time have knowne and understood if he were a Pandora or a Hippias knowing all things yet were he not therefore any whitt better in the sight of God yea J dare say he should be so much the worse by how much he had glutted himselfe of the tree of knowledge eaten death for the more poyson is received the speedier will the destruction be And even as this was the fall death of Adā viz. to become a god to arrogate to be something in himselfe to know J will not say to be ignorant of nothing That fal cannot be forgiven or repaired unlesse thou vomitt up all that Diabolicall art and curious knowledge and besides eate of the Tree of Life which shall worke in thee an utter forgetfulnesse of all those arts and make thee a Childe a Foole and reduce thee to innocencie under God that at length thou mayst know that which God would know in thee so he himselfe should teach and suggest in thee by his word according as it is said otherwise all things are unprofitable yea though a man know all things they are not onely unprofitable but also a hinderance to this art of God He that is ignorant of this in vaine hath he learned knowne all things else besides In the word of God alone which proceedeth out of the mouth of god is seated the rule of all things the Scope Doctrine art life and truth teaching what is to be done what not to be done what to bee spoken what not to be spoken whether to enter from whence to depart and come out All other arts they be variable whatsoever they be to time fortune vanitie death and oblivion and not onely these arts but also the Letters bookes formes masters tongues which we use doe perish and others after them which succeed in their places so that nothing is cōstant of long continuance in the earth but all things according to their visible nature are frayle mutable and momentary How often are the tongues themselves changed how often the formes being removed doe new succeed in their place as I have said before Orthography is not ever like it selfe and the same with all people in all times yea the true pronounciation of the Latin tongue as Cornelius Agrippa in his booke called De vanitate scientiarum formerly alleadged by us is perished and no where extant Moreover the auncient Letters of the Hebrews are gone so that there is no memorie left thereof but onely those which Esdras in their place invented Adde moreover that the tongue is made verie lame by the Caldeans which also hath been incident to perish of other tongues So that no man there is who can finde out their auncient forme and dialects Besides this new words doe allwayes creepe in the