Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	ghost_n	holy_a	lord_n	4,282	5	3.9053	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57809	The Quakers refuge fixed upon the rock of ages, though the swelling waters dash never so violently to overturn it wherein is prov'd, that the narrative of Ralph James is an absolute lying-wonder, according to his own definition : and also, the great controversie between the people of God called Quakers, and others, about the holy spirit of God and the Scriptures, truly stated, and very briefly discoursed, as it is owned by the Quakers, and the truth cleared from the false suggestions and deceitful insinuatins of the anabaptists about the said controversie : in answer to a subtil pamphlet, lately published, intituled, The Quakers subterfuge or evasion overturned : also a few queries propounded unto Ralph James, and the author of the subterfuge &c. / by Robert Ruckhill ; to which is added another postscript in answer to some queries propounded in the said pamphlet, wherein many untruths are suggested ; but herein the truth is cleared, and the evasion and deceit of the Baptists made more fully manifest by John Whitehead.	Ruckhill, Robert.; Whitehead, John, 1630-1696.	1673 (1673)	Wing R2169; ESTC R21457	28,153	51

believe That I own no Body of Christ but the Church and what ever I say to the contrary he would have to be obscured or else he might have had the honesty to have printed this Answer to his Second and Third Queries with the Queries thmselves for it hath been in the Hands of him or his brethren above seven Years Wherefore I shall now appeal to God and spiritually minded men to judge Whether I who did do confess Christ's Glorious heavenly Body or he who cannot discern it but hold forth a Circumscript human Body of Flesh and Bones out of every believer whilst on Earth we are Worthy to be rendered as denyers of the Body of Christ and unfit to preach the Resurrection Ascension and Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 4. Query Whether by the Words people of God thou meanest the Church of Christ in visible profession of the Gospel according to the patern of the Churches in the Apostles Dayes Answ by the words People of God I mean such as are in the new Covenant of Light in whose Heart God hath written his Laws and in whose inward Parts he hath put his Fear who know and believe Christ in them and do hear his Voice and follow him as their Head and Leader as did the true Churches in the Apostles Dayes but I do not believe every gathering of people that are got into an outward or visible Profession of the Scriptures and in Imitation have gotten into some outward things which the true Church in the Apostles Dayes practised are the People of God because I am sensible such as are Aliens in their minds from the Life of God which the Apostles and primitive Christians were in may get their Words and imitate them in Outward Forms and Practises whilst they deny the Power of Godliness which they lived in 5th Query Whether the People called Quakers are gathered constituted and governed in Church-Capacity according to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles Answ Yea for we are gathered in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ who is present with us as he promised to be alwayes to the end of the World and we are governed by him who is given to be the Head over all Things to the Church of which we are Members and have Elders ordained in every Country who take the Over-sight of the Flock of God not by Constraint but willngly and in the Power of the Lord Jesus receives True Believers and rejects Hereticks who have refused Admonition according to the Apostle's Doctrine who was an able Minister not of the Letter but of the Spirit And notwithstanding Christ's bidding the other Apostles before his Ascension Go Teach and Baptize all Nations said He was not sent to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel and how ye who are so much for Water-Baptism come to take your selves concerned to Baptize with Water by Virtue of that Commission given before Christ's Ascension ye may do well to manifest since the Apostle Paul did not so take himself concerned in it but according to that Commission which he received from the Lord who appeared unto him delivering him from the People and the Gentiles he laboured to open the blind Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from Satan's power to God Acts 16 17 18. as we do according to the Call and Precepts given us of the Lord who is also manifest in us by whom we are taught not to run because others were sent nor to act without Power from on High but to go as we are led and commanded by the Lord and act in the Motion of his Power whereby we have been made a Sweet Savour to God in them that believe and in them that perish though in one the Savour of Life unto Life and in the other the Savour of Death unto Death and God hath so blessed our Labour that many Thousands are brought to the Knowledge of the Son of God and to Unity in the Faith which gives Victory over the World wherein they are growing to a perfect Man and to the Measure Fulness and Stature of Christ Though we thank God we have Baptized none of them in Water but have instructed them to the blessed Appearing of the Lord. Jesus Christ who Baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire having his Fan in his Hand throughly to purge the Floor and those which have waited for the Appearing of the Lord and received him to be their Leader Way and Baptizer are baptized with one Spirit into that one Body which is his Church of which they are Living Members fitly joyned together by Christ who is their Head who gives them Life and sills them with the Virtue of his Love wherein they Edisie one another So Christ is the Door into the Sheep-sold whereat all that are accepted by him do enter And this way of gathering constituting and governing the Church is according to the Doctrine of Christ his Evangelists and Apostles as appeareth at large in their Writings And although thou in thy 6th Query sayst doubtless it is not because we are not gathered according to thy Apprehension of some particular Verses quoted by thee I must tell thee thou therein takest that granted which we never gave thee and therefore we need shew no Authority for the Abrogating that Order of Gathering Constituting and Governing the Church of Christ which was in the Apostles dayes since our Practice doth more establish it in the Substantial Part then yours who have visible Doors whereat to enter as your Water-Baptism instead of Christ's Baptism and other Ways whereat to climb up like Thieves and Robbers Joh. 1. which steal the Saints words and imitate their Practices as in all Ages False Prophets have imitated the True and False Worshippers have imitated the True Worshippers as ye do thinking because Christ said before his Ascension Go teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit therefore Thomas Grantham and Ralph James must go Teach and Baptize in Water though they have neither seen the Lord Jesus Christ nor heard him speak Nor will they believe in the holy Spirit as the principal Guide but have the Boldness to try its Doctrine or Teaching in these dayes by their own understanding of the Scriptures which ever leads men to speak Evil of and condemn those things which they cannot understand to be according to Scriptures though they be never so consonant to the Mind of the Spirit which they received which gave forth the Scriptures And therefore laying aside all vain Jangling we would perswade you and all men to learn of Christ Jesus the Second Man that is a Quickening Spirit by whom ye are reproved when ye do Evil that ye may know his Mind in your selves and do it and then ye may better understand it as declared by others Although thy Seventh Anti-Query is in part answered by what is before written yet I shall now manifest That Richard Anderson neither was conversant

Spirits to try the Scriptures It s possible some Readers may judge me too Nice and Critical in this Observe but I must beg their Excuse if it be worth begging for I see his Design in it is to steal a Conceit unperceived into the Reader 's Mind that the Quakers hold That the Multifarious Spirits of Men were to try the Scriptures and not the Scriptures to try that Many-headed Monster Let all sober People take notice of his spirit in this But its worth our Consideration what should be the bottom of this Man 's Meaning where he so often makes use of this unusual manner of speaking viz. The Authority of the spirit as he speaks in the Scripture to try and judge c. Does he mean that the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit respecting the Truths recorded in the Scriptures is the same at this day as it was in old time when it indicted the Scriptures in the Hearts of the holy Men of God If so I must confess I cannot assign him an Opposite for saving the change of Dispensations and Rudiments the blessed Truths revealed or declared of in the Scriptures are the same now as ever and with the holy Spirit there is no Variableness neither any shaddow of Turning Or if he intend thus for I would not mistake him Judging all labour lost that is spent upon mistakes That seeing it is true that the holy Spirit gave forth the Scriptures at the first there is unto this day such an inseparable and intrinsecal Conjunction between the Authority and Mind of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures that he that hath the Scriptures hath the Authority and Mind of the Holy Spirit also This I confess of the two seems to be nearest his meaning by how much it is furthest from the Truth yet forasmuch as I have it not as his sence under his own hand and also have cause to fear that if it be his sence yet when he perceives a Quaker owns it he will recede from it he shall find me a fair Opposite That there is an inseparable Conjunction or Union between the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit and the essential or substantial Truth declared in the Scriptures I grant and confess unto it but do not start back now because a Quaker confesses the Truth as the manner of most of you is but that therefore he that has the Scriptures hath also the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit I deny If I have hit right of his meaning as till I know the contrary under his Hand I believe I have he ought to prove that part of his Position which is denyed but seeing Truth is precious as well as Time and the green-Grass to day may be withered to morrow I shall invert my Capacity take the sword by the Point and endeavour to prove That a Man may have the Scriptures in his Mother-Tongue and yet be utterly without or ignorant of the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit For Proof of this Position I shall not stir one Foot from my Opposite who in p. 7. of his Subterfuge now under search tells us That after R. Anderson had made his Confession of the Anabaptists Faith in that Cardinal Point of Water-Baptism he met with the Quakers who told him as he said that these things i. e. Water-Baptism was low Now here my Opposite interposes his own Faith and Judgment in the Case and is not afraid to tell the Quakers and the whole Nation That the Water-Baptism is the Way of Life above to the Wise so to procure their more reverend esteem of it and because he perceived such a bold Averment stood need of Scripture-Authority to back it he cites Prov. 15.24 the words run thus The Way of Life is above to the Wise to avoid from Hell beneath Now let the Spiritual Man judge in this case Is Water-Baptism to take it at the best the Way of Life Did the holy Spirit in the Wise Man mean so Can Water-Baptism deliver or save from Hell Is that the Authority or Mind of the holy Spirit in that Scripture Let the Spiritual Man judge I am the Way saith Christ Water-Baptism is the Way saith this Author I was manifest to destroy the Works of the Devil and to save from Death and Hell saith Christ Water Baptism is the Way on high to avoid from Hell beneath saith my Opposite Now whose Testimony will ye receive Let the sober Christian judge whither these Anabaptists are going The parallel Scriptures with this are Phil. 3.20 and Col. 3.1 both which direct us to set our Assections on things above where Christ is at the Right-Hand of God our Saviour Hence of necessity will follow these Conclusions First Though this Author hath the Scriptures yet he is ignorant of the Authority and Mind of the Holy Spirit Secondly Through Ignorance of the Authority and Mind of the Holy Spirit he hath erred from the Truth and fairly convict himself 1. Of a most gross Idolatry as hath been fully manifest 2. Of a Ridiculous Solecism in terming Submersion or Plunging under Water a Way on high From his Idolatry nothing but a Re-baptization in the Tears of Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ can redeem him But for his Solecism that Offence being rather against Grammar then Scripture if the intelligent Reader will please but to indulge him with a favourable Aspect the Quakers will pass it by The Third and Last Conclusion is clearly this as before asserted That without a Measure of the holy Spirit of God received and turned unto whereby the Vail is ●ent from the Heart no Man living can understand or discern the Authority and Mind of the holy Spirit as he spake in old time by his Prophets of the great Mystery now revealed to wit Christ in you the Hope of Glory And this gives a full and undeniable Probation unto that grand Position the Ground and Original of the Anabaptists great Controversie with the Quakers That the holy Spirit of God is the only Supream Judge Discerner and Revealer of the Mind and Mystery of God and of the Duty of Man required in the Scriptures Now if any Man object against this and say I have been too rash and hasty to conclude thus only upon one Mans Error and Mistake and that many others may notwithstanding be more clear I answer Be it far from me to conclude all under this Man's Error and Idolatry nay I know there are many of the People of the Lord who by the Illumination of his good Spirit are inabled to discern in measure what his Mind and Will is but if you do but impartially consider the Ground and Cause of this Man's Error and Idolatry you may perceive the Argument will hold from Particulars to Generals as thus If one Man be blind for want of his Eyes then ten thousand Men wanting their Eyes must be blind also If this Author hath committed a gross Idolatry for want of the

also the Authority of the Holy Spirit as he speaketh in them And shew us also how it cometh to pass that Men mistake them notwithstanding And you must also prove That the Scriptures are indeed a Competent Judge of the Holy Spirit as he appeareth in his Servants And you must invalidate all whatsoever is here written and proved to the contrary And if you shall fail to do all this by clear Proofs and evident Demonstrations of Truth for Trifling and Impertinency will not serve your turn nor Lyes shall no longer be your Refuge then will your Vizards be taken off your Faces and your Refuge of Lyes will be swept away and in the sight of the Quakers whom you Despise and of the whole Nation you will appear to your great Shame and Contempt to be what indeed you are For they that dwell at Jerusalem and their Rulers because they knew him not nor yet the Voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath Day they have fulfilled them in condemning of him Acts 13.27 A few Queries to Ralph James and the Author of the Subterfuge Overturned c. by them to be Answered in Truth and Plainness I. WHether is our Lord Jesus Christ whom the Scriptures testifie to be the Light and Salvation of God to the Ends of the Earth the only true Way of Life on high to avoid from Hell beneath yea or nay If yea then whether to affirm Water-Baptism to be the Way of Life on high to avoid from Hell beneath be not abominable Idolatry at least if not Blasphemy II. Supposing Water-Baptism were the Appointment of God as other things of like signification in former Dispensations have been yet if the Ministers thereof should Idolatrously intrude it into the Place and Office of Christ our Saviour that is affirm it to be the Way of Life to avoid from Hell beneath whether such Idolatrous intrusion be not as signal a Pollution of the said Ordinance of Water-baptism as the like Abuse of the Ordinances of God Isa 1. did pollute and render them abominable unto the Lord If yea then whether it be not high time for all and every Man concerned therein to arise and depart thence as not being their Rest it being so filthily polluted III. Seeing the Latin Verb baptizo is synonimous with the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to dip or plunge whether T. R. his calling your Water Baptism dipping in Water or your calling it the Way of Life on high to avoid from Hell beneath be the greater Abuse of the Way of the Lord and therein of God himself Answer plainly IV. Seeing it appears by the Scriptures that the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ wrought their Miracles Acts. 3.6 and cured Diseases by the Name of Jesus of Nazareth then Whether the Sons of Sceva their pretending to do the like Miracles by the same Name doth prove them to speak the very Language and Spirit of the Apostles yea or nay If nay as most certainly nay then with what Reason or Conscience canst thou affirm that R. Anderson in exhorting R. James to turn to the Light within spake the very Language and Spirit of the Quakers this Query is to the Author of the Subterfuge c. that he may clear himself from Deceit if he can V. Whether the Testimony which that Pythoness gave unto the Persons and Doctrine of the Apostle Paul and Sylas is not given as fully Acts 16. and at as high a Rate as any Testimony ye can pretend R. Anderson gave to the Persons or Doctrine of the Quakers And whether in such Testimony she appeared as a Proselite of the Christian Faith and as a Prophetess of the Christians yea or nay if nay then shew unto the Quakers and the whole Nation if you can why R. Anderson his testifying for the Persons and Way of the Quakers as ye pretend he did but prove it not should prove him a Quaker or appearing as one of their Prophets he being by your own Confession at that Time possessed with a Spirit of Delusion as she was then with a Spirit of Divination VI. Seeing R. James avers in his Narrative That R. Anderson pronounced him a Leper from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Foot and that the same Judgment as he said was fallen upon one of his Children Whether you are not very deceitfull and unworthy Persons thus to abuse the Quakers and the whole Nation with a Counterfeit and ●orged Story of such a horrid Leprosie sith in exchange thereof you are now at last glad to accept of a Simple Sore And if ye think to avoid the Horror of your Guilt and Shame with this Evasion He said so he said so charging the poor Man your own Member with a Lye Then Whither doth not this evidence to the whole Nation your implacable Envy and Malice against an Innocent People that durst with so great Confidence attempt to asperse and slander them only upon the false and single say so of such a Person as even your selves then judged to be a false Prophet and possessed with a Spirit of Delusion And if your inveterate Envy and Malice herein be manifest to the Nation as doubtless it is then let the Nation and the whole World judge whether R. James be not infected with a more dangerous Leprosie then ever Mirjam was and like to continue so without Repentance until his Dying Day VII It being evident to the Nation that R. Anderson was no Quaker his Child not leprous his Wife and Family not so diseased as you pretended nor your Church such Workers of Miracles as you boasted but your whole pretence a meer malicious Juggle and Imposture which yet you pretend to be an Eminent Hand of God! Such a Witness of God little less then a Miracle tending to the Honour of God Exaltation of his Wayes and Appointments Establishments of his People Decision of the great Controversie Strength to the weak Hands and feeble Knees of his poor People c. and then to conclude thus And the Lord was mercifully pleased to hear our poor Prayers for them and to restore them c. with such like seeming devout Words wherewith your Letters and Narrative are repleat All this considered it s queried whether the Quakers and the whole Nation may not without the least Breach of Charity safely conclude that ye Anabaptists and Independents who have been either Actors Contrivers Asserters of or Witnesses to this Mischievous piece of Pageantry are the most notorious Dissemblers with God and the World and the very'st Hypocrites that ever our Lord Jesus Christ pronounced Wo against Quit your selves if you can VIII Whether they that make no Conscience to be Jugglers Lyars Hypocrites proud Boasters and the like or they that discover detect and affirm them to be such are the great Offenders IX Whether they that call and are call'd Rabbi Rabbi do not break that express Command of Christ Mat. 23.8 10. yea or nay If