Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A54111
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A brief examination and state of liberty spiritual both with respect to persons in their private capacity and in their church society and communion / written ... by a lover of true liberty, as it is in Jesus, William Penn.
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Penn, William, 1644-1718.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing P1260; ESTC R32173
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13,519
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20
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A Brief Examination and State OF Liberty Spiritual BOTH With Respect to Persons in their Private Capacity and in their Church Society and Communion Written for the Establishment of the Faithful Information of the Simple-Hearted and Reproof of the Arrogant and High Minded by a Lover of True Liberty as it is in Jesus William Penn. To go amongst the People of the Lord called Quakers If the Truth make ye Free then are ye Free indeed If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light then have we Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin 1 John 8. London Printed by Andrew Sowle and sold at his Shop in Devonshire Buildings without Bishops-Gate 1681. To the People of the Lord called QUAKERS Dear Friends and Brethren IT hath of long time rested with some pressure upon my Spirit for Zion's sake and the Peace of Jerusalem to write something of the Nature of True Spiritual Liberty Liberty one of the most Glorious Words and Things in the World but little understood and frequently abused by many I beseech Almighty God to preserve you his People in the right Knowledge Use of that Liberty which Jesus Christ the Captain of our Salvation hath purchased for us and is redeeming us into who hath led Captivity captive and is giving Gifts to them that truly believe in his Name Christ's Liberty is obtain'd through Christ's Cross they that would be his Free-men must be his Bonds-men and wear his blessed Yoke His Liberty is from Sin not to Sin to do his Will and not our own no not to speak an Idle Word 'T is not I that live saith the Apostle but Christ that liveth in me who had set him Free from the Power of Sin and brought Immortality to Light in him whence he learned thus to triumph O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory This is the Personal Freedom that comes by Jesus Christ to as many as receive him in the Way and for the End for which God hath given him to wit to be a Saviour and a Leader to save us from our Corruptions and guide us in the Narrow Way of his holy Cross and through the strait Gate of Self-denyal which lead to Eternal Life And as many as have entered at this Door are come to have Vnity with God and one with another To love him above all and their Neighbours as themselves yea to prefer each other before themselves Such will not violate the great Law of their Lord and Master Love one another the New and yet the Old Commandment These dwell in Love and so they dwell in God for God is Love 'T was the beloved Disciples Testimony and it comes up to what another man of God hath said namely The Church that dwells in God if she dwells in God then in Love consequently her Members are in Vnion of one Mind in Church Matters since she has but one Head to Rule her Peruse this brief Discourse in this Love and it may be to Edification My aim is to assert the Truth detect Error and point in true Brotherly Kindness at those Shoals and Sands some by Mistake or Over-boldness have and may run upon O Friends I greatly desire that the Spirit of Love Wisdom and a sound Vnderstanding of Meekness Judgment and Mercy may ever rest upon you that blamelesly you may be kept an holy Family at Unity with it self to the Lord God your Redeemer that he over all may in you through you and by you be Exalted Honoured and Praised who is worthy and blessed forever A Brief Examination and State OF Liberty Spiritual c. Question VVHat is Spiritual Liberty Answer It is twofold there is a true and a false Liberty as a true and false Spirit the right discerning of which concerns every ones Eternal Well-beeing Qu. What is true Spiritual Liberty Answ Deliverance from Sin by the Perfect Law in the Heart The Perfect Law of Liberty James 2. otherwise called The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that makes Free from the Law of Sin and Death else-where stiled The Law of Truth writ in the Heart which makes Free indeed as saith Christ If the Truth make you Free then are you Free indeed So that the Liberty of Gods People stands in the Truth and their Communion in it and in the Perfect Spiritual Law of Christ Jesus which delivers and preserves them from every Evil Thing that doth or would embondage In this blessed Liberty it is not the Will nor Wisdom of man neither the vain Affections and Lusts that rule or give Law to the Soul for the Minds of all such as are made Free by the Truth are by the Truth conducted in doing and suffering through their Earthly Pilgrimage Qu. What is False Liberty Answ A Departing from this blessed Spirit of Truth and a Rebelling against this Perfect Law of Liberty in the Heart and being at Liberty to do our own Wills upon which cometh Reproof and Judgment Qu. But are there not some things wherein we ought to be left to our own freedom Answ We are not our own for we are bought with a Price and in all things ought we to glorifie God with our Bodies Souls and Spirits which are the Lords Qu. But must we have a Motion or Command from the Spirit of Truth for all things that we do Answ That may be according to the Truth which may not be by the immediate Motion or Command of the Truth for that is according to the Truth that is not against the Mind of the Truth either particularly or generally exprest The Truth commands me to do all to the Praise and Glory of God but not that I should wait for a Motion to do every particular thing For Example The variety of Actions in Trading Commerce and Husbandry the variety of Flesh Fish and Fowl for Food with more of the same Nature in all which there is a Choice and Liberty but still according to the Truth and within the holy Bounds and Limits of it Qu. Then it seems there are some things left to our Freedom Answ Yes but it must still be according to the Mind of Gods Truth There are things enjoyned such as relate to our Duty to God to our Superiours to the Houshold of Faith and to all Men and Creatures these are Indispensible There are also things that may be done or left undone which may be called Indifferent as what sort of Meat I will eat to day whether I will eat Flesh Fish or Herbs or what Hours I will eat my Meals at with many such outward things of Life and Converse yet even in these cases I ought to act according to the Truth in the Temperance and Wisdom of it Qu. But doth not Freedom extend farther than this for since God hath given me a Manifestation of his Spirit to profit withal and that I have the Gift of God in my self should I not