Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A29131
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The Quakers vvhitest divell unvailed, and their sheeps cloathing pulled off, that their woolvish inside may be easily discerned in answer to a letter subscribed Iames Naylor, a professed Quaker / written by Ellis Bradshavv.
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Bradshaw, Ellis.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing B4148; ESTC R20539
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7,101
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12
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that hath that Word of faith which the Apostles preached hath this Word not in the Letter but in the Spirit as if the Apostle had onely spoke of Christ the essentiall word and not inclusively of the spirituall ministration of the Word of God in his sacred Name And so again they deny all them whose law is without and morall for they own that Law which is spiritual within wrâ—tten in the heart for that Law say they is perfect and endures for ever and therefore they deny all those Lawes without and see them to be in the old Covenent of works which made nothing perfect as if we ought not to own the Law without us in Tables or Books as well as that within us and the rather as a Rule to try that within us by whether our Spirits be of God a subtil delusive doctrine of Satan this must needs be to disparage the Word and Law of God that men might onely listen to his lying spirit or to their own corrupt and deluded hearts 8. The Spirit of Truth teacheth us That Christ our righteousnesse was sacrificed for us and that his righteousnesse onely may be called perfect and depended on for our justification and not our own inherent righteousnesse yet we also endeavour to purifie our selves even as he is pure and do press onwards towards perfection though with no intent to establish our own righteousness as their lying spirit would hint to the world 9. The Spirit of God teacheth us also to own that Faith which purifieth the heart and produceth holiness both within and without and to own that word and light within and that Word and light without also for Christ is within us and without also so is the Law without us and within us also yea we also worship the Father in Spirit and in truth and utterly disclaim all false righteousness But we have also a word without and a Church without and a Baptism without praises and singing without and a Christ without and righteousness without as well as within and so we ought But whether their spirit teach them to hold forth the profession of their hope faith in these respects as wel externally as they profess to do it internally whether they will shew forth out of a good conversation their works in meeknesse and wisedome and whether they will shew forth the vertuâ—s of him whom they say hath called them out of darknesse into light and whether they wâ—ll shew their faith by their works that we may believe them and judge the tree good because the fruit is good and whether their faith will ever appear to be such a faith as worketh by love that so all their things may be done in love and in the spirit of meeknesse as if they had learned of himself to be meek and lowly of heart is more than some of those know to whom those people write And again whether it be not utterly in vain to write these things in answer unto them considering we have cause to doubt that some of them are perverted and son being damned of their own consciences and whether they be of those to whom God hath sent strong delusions that they might believe a lie because they have not received the truth in love but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse and so being already rejected and delivered up of God and under the power of Satan whether they dare resist him that he might flye from them or whether they can resist him stedfastly in the faith or they are now already led captive by him as servants aâ—â— vassals to do his will is not easie to determine nor will we absolutely determine nor judge of them as they do of others But this we say They professe to know God but in their works they deny him and they profess to have the Word and the Law of God written in their hearts but as for fruits of love we cannot discern any that proceedeth from them Now the end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfaigned and love or charity suffereth long and is kind it envieth nâ—t it vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evill rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth it beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things It never faileth But if there be this Charity in the heart it will act accordingly upon all occasions Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak and all the body will act But if it be not then they have not the Law written in their hearts as they pretend They may therefore compare their wayes with these rules of Charity if they so please and so may know themselves whether Christ be in them by his blessed Spirit or they are led by a Spirit which is not of God For if Christ be in them he hath shed this love abroad in their hearts And if the contrary if this love be not there it is another spirit than the Spirit of Christ and another Law than the Law of Christ that acteth them And if their spirit within will not suffer them to parallel their case aright if they please to write to us they shall have some further help And in the mean time we leave them to their proper Steersmen in these respects and spare our labour So resolveth he who without any more complements subscribeth his Name ELLIS BRADSHAW John 1. 9. John 8. 12. John 10. 4 5. 2 Tim. 4. 5. 2 Cor. 4. 10 1â— 1 John 3 8. Heb. 7. 25. 2 Tim. 1. 19. Rom. 1 4. 16. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Rom. 5. 17. Rom. 3. 22. Rom. 10. 3 4. Rom. 10. 27. Psal. 3. 9. Psal. 1. 11. James 2. Eph. 2. 10 1 John 5. Gal. 1. 4. 1 John 3. 3 Heb. 6. 19. Rom. 10. Heb. 8. 10. Heb. 7. 19. 1 Cor. 12 1 Cor. 14. John 4. 23.