Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A26409
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A declaration of a small society of baptized believers, undergoing the name of Free-willers, about the city of London
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Adis, Henry.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing A576; ESTC R211455
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11,743
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4
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peaceable Lambs of Christ Iohn 21.15 the great Shepheard and Bishop of our souls 1 Pet. 2.25 1 Pet. 5.4 Heb. 10.22 Who doth require us to learn of him for he is lowly and meek Mat. 11.29 yet notwithstanding we do declare when or wherever some of us shall conveniently meet with any of them either in private or in publick we shall resolve God assisting us to contend earnestly with them for the faith once delivered to the Saints according to that exhortation of the Spirit of God by his Apostle Iude 3. and against them and all oppositions and opposers whaâ—soever as good Souldiers of Iesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.3 fight the good fight of faith 1 Tim. 6.12 In which combate we are confident we neither shall hazard life nor draw blood for through mercy we can say with our Apostle 2 Cor. 10.3 4 that though we live in the flesh yet we warr not after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal To the third That we countenance the people called Quakers in their Irregular practice To this we answer and God is our witness we lie not that we are so far from countenancing the Quakers or our selves in any Irregular practice as that if we our selves be found in any such actings we shall not violently oppose but patiently subject to such penalties as the breach of such Laws cals for it would have been well if the assertors had declared wherein this Irregular practice doth consist that so we might have given a more particular answer yet we hope by what hath and shall be declared it will easily be judged that we for our parts are not such people as the Baptists generally are reported and some shew themselves to be To the fourth That we endeavour a tolleration of all miscarriages in things Ecclesiastical and Civil under pretence of Liberty of Conscience If by indeavouring a tolleration of all miscarriages in things ecclesiastical the assertors intend amongst our selves in our own assemblies we shall answer them as in the presence of God the searcher of all hearts That we are so far from any such toleration as that we at this very day go under a reproach by that people we formerly walked withal because in the reality of our souls and the integrity of our hearts we cannot allow of some things that we judge to be of that nature amongst them we well knowing that the Lord Christ requires a perfect observation of and a universal obedience to all things whatsoever he commanded Mat. 28.20 And that as well to what hath been laid down by his Apostles given in by the incomes of that Spirit that was to lead them into all truth and to shew them things to come Iohn 16.13 which are also the commands of Christ 1 Cor. 14.37 as to those that were laid down by himself Iohn 18.12.15 so that we positively say that if we shall allow of any miscarriages either in Doctrine or Discipline amongst our selves to thwart the mind of Christ revealed in his Scriptures of truth we can expect no better answer from him then a proclamation of our worship to be a vain worship as once he declared against the Jews Mat. 15.9 And therefore if miscarriages rise amongst us we are to bring such miscarriages to the touch-stone of Gods word and so weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary and finding them either too heavy or too light that is either adding or diminishing from or to the mind of Christ we are then to repair to those wholsome laws left us in Scripture record for the regulating of such miscarriages according to the nature of them as they are private or publick or more or less in their several agravations and as they are committed by persons standing in such or such relations we say the more of this because most persons think and many do not stick to say that we live and act in things Ecclesiastical as Libertines and without Church government because we withdraw our selves from the publick assemblies But did such persons rightly consider what the discipline of the Ministry of the Nation is in their Parochial assemblies who profess themselves to be the true Spouse and Church of Christ and compare It with the mind of Christ revealed in the Scriptures of truth who gives Laws to his Church which is that body of which he himself is the head Ephes. 4.15.21.22 Col. 1.18 â— 19 They would then find themselves to be the Libertines and not we and therefore we shall earnestly desire all that are unacquainted with the true discipline of the Church of Christ well to weigh and seriously to consider these statute Laws of Christ in that case provided 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Tim. 4.1 2. Ephes. 5.11 Mat. 18.15 1 Tim. 5.12 19 20. 1 Tim. 6.5 1 Tim. 1.20 Tit. 3.10 2 Thes. 2 15. 2 Thes. 3 10. 1 Cor. 5 4 9 11. The which as we will answer the contrary at the great day of account we dare not in the least wilfully violate or neglect But if by miscarriages in things Ecclesiastical they mean that we endeavour a Tolleration of all miscarriages amongst them in their assemblies we shall in the presence of God clear ourselves and say we have nothing at all to do with them in such matters for we say they are without as to us 1 Cor. 5.12 13. And so we look upon our selves to be as to them And if any one shall seem to be troubled at this term Without and object and say that we are all the Creation of God and what need these expressions of stand at a distance I am more holy than you To such we shall answer in the Spirit of Love and Meekness and God is our witness without AUSTENTATION That it is true all the Sons and Daughters of Adam are the Sons and Daughters of God by creation but few by regeneration and adoption for many are called but few are chosen Mat. 20.16 for not the hearers of the Law but the doers shall be justified Rom. 2 13. And not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of the Father Mat. 7.21 We well know that many will say these are hard sayings and cannot well bear them But to such we shall give a direction in our Post-script where from one of us they may expect and we hope also find good satisfation as to the tearm Without That we own Liberty of Conscience we confess but under that or any other pretence to endeavour a toleration of any miscarriages either in things Ecclesiastical or Civil we have given we hope full satisfaion for seeing it is the will of our Master to have the Tares and the wheat grow together till the Harvest Mat. 13.30 And that our Heavenly Father doth exercise his long suffering to the whole bulk of man-kind not willing that anyâ—…d perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 We look upon it to be our duty to follow
as Kingly power hath had a wound in these Nations even as it were unto death so we know that the design of God shall be brought about and the Scriptures must be fulfilled for that deadly wound shall be healed Rev. 13.3 and we finding the spirits of the generality of the people of the three Nations very high in this juncture of time in the behalf of Kingly Government like Israel of old 1 Sam. 8. so that by the face of things as they appear to us in this last change we do discern as through a glasse darkly that the deadly wound is now going to be healed although we do really judge that several that are in present eminent power intend no such thing no more then the Jews in the crucifying of Christ intended the bringing the great design and fore-appointment of God about Acts 2.23 by all which we judge that caution was intended cheifly to us upon whom the ends of the world is come and least we should not be so mindfull of our duties as he would have us he makes as it were a Proclamation to bespeake our better attention to what he intendeth and saith Rev. 13.9.10 He that hath an eare to hear let him hear he that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity he that killeth with the sword shall be killed with the sword here is the faith and patience of the Saints that whilst others are leading into coptivity and killing with the sword to pull down or set up this or that Power man or Government to give a deadly wound to Kingly power or to heal that deadly wound again that then the People of God should in their patience possess their souls in the midst of these revolutions exercise their faiâ—h as once that Prophet did Heb. 3.17 and faithfully to depend upon God for his preservation and protection keeping themselves pure and undefiled from leading into captivity or killing with the sword least they themselves be led into captivity and be killed by the sword thereby evidencing themselves to be the peacable flock of Christ chosen out of the world Iohn 15.19 and following their Master the Lord and Prince of peace Isa 9.6 2 Thes. 3.16 being regulated by his requirements in the Gospel of peace Romans 10.15 Ephesians 6.15 having received from the God of peace Rom. 15.33 Rom. 16.20 2 Cor. 13.11 that spirit whose fruits is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness and temperance against which there is no law that as they are Christs so they should evidence that they have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.22 23 24. but lust being not crucified it breaks forth into wars and fightings for when men lust and have not then they kil and desire to have Iames 4.1 2. and when the people of God shall act thus the spirit of God brands them wiâ—h those Ignominious names of adulterers and adultresses informing them that what they are fighting for is enmity against God and that if they obtain it they aret enemies to God Iames 4.4 and we well knowing that whilst we are friends to the world we are enemies to God dare not in the least have to do in the world so as to set up our selves or to side with any either in setting up or pulling down and how can a mans love to the world be evidenced more then in ventering his life for it according to that saying of our saviour Iohn 15.13 And we further declare that as we are to be a peaceable people upon the account of action so we look upon it to be our duty to keep our selves from oaths Ingagments and Covenants either for or against this or that person Government or Persons whatsoever For because of SWEARING the Land mourneth Ier. 22.10 For the Lord hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land Because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land for by SWEARING and lying and killing and Stealing and committing Adultery they break forth and blood toucheth blood saith the Prophet Hos. 4.1 2 3. and saith the same Prophet Hos. 10.3 4. they have spoken words SWEARING falsly in making a Covenant THUS judgement springeth up as Hemlock in the furrows of the field and we not knowing what the Cabbinet Counsell of God is in this our day upon the account of Goverment dare not in the least have so much as a thought to ingage in any such thing least we be found fighters against God according to the saying of Gamaliel though in another case Acts 5.39 And therefore do declare our resolution herein that we shall not God assisting us enter into any ingagement whatsoever upon any such account yet shall this say again that we shall not violently resist the imposers of any such ingagements but shall patiently suffer the penalty of our non-obedience as aforesaid And we further declare as in the presence of God who is the searcher of all hearts that as it hath been some of our great trouble for a long time to see some of those that are in the same faith and order with us so acting so it is now become even an overwhelming burthen upon our souls to see them generally runing such a precippitant course by which actings of theirs the mouths almost of all men are opened against them and that truth they professe most ignominiously branded and reproached And therefore we further declare that in the sight of God Angels and men that we bear our Testimony against them in their present actings and cannot stand by them nor have communion with them therein nor with those that strengthen their hands in standing by them and must tell them in the words of our Saviour Luke 9.55 That they know not what Spirit they are of for the Son of man their Mr. came not to destroy mens lives but to save them The Premises considered we shall appeal to the judgements of all rational men whether we are guilty of what we are charged withall or not yet if they shall still go on notwithstanding to use us reproachfully for the name of Christ we shall be so far from endeavouring or desiring a revenge as that in the words of Christ we shall in our requests at the throne of grace crie out and say Father forgive them they know not what they do POST-SCRIPT FOrasmuch as the said declarers in their answer to the first perticular in their Declaration do call the Independants and Presbyterians their Christian friends the which however it is they so complement with them yet in reallity we judge they cannot own them as such upon a Scripture account as also because one Mr. William Alleyn in a book lately by him published intituled A Retractation to Seperation In which booke in the whole currant of it all the Scriptures that he brings which were written by the immediate direction and incomes of the Holy Spirit of God to the Churches as they were in the faith and order of the Gospel