Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	holy_a	lead_v	truth_n	7,417	5	5.9440	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66530	The lying spirit and false aspertions turned home again, or, An answer to two reviling letters about the peoples right to tythes sent to the people call'd Quakers in the Vail of Bellvier by Clement Nedham, a Presbyterian, who writes himself, a farmer in the county of Leicester : wherein I have shew'd according to scriptures, what spirit it was that brought up tythes among the Christians, so call'd : and that those that brought them up since Christ put an end to them were not in their right senses, but were made drunk by drinking of that spirit of error that made them do they knew not what, and consequently their examples not to be followed : with an addition, shewing, that the impropriator hath less right to tythes then the poor or priest, if less can be : with a few words in love to all those that send their sons to those places called universities, with an intent to make them ministers : also a copy of a letter sent to G.N. in manuscript, wherein his unhansom and unchristian-like dealings may be seen : with a short postcript to the reader / by J.W. ...	Willsford, John.	1673 (1673)	Wing W2872; ESTC R40124	16,433	28

THE Lying Spirit AND FALSE ASPERTIONS Turned home again Or an Answer to two Reviling Letters about the Peoples Right to Tythes sent to the People call'd Quakers in the Vail of Bellvier by Clement Nedham a Presbyterian who writes himself A Farmer in the County of Leicester Wherein I have shew'd according to Scriptures what spirit it was that brought up Tythes among the Christians so call'd And that those that brought them up since Christ put an End to them were not in their Right Senses but were made Drunk by drinking of that spirit of error that made them do they knew not what and consequently their Examples not to be followed With an Addition shewing That the Impropriator hath less Right to Tythes then the Poor or Priest if less can be With a few Words in Love to all those that send their Sons to those Places called Vniversities with an Intent to make them Ministers Also a Copy of a Letter sent to G. N. in manuscript wherein his Unhansom and Unchristian-like Dealings may be seen With a short Postscript to the Reader By J. W. a Lover of Truth and all Men's Souls Whose outward Being is in the Vail of Bellvier and County of Leicester Wherefore the Lord said Forasmuch as this People draw near me with their Mouthes and with their Lips do Honour me but have removed their Hearts for from me and their Fear towards me is taught by the Precepts of Men therefore behold I will proceed to do a Marvelous Work amongst this People even a Marvelous Work and a Wonder For the Wisdom of their Wise Men shall perish and the Vnderstanding of their Prudent Men shall be hid For it is written I will destroy the Wisdom of the Wise and bring to nothing the Vnderstanding of the Prudent Isaiah 29.13 14 1 Cor. 1.19 Printed in the Year 1673. TO THE READER READER I Was not forward in meddling with this Giant who boasted and domineered over me bad it not been for the Truth 's sake I could have been silent but the Love that I bear to it constrains me to bear my Testimony though not with inticing words of Man's Wisdom against Deceit and Oppression And so I desire thee to mind the Inspiration of the Almighty for that gives an Understanding It is the Spirit that reveals the deep Things of God 2 Cor. 2. And as thou turnest thy Mind inwards to be acquainted with its Teachings it will let thee see the Way that a Wafaring Man though a Fool cannot err in and so thou wilt come to see the Rice Ground Bottom and Foundation of things and that is the Right Way to begin to build and not to build upon Popish Authors or to take Drunken Men for thy Example I mean such as were Drunk by drinking that spirit of Error that led from God into an Heap of Confusion which is Babylon And by the Spirit of Truth thou mayst see as thou mindst what it was that strove with the Old World before the outward Law was added which Law was added because of Transgression was to continue until the fulness of Time that God sent his Son a Light into the World to end the Types and Shadows Tythes and Offerings that that Law required So Reader I desire thee to take notice That Christ put an End to Tythes and who brought them up again in this following Treatise I hope thou mayst see even him whose Coming is after the Working of Satan with all Power Signs and Lying Wonders 2 Thes 2. Hast thou not heard of the Papists working Miracles Mark He had Power What Power may some say I answer Power to deceive and beguile by his Signs and Lying Wonders and then to make Laws for the Continuance and Upholding of that which he had gotten by Deceit And people when I speak of Babylon Antichrist or Beast I mean that spirit of Error that led from God for it hath several Names because of its several wayes of workings Satan hath many Wiles and so he hath many Names And there are but two Spirits in the Ground the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of Error and Christ is the Truth who hath many Names and Offices all which is to lead into a Holy Life but the spirit of Error leads into an Unholy Life so they may be known by their Workings in Man and Woman And Happy are all they that come to be redeemed from under the Power of Satan Beast and Antichrist in themselves for there they are while people live in Sin and there their Fall must be For Christ hath determined to bind the Strong Man armed and to cast him out of the House and to take the Possession himself And so people we are not speaking of the Fall of Kings and Rulers from their Thrones of Justice but of the Fall of the Beast Whore and Antichrist in Man and Woman and this will hurt none to have that destroyed which keeps from God And therefore I exhort all that love their own Souols to wait low in their Minds that they may feel Christ Jesus exercising his Offices in them which is to destroy the Works of the Devil and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness J. W. THE Lying Spirit AND FALSE ASPERTIONS Turned Home again OR An Answer to Two Reviling Letters about the Peoples Right to Tythes sent to the People call'd Quakers in the Vail of Bellvier by Clement Nedham a Presbyterian who writes himself A Farmer in the County of Leicester Friend Nedham ALthough thy Postscript be the last yet it concerns my first Letter sent to thee I might say something to thy Reviling Words in it but having written something to thee in a Letter and knowing it was the Practice of the Scribes and Pharisees and out-side Professors Joh. 7.49 to Revile the Children of Light and to count them such as knew not the Law at present I may pass them by only take notice of this by the way That if I had been so ignorant as in thy Eyes I seemed to be it had been thy place to have written or spoken something to me in particular that had been the best way for thee to have mannaged thy Design to have convinced me of my Error if in one I had been but thou hast directed thy Reviling Words to others and not a word to me in particular wherein thou hast manifested thy Folly and Ignorance in mannaging thy Design but it is like my Confidence offended thee yet I must tell thee I am as Confident as ever I was yea and more Confirmed for since thou didst write thy Reviling Pamphlets the Lord hath opened my Understanding more then before to see beyond thy Trash and Rome's Trumpery insomuch that I have Cause to say as Christ said Mat. 11.25 I thank thee O Father who hast hid these things from the VVise and Prudent and hast revealed them to Babes and Sucklings And in this is that Scripture fulfilled that saith All things work together for Good to them that

Servants of the Lord. The Quakers have not forgot how you carried away as your own the Crime that is laid to them their Pots and Pans Hay and Corn and put the Servants of the Lord in Prison when they could not feed your Lying Prophets or when they spoak to them in the Steeple-houses But the Lord brought you down and the Quakers and Tremblers at the Word of the Lord whom ye derided stand as Witnesses against you So C. N. thou and thy Party may take this to your selves to the Shame and Infamy of your whole Profession For Persecution is a Shame and Infamy to any Profession whatever And have not you Presbyterians hid your selves as in an Inner Chamber when a Storm hath come But when the Sun hath shined and the Storm been over like Snakes ye have come out of your Holes witness John Woodhouse's Meeting and thine C. N. at Wortenby and at Salxelby in Leicester-shire near unto us we have seen your Devised Service often blasted according to C. N.'s Belief Again In try 13th page thou sayest And now my Friends if you are convinced that Tythes are none of yours consider think it not sufficient to expiate your Guilt by saying in your usual Language Let them that are free to pay Tythes pay them Answ It seems thou thinkest thou hast done something as thy words and now my Friends imply But I must tell thee We are convinced that we have as good right to the Tenth Part as we have to the other Nine and that for these Reasons First Because Christ fulfilled and put an End to that Law that gave Tythes as before I have proved Secondly Those that brought them up again were made Drunk by drinking of the Whore's Golden Cup which was full of Abominations within and consequently their Examples are not to be followed Thirdly We believe That every part and parcel of our Lands is our own so far as our Deeds and Leafes make mention and the Increase is God's lent to us And we are commanded Not to spend our Money for that which is not Bread and our Labour for that which satisfieth not Isaiah Chap. 55. And I must tell thee We are not satisfied with the Priests neither do we believe that they can give us the Bread of Life and therefore we cannot pay them Again Thou biddest us Turn to the Light or Law in our Consciences and then tell thee whether the following Conclusions must not necessarily fall to the Shame and Infamy of our whole Profession Answ Before thou callst it a Pretended Light and now dost thou directest us unto it but it matters not what thou callest it we know it to be true Light and have turned to it and we find that thy Conclusions do not fall upon us but we see that thou art like the Persecuting Jews who numbred Christ among Thieves and would rather have a Murderer or a Malefactor to live then he And what was the Cause of the Jews Envy against Christ Was it not because they thought in their Dark Imaginations he did something contrary to their Law It is like if one should have asked them Who made their Law they in their Dark Hellish Natures would have said God gave it to Moses and Moses said in the four and twentieth Chapter of Leviticus and the sixteenth Verse He that Blasphemeth the Name of the Lord shall surely be put to Death And was not this the Crime they laid to him But God forbid that I or any true Christian should believe that these words concerned him so as to ensnare him although they in their Dark Minds might so understand them And C. N. What is the Cause that thou countest us more Criminal then common Notorious Thieves Is it not because thou in thy Dark Imaginations thinkest that we do something contrary to Law But if one should ask thee Who made thy Law thou condemnest us by Sayest thou Such and such Popish Kings made Laws for the Payment of Tythes and you Quakers Refuse to pay them and therefore if Ignorance will not nothing else can excuse you before God or Man from being more Criminal then Common Notorious Thieves And here art not thou worse then the Jews who pleaded a Law that was before the Papists though they understood it wrong Thou sayest Might not Popish Kings do what they would with their own I answer Yes But the Increase of our Labour and Flocks and Fields that God blesseth unto us this year was not theirs to give that dyed Hundreds of Years past And did not Persecutors plead Law in all Ages against the Innocent and for their Mass and other things and thought they went right when they had Law on their sides Search Scriptures and Chronicles and see if it were not so And do not the Persecutors plead Law now for the taking away of Goods and that from some of you called Presbyterians And may not some in Ages to come upon the same Ground that thou pleadest for Tythes plead it Right according to Law to take away Goods if any meet together to Worship God if he prevent it not Oh! that men should be so blind to plead against themselves But thy Pleading signifies a Daubing In the 14th page of thy Book thou sayest Our usual Demand what Scripture can be produced to prove any Examples for Paymen of Tythes to Gospel Ministers Answ Thou seemest to sleight us for so doing and what a Stir have the Presbyterians made about calling the Scriptures the Word and Rule and now if one speak according to them he is counted as one that seems to have neither Common Sense nor Reason or at best a Confident Weak Defendent witness thy Reviling Postscript concerning my first Letter thou sayest VVe ignorantly deny Scriptures to be the Rule to try and distinguish betwixt True and False Spirits But whither art thou gone Thy Nakedness of Pretence to Truth is exposed to censure through thy own Ignorant Folly What are all the Pleaders for Tythes driven out of the Scriptures And are they forced to flee to the Humane Law Presbyterians What is the Bible become of no use now Must not the Pope's Authority be questioned It is enough to believe as your Mother Church believes Whither are you running Come back again come back again for shame else the Lord will follow you and ye shall not have a Hiding-place it is the Word of the Lord in my Heart to you all that you may be warned C. N. demands of us VVhether Scripture Example be not equal binding to people as well as Ministers Answ That Example of selling all and laying down at Ministers Feet is not binding Acts 5.3 4. Peter said to Ananias VVhy hath Satan filled thine Heart with a Lye to the Holy Ghost whilst it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thine own Power So see this Example was not binding the Sin lay in Lying against God in pretending to give All and yet kept a Part back

now it is in my Heart to put thee in mind of thy Unhansome and Unchristian-like Dealings towards us First The Time thou didst send thy Letter to us was when Friends of Clauson where thou didst direct thy Letter were under Sufferings and grievous Threatnings by John Reay Propriator of the same Town whose Envy was and is beyond the Bounds of Christianity And here thou seemest to add Affliction to the Afflicted and to strengthen the Hands of Evil-Doers Again After thou hadst sent thy first Letter I sent one in Love to thee for that End that thy Understanding might be opened to see the Rice and Ground of Tythes and what Spirit brought them up hoping a Word to the Wise might have been sufficient But instead of accepting my Love thou vilifiedst me with Reviling Words as one that seemed to have neither common Sense nor Reason and saidst Thou wast unwilling that the Nakedness of our Pretence to Truth should be exposed to Censures through the Ignorance Folly and Confidence of soweak a Defendent And here thou didst manifest thy Pride as if thou thought scorn to meddle with me much like Goliah the Philistine who defyed Israel and disdained David and then brought forth another Monster more Odious then the first and we being silent a while thou didst put them all in Print and for no other End as I can see but to render us Odious to the whole Nation and to open a Gap for further Persecution For consider After thy many Arguments and pleading Popish Laws thou drawest thy Conclusions That if Ignorance will not nothing else can excuse us before God or Man from being more Criminal then Common Notorious Thieves Further Thou sayest Malefactors do or may suffer Death by Law for stealing things of small account but your Robbery sayest thou is of great Value and consequently the Laws are very favourable towards you A sad Consequence Were ever such Conclusions drawn against an Innocent People Truly when I read them I could not but say There was a Snare laid for our Lives and it brought to my Remembrance the Cruelty of New-England's Persecutors But how Just thy Charge is I hope is or will in due time be made manifest From thy True Friend John Wilsford Who could be glad to see a persecuting Saul become a Preaching Paul I have something further to say in answer to thy Book which if I do hear thou art not satisfied in due time it may come forth seeing thou hast made my Name publick to the Nation Broughton the 3d of the 8th Moneth 1673. J. W. These words above written were delivered into the hands of C. N. the 5th Day of the 8th Moneth A Postscript READER FOr thy better Satisfaction or lest thou shouldst think I have not done fairly in mentioning some things that are done and past do but consider C. N's Wicked Charge and Unhansome Dealings towards me and the rest of my Friends weight them in the Ballance of Equity and then see if I could do any less then I have done or whether I have done any more then to lay the Load on the Right Horse Further consider That notwithstanding Christ Jesus so loved the World as that he laid down his Life for it yet when the Jews rose up in Envy against him he told them how they killed the Prophets and stoned them that were sent unto them as may be seen at large Mat. 23. And likewise when the Jews rose up in Envy against Peter he told them how they crucified and slew the Lord of Life as thou mayst see at large in the Acts Chap. 2 3 4. And John said Rev. 18.6 7. Reward her even as she rewarded you double unto her double according to her Works Some may say Art thou pleading for a Carnal Weapon I answer Nay the Saints Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual the Lamb's Sword proceedeth out of his Mouth if any man have an Ear to hear let him hear here is the Wisdom and Patience of Saints He that killeth with the Sword must with the Sword be killed And so I leave desiring every one to mind the Light of Christ Jesus which gives a true Understanding of the Mysteries of his Kingdom J. W. THE END