Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A41823
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The prisoners vindication with a sober expostulation and reprehension of persecutors / by John Gratton.
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Gratton, John, 1641-1712.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing G1585B; ESTC R28044
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20,540
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36
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Partiality and without Hypocrisie and the Fruits of Righteousness is sown in peace in them that make Peace But say you I am a sower or mover of Sedition So said the Iews by Paul but they accused him falsly and so do you me for I fear God and love all men and herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and Men and as much as in me lieth endeavour to live peaceable with all men and do know assuredly that I seduce no man for the Lord hath given me in his endless Mercy an understanding to know him that is true And the true Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World doth not lead us to seduce any but reproves and condemns Seducers and Sedition and makes all things manifest of what sort it is But if I did or any of us did move Sedition then it would be seen by our Fruits Lives and Conversations and we should not have that presence of God with us which we have and besides you would do well to shew us wherein as the Apostle did them of Old and shew us our Errors which are not to be found in a Prison nor indeed in us who believe and walk in the Light and are Children of it But perhaps you may say We walk disorderly Suppose we do what then If you will take the Apostles advice you should withdraw from us and if we observed not or obeyed not the Gospel-order do as the Apostle bids you For saith he if any man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed Yet count him not as an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother But not one Word of a Prison or Fine No saith he elsewhere the Servant of the Lord must be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in Meekness in structing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth and that they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil who are taken Captive by him at his Will Oh that you would take notice of this great piece of Advice And further concerning those that have a form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof from such turn away saith he And so you would shew your dislike of such and disown them to be none of you but alas where is the Power of Godliness to be seen if not in the sober honest Quaker as you call us who dare not speak his own Words nor do his own Will but lays down all to follow the Lamb in true Obedience to what he requires and commands though for the same they suffer the loss of all outward things And truly it is seen fulfilled that he that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution and he that departs from Iniquity makes himself a Prey But the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and of a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned And saith he thus Warn them that are Vnruly Comfort the Feeble-minded Support the Weak be Patient towards all men see that none render Evil for Evil unto any man but ever follow that which is good both amongst your selves and to all men And then what follows Rejoyce evermore And truly so they might with good cause if this counsel were observed Pray without ceasing saith he that spoke in Charity In every thing give Thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Iesus concerning you quench not the Spirit despise not Prophecying prove all things hold fast that which is good abstain from all appearance of Evil. Oh what tender Counsel this is And what need have we to take notice of it here in England Nay he tells you elsewhere Though he speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass and a tinckling Simbal And though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing and though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and though I give my Body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Charity suffereth long and is kind doth not make men suffer long for that 's unkind And truly the Apostle is so full in this matter that all Profession or Religion without Charity is nothing worth Charity saith he envieth not beareth all things Compare but this with Peter's words Add saith he to your Faith Virtue to Virtue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Patience to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly-Kindness Charity if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be Barren nor Vnfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ but he that lacketh these things is Blind and cannot see afar off And now if you would judge the Tree by its Fruits what can you find of these things in Persecution And if you believe Scripture methinks you may see the very current of it runs continually against Persecution Violence Oppression Cruelty Uncharitableness and the like Perhaps you may say It s not worthy to be called Persecution that 's done to a Heretick Let me Answer you once more Suppose you that the Scripture is to be taken notice of and the Precepts therein to be minded then see what it saith A man that is a Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that him that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself So here he must be admonished to obey what he knows for if he did not sin knowingly he would not condemn himself But if he persist and reject Counsel then reject him disown him and have no Society with him c. But not one word of putting him in Prison Fine him or spoil his Goods But though I thus speak be it known to you I am no Heretick as you have been pleased to call me for I am not in the least condemned of my self for what I do in things relating to Faith and Worship no God is my witness I do what I do in Obedience to him and do know him to justifie me and comfort me in my Bonds for the same and it is a light matter to be judged at mans day yet I for Truths sake was free to clear my self of your false Charges But perhaps you may still say If I be no Heretick I am one that causes Divisions and Offences contrary to your Doctrine Well suppose I be nay suppose I was one that caused Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostles yet see what must be done to such Why saith the Apostle I beseech you Brethren mark them that cause Divisions and Offences contrary to our Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Avoid them what is that All flee their Company But let me tell you we are none of this sort for we cause no Divisions from the Truth it is our travail and labour in the Lord that men may be truly joyned unto the Truth and live in it and it s those that serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellys who by good Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the Simple but these goods Words and fair Speeches the People must pay them well for too else they must not have them But for good Works and fair Conversations those are not to be found amongst the BELLY-SERVERS But may I not here venture to say by the People called Quakers as Paul did by the Romans Your obedience is come abroad unto all Men yea and I believe God will bruise Satan under our Feet shortly though he be suffered to cast some of us into Prison now for the tryal of our Faith and accuse us falsly of many things as he did Iob and makes Lyes his Refuge yet his time is short and God even our God will over all Exalt his own Name and Truth to the Joy of all the Upright-hearted Written in Derby Goal in the Year 1682. where I yet remain a Prisoner JOHN GRATTON Matth. 10. 7. Go Preach saying the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand Luke 10. 10 11. But into whatsoever City ye enter and they receive you not go your ways into the Streets of the same and say Even the Dust of your City which cleaveth on us we do wipe off against you notwithstanding be ye assured of this that the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you THE END
only be admitted to Preach as would do it freely in them But though he did whip such out as aforesaid yet we never read that he whipt any in or that if any would not come to that place that then he imprisoned them or fined them or the like no he was a Shepherd tender and loving unto them if one went astray his way to fetch them in hath been and is ever by his gentle calls unto them and reproving rebuking and checking of them in their Hearts by his Spirit and following of them with his righteous Judgments in their inward man So that for want of true peace with God many have returned again to him who shews them wherein they offend and when they return there is more Joy in Heaven over one Sinner that repents than ninety nine Just Persons that need no Repentance Iust Persons mark that these are none of your Church of miserable Offenders But let me ask you Is not Faith the gift of God And that which is not of Faith is Sin is it not If so then I ask what you had gained if you could make a man chuse rather to conform to your Worship yours I call it contrary to his Faith and Conscience than lose his enjoyments of Wife Children Liberty and Estate any more then a Hypocrite one that seemed to be that he is not nay may I not say any better than a plain Heretick for I take him to be a Heretick that is condemned of himself that allows himself to do that he condemns himself for And truly this way of persecuting men for their Faith and Conscience is the only way to bring them to become Hypocrites and Hereticks and is the way such men have gone in to hold up their Idolatry and Superstition in all Ages witness Baals Prophets and the old Serpent knows it well enough therefore it was said in the Revelations That the Devil should cast some of you into Prison Some of whom some of the Servants and faithful Witnesses of Jesus who would not could not worship the Beast But further suppose I wanted Faith and a right understanding of the things that belong to my everlasting Peace do you think that a Prison will be a means to bring me into the true Faith Can the Prison Walls rectifie my understanding or give me Faith and Wisdom Did ever Christ command the use of a Prison or Fine or any thing of that nature to men that would not hear him nor believe him What ground have you for this shew us your Foundation for these Actions and bring Command Precept or Example for them from Christ or his Servants and then I shall think better of you but if not let me tell you one Day you may find your portion to be what the Prophet said Wo to him that spoils and is not spoiled Therefore I could gladly desire even in pity to your own Souls that you would consider your doings not that I am so much grieved for my own suffering for Truth 's sake no though my poor Wife and Children are near and dear to me yet blessed be the Lord I have Faith in God concerning them and believe he will take care for them and me too and can trust the Lord upon all accounts blessed be his Name forever though it is hard and will be so found one Day to you that part me from them to be stript from them for my obedience to God and laid in Prison and by you reported to be one of the worst of men Oh! this hath been the old way and manner of Old the Serpent and his Instruments have taken with the Servants of Jesus Christ witness Paul's Accusers and Persecutors We said they have found this Man a pestilent Fellow a mover of Sedition a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazareans c. And the great Rabbies of those dayes the Scribes Phrisees High Priests and Rulers that persecuted our great Lord and Master Jesus Christ accused him to be an Enemy to Caesar a Blasphemer and a Deceiver c. And you that are my Persecutors are you not much like these men aforesaid who persecuted Christ and his Apostles and cryed to the Rulers for help in your proceedings against me And though some of you never saw me as I know of and none of you ever came to discourse me or see wherein I was mistaken as to my Faith and Principles yet you can fling it out That I am a dangerous Person and a Deceiver and runs up and down the Country to delude People Oh! these your Lyes and False Charges will one day be remembred except you Repent which I desire you may And as I said before consider your doings and see who you run parallel with you are but Men you may be mistaken seeing you are not led by an infallible Spirit and therefore cannot be sure your selves are in the right but you go by conjectures and rest upon the Judgment of ancient Fathers reverend Divines Heathen Authors or your own Conceivings or the like and are uncertain and leave the People unsatisfied and so manifest your selves to be such as are not sent with the Lord's Message received from God himself as by all your uncertain beating the Air is manifest to every one whose Eyes the Lord hath opened So that here is great danger if I should leave Christ the true Light and teacher of men who now appears by his pure Spirit in my Heart and shews me the things that do belong to my Peace and follow you that I should then be led to act both in Principle and Practice and do those things I ought not and leave undone those things I ought to do and then I could not escape being a miserable Sinner and Offender in whom there is no health Now suppose I should contrary to my Faith and Knowledge come to you and live and dye in Error for fear of being here kept in Prison and brought to Poverty in the World which blessed be the Lord I value not in comparison of my Peace with him the God of Peace and think to plead with God and say I did what I did in submission to man's Will who said they were the Ministers of Christ and was forced to it by the chief Priests of our Country and must either submit to their Wills or lie in Prison my Goods spoiled my Wife and Children impoverished so that I did what I did only to save my Estate and have my Liberty c. or else I would not have done it for it was against my Faith and Conscience and because of the fear of Man Will this excuse me If not then I ask you Can you excuse me to God and assure me of it that if I will conform to your Worship and give you Monies for a Pardon of my true obedience to God in disobedience to you For so indeed the case lieth if not that you cannot excuse me if you should or could force me to sin against God then why should