Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A60644
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A new catechism wherein many truths are plainly opened by way of question and answer which may be a help and furtherance unto all tender hearted people who are breathing after the Lord and waits for redemption and salvation by Jesus Christ : also something concerning the foundation and principle of the poor afflicted people of God (called Quakers) and of their faith and love towards God and their good will unto men, being also plainly demonstrated by way of question and answer : given forth in the labour of love and put to view for the service of this present generation and also generations to come / William Smith.
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Smith, William, d. 1673.
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1665
(1665)
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Wing S4318; ESTC R26928
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43,953
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129
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our Faith by our works for the Spirit of Faith being lived in as the inward principle the body is disposed by its motions and it doth never dispose the body to conform unto any outward thing which is contrary to its own nature so that the body is not to act the spirit but the spirit is to act and govern the body and where it is so both the inward and the outward agrees in one and there is faith inwardly and good works outwardly and we have a good evidence of the spirit in our selves that so it is with us whereby we are preserved upon our foundation inwardly and for joyning with any practice that is contrary to it outwardly and here our bodyes are alive unto God in his spirit and are acted and ordered by the power of it according to his will and vvhere it is not so there is not the sence of the spirit in the body and so a dead body vvhich others may move and order in their own vvay Q. Well but demonstrate in some particulars your Non-conformity as first why you cannot conform to the Discipline of the Church of England as it is now established outwardly A. Because vve do not find that it is established upon our foundation and principle inwardly and therefore vve cannot have faith in it nor love towards it and if vve should conform to it outvvardly contrary to the inward principle of our faith vve should commit sin for that which is not of faith is sin and if vve should do so vve should commit a great evil and our faith and love unto God vvould be lost and therefore it is vvhy vve cannot conform to the vvay and Worship now observed according to that Discipline or order because the spirit of God by which our bodyes are alive to God doth not so order and dispose us and vve dare not order our bodies in our own choice for if we could do so and not sin against God vve should rather chuse to conform then suffer but vve know that if vve should do so vve could not keep our consciences void of offence towards God though we might in so doing please many men but should come under his rebuke and correction for transgression and so in our single faith and love towards God we stand in the will of God and dare not move to observe any thing outwardly but as the motion of his power and life disposes us inwardly in which vve have true peace and satisfaction in our greatest tribulations and hereby it may be understood why vve cannot conform in this particular Q. And why is it that you cannot swear at all A. Because it is contrary to our inward principle and our principle being the truth it self we know that as we are acted and disposed by its motion that all our words promises and engagements are sure and stedfast for they are firmly established in our principle and therefore we dare not swear at all knowing our yea is yea and our nay is nay in a sure and stedfast principle that changes not and our faith and love towards God is in our principle and if we should swear at all we should deny our principle which is Christ the truth vvho commands us not swear at all and our faith standing in him and our love being towards him we are constrained to keep his command because we know that all his commands are according to truth and we believe that if we should swear at all vve should go into transgression and fall under condemnation and then we should loose the answer of a good Conscience and peace with God which is of more value unto us then the highest favours in the world Q. But doth your faith and love which you say is towards God lead you wholly into opposition to the ordinances of men who are to rule and govern Nations and Kingdoms A. Nay our faith and love towards God makes us to be subject to the Ordinances of men for the Lords sake and we do not despise Government outwardly but do believe that actual subjection ought to be given in all things that pertain to the preservation and well-being of such as are under the power of it and for this cause pay we Tribute and Custome and that not only for fear but for Conscience sake whereby our actual Subjection is manifested and our Consciences kept void of offence towards God and men for as we know that our inward principle is just and righteous in it self so vve believe that every power in outward Government that rules in Justice and Righteousnesse between man and man is to be owned and submitted unto and not in any wise to be resisted or denyed and this is something of our faith concerning this particular vvhereby it may appear that vve are not vvholly in opposition to the Ordinances of men as they act in Justice and Righteousness for the well-being one of another which is the main end of all outward Government Q. But do you not believe that you ought in all things to be actually subject according to the institutions of Laws which are in being A. Nay that is not our Faith for vvhere any Law concerns our Consciences and that contrary to our inward principle in that case vve dare not be actually subject for as our principle is the greatest in power and so it is most worthy of our subjection and our faith and love constrains us so to do and vvhere any outward Law lyes against our inward principle as to things pertaining to our Consciences vve in that case are passive and patiently suffers under it and so vve believe and are sure that the exercise of our Consciences in matters of Worship and Religion is to stand single unto God alone and not to be restrained or limited by any Ordinance of men Q. Why can you not give respect and honour unto persons that are in power and Government according to the Customs which are used A. Because it is against our faith to respect persons according to customes for we have not the faith our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons and yet we give honour and respect to all men unto vvhom it is due but the Hat and Knee is a beggarly honour and not worthy to be either given or received for honour being far below the honour that comes from above and we being born of the Royal seed of God we cannot give honour to any thing below it and all the customs that are in being and given and received for honour amongst men they are all below the Royall seed and the birth born of the seed can neither give nor receive such honor and this is our faith in this particular That we are to honour God and all men in the Lord but Customs and Observations with the Hat and Knee we believe and are sure that God doth not require us to give respect or honour unto any person after that manner and by our faith we live in our principle