Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	faith_n	hold_v	shipwreck_n	2,221	5	12.7929	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84383	Pseudochristus: or, A true and faithful relation of the grand impostures, horrid blasphemies, abominable practises gross deceits; lately spread abroad and acted in the county of Southampton, by William Frankelin and Mary Gadbury, and their companions. The one most blasphemously professing and asserting himself to be the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God who dyed and was crucified at Jerusalem for the sins of the people of God. The other as wickedly professing and asserting her self to be the Spouse of Christ, called, the Lady Mary, the Queen, and Bride, and Lambs Wife. Together with the visions and revelations, to which they did pretend their ways of deceiving, with the names and actions of sundry persons deceived by them. As also their examinations and confessions before the justices of the peace, their imprisonment, and their tryal before the judg of assize, at the last assize holden at Winchester, March 7. 1649. Published for a publique benefit and warning to every one to take heed to himself, that he be not deceived by the errors and deceits of these present times. / By Humphry Ellis, minister of the word in the city of Winton.	Ellis, Humphrey, d. 1676.	1650 (1650)	Wing E579; Thomason E602_12; ESTC R206414	57,353	63

have proceeded those very Deceivers whose deceits and wickednesses I have here related William Franklin was sometime a zealous Professor of that way so was Edward Spradbury Mrs Woodward and many others of them yea it hath been observed amongst us that scarce any appeared to harken to these Deceivers to countenance them and incline to their deceits but such who had been this way engaged In a publique Dispute publiquely managed in the Church at Bazingstoke in this County in the beginning of November last by some godly Ministers of this County with whom I was then somewhat engaged in the same cause with them in behalf of Infant-Baptism I saw Edward Spradbury there appear and heard him speak in opposition to us Mrs Woodward also as I have been informed was there and privately spake to the encouraging of the parties who opposed us and yet both of them in very few weeks after were intangled in these deceits and harkened unto this Deceiver to the even denying and renouncing of Christ as hath been before related of them and became as zealous for a time against those who opposed this their counterfeit Christ as they had so lately been against Infant-Baptism I deny not but some there are of this way of Anabaptism whereof I speak that I look upon as godly persons who hold fast to the Scriptures and to many fundamental doctrinal Truths delivered in them but have they not cause in all these things to take notice of the hand of Gods Justice so prosecuting that way of theirs and to be very jealous whether that way be of God which hath been thus eminently in all times all along so blasted by God Yea and farther to consider whether there be not just ground to judg that their separating from all the Churches of Christ which are not of their opinion and disclaiming all fellowship with them as Antichristian which hath generally been the practise of those of their way their casting also of children out of their Churches by denying Baptism to them leaving all the generation of mankind in infancy in the world the Kingdom of the Devil not owning them to belong to the Kingdom of Heaven the Church but denying any thing of the free grace of God in Gospel-Ordinances to be held out unto them to the great undervaluing and eclipsing of that abundance of the grace of God now in the Gospel held out unto us Whether I say these be not the sins which God hath thus visited upon them in his thus blasting their way and giving up the most eminent Professors of it to these ways of delusion For surely God is jealous of the glory of his Grace and will not endure it to be undervalued very tender of his Churches and of the little ones in them that he will not suffer those who so cenfure the one and so highly offend against the priviledges of the other to pass unpunished Oh that therefore these things might be so considered by these persons that the warning they have in them might be seriously layd to heart by them Many there are who profess to expect a personal coming of Christ to raign here upon the Earth and I deny not but some eminent in learning and godliness have held forth somewhat like thereunto but I well remember what a learned friend of mine said long since unto me when that opinion of Chiliasm was first cryed up amongst us viz. That it might be just with God for some Deceiver under that pretence to come among them and prevail for a time to the deceiving of such and that this opinion did hold out a ground and foundation for such a deceit I have now seen it somewhat truly verified for this opinion hath been the foundation of all these deceits I have here related to have been acted Mary Gadbury ●elieves Christ shall come in the flesh to raign here she asks of William Franklin whether it had been revealed to him he takes the advantage to deceive by it and saith I am the man and she as quickly believes him and through all this Relation these seem to be the things held out That as Christ should come to raign here on the Earth so William Franklin was he now come accordingly here to raign and set up his Kingdom nor think I that his deceits were or could be by any entertained unless this were first believed and expected by them I hope therefore that such an example as this is will make men wary how they entertain such an opinion which seems to give such an occasion to it But some there are who deservedly are called Seekers who if they judg not themselves to be above Gospel-Ordinances of Word and Sacraments and look upon them as carnal low Administrations yet please themselves to live without them censure all the Churches of Christ who walk in the practise of any of his Ordinances to be Antichristian deny that there is any true Ministry Churches Sacraments or any to be till some extraordinary person or persons be immediately sent of Christ as Apostles for the restoring of them Upon which ground themselves live without practise of any of these Ordinances or of any Church Society and condemn and censure those who walk in the practice of them whose opinion to recite is to refute and the evil of it cannot but be easily discerned and be also by all the people of God justly exploded that have had in their souls any true experience of the benefit and comfort God gives in to the Souls of his people who in an humble and conscionable manner walk in the practise of his Ordinances and attend upon them But let them also consider how easily they lay themselves open to such deceits how easie a thing it may be for them to be deceived by any Deceiver that taking the advantage of this expectation of theirs shall pretend himself to be such a one as is expected by them yea cause they have to take heed of it that God in judgment give them not up thereunto for this contempt and slighting of his Ordinances And may not this at last be warning to every one to be jealous of himself and his own standing That he who thinks he stand take heed lest he fall seeing such sad examples of the great and dangerous falls of these and such like persons Take we heed of an uncertainty in matters of Religion of being Scepticks in it affected with every novity and Athenian like hankering in our minds after it and beware of these whom we see possessed with such a spirit of giddiness in matters of Religion that they know not what to fix or settle upon See we the evil of error how it pollutes a man A corrupt judgment quickly causing a corrupt life so that those who cherish and entertain error quickly proceed to much impiety Of which these persons are also sufficient examples when once a person is entered into the path of error and is fallen from his ●●edfastness in the truth he knows not where to settle as appears in these persons running from one Error in Religion to another till they at length attained to that height of blasphemy that I think the like hath searce been heard of and usually the proceedings of men in their changes from one Error to another is still for the worst according to that of the Apostle Evil men and Deceivers wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 But prize we truth and the true knowledg of it labour we to attain it but labour we also as much to be setled in it that we be not carried about with every wind of doctrine but be rather able to contend for the faith against the gainsayers of it hold we fast the mystery of Faith in a good conscience lest turning aside from the one we make shipwrack of the other Surely Christs sheep know the voyce of Christ and can discern and distinguish it from the voyce of strangers The Lord make us of the number of these his sheep and give us the ointment of his Spirit that we may know all things at least that are necessary to be known being guided thereby into the way of truth we may be preserved from the deceits of the many Antichrists which are now abroad in the world Amen FINIS Imprimatur JOSEPH CARYL May 18. 1650.