Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A58145
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Robert Bridgman's Reasons for leaving the Quakers, (upon examination) proved unreasonable being only a demonstration of his envy. By W. Rawlinson.
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Rawlinson, William.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing R370; ESTC R217967
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22,497
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49
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Robert Bridgman's REASONS For leaving the QVAKERS Upon Examination Proved Unreasonable Being only A Demonstration Of his ENVY By W. Rawlinson Rom. 1.22 23. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their Imaginations and their foolish Hearts was darkened Professing themselves to be Wise they became Fools London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-hart-court in Gracious-street 1700 R. B's Reasons Unreasonable IT was our Saviour's Doctrine Mat. 7.18 20. that a good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit. Wherefore by their Fruits ye shall know them And it stands true for ever so that upon certainly knowing the Fruit we may infallibly know the Tree whether it be Good or Evil. Now in all good Actions Love is a chief Ingredient and in most evil Actions Envy doth much Influence Hereby we may make a pretty safe Judgment both of Men and their Actions whether they be Good or Bad for Love is of God and seeks the real Good of all as Envy is of the Devil and seeks their Hurt and Ruin It might be of good use to instance some Presidents of each sort though my intended Brevity will not admit thereof at present So in a general way do say That the Practice of all in whom the Love of Christ prevaileth is To seek the Good both of the Souls and Bodies of all even of their Enemies and never can by any Provocation whatsoever be prevailed upon to Detract Calumniate and Misrepresent their greatest Enemies much less thereby to endeavour to Influence the Civil Magistrate against them that so they might come to suffer either in their Bodies Estates or Liberties being of the Mind of the good Houshoulder who would not admit his Servants to pull out the very Tares from among the Wheat till the Harvest Praying for our Enemies and doing unto all Men as we would have them to do unto us was the Doctrine of him whom we all pretend to follow That my present Adversary has been in this his Undertaking acted by this sweet and amiable Virtue which is the true Characteristick of a true Disciple and Follower of the blessed Jesus doth not appear tho' the contrary it 's very evident hath too much prevailed upon him which hath been the Cause he hath so grosly misrepresented us Not to say any thing of his abusive Language And if so as I doubt not but what follows will make evidently appear then I hope we may be satisfied what place all his endeavours will have with all sincere Christians so that the Pit he digged for his Neighbour he is fallen into himself He begins his Paper with a very sad Account viz. It has been matter of Sorrow and Shame unto me and many others that have now left the Quakers Communion that we so long professed the Christian Religion whilst we remained so ignorant of the Fundamental Principles of it The Doctrine of the Trinity or Three Persons of one Nature and Substance in the Godhead The Incarnation of the second Person or Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ The Satisfaction and Atonement made unto God the Father by his Obedience and Death upon the Cross The Resurrection and Ascension of his Body and Person into Heaven His remaining in our Nature at the right Hand of God in the Glory of his Father our Head High-Priest and Intercessor The Faith and full perswasion of his Second Last and Outward Appearance and Coming again to Raise the dead Bodies of the Saints and of all Men in the great Day and solemn Assize of all Nations in which a final and infallible Sentence will be passed upon all according to the Deeds done in the Body agreeable to the plain and positive Sense of divers Texts in holy Scripture Truly I am of his Mind that to remain so long ignorant whilst under a Christian Profession of these great Doctrines and Principles of the very Christian Religion is Cause sufficient both of Sorrow and Shame but what is that to the Christan Society or Societies he has joyned himself with For except he can make it appear those Societies he hath belonged to were Ignorant of them then and not else they also may come under the same Reflection but till then both the Sorrow and the Shame is like to lie solely at his own Door Let not R. B. think hereby to Charge the Quakers and render them Guilty of being defective in their Christian Belief of these Doctrines offering that as his Reason for leaving them if he do I doubt not but to make the contrary very evident to the blasting all his vain Hopes First Let us suppose tho' not grant what he insinuates to be true would not this bespeak him a great Ignoramus or worse first to joyn with such a People and then to continue so long with them but that which doth aggravate his Ignorance is that when his now Friend D. S. did Calumniate us in Print he should appear in our Vindication and wrote an answer in our Defence to that scandalous Pamphlet as he then called it not thinking I believe then which was but in 1694. that he should now write one a great deal more Scandalous himself all which tends little to his Reputation indeed if he were a Man that wanted Bread it were something and he not being educated a Quaker his ignorant Education cannot reflect on them and how much it was the Fruit of Humour I will leave to him to reflect on Since this were a heavy Charge if true That we did not sincerely believe these great Doctrines of Christianity enough to offend any Christian Ear. I shall therefore be more particular in my Answer being sorry that That which R. B. accounted the blessed Truth in 1694. should be so grosly Calumniated in 1700. because I believe it to be the blessed Truth still This at most is but R. B's insinuating Charge without the least Proof so that my single Testimony is of equal Authority I do therefore say I was brought up and educated in this Way and therefore must be granted to know their Principles as well nay better than R. B. if there be any thing in Education and I am well assured that we do sincerely believe all these above-mentioned Doctrines as to the Matter and Substance of them and do only differ with the Church of England in some few Words and Terms and why we should be blamed for that when we believe the same things and the more seeing these Terms are such as the Holy Ghost did not see meet to express these Mysteries by in the Holy Scriptures tho' I do say if we did not differ with the Church of England about weightier Matters than these Words or Terms I do not think it were worth our while to Dissent from Her Yet let us hear what G. Keith hath taught on this Head Way cast up p. 88. And saith he it is well known that these