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heart_n	abide_v	life_n	zion_n	16	3	9.0895	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90391	An examination of the grounds or causes, which are said to induce the court of Boston in New-England to make that order or law of banishment upon pain of death against the Quakers; as also of the grounds and considerations by them produced to manifest the warrantableness and justness both of their making and executing the same, which they now stand deeply engaged to defend, having already thereupon put two of them to death. As also of some further grounds for justifying of the same, in an appendix to John Norton's book ... whereto he is said to be appointed by the General Court. And likewise of the arguments briefly hinted in that which is called, A true relation of the proceedings against the Quakers, &c. Whereunto somewhat is added about the authority and government which Christ excluded out of his Church ... By Isaac Penington, the younger.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1660 (1660)	Wing P1166; Thomason E1020_5; ESTC R203130	87,615	103

the laws of the one were written outwardly in tables of stone the laws of the other were to be written in the heart That is the book wherein the laws of the new covenant were promised to be written and there they are to be read So that he that will read and obey the Laws of the covenant of life must look for them in that book wherein God hath promised to write them for though in other books he may read some outward descriptions of the thing yet here alone can he read the thing it self Christ is the way the truth and the life What is a Christians rule is not the way of God his rule is not Gods truth his rule and is not the truth in Jesus where it is taught and to be heard and to be received even as it is in Jesus Ephes 4.21 Is not he the King the Priest the Prophet the Sacrifice the Altar the way to God the truth of God the life it self the living path out of Death yea all in all to the believer whose eye is opened to behold him The Scriptures testifie of Christ but they are not Christ they also testifie of truth and are a true testimony but the truth it self is in Jesus who by his living spirit writes it in the heart which he hath made living And so a Christians life is in the Spirit if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 The whole life and course of a Christian is in the volumn of that book as the Lord opens the leaves of it in him The gift of God the measure of faith given him by God that 's his rule that 's his rule of knowledge of prophesying of obedience Heb. 11. Rom. 1.4 and 12.6 if he keep there if he walk according to the proportion of it he errs not but out of the faith in the the error in all he knows in all he believes in all he does The new Creature that which God hath new created in the heart in which life breaths and nothing but life breaths which is taught by God and true to God from its very infancy that 's his rule whereby he is to walk the Apostle expresly calls it so Gal. 6.15 16. That which is begotten by God is a Son and the Son as he is begotten by the breath of the Spirit so he is preserved and led by the same breath and such as are so led are Sons and none else for it is not reading of Scriptures and gathering rules out thence that makes a Son but the receiving of the spirit and the being led by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 15. And being the whole worship of the Gospel is in the Spirit there is a necessity of receiving that in the first place and then in it the soul learns to know and wait for its breathings and movings and follows on towards the Lord in them The Spirit cannot be with-held from breathing on that which he hath begotten and that breath is a guide a rule a way to that which it breatheth upon Now this is most manifest even from the Scriptures themselves they expresly calling Christ the way the truth c. the new creature the rule the faith grace or gift given to be the rule testifying the heart to be that which God hath chosen to write his laws in but where do they call themselves a perfect rule of faith and obedience They are they saith Christ which testifie of me and ye will not come to me that ye might have life I●● 5.39 40. Life cannot be received from the Scriptures but only from Christ the fountain thereof no more can the Scriptures give the rule but point to the fountain of the same life where alone the rule of life as the life it self can be received The Scriptures cannot ingraft into Christ nor give a living rule to him that is ingrafted but he that hath heard the Testimony of the Scriptures concerning Christ and hath come to him must abide in him and wait on him for the writing of the law of the Spirit of life in his heart and this will be his rule from the law of sin and death even unto the land of life Now if men have mistaken in the night of darkness and put the Scriptures out of their place even into the place of the Spirit and so have become Ministers not of the Spirit but of the letter whereas the Apostles were made able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 Let them not be offended at the Spirit of God for teaching us otherwise nor at us for learning as the Spirit of God hath taught us the Scriptures also testifying that this is the rule but no where setting up themselves for the rule And it is the same Spirit which would now fix men in the Scriptures to keep men from Christ the living rule and only way to life eternal as formerly kept men by traditions from the Scriptures though it is hard for them who are intangled in this deceit to see it Now for the proof of these things thus barely here charged the reader is referred to Mr. Norton's as they stile him Tractate against the Quakers Concerning the validity whereof I refer the Reader to Francis Howgils Answer thereto wishing him to read both in the fear and dread of the Almighty waiting for his counsel to guide him in the true discerning which of them savours of mans wisdome and which of them writes from acquaintance with the truth it self In which Answer of his he recites such errors of that Norton as would make a great sound against the Quakers if any such could justly be charged upon them I shall mention only two or three of them viz That God is a distinct Subsistence from the Son and Spirit and That the Son is a distinct Subsistence from the Father and the Spirit and because it is said the Father shall give you another Comforter this another he saith is intelligible of the Essence Are there then three distinct infinite Essences or Beings That the Spirit of God without the Letter is no Spirit He was before the Letter he was never limited to the Letter he will be after the Letter and he is what he is without the Letter That Christs words John 17.21 give an uncertain sound where have any of the Quakers cast such a blemish upon any portion of Scripture Surely this man had more need to seek to have his own vessel cleansed than to accuse others of Errors or Blasphemy And if he have no other way to overthrow them than by maintaining such kind of things as these against them he will never get victory over them any other wayes than by the outward sword but by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of his testimony and not loving their lives unto the death they will easily overcome all such kind of Champions 4. The fourth and last instance which they give of the

destructiveness of their Doctrine to the fundamental Truths of Religion is That opinion of theirs of being perfectly pure and without sin which say they tends to overthrow the whole Gospel and the very vitals of Christianity for they that have no sin have no need of Christ or of his satisfaction or blood to cleanse them nor of Faith Repentance c. Answ That the Lord God is able perfectly to redeem from sin in this life that he can cast out the strong man cleanse the house and make it fit for himself to dwell in that he can finish transgression and sin in the heart and bring in everlasting righteousness that he can tread down Satan under the feet of his Saints and make them more than Conquerors over him this they confess they steadily believe But that every one that is turned to the light of the Spirit of Christ in his heart is presently advanced to this state they never held forth but that the way is long the travail hard the enemies and difficulties many and that there is need of much Faith hope patience repentance watchfulness against temptations c. before the life in them arive at such a pitch Yet for all this saith Christ to his Disciples Be ye perfect directing them to aim at such a thing and the Apostle saith Let us go on unto perfection and Christ gave a Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints and they do not doubt but that he that begins the work can perfect it even in this life and so deliver them out of the hands of sin Satan and all their spiritual enemies as that they may serve God without fear of them any more in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of their lives Now how is this Doctrine or how is this People because of their believing and holding forth this Doctrine guilty of all this great and heavy charge that is laid upon them here as that they have no need of Christ his satisfaction his blood nor of faith repentance growing in grace Gods Word and Ordinances nor of watchfulness and prayer c. Let us consider the thing a litttle further First The Doctrine of Perfection if it should be granted to deny all this yet cannot be supposed to deny the need thereof until the state of Perfection be attained Nay they that truly believe that such a state is attainable cannot deny the use of those things which are proper to lead to that state but will conscientiously apply themselves thereto and press all others thereto who desire to attain that state And they that have either heard them speak or read their Writings with any equality of mind may abundantly testifie for them against the unrighteousness and injury of this charge Their life lies in Christ their peace in his satisfaction for them and in a sensible feeling of his blood sprinkled in their consciences to cleanse them from sin and by that faith which is Gods gift they feel and wait further to feel the righteousness of Christ imputed to them for justification And as for being perfectly just in themselves it is a very unrighteous charge upon them for their justice and righteousness is in Christ for ever and not of themselves but in the denyal and crucifying of self are they made partakers of it which is bestowed by the free grace mercy and power of him who hath mercy on them and not by any willing or running of theirs And as for Repentance they feel the need of it and find a godly sorrow wrought in them and a bitter mourning over him whom they once pierced and still pierce so far as they hearken to the Tempter and follow the motions and lusts of the transgressing nature And they do both watch and pray against sin and feel what a bitter thing it is to have the watch so slackened whereby the temptation prevails which would lead to sin And as for purifying themselves dayly and putting off the old man and putting on the new it is that which their hearts delight to be continually exercised about and all this with an hope that it may be effected that the vessel may be made holy to the Lord a fit spiritual Temple for him to dwell in that he may display his life glory power and pure presence in them But if the belief that this may be attained in the way wherein God leadeth them towards it and an hope to attain it with an acknowledgment of it so far as it is attained I say if this make them guilty of so great a charge then they are indeed guilty for they cannot but believe it wait for it hope for it and acknowledge it so far as they feel it wrought in them But how can this possibly make them guilty of denying these things seeing the exercise of these things not only standeth with but is increased by such a belief and hope Secondly The state of Perfection it self doth not exclude these things in such a way as this charge seems to intimate For in the state of perfection the blood is not laid aside as useless but remains to keep pure for ever It is the blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 both the Covenant and the Blood last for ever and are useful even to them that are perfect And there is need and use of the Faith in the Blood to believe the preservation As the Covenant it self lasts so that which lets into and keeps in the Covenant lasts also That which unites and ties the soul to Christ the life abides in the soul for ever even as the union it self abides And there is a growing in the life even where the heart is purified from sin even as Christ did grow and wax strong in spirit for a state of perfection doth not exclude degrees And so there is also need of watching against temptations in a perfect state for Adam was perfect and yet he needed a watch and Christ was perfectly pure and without sin and yet he did both watch and pray So that if any were brought to the state of a perfect man even unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ which the Ministry was given to bring all the Saints unto Eph. 4.11 12 13. if any were taught and enabled so to walke in the light as to be cleansed by the blood from all sin and to have such fellowship with the Father and the Son as might make their joy full 1 Joh. 1.3 4 7. If any were brought to that state of glory as to be chast Virgins 2. Cor. 11.2 without spot or wrinkle of the flesh but holy and without blemish Ephes 5.27 If any should be made perfect in every good work to do his will which was a thing the Apostle prayed for Heb. 13.21 If any should have so put off the old man and have put on the wedding garment as to be made ready and fit to be marryed to the Lamb Rev. 19.7 Yet this would not exclude faith

of Moses and the Prophets was not the law of the Children of the new covenant as such not in the time of the old covenant The law of Moses was the rule of their outward state it was the rule of the outward Israel but not the rule of the inward Israel no not then in those dayes In Deut. 29.1 Moses makes a Covenant with Israel by express command from God besides the former covenant which he made with them in Horeb. And he saith the commandment of this Covenant is not to be looked for where the other was written but in another place in a place neerer to them even in ther mouth and in their heart there they were to read hear and receive the commandment of this covenant For this commandement which I command thee this day it is not hidden from thee neither is it far off Deut. 30.11 it not in heaven ve 12. neither is it beyond the sea ver 13. but the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst do it ver 14. and this was the way of life then ver 15. see saith Moses I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evil Here thy eternal happiness depends obey this word and live disobey it and die And if they had kept to this word they would also have walked in obedience to the Law but neglecting this they could never keep the Law but still came under the curse of it and missed of the blessings They thought to please God with sacrifices and oyle and incense and observing new Moons and Sabbaths wherein the Lord still rejected them for want of their obedience to this word and the Prophets still guide them to this word bidding them circumcise their hearts which alone can be done by this word and wash away the evil of their doings which alone can be done by this water Yea after much contest between the Lord and them when they seemed very desirous to please the Lord with what he should require whether burnt offerings calves rams or oyl in great plenty the Prophet laies by all that and points them to the obedience of this word as the way to please God and as the only thing that he required of them He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 All this is written in thy heart man read there obey that word that is the thing that God requires So Davids Law was the word written in his heart he saw through sacrifices and burnt offerings to the inward writing and this made him wiser than all his teachers who were busied about the outward The outward Law was but a shadow of good things to come it made nothing perfect but David knew a perfect law The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Psal 19.7 3. The Scriptures of the New-Testament never call themseves the rule but they call another thing the rule they call the writings of Gods spirit in the hearts of his people the Laws of the new Covenant Heb. 8.10 they call Christ the way the truth the life John 14.6 the way is the rule the truth is the rule the life is the rule they call the new creature the rule walking according to which the peace and mercy is received and injoyed Gal. 6.16 they refer to the comforter as the guide into all truth John 16.13 yea as the compass of all truth wherein the believer is to have his whole life and course Gal. 5.25 live in the spirit walke in the spirit follow the spirit keep within that compass and ye connot err A man may err in understanding and interpreting of Scriptures but he that hath received the spirit knoweth the spirit followeth the spirit keepeth to the spirit so far as he doth so cannot possibly err So saith Iohn writing concerning seducers warning against them 1 Iohn 2.26 Ye have received an anointing which teacheth you of all things keep to the teachings of that in every thing and ye are safe But may we not be deceived Nay the annointing keeps from all the deceit in the heart and from all the deceits of seducers it is truth and no lie ver 27. and it leads into all truth and our of every lie And this will teach you to abide in him In whom in the word which was from the beginning which is ingrafted into the heart of the believer and into which the heart of the believer is ingrafted and so he truly is in the vine and the sap of the vine runs up into him which makes him fruitful to God he abiding in the word which he hath heard from the beginning and the word which was from the beginning abiding in him ver 24. And the Apostle Paul saith expresly that the righteousness of faith cometh by the hearing of this word making the same word the rule to the children of the new covenant now as Moses said was the commandement of God to them then quoting this place of Moses for it Rom. 10 6. c. So that Paul indeed taught nothing but Moses and the Prophets pointing to the very same word and commandement of eternal life as Moses had done That is the word of faith which we preach that word which Moses taught which he said was nigh in the heart and in the mouth no man need ascend up to heaven or go down to the deep or seek any where else for it that 's the very thing we point you to that 's the word of faith that 's the commandement of life And with what zeal would Paul were he now alive in the body declare against such who should over-look or deny this word and set up his writing with the writings of the rest of the Apostles for a rule instead thereof yea I could shew yet further how the spirit of prophecy or testimony of Jesus or living appearance of God in the heart hath been a rule to the witnesses against Antichrists deceit all along the night of Apostacy Rev. 11.3 and 19.10 though they themselves being in the night distinctly knew not what was their rule but by a secret breath of life were quickned guided preserved and in it accepted but these things will open of themselves as the mist is expelled and the vail rent which hath over-spread all Nations and covered professors generally in this night of Antichristian darkness and universal apostacy from the living power 2. Consider whether the Scripture be your rule or no that is whether in singleness of heart ye wait on the Lord to open the Scriptures to you by his spirit and to keep out your carnal reason from thence which cannot understand them but will be wresting them and making them speak as it would have them or whether ye take scope to search into them with that part which ever was shut out from the right knowledge of

authority But he was a servant he made use of the gift of the spirit of the power of life wherewith the Father filled him to minister and serve with He did never Lord it over the consciences of any of his disciples but did bear with them and pitty them in their infirmities what can ye not watch with me one hour The spirit said he is willing but the flesh is weak He did not hold forth to them what ever he knew to be truth requiring them to believe it but was content with them in their state and waited till their capacities were enlarged being still satisfied with the honesty and integrity of their hearts in their present state of weakness Nor did he strive to reign over the world or call for fire from heaven when they would not receive him or express indignation when they desired him to depart out of their coasts or pray for twelve Legions of Angels when they came to betray ●im and most unrighteously sought his life but the life he had received of his Father he gave up as a ransom for his disciples yea and for his enemies Mark he did not make use of what was given him to raise himself up above others to make his word to stand for a Law and be received but he waited till that was opened in his disciples and in people which was able to receive his testimony and he made use of his power of life and the fulness of the spirit to inable him the more abundantly to serve and to wait in patience for the fulfilling of the will of the Father And though Israel was not gathered by him yet was he meek and patient and at rest in the will of him that sent him and instead of reigning over all could serve all and give that life whose due it was to reign a ransom for many ver 28. His kingdom was not of this world nor did he seek any greatness or authority according to this world neither over the Jews nor over the Gentiles nor over his own disciples but he served all he sought the good of all the life in him which was to reign over all yet here served all suffered for all and from all and that was his way to his crown who having finished his course fulfilled his service perfected his sufferings is sit down on the right hand of the Majesty on high where now he reigns over all and is made a King by God in righteousness And this is the pattern which all his disciples are to walk by The more life they receive the more they are to minister the more they are to serve They must not lift up themselves by their gifts they must not hereupon Lord it over others or hold forth their knowledge or doctrines and think to make others bow thereto but wait in their service till the Lord make way into mens hearts and plant his truth there and upon him also must they wait for the watering and growth of it Quest But is there to be no greatness no authority among the disciples of Jesus or in the Church of Christ Is every one to do what he will to be subject to his own fancies and imaginations to the inventions of his own corrupt heart what a confused building will this be Sure this will not long remain a Zion but soon become a Babylon even an heap of disorder and confusion Answ There is to be no such kind of greatness no such kind of authority Yet there is both a greatness and authority suitable to the state of disciples suitable to that kind of kingdome whereof they are There are Laws there are Governments there are Governors there is ruling and there is subjection but all in the spirit all suitable to that which is to bo governed but no government of or according to the flesh As Christs kingdom is not of this world so the government of his Church and people is not according to this world but as that which gathers is his spirit and that which is gathered is spiritual so that which is governed is the spirits of his people and they are to be governed by his spirit and spiritually and not after a fleshly manner Thus Christ himself though he ministred to his disciples yet he also was their Lord and Master and in the spirit and life of the Father ruled over them and thus the Apostles and other ministers of Christ had likewise in the spirit the care of the Churches and authority in the Lord by his spirit to govern the spirits of his people not to govern after a fleshly manner by their own wills not to prescribe them in a Lordly way either what they should believe or practise but in the light and in the power of the spirit to make their way into every ones conscience in the sight of God ministring to every one in the spirit according to their capacity and growth and waiting patiently for God to convey the food and nourishment and to build their spirits up in the faith thereby The Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets Here is the government here is the law of rule and subjection in the life Every one feeling a measure of the Spirit in himself is thereby taught to own and subject to a greater measure of the same Spirit in another He that hath no measure of the Spirit of God he is not of God he is none of Christs and he that hath received a measure of the Spirit in the same spirit feeleth anothers measure and owneth it in its place and service and knoweth its moving and cannot quench it but giveth way to it with joy and delight When the Spirit moves in any one to speak the same spirit moves in the other to be subject and give way and so every one keeping to his own measure in the spirit here can be no disorder but true subjection of every spirit and where this is wanting it cannot be supplyed by any outward rule or order set up in the Church by common consent for that is fleshly and lets in the flesh and destroyes the true order rule and subjection The Apostles and Ministers of Christ come from Christ with a message of life and salvation with a testimony concerning the good will of God and his love to mankind pointing out the way from death to life from bondage to liberty from wrath and destruction to peace and salvation What they have seen what they have felt what they have tasted what they have handled what they have found redeem and deliver them that they declare abroad to others as they are moved as they are sent as they are guided and assisted Now that which they preach to is mens consciences in the sight of God They open the truth which they know they give their testimony in the moving leading and power of the Spirit and they leave it to the same spirit to demonstrate it to mens consciences as it pleaseth They are nothing they