Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	holy_a	spirit_n	worship_v	3,077	5	9.0447	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56109	A testimony of truth given forth by a servant of the Lord, on the behalf of the despised servants, and professors of truth, who are made partakers of the heavenly power, which shakes the earth, and makes the inhabitants of the land to tremble, who are by the scorners of this generation called Quakers against the many lyes and slanders which the devil is the chief author of, arising forth of the bottomlesse pit, and vented forth by one James Livesey a professed minister of Christ in the county of Chester, but by his fruits is plainly manifested a minister of sin, and so of his Father who begat him, and sent him forth to oppose the living truth of God : but his folly is here manifested and declared to open view, that the simple and honest hearted may turn from him and all such deceitful workers, and may learn of Christ the light of the world, that their souls may live.	Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.	1659 (1659)	Wing P386; ESTC R5756	31,699	39

can ever come to the true knowledge of sin much lesse to the knowledge of truth in its purity until they own the light which Jesus Christ the light of the world hath enlightened them withal thou canst never see thy ugly shape and thy foul and filthy garments which the devil hath put upon thee until thou viewest thy self in this light therefore beware of hating and despising the light within which is of Christ for whosoever hates that light which checks and reproves for sin they hate Christ and the light is the condemnation for as Christ hath said this is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds be evil for every one that doth truth he loveth the light and brings his deeds to the light that they may be proved and tryed whether or no they be wrought in God but every one that doth evil hateth the light and will not bring his deeds to the light least they should be reproved Joh. 3. Pr. There is an opinion amongst them that every man may be saved if he will c. Ans This is likewise false and no truth in it for we do not say that the power of salvation is in mans will but in God who by his power subdues and subjects mans will for it is not in him that willeth or runneth but in God that shewes mercy and this is the mercy and loving kindness of God who hath sent his Son into the world that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life and so salvation is of God but destruction is of a mans self for the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us c. So he that will be a Disciple of Christ must deny himself and take up his Crosse and follow Christ and the Crosse of Christ crucifies the carnal mind and subjects mans will and God worketh in the creature both to will and to do yet obedience is required of the creature that as God by his light doth shew his will and mind it is the duty of men women to do his will which is our Sanctification Pr. There is an opinion among them that there is in man no light of reason no light of nature Answ All men that be out of the true light of life notwithstanding all that which they may call light of reason on light of nature are darkness according to that Scripture Ephes 5.8 once were you darkness c. and yet in that state there is a spark orsome glimering of the true light which shines in darkness but the darkness cannot comprehend it Joh. 1. and this light is the ground of right reason and men that despise and reject the counsel of the light become brutish and unreasonable and so the understanding comes to be darkened and the sence of it is lost Pr. There is an opinion that conscience in man is nothing else but faith Ans That is not so for conscience in man may erre and may be seared but faith is pure it is the gift of God and cannot erre and the mystery of it is held in a pure conscience Pr. There is an opinion among them that the light within them is sufficient that there is no need of other teachers c. Answ That light that is of Christ in it self is sufficient but there be some that are but Babes and sucklings and the Lord takes care for them and for this end was the true Ministry given having received perfect gifts which were for the perfecting of the body of Christ until all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man even to the measure and stature and fulness of Christ and this doth not overthrow all Scripture but establish the Scriptures for this is the very end for which the Scriptures were given forth to wit that people may be brought to God and worship God in spirit and in truth and know the holy unction within them and John did not overthrow the Scriptures nor the true Ministry when he said the anointing which ye have received of him abides in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you c. and the Prophet Isaiah did not lay waste the Scriptures nor frustarte the work of the Ministry when he saith cease from man whose breath is in his nosirils for wherein is he to be accounted of and as then the work of the true Prophets and Apostles was to bring to God so now for all the children of the Lord shall be taught of the Lord Isai 54.13 Pr. Their opinion is that God is not to be worshipped in places made with mens hands Ans We say God is a spirit and is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth in his own holy Temple not made with mens hands for God who made the world and all things therein seeing he is Lord of heaven and Earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is he worshiped with mens hands and this is truth and whereas he the said opposer doth bring some scriptures as Act. 20.7 8 9. how Paul preached in an upper chamber and continued his speech till midnight this proves nothing for but against him for we bear witnesse with the Apostle against the Temples made with hands that God is not worshipped there and so as the Apostles did meet together apart from the Temple worshippers so do we now and worship God in spirit and whereas he brings some other Scriptures as Luke 4.15 where Christ taught in the Synagogue and Io. 18 19 20. which we deny not but this was a time befroe he was sacrificied up and he came to fulfill all righteousnesse for he is the end of the Law for Righteousnesse sake to them that do believe and whereas he adds a scripture in Psa 132.13 14. For the Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation this is my rest for ever this he brings to prove that God is worshipped and dwels in a mans made house if any be so blind and ignorant to believe him for my part I believe him not but I believe what the Scripture saith Heaven is my Throne and earth is my footstool what house will you build unto me saith the Lord or where is the place of my rest not in a man made house The heaven of heavens is not able to contain him whom we worship Pr. There is an opinion among them that the place where the people of God convene to worship is not the Church nor to be called a Church Ans We say no For the Church is the body of Christ built up of living stones elect and precious and the Apostle doth not any where call a man-made house a Church and it is error and blasphemie to call a house made with mens hands of wood and dead stones a Church and therefore a

shepherd but the day of the Lord is dawned and the Lord hath opened our eyes praises to his holy Nime and we desire that their eyes may be opened that they might see their filthiness and repent that their souls might live Thus I have gone through his 20. particulars and what is truth I have owned and what is not I have denyed and turned it back again into the old bottle from whence it sprung I shall hasten to an end for it is out of my life to wade in such muddy filthy stuff as this is onely for Truths sake to remove the stumbling block out of the way of the simple And now whosoever thou art that reads this let not prejudice enter into thee but in the feare of God weigh and try things and hold fast that which is good The next thing I meet with is some questions which he propounds and then goes about to answer or give his censure I may speak somthing to the questions and to other things as the Lord moves Qu. What may we rationally and Charitably conceive or judge of the Quakers pretended piety and sanctity have the truth of grace in them or no Ans Wicked ungodly men such as I have found this Priest a Lyar a Blasphemer a false accuser have nothing to do to judge of the Piety and Sanctity of the people of God but they themselves are reserved for the judgement of the great day when the ●ord Jesus shal be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God that obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with evelasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe this day is comming on apace wherein the deceits of all deceivers shall be made manifest and this know that our Piety and Sanctity is not pretended but true and firm proceeding from the true root and sure foundation and we have the truth of grace in us by which we are taught to deny the deceitful Ministry of Antichrist and all ungodly lusts and pleasures and to live a godly and sober life in this present World Some things I take notice of in this opposers pretended answer to this first question which he chargeth upon the Quakers which justly falls upon his own head false doctrine saith he begets false Piety now what can be falser doctrine then to deny perfection and cleansing from sin this opens a door to wickednesse and strikes at the life of Religion denying the very end of Christ his comming and being manifested which is to destroy the works of the Devil so this is the ground of the bad conversation and fals piety and whereas he seems to strike at the converfation and practises of those called Quakers I leave it to all sober people to judge whether the Quakers or the Priests walkes more strictly and soberly and which of them deny themselves the most for those who are found most in solf-denial are the lowest disciples of Christ and whereas he queries how can a good life and an ill belief stand together corrupt head corrupt heart commonly go together corrupt principles breeds and seeds corrupt practicer all these considered they fall heavy upon the Priests and carnal professors for how can there be any worse belief then to believe that people shall never be pure nor clean nor overcome sin while they live this is the ill belief from whence all the corrupt practices have liberty but we own no such faith but our faith is the gist of God which purifies our hearts and gives us victory over the World the lusts of it and so a good belief and a good life stands firme and fast together and whereas he speakes of the power of Goddlinesse and the powen of sin cannot dwell together I say that the Priests of England are so fur from the power of godlinesse that few are come so far as the forme of godlinesse but are spending their time like dreamers keeping people in the dark alwaies learning but never able to come to the knowledge of God 2. Qu. What is the Religion of the Quakers Ans Our Religion is not known to the World nor ever can be learned by a wordly principle but the sum of it is this to love God with all our hearts and our neighbours as our selves to visit the fatherless the widdows in their afflictions and to keep our selves unspotted from the World and whosoever shall learn our Religion which is the one true religion must own that principle of light which is of Christ which shines in the conscienoe and stands as a witness against all sin and evil and leads out of the Worlds Lusts and vanities into holiness and Righteousnesse which exercises the conscience towards God and man and leads in the way of Justice and Righteousness for our Religion doth not admit of any sin or iniquity whatsoever but is holy and pure by which we are joyned to God and have unity with him and worship him in spirit and truth 3. Qu. Is it your duty to indeavour the conviction of them Ans We are convinced long ago of the evil of the Priests of England and of the deadness and emptiness of their forms and dead observations and the Lord hath turned us from them and have converted us from evil unto good and we are his and in vain it is for all the Priests in England with all their cunning craft to convict or draw us back again no no we are drawn by the cords of everlasting love out of that thick mire and Clay which they and thousands of their hearers stick fast in and it is our desires and also our endeavours to draw them out of it that they may feed with us at the Lords Table and eat plentifully to the satisfying of their hungry souls And whereas he speaks of prayer to God for us alas poor man his prayers we deny God hath no regard to him and his prayers they are abomination because of his great wickedness Therefore before he talk of praying for others let him repent of his sin left God cut him down and cast him off for ever Furthermore this opposer vomits up more of his filthyness and wickednes saying now they cast by the written word saying salvation is attaineable without Christ Oh! horrible wicked lyar Gods vengeance hangs over his head Scriptures we own and Christ alone our salvation Further he goes on and saies Quakers are hereticks therefore are to be rejected and left to the civil Magistrates Cognizance Ans By this I smell his wicked spirit no lesse then blood would satisfie that spirit but the Lord hath put a curb in their mouthes that 's the spirit of an heretick that would punish the bodies of people and not the spirit of the true Apostles for they wrestled not against

righteousness and this is no new truth but the same as ever even that which was from the beginning which is the same to day and for ever and unto that which all people have erred from is the Lord now bringing them back again unto that they may have union with him in spirit and worship him in spirit and in truth and this is the worship that we own and the true faith which is the gift of God which we are made partakers of which purifies the heart and gives victory over the world and the lusts and pollutions of it and for this faith and no other do we contend against all opposers and gainsayers as many we have met withall within these few years in this Nation of England since the glorious light of truth did shine forth but over them all the truth doth reigne and shall reigne and the Lamb shall have the victory And amongst the many opposers who have appeared by word and writing against the truth I have lately seen a book given forth by one James Lives●y a Parish Priest in Cheshire who hath vomited forth a great de●l of silthy stuff like smoke from the bottomless pit which darkens the aire and blinds the eyes of some people there away and causes them to stumble at the appearance of truth Now for the truths sake and for their sakes who love it I am made free to write some few things to the chief points or heads in the said book for the manifesting and laying open deceit and removing the stumbling-blocks out of the way of the simple as for my own particular I am satisfied and I know many more in this Nation who have received of the fulness of God and have drunk of the sweet and pleasant streams that have sprung from the Fountain of Sion and have received satisfaction and can no longer drink of the dury muddy filthy streams that springs from the well head of Babylon nor can any longer trade with the deceitful Merchants of Babylon for the day of her calamity is come and the Lord is discovering the witchcraft and sorcery of her Merchants unto thousands is this Nation and other parts who can buy her Merchandize no more but to come to the matter in hand and the first things I meet with in the Book aforesaid in the first page are some reliques or remainders of some old wares which this Merchant of Babylon hath taken back again from something formerly sold by him which he casts in to fill up the measure of the other which he hath compacted together to make sale of which I may passe over and come to the matter and its possible when the Merchandize is opened I may find some of these reliques and may return them back again with the other deceitful wares unto this Merchant of Babylon for the Children of Sion loaths them and will no longer buy them Pr. Is the written word Gods Answ The written words or sayings of the holy men of God so far as they are not corrupted in the translations I own to be a true testimony or declaration of the eternal word and being given forth from the moving of the spirit they are good they are words of God and dearly owned and prized by us and were given forth to be read believed practised and fulfilled but He cannot be written with pen or ink whose Name is called the word of God Pr Then in the next place what ever humane doctrines or opinions you meet with which thwart contradict or oppose the written word reject Answ We who fear God and are led and guided by the spirit of God which leadeth into all truth we do not act things contradictory to the Scriptures though to dark understandings something may be so judged as sometimes in the dayes past the chief Priest and great professors Judged the Ministers Christ who denyed the outward commandments and shadows of the Law which were commands of God written in the Scriptures as the Temple Sabbath circumcision Priests tythes osterings and the like and brought people to the guidings and leadings of the holy spirit and the holy unction within them but the Priests of England do act things invented by humane wisdom and that which doth oppose and contradict plain Scriptures as first their carnal and man-made Ministry being brought up at Schools and Colledges and so made Ministers in and by the will of man contrary to Paul who neither received it of man neither was he taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gal 1.1.11.12.15.16 2 Their man-made Churches which God never commanded to be built in the Gospel ministration but on the contrary said God that made the World and all things therein seeing he is Lord of Heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands c. 3. Their carnal call by ringing of bells 4. their standing praying in the high places there and being called of men Master contrary to the plain words of Christ Mat. 23. who saith unto his true Ministers be not ye called of men Master c. 5. Their long prayers and studied Sermons as they call them their singing of Davids experiences in Rhime and Meter which they doth not witnesse in themselves nor hearers their sprinkling of Infants an invention of man never commanded by Christ nor practised by his Apostles their yearly set and forced maintenance and many other things are done and acted by the Priests of England which doth contradict and oppose plain Scriptures and they have no example for such practices but are humane inventions and therefore we do deny them and turn from them and testisie against them and know assuredly that God will overturn them The next thing I meet with is a saying of Austin which the Priest brings which makes nothing for his purpose but is altogether against the end for which it is alleadged for Austin speaks there of the teachings of Christ and labours to bring from the teachings of men the words are these nec tu me nec ego te sed ambo Christum audi veritatem loquentum audi Christum dicentem neither hear thou me nor will I hear thee but let both of us hear Christ hear the truth speaking hear Christ teaching the words are sound and good for all flesh is to be silent and Christ must speak in male and female Ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me saith Paul 2 Cor. 13.3 And the anointing which ye have received of him abides in you saith John and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you 1 John 2.27 which teachings of Christ Austin in this place speakes of which this opposer Livesey would apply to the Scriptures without and so pervert his words above mentioned But the words of Austin do not bear such a sense as Christ speaking in the Scripture but hear Christs teaching and so let him that hath an ear to hear hear what the Spirit saith Pr. Furthermore I find a Scripture quoted Isay