Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	believe_v	truth_n	word_n	3,712	5	4.2368	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96978	Testimony for the son of man and against the son of perdition wherein is set forth the faith and obedience of Gods elect, testified by the mouth of the Lord, angels & men. With a true discovery of a bundle of equivocations, confusions, and hyprocisies, in those who call themselves preachers of, and to the light within all men; who yet are so far in darkness themselves, that they acknowledge not the scriptures and ordinances of Jesus Christ, so as to be directed by the one, to the obedience of the other. By Joseph Wright, a servant of Jesus Christ.	Wright, Joseph, 1623-1703.	1661 (1661)	Wing W3706; ESTC R229892	108,801	255

they did concern one time or the men only which spake them But they are of a general interpretation and do concern as they are Prophesies and declare the Doctrine of Salvation all times and People as saith the Prophet This shall be written for the generation to come and the People which shall be created shall praise the Lord Ps 102. 18. Bow down thine ear saith Solomon and hear the words of the Wise they shall be fitted in thy lips that thy trust may be in the Lord have not I written to thee excellent things that I might make thee to know the certainty of the words of Truth that thou mightest answer the words of Truth to them that send unto thee See Pro. 22. 17 18 19 20 21 22. Therefore did Peter write both his Epistles viz. to stir up the pure minds of the believers by way of remembrance that those that had obtained pure minds might be mindful of the words spoken before by the holy Prophets and of the Commandments of the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour Knowing this first saith he that there shall come in the last dayes scoffers viz. such as will taunt and scoffe at the Scriptures at the Doctrine written therein and at such as believe and practice it Which scoffers do walk after their own lusts and not after the words of the holy Prophets and the Commandment of the Apostles of Christ Oh! how much is this fulfilled in these dayes by which we know it is the last times 2 Pet. 3. 1 2 3. Let Believers therefore take heed and beware of false Teachers let them believe and imbrace the Doctrine of the Scriptures of Truth Dan. 10. 21. which teach us that we should believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God and that believing we might have Life through his Name 1 John 20. 31. Let them therefore give themselves to the reading or hearing the Doctrine of the Scriptures and as every man hath received the gift whether of Prophesie Ministring Teaching or Exhortation Rom. 12. 6 7 8. So ought they to minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Graces of God 1 Pet. 4. 10. Sect. 7 The last ground which I shall insist upon is the powerful opperation of the Doctrine of the Scriptures upon the hearts of such as believe which experience the good things of God can witness viz. that upon reading hearing and meditating in the Scriptures of Truth God hath sweetly refreshed their spirits with riches of Grace spiritual Comforts and Heavenly consolations and made the Scriptures of Truth a word of Power by which he hath powerfully wrought both to convince convert them to turn them from darkness to light from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Acts 26. 18. Yea it is an evident Argument that they which are strangers to what I here say let their Profession be what it will Truth was never yet espoused to their Souls never did any man of God say that the Scripture is a dead Letter a Carnal thing to feed the Carnal mind Oh the Darkness that is in some that boast of Light who can call the holy Scriptures a dead Letter a Carnal thing to feed the Carnal mind and yet themselves do fill the Nation with Books and Writings what may one think of this but that they do either condemn the thing which themselves allow or else they have found out a way to make their Letters and Books to become Spiritual and to cause all other even the Sacred Scriptures to become Carnal which though written or Printed as theirs yet not from the same inspiration for the Doctrine of the Scriptures was written by the Inspiration of God But how can there Doctrine be from the same inspiration which is against the Doctrine of the Scriptures How much therefore is it to be lamented that the Scriptures of Truth should be so villified and reproached and that any should be so deluded as wholly to neglect the reading of them and let them lie in the corners of their houses without all regard of them alas it was not so with Professors in the Marian dayes when one Book of it was at five pounds value and for the least Epistle a man would give a load of hay and carry it up to London into the Bargain but now we having plenty men dare abuse it and tread it under their feet and because it doth not cry out with a vocal voice and reprove in and by it self alone therefore they conclude it is worth nothing and yet can highly esteem of their own Books although they can do as little But now consider take the best grain that can be procured lay it in a dry place where it cannot grow and will it become fruitful not at all But sown in the field and it will bring forth abundantly Even so lay thy Bible in a corner of thy house without regard of the Doctrine therein contained and it will be no waies profitable to thee but lay up the Doctrine thereof in thy heart where it should be and it will become a fruitful Word to thee for it is not likely that the Doctrine of the Scriptures should do thee any good or that thou shouldest feel any vertue in it while thou endeavourest to shut it out of thy heart but let the sayings of the Scriptures when and where they reprove for sin and exhort to amendment of life let the Judgements therein written against the workers of Iniquity and the Promises of Grace which God hath there recorded for the comfort of them that by Faith lay hold on Jesus Christ come close to thy heart and pray that God may make those Promises thine and yield up thy self to the holy directions therein contained and then thou wilt find that there is vertue in the Scriptures Oh! there is a Divine flame in them if they be but taken to the heart that will warm and quicken the dead and benummed affections Did not the Words of Christ make his Disciples hearts to burn within them while he talked with them and while he opened to them the Scriptures I Luke 24. 32. Oh! therefore give diligence to obey what is written in the Scriptures of Truth for if you that are contrary minded shall not consider and leave your Inventions and the Traditions of men which you have imbraced your sin lyeth at your own doors and your blood upon your own heads for what a sad thing is it that men should quote Scriptures like Satan to justifie their Doctrine of deceit which they deliver and yet notwithstanding esteem the Scriptures of no value That men should wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. Cry down the Word of God and set up the Word of man and Satan yea they can reprove some for reading the Scriptures and yet if one have been at their Meetings and while they are teaching up the so called Light within be reading one of their Books giving little or no heed to what is spoken yet he is not reproved By which it is evident that they know that the design which they drive on is not in the Scriptures of Truth but in their own Books and therefore it is of like acceptance with them to read their Books as to hear their Preaching Let all believers therefore pray that they may be delivered from them which Preach up the so called Light within who deny the Doctrine of the Scriptures of Truth expressed in the Bible to be the Word of God and set up their own sayings for a rule of direction which yet hath no Testimony from God or from his Word Sacra Scriptura est liber vitae origo aeterna Cujus incorporalis Essentia Cujus cognitio vita Cujus Scriptura indelebilis Cujus inspectus desiderabilis Cujus Doctrina facilis Cujus Scientia dulcis Cujus profunditas inscrutabilis Cujus verba innumerabilia vnum tantum Verbum omnia Hug. de art Noe. Thus Englished The Sacred Scripture is the Book of Life Whose Original is Eternal Whose Essence is incorporeal Whose Knowledge is Life Whose writings is indeliable Whose inspect is desireable Whose Doctrine is easie Whose knowledge is sweet Whose depth is unsearchable Whose words are innumerable and onely one Word All. THE END ERRATA IN the Epistle to all the Churches Page 3. line 17. read truth is In the Epistle to the Reader p. 3. l. 5. r. the so called Light l. 21. r. which in all men as the only means of Salvation In the Epistle to all those that teach up the Light within p. 2. l. 27. r. so called Light within p. 4. l. 14. r. so called Light within p 5. l. 18. f. lies r. lyar Of the Book p. 1. l. 6. r. the so called Light l. 21. r. the so called Law or Light p. 2. l. 11. r. makest p. 3. l. 11. r. preacheth p. 6. l. 13. f. Loya● r. Legal l. 19. f. so that it r so it l. last r. as p. 27. l. 25. f. abase r. alass p. 28. l. 12. f. works r. work p. 29. l. 10. f. lives r. life p. 42. l. 11. dele it l 20. r. and to render p. 47. l. 28. d. yet p. 50. l. 23. f. so r. to p. 57. l. 1. f. I shall shew r. I shew l. 3. f. at r. in p. 70. l. 3. f. plunged r. plagued p. 75. l. 11. r. have alwaies margent r. Acts 24. 16. p. 7● l. 7. f. spoke r. spoken l. 23. f. god r goe p. 88 l. 2. r. Angels p ●1 l. 15. f it s r his l. 17. after world r. of the ungodly so by his word shall the world p. 141. l 12. f. god r. goe p. 144. l. 2 f. desiring r. despising p. 167. l. 23. f. he r. she p. 168. l. 1. f. he r she l. 3 f. him r. her l. 4 f. him r. her l. 5. f. he r. she f. him r. ●er l. 8. f. him r. her f. his r. her l. 10. f. he r. she l. 22 f. his r. ●er p. 173. in the Contents l. 1. f. fine r. five l. 16 f. fine r. five p. 174. l. 15. f. he r. thee p. 185. l. 8 9. f. alleth r. calleth p. 205. l. 21. f. that Bible r. the Bible

satisfie your curious eyes and ears do yet in the behalf of Christ my Lord and Master his Truth and People communicate these Considerations following to your view which as you stand opposite to that Spirit against which I contend I doubt not but you will entertain with welcome but where the weight that I bring out of the Sanctuary to shew the lightness of their Imaginations doth threaten the discovery of your gross Inventions and doth grate upon your Professions it is like that I and my Book to may be shut out of your hearts and hands but this I value not neither do I care what becomes of my Name or Repute in the World so the Cause of Christ be declared and his Truth cleared from the filth which is and hath been cast upon it Sect. 4 And whether you will hear or whether you will forbear as your selves will feel the benefit or loss so I tell you honestly and from my very heart that I cannot rejoyce in any thing on this side Christ more than in seeing Sinners Converted unto him and rightly setled in Faith and Practise c. And I do hereby warn every one of you to look to it in time and look into the matter following as desirous to see thereby the Estate of your own Souls as well as the state of the Controversie between them us and where thou art hit touched in thy heart and conscience I pray thee who ever thou art oppose not I desire unfeignedly that those that shall see or hear the matter herein contained might feel something though secretly whispered of Divine and Everlasting Concernment that the good Lord may have the Glory in thy Conversion and Salvation is and shall be the earnest and continual request of my Spirit JOSEPH WRIGHT To all them that Teach up the Light within all men as that which is sufficient eternally to save them If Mercy may be by you enjoyed it is the desire of an hearty Well-willer of your Souls that in the Grace of Christ once more tendered unto you that you may obtain it Sect. 1 THou art the Party to whom at this time I am desirous to speak although thou dost not owne the name by which thy Notion is by some distinguished the which I do not mention having not so much to do with thy Name as thy Spirit nor with one or two of you as with all Moreover I know that that Name doth not so well befit thee as that which I have endeavoured to distinguish thee by Sect. 2 One reason why I publish this Piece is because I could never have a fair dispute with thee but one reviling term or other thou hast cast upon me Another reason is to shew to thee what little Vnion there is betwixt thee and Truth Another is to set before thee and all men those pernicious Principles which thou holdest although thou seemest to set such a fair glosse on them Another is truly to state the difference which is betwixt us that we may not be disputing about Ordinances when the difference is about the substance and foundation of all Generations that shall be saved Another is to shew unto all those who would have us to own you for Christians and joyn with you the reason of our not consenting thereunto Another is to signifie unto all the danger that is in following thee before they be caught by thee Another is to warn the Churches of Christ that they suck not in thy Principles nor so much as bid thee God speed seeing thou bringest not the Doctrine of Christ Another is to arm them against thee that thy design upon them may be blasted Another is to set before thee thy way and the end which it will bring every man unto that walketh in it the which thy detestable blasphemies that Preachest up the Light within all men are contrary to the Doctrine and Person of Jesus Christ making Christ to be only a power in every man which is his Justification And much more of thy erroneous Doctrine I could rehearse but it is wearisom and might as hath been said in the like case rather be wondred at than confuted But seeing Satan in his Instruments hath transformed himself into an Angel of light thereby to deceive the hearts of the simple for their sakes I must speak something to thee because thou bringest some texts of Scripture which thou wouldest perswade people doth make for thee as some have done Rom. 2. 14 15. thereby opposing Faith in the Man Christ Jesus and his sufferings and from that Scripture confidently affirming that those Gentiles there mentioned knew not the Man Christ Jesus which we believe in nor did believe on him yet kept the Law and were thereby justified before God And because the Scriptures which thou alledgest to colour thy deceits doth declare unto us a Christ therefore thou sayest that that is the Christ to wit the Work of the Law written in the heart for although thou sayest not that any can be saved without Christ yet thou intendest nothing lesse than that any are saved through the purchase of the blood of that Christ who is God and Man apprehended by Faith for this thou reckonest to be erroneous although it be the Foundation of all Generations that shall be saved Sect. 3 Now I know not whom I shall by this writing offend but such as are averse to Truth for one cannot defend the Truth but he shall offend its opposers But this I assure thee of thou wilt not rightly understand me if thou takest any thing herein delivered otherwise than from a lover of God and man I have set down those thy Principles which I have good proof to be thine that Preachest up the Light within all men c. which if thou doest not own and dost except against any thing either by Word or Writing and say that I wrong thee in alledging such things My Answer is many of them are thy own known sufficiently by thy words of mouth and all the rest too for otherwise they would not be dispersed in thy Books the which thou wouldest not publish if thou didst not approve of the Doctrine contained in them And I heartily wish that all that shall have to do with thee about any thing here declared which thou shalt be ashamed of that they would require thee by Writing to publish thy abhorring thereof and if any of thy followers do testifie their abhorring of those things without secret evasion or mental reservation I shall be glad if not let them be content as one said to be called his Disciples whose discipline they follow Sect. 4 I further declare my forwardness to entertain any honest and fair Dispute with thee about these things taking them in order but I shall not take any one Writer that is not a known Leader of this Notion of the Light within c. to be worth my saying any thing unto in reference to what I here say neither shall I take notice of

because Christ hath walked therein to make it ●o he was Baptised that knew no sin that the Repenting Sinner might be baptized in his Name for the Remission of Sin and as the Sinner draws nigh to God by Repentance Faith and Baptism so Christ draws nigh to the Sinner by his Grace for as the Sinner comes to be washed in his body with pur● water so he comes to be sprinkled in hi● heart or spirit with the blood of Christ fro● an evil Conscience Heb. 10. 22. For Chris● came saith John by water and blood no● by water only but by water and blood an● it is the Spirit that beareth witness becaus● the Spirit is truth For there are three tha● bear Record in Heaven the Father th● Word and the holy Spirit and these thre● are one And there are three that bea● Record in Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood und these three agree in one I● we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son 1 John 5. 6 7 8. And as the Grace of God is exceeding great in giving to every true Believer assurance of acceptance with him by the witness of his own Spirit Rom. 8. 16. through the precious blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 18. signified in Baptism so it must needs be great Impiety in any man to gain-say that holy Commandment which he hath appointed as a means whereby repenting Believers do draw nigh unto him Heb. 10. 22. and as an evidence of his accepting them for his Children Gal. 3. 26 27. the which further to assure to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. he giveth the Spirit of Adoption whereby they are inabled to cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. Sect. 6 But as the Adversaries of Jesus Christ and of his holy Ordinances deal by one so they do also by other of his Commandments which to manifest their dislike and contempt of Christ that gave them forth they contemn and resist like their Predecessors in evil the Jews Acts 7. 51 52 53. who though they received the Law by the disposition of Angels kept it not and though the Gospel be the Power of God unto Salvation unto every one that believeth being that wherein the Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1. 16 17. yet did they not obey it Rom. 10. 17. Even so these their Followers finding the work of the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2. 15. this they extol and admire but never did any of them walk according to it for as saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God and although there be no way to take away their sins but that new and living way of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which he hath consecrated for that purpose by which he not only promiseth Peace and Salvation Everlasting but giveth also the earnest and assurance thereof unto them that seek it in the way that he hath appointed in the word of the Gospel yet will not these stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears obey the Gospel but do alwayes resist the holy Spirit like their Fathers for that they may show their utter enmity and contempt of the Gospel and of the precious Promises of Grace declared therein that they may deter Believers from seeking the gift of God the holy Spirit that they may hinder it as much as in them lies not only the Evidence that every Believer may have of his Adoption or Son-ship but also that assistance of the Spirit of God whereby he may be inabled to war a good warfare yea that they may take men off from seeking Righteousness by the Gospel and set up the Law for Justification as if their own strength and the Light within all men were sufficient to render the Power of God whereby Believers are kept through faith unto Salvation of no effect that Principle of the Doctrine of Christ viz. Prayer and Laying of Hands on Baptized Believers for the obtaining the gift of the holy Spirit is by the Preachers up of the Light within c. as other Ordinances of the New Testament reproached and despised but Oh how fierce is their anger how cruel is their wrath against the People of God that contemn and vilifie the practice of that duty of Prayer and laying on of hands which is performed for so holy and spiritual an end as the obtaining the gift of the holy Spirit promised of God to those that repent and are baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins Acts 2. 38. Gal. 3. 14. Luke 11. 13. given of God to those that did obey him Act. 5. 31 32. to witness unto them the forgiveness of their sins to be the earnest of their Inheritance the seal of Salvation until the Redemption of the purchased Possession Ephes 1. 13 14. to be such an assistant unto Believers which they cannot obtain by the works of the Law but by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3. 2. and whereby they may be enabled so to walk that they shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. Yea so exceeding great and precious is the Promise and so powerful is the assistance of the Spirit promised that thereby Believers may be made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. their infirmities may be helped in Prayer Rom. 8. 26. they may have all things brought to their remembrance be led into all Truth and shewed the things that are to come Joh. 16. 13. Joh. 14. 26. which Promise of the Spirit was obtained by Prayer and Laying on of hands by the Apostles in behalf of the Samaritans Act. 8. 15 16 17. by a certain Disciple in behalf of Saul Act. 9. 10 17. by Paul in behalf of the Ephesians Acts 19. 6. by certain Prophets and Teachers in the Church at Antioch in behalf of Barnabas and Saul to assist them in the work of their Ministry Acts 13. 1 2 3. by the Apostles in behalf of the seven Deacons to fit them for their service Acts 6. 5 6. by the Presbytery or company of Elders in behalf of Timothy 1 Tim. 4. 14. and also by Paul himself 2 Tim. 1. 6. in order to his obtaining the gift of the holy Spirit to assist him both as a Disciple and Minister of Jesus Christ So that all that believe in Jesus Christ may safely conclude that Prayer and laying on of hands is a Principle of his Doctrine which he himself was not far from the practice of upon those he sent out to Preach among all Nations Repentance and Remission of sins when having first said unto them Behold I send the Promise of my Father upon you and having led them out as far as Bethany in order to his parting from them and ascending up into Heaven He lift up his hands and blessed them Luk. 24. 49 50. Yea so ancient and authentick is the practice of

teacheth When that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away for now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face Now saith he I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known 1 Cor. 13. 10 12. for then at the coming of Christ Jesus the Lord shall the Spirits souls and Bodies of all Believers be preserved blameless 1 Thes 5. 23. and being sanctified by Christ Ephes 5. 26. shall be found without fault before the Throne of God Rev. 14. 5. For when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord then shall their sins be blotted out Acts 3. 16. both sin and punishment for sin shall then be taken away that so they may be made perfect in Glory and Happiness everlasting 1 Cor. 15. 54 55 56 57. And forasmuch as the Perfection of God and of the Divine Nature of Christ is a perfection of a different Nature from the perfection of man God being perfect in his Nature Christ having never acted sin man being imperfect in his Nature by reason of sin which he hath committed if thou that callest thy self a Preacher of the Light within c. when thou exhortest to perfection intendest man in thy exhortation then thou that exhortest another shouldst teach thy self to be obedient to that which the Scriptures teach man to observe in order to his obtaining perfection that is to say to turn from thy dead works thy Legal Righteousnesse acknowledging thy self a sinner say with the Publican with a contrite Spirit God be merciful to me a sinner believe the Gospel of the remission of sins and being cut to the heart with grief for sin committed Repent and be Baptized in Water in the Name of Iesus Christ for the remission of thy sins See Acts 2. 38. Acts 10. 47. Mat. 3. 6. and so walking as Christ reacheth in the Scriptures thou mayest attain unto the perfection that he hath promised but if when thou exhortest to perfection thou intendest God or the Divine Nature of Christ in thy exhortation or the Person of Christ then thou blasphemest against God and against Christ supposing him to stand in need of an exhortation to perfection whose Nature is Pure and Perfect or that the Person of Christ hath sometimes been imperfect whose Divine Nature is perfect being of the same Substance with his Fathers and whose Humane Nature is perfect being conceived in the Womb of the Virgin by the operation of the Holy Spirit in which Nature he kept the Law of God and fulfilled every jot and tittle of it he suffered death for our sins and rose again for the Justification of all them that believe in him and such perfection was and is in him that by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified wherefore the Holy Spirit also is a Witnesse to us saying I will put my Laws in their Hearts and in their Minds will I write them and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Thus he whose Divine Nature is perfect and whose Humane Nature also hath perfectly kept the Law of God and fulfilled all Righteousness will give unto those whose Nature is imperfect and who have transgressed the Law of God upon their Repentance and Conversion such a perfection through his Grace as whereby their sins shall not be remembred and whereby their Persons shall be glorified for ever and ever Sect. 14 But thou that seemest to be so exceeding earnest in teaching up the Light within warning all men and women to follow after it yet never intendest that they whom thou teachest should be guided by the Light which they have in them before thou beginnest to teach them but that from thee which art without them they should receive that instruction which thou callest the Light within them And to discover thee in this thing as plainly as possible I can I will make use of a Comparison unto which thou art as like in thy actings as to any thing I can find to compare thee withal for thou in thy endeavours to gain poor Souls to thy wayes and to become followers of thy steps art like unto certain Birders which we have in our Land that do go about in the dark night with a Bell Candle and Net to catch Birds of the Air who in this work of theirs do first of all sound their Bell which being of a considerable bigness and sound it doth so amaze and astonish the poor Birds that they wholly lose their senses at that time and cannot tell how to make use either of Feet or Wing to avoid the danger that is befor● them the Birder then with his Candle discovering where the amazed Birds do sit he casts his Net over them and having taken them leads them captive by force whither he will and doth with them according to his pleasure Even so thou by thy Preachings and Printings dost make a great sound and noise to deceive the Hearts and to amaze the Spirits of the simple for thou speakest of great things yet art but like a sounding Brass and tinkling Symbal thou callest upon all to wait in silence to stand still to cease from all outward and Scripture-Teaching and from Scripture Ordinances as from Baptism Laying on of Hands and breaking of Bread c. from Preaching Praying and Hearing the Word calling them Carnal Lifeless and empty Ordinances c. not onely perswading men and women to leave all outward Means and Ordinances of the New Testament written in the Scriptures by which they would have the use of their feet having them shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace but also teaching them that to believe in a Christ out of themselves is Carnal and Life-less also and that their Saviour is within them upon whom they must wait in silence even thus thou teachest them that follow thee wholly against believing in the true Christ who died in his own Body that by that one Sacrifice of himself out of every other man he might reconcile the world of Man-kind to himself without themselves or any Righteousnesse done by them the believing whereof is the poor Creatures Wing whereby to flee unto Christ and to rest upon him for Justification by Faith through his Grace and so to escape out of the hands of such cruel Birders from wrath to come So that all thy great sound and noise of Preaching and Printing in which thou cryest out so bitterly and vehemently against all those means which are appointed of God unto Salvation labouring with all thy might to bring men and women out of conceit with them telling them they are deceived in them and exhorting them to Mind the Light which is within them and that will lead them out of all sin and iniquity and eternally save them Even all this thou dost that thou mayest drive on thy design to put poor Creatures into amazement astonishment to make them to doubt of

if one should perswade a Woman that defiles her Marriage bed that she shall be condemned for that sin if she repent not which is true but afterwards teacheth her to murther her husband which is to turn her out of one wickedness into another as bad or worse and if thou wilt needs be a destroyer of the Whore more than any other it is by deluding her more than any other for others preach that she might repent and obey the Gospel of that God and Jesus Christ which is the Creator of Heaven and Earth and the Redeemer of mankinde thou callest upon her to repent but withall thou teachest her to reject the Word of God and to observe the Precepts of men to disobey the Gospel of Christ and to obey that which is no Gospel Gal. 1. 6 7. To reject Christ himself which is God and man in one Person and to set up a Power in every man which thou callest the Light as the true Christ Thus thou endeavourest to destroy her by making her two fold more the Child of Hell then she is Let all persons therefore beware of thy evil net that so they may not perish everlastingly by hearkening to thy Counsel Sect. 4 Thy fourth proof is thy discerning all Exception to the fourth Proof secrets but this also I do absolutely deny for there is one secret which thou dost not discern it is the mystery of Christ his taking away the sins of the World in his own Body once offered upon the Cross having slain the enmity thereby See John 1. 29. Eph. 2. 16. And that by that one offering once offered in his own Body on the Cross is the alone Reconciliation of the World the Justification and perfection of them that do believe on his Name Heb. 10. 14. There is another secret also which is beyond thy discerning it is God manifest in the flesh which without controversie as saith the Apostle is the great mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh he saith not in every ones body of flesh he was Justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Preached to the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory This mystery thou art a stranger to and ignorant off while thou spendest thy time in doting about questions and strife of words thou and you whereof cometh envy and strife railings evil surmisings and perverse disputings 1 Tim. 6. 3 4. But Although thou canst discern who thou hast deceived by that spirit of Antichrist with which thou art guided that so thou mayest spread thy net over them and take them in thy snare yet that spirit of which thou boastest so much doth much misguide hee sometimes both in sending thee with messages and in directing thee to censure such as please thee not yea when thou hast called to the Light within to bear witness it hath witnessed against thee So that sometimes thou art deceived with dissemblers which others that have ever disowned thy way have seen and born witness against whose appearance amongst thy followers hath been such that many of them have declared That if ever God was in a man he was in that man notwithstanding of the very same party at the very same time it hath been said by thy opposers That if ever the Devil was in a man he was then in that very man of which I have now all thy party that ever knew him to consent to what was then said from whence it is plain that thou hast not such a discerning as to see into all secrets for in this thou wast deceived So that while thou thinkest thou seest into all others thou thy self art discerned of others thy deceitful dealing is seen by a better light than that which thou seest withall the pride of thy heart as saith the Prophet hath deceived thee thou that dwellest in the Clifts of the Rocks whose habitation is on high that saith in thy heart Who shall bring me down to the ground though thou exalt thy self as the Eagle and though thou set thy Nest among the Stars thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord Obadiah 3. 4. See Mat. 11. 23. Sect. 4 Thy fifth Proof is Thy Sufferings But this also I do absolutely deny to be a Proof Exception to the fifth Proof of the uprighteousness of thy way For first neither have thy Sufferings been so great as theirs who are followers of the Lamb of God Christ Jesus no nor comparable to the Sufferings of some that are adversaries to him as ye also are But it is not Sufferings only that makes a Martyr but the cause for which the Sufferings are therefore either prove that thou acknowledgest the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sufferest for it or else leave off thy boasting in thy Sufferings which are not so great as the Sufferings of other Adversarie of the Gospel for those Romish Priests and Jesuites as great Adversaries of the Truth as they be yet for Sufferings they far exceed the Preachers up of thee so called Light within except you will say that you and they are all guided by one spirit divers of whom have been put to death by the halter and fire but as the Apostle teacheth Though I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing 1 Cor. 13. 3. But Secondly thou sufferest many times as an evil doer and as a busie body in other mens matters 1 Pet. 4. 15. Not at all for the sake of Jesus Christ that died at Jerusalem and in Love to him and to his Truth but because thou knowest it advanceth thy Notion People being apt oft times to close with the Opinions of those which are Sufferers without examining the Tenents which they hold Yet Thirdly Notwithstanding thy boasting of Sufferings there is a spirit in thee that waits but for an opportunity to make others feel the weight of its little finger which will be heavier than the Loyns of other Persecuters I know one that hath felt some of thy justles and thrusts that hath been threatned to be thrust out of doors by head and shoulders though he came not into the house without leave of those who call themselves Preachers up of the Light within who poured out against him their Arrows even bitter words Psal 64. 3. Curses Plagues and Judgements having no better Weapons to defend their cause withall and what can be concluded from hence but that seeing you are so free to pronounce Sentence you will be as free to execute Punishment when soever you shall obtain Power to inable you to do it Is it not from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. 34. Do not fierce words go before blows If we consult with the Apostle we shall find that of them whose mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness it is ●aid their feet are swift to shed Blood Rom. 3. 14. 15. Thus thy pretended Proofs being answered by way of exception my next work is to deal