Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A60656
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The standing truth in which may be seen how every ones house is ordered and how their families are provided and what peace they have in their dwellings and whether they be Christians or infidels ... also a narrative of the some unjust and cruel dealings by William Pocklington of North Collington ... against William Smith of Besthorp ... / which are published in love to all people by William Smith.
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Smith, William, d. 1673.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing S4334; ESTC R23653
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28,425
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37
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their apprehension of our transgression of the Law take occasion against us and persecute and spoil us whilst they themselves are the transgressors and that by their own Law which saith The Law of God is the Law of the Land And the Law of God saith Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self but he that will Imprison him and spoil his goods and persecute him doth not love him so is a transgressor but we are free and the Law of God doth not charge guilt upon us nor condemn us in the things we practise and therefore it must needs be that such as act against us are the transgressors and whatsoever stands for Law this day which doth condemn our practice and punish us for the using of it the same doth differ from the Law of God and so degenerates from that Conclusion which the Law it self makes and in plain words expresseth That the Law of God is the Law of the Land And through the miscarriages of men towards us whose wills have wrested the Law in divers cases we have through such things deeply suffered and yet the yoak is continued upon us and our Innocency is made a prey upon for we being a quiet People and disposed in the principle of Love towards all men and cannot seek revenge upon any therefore are our afflictions increased whether with Law or without Law or against Law it is not by many much regarded as in divers cases might be truly instanced which is at present waved And seeing that the Law it self doth make such a Conclusion of its own standing that it is the Law of God then to examine a little some particulars and places in it if in all things it have perfect agreement with the Law of God for the Law of God is pure holy just and good and as it hath been shewed that the practise in divers cases doth degenerate from the Law of the Land so it may come to pass that the Law of the Land may degenerate from the Law of God for the Law of God speaketh on this wise 1. Thou shalt not bow to any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing And whatsoever is set up and not by the Spirit of the Lord is graven out of an imagination and is an Image and to bow unto that thing is to bow unto a graven Image and if the Law of the Land do restrain from such a practice then it standeth right but if it do allow such things or rather compel people to practise such things then doth it degenerate from the Law of God 2. The Law of God saith Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain And to Swear by his Name is to take his Name in vain and if the Law of the Land do restrain people from all manner of Oathes then it standeth right but if it do allow such things or rather in some cases compel into such things then doth it degenerate from the Law of God 3. Christ Jesus the Lawgiver saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thy Neighbour as thy self and to love God is to keep his Commandments and to love a Neighbour as to love a mans self is to do him good and not to harm him Now if the Law of the Land do encourage such things then it standeth right but if it do allow the breaking of God's Commands and teach men so or if it do allow one Neighbour to spoil the goods of another or in some cases rather compell such things to be done then it doth degenerate from the Law of God and from the Doctrine of Christ Jesus 4. Christ Jesus the Lawgiver saith God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Now if the Law of the Land do allow such a worship and protect it then it standeth right but if it do prohibit it or rather compel from it then it doth degenerate from the Law of God and from the Doctrine of Christ Jesus and in this case two things are very considerable to be minded and not to be practised 1. Not to bind Peoples Consciences into any Practice or into any Worship which in their own Conscience they are not perswaded into nor to compel a Conformity unto any Practice or Worship which standeth not in the Spirit and in the Truth for to use Force and Compelling-Laws in such Cases is but to force People to bow unto an Image or to the likeness of a thing which the Law of God doth expresly forbid 2. Not to prohibite or forbid People for meeting together in any place or at any time above such a number for this is to limit God if it were possible and to restrain tender Consciences from their holy Exercise in God's Spirit and to keep them from the pure Worship which standeth in the Spirit and in the Truth only and to stop them from that practice which the Father seeks them to perform for Christ saith the Father seeketh such to worship him and no Law of the Land ought to take place to diminish that Liberty which any People have in the Spirit nor to prohibit that Worship that is performed to God in the Spirit though in the practice there may be contrary minds amongst them for the Spirit of the Lord God is free and without limitation and all that are born of the Spirit they are a free-born People and their Worship stands singly to God in the Spirit and in the Truth and though there may be a difference in Worships outwardly and amongst the Worshippers in point of practice yet none ought by any outward Law either to compel or prohibit each other for that is peculiar to God alone and no man is to stand up in Judgment concerning it or to bind the Conscience of another by an outward Law either to observe the one or to deny the other for whoever hath outward Power to rule and would set that Power to judge in matters of Conscience Worship and Religion and from their own Judgment in such cases make Laws to compel to one thing and to restrain from another thing such Laws do degenerate from the Law of God and from the Doctrine of Christ Jesus and from his Life and Wisdom And therefore these things considered and weighed it will be found of great necessity to search well into the Laws and where any are found to oppose the righteous Law of God and yet stand in force in any such case to repeal them that so the Law of the Land may be reduced into the truth of its own saying and stand in Justice Equity and Mercy as doth the Law of God then Persecution would cease about Religion and there would be a stream of perfect Liberty to all tender Consciences and no Restraint would be upon any in case of Worship or Religion otherwayes living peaceably in the Nation so would hearts and minds of men come into Love into Peace and into Settlement and good Order and it would allay all the heat and heart-burnings amongst men and cool them and quiet them and then there would not need Swords and Spears to preserve Order for People coming to that of God in themselves and worshipping and serving God in the Spirit and in the Truth and every one standing in the Spirit 's Liberty then People would settle and be quiet and love one another and be at Peace one amongst another and there would be good Order through the Nation but this being wanting and Compelling-Laws ruling it makes Broils in the Nation and causeth Distractions amongst People which would be prevented if Liberty in matter of Worship and Religion was granted and tolerated And what harm would this do to any man or what prejudice could come to any man by so doing Surely none at all but rather happiness both to such as rule and such as are ruled and the comfort of it would be found to be very great unto all that truly fear the Lord And this is the Liberty which the King's Prerogative is to defend according to the Maxime of Charles the first But however it hath been or yet is with us in these cases outwardly our trust is in the Lord God and in him we do rejoyce and we desire that all people were like-minded with us and were as we are except our Bonds and Afflictions for the Presence of the Lord God is with us and by his Arm we are supported and through all these things the Truth standeth and that is the Word of the Lord to all people Truth standeth And if any yet think with themselves that with their strength they can prevail against the Truth then let them try their strength but let them also mind what will be the end of it for this I know in the Truth that whosoever rises against the Truth will toil themselves in vain and spend their strength for nought and in the end will lie down in sorrow for Truth standeth And how many have come up and have appeared in full strength and have been permitted to have a blow at Truth but how are they wasted and how are they passed away and perished yet Truth standeth Therefore all people fear the living God and in time be warned for no weapon formed against the Truth shall prosper for Truth standeth over all and Christ Jesus reigneth his Power and Glory and Dignity is set on high and in his Love all Wrath is swallowed up and here is the beginning known and here is the ending set for the Love of God was first and the Love of God is last and here is the finishing of the Work and the closing up in perfect Peace and with this Love all contrary Beings are comprehended and in its own Being it remains unchangeable and it is Truth and no lye and Truth standeth Glory to the Most High for ever and ever Amen W. S. Here is the Wisdom and Patience of the Saints Who have ears to hear let them hear THE END