Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	world_n	worship_n	worship_v	1,635	4	8.6836	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56434	A shield of the truth, or, The truth of God cleared from scandals and reproaches cast upon it by scandalous and reproachfull tongues which the devil in all ages did make use of, whereby he blasphemed the truth of God, striving to present it odious in the eyes and ears of all people, that so he might uphold his own kingdom, but the day hath made him manifest, & the Lord is come, & is coming to make war with him, and bind him, and cast him into the bottomless pit and all who bears his image, and under his dominion is written by ... Iames Parnel.	Parnell, James, 1637?-1656.	1655 (1655)	Wing P533; ESTC R20838	39,279	50

ther yet it shall not be so amongst you but be that would be the greatest amongst you let him be your servant and said he How can ye beleeve which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God onely and here the true honour is no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and here you who are giving and receiving outside earthly honour you are in the unbelief out of the doctrine of Christ cringing and bowing and honouring and exalting the Devil and worshipping the Beast and his Image which all the world wonders after and worships Rev. 13. And as for Manners and Breeding Curtesie and Civility Learn to doe as you would have all to do unto you and speak every one truth to his neighbour And let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but such as is good for the use of edifying for evil communication corrupts good manners but let your yea be yea and nay be nay for whatsoever is more is evill and breed your children so and here is good Manners and Breeding Curtesie and Civility and who are of the right noble seed hath this Manners this Breeding but the Nobles and Great ones of the earth want this Manners this Breeding and both Priest and People of all sorts according to the world And here is the ground of all true Nobility Gentility Majesty Honour Breeding Manners Curtesie and Civility no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the natural man minds natural things and the spiritual man spiritual things but the natural man receives not the things of God and this we own and witness and the time is coming and now is that before this seed every knee shall bow every tongue confess and the Kings and Nobles of the earth shall be bound in Chains and Fetters of Iron and here is also the ground of the Nobility Gentility Superiority Honour Breeding and Manners of the world which is after the Flesh but not after the Spirit sprung from proud Lucifer the Lust that reigns in man are not yea and nay but cals it manners to say nay and take it or doe it and so they have the name but not the nature and so are Bastards and no Sons who are not sprung from the noble gentle seed and to those Honour is not due neither can we bow unto them for if we should we should set the Devil in the room of God and give unto him that which is due to God which when we were blindness through ignorance we did so worship the Beast his Image which all the world worships and wonders after for they that are proud and lofty which is the Image of the Devil for the Devil is the father of Pride and in gay attire those the world worships and wonders after and extols and exalts into high places but since the Lord hath opened our eyes this we cannot doe but testifies against it wheresoever we come both in words and actions and so we are destructive to the worlds Superiority Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding and Manners which is after the Flesh and not after the Spirit therefore the Devil hates us in the Nobles and Great ones of the world but we give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars and unto God that which is Gods but we cannot give unto Cesar that which is Gods but fear to whom fear honour to whom honour is due He that hath an ear to hear let him hear and understand For saith the Lord if I be a Master where is my fear If I be a Father where is my honour Mal. 1. 6. And now somthing concerning the partiality that is among the children of this world in their Breeding and Manners First concerning the word thou or thee which all those which are their Priests and Teachers knows that thou is the proper word to one particular person and is so all along the Scriptures throughout to any one without respect of persons yea to God himself and the word you is the proper word to more than one but not to one and so it is all along the Scriptures throughout As for example at all times when the Apostles spake to Christ they used the word thou or thee unto him and when he spoke to more than one of them he used the word you or ye but if he spoke but to one he used the word thou or thee as in Mat. 16. 14 15 16 17. verses And also Paul thoued King Agrippa and King Agrippa thoued him as in Act. 26. 27 28 verses and so all along the Scripture and so it is plain that now it is an invention of proud Lucifer in man to exalt himself as it will plainly appear for amongst the Great and Rich ones of the earth they will either thou or you one another if they be equal in degree as they call it but if a man of low degree in the earth come to speak to any of them then he must you the Rich man but the Rich man will thou him Nay you shall finde it so betwixt Priest and People If a poor Labouring man come before one that you call a Minister though he be one of his hearers one who helps to maintain him according to his ability yet he must you the Priest and the Priest thou him and here the heathen Lord over one another by their corrupt wills but this is contrary to the Apostles and Ministers of Christ who made themselves servants to all and yet those will call themselves the Ministers of Christ and the word Minister signifies a servant and they are masters and so they have gotten the Name but not the Nature and so are Bastards and no Heires who are not sprung from the gentle seed and yet they are hired as servants of men and yet bears rule by their means as masters over those that maintains them so that he that hath an eye to see let him see the deceits of the professed Ministers of England And now as concerning the putting off of the hat which is another invention of proud Lucifer whereby he is honoured and worshipped and exalted in man but the Scripture doth not speak of any such fashion used in any Age but Man hath found out many inventions since the Scripture was recorded and now it is so that it is a fashion throughout the Land whereby one man is exalted above another for if a poor man come before a rich man it may be the rich man wil move his hat that is called curtesie and humility but the poor man must stand with his hat off before him and that is called honour and manners and due respect unto him but if the rich man doe bid him put it on it is counted a great curtesie and he gets honour to himself there to be counted a courteous man But this difference or respect of persons was never ordained by God but by the

is the Baptism of Christ with the Holy Ghost and with fire but we deny all other for there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all and they who would have one Baptism outward and another inward would have two Baptisms when the Scripture saith the Baptism is but one and whosoever hath the Baptism outward are the same they were before but the Baptism of Christ makes a new creature and this I witnesse for I received water upon my face as my Parents told me which they called Baptism but I grew up an heathen as all other children doe and no new creature though my parents were counted believers amongst the world and their Priests but now I witnesse the Baptism of Christ by one spirit into one body and now I witnesse a new creature old things are past away and all things become new And now I see the other to be formal imitation and the invention of man and so a meer delusion and all are heathens and no Christians who cannot witness this Baptism who can witnesse this denies all other for the Scripture saith the Baptism is but one and who can witnesse this are believers but who cannot witnesse this are no belivers and so it is that water or no water availeth nothing but a new creature for all by nature are the children of wrath and except they be born again they cannot enter and as for the Baptism of Water which the Apostles used it being a command of Christ for its time the power went along with it and the Disciples received the Holy Ghost when they were baptised but none can witnesse this who sets their selves of acting or imitating the Apostles and so takes it up by imitation and their ground is the letter and are not guided to it by the same spirit which guided the Apostles and so they are the same after water as before and so now water or no water availeth any thing but a new creature for water was but for its time though many in darknesse have now gotten the form and are groping in it for life but wants the life and power and so from such turn away We are accused to deny the Supper of the Lord The Supper of the Lord we own which is the body and blood of Christ which the Saints feed upon and this is eternal food and life and here they all feed upon one and are of one heart and minde and here is pure and eternal union and communion and this is not carnal but spiritual for Saints are spiritual and their communion is spiritual and eternal and this we witnesse who are of one heart and one minde who are in the new Covenant and herein we discerne the Lords body and here all drunkards are shut out and all lyars adulterers proud covetous lustful and envious ones and all backbiters revilers extortioners and all deceitful and unrighteous persons are shut out of the new Covenant and are without feeding upon the husk and shadow which is carnall for the bread which the world breaks is carnall and naturall and only feeds the outward carnall body and goeth into the belly and so passeth out into the dunghill and so likewise the cup which they drink and so the communion and fellowship of the world passeth away but this is no nourishment to the soul but still the soul lies in death and here is no communion but naturall outward and carnall of severall minds and hearts full of filthinesse and uncleannesse which is the table of Devils eating and drinking their own damnation not discerning the Lords body which is spirituall which the natural man discerns not And here stands the worlds communion and fellowship which is carnall and crosse but their carnall wills and it is turned into envy and for earthly trifles they will go to Law and cozen and cheat and defraud one another for earthly trifles and like people like Priest but if they lie in wait for revenge of one another then they will not take their Sacrament as they call it And here the Devill hath as great hold for he that envies is a murderer and here is the difference betwixt the worlds communion and the Saints communion life and death for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and here they are without feeding upon the husk shadow without and would destroy the life and substance where it appears both Priest people and Rulers and so have a form of godliness and denies the life and power from such turn away for it is a mere delusion to take the shadow for the substance We are accused to deny all prayer The prayers of the wicked we deny and God denies for it is abominable for Cain the wicked one who was out of the commands of God who was the first birth hee offered up a sacrifice of the earth but GOD had no respect to it but Abel the second birth who was the righteous his sacrifice God had respect to so the prayers of the faithfull and righteous God doth accept they availe what comes from his own which is the second birth his own pure what comes from it is pure God who is pure doth receive that which is pure but he receivrs nothing which is polluted or unclean for he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity for his sacrifice must be without spot or blemish and that which comes from an uncleane heaet is sported and defiled and uncleane for nothing that is pure can come forth of an unclean vessell but who can witnesse the second birth and that the seed of the woman hath bruised the serpents head which is the first promise and faith which purefieth the heart then that which comes out is pure proceeding from a pure single heart and this prayer God receives and he hath respect to it and this we own and witnesse and this comes from the second birth which is pure for the first birth is unclean and out of the command of God in the fall in the wrath in the peevishnesse and preversnesse and frowardnesse Cain like and the seed of the serpent is first in every one and rules the head but the promise is the seed of the woman shull bruise the serpents head so you who are not come to this are still in the fall and are not come to the first promise so all your self-acting and imitating thinking to merit with your prayers and praises singings and duties and worships and traditions which are all in vaine and you are sacrificing to an unknown God a sacrifice of the earth from the first nature which God hath no respect to and the flaming sword is set against that to keep from the tree of life for both drunkards and swearers liers proud coveteous and all manner of unrighteous persons are offering up sacrifices and are in their formall worships and duties thinking

and Taxings and Wars and Imprisonments and Envy and Murder and the Persecutions of the Righteous all arises from proud Lucifer the Lust in man who would be honoured and all this is in the Fall and under the Curse but Mordechai could not bow to him in Hamon and therefore he sought to destroy him and informed the King against him and all the Jews in the Nation and said they were a scattered people and their Laws were diverse from all people neither did they observe the Law of the King Then he set up a pair of Gallows for Mordechai but Hamon was hanged on his own Gallows and was cast down to nothing and Mordechai is exalted in his stead So there is a time that Mordechai despised and Hamon exalted and there is a time that Hamon is cast down and Mordechai exalted and there is a time that Esau reigns over Jacob and there is a time that the elder serves the younger and there is a time that Pharoah rules and oppresses the Israelites but there is a time of Israels deliverance and Pharoah drowned in the sea So there is a time that Antichrist sits in the temple of God as God and saith he is God and Christ lyeth low in the Manger but there is a time that he must be cast down into the pit and Christ alone exalted He that can receive it let him but in all Ages the children of God could not bow to Lucifer nor his Image and this was the cause why Shadrach Mesech and Ahednego was cast into the fiery Furnace and this was the cause why Daniel was cast into the Lyons den but by the hand of his God whom he alone worshipped and honoured he was delivered and exalted and his Adversaries cast down in his place and this was the cause why the Prophets were alwaies persecuted and imprisoned and the Apostles who came to turn the world upside down and this is the cause now why the Ministers Messengers of Jesus Christ are imprisoned stoned stocked whipped and shamefully intreated whom the Lord is pleased immediately to call from their outward callings and countries and sends them abroad into several Countries to preach his name no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and who knows him must know him no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and those come to turn the world upside down being crucified to the world and the world to them and these cannot honour Lucifer nor bow to Lucifer nor worship his Image though there was a time when they did but that which was done in Egypt when they knew not God but now Lucifer and his Image is cast down and Christ alone exalted and the pure and perfect Law is witnessed which respects no mans person but God alone honoured and exalted and this we witnesse for amongst us there are no Superiours after the Flesh but Christ is the head and amongst those who was redeemed out of the world there were no Superiours but onely Christ the Head and all the rest fellow servants and he that would be the greatest should be the least he that respects persons commits sin and the Angel would not suffer John to bow to him but said he was his fellow servant and this we witnesse who are redeemed out of the kingdome of the Devil from amongst the children of this world into the kingdome of the Son who are crucified to the world and the world to us by the spiritual Crosse of Christ in which we joy and glory amongst whom there is no partiality nor respect of persons but all in union in one though ten thousand and here God alone is King and he alone is honoured exalted and worshiped no more after the flesh but after the spirit for we have no other God in whom our hearts delight and here proud Lucifer and his Image is cast out and here all his honors is thrown down and his breeding and manners and fashions and customes and words and wayes and worships which are after the Flesh and not after the Spirit whereby he sets up himself and causeth his Image to be worshipped and this is the cause why rages in his kingdome wheresoever we come and saith we are destructive to all Superiority and Magistracy and Ministry and Honour Breeding and Manners and turns the world upside down for he knows where Christ comes he comes to take his kingdome from him and cast him down into the pit and there he must be tormented quick and all who bears his image or his mark and these are some of his marks which he calls Nobility Gentility honour breeding manners and civility But true Nobility we own the seed of God is noble wheresoever it is born up and who can witnesse to the head of the Serpent bruised and the seed of God born up to reign and rule there is true Nobility there is true Gentility no more after the flesh but after the spirit and this is to be honoured for honour is due to this both in Magistrate or Minister Fisherman or Ploughman Heardsman or Shepheard wheresoever it rules without respect of person here fear to whom fear honour to whom honour and this is no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit And here all the true Prophets of God were Noblemen and Gentlemen sprung of the noble seed though of the Nobles and great ones of the earth they were disdained and reproached because according to the world they were of low degree some of them Ploughmen some Heardsmen some Shepheards and therefore they persecuted them and destroyed them yet they were gentle and bore all Christ was noble sprung of the noble seed though of the Great ones and Nobles of the earth he was disdained reproached and scorned to be the King of the Jews because according to the world he was of low degree and supposed to be a Carpenters sonne so they spit upon him and disdained him and crucified him yet he was gentle and bore all The Apostles were noble sprung of the noble seed though of the Nobles and Great ones of the world they were despised and disdained and reproached because according to the world they were of low degree some of them Fishermen and the like and came to turn the world upside down so they were dispersed persecuted and killed yet they were gentle and bore all But those were all noble sprung of the noble seed and so is all now who are of the same seed and those were all gentle sprung of the gentle seed and those have the nature but not the name and to those belong the true honour not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for they denyed the honour of the world and therefore Christ said I receive not honour from men and said to his Apostles Be ye not called Masters wither call any Master upon earth and though the Princes of this world exercise dominion one over an

the unlearned which are strangers from his conditions who reads them with the carnal eye now perverts and wrests to their own destruction and this we witness who through the Lamb our Saviour do reign above the World Death Hel and the Devil but none can witness this whose eye is outward looking at a Redeemer a farre off and still live in sin but who cannot witnesse this Redemption here must never witnesse it for as the tree falls so it lies and sin is the mark of the Beast and who lives in sin hath the mark of the Beast and bears his Image and it is written that the Beast and false Prophets and all that have his Mark or Image must be cast into the Lake that burneth and must drink of the wine of the wrath of the Almighty powred out without mixture But as for that Scripture that saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us All have sinned and fallen from the Lord and he that hath sin and saith he hath no sinne deceiveth himself and is a lyar but if he confesse and forsake his sin God is faithful and just to forgive him his sin and to cleanse him from all unrighteousness and this John witnessed and he that can witness this is no lyar if he say he is cleansed from all unrighteousness but witness forth the truth and a perfect Redemption and the same John sayd He that is born of God sins not neither can he sin because his seed remaineth in him and he that sinnes is of the Devil and n●ver knew God By this are the children of God and the children of the Devil made manifest this John witnessed he was no lyar neither did deceive himself but spoke the truth and the same John said God is light and in him is no darkness at all If we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darknesse we lye and doe not the truth but if we walk in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin this John witnessed he was no lyar neither did deceive himself and this John sayd He that hath hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure and faith in God purifieth the heart Now try your Faith and hope who plead for sin for sin lodgeth in the heart and while there is sin the heart is unclean now here you may see al your faith is vain your hope which doth not purifie the heart and so it is feigned hypocrites faith not faith in God and so perisheth and who can witness Christ died for them have passed through death for none can live with him but those who dye with him and this is the true Baptism to be baptized into his death by one spirit into one body and how can they that are dead to sin live any longer therein and who can witnesse this hath faith in him which purifieth the heart and removes mountains and the pure in heart sees God and this the Apostles witnessed that he was made free from sin and more than Conqueror through Faith in Christ Jesus he was no lyar and said that Christ was come to redeem unto himself a pure Church not having spot or wrinkle and though once they were sinners like the world but they were washed and cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus and the spirit of our God and had put off the Old man and put on the New which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness but this you are strangers from who plead for sin are such as call your selves a Church and are not but the synagogue of Sathan in whom the Prince of darknesse reigns which ruleth in the children of disobedience and as for that which blinde people calls Scripture who sayes The righteous man that is sins seven times a day there is no such Scripture for it is false but though the righteous fall he riseth again by repentance and this the holy men of God witnessed and though David through lust disobeyed the Lord and forgot his God yet he rose again by repentance and after witnessed that he walked in the midst of his house in the purenesse of his spirit and though Peter sinned through weaknesse yet he rose againe by repentance and afterward exhorted the Church to be holy as God is holy but this you cannot witness who plead for sin and are not yet come to repentance but denies Christ daily and are convinced but doth not repent but they who dwel in the righteousness of Christ sin not for they that are alive in righteousness are dead to sin and they that live in sinne are dead to righteousness but how can they that are dead to sin live any longer therein and this is the Devil which pleads for sin the enemy of the soul for by sin did he obtain his kingdome and so his kingdome stands in sin and your Teachers which tels you you can never get out of sin nor be cleansed from sin here erres not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God but denies the end of Christs coming and brings another doctrine which they have from their Father the Devil and so are the deceivers which Paul speakes of who creep into Steeple-houses leads silly people captive full of sin and corruption ever learning and never come to the knowledge of truth and so are not to be received but held as accursed for they daub you up with untempered mortar seeing vanity and divining lyes who saith the Lord saith when he never spoke to them they have healed the hurt of the people slightly and have sowed pillows under their armholes crying peace when there is no peace because they put into their mouthes and they are not ashamed neither doe they blush therefore they shall fall amongst them that fall in the day that I visit them saith the Lord And these are your Teachers that makes you habitation in your sin while you are upon the earth and so your Leaders cause you to erre but when the day of account comes wherein the bookes must be opened and every one judged out of the books according to their works by him who sits upon the white Throne and all must be cast into the Lake that burneth but those whose names are written in the book of life and then you will finde those the utter enemies of your soules who perswades your hearts in sins and he that hath no sin will be in the best condition and here all your feigned formed faith is unbottomed and all your Priests found lyars deceivers and Anti-christs in whom the false Prophet rules which deceives the Nations who must be cast also into the Lake that burneth and there tormented for ever and all that uphold him We are accused to deny Christ come in the flesh We witness the same Christ which ever was

now manifested in the flesh and is appeared in the likeness of sinfull flesh to condemn sin in the flesh which is the Word which became flesh and dwelt amongst the Apostles this Christ we witness no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and before we knew him after the Spirit we had no profit by him but was in the state of Reprobation and so is all now who profess him in words and know nothing of him but by the Letter without them and such deny Christ come in the flesh who plead for sin who live in sin and doe not witness him come but those who are crucified with him doe live with him and he in them and none are Christians of the flock of Christ but who are baptized into his death by one spirit into one body and he that can witness this is crucified to the world and the world to him but who talks of Christ to be their Saviour and are still alive in the worlds nature must first witness him a condemner for his first appearance is with sword and breakes the peace and makes the war and ends the war and makes the peace and this peace endures for ever and so he is a Condemner before he is a Saviour and he is a peace-breaker before he is a peace-maker but who are at peace in their sin the Serpent is head and the strong man keeps the house and Christ they doe not witness come in the flesh but who endures the war shall enjoy this peace and he that can witness Christ his Saviour can witness this but silence all flesh before the Lord and let him that nameth the name of God depart from iniquity for he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Comandements is a lyar For saith Christ why call ye me Lord and do not things which I say And none can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost so it is plain you know not God who cannot keep his Commands then how can you believe in him whom you do not know We are accused that we judge people It is written the Saints shall judge the world and for judgement I am come into the world saith Christ that those which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind and where Christ rules in his Saints he judges the world as Paul witnessed It is no more I but Christ in me and he is come to reprove the world of sin of righteousness and of judgement of judgement because the Prince of the air is judged who rules in the children of this world and they cannot bear the righteous judgement of Christ but kicks against it and calls him Devil and so they kick against the prick which will the more torment them and this is the spirit of truth which come into the world which the world cannot receive because he testifies of it that the deeds thereof are evil and this is the condemnation of the world light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than life because their deeds are evil and every one that doth evil hateth the light and will not come into the light lest it should reprove them yet they will say Christ is meek love and lowly It is so but not to ungodlinesse but he is meek to the meek and lowly to the lowly and love to the Seed of God and his Saints are meek and lowly and bears all both scandals reproaches persecutions and imprisonments but to the Seed of the Serpent Christ is judgment and wo and a sword to that which is for the sword and a condemner to the wicked and our God is a consuming fire and terrible to the wicked to consume the proud and haughty in their imaginations and here Christ is a Lyon and he is a Lamb he is a Condemner and he is a Saviour he that can receive him let him the hungry and thirsty he feeds with live food but the fat he feeds with judgement and that which would not bear his judgement must never know his peace but is for judgement and cryes out as the Devil did who said he was come to torment them before the time but the Teachers of the world have deceived the people long crying peace to them because they put into their mouthes and healing them up in their sin with a feigned formed faith which works no reformation so sewing pillows under their armholes and here the Devil hath reigned in peace and now Christ is come with the sword to break his peace with plague and judgement and now he rages and stands up for his life in all both Priest and People and now the Beast makes war with the Lamb but it is hard for him to kick against the prick for he must be bound and cast into the pit and there be tormented quick and the false Prophet and all who bears his Image We are accused to deny the Church I answer the true Church which is in God we own and witness through death but the worlds Church we deny for the true Church is the Body of Christ made of tried stones elect and precious washed and cleansed by his blood and spirit that he might present it a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle but this is not a house of Lime and dead stones nor the people that meets in it for all manner of unrighteous persons meets there which is the synagogue of Sathan and a Cage of unclean Birds and like people like Priest but who comes to be elected into the Church of Christ which is spiritual denies the worlds Church which is carnal and the worlds Teacher who is carnal selling the carnal for carnal mony and earth for Christ himself is the Teacher of his Church who feeds it with living eternal food freely and it needs no other Teacher and this Church we own and witness but all other Churches we deny for the Church is but one the Temple of God we own which is at new Jerusalem the City of the living God but all other Idol-Temples we deny which is the inyention and imaginations of man though God commanded Solomon to build him a Temple nevertheless God that made the world dwels not in Temples made with hands when Christ the substance came he prophesied against it also Stephen was stoned to death when he prophecied against it this we witnesse whose bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost who are now stoned and persecuted by such as know not the living God but worship Idols because we speak against their Idols Temple which God never commanded to be built but was set up by the imagining Idolizing Papists and upheld by the blind Protestant so called and so they cast out the Papists and uphold their Idols and so the inchanters Diviners and Sorcerers of England leads silly people in blindnesse to worship Idols telling them they are the houses and Temples of God

which is a meer delusion We are accused to deny the Sabboth The Sabboth of the Saints we own which is not for a day but everlasting and who dwels in Christ witnesseth this Sabboth which is the substance and the shadow without is vanished for saith Paul let no man condemn you in respect of meats and drinks or of an holy day or of New Moons or of the Saboth dayes which are but shadows of things to come and so the world hath the shadow and the Saints the substance and you who have the shadow persecute them who have substance as the Seribes and Pharisees and high Priests did who had and upheld the Types and figures of Christ and persecuted them who was the substance so they that are after the flesh persecuted them that are after the spirit but your Sabboth is a shadow of nothing for the Jews Sabboth in the time of the law was upon the seventh day which was the last day of the week but yours is the first day of the week for which you have no scripture and they were not to do their own ways nor their own pleasure nor speak their own words upon the Sabboth day and here you transgresse in the figure and walkin your own wayes and speak your own words and do your own pleasures both of that day and every day We are accused that we justifie our selves and condemn all other I Answer When we were our selves without the Spirit of God and had a form and profession of the Saints condition which we did not possess we seeked to justifie our selves in our profession and earthly wisdom and to exhalt our selves and be something in the eyes of others and here we were Pharisees and yet feigned Publicans saying we were sinfull but thought higher of our selves than others though we were in the same nature and here our justification was of our selves and not of Christ and here are all you Pharisees and feigned Publicans both Priests and Professors who are in your earthly Wisdome feeding upon the Letter but as the Light of Christ arise in us all our earthly wisdom wherein we were exalted became foolishnesse and self was judged and denyed and all that which was of self both wisdom and righteousness wherewith we covered over our filthy lustful unclean hearts and so were as painted Sepulchers and here are all Professors at this day who are feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge and as from under the Cross of Christ but all would not hide from the Light of God but as it arose it searched through all and layd open all and all our covers became rotten and fel from us and so it will be with all Professors As the Light of Christ doth arise and the Book of Conscience is layd open for no flesh must glory in his presence But now we have nothing but what we have received of the Father through death and Christ is made over unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and though we glory we glory in the Lord for we have nothing in our selves to glory of and the Saints thought it no presumption to call themselves the Sons of God and said they were of God and all the whole world lye in wickednesse and here the same spirit would have accused them yet they were no Pharisees and Christ thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees he was judged a Blasphemer and as he is so are we saith the Saints yet they were no Pharisees and so who are made the Sons of God it is no self justification to witness it forth neither those who are made free from sin to witnesse it forth as the Apostles did and to witness forth the life and power of truth and deny them that have gotten the form notion or profession and here Christ is the witness and the justification for the way is but one and the truth is but one and they who dwel in the truth witnesse one with another for the Light of God owns its own wheresoever it is for God cannot deny himself but they that are not with us are against us and out of the truth in the state of condemnation for all who are out of the truth are under the curse in the fall and this truth we witness by the Spirit of the living God through death the same truth as ever was and there is that in every conscience shall bear us witness yea in the Heathen and condemne them that hate it 〈…〉 We are accused to be one with the Ranters I Answer it is false for we abhor their principles in our hearts and deny any liberty to the flesh or any light or loos or vain conversation which they live in or any thing which is impure or unclean for our principles are pure and clean and is at enmity with any thing that is impure or unclean for purity and impurity cannot agree together and it is our desires to keep our selves unspotted of the world for that which is unclean defiles and from that we are separated who are the Sons and Daughters of the living God but some of them have tasted of the love of God and grace of God and have had appearances of God but by harkning to the voice of the Serpent and giving way to the lust have turned with the dog to the vomit and the grace of God into wantonness casting his pure Law behind their backs and walking despitefully against the spirit of grace and have crucified a fresh the Lord of Life and put him to open shame therefore hath the Lord given them up to their own hearts lusts and vile affections and their consciences seared as with a hot Iron for it is writen It is impossiblo that those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and the Powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance but they have deceived many with their alluring speeches and have caused the truth of God to be evil spoken of by their pernitious lacivious ways But wo wo be to them for double shall be their reward but God is our witness we deny and abhor all things which is filthy or unclean and though all the world condemn it is without For there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit and it is my tender desire towards all tender consciences that they may take heed of giving any liberty to the flesh least they lose the tenderness of conscience and harden it by lust and uncleanness for nothing but purity will the Lord receive for he is of purer eye then to behold iniquity We are accused that the ground of our Religion is Popery The ground of the Religion made