Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	faith_n	spirit_n	work_n	5,929	5	5.6776	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54131	A discourse of the general rule of faith and practice and judge of controversie greatly importing all those who desire to take right measures of faith and to determine (at least to themselves) the numerous controversies now on foot in the world / by W. Penn.	Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1699 (1699)	Wing P1277; ESTC R1708	28,457	59

also have supplied that Want But inasmuch as an Account is extant and therefore not needed that Objection is vain Again it does not follow because every Man has a Measure of Light to Inform and Rule him that therefore he must needs know all which that Light knows or is able to Reveal to him I return that Argument thus upon our Adversaries They say they have the Spirit of God Then they know all that the Spirit of God knows or can reveal to them If the latter be absurd then the former Again say they The Light within did not reveal Christ to the Gentiles and that Christ should be born of a Virgin c. therefore Insufficient I return upon them thus The Spirit of God given to the Children of Israel Neh. 9. 20. did not acquaint them that Christ should be born of a Virgin nor much more of his Life and Bodily Transactions therefore the Spirit of God was Insufficient The like may be concluded against the Spirit in the Prophets For 't is manifest from 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. that the Spirit had not revealed to all the Prophets the Time of Christ's Appearance and Sufferings Was the Spirit therefore an Insufficient Rule to them But that which falls heaviest upon our Opposers is this That the Scriptures by their own Argument are a most Inperfect Account themselves of what was done not relating the hundredth part of things therefore as Insufficient in not relating what is behind as they would weakly render the Light or Spirit in not revealing to every Individual those things which are already past Nay they may as well infer Insufficiency to the Spirit or the Light within in that it does not now shew all that shall be to the End of the World which in their proper Seasons there will be a Necessity to know as to reflect Insufficiency upon it c. because it did not fore-tell things that are now past unto former Ages or needlesly Reveal them over again to us in this Age. Neither is History or can it be the Rule of that Faith and Life we speak of which are so absolutely necessary to Salvation which is the Faith that God and not History gives and that works not by History but by Love and overcomes the World by which Millions of Historical Believers are overcome and wallow in the Spirit and Practice of And the Rule must be answerable to the Nature and Workings of the Faith The same in Point of Practice which is Duty Done Now History though it inform me of others Actions yet it does not follow that it is the Rule of Duty to me since it may relate to ●ctions not imitable as in the Case of Adam ●nd Eve in several Respects and Christ's be●ng born of a Virgin dying for the Sins of the World c. wherefore this cannot be The Rule of Duty The like may be said of the ●ewish Story that was the particular Concern ●nd Transaction of that People Obj. But these things ought to be believed Answ I say so too where the History has ●●eached and the Spirit of God hath made 〈◊〉 Conviction upon the Conscience which says D. J. Owen as before Cited gives them Authority Verity and Perspicuity But where ●his History has not reached any People or they dye ignorant of it they are not responsible for not believing any such Passages as saith Bishop Sanderson 'T is one thing to say the Scriptures ought to be Read Believed and Fulfilled and another thing to say they are the Evangelical Rule of Faith and Life For when I read believe and witness them fulfilling I must needs have a Rule by which to Read Understand Believe and Witness them Which being the Divine Light and Spirit of Christ it must be That and not themselves that must be my Rule for so Read●ing Understanding and Believing Them And further to prove that the Light and Spirit within the Heathens was sufficient to discover these things it is granted on all hands that the Sybills had divine Sights I mean not those made in their Name by some Professors of Christianity as is charged upon them to gain Authority upon the Gentile● against which Blundel writes But tho●● that are acknowledged who prophesied 〈◊〉 a Virgin 's bringing forth a Son and that 〈◊〉 should Destroy the Serpent and Replenish th●● Earth with Righteousness as is before 〈◊〉 out of Virgil who took it out of the Remains of Cumaea's Verses then among the Romans And for the Practical Part of the Object on viz. How should we have known 〈◊〉 had been Unlawful to Swear at all in 〈◊〉 Case if Mat. 5. 34. had not been which 〈◊〉 of most weight in this Case because it is ma●ter of Duty and called particularly by some an Evangelical Precept being a Step abov● the Righteousness of the outward Law among the Jews I have this to say fo●● Proof of the Light 's Sufficiency There were among the Jews themselves long before Christ came an entire People that would not Swear to wit the Esse●●● They keep their Promises says Josephus and account every Word they speak 〈◊〉 more Force than if they had bound it with 〈◊〉 Oath And they shun Oaths worse than Perjury for they esteem him condemned for a Lyar who without it is not believed Philo writes to the same purpose and taught himself that it was best to abstain from Swearing that one's Word might be taken instead of an Oath And Pythagoras in his Oration to the Cro●●ian Senators exhorted them thus Let no Man attest God by Oath though in Courts of Judicature but Use to speak such things that he may be credited without an Oath The Scythians are said to have told Alexander 〈◊〉 themselves Think not that Scythians confirm their Friendship by Oath They Swear by keeping their Word And Clinias a Greek and follower of Pythagoras rather chose to suffer the Fine of Three Talents which make 300l English 〈◊〉 to lessen his Varacity by taking of an ●●ath Which Act was greatly commended 〈◊〉 Basilius who upbraided the Christians of ●s time with it Thereby after our Adversaries Way of drawing Consequences ●eferring the Light of the Gentiles before 〈◊〉 Light of the Christians Though indeed 〈◊〉 Light was and is always One in it self ●ut the Christian did not live up so closely it as the Heathen did and therefore took greater Liberty and walked in a broader Way I would now know of our Opposers if they can yet think the Light that preach'd his Doctrine in the Mount was the same with that Light that shined in the Consciences of those Gentiles so many Hundred ●ears before that Sermon was writ or preach●● who so plainly believed practiced and ●ought it Yea or Nay Perhaps some will 〈◊〉 stick out while the more moderate will ●●bmit and conclude Ignorance and Folly have made all this Opposition against us 〈◊〉 that of a Truth The Voice which cried Prov. 4 6. Unto you O Men I call

that now so lamentably Pesters the World In which State for all the External Imitations of the Ancients in some temporary and figurative Parts of Worship I am to tell such and that from the Spirit of the Lord God of all Truth They will never be Accepted The Utmost of that Literal Knowledge Historical Faith and Outward Religion is but as the Old Heavens that are to be wrapped up as a Scroul and the Old Wine and Bottles that belong not to the Kingdom of God Such Believers may slatter on themselves and at last cry Lord Lord But alas They shall never enter into the Rest that God hath reserved for his Regenerated and Redeemed Children For under such a Faith and Religion Envy Wrath Malice Persecution Pride Passion Covetousness Worldly ●●ndedness c. may and do prevail yea and are Cloaked as with a secure Cover from the Stroak of God's Spirit insomuch as when any are moved of the Lord to Decry such Fair and Hypocritical Shews of Religion they are reputed Rash and Censorious and presently a Plea must be made on this wise Do not we follow the Commands of the Scripture Did not such and such do so and so Which at best are but the Duties of Sacrifice and not of Obedience Never regarding from what Ground the Performance springs whether it be according to the Rule of the New or of the Old Creature But abuse and vilifie us for making such Distinctions as if the Prayers Preachings Singings outward Baptizings and Suppings c. of Men in their own unsanctified Spirits Strength and Will were required and accepted of God for Evangelical Worship Thick Darkness and a Dangerous Presumption Thus are Men Out of the Way concerning both Faith and Practice and the true Rule and Judge of Them They make the former viz. Faith and Practice to lie in an Assent of the Understanding to such Propositions and in an Imitation of former Observations that were at best but Signs of good things to come and the Duties of Sacrifice which is far from the Immanuel-State And the latter viz. the Rule and Judge to be the Scriptures which is but an Account of those Things that others were Ruled to and Directed in by the Holy Spirit before they were ever Recorded or made Scripture and no other Rule or Judge can so Regulate For as the Faith and Experience so the Rule and Judge of that Faith and that Experience must be One God by his Spirit begets Faith God by his Spirit rules Faith and governs the Life of his Children for as many as are Children of God are led by the Spirit of God The Scripture much of it is but a Declaration of Faith and Experience therefore not The Rule or Judge For as Faith and Experience were before Scripture so the Rule and Judge were before Scripture because as I said before there must be a Rule and Judge where there is Faith therefore the Scripture is not That Rule or Judge And before that Declaration be answered or fulfilled by any they must come to the Faith Rule and Judge of which That is a Declaration So that Faith is yielding up to the Requirings of God's Spirit in us in full Assurance of the Remission of Sins that are past through the Son of his Love and Life Everlasting from whence daily flows Works of Holiness well-pleasing to God which is more than a meer Assent of the Understanding to a verbal though a true Proposition Again The Life of a true Christian stands not in Bodily Exercise which says the Apostle profits little Nor in an Imitation of the Ancients in Temporary and Shaddowy Things which the Hypocrite as well as the Sain● can do But in Self-denial and walking in the Spirit to bring forth the Fruits thereof unto all Godliness which is the pure and spiritual Obedience resulting from the Living Spiritual Faith of God's Elect and the Rule and Judge thereof is their Author and Begetter even the Spirit of Truth which alone gives saving Understanding Faith and Obedience and searcheth the deep things of God O you Professors of Religion that you would but seriously weigh these things and examine your selves in God's Sight for he respects none for their Fair Outside If this Saving Faith be your Faith and this Heavenly Life be your Life and if the Holy Spirit be your Ruler and Leader If not you are but Legal Formal and in the Oldness of the Letter and Will-worshipers which obtains not with God In which State not the Wisdom from above but that which 〈◊〉 from below of the Old Creature is your Rule In it you read Scripture Expound it Pray Preach Sing and Perform all your Duties and this is not to walk according to the Rule of the New Creature but in a Legal Spirit to make a Gospel-Profession the End of which from the Lord I am to tell you will be a Bed of Sorrow Therefore Resist not the Light and Spirit within but Turn at the Reproof thereof that you may come to walk in the Way of Life Daily Life to your Souls that so you may be quickned and made alive to God in all your Duties and live to him while you live 〈◊〉 that Life which is hid with Christ in God that being thus Born again and become Renewed in your inward Man you may perform that Pure and Spiritual Worship which is of a sweet Savour with the Lord so shall he Bless you with his Heavenly Blessing and daily Replenish your Souls with the unspeakable Joys of his Love and Salvation This I heartily desire and through all Difficulties Incessantly Travel for in Body Soul and Spirit that the All-Wise Good Omnipotent God may be Known Served and Obeyed by you to your Comfort and his Eternal Honour who alone is worthy to receive 〈◊〉 now and for ever Amen William Penn FINIS Postscript I Would not be misunderstood in what I have writ of the Excellency and Preference of the Holy Spirit of God as the first chief and general Rule of Life and Practice and as the infallible and therefore the best Judge of Controversy among Christians as if I thereby intended to lessen or undervalue the divine Authority or Service of the blessed Scriptures of Truth since we most heartily believe them to have been given forth from the same Holy Spirit and are a Declaration of the Mind and Will of God and as such are obliging upon all that have and can have them both in reference to Faith and Practice And we utterly disclaim and renounce all Doctrines and Practices repugnant to them But as the holy Spirit gave them forth through Holy Men so without the Help of the Holy Spirit they cannot be truly and spiritually understood by those that read them for their Edification and Comfort for that which writ them can best apply them Which is the Reason of that Preference we give to the Spirit of God and of our pressing People to take diligent