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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A34334 A general epistle containing wholsom admonition & advice to friends in Ireland and elsewhere Carleton, Thomas, 1636?-1684. 1676 (1676) Wing C589; ESTC R29174 6,208 10

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A General Epistle CONTAINING Wholsom Admonition Advice to Friends in IRELAND and else-where By Thomas Carleton DEar and well-beloved Friends Brethren and Sisters who are in some Measure gathered by the Arm of God's Power and have known the blessed Appearance of Life and Salvation to you is the Salutation of my unfeigned Love and in the Fellowship of God's Everlasting Light do I tenderly greet you all and for the clearing of my Spirit of that which for some time hath been upon me do I communicate these Lines in the true Simplicity of my Heart dearly desiring all that love the Lord Jesus Christ To keep low and near the Lord and wait to feel God's living Power in your Hearts unto which we were turned or exhorted from the Beginning for in the Light of the Lord I see there is a Necessity for it For unless the Sense of God's living Power be felt Profession is vain and Meetings are not made profitable for the Mysteries of Life and Salvation and of true Christianity consist not only in any Profession Name or Notion of this or that Principle Article or Creed formed or received in the Minds of M●n or Women but in a living Enjoyment and Possession of the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus the Author Finisher of the living saying Faith So my dear Friends all wait to feel the Operation of that Power in every Heart and Soul to subdue all to God and to work all into submission and real obedience to the heavenly Will and Mind of Christ Jesus who is come a Light into the World that all men through him might believe here is the unchangeable standing Rule which every one is to measure themselves by and he or she that is measured or squared by this is as polished Stones for God's spiritual House and he or she that is not sqaared by this are not fit to be Members of God's Building so all having the Measuring line in your hearts let Judgment be laid to it and so try all things words works behaviours and the Intent of all and from what ground soirit it doth proceed and this unchangeable everlasting Rule all keep to it and build by it so shall you be justified with it in the Day of Tryal so all things done by this unchangeable everting Rule the Law of the Spirit of Life this keeps clean and pure and sets free of all Mud and Confusion Sin and Iniquity and things that bring death and darkness over the Soul and Understanding and so cloud the Testimony So let every man and woman by this standing Rule examine themselves and so let them eat speak or act as the Lord shall perswade them and wherein any one doubteth and is not clear in what he or she undertaketh let such forbear and wait in quietness till the Lord clear their way So all take heed and keep to the Rule for in the Lord's Light we see Light and have Clearness and Freedom and Peace but going from the Light without Rule without Guide the Vail comes over Darkness gathers in Confusion Trouble then Peace comes to be lost So you that have known in any measure the work of Regeneration and of the New Fi●th through the working of God's Spirit Power in your Hearts by which some unclean spirits have been cast out keep to the Power still beware of letting in the unclean spirit again for if you do the latter end will be worse then the beginning And lean not to the World's Wisdom beware of that spirit I advise all for by that wisdom God is not known and if once the Sense and enjoyment of God be lost then man and woman is in a woful state without God in the World so keep out of the world's spirit I intreat you all and live as Fools to it and all its wayes fashions customs for in the Lord I see a great Snare at this day and too many that make Profession of Truth are like to be split upon that Rock So dear Friends live loose to the world and all the glories of it and seek to be wise in that which is not of this world that you may be loved of God and so dwell in that which can bear the revilings and reproaches of this world and the contradiction of sinners as our Lord Jesus Christ hath lest us an Example So beware of looking back to Egypt's Glory again to see any beauty or comlines in that dark Land for from the Lord I see a Temptation attending God's spiritual Israel in this day as surely as ever it attended Israel after the Flesh and many are too prone to desire the pleasures of Egypt again though the best of them be bondage as many to their Sorrow have found yea too many there be that cannot bear tryals and reproaches and the way of the Cross and self-denyal but think it long and wearisom and hard as they did in the dayes of old and so are too ready to murmur and repine and lust in their hearts after this World's glory again and joyn to its fashions customs again and so set up Idols again as they did whose Carcases fell in the Wilderness with whom the Lord was displeased So beware of letting in that spirit of distrust unbelief and rebellion against God and his pure Witness in your Consciences and beware of building that which was once destroyed or licking up that which was once vomited or entertaining of that which was once cast out or owning that which was once denyed either in words in works in behaviour in apparel in doctrine or faith hath Truth in you condemned for all idle vain prophane wicked unsound and unsavoury words and brought you into a Form of needful true and sound words keep to it still hath Truth condemned all idle proud prophane wicked and ungodly actions and all empty airy foolish wanton lustful proud self-willed and men-pleasing behaviours and brought you into Moderation Gravity Plainness Reallity and Truth in Life and Conversation keep to it still hath Truth condemned for decking adorning the Body with vain superfluous proud needless worldly eye-taking Toyes in Apparrel and led you into plain profitable decent needful things keep to it still and fashion not your selves like unto the world nor learn any of their Manners nor of the Breeding of that Egyptian-Spirit which keeps the Seed in Bondage and oppresseth the Just in the particular and in the general so from the Lord I advise you all and warn you all that are parents to watch over your Children and bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord and beware you breed them not up in the World's manners nor customs nor in Pride Lightness and Vanity nor in things that puff up and lead away their Minds from under the Cross of Christ Jesus but rather breed them up in Humility Lowliness and Self denial and in the Fear of the Lord which is the Beginning of true Wisdom and gate of Virtue
and so endeavour to train them up in the right way to life and lay a good Foundation in them while they are young and then both you and they may expect a Blessing from the Lord which is better then all So away with all Manners and Breeding and Education that is out of the Fear of God for you your selves know the first Nature in it self is too inclinable to be taken with the Manners and Customs of the Egyptian Spirit and to take pleasure and conceit itself and be puffed up with and in those things that lead from God without nursing and encouraging thereunto so keep all low in Meekness and Self-denyal that God's Fear may be timely planted in their Hearts and the Principles of Life and Peace they may be instructed in as you your selves have learned them of the Lord that so the loving kindness and gentle dealings of God towards us we may tell of them to our Children and they to another Generation so all learning the Way of the Cross and Self-denyal that Will that is carnal and earthly will be mortified and slain and the Spirit of the World and the Customs thereof will be crucified to you all and you all unto it and then how can they that are crucified to the world live any longer therein and so spiritual Men and spiritual Women Sons and Daughters of the incorruptible Seed begotten again by the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus and so dead to the world's Spirit Wayes Customs Manners Traditions Ordinances and Worships all in the Fall and Degeneration from God and every one living up to this being guided by God's Wisdom keep their Testimony clear and unviolated in the Sight of God and Men. So stand true Witnesses for God and be faithful or full of Faith in the Lord believe in him love him above all and trust him with all Wife and Children Estate and Life and take heed of giving Offence or of causing Truth to suffer in its Esteem for God hath glorified it and will glorifie it and Wo from the Lord is to them that cause Truth to be ev●l spoken of that brings a Blot upon their Testimony so marreth the Visage Countenance of Truth in the particular or in the general And dear Friends stand living Witnesses for God's Truth and be not cowardly but valiant as Souldiers of Christ Jesus and stand up against all the Works Workers of Iniquity against all Hirelings false Shepherds against the grand Oppression of Tythes with the abolished Ceremonies and Ordinances of the first Covenant and Jews outwardly which Antichrist and the Deceivers that are gone into the World having lost the Power would innovate and set up again among the Gentiles or Jews inward contrary to the Institution of God and stand up against all Swearing and that which leads to Swearing and against Lying or Stealing and against Fighting or Killing since our Kingdom is not of the World and against Fornication Adultery Whoredom Lasciviousness Luxury and all manner of Unclearness the Sins of this World which are so vile they are scarce fit to be spoken of or named amongst the Saints so as becomes Warriours for God and the everlasting Gospel of Christ Jesus stand clear of them all and against them all and then there will be no need of Shifts and Excuses and crooked Reasons in the faln wisdom to hide or cover any one with And my dear Friends let your Yea be Yea and your Nay be Nay and keep to the form of Sound Words in all your Communications Bargains and Dealings one with another and also with them that are without that so you may honour the Lord and honour his Truth convince all with whom you have to do that truth righteousness lives in you and you live in it this is the glory of all profession And be not forward rash in words promises for some there are yea too many that make profession of Truth true Religion yet know not a Bridle for the Tongue and the Apostle laid such mens Religion was vain ye● and too many there are that are hasty to promise and slow to perform and then shuffle to excuse themselves as Eve did where no Excuse can properly bear in the Truth so beware of it I desire you all for this was one express Token the Apostle laid down of the falling away therefore be careful to make absolute Promises and be as careful quick and forward to perform when promised and that keep Truth clear and answers the Expectations of all and preaches to all with whom we have to do and hereby the Saints reached God's Witness in one another in the beginning so keep to it still and every one speak the Truth from his heart without dissimulation and learn not the sleighty words and cunning evasions of the deceitful spirits of this world which darken knowledge thereby to drive Bargains to accomplish self ends and covetous designs for such things though never so fairly glossed are inconsistent with the innocency and naked simplicity of our Gospel neither is Truth honoured by such deceitful coverings so all Friends keep clear of such things and be plain-hearted with all men for no coverings will hide or avail in this bright lightsome day but that of God's eternal Spirit which will stand over all and darkness cannot comprehend it but going from the Light and Spirit of God into the fallen deceit●ul wisdom then the world comprehends and sounds and bottoms all suck and so Truth suffers in the particular and in the general so the Law of the Spirit of Life which we profess is beyond all Laws and a Rule beyond all Rules and reaches further to the ordering and guiding of all those that are resolved and given up to it in Obedience then all Laws Precepts Canons or Injunctions that are outward whatsoever so the Righteousness that is God's which Christ-Jesus is the Author of is beyond all exceeds all the Righteousness of other Professions Scribes or Pharisees whereby its plain every Righteousness doth not enter nor is accepted of God but only that which exceeds the Scribes and Pharisees which Christ works in all his by the Operation of his eternal Spirit So my dear Friends wait to feel it and the effectual Works of it brought forth in you all which to feel is more then words that your Faith may stand in it and in a living Enjoyment of it for that man or woman that doth not feel it and the efficacy vertue of it they bring forth from a strange Vine which Christ Jesus will not own and all take heed and keep low in God's Fear And you my Friends that are rich in this World or have much of the Creat on of God Do you watch and take heed for there is a Snare and that none of the least which attends that state also and if the Lord hath increased your store set not your hearts upon them nor trust to them for he that