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A39306 A reply to an answer lately published to a book long since written by W.P. entituled A brief examination and state of liberty spiritual &c. by Thomas Ellwood. Ellwood, Thomas, 1639-1713.; Penn, William, 1644-1718. Brief examination and state of liberty spiritual. 1691 (1691) Wing E624; ESTC R29061 86,814 104

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when that Caution is given in the love of God it is in the same love received But when under pretence of Cautioning against Formality some not distinguishing between Formality and Form endeavour to overturn subvert and take away all Form and Order from the Church of Christ we cannot receive but reject such Cautions and Cautioners as knowing that they come not from nor serve the God of Order but that Spirit which would bring all into disorder and Confusion In page 43 they say Pray let us know why Truth 's Testimonies may not be allowed and pass current where the Life and Conversation is suitable Rep. Truths Testimonies are allowed and do pass currant among Truth 's Followers But the Adversaries should have explained what they mean by Truth 's Testimonies For those Doctrinal Principles delivered of old by Truth himself and afterwards by his inspired Followers and Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth are Truth 's Testimonies especially as they are taken up and used by the same Spirit that gave them forth And the Testimonies that proceed from the Spirit of Truth speaking through any of his Servants in our Meetings or elsewhere at this day are the Testimonies of Truth also And all these are allowed and pass current amongst Friends But if the Adversaries mean by Truth 's Testimonies their own Testimonies those Testimonies that they bring and thrust upon Friends in our Meetings and ask why those Testimonies may not be allowed and pass currant the Answer is because those Testimonies are not Truth 's Testimonies how like soever they may seem to be neither come they in Truth 's way They proceed not from the Spirit of Truth but from that Spirit that Fights against Truth a Spirit of Dissention Division Disunion and Separation from Friends in Truth In page 45. they say Might not a little Charity help all this could you look upon such as trouble you to be Conscientious Again Certainly you cannot think that all is wrong that are dissatisfied c. We would perswade you better by assuring that some are right by being sincere Rep. They who have known these Troubles throughly and have seen and observed their manner of Troubling and in what Spirit they have done it had need have more than a little Charity to make them look on such to be Conscientious Was their publishing Friends in Print to be Apostates Innovators Setters up of Images Introducers of Popery Idolaters c. An Argument that they were Conscientious Was their exposing Truth and Friends by their printed Pamphlets to the Scorn Contempt and Derision of the Wicked and rendring them as much as in them lay obnoxious to the Government a token of their being Conscientious Was their shutting Friends out of their Meting-Houses wherein they had a rightful Interest and Propriety exposing antient and tender Bodies and some their nearest Relations to all Extremities of Weather and that for divers years together as at Reding and elsewhere an Effect of their being Conscientious O barbaroas Consciences O conscientious Barbarism where shall a Parallel to this be found unless in that which Christ foretold his Disciples Iohn 16.2 They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God Service How far these conscientious Troublers have answered this Prophecy let themselves and others consider Nay have they not been worse than those forespoken of by Christ For they were open Enemies these feigned Friends and false Brethren Now whereas they say Certainly you can not think that all is wrong that are dissatisfied with those new things brought in at least as made Terms of Communion I Reply We do not think all that are so dissatisfied equally wrong for we are sensible those Troublers have by slanderous Suggestions and false Insinuations beguiled and betrayed some whose Recovery out of the Snare in which those Troublers have taken them we earnestly desire and travel for But though we do not think all alike wrong yet we do think and know that all who think new things are brought in and made Terms of Cummunion with Friends are wrong in thinking so whatever they are otherwise And whereas they say They would perswade us better by assuring that some are right by being sincere I Reply If they are they must not be any of those Troublers who notwithstanding they have separate Meetings of their own to which they have withdrawn and chosen to meet apart as some of themselves have elsewhere exprest it do yet frequently thrust in at some of our Meetings and impose themselves upon Friends for Preachers as if they did it on purpose to disturb and to make trouble in our Meetings Can any thing be more contrary to Sincerity than this Is not this an extream degree of Hypocrisie Let the Troublers therefore give over their Hypocrisie and make it appear that they themselves are sincere to what they themselves have chosen and set up before they take upon them to give assurance of the sincerity of others They bid us Remember They obtrude nothing upon you Rep. That 's false Those Troublers obtrude themselves their Preaching and their Praying upon Friends which they know having been often told Friends cannot receive than which what worse they could obtrude I know not And where they have had strength by numbers they have obtruded these upon Friends under the Penalty of being deprived of their Meeting House if they would not conform to this Imposition And because Friends could not conform thereunto those Troublers have actually shut Friends out of their Meeting-Houses and do yet continue to keep them out thereby depriving Friends of their just Right Therefore when any of those Troublers shall again come to obtrude themselves upon Friends in our Meetings Let them Remember this Again they say The Lord often spared those that are wrong for the sakes of those that are right Rep. We know he hath done so and we desire he may do so still but we leave that to him who best knows to whom and how long to extend that forbearance But let not the Adversaries abuse God's merciful forbearance by continuing in the wrong after that the Lord hath made them sensible that they are wrong They add And 't is our Doctrine Tares should be suffered to grow rather than destroy Wheat Rep. And 't is Christ's Doctrine and his own Exposition of his Parable of the Tares that the Field in which they should be suffered to grow is the World Mat. 13.38 This is a good Argument against Persecution or outward Violence for Religion's sake Men ought not to be killed destroyed pluckt up and rooted out of the World only because they are Tares or a wrong Seed of the Enemies sowing But I wish the Adversaries would speak plainly whether it be their Doctrine that such Tares called by Christ The Children of the wicked One should be suffered to grow in the Church the Garden of God after they are discovered discerned plainly perceived