Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A76704
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Two letters of Mr. Iohn Biddle, late prisoner in Nevvgate, but now hurried away to some remote island. One to the Lord Protector. The other to the Lord President Laurence. Wherein you have an account of his judgement concerning those opinions whereof he is accused.
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Biddle, John, 1615-1662.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing B2881; Thomason E854_11; ESTC R207481
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5,061
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8
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TWO LETTERS OF Mr. IOHN BIDDLE Late Prisoner in NEVVGATE But now hurried away to some remote ISLAND One to the Lord Protector The other to the Lord President Laurence WHEREIN You have an account of his Judgement concerning those Opinions whereof he is accused London Printed in the Yeer 1655. Two Letters from Mr. John Biddle late Prisoner in Newgate May it please your Highness I Should have esteemed it no small favour had I bin admitted to speech with your Highness before your ears had been preoccupated with the various Reproaches and calumnies that have been cast upon me by mine Adversaries for I am so assured both of your Highness wisdome and judgement and also of mine own innocencie and integrity that I should have prevented any evil surmizings concerning me But since it hath pleased God to suffer it to come to pass otherwise give me leave in all humility to put your Highness in remembrance of that just and wise demand proposed by Nicodemus to the Jewish Councel Doth our Law judge a man until it hear from him first and know what he doth Wherefore my request is That your Highness would be pleased to lay aside all prejudice and either admit my justification tendred in this letter and which my adversaries are not able to disprove or else vouchsafe me an hearing and if it be found that I practise unrighteousness and have done any thing worthy of death I refuse not to die My life for these many years is not unknown to sundry in London who can and are accordingly ready to testifie that I have made it my study to meditate on the word of God day and night and have not only exercised my self to have a conscience void of offence towards God and men but also used diligence to draw others to all manner of holy conversation putting them continually in mind to walk worthy of the calling wherewith God hath called us in Christ Jesus And indeed the sum of my Doctrine hath bin constantly this That as Almighty God hath by the exceeding greatness of his power exalted his Son Jesus Christ to be a Prince and Saviour so is he become the Author of eternal Salvation to none but such as obey him and consequently That the power of Religion consisteth in yeilding obedience to the commands of Christ Jesus Neither do I desire any longer to be protected by your Highness then whilest I walk in the way of peace godliness and honesty of which protection I conceived a great hope upon the sight of the Instrument of the Government which was published by your Highness speciall command where ful liberty is granted unto all that profess Faith in God by Jesus Christ as I do who by Jesus Christ believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that my faith hope might be in God provided that they neither disturb the publick peace on their parts nor be either popish prelaticall or licentious whether in Doctrine or practise all which cannot with any colour be by my greatest adversaries objected unto me wherefore I beseech your Highness that you would be pleased to make good what you have published unto the world and engaged your self by solemn oath to perform and restore me to my liberty that as other religious persons so I also may have a speciall Obligation to pray for the prosperity and continuance of your Highness Government amongst us Iuly 27. 1655. IOHN BIDDLE My Lord THough there be sundry considerations inviting me to address my self unto you yet none doth more encourage me than the information I have received concerning that spirit of Freedom which dwelleth in you joyned with an insight into those various questions that are wont to be agitated amongst dissenting Christians I make no doubt but I have been represented to you in very hideous colours whilest mine Adversaries one while attribute unto me such opinions as never came into my thoughts and which I utterly abhor another while describe the Opinions which I own with strange additions and alterations purposely devised to make both me and my Opinions odious But your Lorship is not ignorant that these are old sleights of Satan imployed by him in all ages to scare men from enquiring into the truth which he hideth from them under the frightfull Vizards of heresie and blasphemy wherefore in treating with you so wise intelligent a man who not only use your liberty in examining things commonly received but dare after examination to reject some of them notwithstanding their commonness because they were not delivered to the Saints from the beginning I perswade my selfe that I may use freedome without offence and disclose my judgement touching points even of the highest importance As to my belief therefore concerning Jesus Christ for in this matter I am chiefly traduced I herein proceed as in other matters of Religion which is to keep close to the Holy Scripture without turning either to the right hand or to the left I find then in the Scripture and believe accordingly that Jesus Christ is the Son of God whom he begot by his Spirit of a pure Virgin And this is the cause which the Angel Gabriel assigneth why Jesus should be called the Son of God Luke 1. 35 36. as for his being eternally begotten out of the substance of God this is neither any where delivered in the Scripture nor consistent with reason so that no man unless he wil be wise above what is written and above what is reasonable can accuse me for not acknowledging such a Mystery I believe also that God annointed Jesus with the Holy spirit and with power and that after he had dyed for the confirmation of the New-Covenant God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the Heavens making him both Lord and Christ Act. 2. 33 35 36. I likewise believe with Thomas that he is not only my Lord but also my God Iohn 20. 28. and with Paul That he is God over all blessed for evermore Rom. 9. 5. I believe further that he is to be honoured as the Father Iohn 5. 23. But the reason why notwithstanding all these glorious elogies I believe him not to be the most high God is First because it is contradictious to say the Son of the most high God is the very most high God for then He will of necessity be the Son of himself Secondly Because Christ himself saith to Mary Magdalen Iohn 20. 17. Goe unto my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and unto my God and your God Thirdly Because the Divine Author to the Hebrews doth in the words of the Psalmist speak thus chap. 1. 8 9. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of uprightness is the Scepter of thy Kingdome Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniqity therefore God even thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladness about thy Fellows Doth not this Scripture speak of Christ