Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	add_v	great_a	zion_n	49	3	9.5430	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63966	A new martyrology, or, The bloody assizes now exactly methodizing in one volume comprehending a compleat history of the lives, actions, trials, sufferings, dying speeches, letters, and prayers of all those eminent Protestants who fell in the west of England and elsewhere from the year 1678 ... : with an alphabetical table ... / written by Thomas Pitts.	Tutchin, John, 1661?-1707.	1693 (1693)	Wing T3380; ESTC R23782	258,533	487

the Cruelty of Men when in their Power and how the Devil stirreth up his Instruments to pursue those that adventure for the Cause of God and Religion Here were in this County Executed 239. the rest that were Condemned were Transported except such as were able to furnish Coin and that not a little for an account was taken of Mens abilities according to which the purchase for Life must be managed by two of his Favourites who had a small share the rest went into his Lordships Pocket according to the Actions of Rome where Sins of any kind may be pardoned for mony This indeed was a glorious Design in the Eye of Mother Church to root out Heresie by Executions and Transportations to make room for a pack here Expedition must be made to conclude at Wells for that a great Man being fallen our great Judge designing his Chair which in short he had as the Reward of so eminent and extraordinary a piece of Service as he did for the Advancement of the Roman Catholicks Interest which is cruel always where it prevails Thus we leave the Town of Taunton after awarding Execution to many there and their Quarters to be scatter'd up and down the County and so we proceed to Wells where divers Prisoners that had been carried from Goal to Goal in expectation of Evidence against them were in Carts removed to Wells in which place to finish this Expedition the same Method as was at the former Assizes was also taken here by a severe Charge affronting the Gentlemen of this County as he had done in all the Counties before terrifying the Juries when any pleaded to make them to bring in the persons Guilty some of which being over-awed and it is doubted contrary to their Judgments which if so the Lord forgive them Here were many eminent and worthy persons that received the Sentence of Death but the Executions of the County being put together as you have before seen we make no particular Division of the Number here and the Number at Taunton the whole being recited before We shall therefore endeavour to be as brief as we can to give you what we think material and truly matter of Fact my Lord now being come to conclude this extraordinary Commission and in haste to be elevated maketh all manner of dispatch to repair to the King then at Windsor to give an Account of his Transactions and to receive the Reward of his meritorious service in this Butchering of Protestants which is so acceptable to his Holiness and his bigotted Disciples as nothing can be more and indeed if you will believe them a Work that merits Heaven at last besides what Temporal Preferments are thought fit in this World If this cruel Judge were a true Protestant his Case is much the worse being made use of as a Tool to destroy and carry on Popish Designs Thus the Affairs being ended the Country filled with Heads and Quarters of those that were Executed the rest that had not wherewith to purchase their Lives left in Custody in order to Transportation I shall next add the Charge given by the Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys at the City of Bristol Monday September 21. 1685. In his Return from his Western Campaigne Gentlemen I Am by the Mercy of God come to this great and populous City a City that boasts both of its Riches and Trade and may justly indeed claim the next place to the great and populous Metropolis of this Kingdom Gentlemen I find here are a great many Auditors who are very intent as if they expected some formal or prepared Speech but assure your selves we come not to make neither set Speeches nor formal Declamations nor to follow a couple of puffing Trumpeters for Lord we have seen those things Twenty times before No we come to do the King's business a King who is so Gracious as to use all the means possible to discover the Disorders of the Nation and to search out those who indeed are the very Pest of the Kingdom To this end and for this purpose are we come to this City But I find a special Commission is an unusual thing here and relishes very ill nay the very Women storm at it for fear we should take the upper hand of them too for by the by Gentlemen I hear it is much in fashion in this City for the Woman to govern and bear sway But Gentlemen I will not stay you with such needless Stories I will only mention some few things that fall within my knowledg for Points or Matters of Law I shall not trouble you but only mind you of some things that lately hath happened and particularly in this City for I have the Kalender of this City in my Pocket and if I do not express my self in so formal or set a Declamation for as I told you I came not to make Declamations or in so smooth Language as you may expect you must attribute it partly to the pain of the Stone under which I labour and partly to the unevenness of this days journey Gentlemen I may say that even some of the youngest amongst us may remember the late horrid Rebellion how men under colour of Law and pretext of Justice after they had divested a most Gracious and most Merciful Prince of all his Royal Power by the Power of the Sword they I say under colour of Law and pretext of Justice which added the more to the Crime that it was done under colour of such pretended Justice brought the most Mild and Meekest Prince next to our ever Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ if we may but compare him to a Man to die a Martyr the first blessed Martyr pardon the expression besides our most blessed Jesu who suffered for us on the Cross I say besides that Blessed Son of God this I say was the first Royal Martyr not suffering him to speak for himself or make his defence a Liberty which is given to the vilest Traitor and this was done not to descant on the number by Forty one The Rebels not resting here for Rebellion is like the sin of Witchcraft Divested the Lineal Legal and Rightful Heir of the Crown of all his Power and Prerogative till the Mighty God of Heaven and Earth God Almighty restored him to his Just Right And he as if begot in Mercy not only forgave all Offences and pardoned voluntarily even all that had been in actual Arms against him excepting those accursed Regicides but also made it a Crime for any one that should but remember or upbraid any of their past Crimes and Rebellions Good God! O Jesu that we should live in such an Age in which such a Prince cannot be safe from the seditious contrivances of Pardoned Rebels Had we not the Rye Conspiracy wherein they not only designed to have Murthered that Most Blessed for so now we may conclude him to be with God Almighty and Gracious King but also his Most ever Dear and Victorious Brother Had we not the Bill

according to my poor Capacity preached Salvation in his Name and as I have preached so do I believe and with all my Soul have commended it and still do commend to all of you the riches of his Grace and Faith in his Name as the alone and only way whereby to come to be saved It may be many may think but I bless the Lord without any solid ground that I suffer as an Evil-Doer and as a busie body in other mens matters but I reckon not much upon that having the Testimony of my own Conscience for me It was the lot of our blessed Saviour himself and also the lot of many of his eminent precious Servants and People to suffer by the World as Evil-doers Yea I think I have so good ground not to be scar'd at such a Lot that I count it my non-such honour and Oh what am I that I should be honoured so when so many Worthies have panted after the like and have not come at it My Soul rejoyceth in being brought into Conformity with my Blessed Lord and Head and so Blessed a Company in this way and lot and I desire to pray that I may be to none of you this day upon this account a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of Offence and blessed is he that shall not be offended in Christ and his poor Followers and Members because of their being Condemned as Evil-doers by the World As for these things for which Sentence of Death hath past against me I bless the Lord my Conscience doth not condemn me I have not been Rebellious nor do I judge it Rebellion for me to have endeavoured in my Capacity what possibly I could for the born-down and ruined interest of my Lord and Master and for the Relief of my poor Brethren afflicted and persecuted not only in their Liberties Priviledges and Persons but also in their Lives therefore it was that I joyned with that poor handful the Lord knows who is the searcher of Hearts that neither my design nor practice was against his Majesty's person and just Government but I always studied to be Loyal to lawful Authority in the Lord and I thank God my heart doth not condemn me of any Disloyalty I have been Loyal and I do recommend it to all to be Obedient to higher Powers in the Lord. I have been looked upon by some and represented by others to be of a divisive and Factious Humour and one that stirred up division in the Church but I am hopeful that they will all now give me their Charity being within a little to stand before my Judge and I pray the Lord forgive them that did so misrepresent me but I thank the Lord whatever Men have said against me concerning this that on the contrary I have often disswaded from such way● and practices as contrary to the Word of God and of our Covenanted and Reformed Religion and as I ever Abhorred division and Faction in the Church as that which tends to its utter Ruin if the Lord prevent it not So I would in the Bowels of my Lord ●●d Master if such an one as I am may presume to ●erswade and Exhort both Ministers and Professors if there b● any Consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any Fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies that you be like minded having the same Love being of one accord of one mind in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves Phil. 1.12 Harmoniousness and Honesty in the things of God can never enough be sought after and things that tend to the prejudice and hurt of Christs interest can never enough be fled from and avoided And as I am come hither willingly to lay down my Tabernacle so also I die in the Belief and Faith of the Holy Scriptures and in the Faith of the Apostles and Primitive Christians and Protestant Reformed Churches and particularly the Church of Scotland whereof I am a poor Member I shall but say a few words First All you that are profane I would seriously Exhort you that you return to the Lord by serious Repentance if you do iniquity shall not be your Ruine if you do not know that the day of the Lords Vengeance is near and hastneth on Oh know for your comfort there is a door of mercy yet open if you be not despisers of the day of Salvation And you that have been and yet are Reproachers and persecutors of Godliness and of such as live Godly take heed Oh take heed sad will be your day when God arises to scatter his Enemies if you repent not for your ungodly deeds Secondly All those who are taken up with their own private ●●terests and if that go well they Care the less ●or the interest of Christ take heed and be zealous and repent lest the Lord pass the Sentence I will spew you out of my mouth Thirdly For the truly Godly and such as are Lamenting after the Lord and are mourning for all the abominations of this City and are taking pleasure in the very Rubbish and Stones of Zion be of good Courage and Cast not away your Confidence I dare not say any thing to future things but surely the Lord has a handful that are precious to him to whom he will be Gracious to these is a dark night at present how long it will last the Lord knows Oh let not the sad disasters that his poor people meet with though very astonishing Terrifie you beware of snares that abound Cleave fast to your Reformed Religion do not Shift the Cross of Christ if you be called to it it is better to suffer than sin accoun● the reproaches of Christ greater Riches than all the Treasures of the World In the last place let not my Death be Grievous to any of you I hope it will be more profitable both for you and me and for the Church and interest of God than my life could have been I bless the Lord I can freely and Frankly forgive all men even as I desire to be forgiven of God pray for them that persecute you bless them tha● Curse you As to the cause of Christ I bless the Lord I never had cause to this day to repent for any thing I have suffered or can now suffer for his name I thank the Lord who has shewed mercy to such a vile sinner as I am and that ever he should advance me to so High a dignity as to be made a Minister of his blessed and everlasting Gospel and that ever I should have a Seal set to my Ministry upon the hearts of some in several places and Corners of this Land the Lord visit Scotland with more and more faithful Pastors and send a Reviving day unto the people of God in the mean time be patient be stedfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord and live in Love and peace one with another and the Lord be with his poor Afflicted Groaning people that yet remain Now