Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	authority_n	scripture_n	spirit_n	2,364	5	5.2393	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65858	The contemned Quaker and his Christian religion defended against envy & forgery in answer to two abusive invective pamphlets, the one stiled Antichrist in spirit unmasked, the other Railings and slanders detected, promoted by some persons commonly called Anabaptists at Deptford in Kent who have unwarily begun the contest.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1692 (1692)	Wing W1919; ESTC R26354	39,076	98

The Contemned QUAKER AND HIS Christian Religion DEFENDED Against Envy Forgery In Answer to two Abusive Invective PAMPHLETS The One stiled Antichrist in Spirit Vnmasked The Other Railings and Slanders Detected Promoted by some Persons commonly called Anabaptists at Deptford in Kent who have unwarily begun the Contest Jer. 48.30 His lies shall not so effect it LONDON Printed for Tho. Northcott in George-yard in Lombard-street 1692. THE CONTEMNED QUAKER AND HIS Christian Religion defended WHereas in a small Treatise entituled Antichrist in Flesh unmask'd and the Quakers Christianity vindicated from the Malitious and Injurious Attempts of Edward Paye William Alcott and Henry Loader in their late Defaming Confused Book falsly stiled Antichrist in Spirit Vnmask'd I did near the Conclusion of the said Treatise seriously enquire only of William Alcott and Henry Loader in these four Questions following viz. I. Was Edward Paye Deputed and approved by your Congregation or any Select Assembly of Elders or Mininisters of the Baptized People or Churches to Write and Publish his said Book against the People called Quakers or did he do it on his own Authority and Head with your Approbation only II. What Ministers or Elders of your Churches besides your selves did peruse and approve of Edward Paye's said Book before printed and of the Printing thereof to Defame us as a People III. Is the said Edward Paye indeed esteem'd among you and your Society a good Christian a Person of a Godly and Sober Conversation of Sound Judgment Piety and Parts meet to manage Matters of Controversy about Religion IV. Do you intend to stand by him the said Edward Paye in all Matters that he has written in Charge both against certain Persons and against the People called Quakers in his Book Having also given my Reasons for these Questions in the said Treatise Antichrist in Flesh p. 26. Now let it be observ'd that to these Questions I find no answer from the said William Allcot or Henry Loader to whom they were put but a pretended and evasive Answer from Edward Paye himself having only his own Name subscribed a few Lines after but no William Allcot nor Henry Loader subscribed thereto but Edward Paye left to shift for himself and they slunk back for all they highly commended his Work and defamed us in their Commendatory Epistle to his other Pamphlet i. e. Antichrist in Spirit against us And yet as if he had a Plurality of Advocates to answer for him he gives us his slim Answer in the Plural thus viz. We will give an answer to G. W's impertinent Questions though I think they are not worth taking notice of His Questions are four but his Reasons for asking them vanish in answering the first And in the pretended Answer it is said E. P. did Write and Publish his Book by the Approbation of the majority of this Congregation and so he did not do it on his own Head neither did we see it needful to desire the Approbation of others herein though several have approved of it since p. 37 38. But what We are these give this Answer besides Edward Paye we find no Body's Name else to it but his own If by WE will give an Answer neither did we see it needful to desire the Approbation of others be meant William Allcot and Henry Loader why did they not put their Names to it Why do they now shrink back and decline their Brother in his Work seeing the Enquiry was so fairly made of them Can they or Edward Paye either reasonably suppose that we as a People defamed and injured by E. P. will accept of his own Answer or Justification of his perverse Work and himself too and believe that he says true in saying That he did Write and Publish his said Book by the Approbation of the majority of their Congregation at Deptford For my Part I do not believe him herein in Point of Charity I do not suppose the majority of the Congregation or Hearers of the Baptists at Deptford are so grossly corrupted and deluded into Envy and Prejudice as really to believe and approve of such a Bundle of Malicious and Numerous Slanders Forgeries Notorious Lyes Perversions and Abuses as are contain'd and apparent in the said Pamphlet styl'd Antichrist in Spirit by Edward Paye and many of them repeated in his second and highly approved by William Allcott and Henry Loader But if either the majority or minority of their Congregation have given their Approbation for the Writing and Publication thereof as is pretended I and others of us should be very sorry for their sakes that they should be so miserably deluded as not only to believe but approve of the Publication of such gross Slanders and Defamations against their Innocent Neighbours as are contained in the said Pamphlet And that they should be so implicit and blindly credulous of such gross and notorious Falshoods and Reproaches invented by envious Persons and Persecutors And you E. P. W. A. and H. L. who have so far deluded any of your Hearers have much to answer for and a sad account to give before the Righteous Judge of all But now seeing the Writing and Publication of E. P's said Envious Pamphlet i. e. Antichrist in Spirit is at last so far dedicated to the majority of the Baptist's Congregation at Deptford as having their Approbation it may not be unseasonable to shew them and others some of Edward Paye's and William Allcot's notorious Falshoods Slanders and Perversions contained therein and in his last Pamphlet also stiled Railings and Slanders c. which I shall here recite in their own Words as in Charge against them and all that approve or publish them to their Shame and Disgrace The Holy Scriptures this Generation of Men i. e. the Quakers contemn and vilifie Commendatory Epistle by William Allcott and Henry Loader to Antichrist in Spirit and that the Quakers are great Enemies to and Contemners of Holy Scriptures p. 20. This is their General and a most odious Charge which in our very Souls and Consciences in the Sight of God we the said People do utterly deny with Detestation and I find that all their pretended Proofs do fail of any real Proof of the Matter charged the chief whereof being hereafter examin'd more particularly That the Quakers prefer their Lying Pamphlets above the Scriptures p. 9. Their pretended Proof is That G. W. affirms That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scripture and greater p. 11. quoting Apology p. 49. In which Apology no Pamphlets at all are preferred above the Scriptures but the immediate Living Ministry of the Holy Spirit within above the Letter the Divine Inspiration which was before the Scriptures were written for they proceeded from it I am very unfairly and unjustly dealt with in this Charge my Intentions and Words perverted after the Word Scriptures in mine or Chapters are here left out and after the Word Greater all these

of Fact wherein he is still general against the Quakers as if they all treated their Antagonists of all Sorts with such sharp Language as some have treated a few and how far they merited severe Treatment from our Friend concerned he does not know The Instances of the Quakers Treatment E. P. gives are upon T. Lawson E. Burroughs W. Penn and G. Whitehead but chiefly on E. B. who in Scorn he terms Famous p. 25. for using the Words Reprobate Child of Darkness Diviner Antichrist Beast Blind Pharisee Hypocrite Sottish c. These with other Words of like import he has pick'd up among Matters of Controversie which though the Language be sharp 't is not unscriptural both Prophets of God and Ministers of Christ yea Christ himself did sometime use the like against Wicked Men who really were such in Spirit and Practice especially against Envious Persecutors Deceivers Hypocrites c. In his accusing E. B. hereupon with sentencing a Man to Wo and Condemnation for ever for asking some sober Questions p. 26. Herein he apparently wrongs E. B. for 't was not only for the Questions that he censured him though they were not sincere nor consistent clear Questions but as knowing that Adversary to be in Strife and Envy as he declares f. 31 32. denounces severe Judgment 1. Absolutely upon the Envious Persecuting Spirit of the Beast in him 2. Conditionally upon the Envious Person leaving him room for Repentance Exhorting him To Own and Obey the Light in his Conscience that he might know that Obedience of Christ which reconciles to God and that by the same Light he might see his Evil Deeds and be led up to Christ from whence the Light comes thus E. Burroughs f. 30 31 33. Whence it evidently appears He did not absolutely condemn the Man for ever but the Beast in him the evil envious Spirit and Works of it in him and this can be no just Occasion for E. Paye or W. Allcott to accuse the People called Quakers with having Affinity with the Muggletonians in their execrable Imprecations Curses c. as they falsly declare in their Antichrist in Spirit p. 9. For the Muggletonians have absolutely Cursed and Damned Persons for opposing them only allowing them no condition of Repentance or of owning or obeying the Light of Christ in them to lead them up to him as E. B. did neither does any Just Ground appear from his Words as justly distinguished before to deduce any such Rude Censorious and Reviling Question as E. Paye and W. Allcott c. have done in their Antichrist in Spirit p. 34 35. Their Reviling yet mistaken Question follows ☞ viz. Could the Devil himself have been more Vile and prodigiously Arrogant to take upon him to Determine a Man's endless Condition When it was not the Endless Condition of the Man but of the Evil Spirit in him the Beast in him that E. B. absolutely excludes from God for ever but conditionally declares Judgment upon the envius Man warning him To own and obey the Light of Christ in his Conscience that so he might find Repentance otherwise Destruction would be his Portion This Distinction I observe and clearly find in E. B's said Answer to Bennit The Matter justly considered is much like as if a Son of Thunder stirred up in Zeal for Truth should severely Judge and Condemn the Evil Lying Envious Spirit of the Beast and false Prophet in E. P. and his Abettors and unto that Lying Spirit in them declare viz. Thou Envious Lying Persecuting Beast thou Foul Wicked Spirit thou Malicious Devil and Father of Lyes and Lyars thou Author of all Mischief and Discord thou Troubler of the Creation thou Reproacher of God's Heritage thou that hast opened thy Mouth in Blasphemy against God his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven thou art utterly cast down and condemned for ever and to the Pit thou must return c. And you in whom this Lying Envious Spirit has so violently appeared against the People of God to Defame and Reproach them and their Christian Profession You and your Lyes and Perversions are condemned with the Light of Truth and you 'll come to Shame and Contempt for the same and utterly perish if you do not repent this is more than a Supposition 't is a real Warning to you the Lake which is the Second Death is and will be the Portion of all Lyars and therefore I exhort you in love to your poor Souls Return Own and Obey the Light of Christ in your Consciences that will shew you your Evil Deeds your Hypocrisies your Falshood and Envy and lead you to repent of the same that you may find Mercy and Pardon in Christ if your Day be not over the Spirit of Truth the Saints Comforter is the World's Reprover and Judge also of the Prince thereof Christ's Ministers who were led by this Spirit did not wrestle against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities and Powers and Rulers of the Darkness of the World against Spiritual Wickedness in High Places Eph. 6. These testified against Evil Spirits and Wickedness it self both in Root and Branches The great Degeneracy hath been such in the World that a Generation of Men have turned Beasts the Persecuting Envious Spirit of the Beast has made them Beasts Bulls Dogs Foxes Swine Wolves Devourers Destroyers of others the Old Serpent has made them Serpents Vipers Children of the Devil c. These being Characters in Scripture put upon Wicked Men And it is no hard Matter to shew E. P. and his Brethren as severe Judgment and sharp Language given in Scripture to Envious Wicked Persons as E. Burroughs gave to his Envious Antagonist before-mentioned and which I am persuaded is as justly applicable to our present Malicious Adversaries as to those to whom first directed by the Spirit of true Judgment in the Servants of God and Christ as Ps. 52. observe E. P. c. 1. Thy Tongue deviseth Mischief like a sharp Razor working deceitfully thou lovest Evil more than Good and Lying rather than to speak Righteousness Selah Thou lovest all devouring Words O thou Deceitful Tongue God shall likewise destroy thee for ever He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy Dwelling place and root thee out of the Land of the Living Selah v. 2 3 4 5. 2. And Isa. 56.10 His Watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumb Dogs c. v. 11. Yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own way every one for his gain from his Quarter as the Covetous Persecuting Priests used to do and 't is well if some of you be clear thereof And 3. Ye Serpents ye Generation of Vipers how can ye escape the Damnation of Hell Matt. 23.33 O Generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to come Matt. 3.7 4. Read also the Epistle of Jude v. 10. But these speak evil of those things which