Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bind_v	deep_a	good_a	18	3	2.1572	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90233	Overton's defyance of the Act of pardon: or, The copy of a letter to the citizens usually meeting at the Whale-Bone in Lothbury behinde the Royal Exchange; and others commonly (though unjustly) styled Levellers· Written by Richard Overton close prisoner in the Tower of London.	Overton, Richard, fl. 1646.	1649 (1649)	Wing O627; Thomason E562_26; ESTC R204569	6,255	8

Overton's DEFYANCE OF THE ACT of PARDON OR The Copy of a Letter to the Citizens usually meeting at the WHALE-BONE in Lothbury behinde the Royal Exchange And others commonly though unjustly STYLED LEVELLERS Written by Richard Overton Close prisoner in the Tower of LONDON MATTH 16. 24 25. Then said Jesus unto his Disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his crosse and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall finde it July .4th Imprinted at London 1649. OVERTON'S DEFYANCE OF THE ACT of PARDON Honoured Friends I Understand that at the silence of my pen since my close imprisonment many have wondered some even amongst you though tacitely been ready to draw my integrity into suspicion but could such as wel un●old the riddle of my silence as in other things judge of what is visible and ●●vious to the eye their thoughts sure would be far from such jealous sur●ises of me neither would they I suppose so much as tax me of impru●●nce or negligence in the matter though my silence indeed had been as ●●…ep as is suspected and let it be so taken for granted and also taken in the ●orst sence I care not much how I am judged yet I must needs confess is no pleasure unto me to be misjudged or condemned before my time hen my deeds are apostate or contradictory to what I have begun in be●●lf of the publick then is the time of my condemnation and before that ●●y patient endurance in bonds one would think were a guard sufficient a●●inst misconceptions in that kind especially with my friends But knowing that even the suspicion of any one of us four yea though the unworthyest My Selfe is an arrow of so pearcing a kind that it e●●n woundeth through the sides of that person the righteous cause of the ●●ople which never more needed indulgence watchfulness and help ●●en now it being by perfidious usu●pers and hypocrites now clothed 〈◊〉 Angels of light with the radiant beames of Majesty and Sainship that no English mortal is able to peep ir to their glory and live become like the man that travelled from Jerusalem to Jerico and fell among thiefs stript of his raiment an Agreement of the people and it faithful Asserters wounded and beaten deserted and left half if not altogether dead spurned trampled and trod under foot and the Priest and the L●vite and which is most to my grief and confusion of face my very brethren the Church-men pass by on the other side yea and which is worse are not ashamed with their invenomed invectives lyes calumnies and bitter persecutions and yet all forfooth in the name of God of Jesus Christ of Reliligion and the like to stab and wound it afresh having forked stings like Serpents to sting every hand that toucheth swoln with venome like Toads to spit at every person that owneth and like Vipers ready at all times to fasten on every man that shall dare to be an asserter thereof that now none so persecute as they enough to affright me from Church ship to renounce and abominate it for ever did not I know its institution to be holy and good and the wayes of those men no natural product or fruit of Church constitutions I tell you my dearest friends and fellow asserters of the publick cause knowing how circumspect tender careful we ought to be now especially to shew our affections our truth and fidelity to our persecuted wounded forsaken and almost murthered cause when none there is scarce that dare own it or indulge it in publike and to approve our selves like the good Samaritan indeed to binde up its wounds to poure in our wine and oyle and have a care of it I shall therefore least your jelousie over me should take too deep an impression upon your spirits and so work an in confidence in you in any future asserters of our cause to the extreme dammage and prejudice of the cause it self unbosome the present disposition of my heart and resolutions concerning the same although to give you the particular reasons for the late obscurity or silence of my pen at present I judge not convenient My Friends of this therefore be yee confident that my silence hath not proceeded from any degeneration or instability in me to that Righteous Cause summ'd up in our draught of an Agreement of the people subscribed published and offered by us four as a peace offering to the consideration of the people of England 1. May. 1649 that Paper or rather the contents or premises thereof is the price glory and end of my endurance neither life liberty on reparation or any thing that man or earth affords is valuable with me in comparison thereof that is my all in all I desire neither life liberty or reparation seeing God hath called me to the work but as may stand in subordination to that Agreement while I have life or breath it shall never want a true asserter to uphold and promote the same to the utmost of my power let the hazard and danger to my self be what it will Although I have sat thus long in the shadow of silence yet let not my friends suspect me nor mine enemies vaunt over me for though my person is their captive yet have I so much spirit and fidelity left to scorn their tyrannyes and dare them to their teethes to do their worst let them finde Gallowes Gybbets Prisons Halters c. I le finde carcass to encounter till I have encountred out my life I fear none of their Treason traps I scorne and defy them for that Agreement I will have or else I le dye at their feet I le have no accord or peace with them at all till they have yeelded that whether at liberty or in prison it is all one to me It is neither my own life liberty nor reparation that I stand for as the proper end of my Engagement I have set my hand to the plow and that paper hath proclaim'd it and bears testimony thereof and shall I look back for my own advantage God forbid rather let me die then live the life of Den that accursed English Judas The bread of Apostacy Lord never let it enter into my lips to drink the blood and eat the flesh of my Countries Cause yea of the children that are yet unborn as that Viper that wretched Traytor hath done or be clothed with the garments of such abhorred abhomination farre farre be it from me and mine rather let us be cloathed in Rags and let me linger out my dayes fettered and mannacl'd in some of their noysome murdering Dungeons to bear testimony against them for that Righteous Agreeement God hath given me the heart and fild it with power and patience for the work life liberty and reparations that golden ball and bait of Apostacy shall not satisfie me it is not for such flattering pictures that I am at