Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	faith_n	scripture_n	spirit_n	3,116	5	6.3634	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52921	New-England's ensigne it being the account of cruelty, the professors pride, and the articles of their faith, signified in characters written in blood, wickedly begun, barbarously continued, and inhumanly finished (so far as they have gone) by the present power of darkness possest in the priests and rulers in New-England ... : this being an account of the sufferings sustained by is in New-England (with the Dutch) the most part of it in these two last yeers, 1657, 1658 : with a letter to Iohn Indicot, Iohn Norton, Governor, and chief priest of Boston, and another to the town of Boston : also, the several late conditions of a friend upon the Road-Iland, before, in, and after distraction : with some quæries unto all sorts of people, who want that which we have, &c. / vvritten at sea, by us whom the vvicked in scorn calls Quakers, in the second month of the yeer 1659 ; this being a confirmation of so much as Francis Howgill truly published in his book titled, The Popish inquisition newly erected in New-England, &c.	Norton, Humphrey, fl. 1655-1659.; Rous, John, d. 1695.; Copeland, John, 17th cent.	1659 (1659)	Wing N636; ESTC R3600	97,400	124

provided that he upon his first discovering them ●o be such do discover them to the Constable or his Deputy It is also enacted by the Conrt and the Authority thereof That if any Ranter or Quaker or any person commonly so called shall come into any Township within this Government and by any person or persons be known or suspected to be such a one the persons so knowing or suspecting him shall forthwith acquaint the Constable or his Deputy on pain of Presentment and so lyable to censure in Court who forthwith shall diligently endeavour to apprehend them and command them to depart out of the Township and this Government And in case any such person delay or refuse to depart then the said Constable or Deputy shall apprehend them or him and bring him or them before the Magistrate in their Township if there be any where there is none to the select men appointed by the Court for that purpose who shall cause him or them to be whipt by the Constable or his Deputy or pay five pounds and then conveyed out of the township and the same course to be taken with every of them as often as any of them transgress this Order in case of extremity for harbour or Food the Constable or his Deputy shall relieve them for their Money Provided they suffer not any person or persons to resort unto them whilest they are under their Custody And forasmuch as the Meeting of such persons whethe● strangers or others proveth to the destructiug of the Peace of this Government it is therefore enacted by this Court and the Authority thereof That henceforth no such Méeting be assembled or kept by any person in any place within this Government under the penalty of 40. s. a time for every Speaker and 10. s. a time for every hearer and 40. s. a time for the owner of the place that permits them so to meet together and if they meet together at the Silent so called then every person so meeting together shall pay 10. s. a time and the owner of the place shall pay 40. s. a time Forasmuch as it was ordered at June-Court last that all such as were house-keepers or at their own dispose that were not fréemen and have not taken the Oath of Fidelity to this Government should take the said Oath by the time then prefixed or to be fixed to the Collonies use the sum of five pounds And whereas divers persons notwithstanding all patience and long forbearance refuse to take the said Oath and yet make their residence amongst us it is therefore enacted by the Court That every such person or persons shall every General Court be summoned to make their appearance thereat during the time of their abode in this Government and if any such p●rson or persons shall refuse to take the said Oath shall be fined the sum of 5. l. to the Collonies use Whereas the multitude of Free-men is but small and the Inhabitants of the Townships many more who have equal Votes with the Freemen in the choice of Deputies who being the Body of the Freemen representative together with the Magistrates have equal Votes for the enacting of Laws who by weakness prejudice or otherways it hath or may come to pass that very unfit or unworthy persons may be chosen that cannot answer the Courts Trust in such place It is therefore ordered That at such Coures as Magistrates and Deputies are to act in making Laws and being assembled the Court in the first place take notice of their Members and if they find any unfit for s●ch a Trust that they and the reason thereof be returned to the Town from whence they were sent that they may make choice of more able persons to send in the stead as the time will permit Whereas it hath been an ancient and wholesome Order bearing da●e c. That no person coming from of her parts be allowed an Inhabitant of the Iurisdiction but by the Approbation of the Governor or two of the Magistrates at the least and that many persons contrary to this Order of Court crept into some Towns●ips which are may be a great disturbance to our more peaceable proceedings Be it enacted That if any such person or persons shall be found that hath not doth not nor will not apply and approve themselves so as to procure the approbation of the Governor and two of the Assistants that such be enquired after and if any such person shall be found that either they depart the Government or else that the Court take some such cou●se therein as shall be thought meet It is enacted by the Court That henceforth no publike Meeting shall be set up but such as the Court shall approve of This Law is crusht and broken and instead of it they have made another new babble Reply Reader to answer the body of their Rabble I shall not but so much as I do answer it shall be according to truth if God permit Whereas they say That the Doctrines and Practices of the Quakers tends to the subversion of Christian Religion Church-Order peace of the Government as appears by the testimonies given in several depositions I answer Reader Judge thou with that of God in thee what fundamentals of Religion Church-order and Government theirs are seeing that against ours the gates of hell cannot prevail our Religion Church and Order being all setled and established upon the same without persecution bloodshed or false Oaths which they term Depositions And seeing that out of disdain they rank us with the Ranters whose lives leads to the same loathsomness as doth their own I shall onely turn the term upon their heads and leave it Again examine thy self if ever thou heard a company which called themselves a Court who by one consent appointed select men to see the innocent whipt which is no other then select Whippers I appeal to that of God in every man if ever they heard the like appointment made against dogs or any other creature which is far below man Their second part of this I commit to the consideration of Richard Cromwel and his Council whether this Law of theirs or his Instrument of Government must have the preheminence and whether it stands not upon him either to ovvn or disovvn such Laws so bound up with such forfeitures as they say is done in his Name which if his Name vvere Christs Co●t he could not nor vvould not suffer it to be so rent In their 3. part vvhere they speak of such as have not taken their Oath of Fidelity as they call it I remember when I vvas before them they put it upon me to ansvver Whether the Scriptures vvere uot the Rule of Life and ground of Faith My ansvver vvas Nay neither can you prove it by the Scriptures to be either the Rule of life or ground of faith The Governor brought that Scripture They are able to make wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus from whence it was made

such dayes at Boston wherein they have taken occasion to blaspheme God belye his people transgress his Laws and limit his spirit and all this is done by you professors who were either banished men your selves or such as fled for a tender conscience sake or worse and he that provides for all that loves him provided and sound out this Land for you amongst whom there is a scattered seed from which you strive to limit his spirit by your unrighteous Laws from the gathering it home unto himself having forged and invented Laws contrary to God Christ and the Scriptures and thereby hath acted such things as is to be admired clear your selves as wel as you can And seeing they are grounded upon none of these three examine from whence they have their rise and from what ground seeing the Devil onely is the Author of all unrighteousness malice and lyes the three first lyes against us is That we are Cursed a Sect and Hereticks the fourth That we take it upon us that we are immediately sent of God and infallibly assisted by the spirit to speak and write blasphemous Opinions This a cursed and blasphemous lye against God to charge that which is infallible with blasphemous Opinions Seeing that there is no spirit infallible but God in the day wherein you are brought to give an account for every idle word you vvil wish that for this your tongues had cloven to the roof of your mouths Your fifth Despising Government your sixth and seventh the Order of God in Church and Common-Wealth Your eighth speaking evil of Dignities Your ninth and tenth reviling Magistrates and Ministers Your eleventh that we seek to turn people from the faith Your twelfth and thirteenth That our Wayes are pernicious and seeking to make proselytes Your fourteenth That we have wrought mischief in our native Land Your fifteenth That it is usual with us to revile c. Surely you are bent to do evil or otherwise you would never utter such untruths as these I can truly and safely say it That upon the same spirit that forged these fifteen lyes have you published a Law to limit the spirit of God from coming within your coasts by threatnings and fines upon such as shall convey any of these persons wherein the Spirit of God speaks Examine from whence you have this Law to lay on and levie Fines I am sure neither the Spirit of truth nor the Scriptures is your rule for this also such a Clause you have in it that if any bring us unadvisedly if they will but break the doctrine of Christ by taking of an Oath shall be freed from such things as are therein mentioned And finding your Law grounded upon fifteen falshoods I shall mention no more òf your matter then I must needs but seeing this inveterate hatred that this Spirit of yours hath in it which gives forth threatnings in no less words then Fines and Banishment against such as speaks or continues speaking in the behalf of the truth of God for none there is besides it I say ought you not to leave the banishing of them to him who gave you and them the Land Is not their right as good as yours beware of this banishing will you go and fight still against God who hath given this Land as a lot unto the banished that so through the scattered seed he might raise up a people to his praise and seeing I have charged upon your account Fifteen untruths at the fewest in a small Paper which things I shall make good through the assistance of God so to be upon these grounds following that as I am drawn through the power and Spirit of God to come into your Pattent that I may be admitted peaceably with my friend or friends to have a publike meeting both with your Magistrates and them you call your Ministers with the people and time and place appointed where all may freely come and all have liberty to speak unto whom the Word is revealed one by one that all may hear and all may be comforted without interruption or ensnaring And if this you deny you are not worthy to bear these Names much less the Offices and if this you will be so noble as to grant let me have it under thy hand Iohn Indicot with any one or two of thy Assistants directed unto Nicholas Easton on Road-Island for to be delivered to the hands of Humphrey Norton Be well advised and this doe for thou art not sensible what good it may may bring forth and if this you deny I can do no less then publish it for the clearing of the truth of God from falshoods and lyes which are come forth in Print against the innocent who acknowledg both the Father and the Son as in due time the Lord God will make it manifest amongst you to the shame of his enemies Road Island the seventh of the ninth moneth 1657. On the last day of the sixt Moneth 1657. they wickedly and shamelesly began to execute this Law on an innocent and harmless woman as plainly appears by the ensuing lines Mary Clark a modest and an innocent woman who feared God with all her houshold left her husband and family to go on the Lords errand to the town of Boston in New-England the burden of his word lying so sore upon her that she regarded not what sufferings she sustained so that according to his will she was discharged from under it who repairing thitherwards to do the will of him that sent her About the 29 of the sixt moneth 1657. was betrayed by Judas the son of perdition a Member of their Church who informed them of her coming who shortly after apprehended her delivering her over to the Tormentors impowring them barbarously to abuse her body with about twenty merciless stripes with a threefold cord which being unfolded amounts to sixty such being the Seals of their cursed Covenant and one of the Articles of their Faith Also to add unto her sufferings and to make the cup more cruel they continued her in prison above 12. weeks all which she did patiently bear not regarding the coldness of the season her innocency preaching condemnation to her adversaries and for her faithfulness herein the Lord God is her reward Again two of the Servants of God being moved by him to go to Salem a town in Boston Colonie to seek the Son of peace who suffered in many for want of Information where the true path lies that leads to his dwelling place these two Pilgrims having obtained mercy from God and being baptized into his Covenant Christ Jesus preached freely unto them the things that they had seen and heard and their hands had handled which as an engrafted word took place in them such as never can be rooted out so that their hearers in short time became their fellow sufferers as hereafter you will understand Satan finding that his head was hurt set forth his Priests and Rulers with their Officers to pursue these Messengers of the

spoken nothing but the Words of Truth and soberness He then called for Witness but there appeared none The Governor asked if she did not write to him Ans Dost thou know me If thou dost know me and will own it I did write to thee three times in love to thy soul that thou might see the wickedness of thy Ways and return from it He said She is an old Quaker take her away yet he said Why did you come here seeing you had written Ans If Writing would have discharged me I had not come But why did you com from Providence into this jurisdiction A. Art not thou my fellow-creature Did not that God that made thee make me And hath he not given me as good right to breath in his air and tread upon his Earth as any of you He said Take her away till further Order Ans The Lord look upon you and open your blind eyes and soften your hard hearts so taking her away to the prison where she was continued until the 1. of the 8. Month 1658. Then being brought to a private Court they asked her Wherefore she came into these parts saying her abode was at Providence where for ought we know you have led a blameless life Ans as before To bear witness against your cruel spirits With more such like queries and answers Then one asked what I had to do to come into their ground Ans You take too much upon you you Magistrates more then ever God gave you Then they cryed out She had too much tongue the Secretaries learned speech One who is a learned persecutor in the Book of Damascus envious and malicious hating that which is good you have a Family at Providence Ans Yea which I highly prize He said If I should come into your ground and into your house and eat of your meat and drink of your drink whether you would or no though you should say I should say I should not do you think this were well Ans Did I come into any of your houses and eat any of your bread Nay not into the Houses of my near Relations against their minds or by force but if I should make such a Resolution against thee or any one that thou shouldst never come within my house or ground upon no occasion whatsoever although thou were my bitterest Enemy I should shew a dogged wicked spirit contrary to the Spirit of Jesus Then they stopped me complaining of my Words then one said There is like to be a Law to hang you if you come again into these parts Ans If God call us wo be to us if we come not and I question not but he whom we love will make us not to count our lives dear unto our selves He said VVe shall be as ready to take away your lives as you shall be to lay them down Mark Reader how learned their answers is She said Alas for your blindness that Di●bolical spirit that worketh in you hath led all the persecutors in all ages to kill the Saints Another stood by and said he knew my Father and called him Master Morbury and said he was sorry that I should turn Quaker in my old age Ans Here is none here but I think is as old as I and it is time for you all to look after the things which belongs unto your peace I have trod all your steps But here again they stopt me Then they put forth many more queries whereby to ensuare me The answer was I shall believe nothing nor affirm nothing but what the Scripture speaks of So the Goaler returned her back to the prison from whence she was brought and the next day brought her to the VVhippingpost their Altar upon which being offered she received ten stripes with their threefold Whip which being unfolded amounts to thirty which when they had done the Goaler told her she might go forth paying her Fees Ans If I might go forth for two pence I am not free though I dye here Katherine Scot. This ancient and honorable woman as she is in God so she is thus they used although she and her Kinsfolk be of no small repute amongst men whose saithfulness Reader thou mayst understand wrought no less then this effect for as all other sufferings in the same sort produceth no less but the same effect to wit the releasement and enlargement of many prisoners that are opprest so did this it's full part there being these three whose Ears the Adversaries had abused and they themselves detained for the non-payment of fees which in conscience they could not do she left them not until through her the Lord God wrought the releasement of them all so what God did by her for her and through her and them that loved her in that place let them take their reward into their own bosoms which shall remain to their peace and renown for ever Besides all this her testimony she finished against that cruel spirit that rules amongst them as she had great cause so to do her own sister who lived amongst them and had seen the end and emptiness of all their Ceremonies Anne Hutchinson by Name whom they banished from our of their Coasts and her children coming to visit their kindred were imprisoned a great part of a bitter Winter vvherein the vvas banished upon pain of death which camed them to go amongst the Dutch to settle where she and her family was cruelly murdered by the Indians the sense vvhereof hath pierced me to the heart so that I have said Surely God vvill take vengeance for these things for vvhose blood God vvill make inquisition and in that day you vvill be found guilty and it required at your hands vvith a Voice more loud then all the rest of your crying sins for vvhich ye must account ye bloody hypocrites And thus may all that reads see hovv ancient these bloody Articles of these Professors Faith is So on the 7. of the 8. Month 1658. the four before mentioned vvas set a liberty Again upon the 29. of the 7. Month 1658. The Constable by vertue of a Warrent sent from Ipswitch Court came and vvarned us three Samuel Shattock Nicholas Phelps and Ioshua Buffum to appear before the Court at Ipswitch vvho upon sight of the Warrant was free thereunto and on the next day by the Constable and one more we were had to Ipswitch so the Court called for us then going in vvith our hats on commandment vvas given to pull off our hats which accordingly they did some Words was then spoken about the Hat but we answered not waiting for what they had to accuse us of then there was given them a paper with our Names and some others for not coming to their meeting and meeting together contrary to such a Law as they have but we said little to it they laid contempt of Authority to our charge because we did not put off our hats the which we wholly disowned and said If it were our manner to do it

earned towards her and shortly after her child was restored unto her as a figure unto her of what the Lord would do for her if she did abide in his Counsel and often since she hath told me with tears that she trusted that God would do good for her and that he should be honoured by her in stead of that great dishonour that she had done to him and us which thing she hath often declared against her self in and said that we had suffered and God had been dishonoured by her Whereupon I told her that insomuch as that of God had suffered in her therein we had suffered by her and in her and the wicked through that have taken advantage to speak evil of the way of God but thou being through the love and power of God made sensible of thine own loss and also of the love of God towards thee we are therein fully satisfied and greatly can we rejoyce in the Lord God on thy behalf And this I can truly say concerning her and as a Testimonie of her That since her Recovery she hath and doth make it manifest that it was not for nor thorow any earthly or evill end that the sad travel came upon her for before that she was never a Licentious Liver and since she is more dead to all those things then ever she was before and her care and industry set how to do just and honest things unto all sorts of People and that which is well-pleasing unto God that the dayes of her appointed Time may be spent to his glory We are Witnesses unto the Truth of this Humphrey Norton John Rous. John Copeland Some Quaeries unto all sorts whatsoever who wants that which wee have by which they may see themselves and know from us where to find it 1. WHERE the Hand is which can help one out of Hell 2. Where is the Arm that can deliver one up thither and there bind him until his flesh be destroyed and in the day of the Lord can fetch his soul from thence and set it upon his Throne 3. Where is the first and second death the lowest highest and nethermost Hell seeing the Scripture speaks of the lowest Hell and the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone c. and Tophet of old which yet remains to the Wicked Shew us where these Hells are and in or under what Climate Circle or Planet or in Earth or Air or where 4. What is that that torments the Wicked there And whether it is the Devil that torments himself yea or nay 5. When or how with safety a soul may be delivered up thither To wit Whether before God hath left striving with him or after Or at what time or instant Answer expresly 6. Whether Christ and all these that have followed him from death to life have not past through all these deaths and Hells yea or nay seeing it is said He can save to the utmost And whether they have seen the utmost yea or nay that have not past through all these things And let none say that they may not be dived into for it is truth that the spirit searcheth all things c. and the hidden things of Esau must be sought out if any say Nay let him tell me what it is may be searched into and seen and what may not 7. And whether the eye of God seeth not and searcheth all things yea or nay And whether every man ought not to see with this Eye yea or nay If not Whether he may not be blind in many things yea or nay As for example Adam gave Names to every Creature that stood in Covenant and seeing that there are Names and Creatures and Members with bloody Oaths and Actions vvhich Adam in innocency named not therefore shevv me hovv one shall discern and knovv the innocent Names and Nature of every Member Creature and created thing and also that bloody spirit that invented all these bloody Oaths and beastly and filthy and unclean Words and Actions Ansvver expresly for so speaks the Spirit 8. If any man being a Preacher so called and knovv not these things Whether he be able to judge of what he speaks yea or nay And if so Whether he may not speak amiss and preach and speak that which he ought not and give Names to Creatures and things which are not If he be one that says he knows the things that differ and hath been led into Visions and Revelations and things of the highest lawful and unlawful to be uttered let him answer all these things both former and latter 9. What may be preached and published upon the house top and vvhat may uot and vvhat things are lavvful and what not And seeing there is a time wherein all things are lawful and a time wherein all things are not distinguish each time with its sign that all people may learn to know the signs of the times and the difference between all things that are and are not if any may say that it will bring in doubtful questions and may drive them to dive into things which may strick them distracted or mad I say Nay that is mans Will that drives him thither the light leads him to see the ground and rise of every time and thing and this is the Word of the Lord God and shews him the Spirit which must be divided from the soul from that which must not Mark the Eye of God shews and sees a Spirit and he that sees not with God's Eye sees not that which must be divided from the soul nor the soul which the Word reacheth and searcheth betwixt it and the Spirit 10. The mysteri● of godliness having been hid from ages generations and this being now the day and age and generation wherein God is revealing and revealed in and unto his people and is leading them through all Lands the Land of darkness sin and death the Land of light life and peace and having queried something concerning the former and seen also the scituation of the latter let us stretch forth into the deep and so fathom the whole circuit of Heaven and Hell Earth and Air and all that therein is Come up hither and I will shew thee the place where his Honor dwelleth come and see 11. Seeing the Scripture speaks of the third Heaven it thence appears that there are three my query is Where are they In what place Under what Planet Or above in what Circuit Or below in what Region and the infallible Way to it Which is the easiest query of all 12. And seeing that there is War in Heaven betwixt Michael and the Dragon it seems then that the Dragon that old Serpent the Devil is there I say Where is that Heaven that he is in Answer expresly 13. And seeing that the Serpent was in Paradice and deceived Eve before ever I heard of Hell Tell me how he came there and what Heaven that is and where it is 14. And seeing it is written that Adam was made of the dust c. and that he and she to wit Eve was in this innocent place called Paradice tell me infallibly the wisest of you Wizards How and what way they came there He who can do this in truth can preach salvation without Book 15. And seeing that a Heaven there is of a truth whereinto nothing that defileth can enter tell me expresly where it is the entrance in and how it may be obtained and by whom 16. What the Key of the Kingdom is Seeing Christ is the Door who the Keepers seeing I have heard both David and Peter was 17. And what the Gates of Hell is which shall not prevail against this Door And what the Keys of these Gates is seeing it is written He hath the Keys of Hell and Death And who that He is seeing it 's called an Angel My query is What the nature of an Angel is seeing it is written concerning Christ That he took upon him the nature of Angels c. and concerning the Saints that they shall judge Angels Thou who sees not with the Eye that surrounds these things and comprehends Death and Hell and is in distress concerning thy salvation at a loss not knowing the truth nor who it is that lives in it the cryes are so many and various this know of a truth whatsoever is wanting in thee of any of these things or any other that tends to salvation we have it and with us it is Therefore sit not in darkness nor say not with the multitude Who wil shew us any good thing but come unto us and suffer not thy soul to be lost for want of a Saviour for the place of his presence is with us witnessed By Humphre● Norton The Secrets of the Lo●d are with them that fear him WHat herein is mentioned is now freely recommended to the Common-Wealth of England with all who seekes the good and welfare of the Seed of Israel that as they love the liberty and redemption thereof they will endeavour after doing Justice and Righteousness towards all herein mentioned and in the like case concerned without respect of persons that it may manifestly appeare that you act for God and that in righteousness and not according but contrary to the minds and wills of corrupt men The End