Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	believe_v	faith_n	true_a	5,505	5	5.0466	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39298	An answer to George Keith's Narrative of his proceedings at Turners-Hall, on the 11th of the month called June, 1696 wherein his charges against divers of the people called Quakers (both in that, and in another book of his, called, Gross error & hypocrosie detected) are fairly considered, examined, and refuted / by Thomas Ellwood.	Ellwood, Thomas, 1639-1713.	1696 (1696)	Wing E613; ESTC R8140	164,277	235

I ask him ● seeing he would restrain all to the fleshly Appearance and make all the Apostles c. to have pointed to Jesus the Son of Mary this Son of Man with an Hosannah to this Son of David and to none before him If he hath so considered him to be God the Saviour or the Son from the Substance of the Father as some of his Brethren have confessed the Son is And what Scripture-Proof hath he who pretends so highly to Scripture and blames us though falsly for not holding to it for these VVords He existeth outwardly bodily without us at God's right Hand And where doth the Scripture say He is outwardly and bodily glorified at God's right Hand Do these Terms express the Glory that he had with the Father before the VVorld began in which he is now glorified The Exception here is not against the thing but the Terms by which it is exprest The Thing that Christ hath a bodily Existence without us and is therein glorified and that at God's right hand is so far from being denied that it was never doubted But that this should he exprest in such Terms as the Holy Scripture doth not afford and which would limit Christ to any certain place or exclude him by the Word outward from being in his Saints is justly excepted against as contrary both to the Nature of Christ and Scope of the Scriptures And therefore G. VVhitehead asks his Opponent what Scripture-Proof hath he VVhere doth the Scripture say so And the more to lay open his Opponents absurdity in this Case goes on questioning him in the same place p. 41. thus And then VVhat and where is Gods right Hand Is it visible or invisible within us or without us only Now G. Keith might as well from hence infer and charge G. VVhitehead with denying that God has a right Hand as he doth from the other Questions That Christ hath no bodily Existence without us and both a like absurdly and falsly For he himself says in another place also of his Book called Truth 's Defence p. 165. When his Opponent would have drawn a Conclusion and inferred a Charge from a Query What is proposed in the Query is not positively concluded one way or another as the Nature of a Query doth plainly demonstrate And blaming his then Opponent for urging Matters of Doctrine in unscriptural Terms he says in Truth 's Defence p. 169. Why is it that the Scriptures are so full and large in their Testimony to the Doctrines and Principles of Religion but to let us understand that all the Principles and Doctrines of the Christian Faith which God requireth in common of all Christians are expresly there Delivered and Recorded And therefore says he for my part what I cannot find expresly delivered in Scripture I see no Reason why I should receive or believe it as any common Article or Principle of the Christian Faith or Life And p. 170. he adds Now if this were but received among those called Christians that nothing should be required by one sort from another as an Article of Faith or Doctrine or Principle of the Christian Religion in common to be believed but what is expresly delivered in the Scripture in plain express Scripture Terms of how great an Advantage might it be to bring a true Reconcilement among them and beget true Christian Unity Peace Love and Concord Yet G. Keith himself who but in the Year 1682. wrote thus doth now which shews his inconsistency with himself and Injustice to G. Whitehead charge G. Whitehead with denying the thing it self because he did but ask his Opponent for a Scripture-Proof of a thing laid down not in Scripture Terms So industrious is he now to seek an Advantage instead of furthering a Reconcilement among them called Christians to hinder any such Reconcilement and cause a greater distance between them and instead of begetting true Christian Unity Peace Love and Concord to break and destroy as much as in him lies that Love and Peace that hath been and but for him and such other Incendiaries might be and increase among them But though G. Whitehead did reject the Baptists unscriptural Terms yet that he owned the Manhood of Christ as well as his Divinity may be seen in another Book also of his called The Quakers Plainness detecting Fallacy a Book not written t'other Day but in 1674. two and twenty Years ago where p. 18. answering an Objection that we own nothing but the Divine Nature to be Christ he answers Where proves he these words to be ours Have we not plainly and often confest also that the Divine Nature or Word Cloathed with the most holy Manhood and as having taken Flesh of the Seed of Abraham was and is the Christ. Before I pass to G. Keith's next Proof I must here take notice of a Marginal note which G. Keith makes in his seventeenth p. relating to the Book he last cited of G. Whitehead's called The Nature of Christianity The Reader may take notice that in p. 15. when it was Objected to him that the Book which he then mentioned was written An●●e●tly and that he had written in Vindication of our Principles since He there to turn off the Objection says I do say If it were my last Word● I know no● that I over Read a line of this Book till I came last to England But here quoting another Book of G. Whitehead's which he could not pretend Ignorance of in as much as he himself was not only concerned with G. Whitehead in the controversy on which that Book was written but had also a part in the same Book against his Country-man Rob. Gordon whom he Principally had undertaken to Answer in another Book called The Light of Truth Triumphing Published but the Year before Now to secure himself if he could from the like Objection he adds here his Marginal note thus Note There is an Additional Postscript by me G. Keith put to this Book of G. Whitehead Nature of Christianity the which Postscript I left in a Manuscript at London and with the Quakers Printed with this of G. Whitehead I acknowledge says he my want of due Consideration that I did not better consider G. Whitehead's words in that Book having many Years ago Read it but too overly and not having seen it since for many Years till of late Does this sound likely Does it savour of Sincerity and plainness Or does it not rather look like a silly shifting Excuse for his Condemning that now which he owned then and yet pretending to be the same in Judgment that he was then He goes on in his note thus But I am sure I did really then believe as I now do that Christ as man did outwardly and bodily exist without us for proof of which see my words in that Additional Postscript p. 73. where at N. 11. I blame R. Gordon for saying That the now present Glorified Existence of that Body or man Christ that suffered at Jerusalem is denied

That this is the Only True and effectual way of knowing the Vse and Work of his Coming and Sufferings and Death in the Outward by turning and having our Minds turned inward unto himself near and in our hearts in the holy seed to know by an inward Feeling and good Experience his Doings and Sufferings in us by being made conformable thereunto He adds p. 156. And therefore This is the True Method and Order which we have found greatly bl●ssed of God which the Lord hath taught us to hold forth unto People whereby they attain unto Holiness to a being made conformable unto the holy Life of Jesus Christ and come to know the true and great End and Use of his outward Coming viz. In the First place to point and turn their Minds unto the Light of Jesus Christ who hath enlightened them and every one and hath sown a Seed of his Light Life and Spirit in every one unto which Seed they should give the most inward of their Hearts The Reader may easily see the difference between G. Keith then and G. Keith now Now he says Quakerism was introduced into his heart by believing in Christ without and in Christ within at once and by one Faith But then he told us The True and Only Method yea not only the best but the only true Method of Preaching for the bringing People into the Faith and acknowledgment of the Christian Religion is First which word he repeats over and over again and again and in the First place to inform them of this Universal Principle the Light within so that they may believe it and not only so but may also observe its operation in them This he then made the Chief thing the First thing the First step the Introduction in the right the best the true the only true Method and Order of Preaching the Gospel And then viz. after this inward Principle this Light within is preached received believed and its operation within observed than to direct them to and inform them of the Scriptures and things therein declared which said he they cannot receive believe or understand but in the Divine Light So that whatever he may now pretend he would have answered to Faldo's Charge as he call it if he would have answered according to what he hath formerly writ he must have acknowledged that Quakerism as it is called was introduced by Preaching the Light of Christ within tho' not in opposition to Christs Appearance without in that Body of Flesh wherein he suffered which W. Penn took particular care to express Now let us again set down Faldo's Exception and W. Penn's Answer to it so far at least as G. Keith cites it I. Faldo said Christanity was introduced by preaching the promised Messias and pointing at his Humane Person but Quakerism by preaching a Light within To this said VV. Penn I answer That this is nothing injurious to the Quakers at all but highly on their side for had they preached a Christ now coming in the Flesh they had denyed his True and only Great Visible Appearance at Jerusalem which all true Quakers own let that be marked by the way since then they believe that appearance and therefore need not Preach what is not to be again and that the whole Christian World besides have so long and lazily depended on it without their Thirsting after his Inward Holy Appearance in the Conscience c. There G. Keith stops and having made a false and envious Comment upon it p. 20 he says But let me again read out the intire paragraph yet reads no more but these few words being the imperfect part of a sentence he read before Since then they believe that Appearance but therefore need not Preach what is not to be again and there stops saying There it clinches But with his leave or without I shall Transcribe more of W. Penn's Answer as what I think conduces much to the opening of his meaning in this for after he hath in many particulars set forth the Effects and Benefit of Christ's Inward Holy Appearance in the Conscience he adds Since he has been so much talked of and depended on as to his then visible manifestation of himself and so little if at all desired after as to his spiritual and invisible coming into the hearts of Men to finish Transgression and bring in Everlasting Righteousness therefore God raised us up and we are now gone forth into the World to declare That he is spiritually manifested as then fully in that Body so now measurably in the Conscience of all People a Divine Light reproving every unfruitful Work of Darkness So that here is the Mischief saith he the Malice and Ignorance of our Enemies do us in this World that because we speak so much of and preach up and write for Christ's Inward and Spiritual Appearance as a Light to Mankind therefore they conclude with a mighty confidence that we deny his outward Coming Life Death Resurrection and Ascension and the Benefits thereof O Darkness it self We have our Witness with the Lord of Heaven and Earth that we own him to be the Saviour General of the whole World as to that Appearance and that he obtained precious Gifts for Men but we say and our Adversaries have not wherewith reasonably to unsay it that First the Divine Light Life or Power that shined through that blessed Manhood was excellently the Saviour and the Manhood but Instrumentally And Secondly No Man or Woman in the World is savingly benefited by his then appearing as a Saviour c but as every such individual Person comes to experience his Internal manifestation to convince condemn wound heal break bind up slay make alive in the Ne●ness of the Spirit This is the state of Right Redemption and Salvation and thus is he particularly a Saviour and every such one is greatly benefited by him as he was in that former Appearance the general Saviour of Mankind Now mind how he concludes Behold then O ye that are Impartial how unworthily he hath injured us to make People believe that we testifie to Christ's Inward Appearance in Opposition to and denial of his Outward which is far from our hearts so much as to conceive The like may well be said concerning G. Keith B●hold O ye that are Impartial how unworthily he hath injured W. Penn to endeavour to make People believe that he would have Christs Birth Death Resurrection Ascension c. thrown over the Shoul●er as hi● Phrase is given up and buried in Oblivion from Posterity which is the wicked Comment he makes upon and false Consequence he draws from W. Penn's words though far from W. Penn's heart so much as to conceive and indeed far from his Practice too For it is well known and G. Keith himself cannot be ignorant that W. Penn as well as other Ministers amongst the Quakers hath many times in Preaching commemorated the miraculous Birth Holy Life admirable Miracles and most heavenly Doctrines of the Man Christ Iesus

had its Center in him which then came in the Flesh c. is communicated unto us and doth extend it self into our very Hearts and Souls and whole inward Man so that the Man Iesus whom Simeon embraced with his Arms according to the Flesh is according to the Spirit our Light and Life and Glory And in p. 246. thus I hope it may appear how much more we own Christ Iesus not only as God but as Man and that both inwardly and outwardly for through the Measure of the Life of Iesus Christ as Man made manifest in us we have immediate Fellowship and Union with the Man Christ Iesus also without us who is ascended into the Heavens He has done he says as to the Object of Faith at least at present and so have I. Wherein I observe he charges not VV. Penn at all directly nor otherwise than as having owned those Books of G. VVhitehead's out of which G. Keith pretends to prove his Charge But before I follow him to his next Head I would Note to the Reader that all he hath said or can say against G. Whitehead or W. Penn concerning their denying Christ the Object of Faith either as God or Man he himself hath plainly and fully overthrown by a Story he tells in p. 38. of his Narrative where he says that in the Year 1678. three Persons whom he calls Quakers but will not Name did blame him for saying it was lawful to pray to Jesus Christ Crucified and dared him he says to give an instance of one English Quaker that he ever heard pray to Christ. Whereupon says he W. Penn said I am an English Man and a Quaker and I own I have oft prayed to Christ Jesus even him that was Crucified And he adds that G. Whitehead to decide the Matter took the Bible and read 1 Cor. 1.2 To all that call upon the Lord Iesus Christ both their Lord and ours This it seems G. Whitehead did to prove the lawfulness of praying to Christ Jesus even him that was crucified And this whether the Story in all its Circumstances be true or no proves beyond gainsaying against G. Keith that G. VVhitehead and VV. Penn were then sound in the Faith and of a sound Judgment concerning the Object of Faith Christ Jesus both as he was God and as he was Man And that is enough to shew both that the Charge itself of their denying Christ the Object of Faith is false and that the Quotations G. Keith gives for Proofs thereof out of Books of theirs written mostly about that time or not long before are perverted and wrested by him to a Sence quite contrary to their Judgments who writ them And therefore ought not by a considerate and impartial Reader to be regarded or received against them He now comes to that which he calls the Act of Faith or the Vertue of Faith which he would have People believe has been denied or contradicted by VV. Penn and for Proof refers Nar. p. 19. to a Book of VV. Penn's called Quakerism a new Nick-name for old Christianity written in 1672. in Answer to Iohn Faldo whom G. Keith himself within these four Years called A most partial and envious Adversary serious Appeal p. 60. and mentioned with Approbation W Penn's Answers to him and in his Book called The Christian Faith c. p. 6. refers his Reader thereto for satisfaction The Words he now carps at he takes out of p. 12. of VV. Penn's said Book where having set down Faldo's Charge that Christianity was introduced by Preaching the promised Messiah and pointing at his humane Person but Quakerism by Preaching a Light within G. Keith first tells us what he would have said if he had this to Answer viz. Any Quakerism says he I know of that I learned was introduced into my Heart both by believing in Christ without and in Christ within at once and by one Faith Here he makes a Transition from Preaching to Believing and from a General to a Particular I. Faldo shews how in his Sence Christianity and Quakerism so called which though one he sets in Opposition came into the World namely both by Preaching But that by Preaching the Promised Messiah and pointing at his humane Person this by Preaching a Light within If it be true which G. Keith says that what he knew or had learnt of Quakerism was introduced into his Heart by Believing in Christ without and in Christ within at once and by one Faith Yet certainly he hath formerly delivered himself much otherwise And therefore that he would have given that Answer which he now doth had he been then to Answer Faldo is very unlikely seeing in a Book of his called The Vnivers●l free Grace of the Gospel asserted Printed but the Year before viz. in 1671. he says This is the true and only Method which should be used by Preachers for the bringing People into the Faith and acknowledgment of the Christian Religion First to inform them of this Vniversal Principle what it is and turn them towards it that they may observe its Operation in them as it appeareth against the Lusts of this World and for Righteousness and Temperance And so as wise Builders to lay this true Foundation in its Proper place and as wise Husband-men and Planters to place this Divine Seed where it ought to be in order to its growth that it may spring up in them and the Life Power and Vertue of God in it may be felt And this will naturally bring People to own the Scriptures c. and to own Christ in the Flesh his miraculous Birth his Doctrine Miracles Sufferings Death Resurrection and Ascention c. p. 92. And thus says he again p 93. Men should be First turned towards this inward Principle Light Word and Seed of the Kingdom which being in them and they coming to feel it there they may the more readily be perswaded to own and believe it And as they come so to joyn to it that it springs up in them in the Light and Glory thereof they will see and feel the Scripture and the things therein declared to be of God c. And this is good Method and Order in the preaching of the Gospel So that it is evident saith he that we have the Best and Only True Method in in our Words and Writings First to turn People to the Light that they may believe it and then to direct them to and inform them of the Scriptures and things therein declared which they cannot receive believe or understand but in the Divine Light And in his Book called The Way to the City of God written in the year 1669 though not printed till 1678 p. 3. speaking of Christs coming both Outwardly and Inwardly he saith The knowledge of this Inward coming is that which is the More Needful and in the First place as being that by which the true and comfortable use of his Outward Coming is Alone sufficiently understood And in p. 154. having said

Penn's Words that a Man may be owned to be a Christian and yet disbelieve that Christ is either God or Man it carries in its front too evident Marks of Envy and Injustice to be regarded by any who bear not the same Marks For did W. Penn there treat of Iews Mahometans Pagans Or of such as have a general Faith of Christianity but never adhered to any particular Party as his express Words are in that 118. p. Nay does he not there directly mention such as believe in God and Christ For setting forth the Partiality and Cruelty of those professed Christians who would renounce a meer just Man their Society and send him packing among the Heathen for Damnation he thus expostulates the Case And pray What 's the Matter Then subsuming the Person of an Opponent he answers Why though this Person be a sober Liver yet he is but a general Believer his Faith is at large 'T is true He believes in God but I hear little of his Faith in Christ Then replies Very well Does he not therefore believe in Christ Or must he therefore be without the Pale of Salvation Is it possible that a Man can truly believe in God and be damned But adds he As he that believes in Christ believes in God so he that believes in God believes in Christ For he that believes on him that raised up Iesus from the Dead his Faith shall be imputed to him for Righteousness Rom. 4.22 c. And in p. 119. having enumerated several Moral Vertues and alluding to the saying of Wisdom Prov. 8.15 By me Kings Reign and Princes decree Iustice so may I say here says he By Christ Men are Meek Just Merciful Patient Charitable and Virtuous And adds he Christians ought to be distinguished by their Likness to Christ and not their Notions of Christ by his Holy Qualifications rather than their own lofty Professions and invented Formalities Does not this plainly shew he treated there of those that professed the Christian Religion preferring such of them as in their Lives shewed most of Moral Vertue and true Goodness to the highest Pretenders and most flourishing Talkers without it But that which still falls heavy upon G. Keith is that he should thus cavil at W. Penn who himself in his former Books not yet retracted by him has so far out-gone W. Penn on this subject and has also expresly extended Salvation by Christ to the Gentiles or Heathens that knew nothing of him outwardly For instance In his Book called Vniversal Grace p. 28. he says There was such a Principle in them speaking of the Gentiles whereby they did the things contained in the Law Therefore it was a Principle of the very saving Light and Life of Jesus Christ which is that Divine Nature mentioned 2 Pet. 1.4 And in p. 29. he says These Gentiles did the things contained in the Law so that they were excused yea and Iustified and did receive the Reward of Glory Honour and Peace in so doing Again in the same p. he says In divers of these Gentiles the Seed was raised which is that Divine Nature or Birth by which they did the things contained in the Law and so were Iustified by him who gave them Power to fulfil it And in p. 30. Answering an adverse Argument which was this There can be no Justification without Faith in Christ but these Gentiles had not Faith in Christ therefore c. He says I deny the second Proposition for if they did cleave unto and believe in the Light they believed in Christ for he is the Light nor is the outward Name that which saves but the inward Nature Virtue and Power signified thereby which was made manifest in them and thus is Christ even that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may or must be known of God c. I could multiply Instances of this kind out of that and other Books of his if it were needful but these at present may suffice In p. 21. of his Narrat he recommends to his Auditory the Book called The Christian Quaker and so do I to every Body but with different Ends He out of ill-will I out of good-will to the Truth therein defended He refers in particular to p. 125 126 127. which Pages he says are bestow'd to define what a Christian Quaker is and he Objects that in all this large Definition there is not one Word of the Man Christ who is God over all blessed for ever to be the Object either of this Christian Quaker's Faith Love or Homage That which he calls a Definition of a Christian Quaker is indeed an Answer to a Question put by Tho. Hicks which was Who he or they are that obey the Light c. In answering which W. Penn doth not so much meddle with Faith and Doctrine as set forth the Life Practice and Sufferings of such as truly obey the Light especially in those things wherein they are acted diversly from or contrary to other People It is therefore no prejudice at all nor ought to be objected either to VV. Penn or the Christian Quaker that in that Answer to Hicks's Question the Man Christ is not mentioned as the Object of Faith c. since the Object of Faith c. is not there treated of but presupposed and taken for granted Yet G. Keith might have observed that Christ Iesus was there mentioned and that with respect to his Manhood For in p. 125. The true Quaker who obeys the Light is represented to be one That willingly drinks of the Cup of bitter Mockings and yields to be baptized with the Baptism of deep Tryals Christ Iesus his Lord drank of and was baptized with which Cup and Baptism our Lord Christ took and was baptized with as he was Man And there is also in p. 127. a Testimony born to the Blood of Jesus Christ and the Vertue of it in these Words So is the Light the Just Man's Path that in every Age still shined brighter and brighter in which the cleansing Blood of Iesus Christ is felt to cleanse from all Sin And in Quakerism a new Nick-name p. 5 and 6. Sect. 8. out of which G. Keith pickt a Cavil but lately answered he might have read these Words Christianity then is not an Historical Belief of the Exteriour Acts the true Christ did in that bodily Appearance which is but historical Christianity But a firm Belief in him that so appeared lived died rose and ascended both as testified in the Scriptures of Truth and more especially as he breaks in upon the Soul by his Divine Discoveries as the true Light inlightning every Man This said VV. Penn there I call Christianity His next Cavil is concerning the Mystery of Christ with respect to his coming outwardly in that Body in which he suffered for Mankind at Ierusalem and his coming inwardly in the Hearts of Men working the Work of Regeneration in them This he objected formerly in his Book called The true Copy and I answered largely to it