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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	receive_v	scripture_n	tradition_n	3,442	5	9.3524	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89135	Antichrist in man the Quakers Idol. Or a faithfull discovery of their ways and opinions by an eye and ear-witness thereof. Together with an answer and confutation of some dangerous and damnable doctrines justified, in a paper sent by them unto me: as also one of them taken with a lie in his mouth before the magistrates. / By Joshuah Miller, a servant of Christ in the work of the Gospel.	Miller, Joshua, 17th cent.	1655 (1655)	Wing M2061; Thomason E868_1; ESTC R207650	27,464	39

lighten all True Christ is God yet not as he is called Christ for so he is a Mediator a middle person betwixt God and Man therefore if they had said God as the Creator gives a light to all I should agree But under that appellation as he is Christ its unfound and not to be received And from hence will follow that which I have noted that then Christ is in all men which is so directly contrary to Scripture that unlesse men be in the dark they will not own Therefore he that said upon that word know you not that Christ is in you except ye are reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 W. E. made this interpretation that Christ is in all men onely they are ignorant thereof went much wide from the sence and hath helped the Quakers to this opinion I shall therefore briefly lay down two Arguments that evince the contrary drawn from Scripture that Christ is not in all and therefore as Christ doth not inlighten all Argum. 1. All in whom Christ is have the spirit of Christ but some have not the spirit of Christ Ergo Christ is not in all 〈…〉 The major is evident and needs no proof for Christ and the spirit cannot be divided The Minor I am to prove that all men have not Christs sprit Judges 19 these be they who separate themselves having not the spirit it any man have not the spirit of Christ he is come of his Rom. 8.9 implying that there are a sort of men without the spirit and consequently without Christ so that this argument is impregnable if the Scripture be judge as he that hath a body without a spirit is not a man so he that is without the spirit of Christ hath not Christ Argum. 2. He that hath no faith hath not Christ but some men have no faith therefore they have not Christ The major I prove by these Scriptures Paul tells how he was in Christ and Christ in him Gal. 2.20 The life I lead in the flesh is by the faith of the son of God or upon him he knew no other way of Christ being in himself or other men therefore he prays for the Ephesians that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 yea it must needs argue Christ is in none but by faith because damnation is so often threatned to him that beleeves not The minor that all men have not faith its manifest by these two Scriptures Moses tels the people that they were children in whom was no faith for they sacrificed to new Gods which new Gods were but old Divels as read Deut. 3● 17.20 So Paul bids us pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable men for all men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 therefore all men have not Christ Faith is the hand that receives Christ otherwise it s a riddle to the Scripture to aver that Christ is in him that wants faith Le ts take heed of adding to the word as such an opinion doth lest all the Plagues therein be poured our upon us And thus I passe to the second head in the first position namely that this light is sufficient to save without any other means This opinion flatly contradicts the whole current of Scripture for it s no where said the light in every man will save but ●inely Paul tels us that its sufficient to excuse accuse and condemn Rom. ● 15 so that the Heathens who have this light shall be condemned thereby and not for their unbeleef For first this opinion affirms that we are saved by what 's in us which is too near the Popes to the Heathens that have it deny Christ to this day Consider with me how can this light in every man discover these three things 1. That Christ was born of a Virgin it must be faith to understand this which was a riddle to the wisest Philosophers and in time if men follow this light in them they will come to deny the birth of Christ 2. Will it tell this that the World was made out of nothing The wisest men of old said ex nihilo ni il fit out of nothing nothing can be made therefore Aristotle mocked at Moses for saying God created all things out of nothing nay doth not the Author to the Hebrews inform us that by faith we understand the World was framed Heb. 11.3 3. How will the light in every man convince of the resurrection and ascension of bodies It s an opinion in Philosophy that nothing can move out of its clement Certainly the wise Heathen had a greater measure of the light in them which is the first 〈◊〉 then I can think any men have now they denied all these with many more which through faith we receive And truly this opinion leads us to the Heathen for our Gospel but let them that will go for my part I never intend to run to the Heathen for the Gospel How did Apollo convince the Jews that Jesus was the Christ by the light in them no but by the Scriptures Acts 18.8 2. This opinion destroys all means of Salvat on Yea it danies Christ to be an absolute Savior but only an outward means of Salvation for so is the third head wherein they affirm that Christ is the onely means true without Christ we cannot be saved yet I would know where they read that word that Christ is stiled the means and not Salvation it self this is too slight a word of Christ and makes him but an instrument whereas he is called the Saviour the redemption not the means of Salvation this opinion denies three things 1. It denies all faith for if my Salvation be by what 's in me then faith is void for what 's seen is not faith Heb. 11.1 Is not faith the instrument or means of Salvation often named in Scripture We are saved by faith He that believes shal be saved Mark 16.6 John 3.18 with divers other places though I say faith justifies not as an act but as it relates to the object of justification which is Christ so that faith is the means to apprehend Christ who alone justifies us in and through faith 2. This opinion denies Preaching to be a means of Salvation directly contrary to Pauls testimony thereof It pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to save them that beleeve 1 Cor. 1.21 but it seems these men are so wise that it pleaseth them that Preaching shall not be a means of Salvation read Rom. 10.14 15.17 3. Then the Scriptures it seems are no means in their account to what end was they written here A learned man tels you that the Scriptures are able to make us wise to Salvation through faith in Christ 2 Tim. 3.15 doth not this maintain other means besides Christ What can be said more to condemn this damnable Doctrine that denies all external means of Salvation as if a man might bee saved without Scriptures Preaching or faith But I will end the Answer to the first errour or rather heresie by

giving this distinction of a threefold light which to me the Scripture warrants The first is the light of nature or reason this every man hath And this is meant by that word John 1.9 yea this light it is the Quakers contend for to be sufficient and this is but a comparative darknesse to the second And that you may have not my words for the same Paul upholds this distinction the Gentiles which know not God do by nature the things contained in the Law Where take notice what doth Paul mean by nature nothing else but the light they have to distinguish them from beasts yet mark he saith they know not God for all this light So 1 Cor. 11.14 doth not nature teach you what can be more perspicuous then to signifie the light which is natural or common to all without exception 2. Light is that of grace which is through faith in Christ and the first is called the light of God this second the light of Christ Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give thee light Eph. 5.14 he means here of a secure sinner under Satans power so it s said he hath redeemed or called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light What 's this marvellous light but that of faith in bringing the sinner to Christ The first light is no wonder because its common to all this second is to be admired because peculiar to some 1 Pet. 2.9 3. Light is that of glory which is the consummation and perfection of the two former And this I understand by that word of Christ he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life John 8.12 mark it speaks in the future tense as if our life now was not full of light that is totally freed from dark thoughts evil motions and the like But the time shall come when he that follows me shall partake of a life without sin or any darknesse at all Now let none mis-understand me I do not say or mean that there are three lights in God but a three-fold degree of the same light as the Sun shines not nor heats not all over at first breaking forth so gloriously as it doth at noon as there are three lights in the Firmament yet they are from one So this threefold light the Lord hath made to manifest himself three ways the first was under and before the Law the second was in the Gospel and the third is in glory The first light makes us men the second light makes us Christian men the third glorified men The first brings us under the rule of the Law the second brings us under the rule of Christ in the Gospel and the last brings us to the Kingdom of God in the Beatifical Vision And I hope that we may safely distinguish where the Scripture doth He that understands these three degrees or measures of light will be able to escape the snare the Fowler of this opinion hath laid for him I come now to the second That the Scriptures are not the word and mind of God to us but the conditions of them that spake them forth Answ In the beginning was the word and the word was God which was before Scripture was written neither was it in the beginning and the Scripture is but that which testifies of it And here that which thou callest errour is owned for the Scripture is one thing and the word of God another thing and thou that hast no knowledge of the mind of God but by Scriptures doest manifest thy self that thou hast no better knowledge of God then the Heathen which did write on their Altar To the unknown God And thou art not a Minister of the spirit who saith it s an errour to hold that the Scriptures are not the Word of God And thou that hast no word of God nor knows nothing of God but by the Scriptures declarest thy self that thou art a stranger to God and his word Confut. In this Answer you may see as in a glasse what they maintain I shall take it into three parts and answer the same 1. They aver the Scriptures not to be Gods Word and what reason they give is because Christ is called the Word of God in divers Scriptures but will it hence follow that we may not call the Scriptures Gods Word no more then Davids calling himself though Prophetically of Christ a worm and no man makes him the lesse a man Psal 22.6 did not the word of the Lord come to the Prophets and is not that word set down in divers Chapters as Jerem. 2 1.7.1 Hosea 1.2 is not this the Word of the Lord to us for our instruction though it came first to them was it the word of God then and not now shall we take the writings as the words of the Prophets or not rather the word of God spoken by them Indeed here lies the distinction Christ is the Original and Essential Word of God but the Scriptures are the Word of God declarative What difference betwixt a mans mind and his word nothing but the word of man is the Declaration of his mind The Scripture must be either of these words 1. The word of the Divel or 2. The word of man or 3. The word of God To say its the first is Diabolical Blasphemy To aver the second is Idolatry But to hold the third is sound and sober Divinity I will onely give one plain Argument from Scripture to prove it Gods Word Argum. If one command of God in Scripture is called Gods Word then all the commands of God in Scripture are and may be called Gods Word But one command is called Gods Word Ergo. The proving of the major will ratifie the minor without further demonstration for if I make appear that one command is stiled the Word of God then it must needs follow the rest are so For proof hereof read the words of Christ himself Mark 7.10 11 12 13. where Christ quotes the fifth Commandment and tells them that some not obeying that in relieving their Parents had made the word of God of none effect For Moses said in the Law Honour thy Father and Mother and whosoever curseth Father or Mother let him die the death but ye say if a man shall say unto his father or mother Corban that is to say it s a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me he shall be free And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his Father or Mother making the Word of God of none effect by your tradition What was this Word of God they made of none effect but this fifth Commandment no other sence can be put upon it Now if Christ who is the Essential Word thinks it no disgrace to himself to call one command Gods Word I may safely call all the Commands Gods Word having Christ my example for he makes two words and is not Christ better able to tell us what we shal call them then the Quakers yea sure let

in Bedlam anon they go with bended back arms infolded thus mocking the Lord their Maker that hath made them otherwise sometimes they weep and howl Pharisee like to he heard of men As if they were in Hell already for Christ tels us the damned shal so do Matth. 34.51 besides the disfiguring their faces makes them Pharisees Mat. 6.16 I wonder much at their weepings if they have no sin as some of them affirm Again I have heard them hum like a swarm of Bees as if Beelzebub the God of Flies was there Well dear Christians some of you have read the life of Kilpin a great Quaker but lately brought back to Christ How he manifests that he was often possessed with the Divel As also you have heard of the fly that came to two men in a Bed at Wrexham Le ts be warned by these things to hold fast to Christs person keep your faith and profession without wavering Heb. 10.23 Le ts not be Rubenites unstable as water for we shal not excel Gen. 45.4 I beseech you to conform to wholsom words of the Lord Jesus 1 Tim. 6.3 for Popery came in at this door And unlesse our God prevent it Heathenism will creep in the same way Secondly I advise you to withdraw from the company of these men and in so doing you will keep the Scripture rule and find much peace and comfort in your soul An Heretick after the first and second admonition reject Titus 3.10 though I beleeve many are not Hereticks amongst them but are like silly sheep-meerly-deluded pity them and pray for their return yet take heed of touching Pitch lest you be defiled therewith if any man brings not the Doctrine of Christ receive him not into your house nor bid him God speed 2 Epist John 10. if many had kept this word they might have-been kept from the hour of Temptation that now hath overtaken them we are forbid to keep company with a railer too 1 Cor. 5.11 As these men are Thirdly keep and ask for the old paths not in which wicked men have trod but all the Saints before you many have lost their zeal to contend for the faith Jude 3. truly they have need to be inquired after Jerem. 6.16 the indifferency of spirit about Christ his Ordinances and Ministry hath exceedingly hurt the souls of many take heed lest that word Jerem. 18.15 fall to your share because my people have forgotten me they have burnt incense to vanity and they have caused them to stumble in their ways to walk in a way not cast up mark how full this Scripture is to condomn such people as bring such opinions that was never cast up by the Apostles and Prophets for they never bid men turn into the light within no nor never said to any man to the light in thy conscience I speak this word was unheard of till now neither is there any such expression in all the Scripture To sum up my discourse I understand that Popery and vain Philosophy is the foundation of their religion the Jesuits without doubt are unknown to them and us amongst them the Lord reveal this man of sin and I question not but he shal not be hid In order to this take this relation Ireceived from good hands A Gentleman of this County upon the Road meets with one that seemed a stranger to him they fell in discourse upon the Quakers the stranger justified them to be a people of the highest light and holiest conversation After this he owned and justified Transubstantiation also and this man is since found to be one Baras supposed to be a Romish Priest it s more then suspicious they are nean of kin to the Pope when his Emissaries will plead for them for I am sure they condemn the true Protestants as Hereticks Seeing they are against all Ministers as Antichristan the Pope laughs in his sleeve at this for he hath told them so for this is known to all men of understanding that the Church of Rome denies any Gospel Ministry in England therefore the Pope and the Quakers in this agree And that you may without spectacles see that his Agents are not strangers amongst them take this following relation as a most evident demonstration hereof The Information of Geo. Cowlishaw Ironmonger of the City of Bristol taken before the Magistrate of the said City On the 22. Janu. 1654. WHo informeth upon oath that in the moneth of Sept. last this informant had some discourse in Bristol with one Mr. Coppinger an Irish man formerly a School fellow of his that came thither purposely for his Passage into Ireland who told this informant that he had lived in Rome and Italy this 8 or 9 years and had taken upon him the order of a Friar of the Franciscan Company and he told this Informant that he had been at London lately for some moneths and whilest he was there he had been at all the Churches and meetings publick and private that he could hear of and that none came so near him as the Quakers and that being at a meeting of the Quakers he there met with two of his acquaintance in Rome the which two persons were of the same Franciscan order and company and were now become chief Speakers amongst the Quakers and that he himself had spoken among the Quakers in London about 30 times and was well approved of amongst them And this Informant further saith that the said Coppinger asked him what kinds of opinions of religion there was in Bristol and the said Informant told him there were several opinions and judgements the said Coppinger asked him whether there had been any Quakers in Bristol and the said Informant said no whereupon the said Coppinger told him 2. or 3. times that if he did love his religion and his Soul he should not hear them Whereupon this Informant told him that he thought none of them would come to Bristol who expresly replied that if this Informant would give him five pounds he would make it five hundred pounds if some Quakers did not come to Bristol within three weeks or a moneth then following And on the morrow the said Coppinger departed for Ireland his native place and about 18 days after there came to this City two persons bearing the name of Quakers This matter is well known to many in the City that this Oath was taken by the foresaid person onely John Audland in his Paper against Mr. Farmer saith that they were in Bristol before the time herein mentioned which may wel be and yet Mr. Cowlishaw speak true that they were not there to his knowledge And herein I leave all men whose wits are not bewildred with fancies to judge whether this mans testimony upon Oath is to be beleeved before all their railings and paper denials These things are for our warning to take heed of this mystical Antichrist in man who appears under all forms to the intent to destroy both forms and religion also when they call all our