OCR Text |
Show • 6oli OJ the General Role, 19'c. VoL. I. 16n t:lc of Men m their own un{an{/ifi(d Spinu, S1rength and WJfl were rr~ ~ quired and accepted of God for EvangehCJl \¥or/hip. Thtck DJtkncis, and a Dangerous Prcfumpcion! Thus are Men 011t of the Way conccr~1ng both Faith :tnd Praflice, to he jn an Affcnt of rhe Uudetftandmg tv fuch Propofittons, and m an Imirauon of former Obferv_anons._ that ?tete at heft but S1gns of good Thtngs ro come, aftd the Duues of Surijce (wh1ch is far from the EmtllllJlllei-State) And the latter, vzz the ~11/e <~nd Judge to be the Scnptures; which i~ but an Account of thofe Thtngs that othets were Ruled to, and Direlted 1n by the Holy Spmt, before they wue C\et Recorded or rn:J.de Scripture J and no other Rule or Judge can fo Regulate: For as the Fartb and Expenenu, to the Rule an~ .Judge of thJt Fanh and that Experience muft he One. God by ~1s S~r!t begets F:mh, God by his Spmt rules Faith, and governs the Life of h1s Ch1ldren; for 1u 11'111!1J 1om;S, 14, re CIJ11dren of God are led by rbe Spult of God. The Scnpmre, much •S· ( ~r is but a Declarauon of Faith and Experience , therefore not The ~ • .f/ or Judge: For as Faith and Experience were hefort Scr}ptu~e; becaufe as 1 faid before, there mull be a Rule and Judge wh.ere there ts Faith; rh~rc~ fore the Scripture is not That Rule or Judge: And before tha.t Declar:mon be anfwered or fulfilled by any, they muft come ~o t~e !m~h, Rule lr:d Judge of which Tbt~t is a Declaration: So that Faith u yrt/J'~B. up ro ~be Requ.i;ings of God't Spirit in 11s, in /1111 .A.ffur~'ttce of rhe. Remij)io'tt of Sms that are pafl, through tbt Son of his Love and Life Evtr!njlt'!_g; _from whence daily flow Works of Holinefs well-pleafing to God; wh1ch 1S more t~an a meer Jl..ffent of the Underftandi!lg. to a verbal, t.hough. a true P~opofiu9n. Again; The Life of a Tn~e Chnitian ~ands no~ 10 .Bod1ly Exercif~, wh1~h fiys the Apoftle profits lade: Nor tn an bmtatzo,z of the AnCients .m 1 Tjm.4.8. Q)f, 2. 20. .,, 22,21· Gal.~.16,. 22,2]. Temporary and Shadowy Things, which the Hypoc.ti.te as wei} as the Sa1nr can do; But in Se/fdtnia/ ~nd walk~ng ~~~ the Splflf, to br!n~ forth rl.:e Fruits t1Jereof unto all Godl~n~fs, w~t~h IS rh~ Pure and ,Sptntual ObedJ· ence, refulting from the Ltvmg Spmtual Fauh of Gods Elea, an~. the Rule and Judge thereof, is thdr Author and Beget~er, even the. Spmt of Truth which alone gives faving Underft::mding, Fauh and Obedience, and fearch~th the deep Things of God. . . 0 you Profeff'ors of Religion, that you would but fenoufiy wc1gh thefe Thingi, and examine yc.ur felvei in God's Sight (for he refpet_l:s none for their Fair Oudide) If this Saving Faith be your Faich, and thls Heavenly Life be your Life, and if the Holy Spirit bt your Ruler and Le111ler? If n_or, you are but Legal, Formal, and in the Oldnefs o~ the Letter, and W1.ll~ worfhippers which obtains not with God: In wb1ch State, not the Wlf dom from ;bove, but that wh.ich is from belo~, of the Old Crea~ure, IS your Rule: In it you tead Scuptute, Expound u, Pray, ?reach, Smgand Perform all your Duties; and this i,s .n_ot to walk nccordrng to the Rule of Gal. 6. r6. tbe New CreJture; but in a Legal Spuit to make a ~ofpel-Profefiion, the Prov. 6, 21· End of which from the .Lord, I am to tell you, will be a Bed of Sonow. Therefore Refi'n not the Light and Spirit within, but Tu.rn at t.he R:proof thereof that yo». may come to walk in the Way of l.tfe, Da1ly L~fe to your &,uls, that fo you m~y be q.uickned .and. made al!ve to ~od .m ~~~ your Duties, and live to htm. wh1le you hve m. that Ltfe, whtch lS btd with Chrift in God ; thJt bemg thus born agatn, and .. b~~ome Rene\~ed in your inwatd Man, you may perform that Pure and SptntuJl ':Vorfh~t>; which is ef :1 fweet Savour with the Lotd; fo (hall he ble(<> you With His Heavenly Bleffings, and daily replenil'h your S?uls whh the unfpeak~ able Joys of his Love and SJlvation. This I heartily defirc, ~~d through all Difficulties incelfantly Travel for, in Body, Soul and Sptm, that the All-wife, Good, Omnipotent God may be Known, Served and Obeyed by you, to your Comfort, and His Eternal HQnour, wh.o alone is worchy to receive it, now and for ever, Anun.. WILq;\M PENN. i. To the Council and Senate of the City of EMBIYElf 1 ,674• Tbe King of Kings, and Lord of Lmls, w/10 is God of aD the F,.iJifl Of ~ rbc Etlrth, incline yol!r Helfrts to }ujliu, Mer'cy, 4114. trutb. T HE Noife of your .Ievere Treattne,!\t of feveial Perfon1 that ar'~)n. habitaniS of your State, reproachfully termed Q,U AKERS; ;'l\t reached thefe Parts, and filled feveral with Compaffion and Surprife: m~ paffioR, to hear of th~ ¥ Miferi.es of Men Innocent :in~ Upright, agajn~ whom you have nothtng_ to obJefi, bqt the pure Ekercife Of their Copf~t~ ence to God: Surprife, That you, 3 Prot.ejiNnt·Stau, thould employ'y?Jlf eivil Power co deter, punifh and gtievoufly affii£t Men for anfweriqg tfi.e Convillions of their Confciences, and A8:ing according to the beft of t~eir Underftandings. Methinks you fhould not be oblivi9us of your own. Co!j" dition in the Loyns of your Anceftors, who, you think, Wirh grea_t Re:tfop and Jufiice ftrenuoutly advocated the Caufe o( Libert(' of Conflience: a· s_ain the Pope's Bulls and the Spnnifh ln~uifition; how did they AntjcbTi.' jtian all Force on Confciente or Punifhment fo~ Non-conforlflity? fheir oW~ many and large Apologies, a·nd particularly their Pemands at the Diet~ of Norimberg and Spirn, ~re pregnan.t Proofs in the Cafe ; a'hd your Prall}~ doth not lc:lfep the We1ght of t~e~r.R,eafons; on the coqtrary, it aggravosres your Unkindnefs, let me fay, ln]ulhce. _ . .,. rl) Prottft<~nts (and fuc.h you Glory. to be thought) got,their Name by prq· teft:ing agamft lmpofinons; and will you turn Impofers?. They coridemnc::d it; and will you praUife it? They th9uglrt it a Mark peculiar to tho4eaRl and can you repute it the Care of a Chrij}i11n Magiftqcy? I mea~ ,6~1 Perfons muft not live under yo\tr GovernUienf, unlefs they re~e~ve 1yq'?i Mark in theiil Fore~head or Right·hand? Wh'ich in Plaiper 'te.rrns ts; ig fubmit their Confciences to your EdiHs·, and to a_/1: yo11r Leave, r.ob<Zt R.t'!i• gi1111 tbey jhould b•_ of . Remember, that Faitb;, tbe Gift of God; and, r,!JlF What is nat of Faub 11 Srn: Nothing can be more tJ.nteafonable, th:u; tq compel Men to believe againft their Belie~. ortououbfe t~em .for prafiifint;· what they believe, when it thwart!i not rn11 Moraf taw of God. _. You doubtlefs take you! felves ro be Chriftia:-~s, a9d wpuld e~~~m i~ nc\ little Injury to be otherwtfe.reprefenttd; yet what m~rt;. Unchn~n, shan to ufe external Fore~, to fwa!} the-Confc1ences of Men :JbqU.t th,e E:xqr~:.ifo of Religious Worfh1p. . 1 C H R 1ST fefuo, tho- Lord and Authol of the Chrll,tian Religfqp; cen· futed his own Difciples, that would have had Fire from i{eaven to ~c:ftroY. thofe that conformed not to what their ble!fed Mafter taught: Arc you furer of your Religion? Are you better Chriftians ? 0~ have you mor.oChriftian Aathoriry, than they that were the chofe,n Witnelfes of Jofust However remember, they- ca-lled but- for Fire from Hdven; and can you kindle Fire on Eanh to devour them? Them, I fay1 that are of your oWn Peop1e meerly for their r~ligious Difl'ent from you? DOubtlefs, if that was th~n thought no fie Ar'gtl~ent to induce Men to Conformity by hin:l th<tt was wifer than Solo1fHI!I, tt refieas &ready upon yqur Modefty ancr Prudence, that~ ·you fhould find out n~w- Ways; or rather old exploded ones to elfea fo ill a Defign. Befides, you do not far, y,ou know all you ought to knoW, or that there< is n·othing farther to be ... reveal"ed; have a: Care· therefore, that you perfecute QOt Angels, bf be1ng harfh to that which you cal) frrange: Think not ill, m~c~ lefs fpelk, and leatl of all * Our ACCil\l-[1~ f;~Js, rome vrecmeUy_Wten by-Order; odttrt-hattifhed>J fome.put- ~a Dungeon, and fed with Bread and Water only; feferal fined &rea.ter Sumt of M.9f1e:y, tt is thou.ht, th;ut they INa to P'iUJij Iii i |