Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A41823
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The prisoners vindication with a sober expostulation and reprehension of persecutors / by John Gratton.
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Gratton, John, 1641-1712.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing G1585B; ESTC R28044
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20,540
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36
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THE Prisoners Uindication WITH A Sober Expostulation AND REPREHENSION OF Persecutors By Iohn Gratton What mean ye that ye beat my People to pieces and grind the faces of the Poor saith the LORD God of Hosts Isa. 3. 15. Lord how long shall the Wicked Triumph How long shall they utter and speak hard things They break in pieces thy People O Lord and afflict thy Heritage they slay the Widdow and the Stranger and murder the Fatherless Psal. 94. 3 4 5 6. LONDON Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane near Shoreditch 1683. To all Persecutors both by Words and Actions A few words for the clearing of my self and the Truth I profess in real Love from him that seeks the good of all Mankind in general having real Love to all especially the Houshould of Faith who are redeemed to God out of the Vncleanness of the World who are in Scorn called Quakers UPon the 16th day of the 6th Moneth called August 1680. I being at Backewell about my trading it being a Fair was by two or three Bailiffs arrested by virtue of a Writ of Excommunicato Capiendo for not coming to the Parish Church so called and not appearing at the Spiritual Court though I had appeared several times and had offered to the Parish Priest that if he could make it appear that I was in an Error by clear Scripture I would take him for my Friend And further That if he could make it appear from clear Scripture that it was my duty in the sight of God to come to the Parish Church and conform to them that I would do it but did not find it his business to seek to inform me at that time or any other being not so charitable as to bid me come another time and he would discourse with me But being after this never cited to the Court again was upon the day aforesaid taken and sent to Darby Goal a very strange way to convince me of any Error if I be in any where I remain a Prisoner After I was sent to Prison many false charges were flung after me to render me and Truth odious to the Country-People who were ready to wonder why they should send such a peaceable man to Prison and I was by my Persecutors so highly accused to be An Heretick A Factious Fellow The Ringleader of a Factious People yea a Blasphemer an Enemy to Caesar and a dangerous Fellow and a Spreader of dangerous Principles and what not and all to make the People think hardly of me and believe if they could against their Belief that I was some dangerous man insomuch that they said I was not fit to live especially not fit to be loose in a Country for by keeping me in Prison they had hopes to scatter the rest At the hearing of these strange and malicious false Calumnies I was not a little grieved not for my self but others who I heard were ready to think hardly of me because such Reports had gained some Credit with some that were thought both wise and sober they believed them because others believed them those others believed them because my Persecutors who are looked upon by most to be spiritual men reported them amongst these black-Mouth'd uncharitable men I could not have one to come at me to shew me my reported sad Condition but in Prison I must lie come what will come of Wife and Children so that then my Wife went with two Friends more to the Arch-Deacon so called and shewed him the unreasonableness of my suffering and the need of my liberty but his words were great Charges as aforesaid though he never discoursed me about Religion in his life its true he also said That he would come to me and discourse me and if I was in the right and he in the wrong I should come out of Prison and he would go in for me but he yet fails to make his words good And I do declare to all that may see these Lines that if I cannot make it appear that he is wrong and I right I then will be content to stay where I am only I would be judged by unprejudiced men to the Truth and such as are not partial nor make no outward Gain of the Scriptures Many others have desired my Enlargement some by Letters and some have gone in Person but all fails except I will conform and pay the Charges they have been at in laying me in Prison which thing I cannot or dare not do For First I believe I ought not to conform to the Worship that now by the Priests of this Nation is maintained by their preaching and practice I do not mean by their Purses for both they and it cost the People dear 2dly I believe that though it be after the way which they call Heresie yet that the Worship I now own is the true Worship of God and do find by good and great experience that the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is a Spirit doth approve and own it so to be for the Worship I own and believe is the true Worship of God is that spoken of in Iohn 4. 23 24. They that Worship God aright worship and serve him in Spirit and in Truth and saith our Saviour The Father seeketh such to worship him 3dly Seeing our Lord Christ Jesus did set up appoint and command this Worship therefore I believe I ought not to leave it and run to another Worship that is no where commanded either by Christ or any of his Apostles thinking thereby to save my Estate and to live at liberty in the World and enjoy those natural Rights and Priviledges I am free-born Heir to which I see the Drunkard Swearer Curser and Proud Wicked Person is not deprived of though he be so Wicked Lastly Seeing I do those things I believe I ought to do and have not given any just occasion of Offence or done wrong to any man therefore can I not own my self in a fault and give Moneys for a Pardon to them that while they are pardoning others are therein committing the highest Sins they can approach unto for if I have sinned it is against God and to him I look for Mercy but in this I am not by him accused or judged as a sinner but owned and justified by him and can say Its God that justifies me who shall condemn me Now should I come to my Persecutors and own my self an Offendor and buy their Absolution and conform to their invented Ceremonies then should I by so doing give God's Spirit and my own Heart and Conscience the Lye from which I hope without offence I may take liberty to say Good Lord preserve me But seeing I must have no better treatment from my Persecutors than a Prison which indeed hath alwayes been the way of argument that the false Prophets in all Ages have taken with things of the like Nature as Fines Whips Lyons Dens Firey Furnaces Faggots and such like I desire they will be