Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	heart_n	spirit_n	word_n	8,255	5	4.2520	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35009	The first part of Babel's-builders unmasking themselves as appears by the following judgment from Barbadoes (promoted by George Fox his party, and subscribed by eighty two of them) : with a letter of G.F.'s, G.W's, &c. in answer thereunto, and observations thereupon : also a false prophesie of that lying prophet, Sol. Eccles : whereas the following discourse was formerly printed and privately disposed ... amongst those called Quakers, but finding some of G.F.'s party have since publickly exposed it with slanderous and false charges on the author, this second impression with some small addition, is now made publick ... / Thomas Crisp.; Babel's-builders unmask't. Part 1	Crisp, Thomas, 17th cent.; Fox, George, 1624-1691.; Eccles, Solomon, 1618-1683.; Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1682 (1682)	Wing C6951; ESTC R10390	16,901	16

therefore it is not as you say most agreeing to the Wisdom of God to cleave to the Judgment of the general but to the particular Manifestation altho the Judgment general hath not Unity therewith For if a Particular may reprove the general surely he ought to cleave to his particular Measure for his own Belief and Practice altho the general have not Unity therewith for what is not of Faith is Sin much more what is contrary thereto For if any Meeting requires one to do or believe contrary to their own Measure whoever obeys them therein becomes a Servant to those Persons Meetings for his Servants ye are whom you obey Hereby you call such Men or Meetings your Master or Father contrary to Christs Command Oh Friends strain not at Gnats and swallow such Camels which the 82 seemed to have done That it is against the Principles of Truth is plain enough and needs no proof for by that we are taught to be guided by the Manifestation of Gods Spirit in our own Hearts to speak and act as thereby instructed and that the Judgment of Truth through a part of Christ's Members cannot become a Bond on others further than their Understandings are illuminated thereby These two Positions the Judgment aforesaid seems to contradict Also read E. B. and Is P's Works or any antient Friends they all direct to the Light in our own Hearts or Consciences as the only and sufficient Guide and Leader But your Judgment not only contradicts Scripture and Friends Testimonies but you have given such an unlimited Power to Meetings and not contented to give that to Men which never before was given since Protestantism but to Women also in which the Scripture is silent or what it says is rather against their having any Power or Rule but to be subject Nay this unlimited Power was one of the heavy weights in the Pope's Yoke that made it so uneasy to England in times of Popery neither can I find that ever in England the Pope or any Church gained this point by all their Stratagems Wars c. as you have granted Viz. the giving up all Spirituals and Temporals The Christian-State is said to be a glorious Liberty but your Judgment makes them Slaves and Vassals and will cause any Understanding Men to avoid submitting to such a Church that hath so unlimited a Power 't is much safer submitting to a Church which makes the Scripture their Rule for thereby one may know what they may or can require of one but yours after one hath given up all Spirituals c. may still require more without measure if you pretend or stamp such Requirings with the Name of the Universal Spirit of God as Experience teacheth hath been too frequent What is become of all our Protesting Fore-fathers according to your Judgment For you seem to have acquitted Rome of all their Blood for they had not only the Judgment of the generality of the Church but of the Magistracy and Law of the Nation against them which was of greater Authority than your Womens Meetings for which there is no Precept Precedent nor Law but against viz. their Form and Power I am ashamed that after all this Light and Knowledge pretended any should make such a long stride towards Rome which now is very unseasonable for if but one more such I know not but you may both too soon meet and embrace each other If any say we mistake you you do not give up to the Meeting but to the Spirit of God c. W. Pen's Address c. and other Testimonies I think answer that Viz. A Man may falsly believe as the True Church believes and if I believe only because She believes and not because I am convinced in my own Vnderstanding and Conscience my Faith is false tho Hens be true p. 146. Also E. Burrough saith Every one is to mind the Teachings of the Spirit of Christ in himself for to that he is to stand or fall p. 152. Also if a bare saying it is the Spirit without evidence will serve then the Pope may say so to Now that which further aggravates and makes this Judgmen the worse is that it should come from such Persons as G. F. c. writes the 82 Subscribers to be Viz. Manifestly declared the Epistle of Christ written with the Spirit of the Living God which Spirit hath given you Life and will bring you to the City of the Living GOD c. Aim at the best Things Viz. Give up all c. HIGH GROWN CRISTIANS OR G. F. c. HIGHLY MISTAKEN Thus what you have done seems to be to the dishonour of Truth and contrary to what you once professed for the sufficiency of Light in your own hearts was that Gospel you received and they Preached at first for all to cleave to and abide by and give up to But now to give up to the Requirings of others altho con rary to that what more like another Gospel Therefore I beseech you mind the Exhortation If We or an Angel from Heaven bring any other Gospel than that you have received let Him be accursed And avoid all such Questions as these are and the Propounders thereof for they are but foolish Questions yea worse and will gender to S●rife and BONDAGE therefore let no Men nor WOMEN especially rule over you nei her receive their Traditions for Doctrines further than manifested by the Truth in your own hearts and in the Scriptu es Are you so foolish as to believe that the R quirings of Men and Women-Mee●ings without Scripture-Evidence or manifestation by the Light in your own Hearts can give you acceptance with God wh n as Christ said to them that said they had Prophesied and cast out Devi s and done many mighty Works in his Name Depart I know you not c. And think you such unwarrantable Requirings and Implicit giving up can stand you in stead Nay this Perswasion cometh not of God but it is fulfilled as was prophesied in Scripture Some shall arise from among your selves speaking perve●se things Remember from whence ye are fallen and return to the measure of Truth in your own selves and arise and depart from such Judgmen s for fear it be fulfilled on you as was said against some of old When they knew God they glorifi'd Him not as God they became vain in their Imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened Therefore I pray be not so soon moved and tossed up and down by these windy Arbitrary and Implicit Judgm●nts of men who have mens Persons and Orders in Admiration because of Advantage for such serve not Christ but themselves but mind you the Truth in your own hearts and according as the Apostle said Let every one be fully perswaded in his own Mind You must answer for your selves to God when it shall be said Who required these things at your hands Will any Men or Women or outward written Orders have greater Force than Moses and the Prophets

Nay but as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God this Spirit Christ said he would send should be in them Forasmuch as the foregoing Letter of G. F. c. to Barbadoes was produced as a proof of their denial of the said Paper I observe therein That they are more afraid of its Publication than ashamed of the Matter and do more object the subscribing the Paper than owning that Principle Viz giving up all to them as appears by their Words If it should come into the Hands of Opposers c. they would say we set up Arbitrary Power Implicit Faith c. but they say not so which are the plain tendency thereof But it is needful to know what they mean by the Universal Spirit being that is so often mentioned I take it to be the Opinion or Judgment of the Ruling Party or Foxonions among the Quakers because they exclude those who oppose their Orders as being Apostates and gone out from the Universal Spirit Also I take this Spirit of theirs not to be the Universal Spirit of God but a private selfish Spirit of their own because they say As for the Stubborn and Wilful that are against Men and Womens-Meetings the Vniversal Spirit cannot receive that Now those they term Stubborn c. are not against Mens and Womens-Meetings but differ about the Form and Power thereof they are only against Women having Meetings apart from the Men when they have no business requires it not against them in Cities great Towns and Places where they live near together and Occasions require but where they live remote from each other and have no business Also the Form of Marriages c. This is great part of the difference and the Case of those Persons G. F. c. term Apostates Bad Spirits c. And G. F. c. says The Vniversal Spirit cannot receive that I shall shew by Testimonies of Scripture and Friends that notwithstanding Differences yet Christians ought to receive each other and walk in Love as Brethren E. Burrough says Notwithstanding their difference in Judgment whether in Cases Substantial or Ceremonial yet they were still to be in Love and Vnity pag. 809. And every one to mind the Teachings of the Spirit in himself Hereby you may see that E. B. could receive in Love and walk in Unity with such as differed in Cases Substantial which is as high a difference as any about Womens Meetings can be Also W. Pen saith Address to Protestants p. 70. I cannot see how such Men can excuse themselves from great presumption c. who deny those Persons to be Members of Christ's Church that in Conscience refuse to subscribe any other Draught than their Lord hath given them Then how can G. F. c. excuse themselves who say Those that be against Womens-Meetings the Vniversal Spirit cannot receive Unless G. F. c. prove that such Dissenters have had their Form of Womens-Meetings from the Lord. And G. F. c. must admit them Members of Christs Church or prove they refuse that which the Lord hath given them or else G. F. c. are inexcusable and condemnable by their own Testimonies Also 2 Pet. 1.5 Give all diligence thereunto add to Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly-Kindness Love for if these things be in you and abound ye shall not be unfruitful nor barren c. Wherefore give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fail for an Entrance shall be ministred unto you into the Everlasting Kingdom Now I appeal to any sober Christian Whether all these Qualifications may not be in one and yet conscientiously dissent from a Form of Marriage or Womens-Meetings as order'd by G. F. If it can be as I am sure it may that one may be so qualified and assisted by Gods Spirit as to attain these Vertues expressed by the Apostle Peter and not comply with G. F's Womens-Meetings then a sure entrance is made into the Everlasting Kingdom and they are received by the Universal Spirit of God therefore G. F's c. Universal Spirit so often mentioned is not that of God nor of E. B. or Is P. nor the Spirit of Christ nor his Apostles for they said Judge not and that the Tree was known by its Fruit. But G. F. c. will judge and condemn for evil and gone from the Spirit altho no evil Fruit appears only Nonconformity to them Also where evil Fruit does appear as in this their Judgment yet he can say to them because they own his Form and Womens Meetings We know your Care and that you aim at the best things So that to give up to his Orders tho contrary to their own measures seems by him termed the best Things and they are manifestly declared the Epistle of Christ wrote with the Spirit of the Living God c. Whereby he seems to place more Vertue and Power in conforming to his Orders of Womens Meetings c. than in all Faith and Fruits of the Spirit expressed in the Scripture And where-ever G. F. mentions the Universal Spirit I take him he meanes the Spirit that set up and adores those Meetings and persecutes all such who cannot for Conscience sake conform thereto Now Christ said Whatever you would another should do unto you that do unto them Love thy Neighbour as thy self c. This is the true Universal Spirit to desire no more Liberty nor Charity from another than one would be content to allow them and Impose no more on another than one would have them Impose on ones self G. F. c. once cryed for Liberty of Conscience none must perform any Worship but as taught and led thereinto by the Light in their own Hearts but having gathered a People to themselves now say they Submit to your Elders and if not Conform to his Orders for Conscience sake then Wilful Stubborn out of the Vniversal Spirit and Truth Enemies Rebels accursed from all Eternity c. And it appears that the Subscribers and G. F. c. do differ for he says This would make the Belief which is in the Light and the measure of the Spirit in their own particulars not one with the Vniversal i. e. G. F's Spirit c. Indeed so it doth for there be many that believe in the Light and measure of the Spirit and its Sufficiency that are not one with G. F's c. Imposing Spirit which he calls Vniversal but against it altho the true Universal Spirit of Christ and in all His hath now as formerly Unity with the least measure in any Member tho for Conscience sake they may be of a differing apprehension in some things and therefore the Apostle He became all to all weak or strong and said bear one anothers Burdens and bear one with another and therefore he condescended to Baptise and Circumcise to win over and endeavoured the encrease of their Faith and Understandings

not blind Conformity before Convincement but said If any be otherwise minded God shall reveal it c. As their Faith encreased so should their Obedience The Spirit the Apostle was in could receive those that differed in Judgment and Practice in some things and did not say they were erred from their measures and if against Womens-Meetings that the Universal Spirit could not receive them but were careful not to offend the weak would deny themselves that which was lawful for the benefit of the weak therefore not of G. F's pretended Universal Spirit Now G. F's c. Letter is so jumbled together seemingly disowning and yet owning the Paper too but take them either ways if they disown then that manifests a difference if they own it then they plainly manifest themselves to be what the Dissenting Party hath objected against them many Years only G. F. c. have imperiously and wrongfully born them down Viz. That they do in their Actings contradict their Principles and Doctrine that is they as the Pharisees say and do not for it is evident by the scope of their Letter that they are dissatisfied with the wording of it and that latter Clause which admits a particular measure may differ from the general also afraid of its Publication knowing they cannot justifie it and that it is that they have been charged for practising these many years and for this cause many have and do dissent from them whom they term gone from the Power of God and Opposers of the Order of the Gospel Setters up of Standards against Truth and many other Names and marks of Sons of Perdition when they have nothing else against them only not submitting to G. F's Orders without Conviction for G. F. c. do not at all contradict the Principle Of giving up all only the subscribing to it nor deny but their Meetings have such power or ought to be given up to only would insinuate that it is done from the Universal Spirit of God and all who do not so believe and act the Vniversal Spirit cannot receive c. But all that fear God beware of such who be thus given to change and believe and act so contrary to what they say and pretend and notwithstanding the good words of the Apostle in the latter end of G. F's Letter which be sound and had they kept themselves to their primitive Testimony and sound Doctrine as in Scripture there had not been this Seperation but having followed the Devices of their own Heads with fair words and speeches they beguile many simple ones but now their Folly is made manifest and that they have only a Form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof therefore from such turn away And it 's better to be by such accounted Separates than for their favour to deprive your selves of the benefit of your own measures of Light and Life according to which all shall be at last Judged As for the seeming dislike or blame of the Judgment from these following words in G. F's Letter Viz. This would make the Belief in the Light and the measure of the Spirit in their own particulars not one with the Vniversal Spirit in the said Meetings That this is a disowning of or a Reproof for the Judgment in general or the giving up of all c. is but a fallacious cover as appears by his high commending and extolling them in the latter part of his Letter in p. 5. Also his words to them he terms Stubborn and Wilful that cannot give up all c. of those he saith The Universal Spirit cannot receive that those that the Mens and Womens Meetings have not Vnity with in the Vniversal Spirit of God they are erred from their own measures c. What this Vniversal Spirit is that they so often mention is shewed in the Introduction and pag. 9. Also they say in W. F's Book Spiritual-Liberty c. pag. 4. Those that be left with the one Spirit of Truth must be of one Mind they cannot be otherwise These words be of one Mind and having Vnity with G. F's Womens-Meetings is all to the same effect as the Barbadoes Judgment only that is more naked and plain and not so subtilly worded as some here could have done it for we must believe and practice just as they do or would have us or else no Unity which implyes as much ●iving up as the Barbadoes Judgment doth as is further manifested by their severe Judgments against those that cannot so do and by rendring them Apostates c. And G. F's c. dislike or blameing them is not for their giving up all c. but for the latter Clause of the Judgment which admits that a particular measure may differ or not agree with the generally in the Mens and Womens-Meetings who be too much swayed and over-ruled by his Party and termed the Vniversal Spirit of God but this Judgment proves that their Vniversal Spirit and Ruling Party have erred therefore Particulars ought not to have Unity with them but testifie against them It 's evident from the Asian and all others Churches since down to this very Barbadoes Church that the Universal Ruling Part have erred and been testified against and reproved by particulars as G. F's Lording Spirit in himself and Party have been altho they seem to be so resolved as that they will have the Power Authority and Judgment c. and will Govern and rather than they will want a Place where and Subjects over whom to govern c. they will stretch their Power over the Consciences of their Brethren even in the Seat or Throne of Christ as is further manifest from R. B's Anarchy c. vindicated by the Second-days Meeting in their false Accuser c. page 57. Where they ask this Question If in no Case of Conscience the Church of Christ hath Power to give such positive Sentence as is just and righteous When they mention the Church of Christ in respect to this present Age that they mean only themselves seems evident from the said R. B's Anarchy c. p. 43. Also Judas or the Jews c. p. 28. Where they term themselves the Body of Christ And in other Writings they the People of God and none else Also when they mention the Government and good Ordinances of Christ or in his Church it is evident they mean some new invented Formalities and Ceremonies of their own and not fundamental Principles according to the Precepts and Examples of Christ and his Apostles mentioned in the holy Scripture Therefore their terms of the Church of Christ and pretentions to Just and Righteous Sentences and Judgment are but Covers and such Robes hath the Woman which sitteth on the Scarlot coloured Beast been arrayed with in all Ages since the Apostacy pretending themselves the True Church and their Sentences and Judgment Just and Righteous as you do and you have provided Weapons for them that may in time prove to your own hurt IF YOV BE NOT ALL