Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A65902
|
A manifestation of truth ... writ in answer to a book which a nameless author hath written against the people called Quakers : wherein is contained divers untruths and hard speeches tending to beget jealousies and evil thoughts of them who are known to be harmless and innocent ... : also the truth of those things which they believe and practice ... is declared / by John Whitehead.
|
Whitehead, John, 1630-1696.
|
1662
(1662)
|
Wing W1979; ESTC R26356
|
14,009
|
17
|
worthy to live and this was the fruit of trying the Spirit by the Scripture when mans wisdom sate as Judge of both Note That we own the Scriptures to be a rule but not the onely rule whereby to cry Spirits which is rather to be judged by them both and let such as know no other rule whereby to try Spirits but the Scriptures confess they are ignorant of the Law written in the heart and of the testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit or Word of Prophesie that is near in the heart even the more sure Word surer then the words of the Prophets or Apostles which may be wrested for it is a Light in a dark place viz. the heart to give man a true understanding of their words and his Law that is written there is perfect and unalterable and by this rule holy men of God tryed Spirits before the Scriptures were written and so all the Spirits that are gone out into the world may be tryed and those that are contrary to it are also contrary to the Scriptures rightly understood and therefore under the judgement of both 2 Pet. 1.19 but the Spirit of God judgeth all things but ought to be judged of no man therefore sad will be their accompt that call it the Devil and its motions his impulses for all sins and blasphemies against the son of man may be forgiven Mat. 12.31 32 but the blasphemy against the holy Spirit shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in that to come Concerning Perfection We say first that we have sinned and God hath let us see it and we have confessed it 1 Joh. 1.7 and he hath forgiven it through the blood of Christ which doth wash and cleanse us from it and by his power we are kept from sinning yet do we not boast of perfection in our selves because by the grace of God we are what we are howbeit we know that it is the Commandment of Christ that we should be perfect even as our Heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5 48 and therefore we are perswaded it is not impossible for us to be so whilst here in this life for he is not such an hard Master to command impossibilities Heb. 10.10 14. and moreover by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified and we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all therefore perfected for ever and this was and is the very end for which he sends forth his Ministers Eph. 4.11 12 13 even to gather the Saints into the unity of the Faith to a perfect man in the mersure fulness and stature of Christ 1 Joh. 3 5 to 11. who even for this purpose was manifest to take away sin and destroy the works of the Devil but if any will yet say that cannot be whilst here in this life for some sin will remain in men whilst on this side the grave let them answer me these questions 1. Whether they believe that any shall enter in to inherit Gods Kingdom and if yea then whether they believe that they shall enter into it with some sin in them and if nay then in what time and place shall they be cleansed and their sin perfectly done away seeing they deny it to be possible whilst in this life but we affirm it being perswaded that there is no purgatory wherein to be cleansed after death and knowing that Christ Jesus is able to save to the uttermost Heb. 11.25 they that come to God by him so that those that are born of God and abide in Christ sin not neither can because they are born of God and his seed remains in them contrary to which text no interpretation of it or argument can stand good but herein are the children of God and the children of the Devil made manifest he that doth righteousness is of God but he that sinneth is of the Devil who sinneth from the beginning and this doctrine doth not tend to Ranting as they that understand it not say but to encourage people to wait to be cleansed and kept by the mighty power of God from all unrighteousness which is all sin and press on to perfection in the Life of Christ Concerning Salvation by Christ We say and believe that without the sufferings and death of Christ at Jerusalem no man can be saved justified or sanctified and therefore do they maliciously or at least ignorantly slander us who say we expect not to be saved by Christs sufferings at Jerusalem but by Christs sufferings in us for such words did never proceed from us though we say that it is not an historical knowledge and belief of what Christ said and suffered at Jerusalem sixteen hundred years ago that can or doth save any man without feeling of his Spirit Phil. 3.10 Power and Life made manifest within to make them conformable to him in his death and raise them together with him to live in the vertue of his life by which life we as well as the ancient Christians are saved Rom. 5.10 and we are justified sanctified in the Name and by the Spirit of our God which mightily worketh in us and all his works are perfect and therefore I do distinguish betwixt the righteousness which is of faith 1 Cor. 6.11 which the Spirit worketh and the righteousness which is of the Law performed by mans own strength for though the one be as filthy rags yet so is not the other therefore is he the enemy of all righteousness that mingles them both together and treads them under foot as dung and dross therefore let all that love their souls love Christ the righteousness of God and follow after him that they may be made righteous and have that boldness in the day of judgement which the ancient Christians had because said they as he is so are we in this world 1 Joh 4.17 Concerning Swearing To swear at all in Gospel times is no part of Gods worship therefore it is no delusion but the truth that makes us refuse to swear in any case For though swearing was used in the time of deaths reign from Adam to Moses and that by some of Gods people and not only so but commanded in some particular cases by Moses and the Prophets in the time of the Law yet a greater Prophet being raised to whom they all gave witness and command that in all things he should be heard with this severe penalty that every foul that would not hear him should be cut off from his people Acts 3.22 23 24. And seeing Christ Jesus that Prophet which they said God would raise hath found that Covenant faulty in which oaths were used Mat. 5 34. and by his own mouth expresly hath commanded us not to swear at all though in old time it was lawful and an honour to God to swear in some cases yet now it is not lawful or an honour to God to swear in any case
Ministry vvho freely vvithout money or price have received the vvord of reconciliation and do freely preach it coveting no mans silver or his gold nor his corn not his hay nor his wool nor his Lamb but do cast their whole care upon the Lord that hath sent them and do plow in hope plant in hope and thresh in hope that the ground may be broken up that hath brought forth briars and thorns and the true seed grow to a blade an ear and corn in the ear and then be separated from the chaff and such as these shall never be frustrate of their hope nor want necessary things pertaining to this life though they know not to day what they shall have to morrow chap. 6.25 26 27. 1 Cor. 4.11 I know that they that preach the Gospel shall never want a livelihood But he that hath sent them will take care to provide them a morsel in due season and such as these though some of them have no more certain dwelling place then the ancient Ministers of Christ had are made manifest in our consciences and so far approved and owned as the Ministers of Christ Hos 6.9 Heb. 7.16 But for the company of Priests that are made by mans will and have the Law of a carnal commandement for to uphold their Ministry and maintenance and claim tythes of mens increase a thing not mentioned by the antient Christians and when for pure conscience sake and not for any corrupt ends as our manifold sufferings may evince we cannot uphold that Jewish custom and Antichristian practice which hath been introduced in the dark night of Popery then do they sue us to Law cast in prison and make spoil of our goods ordinarily the trebble value of what they demanded but sometimes amounting to the trebble trebble value of what they said was due which hath brought such a blot on them as shall never be wiped off and manifests them to be such as Peter said had hearts exercised with covetous practices and such grievous wolves as Paul said should come not sparing the flock therefore we do turn from them to the chief Shepherd 2 Pet. 2.14 Act. 20.29 who hath redeemed us from being a prey to them Concerning womens speaking That Daughters did Prophesie in the Congregations of Gods antient people is evident Num. 11.2 Judg. 4.4 5 6. Joel 2.28 29. for to Israel God spoke by or in Merriam in the dayes of Moses and again he spoke in Deborah to Israel and judged them by the words of her mouth who sate under the Palm tree for many years in the dayes of Barack and Joel said that vvhen God did pour forth his Spirit Daughters should Prophesie as vvell as Sons Acts 21.9 and one man had four Daughters that vvere Prophetesses in the Apostles dayes and divers vvomen vvere helpers of the Apostles in the vvork of the Ministry as is both evident in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles Read Rom. 16. 1 Cor. 11.5 ch 14.22 vvhere Paul also gave rules how they should Prophesie saying That every woman praying or Prophesying with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head and where should the woman Prophesie if not in the Church seeing the same Apostle commendeth that gift above many for edification of the Church and saith that Prophesie serveth not for them that believe not but for them that believe so that it is evident that although he did not permit a woman to speak in the Church nor usurp Authority over the man yet he did permit the Spirit of God to speak in vvomen as vve do for vve dare not forbid it lest in so doing vve should quench the Spirit vvhich they have the Promise of as vvell as men Concerning Superiors and Inferiors and the honour that is due from the one to the other Also concerning Titles Curtesie and Salutation by the way In the beginning God did create all Nations of one blood to dwell upon the face of the whole Earth Acts 17.26 that they might glorifie his Name and live innocently in love one to another but since the seed of the Serpent was received in mans heart that naturally inclines him to pride violence and all other foul inormities we are perswaded that by Gods Ordinance some have a superiority given them for the punishment of evil doers and a praise to them that do well As first the Husband over the Wife 2. The Parents over the children the King over his Subjects and the Rulers over the people in their several Countries and liberties also Masters over their servants and Mistresses over their handmaids and to these Superiors we are perswaded by the Lord that there is an honour due from inferiours and in his Light we do see and know that it consists not in vain Ceremonies wherein there is no service to God or man such as uncovering the head and bowing the knee And therefore the examples of Jacob and Abraham though good men who bowed to Esau and Abraham to the Hevites a Heathen Nation will not vvarrant us to bovv dovvn and vvorship creatures against our consciences no more then their going in to their handmaids vvill vvarrant us to do the like neither doth due honour consist in vain complements vvhich for the most part are frivilous fained and hypocritical as your servant Sir I go Sir c. but in diligent and speedy obedience to all just commands of Superiors and in patient suffering under those that are unjust doth due honour consist for those children do most honour their Parents and those Subjects their Prince which are of good behaviour temperate sober wise and humble and do readily obey all their just commands and patiently suffer chastisement for refusing to obey that which is unjust and this honour which is due from all Inferiors to Superiors we do not at all teach any to withhold and therefore we can with confidence appeal to the consciences of our very enemies and accusers that we do design to level nothing but sin wherein we are justified by the Lord who will bring down the loftiness of man Isa 2.11 and bow the haughtiness of his spirit and exalt himself alone as in the beginning for he is worthy because he alone is the Lord and therefore we cannot call any man the Lord besides him 1 Cor 8 5 6. though we know in the world there is Lords many and one of them we can call a Lord but not the Lord nor my Lord because God is the Lord and there is none our Lord besides him and in like manner we can call some Ladies as the antient Christians did yet not any elect Lady but such whose election we know and why should we call any my Lady as he urges unless by marriage union we have interest in them And for such as do any way demonstrate to us that they are of a Noble and honourable spirit we shall not stick to call them Noble or honourable as Paul did Festus