Some things relating to religion, proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society, (so termed) to wit, concerning the right ground of certainty therein, concerning tenderness of spirit, and persecution, a query concerning separation, concerning washing away sin from the conscience, and the garment of salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith : likewise, some questions and answers concerning the church of the New-Covenant, the rock of foundation whereon it is built, and its preservation by and upon the rock : with some queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the church, and concerning that church which got up in the view of the world, instead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true church, though indeed and truth she was not so : whereunto are added, some queries to professors, who speak of high attainments, &c. / written by ... Isaac Penington.

Some things relating to religion, proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society, (so termed) to wit, concerning the right ground of certainty therein, concerning tenderness of spirit, and persecution, a query concerning separation, concerning washing away sin from the conscience, and the garment of salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith : likewise, some questions and answers concerning the church of the New-Covenant, the rock of foundation whereon it is built, and its preservation by and upon the rock : with some queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the church, and concerning that church which got up in the view of the world, instead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true church, though indeed and truth she was not so : whereunto are added, some queries to professors, who speak of high attainments, &c. / written by ... Isaac Penington.

Some things relating to religion, proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society, (so termed) to wit, concerning the right ground of certainty therein, concerning tenderness of spirit, and persecution, a query concerning separation, concerning washing away sin from the conscience, and the garment of salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith : likewise, some questions and answers concerning the church of the New-Covenant, the rock of foundation whereon it is built, and its preservation by and upon the rock : with some queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the church, and concerning that church which got up in the view of the world, instead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true church, though indeed and truth she was not so : whereunto are added, some queries to professors, who speak of high attainments, &c. / written by ... Isaac Penington.

Table of contents

Title page

To the Royal Society, ſo termed.

Of Certainty, and rightly grounded Aſſurance, in matters of Religion.

Of Tenderneſs of Spirit, and Perſecution.

A Query concerning Separation.

Concerning the waſhing away of Sin from the Conſcience, and the Garment of Salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith.

Some Queſtions and Anſwers concerning the Church of the New-Covenant, the Rock or Foundation whereupon it is built, and its preſervation by and upon the Rock. With ſome Queries concerning the ſcattered eſtate of the true Church, and concerning that Church which got up in its ſtead, and made a great ſhow with her Golden Cup, for the time while the true Church was ſcattered.

Some Queries to Profeſſors, who ſpeak of high attainments and experiences in Religion, and yet do not witneſs nor can acknowledg the truth, as the Lord hath now revealed it (and done great things by it in the Spirits of his People) but look upon it as a poor, mean and low thing.

§

[Page]

[Page]

SOME THINGS Relating to RELIGION, Propoſed to the conſideration of the Royal Society, (So termed) to wit, Concerning the right Ground of Certainty therein. Concerning Tenderneſs of Spirit, and Perſecution. A Query Concerning Separation. Concerning waſhing away Sin from the Conſcience; and the Garment of Salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith.

Likewiſe, Some Queſtions and Anſwers concerning the Church of the New-Covenant, the Rock or Foundation whereon it is built, and its preſervation by and upon the Rock. With ſome Queries concerning the ſcattered and hidden eſtate of the Church; and concerning that Church which got up in the view of the world, inſtead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if ſhe had been the true Church, though indeed and truth ſhe was not ſo.

Whereunto are added, Some QUERIES to Profeſſors, who ſpeak of high Attainments, &c.

Written by one, whom it hath pleaſed the Lord (of his great goodneſs and tender mercy) to lead out of the darkneſs, into his marvellous Light; known among men by the name of ISAAC PENINGTON,

Printed in the Year, 1668.

To the Royal Society, ſo termed.

[Page]

[Page]

FRIENDS,

I Have heard that ye are ſeeking after the excellency of Nature and Learning. I am not for diſcouraging any Man in endeavouring after that which is good, uſeful and excellent in its kind and place: But it is the advantage of everything, to know and abide in its place, and to honour and ſerve him from whom all good Gifts and Endowments come. Man hath but a moment in this world, and he is here no more; and then the ſpirit returneth to God that gave it, to give an account of the Talent which he gave it, and its improvement thereof to the Glory of him that gave it, and to the ſalvation of its own ſoul. Now this Talent is of an higher kind than Nature, and will lead higher than Nature, giving a man to partake of that wiſdom from which Nature came; and teaching him to order all that is natural, to its right end: For God is not an Enemy to Nature, but to the corruption and diſorder of Nature. I deſire ye might know and partake of the true wiſdom, and feel union with God in the principle of his own Life, and in the incorruptible and Heavenly ſeed of God receive dominion over the earthly and corruptible. For this end ſingly, in the love ſpringing up in my heart towards you (as it often doth, both towards particular perſons and Societies: For I am a friend to all, and a lover of all, ſincerely deſiring the good of all, and the right guidance of their ſouls to happineſs) have I propoſed theſe things following more particularly to your view, though they concern others alſo, that ye thereby might be awakened to ſearch after that which is moſt excellent in you, and be acquainted with the vertue and precious effects thereof, to the full ſatisfaction and compleat joy of your ſouls, in that which alone is able fully to ſatisfie, and give them ground of durable joy and rejoycing in that which is not of a periſhing nature, but which was, and is, and will be the ſame for ever.

From a friend to the everlaſting Peace of your ſouls, and a deſirer of your welfare and proſperity in this world, ISAAC PENINGTON.

Of Certainty, and rightly grounded Aſſurance, in matters of Religion.

[Page]

THERE is a Witneſs of, and from God in every Conſcience, which in his Light, Power and Authority witneſſeth for him, and againſt that which is contrary to him, as he pleaſeth to move upon it, viſiting and drawing the hearts of the ſons of men by it.

From this Witneſs proceeds the true and well-grounded Religion in the mind towards God. For this Witneſs both teſtifieth and demonſtrateth, that there is a God; and alſo, inclineth the mind to deſire and ſeek after the right knowledg and true worſhip of him.

And ſuch who keep to this Witneſs, and wait upon God therein, are taught by it the true ſpiritual worſhp, the true and pure fear of the Moſt High; the Faith which he giveth to his Saints, the Love which is chaſt and unſeigned, the Hope which purifieth the mind, and Anchors it on the eternal Rock; the meekneſſe, patience, gentleneſs, humility, &c. which is not of man's nature; but the gift of God, and the Nature of the Heavenly Giver. And then for exerciſes of Religion, as praying to the Father of Spirits, hearing the Heavenly voice, reading in the Spirit, and with the renewed Underſtanding, Singing, and making melody in the heart (and alſo with the voice) to the Lord, as his life is felt, and the ſpiritual bleſſings and treaſure received; all theſe, and whatever elſe is judged neceſſary for the ſoul; are taught by this Witneſs of God in the Conſcience, as the Soul groweth up in the Light, Spirit, Nature, and Holy Power thereof.

[Page] But now, when the Lord reacheth to his Witneſs in men, and is teaching their hearts by it; then the Enemy, the other Spirit, whoſe ſeat is in the other part, keepeth a noiſe there, to overbear the voice of the Witneſs, and to make men take up Religion in another part, which is ſhallow, and reacheth not to the depth and weight of truth, which is in the Witneſs of God, and which the Witneſs of God gives to them that come thither.

Thus the Enemy ſtirreth up Reaſonings, Imaginations and Conſultations about God and his Worſhip, wherein he raiſeth up the vain ſhallow mind, forging and bringing forth ſomewhat pleaſing and ſuitable to the earthly underſtanding, taking up the mind therewith, and engaging the heart in ſome ſuch practiſes therefrom, as may quiet and ſatisfie that part in men. For the wayes that men take up in their reaſonings and underſtandings, ſatisfie their reaſonings and underſtandings; and ſo they walk in the light of the ſparks, and warm themſelves by the fire of their own kindling: But all this anſwers not the Witneſs of God in them, nor will be approved by his Light in their own Conſciences, when it comes again to be revealed and made manifeſt in them.

This was the ground of the error both of the Jews and Gentiles.

The Gentiles were enlightned by God with his true light; what might be known of God (ſuitable to their ſtate and capacity) being manifeſted in them, inſomuch as it is witneſſed concerning them in the Scriptures, (which are a true record and teſtimony) That they knew God. But when they knew him, they glorified him not as God, but became vain in their imaginations, and ſo their fooliſh heart was darkned concerning him; and they worſhipped him not as the Witneſs taught them he was to be worſhipped; not according to the manifeſtation of his Light in them, but according to their own fooliſh imaginations and reaſonings, which taught them to make Images of him, and ſo to worſhip him in and through creatures, according to their own inventions, which is not the true worſhip, Rom. 1. 21, 22, 23.

[Page] So likewiſe the Jewes, not keeping to the manifeſtation of his Light within them (to the Word or Commandment nigh in the mouth and heart, to which Moſes directed them) which would have taught and enabled them to have kept to the Law of the Letter without them, they alſo ran into the Nature and Spirit of the Heathen, and fell into imaginings and reaſonings, which led them to worſhip like them: Inſomuch that they alſo changed their glory, into the image of an Oxe that eateth graſs, Pſal. 106. 20.

Now from this part in man ariſeth all the uncertainty, and doubts and diſſatisfaction about Religion. And hence ariſe the Opinions, and Judgments, and Reaſonings in the minds of men. Yea, indeed the beſt of Mens Religion here, is but an opinion or judgment, which the breath of God's Spirit will ſhake and diſſolve every where, ſooner or later. All fleſh is graſs, and all the beauty of men's Knowledg, Religion and Worſhip here, will wither like graſs. All the buildings and Churches that are raiſed here (how beautiful ſoever) are but Babylon, built by man's underſtanding, by man's knowledg, by man's comprehenſion, by man's wiſdom, by man's skill, and indeed in man's will and time: And their ſtanding, beauty, ſtrength and glory, is but from man, and in man's day; and will fade away like a Flower.

But the true certainty is in the day of God, from the Light of his ſpirit ſhining into man's ſpirit, from God's inward reaching to his heart by his power, and teſtifying his truth there. And this all the powers of darkneſs cannot prevail againſt in it ſelf, no, nor againſt that man that is kept to it. For it is the Rock (the only Rock) upon which the whole Church is built, and which cannot fail to preſerve every member of the Church, which is built upon it.

Ye then, which would come to certainty in Religion, obſerve the way, which is made manifeſt from God in this our day, bleſſed be his name, which is this: Mind the Witneſs of God in thy heart, and come to, and build upon the Light thereof. Dwell not [Page] in reaſonings, take not up thy Religion in reaſonings of the mind; but paſs through them, paſs beyond them into a light of an higher nature. Wait to know the birth which is from God, and the light which he gives to that birth. What is the birth? Is not the birth of, and from the ſecond Adam? And what is the Heavenly birth's light? Is it not the light of the ſecond Adam? Is it not in nature and kind above the light of the firſt Adam? Where is the ſeat of reaſonings? Is it not the earthly mind, the fallen mind? Here lies man's ſtrength. Here is man's wiſdom. Here is man's life. It is ſo indeed. But the wiſdom of Chriſt, the light of Chriſt, the life of Chriſt, the power of Chriſt, is a croſs to this; finds it in the enmity againſt God, crucifies it, ſlays it, brings it to nothing; and he that will become wiſe as to God, muſt become a Fool unto all this, a Child, a Babe, entring the Kingdom without this, and muſt there remain naked as to this, and never put it on more.

Now obſerve (ye that have underſtanding and true ſenſe) the difference between the Religion which God hath taught us, and led us into, and the Religions of all men upon the Earth beſides. Our Religion ſtands wholly out of that, which all their Religion ſtands in. Their Religion ſtands in the Comprehenſion, in a belief of a litteral relation or deſcription. Our Religion ſtands in a Principle, which changeth the mind, wherein the Spirit of Life appeareth to, and witneſſeth in the Conſcience to and and concerning the things of the kingdom; where we hear the voice, and ſee the expreſs Image of the inviſible One, and know things not from an outward relation, but from their inward nature, vertue and power. Yea, here (we muſt profeſs) we ſo know things, that we are fully ſatisfied about them, and could not doubt concerning them, though there had never been word or letter written of them: though indeed it is alſo a great comfort and ſweet refreſhment to us, to read that teſtified of outwardly, which (through the tender mercy of our God) we feel and enjoy inwardly. And in this our whole Religion conſiſts, to wit, In the ſilence and death of the [Page] fleſh, and in the quickning and flowing life of the ſpirit. For he who is of the new-Birth, of the new-Creation, of the ſecond Adam (the Lord from Heaven) is as really alive to God, and as really lives to him in his ſpirit, as ever he was really dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, in the time of his alienation and eſtrangement from God.

Of Tenderneſs of Spirit, and Perſecution.

He which is born of God, he who is of the Love, and dwells in the Love, cannot but be tender. He who is born of the earthly Wiſdom, who taketh up and holdeth forth a Religion there, cannot but perſecute. Why ſo? Becauſe he cannot but judg, that any man may take up Religion as he hath done, and ſo by reaſonings may come to acknowledg and take up, what he hath taken up and holdeth forth, or elſe he is wilful and ſtubborn, as he judgeth. But now, he that is born of God, and hath received his Light, Knowledg, Religion and way of Worſhip from him; He knoweth that no man can rightly receive them, but the ſame way, to wit, from God, by the Light which he cauſeth to ſhine into the heart at his pleaſure, and in the Faith which he gives. So that God's free and powerful ſpirit is to be waited upon, for the working of all in his people, and not any forced to act beyond or contrary to the Principle of his Life and Light in them.

A Query concerning Separation.

Quer. Whether after the Apoſtacy from the Spirit, Life and Power of the Apoſtles, and the getting up of the Antichriſtian ſtate, Church and Worſhip, there muſt not of neceſſity be a ſeparation from all theſe, before there can be a recovery of the Life and Power again, and of the true Churchſtate, [Page] which was brought forth in the daies of the Apoſtles? Muſt there not be a perfect coming out of the corrupt ſtate (in the whole nature, ſeveral parts and degrees of it) before there can be a reſtoration to and witneſſing of the true and pure ſtate? Muſt not the Chriſtians now come out of all the Antichriſtian Inventions and Churches, as well as the Chriſtians of old came out of all the Heatheniſh worſhips, yea out of the Jewiſh worſhip and Church (which once was of God) before they can become an holy building and habitation to God in the ſpirit? Yea doth not the ſame ſpirit, which cryed to the people of God then, Come out from among them, and be ye ſeparate &c. call and cry now, Come out of her, my people, out of Babylon, out of the falſe Church, out of all the Antichriſtian buildings, which are reared up after the ſeveral forms and waies of mens inventing, but out of the ſpirit, life and power, which alone is able to build up in and unto the Lord? And what is that which cries out againſt ſeparation, in this day of the Lord's dividing and ſeparating, but that ſpirit which would hold back the ſoul, from being gathered to the Lord, in the Chains of darkneſs and in the Land of death and confuſion?

O that men knew that which divides and ſeparates, and which is appointed by God to divide and ſeparate both inwardly and outwardly, and might feel the full work and effect of it, even perfect ſeparation from all that is not of God, that ſo they might be joyned to him and built up in him, who is the life, reſt, peace, joy and pure breath of the ſoul for ever! The word of God is quick and powerful, ſharper than any two-edged Sword, and what doth it do? Why, it ſeparates between Nation and Nation, between Church and Church, between People and People, between Cattel and Cattel, between Soul and Soul, yea between the thoughts and intents of the ſame heart, owning and cheriſhing all that is of the pure, and condemning and deſtroying all that is of [Page] the impure. And happy, O for ever happy is he, who can witneſs the work of this word perfected in his ſoul, even the Axe of the Lord powerfully laid to and having cut down all that is corrupt in him, that the pure plant of God may flouriſh and bring forth fruit in him in peace, without Annoyance or Interruption of the impure. Then the River of Life as the Streams of everlaſting Righteouſneſs ſhall flow into his veſſel, and Jeruſalem become in and to him a quiet habitation, and nothing be able to hurt or deſtroy any thing of Life in him, who dwells in and abides on the Mountain of God's Holineſs. O bleſſed is the Race of Travellers, which in the pure Light of the everlaſting day are travelling thitherwards, even with their hearts and faces faithfully bent towards Sion, which is the Holy, Spiritual, Heavenly Hill of God! And bleſſed, O bleſſed for ever, is the Lord God of Life and Power, who is the Faithful Guider, Leader and Conducter, of all that follow the footſteps of the flock, in the way which is Pure, True, Living and Everlaſting.

Concerning the waſhing away of Sin from the Conſcience, and the Garment of Salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith.

There is ſomewhat appointed by God to waſh away Sin, which is the Water of Regeneration, the Water of Life, the Spirit's Water, and the Blood of the Lamb, which are known, received and felt by Faith in the Light of the Spirit, wherein alone his work is wrought.

Thus now, upon believing the Soul is waſhed. The Faith brings in or lets in the Water and Blood, which cleanſe and purge the Conſcience from the Sin, which before ſtained and defiled it: And according to the Faith, ſo is the Water and Blood let in, and accordingly is the waſhing. And he that [Page] is baptized, he that is waſhed by the ſpirit, comes out of the water clean, and watching to the Light wherein he was purified, witneſſeth the powerful word of Life as able to preſerve in cleanneſs, as it was to cleanſe.

But if there be not a watch to, and Faith in and ſingle-hearted obedience to that which purified and keepeth pure, there is that near which will defile, where it is hearkned to and let in, there is that which will tempt to luſt and ſin, and ſo draw into darkneſs and death again. And if any man ſin afterwards, ſin defiles again, and the ſtain thereof will lye upon the Conſcience, till by Repentance and Faith the Water and Blood be let in again, and the cleanſing vertue from it received and reſtored again. So if But this is not the ſtate of them that ſin wilfully after they have received the knowledg of the truth. any man ſin, there is an Advocate, an Interceſſor, a divine Helper, one who hath the Water of Life and the Blood of Life to waſh with. There is a Fountain ſet open for Sin and for Uncleanneſs, for Judah and Jeruſalem to waſh therefrom: But every defilement and pollution ſticks, until it be waſhed off.

Now there are ſins of ſeveral kinds. Some are eaſily remitted and waſhed off, inſomuch as the ſtain is hardly felt by the Soul, the tender Mercy and pure Life doth ſo readily and naturally flow over them. Some again are long held and bound by the Spirit upon the Conſcience, and often remembred to the heart which is apt to backſlide: Yea there is in ſome caſes a ſevere judgment, and a long waiting on the Lord for his mercy, and for his renewing and enlivening of Faith, before the Water and Blood which waſheth can be again felt. For Faith is not in a Man's power, nor Repentance neither; but they are given of God to whom and when he pleaſeth. And a man that is in part converted, may give ear to the Enemy, and let in ſin and death upon his ſoul: but he cannot repent again preſently, nor believe again preſently, but as [Page] God breathes upon him, and revives the work of Faith and Repentance in him.

There were Sins under the Old Covenant, and there are Sins under the New, or againſt the Law of the New. The Sins of the Old Covenant did lie upon him that committed them, until they were expiated according to the Law of the Old Covenant. And Sins under the New Covenant lie alſo upon the Soul and Conſcience, until they be expiated according to the Law of the New Covenant, which is until the Advocate interpoſe and plead with the Father, and give Faith and Repentance to the Soul, and ſprinkle upon the heart and conſcience that Water and Blood which hath vertue in it to waſh. And if it were not for this after-waſhing (as I may ſo ſay) no man could be ſaved: But though he were once waſhed, yet ſinning again afterwards he would die in his ſins (and ſo under Condemnation) unleſs he were again waſhed. O bleſſed be the name of the Lord for the Water and Blood of the Covenant, and for his continual pouring them out upon the ſouls of his, in the Light that is Eternal!

Now as men come to the truth as it is in Jeſus, they will find their own apprehenſions about theſe things to have been but dreams, wherewith the Enemy hath fed and pleaſed them, while he hath lulled them aſleep in the Night of Darkneſs, that he might the better ſteal away the true weighty knowledg of the things of the Kingdom from them. Thus men have dreamed about Juſtification, about Sanctification, about Regeneration, about Redemption, about Faith, Hope, Love, Righteouſneſs, Peace, Joy &c. And have been miſtaken about them, miſſing of that Power and Light whereby and wherein they are revealed and made manifeſt. Now he that will rightly know theſe things, muſt know them in the feeling and true experience: And therein he ſhall find all theſe are wrought in a myſterious way of pure Life's operation, out [Page] of the reach of man's comprehenſion; and that no Man can underſtand them, but as the New and Holy underſtanding is given him; nor retain the ſenſe and knowledg of them, but as he abides in the new nature and retains the new underſtanding.

So for the Garment of Salvation; that is Chriſt, the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, the Nature of Chriſt, the Spirit of Chriſt. This is the holy covering. He that puts on Chriſt, puts on this: He that wears Chriſt, wears this; he that appears before God in Chriſt, appears in this. And the Soul puts on this, as it puts off the other. It is the purified Soul, that only puts on him that is pure: And as a man is cleanſed from the impure, ſo only hath he in him a capacity of receiving and being cloathed with Chriſt. And this now is the work of the true Miniſtry, to wit, to preach the Word, to reveal the Word, and bring the Mind to the Word (which changeth it and begets the new capacity) and ſo to begin the work of Life and reconciliation, wherein and whereby there is ſome unclothing of the Old, and ſome clothing with the New; and ſo to carry on this work in the Spirit and power of the Father, until it be perfected. And this is a bleſſed work, and bleſſed is the Miniſtry which is called to and entruſted with this work, being faithful in it: and bleſſed are they that witneſs the truth of and receive the effect of this Miniſtry, and are ſubject to it in the Lord. For through and under this Miniſtry, there is a receiving of a perfect gift in ſome meaſure at firſt (wherein ſome true union and little acquaintance with the Lord of Life is at firſt witneſſed, and ſome operation of the Light and Power of his Holy Spirit:) And a grovving up in it unto perfection, as the Soul is exerciſed by it, and faithful to the Lord in the exerciſe, under the daily Croſs, vvhich daily vvorketh againſt and crucifieth in the Heart, Mind, Life and Converſation vvhat ever is contrary to God, as it is ſingly vvaited for, taken up and ſubjected to.

Some Queſtions and Anſwers concerning the Church of the New-Covenant, the Rock or Foundation whereupon it is built, and its preſervation by and upon the Rock. With ſome Queries concerning the ſcattered eſtate of the true Church, and concerning that Church which got up in its ſtead, and made a great ſhow with her Golden Cup, for the time while the true Church was ſcattered.

[Page]

Qu. 1. What is the Church of God under the new Agreement or Covenant?

An. It is a company of Living Stones, quickned by God, and knit together in the unity and fellowſhip of his Spirit, to worſhip God together in his Spirit, and offer up unto him ſpiritual Sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jeſus Chriſt. What was the Church of the Old Covenant? Was it not the ſeed of Abraham, the outward Jews, the Children of the Old Covenant? And what is the Church of the New Covenant? Is it not the ſeed of God, the Jews inward, the Children of the New Covenant?

Qu. 2. How are theſe Stones joyned together?

An. By the Spirit of Life, which begets them all in one Nature, and knits them together in that nature. By the inward circumciſion, cutting off that which cauſeth Enmity and Diſunion, and ſo fitting them to be made one New Lump in Chriſt. By Chriſt's Baptiſm, which is the Baptiſm of Fire and of his Spirit, which burns up the Old earthly Nature, and ſo Baptizes them into one New Living Body, ſutable and fitting to their Head, which is the Fountain of Life and diſtributes Life through all the Body, according to its capacity, need and ſervice.

Qu. 3. Upon what is this Church built?

An. Upon the Rock or Foundation of God, which God hath laid in his ſpiritual Sion, which Rock is Chriſt For other [Page]Foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Jeſus Chriſt, nor other Rock did the Lord ever chuſe for his Church to be built upon: Nor hath any other Rock ſufficient ſtrength to bear up the building, againſt the ſtorms and ſtreſs of the powers of darkneſs, which it often meeteth with, even every member in its travels; after it is once built on the Rock, the Gates of Hell preſs hard upon it; but abiding on the Rock, it feels the ſtrength and preſervation of the Rock. For as they cannot prevail againſt Chriſt, ſo neither can they prevail againſt that which is built upon him. But if there be a going forth from the ſtrength and preſervation, there is a liableneſs to be made a prey. And the promiſe is not, abſolutely and perpetually to that Perſon or Congregation which is received or let into the truth, but to that Perſon or Church which abideth and continueth in the truth unto the end. The Jews were ſafe in the Faith and Obedience of their Covenant, and the Chriſtians or Chriſtian Churches are not ſafe, but in the Faith and Obedience of theirs. For if they walked not humbly with the Lord and in his Fear, which keeps the heart from departing from him, and in the Faith whereby they ſtand, they were to be cut off from their Church-ſtate, as well as the Jews were from theirs, as the Apoſtle Paul expreſly tells the Church at Rome, Rom. 11. 21, 22.

Qu. 4. VVhat was Paul?

An. The Apoſtle of the Gentiles, who Laboured abundantly, even more abundantly than all the other Apoſtles, and hath left more inſtructions, relating to the Gentiles, than all the Apoſtles beſides; and was tender of them, in ſtanding for and defending their liberty in Chriſt, when Peter a little warped and was to be blamed, Gal. 2. 11. For indeed man cannot be certain and infallible, further than he kepeth to and is exerciſed by the certain and infallible Spirit; which he is ſubject to be tempted to err from, further than he ſtands upon the watch; and cannot but err from, unleſs he feel a continual [Page] preſervation in the Fear and by the Power of the Lord. And the certainty of truth doth not depend ſo much upon the perſon from whom it is received, as upon the demonſtration and evidence to the conſcience wherein it is received. The Apoſtles were not Lords over the true Chriſtians Faith, but helpers of their joy. And Chriſt did not require his Diſciples to believe what ever he knew to be true, but prepared their capacities, and dropped in according to their capacities. And this is the way of the true Miniſters, to wait on God to beget, and on him again to Water the begotten Soul, and carry on his work in it: to make them know Chriſt their Maſter, from whom they are to receive Light, Life, Inſtruction and Direction; and to feel the Head, and be joyned to the Head, and receive from the Head their knowledg, as well the leaſt as the greateſt, Ebr. 8. What is Paul? What is Apollos? What is Cephas? Were not they carnal that cryed up theſe one above another? Yet the younger ought to be ſubject to the elder, and all to be ſubject one to another in the truth, 1 Pet. 5. 5.

Qu. 5. What was Peter?

An. One of the Diſciples of Chriſt, a precious Stone in the building (Joh. 1. 43.) one of the moſt eminent Apoſtles, even the choſen Miniſter to them of the circumciſion, as Paul was to the Gentiles. But he knew that Chriſt was the only Rock or Foundation, as well as Paul, and that Chriſt alone was able to bear the weight of that building, and to defend it againſt the Gates of Hell; and he never had commiſſion, nor can it be proved that ever he preached himſelf the Rock, but he preached Chriſt the Foundation-Stone, the Rock of Offence, the Rock of Defence &c. ſee 1 Pet. 2. 4. and v. 6, 7, 8. And if an Angel from Heaven, or any Man or Church on Earth, ſo interpret any Scripture, as to hold forth any ſuch thing, that any elſe beſides Chriſt is the Rock, they plainly ſhew that they are erred from the truth, and that their interpretation is of their own private Spirit, and not that publick Spirit, [Page] which all the Prophets of God and Apoſtles and Truly-Holy men were guided by.

Qu. 6. Was the Church alwaies to be a gathered Company? or was there a poſſibility of their being ſcattered?

An. There was a poſſibility of their being ſcattered, yea a certainty, if they grew corrupt in Doctrine and Practiſe, and kept not the Faith, Rom. 11. For the Lord God intended a pure building, a ſpiritual building, fit to offer the ſpiritual Sacrifices, 1 Pet. 2. 5. An Holy People, ſeparated from the World, 2 Cor. 6. 17. In which he might dwell and walk, ver. 16. If therefore any Church depart from the Spirit and Life and Power of the Apoſtles, and mix again with the World, loſing their own proper pale which fenced from the World, they ſoon loſe that which maketh them a Church of God, and ſo become a Synagoge of Satan.

Now it is in my heart alſo to propound a few Queries concerning the ſcattered and hidden eſtate and condition of the Church, and concerning that Church which got up in the view of the World, and was acknowledged by the World inſtead thereof afterwards.

Q. 1. Whether the true Church did retain her Miniſtry outwardly, and her outward Ordinances, and way of worſhip of the outward Court after her ſcattering? or whether the falſe Church, which appeared in her room as if ſhe had been the true, caught up and appeared in the outwardneſs of theſe? The grounds of this Querie are theſe following.

1. Becauſe upon God's meaſuring of his Temple and Worſhippers, the outward Court (conſider well what that is, and how far it extends) was left out of God's meaſure, ſo that he intended to reckon it no longer as his but given by him to the Gentile-Chriſtians, ſuch as were Chriſtians or Jews in Name, but Gentiles in Spirit and Nature, Rev. 11.

2. Becauſe in the Laſt days, when that ſtrange Generation of Chriſtians was to ſpring up, who ſhould be Lovers of their [Page] own ſelves, covetous, boaſters, proud, blaſphemers, diſobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, falſe-accuſers, incontinent, fierce, deſpiſers of thoſe that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, Lovers of pleaſures more than Lovers of God: Yet theſe ſhould have a form of Godlineſs, but deny the power thereof, 2 Tim. 3. 1, to 6. Now mind. The Temple, wherein was the Power, God had removed with the true Worſhippers; but the outward Court (wherein was the appearance or ſome kind of a form of Church, Miniſtry and Ordinances) thoſe had got, and were found worſhipping in it, in the midſt of all this great wickedneſs and abomination of ſpirit.

3. Becauſe the Jews (who were the type) while they were in captivity in Babylon, could not ſing the Songs of Sion, nor had the Worſhip of the outward Jeruſalem there. And can the ſpiritual Jews, ſing the ſpiritual Songs of ſpiritual Sion, in myſterie Babylon? No, there they are but witneſſes to that Life and Power, which the true Church enjoyed and flouriſhed with, in her built eſtate.

Q. 2. Whether this is not an infallible mark, and moſt certain demonſtration of the falſe Church, her ſitting upon many Waters, which Waters are Peoples, Multitudes, Nations and Tongues? Did not the Spirit of the Lord thus mark her out to John, Rev. 17. 15. Did the true Church ever ſit upon many Waters? Was not the Church a gathering out of the Nations, into the Power and Life which the Nations perſecuted? But the falſe Church ſits over the Nations with a form of Godlineſs, but without the true Power thereof. Then if this be a mark that God hath ſet upon her, let every one wait to read it aright, that he may know thereby which is ſhe, and praiſe the name of the Lord for diſcovering her to him.

Q. 3. Whether this falſe Church be not rightly called Babylon, even an heap of confuſion (in a myſtery) as to God's eye, though to man's eye her appearance may be orderly [Page] and decent? And whether ſhe be not juſtly termed by the Spirit of the Lord, the Great Whore, both for largeneſs in bulk, and for the greatneſs of her fornications, having whored from the bed of the Husband, and entred into the bed of a Stranger, and having taught and compelled others to acknowledg and worſhip in her forms, which thus held forth and maintained by her, are not only without, but alſo againſt the true Power?

Q. 4. Whether Antichriſt be not entred into and become the head of this falſe Church, and whether he doth not ſit there ruling in it, even as Chriſt was Head of the True, and ſate ruling in the True? And whether Antichriſt doth not keep his hold of this Church, and poſſeſs his ſeat in it, for many Ages and Generations, even from the time he got in after the days of the Apoſtles, till the very coming of Chriſt in his Power and Brightneſs? 2 Theſ. 2.

Q. 5. Whether the great Plagues, Woes, terrible Thunders and Cups of God's Indignation, ſpoken of in the Book of the Revelations, are not to be poured, in their ſeveral orders and degrees, upon this falſe Church, and upon Antichriſt her beloved Head and King, even till ſhe be ſtripped naked, made deſolate, and her Fleſh burnt with Fire, and her Head bruiſed and deſtroyed, by Chriſt the true Head and King of the true Church?

Q. 6. Whether the people of God, ſuch as feel ſomewhat of the Power, and bow to the Lord in Spirit and Truth in ſome meaſure, yet theſe, if they mind not his call out of this Babylon, and come not fully out of her, but abide in any part of her, obſerving any of her wayes or worſhips, till the time of God's controverſie with her and judging of her, whether they alſo ſhall not partake of her Plagues? Rev. 18. 4.

Q. 7. Whether all people have not great reaſon to fear before the Lord, and to look to their wayes and worſhips leſt they be found in any thing therein which is not of him, but [Page] contrary to him, and ſo bring upon their Souls and Bodies that wrath and ſore Judgment from God, which they are not able to bear? Rev. 14. 9, 10, 11.

Q. 8. Whether it was not the great Love and Mercy of God, to warn the Churches of theſe things in the Book of the Revelations? And whether he can be ſafe in theſe reſpects, who either doth not underſtand or not obſerve the warnings given by the Spirit of the Lord therein? How often is it therein ſaid; He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit of God ſaith to the Churches! It is alſo ſaid, Bleſſed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this propheſie, and keep thoſe things which are written therein: For the time is at hand. He then that readeth not, that hath not an ear to hear the words of this Propheſie, how can he keep what is written therein? How can he beware of and avoid the ſeeming Beauty and Glory of the falſe Church, or ſuffer with the Faithful Witneſſes of God in their Teſtimony againſt her? And if he do not thus, but is entangled by the falſe Church with her Golden Cup of Fornications (Rev. 17. 4.) he miſſeth of the bleſſing, and ah what is he to meet with inſtead thereof! My heart hath often melted within me, and my bowels rowled at the conſideration and deep ſenſe, which the Lord hath given me of theſe things: and this I ſay therein, to thoſe that deſire Life and Peace from God, O wait on him for the eye which ſees in his Light, for the ear which hears his Voice, and for the heart which underſtands the words and meſſages of his Spirit, that ye may feel his gathering, guidance and preſervation out of that, to which his wrath is for ever; and againſt which his wrath is to be made more manifeſt, and poured out more fully and abundantly, than ever it yet was. For the Lord will empty his Love and his Life into Sion, and empty the very dregs and thick mixtures of the Cups of his Indignation into the very heart and bowels of Babylon; and her ſickneſs, miſery, woe, death and [Page] deſtruction will be exceeding dreadful and unutterable. Therefore wait on the Lord in fear and ſingleneſs of Spirit, crying and mourning to him to diſcover to you the extent and limits of this falſe Church, this falſe Building, this building in a form and outward order without the Life and Power of the Spirit; and then fly as faſt out of her and from her (and as far) as the Spirit of the Lord leads, even till ye come to the Holy building which is of him, and the Heavenly places which are prepared there by him, for every one of his, (according to their growth and ſtature in his Son) that ye may ſit down in him.

Some Queries to Profeſſors, who ſpeak of high attainments and experiences in Religion, and yet do not witneſs nor can acknowledg the truth, as the Lord hath now revealed it (and done great things by it in the Spirits of his People) but look upon it as a poor, mean and low thing.

Q. 1. Have ye known the great and terrible day of the Lord, wherein he ariſeth to ſhake terribly the Earth? And have ye known that ſhaken down in you, which muſt be ſhaken down and removed as a Cottage, before the everlaſting kingdom can be eſtableſhed in you?

Q. 2. Do ye know the Living, Powerful, Eternal Word, which is quick and piercing, ſharper than any two-edged Sword, dividing between Thought and Thought, Grace and Grace (as I may ſo ſpeak) Light and Light, Life and Life, Spirit and Spirit, Power and Power &c? Have ye known it an Hammer, a Fire, an Axe laid to the Root of the corrupt Tree? and do ye know the corrupt Tree? Root, Branches, Leaves and Fruit ſo cut down by it, as to cumber the ground no more?

Q. 3. Do ye know the Paradice of God, and the Tree of Life there? Do ye indeed feed thereon? Have you paſſed [Page] through the Flaming Sword to the Tree of Life? and is the Flaming Sword (which once fenced from Life and the Power thereof) ſet now to fence up the way to the Tree of Knowledg, that ye may feed no more thereon and dye, but feed only on that which is Life and gives Life, and ſo live for ever?

Q. 4. Have ye witneſſed the effects of the great and terrible day of the Lord in your Spirits? Is Antichriſt deſtroyed, the Whore burnt, Fleſh conſumed, Man ceaſed from, both within and without? Is the Loftineſs of Man bowed down in you, the Mighty removed out of his ſeat, and the Meek, Holy, Humble ſeed raiſed up to rule in Righteouſneſs in your hearts? Is every high Tower battered down, and every fenced Wall laid flat? are all your imaginations and conceivings, and fleſhly apprehendings upon Scriptures, yea every pleaſant Picture and Image of the things in Heaven (formed in your minds) brought to an end, and the pure living truth of the Father waited for, received from him, and lived in? Yea is the Lord alone exalted in your Spirits, and all other Dominion, Authority, Rule and Lordſhip put under?

Q. 5. Do ye know the Mountain of the Lord's Houſe, and the Lord's Houſe built and eſtabliſhed by his own Holy Spirit and Power upon his own Holy Mountain? and do ye worſhip the Lord alone therein? Do ye come up to the New-Jeruſalem to offer your ſacrifices there according to the inſtitution of the Goſpel? And do ye worſhip the Lord there on his own Day, which he hath ſpiritually made? And do ye bear no burthen, kindle no fire, do no work on that his Day? Do ye never warm your ſelves at any fire, or by any ſparks of your own kindling? Or are ye yet worſhipping upon ſome of the many Mountains and Hills, which the Lord hath not formed nor eſtabliſhed, but have been formed and ſet up by Man in the Night of Darkneſs, before the everlaſting Light of the Day brake forth?

[Page] Q. 6. Do ye know the Wilderneſs, through which the paſſage is from Egypt to Canaan, and have ye faithfully travelled in the leadings of God's Spirit therethrough, and are ye entred into the pure reſt thereof? Are ye not under the Law, but under Grace? Not under the Enemy's power, but under the Spirit's power, out of the other's reach, ſo that the wicked one cannot touch you? Have ye gone through the exerciſes and tryals of the Wilderneſs? Have ye fed on the Manna dropt down from Heaven upon your Spirits therein? Have ye drunk of the Water of the Rock? Have ye ſeen the Serpent lifted up, and felt the healing thereby? Have ye witneſſed the Pillar of Cloud by Day, and the Pillar of Fire by Night to be your Defence and Leader? And have ye now at length received the Kingdom of Life, and ſit under the ſhadow of it, drinking Water out of your own Ciſtern, and eating under your own Vine and Figtree the Fruits of the good Land, after the ſhaking of that which was to be ſhaken, now being come to and enjoying the Kingdom which cannot be ſhaken? Have ye really felt theſe things, or have ye been in the Dreams and Imaginings about them?

Q. 7. Do ye walk in the Light of the Lord (as the Spiritual Houſe of Jacob is to do?) Have ye received the Spirit? Do ye live in the Spirit? are ye truly united, ſo as to become one Spirit with the Lord? Are all the walls of partition broken down, and is there nothing now between you, but of two are ye made one in that which uniteth?

If it be thus with you, then hold forth the right hand of fellowſhip to thoſe whom the Lord hath brought hither, and know and acknowledg that whereby the Lord hath wrought it in them. But if ye be not really in the thing it ſelf, but only in the apprehenſions and conceivings about it, ye can never ſo be witneſſes concerning theſe things, nor concerning the truth whereby God works theſe things: and ye will find there is a great gulf between [Page] you and us, which ye cannot poſſibly paſs over, till ye meet with our Principle and Guide, and Faithfully travel with him in the footſteps of the Flock, that ye may come to the Shepherds Tents (even the Tents which the Shepherd pitcheth, and which no man can pitch) and may know the true Tabernacle, Sanctuary and Temple, whereof he is the Miniſter.

THE END

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

Some things relating to religion, proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society, (so termed) to wit, concerning the right ground of certainty therein, concerning tenderness of spirit, and persecution, a query concerning separation, concerning washing away sin from the conscience, and the garment of salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith : likewise, some questions and answers concerning the church of the New-Covenant, the rock of foundation whereon it is built, and its preservation by and upon the rock : with some queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the church, and concerning that church which got up in the view of the world, instead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true church, though indeed and truth she was not so : whereunto are added, some queries to professors, who speak of high attainments, &c. / written by ... Isaac Penington.

Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.

Edition statement

1668

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2006-06 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A54066

ID [STC]

Wing P1205

ID [STC]

ESTC R13142

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12538769

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12538769

ID [VID]

62925

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A54066)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 62925)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 701:15)

Source

— Some things relating to religion, proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society, (so termed) to wit, concerning the right ground of certainty therein, concerning tenderness of spirit, and persecution, a query concerning separation, concerning washing away sin from the conscience, and the garment of salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith : likewise, some questions and answers concerning the church of the New-Covenant, the rock of foundation whereon it is built, and its preservation by and upon the rock : with some queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the church, and concerning that church which got up in the view of the world, instead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true church, though indeed and truth she was not so : whereunto are added, some queries to professors, who speak of high attainments, &c. / written by ... Isaac Penington., Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679..

Extent

24 p.

s.n.],. [London :: 1668.. (Reproduction of original in Duke University Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.