Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	spirit_n	testimony_n	witness_v	1,787	5	10.0023	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91934	Jegar-Sahadvtha: an oyled pillar. Set up for posterity, against present wickednesses, hypocrisies, blasphemies, persecutions and cruelties of this serpent power (now up) in England (the out-street of the beast.) Or, A heart appeale to heaven and earth, broken out of bonds and banishment at last, in a relation of some part of the past and present sufferings of John Rogers in close prison and continued banishment, for the most blessed cause and testimony of Jesus; the sound of the seventh trumpet and the gospel of the seven thunders, or holy oracles (called rayling by them in power) sealed up to the time of the end. From Carisbrook Castle in the third year of my captivity, the fifth-prison, and the third in exile, having been hurried about from post to pillar, quia perdere nolo substantiam propter accidentia.	Rogers, John, 1627-1665?	1657 (1657)	Wing R1809; Thomason E919_9; ESTC R207526	168,327	179

rejected must fal flat before the house of David the little stripling And all this Apostative interest of Councils Courts Triers Clergy Academies and Armies whom the Lord is departed from or rather who have no foundation at all in the Covenant of Grace or Kingdom which the God of Heaven hath set up over all Nations must worse then tumble but our cause cannot miscarry my Friends it cannot fail us who are Heirs of the Promise because every jota of it as we contend for it is founded in the New and everlasting Covenant blessed be the Lord the Holy one of Israel who hath already given us so many gracious and specifying prison prognosticks of the great day of Jezreel at hand 1. In that We and the CAUSE we are in are found and founded in Covenant of Grace vvhereby the Father stands ingaged to his Son by his Son to us in an inseperable union and tye Isai 53.11 Jer. 33.25 26. Acts 2.30 Gal 3.16 So that as Rom 4.16 It is of Faith that it might be by GRACE to the end the PROMISE might be sure to AL THE SEED 2 Sam 23.5 and our infirmities though many cannot hinder the most excellent glory and Resurrection of this most blessed Cause of Christ against Antichrist of the Lamb against the Beast in England Psal 89.33 34 Ezek 16.60 nor deprive us of our weight in that glory which is a coming by how much the Lord of this cause is the Lord of that covenant which is established upon so clear sweet and sure New-Testament promises Heb 86 12. Isai 43.25 yea Jer 50.20 saies the Lord In those dayes their iniquity shal be sought for but not found for I wil pardon whom I RESERVE the little REMNANT that overcome with the blood of the Lamb and the word of the Testimony Rev 12.11 O my brethren do not our heart even burn with us by a New Covenant communion with the Lord in this Cause having the pardon of sins the seale of his Love the assurance of his favour and boldness in his sight through the blood of Grace yea can we not run into the inner Court vvith the blood and the Fat of Lords Offerings and have as free and frequent an access into the Holy of holies where our High Priest is as vve vvil what should hinder us or who should let us and do not the Lords fats overflow with new Wine and Oyl unto our souls O my most precious Friends shal we or can we ever forget our prisons and Exiles so exceedingly lined warmed refreshed renewed and followed vvith such ful plentiful and ravishing mercies and let men say what they vvil it is marvelous sweet to our souls and our Consciences do witness it daily that our sufferings are New-Testament sufferings our vvitnessings New-Testament testimonies our comforts and hopes pure New-Testament hopes and consolations so are our priviledges principles and Spirits as odious as our enemies make them by their false reports New-Testament spirits and principles O that they vvere tryed yet more and more yea and our actings thereupon are New-Testament actings upon and in the Covenant of grace which the blood of Christ ha●h sealed yea the Decree of God which to put an end of all strife Heb 6.16 17 18. God himself hath SWORN to that VVE poor prisoners of hope might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the HOPE set before us and herein lyeth the whole controversie between us and our persecutors blessed be our most Heauenly Father for these prison companions and comforts of Christ for these fresh springs vvhich cannot fail us nor can vve fal the subjects of Gods wrath let them prison hang or head us banish or burn us for the Covenant standeth sure and is wel ordered in all things 2. The EARNEST PRESENCE of Immanuel or GOD WITH Us in our Prisons and Exiles is a most excellent PREFACE to the matter in hand yea a sure token for good unto us and a certain testimony of the Cause of Christ with us which we suffer so sweetly and satisfactorily in and for in the race of those righteous ones in all Ages that have freely parted with all to follow Christ for although a many profess him talk of him and pretend to do it very highly yet they turn it off to the affections not actions as if it were only to fix the heart upon him and not upon the vvorld or sublunary things and those have thereby condemned themselves as unworthy of him nor indeed are they the true Disciples of Jesus Christ but onely at larges as the young man vvho had great possessions Mat 19.22 and so the Martyrs and primitive Saints as I could prove have all along lookd upon them at a distance as vve shal see in the day of Christ but now I say vve see the bredth of the Land of Immanuel much more then formerly in these prison prospects and do men or Devils their vvorst vve may expect a most eminent reviving of the spirit of life upon us yea on our heads in an Oecomenical dispensation as is rested on Christ 1 Pet 4.14 the blessing shal be upon the head of Joseph whom no man remembreth in the prison Deut 33.16 yea and Joseph shal have the first lot among Davids singers 1 Chron 25.9 or Christs VVorthies that have victory over the Beast Rev 15.2 vvho have your chambers in the inner Court and a clear prospect Ezek 40.44 and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb Rev 14.2 JOSEPH being one of the free Woman that stands upon the Mount of blessing and not on the Mount of Cursing Peut 27.12 Besides as MANOAHS WIFE said if he would have killed us he would not have received our Offerings nor would he have shewed us all these things that are to come at this time Judg 13.23 and in the prison too and in a strange Land had vve been such evil doers as our enemies for their own sakes vvould make men believe us to be But O my happy Brethren in Christ doth not our God give us most remarkeable ful and frequent visits yea reveale his minde unto us and foreshew us things to come and accept of us in his dearest Son vvhat mean vve then to fear vvhat flesh can do unto us Psal 27.1 2. Psal 1●8 Verily verily I say it and see it and by the authority vvhich the Lord hath given me I speak it that not ONE no not one soul in prison upon this pure and single account for the King of Saints but shal say it and if they persevere yet much much more injoy it that they have had such a presence of the Lord with them as is not usual no! not to Saints but I leave the further evidence of this tasted truth to TIME to declare at our next Hallelujatick triumph altogether over the beast and his Image for our God is gone up with a SHOVT and we shal sing praises together sing praises to the Lord sing praises

hand Now if ever there were a time to hear the Grave-groans of the living and the dead of those who are in Prison graves and of those whose skulls and bones we left behinde us in the Field and of those under the Altar who cry How long O Lord holy and true Rev. 6.10 yea the shrill heaven heart and earth-tearing Call of Saints past present and to come from the days of Abel to this day to maintain their Cause to revenge their Blood and the Lamb's and to be VP AND DOING for the Lord Jesus the King of Saints to purpose it is NOW within a year or two as we shall shew you WO to them that are at ease Amos 6.1 yea to the very women that are Careless Isa 32.9 10 11 12. for they shall lament and if ye will be All silent the very Graves shall open the Dead shall live the dry bones shall live the stones of the street shall speak and the beam of the timber utter it the Witnesses will arise and the earthquake come to take vengeance against this Apostate generation of sowre Professors But say some seeing the Prisons are so deeply sensible and bear so heavie a burthen for us how falls it that before now your exonerating groans and sighs got not a free passage abroad in the Nation To which I must answer That for above a years Imprisonment now partly more at large Why the Prisons are so silent and partly close I have lien under pressure of Spirit as if my heart would break within me at times to see so servile and degenerate a Spirit as yet among the Saints yet with patience purposing to wait and possess my soul as unwilling to write what few if any we able to bear though most honourable Truth I kept in as long as I could not knowing but there might have been before this a kindly recurrence among some of those retrograde motions which so tremendous and fearful a Wrath as I easily foresee follows the heels of Melius est recurrere quam male currere Besides so great is the servile spirit and fear which possesses the hearts of men against this glorious Cause and Controversie of Christ for which we are imprisoned plundered exiled or persecuted that what we write to ease our hearts and consciences with the greatest sobriety and simplicity we cannot carry thorow the Press or get Printed upon any terms almost in the language life and savour of the present Anointing from the holy One which is upon us and teaches us All things That new-found Engine of the Beast the Ordinance of Treason for words and imaginations hath put them into so pannick and foolish a fear that above an hundred sheets preparing for the Press to enlighten the Deluded and Abused people of this Nation as to us and our Cause or rather Christ's while they give out we suffer not for Conscience have been either betrayed by Iscariot-kisses plundered from me or stifled before they were born and all this lest the people should have light into the sufferings of our Consciences or conscience of our Sufferings viz. the truth of the fifth Kingdom or receive a right Information of the Apostacies Hypocrisie Perjury Cheating Persecution and unheard-of Baseness of such as are gotten into Power having a form of godliness denying the power thereof from whom we are to withdraw 2 Tim. 3.5 and notwithstanding we and they declared this Tyranny in the Bishops the words are To lock up the Printing-Presses against whom they please was in the Bishops time complained of Vid. Guilford-Declar p. 10. as one of the great Oppressions Yet this is revived upon us which is the reason the good people of the Nation are so deceived and prejudiced about us and our Principles whiles we are not suffered to publish the truth and our enemies false Reports of us pass cum privilegio all over the Countries 2 The Prisonopprobries abuses and injurries especially at Lambeth 2. The marvelous Trials which I have encountered with in the flesh since Imprisonment have much impeded my appearing in Publick until now and albeit I have forborn hitherto making publike complaint of the worse then Romane tyranny upon us for the exercising of our faith and patience that in all well-doing we might suffer with joy and that our consolation in Christ might abound and that Jehovah whom we serve to whom vengeance and truth belongeth might take the matter into his hands onely Yet because of the loud Obloquies lend Lyes Invectives and ungodly reports which pass without examination from one to another upon me on purpose to reflect upon this blessed Cause and faith we contend for and for that some have greedily made such use of those loose Tales and do conclude upon it that Silence argues Guilt and gives advantage to all sorts good and bad to accumulate their most amarulent and uncharitable censures some precious friends have prevailed with me for the Truths sake the Lord knows without the least desire to justifie my self for I leave that to my Lord and Master or delight to rake into the rank and sordid excrements of mens mouthes or pleasure in their unhandsom nakedness for I take little delight to inculcate their lapses or inciviliti●s to us in this Cause and can be better content my conscience bears me witness to sit down in silence then to take so much as notice of the foaming and frothy agitations of some pragmatick and unquiet heads these Times But the Truth Cause and persecuted Saints do expect some Account at my hands it seems of the particular harsh usage I and my family met with under this Power in Lambeth-House and since where I was for above five and thirty weeks and then sent to Windsor-Castle the 31 of 1 mon. 1655. with two Messengers who deliver'd me up Prisoner here a little after Noon I was fetch'd out of my bed the 27 day of 4 mon. in 1654 early in the morning and at night after all day waiting I was sent to Lambeth-prison being very ill and distemper'd with a Fever yet for all that at 11 in the night did a Messenger rap at the gates call'd another of the Messengers who was going into his bed made him put on his clothes again to assist him and so they came both with Harding the under-Goaler to carry me at that time of night I knew not whither nor would they tell me but being very ill on the bed and my wife also unready I told them I was not Able prayed them to let me alone for that one night told them The righteous man was merciful to a Beast and were a Beast of theirs horse or Cow so ill or little able to stir they would be more merciful with many other Arguments I and my wife also desired them to forbear that night but they said they had Orders from Sergeant Dendy to remove me presently and I must not stay one of them speaking very high and threatning The issue was They

Christ his Word his Gospell and holy Spirit and ●s the poor prisoners exiles and wi●nesses of Jesus as our most righteous as God the elect Angells Churches Ministers S●●nts and other men yea the Word and Spirit of God the three th●● bear record in heaven with our ow● consciences do d●ly bear us witnesse what ever our enemies have the face to say to deceive themselves and others with Wherefore upon the 21. or 22. day of the 11. Moneth the Popes Bull began to roar and goa● again more fiercely than formerly without any cause shown why kept us up close prisoners with incredible cruelty and I think among Christians a most unheard of usage in bani●hment suffering none man woman nor child to come at us nor our victuals or necessaries to come to us or any of our families to fetch it in for us nor any letters to come freely in unto us or go from us but we were in our close prisons as ignorant of the thing as of the Cause till we tried it not imagining it had been in men at this day so far to exceed the very Pagan-powers in their persecutions in banishment and yet to pretend there is no persecution is th●y do in their extraordinary Hypocrisie the Lord pitty us but ●hen we would have sent out for provisions the servants was stayed by ●he Cap●ain of the Guard and told none should go which he had Orders for nor any provision come to us but by ther hands which when we heard and knowing already the declar'd principles of the present Soldiers whom he had packed out and moddeled by this time for his very purpole to do what ever he bid them do those which had any remorse or touch in conscience being cast out or kept out we perceiv'd clearly their design began now to destroy us starve us murther or massacre us for to make us comply with their lusts thus they laid siege against us to conquer us to their side i. e. to play the Hypocrites Apostates perjured wretches and Beasts with them But we ●ought the Lord our dear Father of heaven and earth according to whose Word Spirit and example of all holy men we resolved with his grace to dy or be starved with a good conscience rather than to live without yet we sent a servant to Bull to demand a coppy of his Order for this his unheard of tyranny in an exile which he refused and bid complain if we would but alas we had none to complain unto which he knew but unto Jehovah t●e righteous Judge our only refuge and helpor Yet at length he said he had Orders from his Superiours at White-hall but would not shew then in this time it pleased God my poore wife was forely ill for whom we could not have what she needed nor any one be suffered to fetch them for money yea if any woman came but to see her the Sentinel Soldiers would not suffer it and when one Sentinel was desired but to let one poore woman come in to see her he said O! what good will it do you to see mee killed before your eyes I shall be hanged Presently if I should for I am charged upon pain of death not to let any one come near you or in unto you yea some friends at times coming long tedious and chargeable journeys of 20 30 40 60 or 100. miles some out of the Island and some out of our native land but to see us and to minister to our necessities were not suffered but turned back again at their outward gate after so great and chargeable journeys with tears and some of them before even we knew of it yea some that we know not of to this day pretending 'tis like they would comfort us and the Maj. Generals man being sent from his own house dear relations and Family in England to visit him and so at Newport to buy victuals to bring in unto us it need were was carried before Bull to whom he said he was sent to see his Master but Bull said he was 〈◊〉 but without he would signe an ingagement which by this time ●●ll had drawn up he said he might be gone again for he should not so much as see him and so turned the poore man back again but t●at he had a key to let him in whether he will or no which till then this Bull did not know of and thus in an unexpected way he got in to see his Master But to return to an aliquid amplius which i● an aliquid altius their sword-Law and orders against us so strait was this siege they said against us that one Mrs. C. getting in but to a pair of staira near our lodge was forced away least she should see my wife and threatened if ever she came but into the Castle again they would be her death and break her neck and now behold what a providence of our Father who taketh care for the Sparrows and Worms cloatheth the Lillies and feedeth the Birds did minister unto us in this great strait there was sent in to the Maj. Gen. by a knight of their own party not of their make nor of the post peradventure in pitty it being the first and last of that kinde a little Lamb and to my poore wise bound up in brown papers and so undiscovered a neck of veal from New port which was most seasonable provision from our gratious good God yet after all this was gone and we in wants as before we prevailed with a little girle of one of the Soldiers for a piece of money to fetch us a little bread we being without but upon her return they took her carried her into Bull 's hall and there examin'd frighted roughly handl d and threatned her and would have forced her to say she had earried out a letter too but the girle knowing that she had nothing but a bit of silver to fe●ch us a loaf of brown bread said she had nothing else but they yet like rude Soldiers said she had bid her confesse or else that she and her friends should suffer for it but when they could not compell her to ly they left her and kept her from coming into the Castle any more to bring us so much as bread But that there might be some better colour for this cruelty this Bull with two or three of his f●ll Creatures and Serviteurs had drawn up in Ingagement to bind us or at least our servants in a kinde of recoguizance and an owning of them and their wayes and then they should after they had subscribed have the liberty to go out for victuals thinking it may be by this time that we either were or that we saw we should be starved into these condition● but when we found how insuff'rably barbarous tyranical they were that they would impose this upon our consciences for the very bread we should eat or provision we should buy for our money or else that we must suffer the utmost they could

whilest I was pleading with the Governour in the yard for our Christian Liberty upon the Lords day to meet together in our chambers to pray and worship who was called from me to fetch souldiers I went into the Chappel where he was praying without the least touch of the times or government I stood at the Pulpit-doore but by and by came up a file or two of souldiers armed and ready as if they would have discharged presently upon us lead up first by the governour and then by a Serjeant one Baker all very imperiously and with their ●ats on this Baker till then seemed unsatisfied with such unchristian preceedings but upon his rise to the preferment of an Ensigne he became very rigorous like the rest he came up to the Pulpit doore where I stood between him and my fellow-prisonner still praying and laying hands on me to pull me down and him out with that violence I sp●ke softly to him saying O will you a great professor and one who seemed smit in conscience for such cruelty exercise it and hew too when he is a praying let him but pray out tarry but a little What saies he will you justifie him Oh and alas said I and should I not is he not serving of a good Master doing a good work and dare you disturbe him in it Surely I have more cause to stand by him in his masters work then you have to stand by your master in this work And therefore do not fight against Christ so O do it not let him but conclude his prayer Pull him down pull him down saith the governour I said sir let him but pray out a quarter of an houre but till the minister come but then said the rude souldiers to Baker do you not hear the Governour pull him down and up came the souldiers like raging Beasts the governour standing under the Pulpit to see the execution then the first souldier of the file with his Musket struck at my brother Feake whiles he was yet praying but I standing between received the blow the governour still pursuing his command so that Baker being prejudiced as hath been gathered by his words against brother Feak for his judgment against dipping which this Baker was so riggid unto and the souldiers pulled and tore me who held the pulpit doore with such bitternesse eagernesse and roughnesse that they therewith and the blows struck at us that fell upon the pulpit doore brake it in pieces and so pulled me down and laid violent hands on him and carried us away with very great abuses both in word and deed Pepper with one party souldiers sent with me who did drag hale punch and pull me on way to my prison-lodge and another party of souldiers carrying him another way to his prison lodge Our friends who seeing us so bruitishly handled offering to intercede or speak for us were beaten threatned and put quite out and not suffered to visit either of us After a little breathing being thus haled in and kept close with Sentinels set at our doores my brother Feake began to preach out at the prison window which I heard at my prison doore the day being very calme where the Sentinels stood to keep me in and when they beat up the Drums to drown his voice at that end I at my end was stirred up upon the same subject and Text to proceed untill the Drums ceased and then he began again In the afternoone at the doore on the same subject I proceeded some few of our freinds that came from London having gotten into some holes and corners in the yard where they were hid to hear but in my Prayer was a Serjeant with souldiers sent up to drive me in and stop my mouth a little feirce man who fell to it with great fury as I was yet in prayer holding up a Brick in the wall desiring with tears the Lord to open their eyes and consciences and still praying with my whole heart and spirit in the Lord some two or three of the poore souldiers were struck in their consciences and though commanded could not fall on in that duty but with tears desired the rest of their fellows to let me alone and saying they would to prison first but the little feirce green Dragon the Serjeant with some others fell on the more barbarously laid hold on my throat as if to have strangled me tore off my cloake and rent it and me my arms and cloaths still I praying and looking up to my God whiles they were beating bouncing tearing and thumping me And then I said yea strike on strike on for thus did the soldiers deal with Christ my Master him they beat haled thumped spit on and the disciple is not better then his Master beat on beat on sirs O blessed blows but thus they cast me in and shut the doors upon me and set other Sentinels upon me so after a little breathing being so cruelly handled I continued out at my prison-window preaching singing praying and praising my most dear Lord and Father in Christ who hath made me so poore a sinfull wretch to be numbred and accounted amongst them that suffer for Jesus and his kingdomes sake rejoycing and triumphing abundantly in this high dignity and degree of his heavenly calling and Election Thus to you Phil. 1.29 not to all is it given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of meer grace not only to believe but to suffer notwithstanding they would drive away with souldiers swords and Muskets all from the sound of my voice yea to the very little children forcing all away with great violence In this close imprisonment though nothing so close as now it is I was though very ill and sore in my body stirred up to exercise every morning as I use to do in my Family at the window of the Prison for the benefit of the poore Sentinels who stood under in the yard expounding the scriptures and Praying and upon the third day of the week which was the eighth of the third moneth 1655. as I was praying my brother Feake with two souldiers at his heels passing by to ease nature as he came back stood still to hear me pray but an Irish Ensigne then Captain of the guard formerly I hear a Cavaleer commanded them to bring him away and not let him stand but he said let me alone a little I am much refreshed pray hear saies he c. But that Ensigne sent up more Souldiers who press●d much upon him but he said he was about a good worke and wish'd them also to hear prayer but C. W. said it was forbidden fruit at that time and desired one to come to mee and speak to mee to be so civill as to forbear praying but the party refused so to do th● Ensigne called upon them to bring him away without delay and to take him by head and heels but a poore Serjeant an Officer sent up for that purpose resused so to do and said he had rather go to Prison and