Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	bear_v	scripture_n	witness_n	1,881	5	7.8703	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

freely freely we give and as we preach the Gospel we live of the Gospel and this is our end and no other end God is our witness We are accused to deny the Scripture which is false for we witnesse the life thereof and by the same doe we witnesse the Scriptures to be truth and serviceable in its place and was written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world is come and to us it is given to know but to the world in parables and he that would goe about to unfold the parables to the dark mindes by the serpentine wit and imagination he must be kept out of the Scripture and he who takes the Scriptures and makes a trade of them professing to interpret them and so gets a living by them which was spoken forth freely he is a deceiver and must be shut out of the Scripture and who reads or takes the Scripture to talk or discourse of and is ignorant of the life must be kept out of the Scripture for all those runs in with their serpentine wit and imaginations wresting them for their own ends adding and diminishing to their own destruction and so he must be shut out of the Scripture for hence arises all these sects and opinions in the world running into the Scripture with their wit imaginations and dark mindes one imagining one way and another another way and one of this opinion and another of that opinion but opinions is no assurance but are fallible and every one out of the way because they want the life which is the mystery and this is the difference between all sects and opinions and the infallible truth and so they come not in by the door but are climbing up another way and so are shut out of the kingdom but the same which gave them forth the same can open them and to it they are no mystery nor parable nor needs any meaning for they are of no private interpretation nor came not in the old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost neither can the will of men open them but the same which spake them forth the same can open them and spake them forth freely so let him that hath a dreame tell a dreame and he that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully What is the chaffe to the wheat saith the Lord so he that hath the letter let him speak the letter and he that hath the life let him speak the life what is the husk to kernel and what should swine doe with pearles whose life is in husks and there they feed he that can receive let him the same which gave it forth the same can open it and he who saith the Letter is the Word is a deceiver and erres not knowing the Scripture for the Scripture saith that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and the Word of the Lord came to the Prophets and they spake from the Word of the Lord and the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst the Apostles and they saw the glory thereof as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and truth and the Word is quick and powerful sharper than a two-edged sword and the Word is immortal and this the Apostles in whom the word dwelt bare witnesse of and hath left it upon record and we witnesse the same the word is the same which was is and is to be for ever and who putteth the letter for the word is blind and putteth the shadow for the substance and must be shut out of the Scripture and he who saith the letter is the light is in darknesse and erres not knowing the Scripture which declareth of the light which John came to bear witness of who was not the light but testified of the light which was the true light which inlightneth every one that cometh into the world he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not nor knows him not and he came unto his own and his own received him not but as many as received him to them he gives power to become the sons of God and this we witness and by the same light doe we discerne and testifie against him to be in darkness and blindness and is a deceiver who putteth the letter for the light and so draws peoples mindes off from the light within them to the letter without them seeking the living amongst the dead thinking to find life in the letter without them as the Pharisees did and will not come unto Christ that they might have life and also that must be shut out of the Scripture as the Pharisees were and he also saith the letter is the rule and guide of the people of God is without feeding upon the husk and is ignorant of the true light which was before the Letter was which all the children of God were and are guided by and spoke and speaks the letter from which was before the letter was and with this the letter witnesseth and who is guided by this cannot walk contrary to the letter nor deny it but they know how to use it in its place and see in what condition it was spoken and it witnesseth with them both in words and actions and they that have this have 〈◊〉 the mystery within though they cannot read the letter without nor ever learned as it was with Christ which confounded the Scribes and Pharisees and they who are never so learned without and can read and understand all tongues and languages without and doth not read the Scripture within only feed upon the husk and are ignorant of the life which is the mystery which is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed unto the ignorant as it was from the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests and was revealed to those whom they counted ignorant and cursed and knew not the Law and they who take the Letter to be their rule cannot walk according to it because they are ignorant of the light which opens and leads into the life which they who spake them forth lived in but drunkards and swearers and proud and wanton 〈◊〉 and covetous lustful envious ones and all manner of unrighteous persons will take the letter to talk of and say it is their rule and guide but are out of the life thereof and so by it are condemned and those are the swine that are feeding upon the husk without and have gotten the form but are out of the life and power and put the shadow for the substance and so lives in darknesse and knows not whither he goeth but they that read with the single eye may understand for the Scripture is within and was read within before it was read without Now silence all the study and wisdom of man We are accused to deny the Baptism The Baptism we own which

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 hm and cast him into the bottomeless pit and all who bears his Image and under his dominion is Written from the Spirit of the Lord by one who suffers amongst the little flock of Christ who go under the name of Quakers so called by the stock of Ishmael who is known to the world by the name of Iames Parnel It is written they shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you shall think he doth God service And those things will they do because they have not known the Father nor me for if they had known him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. But fear not little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdome and the time cometh that all your enemies shall be your footstoole the promise is to the faithfull obedient whose kingdome is not of this world John 18. 36. London Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at his shop at the black Spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1655. To the READER REader to thee whosoever thou art I shall clear my conscience and to all people to the light of God in all your consciences I speak which is one in all in the behalf of a depised people with men yet not with God who are scattered abroad in severall Countries yet one in the Lord whom the Lord hath chosen out of the generation of the Children of this world out of all sects forms and opinions into the light of life to bear his Image and so to bear his Crosse and because they have not the same Image with the children of this world but are chosen out from amongst them their fellowship their kindred and acquaintance and breeding manners customs fashions words wayes and worship for light can have no fellowship with darknesse and so the Devil who goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour who is the god of the World who ruleth in the children of disobedience hath stirred up all who bear his image who under his dominion is to persecute slander revile and reproach all who bears the Image of God who testifies against him and all who bears his image so as he hath done in all ages from the beginning so it is now that he may uphold his Image and his kingdome so the beast is making warre with the lambe and now is the warre begun but the lambe shall get the victory praises praises to our God for ever and so for the truths sake and the good of all tender consciences I shall clear my conscience in the clearing of the truth from the scandalls false accusations and reports which is cast upon it by the Priest and people who bear the image of the beast least any who are unsettled and ungrounded in the truth should by giving ear to those false reports and scandals and accusations turne from the light and so lose their convincement and get up into hardnesse of heart and lose their part in the promised land for there is a company of Priests in all parts of the Nation where the truth comes who are the Devils greatest agents who are dayly plotting and inventing and seeking every way to blot the Image of God out of the Nation by writings by prinlings by petitioning to Rulers and Magistrates with all the false aspersions and scandals they can get together to present the truth of God odious to all people and likewise in their pulpits do the same as it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles but we have but one Ruler and Governer to petition to and to rely upon from whom we have our Image even God over all who knoweth the hearts of all who is our witness and our justification then who art thou that condemnest or layes any thing to the charge of Gods Elect but he hath promised no weapon formed against him shall prosper for his work he will cary on by his own unlimited power in despite of the beast and his image And so Reader I charge thee and all people in the presence of the Lord before whom thou must come to judgment to take heed of speaking avill of that you know not lest you speak evil of Gods Elect for it is a feareful thing to enter into the hands of the living God for if those be cursed that doth not receive the Messengers of Jesus Christ how much more them that reviles them and persecutes them he that hath an ear to hear let him hear for in as much as thou dost it to one of his thou dost to him J. P. A Shield of Truth OR The Truth of God cleared from Roports and false Accusations c. 1. COncerning the name Quakers by which the world scornfully calls us As for the Quaking and Trembling caused by the unresistable power of the Lord I own which the holy men of God witnessed before us in all ages Isaac the seed of the promise trembled Moses the Servant of God quaked and trembled Jeremias the Prophet of the Lord his bones shooke Habakkuk his belly trembled and lips quivered when Daniel heard the voice he fell down and trembled and David the King were as if his bones were out of joynt and the rest of the holy men of God quaked and trembled and so it was no new thing but that which was from the beginning which all the holy men of God witnessed though new to the World who live in darknesse and for this cause are we scornfully called Quakers but the scorners God will judge and the righteous God will blesse who work out their salvation with fear and trembling 2. We are accused to be the false Prophets and false teachers and deceivers that are foretold of in the Scriptures to come in the last times but saith Jesus Christ you may know them by their fruites and so we desire to be judged according to our fruits Jesus Christ said beware of false prophets that appear to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly ravening wolves you shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thornes and figges of thistles a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit nor a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit pride is a fruit of the corrupt tree now see wheher we or your teachers be guilty of this who go in double cuffs and boot-hose tops with great store of points ribands which are of no use but for the

ordained by their parents or some other and their meanes are imediate and the Apostles imediate and the way is but one saith Christ he that hath an ear to hear let him hear and see if they be not Blasphemers who say they are the Ministers of Christ and some of them drunkards some proud some covetous and are evil examples to all that follows them contraty to Christ or his Apostles who said walk as you have us for examples and here they abide not in the doctrine of Christ and so hath not God as in 2 John 9. and this is blasphemy to say they are the mouth of the Lord but are the mouth of the Devil teaching lyes and blasphemies telling the people that are of their flock they are Christians and of the flock of Christ when as they are all manner of unrighteous persons who live without God in the World and tels them their children are the flock of Christ when they are sprinkled on the face with a little water when as they grow up in all manner of ungodlinesse without the fear of God or the knowledge of God and they are heathen that know not God and this is blasphemy to say Christ is the head of heathens for he is the head of his flock and they tell people that a house of Lime and Stone is the Church when as the Church is the body of Christ and this is blasphemy now see whether we or your teachers be more like deceivers lyars and blasphemers and let every ones life preach him forth and judge him and see if they be not lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God who delight in Musick in bowling in carding and diceing and hawking and hunting and all manner of pleasures and delights now see whether they or we be like Apostles who never used any such thing but all their delight was in the work of Christ but they that are of the flesh mind the things of the flesh and they that are of the spirit the things of the spirit Now see if they have not a form of godlinesse but deny the power and life which the Apostles lived in therefore from such turn away and if you finde that our lives be contrary to what we profess from us turn away also but of this sort are they who creep into houses and leads silly people captive now see if they doe not creep into steeple-houses and say that 's the place and no where else and leads silly people captive laden with sinnes and divers lusts ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth some learns thirty some sity some sixty yeares and above and still full of sin and as dark and blind and ignorant of the things of God as ever and they will teach you shall never be made free from sinne so long as ●● are upon the earth and here they set up their rest in the Devils kingdom And if you doe alledge we creep into houses I answer the Apostle witnessed the same where he sayd I have taught you publikely from house to house and our meetings are publike to any who will come amongst us sometimes in no house but in the fields or commons as the Apostles witnessed and we finde the Lord amongst us being gathered in his Name according to his promise now see by their fruits if your teachers be not the deceivers which are foretold of in the Scriptures who as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so doe they withstand the truth by all the wayes they can as it is before proved for Jannes and Jambres were the Magitians of Aegypt that imitated Moses so those University men by their Magick Arts inventions and imaginations and studying old Authors hath gotten the form of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles words to trade with but denies the life and power and so are Traytors to Christ who are men of corrupt minds and reprobates concerning the faith but they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men now he that desires to see may see and let all who are wise hearted judge But if you do alledge they have been long and have reigned long and we are now come up and it is a new way and we come to breed divisions and dis●ention I answer the more is their shame and by that the more they are seen to be those that run and the Lord never sent them therefore they profit not the people at all who have reigned so long and wrought no better reformation in the land but it flows as much in iniquity and all manner of ungodlinesse as ever and the people that are taught by them as ignorant and as dark to the things of God as ever and here they would keep them by an outvvard power but the day hath made them manifest and the Scripture fulfilled which the Apostle spoke of who said it was the last times then and since they have continued you may know them by their frnits they profess Christ in words but in life deny him and the mystery of iniquity hath reigned a long time and there hath been a time of cruel darknesse and all the World hath wondered after and worshipped the beast and his Image and he hath reigned and by him the false Prophet hath reigned which hath deceived the Nations but now light is risen out of darkness and shines forth now in these latter daies in the sons and daughters of men according to the promise of God whereby the wiles of Sathan are made manifest to the glory of God and now is the separation the Sheep from the Gorts the Wheat from the tares and Christ is come to set at varience father against son and son against father and wife against the man and the man against the wife and to turn the world upside downe and this is the cause why the world rages and this is the condemnation of the world light is come into the world and they love darknesse rather than light because their deeds are evil and so to those who are in darkness it is new but we witness it is no new way but the same which was is and is to be for ever and the same signs follow but the adulterous generation cannot see it but they that believe shall see and be healed and though the beast and false prophet and those that bear the mark of the beast doth now make war with the Lamb and the Saints for to uphold their kingdome yet the Lamb the King of the Saints shall overcome and to him the Nations shall bow and the beast and false prophet and all that bear the mark of the beast into the lake for them prepared of old shall goe and for this end we are come out of our countries and outward habitations and possessions to preach to every conscience the eternal truth as it is in Jesus the everlasting Gospel as we have received it

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

manifest to us is God himself for God is the Fountain of all truth and truth is Religion and Religion is truth and this truth we witness made manifest by God the life of truth and here is the Religion which we witness forth and here is the ground witnessed forth from the ground and this Religion is pure unspotted and springs from the light which is pure wherein there is no deceit neither can be for it discovers all deceit and leads out of it both within and without but deceit discovers not deceit for Satan divided against himself cannot stand but all sects and opinions ariseth out of darkness and the end is confusion and so as darkness is opposite to light and death to life so is all sects and opinions against the true Religion and all will side together against the truth though they be opposite one to another in judgement as Pilate and Herod did against Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees and High Priests and Saduces and the rude multude so it is now both Papist and Protestant as they call them and all other sects and opinions which ariseth out of the fall for though they differ in judgement yet they spring from one root and no difference in life but the light strikes at the root which is darkness and lays open the hidden things done in darkness so darkness cannot endure the light and this is the condemnation of the world who love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil and this is the cause why our Religion is spoken against more then any profession besides all Drunkards Swearers Lyars Whoremongers Adulterers Thieves Murtherers proud covetous lustful ones and all unrighteous persons will speak against it and call it delusion and heresie and witchery and all manner of evil which the Devil can invent and those stands up for the Priests and persecutes the truth as it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles times and this wil all Pharisees and Professors do as they ever did for they can wink at one another and bear with one another in deceit but truth cannot at all bear with deceit because there is perfect enmity as there was ever in all Ages and it is no new thing and here all your Sects and Opinions is shut out of the light and are in darknesse and so is confusion both Popery and all other but the truth is but one and who dwels in the truth dwels in the light and are the children of the light and there is no confusion but all of one heart and one mind Epistles written in one anothers hearts and there is that in every conscience which shall witnesse it to be the everlasting truth which ever was is and is to be for ever both in them that beleeve and in them that perish though to the condemnation of them that hate it and this I witness by the infallible spirit of the Lord which cannot lye And now I have discharged my conscience before all people in the behalf of the truth of God not that I would have any to speak well of it but from the ground of it for the love and the hatred of the unrighteous is all one to me but for some simple ones sake I have layd open my self and freely discharged my conscience and I doubt not that my labour is in vain but whosoever owns the truth of God must own it through good report and evill report and must be content to lose their good name in the World as both Christ and his Servants did and the Servant must not be greater than his Lord And now a few words to all you Heads and Rulers and Magistrates in what degree soever who have the Power in your own hands who by your power persecutes and imprisons the Servants and Messengers of Jesus Christ as deluders and deceivers witches and vagabonds and have no ground for it but onely by heresay and the evil thoughts and immaginations of your own hearts and because they cannot please nor satisfie your corrupt proud wils which is your Law by which you prosecute them not weighing nor searching the ground of things You are they in whom the Beast reignes and his Image you bear which upholds the false Prophet and tyranizes over the Nations by his corrupt will and causeth them to bow to and worship his Image and you oppress and persecute those who cannot You must drink of the wine of the wrath of the Almighty powred out without mixture for in the bloudy generation you are found filling up your measure of your Fathers wrath upon whom must come all the Righteous blood shed from Righteous Abel until now and this I say in the presence of the living God by the Spirit of the living God that all you who have had a hand in persecuting of them guilt shall follow you in the conscience until you come to judgement and therefore I charge you all by the Lord to take heed of medling about Religion or to lay your Law upon any tender conscience but see that your Law be according to that in the conscience which is pure and perfect and meddle with such affaires as you are set about and rather give Liberty to Religion than take it away as you own the grace of God you will and see that you discharge your consciences there lest that while you are persecuting the truth you neglect that which you are set about for you will both persecute them your selves and suffer the bruits to stone them and strike and buffet them which is all contrary to your own Law neither when they are brought before you can they have the liberty of the Law to clear such accusations as is laid against them but you will hear the Accusers and not the Accused and this is contrary to the Heathenish Law and you are more unjust than the very Heathen who said doth our Law judge any one before it hear him and so for shame profess no more love to Christ in his nature who executes your Law upon his servants upon such a fallible ground which no Judge ought to doe by the Law of God especially about Religion but to search out the ground of the matter on both sides before he judge but this he cannot doe about Religion except he have the Spirit of the Lord therefore take heed of meddling about spiritual matters lest through ignorance you call Christ Belzebub and persecute him as a Blasphemer and Deceiver as many of you have done which is written in the book of conscience and there you shal read it to your sorrow And all you blind people who persecute rail and revile and reproach the truth of God and have no ground for it but by here-say and the evill thoughts and imaginations of your own hearts one imagining one thing and another thing as the tumult which gathered together against Paul one crying one thing and another another thing and the most