Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	jesus_n	lord_n	spirit_n	7,577	5	4.8812	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41061	A testimonie of the touch-stone, for all professions, and all forms, and gathered churches (as they call them), of what sort soever to try their ground and foundation by and a tryal by the Scriptures, who the false prophets are, which are in the world, which John said should be in the last times / by Margret Fell ; also, some of the ranters principles answered.	Fox, Margaret Askew Fell, 1614-1702.	1656 (1656)	Wing F636; ESTC R13179	30,378	40

A TESTIMONIE OF THE TOUCH-STONE FOR ALL Professions and all Forms and Gathered Churches as they call them of what sort soever to try their ground and foundation by AND A TRYAL by the Scriptures who the False Prophets are which are in the world which John said should be in the last times by Margret Fell ALSO SOME OF THE RANTERS PRINCIPLES Answered Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation Isai. 28.16 The stone which the Builders refuseth is become the head of the corner Psa. 119.22 Now therefore are we no more strangers and forreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and Houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Eph. 2.20 Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which bee disobedient t●● stone which the Builders disallowed the same is the head of the Corner 1 Pet. 2.9 LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the sign of the Bull Mouth neer Aldersgate 1656. TO all the Professions of the World And to all the forms which all the professors lives in To the light in all your consciences which comes from Jesus who is the fathers Covenant of light and life The Lamb who is the light of all the Nations that are saved which now shines in all your consciences to this in you all do I speak that with it you may search and try your standing and ground and foundation The Church is in God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ Christ Jesus the corner stone who hath said upon this Rock I build my Church Paul writ to Timothy how to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the Pillar and ground of Truth For saith he without controversie great is the mysterie of godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up to glory Now Professors look about you and see where your footing and where your foundation is who do profess a God and a Christ afar off and denies the light of Jesus Christ which manifests him in the flesh How can you know him or confess him in the flesh who denies him to be manifested in you What ground have ye to build upon when you know nothing of him but what ye have from a profession without you Oh consider seriously and turn your minds to the light which will let you see your foundation to be rotten and sandy which ye floolish builders are building in your imaginations Babel in the Air professing the Scriptures without which were declared and spoken from a living and eternall principle within And this ye take and build upon But where is your foundation where is your ground where is your root who denies the corner stone the light Jesus Christ the light and Rock of ages which all the Prophets and Apostles and holy men of God is founded and built upon A profession of this will stand you in no stead for the holy seed is risen the substance of all and the life of the Scriptures which spoke them forth is manifested The word which was in the begining which was with God which word was God he who was dead is alive whose name is called the Word of God who lives for evermore This word which we have seen which we have heard which our hands have handled this we declare unto you by which Word the World was made and without which nothing was made which was made This is manifested and witnessed praises living praises be to the living God And this is he that will break to pieces all your rotten profession you cannot stand before him his rod of Iron where he rules will dash you all to pieces ye potsheards of the earth who have set up the Image whose head is of gold whose breast is of silver whose feet is part Iron and part Clay The little stone cut out of the Mountain without hands sticks at his feet and overturns his foundation you and your Diana shall fall and stone shall become a great Mountain the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it and you who take the words spoken from the life of God and professeth them and God and Christ without you and ye prosecute the same life which gave them forth which now is made manifest in his people Ye make up the measure of your fore-fathers which shew the Prophets and ye garnish their Sepulchres ye are in their steps that killed the prophets that beat the servants and would also kill the heir your fruits makes ye manifest Ye are the graves which men go over painted Sepulchres with words and professions of their outside but within are full of rotteness and dead mens bones The Candle of the Lord God is lighted by which he searcheth Jerusalem and hath found you out the day of the Lord which is coming upon you which makes all things manifest This will lay you open To the light in all your consciences do I speak that to it you may learn to see what ye know of the living God there there he is unknown to you yet as he was to the Athenians whom ye ignorantly worship though he be not far from every one of you Therefore put him not far off you but call upon him while he is near and seek him while he may be found If ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts while it is called to day Now you have time prize it this is the day of your visitation your profession without you will not serve you it strikes in the Lords nostrils and all your righteousness shall be spread as dung upon your faces it is as filthy rags and as the early dew it shall pass away and never be mentioned He is come who convinceth the world of sin of righteousness and of Judgement therefore your righteousness which is not the righteousness of Jesus Christ is condemned by him who is the righteousness of the father and the expresse Image of his glory The glorious brightness of his coming makes manifest the man of sin which hath so long sitten in the Temple of God exalted above all that is called God in you it is time to come wherein he is revealed Therefore cease from your abominations and outward professions of forms and colours without the life and power and purity of truth it self For the glorious light makes you manifest and all your covers is too narrow the roe from the living God is to them and all coverings which is not his pure spirit it is to be rent And though ye may seem fair on the outside this will not hide you he who searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins is come before whom all secrets is bare and naked Therefore turn into the measure of the light which ye have received from the

the light And yet ye take these words and profess them and persecute the light and life that spoke these words Now to that of God in your Consciences which cannot bear false witnesse nor lye do I speak let all that try you and examine you whether you do not exceed the Scribes and Pharisees who crucified Christ Jesus who had writings of him that he should come yet when he came they did not know that it was he and so they crucified him under the name of a Blasphemer and Prince of Devils But ye say and professe that he is come and professe that that was he which they crucified and ye professe that he is risen again and yet ye persecute and deny his light and testimony where it is risen and made manifest Now see whether ye be not blinde indeed when as ye go about to oppose deny and persecute that which ye your selves professe Now see what a God this is ye serve who keeps ye so blinde in your profession that ye persecute those who possesseth that which ye your selves professe Ye exceed all that ever went before you that ever was read of and yet ye are so blind as ye do not see your selves For those whom ye persecute and oppose ye have nothing against them but that they witnesse and professe that which ye blinde hypocrites possesse but knows nothing of So ye make clean the outside with an outward profession and a form and an Image and a likenesse but your inside is sin uncleannesse filthinesse envy wrath malice strife and persecution this is of the Devils Kingdome of sin and this is the inheritance and possession which ye possesse Though ye professe a God and a Christ from Records without you yet your possession and inheritance is the Devils Kingdome of sin Let that of God in your consciences which is pure now examine and try you and search you and see if ye be not found in sin and uncleannesse and denies being free from sin and perfection and purity and plead for sin and the Devils Kingdome and yet professe God and Christ Oh that ever ye should be so abominably blinde and fottish Do ye look upon the pure and holy God who cannot behold iniquity with whom dwells no unclean thing to be like your selves And so likewise ye take the Epistles and writings of the Apostles to the Church of Christ which is in God and which is the house of God the ground and pillar of all truth which is built upon the rock Christ Jesus And ye take the words which were written to these who were born of the immortal seed to which the promise of God is and ye who live in your sin and filthinesse and uncleannesse takes these words and professeth them and makes them your own as though they were spoken to you when as ye never knew their condition nor the Apostles which was their Minister and begot them into the everlasting truth by the immortal ingratted word of God And this ye who denies the light which the Apostles preached who was a Minister of the Spirit and not of the Letter And this ye profess to be yours and here you build your nest in your forms and here ye sit decked with the words of the Saints with your unclean 〈…〉 and persecuting the righteous seed which these were spoken to opposing and denying the light which they were gathered into But your day of lamentation and howling is coming upon you ye cannot escape the righteous God hath found you out the acceptable year of the Lord is proclaimed and the day of vengence of our God is come and the Prince of the world is come to be judged and the day of the Son of man is come in which he is lifted up and where he is lifted up he draws all men after him Praises be to the living God for ever And your Covenant with hell and death is disanulled and your refuge of lyes and dissimulation will be swept away the overflowing scourge is coming upon you Therefore as ye love your souls give over your dissembling and vain imaginations and hypocrisie and vain deceit and see what ye have and what ye know ye do enjoy in the light and in the life and in the power of the living God for our Gospel stands not in word but in life and power And he is manifest who is the power of God unto salvation unto all that believe And this Gospel is not hid but to those that are lost Now if ye turn your minds to the light of Jesus Christ which is the light of the glorious Gospel ye will see that this Gospel hath been hid from you and from your profession But if ye wait in the light then will ye come to know the power and the power will raise the life And he that walketh in the light shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life And so give over professing words which was spoken from the light and life and power and ye your selves without light without life without power in a 〈◊〉 Nay this will not serve this is an abomination unto the living pure God and all this wil he burn and consume with the spirit of his 〈◊〉 and with the brightnesse of his coming Now see what ye have that will answer to the fire for nothing will stand in his presence who is a consuming fire but that which will abide the fire And this ye shall eternally witnesse to be truth And so in this I have cleared my conscience and laid before you your house and building which is without foundation And if ye turn your minds to the light it will let you see you have no bottom nor foundation that can stand Oh that ever ye should be so ignorant sottish and blinde in this the day 〈…〉 grace of the everlasting God which hath appeared unto all men which is so sounded forth in your ears and yet ye will not come to search and examine where your foundation and root and bottom is If ye will but turn your minds to the light ye will see that you have nothing at all but that which is none of your own which will stand ye in no stead which was written and spoke to others Oh that ever ye should be so blinde as to look upon this to be yours in this glorious day of light when it is so clearly manifested and the Gospel freely preached to every Creature and that ye should be so carelesse of your own souls as not to come to a search Oh what will ye do in the end when the just and righteous God calls ye to an account who hath sent forth his Ministers and messengers to preach the glad tydings of the Gospel to the poor liberty to the captives and yet ye as deaf adders will not hear yea the Lord God seeth you and knoweth your Rebellious stiff-necked and uncircumcised heart and ears and he will reward you according to your works And then your

profession in words where you have neither bottom nor foundation will not serve for the sword of the Lord is drawn which cuts down all fruitlesse trees and groundlesse professions and your forms and covers is to be ripped off and ye will be found naked miserable and blinde Therefore now ye have time prize it and harden not your hearts while it is called to day but repent and turn to the Lord who waits to be gracious who will not give his honour to another but will be inquired of Turn to the light which cometh from the father of light which draws your minds towards God and let this be your teacher and leader and guider And here ye will come to see your blinde guides which Christ Jesus cries woe against who hath so long devoured the flock and scattered them who draws them from that by which the Lord teacheth his people which is the light The witnesse of God which witnesseth for God against all sin and uncleannesse And this they draw people from to look out at them who are the deceivers and betrayers of your souls Therefore as you love your souls turn from them and lay your foundation in the light for this is the door which every one who enters goes in at and whosoever climbs up another way is a thief and a robber and this ye shall eternally witnesse And so to the light turn and there wait and there will ye see the betrayers of your souls And if ye do not turn to this light this light shall be your condemnation for ever and shall finde you out one day and this ye shall eternally witnesse whether ye will hear or forbear None ownes the truth as it is in Jesus but who owns the light which he hath lighted them withall who lighteth every man that cometh into the world Nor none owns the truth but who owns the light that they are lighted withal which comes from Christ Jesus the light and life who is the way to the father of life Nor none ownes the way to the father who lighteth every man that cometh into the world but such as ownes the light which comes from him And none cometh to the Father but by the Son and none cometh to the Son but who owneth the light which from the Son doth come who lighteth every man that cometh into the world None heareth the Prophet Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made who lighteth every man that cometh into the world none heareth him but who heareth that and owneth that which the Prophet hath enlightened withal who saith learn of me None learneth but such as are turned to the light which from him doth come None receiveth the word in the heart but such as receiveth the light which they be lighted withal who cometh from him who lighteth every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus who is called the word of God He that receiveth the light shall receive the word and he that heareth not this Prophet he heareth not the light he is lighted withal that cometh from the Prophet whose name is called the Word He that heareth not this Prophet shall be cut off from among the people be heareth not the light he is enlightned withal If he make a profession of all the Saints words declared from the light yet he is cut off from among the people and with the light condemned A tryal of the false Prophets I Am the light of the world and doth lighten every man that cometh into the world saith Christ Jesus John 1.9 And the Prophet Isaiah who prophesied of Christ Jesus saith I the Lord who hath called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles Isaiah 42.6 Now all people see where you are and try your teachers what they lead you into which draws you from the light which Christ Jesus hath enlighted you withall who saith he that walks in the light shall have the light of life And John saith That in him was life and the life was the light of men John 1.4 Now try your teachers which draws you from the light by the Scriptures which they take to speak unto you and as they say is their rule Let it likewise be your rule to try them by And search the Scriptures and examine them honestly and see whether ye be not deceived by them which draws you from the light which is and ever was the Saints teacher and ever shall be And John saith that he was not light but he was sent to bear witnesse of the light which is the true light which lightens every man that cometh into the world Now all people try and see your teachers whether all your Priests of England be not witnesses contrary to John He bears witnesse to the light that lightens every man that cometh into the world and they bear witnesse against the light and say he doth not inlighten every one that cometh into the world And tells people they must look after them for means and ordinances and so blinds poor people and keeps them in ignorance and darknesse But all people as ye love your own souls search into the Scriptures and try them by the Scriptures which ye call the Word and your rule to walk by and you shall finde them the deceivers and the Antichrists and false Prophets which they tell you so much of that should come in the latter dayes John saith Many false Prophets are gone into the world Now try your teachers by this and see whether they be not in the world not separated from the world but draws from the light which separates from the world and leads out of the world but they witnesse against the light and pleads for sin and for the Kingdome of Antichrist which is of the world And John saith this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evil for every one that doth evil hateth the light neither bringeth he his deeds to the light lest they should be reproved but he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest whether they be wrought in God Now all poor people see whether these be not the false Prophets which are entred into the world which draws from the light which is the worlds condemnation And whether these be not the deceivers and Antichrists which John speaks of which are entred into the world which doth not confesse Jesus Christ to be come in the flesh but doth deny the light and doth persecute and call them deceivers and false Prophets which do witnesse him come in the flesh and walks in the light which he hath enlightened them withall These they stock and prison and cause to be beat in their Synagogues as all did that went before them which ever persecuted the righteous seed who denies the light The same John which saith

saith this knows not him who is the Covenant of light who is given a light to enlighten the Gentiles but art one that doth evil and hates the light neither cometh to the light lest thy deeds should be reproved and therefore thou art for condemnation with the light And the Apostle saith what Communion hath light with darknesse 2 Cor. 6.14 and thou saith God is darknesse as well as light and thou saith there is but one power but thou shalt find another power then that which thou acts under and for and in which shall overturn and confound thee and thy power and turn thee into the bottomlesse pit which art the beast which hath seven heads and ten horns and upon thy head is the names of Blasphemy and thou worshippest the Dragon and gives thy power unto the Beast and thou speakest great things and blasphemies but thy power is limitted Rev. 13. from the 1. verse to the 7. and thou brings two Scriptures Col. 3.11 and Eph. 1.11 which neither of them belongs to thee nor none of thy generation who art an enemy of God and all righteousnesse RAN And whereas thou sayest nothing is contrary to the one power which is God nothing works against him nothing opposes him nothing is contrary to his will whatever is done it is his will Answ That is likewise false and blasphemy thou and thy power is contrary and acts contrary to the power of God and therefore doth thou and thy power give life unto the Image of the beast that the Image of the beast should speak that the Image of the Beast should speak and doth speak in thee And thou worships the Dragon which gives power unto the beast Rev. 13.15 and thou exerciseth the power of the first beast whose deadly wound was healed and this thy power is contrary to the power of God and the power of the living God shall binde and chain thee and the Dragon whom thou worships and shall cast thee into the pit And thou nor none in thy nature nor of thy spirit nor power doth the will of God for he that doth the will of God enters into the Kingdome which thou nor none of thy generation ever shall For he that doth the will of God is he whom God hath sent of whom it is written in the volume of the book loe I come to do thy will oh God and it is his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him Which thou knows nothing of but art an enemy to him and all who are of him and acts in thy filthy will which is of the flesh lust and uncleannesse wallowing in thy filthinesse But thou art shut out from God and all who are of him for by the will of God we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all which thou art an enemy to and art shut from for ever And whereas thou sayest Man in his Carnall apprehensions of God calls one thing good and another thing evil But in him all things are good for all things are of him Answ Thou dark blinde sot Thou art in thy carnal apprehensions and so neither knows the good nor the evil but art under the woe and art him which calls evil good and good evil and put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that puts bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa. 5 20. And thou enemy of the living God knows not what is in him neither art thou of him but art in thy sins and filthinesse separated from him and all who are of him And thou brings a Scripture in the 2 Cor. 5.18 which is nothing to thee who art in thy filthinesse and uncleannesse for who the Apostle spoke to there it was the New-creature where the old things were past away and all things were become new And thou art in thy old sins and old filthinesse yet and Christ Jesus who is the reconciliation of all things that are of God is thy condemnation and shall be thy destruction for ever RANT And whereas thou sayest While man calls one thing good and another thing evil he sees not with the eye of God who saw all things very good Answ Thou art blinde from thy birth and doth not see with the eye of God and therefore doth not know the good nor the evil And who sees with the eye of God sees thee to be evil and that seed which causeth the evil and brought the curse upon the earth for thy sake and the creature under the bondage of corruption who goes upon thy belly and dust dost thou eat and the eye of God turns thee the wicked into hell all that forget God which is thy place of torment which thou shalt find and to thee nothing is good And whereas thou sayest all things are reconciled to the one power which is God earth and heaven light and darknesse good and evil Answ Thou who art for torments and flames would be reconciled to God but thou shalt finde the wrath of the Lamb who is come to Torment thee before thy time Mat. 8.29 weeping and wailing thou shall finde Mark 5.7 Lu. 8.28 And no reconciliation to God there is for thee who art drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication and worshippeth the beast and his Image and receiveth his mark in thy fore-head Therfore shall thou drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of his holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb Rev. 14.8 9 10. And this thou shalt eternally witnesse who would have light and darkness reconciled together And thou brings a Scripture in the 2 Cor. 5.19 To wit that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself But to Christ Jesus by which all things are reconciled thou art an enemy of him and of his truth and of all righteousnesse For if light and darkness had been one as thou saith Christ needed not have come to reconcile the world to himself so thou hast brought this Scripture to thy own destruction to make thy blasphemy more manifest RANT And whereas thou sayest that which is evil to one is good to another one mans light is anothers darknesse one man accounts it sin to observe a day and another accounts it sin not to observe a day and the third is free to both either to observe or not to observe for he is brought into the Liberty of the Sons of God and is free to all things Answ That which is good to thee is evill to all who are of God and abominable art thou and that which thou lives in to God and all who are obedient to his will And the light that is in thee is darknesse and so how great is that darknesse and thou art in bondage and slavery of sin and thy filthy lusts and uncleanness servant to them and so thou art