Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	call_v	heart_n	lord_n	6,578	5	3.5923	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28912	Innocency cleared from lyes in answer or reply to some particular things, which them, who are scornfully called Quakers, are charged with in a book intituled, Malice stript and whipt, &c. : published by one who calls himself Samuel Smith, minster of the gospel, but his practise and bitter spirit maketh him manifest to be forth of the Doctrine of Christ, and that he is not guided by the same spirit which the ministers of Christ were, are guided by as hereafter may be made appear / by ... I.B.	J. B. (John Bowater), d. 1704.	1658 (1658)	Wing B3870; ESTC R18765	14,367	26

INNOCENCY CLEARED FROM LYES IN In answer or reply to some particular things which them who are scornfully called Quakers are charged with in a book intituled Malice stript and whipt c. Published by one who calls himself Samuell Smith Minister of the Gospel but his practise and bitter spirit maketh him manifest to be forth of the Doctrine of Christ and that he is not guided by the same spirit which the Ministers of Christ were and are guided by as hereafter may be made appear Thus saith the Lord God because you have spoken vanity and seen lyes therefore behold I am against you saith the Lord God because with lyes ye have made the heart of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad and strengthned the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life therefore ye shall see no more vanity nor divine divinations for I will deliver my people out of your hand and ye shall know that I am the Lord Ezek. 13.8.22 23. By one who desires that all men might come to do as they would be done unto I. B. London Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth neer Aldersgate 1658. To the sober Reader THis book or paper coming to my hands published by a pretended Minister of the Gospel wherein he pretends an examination of a late scandalous paper as he calls it published by certain Quakers now in the Gaol of Salop which paper I have seen and doe see he accuses the aforesaid men falsly as touching lyes and untruths and of bidding open defiance to Magistracy and Ministry to the making their names odious amongst men which they were worthy to bear if it were truth which he speaks and therefore I shall try his book intituled Malice stript and whipt c. in the things which most concern them that so thou who reads this and all sober minded men who hear it may iudge whether he be not a false accuser of them and of a bitter spirit yea or nay for this cause and that he may be a shamed of his folly these things following I write INNOCENCIE CLEARED from Lyes c. IT hath been commonly the practise of persecutors and enemies to the people of God but especially of the Priests Psa 37.12 to take away the good name of those they did envy and give unto them reproachfull names as this blasphemer sower of sedition ring-leader of Sects Hereticks Acts 16.19 20.21 Acts 22.22 23. and the like that so they might incense the Rulers and people against them to take away their lives which was the end they sought for witness what they called our Lord and Master Christ Iesus read Mark 14 63 64. And also what they said of Paul see Acts 24.5 6. and that the men in our generation Io. 8 48. Mat. 7.14 who are enemies to the Lords people may not come short but as far as their power reaches shew what spirit they are of that men may know their nature let us see what this pretended Minister saith concerning the book he examins Smith Saith not a book to be chained but let flying full of falshood lyes and untruths fit for the Devils patronage and further he saith and that which is more strange in a time of Parliament sitting bidding open defiance to Magistracy and Ministry c. Answer If these things which he here saith were true the condition of these men were to be lamented who published this book which he examines but I am sure if he had examined it with a single eye and without prejudice If the Magistrates would take this mans word without examination might not they become guilty of innocent blood he durst not have spoken these things saying it is full of lyes and untruths as though there were no truth in it and to incense the Magistrates against these men which is the thing he ayms at he saith bidding open defiance to Magistracy and Ministry but I beleeve it is good for the Magistrates to take heed how they beleeve such men as this Smith least they should punish the innocent to satisfie his will he hath heapt up a deal of accusations which sober minded men will see turne to his own shame for if he examine the book which he mentions all the days of his life he is not able out of it to prove the things he hath accused these men with which if he cannot prove must not he then of necessity be a false accuser and therefore if he take in hand to examine books it is best for him the next time to say no more than he is able to prove Smith Saith in his book William Baret Constable and Humfry Dale Church-warden according to the Ministers directions pulled down their speaker charging some to secure him and others also of their company were secured c. Answer Was ever the like heard of that a Minister of the Gospel as he pretends should give such directions as this and is not ashamed to publish it to the world but this will make his name to be known and also his nature that all honest men may take heed how they ioyn with him in persecuting the innocent let us reason with him a little he confesses he being acquainted with their damnable Tenents he indeavoured to discover them and to warn his people of them this being made known to them which he calls Quakers as he saith they gave it out they intended to preach at Cressag c. now this I say if he had spoken against this people Read 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. verses 2 Cor. 6.3 4 5 6. And see how a servant of the Lotdor Minister should be qualified as it is likely by his words he had then it was but very equall and reasonable when they came so near him and that to preach too if he had come to them in the spirit of meekness being he pretends to be a Minister of the Gospel to have seen if he could have convinced them of any errour or damnable tenent before the people that so they might have been ashamed of it but it seems this he did not but to his own shame instead of doing so he hearing of their coming to preach at Gressag sent for the Constables and acquainted them therewith desiring them if they came to see the keeping of the peace and this was six weeks before to which I say the keeping of the peace is that which we desire and it is the office of Rulers to see the peace kept and to punish them that break the peace but though he had made it so sure of his side yet he came not to them to disprove their doctrine which had been a fit opportunity for him to have tryed if he could have disproved them seeing he had spoken against them in his publick Ministry it may be behinde their backs and so it had been but a reasonable thing to have maintained it to their faces but instead

a disturber and not them for it was contrary to the good Laws of this Nation to pull him down who stood peaceably preaching freely unto the people and so he to wit the Constable is to be commended in that thing that would not obey thy directions which was contrary to the good Laws of this Nation And whereas they say the fruits brought forth by thy people made thee manifest to be no Minister of Christ being they were mockers scoffers and swearers and such like c. And this thou calls great ignorance in them but thou mayst see it is rather thine to call it so for the Lord saith by Ieremiah the Prophet speaking concerning the false Prophets Ier. 23.22 If they had stood in my counsell and had caused my people to hear my words then they should have turned them from their evill way and from the evill of their doings now if this be an evill way before mentioned which thy people lives in yea even them which then dwelt in thy owne house or were servants to thee at the least Ier. 23 14 15 16 32 verses for if thou gather such as these it may well make thee manifest to be no Minister of Christ Mat. 7.20 but if thou make account this will not serve it is like thy own practise may make thee manifest thy lying and false accusing and being out of the doctrine of Christ as thy own book will witness where thou saith I am called a Master and if all this which is brought forth by the people and by thee be not sufficient to make thee manifest to be no Minister of Christ then thou mayst let us hear some more marks and signs from thee that thou mayst be the more certainly known Narration And the Priest to cover his former envy goes on further and to blinde the people more and more reported it that we were fined for that we had done to him which is a plain and manifest lye Vnto which I say if they had been fined for that they had done to thee it had been little wisdome in thee to report such a thing or boast of it but seeing they were fined for their Hats as they are able to prove and thou reporting it was for that they did to thee which thing thou hast not denyed in thy book and therefore that they said concerning thee was true it was a manifest lye for thee to report so though thou was the cause of all their trouble and so let it rest upon thy head till thou depart from it by repentance Narration And for him who is our accuser who professes to be a Minister of Christ consider was ever the like heard of that ever any Minister of Christ halled any to prison kept swearers in his house mockers and scoffers Smith Doe you not rather cry out against the supreme power and Magistracy because it will not suffer such lawless spirits as our sottish Quakers are of to doe what they would without check and controulment to disturb Ministers in preaching the word and abusing the Lords Messengers c. Reply In the beginning of thy book pag. 2. line 8. 9. thou saith who sees not the sad effects of this licentious liberty and toleration to this Generation of men who strikes at the very root of all c. Who now is it that crys out against the supreme power is it not thy self rather for who gives liberty but the supreme power and Magistracy they that are not blinde will see who thou strikes at but thou thinking to put it off thy self saith doe not you rather cry out against the supreme power c. I say nay we cry out against thy deceit and that is it that makes the effects sad to such as thee and in as much as the Magistracy gives liberty to tender consciences to speak against the deceit which such as thou lives in If they that do not visit the members of Christ when they are in prison must depart from him then what can they expect who cast them into prison and seek to keep them in it is to the honour of the Lord God though it be to thy torment who would say what thou likes and if any contradict thee it is like they must goe to Shrewsbury Gaol or else Bedlam with thy consent which is the means thou will use to recover them which means is such as the Ministers of Christ never used that ever I read of in the Scriptures of truth neither hast thou instanced any command or example for thy practise which no doubt thou wouldst have done if thou could and for abusing of the Lords Messengers none more like to be guilty of that then thy self who caused him to be pulled down which stood peaceably preaching freely to the people for that which thou accuses them with returns upon thy own head and for that which the Magistracy hath done in releasing these men which was maliciously prosecuted against by thee though they had broken no known Law in this Nation as far as I can see in as much as the supreme power and Magistracy hath released the oppressed it is to their honour and in it they are a terrour to evill doers and a praise to them that doe well and these men who are released may give God the glory who alone is worthy for evermore Towards the latter end of their book it seems there was some Queries propounded to Priest Smith or any of the Priests in Shrewsbury to be answered which he puts off himself saying I thank you that you call upon them as well as my self to answer Had it not been more wisdome for him to have answered the queries then to have spent his time in accusing men falsly 1 Pet. 3.15 Calling such as formerly had been his hearers a Cage of unclean Birds or nest of vipers yea them which he formerly looked upon as a Church to God which if he did so it may be his iudgement was not right then neither right now it may be he cried peace while they put into his mouth but now prepares war against them though it may be they are as upright in their hearts unto the Lord as ever they were when he looked upon them to be a Church to God But to be brief we have received no answer to them neither from them nor him but it is the most to his shame who begins a piece of work and doth not finish it it may be there is some people that desires satisfaction concerning the things which was propounded seeing they are matters of weight and great concernment but it is like Smith doth not matter for that for if they contradict him in what he saith or aske him a question or come into his Congregation though it may be they say nothing it is possible he may say they astonish or disturb the Congregation witness his own book page 4 and 6 and the means he will use to recover such is Shrewsbury Gaol or Bedlam