Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bear_v	flesh_n	kingdom_n	6,050	5	7.3681	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94717	The foot out of the snare. Or, A restoration of the inhabitants of Zion into their place, after their bewildered and lost estate by the operation of a violent power, and authority, wrought in the author by the Prince of Darkness, under an appearance of the brightest light. Being a brief declaration of his entrance into that sect, called (by the name of) Quakers. With a short discourse relating what judgment he was learned in, by the ministry of those people. Together with the revelation of a spirit in himself. Also, what desperate delusions he was led into by yielding a subjection to the teachings of a seducing spirit in him under a shadow of the true light; and how this body of deceipt came to be destroyed. With the manner of his separation from them. / By me John Toldervy, then servant to Col. Webb.	Toldervy, John.	1655 (1655)	Wing T1767; Thomason E861_13; ESTC R206654	40,712	60

understand That he did not witness a Command for the using of those Ceremonies though formerly in his own Will out of imitation they were practised by him but when he witnessed a Command then he should Obey Now being disquieted in regard of his perfect Separation from the Unity of Spirit which formerly he owned with us we parted at variance but after his departure being dissetled as touching them by what was spoken from him I went privately and examined with my self how I came to take them up and what it was that upheld their reign in me so finding that my will was the first cause I went to divers that were of us and contrary to my mind I held an Argument as though I owned those things which formerly with them I denied that I might learn from them what Reason or Ground they could declare to the destroying of my pretended Judgement so after examining the Scriptures much discourse I found not only some inclination of their Belief in respect of them but a real convincement in my self And so after a short time through the Mercy of God I came to see not onely a death of that extraordinary imaginary and devilish Spirit by which I was so extreamly deluded but also the weakness of that in me which through a Cloak of Righteousness debarred me of my living and conversing with men as I had done formerly in the way of my livelihood and now I affirm from the Truth of God manifested in me that through a slavish Fear that I was in bondage unto I was as others are kept in those Delusions and that there is no more sin in the not using of these Ceremonies than in the using of them provided that wisdom guides MUch time hath bin spent seriously in the Examination of every particular herein declared but the strangeness thereof might occasion many serious Minds to question the Truth of it but I solemnly affirm in the presence of the Eternal God before whom all things are manifest that with a clear Understanding in the sence of my Distress while under those Temptations and powers of Deceit I have endeavoured to make known the Truth in sincerity of Minde And the God of Truth beareth me witness That to my knowledge I lye not in any thing spoken also much of this might be justified by many Eye-Witnesses True it is matter of Admiration and also greatly might it be admired that the goodness of God should so far exceed the depths of Satan and the powers of Darkness as that the deceitful workings of this evil One should be made manifest and that by the discovery of his Grace through his abundant Love which alwayes rejoyceth in Mercy after so great an Apostacie from himself he should restore his own Heritage to the place of their abode and settle the Understanding the Minde and Affections of his lost Creature upon the Foundation-Rock which will abide when all things else must perish Praises to his Name for ever and all whose Mindes are united to the upright and faithful Obedience and staid therein let them say with me Amen Now since the Lord hath appeared so mightily towards me in restoring from the Death and in raising out from the Grave the Light of himself by which my Understanding is better established than before it may be judged acceptable and desirous to know what the Foundation of my Faith is now I say The Scriptures they do discover the Minde and Will of God and they are profitable to the edifying of all under what estare or condition soever but the Will of God is in part made manifest in all not only by what hath been learned from that Discovery of Truth in the Scriptures but where the Scriptures is not And by this invisible Law written in the Hearts of all Men are Men convinced of every secret Temptation which lusteth in them to evil if giving heed unto it and as this Law-giver in us is spiritual so that Ministration of Righteousness in us is spiritual and that Obedience which it requireth is in Spirit and in Truth by which those that give heed unto it are and may be guided out of all the Works of the Flesh above the Law into a possession of that Covenant which giveth Life and so witness a new Birth born of the Spirit without which there is no entrance into the Kingdom as saith the Scripture Except a Man be born again of Water and of the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdom of God and then will those Covenants be made manifest and fulfilled which saith Unto such who fear my Name shall the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and he shall turn the heart of the children to their fathers and the heart of the fathers to their children And ye shall be all taught of God from the greatest unto the least so that you need not say one to another Know the Lord. And I will write my law in their hearts and place my fear in their inward parts that they shall not depart from me c. Now where the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled there is God made manifest and so far as that Obedience which it requireth rules in man so far have they Unity with God But yet I do not say That the Scriptures are in the least to be disesteemed but great is the advantage of these who have them to assist in the wayes of God which guide to God For much was the profit of the Jews before the Gentiles in that the Oracles of God were committed unto them the Law the Prophets being made known to and amongst them which the Gentiles had not but now far greater is the benefit or if disobeyed the just Condemnation of those who have the Scriptures more plain to the edifying of them in the Way in the Truth in the Life which is of Christ and leads to himself than ever the Jews had before Christ was manifested in the world But surely greater deceit was never made manifest than is now the unclean thing having bewitched and darkned the Understandings of Men so mightily True it hath been his business alwayes to remove the Obedience required by God of Man and so disquiet their peaceable enjoyment that he might ingraft a rebellious Nature in or upon that Tree which God hath made on purpose to bring forth the Fruits of himself to make known his name in but now the subtilty of his workings are far more admired by them in whom he hath taken place than ever before for when before the will of God was so plainly discovered in the Scriptures to the view of the world as it hath been since Christ and the Apostles dayes much of that hold for his deceit which he hath now was not Those who lived by the Faith of the Son of God whose Habitation was with Christ in God who were exalted in heavenly places in Christ Jesus who witnessed Revelations in whom was established the Life of Righteousness that

very knowing and understanding of what the truth or substance and life was To which end I laboured were it possible in that way to apprehend what was pure out of divers Opinions that so one knowledg one minde witnessed by one Truth my Understanding being well informed might act me to live in unity with God by a holy and innocent life But after a time in regard of much unstableness I saw in divers Teachers by the diversity of their Opinions and also much Confusion in many Societies who made a profession to be gathered together by one Spirit pure of God into one pure minde and so at unity with one pure God it occasioned much trouble and disquietness in me Whereupon considering seriously with my self I sought diligently what the cause should be of all this division by which men professing the Truth were thus distracted in their own mindes Upon which there was cleared to my understanding Truth being but one the ministration of righteousness which proceedeth from this Truth must necessarily be the same therefore that which occasioned this Division was the wisdom of the flesh which continually was and still is at enmity with Truth God being not the author of confusion but of peace After this I found a little pleasure in hearing of Ministers because of the pleasantness of their discourse by the excellencie of their beautified language but nothing sufficient to edifie or learn me with knowledge for in hearing I could not understand in seeing I could not perceive that any thing I ever saw or heard did proceed from a right understanding of the minde of God there being so many mixtures by what I apprehended in every thing spoken forth by all Whereupon was I perswaded to see what might be learned from others who were out of the way of these professions by whose Doctrine together with what I apprehended of my self by the operation of a spirit infused into me after a short time there was made clear to my understanding what follows But first I shall declare the manner of my entrance into this belief Being thus perswaded I began to be very inquisitive after some other people that might accord with and be instruments of good to me whose life conversation might be one with their doctrine both which being of God might certainly confirm their unity with God So in a short time I became affected with those people called by the name of Seekers but afterwards hearing at a private house two of those called by the name of Quakers and much observing their discourse little was spoken but all tending to the destruction of every the least sin So by the sincerity of their discourse with the sobriety of their appearance I was taken somewhat affected with them upon which I was perswaded to make a further enquiry after that Sect though to my wisdom notwithstanding what was spoke was against all sin yet there was nothing declared of the mystery of the Gospel of Christ But upon a further enquiry in the observation of them I saw their order their maner of teaching and duties and found as was declar'd by them as far as I perceiv'd that all spake the same things their Ministery was one all in one Order united compleat in one Minde whereby they were acted as one in their duties whereupon I concluded that surely these people were of God sent forth as witnesses for himself against all others who took the name of God in their mouthes and declared themselves to be the Ministers of Christ though they were made Ministers of man and sent forth by man whose Doctrine stood in the will of Man and not understanding what the Word of life was therefore uncapable of edifying the people being Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit Now since it was written that the people of God should be of one soul and one minde God also being one and his Name one and these people declaring to be the same who did live much witnessed by their humility one pure life also moved to speak and act onely from a true and faithful being of God manifested in them by which they appeared to be as Lights in the world and all others who were in a subjection unto divers Forms in many things taking liberty to themselves their lives appeared to be judges of them as well as their outward declaration yet in regard of much strangeness that I apprehended in their way also the extraordinary bold confidence they had in their judging which gave no liberty for the justification of any besides themselves I could not finde a sufficient satisfaction to comply with them A short time following being at a private * Of those called Seekers Meeting where after some time spent by two or three who were making enquiry what should be the meaning of the Spirit of God in two Scriptures which seemingly did appear to contradict each other there comes into the Meeting divers strange men and in the midst of their discourse upon those Scriptures there stood up a man of these strangers and silencing of them he began with an exceeding bold courage to speak crying aloud in these words or to this effect Praises praises be to the Lord God for ever who hath hid these things from the wise prudent and hath revealed them unto babes giving them to know that the dark clouds were veiled over the Sun and with this darkness did they go about to comprehend the light but the light did see the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not So repeating over those Scriptures he affirmed with confidence that they meant that they spake and made those plain to the understanding of many affirming that those who never came to live obedient to the Life which was of God in them should never come to see what was meant by the holy Spirit which moved those who lived the life of God to speak them forth the words of the Wise were dark to such who by their disobedience had lost their light So Man having now lost his guide being blind he seeks after Knowledge by the teachings of that minde which is darkned and so feeds upon that tree forbidden of the knowledge of Good and Evil not discerning and beginning in Genesis he passed thorow the whole scope of the Scriptures declaring what was meant by them and all things being turned by him into Allegories typifying or figuring forth what was to be fulfilled in man before he came to be born of the Spirit the second birth without which there was no entrance into the Kingdom of God heaven which was in man according to that Scripture I will dwell in them and walk in them they shall be my people and I will be their God And so declaring what was meant by the first Adam what by the second Adam what the Fall was what the cause of the Fall what reigned after the Fall what by Redemption out of this fallen estate the way of this Redemption the effects produced

perswaded with By which true Judgement became lost in me That I may in this be as a Sea-mark whose poor Vessel was well-nigh Split upon those Rocks and am now become as one to give warning that none do through the hastiness of their own Minds in their own Wills under a pretence of God's Will dishonor the Truth by giving heed to such Seducings and Temptations ascribing that to God and calling it His when indeed it is the Effects of their own Fancy through their own Weakness and their own Imagination 3. That there may be a true and impartial Information held forth to every one to whose Hands this Discourse shall come of the true Rise and Progress of my Entrance into and Separation from the People called Quakers in order to the silencing of those false Aspersions which have been cast not only upon me but also upon the aforenamed People themselves by reason of me And which is more especially upon the Truth it Self which through misrepresentation and misunderstanding of things hath much suffered These things Considered I hope it will be understood by all sober-minded Persons that I am in this Work upon a great Duty which I may not be at rest till it be effected and the rather because herein the Temptations and Wiles of Satan are Discovered and in measure detected which many being ignorant of could not Believe or Avoid And although I must and do expect That there will be sent forth Floods after me even to the very drowning of me if possible by Reproaches Calumnies Aspersions and whatever may be to render me or make me Odious as divers have appeared in such-like very active towards me already but those who profess the highest Truth even the Perfection and abounds therein dares not nay they cannot appear in the Language of the Beast of the Serpent of the Deceiver yet however things be I shall abide where I am therefore I count not any thing which I may suffer valuable in comparison of that Peaee I have in bearing this Witness which is not anothers but fulfilled in and on my Person So that I may truly say as in another Case What I have heard with mine Ears and seen with mine Eyes and felt with my poor tormented Body and Spirit That I have testified and do testifie and my Witness therein is true To which let me add a few Words by way of Caution to thee in the perusal of what followeth 1. That thou Consider what thou Readest and understand things as they are Also be serious in thy Observation and be not light in Mind nor easily tickled with toyish Laughter at such Vanities as thou mayest perceive to have attended me But Watch and Pray That thou also mayest not be led into Temptation For I assure thee That in the hour of my Temptation I judged those Madnesses and Follies great and serious things though now through Mercy I look upon them with another Eye 2. Despise not the Scriptures wherein the Minde of God is so preciously and plentiously Recorded neither doat too much upon them for therein the Deceiver will work in thee Subtilly to the drowning of thy Understanding by forming in thee Imaginations and comprehensions of things which are not I mean things which are not in the Counsel of God by which the Unbelieving and Disobedient Minde will be kept nourished in thee therefore be not wise above what is written either in the Scriptures or in thy Self lest the Light of Israel become a Rock of Offence and a Stone of Stumbling unto thee for both which were my Errors by which I dearly suffered 3. Watch unto Prayer and be staied in what is thy Obedience that so thy Understanding might be opened and thou mayest be able to distinguish between things that differ as saith the Scripture Try the Spirits whether they are of God for there are that have a great seeming-sameness at least a great similitude and likeness of God as when thou shalt be inwardly moved to Speak or Act See that thou impute not that to God which is thine own nor ascribe not that to thy Self which is His and by how much the more Difficult it is for thee to Distinguish thy own Spirit in its Operations and Effects from the Operations and Effects of the true and faithful Spirit of the Lord be so much the more Humble and Lowly and filled with Moderation both towards thy Self and others until thou art Restored to a cleerer Sight 4. Be not rash in Judging nor Censuring an Evil whereunto I my self was most inveterately addicted and is the universal Distemper of these times for unsavoury Expressions being out of Charity especially where it come short of Knowledge stands not in the Counsel of God though many glory therein but they Acting from themselves and so their work being their own true Judgement will rest upon them the wisdom which is from above being pure and peaceable and full of gentleness yea even to the Froward otherwise I say otherwise what had become of me and others this day but the Word of Truth will Rebuke in his day when the Eyeshall see as it is seen beholding things as they are and not as Fancied or Imagined to be 5. If thy Heart be set Free pray for the Author that he may be kept by the power of God in Obedience to that Faith which is Salvation who referring thee to the Discourfe as it follows bids thee Farewel John Toldervy WE whose Names are hereunto Subscribed being Certified of the Contents and Circumstances of the Discourse ensning and some of us having Perused a Part and others the Whole of it are fully satisfied of the Truth of Things Reported in it and do Recommend it as a Piece worthy to be Read and taken into Consideration by all serious Christians as a sad and very remarkable Providence of God to be Observed of all those who take pleasure either in the knowledge of the gracious Works of God or in the Discovery of the Wiles and Subtilties of the Devil And as a seasonable Warning-piece unto all others that they be not taken in the like Snare And if taken that they may recover themselves out Thomas Brooks Thomas Jacomb George Cokayn Will. Adderley John Goodwin John Tombes Will. Jenkyn Matth. Poole The Foot out of the Snare I J. T. having for divers years been full of zeal after the things of God by which zeal I was led forth with exceeding love after the knowledge of Christ to which end I sought after those Ways and Means which I was perswaded to be most useful for the satisfying of my Judgment clearing of my Conscience as Duties enjoyned in order to my upright and close walking with God and blameless life and conversation amongst men To the same end I was led forth with much fervencie of spirit after the Teachings of those whom I judged to be most enlightned with that Spirit which was of God and that were esteemed of the primest Professors to be

far distant from London But a short instant following being perswaded in this way as I was restrained from proceeding in this business so also I was engaged to make known what I had done otherwise than I intended which was privily to restore it as I had taken it forth which I did restoring the same which I had received not having made any use thereof Now amongst other things which this change of minde wrought in and upon me and by which first I became famous in the general discourse of men especially amongst those of whom I was known this business was a chief by which through the not understanding of the thing divers conclusions have been conceived otherwise than the Truth by which many abusive reproaches have been unjustly cast upon me but what I speak cannot in the least be gain-said known unto those whom it did concern A short time after my compliance with that Spirit which entred in me by the observation of their practice declared to be from the teachings of the Spirit Christ in them My Master having been at the Wells came home so out of that respect I had to what was good in him and also that love I bare towards his eternal rest with God I was moved to go to him presently and inform him of my Restoration from the depth of those delusions which I was serviceable in by the ministery of those Teachers who were blinded in their understanding not knowing the mystery of godliness upon which I really supposed that he would have been prevailed upon by me to frequent our Meetings that if may be the same Ministery spoken from the Life by which the Life was raised in me might effect the same end in him unto his Salvation so coming to him I wrote a Scroll took him by the Arm or Cloak and bade him Sit down William Web not bowing not pulling off the hat not Master for then I denied that title to him though related to him a Servant as afterwards I denied all relations from the words of one He that liveth in the Light will see no difference after which I spake these words How does thy body do for as may be observed we made a separation between the Body and the Spirit Now the observation of my carriage with the strangeness of that expression Body moved him to speak these words John what is the matter where is the Servant's Obedience where is the Master's honour The answer as I remember was thus ' My Master was the faithful Spirit in me So I gave him to understand That I had heard the Ministers of the everlasting Gospel by whom I was converted to the faithful obedience by which I should finde Life desiring of him as he respected his eternal happiness to come amongst us that so what is true might be made manifest to and in him For said I from the Lord do I declare that all the Ministers of these times or that were not of us are the Ministers of the Devil and in particular Feak that Minister whom he heard was of the Devil whose Ministery was Death So being stopped by much dislike in him of what was spoken I was dismissed by him at that time A while after this when he and his Company were at Dinner I was moved by that Spirit in me to go and Dine w th them now because it was against my will I concluded that this moving was indeed from the Lord which service was intended by the Lord to make known unto him that he willed there should be no Difference between Man and Man So I went into the Room where he was took me a Stool and sate down at the Head of the Table which being done I applied my Minde to my Business Then was asked me some Questions forth of the Scripture concerning the Duty of the Servant which was Answered in the justifying of my self as to that Deed giving him to know That I was the Servant of the living God and he was not therefore I had more right unto the Greatures than he had So having finished my work I departed Now I was with exceeding love out of respect unto my eternal Salvation formerly fixed with a resolution to be taught by the Light in me and so never to sin any more upon which I became very punctual in every word and every Deed Also having received a strict Charge with the rest That nothing should be Spoken or Acted but what might be eternally witnessed whereupon when any Customers came to deal with me I durst not ask them What they wanted believing that those Words could not be eternally witnessed for they knew what they came for Then when that was required which they came for I durst not make in the price of it but one word and if by them tempted to more because of what was expected of advantage to themselves by a cheaper Rate I should be provoked to look sternly with wrath and envie out of the extream hatred I bare towards that Spirit which moved them to speak more than was needful and so by this and that Spirit by which I was limited to those words Thee and Thou and not pulling off my Hat without any civil respect in my Carriage I was made unfit for that Service by which was intended a way for my livelihood Also divers of those Commodities we dealt in having honourable Names and other having such Names which I judged were not meet I was commanded and enjoyned by this Spirit in me to give unto them fresh Names believing that those Names did proceed from the invention of Man and they stood in the Fall as did every thing that was invented and made by Man and so used by Man that was not absolute necessary Also it was believed that all those things before spoken of which I was limited from stood in the will of Man and they came in the Fall I was farther perswaded not to eate any thing that I loved believing that what did set a Difference of any Creature stood in the Will for he looked upon all things and behold it was good therefore it was of Man that gave a respect to any thing above other so by degrees at the last I was wrought upon to eat nothing but Crums pickings of Bones when finished by others with such Food that was destructive to my health it being contrary to pure Nature Also I was limited from eating of the Creature what was needful to the satisfying of Nature so that I was made extream poor so changed as though I were not the same man fasting some weeks from eating little more than Nature would have required to eat in one day Going along Cheap-side I saw Cabbage-stocks with broken leaves of Colworts which were thrown away by the Market-women at which sight I was enjoyned by a command of this Spirit in me to gather them all up and carry them home which being done I was commanded in the like nature to dress them and the next food I