Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	mountain_n	spirit_n	worship_v	2,218	5	9.6432	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52677	An account from the children of light (to them that askes) in several particulars why we have been kept from joyning to, or worshipping in those formes at law, and formes of worships, that have been imposed upon us against our consciences, in these late years, for denying whereof, we have so deeply suffered, with our lives, liberties, and estates. : Also what we owne as to those things, and can be obedient to for conscience sake, according to truth, and the practise of the church of Christ, and the Scriptures.	Naylor, James, 1617?-1660.; Hubberthorn, Richard, 1628-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing N256; ESTC R27517	31,099	57

though persecuted But in all these we read not in all the Gospel worship of any Temple made with hands to bind men to nor Parish Churches nor preaching by the houre nor for so much a yeare nor that ever Minister of Christ tooke tyths nor their hearers gave them but confessed Christ come and a free Gospel and said ●oth the Priesthood that tooke tyths and the Law by which they received them was disanulled by the sufferings of Christ nor doe we read of sprinkling Infants and calling that baptizing them into the Church nor doe we read of their singing Davids words in a meeter nor praying in a forme nor a Clarke to lead the Psalme and say Amen And much more we might mention which was never used so in the true Church but is come to a forme since Popery came up the Scripture beares no testimony thereto as now these things are used and all that can be truely said for them is long custom but from plain Scriptures they cannot prove them Indeed we read in the Scriptures of truth of the Gospel preaching but it was not limitted to one house nor by a glasse but from house to house and Citie to Citie and that by the Spirit and their worship was in Spirit they prayed with the Spirit and they sung with the Spirit and h● that had a Psalme sung it with the Spirit and with understanding also And they worshipped and preached in fields and mountains and streets schooles and markets and they prayed by Sea-shores or in any place where God moved and led them by the Spirit of Iesus And all this we owne which the Scriptures testifies to in our measure And this is that we would have all brought to tryall and that worship owned which Christ and the Scriptures ownes and none forced against it by any meanes whatsoever which is come up since the Scriptures was written and the Apostles times And this motion is not unreasonable hurtfull or dangerous to any especially we may say in this Nation how can it be denyed wherein all other formes in words professe the Scriptures to be a rule for all to walk by And to you all ●his is our motion that the Scriptures may be heard what it saith without wresting and what sort of worship it testifies of let that have the name to be of God and then let none be forced from it and if you deny to be tryed in your faith and profession by that you have so long called your rule and touchstone and then reproach and persecute them that walke in it will not your own words judge you before men and shall not you walke under condemnation from God in your owne Consciences And thus in short have we shewed our desires and what we would have in this thing which might free every tender Conscience from oppression and the Magistrates of the Nations from the guilt thereof before God Will you call your selves Christian Magistrates and Christian Ministers and set your selves against what Christ hath wrought by the power of his Spirit and is now working and thinke you ●re doing him service when you are grieving his Spirit and persecuting him in his members for doing that to which he immediately leads them now as in the dayes of old Is not this in effect to say depart from our Nations we will have none of thy wayes nor shall any under our government or that will follow our teachings obey thy Spirit if we can stop them by our power is not this to withstand his appearance and resist the power that you professe to rule for Doe you not read in the Acts of the Apostles what labour and suffering they underwent to bring people out of carnall rudiments and ordinances of men and to bring them to the worship in spirit and truth alone both as to time place and order how did they run in hazard of their lives into Temples Synagogues and set places of worship to bring them out of Temples made with hands to worship where the Spirit should lead them without respect of places that so the words of the Lord Iesus might be fulfilled who had said Not in the Temple nor in the mountaine but in spirit and in truth should the Father be worshipped and did not Stephen lose his life for telling them that God that made the world dwelt not in Temples made with hands and Paul suffered fo● the same testimony and they told them the most high God could not be worshipped with mens hands nor carnall things but in s●irit ●nd in ●ruth And how often was they tumul●ed and beaten and their bloud shed for this test●mony against the beggerly rudiments 〈◊〉 ordinances of men both of Iewes who had their ordinances from the letter and ●●so the Gentiles who followed their customers That out of all carnall things they might bring them to follow God in spirit and therein alone to serve him And while you professe all this in words will you be the men that will deny the very same in workes and shall you be guiltlesse shall not both Iewes and Gentiles rise in Iudgement against you and condemne you who acts against knowledge Scriptures and your owne profession And is it not so with you Rulers and Teachers of this generation what force and cruelty hath been used to bring people back to your Idol temples made with hands there to worship and no where else and to repaire them and to bow to the customes of men there set up for which there is neither Scriptures nor example even too many to mention what imprisoning and ●ormenting of the spirituall worshippers of the living God hath there been in these last dayes for these things what sufferings have some gone through but for testifying against these traditious carnal saying the Church must be in God and that every one must come to be led by the spirit alone in all their whole worships and so give the kingdome leading of his people to the leading of Christ that spirit againe in all things pertaining to worship life and godlinesse hath not this been a dangerous thing in thi● age to beare this record of God in Christ 〈◊〉 to become his witnesse how ma●y 〈◊〉 lost their liberties their estates and 〈…〉 lives for this testimony in word 〈◊〉 ●●●c●ise which reconciles to God in all 〈◊〉 whole worship and yet the same is read and preached every first day among them that doe this to such as live the life thereof for Iesus sake these are not the workes of Christians indeed in the Apostles sence but of such as know not God nor the word of reconciliation have not How many have suffered in this age but for reproving sin in the gate cursing pride lying and swearing how have some been beaten puld and hailed and dragg'd through streets and channells and before Iudgement seats and to prisons for no other things how many have wofully suffered but for preaching repētance through streets towns and

Commands That so under you we might be godly and quietly governed within and without But if yet it must be so that your distance be so great that with one heart we cannot obey you both then whether it is better to obey God or men with the light of God in your own consciences judge you therefore if we can but keepe peace with the one of you we chuse to keepe our everlasting peace with God and that saving saith that 's held in a pure Conscience And our prayers to the father of lights is for our whole body of Christs Church and every member thereof that our hearts may be kept single to him alone what ever we suffer from men for so doing Now to those things which some call religious THough in our selves we make no such distinction it being that our Consciences are to be exercised in the light and Spirit of Christ in all we doe towards God and towards man and every particular action towards men God requires that it be done as to him and to his glory and not in our own wills nor in mens wills nor after their wills manners and customes and commands but in the will of God alone revealed in Christ Jesus in Spirit and in his motion and leadings which if we misse in and serve eyther men or our selves therein and not God we are accountable to him as though we had erred in that which the world calls Religion therefore what ever we do to God in Christ to us is his service and pure religion and undefiled before God if we keepe but our conscience unspotted from the world though it be but in visiting a fatherless childe or a widdow in their affliction or any other thing which the Spirit of truth justice and mercy leads us to and requires of us But as the worship of God it selfe hath relation to him alone who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth betwixt him and every particular creature onely known in matter measure and manner time and place And knowing that the onely wise God who gives the kingdoms of the earth to whom he will yea and may set over them the basest of men as well as the most vertuous without controule if he please so to deale in judgement towards any Nation yet this hath he reserved as an eternall Scepter in the hand of Jesus our Lord and by an everlasting Covenant hath he sworne once for all concerning him Thou art a King for ever over the holy people and his throne is established in their consciences by a perpetuall decree to all generations therefore was it never known that ever he trusted or titled any earthly Prince with Lord over the faith and consciences of his owne people This was ever the S●ns prerogative above the Kings of the earth and he alone is to be Judge and Law-giver and correcter and leader in that invisible spirituall work of worship towards God for he onely knowes the way and none comes to the Father but by him It s true the Pope hath taken upon himselfe such authority under pretence of the Apostles even over the faith and consciences of people and with it hath shed much innocent bloud which lyes upon his seat and his line till God come to enquire for it and for that end hath set up inquisitions c. And others after and from that have erected Courts and Synods with their fines and prisons and tortures to force the faith and Consciences of people and they pretend the Apostles also for this worke But this we know that the Apostles was no such men nor used any such weapons but deny them therein both the Pope and they that are risen since And expressely deny to be Lords over Gods heritage or over their faith neither did they preach themselves Lords and Masters but Christ Jesus alone the Lord and themselves servants for Iesus sake as both their owne words practise doth testifie for saith Paul Not for that we have dominion over your faith And saith Peter Not for filthy lucre neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but as examples to the flock So we know that from Peter they had it not nor from Paul nor from any of the true Ministers of Christ for their weapons was not carnall but spirituall nor did they wrestle with flesh but with spirit so all they can get from the Apostles either in word or practise is this That if they be troubled with errors or profanenesse in their Churches Then if they have the Spirit and power of the Lord Iesus then to deliver such a one up to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the soule may be saved and body also in the day of the Lord And this is not to goales or gallowes or inquisitions or tortures or fires now had they this spirit and power they would know that which would convert in deed and truth and not make hypocrites or else kill them but the false Church having not these weapons nor this spirit and power is builded with oppression and upholden with bloud And in her are found the bloud of all the holy Martyrs of Jesus as saith the Scriptures yea even now is she drunke with bloud Revel. 18.24 17.6 So now this is the thing we say as to the worship of our God and to the order of it In all things it belongs to Christ Iesus our Lord and to him as sole King Lord thereof we cōmit our selves even the whole man soule and body as to all things of that nature And though there may ari●e power after power and seeke t● stop us of this liberty and freedome by acting force and violence upon our outward man yet are we free by birth in Christ Iesus and our inw●rd man they cannot bind nor can we ever while we abide in that see●e give up the right of Christ unto any of them but this we testifie in all we doe or suffer that the right is Christs over our Consciences and over our worships and to him alone we confesse before men and he hath the name in us And though for a time or times we yet suffer yet we know the end must come And the Lambe must take the kingdome and we know him that is true and faithfull whom the Father hath sealed and anoynted to be head of the ●hurch which is his body and to him must the Nations account And therefore we say to all the severall powers that comes upon us we may not deny the Lord in our Consciences to bow to or worship in what men shall set up or command but he that saves us dayly from our sins he shall leade us in our worship and to him we must give the obedience of faith who gives us faith and power by his Spirit to obey and who hath wrought all our workes in us and for us and by whose vertue

spoyle of our goods Now God having revealed his true worship to u● i● the light of Christ which is is in spi●it and truth and called us out of carnall things ●or which there is no Scripture we ●●nn● for Conscience sake worship any more therein Now neyther by the Spirit of Christ in us nor by letter of Scriptures without us nor by the example of all the holy men of God that hav● walked before us can we for Conscience sake owne nor uphold that for the true and spirituall worship of God in spirit and truth neither to repaire their house maintaine their Priest nor his Clarke as they would impose upon us Now some have said What would you have no Church Minister preaching praying nor none of this worship nor maintenance c. What would you have We say yes we own a Church ministring preaching praying and the maintenance that thereto belongs but we would have them to be of God and after his will in Christ Jesus and not after the will and traditions of men contrary both to God good men and the Scriptures of truth For we reade of a Church of Christ in Scriptures but it was in God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ And we read of a ministry of Christ in Scripture made not of man neither by man but by the revelation of the Son of God in them And the Gospel or Ministry that they preached was not after man nor received of man neither was they taught it but by revelation of Jesus Chist And we read of a Maintenance they had which was to live of the Gospel And the spiritualls which they sowed freely without money or money-worth brought them forth fruits freely both in spirituall things and worship towards God and in carnall things towards their outward wants and as they planted so they eate And where the plant grew and the soule prospered till it could bring forth fruit freely there they need not to sue them and to take it by spoyle but of the world they looked for nought but persecution nor ever coveted or compelled any such thing from any creature no not where they had sowne and planted unlesse it grew in spirit and life to God they looked not to reape any thing but losse if that which they had sowne withered in the way therefore did they watch for the soule and not for tythes piggs and eggs and geese and sheaves c. but that the soule prospered towards God that was their prize And to make the Gospel without charge that was their reward if they did it freely and willingly but if not willingly then a necessitie was layd upon them and woe was their portion And these went on and prospered gathering Churches out of the world into God from place to place even where they was not sent for they went freely as they was moved of the holy Spirit And if anywhere they came was found worthy to receive them with them they might eate freely what was set before them where the Spirit was free but they did not seat themselves in a Towne or say this is my Parish and this is my hire so much a yeare but wandred to and fro having no certaine dwelling place nor was their bellyes any part of the bargain as to coming preaching staying or going as to any place And when they had gathered a Church into the Spirit and life of Christ Iesus which brought them to meete together then they did not Lord it over them in faith or conscience neither was they called their Masters but still servants for Christ sake nor did they get a glasse and set up and if any spoke in their time while they was speaking say they broke their peace and send them to prison but said all might prophesie that all might be edified and it was joy to them to heare any to speake by the Spirit either son or daughter and some might speake and some might judge of what was spoken And if any thing was revealed to him that stood by the first was to hold his peace and the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets Now this Church and its order we owne where ever we find it to be after God and in him but when we meete with a company of people that denyes all this And if any be moved in the Spirit eyther to speake while they are speaking or judge what they have spoken Then the teacher cryes away to prison with him and the people runs upon us all a heapes ready to pull us to pieces this we owne not nor doth Christ nor the Scriptures owne it to be his Church t●is is not the Spirit of the Prophets nor subject to the Prophets but the rude Spirit which tumul●ed upon the Apostles and Prophets of old So here is somewhat declared of the ministry we owne and his maintenance but of such a thing as a Clarke we read not in Scriptures neither name nor office And now let none thinke it strang● or an error in us to compare weigh and ●ry and prove things for we are christians have received the spirit that is of God that we may know the things that are given to us of God from things that are of the world And we may not receive every one for a Minister of Christ who tells us he is nor that for a Church that every one calls a Church nor that for worship which every one would impose upon us for things had need of trying and Spirits also and we hold fast that which is good Its true in the world there be many Churches and many heads Gods many and Lords many many faiths and many opinions but in Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 called to unity in all these things so 〈◊〉 we say with the Churches of Christ in ●cripture to us there is on● body one Spirit one 〈◊〉 one faith one baptisme one God and fathe● of all who is above all and through all and in us all And this one God in us is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit in truth so of us he requires truth and that we worship no other things nor bow to them though all men have not this faith but can follow any thing in their worship which is the fashion of the Nation where they live but this we are called out of And into that one worship we are come which is in spirit and truth for in that is the father worshipped and God hath sought us out of the many worships that are in the world in Spirit to worship him and Christ saith these are the true worshippers that so worship and ●nto this hath Christ led us and in it he ownes us in his Spirit and the Father ownes us and testifies to us in every enlightned conscience and in this we are come to the Spirits of just men and they owne us And the letter of Scriptures it ownes us also and in this we have peace

Conscience from dead works And will you not suffer him to reigne and governe therein hath not he quickned every living soule and created anew every free Spirit and would you take and keepe the kingdome therein out of his hand and rule there for another or your selves with force and cruelty Is not this he for whom the Sabbath was made and all the ordinances under heaven speakes his dominion And will you now read this and professe and withstand him in the Consciences of his tender people and deny him to rule in his Church alone have you not read what God hath said of him and his enemies in the second Psalme nay are not all the Scriptures his and testifie to him alone as head over all and ruler in all his Saints And as you have heard read and professed his dominion more then heathens and yet goe on to keepe it from him so to you is his first appear●nce to seeke his owne of you And if you persist to deny him it s you must drinke the Cup first that the heathens may heare and feare his name fr●m farre and his rising appeare to all the ends of the world that its he alone who is from everlasting at whose name every knee must bow and tongue confesse to the right of his inheritance And this further I lay before you people of this Nation who have long been crying for peace and settlement in the Nations and in your Religion and you cry out of so many divisions and so many religions I say to you all how should you be otherwise when you will not come to the one religion that is of God and was in the beginning with God and brought forth in time by Iesus Christ for the bringing all into God againe and reconciling all sorts of scattered people who are scattered in the imaginations and customes of carnall spirited men from God the one good thing into many things rudiments and traditions wherein you can neither be reconciled to God nor one to another for how is it like that ever that religion can reconcile to God which sets you a killing one another to uphold it are you like to obtaine peace in that Spirit which in your hearts is the cause of enmity and warre or obtaine unitie from that roote which hath thus scattered you in its fruits and off spring This is like the false Prophets of old who would bite with their teeth and cry peace Nay this is not the way of settlement or lasting peace THAT you must have in returning and making peace with the Spirit of Jesus you must kisse the Son and so make peace for this hath been seene concerning you of these Nations that if you owne not the light of Christ in spirit and truth that he may lead you out of these many things which are not of ●od and reconcile you to God in spirit and truth there to worship him alone who is a Spirit you will ere long be in bloud eyther amongst your selves one against another or else i● the bloud of the innocent Lambs of Chri●t which will not be for your peace with God for he that hath letted your peace and settlement is not yet taken away nor his power who is that old bloud-sucker and divider of Nations people and tongues abou● faith and religions and with which a fire hath often been kindled nor can his power be stopped but by the Spirit of the Lambe of God which takes away sin and breakes downe the wall of separation which is made about ordinances litterall ceremoniall and traditionall which can never cease but as men turne to the Spirit of the Lord Iesus That with the light of peace and truth you may be led into peace truth and unity that wrath may be done away and the ground thereof and you and your religion may be setled on the foundation of truth Christ Jesus the chiefe corner stone and not upon dayes times meats drinks and apparell and other things which will perish with the using and so will they that worship and not in the leadings of Christ alone and God will shake the Idolls of peoples minds and all the glory of flesh that he alone may be exalted in the earth as he is in heaven So if you will have peace you must come to the Son of peace and if you will have establishment you must come to the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles of God for I say many have been about to build a house for God to dwell in with carnall things and rudiments and this they would bind him to his people who is a Spirit and his house must be built of spirituall men and women who like living stones must grow up in his owne light and vertue into a holy temple in the Lord In which you must be builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.20 21 22. And this is Gods house built by Christ alone with that which is elect and precious not with gold and garments or observations of perishing things but with redeemed soules by the bloud of Iesus out of their vaine conversation and gathered into the Spirit of truth and life and power to worship God who is a Spirit in spirit truth and this is Gods house at this day which was his house in the Apostles dayes who dwells not in Temples made with hands as saith the Apostles nor with mens hands is worshipped but with him that 's poore in spirit and of a broken and contrite heart to him will I looke saith the Lord and there will I dwell And the bodyes of his holy people are the Temples of the living God as he hath said I will dwell in them and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 2 Cor. 6.16 And untill you come to this building of God in your selves God will not dwell with you in peace but all your buildings will he cōfound and not accept your sacrifice and then the Devill will enrage you against Gods house and spirituall building even his poore despised people them to destroy like Cain when his sacrifice was not accepted in his owne will But if you turne to the Lord who is that Spirit then will he cause his light to shine in your hearts to give you an heavenly understanding and he will put his Spirit in your inward parts and fill you with heavenly power and will let you see the lively Image of truth and peace and he will take away the vaile of the Covering that is spead over all Nations from which arises all their carnall comprehensions and carnall worships of the invisible spirituall God and he will also swallow up death in victory which now worketh in the Nations to kill one another about religion and worship without spirit and life so will you come to be taught his true worship who is a Spirit and become true worshippers in Spirit and so grow up in his knowledge and he will owne your worship whom as yet you have neither heard hi● voyce at any time nor seene his shape And Christ saith of such worshippers You worship you know not what but the true worshippers worship in faith and know what they worship and such the Father ● now seeking to worship him saith Christ Iesus John 4.22 23 24. And this is the thing oh England tha● concernes thy peace with thy God in thi● thy day who art Combred with many things about Christ and worship but neglects the one thing needfull for thy everlasting peace and establishment and to bring thee into that worship of Spirit withou● which God cannot accept thee and that religion which is pure and undefiled in the sight of God which will keepe thee unspotted in the world which till thou turn● to thou wilt be working against the Spirit of God through the darknesse of enmity that is in thee and he will certainly worke against thee except thou repent THE END J. N. R. H. 1 John 3.27 Isa. 5.6 2 Chro. 19.6 Isa. 6.9 Mat. 12.8 Heb. 2.10 Dan. 4.25 Acts 2.36 1 Tim. 6.15 Isa. 11.4 Isa. 40.11 Psal. 45.7 Jer. 23.5 6. Luk. 1.24 Isa. 6.3 2 Sam. 23.4 Isa. 32.1 2. Eccles. 10.16 17. Psal. 69.9 Lam. 3.14 Rev. 21.24 Isa. 5.21 Jer. 17.5 John 5.44 Isa. 30.1 Rom. 8.14 Gal. 5.18 Mat. 17.5 2 Cor. 10.6 Isa. 28.7 Jere. 23. Amos 2.4 Amos 7.14 Jerem. 23. Isa. 1.9 Hester 3. Dan. 6. Dan. 3. Acts 5.28 29. John 16.2.3 2 Tim. 1.13 Job 32.21 22. James 2. Dan. 3.21 Lev. 18.30 Ier. 23.10 Mat. 5.34 Iames 5.12 Lev. 19.12 Mat. 5.34 Mat. 5. Isa. 59.4 Isa. 28.15 Jer. 9.3 4 5 Pro. 12.19.22 Pro. 29.12 Psal. 40.4 Deut. 19.16 17 18 19 20 1 Cor. 7.39 M●la 2.15 Ma●h. 19.6 M●th. 19.8 Mah. 19.4 5. Rom. 8.2 Nom. 13. Acts 4.19 2 C●r 1.12 1 Tim. 3.9 James 1.27 John 4.23 24. Dan. 4.17 Heb. 1.8 9. Isa. 11.1 2. 2 Cor. 4.5 2 Cor. 1.24 1 Pet. 5.3 2 Cor. 10.4 Eph. 6.12 1 Cor. 4.5 Mic. 3.10 Col. 1.18 Phil. 2.10 Rev. 17.14 John 6.27 Col. 1.18 Mat. 1.21 Phil. 2.13 1 Cor. 6.10 Rom. 14.23 Rom. 14.4 Mat. 7.12 1 Cor. 2.10 11. John 3.20 21. Rom. 7.6 1 Thes. 1.1 Gala. 1.16 Gal. 1.11.12 1 Cor. 9.14 1 Cor. ● 17 18. 2 Cor. 4.5 1 Cor. 14 29 30 31. 1 Cor. 2.12 1 John 4.1 1 Thes. 5.21 1 Cor. 8.5 6. 〈◊〉 4 5 6. Heb. 7. John 4.21 24. Acts 7.48 Acts 17.24 Jer. 10.2 3. Isa. 55.4 Luke 1.79 Heb. 1.6 Mica 3. Col. 2.14 15 16 17 20 21 22. Heb. 10.11 Isa. 66.2 Isa. 25.7 8. 2 Cor. 3.16 17 18. John 5 37. Luke 19 42· Luke 10.41 42. James 1.27