Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	faith_n	godliness_n	temperance_n	4,219	5	11.6041	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35006	Babel's builders unmasking themselves as appears by the following paper from Barbadoes, (promoted by George for his party, and subscribed by eighty two of them.) With a letter of G.F.'s, G.W.'s, &c, in answer thereunto; and observations thereupon. Also, a false prophecy of that lying prophet, Solomon Eccles. Published for undeceiving the simple, and in abhorrence and detestation of the principle and practice contained in the said paper; they being of an evil tendency, and contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, or of any sincere-hearted Protestants, or true Christians this day. By T.C.	Crisp, Thomas, 17th cent.; Fox, George, 1624-1691.; Eccles, Solomon, 1618-1683.; Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1681 (1681)	Wing C6948; ESTC R214946	14,720	16

when they knew God they glorified him not as God they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkned Therefore I pray be not so soon moved and tossed up and down by these windy Arbitrary and implicit Judgments of Men who have Mens Persons and Orders in admiration because of advantage for such serve not Christ but themselves but mind the Truth in your own Hearts and according as the Apostle said let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind You must answer for your selves to God when it shall be said Who required these things at your hands Will any Men or Women or outward written Orders have greater force than Moses and the Prophets Nay but as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God this Spirit Christ said he would send should be in them Think me not your Enemy because I deal plainly with you For it is in Love to Truth and abhorrence of Arbitrary and Unlimited Power and implicit blind and unacceptable Obedience that I write to you desiring the Lord may open your Understandings to know his Will and what is acceptable and I recommend you to the Spirit of Grace in your own Hearts which is able through Faith in Christ to preserve you blameless and harmless in this crooked Generation to God alone be Glory and Dominion for ever Friends mind the good Sermon of Christ on the Mount also the sound Exhortations in the Epistles of Paul and Peter c. which as in Faith read and considered may be helpful and useful to the Man of God in words and works Forasmuch as the foregoing Letter of G. F. c. to Barbadoes was produced as a proof of their denial of the said Paper I have read it and observe this therefrom That they are more afraid of its Publication than ashamed of the Matter and do more object the subscribing the Paper than owning the Principle as appears by their words If it should come into the hands of Opposers c. they would say we set up Arbitrary Power and Implicit Faith c. which are the plain tendency thereof But it is needful to know what they mean by the Universal Spirit being that is so often mentioned I take it to be the Opinion or Judgment of the Ruling Party or Foxonians among the Quakers because they exclude those who oppose their Orders as being Apostats and gone out from the Universal Spirit Also I take this Spirit of theirs not to be the Universal Spirit of God but a private selfish Spirit of their own Because they say As for the Stubborn and Wilfull that are against Men and Womens Meetings the Universal Spirit cannot receive that Now those they term Stubborn c. are not against Men and Womens Meetings but differ about the Form and Power thereof they are only against Women having Meetings apart from the Men when they have no business requires it not against them in Cities great Towns and Places where they live near together and occasions require but only in Counties where they live remote from each other and have no business Also about the Form of Marriages c. For these Persons who they say are against Meetings do and are willing to use them on necessary occasions This is the state of the Difference and the Case of those Persons G. F. c. terms Apostats bad Spirits c. G. F. c. say the Universal Spirit cannot receive that I shall shew by Testimonies of other Friends that notwithstanding Differences yet Christians ought to receive each other and walk in Love as Brethren E. Burrough says Every one was to walk in that measure of Truth they had attained to and notwithstanding their difference in Judgment whether in Cases substantial or ceremonial yet they were still to be in love and unity p. 809. and every one to mind the teachings of the Spirit in himself Hereby you may see that E. B. could receive in love and walk in unity with such as differed in Cases substantial which is as high a Difference as any about Womens Meetings Also W. Pen says Address to Protestants p. 70. I cannot see how such Men can excuse themselves from great presumption c. who deny those Persons to be Members of Christ's Church that in Conscience refuse to subscribe any other draught than their Lord hath given them Then how can G. F. c. excuse themselves who say Those that be against Womens Meetings the Universal Spirit cannot receive unless G. F. c. prove that such Dissenters have had their Form of Womens Meetings from their Lord. G. F. c. must admit them Members of Christ's Church or prove they refuse that which the Lord hath given them or else G. F. c. are inexcusable and condemnable by their own owned Testimonies Also 2 Pet. 1. 5. Give all diligence thereunto add to Faith Vertue Knowledg Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly-kindness Love for if these things be in you and abound ye shall not be unfruitful nor barren c. Wherefore give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if you do these things ye shall never fail for an entrance shall be ministred unto you into the everlasting Kingdom Now I appeal to any sober Christian Whether all these qualifications may not be in one and yet conscienciously dissent from a Form of Womens Meetings as used and ordered by G. F. If it can be as I am sure it may be that one may be so qualified and assisted by God's Spirit as to attain these Vertues expressed by the Apostle Peter and not comply with G. F's Womens Meetings then a sure entrance is made into the everlasting Kingdom and they are received by the Universal Spirit of God therefore G. F's c. Spirit is not that of God nor of E. B. or I. P. nor the Spirit of Christ and his Apostles for they said Judg not and that the Tree was known by its Fruit. But G. F. c. will judge and condemn for evil and gone from the Spirit although no evil Fruit appears Also where evil Fruit does appear as in this their Judgment yet he can say to them because they own his Form and Womens Meetings We know your care and that you aim at the best things So that to give up to his Orders tho contrary to their own measures is by him termed the best things and they are manifestly declared the Epistle of Christ writ with the Spirit of the living God c. whereby he seems to place more Virtue and Power in conforming to his Orders of Womens Meetings than in all Faith and fruits of the Spirit expressed in the Scripture And where-ever G. F. mentions the Universal Spirit I take him he means the Spirit that set up these Meetings and persecutes all such who cannot for Conscience sake conform to his Womens Meetings Now Christ said Whatever ye would another should do to you that do unto them Love thy