Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	life_n	light_n	soul_n	6,880	5	5.1250	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89826	An ansvver to some queries put out by one John Pendarves, in a book, called, Arrowes against Babylon, &c. For the people called, Quakers to answer.	Naylor, James, 1617?-1660.	1656 (1656)	Wing N260; Thomason E865_4; ESTC R207620	10,619	16

discover'd in his old Antichristian forms and in rude ranting now to come with power and seeming parity shewing-signs and wonders to seduce from the plain simplicity of the Gospell of Christ according to those descriptions of his coming and working 2 Thess 2.8 9. Mar. 13.22 2 Cor. 11.3.14 and if so ought not all men to take heed how they believe every spirit or powerful motion to be of God as also how they hear and follow every Prophet that comes in Sheeps cloathing and pretends to come with light And are not those in the way to be easily seduced who are so taken with the fair covering and outside-carriage of persons as to imbrace their principles without a serious spiritual Scripture tryall of them Whereas we are commanded if any man bring not this Doctrine receive him not 2 John 10. And Solomon saith The simple believeth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his goings Proverbs 14.15 Answ The Word of God in whom ever it is spoken is of equall authority to the end for which it goeth forth and he is the same that ever he was in whom he is according to their measures but that we esteem any of our sayings with equall authority with the sayings of God is false and it is thy self whose saying agreeth not with Scripture who art telling of a written Word and dost not thou shew thy envy against the authority of Christ and those that obey him who would slander travelling up and down far and near to the wearying of the flesh at the obedience of the voice of the Lord and this thou slanders with neglecting relations and to be contrary to the Scriptures hast thou not here sufficiently shewed thy blindness as touching both spirit and letter Is it contrary to the Scripture to leave all and follow Christ Or was there ever a Disciple of his that did not Or can such be his Disciples who doth not How hath thy imaginations blinded thee stop thy mouth for shame art thou talking of following the Lamb who wilt neither do it thy self nor suffer others Did not the Ministers of Christ make proof of themselves in wandering in necessities in distresses afflictions watchings fastings tumults and imprisonments Did they not wander to and fro in hunger and nakedness having no certain dwelling place Is this now become contrary to the Scriptures with thee And have not the Prophets of the Lord been caused to strip themselves naked as signes to the wicked genrations And dost thou now prefer the Papists before this And doest thou charge the Servants of the Lord to glory in this Couldst thou glory in it thy self to leave all and suffer these things for the name of Christ it is much easier with the flesh to sit still in thy habitation and accuse them that do the Papists and thee sute well in this in your wil-shorship but little knoweth either of you what it is to be guideded contrary to your wills by the Spirit of God you are none of those children who are for signs and wonders Is this the end of your pulling off your pride of Apparell thereby to take advantage to strike at the whole obedience to Christ in greater things and say they are contrary to the Scriptures which the Scriptures do witness against you Is not this the old Deceiver thou art telling of who is changing your shape and now dressing you without Ribbans who formerly was dressing you up with them in your rude ranting and is now coming in a seeming purity but with more mischief against the simplicitie of the Gospel all those are in the way to be easily seduced who are so soon taken with your fair covering and out-side-carriage but they that have the light in them and that spirit that tryeth all things will not own you the sooner for your feigned humility with all this poyson at the bottome but if you will be owned with the Children of Light who judgeth not according to the outward appearance then must you own that which washeth the inside that the old leaven and venome of the Serpent may be purged out that old Accuser of the Brethren who yet sits in the Temple of God pleading for his Kingdom of sin and imperfection and against the obedience to Christ in them that follow him yea against the living obedience of those from whom he hath taken up the imitation by which he makes a fair shew in the flesh glorying in appearance but not in the heart and therefore striketh at the Light within and the spirit of truth there that if by any means he may keep the heart though he loose the Ribbans and so make a boast of an outside And thou askest another question in thy book whether this People meaning the Quakers witnessing against pride standing up to plead for the Spirit and also for reforming in habit and some other good things at this time may not have in it a design of Satan to bring up an evil report upon those good things and the persons that practise and seek to promote them may we not sayest thou look at this as a stumbling block cast in the way to hinder this good work by the enemy of man who leaves no way unattempred to stir up the minds of men to prejudice against truth I say if pleading for the Spirit reforming in habit and other good things be good things as thou say'st they are which the Quakers plead for and practise at this time then out of thine owne mouth bee thou judged that thou art he that is in that design of Satan to bring up an evil report upon those good things and the persons that practise and seek to promote them and this is the way thou art attempting to stir up the mindes of men to prejudice against the truth may not all see that some of you who are called Anabaptists who of late have been provoked to cast off some of your pride outwardly by those you call Quakers being you could not maintain it with Scripture now are you preaching down pride of envy against their persons who have testified against it in you as well as in the rest of the World yet however we rejoyce that pride is preached down which though you had the Scriptures before yet could not bee provoked by them thereto but have been the Ring-leaders of Pride of all-seeming religious People in the Nation And this I say to thee and the rest of you who are making a fair show in the flesh and would glory in appearance thereby to despise the Quakers you have a great deal more to deny besides putting off your outward pride in apparel if you will either imitate the Quakers or answer the Scriptures and the practice of the Saints therein recorded Is there not the same ground in Scripture to deny respect of persons and cease worshipping one another and to hold fast the form of sound words without respect of persons not to give flattering titles to men whereby the proud is exalted and the poor despised doth not this arise from the same ground with pride in apparel and bring forth the same effects which they that have observed the command of Christ and his Apostles have ever avoided Is not the same that commanded his Ministers to go teach all Nations whereupon they went into the Synagogues and Idol-Temple to cry down their false worship and to call out of them And did not they preach the Gospel in streets and Markets Was not they beat in the Synagogues and halled before Rulers Was they not wanderers to and fro having no certain dwelling place Is there not the same command to sue no man at the Law but if any man take away thy Cloak let him have thy Coat also Take no thought for the morrow give to him that asketh and lend asking nothing again and much more such like plain commands in Scipture which might be mentioned were not the Cross too great for you to imitate which you ought to do and teach to others to observe till then cease your boasting and glorying in outward appearance And could you do all this and much more by imitation and not in obedience to the Light and by the power of the spirit in the day of account it will but be found self-righteousness when enquirie shall be made Who hath required these things at your hands So to the Light of Christ turn your mindes which will let you see the seat of presumption upon a feigned humilitie and will-worship which findes no acceptance with God neither wil it carry through the whole obedience but puffs up the minde for one thing in a self-exaltation and despising of others and as to the Light of Christ you keep your mindes you will come to see that that which condemns one sin condemns all and that which leadeth into one truth leads into all truth and gives power to walk therein So the Ministration of the spirit giveth life which keeps down the boaster but the litteral knowledge puffs up and so killeth so the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus makes free from the Law of sin and death to those that walk in Spirit If you can receive this you may and let the Light in all your consciences answer thereto which shal witness me when the book is opened a lover of your souls James Nayler FINIS