Pretence of Leading Out of Formality

View in Source Document Therefore lend not your Ears, (I beseech you) unto that in any, or in your selves, that would (under pretence of Formality in Times and Places) draw you aside, from the good and blessed Testimony of Assembling your selves together, to wait upon your God; and what there is in any of you that would not condescend unto each other as Brethren, is not of the nature of the true Birth, but must by it be subdued: And as that ariseth and prevails in and among you, so will you again feel the Lord Ministring to his own in you, and your Eyes will be open to see the Wiles of our subtle Adversary more clearly; who though he may appear masked, with a shew of more Holiness, with a Promise of further Glory, higher Dispensations, new Discoveries, yea, and with a Pretence of leading out of Formality into the Power; and many such Baits and Snares. Yet my Dearly Beloved, beware of such Pretence, for he comes but to bring you dis-esteem of what you have received, and to draw forth the Expectation after something else; that so you might be robbed and spoiled of your Portion …

Presence of God in Formality

View in Source Document But meet together on the First Days, and on the others Days, as formerly you have been led, and the former blessing and Presence of God will be felt among you; which some not feeling, have gone in Questionings and {Page 253} Reasonings, to their own Harm.

One Manner of Doctrine

View Passage in Source Document And therefore my dearly Beloved in the Lord Jesus, I charge you all to wait in the same Eternal Light of Jesus which at the beginning was a sure Guide unto you, and led you in the form of Sound and Uncondemnable Speech, and into an In-offensive Life towards all People, and made you watch how to ease the Burthens of the Oppressed, and so through Believing ye were preserved. Therefore by Doubting, let not any be shaken nor removed, though the Enemy in these Days hath prepared the Seeds, Men Of Doubts and Questionings, as well as ye have known them that have sown the Word of Faith and Soundness, yet know them asunder, whenever they appear; for the Ministers of Righteousness have from the beginning sown but one manner of Doctrine, and in that you have received us, and we have sought to establish you, both in the Power and Form of Truth: Now, whosoever strikes at either, is a Seducer, and if any lets in his Doctrine, it will cause Divisions among you; and when you are divided, then the Carnality will arise, to feed and maintain the Division; and so your Love to God will wax colder, and Iniquity will inavoidably abound, which separates from God, and scatters from the true Church, and brings the Soul into desolation: And that which draws forth the Mind about Days, and Places, and outward things, leads into Animosities and Heats; whereupon false Fire come sometimes to be offered up. Oh my Friends, my Heart is broken in remembrance of you, and what the Lord hath done for you, and how he made you a dread to the Heathen, when ye retained the Love and Simplicity that ye learned in Christ.