Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A51587
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A testimony against periwigs and periwig making, and playing on instruments of musick among Christians or any other in the days of the gospel being several reasons against those things / by one who for good conscience sake hath denyed and forsaken them, John Mulliner.
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Mulliner, John.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing M3059; ESTC R31060
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19,265
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24
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preached amongst you but this principle to have People mind God in their Conscience and to be faithful to what they know of God and what hard measure have they met with how have they been stocked and stoned and whipped and imprisoned their Goods rended from them and for nothing but for God's sake to keep their Conscience clear in his sight And how have some sealed it with their Blood and still are ready though patient Suffering in his Power God be magnified for it with their Lives given up and if God should suffer them to be brought to the stake for the Testimony of Jesus And let the Rain fall and the Wind blow and the Storms beat they are anchored upon that Rock Christ Jesus which the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against And do not think that this Pearl of great price which they have sold all for they will part with for nothing or for the Glory of this World which perisheth and this I say of them that are faithful to God in what they know they are the People of God and there is no more required of any of us but to be faithful to what we know be it much or little So this is my Testimony for this people if I should write no more for I wait for my Dissolution nor I know not how few my dayes may be amongst you And now you my loving Neighbours and Acqaintance since it hath been the Good Pleasure of the God of Heaven to send this Affliction of Lameness upon me so that in the prime of my age my strength is taken from me I Care not charge God with Injustice nor murmure against him he is Just and Righteous in all his wayes and if he had not sent this Affliction upon me I know not whether I should have been conformable to his Heavenly Will but in Love and Tenderness to my soul hath he suffered this Exercise to come upon me and I have for ever Cause to bless his Name that ever he hath dealt with me after this manner if he never restore me to my former strength again his Will be done though to look at it it is very hard and I know I am an Object of Pity to many of you but why should I murmur at it Shall the Pot say to the Potter why hast thou made me thus No I shall not but bless his Name that ever he hath spared me to this day that I should answer what he required of this poor weak Body of mine and this is the greatest Joy and Comfort of my Soul that as I have found my strength go from me outwardly my Faith and Hope and Strength hath renewed in God inwardly And here I have great Cause of Joy and Comfort and to God let the Honour and Praise be who is worthy overall blessed for ever and for evermore faith my soul And one thing more I would desire of you to have a Care of speaking slightingly of the Spirit of God and Christ and making a Mock thereat as some have done as saying What the Spirit will not let you do this or that Let me prevail with you to have a Care what you say as to this thing lest you sin the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost I have wondered when some men have spoke to me after this manner who profess to be VVise and Religious should offer to speak so slightingly of this Spiritual Appearance of Christ for if ever you know God you must know him Spiritually For God is a Spirit and they that worshlp him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth And do you not read how The Spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit And to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace but to be carnally minded is Death And again Quench not the Spirit Grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions Joel 2.28 And several more Scriptures there are that we may read concerning their spiritual Conditions but this spiritual Appearance of Christ is so mocked and scorned at that when any of God's People are brought before some you are ready to say what you are troubled with he Spirit you cannot swear you cannot give us Respect you must come with theeing thouing in your mouths and be brought before whom you will all is one to you Blessed be God that it is so that there is a People have more regard to please God then to please any man living as to these things Some time I have had concerns wi h some of you that rather then I would have come before you with my hat on if I could have been clear in God's sight I had rather have lain at your Feet but at any time if I did not stand faithful to this small thing as you count of what Pain and Sorrow have I had quickly after it in my Conscience that I knew I had not done well in it and it hath caused me to cry sometimes to God surely I shall take more care next time Now if you would but keep to your rule the Scriptures as you reckon them methinks you need not be so much offended whenas the Scriptures speak against having men's Persons in Admiration because of Advantage He that respects mens Persons commits sin Christ saith Learn of me I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest to your souls Who learns Lowliness of him will not take Offence at those who in Obedience to him speak his Language Thee and Thou to a single Person and who wear their Hats upon their Heads for which they were made If men would but truly come to serve the Lord their God in their Hearts it would teach them better manners one to another then a few dissembling Titles of Honour and worshipful with the Cap and Knee I pray you what do they all signifie but to make men proud amd there is too much of that already But this let them do Do-justly love Mercy and walk humbly with their God and then there will be no Offence taken And why should you take Occasion at Thee or Thou in the Scripture you may plentifully see that when the Servants of God went to declare his VVord to the Kings they went and said Thou O King hear the Word of the L rd and in your very Prayers when you pray to God do you not say Thou Lord or Thou God And what do you expect better Language then you give to the God of Heaven which if you should say You it would be Nonsense and People would think such were not in their wits as should say You Lord or You God Then again this Rule saith that formerly it was said in the time of the Law Thou shalt not forswear thy self but Christ Who is the
end of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 saith Swear not at all but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay be Nay Mat. 5.34 And James saith Above all things my Brethren swear not Jam. 5.12 And now you can make some by your Law pay for swearing and others have got money by swearing and others you would force contrary to the Command of Christ and their Conscience to swear and because they would not swear they have been imprisoned some until death and I pray you do but see what Confusion here is amongst you Much more might be said from several Places of the holy Sc iptures as to the pressing of you to a holy godly living but many o you will not but even Hate to be reformed I verily think there may be some that are tender hearted that have a Love for God but yet to leave all the Glory and Vanities of the world and deny themselves to Follow him appears to them very hard but this you must do fever you know Peace with God And as sure as ever the Scriptures declare of it for as Christ said He that loveth any thing more then me is not worthy of me For verily I do look upon it to be man's greatest Happiness and Felicity to be a true Servant of Gold and the most Honourablest Title in the VVorld to be a true Christian for their Name is had in everlasting Remembrance when the Name of the wicked shall not and therefore let them mock and scorn if they will the day will come that God will clear the Innocency of his people and think not that it is impossible to know God as his People did formerly when it was said that they Did taste and see how good the Lord was and they Tasted and Handled of the Good Word of Life And do not think it is enough to believe as Your Church believes and because your Ancesto s went in this way you may and what should you trouble your selves any further and truly if I could have been satisfied here my self I would willingly have went along with you but I could not though many times with Tears I have cryed to God and said why cannot I be satisfied to do as such who are esteemed wise understanding men that I must separate from them and become a Scoff and a Scorn to them but blessed be God he hath made known himself spiritually to a little Remnant who have followed him through the great Tribulations and blessed be his Name for ever he hath confirmed the Truth of it to this poor People under his hand and seal as it were by his eternal Spirit so that they do taste and handle of this good VVord of Life as they keep faithful to him in what they know for no more God requires of me nor you for if it but one Talent if we keep faithful and improve it it was said Well done faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee Ruler over much enter thou into the Joy of the Lâ—rd So it is Unfaithfulness to God as is cursed in the inward parts The Lord give you an Understanding of these things is my earnest Desire for God is my witness I have no ill will to any of you but my earnest Desire is for you as for my own self to pray and beseech you to be reconciled to God and not to grieve and quench his Holy Spirit in your Consciences by living in known sin and transgression for who ever they be that will not accept of Mercy they must expect Judgment for God is Just and Righteous in all his wayes and he will and hath been clear of the Blood of all People in aâ—l Ages and Generations that are gone And therefore for the Lord's sake and our own souls sake let us not slight Christ's spiritual Appearance in our Conscience but be perswaded to let him have the whole Heart for it is an inside work And whoever he be if he hath never so eloquent a Declaration at preaching let him profess what he will if it be the Truth it self let him preach and pray sing Psalms and Hymns if they be not spirtual they are as if they cut of a Dog's Neck and as sounding Brass and tinkling Cymbal in the sight of God and no Profit in them at all So this is my Testimony for God that he doth appear as he is Spiritualy and doâ—h more and more appear by the Light of his Son Christ Jesus in the Heâ—rts of this poor scorned People called Quakers as sure as ever Christ did appear Personally upon the Earth to his Disciples according to the Holy Scriptures of Truth And therefore slighâ— not this spiritual Appearance of Christ I beseech you that which condemns you for sin in your Consciences as you tenâ—eâ— the welfare of your immortal souls and though this come from a simple Instrument yet I would intreat you to bear with me for it is in Love to you all And before ever I set Pen to paper to write this I have in the very secret of my soul desired that I might have lain in a Cave in the ground and have cried out these few dayes I have here upon the Earth to the Lord rather then I would have appeared so openly amongst you but I could not be clear till I had signified my mind to you and so I do appeal to the Principle of God in all your Consciences I being one that have had my being amongst you almost all my dayes what damnable Practice or Principle have any of you seen by me that makes you talk at this rate Except you call this damnable which checks and reproves you when you do not well and which of you all dare to say he hath it not in him which is the great Love of God unto Mankind which doth either excuse or accuse if they do good or evil and this is that Witness that God hath not left himself without in the hearts of all Mankind And certainly if there had been any thing in your Teachers Doctrines Reasons Uses and Applications if Crying and Tears Sighs and Groans would afforded me any Comfort in them the Lord would have satisfied me in them but I could not get Peace in them though the Lord knows it was my daily Prayers from a Child to be satisfied And therefore having dealt plainly wtih you and having told you how it was with me from my Childhood do you think that I am deluded and do you think that I with many more that have known this spiritual Travel will be scoffed and scorned out of this experienced Principle of God in our Consciences my God be blessed we know better things And though you may Goliah like come in defiance against this Host of the Living God yet be it known to you You are but men and not Gods and though we are but poor Striplings and simple Mecanick poor Tradesmen and some coming from their flocks and