Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	commandment_n	know_v	liar_n	1,903	5	11.5902	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57310	A standard of righteousness lifted up unto the nations, and an ensigne of grace unto the people, but the flagge of defiance against Antichrist, and all his messengers and ministers, who are under his power and pleading for it, for terme of life all of which are held forth in a plain answer unto Leonard Letchford's quaery concerning perfection and keeping of Gods law and Commandments, which may serve the universal good, and satisfaction of all people who are yet unsatisfied in these weighty matters in this book inserted : with a testimony concerning the natural man who cannot keep the law nor commands of God ... / given forth this 13th day of the 8th moneth, 1663, by a follower of the Lamb thorow [sic] many tribulations, whose name is Ambrose Rigge.	Rigge, Ambrose, 1635?-1705.	1663 (1663)	Wing R1492; ESTC R6133	30,605	38

of Aurst-Pierpoint a metamorphosed Minister in the County of Sussex hath lately given under his hand by way of Quaery The Paper is as followeth September 6. 1663. WHether to do good and not to commit sin be a perfection that any man dares challenge whilest he lives on Earth or whether it be possible for any man so keep Gods Commandements and to observe his righteous Law as to say any day I have not offended I have no need to say forgive me in any thing wherein I have done amiss This was the Question By which I have struck the Devil dumb in the Quakers Oracle at Hersham known to the World by the Name of Ambrose Rigge Lord open his lippes that his mouth may shew forth thy prayse in saying plainly it cannot be done L. L. Now Moses and Abraham which I have before asserted to whom the Law and Commandements was given forth did so keep them and observe them that the breach of them was never charged to them but was blessed in the keeping and doing of them as I have before spoken And David turned not aside from any of the Commandments of God all his dayes save in the matter of Vriah and many more who kept Gods Law and Commandments all the dayes of their lives and was blessed and their posterity after them and praised God with an upright heart in their obedience to the Law and Commandments of God and none of them did ever say Lord open my mouth that my lips may shew forth thy praise in saying plainly thy Commandments cannot be done as L. L. doth If they did shew when or where ever such a doctrine was preached by any either in the first Covenant or the second or else let those faithful servants of God afore-mentioned who kept Gods Law and Commandments and did live with God in them be as a thousand witnesses against Leo. Letchford who would have people believe it cannot be done Here followeth divers instances of Christ and his Apostles under the second Covenant concerning his Commandments which I shall here lay down from plain Scripture proof in order to the further discovery of this damnable doctrine 1. Christ saith after he had given forth many Commandments unto the people He that breaketh one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the kingdome of heaven Matth. 5. 19. 2. Christ said to his Disciples If ye love me keep my commandments Iohn 14. 15. 3. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him Iohn 14. 21. 4. A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another Iohn 13. 34. 5. If you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as I kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love Iohn 15. 10. Verily verily I say unto you If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death Iohn 8. 51. 7. All which promises was made unto his Disciples upon this condition That they kept his commandments and not otherwise 8. To which the Disciples answered not as Leonard Letchford doth in saying it cannot be done and count this praise to God but they said Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandments 1 Iohn 2. 3. 9. Again they spoke in reproof of those who should say they knew God and kept not his commandments and said such were lyars and the truth was not in them 1 Iohn 2. 4. 10. Furthermore they testified that whatsoever they asked they received of him because they kept his commandments 1 Ioh. 3 22. 11. He that keepth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby they knew that he did abide in them by the Spirit which he gave them this was their proof of him in the dayes of old which is now so much condemned and cryed against by Leonard Lechford and men of his coat who saith none can exactly keep the commands of God 1 Iohn 3. 24. 12. And by this they knew they loved the children of God when they loved God and kept his commandments 1 Iohn 5. 2. 13. Again they said This is the love of God that they kept his Commandments and his Commandments were not grievous 1 Iohn 5. 3. Harken Leon. Letchford Art not thou of another minde who would have people say it cannot be done May not all these rise up in judgement against thee 14. And this is love that we walk after his Commandments 2 Iohn 6. All these gave testimony how they kept his Commandments thorow which their love was manifested to him and for so doing had no cause to repent any day nor to ask forgiveness of the Lord but yet Christ in their infancy taught them to say Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Matth. 6. 12. but this was before Christ was offered up who purged their Consciences from dead works by the blood of his Cross through the eternal Spirit by which he cleansed them from all sin and sanctified them in body soul and spirit which as they grew up unto God in stature they bare witness unto as hereafter I shall make appear in answer to Leonard Letchfords great Query concerning perfection which may serve for the universal good and satisfaction of all reasonable people for which end I was moved to make it and my answer to it publick Priest Letchfords Query Whether to do good and not to commit sin be a perfection that any man dares challenge while he is upon the earth Which plainly demonstrates that he is against doing of good and for committing of sin and denies perfectien while people are upon the earth which is absolutely contrary both to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and makes the coming suffering and blood of Christ of none effect 1. It is contrary to the doctrine of Christ Matth. 5. 48. who said to his disciples Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect which was a perfection of holiness and freedome from sin for otherwise they could not be perfect as their heavenly father was perfect 2. Christ said unto the young man who had kept the Commandments from his youth If thou wilt be perfect sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me Matth. 19. 21. 3. It is contrary to Christs prayer Iohn 17. 23. who desired that they whom God had given him might be one as he and his father was one He in them and they in him that they might be made perfect in one c. which could never be till sin and transgression was finished which was the first cause of separation 4. To say that none can be perfect while he is upon the earth is contrary to Christs words who said

before to all who with a spiritual eye discerneth the things of God by which they are only known 1 Cor. 2. 11. but they are foolishness and madness to such sons of Belial as Leo. Letchford hath manifested himself to be whos 's Query is Whether to do good and not to commit sin be a perfection that any man dares challenge while he is upon the earth c. By which it manifestly appears that he hath made a strong Covenant with death and an agreement with hell who dares challenge no perfection but to do evil and commit sin and that for term of life and would perswade others so to do and make them believe this is praise to God which is the highest disgrace he can possibly bring to his Name and the most for the promoting of that antichristian doctrine of the Church of Rome that the devil can lead any of his servants to give forth For it is wholly raked out of that kennel and filthy puddle of iniquity and never once mentioned in the Scriptures of truth but condemned thereby root and branch as I have shewed above By which let all sober-hearted men judge whether Iohn or he is to be believed who said He that committeth sin is of the Devil c. I Iohn 3. 8. And whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaines in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God then said In this is the children of God manifested and the children of the Devil Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother I Iohn 3. 9 10. and by this they will soon see whether L. L. be a childe of God or of the Devil who would perswade others that to do good and not to commit sin is that which none dares challenge upon the earth and that it would be praise to God to say his Commandements cannot be done without sinning or offending this cannot be parallel'd in all the Scripture if it can I leave it to Leo. Letchford to produce if it cannot I leave him naked to all the world to judge of him in truth equity and righteousness whether this doctrine of sin and imperfection doth not overthrow all the works and sufferings of Christ the Son of God and establish the work of the Devil for term of life yea or nay Therefore oh thou begotten of God who art born again of the water and of the spirit give in thy evidence who ever thou art against this unheard of Heresie which God will confound with the breath of his mouth and with the brightness of his shining glory Which is arisen and arising to expell all these foggs mists and vapours which the man of sin hath overspred the earth withall in this long night of darkness and apostacy from the life of God wherein the great Whore that hath sitten upon many waters hath made all Nations drunk with the wine of her fornication Rev. 17. 1 2. 18. 3. and hath sitten a a Queen and seen no sorrow and all her ministers hath pampered themselves like fat horses in the sulness of the earth and hath made merchandise of many through covetousness and feigned words 2 Pet. 2. 3. this sixteen hundred years and upward ever since the Antichrists went out into the world who hath continued in the world to this day I Iohn 2. 18. deceiving the Nations with the multitude of their Inchantments but now is the day of the Lord broken forth in clearness again in this latter age which hath discovered her skirts with all her merchants who is worse then Balaam the son of Bosor who though he loved the wages of unrighteousness durst not take it Num. 22. 18. and 24. 13. but they love and take it and persecute all those who will not give it to them as we have a cloud of witnesses standing upon record against them at this day their actions hath been more cruel then ever was any of their sore-fathers the Pope excepted as thou who art spiritual has clearly seen I question not but their end shall be according to their works Cor 11. 15. what ever their words are the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Here is the way which leadeth to the Kingdome of God in short held forth to all who are willing to enter therein AS Satan by sin and transgression hath opened a way into eternal misery and condemnation from God for all who followes and obeyes him So God in his infinite love and mercy by Jesus Christ hath opened a gate of mercy unto all mankinde and hath prepared a way of life peace and eternal salvation that all who are willing to walk therein may attain thereunto This way is called the way of Holiness which the unclean shall not pass over the wayfareing man though a fool shall not err therein Isa 35. 8 This way is a mystery to all the Sons of Adam and is strait and narrow and few there be that finde it Matth. 7. 14. but the way which leads to destruction is wide and broad and all the unclean yea all the workers of Iniquity can walk therein Matth. 7. 13. So there is but these two wayes for all mankinde to walk in the one leads to life eternal and the other to eternal death Now the Lord hath opened my heart a little to shew unto every one the way of life which is Christ Jesus Iohn 14. 6. And that by which they may be brought into this way according as the Spirit of God shall give me utterance It is written in the Scriptures of truth of a Woman having ten pieces of silver if she loose one doth light a candle and sweepeth her house and seek diligently till the finde it and when she hath found it calleth in her friends and neighbours together saying Rejoyce with me for I have found the piece which I had lost Luke 15. 8 9. This was a Parable of the way of Life which was to be found within when the candle was lighted thy house swept Which is thy heart which is soul and corrupted by the enemy of thy soul who hath led thee from mountain to hill like a lost sheep I mean from one High Priest to another so that thou hast sorgotten thy resting place Isa 50. 6. Therefore hath the good Shepherd left the ninety and nine in the Wilderness and is gone after thee which is lost in the mountains and will lay thee upon his shoulders till he bring thee home and rejoyce over thee Luke 15. 4 5. And when thou art come in thou shall be sed in a good pasture by the rivers of water where thou shalt not want Ezek. 34 14. and thy soul shall delight it self in fatness and shall live Isa 55. 2. For the Lord will be thy Shepherd and thou shalt be established in Righteousness and great shall be thy peace Isa 54. 13. and thou shalt not need to say Who shall ascend into heaven to setch Christ from above