Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	apostle_n	church_n	elder_n	3,592	5	9.6069	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95027	Something in answer to two late malitious libels of William Rogers; intituled, the sixth and eighth part of his (falsly so called) Christian-Quaker, &c. : Being a further caution to Friends, to take heed of that treacherous spirit that is entered into William Rogers and his abettors. : Who under the profession of primitive truth, are betraying it to the world ... / Published for the clearing of truth against William Rogers's lies and slanders ... C.T.	Taylor, Christopher, ca. 1615-1686.; Rogers, William, d. ca. 1709. Christian-Quaker distinguished from the apostate & innovator. Part 6.; Rogers, William, d. ca. 1709. Christian-Quaker distinguished from the apostate & innovator. Part 8.	1682 (1682)	Wing T265; ESTC R184889	30,402	42

and follow And such by W. Rogers must be Accounted Honourable Elders and Preachers And yet in his Sixth Part Page 12. tells us The Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and tells us again in his Sixth Part. Page 3. of his Inward peace with the Lord c. and in his Second Page Part 8. there he speaks of the Government of Christ who alone is Lord over the Conscience and Page 10. Part 6. he tells us He is breathing to the Lord of Heaven That we and G. F. may be humbled before the Lord and G. F. in Particular that High and Lofty one may not utterly fall c. What a mad Prayer is this how canst thou be at peace and breath unto the Lord and be thus Wicked for thy Prayers are an Abomination to the Lord. And thou hast not only Judged G. F but as thou scoffingly saist his party also to be Apostates that is such as have blessed Unity with him in the Truth which is the whole Body of Friends who have kept their Habitations in the Living Truth and Faith of Gods Elect which thou art gone from And by what Spirit dost thou pretend thou hast Peace with God and breathest to God and tellest of his Kingdom and yet art blind and dost not see it s thy Duty to obey and follow that which is given forth from the Spirit of God c. How can thy Spirit and the Spirit of those thou termest thy Honourable Brethren be accounted any otherwise then a loose frivolous Spirit And doth W. R. and those that Encouraged him to publick his confused Books stuffed full of Contradictions and with a Rabble of false charges as hath been shewn in other Answers in Print believe that they proceeded from Gods Spirit when he doth not see it to be his Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God are you all of his Mind And he saith Speaking of the Unction That by it all things are known And yet he doth not see it his Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God For this is applied to William Rogers J. Story J. Wilkinson and their Followers for he doth not mention any others who are thus Blind that they do not see for we who are the Members of that Body which Christ is the Head of do see it is our Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God in our day Do we not Read that under the Dipensation of the Law which came by Moses the Priests lips were to preserve the Peoples Knowledge and to be Instructers to the People in all things pertaining to that Dispensation that the People might not be Ignorant of the Law of God but might fully know it And where they doubted in any thing that Priesthood was to Compleat their Knowledge in it that they might not plead Ignorance in any thing contained in the Law to be done for God was able by his Spirit then both Immidiatly and Instrumentally by his Priesthood appointed under that Dispensation to Instruct them fully and none then could say they did not see or they did not believe what was the mind of God under that Dispensation But those that wilfully stopped their Ears and shut their Eyes least they should hear and see understand and obey the will of God who Rebel'd against the Spirit And such came to be hardined in their Sins and Rebel against the Truth and despise the Government of it as Korah and his Company in the Conspiracy against Moses and Aaron c. Much more now in our day under the clear Gospel Ministration may the Israel of God be fully Instructed both Immediately and Instrumentally by his Spirit in all things pertaining to the Doctrine and Discipline of Truth and Gospel Government that their hearts may be subject thereunto and they need not plead Ignorance and say I see not this or I believe not this and If I do this or Obey t'otheir it will be a blind Obedience and I shall do it without Faith or sight I say none need plead thus and upon this ground and with their blind Minds and dark Understandings in their Disobedience oppose Gods People in what they both see and believe to be given forth by his Spirit For Christ hath enlightned them all and hath poured his Spirit upon all Flesh that they may see and perceive that which is given forth from the Spirit Therefore we do affirm that every Imprejudiced simple-harted Friend waiting and following on to know the Lord in his Light and Spirit will grow up in the Faith and not oppose the Faithful in their Faithfulness towards God in what he makes known of his Will And so the Simple-minded will mind the Lord and his power which will preserve them in Unity and fellowship with the Brethren the Members of Christ in the Spirit and Light according to their growth in the Truth and if at any time there be any Conscientious Scrupling concerning any thing as to matter of Discipline or Government or any thing else they will be desirous and willing to Ask Counsil of the Lord and in Gentleness and Meekness of his Faithful People in sinserity without Opposition as the Corinthians did to Paul who answered them cencerning the things they had wrote to him that they might be Convinced and helped in matters pertaining to Faith and Conscience And where did ever the Jews say to Moses and the Prophets They were not convinced and did not see if their Duty to follow and obey that which they declared from the Lord to them And also where did ever the Disciples of Christ say We are not convinced and do not see it our Duty to follow and obey that which thou Commandest us And forasmuch as it is on Record that the Apostles and the Elders wrote their Orders and Decrees and Traditions to the Churches where did ever the Churches and true believers tell the Apostles and the Elders they did not see nor beliebe and had not Faith in their words and therefore it was not their Duty to Obey that which they writ and spoke to them from the Lord by his Spirit but called it Imposition and blind Obedience this always was a marke of the false Apostles and Christians who opposed the true and it was and is the Devil that did and does blind People now that they do not see their Duty to God to do what he commands them Are the Ranters excusable because they say they do not see or believe the wickedness they commit to be sin or evil Will this excuse them in the the day of Judgment take warning and take heed Must not the secrets of Men be Judged by Jesus Christ according to the Gospell which is Preached to or in every Creature under Heaven And canst thou and thine Abettors be excused in your wilfulness and wicked rebellion against God and his People under pretence that you do not see

Instruments of Iniquity whose Life hath been preserved through great sufferings And those wicked Darts which have been shot at him by thee and such Apostates and Envious ones as thou art have recoiled back again into their own evil Souls And who yet ever hated him and scorned him as thou dost that ever prospered as to Godward but in the end perished and withered And W. R. thy disdain and folly and malice appears in Reflecting about G. F. his following no outward Calling who is in his Calling and Service exercised with all his might that in the end he may give up a blessed and faithful account through the Eternal Spirit of the Ever-living God of his Calling and Service he was in his young years called unto forsaking all other Callings and Concerns in this World to do the Work he was called unto and is still in his Calling and who in this our day hath travelled laboured and suffered more on Truth 's Account than he hath done Who is still spending himself that in the end he may be spent in the Work of it and lay down his head in Peace and Joy in the Lord. And I am sensible that all the Witnesses of God in his Tabernacle will arise to judge and witness against thee and thine Abettors in that foul Spirit by which you are acted to Blaspheme God his Truth and faithful people And now if W. R. by outward Orders means the Men and Womens Meetings which G. F. and many other faithful Brethren and Elders in Christ were moved in the Power and Spirit of the Lord to direct people to set up such Meetings did and do answer the Spirit of God in all that fear him and with the Spirit of God we witness the Authority of them to be the Power of God And we do witness with the Spirit of God a great service in them and for them to see and take care for the Poor and for the Widdows and Fatherless and to exhort and admonish such that walk not according to the Gospel of Christ Jesus or cause his Name to be dishonoured or blasphemed And to see that all that do Marry have their Relations Consent and be free from Intanglements with all other Persons in Relation to Marriage and to see that the Widdow and Fatherless be not wronged in their Estates in Marriage And we do not limit the Faithful Women in Jesus Christ from their exercise and care in such things but that all things may be seen to be done in Truth and Righteousness to the Praise and Glory of God And these be the outward Orders W. R. speaks of that stink and are so noisom like the smoak from the bottomless Pit and from an Antichristian Promotion in W. R's Eyes and Nose I tell him we will stand by them in Gods Power and Spirit against his wicked spirit and God will Judge him for his foul and wicked words W. R. Thou saiest part 6. p. 5. 22. what is frequently brought to thy Ears c. and thou saiest witness the Persecution raised against J. S. J. W. and proceeding against John Ainloe at a Quarterly Meeting in the Isle of Ely And I really pitty J. A. that he should ever have given the least occasion wherefore such a wicked adversary as thou art should be an advocate for him against us Alas Poor J. A once Dear to me my Soul wishes thee well But why did not W. R. set down the matter of Fact that the Quarterly meeting had against John Ainloe together with the informers Names that brought these things to his Ears and not to hide them under his dark Curtain But has W. R. sent his informations to the said Quarterly meeting that the informers have given him that he might know the Truth of it before he publisht it to the Nations in Print But we can expect little otherwise but General Clamours from this Spirit And it is a gross abuse and slender to say that ever Persecution was raised against J. W. J. S. by the Children of Light but they sought their good who willfully resisted all tender Admonitions And though with thy Wicked Spirit thou over and over smitest at G. F. and other Faithful Elders yet both he and many others can say Many Weapons have been formed against him and us by Apostates and prophane But the Lord saith no Weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every Tongue that shall rise up in Judgment against thee thou shalt condemn This is the Heritage of the Servants of the Lord and their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord so God has Restrained the Weapons and he gives Spirit and Power to Condemn those Evil tongues as thine that rise up in Judgment against them And something I have to say concerning that Scripture thou bringest Gal. 2. further to manifest thy folly 6 part p. 5. W. R. thou saiest if the meer Discovering of Nakedness by some professor of Truth against another be a Sin then doubtless Paul was a sort of sinner in leaving it on Record that he withstood Peter to the face because he was to be blamed for his Dissimulation read 2d Chap. of the Gal. To this I answer that from the 14. verse of the said Chapter we learn that Pauls reproof was before all Men c. Answ This proof W. R brings to cover himself in Printing of his book and to abuse the faithful And this proof he brings for a looking-glass for G. F. to behold his face in as he scornfully says And now reader trie his Doctrine whether it be not a proper Looking-glass for himself and his Company For 1st did Paul publish what he blamed Peter for and withstood him in and did he spread it up and down in the Nations yea and beyond the seas as W. R. or some of his Abettors have done and have not some Priests and professors got them that are Enemies to the Light of Christ let W. R. prove that Paul did publish a book against Peter as he hath done against Friends and Pauls leaving it upon Record was in his Epistle to the Galatians and was not that the Church of Christ there And therefore I put W. R. to prove it that Paul did publish and spread his book among the unbelieving Jews or Gentile Galatians Now we must trie W. R. with the Scripture he brings that the Reader may see how he hath abused the Scripture For in the 2d Chapter to the Gal. vers 14. to this he saith that from the 14. verse of that Chapter we may learn that Pauls reproof was before all men But let W. R. take his Looking-glass and see whether he learns any such thing in the 2d Chap. to the Gal. vers the 14. The Apostles words are these But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the Truth of the Gospel I said unto Peter before them all c. Now before them all who were them all were they all the believers then present he doth

not mention here all men but says before them all who were them all were they not them that were present for here is not the Word Men in this verse and the Reader may see that W. R has manifestly wronged and falsifyed the Scripture here And W. R. goes about to confirm it and saith If any say Paul did not Publish it in Gath and Askalon To this He saith I Answer that from the 14th verse of the 2d chap. to the Gal. we learn that Paul's Reproof was before all Men. But W. R. and his we have not learn't this from that Scripture neither did W. R. learn there that he should Publish his Book in Gath and Askalon neither that Paul Publisht that which he blamed Peter for in Gath and Askalon which thou Fallaciously bringest to cover thy Spirit but instead of covering thy self thou hast tumbled thy self over and over in the Dirt and shewed thy own Nakedness W. R. says Part 6. pag. 5. T is frequently brought to my Ears that our Opposers common discourse is that I have written a wicked Book against the faithful Friends of Truth that if all I had therein written were true yet the Spirit that gave it forth must be wrong and the same with Hams because it discovers the Nakedness of a Father Answ But if therein he alludes to the 5th Page of my Book he perverts my Words and the Intent of them for I do not say it discovers the Nakedness of a Father as he hath Malitiously Writ but my Words are these That W. R. hath endeavoured to uncover the Nakedness of such as once he accounted his Brethren and Elders or Fathers whom God hath cloathed For thou hast not neither canst thou uncover the Nakedness of such Brethren and Elders or Fathers to present them Naked to the View of the whole World by Publishing of thy Book so that herein thou hast really done worse then Ham for he wickedly and really uncovered his Fathers Nakedness but thou wickedly endeavourest to do it or so to present it to the View of the World to make the Uncircumcised rejoyce so that thy Sin herein is doubled for thou hast represented the thing which really is not so in it self that is they are not Naked but Cloathed with Gods Righteousness whom thou hast represented to be Naked but hast discovered thy own Nakedness and herein thou hast exceeded Ham who discovered a real Nakedness And also thy malice and wickedness in it hath exceeded his whose work as I said in mine may be said to have been a hasty rash Action done on a sudden without premeditation but thou hast long premeditated and laboured to bring forth thy wicked Book in Print and endeavourest to betray and deceive Peoples minds that they may believe thy Lies Juggling and Legerdemain in this matter Christopher Tayler Postscript SInce these Sheets were written I have seen three Printed Sheets from one Thomas Crisp a man outwardly unknown to me but that he is of an evil Spirit I know well and as I am credibly Informed he is one of the old Apostate Quakers that went out from Truth many Years since for they say he was once convinced of it but never since had the happiness because of his evil heart to return into it again as I am informed but went on still backwards more and more and was Married by a Priest and pleads for Gods allowance to him in so doing by his Spirit and also pleads for the liberty of paying Tythes by the allowance of Gods Spirit and also for the use of the Language Truth disowns as in the second Part of Babels Builders p. 5. and in all this would cover himself under the Notion and Profession of one of his Brother William Rogers his Christian Quakers Now let the Christian Reader consider whether those aforementioned were the Principles of our Ancient Friends and Brethren who came forth in the beginning in the great Authority and Power of God and doth not this envious Spirited man appear still to be in his Apostacy from the Truth doth not his Language and Principles bewray him to be no friend to the truly Christian Quaker And it may be he thinks now he hath a grand opportunity by his joyning with his Brethren W. R. J. Pennyman c. in their Rebellion and gainsaying the Truth to become a kind of dark sect-master amongst their so called Christian Quakers but they are blind indeed who cannot see such an Idle-headed Apostate as this man is who would draw Disciples after him by reproaching Gods Truth and People His three Sheets are by him called the second and third Part of Babels Builders c. wherein his Idle brain hath been at work and he hath used my name or the Letters of it eight or nine times over And his Text against me it seems is out of the 3d page of my Epistle of Caution c. where speaking of dear G. F. abused by W. R. I affirm that still he is made Instrumental in the hand of the Lord to bring forth blessed things for the service of God and his Truth from the Oracles of the Divine Breath c. This T. C. cannot endure to hear of no more than his Brother W. R. because they would have him and thousands more that fear the Lord to be accounted Apostates and so render them dead and their Divine breath stopt and so altogether uncapable to bring forth blessed things for the Service of God and his Truth but that is certainly their own Condition speaking perverse things in a heady wilful mind against such as through the Grace of God have kept the true faith of Gods Elect who cannot be deceived by their speaking perverse things against us but now Reader observe his forgery in his 2d page speaking of our Idol G. F. his Laws and would insinuate those he calls G. F. his Laws to be an Idol and me to be an Idolator to Adore them as from the Oracles of the Divine breath and in the 4th page he speaks of my having given G. F. unfitting titles and names but tells not what they are and in the 12th page he is highly offended that I should affirm that G. F. c. are the best among the Quakers or the best of Gods servants see his base foolish Spirit what has this T. C. W. R. J. P. c. done in their time for God in his service have they ever been Instrumental to turn one person to Righteousness since they were called Quakers or when did any of them Print any thing for God before they begun to push with their horns against us Now they are become Champions such as they are to draw from the Truth into their own Condition who are Apostatiz'd from it as much as in them lies and so are the Ministers of the Devil and Antichrist like ravening evening Wolves and Bears they wait to meet with their Prey and devour the Righteous seed but God will confound them and their wicked design and