Queries concerning the saving nature of the blood of Jesus.

Quer 17. Can outward blood cleanſe the Conſcience? ye that are ſpiritual conſider, (Can outward water waſh the Soul clean?) Ye that have ever felt the blood of fprinkling from the Lord upon your Conſciences, and your Conſciences cleanſed thereby; did ye ever feel it to be outward? It is one thing what a man apprehends (in the way of notion ) from the Letter concerning the things of God, and another thing what a man feels in Spirit.

Quer. 18. Seeing the Apoſte ſpeaks of purifying the Heavenly things themſelves, Ebr. 9. 23. It would ſerouſly be inquired into, and the Lord waited on to know, what nature theſe Sacrifices muſt be of, which cleanſe the Heavenly things? Whether they muſt not of neceſſity be Heavenly? If ſo, then whether was it the fleſh and blood of the Vail, or the fleſh and blood within the, Vail? Whether was it the fleſh and blood of the outward earthly Nature, or the fleſh and blood of the inward ſpiritual Nature? Whether was it the fleſh and blood of the ſecond AdamsNature?

Source: A Question to the Professors of Christianity, Whether they have the True, Loving, Powerful saving Knowledge of Christ or no? by Isaac Penington, pg. 25, London 1667.

The other thing than the measure of Life.

But 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 of Christ

The Way of Independency

Yea, and this I very well remember, that when I walked in the way of Independency (as it hath been commonly called) I had more unity with, and more love towards, such as were single-hearted in other ways and practices of worship (whose spirits I had some feeling of in the true simplicity, and in the life) than with divers of such who were very knowing and zealous in that way of Independency, in whom a wrong thing in the mean time had got up, which had caused them to swerve from the life, and from the simplicity. View in Source Document

Source: The Authority and Government which Christ Excluded out of his Church

Exclusion of all Church Government

View in Source Document Now, this latter part (about church-government) hath been so misrepresented, as if, because the wrong church government was excluded, the exclusion of all church-government was intended by me, there being no notice taken of my owning the true church-government, but only some passages of my disowning the false produced, as if they intended to overturn and deny all church-government, which never was intended by me: for in that very book, which is thus made use of, I did positively affirm the necessity and use of the true church-government, which may more fully appear in that which hereafter follows.

The voice of God in others not to be neglected.

Source: Some Misrepresentations of me Concerning Church Government.

View in Source Document "Yet in none of these dispensations was any testimony from God to be despised; but his voice to be heard in the prophets, in Christ, and in the apostles. And though men are blessedly and gloriously turned, and to be turned to the light within, in these our days; yet they are not thereby taught to neglect or despise the voice of God, in any whom he sends and speaks by, and pretend it is contrary to their light; but to lie low before the Lord, that in the true humility and holy fear, they may know the voice of the Shepherd, both in their own hearts, and in whomsoever he pleaseth to speak. For the great Almighty God is not limited, but he may speak in and through whom he pleaseth. He may speak to me from the anointing in my own heart, and the holy anointing may please to speak to me through others; and so far as I am of God, and sensible of his appearance, I cannot despise the voice of the anointing in my own heart, or through others. Yea, truth teacheth that modesty, temperance, humility, tenderness, and sobriety, that I dare not despise the voice that pretends to the anointg in any, until I have made trial of it. Yea, John Pennyman’s voice and testimony I durst not condemn, until the Lord my God, in the unerring light and pure springing life, manifested unto me that it was not of him, but of the transforming enemy, who had bewitched and deceived him by his strong delusions (he forsaking the rock, which would have been his strength), to receive and believe a lie instead of the truth."

It is antichrist that so vainly pretends to set up Christ, or his light, or Spirit, or power, as to deny those that are sent of him, and minister in his name. View in Source Document

Source: Somewhat Relating to Church Government

Grow above the Church

“Now, if any, in Lucifer’s nature, will hearken to that spirit which despiseth God’s church, and rend from it, and think to grow above it, and expect this growth in their high motions and comprehensions about things, in that exalted mind, should be owned by the church, they will be mistaken: for the true Spirit, which knows all things, and guides the church, will not guide the church to own any such spirit or growth; but to judge and condemn it in its greatest spreading and exaltation. View in Source Document

Source: Somewhat Relating to Church Government