Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
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A41425
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A plain testimony to the antient truth and work of God and against the corruption of the clergy, and their upholders. By T. G.
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Goodaire, Thomas, d. 1693.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing G1088; ESTC R218842
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26,567
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31
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his Works and all things above expressed they say that They do forsake them all which is a Lye in the sight of God and his People And these Persons and People which do so promise and say as aforesaid they are such as live and act in sin and evil which is of the Devil who is the author of all sin and evil that is committed against God by all the Sons and Daughters of men in the fall who are unregenerated and not born again of the Water and Spirit of Life and these people which do thus say and promise as aforesaid they are such as do not believe that Perfection from Sin can be attained unto in this Life and that none shall be set free from Sin so long as they live in this World such as these take upon them to be called Godfathers and Godmothers and the Children which these people stand up for and promise so on their behalf are taught to ask them Blessing and to call them Godfathers and Godmothers which thing is unwarrantable in the fight of God the Maker and Creator of all mankind and of all other Creatures whatsoever And how dare any People be so bold and wicked as to take upon them for to be so called as aforesaid And further where do you find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ did Marry any People or did say Prayers over the Dead or Churched any Women as it is called and all these things the Clergy-Men aforesaid do and practice for Money besides their Tithes and Money for Preaching And further where do ye find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the true Bishops and Ministers of Christ that were ordained and appointed by him did assume to themselves and did take upon them such high Names and Titles as to be called Lord and Masters as these Bishops and Clergy-Men do â—ow And where do ye find or read in all the Scriptures â—â—at Timothy and Titus were called Lord Bishops which were true Bishops and ordained of God And where had they any Bishopricks and many hundreds of Pounds by the Year as these Bishops have now And are not these great Names and Titles and these rich Bishopricks which they own and have gotten to themselves contrary to the mind and will of God and contrary to the practice of the true Bishops which were ordained of the Lord and contrary to the Scriptures be not a means to beget them into Pride and Highmindedness and Self-exaltation and not into Humility and Lowliness of Heart so as to be gifted and qualified as the true Bishops were that were ordain'd of God And where do you find or read in all the Scriptures that ever any of the true Prophets or Ministers of Christ were called Master as a Name or Title to set up Self above the common sort of People And did not Christ cry Wo against all such that went in long Robes and had the uppermost Room at Feasts and love Greetings in the Markets and the Chief Seats in the Synagogues and are called of men Rabbi which is Master And Christ said unto his Ministers Be not ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ and ye are Brethren and be that is the greatest among you shall be your Servant And the Apostle Paul who was a true Minister of Christ said That though I be free from all Men yet I have made my self Servant unto all that I might gain the more And so he was not called Lord nor Master as a flattering Title amongst men which upholds Pride and Highmindedness as these Bishops and Clergy-Men are now And did ever the Ministers of Christ demand ten Shillings for a Mortuary and take it as these Clergy-Men do now And further where do you find or read in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ set People to sing David's Psalms which are put into Rhime and Meter by Hopkins and Sâ—erhould and others And whether they that sing David's Psalms now and are not in his state and condition that he was in when he spoke those Words which are recorded in the Book of Psalms do not such sing Lyes in Hypocrisie yea or nay For though those Sayings were true in David because he was in that condition which he spoke of at that time when he spoke those Words but those Sayings are not true in them that know nothing of his condition for he was in several conditions as may be seen in the Book of Psalms And how can people sing so long as their Souls are in Captivity and they themselves in bondage to Sin and so people must come to know Salvation and Redemption wrought by Christ in them from their Sins and Iniquities before they can sing in Truth And further where do you find or read that the Ministers of Christ had a Book of Common-Prayer or a mass-Mass-Book provided for them for to read to people for Money as these Clergy-Men do now Or where do ye find in all the Scriptures that any of the Ministers of Christ or any other People that were true Believers and Followers of Christ did ever read and say their Prayers in a Book when the Lord moved them by his holy Spirit to pray unto him but they waited upon the Lord until they were endued with Power from on High and then they preached and prayed according as the Lord by his Spirit in them did help and assist them and gave them utterance for to do and perform what the Lord did require of them as appertaining to the Worship and Service of God And now I shall propound one thing more which is of great Concernment Where do ye find or read in all the Scriptures that ever any of the Ministers of Christ or any true Christians or Saints who were true Believers and Followers of Christ that any of them did compel or demand any Money of any sort of People for mending and repairing those Houses and Places where the true Ministers and People of God meet for to worship him in And now I have something more to declare unto all that profess Christianity and Salvation by Christ which do say and believe that they are already Saved and Redeemed and Justified by Christ and his Righteousness without them although they be of that Faith and Perswasion that They must live in Sin as long as they live upon the Earth and that none can be set free from Sin in this Life c. To which I Answer That all that are of that Faith and Perswasion are deceived by the Deceiver and that Faith and Perswasion was never begotten by the Lord but by the evil one who is the author of all Sin and Evil For I do affirm that all People that know Christ spiritually and experimentally to be their Saviour and Redeemer and that he hath already saved and redeemed and justified them then no such persons nor 〈◊〉 will any more plead for Sin nor a continuance in 〈◊〉 term
neither will any such plead for Sin nor for a continuance in it as long as they live but all such Persons and People that are born of God as aforesaid they hate Sin and every appearance of it in Thoughts Words and Actions both in themselves and in all other people where they see Sin committed acted or done and those that are born of God by his Spirit they are in Christ and he is in them spiritually and they are made new Creatures by the working of Christ's spirit in their hearts and souls and all old things that are evil which is Sin and Iniquity comes to be taken away and destroyed and all things are made new by the workings of the Power and Spirit of Christ in the hearts of all the Children of Light who are true Believers and Followers of Christ through the Spiritual Warfare and through great Tribulations and Tryals and Exercises which the People of the Lord come to know and to pass through before they attain to Perfection from all their Sins and it is said That many are the Troubles of the Righteous and through many Tribulations must they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but the Lord is all-sufficient for to help his People out of all their Troubles and Tryals both inward and outward those that puts their whole trust and confidence in him And he hath done great things for many of his people now in our Age and Generation which have been under great Troubles Sufferings and Tryals both inward and outward for which we have just cause and we are bound in duty to bless and praise the Name of the Lord and to return unto him all Honour Glory Praise Thanks Fear Reverence and true Obedience for unto the Lord alone it doth belong both from me and from all that knows him who have tasted of his Love and Mercies blessed and praised be his great and glorious and heavenly Name both now henceforth for ever and for evermore Read these Scriptures John 3. 1. to vers 11. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Acts 14. 22. 2 Cor. 1. 3. 44. Chap. 10. 3. 4. 1. 45. And so the true Way that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven is a strait and narrow way for it is a way of Holiness Righteousness and Purity and a way wherein all people must deny themselves of doing any evil thing that will offend the Lord or displease him and therefore there are but a few that find it and walk in it and Christ's Flock is but a little Flock in comparison of the multitude of people that are in the World but the way that leads to Hell and Destruction and so into everlasting Torment and Misery which shall never come to an end this is a broad and wide way and it is easie and delightful and pleasant to all fleshly carnal minded people for to walk in And all those people that live and act in Sin and Evil and take pleasure and delight therein and deny Perfection from Sin in this Life all such persons and people are going on in the broad and wide way that will lead them into everlasting Wo and Misery unless they repent And therefore it is my Advice and Counsel unto all people that now live and delight in Sin and Evil as you tender the glory of God and the good and well-being of your Immortal Souls come out of all your ungodly ways and doings and Repent and forsake the Evil of your ways and doings and desire the Lord to pardon you for all your Sins and Transgressions which yon have acted and done against him and turn unto the Lord and fear and love him with all your hearts and hate Sin and Evil and every appearance of it both in your selves and in all others that thereby you may come to know a Change and a Reformation to be wrought in your hearts by the Power and Spirit of Christ in you and this is the only way and means for you to find Forgiveness and Mercy and Acceptance with the Lord for your poor Souls which if you so do and find it will be of more worth and value to you that find it then all the outward injoyments of Honour or Riches or Pleasures that are in the World And now I shall mention and lay before you some of the Cruelties and bloody Persecutions of these Clergy-men before mentioned and some of their Hearers and Members of their Churches which have joyned with them in their Cruelties and bloody Persecutions and shall begin with the Popish Clergy and some of the Members of their Church first It is well known to many People what their Doctrine and Principles and Practices are and what it leads and guides them for to do and act in those Places and Countries where they have the Rule and Power in outward things as for instance They do believet at all people which are not of their Faith and Religion are Sectaries and Hereticks though they be called Christians as I can make appear by their own Books which they have set forth and then this hath followed by their practices that the more Hereticks they kill and destroy many of them think they do God more service and count it a Meritorious Work although the people which they have killed and murthered were no Hereticks but good Christians many of them and were faithful to God in what he manifested and made known unto them in their Age and Time As for instance How many of these good people aforesaid have these Popish bloody Clergy-Men and the Members of their Church caused for to be but and destroyed in Queen Mary's Reign because they could not for good Conscience-sake submit and conform to their Idolatrous Ways and Worships which were never ordained by the Lord nor never such a Doctrine nor Practice was ever preached nor practised by any of the Ministers of Christ And so this Doctrine and Practice which was and is preached and practised by the Popish Clergy and the Members of their Church was ordained and set up by the Devil and his Ministers and not by Christ nor his Ministers as appears plainly by their Wicked Actions and Practices aforesaid And I shall mention more of their Cruelties and Murders as for instance How many Thousands of Protestants did they kill and murder in Ireland even at such a time when the Protestants were peaceable and quiet and did not lift up a hand against them and the Devil in those Murderers did invent such Cruel Tortures and Punishments to put them to Death as scarce hath been heard of amongst the Heathens which are no Christians and yet notwithstanding they have the boldness and confidence for to call themselves Christians and say Christ is their Saviour but Christ hates and abhors all such Murders and Cruelties as are found acted and done amongst them And Christ came not to destroy men's Lives but to save them And here people may see that these aforesaid are not acted nor guided by the Spirit of Christ but by the spirit