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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	letter_n	spirit_n	stumble_a	24	3	16.3546	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86667	The rebukes of a reviler fallen upon his own head, in an answer to a book put forth by one Iohn Stelham, called a minister at Terlin in Essex. Wherein is shewed unto all spiritual men, that he himself is justly proved to be a contradictor of the scriptures, while he falsly accuses others thereof, that are clear, and the saying is fulfilled upon him, he is fallen into the pit, which he digged for others, for even that way which he calls heresie, do we worship the God of our fathers. By R.H.	Hubberthorn, Richard, 1628-1662.; Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.	1657 (1657)	Wing H3229; Thomason E919_7; ESTC R207520	62,017	83

Stelham confesseth he is was never appointed by the Lord to watch over Souls But such where Christ did dwell in their hearts and because they were sons God sent forth the spirit of his Son into their hearts Eph. 3. 17. Gal 46. and such had truth in their hearts doing the will of God from the heart and did draw neer unto God with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and their bodies washed with pure water these did not profess the things of God in an old lying heart wherein dwelt no truth but called upon the name of the Lord with a pure heart and said that the end of the Commandment was Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned from which some swarved in the Apostles dayes having turned aside unto vain jangling and such desired to be teachers of others but the doctrine is corrupt and the Ministry of Faith is not held where the heart and conscience is not pure And the Lord is good unto such who be of a clean heart Now as concerning the Scriptures John Stelhams Testimony from the old lying heart wherein dwells no truth is this That the Scriptures are the word of God and truly so called and the letter and Scripture is all one as page 3 4. but to contradict that himself he saith in page 5. the letter taken strictly is but legal Administration using these words the letter killeth i. e The bare legal command without a promise of power or pardon as a bare letter void of strength life and spirit it leaveth all men under a killing sentence and curse let them that have understanding judge Again as concerning the letter in page 6. he expresseth himself thus The Spirit is given by it And in the next words saith the Scripture is but instrumental to the Spirit Now mark the Letter taken strictly being legal without a Promise of Power or Pardon void of strength life and spirit The Spirit to be given by this which he confesseth is void of strength life and spirit and is but instrumental to the spirit whether this be not contradiction and confusion let them that read judge For in reading these things which he hath published many may seal to the Confession of his own Condition to be truth but that which he hath declired of the things of God to be false For now the light being broken forth such doctrine cannot be received nor beleeved that the spirit is given by the letter but that which is declared in the letter was given forth from the Spirit which was in them which spoke it forth but people may long have the letter and think in it to find God and eternal life and may die in their sins though I. S. say that not one man in the world knows God to be God till he finds him in the Scripture But I say unto him as Christ said unto the Pharisees who had neither heard his voyce at any time nor seen his shape had not his word abiding in them nor did not believe in the light and that he was the light which did enlighten every man that cometh into the world search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me saith Christ the life but those thought that they had the life in the scriptures deceived them for they wanted the life when they thought they had it so I. S. thoughts that he hath the spirit by the letter deceives him for when he finds the spirit eternal life then his old lying heart in which is no truth but the root of error will be taken away and so the light which cometh from Christ the life in which the spirit is received condemneth all such thoughts for they proceed out of that heart which is not upright before the Lord neither is it set to seek the Lord in that way in which he and his spirit is found Again I. S. talking of the Scriptures intrudes into things which he hath not seen comparing it with that which he hath seen and so in what he saith he is blind saying The Scriptures is a more standing rule than visions To which I Answer The night is upon him that he hath no vision and therefore doth not know what a vision is a rule unto nor the continuance of it as those in Israel which said that every vision fa●leth and so would not have them a standing rule and that reproach of the visions of God was so common that it was become a Proverb amongst them but the Prophet who was in the light and had the vision of the Lord and had the word of the Lord he was to reprove that Proverb and to tell them that they should no more use it as a proverb in Israel and said the dayes are at hand and the effect of every vision and so with the light who be in it doth now reprove all such proverbs and preachings against the visions of God for from the visions was the Scriptures spoken forth and that which they had seen they declared so that which gives forth words is greater than the words and without vision the people perish and they may perish while they have the letter but they cannot perish while they have the vision and although there be vain visions they do not make the true of none effect And although there be Sorceryes and Enchantment that doth not make the true resurrection of the dead of none effect but the blind must stumble at the things which they do not see Again I. S. saith That the Authority of the Scriptures is owned among the Jewes to this day Answ. No Christ is not owned amongst them who is the Authority and Power unto which the Scriptures give testimony that he is so neither are they yet converted as thou thy self confessest and they who be in the unconverted estate doth not own the Authority of the Scriptures though such may talk of them as thou dost speaking that of them which they never spoke of themselves Again I. S. saith in the 17. page As deep things as the Spirit hath Revealed they are all in the Scripture Answ. Nay There was things Revealed which was unutterable and many things which was Revealed and also Written which is not in the Scripture as the Book of Nathan the Prophet and the Prophesie of Ahijah the Shil●●mit● and the Visions of Iddoa the Seer which was against Jer●b●ans the Son of Nabat 2 Chron 9. 29. And the Book of Shemath the Prophet 2 Chron. 1. 2. 15. And the Book of Jehu 2 Chron. 20. 34. And the Book of Gad the Seer 1 Chron 29. 29. And the Book of Jaser 2 Sam. 1. 18. and the Prophesie of Enoch who prophesied of the coming of Christ in his Saints to execute Judgement upon all and to convince all that are uugodly of all their ungodly deeds and hard speeches

be Scripture this is charged upon him to be a lye as it is well known through this Nation both in Doctrine and Conversation we own the Scriptures and to deny Matthew Mark Luke and Johns Declarations of the Gospel to be Gospel is no denyal of the Scripture for the Gospel was preached to Abraham which Gospel was and is the power of God before these four men did Declare of it though we deny their Writings to be the very Gospel which is the power of God yet we do not deny but they truly declared of the Gospel and this is to own the Scripture as it speaks of it self to be Let I. S. judge what he will of us and wheras he speaks of Gospel-letters and Scripture-Gospel the Scripture give no such names to it but saith the Gospel is the power of God and that is the Gospel which we Preach even the power of God unto all people let I. S. judge by consequence what he will And further he would plead for the title of Master from the example of Abrahams servant but this is nothing to prove the lawfulness of a Minister of Christ that they may be called Master for Christ saith to his Ministers Be ye not called Masters and the Spirit of Christ being our rule that leads us in the fulfilling of Christs words let I. S. shuffle as he will Also he lyes of J. N. to say he denyes and grants the same thing to be in the letter for though he say he that believes hath the witnesse in himself which is truth yet he doth not say the letter is the Believers witness which he seems falsly to be charged withall and he saith the Spirit of God must give the spirituall understanding of the Scriptures But this he doth in another way than that whereby he inspired the pen-men of the Scriptures Now this is false doctrine For Christ the Way the same to us as to them and not another way of understanding Scriptures nor by another Spirit than that which gave them forth and he saith Christ directed to himself Joh. 5 39. as revealed in the Scriptures and more than that as conveyed by the Scriptures to a Soul Now let the Reader take notice and search that Scripture Whether he hath not added to it yea or nay or where any ever had Christ conveyed to them by Scriptures it doth say the Scriptures testifies of him but it doth not say that he is revealed in the Scriptures nor conveyed by them to a Soul and this is his additional gloss to corrupt the text to undervalue the eternal Spirit of the Father by which Christ is only revealed and received and not by the Scriptures And for E. B. to say That he came not to them with en●icing words neither what he had gathered from the Scripture without him But to declare the Word of the Lord and not to speak his own conceivings and imaginations this is true and no contradiction in it though I. S. say these cannot both be true to say That he neither came with what he had gathered from Scripture nor his own imaginations for the Apostles of Christ did not preach what they had gathered from Scripture neither their own imaginations but preached the Word and Gospel of God which they had received from God and not gathered from Scripture nor in their own imaginations and because he saith both these negatives cannot be true then it is concluded that himself preaches either what he hath gathered from Scripture or his own imaginations and let him chuse to say whether he will and in the next he will be proved a false Prophet and that E B. compiled a Book out of Scripture Collections is false for having the same Spirit which gave forth the Scripture which brings the Scripture to remembrance is not compiling a Book out of Scriptures and I. S. is found a false accuser and E. B. neither a self Contradictor no● self curser and these are true words to this generation and owned with the Spirit of God though I. S. in his scornful spirit abuse them he that hath the Word of the Lord from the mouth of the Lord to declare he is reviled and mocked But he that speaks the imagination of his own heart from the Saints conditions he is heard and owned and this is neither Scripture contradiction nor self-contradiction let I. S. judge out of his own heart what he will neither is this self contradiction to ask which of the Saints h●d the witness of their souls union to seek in the Letter and yet to affirm the Spirit opens and brings that which is spoken in Scripture to remembrance Let I. S. first answer the query in plainness which is an honest query and not to imply from it his own conceptions to make appear self-contradictions let the sober Reader judge where the contradiction lyes and he saith the Spirit is in the letter and goes about to prove it if he could if the Spirit be in the letter then all must have the Spirit that hath the letter and the Spirit is where ever the Bible is which I do deny for many hath the letter and professes it which knows not the Spirit and many hath the Bible in their pocket which hath not the Spirit there and this will be confessed by I. S. and all his fellows and so he must revoak who ●aith the Spirit is in the Letter and the Spirit gives life but the Letter kill In his proof he saith The written Word viz. the Letter is of greater authority then the Writer mark here Christ was one of them which gave forth Scripture and he was a greater authority then what was written and I say as it is plain to all honest men who can believe truth that the holy men of God who had the Spirit were of greater authority than the Scriptures since hath been which they left behind them But I. S. hath set Christ and all them that gave forth Scripture to be lesse in authority then the Scriptures let wise men judge of this matter he saith They were imperfectly holy that wrote forth the Scriptures and this is an absolute lye for the Scriptures gives this testimony of many of them that wrote it that they were perfect men and he hath also slaunde●ed Christ to be imp●rfectly holy and in his next let him p●ove what this Imperfect Holiness is and till then we deny there is any Holiness ●mperfect Further he saith The promises of the Scripture are his Chariot to convey him Spirit whether he pleases to go but where is his proof for such a Doctrine but all that he saith doth not prove that the Spirit is in the Letter though he say to make up the sum of his matter Daily experiences doth demonstrate that the Spirit is in the Letter but where is the man let him answer that thus hath experienced that alwayes when he hath seen the letter and handled the letter hath seen and handled the Spirit the testimony of

THE REBUKES OF A REVILER Fallen upon his own head In an Answer to a BOOK put forth by one Iohn Stelham called a Minister at Terlin in Essex Wherein is shewed unto all Spiritual men that he himself is justly proved to be a Contradictor of the Scriptures while he falsly accuses others thereof that are clear and the saying is fulfilled upon him he is fallen into the Pit which he digged for others for even that way which he calls Heresie do we Worship the God of our Fathers By R. H. London Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black-spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1657. THE REBUKES OF A Reviler Fallen upon his own Head In an Answer to a Book put forth by one John Stelham called a Minister at Terling in Essex VVHereas the antient of dayes hath appeared and the Lord God of Israel and of his holy Seed for ever hath in these our dayes being his own appointed time stretched forth his hand to gather in his Remnant which hath been scattered and starved upon the barren Mountains and he hath made known his arm and power in raising up his righteous branch and in bringing out of Captivity his own Chosen that his own Name may be exalted for evermore and his marvelous light hath he caused to shine forth unto many that have sit in darkness and he hath cryed behold me behold me unto a people that hath not been called by his name yea from this time it shall be said What hath God wrought and who is like unto them that are saved by the Lord a happy people and blessed are they whom he hath chosen for his own Inheritance they dwell in their tents and none can make them afraid for there is no Inchantment against Israel nor no Divination against the Seed of Jacob he that curses them it shall return upon his own head and he that defies them shall surely be confounded in a day for God hath spoken and it shall surely come to pass he hath said and it shall not be revoked They that wait upon him shall never be ashamed but his presence shall go before them and his righteousness shall be their reward Therefore O ye Mountains and Hills wherefore are ye gathered together ye high and lofty Oaks and rebellious Children to what purpose have you set your selves as in Array for B●t●●l against the Lord and against his Anointed in vain have you sought Divination against Israel and to no purpose have you risen up to resist Mount Sion whom the Lord is establishing and exalting above the Dominions of the earth and though many have set themselves and of the wisest too in our age to gainsay the truth which is revealed by subtil Arguments and have travelled in pain to bring forth misty vapors to blind the eye of the simple and have laid and sought so to do stumbling blocks of iniq●ity before the people by multitude of crafty productions and lying arguments Wo unto you wise Writers and Scribes you have taken away the Key of Knowledge and have neither entred the Kingdom nor suffered others to enter that would what will be your doom and what will be your judgment O the heavie hand of the Lord will be upon you you damnation sleeps not a moment And whereas John Stelham one o●Gogs Army against the Lamb and his followers a falsly supposed and contrarily called and unjustly named Minister of the Gospel hath out of his corrupt wicked old lying heart which he confesseth he hath brought forth a large Piece out of Babylons treasure of falsly collected and falsly framed Arguments whereby he hath sought to offend the way of the Lord but the rather hath burthened his own Soul by his own wickedness and offended himself and made himself unworthy of life eternal and is reckoned in the sight of the Lord and proved in the sight of man to be indeed sinful John Stelham yea he is numbred and truly too among Babylons Children and the Lyars and Hypocrites whose portion is in the lake and not among the Children of the Lord for them he hath set himself to oppose and by his subtilty secretly sought out Inch●ntments and endeavouring to curse whom God hath blessed he is accounted among the uncircumcised and shall not die the death of the Righteous neither shall his last end be like unto his except he repent yea God hath kept him back from honour and to shame and disgrace he is already promoted in the sight of all the Saints and all his work is troden down as a branch of a dead tree to be cast into the fire and what though he have travelled full 10 Months or more yet his birth is imperfect and the fruit of an Egyptian Womb which hath obtained neither praise of God nor favour of man and what though his Arguments be many and subtil through the strength of his devilish wisdom whereby he hath descended into the darkness to fetch up his stuffe and invented in his mind and framed in his evil thoughts which hath filled his Volums by his envious pen and what though he hath taken seeming occasion against us by his industry and bent his tongue to utter it as feinedly and zealously as may blind the si●gle eye and in as great hypocrisie and pretended Righteousness as possibly may What then of all these things let him take this for an Answer in full to all his many Arguments and to his whole Work and whatsoever is brought forth or may be yet lodging in his sinful heart ever to declare We are of God his Covenant is with us and the whole World lyes in wickedness and he that is of God heareth us and this is enough Reply to all what he hath or can say further against us and this Testimony the Father gives of us who hath chosen us in him before the world was and let him and all our adversaries know That our Religion is in that which keeps unspotted of the world and our acceptance with God is in him who is the light of the world who exerciseth our Consciences in all good things towards God and towards man and though we answer not yet are we no worse and though we answer yet are we no better praise of men approves us not to God nor dispraise of men makes us not sorrowful But our peace is in the Father whether the world do us love or hate or praise us or dispraise And first of all like unto Rehum and Shimshai and their companions he appears with his Dedication much like unto theirs from the same spirit and unto the same end as may be seen Ezra 4. 9 11 12 c. and in the manner of Amaziah Priest of Bethel unto Jeroboam the King with a Message much of that nature as in Amos. 7. 10 11 c. and this man with his feigned flattering titles appears to the chief in Authority for Approbation of his work that men may accept it the more but that 's little worth if God accept

unrighteousness and taking them and such have the letter in their mouths but knows not the Word of God which who comes to know it restrains them from all such practises Again I. S. from his blindness and root of Errour and lying heart wherein dwells no truth but much confusion saith that the letter i. e. the Scriptures is the true ground of the believers Faith and again in the same page saith That Christ in the Scriptures is the true Ground of Faith And to prove the former he brings Prov. 22. 19. 20 21. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even to thee have not I written to thee excellent things in Counsels and Knowledge that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee Answ. By this Scripture the Lord is made the ground of Faith and not the Letter And therefore did the Prophet make known excellent things in writing in counsel and knowledge and for this end did the Apostles both preach and write that the Faith of those which heard them and read their writtings might not stand in the wisdom of words nor in the letter as its ground but in Christ the Power of God and Christ who preached the true doctrine that in it every one might believe said to the World and to the pharisees While ye have the light believe in the light that ye may be the Children of light and these had the letter but did not believe in the light which light is Christ and which light is the foundation of Faith and is the foundation of many generations in which many did believe before this letter which declares of it was written And that Faith which stands in the light and in the power of God is the ground of the Scripture letter from whence it did proceed after they believed they spoke and wrote that which is now declared in Chapters And every one which come to the true ground of Faith must come to the light to believe in it that they may be the Children of it and then the Scriptures will be profitable unto them they with the light having the understanding opened to see for what end they were given forth and how they come to be fulfilled and witnessed in that which gave them forth for the ground of Faith to believers is but one both before and since the Scriptures was written which is Christ in whom whosoever believeth shall be saved let Christ be in what he will for he was the ground of Faith when the letter was not and he is the ground of Faith when it is and no other foundation for Faith can any man lay than that which is laid Jesus Christ who is the true light and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world that all men in him might believe and they that believe not that he is so shall die in their sins as Christ saith Joh. 8. 24. But John Stelham going on in his own devised Fables would pervert the words of truth both in our writings and in the Apostles as it is manifest in his writing of this reviling Rebuke concerning R. F. and I. N. E. B. and F. H. and others which whosoever read their words and his they may discern truth from devised fables without much Reply unto it as in some places he is mingling his own words with theirs joyning a lye to the truth that he may contradict it as false as every one that reads with understanding will see which when they have spoken plain truths which he himself hath often in his Book confessed unto to be truth will afterwards give his meanings to their words as he hath done unto the Apostles words saying If they mean thus c. then he goes about to contradict his own meaning and when he hath contradicted his own meaning then he saith he hath contradicted their words though he have before confessed the truth of their words so he hath not contradicted the words as they were spoken but because they spoke not his meaning with the words therefore the true words must be false in his judgement and bear his rebuke as his Book doth make manifest and adding his lye to the words of truth these two things are his greatest proofs to resist the truth in page 77. he hath mingled his own words with the words of R. F. in which page he acknowledgeth a former addition and yet reneweth another R. F. having been speaking of the light which enlighteneth every man which cometh into the world he adds which where it is and it is in every man it reneweth the judgment c he here adding his own and then rebuking it would make people believe lyes that all might be damned who believe not the truth But on the contrary for we never have said that every mans judgement is renewed with the light though they be enlightened for they are enlightened who hate it and who are void of true judgement because they hate the light which they be enlightened withal And also the Apostles words he perverts and gives meanings unto which if he did not they would be a plain testimony with that which he hath set himself to oppose so giving meanings both to their words and our words his meanings must be the ground of his Believers Faith and not the Scriptures as he said before The Apostle Peter speaking of a more sure Word of Prophesie wherein they did well to take heed as unto a light that shined in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. Knowing this first that no Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation for the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost to this I. S. adds not heart-prophesie no breast-prophesie but written down in Books c. which is contrary to the Apostles words for he doth not exclude heart-prophesie for there was never any prophesie but did proceed out of the heart before it was written in any Book And the Apostle saith Until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts and that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and that which moved them to speak Prophesies was in their hearts and the Apostle did not bid them wait till the day-star did arise in the Scriptures but till it did arise in their hearts and then he told them how the Prophesies of the Scriptures came Peter saying Until the day dawn and the day-star arise in our hearts I. S. saith That is until by the study of the Scriptures more light be cleared up c. Now let all them of understanding read and compare his words and the Apostles and they may well conclude with his confession that he hath an old lying heart and flesh in