No cross, no crown : $b a discourse shewing the nature and discipline of the holy cross of ChristPenn, William
Religion
No cross, no crown : $b a discourse shewing the nature and discipline of the holy cross of Christ
Penn, William
Christian life; Christian life -- Quaker authors; Self-denial -- Early works to 1800
V. Sin is of one nature all the world over; for though a liar is
not a drunkard, nor a swearer a whoremonger, nor either properly
a murderer, yet they are all of a church; all branches of the one
wicked root; all of kin. They have but one father, the devil, as
Christ said to the professing Jews, the visible church of that age:
he slighted their claims to Abraham and Moses, and plainly told them
"That he that committed sin, was the servant of sin." (John, viii.
34, 35.) They did the devil's works, and therefore were the devil's
children. The argument will always hold upon the same reasons, and
therefore good still: "His servants ye are," saith Paul, "whom ye
obey:" (Rom. vi. 16:) and saith John to the church of old, "Let no
man deceive you; he that committeth sin is of the devil." (1 John,
iii. 7, 8.) Was Judas ever the better Christian for crying, Hail,
Master, and kissing Christ? By no means; they were the signal of
his treachery; the tokens given by which the bloody Jews should
know and take him. He called him Master, but betrayed him; he
kissed, but sold him to be killed; this is the upshot of the false
Christians' religion. If a man ask them, Is Christ your Lord? they
will cry, God forbid else: yes, he is our Lord. Very well; but do
you keep his commandments? No, how should we? How then are you his
disciples? It is impossible, say they. What! would you have us keep
his commandments? No man can. What! impossible to do that without
which Christ hath made it impossible to be a Christian? Is Christ
unreasonable? Does he reap where he has not sown? Require where he
has not enabled? Thus it is, that with Judas they call him Master,
but take part with the evil of the world to betray him; and kiss
and embrace him as far as a specious profession goes; and then sell
him, to gratify the passion that they most indulge. Thus as God said
of old, they make him serve with their sins and for their sins too.
(Isa. xliii. 24.)
VI. Let no man deceive his own soul; "grapes are not gathered of
thorns, nor figs of thistles:" (Matt. vii. 16:) a wolf is not a
sheep, nor is a vulture a dove. What form, people, or church soever
thou art of, it is the truth of God to mankind, that they which have
even the form of godliness, but by their unmortified lives, deny the
power thereof, make not the true, but false church: which, though
she entitle herself the Lamb's bride, or church of Christ, (Rev.
xvii. 5,) she is that mystery, or mysterious Babylon, fitly called
by the Holy Ghost, the mother of harlots and all abominations:
because degenerated from Christian chastity and purity, into all
the enormities of heathen Babylon; a sumptuous city of old time,
much noted for the seat of the kings of Babylon, and at that time
the place in the world of the greatest pride and luxury. As she was
then, so mystical Babylon is now the great enemy of God's people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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