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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	prove_v	scripture_n	tradition_n	5,001	5	9.5879	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89836	A discovery of the man of sin, acting in a mystery of iniquitie, pleading for his kingdom, against the coming of Christ to take away sin. Or, an answer to a book set forth by Tho. Weld of Gateshead, Richard Prideaux, Sam. Hamond, Will. Cole, and Will. Durant of Newcastle. By way of reply to an answer of James Nayler's to their former book, called The perfect Pharisee: who call themselves ministers of Christ, but are found ministring for the kingdom of Antichrist. Published for clearing the innocency of the truth from their malicious slanders, and discovering their deceits. By one whom the world calls James Nayler.	Naylor, James, 1617?-1660.	1654 (1654)	Wing N274; Thomason E738_16; ESTC R202155	50,411	56

contrary which we witness then those who obeyed his Command Not to salute any Luke 10. 4. was guilty of the breach of it which to affirm was to make Christ say and unsay and besides there is not a word in it of saluting by the way which is the thing you are to prove which we say We are forbidden And whereas you say You salute the poor as well as the rich here let your practice witness against you who bow to the rich with cap and knee and worship them and call them Masters but do you so to the poor and here you are the heathen And because I say What we do we do it not from the commands that were given to others but by his command to us by whom we are sent forth and this you say is a mystery of iniquity and utterly to shake off the authority of the word and you boast much of a great advantage you have got by these words but you see not your own blindeness which is apparent for you say This was a particular command now instance in Scripture where any Saint did take up any particular command by imitation but every particular Saint had his particular command from God which he was to obey and if all the particular commands that was given to the Saints in Scripture be binding to us in this generation then why do not you observe them as Isaiah went three yeers naked why do not you do so and why are not you without money brass two coats and shooes and many such-like commands And now what doth all your Scriptures prove It is true what is written is for our learning that as they waited upon God for their commands what to do and did obey so we should do likewise the disobedient should warn us not to disobey Mat. 15. 9 Isa 29. 13. And thus you have laid open your selves to be ignorant of the word of God and his commands to you and all your obedinence is imitation and tradition and so in vain you worship And because I say If we were commanded to forbear wearing shoes we should be made willing to obey in that as well as in other things which we are commanded and you say This is to cast off the yoke of Christ and break his bonds asunder now if our willingness to obey his commands be to cast off his yoke let the wise judge and here your charge shall appear to all to be false for to obey the commands of Christ is not to deny the authority of the Scripture as you would slander us but it establishes the Scriptures authority for herein we witness the same obedience and the same commanding power with all Saints and you reckon up many that have been made signes and wonders to this generation as some have gone naked and the like Isa 8. 18. which you would cast upon the truth to make it odious to people and you bring many Scriptures and wrest them to your own ends to which I answer The command of God to them that know him is of more force to binde them to obey then your subtil arguings and wrestings to disobey and had you lived in the times of the Prophets you would have reproached them for obeying and being made signes in the same things as Isa 20. and others in other things which your generation then counted madness as you do now and persecuted them for it as you do now but it is no wonder why you should thus reproach us for obeying God when you are not afraid to contradict God himself in what he saith and give him the lye for when he saith My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and bare-foot Isa 20. you go about to prove that he was not naked and when God saith The Egyptians and the Ethiopians shall be carried captive naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered to their shame and you deny and say they took but off their best apparel and left them such as was necessary to cover their shame and thus what God saith you say the contrary and go about to make him a lyar and perswades people to believe your subtil imaginations before Gods plain words and here you shew the serpent who contraries God in all things and ever did and not onely here but in all your books your reasoning and proving are for sin and against plain Scripture and any that reads them may see that I speak the truth of you though you may call it railing And you bring 1 Tim. 2. 9. That women adorn themselves in modest apparel and sobriety And this you bring to cast upon them that obey the commands of God but you might use it nearer home amongst your own wives who go in their hoods vails and rings which is forbiden and is not modesty but pride but these whom you reproach go in modest apparel though some be made as signes to you who live in pride and this is done by a call from God contrary to their own wills though you who deny the word coming to you be ignorant of it as all the false Prophets ever were And for that you cast upon Thomas Holms that he should say That it was not he that went naked but God It is of the same root with the rest and will not be believed by any but your own generation The second Principle Not giving any outward token of reverence to Magistrates Parents Masters or any other To which I answer Reverence and obedience to Magistrates Parents Masters and others we own according to the Scriptures but to bow down and worship the creature which God hath forbidden that we deny and though you who love greetings and bowing to you would make people believe it 's no sin yet they that fear God and worship him alone know it to be a sin and Mordecai had rather die and all the seed of the Jews be cut off then do it though the King commanded it and though you say It 's a ridiculous application of that command Thou shalt not bow down and worship yet the Apostle owns it And saith If you respect persons you commit sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressors now what Law do such transgress if it be not this which convinceth That no worship is to be given to any but God not to mens persons but these wrestings are as the rest to encourage to do what God forbids for Christ saith How can you believe that receive honor one of another neither did he nor any of his ever respect mens persons nor any that is in the faith of Christ James 2. 1. but plainly forbids it both Christ and the Apostles which you plead for and appear to be of a contrary spirit for the Spirit of God where it is pleads for the worship of God alone for he is no respecter of persons nor any that is guided by his Spirit but they that are guided by the spirit of the world pleads for the worlds worships and customs and where

and Greek bond and free Col. 3. 11. And this is the true light that enlightens every one that comes into the world John 1. 9. John 8. 12. And you say you have fully proved that all men in the world do need an outward light and that it is the way of Christ to make himself known by outward discoveries and you say you have proved it by arguments I answer Your deceitful arguments I deny and they are no proof to me nor any that fear God who receive that truth by the Spirit and not by arguments but bring one Scripture in plain words that all men need an outward light or that an outward discovery is the way by which Christ makes himself known to his people and till then I deny you and your Philosophy and prove one Saint that ever knew Christ since his ascension but by revelation And what talk you of preaching the Gospel who denies the immediate call of Christ or any hearing his voice or to talke of Officers given for perfecting of the Saints which say none shall ever be perfect while they live which shew you to be none of those Officers given by Christ for the perfecting of the Saints for you plead against such as witness that work and that end And whereas you say That the light spoken of 2 Pet. 1. 19. that Peter doth not send them to a light within but to books and words of the Prophets which Scripture shall witness against your deceit and blindeness for the Apostle exhorts them to wait on the light til the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts which is not without nor in books and if the testimony of the old Prophets was a more sure word then that which Peter heard from the mouth of God then it must needs follow that the testimony of the old Prophets who spoke but darkly of Christ and did not see his day though they desired it must be a more sure testimony then the Apostles who were his eye-witnesses and the words of books a more sure word then the voice that came from heaven which was the immediate voice of God which blinde absurdity all who have the Spirit of prophesie which is the sure word and testimony of Jesus shall condemn your blindeness who knows not that sure word of prophesie that was in them And whereas you wish the Reader to observe that Nayler cries down the Scriptures as needless here you would have the Reader to observe your lyes for though the letter doth not discover Christ but the Spirit yet it is not useless for it is a witness against your practice opinions traditions and casts you all amongst the false Prophets and hirelings and herein it is of use and authority and also is a witness without against all who will not own the witness within nor do I cry down the publishing the Gospel by the Ministery nor the hearing God and his word but you who deny the immediate call and the word of God coming to any now denies both the word and Ministery which we own and witness The twelfth Position That there is no need of any outward teaching by reading or hearing the Scriptures opened or applyed And herein you accuse me of shuffling railing and lying because I say you apply the promises of God to them who are in the first birth and preach them up all believers and say men must commit sin while they are here and sow pillows under mens arm-holes now is not this true of you who sprinkle Infants by the faith of their Parents and calls them your flock and receives them to your Ordinances and do you not here preach them up believers within your liberty or Parish though they live in sin and here you sow pillows under every arm-hole and then do you not fine them who refuse to pay you Tythes or hire and so you prepare war against them who put not into your mouthes And you hold forth that none can be free from sin while they live Now where are the lyes or what wrong have I done you let any that is spiritual judge for lying I abhor or to wrong any but I speak the truth of you as your practice doth witness And in your answer to that Scripture which saith They shall no more teach every man his neighbour saying Know the Lord Heb. 8. 11. This you say doth onely concern the children of God and such as have their sins pardoned wherein you exclude all your Parish people from the children of God and pardon of sin for how many have you that are taught of God and needs not your teaching as you say I desire your hearers that they would consider of it that so they might come to the teachings of God and so witness the children of God and sin pardoned and so to witness the everlasting Covenant and no need of your teachings And whereas you tell of 4 Arguments and above 30 plain Scriptures in your Perfect Pharisee Your Arguments I deny and sees them to be deceit and there is not one of the thirty nor in the whole book that doth plainly witness to your way of teaching but the whole Scriptures are against you and all that teach for hire and denies the immediate call and the word of the Lord coming to you Jer. 23. 21 32. And you ask why the Apostle wrote to the Hebrews to teach them if that were the meaning that no man should teach their neighbour I answer To draw them to the teaching of Christ as is plain when he tells them of a growth that need no man to teach them and though he say You have need that one teach you again which is the first Principle of the Oracles of God doth he say this to continue them in a need of that as you would inferre or to shame them that they were not yet grown up to the teachings of God Heb. 6. 1. and out of mans teachings towards perfection And whereas you alledge the exhortation of the Apostles we own it which was to draw up to the light and teaching as is plain in their exhorting them to wait for the appearing of Christ who was their light and life Col. 3. 4. And whereas you say You press all to struggle after that perfection they do not yet enjoy now how this agrees with your saying they shall never be perfect while they live and what encouragement you give them to struggle is evident who tells them they must struggle but never prevail while they live And here you are found to be the juglers you speak of whose teaching is yea and nay And whereas you charge me with casting dirt upon the Scriptures because I say the Holy Ghost did not put it into Chapters and Verses but the hireling-Priests to trade withal Here you appear to be false accusers and the railers and lyars you speak on for I have not spoken one word against the Scriptures but own them as the Holy Ghost gave them forth The thirteenth

Position That the Scriptures are not the word of God but a Declaration of the condition of them that spoke them forth And in your Reply you alledge many Scriptures but not one that speaks of a written word or that the letter is the word but that it is a Declaration is plain as Luk. 1. 1. 1. Joh. 1. 3. and divers other places where they that had the word in them declared it in writings to others Gal. 1. 16. And whereas you say The seed is the word it 's true but that seed is not the letter nor can any sow that seed but where Christ is revealed in them And you argue carnally and say Can the devil take Christ out of their hearts I answer Where the devil is received in there Christ departs and in that sense may be said to be taken away but if you minde the words that follow Lest they should believe and be saved it will appear to be the seed of Christ for in what else could they be believe to salvation but in Christ and this seed is not the letter as you would prove it to be and for that place 1 Thess 2. 13. where it is said That which the Saints heard of the Apostles was not the words of man I answer It 's true and that word was Christ the word of faith as is plain Rom. 10. 6 7 8. neither can you prove that ever the Apostles preached any other word but Christ Gal. 1. And whereas you say there are two words of God an essential and a declarative word which is your own language but the Scripture speaks no such words And whereas you accuse us to destroy the Scriptures Divinity and Authority but is this to destroy their Authority when we say They were spoken forth by the Holy Ghost which was in them that spoke them forth and ye would make people believe the letter to be the foundation of the Saints and hath the Authority over the Soul and here you deny Christ to establish the letter in his stead who is the foundation of Saints and hath the Authority of Souls for they who preached Christ the foundation denied themselves to preach the letter but your ministration is of the letter who knows no other word but what you read in books And this is your foundation you stand on and here it 's tried and by which you get your living in the world and here you deny Christ for the letter is not Christ And whereas you talk of the commands of God but his commands you know not who have them to seek in the letter for his commands is in Spirit and ever was and yet this doth not destroy the Scriptures but witness the same Spirit that gave them forth and that which the Saints spoke was the word of the Lord and not the letter according to their several measures and conditions And whereas you accuse me to say that the words which the Prophets spoke was Christ wherein your deceit appears to all that read my words for I do not say their words were Christ but that Spirit by which they spoke was the Spirit of Christ And this is that which I spoke of which came to the Prophets which you deny to be Christ and therewith the life of Christ and the Apostles you are all judged out of truth and here your deceit and blindeness and slanders are laid open for every spiritual eye to see The fourteenth Position That the Spirits are not to be tried by Scriptures And here because I say that the infallible Spirit which is the original of all Scriptures is the trial of all Spirits from thence you argue that I set the minde and will of the Spirit in opposition to the Spirit which is false for I set the Spirit of God in whom it is in opposition to all deceitful Spirits for so the Apostle bids them who had the Spirit of God try the deceitful Spirits and this was not spoken to them who were guided by the Spirit of the world for such cannot try the Spirits neither with the letter nor without it as I have formerly proved neither did Christ send them to try his Spirit when he bad them Search the Scriptures nor did the Bereans try the Spirit of Christ but searched the words which Paul spoke from those Scriptures that declared of Christ And here by the visible eye they tried visible words but the Spirit of God is invisible and cannot be tried by any but those who have it and are guided by it And you that would make people believe that all that can read the letter can try the Spirit of God would set up carnal judges over the Spirit of God when the Scripture saith The natural man understands not the things of God and you confess the eternal Spirit to be the trier of Spirits though formerly you seemed to deny it but say your question is what the Saints had to try the Spirits by I answer By the same Spirit by which they are sanctified and prove in Scripture where the Saints are commanded to try the Spirits by any other things and here see your confusion for the letter is dead and speaks nothing for the Apostles said They served God in the newness of life and not in the oldness of the letter and if any man read this letter and not by the same Spirit that gave it forth he is not able to judge of it but wrests it as you do for your several ends if any man read it by the same Spirit that gave it forth it is the Spirit that judgeth of the letter and not the letter of the Spirit And whereas you talk of trying the doctrines of men by the Scriptures it is true they that have had the Spirit of God in all ages have made use of the letter against the deceitful doctrines as we do at this day and yet this letter is not the judge of the Spirit of God in them for this were to set the letter above the Spirit And whereas you accuse us to exclude the Scriptures because we say the holy Ghost is the original of them which slander is false for hereby we confess and own the Scripture to be given forth by the holy Ghost And whereas you say the light which a spiritual man hath is a Scripture-light I answer A spiritual mans light is the light of Christ and is infallible and cannot be altered and therefore all that are guided by it are one where there is no disputes nor janglings but you that have your light from what you gather out of the letter are confused amongst your selves adding to it your own meanings for your own ends and do not speak one and the same things but every man according to his imaginations of the letter so he judgeth and so he worshippeth and here are you Teachers of the world divided in your several judgements and your several worships And thus you are putting meaning upon Paul's words where he saith He is