"… that which pretends to ſet up the meaſure of Life as a Teacher, otherwiſe than God hath appointed, and in oppoſition to the Teaching and Miniſtry which he hath appointed, and to his Gift in thoſe Veſſels, which is as well for the building up and perfecting of the Body, as for the gathering: That is another thing in that Veſſel that doth ſo, than the meaſure of Life; another Spirit, another Nature, another Ear than that, that firſt heard. And though it ſeem to cry up the ſufficiency of the meaſure of Life, and to plead for that (and perhaps the creature thinks it is really ſo: yet that is not the intent of the Spirit in the Veſſel, but to cry up itſelf, and to make its voice go for the Voice of the Meaſure of Life : and ſo ſuch err from the Faith, the Truth, the Spirit, the meaſure of Life, and are in the nature, ſpirit and meaſure of another thing, which is indeed Death, though they ſee it not, but look upon themſelves as gloriouſly living, and abiding in the pure Doctrine and Principle above others." View in Source Document
Source: Some Queries Concerning the Order and Government of the Church if Christ.
Research Note:
ReplyDeleteHere Penington distances himself from the testimony of being come out of relationship to the outward instruments of the church to guide and inform their relationships and worship; saying *it is another thing* than that which gathered them. This is an extremely important passage. As far as Penington is concerned this testimony of being out of the process of relationship to outward instrumentalities is of "another Nature ... which is Death." It is not of "that first heard." Penington even goes so far as to suggest the testimony of independency is "not the intent of the Spirit in the Vessel." He is here suggesting the anointing within simply does not lead to such independency of conscience.