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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	spirit_n	true_a	2,352	5	4.6188	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54908	The spirit of error, found and discovered, in the accounted pastors and teachers of the island Bermuda, in the VVest-Indies their principles and practice also tryed by the true spirit, and found to be contrary to the Scriptures of truth, and disproved by them, though pleaded for by the strongest arguments, the said teachers could bring forth : in an answer to some queries that were sent unto them, by us called Quakers : which answer was subscribed with all their names hereafter mentioned : their deceit unfolded for the peoples sake of the island / by ... Richard Pinder.	Pinder, Richard, d. 1695.	1660 (1660)	Wing P2264; ESTC R10836	20,271	25

Praying also for they see that you do them all but for your own ends since you have set your selves against the Truth as you three Priests of Bermuda have done who were like a wild Bull in a Net witness your fretting and chafing in your Praying and Preaching when you could not get the Magistrates of that place to satisfie your envious minds to banish us off that Island who came to visit the remnant of Jacobs Seed that it might be gathered from off the tops of the barren Mountains where it long had been scattered into the Fold of Rest and at the fulfilling of this your rage like mad-men appeared The Priests say That they find to their great comfort that the Doctrine of holy Scriptures received by Faith hath power to purge their hearts from the Corruption of Sin and they say it 's often declared by them that they own no other Light of Christ making to see sin to their salvation but this Doctrine contained in the holy Scripture and planted into their hearts by his holy Spirit through hearing and reading of them Answ By this it appeareth that you are them that preach up another Faith than that which was preached to Abraham before the Scriptures were written Gal. 3.8 when Abraham saw the coming of the Just Ones and rejoyced Ioh. 8.58 And the Prophet saith He should sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver Mal. 3.3 And Iohn saith He shall throughly purge his floor Luke 3.17 And the Scriptures cannot contain him for he is ascended for above all heavens that he might fill all things Ephes 4.10 This is He the Scripture declares of who was the Author and Finisher of the Saints Faith in whom they believed and had remission of sins and received Life Everlasting according as the Scriptures say And the Spirit of Truth which led them into all Truth was the Saints Comforter and this led them to the fulfilling of what before was written And so they stumbled not at Christ the chief corner-stone as they did that cryed up the Prophets VVritings but were erred from the Spirit by which the Prophets were led and this is your condition who set your selves to scandalize and reproach the LIGHT which Christ hath enlightned every one withal and yet are crying up the Doctrine contained in the Scripture and say it hath power to purge your hearts from the corruption of sin when as alas you believe no such thing as people can be purged wholly from sin in this life And note that so long as sin remaineth it corrupts and so your deceit is seen who tell of being purged from corruption and not from the sin which doth corrupt And Praises be unto the Lord many are come into the Faith by which Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11.4 25. of whose stock all envious men are And the Faith of Abraham is witnessed by which he obeyed the voice of God before the Scriptures were written and faith which Moses was in is witnessed by which he denyed the pleasure of sin which you three Priests are yet found in and though you cry up the Doctrine contained in the Scriptures yet your deceit is seen and your Ignorance discovered who say You know no Light of Christ making to see sin to your salvation but the Doctrine contained in the Scriptures which before I shewed what it was taking a Verse of Scripture and Divining an hour by a Glass from it But all such Doctrine they that spoke forth the Scripture denied and preached Christ the Light and Lamb of God which had been slain from the foundation of the World and preached remission of sins through him who is the Power of God and the Righteousness of God who hath enlightned every one that cometh into the World that through him all might believe And this Light the Saints witnessed to shine in their hearts to give them the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God And so this Light they preached which in all at first shined in Darkness and reproves for the sin that is brough forth by the Power of Darkness 2 Cor. 6.4 The Priests say That we to wit the Quakers take the Light of Christ for the knowledge of Christ as the Son of God and Saviour of the World Answer He that is the onely begotten Son of God and Saviour of the World hath enlightned every one that cometh into the VVorld and this is he that giveth the knowledge of the Father and this is life eternal to know the Father and him whom he hath sent a Light into the VVorld Joh. 12.36 that they who believed in him should not abide in Darkness Now the Light which cometh from the onely begotten of the Father First sheweth unto people their own darkness to the end that with the Light they may be led out of it that where the Light is believed in and obeyed it manifesteth life which life Redeemeth and Reconcileth unto God as it is known And this is the true and saving knowledge of Christ which we the Quakers bear testimony unto for by his Life the Saints were saved and this Life none know Rom. 5.10 but who come and wait in the Light for the revealing of it that they are the Children which abide in the Darkness who do not believe in the Light which Christ hath enlightned every one that cometh into the World withall and can never come to the knowledge which saveth but are condemned already Iohn 3.18 The Priests say To reason from every one having so much light as leaveth them without excuse therefore they have a Light of Christ or saving Light they say its all alike as if one should prove every sick man hath knowledge to recover himself because he knoweth he is sick Answer Here would you not make it as though people were left without excuse by some other light than the Light of Christ Oye blind Leaders of the blind who are thus fallen into the Pit of darkness Doth not Christ who is the Light and saveth them that believe in him condemn the Unbelievers And would you have him to judge and condemn them for their sin and transgression and that he never enlightned them to let them see what sin and transgression was Oh how you erre in the things of God and in the judgement which is Eternal which is committed unto the Son who hath enlightned every man that cometh into the World And you that are telling of a Light by which people are left without excuse Iohn 9.22 and not from Christ you are they that are setting up another Judge than he and so would pervert the Truth and true judgment which was ever the work of him that is the father of Lyes who did not abide in the Truth whose waies the true Light now discovereth that though you who are filled with his subtilty go about never so many waies to pervert the Truth and true Judgement yet you are discovered in them

of the first Founders and Owners of that Colony so that by your Preaching the Inhabitants are not put to one peny more charges by us say you Answ But nevertheless though you have not your Wages from them whom you Preach unto this doth not make it that you are no Hirelings for we believe you make little matter whom you have it on so you have it And who is there that knoweth the state of that Island and doth not know how much the people thereof are oppressed by them whom you say payes you your Salaries that it is still but the money of Oppression For doth not the Inhabitants of the Island whom you preach unto pay unto them of whom you receive your Wages one peny half peny forth of every pound of Tobacco that they send for England except they get it away by stealth which is accounted great Oppression much more then that of Tythes And do not they your Masters who Hire you tell the Inhabitants of the Island that they take that penny half penny out of every Pound of Tobacco in part for paying you your Wages And also for your challenging of us whom you account your Adversaries to prove that the Inhabitants are put to one penny charge by you for your Preaching We say You need not have made such a great challenge for we can easily prove and bring the Inhabitants to witness for us that you put them every year to many a penny charge by Repairing the Houses you dwell in and if they do it not just when you would have them will you not frown at them So this your cover is ripped open and your challenge returned upon your selves that your nakedness more and more appears for the day hath broken forth which makes all your deceit manifest and Praises be unto the Lord many he hath visited by it who begin to see your folly and weakness concerning the things of God and are declining from you that they may be brought to know the Lord their Teacher by his Law which he hath written in their hearts and this is the Lord fulfilling for his own mercy sake in spite of all envious men who gnawes their Tongues for grief and pain Again the Priests say in their Answer to our 17th Querie which was concerning their Preaching by an Hour-glass That they have the Warrant of the custom of the Churches of God for it which they say is a sufficient Warrant against all contentious spirits and they bring 1 Cor. 11.16 to prove it by Answ That place of Scripture doth not speak any thing of the Apostles preaching by an Hour-glass as you do that we can justly contend for the Truth against your Deceit in this And I charge you three Priests to prove where ever there was such a Custom among the true gathered Churches who was gathered by the Spirit of the Lord and witnessed Praying and Prophesying by it Are you not ashamed to scandalize the Churches of God in saying it was their custom to preach by an Hour-glass But will any that have read the Scripture believe you Certainly none but who are willingly as blind as your selves Again The Priests to prove the sprinkling of Infants lawful they bring the Command of God to Abraham to Circumcise And they say sprinkling of Infants which they call Baptism came in in the room of it For they say Though they be different in the External Sign yet they are one and the same in the Inward and Spiritual Grace signified by the Signs for they say both Baptism and Circumcision signifie a being in Covenant with God and Gods Command to Abraham to Circumcise will warrant Baptising of Infants Answ As for sprinkling of Infants that without controversie was never commanded of God but is an Invention of the Popes who commanded it to be done with the sign of the Cross and though you have left it off and are become disobedient to your father the Pope yet nevertheless he was the first Author of it Though you disobey his Command and will not do it with his sign the Cross but do it after your own Invention and so you are found acting contrary to the Apostles Rule by adding your own Inventions For they never received a Command neither gave a Command to sprinkle Infants and so you are found out of their Rule and your fathers Rule the Pope also and are not faithful to his Church which is your Churches Mother that you as Rebellious Children kick against him yet you may thank him for first Instituting this Ordinance as you call it of sprinkling Infants which you in your ignorance say The Command of God to Abraham to Circumcise will warrant you in But all whose eyes God hath opened out of that great slumber you are in sees that the Command given to Abraham to Circumcise will no more warrant you in sprinkling of Infants your way than it will do the Pope in his way For we know Circumcision was given a Seal unto Abraham of the righteousness of Faith which he had being uncircumcised Rom. 4.11 but as for your sprinkling of Infants we know nothing that it is a Seal of except of your own ignorance And as for your saying that sprinkling of Infants came in the room of Circumcision do you not think that all whose understanding the Lord hath opened by his eternal Spirit will take notice of your ignorance and blindness in this thing For Circumcision as you may read Rom. 2.28 29. is not that of the Outward in the Flesh but is of the Heart in the Spirit c. That all who are not blind may see that Circumcision of the Heart with the Spirit endeth that of the Outward in the Flesh Gal. 5.6 1 Cor. 7.19 Gal. 6.15 That as for your sprinkling of Infants it is but a meer Invention and was never commanded of God as Circumcision in its time was neither ever was it practised among any we read of that in the Apostles daies by the Spirit was gathered into fellowship with the Lord for they spoke of one Faith one Baptism and were Baptised by one Spirit into one Body and so was in oneness of mind and judgement one with another for the Spirit by which they were Baptised into the death and suffering of Christ made them of one mind and soul which you three Priests who plead for the Popish institution sprinkling of Infants are not For do you not differ among your selves about it One crying of it up to be done after his way and to whose Children he will and another another way to whom he will and so are in your ignorance at difference amongst your selves But do you not think people begins to take notice of you and to see your folly though you joyn all your Forces together against the Truth and though you joyn in union with Death and Hell and make lies your Refuge Yet Judgement is laid to the Line Righteousness to the Plummet and Hail shal sweep away the refuge

The SPIRIT of ERROR Found and Discovered In the accounted Pastors and Teachers of the Island Bermuda in the VVest-Indies Their Principles and Practice also tryed by the True Spirit and found to be contrary to the Scriptures of Truth and disproved by them though pleaded for by the strongest Arguments the said Teachers could bring forth In an Answer to some Queries that were sent unto them by us called Quakers Which Answer was subscribed with all their Names hereafter mentioned Their deceit unfolded for the Peoples sake of the Island By a Servant of the Truth which searches out all iniquity though it work in a Mystery called RICHARD PINDER The Wicked is snared by the transgression of his Lips but the Just shall come out of trouble Prov. 12.13 THe Day of Glory hath appeared the everlasting Gospel is now Preached unto them that dwel upon the earth to the calling all forth off that great and long night of Darkness which hath lain over every Nation Kinred Tongue and People where the Beast and false Prophet hath Reigned and Mysterie Babylon the Mother of Harlots deceived that they upon whom she hath sitten have been as unstable as the Waters and as changeable as the Windes that a Rock or Place to rest upon they have not known but tossed and hurried to to and fro they have been and deceived on every hand through her Inchantments that have filled the whole Earth with spoil and violence through her changeable Waies and Garments which she hath been decked withall since she began to drink the Saints Blood and since she Mysterie Babylon the false Church made all Nations drunk with the Wine of her Fornications which hath made them Reel and Stagger to and fro that they have all lost the way and turned into the by-paths wherein they are groaping like blind men without any glimmering of Light and run and clash one against another and fall on heaps and then burst out like the Waters thinking to swallow all up and then another Wave meets them and here arises Heat and Rage one against another and here People rend and tear one another about the Scriptures and cry it up to be their Rule and Guide to lead them to knowledge but have all lost the Key which should open the Door of true Knowledge and which should open the Scriptures unto them and this Key they hate which is the Light which Christ hath enlightened every one withall and so it is but just on the Lords behalf to give every one of them up to follow the Imaginations of their own hearts being that they hate his Reproof and cast his Law behind their backs And being that they are grown so proud and haughty that they despise waiting for his Counsel that every one doth the thing which seemeth good in his own eyes and there the Lord and his Reproofs are not regarded but rejected neither is his Law there waited for Where man hath chosen his own way in which man seeks to exalt himself and to get a name in the Earth that what man doth in that state he hath a self-end in it whether it be in matters seemingly to bring something to the glory of God or in others yet he hath his own end in it and this is the estate where man is Cursed and all things unto him for his sake and there man is separated from the true and living God and so turned into his own Inventions invents a way to serve and worship him by whom he was made thinking thereby to please him and procure his love Whenas alas he daily rejects his love by turning into his own waies and here the Lords hand is turned against man because of his iniquity which daily aboundeth and is daily brought forth where man hath chosen his own way and turned from the way of God which is but one Now the waies which man hath invented are many and which he hath sought out for himself since he was turned forth of the acceptance with God by reason of his chusing to walk in his own waies And there standeth the craft and subtilty of man in the degenerate state degenerated through the subtilty and craft of him that hath led from the Truth that he cannot savour the things of God his Judgement and Discerning being taken away and in that he is become leavened up into such a temper and frame as he is altogether an Enemy to Truth and Righteousness In this state man calls Truth Error and Error Truth and calls and accounts his own way the way of Righteousness and so puts the Lords VVay and his Judgements afar off and seeketh to do those things which is pleasing in his own eyes and by this perverteth true Judgement and seeketh to be Judge himself over the things which God hath made and there man is not at all willing that God should rule over the work of his own hands but would rule and be Lord and King himself and so goeth on in craft and subtilty as that Power worketh and moveth in him which is at enmity against God for its Kingdom and Exaltation standeth in craft and subtilty and there its strength lyeth by which it is upholden opposing the Lord and his Work and setting its own up in those who are guided by it and so it hath many Instruments which in subtilty and craft under a pretence of Godliness will stand up for it in opposition to the way by which God worketh to manifest his love among the sons of men to reconcile them unto himself again which is onely known through his own Son which in his love he gave a Light into the world that whosoever should believe in him should not abide in Darkness by which people are separated from God but should have the Light of Life And this is He by which God maketh himself known unto the sons of men that through transgression have been destitute of his knowledge and this Word of Reconciliation being now Preached even the Gospel of his onely begotten Son in whom the Father is well pleased and in which man is accepted with him again I say This Gospel being now Preached unto every Nation Kinred Tongue and People over whom the Beast and false Prophet have reigned and Mysterie Babylon and Mother of Harlots bewitched Also now the Power of the enmity standeth up on every Instrument whom it hath fitted to blaspheme reproach the Gospel of Light and glad Tidings which we the despised people commonly called Quakers bear testimony unto though for it we are Hated and Despised and spoken against in every place by them that have pretended to be Preachers of the Gospel of Peace and glad Tidings but are now in this the day of Glory found to be Preachers for the glory of man and for filthy Lucre are now found to be of Mysterie Babylons Merchants which have long deceived the Nations and taken their money for that which is not Bread which now when the day of Glory hath

all and all your Arguments and Comparisons seen to be of no value For consider your last Comparison Every man that is sick knoweth not the ground of his sickness and distemper but the Light which every man is enlightned withall shewes unto him his sin for which sake the Wrath of God cometh and abideth upon him that all may see your Comparison is made in the blindness of your hearts which is filled with the gross Darkness that you cannot compare Spiritual things with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2.14 neither indeed can you natural men who say people are left without excuse by a natural light discern the things of God for they alone are Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 The Priests say VVe discover much Ignorance when we desire to know what example they have out of the Scriptures for taking Forty Pounds Sallary and two shares of Land a year for preaching For they say Christ and his Apostles had a compleat Maintenance and their Salaries is no more And again the Priests say They are commanded to take pains and to bestow labour to attain ability to discharge their Callings and so have another reason to require Maintenance than they that were Immediately sent and officiated and furnished by the Spirit of God That they say they do not receive it as Alms or Charity from the peoples free-wil but as their due debt That they say they may not onely receive it when it is given to them but also may with a good conscience Sue for it when it is detained Answ As for Ignorance that is in abundance shewed forth in your selves and it doth betray you in that it leads you to utter forth your folly in pleading so for your own covetous ends but do you think that all people are as full of Ignorance and Blindness as your selves that they cannot see your greediness after the earthly things which under a pretence of preaching the Gospel you would hurd up to your selves Was there ever such a generation of Covetous Teachers as you are who under a pretence of preaching the Gospel would gather to your selves if it were in your power all the substance people should live upon And yet say you receive it not as Almes or Charity from the people Nay you say you may Sue for it with a good conscience But may not all see by this that you are the men whose consciences the hot Iron hath seared Oh what unsavouriness and greediness appears amongst you that have pretended to be Preachers of the Gospel of peace unto the people and now tell them If they detain your Salary and Wages you may go to Law with them for it Oh what Nathaniel VVhite Thou that hast been cryed up for a Pastor of a Congregation so long Will the people of Bermuda bring thee no longer their free-will-Offerings which thou once told them was their duty to do Will they not bring thee Gifts and Rewards as they use to do Must thou now go to Law for thy Maintenance Would it not have been thought a strange thing some years ago to have heard such a word from thee as to say thou mightst with a good conscience sue for Wages for preaching Is not the Proverb fulfilled upon thee art thou not turned with the Dog to the Vomit again and thy two Brethren Burre and Brown Where do any of you read that Esay Jeremy Ezekiel Micah or any of the Prophets or Peter or Paul or any of the Apostles told people that they might lawfully go to Law with them if they would not give them so many shares of Land or so much Salary by the year or so much Sugar Indico or Tobacco which many of your Brethren in this West-Indies preach for and go to Law with their Hearers for when they will not pay them it Yea and with them also which never heard them but witnesses against their deceit and covetousness and witnesses Christ the unchangeable Priest who gives them true knowledge who is the end of the first Priest-hood and the Law also by which Tythes was to be paid and so they who witness him sees you that are now speaking of going to Law with people for Maintenance to be a company of greedy Apostates who like Wolves would devour and go to Law with people when for conscience sake they cannot put into your mouths nor feed you with gifts and rewards as thou Nathaniel White hast been by these in Bermuda whom thou hast gathered into thy own Form to follow after thy own Traditions which thou call'st Church-Order and indeed is the Order of New-Englands Church after the Order of which thou wast made a Pastor and though thou hast not partook with them in shedding the Saints blood yet thy envy hath no less appeared than theirs witness thy praying in the hearing of George Rofe That God would open the Magistrates eyes that they might see how they had given leave to have the people seduced That your taking of pains which you three Priests tell of is through envy For you being not immediately called of God nor furnished by his Spirit as you confess you are not your preaching must needs be by your own Inventions through which you can never beget any to God though you can make them Proselytes and Favorites unto you that they will stand up with you in envy against the Truth and so long as they put into your mouths and feed you with gifts and rewards so long you will cry Peace peace but when not then you will prepare War like your Brethren whom Micah the true Prophet cryed against Mich. 3.5 And whereas you say The Prophets Christ and his Apostles had a sufficient Maintenance and your Salaries are no more I charge you all to shew where one of the true Prophets Christ and his Apostles had Forty Pounds Salary and Two shares of Land a year and so much weight of Tabacco as you have that it is but a perverting the Truth to take their words to plead for your own covetous ends And do you not think that they who fear the Lord on that Island takes notice of your covetousness and of thy unstableness Nathaniel White who once pretended a great zeal for holiness and is now turned to sporting and playing with them who when thou hadst a sincerity in thee was thy enemies but now thou being turned from it they can joyn with thee and thou with them in sporting and gaming but dost thou think that they who fear the Lord are not burthened to see such things And dost thou not think that they see such things not to be of God but of the wicked one Who ever rejected the Truth and its Reproofs as you three Priests have done but the Truth is over you which will encrease your torment And whereas you desire all men to take notice of the malice of your Adversaries for questioning you about your Salaries For you say they are paid not by them whom you preach unto but ariseth you say from the devotion