Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	author_n	know_v	name_n	1,893	5	5.0397	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91478	Susanna's apologie against the elders. Or A vindication of Susanna Parr; one of those two women lately excommunicated by Mr Lewis Stycley, and his church in Exeter. / Composed and published by her selfe, for the clearing of her own innocency, and the satisfaction of all others, who desire to know the true reason of their so rigorous proceedings against her.	Parr, Susanna.	1659 (1659)	Wing P551; Thomason E1784_2; ESTC R209665	59,393	127

he instanceth in severall particulars The last of these I shall begin with and answer in the first place which I shall do having briefly considered what he saith concerning the grounds of my Suspension As to that suspension that Ezekiel Pace gave me notice of I say that it was neer two months after I had left them after I was withdrawen from their communion which suspension as the messenger said was in order to my returne By which I gather that the chiefe ground thereof was my going away and that it is so as also their Excommunication almost three yeares after will be manifested fully by my following answer wherein I shall shew that they had no ground at all to suspend or excommunicate me for any of those three particulars mentioned by Mr. Stucley And first of lying which in pag. 44 45. he endeavours to prove in six particulars Instance 1. She affirmed that she alwaies acknowledged Presbyterian Churches to be true Churches in respect of Doctrine and worship and that it was hard for her to separate from the Presbyterians in distinguishing ordinances whereas she excepted against Mr. Toby Allein for having his child Baptized by Mr. Ford and opposed his admission on that ground there were 4 witnesses to this Resolut This instance hath more of Craft if I understand it then either truth or reason and may very well I think answer it selfe I am here brought in opposing Mr. Allens suspension and in other pages of his book he saith Mr. Allen consented to my suspension As Mr. Allen denies the one so do I the other But suppose I should have done it they all know it was my judgment and my practice at that time where is the lye I told them it was very hard for mee to separate in distinguishing Ordinances And they may remember the same time I told them also what was my ground why I did separate what can be gathered hence but that I did that which was very hard for me to do separate in distinguishing Ordinances and dislike Mr. Allen because he was not of the same mind But I am very much dissatisfied and offended with this charge because it doth differ from the charge which I was charged with by them which was this namely for speaking against Mr Allen because he did partake of the ordinance of the Lords supper with the Presbyterians And this I denied my reason was because I had never heard at that time that Mr. Allen did partake with the Presbyterians in that ordinance it s now Seaven yeares since Instance 2. She affirmed that she never opposed Mris Dorothy Eveleighs admission but was for it whereas the generality of the then members of the Church witnessed that a long time she openly contended against it to the griefe of the Church Resolut 1. I have marveild many times why they should question me about opposing of her who was long before in her grave and with whom I had loving and Christian converse to her dying day 2ly That I affirmed that I never spake against her is false neither could I get any advantage by it seeing others of the Church did the like in whom it was not lookt upon as an evill I might say more but that I am unwilling to rake in the ashes of the dead 3ly I gave Mr. Stucley a Reason why I spake against her at the first which he himselfe mentions pag. 43. in the 4th particular of Contention not to have her kept off but that she might acknowledge her sin in breaking the law of Charity c. 4ly That I did speak for her admission Mr. Stucley himsele witnessed it to Mr. Eveleigh in his own house and also another of their members E.B. hath as she told me declared unto them that it was I who prevailed with her to consent unto the admission of Mris Dorothie Eveleigh Instance 3. She denied that she ever called the Presbyterian Churches by the name of Babylon whereas most of the Church witnessed that she had often so called them Resol What I answered Mr. Stucley when he did in a manner reprove me for acknowledging that to be a true Church which formerly I had called Babylon appeares in the Narrative To which I shall farther adde 1 Suppose it were true that I had in the heat of Contention at our first separation vented some rash and inconsiderate expressions in reference to the Presbyterian Churches or the Presbyterians themselves yet it ill becomes Mr. Stucley and the rest to be my accusers who continue in the same practice in judging me for this they do but condemne themselves according to that of the Apostle Rom. 2.1 Why do they censure me now for this seeing I am not guilty of it at present why did not they admonish me for it formerly when I was with them 2 Would they even now be so faithfull unto me as to name any particular time place or other circumstance that might bring such expressions to my remembrance they should find me as ready to condemne my selfe as they are to accuse me if done in an orderly manner 3ly It may be that which occasioned this report was my mentioning of Babylons brats at the time when I spake my Experiences I did then declare how hard it was for me to Separate from those who were godly and whose ministry had bin so profitable unto me But when I considered the command of god Touch noe uncleane thing and I will receive you c. I conceived it did sufficiently warrant our Seperating from them And farther I declared that there were many litle ones Babylonish Brats which must be dasht against the stones which I then told them I did understand of things not persons But they many of them being newly crept into a forme of godlines were so ignorant of that distinction as what I spake of things they interpreted of persons which was so farr from my thoughts as that when I began to read the Booke Intituled one blowe more to Babylon I lay'd it aside as not being able to Close with the Author thereof because of his many Reflections therein though as they all know I had a high esteme of him and did not use to slight him 4ly When I did at any time afterward name Babylon I never meant it but of Babylon in the Mystery consisting either in the joyning of mens Inventions with Christs institutions or in pressing of things indifferent upō the conscience as necessary or in the setting up of mixtures in the Ordinances of Christ So far as I apprehended any of these I did declare against them And for these very things doe I now declare against that Congregation from which I have departed which I little thought at first would have bin found amongst them Jnstance 4. She denied that ever she endeavoured to have Mr Stoneham pastor and under her owne hand were these words J never laboured to bring him to that office whereas the contrary was witnessed by three persons Resolut What I affirmed in

meetings so that it is not to be wondred at if in them there were much strange fire both in prayer and exposition of the Scriptures they being meere Novices and in the entrance of Christianity and many of them scarce well principled I feared that the name of God was often taken in vain in prayer sure I am that much ignorance pride and selfe confidence and a Diotrephes spirit strongly working appeared in many of them N.E. One of them affirmed that there was no iniquity of the holy things c. this being delivered without any caution when the meeting was publique I told him of it in private the same day Owen Another who had formerly beene an Anabaptist then a Seeker next as I was informed a Papist or little better very much addicted to the study of their bookes the most conviction that he had as was reported was by Jonas Ware since a Roman Catholique who went to Rome and then turning to prelacy and the booke of Common-prayer and afterward an Independent the same person was very forward at our meetings and did often put forth himselfe in the duty of prayer which was a great trouble to mee to heare how the name of God was taken in vaine by him insomuch as that I earnestly desired Master Stucley to hinder him from engaging in that duty till he understood the nature of it better I acquainted him likewise of other disorders and miscarriages very frequent at our meetings declaring how much I was troubled at them for redresse of which I intreated him to be constantly with us But he endeavoured to quiet me with this that they were honest though weak and further perswaded me to be constant at the meetings to be faithfull unto them in minding them of what was amisse I told him it was more fit for me to be in private meditation to be gathering rather then scattering but he replyed that the time was now not to be Closet-Professors but to say come let us go up to the house of the Lord to seek the Lord together with our faces Zion-ward And though I pleaded my Sex my naturall and sinfull infirmities which made me unfit to speak unto others yet he pressed it on me as my duty And when there was any Jarring between them and my selfe he desired me not to be troubled though I met with opposition that one was of a Souldierly spirit another of a dull Spirit that it was meere Envy promising to speak with them about it himselfe Yea when I resolved to be silent at some meetings Mr. Stucley himselfe would single me out and even constraine me to speak As concerning my Carriage at the Admission of members I shall give a briefe account of it as followeth They who desired admission into the Society were sometimes desired in a private meeting to speak what experience they had of the worke of grace upon their Soules after which we were every one of us both men and women to declare our thoughts of what was spoken it being laid down as a ground that we must have an account of a change from a naturall and legall estate into an estate of grace and believing of those whom we admitted into communion with us I among the rest did according to my weak measure declare my selfe against that which I thought would not stand for grace I was so far from delighting in this work as that it was a trouble to me an Imployment from which I would willingly have been freed I conceived it more needfull for my selfe to study the worrd and compare my own heart with the rule then to be so taken up about the condition of others But this was our principle we were to keep the house of God pure we were set as Porters at the door it was our duty we were not to be wanting at such times yea it was our liberty that we who were to have communion with those vvho came to be admitted should give in our assent or dissent in reference to their admission I did therefore at such times declare my thoughts asvvell as the rest but left the determination to themselves as it appeares in Ganicle vvho vvas admitted though I vvas at the first against his admission I mention him because he vvas brought by Mr. Eveleigh as an Instance of my censoriousnesse I vvas blamed for disliking him vvhom they said vvas one of the most eminent among them and yet it vvas not long after before he discovered himselfe by Renouncing the principles of Christianity and turning Quaker He in speaking out his Experiences pretended unto much Joy and ravishment of Spirit but the Lord knovves vvhen he spake of such enjoyments he spake as a stranger that never intermedled vvith this Joy never declaring any povverfull effect thereof but only that vvhich vvas only but a Balaams vvish I the rather instance in him because he was the first that kindled the fire of Contention which then brake out in that manner as it is not quenched to this day here began the Quarrell on their part When I was called by the Elder to give in my thoughts concerning a Person proposed he most disorderly intercepted me for which there vvas not the least admonition given him but not long after his folly was made manifest by his Casting off the very forme of godlinesse This is one and the Cheife one of those persons whom I disliked though approved of by the Church If I be contentious for opposing such a one let me be contentious still though none among them will witnesse for me yet he doth he stands to this day as a sad witnesse between me and them whether I were contentious in my oppositions or they infallible in their determinations Besides as for some who continue among them if you look for distinguishing Characters they are scarcely visible much lesse easy to be discerned Thus I did from time to time whilst we were without Officers and Ordinances partly through the great desire I had to promote the worke of Reformation among us partly through Mr Stucley's instigation reprove them for their indifferency of Spirit stir them up to that which I conceived vvas their duty for vvhich I alvvaies gave them my grounds and reasons But after the officers vvere chosen I never medled to my remembrance vvith Church affaires nor spake in the meetings after I heard by Mr. Stucley my speaking vvas disrelisht unlesse a Question vvas proposed and I vvas desired to give my Ansvver unto it Not long after the Officers vvere chosen I being at Mr. Stucley's house desired him to resolve me concerning a true Church he then confessed that the Churches of New England did acknovvledge the Churches of old England from vvhence we had separated to be true Churches I told him thereupon that vve could not justifie our Separation At length vve falling into discourse of other things he said my speaking vvas disrelisht by some I ansvvered that I did not like it my selfe and therefore vvould be from