Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A86726
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An Humble advise to the right honorable the lord mayor, the recorder, and the rest of the justices of the honorable bench to the goodmen of the jury, aud [sic] at the Sessions House in the Old-Bayley, London, in behalf of Mr. John Bidle, prisoner in Newgate.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing H3396; ESTC R42339
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15,114
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16
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such or such Books but in pronouncing him guilty upon either of the Indictments you pronounce him a Felon and deservedly to die so that unless in every one of your consciences he appears worthy to die as a Felon you are in conscience bound to pronounce him not guilty otherwise you may be his destroyers before you are aware to your perpetual grief and anxiety of spirit for so it befel the Jury that were the Tryers of M. Vdall a worthy Minister of Gods Word in Queen Elizabeths days he was Indicted for High Treason in making and publishing a certain Book against the Government of the Bishops and though there was no direct but a scambling shadow of a proof and though the Books duly considered contained no colour of Treason or other crime no more then M. Bidles of Felony but such as the times since have proved as true as Truth its self yet the Jury not thinking in pronouncing him guilty they had pronounced him guilty of Treason and to die as a Traytor supposing they had only declared him guilty of making the Book hereupon they brought him in guilty but when after the Judges sentence of death against him which they never in the least intended that they found what they had done they were confounded in themselves and would have done any thing in the world to have revoked their Verdict when alas it was too late and therefore you are to be exceeding careful in this main particular never to pronounce him guilty unless your consciences are first satisfied he ought not to live but to die as a Felon which is altogether impossible if you shall seriously and deliberately weigh all circumstances touching the man his opinions For first as to the man he is so free from being questioned for any the least blemish in his life and conversation that the Informers themselves have been heard to admire his strickt exemplar life full of modesty sobriety and forbearance no ways contentious touching the great things of the world but altogether taken up with the things of God revealed in the holy Scriptures wherein his study diligence and attainments have been so great that his knowledg therein is of as ready use as a Concordance no part thereof being named but he presently cites the Book Chapter and ver especially throughout the Books of the New Testament where all the Epistles he can say by heart out of the Greek Tongue and withal can read the Greek in English and the English in Greek so readily as a man can do the meer English so carefully hath he been rightly to understand them As to the Justice and integrity of his heart his wayes have manifested that he would not dissemble play the Hypocrite or deal fraudulently with any man to save his life such is he certainly as is known to very many persons of worth and credit in London so as he is far from being such a Monster as many have believed him to be through the uncomely and unchristian-like clamours of his Accusers For his opinions you have heard at large and frequently with what he is charged not to believe be pleased to be so just to your selves and him as to give ear and seriously to note what he professeth and is known to believe there being a cloud of Witnesses ready to testifie that he makes it his glory to confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus to be his Lord and his God according to the Scripture John 20.28 to be his Saviour Acts 5.31 and by him doth believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory 1 Pet. 1.21 Having set him at his right hand Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him and that he is made unto us of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 3.30 That he is the only begotten Son of God and to be honored as the Father Iohn 5.23 that it is he that is ordained of God to be Judg of quick and dead Acts 10.41 that he is the Author of eternal life to all those that obey him Heb. 5.9 that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 that his Blood is the Blood of the new Covenant that is shed for many for the remission of sins Mat. 26.18 and that he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 How then or upon what ground can any man justly term him a Blasphemer he conceiveth to be according to the Scriptures if further then this he understands not and for want of understanding perceiveth not the Scriptures do maintain Christ the Son to be coequal coeternal and coessential with God the Father and thereupon should deny Christ to be the most high God shall he be put to death for it Surely none can suppose a man of so much learning discretion and piety can do this maliciously with full purpose to dishonor the Lord Christ whom he so much trusteth in and honoreth as is before expressed nay can it be supposed but that he who attributes so much honor to him as those Scriptures forecited manifest would with all his soul render him all whatsoever by any other Scriptures he understood to be his due nay the least measure of charity may very readily admit that if such a pious man as he is deny him any part of honor that he doth it because he conceives that granting of it would be to his dishonor and that he did believe he would be much displeased to have it attributed unto him shall this fear and wariness in him find admit that it were evidently an Error in his judgment no lower title then Blasphemy and for this will nothing satisfie the Informers but his life What thoughts have these men of the Lord Christ that came not to destroy but to save mens lives that will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax that called not the Sadduces Blasphemers nor Heretikes nor denounced judgment upon them either of imprisonment or death no though they came to tempt him though they denied the Resurrection and said there was neither Angel nor Spirit yea so far was our most merciful Lord Christ from so harsh a spirit that he saith John 12.47 48. If any man hear my words and believe not them I judg him not the word that I have spoken the same shall judg him at the last day and rebuketh those Luke 9. 54. who through a rash unadvised zeal much like what at best appeareth in these Prosecutors that would have called for fire from heaven to have consumed the Samaritans saying Yo know not what spirit you are of a sentence worthy to be written in letters of Gold in every place of Judicature in the world but especially in the hearts of all men trusted as you are with the lives of men Turks and Infidels are allowed in order to their conversion to ask any questions concerning God Christ or the Holy Spirit to
or less there was persecution for Conscience it was grosly manifest that fear of loss and hope of gain were the only or chief motives to all the Informers so as at best it renders these suspected and they may be as guilty as any of the former though they themselves perceive it not for the heart is deceitful above all things nor doth any thing benum the conscience and blind the understanding so much as fear of loss and hope of gain And if these mens ways be thought on it will be more then probable that they are not clear in this matter being for the most part Booksellers it 's known that Books of Divinity are their chiefest sale both in Sermons and other Treatises and that they buy and somtimes pay dear for their Copies Now the opinions which are charged upon Mr. Bidle are cross and contradictory to the grounds of their most staple Copies and to the main part of their sale and consequently threatens their gain Is there not then a strong provocation upon their spirits to withstand such Doctrines and to take up the same course to do it by stirring up the Magistrate to imprison and put to death such Blasphemers for less they cannot call him to have him effectually silenced If it be not thus why of all sorts of men that daily have heard and read Mr. Bidles judgment without trouble or regret of mind nay though not of his judgment yet honoring and highly esteeming of him for his manifest piety of life and great learning why should the Traders in books be so violent against him as that nothing but his life will satisfie them Why have not some of those who often hear him Why not some of the private Churches that are most of them opposite in judgment Why have not they persecuted him and in detestation of his opinions forced him before the Magistrates so to prison and persecute him to the death Do they all of them and all other conscientious people want zeal to God to Christ and to the holy Spirit to set them on Nay why startle they not but on the contrary divers of the gathered Churches and other well-affected persons petition his Highness appear against his molestation and earnestly press for his liberty but because they know whatever his judgment is the way to make him of another belief is not by imprisonment or fear of death Christ nor his Apostles having left any such rule but by admitting the points in difference to be freely disputed and examined and as the noble Bereans to search the Scriptures whether those things are so or no Som what must be the matter that these Booksellers thus bestir themselves above others wherefore it is the best and safest course for the Magistrate upon such strong presumption to provide against the worst and to conclude them at best but dangerous Informers most pernicious counsellors and not in the least to be swayed by their specious pretences of zeal but to suspect all their suggestions as proceeding from covetous and corrupt hearts for were they indeed so sensible of Christs Honor as they would be thought certainly you would find them first purging their own shops of all kinds of Popish and wanton scurrilous books invented purposely to corrupt and vitiate youth or if they can excuse themselves herein which some will not credit yet they cannot but know such as those are thick and threefold sold round about them and yet their zeal burns not that way at all the reason whereof what can it be but that it opposeth not their way of gain else would not they offer one Petition more in behalf of the Protestant cause for the suppressing such Books and the imprisoning such persons as writes them who nautiate youth and hath no pretence of Conscience from the Word of God to shelter them but that I say it hinders not their way of gain as they understand M. Bidles Books Doctrins or Opinions do which makes them so maliciously zealous against him and to let the others go scot-free Magistrates were they thus rightly informed of the condition of these informers and thus strongly armed against such clamorous zealots they would not so suddenly nor so reproachfully dispose of the persons of men fearing God as throughout all former times was lamentably done and somwhat too much in Mr. Bidles case they would then have time to deliberate upon the matter before they sent a man to prison they then no doubt would exercise their own judgments as Christians and see what is alledged against any man and deal as becometh Christian Magistrates according to the known and revealed Word of Christ manifested in the holy Scriptures Which word of Truth being not yea and nay as Parliaments General Councels Synods and Assemblies have all proved in the most material points in Religion as your Honors the Bench and Jury cannot but effectually know For one Councel determining that the Son of God was the most high God another Councel as namely that of Ariminum consisting of no less then four hundred Bishops decrees point blank as we are wont to say against the former that the Son of God was not the most high God but a distinct Essence from him and subordinate unto him This instance amongst many have I produced to shew the mutability of Councels as also to shew how cautious you should be of putting to death a learned man for that opinion which so many learned and famous men not only have been but still are in the world of his opinion as you shall hear if you enquire of those who have been in Poland Holland c. This blessed unerring rule viz. the holy Scripture to Conscience being sincerely looked into it will impartially discover both to Judg and Jury what M. Bidles opinions are and how he is to be dealt withall concerning them without a single ear given whereunto the Laws of Parliaments may so on cause you all to be most grievous transgressors of the Laws of God and to be more guilty in his sight before whom one day you must all be judged then those Prisoners you condemn Whatsoever therefore the Law of the Lord sayes to your understandings in this case of M. Bidles let none by no arts draw you from enquiring into the Seriptures for satisfaction in every particular In which enquiry though your Honor Mr. Recorder and the whole Honorable Bench are all highly concerned to look unto it that you may acquit your selves before the judgment seat of Christ and be able to render an account with joy Yet you good men of the Jury are more neerly concerned to be exact and faithful therein for it s your Verdict your guilty or not guilty that saves or destroys his life which you are mainly to note and to lay to heart and to be all along mindful of it that if you pronounce him guilty which God defend you do not only find him guilty of speaking such or such words or of writing and publishing