Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	preach_v	1,996	5	6.8683	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44783	The beast that was, & is not, & yet is, looked upon: or, The bo-peeping beast pointed at: or, He that hideth himself hunted because of whom truth complaineth, and is spoken to by Pope and Prelate, by Presbyter, by Independent, by Quaker, by Baptist: together with her several answers to them all. Also one description of the beast. Also the coming forth and progress of the beast hitherto. Also an epistle to magistrates and law-givers, likewise, to take off prejudice if any be. Two epistles, one to the reader, and another to the Christian reader. VVith a true reproof to W.S. a Quaker, who in his book called The lying spirit in the mouth of the false prophet, wherein he endeavours to make men believe that he had answered H.H. his book, called The doctrine of the light within the natural man leading to eternal life, examined by Scripture-light.	Howet, Enoch.	1659 (1659)	Wing H3151; ESTC R215400	46,109	67

there is no need of conversion to make them Christians who are Christians born by the natural flesh of their godly Parents and so the god of this world who hath b●inded their eyes maketh them esteem it a great priviledge to have a perfect dead Act of his supposed Regeneration to be done by force upon their children for they can have no meanes to know or guess that the Spirit is joyned with water in their baptism which is the Instrument or outward Act of their Regeneration Consider how fast the poor Infant is lock'd to presumption when they have either presumption or nothing for the Foundation of their Order or rather Mystery Babylon's Order the god of this world knew well that none could be admitted into the Kingdom of God or government of the Gospel without Regeneration of water and the Spirit and his business in Mystery Babylon is to bring man to invent a form in imitation of God and so keep men that when they come to be capable of believing they should not look after Baptism or Regeneration of Water and the Spirit John ● 5 As Christ hath His Disciples made and baptized so Babylon Mystery hath hers supposed to be baptized too and in this the man of sin exalteth himself above God for God is merciful in forgiving sins and receiving into grace and favour upon Repentance every penitent sinner and therefore hath given Order to His Disciples upon confession of Faith and Repentance to baptize but this man of sin will make men believe that he hath more mercy then God by His word holds forth for he receiveth all in Infancy and needeth neither Faith nor Repentance in receiving his subjects the Subjects of Christs Kingdom have heart-pricking Truth to convince them and bring them to Repentance but Babylons Members are so easily made that they neither knew nor felt when it was done And thus the way is broad and easie that leadeth to destruction Also considering that the keeping of Christs Commandments is a proof of our love to Christ and that the receiving of the Spirit is an effect of obedience Joh. 14.15 16. and knowing that the written word is more surely to be taken heed to then an Act of the Spirit in Transfiguration though Christ Himself be present 2 Pet 2.19 to the end because Satan being a spirit can dissemble a spiritual Act but his mouth is stopped and he reproved with It is written And further knowing that Christ taught duty from the written word and it to be believed and practised rather then the words of one which should rise from the dead Luk. 16.22 I stayed not for Revelation to teach me my duty although I expect Revelation to convey unto us and evidence in us Christ our life but turn'd at Wisdom's reproof expecting after obedience Wisdom's promise Prov. 1.23 And now hating every false way knowing They that err from thy Statutes their deceit is falsehood Psal 119.118 and esteeming thy Precepts concerning all things to be right ver 128. I cannot but say of Scripture record Thy word is very pure therefore my soul loveth it verse 140. and upon this account I took the directions of that Scripture which Paul writeth by inspiration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 6.17 18. and proveth it by Isa 52.11 viz. I came out from Babylon Mystery the great her Daughter and Grandchild and touched none of their precedent manners Deut. 12.30 But I say laying aside mans learned mists of darkness and his precedent Examples I took the Doctrine of Christ and His Apostles for my Foundation and their Ensamples for following of Christ for my imitation Ephes 2.20 Truth speaketh I tell thee Church of Christ as thy name is the house of God the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of the truth thou art not in thy order reproveable by Scriptures 1 Tim. 3.15 And if any Enemy whatsoever undertake to reprove thee and hath not Christs weapon he fought Satan with v●z it is written though he tell thee of standing in the Will of God or being led by the Spirit or of an inward Teacher or of Light within as if there were some secret thing that passed by peeping and muttering which right Reason cannot be used about the understanding of they are no better the VVizards or Familiar Spirits To the Law and to the Testimonies if there they miss any thing viz. in that they hold forth or teach and speak not according to this word though they talk of Light within it is because there is no Light in them Isa 8.19 20. and their light is darkness Mat. 5.19 fear thou no such Enemies but live in the nature of rejoycing there meet thy God there work Righteousness Isa 64.5 viz. That which Christ began and shewed us when he said Thus it becometh Vs c. Mat. 3.5 Take thou notice o● the continuance of Gods wayes though the Enemy would tell thee they are ended and so expect thy Salvation And against the fear of those that would set a Spirit which teacheth not to obey Scriptures and follow the examples of Christ and His Disciples in opposition to a Spirit that teacheth to live in obedience to Scriptures and to follow the Examples aforesaid Rom. 15.4 Comfort thy self by Faith in Scripture and there with patience cast the Anchor of thy hope Phil. ● 4 Rejoyce alwayes yea again I say rejoyce And that thy rejoycing may not be in vain take these Cautions First Take heed that thou miss not of a way within a way if thou bless thy self in the high way without the way which is called holy Isa 35.8 which holy way is recorded in Job 28.7 8 9 10. Is the turning up all things by the roots cutting forth rivers among the rocks discovering every pretious thing binding the floods from overflowing bringing forth hidden things to light The high way being thy duty to walk in the holy way being the laying of Gods hand upon Christ thy Covenant and doing all thy works for thee Isa 26.12 holding thee that thou canst not depart from him and quickning the desires of thy soul Psal 18.17 18. In all thy acts of obedience thy Faith must be in the operation of God Col. 2.12 through which our Duties are living Ordinances performed by two co-workers Secondly Take heed whilst you walk into the way of God that your great business be to seek God His Face His strength evermore Psal 105.3 4. where the Psalmist maketh this the ground of his joy therefore if you fail herein your joy is groundless In which search love kindleth more and more as thou comest neerer God so as the soul groweth sick of love and cannot cease to press hard after God Psal 63.8 because it is upbeld by Gods right hand till thou know thy self to be set as a seal upon Christs arm and his heart for ever Cant. 8.6 and then also wilt thou follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 Thirdly Take heed thou be not defiled in the way

to prince and people in the land of my nativity as is proved in the 106. Psalme the 29. Vers and Psalm 99.8 Isa 66.5 and many other Scriptures And from declining the exact rule of Christ and his Apostles laid down in the bookes of the New Testament only under which grace we are and not under the Law of terror Heb 12 21. This poor Supplyant of yours to whom God hath given grace to be faithful is willing I hope amongst many others to stand in the Gap by shewing to you and all England and praying to God for you and it Ezek. 22.30 compared with the 28. Verse the very way by which an end must be put to the proceedings of the resisters of the truth 2. Tim. 3 9 Viz. by the discovering their folly to all men to which purpose this poor-servant of Christ Jesus hath written this treatise against this first Beast that ariseth out of the Sea viz. the Church that hath his power maintained and his worship exercised by the second Lamb-like horned beast that is more like a Lamb then the first and ariseth out of the eatrh viz the world and yet he holdeth up the first beasts power and worship by Magistrate sword the place that the first arose out of yeeldeth no such power his Lamb-like horns being the strength that prevaileth with the Magistrate to uphold him viz a repute of holyness and innocency in which he exceedeth therefore as a Lamb or as one in sheeps cloathing and in the pretended name of the Lamb Christ he taketh power by the Magistrate to constrain rich and poor small and great bound and free to worship c. Revelations 15. therefore where there is a constraint upon all into one worship we may well suspect that it is the power of that beast who is the very powerful life-giver to the bare Image of the first beast which Image if it had not the Magistrates power to constrain it it were life-less and therefore called the Image because it hath neither Scriptures authority to provoke nor power to constrain so that this beast is but a D●agon at the best that cannot stand without mans art or power to uphold it and shall certainly fall when Gods arke of testimony is brought to it and this is the last beast that shal be at enmity with my Master Christ Jesus and this is the same spirit with the first who is the old Serpent and Satan whose whole body consisting of beast whore and false Prophet as head body and taile shal in the end perish together Revelations 19.20 The beast was once wounded by my Masters providence and power when he died upon the Cross where he spoiled principalities and powers and made show of it openly Col. 2.15 the vertue whereof is his deadly wound to this day and no Salve that the beasts healing flatterers hath though for a time it giveth ease to the blind sleepy conscience can make this deadly wound unmortal viz. those Prophets spoken of in Ezek 13.9 But when triumphant truth the beasts mortal foe shal appear to make manifest what this wounded beast is that can never look upon Gods word to examine his own standing but he so much feeleth there the soarness of his mind as that he dare not in it prosecute his examination he shall be dead by that act and taken out of the way 2. Thes 2.7 and by how much truth looketh forth by so much this beast is sick of his wound ask your selves when truth appears where is lyes are they not all dead and gone then impudencie and out-faceing of lyes must needs cease when God shall destroy the face of the covering of all people and the vail that is spread over all nations Ezek. 25.7 the very discovery of him is his wounding therefore let those of the Clergie that loves to be Masters of all people upon the account of godliness contrary to Christs counsel Math. 23.10 look about them for Christ Jesus woundeth the head out of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation to the neck Selah Hab. 3.13 for then their standing will appear whether it be of God or no then their begging for liberty to persecute those that dare not feed them and honour them will be at an end when Gods out-casts are visibly provided for and the oppressor ceaseth Esa 16.4 then those that made lyes their refuge vvhen they fled from the written word to mens invented may bees will be utterly undone when the patient Heb. 10.36 not hast-making beleivers Esa 28.16 is upon their sure foundation then the Hail shall sweep away all the refuge of lyes and the water shall overflow the hiding places Esa 28.17 So that it must needs follow that the weapons of our war-fare are not carnal 2 Cor. 10.4 5. but mighty through God so that the sword of the Magistrate hath no such strength against this beast as mighty truth hath therefore be wise O ye Kings and Rulers of the earth as it followes in the second Psalme 10.11.12 Verses take heed of persecuting any for Gods sake although they be presented to you as deceivers Mat. 27.36 and seditious Acts 24.5 For was not Christ and his Apostles so presented to their persecutors it is better to take Christs counsel viz. let both grow together till Harvest then that the blood or distress of any one persecuted Saint should lie at your door Christ disclaimed any intrest in your kingdom in the dayes of his flesh and set an example of obedience to God in being under your authority and his Apostles commanded submission to you and to pray for you and we are yours subjected to you in all civil obedience so do you refuse to have authority in Christs Kingdom and be you there subjected to him and as he saith My Kingdome is not of this world so say you that your Kingdome is not over his Church and let his Laws be in your eys as they are in truth so wholly by which he governeth his Church that man cannot add to them or amend them it is possible to help forward a delusion by persecution making the erronious presume that they are martyrs for Christ when they perish in prison upon religious accounts and then if you do that to them for Christs sake or for Religions sake for which you have no rule in Gods Word it will be then if God give you not repentance till the day of Judgement that hee will come to say to you Who hath required this at your hands but never to provoke them to love the truth or make them willing by mans but by Gods power Psal 110. Yet if you go about to drive them that Christ is a wooing and beseeching them by the mouth of his Apostles 2 Cor. 5.20 you may come at the trouble of your conscience in the hour of death too too late to repent but we as our duty is do pray indeavor that no such thing may fal upon you And in the words of

that none can open his eye to discover my vanity but a Sword lyeth on it Zac. 11.17 I beseech you also take notice of the good I have done for this part of the world who are my Vassals I have builded their Churches and dedicated them to Christ or one Saint or other that they may be holy I have divided their Lands into Parishes settled Tithes upon them left no means unthought out that may dignifie or distinguish them but have made all conveniences for ease pleasure and safety that the wit of man can invent Tell me now am not I a better Master to mine then Christ was to his Who suffered his to be under cruel mockings scornings bonds imprisonments savings asunder temptings being slain with swords and wandring up and down in sheep-skins and goat-skins Rom. 16.33 Heb. 11.37 And no marvel for he had no Kingdom of this world as I have But w●ilst thou lookest on the Sa●●s outward condition thou feelest not his 〈◊〉 of ●…t Prov. 1.10 nor whereon to lay his head he was never born to that honour and riches that I and mine are for he was fain to make shift with a Manger at the time of his birth though we arose from out of his Charts Act. 20.30 we have attained to greater riches and intailments and strong settlements in this world then he or any of his had or will have Truth speaketh Prelate what I say to thee I shall say to all thy issue viz. If thou be not found in the Scriptures of truth I cannot own thee for then thou must be of mans invention of lies and must be outed for ever having share of me your Antiquity cannot maintain you you are not older then the Epistle of Jude vers 4. who wrote of your old Ordination and your coming in neither can the approbation of Bishops and Doctors justifie you for Christ Jesus thanketh his Father that he hath hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes 'T is not honourableness that will help you for God will stain the pride of all grory and bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth Isa 23.9 Whereas you pleade your Councils I cannot own them for the Scripture of truth concludes them under a wo Isai 30.1 for taking Counsel and not by Gods Spirit One thing wherein your Councils are point-blank against the Scriptures of truth is A Bishop the Scripture proveth must be the Governour of a natural family consisting of wife and children where the spirit of Government must be fruitful in governing his own house well in these words A Bishop must be blameless the husband of one wife c. 1 Tim. 3.2 One that ruleth well having his Children in subjection with all gravity for if he know not how to rule his own how shall he take care of the Church of God Even so must their wives be grave c. vers 4 5. And in Titus If any man be blameless the husband of one wife having faithful children not accused of ryot or unruly c. But your Councils are so shameless that they give out their Must be against the Scriptures Must-be for you say That a Bishop must be unmarried and so are all your Priests to be by your Councils Order Therefore let all men look upon thee as one that vieth it with God himself and indeed if the Scripture had not spoken of a false-dealing shameless Clergie Jer. 13.15 I should have more admired your impudency your daughter Presbytery is not altogether so shameless for she puts her May-be against the Scriptures Must-be for she saith A Bishop may be unmarried And as for your fixing your self in the joynts of honour riches strength cruelty multitudes c. I must by the Scriptures of truth tell thee That the stone the tryed stone the precious corner-stone when he shall lay judgement to the line and righteousness to the plummet the hail shall sweep away all your refuge of lies then your contract with hell and death shall not stand Isai 28.16 viz. All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me He that contracted with you will then prove but a bad Pay-master And as concerning the people that is with you in concord this very thing is the curse that is upon them viz. There shall be like people like priest and both in love with lies if sometimes the Nation that is called Gods people were in this condition it is easily believed that Rome and England may be so It is said of them The prophets prophesie falsly the priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so but what will you do in the end thereof These things considered I have done with the Prelate Now followeth the speech that may be aptly spokenly s●me of that Presbitery that is the Prelates Daughter Truth it is a folly to lye before thee though I may cozen the people with sophistical Arguments my learning being very useful to me for that purpose I have not shaken off my Mothers foundation but have kept her Baptism her sticking to mans Ordination to preach though not wholly in her Order for I tell you truly herein lyeth my pomp my riches my benefice my parish-livings that my Mother Prelate provided for me and is the very Saddle upon which I ride the Beast by the help of my brother Lawyer which Beast some have interpreted to be the great powers of the earth for I know the same spirit that caused the Hierarchies successors to ordain me will cause them to maintain me and all my honours and greatness for indeed I have all the Rulers and great ones power for few or none of the Rulers believe on poor Christ and his poor despised people and therefore I flatter them in their powdered locks and new fashions Rom. 12. gives you no such warrant and their wives in their long trailing Gowns naked Breasts and spotted Faces or if I flatter them not I make my reproofs so soft and so thin as the Tiffany they wear And for their filth of meat and vain talk I smile at them whilst I formally reprove them and I call it not Gluttony and Drunkenness neither do I charge it so strictly upon them to face them with bold reproofs telling them That for every idle word they must give an account at the day of judgment as the poor silly followers of poor Christ do Alas poor souls for their plain dealing the world judgeeth them accursed and turneth them out of doors whereas I can be welcome to great persons and we can call on another godly lying till we think we say truly and both of us together fall upon the back of the poor silly followers of poor Christ by which means it is no disgrace to me upon the earth before the great ones and the lustful ones and the common people though the foresaid poor people by plain proofs cut of Scripture make me naked My Mothet Prelate

hath provided for me an example viz. to flee to the Authority of Fathers which though they will not clearly serve my turn yet my Rhetorick and Learning together with the help of my brother Lawyer who is my Companion in Learning and a good Orator both in Courts and Countrey yea before Princes he will plead for me The Scribes and Pharisees viz. Priests and Lawyers were ever Companions and Enemies to Christ and his poor Flock However in these two particulars my Brother Lawyer and I differ they though as Learned as I let down themselves to speak as plainly and homely as may be that the Country Juries may understand them and so do justice But I for maintaining my Livings Dignities and esteem amongst men am constrained to hide my self in the words of Art and abstruse Phrases as Divinity and Habits of Grace c. that I may be as slippery as an Eel when plain Country understanding would catch me and have a hole to creep out when the plain simple wisdom and the truth of these Nazaerites hath inclosed me The second thing wherein my Brother Lawyer and I differ They may be in their callings and Disciples of Christ too provided they be not instruments of cruelty but use honest Laws honestly as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus was c. but I if I should be of the Sect of the Nazarites every where spoken against must lose both my Honour and Greatness what great men purchased by flattery and by silence at their vanities and all my fat Livings and let the World judge whether it were wisdom so to do 〈…〉 And the truth is though I be not altogether so honourable in name as my Mother yet I think my self stronger among Hypocrites and self-seeking Professors for by how much I am esteemed Godly by so much those are esteemed ugly that cannot joyn with me And upon this account I have more reason in the eyes of all our Fraternity that seek honour one of another to persecute any saucy Jack that upon pretence of Scripture-plainness is dare reprove us or cast contempt upon our Rhetorical Tropes or figures which are as silk Gowns to honour us before an ignorant Multitude especially if we can foi● out a little Latin which though this our learning together with Mans Ordination maketh us to stand to it that we are to be preferred before Mechanicks and so are holier then they Isa 65.5 though we be a stink in Gods Nose and a fire that burneth a● the day maketh us a sweet sent in the nose of an ignorant multitude for because we are Learned they think they may be hold to trust us and so by this very means they think they need not rave into what we say as the Bereans did but take all upon trust and so are kept ignorant and dwell at ease still And now tell me Truth if thou canst approve of these things I shall live bravely both here and hereafter Truth speaketh As I say to thy Mother Prelate so I say to thee Except thy Image or superscription be found in the Scriptures of Truth thou art but of mans invention which God hateth Isa 66.3 and also the refuge of lies which must be swept away Thy Mothers name is MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE VVHOLE EARTH Rev. 17.1 It is notorious that she beareth her name in her forehead which proveth 1. She is ashamed of nothing 2. That every one may apparently behold her Abominations in her Forehead And now let us see how like thy Mother thou art 1. Thou and thy Mother have all one baptism which pass from one to another by the Proclamation of Princes but not by Gods word which proveth you both to be of Mans Generation and Maintenance whereas a Proclamation had power to make you both the Religious legitimate Children one of another All thy Children were made thy Mothers by Queen Maries Proclamation all thy Mothers Children were made thine by King Edward's and Queen Elizabeth's Proclamations The truth is you are of such a Brood and so neer of Kin that you cannot be converted one to another by preaching Faith Repentance and Baptism but being both of a nature and depending both upon Man a Proclamation can command the one to be a Christian Protestant upon the Papists Baptism and the other to be a Christian Papist upon the Protestants Baptism In your Infancy when you were Cozened instead of Christened as you call it you were proclaimed Regenerate and born again made a Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven when you could neither understand Doctrine with your hearts whereby Man believeth unto Righteousness nor with your Mouthes confess unto Salvation Rom 10.10 for you could not speak to confess any thing Is any of your Laws like the Law of God in this which proclaimeth Faith comes by hearing How shall they believe on whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher The aforesaid brazen-fac'd Act standeth by thy Mothers Canon-Law and all thy oldest Priests that took Degrees in the Universitie though godly in thy esteem are sworn to observe all the Rights and Ceremonies of holy Church which Canon Law intendeth the Church of Rome then consider whose sworn servants thy priests are And now consider I pray thee whether thou hast not a brow of Brass in not being ashamed though all the world that are not Members with thee behold thy Whoredoms and thy Abominations written in thy forehead Now out with thy Learning thy Rhetorical Tropes and Figures call for thy brother Lawyer and all the power of the Magistrate and all the lustful Multitude that loveth to hear and believe lies thou hast nothing else to feed them with but what is mix'd with lies and indeed Truth would be so bitter that neither thou nor they could bear it if you did not sweeten it or rather fit it to your palate with lies and see if they all can cover from reproof out of Gods word by the mouth of poor mechanick despised Christ and his poor mechanick despised Apostles and Disciples Also thou forcest thy maintenance by mans Law from those that thou sowest no spiritual seed in their hearts if there were spiritual things betwixt Priest and People it would make such a product of love that the Royal Law of Heaven Christs Church Saints Angels Christ and God the Father as would procure the Priests maintenance from their Converts they need not go to mans Law to get it if thou hadst some few Converts Thou dost like him that soweth two or three Lands in a field onely and yet challengeth the whole field though there be hundreds of Lands upon which none of thy seed is sown and suest and undoest thy poor neighbours if they will not yeild thee their increase out of the whole field Dost thou look for fruit when all thy seed is rotten under the Clods and bringeth up none Is not this thy Mothers name

Psal 119.1 for it is less offence to bring a beastly Creature into a hogstie or any filthy place then to bring it into a Princes presence-chamber or a bed of love where there ought to be nothing loathsome but all to be lovely and love provoking Objects So is it less wickedness to have a mind and conscience defiled in beastly prophaness then to bring such a minde into the House of God the Church of the living God Tim. 1.15 That thy soul may bee deeply ingaged take notice of the whole Order of persons and things wherein thy communion lies with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.3 4. The whole Order is the innumerable company of Angels the General Assembly of the first-born that are written in heaven unto God the judge of all unto Jesus Christ the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then the blood of Abel In the first place consider whether the Father and the Son can have communion with thy sins thy worldly pleasures or pursued honours in a condition where right and strong and pure Objects of eternal love forceth the heart to a strong purgation 1 Joh. 3.3 No no all thy pleasures honours c. must be thrust from thee as a menstruous rag Secondly Consider whether such company can delight to talk with thee of good bargains the honour thou hast from great persons the delicates wherewith thy feasts are furnished and thy new fashions No no I tell thee the mind that can feed on these things is too defiled for Gods ways and can take no pleasure in Heavenly food a pure mind is capable of remembrance of the commandments of Christ and his Apostles 2 Pet. 3.2 of the enjoyning the commanded loving kindness of God which hath such warmth and power that it maketh them become one new heart with this new wine and Gods Song with them in the right when God useth their heart their joy and their and his own delight to sing his songs with and their prayer with the God of their life Psal 42.8 As if it were said God the life of his childrens prayer is with them in their act of praying They need not travel hundreds of miles to present their Petitions on pilgrimage the marrying of his body together and the rejoycing over them as a Bridegroom rejoyceth over his bride Isa 52.4.5 proves Gods presence at their heart-working-life Here here I say is perfection when God in a perfect way visiteth a perfect heart the living man is as well able to lay aside his breathing as these are able to forbear pressing on towards the mark Phil. 3.14 or to follow after God having no pattern but the Heavenly Fathers perfection to imitate Psal 36.8 being under the laver of that Blood which was shed by this eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 Our perfection is in the life a working it is yet perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 and whilst we draw our natural breath the blood of Christ in cleansing will do its work the fear of God its work and our Heavenly Father will stand for our Pattern and our Christ will be our life 1 Joh. 1.7 There is nothing but it may be yet a perfecting in us only our purchase by the blood of Christ is perfectly paid and in that sense it is finished and our salvation undertaken if either the Tempter were dead or we our selves stronger then Adam was in his innocency or the evil day and hour of our temptation past Gal. 6.1 we might speak of such a perfection as admitted of no imperfection but whilst the Scripture is of use let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall and we may as the case now standeth with us with Paul speak of perfection and imperfection both in one Chapter Phil. 3. If thou beest undefiled in the way thy soul will be in this frame 1. Thou wilt not endure to see the least defilement in thy self without loathsome apprehensions of thy self and running to that fountain which is set open for sin and iniquity to wash in Zech. 13.1 And 2. If undefiled in the way thou wilt be always a running and not carelesly sleeping Heb. 12.1 but rather weeping with thy face thitherward Jer. 50.5 either for joy shame desire or all these so strongly will thy heart be ingaged to seek the Lord Jer. 30.21 A fourth caution Take heed that every one of you strive by watching begging of God beseeching one another to keep from among you Egyptian bondage this ruling one over another with rigor Exod. 1.13 14. which might not be one brother over another in the time of the Law Reason first because that love which procured the shedding of Christs blood hath caused his poor Members to be set as a Seal on his heart and upon his arm Cant. 8.6 and owned them for his people Isa 51.16 Therefore if thou hast Gods love shed abroad in thy heart to constrain thee afford it them out of thy breast A second Reason why we should not rule over our Brethren with rigour is we are and so was Elias subject to the like passions that any feeble brother is Jam. 5.17 and thou mayest come to be remoted Gal. 5.1 and it is possible thy temptation may be this that Satan may move thee to have low contemptible yea it may be hateful thoughts of thy brother and thou mayest have a Spirit of putting away and covering violence with a cloak Mal. 2.16 therefore take heed of this temptation The third Reason why not with rigour c. Because thou art not godly or Godlike in so doing for he did not take thee at advantages when he might justly have cut thee off but waiteth for thee that he may be gracious unto thee and will wait upon all to that purpose Isa 30.11 He cut none off suddenly in a few days or a week c. nor pressed thine offences to all advantages that he might break thee off he hath given contrary rules to that to his Apostles and Disciples how to move towards their Brethren Luke 17. the five first verses Let my fifth caution therefore be That for no supposed advantage sake or fear of disadvantage to the truth thou darest step from the Rule that Christ laid down one jot for if thou dost it is a judging of the Law-makers wisdom and foresight as if he did not foresee and provide in his rule for all following effects Secondly It is an exalting of thine own wisdom in that thou thinkest thou seest cause to be a ruler further then he hath left a rule to guide thee by Thirdly Thou mayest assay in so doing to prevent the fruit that God bringeth forth by contrary means In this case how far might Abrahams imagination have fought against Gods command He might have said of Isaac he was the son of the Promise and the Promised seed is in his loyns c. Amongst other Scriptures I offer to thy consideration

2.4 and let all who think they know God whilst they despise that which He and His Disciples commanded and practised let them remember this word written in 1 Joh. 2.4 He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not His Commandments is a Lyar. As from this opinion that was sometimes in the Church I desire it lurk not secretly there yet the Ranters and Quakers sprung so also do now those who are zealous in decking their bed of Love which they poor deceived ones under pretence of peace-offerings and reconcilement to God in performing the very Vows of their souls Prov. 7.14 seek to draw Proselites in a bed of solace with love being so enabled as they think and covered sufficiently and beautified as with gifts and graces vers 16. that they can hide themselves and others from the reproof of Truth whilst they are workers of iniquity though they say they preach and cast out devils in Christs Name c. He that knoweth their works will call them so Mat. 7.22 23. And also they have perfumed their bed with divers spices Prov. 7.17 and it is too too true they hold forth the likeness of some of those spices but not all that Jesus Christ in his Visitation of His Spouse cometh perfumed unto His Spouse-Bed Cant. 3.6 7. and these in the good Mans absence will have other pleasures and lusts then to obey their Lord they have contracted a hatred in His absence to his Rule and Government and will not have it Luk. 19.14 and thus these poor deceived ones will be cut off for making a perfume and smelling to it in other places then where God and his People meet Exod. 30.35 to 38. which is in God's wayes while they rejoyce in working Righteousness Isa 64.5 viz. in ruleful obedience where love to Christ is proved by keeping his Commandments and the love of God and Christ together with their manifestation is promised These Libertines tell them of walking in the wayes that Christ and His Disciples walked in and they will reply If God let them see it they will obey May not Solomon's harlots say as well when the good Man of the house is come home who will instruct her for that is Christs practise with His Spouse Psal 32 8. she will forsake all her wooed Proselites and cease to heal defend and cover them and will no more counterfeit a perfume to perswade them that Christs favour of his oyntments is amongst them but but will come to the good man and walk with Him in obedience to His Commandments and abide in His love is He hath kept His Fathers Commandments and abides in His love Joh 15.10 So that if it be truth as surely it is they refuse to obey when the good Man of the house is come home they must then see it though they shut their eyes and blame his absence for their disobedience whose presence would let them see and with this excuse fall fast asleep in the arms of him who rules in the children of disobedience whilst he furnisheth them with all counterfeit evidences of good as if God were in their hearts all this while 2 Thes 2.4 the words are these So that he AS GOD sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God And the first evidence that he furnisheth them with may be this viz. That Christ hath put His beauty upon them for the beauty of Christ may be put on one and that by Christ and yet they play the harlot with it Ezek 16.14 here is the work of the Prince of the air in a disobedient heart to find wayes for Israel to disobey God and give up a soul to Lust and so play the harlot even as if she were opening her heart or her legs for Christ to take His pleasure in her and she in Him A second evidence of him who rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience is in the pleasure of the Plant which is but a strange slip It must needs be a strange slip if your wayes be not those wayes which Christ and His Disciples walked in for three hundred years after Him your wayes must then be your own and of your own chusing and strange from Christs Isa 36.34 viz. The teacher with pleasure to thee and himself may plant in thy heart with thy consent or with thy soul a disobedient slip strange to Gods word it being not there to be found and for all thy delight thy portion will be desperate sorrow in the end Isa 17.11 12. here is a deceitful work of the ruler in the heart of the children of disobedience 3. He can make you lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us no evil can come to us Mic. 3.11 he can make thee bless thy self in the name of God with confidence of freedom from evil 4. Whilst thou art asleep he can furnish thee with a flattering spirit that causeth thee to dream and healeth thee in thy disobedience and so in your preaching and hearing one another you have nothing but healing and pleasure and love to tell one to another in disobedience whereas he who hath Gods word will preach it faithfully Jer. 23.28 and for his pains shall be cast out of your Societies so unwelcome is the thoughts of obedience to Christs Commandment to those who dream they shall be saved without it Although the true Saint be not only moved to obedience for salvation sake but for loves sake and thus by maintaining that which Christ neither taught nor practised in his worship or at least by gathering of what Christ taught by pieces and snatches and leaving the rest viz. by taking that which will and leaving that which will not serve the lusts of a proud Society that thou mayest hold some union with them thou fightest against the Lyon of God and at the best in this thy dream dost but think thou eatest when Truth it self shall awake thee and thou be convinced of thy disobedience thou wilt find thy self hungry Isa 29.7 8. And if any strive to awake them out of this their dream wherein they have neither Truth nor Reason for their practise they will say Let me alone with my Religion and I will let you alone with yours Whereas if they would not thus harden their hearts but let Judgement come forth to Victory what violent wrestling would there be in them what asking and enquiring would their hearts be filled with what weeping with their faces towards God and his wayes would melt their souls Jer. 50.5 and not asking as now they do with their hearts set against Gods ways to see if they can find any word which if it do meet them it must be by the spirit of delusion mis-interpreted to defend them from obedience to God and his ways Is it not just that these should have strong delusions that they may believe lies 2 Thes 2.11 Will not this properly one day be said unto them Bring forth the blind people that have eyes Isa

one body Made ere they knew in infancie But Scripture Baptist doth them all deny For the good old way that Jesus walked in e Ier. 7.16 And the Apostles taught repenters to begin f Acts 2.38 Hereupon the spirit of the beast rouzeth up himself again Yea thinks the Quakers spirit then will I All that is called God or worshiped deny g 2 Thes 2. For where by order * by making false order I can have no place I must exalt my self to the disgrace * viz. in his deceived ones who exalt the sound of name but have being ignorant of the nature of the law of God and Christ Of God opposing order of his face Though God be the God of order Plainness of truth opposite to the beasts mysticall pretences GOD sent his son in flesh to come True naturall blood to shed And did ordain his death to be In simple man bake't bread And Vine fruit wine that men do drink Which God and man doth chear When in his ord'nance spirit joynd The price of Christs blood dear Shown to hold forth his death for sin Until he come again That is gone up true advocate Our cause for to maintain Where holy God and sinful man By Christ a treaty hold Who takes our prayers and there to God Our miseries doth unfold And doth return into our hearts The fruits of his blood shed True pordon strength comfort and joy By spirit witnessed Who doth with blood and water joyn One witness manifested a Iohn 1.5 8. In Gods one way whil'st men obey Repent and be baptised And then expect pardon of sin And holy spirit Gods gift b 2. Acts 38 Whil'st that our loves is prov'd to Christ In making it our stri●t For to keep all Gods commandments Where Scripture comfort dwells c Rom. 15.4 With Son and Father manifest Where men are not Rebels a Iohn 14 21. Hereupon the spirit of the beast proceedeth Thinks disobedient spirit I have No share in this strong Saviour I l'e cry down Lawes and holier be Then all that formes do favour In the eyes of those that have the love Of simple truth denyde I l'e serve their lusts and them perswade They need not to be ti'd I strong delusion can command Affections into tears b Ezek. 8 14 And cause men for to lean on God And so free them from fears c Mica 5.11 And cause men to protest to God That they 'l obedient be d Ier. 42.6 Yet his commandments to deny And say it is not he e Ier. 43. i 2 For in right steps of humbleness f Ps 17 11 They shall seem after God to press And though by Christs knowledge they scape Through lusts the worlds pollution g 2 Pet 2 20 Yet Gods commandments turning from They 're fast in my possession Although that they his way forsake They holiness may hold * The strength of delusion lieth in their seeming to themselves others to hold forth their formal holiness For I will spirit them my self Whil'st they 're fearless and bold I can my self transforme Into an Angels light And there maintain the light within The disobedient wight a 2 Cor. 11 14 2 Thes 2. Truth speaketh As righteous they must sure appear Whilst they can have the Skill To seem as Christs Apostles right And preachers of his Will b 2 Cor. 11 13.15 These were so far convinc't As to disclaim prophaneness But love of truth did not receive To bring them to obed'ence c 2 Thes 2 Self-love did them provoke Lest they should damned be Or of salvation be deny'd Prophaneness for to flee Doth it avail saith they To save us let us see All other Scriptures they throw by As useless for to bee Delusion speaks Therefore to them I me sent d 2 Thes 2 11. compared with 10 Verse Such lies they shall believe As me their inward Teacher to Prefer though God they grieve e Gen. 6.6 Before that simple Christ That Scripture-writing gave That men might read know his law And sure instructions have f 2 Pet. 1 19 20 2 Tim 3.17 Truth speaks The Man of God to make perfect And furnish him throughout There is a rule to know Gods will None need of it to doubt Delusion speaketh In mans imagination I le frame a lawless Christ And set my selfe up there as God And in his name be hi'st I le cause these to ascribe to me What ere to God is due And to my inward motions To flye from Scripture-view Remember Ahabs case 1 King 21.23 Truth doth and will conclude When beauteous holiness appears In sweetned-soul the dew of youth to bring Psalm 110 In morning womb it never fears To own its Jesus Lord and King That God-begotten Virgin-born That crosfide flesh was crown'd with thorn Hath saving power and law-giving In person place and time No true man can deny this thing And say he 's without crime That doth salvation to himself apply Whilst that obedience he doth clean deny Though faith and bapti'm in one book be writ Yea in one Chapter and in one Verse too Delusion saith he can the faith out pick And leave the bapti'm for some else to do Thus self-love his salvation minds Whil'st love of righteousnesse thinks fit To hate iniquity betimes The Oyle of gladness with his Christ to get a Psal 45.7 And thinks nothing for himself to imbrace To be too low carnal or base That his Jesus to his Apostles gave For Church direction but will tread the trace With Christ and his Disciples to his grave And knowes when 's left his body then that he From 's bodyes worship not before is free If our great God by such a lowly thing As blew in fringe would Israel mind Of their obedience to their Lord and King b Num 15 38 That they might not to their own heart Nor to their eyes be seeking With spirit of disobedience dark Though light calld go a-whoring Then think not baptism breaking bread Mean Lawes by Christ b'ing uttered Flying to holier spirit they think then Christ That doth and will exalt himself the high'st Within the disobedient child That is by spirit but not by God beguil'd To all Law-givers and Magistrates WIth the submission of a poor worm that is under your feet that you may behold what God hath given to my heart to write a warning to men and that you may avoid all provocations to that horrid sin of building up Sim with blood Micah 3.10 I tender this treatise to your view hoping that you will not despise the words of him that is as much your underling as any maid-servant to her Master though they may Contend with some of you Iob 11.13 Being I am heartily engaged by Christ Jesus my master to disswade all men from adhering to mans inventions or devices in and about the worship of God because they are so dangerous