Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	faith_n	justify_v	live_v	7,608	5	6.4911	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81785	Johannes Becoldus redivivus or, The English Quaker, the German enthusiast revived : visible in this narrative. / Translated into English, for the use of his countrey-men, by J.S. ; Written long since in French by Guy du Brez.	Brès, Guy de, 1522-1567.; Scottow, Joshua, 1618-1698.	1659 (1659)	Wing D2413; Thomason E2137_3; ESTC R208359	48,581	94

be a strong buckler against all assaults Prov. 30.5 Isa 8.19 20. The Lord sends us to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no morning-light in them And when Dives desired that the living might be taught by some other means besides the word of God it was answered That they had Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Moreover Muntzer cometh from thence to grapple with the sacrifice of the Son of God Muntzers denial of Christs satisfaction and justification by faith to vomit out stinking blasphemies against it saying The Ministers are lyers when they say That Jesus Christ hath satisfied for us and that we are justified by faith alone without works thus speak these Scribes when they mince unto men These are his words as they may be read in his Books But I pray you is not this filthily to blaspheme the Son of God it will not only follow that the Ministers are only delicious and mincing and make mens consciences drousie but also all the Prophets Acts 10.43 Jer. 11.3 for thus spake Peter in the house of Cornelius the Centurion All the Prophets bear witnesse unto Jesus Christ That whosoever shall believe on him shall receive remission of sins through his name Yea John Baptist held up the finger at Christ Joh. 1.29 36. saying Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world Isa 53.7 Isaiah witnesseth and testifieth that Christ hath surely born our languishing and sustained our dolours what can be more plainly said then when he saith He hath born the pain and punishment which was due unto us and that we are healed by his wounds the same is affirmed by the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 and Jesus Christ himself saith Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world c. The Apostle John testifieth 1 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin c. so Paul Col. 1.20 He made peace and reconciled us by the bloud of his cross Read to this purpose 2 Cor. 6.21 and Rom. 5.19 and divers other Scriptures testifie unto this truth so as nothing is more clear and yet Muntzer dareth to accuse the Prophets and Apostles with the Ministers as those that flatter mens Consciences because they teach not righteousness by works It is a marvel how that sentence of the Apostle is forgotten Gal. 2.22 who saith That if we be justified by the works of the law Christ is dead in vain We teach to do good works live holily but not to be justified by them that we live only by faith in Jesus Christ Preaching of justification makes not careless of well-doing Muntzer thinketh to mend the matter by saying That thus to preach Christ is the way to make men careless of doing well but on the. contrary to preach Christ who died for our sins and that he gave himself out of perfect love a sacrifice for our Redemption is the way to be stirred up with burning zeal to good works Furthermore we must not preach the Gospel as we please but as it is appointed of the Father and as the Scriptures testifie that the Apostles preached it of such men the Apostle Peter warneth us saying That there shall arise false prophets c. 2 Pet. 2.2 Let notice be taken whether Muntzer and his companious be not of that number who dare not plainly say as much but they will say as we do but being put unto it they make Jesus Christ but an half Saviour by bringing in good works We say That faith without works is dead but they justifie us not before God neither blot out our sins Simile As the flame is not without light otherwise it were not flame yet it 's light burneth not it is the fire and the flame only that doth lighten so faith is not without works but works burn not i. e. take not away sin it is faith in Christ only thus we speak of the vertue and property of faith shewing that those who have this true faith cannot be lazie so as out of love to God they should not do good works to glorifie God Rails against Marriage c. He likewise fell upon Marriage in a foollish and villanous manner saying That the marriage of Pagans and other ignorants and unbelievers was polluted and unclean and that it was fornication and a very shew of Satan so as many light spirits being moved and spurred forward by this woful doctrine took occasion to break many marriages 2 Tim. 3.6 leaving houses desolate and drew after them silly poor women laden with lusts to leave their husbands perswading them that the believing wife i. e. after their account the re-baptized ought not to abidewith the unrebaptized husband Holding that a wife dwelling with her Gentile husband is polluted and defiled and cannot be saved They called the marriage of those that were not of their Sect whoredom and the fleshly bed and their marriages were spiritual Heb. 13.4 The Apostle was of another minde when he faith Marriage is honourable c. But it may be they will say This is to be understood of the Marriage of such where both parties are believers and not of the believer with the unbeliever But the Apostle Paul taketh off all objection when he saith unto the married 1 Cor. 7.10.12 I command them yet not I but the Lord c. what could be more plainly said to prove the marriages of believers with unbelievers to be true marriages though they were joyned together in the time of their unbelief See how these poor people are become shameless in laying open their filthiness before all the world who would not wonder to see such spiritual people as these pretend themselves to be to live upon the goods and riches of whore-mongers this is the honour that they put upon their Fathers and Mothers that begat and brought them forth yea and upon themselves Apostolical Anabaptists As for the Apostolical Anabaptists they are so called because they follow as they say the Apostles and Apostolical Church step by step They regard the naked letter of the Scripture They walked as Vagabonds through the Country and Regions without shooes without staff without girdle and without money they said That they were sent by God and because Christ saith What I told in your ears preach upon the house-tops they got up upon houses and preached there they washed the feet one of another and because Christ saith He that will enter into the Kingdom of heaven must become as a little child they said We must play the children with children and therefore they so did and because our Lord saith He that leaveth not all that he possesseth whether wife children father mother lands and inheritance c. they often took slender occasions and left their Country leaving their wives and children and went as spiritual Lanskeneths they said That a Christian ought not to possess any thing as his

affirm that the sense of these words written and spoken by the mouth of the Minister is the true and indubitable word of God as it more plainly appeareth Jer. 36.4 6 8. where the Prophet Jeremiah commandeth Baruch to write from his mouth all the words of the Lord. The words of Jeremiah written with ink in a Book are called the word of the Lord. How often do we hear in the Prophets Thus saith the Lord read these Scriptures Jer. 25.15 Jer. 20.33 1 Pet. 1.23 Isa 40.6 1 Thes. 2.13 Deut. 10.18 Acts 4.31 Acts 6.2 Acts 8.14 25. Acts 11.1 Acts 13.5 7 25. Acts 17.13 Acts 18.11 Heb. 13.7 Ephes 1.13 We ought rather to give credit to so many evident testimonies of Scripture then unto such Ravers who do nothing but rave and dream Muntzer careth not for that but dareth give the Apostle Peter the lye Now they which thus leave the Scriptures finding out another means to come unto God through pride they are deprived of their senses They pretend unto Revelations of the Spirit and despising all reading they mock at the simpleness of those which yet follow the dead and killing Letter as they call it By what spirit is it by inspiration whereof they are so highly rapt as that they dare reject all the Doctrine of the Scriptures as a babish and childish thing they say It is the Spirit of God but it is plain mockery so to speak For they must needs grant us that the Apostles and the faithful in the Primitive Church were inspired by the Spirit of Christ yet none of them durst contemn the word of God and the holy Scriptures but rather each of them had them in very great reverence as we may see it by their writings which are furnished with many testimonies from the Old Testament and certainly thus was it promised by God through the mouth of the Prophet Isa 59.21 where we see that the Lord joyned these two together his Word and his Spirit wherefore should we separate what God hath by an inviolable bond conjoyned Moreover 2 Cor. 12.4 Paul who was rapt up into the third heaven and there heard things unlawful for man to utter notwithstanding gave not over diligent reading nor profiting by the Books of the Old Testament Commanding Timothy to bring with him the Books which he had left at Troas with Carpus 2 Tim. 4.13 2 Tim. 3.15 1 Tim. 4.13 Yea he exhorts Timothy who though he was an excellent Teacher and well instructed in the holy Scriptures to give himself to reading and what praise doth he put upon the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.16 I would ask these men whether they have received another spirit then our Saviour promised to give his Disciples they will not dare to vaunt of another spirit now what Spirit our Saviour promised to send unto his Disciples he sheweth plainly when he saith Joh. 14.26 This Spirit shall not speake of himself but should bring to their remembrance what they had formerly heard of him It is not the Office of the holy Spirit that which Christ promised to dream of dreams of new and unknown revelations or to hold forth new doctrine but it is the work of the Spirit of God to confirm us in that which he hath already spoken by the Prophets and Apostles seeing also that the Lord promiseth not to send us another doctrine saying Hold fast that which thou hast until I come Revel 2.24 Gal. 1.8 9. whereby it appeareth that we ought diligently to travel as well in the hearing as in the reading of the holy Scripture if we will feel the benefit and fruit of the Spirit of God Luke acknowledgeth the diligence of those of Baerca in searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 To this purpose tend these Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 Joh. 5.39 Luk. 4.21 Mat. 4.4 Ephes 6.16 Mat. 22.19 Luk. 24.27 Joh. 2.22 And Paul would have a Bishop to hold fast the faithful word Tit. 1.9 c. Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures c. Acts 14.24 28. If it were otherwise how could we take heed of the deceits of Satan who daily transformeth himself into an Angel of light whereupon should our faith rest we should be carried to and fro without any stability But they do alleadge Object it were a great absurdity to subject the holy Spirit unto the Scriptures to whom all things are to be subjected As if it were a shame and ignominy to the Holy Ghost Answ to be alway like unto himself and to be constant in the same word without wavering at all if any should reduce the Spirit to an Humane or any other Rule it were debased yea brought into servitude but when we say That the Holy Ghost having once spoken is not mutable and changeth not discourse now speaking one thing and then another as men are wont to do who will say that we offer any injury to the Holy Ghost But they say Object He is by this means examined which belongeth not unto men to do Is is very clear Answ that it is such an examination as he hath pleased to establish in the Church that we may not receive the spirit of Satan instead of him wherefore it must needs be that the Spirit abide for ever such as once he hath revealed and manifested himself to be in the holy Scriptures It is no shame nor opprobry to the Spirit for any to say of him That it is no dishonour for him not to be mutable nor to renounce himself As for that which they tax the Ministers to be Ministers of the dead letter one may plainly see the Lords taking vengeance upon the outrage offred unto his holy Word smiting them with a spirit of giddiness for having despised the true and only means of coming unto God which is the Scripture and the Word of God In that passage of the Corinthians where Paul saith 2 Cor. 3.6 The letter killeth and the Spirit quickeneth let any closely consider against whom the Apostle disputeth and they will understand his drift It is very evident that Paul in this place had to do with false Apostles who preached and extolled the Law without Christ caused the people to recoil from Salvation purchased by Christ and the grace of the new Covenant whereunto the Lord had promised to write his Law in the heart of the faithful the Law then being separated from Christ as a body without a soul Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 11.19 Ezek. 36. Heb. 8.10 and nothing cometh from it but death to those that are under it it doth nothing but beat and strike the ears without any quickning the soul until by faith we are sent from it unto Christ as from the Usher unto the Master and then the Law will be found such as David sings it Psal 19.8 The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is faithful making wise the simple the commandments of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart c. Thus must we

understand how it is said The Letter killeth Paul calleth the Law The killing Letter and faith The Spirit quickneth i e The Ministry of the Gospel which he opposeth unto the naked Law and he himself calleth his preaching The Ministry of the Spirit we must not understand this place as those dreamers who as often as they meet with an obscure place that maketh against them say The Letter killeth i.e. According as they say to understand the meaning of the Scripture this killeth but we must come to the Spirit i. e. to forge Allegories Paul never thought of such fopperies as we may see in reading the same Chapter 2 Cor. 3.8 It is then wretchedly and wickedly done to cast off the Scripture upon such pretence of the Spirit Luk. 24.27 seeing our Lord giveth us his Spirit to understand his word as we see Christ opened the understanding of the two Disciples not by making them wise in themselves nor setting them to look for a new kinde of word or natural and innate in them in rejecting the Scriptures but that they might understand the Scriptures After this manner the Apostle Paul exhorteth the Thessalonians not to quench the Spirit he would not have them fly in the air after vain and unprofitable speculations without the word of God but consequently he addeth Despise not prophecie thereby shewing that then the Spirit is quenched and suffocated when Prophecie is rejected what will those poor souls answer who have rejected the lanthorn Psa 119.105 which God hath given to be a light unto their feet We confess that the external word preached by men of it self nor alone cannot convert the heart but the Spirit of God must work internally to beget faith in us now this is done in good order by the preaching of the Gospel as appeareth by Lydia the Purple-seller Acts 16.14 she heard Paul preach but the Lord opened her heart to understand the things which Paul spake for this cause the preaching of the Word is called seed we know that if seed fall upon a spot of ground which is desert and not tilled it is lost without producing fruit but on the contrary falling upon soil tilled and well manured it brings forth fruit in abundance So the word of God Luk. 8.15 if it fall upon the hard and rebellious brain it remaineth without fruit as upon stony soil but upon an heart prepared by the operation of the Holy Ghost then it brings forth much fruit and as the Husband-man when he hath sown his seed he can do no more he cannot make his grain to grow but leaveth it to God so must the Ministers do when they have preached and sown the Word of God they cannot make it grow they must commend it unto God as the Apostle saith He that planteth is nothing 1 Cor. 3.7 and he that watereth is nothing but it is God that must give the increase he doth not therefore reject him that planteth nor him that watereth that is to say the external Ministers for he soon addeth We are co-workers or labourers with God ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building It appeareth that the Ministers are joyned in the work with God inasmuch as God maketh use of them as instruments and he worketh by his word by giving vertue in the internal man one may see as plainly as day light the errour of Muntzer the first father of these Anabaptists and that there is no reason in his speech Our Mennonists have condemned their father in this point notwithstanding there be others who maintain this opinion or rather blasphemy as some strange spirits the disciples of Sebastian Franque who this day do renew the question yea some little space of time since one of the chief of that Sect whose name I shall forbear to declare in the City of Frankfort before several honest people told me and with might and main maintained with divers of his disciples That the earth never bare a more abominable Idol then that which is called the Bible and that all the World doted upon it looking therein for the word of God whereas we should look for it in our hearts and one of them redoubled it and said in the presence of Mr. Alosco and of us all What do you talk so much of the Scripture I assure you on my part I have learned more by seeing an Hen or a Capon killed then ever I learned by all the Sermons and Lectures of the Books that ever I read Unto whom I answered It must needs be that you eat often of Hens and Capons seeing you have learned so much by their death but I pray you said I What good did you ever learn thereby he answered That he had learned to know the obedience which Jesus Christ rendred unto God his Father upon the Cross and that as the fowl was slain without making resistance and that for the good and life of man so was Jesus Christ slain for the life of mankind it was said then unto him How do you know that ever there was such an one as Jesus Christ and that he died for man do you find that written in the Capons belly the Turks also do kill Capons but they cannot reade there that Christ was their Saviour In the end they were very angry and like people deprived of their sences when they were hampered by the word of God and by their own reasons What man is there that would not wonder at such foolish and irrational discourse is it not just that such people should be so handled seeing they have rejected the word of the living God which the Angels themselves desire to pry into that they should be sent to School unto the bruit beasts Further I come to the Proposition of Muntzer who saith That the Ministers are much deceived thinking that faith cometh by hearing and that it is written Brother shall not teach brother any more saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest of them being all taught of God If Ministers be deceived by so thinking Answ then was Paul also deceived for he thus spake How shall they believe c. yea Rom. 10.14 17. he saith That the doctrine which was preached was the word of faith but one may easily see their pretence which is totally to make void the Scripture and the Ministry of the Gospel to come unto Revelations We have already shewed that God will instruct men by Ministers Rom. 10.8 the Eunuch is sent to Philip Cornelius to Peter Paul to Ananias c. As for that passage of the Prophet where it is said Brother shall not teach brother c. the Lord would not hereby banish from out of the Church the Ministry of the Word God forbid to draw men after visions and revelations now they fail in that they do not narrowly look into the place for the Prophet doth not say totally that they shall not teach no more but these are his words They