Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A26233
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The strong man armed not cast out, but removed to a stronger hold viz, from profaneness to hypocrisie, or, An answer to a book entituled, The strong man armed cast out and his goods spoyled ... written by James Jackson ... written for the vindication to the truths of the Gospel ... by Ra. Austen.
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Austen, Ralph, d. 1676.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing A4237; ESTC R35295
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72,304
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126
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I have no greater Joy than to see my Children Walk in Truth And Teacheth Love Vnity Peace Fellowship and Communion with all the Saints And so are all the Children of God thus inclined by the same spirit they shew forth the same Fruits and Effects in their Degrees and Measures But now on the contrary consider The false seducing spirit brings forth in its Followers the quite contrary Fruits and Effects as we plainly see amongst Men And hence are those high and proud Conceits and Apprehensions of themselves their Ways their Doctrines as better above and beyond all others being free from sin and become perfect saying in Effect stand further from me I am Holier than thou Despising that Low Childish Doctrine of sin abiding in us in the remainders of it whilst we Live though the Power and Dominion of it be Destroy'd I say these Fruits and Effects spring from a Cause like unto them whereby we may safely conclude what the Cause is so again when we see Men Separating from others better than themselves leaving and forsaking other Assemblies and Congregations sound in Doctrine and Holy in Life and Conversation excepting common un-avoidable Infirmities we may be sure hereby that this is from a seducing spirit not from the spirit of God whose contrary Fruits and Effects we heard before As Solomon The true Spirit is for Unity the salfe Spirit for Division by his Wisdom given him of God plainly Discerned and knew the true Mother from the false by this very thing by this clear Evidence She that was for Vnity and for preserving together and Nourishing the parts and Members of the Child was the true Mother But she that was for the Dividing of the Child and separating the Members of it he knew by that she was the Harlot and not the true Mother Just so it is in this Case The true spirit is for Vnity Love Fellowship and Communion with all the Members of Christ as Occasion and Opportunity is but the false seducing spirit is for separation and Dividing the Members of Christ's Body upon one pretence or another And herein it is too manifest that not onely some in our Days are more grossely guilty but also many of the true Members of Christ have been deceived and carried away very far by this deluding and seducing spirit through the remainders of Pride and self-love in them and have thought it their Duty to separate from others of their Brethren upon slight weak and insufficient grounds and Causes by which they have greatly Displeased and Offended their Head Jesus Christ and wronged their fellow-Members And as an Evidence of his Displeasure and a just Correction upon them he hath permitted a People in these days to separate from them all and to disown them all which I am perswaded is one End God hath in suffering these People to appear in this day which as from God is a just Retaliation to do to them as they have done to others the same Measure they have meeted to others of their Brethren is now Measured to them again Seeing no Rules in Scripture nor Councels nor Intreaties of their Brethren would perswade or win them to be of one mind and to keep in Fellowship together this now comes at last as the greatest and sharpest Reproof and Correction of all the former I hope and desire they will consider it and Learn from it to hear the voice of God's Rod as well as of his Word and be Instructed thereby And now having Tryed the Author of the strong Man armed cast out and proved that the strong man is not cast out but removed to a stronger Hold let us proceed further and make it appear also by divers other Proofs and Evidences taken out of his own Book which also are sufficient to convince all others of his Mind and Way that they may plainly see if the God of this World hath not blinded their Minds and hid plain and clear Truths from them the false and unsound Foundations which they Build upon as well as the Wood Hay and Stubble which they Build withal both as to their Opinions and Practices in esteeming themselves the onely Holy People of the Lord in this Day and Despising and Condemning those that are indeed the People of the Lord. First then 1. The Quakers Attainments above others This Author tells us what he and the People with whom he now Walks have attained unto above all others from whom they separate The People the Quakers he saith Build upon a true and right Foundation 1. In the Foundation the Rock of Ages Christ in us the hope of Glory but all other Professing People in the World Build upon the Writings of Men and all of them are strangers to that one Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures See strong Man Armed c. p. 12. In Answer to which I say plainly That if this were Truth which He hath spoken I would separate also and Build upon the same Foundation which he says they Build upon But he hath herein spoken falsely and that in a double Respect 1. In Respect of themselves 2. In Respect of other Professors the Churches of Christ As for themselves such of them as Build upon the Foundation the Light within every Man and Woman and believe in it and Obey it and look for Salvation from it as they Profess to do such Build upon a false and unsound Foundation and not upon Christ the onely true Foundation Secondly As for the other Professing People from whom they Separate he hath belyed them also grossely in saying they Build not upon Christ the true Foundation for it is the chief and Fundamental Doctrine which they Preach and Teach in all their Assemblies and Congregations according to the Word and Gospel of Christ And upon which we are sure many thousands have Built by the Guidance and Teaching and Operations of the spirit of the Lord and are by the same spirit joyned and Vnited in a firm and everlasting bond and Vnion to Christ whereby we have Light Life Vertue Strength Wisdom and all Grace from this Root and Fountain our precious Lord Jesus Christ This Author proceeds further 2. Strong Man Armed p. 13. and tells us That the Faith of the People called Quakers is the Faith of the Son of God Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of it it renews the whole Man 2. The Quakers Faith By this Faith sin is subdued slain and Mortified perfectly the heart purified the World conquered the Soul Sanctified Justified and Saved perfectly But the Faith of all others is an Vnholy Dead Imperfect Faith it Sanctifies but in part as they say and so will never save to the uttermost Thus far he Answ Here is another double gross untruth both as to themselves and others If their Faith be the true Justifying Saving Faith of God's Elect then it would Evidence it self by the Fruits and Effects of Faith which the Scriptures speak of and all the Saints
are come to Perfection to Perfection in Sin to the highest Degrees of sinning your Iniquities are even full or very near it for how can ye rise Higher what steps are there for you yet to ascend up unto above what ye have already attained Ye have already denied the Holy one and the Just our Lord Jesus Christ that bought us ye have Crucified the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame yea ye have trodden him under foot and counted the blood of the Covenant as a common thing and done despight to the Spirit of Grace denying his true Operations in his People and also Blasphemously Attributing the Inspirations of the Devil unto the Spirit of God in your selves ye have despised the Word of God the Scriptures the Gospel of our Lord Jesus and therein the tenders of Rich and free Grace in the Covenant of Life and Peace and preferred your own vain Fancies yea the subtil insinuations and inspirations of seducing spirits before the clear truths of the Gospel of Christ and resting in your own Righteousness for Justification and what can ye do more or worse Ye have also Despised Rejected Disowned and Separated from the people of the Lord all the particular Churches Congregations and Assemblies of the Saints yea and Reproached them also and uttered many hard and bitter speeches against them and that for seeking to do you good in turning you from the ways of sin and Death And being lifted up in your selves in the height of your Pride and vain Minds ye have thought and said of your selves that ye are the most holy people upon Earth yea the onely people of God upon the Earth And what can ye say or do more or worse than these things Have ye not attained the highest degrees of sinning even to such a Perfection as the Nature of Man is capable of or that Satan can bring it unto and therefore we witness your perfection in these Respects But as to Perfection in Grace The Quakers Imperfection in Grace as ye vainly think of your selves and would have others to esteem of you also ye are at the remotest distance that may be 1. In Knowledge seeing that ye have not as yet laid the Foundation of the Knowledge of Christ Yea are Ignorant even your Teachers of the very first Principles of the Oracles of God ye know not the difference between Nature and Grace ye are not yet able to distinguish between Natural Light in the Conscience of every Man and Woman and the true Light Jesus Christ but mistake the one for the other Ye are not able to discern the workings of the Spirit of God and the seducing spirit but mistake the one for the other Ye are so Ignorant and Blind that ye think and say Men must be Justified by the works of the Law a Man 's own personal Obedience and not by the Imputed Righteousness of Christ by Faith quite contrary to the Gospel of Christ a deadly damning Doctrine Herein lies your Perfection in Knowledge And as for your Perfection in Faith and Hope 2. In Faith and Hope how can ye believe or in what or in whom do ye Believe seeing ye have denyed Christ the Object of Faith to all true believers denyed him in his Death Righteousness Merits and in all that he hath done and Suffered for his People these things are herein and by others made manifest against you by your own Writings 1 Cor. 13. And as for your Perfection in Love 3. In Love the chiefest of all Graces ye are far from Perfection in that also All the Love ye shew forth is but self-love to your selves and among your selves Every particular Person thinking and esteeming of himself more Highly than he ought to think and would that all others should esteem highly of him also And as for any Love to others it is but to your own party such as say as ye say and do as ye do And because they poor ignorant silly people are willing to hang upon your Lips the Teachers and to take all for granted that ye say as if your sayings were the Oracles of God for that ye Love them They esteem more of the sayings of their Teachers than of the sayings of God as one of them not long since expressing her desires to have some of her Friends Books one said to her she had the Scriptures she might employ her self there She Answered That the Bible indeed is a good honest thing but she had rather Read some of her Friends Books So we see That in all these things ye have Witnessed perfection as ye call it which indeed is at the furthest distance from perfection so far as not yet Witnessing the first beginnings of Grace in you But as for the other kind of Perfection that is Perfection in sin in the highest degrees of sinning ye do Witness it and have given many clear and manifold Proofs and Evidences of your perfection in that Respect and we all that fear God who know your deadly Principles do joyn with you in this Testimony and do Witness also that ye have Witnessed Perfection O how have ye Despised the Free Grace of God and Neglected great Salvation tendred in the Gosspel which all the Saints so highly prize and value seeing God in Christ doth vouchsafe to condescend so low to poor sinful Dust and Ashes in the sweet terms of the Gospel Offering Peace and Reconciliation Happiness and Glory to all those who will Accept thereof yea even Intreating and Beseeching of Miserable sinners to come in and be Reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5.20 We as Ambassadors for Christ as if Christ did beseech you by us be ye Reconciled to God How then shall they escape who Neglect so great Salvation Surely such as are deeply wounded and under the sight and sense of sin death and hell the Wrath of God the Curse of the Law they highly prize the Terms of the Gospel the Covenant of Grace the sweet and precious promises of Life Rest and Peace But those that are whole see no need of the Physitian as it appears ye do not that can make so light of the terms of Free-Grace and Love through Christ as we find ye do by many passages in your Books Where shall we find in all your Books and Pamphlets such Doctrine as the Apostle Paul Preached Paul Preacheth Christ and not the Light in every Man and Woman and wrote in all his Epistles by the Inspiration of God he set forth Christ crucified in all places where he came and instructed the people in that Fundamental Doctrine 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified Paul lays aside and slights all things for Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may