Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A40265
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A Spiritual or heavenly salutation to all the tender-hearted in Christendom that are seeking the kingdom of God and the righteousness therof which I desire and intreat them to read over these following lines in the love of God, in which they are sent to them from him that desires the good of all mankind here, and their eternal happiness hereafter / [by] George Fox.
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Fox, George, 1624-1691.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing F1919; ESTC R36423
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9,457
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16
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A Spiritual or Heavenly SALUTATION To all the Tender-hearted in CHRISTENDOM That are seeking the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof which I desire and intreat them to Read over these following Lines in the love of God in which they are sent to them from him that desires the good of all Mankind here and their Eternal happiness hereafter GEORGE FOX LONDON Printed for Thomas Northcoot in George-yard in Lumbard-street 1690. A SPIRITUAL or HEAVENLY Salutation c. TO all the tender Hearted in Christendom whose Faces are turned towards Heavenly Jerusalem and whose Minds are turned and drawn by the Spirit of God to Christ who is the new and living way to God and the one Mediator betwixt God and Man who enlightneth every one that cometh into the World with his Heavenly Divine Light which is the life in Christ the Word by whom all things were Made and Created Christ saith Believe in the Light that ye may become Children of the Light so Christ who is not of the World but from above hath given us his Light to believe in and to walk in that we may have the Light of life and he that believeth is a Child of Light and born of God and overcomes the World and passes from the Death that came by Adam and is engrafted into Christ the life the second Adam and so are living Stones or Members of him the living Head and the Children of this Light that walk in this Light have fellowship with the Son and the Father and one with another and all Christendom that walk not in the Light that Christ hath given you are not in this Heavenly Divine fellowship But this Prophesie we do witness fulfilled and fulfilling concerning Christ God said I will give him for a Covenant of the People and a Light to the Gentiles and he shall be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth Isa 49.6 8. So that they that come to know their Salvation and into Covenant with God they must come into the Light of Christ which giveth the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus which Light shines in their Hearts the Heavenly treasure in the Earthen Vessels and if all that is called Christendom had believed in the Light the life in Christ which Christ giveth and teacheth to Believe in that which he giveth them then had they been all Children of the Light and of the Day of Christ in Unity and Fellowship in the Light and then they had not made so many Faiths and Beliefs which they have destroyed one another about And if all Christendom had observed the Apostles Doctrin to the Church of Christ who exhorted them to look to Jesus the Author and finisher of their Faith then they would not have made so many Faiths about which they have Persecuted one another Whereas no manner of Men below can make a Catholick Divine Faith for I say that Christ Jesus is the Beginner and Finisher of our Holy Divine Precious Catholick or Universal Faith which he the Holy one doth reveal from Faith to Faith and the Mystery of this holy Faith is held in a pure Conscience and not in an impure one and it purifies the Heart and gives Victory over that which displeases God and separates from God in which holy Faith which we have from the holy One we please the holy God which gives us the Victory over that which displeases him and separates from him and have access to him In this holy Divine Faith is our Unity so Christ has the honour who is the Author of our Faith and Finisher of it and likewise gives us his Light the Life in himself so he is the Author of our Belief to Believe in And happy had all Christendom been had they kept to the Apostles Doctrin to the Church of Christ who said the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men and teacheth us namely Christians then and now to live Godly Righteously and Soberly and deny Vnrighteouness and Worldly Lusts Now I say happy had all Christians been since the Apostles days if they had kept to this Grace of God their teacher which would have brought their Salvation and would have brought them into Favour with God if they had then there would not have been so many itching Ears and have set up so many Schools and Colledges to make Teachers which brings Christendom into confusion one against another Some may say is this Grace sufficient God said to Paul it was sufficient when he was in his Tryals and Temptations and Thousands can Witness that the Grace of God is sufficient and doth teach them what to deny and how to live and doth bring their Salvation for as the Law came by Moses in the Old Testament and the Jews were to live under it and Grace and Truth is come by Jesus in the New Testament and this Grace and Truth is in the Hearts of Gods People and they are under Grace's teaching and in the Covenant of Grace for Christ by the Grace of God tasted Death for every man that they may all come out of the Death in Adam to the Light and Life in him by his Light Grace Truth and Faith in their Hearts that he is the Author of for there is a Prophecy in Joel That God would pour out his spirit upon all flesh which the Apostles in Acts 2. shew the fulfilling of to the Jews and now what is the matter that all the Sons Daughters Servants Hand-maids and Old-men in Christendom have not their Heavenly Prophecies Visions and Dreams Is it not because they have erred from the Spirit of God and vex quench and grieve it that he hath poured upon them and become like the Jews to whom God gave his good Spirit but they Rebelled against it therefore is not all Christendom on heaps one against another out of fellowship therefore the means by which all Christendom and all People are to come into Unity and Fellowship in the Spirit is that they must Come all into the Spirit that God hath poured upon them by which Spirit they must be Circumcised and have the Body of Sin and Death cut off which they came into by Transgression in Adam who had none before he fell and they must be Baptised with the Spirit to plunge down Sin by this Spirit I say all must be Baptised into one Body and so all to Drink into one Spirit this Spirit of God brings all into Fellowship and Unity for the Spirit of God is the bond of Peace and in it is the profiting and it openeth the Heavenly Prophecies Visions and Dreams to Gods People now as it did in the Apostles days Christ Jesus set up a Worship above Sixteen hundred Years agoe in the Spirit and in the Truth when he put down the Jews Worship at Jerusalem and the Samarinus at Jacob's Well and said The hour cometh and 〈◊〉 that they that worship the Father must worship him in spirit
and in truth for such he seeketh to worship him and therefore all must come to the Spirit of God and his Truth in their Hearts by which Truth and Spirit in their Hearts they must know the God of Truth an infinite Spirit and in his Truth and in his Spirit to Worship and Serve the God of Truth And if all Christendom had kept to the Truth and Spirit in their Hearts they had kept to the Worship that Christ the Lord from Heaven had set up for none can set up a better than he and then they had not set up so many Worships and Persecuted one another about them but all People must return to the Spirit of God and the Truth in their Hearts if they will Serve and Worship God their Creator for God is come to teach his People himself by his Son for as the Apostle saith God at sundry times and in divers manners spake to the Fathers by the Prophets but now in these last days God hath spoken to us by his Son who bruises the Serpâ—â—ts head who hath been the head of all false Speakers and false Religions Churches Ways and Worships but God is the Speaker now to his People by his Son who was the Speaker to Adam in Paradise but when Adam forsook Gods Teaching and followed the Serpents he lost his happiness so have the Jews and the Christians therefore all must return by the Spirit Light Grace and Truth of Jesus to Christ Jesus the great Prophet Shepherd Bishop Leader and Counsellor that they may hear God speak to them by his Son and he that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son hath not Life though he may make a profession of all the Scriptures And none can receive the Son but by the Light Grace and Truth that comes from him in their Hearts Why are not all Christendom the Sons and Daughters of God which make a Profession of Christ Is it not because they do not receive Christ in his Grace and Truth in their Hearts which comes from him For Adam and Eve by eating of that which God forbid brought Death on them and their Posterity and now Christ the second Adam saith That he is the Bread from Heaven and except they eat this Bread from Heaven c. that he gives they have not Life in him so by eating came Death and by eating comes Life again it is not by talking And he gives his Bread from Heaven now for he is the Heavenly Bread Rock and Foundation Christ the same to day as yesterday and so for ever to all his People who was Dead and is alive again and Lives for evermore and Reigns in his People And now in this Gospel day of Christ the new Covenant God writes his Law in the Hearts of his People and puts it in their Minds that all should know him from the greatest to the least and none need say to his Brother know the Lord which thousands do witness this Law of Love Faith and Life that all may read what God puts in their Minds and writes in their Hearts and such are heavenly Jerusalem's Children who is the Mother of them all and no Mother can they own below the heavenly Jerusalem as the Christians did in the Primitive Times and such are the Church of the first Born written in Heaven cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her Feet all changeable Churches Ways Worships Religions and Teachers all which change as changeable things for the Moon changes but the Sun doth not change but cloaths his living Members who is over his House the Royal Priesthood offering up spiritual Sacrifices to God not Carnal by Jesus Christ And when Christ sent his Disciples to preach the Gospel to every Creature under Heaven It was not with the Penalty of Prisons Gallows Fire and spoiling of the Goods of them that would not believe and receive them And therefore it is time for all that profess Christianity to put up the Carnal Sword concerning Religion and obey Christ's Command who said he came not to destroy Men's Lives but to save them and therefore love God and Christ and one another and Enemies for Love and Charity is the most Excellent way above all tinkling Cymbals and sounding Brass for they that dwell in Love dwell in God POSTSCRIPT AND all you Teachers that make a Scoff and a Mock at the Motion or moving of the Spirit of God but you had never had the Holy Scriptures which you make a Trade of had not the Holy Men of God spoken them forth as they were moved by the Holy Spirit of God and this shews that you are erred from the Holy Spirit of God that the Apostles were in and the moving of it and fellowship in it which proceedeth from the Father and the Son And as the Apostle said to the Church of Christ That I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death Phil. 3.10 This is the right Knowledge of Christ and the true Conformity 〈◊〉 they that are conformable to Christ who faith he is from above and not of this World such are not conformable to this World And now all you that go under the Name of Christians Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 And if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 And the Apostle tells the Church of Christ That no Man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12.3 And the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son John 15.26 And again the Apostle saith to the Corinthians Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 And again the Apostle saith to the Romans The Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart and this is the Word of Faith which we preach Rom. 10.8 And again the Apostle saith The Mystery which hath been from Ages and Generations but now is manifest unto the Saints to whom God would make known what is the Riches of amabo oscultate Salemque quo cuncta quae sapiunt dignoscatis in vobismet retinete nec minus Oleum in lampadibus vestris semper habete ut fatuis virginibus absimiles sitis Talenta vobis concredita occupantes Pigri servi censuram evitabitis declaratio enim Spiritus Dei unicuique ad proficiendum datur Nec sitis locutores aut verbi Dei tantum auditores verum illius voluntatis Executores ne vestras seducatis animas semper vosmet perhibete Religiosus enim cultus incontaminatus apud Deum Patrem hic est invisere Orphanos Viduas in afflictione ipsorum immaculatum sese conservare a mundo Omnes qui Christianam professionem profitentur hunc cultum Religiosum a mundi