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	speak_v	word_n	18,876	5	4.5025	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B04736	Quakerism the mystery of iniquity discovered in a brief dialogue between a Christian & a Quaker: By way of supplement to my former papers exhibited in Dublin against them, in two of the most important particulars charg'd upon them; viz. the holy Scriptures, and our Lord Jesus Christ; in which it doth most evidently appear, that both are denied by them, in a true, Christian, and proper sense. / By John Plimpton.	Plimpton, John, fl. 1698.	1698 (1698)	Wing P2572; ESTC R181887	11,478	32

the authority of men or upon their own authority both the latter are absurd in your eyes therefore the former only is true Not from men nor tradition for thou sayest that is Popery and believing as the Church believes ibid. p. 142. again thou queriest p. 140 141. How shall I be assured the Scriptures came from God I am bound to try all things then them among the rest I would fain know what I must try them with with the Scriptures then the Scriptures must be the rule of my examination and Faith concerning themselves which is improper W. Pen hast thou not here reprobated the Scriptures with a witness certainly you are the most prodigious Hereticks and Imposters that ever any age did produce Qu. Whether the first Penman of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes or whether both these are not one or whether there are not many words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by inspiration of the holy Spirit whether some words were not spoken by the grand Imposter some by wicked men some by wise men ill applied some by good men ill expressed some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false Quakers Refuge p. 17. Chr. Well if it be thus then whether it is not dangerous to receive the Scriptures any further then they agree with the Light within and if Moses and Hermes be both one then whether thy query be not frivolous if not then whether the first with all the rest of thy queries be not very mischievous having this natural tendency to prejudice the weak Reader And so these things being taken collectively Whether 1st thou wouldst not throw aside a great part of the holy Scripture as doubtful particularly the Books of Moses 2. Whether thou wouldst not have some part to be diabolical 3. Some part false 4. Some part foolish both in expression and application 5. And some part little to be regarded though true beeause spoken by Lyars 6. Some part spoken by inspiration and yet of no Authority because false and so no part of it the true Record or Declaration of God's Love for the Salvation of Mankind for that or nothing is the implication of thy distinctions but what further hast thou to say Qu. Though we do say men ought to live up to those holy rules contained in the Scipture yet the reason why is that conviction they meet with from the Light in their own Consciences therefore the Light within is both our warrant for saith in and obedience to them Reason against rail pag. 48. Chr. Certainly thou W. Pen art a shameless man thou dost not care what thou dost affirm or deny so it may serve for thy Interest but if thou hast any shame in thee I will make thee asham'd Didst thou not affirm in pag. 47. that the greatest reason of your belief concerning the Prophesies and Promises recorded in the Scriptures was not from any outward thing but that inward testimony that you have received from the holy Light within you to the truth and faithfulness of those sayings And now W. P. after thou hadst writ all this and much more that might be minded thou hast charg'd T. H. with forgery because he charg'd the Quakers with the truth certainly thou must be an Athiest or a Person given up to a reprobate mind or else thou couldst not remain Impenitent as 't is evident thou dost by those Papers thou hast set forth of late Oh! W. Pen repent if thy day of grace be not over But since thou hast so much favour for the Scriptures as to receive them so far as they agree with the Light within pray tell me whether you do not esteem your own words as spoken immediately by the Spirit to be of greater authority then any Chapter in the Bible Qu. That which was spoken from the Spirit of truth in any is of as great authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater G. W. Apol. pag. 49. Chr. But how can that which is spoken by a Quaker supposing though not granting to be from the Spirit of truth be of greater authority then that which the holy Spirit hath spoken in the Scriptures but since you exalt your words to be above the Scriptures pray what do you think of your writings Qu. Fox and Hubberth●rne in a Book of theirs called Truths Defence pag. 2. in answer to Parson Comelford of Stavely Chappel the Auth●●●aving sent some queries to the P … who instead of swering them burned them thereupon he tells the Parson the said Book and page that he might as well have condemned the Scriptures to the fire to be burned as his queries he sent him or that he might as well have said the saying of Christ and his Apostles were absur'd as his queries they meaning his Queries being given forth by the same Spirit c. Chr. Certainly these are great swelling words of Vanity if you propound queries to any they must be estemed equal with the Scriptures but if any propound queries to you they must be doom'd as conjured up in the black Art out of the bottomless pit that they are the Language of a white devil propounded in the subtilty of unclean wisdom only to carp cavil and to insnare the innocent Certainly were you such innocent Persons as you pretend to be you would never exalt your selves and debase all others nay you would not exalt your own words and writings above nor equal with the Scriptures But since you thus under-value the Scriptures don't you believe them to be the true sayings of God Qu. I have told thee before that some were spoken by false Prophets and yet true and some by true Prophets and yet false And Samuel Fisher in his rustick alarm to the Rabies tells thee that they are false and falsified both Transcripts and Translations yea that none of them are right Chr. Certainly you are vile wretches the very prodigy of the times we live in for should any wise man read and consider well what you have written he must needs conclude that you have conspir'd together to under-value the Scriptures and to expose them to the greatest scorn and contempt in the world But what saith W. Pen to this Qu. If the Scriptures are the rule they are so either in their Original or Copies if in their Original that is not extant then no rule in being for the last of it that was extant Was John's History at Ephesus not seen these thousand years if the Copies must be the rule it were to be wished we knew which were the rightest to the Original there being above thirty in number this is undetermined and for ought we see indeterminable and that which makes good what I say are the variety of readings among those Copies amounting to several thousands and if the Copies cannot how can the Translations be the rule so d●ffering from the true sence of the Copies in many things and from another besides I would fain know of ●hose

of our present age who thus contend for the Scriptures being the rule c. upon what foot they receive them into this place and authority W. P. Christian Quaker pag. 141. Chr. I perceive thou dost not only deny the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith and Practice but dost also question by what authority we do receive them and thy reasons for so doing is 1st Because the Original is lost 2. Because the Copies be above thirty in number 3. Because there be several thousands of different readings in those Copies 4. Because the Translations are so differing from the true sence of the Copies in many things Thus oh you Quakers have represented the Scriptures in a worse sense than ever I read or heard any Jesuit or Romanist ever did for tho' they censure our Transl●tions in some things yet I never heard but they did speak well of the Copies Thus have you rendred the Scriptures altogether unprofitable For if there be so many thousands of Errors in them how shall I know what is right And so this will make good what you formerly said viz. That it was dangerous for ignorant People to read them Well your opinions are so naucious it makes my stomack begin to wamble it is almost time to leave it however before we part let me ask you one question or two more For since you pretend sometimes to own those holy Precepts and Commandment therein contained I would know to whom they are commanded Qu. That is no command from God to me which he commands to another neither did any of the Saints we read of in Scripture act by the command which was to another c. They obeyed every one their own command and thou J. Turner or any other who goes to Duty as you call it by Imitation from the Letter without which were commands to others in your own wills and time your Sacrifice is not accepted but is an abomination to the Lord. Edw. Borrough's Works p. 47. Ch. If it be an abomination to the Lord to do those commands which were given to others as Borrough's says And Idolatry to call the Bible a means of our knowing God as G. W. says Dip. plung'd p. 13. Then whether we may not cast off all commands in Scripture until commanded a-new by the Light within And whether this be not the reason why you cast off all duty neglecting Prayer in your Familles not accounting your se●ves under that curse Jer. 10.25 also craving no blessing upon your victuals before you eat nor returning any thanks after but sit down and rise up like hogs Certainly these things are very offensive to all that are Christians indeed If this be Quakerism the Lord deliver me from it But can'st thou say no more Qu. By order and authority given me by the Spirit of the Living God on the 31th day of the 10th month 1655 about four a clock in the morning the word of the Lord came to me saying write my controversie with all the Inhabitants of the earth Hence I do say that to take up a command from the Letter and say Christ commands it that thus you are in the witchcraft Edw. Burrough's works p. 96. compared with p. 105. Chr. Is it witchcraft to stand in awe of Christ's Commands to reverence their authority to endeavour to our utmost an observance thereof if it be so I have done with you and I hope if all sober Christians will consider these things they may easily see what esteem you have of the holy Scriptures but I will leave it and proceed to another point Christian Being well assured that you deny the Scriptures to be the rule of Faith and Practice any farther than they agree with the Light within I would fain know what your opinion is concerning Christ Qua. Some are not ashamed to tell the world in our name that Christ was never visible as to his bodily appearance and consequently that we deny his coming in the flesh above sixteen hundred years ago tho his coming is an article of our Christian Belief W. Pen Truth further cleared p. 37. Chr. I am almost certain that never any one accused you for denying Christ's visible appearance that we all accuse you of is for denying that visible appearance to be Christ or part of Christ to which you will not answer directly signifying hereby you are pinched Qu. We believe and confess Jesus Christ took our nature upon him and was like unto us in all things sin excepted that he was born of the Virgin Mary and suffered under Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor crucified dead and buried in the Sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathea that he rose again the third day and ascended into Heaven and sits on the right hand of God in the power and majesty of his Father who will one day judge the world by him even that blessed man Christ Jesus according to their works ibid. p. 17 18. Chr. This Creed seems very plausible as tho it were orthodox but to the end neither I nor any others may be deceiv'd by it I would ask thee these few questions and I prithee answer me directly 1st Whether Christ was before he took that body or whether the taking that body did not constitute him Christ 2. Whether Christ was ever visible or whether he was Christ only as God and so never seen with mortal eyes 3 Whether God is Christ and Christ be the Light and whether the Light in it self be the Christ of God and if so whether the Light did suffer under Pontius Pilate was dead and buried rose again the third day and whether the Light is ascended into Heaven and whether it now sits on the right hand of God Answer me briefly and directly hereunto that so I may be satisfied I will therefore repeat it again 1st Whether Christ was before he took that body or whether the taking that body did not constitute him Christ Qua. Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Since here Christ is distinguished from the body he took and made one with that God who is over all blessed for ever Amen As much as to say of whose flesh Christ took therefore Christ was before he took it or his taking it did not constitute him Christ W. P. Christ Qua. p. 97. Chr. This is a direct answer and it puts me out of all doubt concerning your opinion in this matter But since you deny that body to be part of Christ was Christ ever visible Qua. Abraham saw my day and reioyced they still harping upon that visible body not thirty three years old rep●ied thou art not yet fifty and hast thou seen Abraham taking that to be the Messiah the Christ of God and Saviour of the World he meant which they saw with their carnal eyes ibid. p. 96. Chr. 'T is believ'd among the Christians that the Godhead and Manhood conjoint was the true Christ but thou wilt have