Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	false_a	true_a	worship_n	4,780	5	7.8086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39574	Rusticus ad academicos in exercitationibus expostulatoriis, apologeticis quatuor The rustick's alarm to the rabbies, or, The country correcting the university and clergy, and ... contesting for the truth ... : in four apologeticall and expostulatory exercitations : wherein is contained, as well a general account to all enquirers, as a general answer to all opposers of the most truly catholike and most truly Christ-like Chistians [sic] called Quakers, and of the true divinity of their doctrine : by way of entire entercourse held in special with four of the clergies chieftanes, viz, John Owen ... Tho. Danson ... John Tombes ... Rich. Baxter ... by Samuel Fisher ...	Fisher, Samuel, 1605-1665.; Owen, John, 1616-1683.; Danson, Thomas, d. 1694.; Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1660 (1660)	Wing F1056; Wing F1050_PARTIAL; Wing F1046_PARTIAL; ESTC R16970	1,147,274	931

maintaining of is this viz. that though the first and immediate Manuscripts and individual writings of Moses and the Prophets the Apostles and Evangelists are all utterly lost and perished out of the world p. 13. 163. 164. yet the Hebrew and Greek Copies of them that remain ex●ant at this day do contain every Letter Apex Syllable Accent Iota Tittle Point that was in them without any addition of the Points ablation alteration variation change or corruption by mistake or mis-transcription in the least notwithstanding the hands of so many Transcribers as they have passed thorow and that the Text in the Original Languages hath been both promised to be and accordingly hath bin providentially preserved in Gods Love and care to his Word and Church so that the same fate hath not attended the Scripture as to mis-transcription or alteration any way in the Original Copies of it through any miscarriages mistakes oscitancy negligence ignorance sloth carelesnesse unfaithfulnesse much lesse treacherousnesse in Transcribing thereof as hath attended other Books in their Editions and Transcribings p. 13. 14. 153. 155. 156. 164. 168. 170. 171. 173. 177. 203. 206. 213. 317. 319. in all these pages and many more where the particularities of it are sprinkled up and down this general grand Position is to be apprehended as affirmed by him and undertaken to be vindicated to a Tittle 2. That this position is not onely thus punctually propounded by I.O. for Truth but also avouched with that extremity rigidity and strictnesse that it s made the very Basis of all true Belief and of all that whole businesse that he calls divine saving sacred Truth Religion Worship Knowledge Service of God duty of man towards him c. so that in case these his Thoughts Apprehensions Position and Assertion as he often calls it p. 146. 149. 163. 181. 193. 202. 203. proves not true firm sound but false faulty and faultring and if it ever appear that there are corruptions crept into the Text of Scripture by either the addition of the Hebrew points Accents or punctation since the beginning of the first writing thereof immediately from God as a late novell invention of some Iudaical Rabbins viz. the Tiberian Massorites by whom they are judged to have been added or else by the oscitancy carelesnesse negligence ignorance treachery weaknesse or wilfulnesse of the Transcribers mistaking mis-transcribing and thereby occasioning variations in the Copies of the Original so that the Text of Scripture is not wholly pure and entire or that we may if we please reject the Points and read otherwise Actum est Imus Imus praecipites what pernitious what devious wayes must men run scarce a Chapter a Verse a word left free from perplexing contradicting conjectures nothing but Fruitlesse Contests nothing but humane fallible perswasion to be fixed on for the sense A firebrand is brought into the Churches bread-corn the consequences are so desperate that he dares not mention them he cannot but tremble to think what is the issue of this imagination of such a supposition that the Points Vowels Accents are no better guides then so it renders questionable the foundation of all ejects as uselesse the whole Scripture it 's a pestilent poysonsome undervaluing the Originals crept in now among Protestants themselves though this comfort is left yet that the generality of learned Protestants are not yet infected with this Leven but if it should by a change of Iudgement break in so on the Protestant world as to be avowed in publike works the end will be a frightning poor unstable souls into the hands of the pretended infallible guide a return to Rome under the pretence of the Scriptures corruption in the Original Text as there was a passing from thence under the purity thereof yea 't is not known whether this inconvenience will grow yea once suppose corruptions crept into the Original Text and the pretended novelty of the Hebrew punctuation and then the wells and fountains from whence ye should draw all your soules refreshment are utterly stopt Ep p. 19. 20. so p. 196. 206. 207. 208. 209. 212. 213. 214. 215. 216. 218. 219. 220. 221. better all the works like to the Biblia Polyglotta were out of the world then this opinion of the ●Texs non-integrity to a Tittle or the novelty in Points should be embraced with its consequences that unavoidably attend it that if those seeming difficulties of Scripture to reconcile wch some look on as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or irreconcileable though some learned Iewes and Christians have been well exercised to reconcile and give fair account of them may by a liberty given be looked on as corruptions how ye shall be able to stay till ye come to the bottom of questioning the whole Scripture he knows not p. 347. 3. Let it be considered how eminently he stands concerned upon the confession that his foundation is not firm in case a Tittle of the Text be wanting or the Points added to it since its first giving out to make it out not probably onely but unquestionably clear and certain that the Text hath every Tittle and Iota and that the Points are no novelty but of equall Antiquity with the Text it self or else begin again with the Qua. at his A.B.C. in the things of God and lay a surer bottom for his building and foundation for his Faith then ever he hath laid to this day 4. Whether I. Os proof be infallible or but fallible of Divine certainty or meer humane conjecture self-conceit thought apprehension and imagination onely and whether the Text be so firm and entire to a Tittle as he affirms it to be yea rather that it is not let it be considered by all who read my examination of it in this now welnigh ended exercitation wherein the contrary is both apparently and abundantly evidenced his whole Regiment of Reasons by him rendred in proof thereof disproved and all that defensive stragling straw that hangs about them dispelled as chaffe as not onely falling short of infallible scientifical demonstration but also as not amounting to so much as a probable evidence that either the Points are coaevous w●●h the Consonants which is sometimes no lesse then asserted or so high as Ezra which is undertaken to be manifested and are not rather a novelty no elder then the Massorites which with such affrightments at the consequences of such a Clergy-confounding conclusion is denyed and yet as to that reviving thereof whereby we now enjoy them acknowledged also by I O. or that the Text is in its most Original Copies wherein we now have it is the same as at first it was without any various Lections or unchanged Thus I have traced after I.O. in his Treatings and twinings too and fro in vindication of the integrity of his Greek and Hebrew Text and have evidently proved that there are not onely many whole Books of that Scripture which holy men were moved to write both before and since Christ wanting to his compleated Canon as

in one Field i. e. the World or Civil States thereof untill the Harvest and to let Religion alone which is that alone that Crushes them to Pieces while they Meddle much to Make it and Cumber themselves more with it then God Requires to Stand or Fall as True or False by its own Power and Evidence which is that of the Spirit without the Interposition of any External Arm of Flesh s●retcht out in Persecution of any to Establish it For not by Might nor Power but by My Spirit saith the Lord and leave All People who if his Word Alone may not Winn them have leave so to do from God Himself so they 'l take from Him what comes on 't at last to Walk Every One in the Name of his God and Leave Gods Own People who have no leave from Him to do otherwise to walk in the Name of the Lord their God from henceforth and for ever If ye go about to make Religion a mee● Engine whereby in Pollicy to Establish your selves and make it not rather your own Main Design to Establish It and that ye can never do Positively by making Lawes for the bringing of All to such or such a Particular Form of it but Permissively only by suffering all People to be of what Faith toward God they find Evidence for in the Light of God within themselves while they Live in Peace and Faithfulnesse in their Civil Dealings and Demeanour one by another which is the Pleasure of the Lord concerning You in that Particular your Work of Settlement shall never Prosper long as theirs hath not done who have lately gone before You for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it O my Bowells my Bowells How have I been Pained at my Heart to see each of those Three Several Churches of Christians that Sit still under the Shadow of their Selfish Shepheards under the Cloudy Conceits of their Several Clergies so called viz. Papal Prelatick Presbyterial each of which will be National or Not at All Wearying themselves and their Poor Christ'n Creatures with no other then the Greatnesse of their own Way and each as it were no lesse then Mo●e Ruentem Sua Suis ut Ipsa Roma Viribus Ruit That they All and All others also walking in Love and Peace might stand so long as they are able by Arguments without Armes to uphold them or any Armour to Shield them but only the Armour of Light by the Evidence of their Own Words without the Edge of either the Civil Shepheards or the Souldiers Swords Swaying to any side any more then to see that the Civil Peace be Preserved by them all is my Desire It would then in Coolnesse soon be seen clearly whose God it is that is the Lord and by each Single Searcher that the Lord alone is God and such as are for him would also follow him and such as seeing no other God then Baal are for him would also follow him and each man be well Contented to Live and Dye in the Service of and Receive his Reward from his Own God And they whose Dagon cannot Stand but Fall before the Ark of the Living God would be seen to be but of that Wretched Race And if yet any are so Devoted to their Own False God though they see He cannot stand in the Presence of the True God that they 'l Set Him up Again rather then they 'l Own the True One let the Philistines Erect their Dagons after they are down as oft as they will even till they fall again and Break to Pieces they shall have Liberty withall my heart to Set them up for themselves to Worship but shall never Set them Up again any more for me who know that what ever is pure Religion in the Sight of that Generation who are Pure in their Own Eyes and yet are neither Washed from their Filthinesse nor have Faith they shall be while they Live in this World whether they Own or Own not a Purgatory in that to Come Yet that pure Religion that is Undefiled before God is to Visit the Fatherless and Widow in their Aflictions and to keep a Mans Self Unspotted of the World Those Men who abide Stedfast Unmovable abounding in such works of God as the Light Leads to Find their Labour not in Vain in the Lord But whoever seem to be Religious and are Unbridled and not Ruled and Ordered by Gods Own Spirit in their Spirits Speeches and Conversations and much of that sort of Religion there is among Christians as was once among Jewes and is in all men whom God made Upright but that they seek out many Inventions which the Scripture calls Vain Oblation Isa. 1.13 Vain Conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Vain Customes Jer. 10.3 Vain Worship Matth. 15. Vain Faith 1 Cor. 15. Jam. 2. Vain Shew Psal. 39.4 Vain Thoughts Jer. 4.14 These mens Religion is all but Vain As it 's all but Novel and Narrow to the Oldest which is most True and most Catholike or Universal As true as is that there are many Religions in the World so 't is that each Religion Pleads it Self to be the Truest and from no lesse then it 's own greater Antiquity and Universality then all the Rest and I as truly know both That Church and it's Religion to be both the Eldest and the Largest which is by blind Men judged to be the Least Last and Newest as I willingly yeild the Eldest and Largest to be the Truest And if that of the Quakers so called which is counted to be the most Small and Upstart be not the most Catholike and Antient that is in the World however now Disguised by the Serpents Subtilty under the Newest of those Nicknames which the World never wanted in any Age wherewith to Render the Right Religion Odious I here professe my Readiness to Renounce it But if it be And there needs not much to do to prove it so to be Sith to Tremble at Gods Word and Walk in his Light and in an Innocent Honest Humble Harmless Holy Life the very End of all Outward Observations in which Gods Kingdom nor Stands nor comes but in Power and a more Hidden and Inward Righteousness Peace and Joy Required once by God and now by men practiced pretendedly to the self same End and to do as we would have others to do to us which saith Christ is the Law and the Prophets the Sum and Substance of all their Doctrine the Hight of which is that Love that Loves Enemies does Good against Evil and Works no Ill to the Neighbour and so Fulfills the Royal Law which is the whole of the Quakers work as to God and of their Message from him to the World is no other then the same that was Universal as to time from the beginning even from Abel Enoch Noah who walk't with God in this Life by the Light which only leads to it long before any at all of that Letter which came from the Light and leads to it ever was to Walk

and avenge all that disobedience of his Adversaries whose Ministry further then by his own permission it s born down by that extrinsecall force of the beasts putting forth and interposing for a time will make its own way and cleare the truth as the light both amongst and against all false ones without either maintenance or defence or so much as good countenance if that may not be had from the higher powers of the earth being such a Substantive as is well able if let alone and in the midst of not a little interruption to stand by it self in reason before any and not such a Noun-Adjective as the national● C Clergy is which cannot stand by itself to shew one glasse full of its own sense and meaning on the Scripture without some Constable or Officer joyning with it to take that honest man or woman to the Stocks or Cage that by two or three good words shall disturb them nor stand by it self to shew its reason or signification to such as soberly reason with it but must require another force then that of words to resist and sometimes the rude ones to run with stones and stop the mouths of its opponents Not by might nor power of this sort but by my spirit saith the Lord. That Dagon that cannot stand unless its worshippers hold it up in this manner before the Ark undoutedly will fall and let it fall if it will and never rise any more for me And if Papists Iews and Turks being obedient to the civill power in civill matters between man and man shall come in and u●e their blind consciences in their respective blind Religions they shall deceive not one of the Elect and none but such as are disobedient to what they know ●for which to stumbling they are appointed That Protestanism that can't stand if Popery Indaism and Turcism have liberty till it fall by the pure power of God and not meer man to stand peaceably by it in one Nation for fear it should dye out before them let it dye out with them all when the Lord will for me that truth which is to out-shine and out-live them all may stand up alone in its proper power and native lustre when they are gone as for such Protestants as would run to hell with them if Papists Turks and Iewes should come among them they are onely such as would never come neer to heaven if these should never come neer them at all 5 Our Doctrine of the true lights enlightning every man the truth of which is to be prov'd against I. O. and T. D. in its proper place and our calling every man to attend to the shining of it in his own conscience can be no fair In-let to the Popish Bag and Baggage for all that arises and springs from the cloudinesse of their consciences the blindnesse of their hearts the darknesse that is in their understandings in which darknesse or dark places which are in the heart the true light shines though the darknesse comprehends it not and the da●k minds of men consider it not which if they would once doe so well as to take heed to the day would dawn the day Star arise at last in their hearts the light shine forth the shadowes fly away the clouds scatter the vaile that overspreads them vanish the face of the covering be removed the da●knesse of this world in which the devill who is the Prince and Ruler of it dwells diggs deceives devoures destroyes udoes does all he has to doe who hath nothing in Christ the light nor ought to doe in them that dwell out of his reach under Christs Protection in the l●ght would be dispeld and the b●●ghtness● of a better Religion Worship Gospell Faith Knowledge Righteousn●sse Holynesse Salvation Redemption Kingdome then any power and glory they yet are aware off or your selves either would break forth upon them But such as your Tenet is who rebell against the light not knowing the pa●hs the●e●f Job 24.6 and band yourselves together against the blowers of it up in men to blow it out what yee can denying it to be in any measure at all in any but very few quarrelling with the Quakers for calling any much more all to take heed to it that they might walk up in singlenesse to to what of God by it is made known in them doth both River England into a resolution to retain so much of Romes Bag and Baggage as is yet remaining and into their and the Priests wonted readinesse to receive more or all of it again if it shall so return as in Ma●yes day●s and be handed out to them by the threatning helping hand of those that have the highest handling of the Helm 6 Our Doctrine of the infallibility of the true Ministry of Christ which we say is that which is among them call'd Quakers in these dayes as in those of old can be no fair In-let to the Antichristian Bag and Baggage or to those Ministries or Ministrations for to teach which is not more taught by me then shall be proved against I. O. and T. D. who both deny it more at large in its proper place viz. that the infa●●ible spirit continues his infallible direction guidance and divi●e inspirations to the true minist●y and Church which waits upon him now in such wise as heretofore is so far from leting in that it shuts out for ever their M●nist●y all its A coutrements as false fictitious and yours also who as to your confessed fallibility are Bi●ds of the same feather with them who as in that ye flock so must flee and fall and fail all together seeing saving onely that they ascribe infalibility to their Vice-God the Pope as yee doe not and Ch●ists spirits inspirations to his single sacred soul they count it Egregi●us blasph●my for any Minister or other to say they have the holy spirit so onely as to assure them of Gods love and acceptance much more to make them infallible in their ministry and though you hold men may have it to assure them of salvation yet as to it s assumed and infallible guidance of your selves in yours or any men at all in their ministrings now you count it little lesse then the same and differing so as to the matter of the Ministry no further from them then thus viz. that whereas they hold infallibility ●omewhere but falsely enough fixing it to that false subject the breast of their Arch-Bish●p Vicar● of Christ and supream Master-Minister here on earth yee deny it to be in an● Ministers at all now to the utter u●m●nistring of your selves and evincing it yee are none of Christs any more then they But so to teach that all Ministries that pretend to Christ are fallible in these dayes and not one Christian Ministry infallible throw-out the earth Nor any one of all them that are in England at this day no nor yet so much as that of your own is a Doctrine and a peice of news which if

the many frivoulous flouting phrases and new fangled nick-Names wherewith thou who bearest Christs Name more then his Nature like the old Heathen Enemies to the Truth dost cover its true Christian Friends as it were with wild Beasts-skins that looking on them under that likenesse Name and Notion of Deceivers Destroyers Lyars Hypocrites horrid cursed Diabolical Blasphemers the Dogs of your Flocks may be hereby encouraged and set on to run the more greedily on to tear and worry them These will all Reflect upon thy self the envious Exerter of them and lye with no little load like a Talent of Lead upon thy Conscience and sink thee down among the rest of the uncircumcised in lips into sore Condemnation when thou awakest to behold him who now cometh in Myriads of his Saints to Convince and Iudge all ungodly Sinners for all the hard speeches they have ungodly spoken against him in his Saints and Servants whose Righteousness is of the Lord and whose Heritage it is to condemne every false Blasphemous and unruly Tongue that as thine doth riseth up in Judgement against them And as for us the Reproach of Christ is greater Riches to us then the Treasures of England which ye are glorying in and gaping after Nevertheless I shall here have a few words with thee about some few of them as well as about the Lyes that under them thou rellest of us Thou ventest thy venome against us under those Two now vulgar Names of Quakers and Fanaticks on this wise J. O. The second part of the Question concerning the proper Name of the Scripture relates to our Fanaticks who from that Trembling wherewith they fain themselves to be shaken in their holy Services or rather the power of that evil spirit by which in very deed they are shaken are commonly called Quakers Reply As for that holy duty it self of Quaking and Trembling at the Word of God which as blind a guide and bruit a Beast as thou art in speaking evil of what thou knowest as also of what thou knowest not thou both ownest and acknowledgest the holy men of God were taken with of old when moved to utter his Word as it came to them witness thy own words pag. 8. viz. the coming of the Word to them filled them with dread and reverence of God Hab. 3.16 and also greatly affected even their outward man though we dare not be so desperate as to damne it all for Diabolical as thou dost in these dayes in which God hath his Prophets and his People as well as then yet we own it as thou in word dost and indeed as they did Isa. 66.5 and are as they by their Brethren hated and cast out by you our Brother Christians in Name for so doing which meer fleshly Brotherhood who hate us and cast out our Name as evil for his Names sake shall be ashamed for it before him that appears to our joy and when Ierusalem hath first drunk her part as she is now a doing ye shall drink the dregs of the Cup of Trembling with the Devils whose Portion Trembling is for all ye believe the History as they also do and wring them out together with all the wicked of the Earth And as we own the thing so saving all your Ironical Tauntings of us therewith which we deny as that which ye even of God must be denied for we own the Name when used in his fear as that which is both Arbitrio Iure Divine imposed by God himself as their proper right on his own People whom himself from that holy Qualification of Trembling at his Word even thereby as by a peculiar Character denominates Isa. 66.5 and distinguishes from all other people that are found Quaking and Trembling mostly at the Word of man whom his Saints have ceased from whose breath is in his nostrils so that if the Word of man earthly powers Princes Parliaments go forth for such or such a kind of Christianity Religion Worship Order or Form of Ecclesiastical Doctrine or Discipline they all Priests and People and the Nations that fear not God by whole-sale strait stand stupified Quaking and Trembling and fall down Worshipping for fear of the Furnace the Quakers at Gods Word only excepted whatever Golden Image the King of Babilon pleases to set up and impose on them to how down to As to Name and Thing then we own that of Quaking and Trembling but dare not like thy self who ownest and yet defamest it corrupt our selves in what we know Nec tutum est ludere cum sacris neither is it a safe matter for such a high Professor as thou I.O. goest for to jeast and fleere so as thou dost about such holy matters as Quaking and Trembling at the Word of God which thou must come to know nearer home then ever yet when that Word nigh in the heart thou so sowlely fallest on comes once to be felt in thee as an Hammer breaking thy Rocky heart to pieces and to flame forth in thee as a fire and a spirit of burning under the Pot whose filthy scum boyls in it against the Truth and is not yet purged away When thou comest to know Moses of whom thou pratest so much a little better then yet thou dost thou shalt say I exceedingly Fear and Quake ass●re they self as well as he with whom thou must Tremble on Mount Sinai Heb. 12.18 21 22 23 24 25 c. at that voice of the Trumpet and that Terrour of the Lord and that Blacknesse and Darknesse and Tempest which attends it before thou come near Mount Sion and to rest in the Hill thereof as much as in an empty sound of Words thou art mounting up thither afore thy time I.O. But this Dread and Terrour which Satan strove to imitate in his filthy Tripodes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was peculiar to the Old Testament and belonged to the Paedogogy thereof the Spirit in the Declaration of the New Testament gave out his mind and will in a way of more liberty and glory the manner of it related more to that glorious liberty in fellowship and Communion with the Father whereunto Believers had then an accesse provided them by Jesus Christ. Rep. That the Devil may and doth strive to imitate the things of God I deny not yea there 's scarse any outward Appearance or Form that the power of God puts it self forth in but the power of the evil One in man strives Apishly to imitate and make the meer likenesse and Image of it but these Images and Imitations are made among the Magicians and Wisemen of Egypt who are gone out from Gods Counsel the Light and Power of God in the Conscience into the meer Imaginations of their own vain minds and foolish hearts leaning to their own benighted understandings but not among these who leaving their own Wisdom learn only at the lips of Christ who leads even fools that love him into the Substance it self and that wisdom which makes wise to Salvation 'T is

in his Age Assistant to Paulus Fagius in his noble Promotion of the Hebrew Tongue Capellus whom he calls a learned man and a Protestant Io. Prideaux who is before I.O. Luther the renownedst Reformer in his time as ever Europe had Zwinglius and others So he no way doubts but that as we enjoy them they were Compleated no higher upwards then Esdras his time by the men of the Great Congregation guided by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God which was after all the Old Testament was written a thousand years after some of it and so pag. 211. 220. See also pag. 247. 259. where he sayes The Jewes generally believe the Points as Old as from Moses on Mount Sinai or at least quoth he from Ezra so he is in doubts not denying but that they as to their knowledge and use received a great Reviving by the Massorites and Gemarists I. O. That the Word of God i.e. Scripture hath been hitherto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to its litteral sense and reading the acknowledged Touchstone of all Expositions render this now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what have we remaining firm and unshaken pag. 219. See more pag. 217. 218. of Uncertainty Reply The Light Spirit Word it self and the Kingdom and things thereof which cannot be shaken but must remain when the worldly kingdom of worldly Priests and their Foundation and their rich Possession of Letter and Hebrew Points and all their Religion Faith Worship House Bottom and whole Building and Fabrick that stands thereon and the old Heaven and Earth and all the Works of man that are therein and their Writings and Tomes and Talmuds c. ut alibi and such like in which I O. is exercised in his Second Tale of a Tub and Sea and Land and all Nations Formalists and their Forms Professors and their Professions Doctors in Divinity and their false Dreames and Divinations and not only Popes Cardinals Mount-Seniors Monks Friars Iesuites and all that Rabble of Rabbies and Deans and Chapters Arch-Bishops Deacons Deans and their Officials Parsons Vicars Curats and all manner of spiritual Persons of that spawn but also all sorts of those narrow mouth'd Bottles that have none of the new Wine in them and are as long in letting out as in getting in what they have of their old Wisdom as well within Vniversity Liberties as without and all Masters and Prebends and Deans of Colledges and their Christs Churches and all their beggarly Elements must be on fire about their ears and melt away with fervent heat and be burnt up and shaken down as leaves from the Fig-tree by the mighty Wind of the Lords Spirit that now blowes upon all flesh that it withers and is as the Grasse and its Flower and utterly like a Cottage which after much reeling to and fro must be removed for ever and for ever I.O. Thou sayest pag. 221. That thou hadst rather all the Works like to the Biblia Polyglotta which yet thou acknowledgest the great usefulnesse of and art Thankful Owen for it were out of the World then that this one Opinion of the Novelty of the Hebrew Points espoused to that great work Epist. pag. 17 18 19. should be received with the Consequences that unavoidably attend it Reply The Consequences that unavoidably attend the receiving of Truth are dangerous to thee but of no other then good concernment to such as dwell not in the Scriptural Skirts meer literal Suburbs of it as thou dost who being without the Salvation it self which God appoints to his for Walls and Bulwarks startest at the newes of every storm and the shaking of every Leaf but in the holy City and in the substance of the Truth it self The Cup of trembling must be taken out of their hands and put into the hands of thee and thine that have hated and afflicted them and Rid over them and said Bow down thy back that we may go over and they have laid their backs as the street for you while in your wrath and fury you have passed over them I. O. Thou sayest pag. 216. That by this conceit of the Novelty of the Hebrew Punctation the Adversaries Hope with Abimilecks Servants to stop the the Wells or Fountains from whence ye should Draw your Souls Refreshments Reply Poor Souls Poor Wells and Fountains Poor Refreshments if ye go down no deeper then the Letters to draw your Water for they are but the broken Cisterns which ye follow that with the totter'd Buckets of your own Brains that hold not the water of Life The Letter doth but declare of the fountain of living waters which ye have forsaken viz. God himself Christ and the Spirit the fountain shut up and sealed to you yet indeed Cant. 4. 12. but set open to the House of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleannesse Zach. 13. 1. The Well of Salvation out of which they that inhabit Sion in the midst of whom the holy One of Israel is now great do with joy draw Water out of whose bellyes flow Rivers of Living Waters which 't is out of the Reach and past the Strength of the Philistims to stop any longer for there 's now Rehoboth or room yea the Water thence given whilst your Euphrates is drying up is as a Well of Water springing up in them to eternal Life I.O. That give this liberty to the audacious Curiosity of men priding themselves in their Critical Abilities and we shall quickly find out what woful state and condition the Truth of the Scripture will be brought unto and if hundreds of words were as 't is said by Capellins the Critical Conjectures of the Jewes what security have we of the Mind of God as truly represented to us seeing that its supposed that some of the Words in the Margent were sometimes in the Line and if it he supposed as 't is that there are innumerabl● other Places of the like nature standing in need of amendments what a door would be opened unto curious Pragratical Wits to overturn all the certainty of the Truth of the Scripture every one may see pag. 308. Reply Every one may see therefore what Certainty and Security ye are in while ye stand on no bottom but a broken Letter And how wilt thou help the case with all thy prate or hinder Pragmatical Wits from using their Critical Abilities that way Who shall ponere obicem put a stop to them and impose upon all others his Thoughts that things are so or so Shall I.O. who in so many places Confesses he gives men but his Thoughts nay doth nos I.O. Confesse pag. 217 218. that none must give a Rule to the rest the door is open'd man and thou canst not shut it even an effectual door for the Sheep to enter the fold by even him who is the Light as well as the Door opened whereby to see into the uncertainty of your torter'd Transcripts much more ten fold more totterred and untrue Translations much

David even when he was guilty mark that of adultery and murder such sins as for which the Scripture when he lay impenitent under them denotes and excepts him as a man not upright a despiser of God and his Commandemenes A doer of evil in his sight 2 Sam 12. whom God also had not mercy on but did both condemn and severely judge with no lesse then Hellish horrors for his filth blood-guiltinesse till he had repented for it and was throwly purged from it Psalm 51. was not in a condemned but in a justified estate So that the sum of T.D. and those Doctors Doctrine that side with him therein is this viz to begin the dance right David while he commited adultery and murder not repenting was guilty before God and consequently not just nor justified but condemned for whom God holds not guiltlesse but guilty they are not justified accepted acquitted absolved approved but which is all one accused reproved condemned in his sight Yet to go round again David while he committed adultery and murder not yet repenting was not guilty before God but held guiltlesse not condemned nor reprobated or reproved but cleared acquitted absolved excused approved For between the two slates of guilty and not guilty non datur medium Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about Liberty of Conscience II. As to the Doctrine for Liberty of Conscience and against persecution for cause of Conscience in matters of Religion One while they tell the world the doctrine and practice of rigid imposing upon any sub penâ or persecuting any tender Consciences for beleeving and living according to their conviction or denying to beleeve or live contrary thereunto is a Bloody Tenet a way to make more hypocrites that for fear will conform to what they beleeve not to be truth then true Christians an evident note of a false Church and Antichristian Ministry that is degenerate and apostatized from the true pure Primitive Church of Christ which never did compel any by force and violence to be Christians but rather suffered all sorts of sorrowes and bare all manner of abuses from the whole world of false Worshippers whether Heathens or Nominal Christians barely for confessing to the truth of Christ and testifying against the evil lives of all Christs enemies whether such as hated the very outward name of Christ or such as named his Name and yet departed not from iniquity and were every where cursed yet blessed the cursers of them prayed for such as persecuted them intreated those that desamed and ill-intreated them and were patient silent when reviled and buffeted beaten banished as Vagabonds because for truths sake they often left their own Homes and had no certain dwelling place as seditious tumultuous disturbers of the peace because they peaceably went into Synagogues to reason and preach the Gospel of peace as turners of the world upside down because they sought to change men from their evill manners foolish customs vain inventions and wicked wayes that were abominable to God and to bring them to repentance from their dead works and worships in which their souls could never live to worship the living God who is a Spirit and not tyed to places in Spirit and in truth in the inner parts and to turn all men from the darknesse wherein they lived in the world without to the Light of Christ within themselves and from the power of Satan unto God Sometimes I say our great Gamaliels not only grant these things but also give them out for truth to the Civill Powers of the Earth most especially then and that with no small greedinesse when the Clergy of one kind feel themselves begin to be griped under the greedy clutches of the Clergy of another colour when they are likely to be imposed upon by others and to be clapped down under hatches by the Clerical cruelties of each other respectively As for example where ever the Papal or Roman or else the Presbiterian Primacy keeps the Keys spreads their Black Eagles clams over all others hath the power of permitting or poenal imposing there the Prelatick Pastoralty pleads his priviledge to have the liberty of his Liturgy he behaving himselfe no otherwise then peaceably among them Where the Episcopal Priesthood holds his Hierarchy and is Supream there as the Papal would willingly have his liberty and I blame none neither Iews Turks nor Heathens for desiring the like to walk every one in the Name of his God Mich 4. Soth that Right-rigid Scottish Presbiterian Race and that Mongrill seed of loose IndependentPresbiters are more loud for liberty then any other sort of Sectaries so called whatsoever who do all no lesse rationally then they they demeaning themselves peaceably as the very Principle of the Quakers binds them to do to all men require each the peaceable enjoyment of his Religion Church-Ministry fellowship faith and way of Worship under them When the Rabbies are ready to be Ridden one by another witnesse the Outcries once of New-England against Old when under the heat of far lesse Persecution from the Bishops then they have acted since themselves Old England it self was too hot to hold them also the present pleadings not only for their Directorian Liberties but Turpe et miserabile their very Livings Tythes Preferments and their Places now the Common Prayer Book Priesthood whom they unhorsed hath his foot in the Stirrup again and may not unlikely push the Presbiter besides the Saddle then Oh then what Hue and Cry against the bloody Tenet of Persecution and grievous groans for this desire of all Nations and People Liberty of Conscience Liberty of Conscience do we dayly hear from Smectimnuus his own as well as others mouthes Otherwhiles again yea ever when the Clergy of any one colour hath by either craft or conquest catcht the Keyes of the Kingdome and atchieved the Holy chaire they straightway clap their cruell clawes upon them to the keeping down by force of Armes more then Arguments all Liberty for any consciences but their own Then to go round again come let us sing a new Song Behold cry the Counsellers of Egypt the People of the children of Israell are more c. Exod. 1.9 10 11. As Pharoah said unto his people Behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier then we Come on let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that when there falls out any war they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the Land Therefore they did set over them Taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens and they built for Pharoah Treasure cities Pithom and Raamses Then they set Taskmasters Then say the Sanballats and Tobiasses the Ammonites and Ashdodite as they Neh. 4.1 2 7 8 11. But it came to passe that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Iews And he spake before his brethren and the