Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	holy_a	scripture_n	speak_v	14,888	5	5.2608	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65871	A just enquiry into the libeller's abuse of the people called Quakers in his scandalous pamphlet, falsly stiled, Some of the Quakers principles, doctrines, laws and orders, &c.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1693 (1693)	Wing W1938; ESTC R38636	12,114	34

A Iust Enquiry INTO THE Libeller's Abuse OF THE People called QVAKERS In His Scandalous Pamphlet falsly Stiled Some of the Quakers Principles Doctrines Laws and Orders c. They Shoot in Secret at the Perfect c. But God shall Shoot at them Psal. 64. London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle at the Crooked Billet in Holywell-Lane Shoreditch 1693. A Just Enquiry into the Libeller's abuse of the People called Quakers c. THere 's two or three Falacies in the very Title of the said Pamphlet 1 st In charging what 's contain'd therein upon the Quakers in general as being their Principles Doctrines Laws and Orders c. Whereas in truth divers of them are neither the Quakers Principles Laws nor Orders but disown'd by the said People though this Nameless Author has unjustly represented them as if they were some Principles all intirely Transcribed and that from the Quakers in general without exception which is a notorious abuse For 't is also very Obvious That many of them are very Partially unfairly and injuriously cited minced curtalized Picktpach't and scrap'd up thereby wronging some former Antient Writings of perticular Persons deceased and not here to answer for themselves as George Fox Edward Burroughs Francis Howgill John Burnyet William Smith John Audland Josiah Cole and others and some yet alive abused Others very falsly represented being taken on Trust on an Implicit Faith out of our Long-since Refuted Adversaries Books and Pamphlets 2 dly That those pretended Principles and Doctrines c. of the Quakers at least many of them are Rendered to be of dangerous Consequence When we can easily make it appear that Many of them even as cited by this Obscure Accuser are agreeable to the holy Scriptures and Testimonies of Holy Men consequently not of any dangerous Consequence though in many things the Libeller appears very Injurious as well as Envious Whereupon I enquire 1. What dangerous Consequence can be in our Knowing or Believing our Election i. e. in Christ before the World began pag. 1. Ephes. 1.4 2. Or what dangerous Consequence in our believing or Testifying that Christ hath given us Discerning and Judgment Or that we are of God and they that own God will own us or any who are his Children 3. Or in our Believing the Tabernacle of God to be with us that is with all his People whom we include as of us or with us who are not against us nor Envious nor exalted in Pride or Self-conceit but looking towards the Lord as in every Nation and People they that truly fear God and work Righteousness they are accepted and so far of us 4. What dangerous Consequence can be in asserting That Christ's Ministry or Teaching is to Bring up the Hearers to Perfection to the measure of stature and fulness of Christ pag. 2. 5. Can none Quakers or others in these Dayes truly declare that they are or may be moved by the Immediate Spirit and Power of God to Write or Preach without dangerous Consequence pag. 2 3. 6. What dangerous Consequence can be in asserting That they that have the Form and not the Power and that are not Infallible in their Counsel and Judgment in their Ministry are none of Christ's Ministers pag. 3. 7. Is not the Spirit of Christ Infallible and the Ministry thereof Infallible And are any Christ's Ministers who have not his Spirit to Instruct them pag. 3. 8. The distinction between the Letter and the Word or Spirit and between the Ministry of the Letter and that of the Spirit pag. 3 4. as between the Shadow and Substance the meer Writing in outward Characters and the holy divine Doctrines and Truths therein contained or holy Scriptures as intending the same Is so Scriptural that I know no true Christian will deny such distinction muchless deem it of dangerous Consequence We never esteemed or called the Holy Scriptures that is the Holy Doctrines or Precepts thereof but a Dead Letter c. This Matter is fully answered and explained in a late Treatise entituled Antichrist in Flesh Vnmask'd and in many others But yet further Section 8. Touching the Scriptures implying that we call them the Husk the Letter which Killeth Earthly and Carnal Letter c. This is not Justly nor truly stated and may Cause mistake and Misapprehension as if the Divine and Christian Doctrine and Testimonies contained in the Scriptures were included in the Term Letter Husk c. which could not be the Intention of any of our Friends in that case but of the meer outward Writings as in Paper and Ink the Shadows and Types the Legal and outward Ministration as Distinguished and Separated from that of the Spirit Life and Substance Cor. 3.6 7. Rom. 2.29 Please also to take G. F's Explanation and Sence that by Letter he means Paper and Ink but saith the Scripture the thing it speaks of is Spiritual the Word is Spirit Great Mystery fol. 78. And further he Explains viz. the Scripture it self without the Spirit that gave it forth is a dead Letter in it self the Spirit is it that gave forth the Scriptures Gr. Mist. fol. 127. Wherein he distinguisheth between the meer Letter and the holy Scripture between the Letter and the Doctrine between the Writings and the Gospel or Word declared of because the one will decay the other is permanent the Books and Writings in Ink and Paper will wear out so will not the Word Iehoiakim King of Judah could Burn Jeremiah's Roll or Book writ with Ink by Barach but not the Word of the Lord nor the Words thereof for the same Word caused all the former Words to be Written again after the Roll was burnt Jer. 36. This is no contempt of the Scripture no more then it is of the Earth and the Heavens to say they shall Wax Old and Perish But the Word that made them Endureth Psal. 102.25 26. Heb 1.11 12. Dust cannot properly be said of the holy Scriptures or Doctrine but that the Letter or Writing will decay and some pervert it and in setting the Shadow above the Substance and the Letter above the Spirit and thinking to have eternal Life therein will not come to Christ that they might have Life The Devil and Serpents have perverted and abused the Scriptures and turned the Truth thereof into a Lye But the Truth remaineth the Truth is Truth still and the holy Scripture it self or Doctrine of Truth therein cannot be broken The Husk that intends no contempt upon the holy Scripture but thereby intending the meer Letter or Writing it is not the Kernel the seed the Living Word Spirit or Life which the Scriptures testifie of Those Repeated Stories and Reflections insinuated concerning Governments Monarchy Rulers Laws c. pag. 4.5 6 7. Enviously and perversly Raked up by Patches Mincings and piece-meal out of old Books the most part writ in the Common-Wealth's Days are plainly answered and our Innocency cleared in several late Books one Intituled Christ's Lambs defended from Satan's Rage Another

Some Reflections on some Remarks upon the said Christ's Lambs defended Another Intituled Innocency against Envy Another The Quakers Answer to a scandalous Libel stiled A Letter to the Quakers All these Printed and Sold by Thomas Northcot in George-Yard in Lumbard-street London So that much more time need not be spent to Answer the Libeller over again in these matters As for outward or Civil Governments our Peaceable and Christian Conversation as a People is so well known under all from first that we need not fear secret Smiters and Libeller's unjust attempts to blast or cloud our Christian Reputation on that account well knowing that when vve have suffered great wrong and been sevearly persecuted by any in outvvard Povver for our tender Conscience tovvard God he vvould be ready to Plead our Innocent Cause as he hath many times done And as for such Rulers or Persons in outvvard Povver as have abused their power either by Injustice Oppression or Persecution they were all accountable to God who is no Respecter of Persons and for any of his Servants to warn such against their Evil Ways and of their Destruction or Overthrow when God requires them this is so far from any act of Rebellion or Sedition or unkindness either that I think such kind of Pious Plainness and Caution seasonably given is a token of the greatest Kindness can be expressed to the Great Men or Potentates of the Earth though such Friendship is rarely well resented or accepted except by such Princes and Rulers whose Hearts are tenderly inclined as was David's Josiah's Hezekiah's and such Kings of Judah c. as had some tender Fear towards God and regard to his Laws in their Hearts I do grant that several among our Friends at first and in the Common-Wealth's days had no great affection to some sort of Monarchy and the more doubtful thereof because they were Jealous that thereby such Bishops would be set up again as would renew or cause Persecution upon Conscientious Dissenters again For many of them came of Puritanical Families who had deeply suffered by the former Bishops and their Courts their Star-Chamber and high Commission Court c. This caused the greater Aversness in many heretofore to such Monarchy thus considered But what then is it Just to upbraid us always as a People and to agravate the same against us as Criminals Or to render us as disaffected either to Just Government or Monarchy in General without Exception when as good Kings and Governments we had no reason to dissafect or oppose and tho' we like not bad ones who are for Persecution and Oppression c. we have always been true and Constant to the Doctrine of Non Resistance and Passive Obedience ever since we were a People and learned quietly to submit as Christians to the Over-ruling Hand and Providence of God in the Revolutions and Change of Governments which have Eminently happen'd even in our days as Samuel did though he was as much a Republican and averse to Monarchy as some called Quakers were at first as when Israel's Requiring a King like other Nations displeased Samuel 1 Sam. chap. 8. Yet when a King was given them he granted him to be the Lord 's Anointed and Chosen 1 Sam. 10. which is something suitable to the Case of those our former Friends for whose sakes in this Concern we are by these Apostates implicitly yet very unjustly rendered Obnoxious to the Civil Government Some of the Libeller's false Charges and notorious abusive Perversions 1. That the Quakers have a Spirit Given them beyond all the Fore-Fathers since the days of the Apostles in the Apostacy and they can discern who are Saints and who are Devils quoting G. F's Great Mystery pag. 89. Answ. This is a notorious Perversion this Parenthesis before being a Forgery and not in G. F's Answer The truth of the matter is thus viz. Magnus Byne said The Quakers knows a man whether he be a Saint or Devil and they are beyond all our Fore-Fathers c. G. F. answers viz. Here thou hast shewed that the Quakers have a Spirit Given them beyond all the Fore-Fathers since the days of the Apostles in the Apostacy G. F's Parenthesis being Only Which we do Witness His words do not intend nor import a Spirit or Attainment among the Quakers beyond all the Fore-Fathers true Apostles and others without exception as the Libeller makes them look but beyond all such Fore-Fathers as were in the Apostacy since the days of the true Apostles And what dangerous Consequence can follow thence Pray Can it be of dangerous Consequence not to believe a ●●tter Attainment than Apostates had who th●● will Credit this Obscure Smiter to be any better than an Old Apostate And of what validity is his Work then Sect. 4. pag. 2. He attempts to prove the Quakers guilty of High Boasting by accusing G. F. with saying he is the Son of God I suppose he intended a Son of God but take it as it is was not Adam called the Son of God Luke 3.38 G. F. preferred Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God we are sure and owned himself to be a Servant of Christ as he truly was and a Son of God too in his Work and Service in his day Christ the only begotten Son of God in all things must have the preheminence though as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and now are we the Sons of God c. 1 John 3.2 Again we are charged with saying He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ is Equal with God For which Saul's Errand pag. 8. 1654. is quoted We deny the words as there printed The words he that hath should be left out and have reason to suppose the mistake has happen'd either in the Printing or Transcribing for 't is very carelessly and badly printed and that contrary to G. E's and our Principle and to his own very words and confession a little before in the same Book where being charged with Professing himself to be Equal with God he possitively denys the Charge but confesses The Father and the Son are One and that Christ and the Holy Spirit are Equa with God pag. 5 6. and to Christ Jesus both as he was of the Seed of Abraham and also as he was Equal with God i. e both to his Manhood and Divinity It 's therefore a gross Slander implyed against the Quakers that 't is their Boasting Doctrine or Principle that They or any of them are Equal with God because they pertake of his Spirit that raised Jesus from the Dead and of the divine Nature and Image they pretend to no such Equality or Principle neither doth G. F. but the contrary he denys it of himself or any other Creature as that any Creature should be Equal with the Creator as in his Great Mystery fol. 127. And we abhor any such Boasting Charge Sect. 22. Some of the Characters they give to other Ministers