Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	inward_a	spirit_n	worship_v	1,944	5	9.2934	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82319	Several sermons and discourses of William Dell Minister of the Gospel; sometimes attending both the generals in the army: and now Master of Gonvil and Caius Colledge in Cambridge. Heretofore published at several times, and on several occasions; and now gathered in one volumn, for the benefit of the faithful, and conviction of the world.	Dell, William, d. 1664.; Goad, Christopher, 1601-1652.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1651 (1651)	Wing D929; Thomason E645_4; ESTC R208819	213,548	263

of outward form in the Churches of God yea some of them do declare so much calling the thing they would have External Vniformity Now such a thing as this after so much meditation and recollection as my other imployments and the many distractions that necessarily attend my present condition will permit me I cannot discern in the Word of the Gospel For Christ speaking of the Church of the New Testament saith Joh. 4. 23. The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth In which words it is most evident that the worship of God in the time of the New Testament is inward and spiritual consisting in faith hope love and in prayer which is the operation of the three former c. And so is so far from Vniformity as it hath been explicated and as they understand it that it is not at all capable of it And therefore I cannot but wonder at the strange workings of darkness in the minds of men who would have an exernal Vniformity in a worship that is inward and spiritual and of which the outward form is no part at all but is meerly accidental and so absolutely various Again as I finde not this Vniformity in the doctrine of the Gospel so neither in the practice of the Saints who had the spirit of the Gospel as that practice is represented to us in the Word In Acts 1. 14. I read how the Apostles being together with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus and his brethren continued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord or mind in prayer and supplication and Acts 2. v. 44. 46. how all that believed were together and continued daily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one minde in the Temple and did break bread from house to house c. And in all this there was Vnity but no external Vniformity neither name nor thing Again Acts 4. 23. Peter and John being let go by the Magistrates went to their own company which many of our Clergy would term a Conventicle and reported all that the chief Priests and Elders had said to them and when they heard it they lift up their voice to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one mind and prayed Here was inward Vnity in faith and love and joy and spiritual prayer but no external Vniformity and vers 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul Vnity still but nothing of external Vniformity Further we read Acts chap. 7. and chap. 8. that Stephen and Philip who by the Church were ordained Deacons and were to serve only for the Ministery of the Table yet by vertue of the anointing preached the Word of God freely and powerfully and how all the Members of the Church of Jerusalem who were neither Ministers not Deacons being scattered abroad by Persecution went Preaching the Word everywhere where they came in that case of necessity the unction of the Spirit of which all Believers partake alike being one fundamental ground of such Ministery where there are no Believers to call to the Office and in this though there was unity of faith spirit and doctrine yet I am sure they will say there was no such uniformity as they would have Again Acts 20. Paul the first day of the Week preached to the Disciples of Macedonia from the Evening till Midnight which Dr. Pocklington in a printed Sermon saith was out of order that is out of Prelatical order or Presbyterial Vniformity and after brake bread and did eat and talked with them a long while till break of day and going from thence he arrived at Ephesus and there called the Elders of the Chuch together and appeals to them after what manner he had been with them to wit serving the Lord with all humility of minde and with many tears and temptations c. and how he had held back nothing profitable for them but had taught them publikely and from house to house which I wish were more in use now-a-dayes if it might obtain so much leave from Vniformity and had preached to them Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ our chief work towards God since our fall and corruption being Repentance which is the change of the creature towards God through Gods own work in the creature and this is not done without the sorrow of the flesh and our chief work towards Christ who is given to us as a head being Faith or Union And in the end exhorts the Presbyters to take heed to themselves who according to the Church principles of this age want no admonition themselves seeing they are become a peremptory rule to all others and to the flocks over which the holy Spirit and not Patrons had made them Over-seers to feed the Church of God which he had purchased with his own blood c. But in all this neither practices himself nor preaches to them nor commands them to preach to others or impose upon others any such kind of thing as external uniformity And so surely they that so vehemently urge this thing that they make it all in all in their Reformation have some other teacher then the Apostle who being taught of Christ as Christ was taught of God yet knew no such thing at all in the worship of God as Vniformity And yet further that the world if it be possible may be the more convinced observe a little more seriously the practice of Christ and the Saints in reference to this point and you shall see nothing less then external Vniformity See this in the prayer of Christ Prayer for the duty it self being nothing but so much spiritual worship as being the voyce of the Spirit in the flesh both in head members This Christ sometimes performed with his eyes lifted up to Heaven sometimes being prostrate with his body on the Earth and so several times several wayes and as he so the Saints have some prayed standing lifting up their hands as Moses some kneeling and lifting up their hands as Solomon some standing and not lifting up their eyes as the Publican c. And what external Vniformity in all this And as for Praying so for Preaching Christ sometimes preached in a ship sometimes on the shoar sometimes in the City Jerusalem sometimes in the Temple sometimes in the Desart sometimes early sometimes late as if he intended on purpose to witness against that piece of the Mystery of Iniquity which in after Ages should be called Vniformity So Paul preached sometimes on the Jews Sabbath sometimes on the first day of the week sometimes each day of the week sometimes in the day sometimes in the night sometimes prayed in the house sometimes on the shoar he circumcised Timothy among the weak refused to circumcise Titus among the perverse became as a Jew to the Jews as a

receive the Spirit And thus you see the means that Christ useth to work this Reformation and these are the only Means Object Yea but I hope you will allow secular power too May not the Spiritual Church of Christ be Reformed with worldly and secular power Answ I answer by no means and that for these Causes 1. Forceable Reformation is unbeseeming the Gospel for the Gospel is the Gospel of peace and not of force and fury Civil-Ecclesiastical reformation reforms by breathing out threatnings punishments prisons fire and death but the Gospel by preaching peace And therefore it is most unbeseming the gospel to do any thing rashly and violently for the advancement thereof for the gospel of peace is not to be advanced by violence and therefore violent Reformers live in contradiction to the Gospel of Peace and cannot be truly reckoned Christians but enemies to Christianity sith Christianity doth all by the power of the Anointing but Antichristianity doth all by the power of the world 2. Forceable Reformation is unsutable to Christs Kingdom For Christs Kingdom stands in the Spirit and the force of flesh and blood can contribute nothing to this 2. Again the faithful the Subjects of this Kingdom are a Spiritual people and so they are without the reach of any outward force You may as well go about to bring the Angels of heaven under an outward and secular power as the faithful who being born of the Spirit are more spiritual then they And what hath flesh and blood to do with them that are born of the Spirit in the things of the Spirit And therefore touching this Kingdom which is spiritual and beyond not only the power but the cognisance of the world God hath said There shall be none to kill nor hurt in all my holy mountain And again Violence shall no more be heard in thy streets wasting nor destruction within thy borders 3. As they are a spiritual people so also a willing people and what needs outward power to force a people made willing by the Spirit Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power The very day of Christs power is not to force men against their wills but to make them willing The Spirit of God that brings them to this Kingdom makes them willing to obey God there and gives them pleasure in that obedience by shedding abroad the love of God in their hearts They that are not a willing people belong not to Christs Kingdom but to the world 3. By this Forceable Reformation humane Institution is set up for the power of the world reforms by the prudence of the world and men never use humane power in the Church but they first make humane laws in it and humane laws are the rule of humane power And so by this means the authority of men is made to have power not in the things of men but in the things of God which is the great dishonour of God and his Authority 4. It brings man into blind obedience and makes them obey what is commanded on pain of punishment though they know not whether it be right or wrong with the Word or against the Word So that a man shall say that which I do I am constrained to do and therefore I do it because I am constrained I read in Frithes Answer to the Bishop of Rocehester that a youth being present at his fathers burning the officers seeing him resolved to examine him also to try if they might find him a Sectary or an Heretick but the youth dismayed at the sad sight of his fathers death and fearing the like end himself being asked of one of them how he beleeved Answered Sir I beleeve even as it pleaseth you And so the more outward and violent power is used upon men the more of this kind of faith and obedience you shall have When men shall see prisons and banishments and loss of goods and death walking up and down the Kingdom for the Reformation of the Church you shall at last have men say Sirs we will beleeve and do even as it pleaseth you We will beleeve as the State pleaseth or we will beleeve as the Councel pleaseth And let them make what confession they will we had rather beleeve them then indure them And thus by fear and punishment may men be brought to say and do that which they neither beleeve nor understand and how acceptable such popish faith and obedience is unto God all spiritual Christians know and every mans conscience me thinks should be convinced 5. It makes men Hypocrites and not Saints for it forceth the body and leaves the heart as it was for the heart cannot be forced by outward power but by the Inward efficacy of the truth Now the hearts of men being corrupt what are all outward duties they are forced to but so much Hypocrisie So that forceable Reformation makes only Hypocrites and gilded Sepulchres putting a form of godliness upon the outward man when there is no power of godliness in the inner man but a power of ungodliness That Reformation with which the uncleaness of the heart stands is none of Christs Reformation What is the Reformation of the outward man when the heart is full of Atheism Ignorance of God Adultery Pride Murder c. and all the corruptions of Nature Call you this a Reformation of the Church of Christ This Reformation makes none Saints but all Hypocrites forcing mens actions contrary to their natures 6. It causes disturbances and tumults in the world when men are foced by ouward power to act against their inward principles in the things of God what disturbances and tumults this hath bred in States and Kingdoms who knows not So that they that lay hold on the power of men and go about to Reform hearts and consciences by outward violence are never the cause of Reformation but always of tumult And this renders the cause of the Gospel grievous and odious to the world rather then commends it And therefore let all that love the Gospel of Christ abstain from outward violence for they that use the sword in this kind shall in the end perish by the sword A man when he sins not against the State may justly stand for his State-freedom and to deprive a man of his State-Liberties for the Kingdom of Christs sake as it causeth disturbances in the world so let any man shew me any such thing in the gospel 7. Christ useth no such outward force himself for he is meek and lowly in Spirit and not boysterous and furious in the flesh And it was foretold of him that he should not strive nor cry nor lift up his voyce in the streets to call in outward and secular ayd and power He never used the power of the world but did all by the power of the Word even his very punishments and destructions he executes by the Word He shall smite the earth with

a spiritual Kingdom and the Reformation of it is answerable and that Christ himself who is the Lord the Spirit is the Reformer of this spiritual Kingdom by his Word and Spirit but little thought that any man would have been so blind or worse as to have affirmed the preaching of this spiritual and glorious Reformation was to preach against all reformation Is the Reformation of Jesus Christ which he works by his Word and Spirit in all the faithful and in all the Churches of the Saints no Reformation at all How durst you affirm this Mr. Love Mr. LOVE As if all were encompassed within the narrow heart of man Reply Yet I said plainly enough When the heart is reformed all is reformed and Gospel Reformation though it begins in the inward man ends in the outward Did you Sir accuse me rightly then or no Mr. LOVE If this be so Race out the first Article of the Covenant Reply I had rather the whole Covenant were raced out then the least truth contained in the word of God Though I like the Covenant well enough according to the true intention of it Again if the thing be truly considered it will appear that you are more against the Covenant then I for the Covenant engages us to reform according to the word of God but you it seems would reform without yea against the Word with outward and secular power which you will not suffer in the Magistrates hands neither but will needs have it in your own Mr. LOVE If this Doctrine be true That Gospel-Reformation be only spiritual then I wonder how Paul was so out who said When I come I will set all things in Order surely that was a Church-Order Reply But pray What outward or secular power had Paul who suffered not onely much from the world but most from the false Apostles to set the Church in order Did Paul think you use any worldly power to set the Church in order or only the power of the word and spirit But these men think if the Church be to be set in order by the word and spirit onely which were sufficient in Pauls time it 's like to be out of order for them Mr. LOVE To cry down all kinde of Government under heart-government and all Reformation as carnal because you have the Civil Magistrates hand to it is against that place of Paul 1 Tim. 2. 2. Pray for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Reply Well argu'd now indeed Babes and sucklings you shall come forth and answer this Master in Israel The sense of this place is evidently this That Christians should pray for Kings and Governors that God would so incline their hearts that whilst we live in godliness under them they would suffer us to live in peace and not make us fare the worse in the world for our interest in the Kingdom of God And what one drop can Mr. Love squeeze out of this Scripture to cool the tip of his tongue For the meaning is not That the Magistrate should enforce godliness but portect us in godliness Mr. LOVE To justle out the Magistrates power is to justle out the first Article of the Covenant What again and they that justle out that will justle out you shortly Reply Good Sir Ascribe not your own work to our hands The justling out the Magistrate have you not made it the chief part of your business now for a long while together and are you not still so diligently acting it every day that now you think your work is in some forwardness and you are pretty well able to deal with him And now because you would not be mistrusted your selves you publickly slander us with it We see clearly thorow all your slender disguises Mr. LOVE Ezra was of another mind Ezra 7. 26. Whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of thy King let Judgement be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death or unto banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment Reply Well Sir will you stand to this place and shall this end the Controversie Pray mark then This was part of the Decree of Artaxerxes a King of the Nations touching the Jews for the rebuilding of the material Temple That they should have liberty to do it and not be molested in the doing of it but should have what assistance the State could afford The Decree was this Ezra 7. 13. I make a Decree That all they of the people of Israel and of the Priests and Levites in any Realm which are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem go with thee Forasmuch as thou art sent of the King and his seven Councellors to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of thy God that is in thy hand c. And vers 21. I Artaxerxes the King do make a Decree to all the Treasurers beyond the River That whatsoever Ezra the Priest shall require of you it be done speedily unto two hundred Talents of silver And then vers 26 follows Whoever will not do the law of thy God and the law of thy King Let him be so and so punished as you have heard 1. Here then you see That Artaxerxes made no Decree to enforce all the Jews to go build but as the Text saith Those that were minded of their own free will See you not here that even a King of the Nations thought it unreasonable to force any man to go to build Gods material house against his will 2. And secondly you see How he gave them no laws how to build but permitted them to do it according to the law of their God that was in their hands 3. And thirdly you see How he deterred any from hindering them from this work upon pain of death banishment c. Do you not perceive now by this time how you then deceived the people by giving them the letter of the Word without the 〈◊〉 sense of it as Satan dealt with Christ in his temptations Such Sermons bring an Hour of Temptation upon the people This then is the force of the place 1. First That the Magistrate may make a Decree for all that are minded of their own free will to build the Spiritual Temple of Jesus Christ and to gather up into a Communion of Saints 2. Secondly That he ought to permit this to be done according to the law of our God that is in our hands or rather according to the law of the Spirit of life that is in our Hearts and not to enforce upon us any Clergy constitutions 3. And thirdly That he may deter you and the rest of the Kingdom that are of the like minde with you from resisting and hindering this work which hath its Authority from Heaven That so the Saints the Kingdom of Christ may pray for the Magistrate and Christ the King of Saints may bless the Magistrate and make