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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	rule_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	4,192	5	9.5355	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

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

the light in every man is sufficient 2. ' That Christ is in all men 3. ' That the Scriptures are not Gods word 4. ' That a converted man hath no sin Then I said go home and come no more into the Quakers company you have now denied their errours for if you do I will look upon you as a dissembler and a hypocrite But the next morning he comes into my house with these words I am come to recant what I said yesterday in that I said the Scriptures were the word of God now it s an error I asked him who told him so He answers the witness within me then it seems the Scripture is no rule but you must judge them But to be short with you do you own them Gods Word or not He answers no it s an error Then I took him by the shoulder to turn him out of my house but he would not go till my wife did use her strength to heave and thrust him forth and that with much ado So that they will say and unsay affirm and deny in a few hours therefore well are they compared to Waves to the Wind being tossed to and fro with every Doctrine Jude 13. Eph. 4.14 And yet these men desire to be Teachers of the Law whereas they know not what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim 1.7 All this while while I received no answer of their accepting to dispute upon any of the points before mentioned but upon the 16 of the same moneth being the Lords day in the midst of my Sermon at Cardiffe where was about four hundred people came in three of the Quakers namely Mary Erberry Elizabeth Richards and Francis Gauler with others they again felto their railings having nothing else to speak so that I was hereby hindred from proceeding in my Sermon the tumult could not be appeased I told them again before all the people that I did there challenge any man that could dispute for any of the opinions I sent them but all in vain two of the Aldermen Mr. R. D. Mr. A. R. desired me to come down for my staying there was endlesse for which I thanked them for their love and care of me But after I was gone forth the Bayliffe sent me a paper Mary Erberry gave him for me which contains a wild chase answer to the seven points I sent them but this was contrary to their promise who accepted a dispute and now they think to put it off with a paper argument Upon the next day the Bayliffs sent for them to the Hall intending to commit them as disturbers according to Law but at last they being over-byassed by discourse and their relations As also F. G. to get off told the Bayliffs I had appointed the first meeting to dispute and that was the first meeting which I protest before the Lord Angels and Men is a most abhominable Cretian lie for I had no more discourse with them then what is here set down in reference to any time concluded here take notice for all their perfection this man had the brazen face to sin against God before the face of the Magistrates and by these tricks they obtained a dismission All this being the sum and substance of my discourse with them I am now cried out for an answer to their paper which I might refuse but hold to the first challenge of a dispute but seeing none of them is of that ability to make a Syllogism who can neither speak or write true Orthography I have for the truths sake and at the request of some of my Christian friends and for the satisfaction of all in the subsequent pages made a discovery and confutation of the most horrid opinions held forth in their paper and herein I shall passe over all the revilings I find together with what truth is spoken I onely intend to extract the errors they maintain and shall the Lord assisting set them down in their own words without the least variation of one syllable and I conceived it the more honourable and just to set it forth in Print 1. That all might see and judge thereof for in secret I will say nothing 2. Because I would not have my sence falsly interpreted by them who have great heads and little wit 3. Because I know not whether they might put forth my Answer in Print according to their own private advantage who would stigmatize my words And this is the last answer I intend God willing to make unto them let them write or speak what Satan will have them for fools will be babling unlesse I shall find some extraordinary call thereunto and in this all that have wifedom to judge aright will Acquiesce A Confutation of some most dangerous and damnable opinions held forth and maintained in a Paper sent me from the Quakers on the 16 day of Octob. 1655. signed in the names of Francis Gauler Iohn Mayo Mary Erberry 1. THat which thou callest errour that the light which God hath given to every one that comes into the World is sufficient to Salvation without the help of any other means or discovery Answ The gift of God is perfect and he hath given Christ the light of the World which doth enlighten every one that comes into the World And this is the true light which is able to the utmost to save them and hath not the God of this world blinded thy eyes who calls it an errour that the measure God hath given is not sufficient to salvation without any other means or discovery as if Christ was not the onely means to Salvation And now to the light in thy Conscience I speak which is the light of Christ which discovers thy evill thoughts and makes manifest thy evil deeds which will lead thee to God if thou hearken to it which is sufficient And thou that sayest it is an errour to say that the true light which lightens every one that comes into the World is sufficient to lead to Salvation Oh art not thou ashamed Confut. In answer to this I shall divide what they say into three heads and passe their reiteration of the same thing which is vain tautologie The sum of what they affirm in this answer is 1. They affirm that Christ under that name doth inlighten every man and hereby that Christ is in every man 2. That this light Christ gives to all is sufficient without any other means or discovery 3. That Christ is the means and that there is no other means of Salvation Which are all three as I shal prove by Scripture Errors if not damnable 1. To the first I answer that Christ gives light to no man under that name but to him that beleeves And this I have cleared in some Sermons at Cardiffe on John 1.9 for consider its God as Creator inlightens all but not as Christ for that name was never attributed to him but as God man the anointed of God for our redemption as John 1.1 tels us that this God doth

them prattle what they wil this testimony is unanswerable What word did Paul and Barnab is teach in the Synagogue but the Prophets Acts 13.5 2 Cor. 4 2. I doubt Atheism wil creep in by such unwholsom words So came in Popery yet to give them their due the Quakers was not the first that broached this opinion for Swenckfeldius that lived in the 16. Century denied the Scriptures to be the Word of God so that this is no new light but old errour raked up from his writings And let sober men judge whether this is not the next step to make doubt of the truth of the Scriptures and then we shall bee Heathens indeed 2. Take notice how they set Christ and the Scriptures at variance in saying the Scripture is one thing and the Word of God another thing do not they divide whereas Christ saith they testifie of him and as he and God are one so is Christ and the Scriptures one for they cannot be broken John 10.35 3. They compare all our knowledge of God by Scriptures to no better then that of the Heathens Inscription of the Altar So that by this monstrous opinion of theirs we first worship an unknown God while we do worship by the Scriptures Secondly it follows that its Idolatry to worship him by the Scriptures which saying to me is manifest blasphemy Yea thirdly we are all strangers to God that thus know him and we with all the Saints before us that knew God in and by the Scriptures are but Heathens and so in a damnable condition for these are their word And thou that knowest nothing of God but by the Scriptures thou art a stranger to God and his Word What need Paul exhort Timothy to give himself to reading if no knowledge of God was to be had thereby 1 Tim. 4.13 A Gentlewoman of repute whom I judge to be faithfull to Christ told me that one of them sought to dehort her from reading the Scriptures which it seems this opinion allows O how sad are these things that the Lord hath cast us in such an age wherein our ears shall hear one thus indeavour to pervert another had not the Quakers themselves all the knowledge they now abuse by the Scriptures O ungratefull men yet some will pretend they have all the Bible in them and they never read it which I dare boldly say is a lie with a witnesse And this leads me to the third opinion That spirits are not to be tried by Scriptures Answ And thou that sayest its an errour to say that spirits are not to be tried by Scriptures thou art in the error and doest manifest thy self that thou wouldest try the living by the dead Confut. The reason they give for this namely that God is called the searcher and trier of hearts this will stand them in no stead at all For I shall prove that the Scripture is the rule and touch of Doctrines by this-Argument Argum. If we are to receive no other Doctrine but what is a greeable to Scripture then the Scriptures are the trial of Doctrines But the Scriptures commands us to beleeve no spirit or Doctrine but according to them Ergo. The proof of the major resolves all and the Fabrick of this errour falls Isaiah 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it s because there is no light in them What 's the Law and Testimony but Moses and the Prophets which was to be the rule of judging Doctrines And mark though men might pretend that they had a light in them and therefore would not bee tried by the Scriptures The Prophet plainly tels us The Church of Rome holds this opinion that spirits must not be tried by the Scriptures that it s no light at all it s rather a ground of darknesse in them And Luke did ill in those Quakers account to commend the Bereans for being so noble as to search the Scriptures to know and try Pauls Doctrine whether it was agreeable thereunto Acts 17.11 are we not bid to try the spirits and how must that be By a light in us O strange unheard of Doctrine yet why say I unheard of the old Enthusiast hold thus and thence came in visions and immediate revelations with him as doth begin now Some saying they have the Scripture by immediate Revelation Or we have a more sure word of the Prophets See Ursin chat p. 35. Let us view that word of 2 Peter 1.19 We have also a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto ye do wel to take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place untill the day dawn and day star arise in your hearts What 's this sure word of Prophecy Peter would have the Jews that were beleeving take heed to or keep but the Prophets which was more certain then any voices or revelations and therefore be carefull ye receive no other Doctrine but agreeable to the Scriptures How long must we take heed to them untill the dawn or day star arise that is untill Christ rise in and raise up your hearts to perfect glory for the day star and day dawning are the Ushers in of perfect day So to me the Scriptures is our rule till Christ bring us to the day of perfect glory where shall be no more night untill then keep to the Scriptures as the more sure word then all Visions or the like And this is safest for every man to suspect his own spirit and opinion that it s not from God if it concurs not with the Scriptures And this dark place is our hearts Verily I much fear that the next step such people will take wil be that they may write as Authentick Letters as the Apostle Paul and as good Scripture of this opinion was the old Cataphrygians from Montanus their Leader in the year of Christ 145. who held that he had a greater measure of the spirit then the Apostles had therefore might make new Scripture For the Scriptures being a dead Letter as they say we know how to understand better then they having been many years in Christ before most of them knew any thing of God For the Letter killeth not of it self but by an accident as Rom. 7.12 13 14. The fourth Errour they seem to own is that there ought to be no sence meaning nor expounding the Scripture to the people As to this as all the rest they begin as Conjurers do with many good words but in the middle lies the poyson when they say Answ And whilest thou puts meanings and sences to that which was given forth by the Holy Ghost doest not thou discover that thou hast not the same spirit that gave them forth for the Epistles and Writings of the Apostles was given to be read in such a place to such a people and not to make a Trade of them as thou doest Confut. In this they deny any interpretation of Scripture because say they we have not the same spirit that gave