Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
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A65902
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A manifestation of truth ... writ in answer to a book which a nameless author hath written against the people called Quakers : wherein is contained divers untruths and hard speeches tending to beget jealousies and evil thoughts of them who are known to be harmless and innocent ... : also the truth of those things which they believe and practice ... is declared / by John Whitehead.
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Whitehead, John, 1630-1696.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing W1979; ESTC R26356
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14,009
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17
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because Christ Jesus the great Law-giver in the New Testament hath by plain and express precept wholly forbidden it against which precept no argument conclusion or interpretation whether of Council Synod or private man is good though grounded upon the Law of Moses the words of the Prophets or practice of Gods Servants Saints or Angels for their words and practises are to be reduced to an harmony with his and not his to theirs he being given to be head over all things to his Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all and therefore cannot the example of Saints or Angels and much less the practice of men in strife justifie us in the breach of his command had we no other ground for our denyal to swear but to swear at all is against the Law of the Spirit of Truth that dweleth in us and derogates from the glory of his verity who hath made our yea yea and our nay nay in all things but the Apostle James who writ to the twelve Tribes scattered abroad as if he had foreseen that because of former precepts and customs they would have stood to justifie some swearing contrary to Christs command was very positive and expresly did forbid it above or before all things saith he my brethren swear not Jam. 5 12. neither by heaven nor by earth Mark nor any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Therefore we cannot swear by heaven nor the things therein nor by earth nor the things therein nor by any other oath though by such Christians as be in the Apostacy from the Spirit and Life of Christ it be accounted lawful for if we did swear at all we should justly fall with them into the same condemnation Concerning the worship of God and why we separate from them that worship in Temples made with hands First Because we do thus believe and declare that God is a Spirit and dwells not in Temples made with hands Acts 7.48 Chap. 17.24 25. neither is rightly worshipped there and therefore we cannot joyn with them in worship that be erred from the Spirit and from the Truth Mat. 15.8 9. and do in their wills worship in vain having their fear towards God taught by mens precepts and their worship consists not of Gods Ordinances but in divers observations inventions and traditions which are not the Commandments of the Lord from heaven Read Is 2. but rather a loathing to his soul and a grief to his spirit because in matter and manner they are contrary to the Primitive Christians worship For first they did not sprinkle Infants and call that baptisme into the Church that we can finde in the Scripture nor in History for near the first three hundred years neither was it a part of their worship to sing Davids Psalms in rime and meeter as in these dayes men do which are far enough from the condition that David was in when he gave forth the Psalms and besides the Ministers that were allowed among the Primitive Christians did not read Prayers for money nor study Sermons to last an hour and preach them for money neither did the Primitive Christians love to have it so as the titular Christians now do who by their divisions envying and persecuting about worship do make it manifest that they are neither in the same Spirit nor worship in the same manner as the Primitive Christians did and therefore we separate from them which we have sufficient ground to do 2 Cor. 6.17 18. 2 Tim 3.5 though they had the very form of godliness which yet they have not seeing they are out of the power which should crucifie them to the world and the world to them and are conformed like to the world and for the generality of them do live in sensual lusts if not in open Prophaneness but although we cannot for conscience sake joyn with them in their worship because we do in heart believe it is not right yet do we not as he saith Joh 21. to the 24. cast off all worship and Ordinances of God for we are sought out by the Father to worship him in Spirit and in Truth where we have found aceeptance with God at what time soever and wheresoever we have been gathered together to wait upon him whether by day or in the evening as the true Christians were when Paul continued his speech till midnight and sometimes we meet in a believers house upper-chamber field or barn Acts 20.7 8. as the ancient Christians did who were gathered out of the world and separated from the Jews worldly Sanctuary and Heathens Temples and yet were not of those that did creep into houses and separate themselves sensual not having the Spirit no more then we are though by such as accused them and persecuted them we have all manner of evil said against us falsly and are persecuted as they were because for conscience sake we cannot forsake the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but must meet together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 10.25 Mat. 18.20 that we may enjoy his presence and comfort and edifie one another in love Concerning Ministers and maintenance We do say how shall they preach and declare unto us the minde of God except they be chosen and sent of God Rom. 10.14 15. and therefore we do deny to hear such as run and are not sent of God but for lucre and honours sake take upon them to Preach and speak of those things which by wisdom humane learning 1 Pet. 5.2 3 Job 38.2 and natural parts they can never understand but do darken counsel by words without knowledge for the generality of them say that revelation is ceased and that they have no vision in these dayes therefore we wonder not that they and their people are so ignorant of God Mat. 11 27 for none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him neither do we wonder why so many perish for want of true knowledge though we greatly pity to see it so for we know that when the Teachers have no vision as by their own confession they have not the people perish Prov. 29.18 therefore we dare not trust our souls with them though people that have itching ears do chuse them for their Pastors or such Bishops as exercise Lordship and Dominion over peoples consciences impose them upon us for the Lord Jesus Christ is the Bishop of our souls 1 Pet. 2.19 Jer. 3.15 and he hath given us Pastours according to his own heart that feed us with knovvledge and understanding and leads us to living springs and a fold of rest Mar. 10 8 9 10. and them vve do dearly ovvn and esteem for their vvorks sake that be Christ true Ministers vvhom he hath sent and doth furnish and enable by the gift of his Spirit for the vvork of the
worthy to live and this was the fruit of trying the Spirit by the Scripture when mans wisdom sate as Judge of both Note That we own the Scriptures to be a rule but not the onely rule whereby to cry Spirits which is rather to be judged by them both and let such as know no other rule whereby to try Spirits but the Scriptures confess they are ignorant of the Law written in the heart and of the testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit or Word of Prophesie that is near in the heart even the more sure Word surer then the words of the Prophets or Apostles which may be wrested for it is a Light in a dark place viz. the heart to give man a true understanding of their words and his Law that is written there is perfect and unalterable and by this rule holy men of God tryed Spirits before the Scriptures were written and so all the Spirits that are gone out into the world may be tryed and those that are contrary to it are also contrary to the Scriptures rightly understood and therefore under the judgement of both 2 Pet. 1.19 but the Spirit of God judgeth all things but ought to be judged of no man therefore sad will be their accompt that call it the Devil and its motions his impulses for all sins and blasphemies against the son of man may be forgiven Mat. 12.31 32 but the blasphemy against the holy Spirit shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in that to come Concerning Perfection We say first that we have sinned and God hath let us see it and we have confessed it 1 Joh. 1.7 and he hath forgiven it through the blood of Christ which doth wash and cleanse us from it and by his power we are kept from sinning yet do we not boast of perfection in our selves because by the grace of God we are what we are howbeit we know that it is the Commandment of Christ that we should be perfect even as our Heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5 48 and therefore we are perswaded it is not impossible for us to be so whilst here in this life for he is not such an hard Master to command impossibilities Heb. 10.10 14. and moreover by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified and we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all therefore perfected for ever and this was and is the very end for which he sends forth his Ministers Eph. 4.11 12 13 even to gather the Saints into the unity of the Faith to a perfect man in the mersure fulness and stature of Christ 1 Joh. 3 5 to 11. who even for this purpose was manifest to take away sin and destroy the works of the Devil but if any will yet say that cannot be whilst here in this life for some sin will remain in men whilst on this side the grave let them answer me these questions 1. Whether they believe that any shall enter in to inherit Gods Kingdom and if yea then whether they believe that they shall enter into it with some sin in them and if nay then in what time and place shall they be cleansed and their sin perfectly done away seeing they deny it to be possible whilst in this life but we affirm it being perswaded that there is no purgatory wherein to be cleansed after death and knowing that Christ Jesus is able to save to the uttermost Heb. 11.25 they that come to God by him so that those that are born of God and abide in Christ sin not neither can because they are born of God and his seed remains in them contrary to which text no interpretation of it or argument can stand good but herein are the children of God and the children of the Devil made manifest he that doth righteousness is of God but he that sinneth is of the Devil who sinneth from the beginning and this doctrine doth not tend to Ranting as they that understand it not say but to encourage people to wait to be cleansed and kept by the mighty power of God from all unrighteousness which is all sin and press on to perfection in the Life of Christ Concerning Salvation by Christ We say and believe that without the sufferings and death of Christ at Jerusalem no man can be saved justified or sanctified and therefore do they maliciously or at least ignorantly slander us who say we expect not to be saved by Christs sufferings at Jerusalem but by Christs sufferings in us for such words did never proceed from us though we say that it is not an historical knowledge and belief of what Christ said and suffered at Jerusalem sixteen hundred years ago that can or doth save any man without feeling of his Spirit Phil. 3.10 Power and Life made manifest within to make them conformable to him in his death and raise them together with him to live in the vertue of his life by which life we as well as the ancient Christians are saved Rom. 5.10 and we are justified sanctified in the Name and by the Spirit of our God which mightily worketh in us and all his works are perfect and therefore I do distinguish betwixt the righteousness which is of faith 1 Cor. 6.11 which the Spirit worketh and the righteousness which is of the Law performed by mans own strength for though the one be as filthy rags yet so is not the other therefore is he the enemy of all righteousness that mingles them both together and treads them under foot as dung and dross therefore let all that love their souls love Christ the righteousness of God and follow after him that they may be made righteous and have that boldness in the day of judgement which the ancient Christians had because said they as he is so are we in this world 1 Joh 4.17 Concerning Swearing To swear at all in Gospel times is no part of Gods worship therefore it is no delusion but the truth that makes us refuse to swear in any case For though swearing was used in the time of deaths reign from Adam to Moses and that by some of Gods people and not only so but commanded in some particular cases by Moses and the Prophets in the time of the Law yet a greater Prophet being raised to whom they all gave witness and command that in all things he should be heard with this severe penalty that every foul that would not hear him should be cut off from his people Acts 3.22 23 24. And seeing Christ Jesus that Prophet which they said God would raise hath found that Covenant faulty in which oaths were used Mat. 5 34. and by his own mouth expresly hath commanded us not to swear at all though in old time it was lawful and an honour to God to swear in some cases yet now it is not lawful or an honour to God to swear in any case