Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A57306
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A premonition to the bishops and priests of England &c. with twenty reasons why the people of God in scorn called Quakers do refuse to hear them.
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Rigge, Ambrose, 1635?-1705.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing R1488; ESTC R17045
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10,145
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16
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are fed by Christ the true Shepherd therefore is the Hand of the Lord turned against you and he will wipe you as a man wipeth a Dish turning it upside down Reas 6. You have born Rule by your Means and have been called Lords and Masters and them who could not give you those flattering Titles you have hated and persecuted and you have loved and strove for the chiefest Places in the Assemblies and the uppermost Rooms at Feasts and have gone in long Robes and for a Pretence have made long Prayers being directly such as Christ cryed Wo against Mat. 23. Reas 7. You have come to People in Sheeps Cloathing and through your Good VVords and Fair Sperches have deceived the Hearts of the Simple but inwardly are Ravening Wolves you are known to the whole Nation by your Fruits being written in great Characters upon your Foreheads viz. Pride Covetousness Luxury Drunkenness Whoredom Lying Swearing the Abominations of the Heathen and therefore are Evil Trees which have no Promise but to be hewen down Reas 8. You have cried Peace to every one that would put into your Mouths and feed you with Tythes Gifts and Rewards but they who have denied you these you like ravening Wolves have devoured many Widows Houses and tender Lambs and have far exceeded in making Spoil of Peoples Goods who have received nothing from you all the false Prophets that ever I heard or read of either in the Scriptures or any History since the Foundation of the World and therefore we cannot own you as true Shepherds but as ravening Wolves Reas 9. You have not been content with Christ's Wages to his Ministers viz. into whatsoever House ye enter eat and drink such things as they set before you for the Labourer is worthy of his Meat Luke 10. therefore never truly sent forth by him but have gone in the Way of Cain and after the Error of Balaam Jude 11. who erred from the Spirit of God and then was more blind then the Ass he rode on Reas 10. You have followed your own Spirits and have mocked and derided those that possess the infallible Spirit of Truth and therefore are Ministers of the Letter which killeth and not of the Spirit which giveth Life for the least Measure of the Spirit of Truth is infallible and never deceived any who were guided by it but the whole Body of the Spirit of Error is fallible and worketh with all Deceivableness of Unrighteousness its Fruits being such as are mentioned in the nine foregoing Reasons why the Quakers deny the Priesthood of England Reas 11. You when you have seen the Wolf come have fled and left your Flocks to be devoured by him when the Arm of Flesh turned against you and therefore are you manifest Hirelings and not of the true Shepherd who laid down his Life for his Flock John 10.12 13. Reas 12. You have not turned People from Darkness to the true Light wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightned every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 nor from the Power of Satan to the Power of God whereby they might witness Remission of Sins contrary to the Doctrine and Practise of Christ and the true Ministers of the Gospel Acts 26.16 17 18. but you have kept people in Darkness and under the power of Satan and have preached and made people believe they must remain under Satan's power all the Dayes of their Lives and consequently have made the Death Suffering and Blood of Christ of none Effect and the Second Covenant of no more Force nor Virtue then the First nor the Blood of Christ no better then the Blood of Bulls and Goats which could not cleanse from Sin and therefore you and they dye in your Sins as Christ said to the Jews John 8.21 Reas 13. You creep into the Idolatrous Houses which were built by the Papists and consecrated to Idolatry and there lead silly men and women captive laden with Sin and divers Lusts ever learning and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth which is Christ the Light of the World and so Freedom from Sin and Eternal Life in Christ is hid from your Eyes and the Way of Peace neither the Leaders nor they who are led know and therefore we call you blind Leaders of the blind as Christ did those who walked in your Steps Mat. 15.14 Reas 14. You have a shew of Godliness but deny hate and persecute the Power of Godliness in all in whom it is brought forth and for this Reason also we turn away from you according to the Apostle's Doctrine 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5 6 7. Reas 15. You are Wells without Water Clouds carried about with a Tempest for when the Storm came and beat upon your Houses which you upon the Sand had built they fell and you fled at their Fall and great was their Fall so you are Hearers and not Doers deceiving your own Souls Mat. 7.26 27. Reas 16. You dip or sprinkle Infants and cause men and women to promise and vow that they shall forsake the Devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of this world and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh which you nor they can never perform here you are grievous Covenant-Breakers for neither you nor they in that state you stand in can keep God's Holy Will nor his Commandments one Day in all your Lives and so lay heavy Burdens upon others which you will not touch with one of your Fingers and cause many to break their solemn Covenant with God which will be charged to you in the Day of Account and so are the Covenant-Breakers spoken of 2 Tim. 3.3 Reas 17. You deny Perfection and Freedom from Sin in this Life contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Ministers Mat. 5.48 Rom. 6.18 19 20 21 22 23. Phil. 3.15 1 John 4.17 and so make void the Gifts given by Christ at his Ascension which were for the perfecting of the Saints Ephes 4.12.13 Reas 18. You have kept people in Doubt of their Salvation in telling them they must have a Body of Sin as long as they live and not resolving them where this Body of sin must be done away seeing the Scripture saith There is no Remembrance of God in Death and in the Grave who shall give him Thanks Psal 6.5 And again Isaiah saith The Grave cannot praise the Lord nor Death celebrate him and they that go down to the Pit cannot hope for his Truth Isaiah 38.18 So unless you tell People where or when they shall be made free from Sin and prove the same by plain Scripture you will be seen of all to be manifest Deceivers seeing no Unclean Thing shall enter into the Kingdom of Righteousness Reas 19. You deny Immediate Revelation and Inspiration by the Spirit of God at this day through which the things of God's Kingdom both is and ever was known Deut. 29.29 Job 32.8 Mat. 16.17 Mat. 11. 27. 1 Cor. 2.10 11. And thereby do keep People from the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent whom to know is Life eternal John 17.3 this again shews you in Doctrine to be contrary to the Apostles and Primitive Christians who were Sons and Daughters of God and led by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.14 So for this Reason also we deny you and turn away from you as being Ministers of the Letter that killeth and not of the Spirit that giveth Life 2 Cor. 3.6 Reas 20. You love to be called Lord-Bishops and your Priests Master such a one and Master such a one contrary to the Scriptures and the Titles of the Holy men of God therein recorded for we do not read of Lord Timothy nor Lord Titus though Bishops nor of Master Paul nor Master Peter c. This again shews you to be more like the Gentiles who exercised Lordship over their Brethren then Ministers of Christ but Christ said it should not be so among his Ministers but He that would be greatest should be Servant to all Mark 10.43 Southwark the 24th of the 9th Moneth 1676. Your Friend A. R. THE END