Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	lord_n	prophet_n	speak_v	8,043	5	5.0461	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50257	An answer to the switch for the snake A book so called. Discovering the weakness of the Switch, which the leading Quakers (of the second days meeting in London for government) have lately (as I am told,) given into the hands of each Parliament Man. Vice is nourished, and gets life by covering it, saith a heathen author; even so it is with errors in religion. Humbly shewing, that it is impossible, that the pens now in controversie, against us Quakers, should be put a stop to, before there's an order given forth, (from the second days meeting) for the reformation of our numerous preachers in the country. And also a book of retractions of all the errors in our Friends printed books, be published, with an appendix and postscript. By William Mather, a lover of (the well meaning persons, especially among) that people.	Mather, W. (William), fl. 1695.; J. W.	1700 (1700)	Wing M1284; ESTC R221796	17,005	18

AN ANSWER TO THE Switch for the Snake A Book so called Discovering the Weakness of the Switch which the Leading Quakers of the Second Days Meeting in LONDON for Government have lately as I am told given into the Hands of each Parliament Man Vice is Nourished and gets Life by Covering it saith a Heathen Author even so it is with Errors in Religion Humbly shewi●g that it is Impossible that the Pens now in ●ontroversie against us Quakers should be put a stop to before there 's an O●der given forth from the second Days Meeting for the Reformation of our Numerous Preachers in the Country And also a Book of Retractions of all the Errors in our Friends Printed Books be Published with an Appendix and Postscript By William Mather a lover of the well meaning Persons especially among that People Prov. XXVII 6. Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend But the Kisses of an Enemy are deceitful Printed in the Year 1700. AN ANSWER TO THE Switch for the Snake c. Note that the Figures on the left Hand Margin Direct to the Book called the SWITCH IS not the Soul without begining C. Fox Great Mistery P. 90. 229. P. 273 comimg from God infinite in it self It is not horrid Blasphemy to say the Soul is Part of God is a Part of God Answer If the Soul is without beginning and is a Part of God then not Created contrary to Gen 1. Are not ye the Ministers in the Presumption and usurpt Authority to Preach or Teach that have not the immediate Revelation as the Apostles had Answer To be sure it is great Presumption in too many Ignorant Preachers in this Age that pretend they have the same immediate Revelation as the Apostles had Yea even the same degree for saith G. Fox in the same Book P. 213. to his opposer Thou canst not know Scripture but by the same degree of the Spirit the Prophets and the Apostles had And saith he They are Conjurers and Diviners and their teaching is from Conjuration which is not spoken from the Mouth of the Lord and that he that hath the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ is equal with God See P. 7. and 8. in Sauls Errand c. Answer by this Doctrine every Man is equal with God for do not you J. W. and G. W. hold that every Man hath a measure of that Spirit But if all Preachers are Conjurers that Preach not from the Mouth of the Lord then that Name must needs belong to G. Fox in the first place as above is manifest because his Doctrines differ from Scripture Next Joseph Clark mentioned in or about P. 81. in the defence of the Snake a Book so called but I do not reckon him a real Conjurer tho' he is one according to G. Fox's Sence because he was so very much mistaken by his vision that so much strengthened him to bear his Testimony against Tyths for he told me he saw the Priest that sued him and those belonging to him Melt in his sight to nothing adding I care not if the Jaylor or the Bayliffe get my Money but for the Priest he shall never have any thing of mine for John Field one of the second days meeting in LONDON told me he could put me in a way the Priest should never get any of my Goods In Brief a little before the Assizes at Bedford Joseph expecting a Tryal for Tyths John sent him down a Copy of the Bill that the Priest had put in against him with a Letter from John which Joseph got me to Read wherein he named Josephs Counceller to Plead for him and that he had paid him 10 s. and advised Joseph to give him 10 s. more at the Assizes and also Joseph went up to London to take Advice of John about it About two Days before the Assize Joseph came to my House and desired me to make him a Writing to secure his Goods from the Priest if upon Tryal the Priest should cast him My answer was I very well remember viz. What dost thou come to me to secure thy Goods did not John Field promise to do that for thee Well saith he it 's now too late I would have thee do it for me then I told him it could not be done except he did quit himself of the possession of his Goods and Assign his right to some Person or other This he would not believe until he got me to go with him to a Lawyer and there he agreed to bring the Lease of his Farm to the Lawyer which was one day before the Assizes but his Lease he left at home and did ride to one of his Brothers to be an Arbitrator on his side to agree it and then it was given out that Joseph did not agree with the Priest it was his Brother And I being with him after the agreement he said to me he could now pay Tyths as well as other Taxes the Priest who being reputed a very moderate Man and well spoken of by some Quakers sent his Son to School to me some time after this agreement and the Young Man said to me That Joseph was as good a Man as they had in the Town for the Payment of Tyths But since these things Joseph went to a Monthly Meeting to Ampthel to Answer for himself upon suspicion of being a long Practiser of a very foul Sin I am ashamed to name it the divers Witnesses were very free to tell it in private and somewhat became publick viz. To the Elders of that meeting that when he went from home he must have a Man lye in Bed with him and that he used to Kiss and get upon such Men as he lay with and made them Sweat and I heard two Men say that with him they had such a Nights Lodging as they never had in their Lives adding they would never Lye with him more Now Joseph being Examined of some of these Actions could give no better Answer than this as I am told It was only love to the Creature so the Meeting could do no less than bid him give over Preaching in Meetings his Answer was I must obey God rather than Man This Joseph continues to Preach in his own House and People come to hear him every other first Day as I am told Reader bare with me for I desire a Reformation and I am the Larger upon this because the Ruling Elders and Preachers have Written Laws which they call Prescriptions which some held are to keep all out of miscarriages or to that purpose when Alas They have lost their Power if ever they had any to silence the Young Nonsensical Preachers yet such Elders will sometimes in private to others call them half handed Preachers and wish they would be silent Now a little more of the said Joseph once before he was to Dine at my House and had sat down said amongst other words O God thou hast Written thy Law in our Hearts as with the point of a Diadem i. e. a

a good End Almighty God which shewest to all Men that be in Error the Light of thy Truth to the Intent that they may return into the way of Righteousness c. Lord from whom all good things do come grant us thy humble Servants that by th● holy Inspiration we may think those things that be good c. Almighty God unto whom all Hearts be open all desires known and from whom no Secrets are hid cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the Inspiration of thy holy Spirit c. That it may please thee to bless and keep the Magistrates giving them Grace to execute Justice and to maintain Truth That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of Grace to hear meekly thy Word and to receive it with pure Affection and to bring sorth the Fruits of the Spirit That it may please thee to bring into the way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived That it may please thee to defend and provide for the Fatherless Children and Widows and all that be desolate and oppressed That it may please thee to forgive our Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and to turn their Hearts Grant us O Lord to learn to love our Enemies by the Example of thy Martyr St. Stephen who prayed for his Persecutors c. Almighty God by whose Providence thy Servant John Baptist was wonderfully b●rn and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour by preaching Repentance make us so to follow his Doctrine and holy Life that we may truly repent according to his preaching and after his Example constantly speak the Truth boldly rebuke VICE and patiently suffer for the Truth c. Since it hath pleased God by his Grace to convince me That Baptism with Water and the Lords Supper are to continue in the Church until Christ's coming again in the same Body in which he ascended to Judge the World by which I was stirred in Spirit to search the holy Scriptures and therein came to understand and believe That the Holy Ghost was if I may so speak scattered or poured upon the Apostles Acts 2. 3. seeming to the Eye like Cloven Tongues or as flames of fire will so seem by the like figure I do believe Water was sprinkled or cast upon those 3000 young and old that were converted by Peter's Sermon and so baptized the same day and not plunged over Head and Ears in Water as some think ver 41. The same may be understood of the Jaylor and his Family who were converted and baptised with Water at mid-night Ch. 16.33 And also since it hath pleased God to further enlighten me thro consenting unto his Commands in H. Scripture I am enabled to make a full discovery how Satan has beguil'd such a number of our young Preachers which was by hearkening to those Ancient Preachers that made them believe there is but one ●ight in all Men. As First They mistaking that Text John 1.9 That was the true Light which enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World From thence supposing That all Men were enlightned with a Light of Christ Jesus from their Mothers Wombs sufficient to Salvation as particularly G. Fox in p. 20. Gr. Myst saith Where there is Life in an Infant there is Light And in p. 42. disapproves his Adversary for saying That no Man by that Native Light inherent in him had power to believe c. And to the same purpose see p. 15. in W. Pen's Primitive Christianity 2. Thus it appears they own but one Light that we were born with This Light or Understanding tho it be called The Candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 which reproves for some sins yet is but a dim Light to see spiritual things by but when it shall please God to Lighten this Candle by the Influence of his Divine Grace and H. Scriptures then the Soul is Light in the Lord. 3. So that our young Preachers laying aside the Light of the H. Scriptures and Preaching only this common Light in Mankind must needs Preach false Doctrine and other confused stuff so that it has led too many of them to think the H. Scriptures are no help to make a Minister and has so exalted them that they think they have the same Degree of Immediate Revelation as the Apostles had see p. 213. Gr. Myst But they may wait long enough before they attain to that Degree of God's Spirit the Apostles had For those Discoveries the Apostles had were to confirm a belief in peoples hearts of the miraculous Birth Sufferings c. of our blessed Redeemer And Mortal Man whose heart is deceitful must no more expect that God will so far trust them with such a large measure of heavenly Treasure as he did the Apostles the Prophesie of Joel being fullfilled in them Yet God in mercy now gives to all the sincere believers in his only Son Jesus of Nazareth such a measure of his Divine Grace as will both deliver and preserve them from the evil of the World and bring them to eternal Life and Salvation Titus 2.11 4. We the hearers of such Preachers that have so long preached from their own Spirit without the H. Scriptures over whom Satan can get advantage to Transform Himself as an Angel of Light by which way he gets the Name of an Angel of Light we must needs I say by hearing such Preachers be enticed not to endure sound Doctrine But if I should write of the diverse Confusions this Spirit hath led us to this 40 Years past it would make a large Book and this I know by Experience that where this Spitit Rules they cannot with any Love read any of the Good Doctrines written in the Books of any Minister of the Church of England tho' it be Dr. Goodmans Penitent Pardon'd or Dr. Scots Christian Life Vol. 5th but for this my Book they will warn as many as they can not to read it for fear of Infection O Lord open their Eyes c. for thou knowest I have Love for them For one of them hath given this Good Councel to them all viz. The best way to recover the deceived is to discover the deceiver 5. Now to get clear out of Babylonish Confusion I do advise all amongst them that fear the Lord to whom this may come yea and all Dissenters so called to come and hear sound Doctrine from such as have studied or thorougly meditated in the H. Scriptures for too many dissenters want Christian Love to each other and it is apparent that some of their Preachers strive more to encrease the Number of their Hearers for outward gain than to excel one another in a Christian Life Now I appeal to every honest Impartial Reader whether the Preachers of the Church of England have not more Christian Charity to the Dissenters in General than they have to one another for too many of the Dissenters are for the straightening each others Liberties in many things while the Church of England grants