Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	life_n	spirit_n	worship_v	1,905	5	8.8109	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26655	Jesuitico-Quakerism examined, or, A confutation of the blasphemous and unreasonable principles of the Quakers with a vindication of the Church of God in Britain, from their malicious clamours, and slanderous aspersions / by John Alexander ...	Alexander, John, 1638-1716.	1680 (1680)	Wing A916; ESTC R21198	193,704	258

wilful Seducers and malicious Opposers of the Truth whose Blasphemous Mouths must be stopt and their Heretical fury repressed that the Truth may not be Troden under foot and the simple Seduced who are easily ensnared where such men get way and are not Redargued That which hath deceived and been a Snare unto many simple and ignorant people is some hairy Garments of a few and but a few external Duties of the second Table of the Law wherewith these Instruments of Satan have Clothed themselves But such should remember that false Apostles and Ministers of Satan do Transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ and Ministers of Righteousness even as Satan also Transforms himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. and false Prophets being inwardly Wolves do notwithstanding come in Sheeps Clothing Mat. 7.15 and even Resisters of the Truth put on a form of Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 8. and however these Doctors of the Quakers Mask and Vizorn themselves with some few externals of the second Table yet how even in Doctrine they trample generally upon the whole Moral Law but more especially upon the first Table thereof which yet in reason ought to have the first room is not obscure For as for the First Commandment it is notour to all acquaint with the Principles of the Quakers how manifestly even in Doctrine they contradict and oppose the same while they Impudently deny that any man who hath not received the Spirit ought to Worship God This is so known a Tenet of the Quakers that we need hardly to produce Testimonies thereof but it may be seen in a Book of theirs Published in the year 1668 entituled The Principles of Truth or a Declaration of their Faith in the 81 82 and 92 pages whereof they expresly Teach and I shall repeat their very words That all men ought First to wait Vntil they receive the Spirit in Truth Then in the same Truth to worship God in Spirit who is a Spirit In plain Terms that is to say men must first wait until they receive the Spirit before they offer to meddle in worshipping of God The same also may be seen in a most virulent Printed Pamphlet of theirs Intituled in the beginning of the Chapters or Sections thereof for I had it without a Title page The Principles of the Priest so they call the Ministers of Scotland of whom they there speak of such a Place and such a Place in the 14. and 15 pages whereof they directly Impugn and oppose this Position and Principle alledged by them to have been Taught by Mr. John Carstairs Minister at Glasgow viz. That all men whatsoever ought to Worship God Unto this their Atheistical Doctrine is Subalternate that other impious Principle of theirs That no man ought to Pray to God till he be actually moved thereunto and Influenced by the Spirit otherwise Mr. George Keith one of their Chief Apostles affirms it is but Will-worship and Superstition in his Quakerism no Popery page 99. and 100. Good Reader allow me to take a small word of these Mad Principles and I shall do it very briefly Therefore first all men whatsoever they be are bound to Fear Reverence Love and praise God say the Contrary who dare but these are all most principal Arts or parts of the Worship of God Therefore this Principle of the Quakers is both False and Prophane Secondly Obedience to God Essentially and Indispensably includes worshipping of God seeing it includes a subjecting and stooping to his Yoke and Soveraignity and a doing of Homage and Honour unto him and this also includes Reverence all which are no mean parts of his most Substantial and Moral worship Well then if no man ought to Worship God until first he receive the Spirit then no man ought to obey God until first he receive the Spirit seeing obedience Essentially includes Worship and cannot be performed without it as is shewed but it is utterly Atheistical Profane and Absurd to say that no man ought to obey God until first he receive the Spirit for then no unrenewed man ought to obey God seeing such men have not received the Spirit Joh. 14.17 Rom. 8.9 if then unrenewed men ought not to obey God then they are not under any Law of God and he requires no obedience of them for if they be under any Law of his and if he requires any Duty of them I am sure the Quakers will never get them exempted from it Well then if unrenewed men be not under any Command or Law of God and he requires no Duty of them then it follows Infallibly first that let unrenewed men do what they will they cannot sin against God seeing such as are not under any Command or Law of God cannot trasgress any Law of his and so sin against him see Rom. 4.15 1 Joh. 3.4 Such men then in the Quakers Principles may deny disown reject hate and Contemn God Worship the Devil and Debauch at their pleasure and yet they cannot sin against God for all that seeing they are not under any Law of God Secondly it follows thereupon that Reprobates are all most unjustly Condemned for their sinning against God seeing they not having received the Spirit are not under Law to God as is supposed and so cannot be Guilty of sinning against him Thirdly it follows thereupon that unrenewed men cannot sin albeit they should never so much Counte-ract and Contraveen all the Precepts of the second Table of the Law also seeing these that Transgress no Law of God nor any Command of his cannot be sinners seeing Sin is a Transgression of the Law and where no Law is there is no Transgression they are not capable of Trangressng a Law who are not under it and bound to obey it Hence then in the Quakers Principles unrenewed men may Lawfully Dishonour and Defame all men Murder commit Adultery Steal bear false Witness and what not Is not that a sweet Doctrine that tends so directly to all mischief and wickedness losing all men that have not received the Spirit from all Bonds of God and cutting asunder all the Divine Cords of their Duty are not the Sage Doctors of these black Mysteries of Satan very Divinely Inspired Do they not seem to be very Pious Would it not be a sweet world if these Principles were put in practise God preserve us from from so Impious a Piety and such stark Mad Inspirations which I am sure are the very quintessence of the Devils whole Treasury and the utmost of his strength and endeavour Hence falls that other Lewd and Prophane Principle of the Quakers subalternate to their Doctrine here presently Confuted viz. That no man ought to Pray to God until he be actually moved and influenced thereunto by the Spirit seeing calling upon God is a part of Moral Worship or of our Obedience to the Moral Law whereunto all men are obliged Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Kingdoms that call not on thy

They object That Christ promises to send his Spirit to guide us into all Truth Joh. 16.13 Therefore there is no need of External Rules and Ordinances to guide us yea in their Confession where they propound this Objection they contend That all External Ordinances ought to be rejected because of this promise of the Spirit See their Confession pages 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82. Where they so triumph in this Argument as if now they had incontrollably gained the day and for ever banished all External Ordinances out of the Church and had no more to do but sing Te Deum Victory We have won But he that Reckons without his Host may come to Reckon twice Therefore I answer first That this promise is only made to Believers Joh. 7.38 39. and 14.17 and so it will not serve their turn for absolving all Men from External Rules and committing them to the conduct of their Dictate within Secondly Though they should crack and rent their Brains to do it they will never prove from hence that the Spirit is to guide us without the Word and External Rule of Scripture which yet is the very thing in Controversie and which they must either prove or else lose the Cause for all their boasting for Christ does not promise here nor any where in Scripture That the Spirit shall guide us without the written Word and so from this Text they can never prove their point Thirdly I proved at the Survey of their third Query above and in my Answer to their second Objection here That the written Word of God is an Organ and Instrument whereby the Spirit of God worketh upon our hearts enlightning converting renowing and quickening us thereby and so the Spirit is not here promised to guide us without the written Word but with it Lastly We have the word of that same Spirit for it and that since he was poured out in the largest measure That it is not he but a Spirit of Error that leads men when they hearken not to the Doctrine of the Apostles which is written in the Scripture 1 Joh. 4.6 He exhorts us to take heed to the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 20. He affirms the Scriptures were written for our learning and that we might have hope Rom. 15.4 He affirms that the Scriptures are profitable for Reproof Doctrine Correction and Instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 He threatens to take away their part out of the Book of Life that diminish from the Scripture-rule Rev. 22.19 He pronounces them blessed that read hear and keep the Doctrine of the Scripture Rev. 22.7 and 1.3 Whoever then rejects the Scripture-Rule he intends not to learn or have hope or profit any more in the way of Righteousness or be blessed but to have his part taken out of the Book of Life Will not that Man be a good Christian and a happy Saint no doubt Christ then means nothing less than to absolve us from the External Rule of Scripture in this Text of John which the Quakers here wrest to that purpose Vaunting themselves of an Abortive Victory which shall never see the Sun like so many windy Bravadilloes Et preterea nihil Fifthly They object from the first Epistle of John 2.20 27. where Saint John says But ye have an Unction from the holy One and ye know all things and the anointing which ye have received abideth in you and ye need not that any Man Teach you Therefore there is no need of External Rules and Teaching seeing there is an Unction within that teaches all things Answ First The Apostle does not say That all men whatsoever have that Unction to teach them but only such as he writes to viz. Believers and so this Text will not serve their turn for all men Secondly He does not say That that anointing teaches without the External written Word yea in this same Epistle Ch. 4.6 Ch. 5.13 He plainly shews the contrary where he affirms That those that are of God hearken to and so are taught by for there is no other end of their hearkening but to be taught their External Doctrine which is written in the Scriptures and that he wrote this same Epistle of purpose to be an Instrument of Faith and Knowledge unto them And would they then force an Argument from this Epistle against Scripture-Rule nay there is in this Epistle evident demonstrations establishing it Thirdly We have before shewed That the Spirit teaches us by the External written Word and the Quakers with all their wranglings can never make it appear that he teaches us without it For all the Texts which they produce or can produce prove no more but only that the Spirit teaches us which we never denied but heartily acknowledge but not one Text in all the Scriptures can prove that the Spirit teaches us without the External Word which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet the Quakers by a new sort of Logick invented by their Alogical Spirit for the abuse of Mankind do from every Scripture-Text where it is said That the Spirit teaches us very bruto-rationally infer Ergo he teaches us without any External Mean or Rule As for that of their knowing all things it is not to be understood of all things whatsoever without exception or else they had been too wise and their knowledge too infinite but it is meant of all things Essential to Salvation which they knew in some measure though not perfectly 1 Cor. 8.2 and 13.9.12 and therefore still needed Scripture-Rule to teach them more knowledge And therefore that part of the Text That they needed not that any man should teach them is the same with that of Jeremiah whereof before and hath the same comparative meaning That the knowledge of Christ and of the Covenant was now so manifest and clear that having received the anointing for opening the eyes of their understanding viz. Effectively which is therefore called Eye-salve Rev. 3.18 which an inward objective Dictate cannot well be called that they might be able to behold it They in regard of and compared with their Fathers living under the Old Testament Dispensation did scarce seem to need a Teacher which is most true For though they needed still Teaching yet in comparison of them they might all rather have been Teachers of others and so the Scope of the place is to commend the New-Testament Dispensation above that of the Old and to decry External Ordinances and Rules or Teaching by Men Yea and if it were meant so then the Apostle did here by his Practice contradict his Doctrine and by his Doctrine condemned his Practice as needless and idle for which he had a sad Accompt to make according to Christs Doctrine Matth. 12.36 and if the Quakers think that this Text overturneth all Teaching by Men we again Charge them in their own Principles and by the Law they live on to give over their Teaching and spreading of their damnable Delusions by Word or Writ for I am sure the

with the old Dispensation thereof under the Law and he promises in the Name of the Lord That the new Dispensation of the Covenant shall be attended with a greater measure of the Spirit for writing the Law upon Mens hearts than was bestowed under the old This Commentary agreeth with other Scriptures 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8 9 10 11. whereas the Quakers Gloss is most false and contrary to the same as appears from what is above said in the Survey of this Query As for that part of the Text They shall not teach every Man his Neighbour it is also a comparative expression holding forth that the Light under the Gospel Dispensation shall be so great and clear and so far exceed that under the Old Testament that in comparison with these under it we shall scarce seem to need a Teacher which is most true in the event See the like expression Hos 6.6 I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice that is as needs no proof he required Mercy more than Sacrifice for he required Sacrifice also Secondly This part of the Text as it is urged by the Quakers against all external Teaching by the Scripture and a publick Ministery doth much rather overthrow all Christian mutual Teaching and Neighbourly Exhortation than Teaching by Scripture-Rule or a Publick Ministery seeing the Teaching whereof it speaks is of Brother with Brother and Neighbour with Neighbour And seeing the Quakers urge this Text against all external Teaching under the New Testament as I in experience know they do and their Principles of following the Dictat within leads them to it we charge them in their own Principles and as they would not go over the belly of their Light to give over teaching of their Blasphemous Errors for there is none busier to teach Truth than they alas are to broach and spread these Thirdly They object from Luk. 17.20 21. where Christ being asked of the Pharisees When the Kingdom of God that is the Messias Kingdom for the Question is plainly concerning that should come He answers them That the Kingdom of God comes not with observation for behold says He the Kingdom of God is within you See this objection in their Confession of Faith pages 124 133 134 135. Ans As to the first part of the Text here alledged it is not much different from or rather it is a consequent of that which Christ saith before Pilate Joh. 18.36 My Kingdom is not of this World and the meaning clearly is that because the Kingdom of Christ is Spiritual which that Text of John asserts therefore it comes not with worldly Pomp and Shew and is not conspicuous for worldly Splendor which is the meaning of this Text of Luke so as Men of the World can always discern it as other Kingdoms for though it cannot be denied that Christ had a Kingdom even at that time amongst the Jews yet these Pharisees did not discern it But if the Quakers would have the meaning of that saying to be that the Kingdom of Christ hath no external Laws Rules and Ordinances in or with it unto which scope they do indeed wrest it in the pages of their Confession last cited and in which sence alone and none else it would serve the Quakers purpose against external Ordinances or for Establishing their inward unwarrantable Dictat as all see their Commentary shall be most false seeing Christ had a Kingdom in the World in the days of the Old Testament and a much larger in the days of the Apostles under the New and yet there were external Laws Rules and Ordinances in or with it at both these times see Deut. 30.10 and 31.9 10 11 12 24 26. Nehem. 8.8 2 King 23.2 3. Isai 8.20 Matth. 28.19 20. Luk. 16.29 and 22.19 Joh. 5.39.46 47. and 20.31 Act. 8.35 and 17.11 and 18.28 and 28.23 Rom. 15.4 1 Tim. 4.13 2 Tim. 2.2 and 3.15 16. and 4.2 These Testimonies and a thousand more that might be instanced do irresistably prove against all Contradictors that there were External Ordinances of Scripture Sacraments Preaching c. in or with the Kingdom of Christ not only under the Old Testament but also under the New and so the Quakers Gloss upon this Text of Luke is most false That would have the Dictat within to be the Rule of Faith and Manners because the Kingdom of God comes not with observation that is as they infer it is all within there is nothing external in it As for the second part of the Text alledged Behold the Kingdom of God is within you it may be as well yea much better translated Behold the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you or amongst you for the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will read any of the ways as it is marked on the Margin of our Bibles among you and the nature and condition of the Party to whom Christ there speaks being wicked Enemies of Christ and his Kingdom cannot so well admit of our vulgar translation The Kingdom of God is within you and in translating it the other way it will be as much if not more unto Christs Scope for because these Pharisees expected that the Messiahs Kingdom should come with worldly Pomp and Grandure of which conceipt neither were Christs own Disciples free Matth. 20.21 Therefore to confute that fancy He tells them That the Kingdom of God comes not in that manner with worldly Pomp and Splendor for behold says He the Kingdom of God is even now amongst you though ye perceive it not because ye look for a Kingdom with worldly Pomp and Grandure Secondly The Kingdom of God that is the Messiahs Kingdom was certainly come in the Apostles days after the powring forth of the Spirit and the Gospel spread through the Gentile-world as the Quakers dare not I think deny and yet it was accompanied with External Laws and Ordinances whereunto the Church was straitly tied as I have many times before proved and it was as much within Gods People then as now Therefore this Text can afford them no ground for overturning of External Laws and Ordinances in the Church and Establishing their Dictate within for the Rule Thirdly Let the Kingdom of God be within us what then Will that necessarily infer the exclusion of all External helps and means for the inchoating promoting and maintaining thereof in us Nay by no means For how many things are there inward in us which yet are inchoate nourished and maintained by external helps and means as the habits of Grammar Logick Mathematicks c. and have not all Tradesmen their External Rules for all their inward habit of the Art yea our very Lives that are inward enough I think are upheld and nourished by the help of things External Why do not the Quakers nourish their Lives that are Essentially inward with some inward dish of meat and let alone External meat and drink These things dash the Argument in pieces which runs with a pur-blind consequence from an infirm Antecedent Fourthly