Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A56094
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A testimony of the appearance of God in the spirit of power and the true light, making manifest the deceipts of the Serpent with some reasons why Margaret Hambleton doth deny the Presbyterians of Scotland, they being found in the steps of the false prophets.
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Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.
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1658
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Wing P384; ESTC R31752
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7,651
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10
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their fruits and see whether or no if they be not found in the steps of those whom the true Prophets Christ and his true Ministers declared against Isaiah was a true Prophet of the Lord and he by the Spirit of the Lord cried against the blind watchmen in his dayes calling them greedy dumb dogs Isay 56.10 11. which could never have enough every one looking to his own way seeking for the gain from his quarter and he makes a Proclamation Isay 55.1 2. saying Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters yea come ye and eat buy wine and milk without money and without price Now come to the touchstone and try your Teachers compare them and see whether or no they be found in the steps of Isaiah who spoke freely without a price or whether or no they be not found in the steps and wayes of those whom Isaiah cryes against who sought gain from their Quarter are not your Teachers greedy of gain do they not strive for great benefits great sums of mony by the year will they not leave their own parishoners for a greater Benefice and will any of them preach without a price is it not plain no hire no Priest be not deceived with a vain hope for such as you sowe such must you reap Jeremiah was a true Prophet of God and he cryed against that horrible filthy thing committed in the Land Jer. 5.30 31. The Prophets prophesy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means the people love to have it so try if it be not so now do not your Teachers bear rule over you poor people and he that hath most means is highest exalted by the blind world Mica 3.5 11. Again Micah the Lords prophet cryed against the hireling Priests in his dayes and the prophets that made the people to erre that bite with their teeth and cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they even prepare warr against him See if it be not so with your Teachers whilest Margaret Hambleton and others put into their months and gave them money then they spoke peace to her Isay 48.22 though she was in a condition of sin where no peace is And now the Lord having opened her eyes to see their deceits who for conscience sake cannot uphold them nor put into their mouths and so now they manifest themselves by their envy against her casting out her name as evill read the marks of the false prophets and then read your Teachers and do not willfully close your eyes against plain and pure truth Ezekiel likewise one of the Lords Prophets declares against the false shepherds in his dayes that fed upon the fat and clothed themselves with the wool but feed not the flock but scattered the sheep of the Lords pasture Ezek 34. read all the Chapter See if your Teachers be not found in the steps of those false shepherds do they not live at ease and feed upon poor mens labours taking care for themselves but scatter the sheep of the Lords pasture and begets the people into another Image for if a lamb come amongst them they are ready to devoure and teare the innocent ones uphold not such for if ye uphold them Rev. 18.4 Hosea 6.9 and partake of their sins you must partake of their plagues And as troops of robbers wait for a man so the company of Priests murder in the way by consent Hos 6.9 Try your teachers and see if they be not guilty of envy and so of murder 1 John 3.15 for he that hates his brother is a murderer and no murderer hath eternall life abiding in him These and many other examples I might bring out of the Prophets writings who gave their testimony against the hirelings and false prophets and Priests in the time of the Law Mat. 23.27 28. So likewise Jesus Christ declares against those deceitful hypocrites who had gotten Moses and the Prophets words but were out of the life and he shewes their marks They were exalted and went in long robes having the cheifest seats in the Assemblies and the uppermost rooms at Feasts and loved greetings in the markets and to be called of men Master Mat. 23. to whom Christ pronounces many woes and said unto his followers Be not ye called of men Master for ye have but one Master even Christ and ye are Brethren Now try your Teachers and with the light that Christ hath enlightened you withall behold if these marks be not written upon them are not they exalted above others and stand praying in their stone houses as the proud Pharisees did in their Synagogues and love greetings in markets and have the uppermost rooms at Feasts and are called of men Master Heb. 13.8 Is not Christ the same today and do you believe that he justifies those things now which he cryed wo against then He saith expresly to his disciples Mat. 23.8 10. Be not ye called of men Master But your Teachers are called of men Master contrary to the command of Christ so no Ministers of Christ A Master and a Minister are different one to the other the one a ruler over 2 John 9. the other a servant under but the followers of Christ were not called of men masters Wee do not read of Master Peter Phil. 1.1 â—am 1.1 and Master Paul nor any other of Christs Ministers that were called by those Tytles but servants for Jesus sake And yet your Parish Masters have got the name of Ministers but are not in the nature and so to be denyed and turned away from likewise Peter and Jude cryed against such as preached for filthy lucre 2 Pet. 2. Jude 1. and loved gifts and rewards saying wo unto them they have gone in the way of Cain and runn greedily after the error of Balaam for gifts and rewards Jude 11 verse Acts 20.29 1 Tim. 6.8 9 10 11. And Paul speaks of such devouring wolves that should not spare the flock and writes to Timothy to beware and fly such things as filthy lucre and the love of mony for it is the root of all evill So consider of these things and try your Teachers by these Scriptures and see if they be not in a high measure guilty of these things do not they love money which is the root of all evill and from this wicked root agreat deale of cursed branches do spring and arise as envy and wrath pride and vain glory and so as Christ hath said Mat. 7.20 By their fruits ye shall know them though they be decked with the sheeps clothing the good words of the holy men of God yet by their fruits they are known for no mait can gather grapes of thornes nor figgs of thistles wheresoever envy is it is a mark of Cain and where wrath and malice is they are the wolves markes though they may have smooth words yet by their wicked works they are known 2 Tim. 3.1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 c. likewise Paul in his Epistle to Timothy marks out the deceivers so plain that even he that runs may read They shall be lovers of themselves covetous proud boasters incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godlynesse but denying the power from such turn a way And we in the light of the Lord seeing these things amongst your Presbytery and called Ministers we owning the true Prophets Christ and the Apostles testimony do deny * Their casting out of Margaret Hambleton is needlesse For she hath in the Power of God denyed them and turned away from them according to the doctrine of the Apostle and turn from such as they the true Messengers of God denyed and testified against And as for the Ordinances We declare that all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ which are durable pure spiritual and substantial which tends to purity and edification of the body we own Ephes 4.4 5 6. Acts 2.4 Rom. 4.15 and practise as preaching and praying as the Holy Spirit doth move and give utterance and singing with the Spirit with understanding according to Scripture we own But those fading elementary shadows which Christ hath put an end to we do not practise Col. 2.14 20 21 22. But as for those things which your Teachers calls Ordinances for which they have no example in the Scriptures we do deny as their great stone houses which are built with mens hands which you ignorantly do call Churches for God that made the world Acts 17.24 25. 1 Thes 1.1 John 4.21 22 23. and all things therein dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Christ Jesus put an end of Temple worship outwardly and now is worshipped in Spirit the bodies of his Saints are his Temple as the Scripture declares 2 Cor. 3.16.17 So likewise the things practises in those Idoll Temples we deny as their pulpit their standing praying pharesy like before and after their called Sermons their singing of Davids experiences in meeter As O Lord I am not puft in mind I have no scornful eye c. When people are so high and scornful they can scarce look one upon another and so causes the people to sing lyes and call God to witnesse such singing without understanding we do deny likewise their sprinkling of insants for which these have no example in the Scriptures we do deny Their taking a part of Scripture and adding to it their humane inventions 2 Pet. 1.20 21. calling it the word of the Lord which is but a divinaton of their own brain likewise their hourglass as the Papist use to say masse by and limiting themselves to a time which none of the Holy men of God ever did and therefore these their called Ordinances we do in the power of God deny as likewise their carnall and man-made-ministry Gal. 1.1.1 12. Mat. 10.8 their preaching for hire and filthy lucre their Tythes yearly set stipends and forced maintenance Augmentations gleab lands and all such Popish stuffe and Jewish rites we do deny and against such things do testify and all proud covetous and envious men we deny and turne away from such being out of Gods Councill and so do not nor cannot prophet the people at all but leads them captive in an empty and dead form laden with sin and led away with divers lusts ever learning 2 Tim. 3. but never able to come to the true knowledge of God as the fruits of the Ministry of Scotland sadly make manifest who are all excommunicated from it the life from the true Church and true Ministry And whereas your Parish Masters John 16.2 out of their envy and malice have cast out Marg. Hamb yet not being found guilty of any evil done but for Truth and its Testimony she shall not be left desolate 1 Pet. 4.13 14 15. Ezek. 34. Mar. â— 5 Heb. 6.8 but Jesus the true Shepherd will take care for her and feed her upon the tops of the mountaines and it were well for you and your Teachers to begin at home and pull the beame out of your own eyes let them pluck up the briars and thornes and those gâ—os weeds that are sprung so high above the paâ—e seed and as for the tares that are so like the wheat let both grow together until 〈◊〉 harvest Mar. 13.25 31. let them cast out all loveâ—s of money all covetous 〈◊〉 and all proud and lofty ones and all drunkards and sweareâ—s whoremongers and adulterers and all scoâ—ers and scoâ—nâ—â—s and light vain wanton ones Rom. 1.28 29 30 31 32. and liars and all cozeners and cheaters and stoners and strikers and persecutors and all envious wraâ—hâ—â— and malicious ones and such like workers of iniquity and then judge ye how many they will leave behind to make up theâ— Church and assure your selves all such as above mentioned 〈◊〉 live in the lusts of the flesh must be cast out from the pure God and his Holy City for the unrighteous cannot enter into the kingdom of God as you may read 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.10 20 21. Rev. 21.8 Thus much for the denyall of your Presbytery and their poweâ— who be found in those wayes and practices above mentioned and their imitated and invented Ordinances and as for their thâ—â— charge that she will not forsake the company of Seducers and Hereticks Acts 28.22 I say your calling them Seducers and Hereticks doth not make nor prove them so no more then their Brethren in envy and persecution the cheif Priests formerly their calling Christ a blasphemer and the Apostles deceivers did make or prove them so to be But this hath bin the subtilty of the serpent and of the false prophets and deceivers in whom he rules the better to cloak and and cover their deceit Eph. 6.16 they cry out against deceivers but their lyes slanders doth not touch the innocent for those whom your teachers do call Seducers we the servants of the most high God and in that way you which call Heresy Acts 24.14 so worship we the God of our Fathers owning and believing all things declared by the holy Prophets Christ and his Apostles 1 John 2.26 waiting for the redemption of the promised Seed Those be the deceivers and seducers which drawes people from the anointing and light within 1 Joh 2.20 27. Rom. 8. for the pure the Sons of God who are led and guided by the spirit of God and to this must all come to be led by if ever you be led in the way of God for nothing can guide and lead in Gods way 1 Cor. 2.11 1 Cor. 10.7 but that which comes from God and the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall Therefore all people cease from the hirelings who preach for the price Isa 2.20 Isa 54.15 Mat. 11.28 29. and turn to the Lord who teacheth his people freely mind his call who saith Come unto me take my yoke upon you and learn of me I am meek and lowly in spirit and you shall find rest to your Souls A. P. THE END