Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	call_v	spirit_n	1,821	5	4.7685	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86646	Quaking principles dashed in pieces by the standing and unshaken truth. Being an examination of the tenents held forth by certain northern people, viz. 1. Slighting of the written word. 2. A speaking to that within man. 3. Denying the use of reason in the matters of God. 4. A denying of the ascension and being of the body of Christ. 5. A denying of all the ordinances of Christ. 6. A denying honour to men. 7. Affording absolute perfection at one instant. / By Henoch Howet.	Howet, Enoch.	1655 (1655)	Wing H3152; Thomason E821_2; ESTC R207358	15,546	20

our comfort or hope should be taken from us For comfort and hope they are in two respects First what cause of comfort is there when all our experiences are the same that have been of old declared in Scripture And if Satan in the time of Gods withdrawing should go about to perswade us that our experiences were false and we would say they were revealed from God and the same that were written in the Scriptures of truth Dan. 10.21 What a comfort would that be to us Note here in this place of Daniel when the Angel would comfort him he doth it not onely by touching his lips by lifting him up by speaking to him but also that he might seal up all his experiences he saith I will shew thee what is written in the Scriptures of a truth there is none that holdeth with us but Michael your Prince The second respect wherein we are comforted by Scripture is in respect of our exspectation when we hope for nothing but what God hath in Scripture promised this makes us come boldly to the Throne of Grace Dan. 6. I Daniel understand by Books c. and I set my face to seek the Lord by prayers and supplications c. and when things come to pass that God hath promised it fils the heart with praises and will make all that have Davids spirit to say In God will I praise thy Word But now lest some should say that I make the Scriptures the sole cause of knowledg which the Saints are to look unto for Life and Salvation I answer No I minde them to be but the testimonie of Christ but yet such a testimonie as is able in the hand of the eternal Teacher to make the man of God wise to Salvation yet if we come not to Christ by the drawing of the Father we can have no saving life nor light although we have the whole outward knowledg of them in the written letter John 5.39 Sure it is they that were instructed by Moses had the outward teachings of the now written letter and so still for the organ of the ear or eye letteth into the understanding whilest God applieth it to the heart and by this means the Saints in the hand of God are humbled at his feet to receive of his Word as in Deut. 33.3 Though Moses spake these words of Christian experience yet they administred to the ear that sweet dropping oration in Deut. 32.33 which by the Spirit of God applying is made powerfull in operation and is now left also upon record for our instruction according to that of Christ who saith They have Moses and the Prophets when they had but the words which Moses writ The Scriptures prove the work of the new birth counsels us to buy of God milk and wine and teacheth us to bear the hand of the Lord patiently till he bring us forth to the light and shew us his righteousness Micah 7. from the 7. to the 9. v. It teacheth us perseverance to the end and he that heareth and knoweth this except he do it it availeth nothing in Ezek. 33.31 32. And divers sweet directions and promises together with records of Saints former experiences all which applied by Gods spirit to the believers heart is able to make the man of God wise to Salvation And now I come to the second of their mistakes that is A speaking to a thing within thee I would fain know what can be meant by the thing within men for there is nothing in man to be spoken to but man if it be Light it hath enlightned man and then man is to be accounted and spoken to as enlightned so then they cannot speak to his Light as distinct but to man enlightned for Christ and his Apostles always spoke to man It 's true Satan that hath sent forth his Angels transforming himself into Angels of Light to publish his delusions and deceits may and it 's likely hath therewithall sent forth a spirit in men to perswade the receiving that his dark and delusive Light and hereupon the Angels of Satan without may speak to the spirit of Satan within under the notion of Light but unless they speak unto Satan or some of his Legion in man I know not how they can speak unto any Light in man distinct from him It may be his language but it is none of Gods for it 's no form of sound words which we are commanded to hold fast 2 Tim. 1.13 And now I come to the third of their mistakes that is The denying the use of reason or consideration in the matters of God calling it Serpentine and many other terms of contempt and upon this ground they will not do as the Apostles of Christ and Christ himself who did dispute or reason with the gain-sayers of the truth Christ disputed with the Jews 6 8. chap. of John and Stephen Acts 6.9 10. There arose certain of the Synagogue called Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of Cilicia and Asia and disputed with Stephen and they were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spake And why was it but because of the strength of demonstration that was in it The Spirit of God makes use of reason or wisdom and tongue in man and all the faculties of bodie and soul in a godly man to honor himself and to resist unto bloud striving against sin and to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints So that ye see how far different these men are from the words and practice of Christ and his ministrie As for reason carnally implied we justifie it not which hath this character it is pitying it self and therein Satan is conversant for when Peter said to Christ Master pitie thy self none of these things shall befall thee c. for this Reason where it rules will not let any follow God or Christ further than they can carrie their own things viz. their own honors pleasures ease worldly beloveds that their worldly lusts may have life and delight and so throw by the things of Christ his Cross his afflictions c. and consequently his Crown too this made the Apostle complain All men seek their own things and none the things of Christ. We allow and honor reason in considering the works of God Eccles 7.13 As thus in so much that God hath made one creature I mean the Air that is present in all places at once and without it no creature that hath life can live And another creature to give light to the whole frame of nature I mean the Sun How easie a thing then is it by reason to conclude this God to be in all places at once viewing wickedness and creating new hearts and giving light to all though they sit in darkness and in the shadow of death Like to this David reasons Psalm 94 9 10 11. 2. In so much that God is the Author of all memorie and wisdom whereby all things in the earth may be remembred some things by

but the price he wanted but I have it not yet I press after it and it is true I must hit the mark for it In which arguings of his he seems to engage the labor of all the faculties of the soul as his consideration c. lest he should shoot beside the mark I weigh things which is an act of reason I esteem all things as loss In v. 8. and his desires forcing labors and gradual earnest motion forgetting that which is behinde and reaching out to that which is before And in v. 15. he saith Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded as if he should say There is no other perfection attainable and this is perfection and let none say they are perfect and affirm they are past this earnest suit and pursuit after the things of Christ. God will reveal this unto him that is he will make him know it either here to his conviction or hereafter to his judgment for it shall be revealed viz. that there is no perfection that disengages the man from pursuit with his labor of minde to attain in this life that which shall be enjoyed when Christ shall appear for then we shall be like him 1 John 3.2 And to back Pauls judgment Peter agrees with him 2 Pet. 3. from 5 to v. 11. where he puts the living Christian that has received all things that appertain to life and godliness as in v. 3. upon his pressing after perfection namely that they give all diligence In v. 5. v. 10. again make their Election and Calling sure and when this is done it is true he promises them an entrance abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but no more but an entrance in this life as if it were said 'T is but an entrance and there will be always work for the pressing motion of the minde reason to consider and desire and prayer to attain c. and to have a threefold witness in Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee And v. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to feed at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside c. where it appeareth that the Spouse with an engaged reasoning minde that she may not turn aside wrestles with Christ to draw her to teach her which implieth that no such perfection so as to take off a laboring to be perfect is a life attainable here but in their perfection they denie any man being under frailtie or capableness to sin to be of their communion it may be they do it from that place 1 John 3.6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him But they must view this whole Epistle and they may easily understand him otherwise as 1 John 1.7 to the end If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us If we confess our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his Word is not in us Where it is proved he that is in the light and hath fellowship with God is at that time under cleansing from sin by the bloud of Christ which is far from their perfection It proves John writing in the present Tense that he and those in communion with the Father and the Son were not freed absolutely from sin when he writ this Epistle v. 8. In v. 9. In v. 9. that John and those that have communion with the Father and the Son are forgiven their sins after their confession this is far from their perfection It may be said then what was Johns meaning in chap. 3.6 I answer he explaineth himself in 5.18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not That wicked one is the sin unto death that must be there meant for it is spoken of before then Iohns meaning must needs be that he that is born of God sins not unto death for in v. 16. he doth acknowledg that a brother may sin a sin that is not unto death and yet obtain life Their Speaker told me in their meeting that which had sinned could not be saved I told them nothing could be saved but that which is capable of damnation which was man who without salvation as under sin he must be damned and now I say there is nothing can be in man but it must be a part or a member of man except it be God or the Devil And it is absurd and incongruous to think that will save God he cannot receive salvation for he is eternally happie And I answer the Devil shall not be saved he hath sinned the unpardonable sin And by the way behold and consider the vanitie of that speech to the thing within man but further that their Doctrine may appear to be utterly against what is written add another witness Rom. 7.23 I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde c. O what a conflict in a believers heart is here whilest sin appears yet let not them think that we by this Doctrine nourish sin for when the Spirit of God and It is written hath discovered sin in the soul it hath such a conflict that it laments his wretchednes and is violent for deliverance and then there is a running to God by the Advocate to propitiate the poor convinced sinner needs none to pursue sin unto death but himself by Gods movings pardon cleansing from sin killing of sin that it never rise again is then earnestly implored at the Throne of Grace and then the sin-sick soul can never be healed nor quieted without a smile of his heavenly Father in Christ Iesus The denial of Christs Bodie is no where in the Word The denial of his Ordinances is no where in the Word These men must needs then perswade above what is written These two Doctrines cannot be preaching Christ crucified c. For the knowledg of them if they were true serves not for conversion nor for building up not making the man of God perfect Therefore there is no service done for God nor his Church in these Doctrines But there may be much service done for Satan and disservice to themselves when they denie both Bodie and Ordinances of Christ What greater denial can there be of the Lord that bought them when they leave him neither Bodie nor Laws extant When he hath no Laws he is no King if no Bodie no Being but as he may be resolved into the Father So then there is none but God there is no Son to give up a Kingdom to the Father and when he hath done to be subject to the Father The commands of Christ are those that he gave that is which were not given before he came that is to say setting a Government for Iew and Gentile to worship him in and who so ever denies this though an Angel from Heaven let him be accursed And Satan may let these be pure and holie in regard of outward holiness or justice between man and man freedom from the pollutions of the world through lust if he can make them be of those that denie the Lord that bought them this Error is sin enough to hold them fast close in his claws to eternal damnation they need not any more if mercie belong to them the Lord give it them and keep his elect that cannot be drawn away by the deceit of these evil times Now if it be said These men are spiritual and full of light it may be said There may be deceits by spirit as well as in word or letter 2 Thess 2.2 And to my knowledg these mens fore-runners the Ranters did speak as spiritually as they with words more like a spirit than a man terrifying and disturbing the hearers mindes I hearing Frankling was not able nor durst go on to hear him lest he should bewitch me for though his words were piercing I knew he spoke not the truth according to Scripture which is our Rule of Trial to prove Pauls or Satans Doctrine These things being set home upon my spirit and being freely perswaded not onely of the truth thereof but of the heinousness and sad consequence of these great Errors and Mistakes wherein ye are detained by that spirit of delusion I was constrained out of my love to ye many of whom I have known for some years to communicate these lines to ye not of any prejudice to your persons for my hearts desire is that the Lord will deliver ye from this spirit and if there be any thing that may seem unacceptable or more than once repeated know it is for several purposes but all for the good of your souls FINIS