A89735:181
The heart of N-England rent at the blasphemies of the present generation. Or A…
The heart of N-England rent at the blasphemies of the present generation. Or A brief tractate, concerning the doctrine of the Quakers, demonstrating the destructive nature thereof, to religion, the churches, and the state, with consideration of the remedy against it. : Occasional satisfaction to objections, and confirmation of the contrary trueth. / By John Norton ...
Cambridge: printed by Samuel Green, 1659
Chapter 3 › Their Opposition to Civil Order, is thus evinced.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Touching the Spirit they are acted from: their dictates are represented by them, both as infallible and divine. Because of the pretence of their infallibility, they must not be questioned. By reason of the pretence of their divinity, they must be obeyed. What can be superadded to the destructive tendency of satanical motions armed with the persuasion of the indispensable necessity of Gods own Command. Their tumultuous motions are by grave Authors frequently styled Furies, from the fierceness of their Spirit in the propagation of their Errors. Their agitation is like that of the ocean, when one would think the deep to be hoary: raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. Jude v. 13. Erroneous zeal, heightened with intoxicating & fanatic animosities, is so much wild-fire. But diabolical zeal is so much hell-fire. A Spiritual frenzy. Being exceedingly mad against them. Acts. 26.11. Wicked persecutors, who ⟨p. 39⟩acknowledge not the faith are unreasonable men: pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable & wicked men. 2. Thess. 3.2. wicked persecutors who pretend to the faith, are mad men. The very light of nature teacheth all nations, that mad men acting according to their frantic passions, are to be restrained with chains, when they can not be restrained otherwise. It goeth ill with the Saints, when they who kill them, think they do God service, whilst they rage according to their lusts. Woe to them who call upon the name of Christ, when he that verily thinks with himself, that he ought to do many things unto the utmost contrary to Jesus of Nazareth, not only breaths out slaughter, but is also Commissionated with letters from Damascus.
Touching the Spirit they are acted from: their dictates are represented by them, both as infallible and divine. Because of the pretence of their infallibility, they must not be questioned. By reason of the pretence of their divinity, they must be obeyed. What can be superadded to the destructive tendency of satanicall motions armed with the perswasion of the indispensable necessity of Gods own Cōmand. Their tumultuous motions are by grave Authors frequently styled Furies, from the fiercenes of their Spirit in the propagation of their Errors. Their agitation is like that of the ocean, when one would think the deep to be hoarie: raging waves of the sea, foaming out their owne shame.