Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	faith_n	see_v	word_n	4,690	5	4.5038	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85173	A faithful discovery of a treacherous design of mystical Antichrist displaying Christs banners, but attempting to lay waste Scriptures, churches, Christ, faith, hope, &c. and establish paganism in England. Seasonably given in a letter to the faithful in and near to Beverley. Containing an examination of many doctrines of the people called Quakers in Yorkshire, together with a censure of their way, and several items concerning the designs of God, Satan, and men, in these things, recommended to the consideration of them who are in good earnest for Christ.	Pomroy, John.; Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660.; Glisson, Paul.; Kellet, Joseph.	1653 (1653)	Wing F568; Thomason E699_13; ESTC R202092	45,783	67

Antichrist rather than of Christ 4. And signes being not for them that do believe but for them that believe not 1 Cor. 14. 22. 4. If the Saints have now as much need of those appointments as then nay more if we may say so then why should any seek to be loosed from their own Mercies We confess we have read and heard of seen and through Grace humbly despised the vain boastings of them who said they were perfect and were above hearing praying believing hoping speaking Great swelling words of vanity who have turned aside first from the holy Commandement and after that from the pretence of it which should awaken us to edifie one another on our most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost that we might not be led away with the Error of the wicked and so fall from our stedfastness It is most freely confessed that when things come to practise in this time which is neither dark nor day many doubts and questions do arise among many yet as some of us have tasted of the goodness of God in this way so we may not but acknowledge it and farther Pray until the day break and shadows flee away Turn O beloved and be as a roe or young hart on the Mountains of Divisions Surely the Doctrines of these Men which we oppose are levelled to subvert all Order Churches in whatsoever is done outwardly For they say its Babylon and all the worship and Teachers without are of the Beast and Anti-christ Judge us O Lord for why should Men in thy name rise up against thy Sonne and us for his sake 1. Rejecting thy care 2. Condemning thy Wisedom 3. And the Generation of the Just in all ages 4. To establish themselves and prepare a high-way to Paganism It is not a Pleasure to us Beloved in the Lord to open these painted Sepulcres but since we have begun we will proceed to shew yet more that you may see and wonder and beware They bid you Speak no more than you have experience of and than you live in VVE confesse it is and shall be to us for a Lamentation that the religion of very many consisteth in talking of God and Christ and Scriptures and Churches and is but a sound of words without knowledge and faith and so do rather darken than make manifest the Truth and because it is without obedience their conversations destroy their confessions And did these sayings aim at the reformation of this we should not dare to cross them but we have grounds from certain discourses personally had with some of this way to declare 1. That this is to silence you from ever mentioning the histories and prophecies of the Scripture Creation of the world Garden of Eden Adam Eve Flood Historie of the Church coming of Christ into the world the Day of Judgement Resurrection of the Body and such like which being Past or to come we can have no present experience of And some of us speaking of these Scripture Records have been blamed for speaking without experience 2. Or Secondly by this means all the Scriptures must be construed as Metaphorical in an Allegorie making the Creation an Allegorie and so the world without beginning Adam Eve the Serpent Paradise Cain Abel Seth Noah Ark Abraham Isaac Jacob Aegypt Wilderness Canaan Kings Prophets Records to be meer allegories Nay Christ his flesh and blood his life and death his Cross and Crown Scribes and Pharisees Jerusalem Herod Pilate Churches Elders Anti-christ called Babylon and Egypt c. and what not to be fulfilled in the Allegoricall construction of particular experiences But concerning Experience we are satisfied 1. That to speak without Experience in experimental affairs is to darken counsel as they do that speak onely from the hearing of the Ear Iob 38. 2. 2. But Faith is the Evidence of things not seen and a subsistence of things hoped for though its evidence be not of the nature of Sense Science Opinion or Experience being of things unseen by the sense not known from the search and rationall comprehension of Causes nor intertained from the Probable testimony of wise and holy Men nor tasted in the Presence thereof yet after a spiritual manner seen known and experienced by Faith in the Divine Testimony Wherefore having believed we also will speak of the sacred Records and gracious Prophecies which are delivered to us in the holy Scriptures of which and in which God hath caused us to trust giving us also the Earnest of the Spirit which as Josephs wagons to Iacob doth ascertain us of the Truth of the tidings And the gracious operations of the holy Spirit in our hearts from and by Scripture Truths gives us to believe the Histories and Prophecies interwoven to be also of Divine Authority 3. We do also judge the Word of Faith which is Divine Testimony to be more safe Certain and Constant ground to speak of and from than experience In this we are not for a dead Faith which is the fruit of freewill closing with the Word from the testimony of Man which leaves the mind wavering through carnal reasonings which cannot be satisfied But for a lovely Faith even the work of the Spirit with Power setling the mind on the Divine Testimony as such As for speaking no more than we live in if it intend not to stop the mouths of all those who dare not pretend to perfection and blamelessnesse but those who speak from Notion and yield not up their souls to the things which they deliver to others we testifie the same thing As for Allegories 1. We allow very many in the old Testament beside the Ceremonial Law which was a shadow of good things to come Persons Offices Places Actions Things which the Ecchoings of phrases wisely and warily observed give hints of and puts the beginning of every Allegorie into our hands as the Apostle took it in Gal. 4. from the 54. of Is 1. verse which yet must be wisely followed as Scripture Ecchos proceed to encourage yet not to impair the truth or use of the Letter and History Allegories being but accidentall thereto and a fruit of the incomprehensible wisdom of God that sets one thing to answer to another But in the New Testament although Jesus Christ spake many parables and used similitudes which he opened to his Disciples yet the Gospel Ministration properly so called not onely in the language thereof but in the Actions persons things thereof is in much plainnesse and not as Moses who had a veil upon his face but the Messias discovered himself by speaking plainly and without a Parable John 16. 29. his parables in his publique preaching being chiefly for judgement to the willfull Jews that seeing they might not see Matth. 13. 13. We gladly own Christ in us by his Spirit to crucify our flesh and raise us up in our hearts in this world and at his second comming our bodies in the resurrection to a new and spiritual life and

the 2●… comming of the Sonne of Man who is not yet come though these false prophets and false Christs say Lo here As for the Scriptures by them mentioned they make out nothing peculiarly for this age more than they did signify at the time of their writing which far exceeded these times in abundance of teaching which though it was better than ours yet differed not in substance from what is in some measure practised by many godly in the nation But when you see any O ye people when you see any teaching of another Christ or not as the anointing teacheth when you see any denying the new Covenant and speaking to a Brother saying Know the Lord making him a Brother though altogether ignorant of God when you see any drawing people from looking after Gods teaching them to Believe Love do his will Profit and the lively impressions of truth stamped on the Affections as well as Conscience Then speak and spare not to apply those Scriptures Moreover when you see a Shepheard that comes not in at the door of the fold and that feeds not but scatters the flock when you find them that strengthen the hands of the wicked by promising him life in his evil wais and sadding the hearts of the righteous by their lies and false applications and lightnesse and profannesse that stand up in the name of the Lord and he hath not sent them Then if you be full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of Judgement and of might to declare unto them their transgression go on and prosper but forbear those railing accusations wherwith you load as well the precious as the vile boldly denying That ever one gat good by outward Teachers We should write more fully unto you that fear the Lord if we thought the matter stuck upon those circumstantial allegations which these preaching Anti-preachers make hand-over-head against all that mention the name of God in the publick Assemblies of the Nation Briefly to clear them who are Godly from the pretended guilt of certain Matters For whereas their enemies say They are not Ministers of Christ Because They take wages which the Apostles and Prophets did not And Have their particular houses to preach in Are called Masters Study for their Sermons in which they use Method And Expound which they call adding to the Scriptures Also because they hold the use of Learning in and about Divine things We answer to the first concerning wages 1. It is one thing to take a supply of necessaries yea unto conveniency for ones self and family if you call it wages while they administer to the people spiritual things and another thing to be a hireling though we fear there are many such 2. As for the practise of the Apostles and 70 disciples in the ninth and tenth chapters of Luke we read of their comming in as well as going out in the same chapters They were not to go to the Gentiles but whither Christ himself would come their message required hast two Coats would cumber to salute any by the way might occasion diversion or delay And for their going without money t was to encourage them whom he intended to send into the Nations far off to trust him by an experiment of his Providence in their own nation as you read Luke 22. 36. So that that restraint was taken away they did forbear working went not at their own costs and yet had wherewith to lead about a sister a wife 1 Cor. 9. 4 5 6. in which when they straightned Paul and Barnabas who contended with the false Apostles who boasted of their preaching freely Paul insisted on and by many undeniable Arguments asserted his liberty in the rest of that chapter 3. We know some that own not themselves as Pastors of Parish Churches but gifted Brethren approved and called by the Saints called and countenanced by the Magistrate to instruct his People and for the Maintenance the State allows they know not by any solid reason to deny it but accompt it a mercy if Providence give them all their time for the word and prayer taking care otherwise for their subsistence To the second Allegation concerning Particular Houses which they say Apostles and Prophets had not We answer 1. Apostles were itinerant preachers or travelling Messengers of Christ for the planting of Churches Prophets were transient or for some particular service and so neither Apostles nor Prophets needed any constant meeting-places to which they were bound but the ordinary and settled Ministery of the old and new Testament had constant meeting-places as t will appear to him that readeth so far as persecution in the Apostles time allowed 2. It is used by some but as the place which is most convenient for the peoples assembling who have liberty and gladly use it to meet with the upright which was in the times of David of distinct consideration Psal. 111. 1. Those great houses being most convenient for great and mixed Assemblies being also pure to him whose conscience is pure To the third exception we answer 1. Should they be called Masters as Christ is Master it were high indignity to the chief Shepheard but they have it but as a civill respect to their publick employment who can and do own the meanest Saint as a Brother and fellowdisciple of Christ Their Pulpits are but convenient stands and for the better hearing of the people as Ezra used Their chief Seats at Feasts is but the respect which the Master of the Feast may give to any Guest whom he judgeth more honourable according to Christs rule of good manners Concerning this point impartially weigh 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 17. Phil. 2. 29. 1 Thess. 5. 13. which speak of the Ministers of the Gospel and Servants of the Churches But them that honour God God will honour To the fourth fifth and sixth objection against them for studying using Method and Exposition We answer 1. Timothy the Evangelist was exhorted to use such means as are here blamed 1 Tim. 4. 15 18. 2 Tim. 2. 15. and chap. 3. 14 15. 2. Salomon the Preacher saith The Words of the Wise even Words of Truth are as nailes and goads when mannaged as himself used Eccles. 12. 9 10 11. He gave good heed sought out and set in order many Parables and because he was wise he still taught the People knowledge For want of these meditation and method men speak in a circle with wearisome repetitions and not like the good housholders variety as Christ exhorts 3. The Scripture is not bare words but sense Philip opened the words of Isaiah to the Eunuch Christ expounded to his Disciples Paul to the Jews at Rome from morning till evening Ezra read the Law distinctly and gave the sense There is also in the Church a word by interpretation and how is this adding to the Testimony of the Scriptures their fancies because they expound while their expositions agree with the sense of the words and the