The Spirits Touchstone, To the reader
TO The Ingenuous and Honeſt-hearted READER.
IT is well known to the grief and ſorrow, and daily vexation of many righteons Lots, who daily torment themſelves for the perverſneſſe of this crooked generation amhngſt whom they dwell, that the common plea of moſt men who pretend to the knowledge of the things of God, is the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts: Never was the ſpirit ſo much cryed up in reſpect of its teachings as it is now adays,Caution. God forbid that I ſhould ſin againſt the generation of the righteous and offend one of Gods litle ones by opening my mind in ſo free a way. I am verily perſwaded God hath at peculiar people, a godly party amongſt us, moſt dear and precious unto him, who know what their generation work is; & what it is to ſerve God in ſpirit and in truth; a praying people for whoſe ſakes this very ſinful Nation laden with ſin and with iniquity is ſtill preſerved a moſt glorious Nation: By theſe therefore whom I ſo characterize in this Epiſtle underſtand thoſe overly righteous people who confining ſalvation & religion to themſelves; as if none were ſaved but they; ſet themſelvs with all their might againſt thoſe who doe not comply with them, and by oppoſing godly Magiſtracy & Miniſtry of this preſent Nation, ſeeke to extirpate both; ſo be it their ends and aims may be carried on And I am verily perſwaded had done it, had not God procured in his mercy a gracious liberty for us. Wo to thoſe who abuſe this liberty by venting forth uncouth opinions, ſtrange doctrines horrid blaſphemies, theſe perſons the Lord will conſume with the breath of his noſtrils. and never were men leſs void of the ſpirit, and beſotted with the deluſious of the Divel, and with the fancies of theis own pernicious braines then they are now: If ſelf-pride, intolerable covetouſneſs, ambition of honour, contempt of the word and Goſpel of Chriſt, diſreſpect, ſlighting, and open ſcoffing it the Miniſters of the Goſpel: If a ſecret covert-acting of prophaneſs under the cloak of religion, as to lye, to deceive, to cozen, to backbite, to revile, to reproach, to revenge, to hate, to rejoyce at the harmes of others who are far better then themſelves; and to lay wait for their falls, as if it did them a pleaſure to ſee God diſhonoured, to perſecute, to moleſt, and the like, and all this under a pretence of doing God ſervice: If want of love to the Saints of God, and to the waies of his worſhip, a not receiving of the truth in meekneſs of ſpirit: if earthly mindedneſs and a groveling in this preſent world, a not obedience to Magiſtracy and the powers ſet over us by God: If a ſlavery to the traditions and inventions of men: If a prejudice o…a heart againſt whatſoever is not ſutable to their corrupted minds: If ſelf-ſeeking (when they ſeek their own things and not the things which are of Jeſus Chriſt,) and a refuſing whatſoever they cannot apprehend, and the light within them directs them to: If an undervaluing of others, and a preferring of themſelves, when every true Chriſtian eſteems each other better then himſelf: If a proud, cenſorious, critical ſpirit interpreting and judgeing of perſons and of things, according as their blind reaſon, and ill affected minds lead them: If inconſtancy and levity of mind, ignorance, prophaneſſe and a building upon truths without any ground or foundation: If a boaſting, and bragging of an infallible ſpirit; and of the light of the ſpirit within them: If a making of ſections, parties and factions needleſly and without any cauſe, onelyonly upon the account of ſingularity; becauſe they love to be Chriſtians by themſelves, and to walk upon their own leggs, and to ſtand upon their own bottoms: If a walking contrary to the mind of the ſpirit, making the ſpirit the author of confuſion in Church and State; when meerly upon the account of the ſpirits teachings, as if theſe were a ſufficient call for a man to be an Embaſſador of Jeſus Chriſt; and therefore he muſt break his bounds; and leave that calling and ſtation God hath ſet him in; and run upon irreverent things when they are not ſent: If ſuperſtition, will-worſhip, ſacriledge; neglect of the Sacraments, of Prayer, of the Word; and of building up one another in the moſt precious faith: If a malicious frame of heart under a ſheepiſh ſanctity, for many wolviſh profeſſors are now adays in ſheeps cloathing: If an impudent, contradicting, blaſpheming ſpirit; If a perſecuting ſpirit: If an advancing of their own fictions before the pure and unſpotted word of God: If a raſh impetuous zeal not moderated with diſcretion, and the love of the truth, and of the word of God, which is rather madneſs and folly then zeal: If unbelief, Atheiſms, Hereſies, and moſt horrid blaſphemies not to be mentioned: If a living above Ordinances, without the uſe of the Word, Sacraments and Prayer: If a coldneſſe and deadneſſe in affection to the things of God; and a full bent of will to oppoſe Jeſus Chriſt in his Saints, and in his ſervants, and a continual perſiſting therein though they are condemned in their own conſciences, and ſo are like to commit that unpardonable ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt; from which ſin, I heartily beſeech God to preſerve the Quakers of theſe times, with many others who ſin againſt the light of their own conſciences: If a hating of the power of godlineſs, and of the pure worſhip of God: If a want of ſelf-denial, and daily bearing the croſs of Chriſt: If an Apoſtacy from the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints; If a ſetting up of falſe doctrines under the pretence of new diſcoveries: If we are not fallen into the laſt times of the world, wherein that place is too much verified, wherein men ſhall be covetous, lovers of themſelves, boaſters, proud, blaſphemers, 2 Tim. 3.1.2, 3, 4, 5.diſobedient to parents, unthankeful, unholy; Without natural affection, truce-breakers, falſe accuſers, incontinent, fierce, deſpiſers of thoſe that are good, Traytors heady, high-minded, lovers of pleaſures more then lovers of God; Having a form of Godlineſs, but denying the power of it. If theſe things be ſo, as it is too apparent to the grief of many righteous perſons, who weep in ſecret for the iniquity of the times; then we may as truly ſay, that Turks, Infidels, and Pagans have the teachings of the ſpirit upon their hearts; as the moſt part of our luke-warm, proud, opinionative, and carnally-minded profeſſors have; Such evil principles and wicked practiſes as are now amongſt thoſe that goe for Saints cannot agree with the bleſſed ſpirit. I am verily perſwaded that if once the furnace of affliction ſhould wax hot again; and Chriſt ſhould come to ſift England again by the red fiery flaming ſword of perſecution; and bring us under the hatchet; and under the hand of Tyrannical perſecutors; and ſhould come to purge his floor to diſtinguiſh between the precious, and the vile; between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not; between him that ſerveth him out of an upright heart, and him that ſerveth him but under a colour and pretence: I am verily perſwaded that the greateſt part of profeſting Chriſtians now adays, who make ſuch a fair ſhew in the fleſh, who ſeem ſo beautiful and glorious in the outſide; who are ſo hot at the firſt onſet, and taking up a form of religion, who pretend ſo much to the work of the ſpirit upon their hearts; if they were ſingled out to undergoe the fiery tryal would fall the fowleſt in the fleſh. No outward priviledge or benefit can afford a man any comfort under an afflicted condition but onelyonly the ſenſe of the love of God unto us in Jeſus Chriſt by an act of the ſpirit ſealing it to our ſouls is a certain ſign that we ſhall continue unto the end. For who God loves once, he loves to the end. And thoſe whom God loves, God will preſerve unto himſelf as a peculiar treaſure, as precious jewels in his cabinet ſecretly; and will make their mountains ſtrong, as ſtrong as Mount Sion which ſhall never be moved, that their faith and confidence ſhall be in the Lord Jehovah for ever and ever. I beſeech thee Chriſtian, for the good of thy ſoul to ſeparate thy ſelf from theſe deceiving creatures; let not their hypocriſy, their jugling with the world, and their own conſciences though they cannot mock God, their ſeeming ſanctity, their pretended piety, their high notions and deep interpretations far fetch from the ſimplicity of the truth which neither they themſelves, nor others well underſtand delude thee? while they lay claim to the ſpirit, they are in the bonds of iniquity: Conſider whether they have the ſpirit before thou cloſeſt with their ſayings for truth; that they are taught by the Spirit of Chriſt, and that the light of the ſpirit reſide within them. Are they regenerated, born again, and renewed by the Spirit of Chriſt? Do they grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt? Have they the witneſs of Gods Spirit concurring with their ſpirits that they are the children of God? Doth the ſpirit help their infirmities? Was ever the ſpirit of prayer and ſupplicatton powred forth upon them? Have they the preventing grace, the renewing grace, the eſtabliſhing grace, the comforting grace, the quickning grace, the healing grace, the directive grace of the ſpirit? Do they love the brethren becauſe they are brethren, and one with thee in Jeſus Chriſt, or becauſe they are of ſuch an opinion? Do they acknowledge the ſpirit in others; and magnifie Gods goodneſs unto their ſoul? Did the ſpirit ever rarifie the ſcorching heat of their burning luſts? Did the ſanctifying influences of the ſpirit ever deſcend upon their hearts? Did the ſpirit ever ſoften their hard hearts,Cant. 7.7. fructifie their barren ſouls? The breſts of the ſpouſe are like cluſters of grapes.Cant. 4 16 Did the ſpirit ever blow upon their gardens that the ſpices thereof may ſend forth a precious ſmell in the noſtrils of God? Do they bring forth fruits unto holineſs, that their end might be everlaſting life? Did the ſpirit ever quench the fire of hell within their conſciences by powring in the ſweet oyl of conſolation made up of the blood of Chriſt? Did the ſpirit ever cleanſe their conſciences from dead works that they may ſerve the everliving God:Heb. 9.14. Ez. 36.25. The ſpirit is reſembled by water. I will pour clean water upon you, and you ſhall be clean. It is the nature of water, to molifie, to fructifie, to quench, to cleanſe and purifie: what zeal, what heat, what ardency of ſpirit, what kindlings of affections are there in them towards God, and the waies of his worſhip? what lights do they hang abroad to others, that others ſeeing their good works might glorifie God? and what progreſs do they make in Chriſtianity; with what eagerneſs of ſpirit as if they were ſerious for their ſouls good do they lay hold on eternal life; Nay rather, do they not ſtand ſtill, as if they had already obtained perfection, when they are on the declining hand. In fire there is heat, brightneſs and motion.Ex. 13.22. What Dove-like qualifications have they? Doth the ſpirit of meekneſs, of love, and of a ſound mind reſide amongſt them; The ſpirit of peace, of unity, of gentleneſs, of fear, of ſonlike obedience to the commands of God? The Spirit of God came down in the form of a dove upon our bleſſed Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.Mat. 3.16. Were they ever truly affected with Gods diſtinguiſhing love and mercy in that his Spirit ſhould teach them, as they ſay, and let others lie in darkneſs? Did the ſpirit drive away from amongſt them the duſt and the chaff of their vain and frothy minds? Did the ſpirit ever enable them to overcome the bent of their natural inclinations? If Socrates by the help of moral inſtructions was able to bridle his looſe diſpoſition: much more may they who are taught by the ſpirit. Did the ſpirit ever make, them of unwilling willing to receive Jeſus Chriſt, and to take his yoke upon them? The Spirit is reſembled by the wind; which in its blowing is arbitrary,Joh. 3.8. irreſiſtible, full of might and efficacy ſcattering the duſt, and diſpolling the clouds. Do their hearts burn within them at the hearing of the things of God, as the two diſciples hearts did, with whom Chriſt had conference after his reſurrection? The Spirit of God came down upon the brethren in the form of fiery flaming tongues. It is an eaſie thing for a man to ſay he is taught, and enlightned by the Spirit of God; but how few are they that are ſo indeed? Beloved Chriſtian, I have given thee ſome light into this myſtery concerning the teachings of the Spirit, which if improved by thee, will bring much comfort to thy precious ſoul, and much joy to him who is thine, and the truths friend.
I R.