Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	die_v	good_a	life_n	16,696	5	4.8534	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70679	The case and trial of Capt. Robert Norwood, now prisoner in New-gate, truely and impartially stated, and published for satisfaction of my allied friends, and very many others desirous thereof. Together with some observations upon the law and its professors, very worthy a most serious consideration. Both which, (with a brief answer, by way of postscript, to a secret calumny charged upon me) are here presented to the view and judgement of the whole nation: which, if duly considered, with the shrot [sic] discourse annexed, will clearly discover where England's death and life lies.	Norwood, Robert, Captain.	1652 (1652)	Wing N1380A; ESTC R25970	18,744	26

The CASE and TRIAL of Capt. ROBERT NORWOOD now prisoner in New-gate truely and impartially stated and published for satisfaction of my allied friends and very many others desirous thereof Together with some Observations upon the Law and its Professors very worthy a most serious consideration Both which with a brief Answer by way of Postscript to a secret Calumny charged upon me are here presented to the view and judgement of the whole Nation Which if duly considered with the shrot Discourse annexed will clearly discover where England's Death and Life lies IN March last some Gentlemen with whom I had formerly held society coming to my house to speak with me did declare that they heard or understood of some erroneous Opinions which I should hold and speak forth to the people at which they seemed to be offended Whereupon I told them I was not ashamed but should be ready to give an account not onely of my Faith but of my Life and Conversation also in Westminster-Hall or at Pauls Cross to themselvs or any other Gentlemen who should reasonably upon a fair and just account desire the same Some time after that I was desired to give them a meeting at Ab-Church London which as to so many pri 〈…〉 e and particular Gentlemen I promised I would and accordingly did And lest there should be any mistakes misapprehensions or misconstructions of words but that it might stand to be tried and examined by all men I put it in writing read it publikely to the whole Assembly and then gave it them with my Hand subscribed thereto unto which was annexed some Queries whereunto I desired an Answer in writing from M. Shidrack Simpson their called-Pastor on that day seven-night or else that some other might in love peace and quietness have liberty to give answer thereunto as my printed Papers testifie Which request would not be received neither hath himself or any other of the Clergie given answer thereunto to this day but in stead of answering the Questions he my self being not there present excommunicates me Whereupon within four or five days after I sent him a Letter in which was inclosed another Paper signifying my desire to have him prove those things which he calls Errour and Blasphemy to be so and that from Scripture or Reason wherein I also promised Repentance and publike Recantation thereof in case he should so prove them as also my earnest desire of answer to those and the former Queries proposed in reference not onely to my own but many others satisfaction one whereof was this verbatim What the true and very hell is spoken of in Scripture and you from God or Christ as you say so much promise to and threaten the people with the very right and true knowledge whereof is of the greatest and highest concernment to be clearly made known and discovered to the people of all other things all other things being but as it were accessaries thereunto therefore must certainly be made known to you of you be what you say you are yet it 's very much to be feared that very few of you have the true knowledge either of the one or the other but that most fancie both the one and the other as the Papists their Purgatory and the Poets their Elizian fields is abundantly manifest both God and the Devil both Death and Life both Heaven and Hell being very much nearer to us then we are aware of Whether this be the denial of the things or no I commit to the judgement of all men As also in the 20 and 21 pages of my Book intituled Parson Simpson's Excommunication excommunicated where speaking of the Clergie you shall finde it thus Let me tell them this of a truth and that which they shall assuredly finde one day that except they break off their sins by true and unfeigned repentance their lying their hypocrisie their covetousness their railing and persecuting they shall to hell and be tormented day and night with the devils yea and remain there until they have paid the utmost farthing You have also in several other places of the said book both heaven and hell according to the Scripture fully asserted by me In my Letter before spoken of I wrote to him that if he would promise me answer within some certain days therein prefixed the number whereof I do not now remember I should forbear to publish my second Paper which he not doing I then made publication thereof to the world with this Assertion That if I proved not him and the rest of the Clergie of England generally who cry out of others for heresie and blasphemy the greatest deceivers or falsifiers of the truth and blasphemers as themselves call it in the Nation let me die the death I am the same still and shall be ready upon my life to prove and make good the same against them whenever I shall in a fair and just way be called to it Which I speak onely out of the love I have unto this Nation and the desire of its peace which cannot be whilst they have any power or influence in upon and over the same they have been they are the chief occasioners of all the bloodshed that hath been and is yet likely to be in England nay in all Nations Some few weeks after this I obtained a Copie of the Form of his Excommunication with his Arguments against my Positions to which I very shortly after gave answer in Print which Discourse I dedicated to the Parliament Which said Book and Papers any who desires further satisfaction in the things discoursed may have them at M. Giles Calvert's Bookseller at the signe of the black Spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls Not many days after this Tho. Andrews the Cities Lord Maior and one of the said Simpsons Society who by his Place and Office is more especially bound to keep defend and preserve the Laws of the Nation the Liberties and Freedoms of the people inviolate yet he contrary thereunto signes and sends a Warrant to bring me before the Bench at the Sessions-house in the Old Bayly no fault crime or misdemeanour being specified in the said Warrant the illegality whereof was then and there declared by the Lord Chief Justice Rolls and Baron Thorp by which act he is perjur'd and ought of right to give an account to the Common-wealth for his mal-administration of Justice in this and several other particulars of far higher weight and concernment which I now forbear to instance in At my being brought thither there were onely these two Articles found and read against me viz. That the soul of man is of the essence of God and That there is neither heaven nor hell but what is here The Lord Chief Justice Rolls asked me what I said to it and whether I spake those words or no My answer was That there had been divers and several Disputes at my house about those things and what my own opinion or judgement was therein I had made it

there of any of your sittings of any of your Judgements or Judicatories Whilst the Sword is in its Regencie there is no room for nay all other Laws Commands and Actings whatsoever which are not subservient unto it cease as being altogether inconsistent and must be and remain so until it have ended its conquest and the people re-united into one free and entire body for the setling and establishing themselves in peace security and rest by such Laws as themselves shall chuse then is the Sword again given up into the Peoples power and command having effected its right end is transmitted unto its right place It s true original was from the people for their defence in their Rights and Liberties and when it hath attained that then must it to them be resigned and this is the right end and nature of all true Conquests and truely noble Conquerors or rather of all true and noble Saviours Redeemers or Deliverers And truely for any man or men to conquer that him or themselves may reign and rule sit in and enjoy their Seats and Places conquered his or their private and particular interests and accommodations is not thank-worthy but this To make or give enjoyments to others and this at least in form and shew hath been the practice of all Conquerors of which this Nation hath had manifest experience No sooner hath any conquest been made by any but the Conqueror calls a Parliament summons the people to chuse themselves Laws though their ends have been to settle themselves Here Gentlemen you may see who or what hath been next to the Clergie the greatest cause of England's miseries The Clergie hath preached us into blood and hath brought Gospel for justification of each party and the other Long-Rob'd Gentlemen they have pleaded and argued us into blood and adjudged each parties actions and proceedings legal and by them of each party hath the people been condemned by one and the same Law Thus both Clergie and Lawyer can make their Cameleon shew any colour How then we the People can expect peace and settlement whilst either of these two generations remain amongst us is to me a Paradox I would not here be taken to charge or condemn every particular Gentleman of either Calling or Profession for I know of both that are truely honourable for the sincerity of their affections to the Nations Rights and Priviledges its peace and prosperity in respect to which they are willing not onely to sacrifice their Places Callings and Professions but their Lives also But I speak as to that Principle which reigns in and guides the most or generality of them who have ever been found to transgress for a morsel of bread and whom if I prove not to be the greatest traitors and enemies to this Commonwealth in the Nation if to subvert and pervert the Laws of the Nation be the greatest Treason as it in many Parliaments hath been adjudged or that according to that undeniably-true and generally-received Maxime it be granted that Salus populi suprema Lex that the highest supremest Law of Laws and so end of all Law is the Peoples safety or if those two Judges died justly whose fact and execution for their brethren the Judges sakes are still kept in remembrance in that place at Westminster where the King and Lords used to sit in the time of Parliaments by the Wool-sacks the Judges seats when called in for their counsel as a continual Monitor unto them and all that succeed them for ever I say if I prove it not then let me die the death as I justly deserve should I not make good this my Charge against them which I am and shall be ready to do at any time before a competent Judge Jury And to say the truth the highest treason must needs arise from the breach of the highest trust Now then he or they to whom the Law with the administration thereof is intrusted have undoubtedly the highest and greatest trust for it namely the Law is of the highest and greatest concernment to all and every particular person in the Nation of any or all other things there is a sacredness in it and it ought to be kept sacred and inviolate by every one of us upon the highest penalties it being that and that onely which without and in stead of Castles Bulworks Forts and Towers keeps preserves and maintains the whole Nation or People not onely in a joynt union and communion one with another but also all and every one in their several and particular Rights and Liberties in peace and security And this Gentlemen my brethren of this Nation is our Law which had our Judges and their dependencies kept pure and inviolate had they fully plainly and stoutly cleared and maintained according to their Oathes Places and Trusts reposed in them these Wars must of necessity have been prevented And if we yet could by any means obtain this thing namely the clearing and vindicating of our Laws in the particulars mentioned we might presently turn our swords into plow-shares and our spears into pruning-hooks which cannot be done until these men with their appendixes be undone I shall now after this long digression made for the Nations sake and cause which I hope pleads me justly excused return to the prosecution of my Relation My next reply to Judge Nicols was that in case he would there in open Court declare that it was a legal and just proceeding not as is before expressed to have my prosecutors bound over to make good the Indictment against me I would then proceed to answer the Charge He answered It was legal Then I did proceed and spake to the Indictment it self which runs thus That Robert Norwood being one most monstrous in his opinions loose wicked and abominable in his practices not onely to the notorious corrupting and disordering but even to the dissolution of all humane society rejecting the use of any Gospel-Ordinances Doth deny the necessity of civil and moral righteousness amongst men To which things when I came to speak and declare in open Court to the people that if any man or men could prove these things against me I was willing not onely to suffer imprisonment but death also I was answered from the Bench That that was no part of my Charge but it was onely as a Preamble Then I am sure it was a most scandalous Indictment or an Indictment drawn most scandalously which is contrary to our Law and for which he who drew the same is accountable to the Law and for what end it was except to make me odious to the people or to pick mens pockets or both I know not When I came to the several things in the Indictment which were a number of words put together to what end or purpose I know not except to make me as I said before more odious to the people there being but One thing in the whole Indictment consisting of Thirteen sheets and a half colourably coming within the compass

management of business for that Court and gives me a discharge Now comes the last game to be plaid and that is by some means or other if possible to fasten something upon me that should render or make appear to the whole world that I justly deserved all these things else it must lie as a blot upon them all for ever Therefore must Judge Nicols be sent down to do the work Now let all the Nation be judge in the case I will be silent if I have transgress'd the Law let me not be spared but let the Law be executed in its rigour I beg no favour But in case I had said or held some such thing in discourse or by way of disputation as that Act condemns as the Witnesses testified it was shall that be taken and received for an avowed act rather then that which I have attested under my Hand dedicated and presented to the highest Judicatory in the Nation which as I said before I offered as testimony but it was refused This is a strange acting construction and interpretation of the Act and an unheard-of Judgement upon a mans avowed Principles I further told the Court that if Disputations were not allowed or if men must be called to account and judged for what in Disputation is either affirmed or denied the Universities and Schools of Learning must be shut up and all mens mouthes stopped for in all Disputes there must be the Negative and the Affirmative Disputes being still of Contraries And verily this is no other then to binde men up according to the Laws of the Bishop of Rome and our former Bishops here to their Faith and Belief which is contrary to what the Parliament hath constantly held forth to the people in their several Votes and Declarations that Act being intended principally if not onely against the carnal and fleshly actings of corrupt and bestial men But if I mistake not as I have formerly published the true knowledge of God and of the Devil of Hell and Heaven of Salvation and Condemnation or Damnation is of the highest concernment to be truely known and rightly understood of any other thing these being or at leastwise are made to be the very end of all the Religion Praying Preaching and all things else of that nature therefore doubtless men may not reasonably be debarred from searching for or after the knowledge of that upon which the All of man depends Men have as little reason to trust the Clergie now as those in Christ's time had to trust the Scribes and Pharisees as they were advised not to trust them so say I it 's good not to trust too much to these lest the blinde leading the blinde both fall into the ditch And verily if they cannot tell us truely what either of them be or wherein whereby or wherewith they consist subsist and exsist they may as well lead us to hell as to heaven into condemnation or damnation as well as into salvation to the Devil as well as to God This I am sure of that most of their Preachings and Practices are from the devil if the Scriptures speak truth and therefore must needs lead thither what else means the bleating of those many poor Ewes and Lambs left fatherless through your instigations and preachings Have you not amongst you preached three Nations into blood Can you now you have kindled this fire from hell which is like to devour and consume all can you I say by your Preachings quench it again You may see it 's true what James saith Behold how great a thing a little fire kindleth M. Simpson you see your self and all men may see it in this matter what inconveniences you have put the State and many others upon and you your self know your self to be the occasioner of it and should not a spirit of more meekness and moderation appear in those that are persecuted then in their persecutors a new fire or fresh flame would presently lay hold upon the Nation I have done with you for this time Then I told the Court likewise that it was an easie matter to be mistaken or to be traduced in a mans words especially in Argument or Disputation and it was a very easie matter to do it by any man in his Pulpit he might take one part of his speech and not the other I told the Court also that if I did speak the words in the sence they understood them I did there unsay them again Yet therein I desired I might not be mistaken for as I accounted it my honour to desert an Errour so I did also account it my honour not to desert the least Truth neither should I were I presently to die in the place I further said I never did neither do I now deny the things but do here in the presence of the Court and all the people acknowledge both And I further told the Court that if any man accused for Heresie and an Heretick even in the hottest of persecutions in Queen Maries days yet if at the Stake or any time before he made his Recantation he was acquitted discharged and delivered And I did there solemnly declare that I held and owned both heaven and hell both salvation and damnation but all this would not serve turn I must to New-gate there to be kept prisoner for six months without Bayl or Mainprise I have concluded my Relation and give all the world to know I am not at enmity with nor bear I evil will unto or against any person in the Nation I know every one is in his proper work and that all and every one yea all things as it is written shall work together for good therefore am I not offended at any And because I love the Nation therefore would I that the Nation might be saved it cannot be saved but in righteousness For as all things that are made and created must be saved by him that made and created them so also must they be saved in that way or word in or by which they were made and created and that is in righteousness which Way or Word is Christ the Righteousness or Christ the Wisdom of the Father for Wisdoms works or goings forth are all in righteousness or what is done or brought forth in righteousness is the work of wisdom or wisdoms workings in which and by which the worlds were made as is fully asserted and inserted by and in the Scriptures All and every unrighteousness is sin as the Scriptures also testifie and all sin is weakness and therefore as it is written sin or weakness certainly bringeth forth death Every departure from Light is Darkness every departure from Strength is Weakness every departure from Life is Death according to the several measures or degrees of their departure or separation so much are they wrapped infolded involved or sealed up in their contraries though all these Names signifie but one and the same Thing And verily nothing is truely righteous will or can work righteousness perfectly but

Love Love in truth Names and Shews and Forms will not do it but Love in Life Love in Power The reason is nothing is truely wise but it and it 's better then Wisdom or it 's Wisdoms excellencie or the excellencie of Wisdom is Love and therefore saith Christ of himself Behold a wiser then Solomon is here Hence Christ is said to come out of the bosome of the Father because he is the Father's Love or the love of or rather in the Father And hence is he said to be the Saviour of the world because nothing but love either will or can save it because nothing else can in truth work righteousness but it nothing else being truely righteous or righteousness in truth but it Brethren be not deceived it 's not the sufferings it 's not the blood it 's not the death of Christ slain at Jerusalem will save you as witnesseth the Scriptures this is the Saviour or Salvation that great Salvation God sent into the world therefore when he comes he brings this Command with him namely Love one another and saith as the truth is that under that is comprehended all And you must know God or Christ and his Commands are himself Now I say as before it hath been said that Light or Truth is come into the world or hath received its resurrection though not as yet its ascension in and over the world but as men then did so men now do love darkness more then light why because their deeds are evil and this therefore is the condemnation Brethren it 's undeniably true that he which doth or that which is Truth willingly and readily comes unto the light at least if it may have liberty so to do And on the contrary it is as certain that he which doth or that which is evil as much a voids and shuns the light Brethren the days of your ignorance God hath hither to winked at but now he willeth that all men should come to the knowledge of the truth Wherefore Brethren let me in love in the bowels of love of mercy and compassion intreat and beseech you And I do earnestly intreat you all of and in the Nation of all ranks qualities states and conditions you of the Clergie you the professors of the Law I beseech you again and again to consider All unrighteousness is sin all sin is weakness weakness bringeth forth death Why O why then will you die Behold death lies at the very door of this Nation Consider is any thing called for but your unrighteousness which will certainly be your death What is it you are to part with is it any thing but that which will evidently and eminently be your destruction Consider all things must die must pass away but Love but Charity and they or that abides for ever that is God that is Christ to whom or to which when the whole man is in the same Love subjected and united then indeed is it properly said to be saved or to be in a condition of salvation when that true light which is life or life which is light that wisdom which is pure and unspotted of the world free from all flesh and fleshliness yet living in flesh but not flesh that is he or it which is not touched with Humanity even the alone-wisdom of the eternal Deity in himself which when he or it shall arise in his or its own pure light life and strength in us and we in the sight of the loveliness beauty and excellencie thereof are in our selves in our earthly selfish fleshly carnal or worldliness subjected and united in love thereunto then from thence in the light life power and strength thereof shall we act in the Righteousness of or rather in Love unto All Verily I cannot but abhor the Doctrine and Principles of most Christians and I profess before all the world they are Principles and Doctrines of devils and the very bane of or unto all Godliness and Honesty wholly destructive to the true Scripture which hath and must have its union with and so its life subsistence existence and consistence in the light and truth it self the very form shadow or outside of things being set up worshipped adored received trusted unto and rested in in stead of the light life power and truth it self I will give you a very late example or president just now brought to my hand by an honest Gentleman which was of an Officer belonging to the Excise-Office London who having wickedly forsworn himself and being reproved for it readily replied that Christ died for perjured persons And to say the very truth it is that we all wipe our mouthes with We sin by oppression by injustice by deceit or by other carnal fleshly sensual and devilish actings why Christ died for sinners we lay all upon the back of a poor weak man like our selves dying at Jerusalem and this also the Clergie when men are upon their death-beds stop into their mouthes with some of their bread and wine perhaps also and then all 's well they must to heaven without dispute O Rome Rome Rome My dear Country-men you of this Nation I speak unto you all for whom and whose true and real peace and happiness I could God is my witness from my very soul I speak it with much more chearfulness and readiness of spirit be offered up a sacrifice in the fire then to be freed and delivered from my present bonds and imprisonment O that I could deliver you from the present and those future sorer evils that are coming upon you except repentance indeed prevents them Brethren you may easily see where your salvation lies who or what your salvation is There is no salvation but in union with Light and Life no salvation but in Christ the Righteousness and Wisdom of the Father wherefore in Isaiah he is called the Wonderful Counseller and so the Prince of peace whose Kingdom must be established with judgement and justice He is there also called The mighty God and The everlasting Father In Isai. 42. 6 I have saith the text called thee in righteousness So that you see there is no peace no salvation no rest but in Union no Union but in Righteousness no Righteousness but in Love your inward or inmost salvation lieth here and your outward utmost or outmost salvation lieth here also If the outmost figures stand and hold in Union Communion each with other according to and in proportion with the inmost light and life receiving their strength and subsistence from thence then are they safe or saved Thus One operating into Three and Three operating again into One is the life of all and every one which speaks the wisdom love and righteousness of or in the Father which is the onely and alone Saviour or Salvation and that is Union He who died at Jerusalem I say my brethren is not the Christ is not the Saviour the Scriptures point you unto I deny not but that he or that which is the life and light