Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
word_n person_n scripture_n trinity_n 3,376 5 9.9610 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A56109 A testimony of truth given forth by a servant of the Lord, on the behalf of the despised servants, and professors of truth, who are made partakers of the heavenly power, which shakes the earth, and makes the inhabitants of the land to tremble, who are by the scorners of this generation called Quakers against the many lyes and slanders which the devil is the chief author of, arising forth of the bottomlesse pit, and vented forth by one James Livesey a professed minister of Christ in the county of Chester, but by his fruits is plainly manifested a minister of sin, and so of his Father who begat him, and sent him forth to oppose the living truth of God : but his folly is here manifested and declared to open view, that the simple and honest hearted may turn from him and all such deceitful workers, and may learn of Christ the light of the world, that their souls may live. Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689. 1659 (1659) Wing P386; ESTC R5756 31,699 39

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

all others for as the perfection of ancient times under the Law was not to forswear so the perfection of Christian men is not to swear at all And whereas this opposer that I have to deal with brings a Scripture out of the Prophets Jer. 4.2 and thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth c. I say this doth not at all make void the sayings of Christ because he is the end of the Prophets who saith swear not at all and whatever other Scripture may be alleadged it is not at all contradictory because Christ the Son is greater then Moses he raigns over the house of Jacob and Joseph who swore in their day Solomon swore but a greater then Solomon is here And whereas the Prophet saith thou shalt swear by the Lord this was to bring them off from all false oaths not to swear by Baal nor other false Gods but they were in those days to swear by the Lord but Christ is come as I have said who is the great Prophet who ends all oathes And whereas it is alleadged that an oath is an end of strife and therefore to be used saith this opposer But I say that whosoever doth bring that Scripture in Heb. 6.17 to maintain swearing contrary to Christ his command they pervert the Scripture for the Authour to the Hebrewes doth not speak there to prove an oath lawful at that time but he is speaking of God making a promise to Abraham and because he could swear by no greater he swore by himself saying Surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee and so after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise for men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife the Apostle doth not bring this in opposition to Christ but speaking concerning God who swore by himself concerning his promise and giving his Son Christ who ends the strife and this I further say that those that be in strife and oathes they have not learned Christ one Scripture more I shall add as a confirmation against swearing and that is in Jam. 5.12 but above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath mark all oathes are forbidden but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least ye fall into condemnation Pr. There is an opinion amongst them that singing of Psalms is no Gospel ordinance especially not to be used in mixt Assemblies Answ This is false for singing of Psalms according to the Scriptures we own singing with the spirit and with understanding making melody in our hearts to the Lord according to those Scriptures Col. 3.16 Ephes 5.19 And whereas another Scripture is alleadged Jam 5.13 if any be afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing Psalms this is owned by us but the question will be who are they that are truly merry I say that none are truly merry but the ransomed of the Lord who have passed through many tribulations and fiery tryals whose garments are washed with the blood of the Lamb such shall return to Sion with joy and singing and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads But the songs of the wicked shall be turned into howling and weeping and such we do deny and all such as take Davids words a man after Gods own heart and turn them into Rhime and Meeter and a company of mixt people of proud ones covetous envyous wrathful scoffing and scornful ones for such as these to sing Davids experiences his prayers and prophesies his weenings wastings roarings cryings tremblings and such like this is a great wickedness to speak Davids words and say O Lord I am not puft in mind I have no scornful eye I do not exercise my self in things that be too high c. when both Priest and people are proud and scornful such singing we do deny and as sure as God lives it shall be turned into howling and weeping and bitter lamentation Pr. There is an opinion among them that the spirit is the rule they ought to walk by the spirit is our guide teacher and leader Answ That which was the Rule and guide of the people of God before the Scriptures were written and their rule and guide that writ the Scriptures is our Rule and guide now and that was the spirit of God which led and guided them in the way and truth of God and it is written in the Prophets all the children of the Lord shall be taught of the Lord and this was the promise of Christ to send the Comforter the spirit of truth which should lead and guide them into all truth and this is according to the Scriptures and stands over the head of all gain-sayers and opposers but this is so plain that no reasonable man will gainsay it for as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Pr. There is an opinion amongst them that the Trinity of persons is a lie and that there are not three persons in the God head Answ What the Spirit of the Lord doth own we own and what is written in the Scriptures by the motion of the spirit we own There is three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and these three are One and this we own as for three persons I have not read of such a thing in the Scriptures God is an incomprehensible spirit and is but One Father Son and Spirit three in manifestation but all one in power one God over all blessed for ever Pr. There is an opinion amongst them that the Ministry of England is Antichristian and our Ministers no Ministers of Jesus Christ. Ans 1. Such as are brought up at Schools and Colledges and there learn Aristotles moral and Philosophical Arts and sciences and there take certain degrees and orders as Batchelor of Art Master of Art Batchelor of Divinity Doctor of Divinity and the like and are trained up there certain years and so made Ministers in and by the will of man such are Antichristian but such are the Ministers of England therefore no Ministers of Christ Ans 2. Such as make contracts and bargains with people for certain set stipends and great sums of money as 80.100 200 300. pounds or more or less by the year and will not preach without money such are Antichristian but such are the Ministers of England therefore not the Ministers of Christ Ans 3. Such as denies the Doctrine of perfection the life of pure Religion the work and end of the Christian Ministry Eph. 4.11.12 13. Col. 1.27.28 29. and say that none can be perfect or free from sin while they walk upon the earth but must alwayes live in sin and sin in them such a Ministry is Antichristian But such are the Ministers of England therefore not the Ministers of Jesus Christ Pr. I would gladly know if the Ministers of England be not the Ministers of Christ what
Ministers are the Ministers of Christ Answ For satisfaction of the honest hearted I shall declare who are the true Ministers of Christ that is to say such as have received perfect gifts from God freely and are made Minsters by the will of God and sent forth by his power to turn people from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God who freely Minister as they have freely received who cover no mans gold silver nor apparrel but preach the word of God freely at all times and seasons as the spirit doth move and give utterance and many such there are amongst those that the scorners of this world do call Quakers who preach the Gospel of salvation freely not seeking money or maintenance and many within these few years in England by the power of this Ministry received from God have been converted from sin unto God Pr. Whether Jesus Christ have any especially designed for his work or none but himself the Prophet of his Church Answ Christ is the head of his body the Church and is the great Prophet and from him who is the head every member of the body receives nourishment and refreshment but I do own a Ministry ordained and sent forth by him for the perfecting of the Saints and for the edifying of the body until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man even to the measure and stature and fulness of Christ as I have said before Pr. When the Ministry of England began to be Anti-christian and how long it hath been so Ans The Antichristian powers of darkness hath raigned long and I question much whether ever the National Ministry of England were free from Anti-christianism though I do believe the Lord hath had many pretious people in it who in their time have stood faithful witnesses for God some have suffered death but the Ministry was never throughly purged from popery no not to this day but most things practized are Popish inventions as their Schools and Colledges where they make their Ministers little or nothing differing from the Papists Schooles and Colledges where they make their Ministers their maintenance by Tythes vicarage houses gleab lands c. even as the Papists do and many other things there are wherein they do agree so that it is hard to tell the time when it began but this I say in the night of Apostacy since the daies of the Apostles it begun Pr. What it is that renders them Antichristian taking of Tythes or what Ans Taking of Tythes is one thing that renders them so but there be many other things as their call into the Ministry and being made Ministers by the will of man and their set maintenance great sumes of mony by the year their doctrine and practices scarce any one thing is acted or done by them in all that which they call the worship of God as it was acted or done in the daies of the true Apostles and if it were so that they were found in the very practice of the Apostles yet not being led by the same spirit it is antichristian for the Christian worship was in the spirit and in the truth and all peoples nations though they may have all the words given forth from the spirit if they be not in the spirit and in the truth they be false worshipers and are Antichristian that professe Christ in words but have not the life of Christ within them more I might say as to these things but so much having been written already by others I shall proceed further only I take notice of three accusations against us that is 1. That we deny the Trinity of persons 2. The Divine authority of the Scriptures 3 And the Souls immortality to the two first I have already spoken and the Soul we say is immortal and so I leave the lyar to receive his portion in the lake of endlesse misery Rev. 21.8 Now I come to ●● particulars wherein this opposer goes about to cast an odium upon the Quakers bringing several things which he saith the Jesuites and Papists holds it seems he is well acquainted with them but what is that to the matter because the Devil believes there is a God shall not I believe truth because the Devils believes If Jesuites an I Papists Turks and Infidels hold any truth their holding of it shall not make me deny it but truth I shall own where ever I finde it and all Lyers and false accusers and that which is contrary to truth I deny but I shall come to the particulars and what concerns those whom he calls Quakers I shall speak to and what concernes the Jesuites and Papists let them answer for themselves if they will Pr. Jesuites have low base and vile thoughts of the Scripture it s with them a nose of Wax a dead letter no sufficient ground of Faith nor judge of controversies so Bellarmine c. so Quakers Ans That the Quakers have low base and vile thoughts of the Scriptures is very false and wickednesse it is to say so for we dearly own and highly prize the Scriptures and own them to be a true testimony of him who is the author and foundation of faith Christ Jesus but life is not to be found in the Scripture but in Christ who is the life and the quickning spirit who is the judge of all controversies according to the Scriptures Pr. Jesuites and Papists cries up salvation by the light and law of nature without the knowledge of Christ c. so Quakers Ans We say as I have said before salvation is by Christ who is the light of the world and lighteth every man that commeth into the world and not by the light and law of nature without the knowledge of Christ this charge is altogether false as to the Quakers as for the other let them answer for themselves Pr. Papists say the Church of England is no true Church They say the Ministry of England is antichristian and so Quakers Ans To both these I have spoken of before to which I refer the Reader Pr. Subesse Romano pontifici est de necessitate salutis No salvation for us unlesse we become Catholicks in their sence Quakers say we are all damned except we turn Quakers Ans We say this and it is no more then truth that except ye repent and be converted ye must all perish But as for the words as they are laid down they proceed from the wickednesse of his evil heart and are not true our way is Christ and this is the way of holinesse and is but one and there is none other and to this way must all come that are saved and must know trembling and quaking before all wickednesse be thrown down and truth and righteousnesse be set up therefore let none despise the power of God least ye be cut of in his feirce wrath Pr. Jesuits allow women to do the worke of the Ministry