Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	action_n	bring_v	good_a	2,497	5	4.1633	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30498	The holy truth and its professors defended in an answer to a letter writ by Lawrence Potts, priest of Staplestown near Catherlough, unto Robert Lacky, a parishioner and formerly hearer of the said priest, occassioned by his forsaking his ministry and embracing the blessed truth herein vindicated / by John Burnyeat [and] John Watson.	Burnyeat, John, 1631-1690.; Watson, John, 1650?-1710.	1688 (1688)	Wing B5966; ESTC R36040	22,397	32

more zealous for your Gain and Interest than for excluding Evil and promoting Righteousness in your Church and so like them the Apostle speaks of who minded earthly things whose end he said was destruction Phil. 3. 19. Now such practices are no marks of the Church of Christ but of a false Church where there is want of zeal for Righteousness whereby it is manifest that you are not in the undefiled Christian Religion which keeps from the Spots of the World and leads into Fellowship with the Father and his Son. And therefore there was no such danger as thou insinuates in thy Letter in his leaving of your Church of incurring the Damnation of his Soul or choosing an unsafer way to Heaven in coming to that Religion he hath chosen Next we observe thou seemest to take an advantage at his saying It is the Light of Gods Grace that let him see the evil of his own heart that he lived in and the evil of others also and so wouldst strain these words the evil of others particularly to the seeing of the hidden evils of their hearts in secret as he saw his own whereas it is not to be questioned but that he intended the evil that others brought forth into Words or Actions Though when he speaks of himself he names his heart saying my own heart yet thou unfairly makest a great deal ado about it to bring him under blame as if he assumed Gods Prerogative and plainly contradicted the Apostle Paul in the 14 th chap. of the Romans but that thou hast no just reason for these thy endevours wise men may easily comprehend However it is certain that through the Light of Gods Grace in the heart men may come to see the defects in themselves and also in others without assuming Gods Prerogative And as to thy saying It 's a Term often used by the Quakers but not rightly understood by them thy Charge is false The Quakers understand it and thou canst not make out the contrary though it 's easie for thee and others to accuse but that we leave upon thee to prove and make out But as for his seeing the wickedness of his own heart it is not to be questioned and also to see the vanity and wickedness of others is not difficult For it is apparent enough that men that are in the Society of the people of your Religion may see what is brought forth daily that is not agreeable to Christianity both in words and actions And seeing this and that which Christ lays down being granted that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things Matth. 12. 35. Then according to this Rule of Christs by what men bring forth in their Conversations the Heart may be judged and though the Lord search the Heart and try the Reins and to know secrets is his Prerogative yet what is thus manifested according to the rule of Christ is no presumption to believe or give judgment in And as to the Apostles words Rom. 14. thou makest an impertinent application of them in bringing them as a testimony in this concern against him for the case in which they were not to judge one another was in point of Faith or their growth or liberty therein the weakness of the Faith of a weak Brother was to be born with in that straitness that was upon some as in respect to Meats and the observing of Days which others were grown over that were not to be judged but in point of Faith were to be left to their own liberty and in that case saith he Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him and he that did eat was not to despise him that did not eat So thou maist see that the Apostle had a regard to their growth in the Faith and so would have all walk accordingly in wisdom with care not to hurt one another But what is this to people of a loose life whose words and actions are contrary to the Law of God and so sinful May we bear no Testimony against such was it not the practice of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles to reprove such and give Testimony against them and yet not contradict Paul in this case How ignorant thou shewest thy self to be of the Scriptures But mark thy Judgment and where it will fall Have not these many years your Church and Ministry been cencerned in persecuting such as could not for Conscience sake and in the liberty of their Faith observe days and other things which you required and when they could not conform to you they have not only been judged by you but sorely abused and cast into Prison put in the Stocks and their Goods spoiled Thus have many suffered only for matters of Faith and Conscience towards God And so herein it is evident that your established Church thou speakest of is highly guilty of the Fact thou chargest to be plainly contrary to the Apostle in that forecited Scripture in Rom. and so is judging another mans Servant in that wherein he ought to be left to his own Master and presumest to meddle with Christs Prerogative so you are under thy own Condemnation being guilty of that which thou wouldst condemn in others And this to be your practice can be proved by many Witnesses that have suffered upon this account by your Church both in England and Ireland From what is beforesaid it's evident that for a man to say that he sees the evil of his own heart by the Light and Grace of God and the evil of other men which were conversant with him in his loose Conversation doth not bring him under the Censure of the Apostle as thou ignorantly dost imply therefore thou maist take it home to thy self and thy Brethren as a just Judgment upon you for the reasons aforementioned Thou further sayest that perhaps we will object that Christ in Matth. 7. 16. says ye shall know them by their Fruits c. To which thou answerest he does so but tellest us it hath relation to false Prophets and withal wouldst insinuate as if the Teaching Quakers as thou callest them were such but that they are such is a false insinuation which thou canst never be able to prove And by Fruits thou tellest us that both there and in other places is meant the Doctrine of those false Prophets or Teachers that being the proper Fruits of such men and not their particular Actions Answer That Christs words here have a relation to false Prophets we grant it and that they are to be known by their Fruits we also acknowledge but that the Fruits there meant are only their Doctrines and not their particular actions as thou affirmest we do deny And that it is not so as thou saist doth plainly appear from the words of Christ in many parts of the same

Chapter For first he saith they shall come in Sheeps Clothing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves so not in the Sheeps Life And what is the Sheeps Clothing Is it not the words of the true Prophets Apostles and Servants of God as appears by the Testimony of the Lords Servants as may be seen in Jerem. 23. 30. Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my Words every one from his Neighbour And the Apostle speaking of Deceivers Rom. 16. 18. saith that by good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple So that it is evident these false Prophets and Deceivers had good words for God said they had stolen his words from their Neighbours c. and they had fair speeches but were inwardly ravening from whence evil Fruits were brought forth but that by Fruits there is not meant their Doctrine as thou saist Observe further what Christ saith in that Chapter Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles even so every good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit but a corrupt Tree bringeth forth evil Fruit c. Wherefore by their Fruits ye shall know them ver 20. And in the following verses it is most clear that by Fruits he means their deeds and particular actions for his words are Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is Heaven so the Fruits here meant are doings not sayings Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name c. and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Here the working of iniquity was the cause of their exclusion from him And further speaking of the wise and foolish Builders he saith He that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man c. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man c. so that all along it doth appear that the particular actions are the Fruits whereby Christ declares they may be known and accordingly may be judged though thou saist many Hereticks men who have embraced vile Doctrines as thou affirmest the Quakers do have been of good Lives First As to thy affirming that the Quakers do embrace vile Doctrines that is false and we turn it back upon thee as a wicked slander and challenge thee to bring them forth that we may know what they are that thou accounts so and whether they be ours or not In the next place where dost thou read in all the Scriptures of men that held vile Doctrines that were of good Lives The next matter thou takest in hand to defend in thy Paper is your Tithes your great Dalilah for it's evident that it is your Tithes and other Revenues that is the very cause for which the most of you did become Ministers otherwise we are perswaded we had not had one of a hundred in those Offices at this day of you for it 's the Trade as it 's made by you whereby you get your rich Gain that is chiefly in the eye of those concerned in the preferring of Youth into the Schools and we think it is as much in the eye of the Ministers in their coming out of the Schools and going into the Nations to be Teachers as your practice doth manifest So that Christ and his Gospel is the least of your concern in the ground of your design what ever may be pretended For in all things mens ways and actions are a more sure evidence to demonstrate what they are than their words therefore Christ saith by their Fruits ye shall know them So that we do not wonder to find thee so concerned to plead wordly Gain But to come to the matter thy business is to prove Tithes of Divine Institution now under the Gospel Dispensation which if thou do then we will confess it is no defect in your Religion Thou sayest it will be no hard matter to do but thou hast not done it and if it be so easie to do thou shouldst have done it to have convinced him that scruples its Lawfulness However it may be supposed thou hast brought thy chief proof in quoting Christs words in Matth. 23. 23. and Luk. 11. 42. where he speaks of the Pharisees paying Tithes of Mint Anise Cummin c. and tells them these things ye ought to have done And then thou sayest nothing can be plainer to them that are not desirous to wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction So by thy own words this is thy chief proof being as thou saist nothing can be plainer But as plain as thou wouldst make the simple believe it is all that are wise do clearly see that this has no relation to the Gospel Dispensation but to the first Covenant and Priesthood And saith the Apostle Hebrews 7. 12. For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law. And in the 8th chap. thou maist see how he proves the Law changed and gives the Reason for the Lords giving a new Covenant or Testament and making the first old So its plain the Priesthood that received Tithes and the Law that made them of Divine Right to the Priesthood are both changed and both a new Law or Covenant and Priesthood set up and established by the Oath and Promise of God which are the two immutable things by which God shews the immutability of his Counsel abundantly unto the Heirs of Promise for the strengthening of their Consolation through Christ that is made an High Priest for ever as thou mayst read Heb. 6. Now thy work is to prove Tithes of Divine Institution in the New Covenant and then to prove and shew the Priesthood that is to receive them for thou maist see both the Law that gave them and the Priesthood that received them are changed and though Christ told the Scribes and Pharisees they ought to have done it that was according to the Law of the first Covenant which was not then disannulled Christ not being offered up but he himself under it for it is said He was made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4. 4 5. and so he taught people to observe it as when he had cleansed the Leper in Matth. 8. he bid him shew himself to the Priest and offer the Gift that Moses commanded for a Testimony unto them and so while under the Law he was for observing the Law but now that being ended in him his Law is to be observed and what he has ordained we are to be subject to But before we speak to that we are willing to take a little observation of the difference between your Priesthood that now takes Tithes and Gods Priesthood that received Tithes by his Law in his first Covenant First Levi's Line that was to receive Tithes of Israel

Protestants in England and Ireland profess Christ in Words but in Works deny him Ans. This is evident from their doings as is before proved so that it is no hard matter to make that Charge good against them Do thou clear them if thou canst When he saith as far as he understands our Principles and Practice are according to Christs Institution which he doubts not but we will make good upon occasion thou in answer saist thou knowest our Practice well enough which if true and if so bad as thou endeavourest to make people believe of us why hast thou brought none of them to make good thy Charges against us And as for our Principles thou saist thou never heardst we had any Then thou must needs be ignorant of our Way and Religion and therefore in thy speaking evil of it thou speakest evil of things thou understandest not and so art of that Generation spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 12. And as for our Faith and Principles they have been published to the world both by Words and Writing they have not been hid in a corner so that any that had a mind to concern themselves against us and yet as wise men would not judge without an understanding lest like thee they should speak evil of the things they did not understand might easily be informed what our Principles are However we are a people that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and that the Father sent him into the world to lay down his Life a ransom for all men that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal Life that he was crucified without the Gates of Jer. salem and so became a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole world and that after he had suffered and was buried God the Father raised him again by his eternal Spirit after which he shewed himself unto many Witnesses and then ascended into Heaven and is glorified with the Father with that Glory he had with him before the World was made And we further believe that he is the Light of the World and that he ought to be followed according to his own words John 8. 12. and that he lighteth every man that cometh into the world according to John 1. 9. and that this Light wherewith he lighteth every man all ought to believe in that they may be Children of the Light according to Joh. 12. 36. and so we believe in his spiritual Appearance according to his Promise who said He would pray the Father and he should send them another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth according to John 14. 16 17. and this was his own Spirit for he is the Truth and of this the Saints were Witnesses as the Apostle saith Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And thus was Christ in the Saints the Hope of Glory according to Col. 1. 7. And thus believing and witnessing the Truth of the Scripture we wait upon God for his Spirit that we may worship him therein according to the Institution of his Son Christ Jesus as in John 4. 23 24. and that we may pray with the Spirit and sing with it according to 1 Cor. 14. 15. for the Apostle exhorted the Saints to be filled with the Spirit Eph. 5. 18. and the Saints were to pray in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. So our Faith stands in the Power of God which is that the Apostle laboured that the Saints Faith might stand in as thou maist see 1 Corinth 2. 5. believing that there shall be a Resurrection both of the just and unjust they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation according to John 5. 29. Here we have given thee some account in short of our Faith Principles and Practice and proved them to be according to the Scripture whereby thou maist see if Prejudice and Self-Interest do not blind thine eye that Robert Lacky in turning from thy Teaching to Christ the true Light and his Teaching according to Gods Promise under the New Covenant who said they shall be all taught of the Lord which according to our Principle we direct people to wait for is no unsafe way to Heaven nor as thou falsly accusest us a pursuing such ways as are directly contrary to holy Scripture which thou in some measure promisest thou wilt make appear but hast it yet to do Thou saist because thou art fully satisfied we cannot make this out therefore thou wilt shew him how he has incurred not only the Displeasure of God for the present but the Damnation of his Soul hereafter unless he repent and return by this his departure from the Religion he was bred in Ans. Thou maist see thy Satisfaction is without ground as also thy confident presumption in thy passing such a Sentence upon him concerning his present and eternal estate And surely thy Judgment herein is groundless rash and vain as all may see who have any true Christian understanding and discerning and do but observe what is brought forth under your Teaching in your Religion for we understand no reason thou assignest for thy Judgment but his leaving of your Religion which we have before proved he had good reason so to do and therefore neither he nor any other need be afraid of thy threatning upon this account because from what is before written it is clear that there are great defects in the Principles and Exercise of the Religion he was bred in if he was bred in yours and so not according to Christs Institution as may be seen if compared with the Scripture And that there are no such defects in the Religion he now embraceth but proved in the Principles and Exercise of it to be of Christs Institution according to the Scripture and herein thy Challenge we have answered and endeavoured to make it appear both to thee and him according to thy demand but if thou hatest to be informed it shall lie at thy own door and thou shalt answer for it thy self So it is plain he may have changed out of a Principle of Conscience and pure Love to God and his Soul and not out of Interest Humour Passion or Prejudice as thou seemest to accuse him And as for thy assuring him upon thy word that it is not for any temporal advantage that thou seekest to reduce him but only in love to his Soul as thou hast to all mens as thou saist Ans. We think he hath no reason to believe that thou and the rest of your Clergy have such a love to the Souls of all men as to be the only reason of your coming amongst them to be their Teachers for your Practice which is a surer evidence than your words speaks the quite contrary in that you do leave any people where you are to go to another place for an Augmentation and higher Preferment so that it 's evident it is not the good of peoples Souls nor the Glory of God that chiefly moves you in this concern whatever may be pretended to And so to the Consciences and Understandings of wise men we refer these things to be considered of with our hearts desire to God for you all that he would open your Understandings and let you see the errour of your ways and bring you to a Reformation that the people you may lead in Errour no longer We conclude and remain Desirers of the Good of all men Dated the 13th of the 4th Month. 1688. John Burnyeat John Watson THE END