Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A65902
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A manifestation of truth ... writ in answer to a book which a nameless author hath written against the people called Quakers : wherein is contained divers untruths and hard speeches tending to beget jealousies and evil thoughts of them who are known to be harmless and innocent ... : also the truth of those things which they believe and practice ... is declared / by John Whitehead.
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Whitehead, John, 1630-1696.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing W1979; ESTC R26356
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14,009
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17
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A MANIFESTATION OF TRVTH 1 Concerning the Scriptures and concerning the Word Light and Spirit within 2. Concerning trial of Spirits 3. Concerning Perfection 4. Concerning Salvation by Christ 5. Concerning Swearing 6. Concerning the Worship of God and why we separate from those that worship in Temples made with hands 7. Concerning Ministers and Maintenance 8. Concerning womens speaking in the Church 9. Concerning Superiours and Inferiours and the honour that is due from the one to the other wherein something is said concerning Title Courtesies and Salutation by the highway WRIT IN ANSVVER To a BOOK which a Nameless Author hath written against the People called QUAKERS WHEREIN Is contained divers Untruths and hard Speeches tending to beget jealousies and evil thoughts of them who are known to be Harmless and Innocent in the Authors Tennants and Neighbours to whom he hath sent this Book which is here detected and the Innocency of Gods servants cleared Also the Truth of those things which they believe and practice in these particulars aforesaid is declared By John Whitehead who hath no pleasure in stirring up strife and contention about things of his nature And therefore hath laboured rather to manifest the Truth to the unbiassed Reader than particularly to traduce his Adversary desiring that he and those to whom he directed his Book may have a sight of this if peradventure it may be in instrumental to remove from them all prejudice that they may receive the naked Truth as it is in Jesus Friendly Reader I Have lately received in manuscript a small Book which in the fear of the Lord I have read over and seriously pondered which I was the more induced to because I had some ground to suspect if not to conclude that it was writ by Lord Say who hath been famous for the profession that he hath made of Christianity And therefore I should admire Isa 29.14 but that I know the pleasure of the Lord is to confound the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent from whom he hides that which he reveals to babes that no flesh might glory in his sight I say but that I know and do consider these things I should admire that he who hath read the Scriptures Mat. 11.25 and so long professed Christ who said that men would say all manner of evil of his blessed and peculiar people should be so far degenerated both from Christian Charity and true Nobility Ch. 5.10 as to harbour so many evil thoughts and groundless jealousies of an Innocent harmless people and my soul mourns that he is so far given up to believe lies and report such palpable untruths against us amongst which I shall only instance these few as none of the least viz That George Fox desired a Gentlewoman to wear a Bracelet for his sake and thereby enchanted her to follow him from which George Fox hath approved himself innocent as a child and so shall I ever look upon him till the spreaders of that slander bring forth their Author That James Nailor made himself or said of himself that he was Christ is another lie though it be true that some foolish women which both he and we reproved said so of him And it hath often been proved and printed to the shame of the first raisers of that slander that he never said of himself that he was as holy just and good as God Therefore till the contrary be made manifest by some known Author we must conclude that another lie A fourth is That Jesuites and Priests are known to mingle themselves amongst us and be our Teachers and Instructers which thing I know to be false and the grievous sufferings of divers of my dear friends for testifying against their bloody persecuting principles and Idolatrous worship may sufficiently evince that we mingle not with them nor they with us And my hearts desire is that English men might beware lest while they look for Jesuites and Popish Priests amongst us they be not led by them themselves into such snares as they cannot easily break and till the parties be named which see one of our friends go with a rope about his middle to hang a Minister I shall conclude that another lie because I know it is contrary to our very nature and principle who are born from above which is to save mens lives and not to destroy as also all whoredom and uncleanness is an abomination to us therefore do we both warn and testifie against the practisers of it which is sufficient to demonstrate that he who solicites to filthiness and she who said she was commanded of the Father to go to bed to a man being none of her husband if any such there were are not of us therefore do I conclude those reports slanderous Divers other hard speeches and groundless suggestions I find which I shall not particularize being satisfied they are not grounded upon any just cause given by us either in doctrine or practice also hoping that the Author may be sensible say this time wherein truth is risen above slanders that he hath overshot himself in writing such grievous things against us whom I am perswaded he doth not sully know and therefore I cannot wonder if he do persecute which yet I will not positively affirm though I do certainly know that his principle leads to it which saith that a Blasphemer may justly be put to death in Gospel times though Christ Jesus who is far more excellent then Moses gave no such command but rather held forth the contrary in the whole course of his doctrine and practice Read Mat. 13. But if he with whom I now deal have had his hand against any which for conscience sake could not respect his person so as to imprison their persons or spoil their goods for things done in obedience to the Light of Christ in their consciences though contrary to his judgement that will be found in Gods day persecuting their persons under the pretence of persecting the Devil and their sin which narrow cover the most bloody persecutors ever had but howsoever Jer. 20.10 this I say and do desire that he may know it if he be yet alive that he is at least guilty of their sin who said Come let us smite him with the tongue report ye and we will report it But surely the Lord sees how we are set as a mark for every one to shoot at Isa 25.8 and I am perswaded that when he hath fully tryed us he will rowl away the reproach from us for ever And their eyes that wait to see us slumble and fall into foul enormities as divers professors but not professors of the fame Life have done shall certainly fail for hitherto hath the Lord helped us and blessed us and made us to stand in the sufficiency of his grace in the sight of our enemies and I know that his presence is yet with us and we are of him and not of that Spirit
that they were of at Munster who followed John of Leydon and thought to build up Sion with blood and beat down its enemies with carnal weapons for though they might pretend to be led by the Spirit within them we know that that which led them into uproars war and bloodshed was not the Spirit of Christ which leads us for it teaches us to love our enemies and to save mens lives and not to destroy And for the corrupt principles and practises of those called Ranters we have given testimony against them which all that have heard and duly weighed in that Spirit that tries all things can witness that we are as far from them as light from darkness but whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation for when the Spirit of Christ doth so work in the hearts of any that they cannot run with the world into rioting and excess then presently they will call it Belzebub Mat. 10.25 or the Devil transformed into an Angel of Light as the Pharisees did unto Christ in the dayes of his flesh and if they called the Master of the house Belzebub no wonder if it be more done to them of his houshold But as for self-mortification voluntary humility and will worship whereof we are accused we know it avails not but those which do by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh shall finde comfort in so doing and an humble heart Isa 57.15 with a broken and contrite Spirit which doth fear God and tremble at his Word however that be reproached as one of the Devils tricks yet such a one God delights to teach and dwell in Ch. 66.2 and we with whom his Tabernacle is do not worship in our wills but in Spirit and Truth neither do we say that it is a perfect demonstration of humility to cast away band-strings lace and ribbonds though we believe it a duty incumbent upon us to abstain from wearing things superfluous and unserviceable and also from all excess in meats and drinks though we know the Kingdom of God stands not therein yet we desire to be found temperate and in modest apparel 1 Tim. 2.9 according to the good example of the ancient Christians And further I do observe how the Author of that writing with which I now deal hath often misrepresented our doctrines and practise as further may appear by a serious view of his and what follows thereby I perceive he doth not rightly understand us and I am perswaded did never regularly try our Spirits either by a sober hearing of our doctrines declared by our own mouths and pens or by his own view of our practises but hath heard and believed what evil and prejudiced men have maliciously printed and said against us on purpose to slander and render us odious Therefore in answer to what is said against us I shall labour rather for the stopping of slanders and to prevent misconstructions to inform the Reader of the Truth of those doctrines which we do believe and practice then particularly to traduce the Author with whom I have to deal though in many things more I might shew wherein he hath wronged us and given unsound constructions both of Scripture and our doctrines and practices Concerning the Scriptures and concerning the Word Spirit and Light within Concerning the Scripture I say we do not slight them nor cast them off as a dead Letter Paper and Ink but own them which Moses and the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles did write or speak forth as they were moved by the Spirit of God so far as they are free from false transcription and corrupt translation to be the very words and true sayings of God and therefore not to be slighted but read believed and practised by every true Christian but they that are unlearned of Christ 2 Pet. 3.10 whose hearts are not stablished by the grace of God do pervert or wrest the Scriptures out of their right place to their own destruction not rightly distinguishing betwixt the Law and Gospel times nor betwixt that which was abolished for the unprofitableness thereof and that which God hath established for ever and therefore we do direct all to that Word of God which was in the beginning before the Scriptures were written Read Joh. the first of which the Scriptures testifie that it is Life and is the Light of men that shines in darkness even in mens dark hearts shewing the grosness and corruption of their hearts I say this Word which was and is God the Saviour of all them that believe who searcheth all hearts and incomprehensibly dwels in his Kingdom that is in man and doth reprove man for his unbelief and evil deeds we do direct all to wait to knovv this ingrafted Word and hearken to it Luke 17.20 21. that they may not be unlearned but all taught of the Lord that Spirit vvhich holy men of God knevv and did believe in Jam. 1.21 and vvas moved or led by before the Scriptures vvere vvritten that so by this Interpreter one of a thousand people may have the Scriptures opened and feel the povver of God and have faith in the povver and live in the life that the Primitive Christians lived in Act. 26.17 18. and thus to direct people to the Word Spirit or Light of God vvithin is none of the Devils vvork as he saith but the vvork of Christs ancient Ministers neither doth it make void the Scriptures 1 Joh. 1 2 3. but establisheth them in their right place as a true Declaration and the Lord Jesus Christ vvho is that quickning Spirit vvhich doth enlighten every man that cometh into the vvorld in his right place as the foundation which unto all generations standeth sure Joh. 1.9 1 Cor. 3.9 2 Tim. 2.19 neither can our directing people to this foundation Christ the Light vvhich enlightens their consciences have such bad effects as to lay them open to all base lusts error and delusion for all those things are condemned vvith the Light and they that believe and do such things go from and against the Light in their ovvn consciences Concerning the tryal of Spirits I say the Apostle gave forth no such command as that we should try the Spirit of God by the Scriptures for it is most absurd to try the superior by the inferior and no man can rightly understand the Scripture nor discern Spirits whether they be of God or no but by the Light of the Spirit of God within 1 Cor. 2.14 Therefore are they worthily reproved who presume by strength of reason sharpness of wit and humane learning both to judge of the Scripture and of the Spirit of God and its movings in men Jer. 31.33 as the Scribes Pharisees and chief Priests did who in their pride and self-wit sate as Judges of the Law in the letter Isa 8.20 Heb. 10.16 and thereby condemned Christ the Prince of Life and also his blessed Martyr Stephen as blasphemers that were not