Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	frog_n	land_n	varro_n	24	3	16.0504	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79880	The lying-vvonders, or rather the vvonderful-lyes, which was lately published to the world, in a lying-pamphlet, (called Strange and true news from Gloucester) containing a relation of the wonderful power of God, shewed for injustice at Fairford, by frogs and toads; and in the sudden death of the Clarks daughter at Brokington in Gloucestershire. Presented to the view of the world, with some observations in the end on another such like pamphlet (The Lords loud call to England) I. That the subtilty of deluders may be discerned. II. That the simple may from their delusions be preserved. III. That the lovers of truth may be strengthned. IV. That all men about these wonders may be satisfied. By Robert Clark, minister of Gods Word in Norleach.	Clark, Robert, minister at Norleach.	1660 (1660)	Wing C4488; Thomason E1045_5; ESTC R207952	19,861	29

like unto Frogs Now what St. John saw come out of the mouth of the false Prophets we may ordinarily at Fairford as well as in other places of the County see also Namely the spirits of lyes and that in the likeness of Frogs the which unclean spirits resembleth Frogs in these particulars First Ranae ex limo natae Frogs have their beginning and life out of filthy Ponds and Pools and do most delight in filthy Ponds and Pools whence they had their beginning and life So doth these unclean spirits which are like Frogs fetch their life and beginning from the Ponds and Pools of filthy errors and stinking abominations of doctrine and do continually delight in those most filthy Ponds and Pools of corrupt doctrine out of which they fetch their beginning and life Secondly Called by the Poet Ranae Clamosae Frogs doth importunately croak and make a noise about the Ponds and moorish places where they are being called therefore Ranae from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is vehementer exclamare So doth these unclean spirits like Frogs croak in those places where they frequent by sounding out their errors and heresies with importunate clamors haunting the poor simple people with loud and incessant importunity Thirdly Limosoque novae saliant in Gurgite Ranae Ovid. Frogs do hop and skip from place to place And therefore a Frog is called in Saxon Hopper ab Huppen saltare to leap or skip because he doth hop and skip about with his four feet So do these unclean spirits skip and hop about the Countrey They are now here now there to day in this place to morrow in another Nay before their Kingdom shall be abolished they will hop far to propagate Fourthly Rana anima amphibium coaxans Varro Frogs are both for water and land Varro so describes a Frog to us to be an animal which croaketh on the water as well as on the land so do these unclean spirits being for water as well as land they live and croak in both places when their Proselites have any need of washing of their foul bodies then ye hear them croak on the waters when they are willing to eat their broken bread then they croak on the Land Fifthly Ranae apibus mimicae Plin Frogs are great enemies to the labouring Bees that gathereth Honey so are these impure spirits like Frogs sore enemies both to the true Preachers of the Gospel and established Christians the true lovers of the Gospel which like painful Bees yeeldeth and gathereth the Honey of the truth and by meditation and conferences franieth their Honey-Combes within their Hives Sixthly Ranae ictus apum non sentiunt Plin. Frogs have such skins as they feel not the stinging of Bees no more do these impure spirits so singular they are in their own opinions and so hardned in their Resolutions that the sharpest sting of reproof from those labouring Bees Gods Ministers cannot make them sensible of their errors Seventhly Ranae linguae mirus in Magicis usus Plin. The Inchanters and Witches maketh great use of the tongue of a Frog so these impure spirits which are belched out of the mouth like the tongues of Frogs are of wonderful use for the inchanting of the hearts of simple people for these being the Prophets that have sweet tongues mentioned Jer. 23.34 Who having taught their tongues to speak lyes with sweet words and fair speeches deceiveth the hearts of the simple So that knowing the Inchanters we need not ask our simple people as St. Paul did the Galatians O ye foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you from knowing the truth Eightly The use of Frogs is that they may be instruments which God useth sometimes for the punishment of wicked men so those Frogs which did cover the Land of Aegypt were sent to take revenge on the sins of the Aegyptians these impute spirits which resembleth Frogs is a greater punishment to the people of England in that they have the souls of people which God permitteth in his Church not only for the good of his Church they being like the Nations which God left to prove Israel Judg. 3.1 but for the just punishment of wicked men who will not obey and stick to the truth 2 Thess 2.11 Ninthly The plague of Frogs was the next punishment upon the Aegyptians to their waters which were turned into blood so these impure spirits which at this time like that Aegyptian plague of Frogs covereth the Land followed our bloody waters of affliction No sooner were our waters turned into blood but these impure spirits like Frogs sprang up and filled the Land nay we find them in our streets in our market-place in our very houses These not such Frogs as the Relator speaketh of are often seen at Fairford The which impure spirits in the likenesse of Frogs are often to be seen hopping and skipping about their streets nay they are known to creep into their houses often filling the same but not the houses of the Lord of the Town or of the Justice adjacent as the Relator expresseth their housen are better disciplined then to be harbor for such filthy vermine but the housen of some men of giddy and unstable brains whom these Inchanters have bewitched with their sweet tongues whose houses they make as filthy Ponds and Pools of stinking errors and vile abominations of doctrine wherein they do most delight and where they do importunately croak whose croaking noise did invite the children of the Town to enter into one house who became like a stone cast into a Ditch where multitude of Frogs are making them for that time cease their croakings The which judgment the Lord did not send upon Fairford for injustice as the Relator saith but for their not receiving the love of the truth Mark that place 2 Thess 2.11 For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye For this cause what is that Mark the precedent words because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved And this is not a peculiar judgement on Fairford alone We have such filthy Ponds and Pools of corrupt Doctrine at Norleach wherein are often to be heard the croakings of such Frogs but they are not so troublesome to the ears of many at Norleach as they are at Stow Burton on the water and other places adjacent But indeed not a rational man but may perceive this judgment to be a general judgement Men have so fallen away from truth that they are given up to strong delusions to believe lyes So that these impure spirits in the likeness of Frogs may be seen hopping and heard croaking in most places of the Land But my hope is That as the plague of Frogs on the Aegyptians was not an everlasting plague but removed by the prayer of Moses Exod. 8.12 So neither this punishment of Frogs on England but may in time be removed from the Nation by the endeavours and prayers

am informed little children whose usage must needs be cruel uncivil and dangerous so dangerous it seemeth to be that nothing but a Justice of the Peace could appease the wrath and fury of those children to whom some zealous persons repaired whose Residence was nigh for his Assistance But the Justice saith he being encouraged thereunto by the Lord of the Town differing from them in Judgement was so far from assisting them as that he rather spake hardly unto them by way of threatning Observe here the tender Consciences of these zealous persons who though they are over-grown with an Anti-Magistraticall Jaundice having envious and implacable eyes against Magistracy and are men of such high minds and heady passions giddy spirits and popular principles that they are impatient of any thing Authoritative yet will storm if the Justice deny to them his Assistance But who is this Justice that dare be so bold as to discountenance these Zealots and who is that Lord of a Town that will not vail Bonnet to these Pleberans Though they are both famously known in their County and else-where yet they are not here named and as I conceive out of malice That those Justa parentaliae praises which all that know them give as most due to their accomplished worth might not give check to their Demonial Malice and unjust Calumniations As for the Justice of Peace He is very well known to be a lover of Justice and of tender Conscience in the execution of his Office in the distribution of Justice And as concerning this particular his denying of Justice to these Zealots who made Application to him I know as he did not approve of their irregular meetings being done in opposition to our publick Assemblies so neither did he of the rudenesse of the children having no Law to countenance them Whose care for the administration of Justice was proportionable to the Offenders and offence and as for his speaking hardly to them I dare behold to say that he rather hardly spake to them that way As for the Lord of the Town though his obedience to the word of God Loyalty to Soveraign power and love to his Country would never admit him to countenance such Meetings yet I know such is his zeal to Justice and his inclination to peace that he will neither promote disturbances or by any encouragement give any stop to the execution of Justice knowing that Justice will in its due time find them out And this I am bold to certifie the world thereof being a man very well instructed in the knowledge of those Worthy Gentlemen as having spent since these late Revolutions of times some time in the execution of my Ministerial Office in that Town of Fairford so that the sting of those Calumniations that is thrust in their Reputations can never wound them who have in their Country ever lived live and no doubt so long as God permits life will live in their deserved Reputations for their Loyalty to their Soveraign zeal to Justice and goodnesse Silly therefore is the charge which this Phanatick have drawn up against these Worthy Gentlemen which though it be no wonder in him or any other of his Tribe yet I will assure thee Reader is one of his grosse lyes The other is worse concerning the Progs and Toads which he calleth the judgement of God shewed on unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse Though there might have been a great number of small Frogs and Toads lie upon the ground and yet no wonder to see them or judgement on the Town by reason of them they having not a personal but equivocal Generation as fallen in Rain from the Clouds being before drawn up in Attomes and generated by the heat of the Sun and so no miracle being a work not surpassing the whole power of created nature * Miraculum proprie quod fit preter ordinem totius naturae Aquin Yet there was no such Spectacle The Informer might see at that time of year Frogs and Toads enough by reason of so many Ponds Ditches and Moorish places as be about Fairford and need not stand in any by-place to behold them but not such well Disciplined Frogs and Toads as can march in Rank and File turn to the right or left hand keep Court of Guards as the Informer telleth us they did about the house of the Lords of the Town and the house and person of the said Justice and make at last a sudden retreat that is from the house of the said Justice They may be till this time upon duty about and in the house of the Lords of the Town for any satisfaction that the Informer giveth us concerning their quitting his house Indeed for the great Army of Frogs and Toads for their orderly march for their strict observance of duty for the reproving of the said Justice by his Maid-servant for the impression that her expression left on her Master for the vanishing of the said Frogs and Toads upon his countenancing those Zealots and discouraging and punishing the rude multitude The world is extreamly beholding to the Authors invention being very glad that neither he or his brethren have any other materials left them then lyes to build their Babel Let this Relation travel whither it may as it may travel farre having a Pamphlet for its passe yet it carrieth enough with it as doth give all true Christian hearts occasion to suspect it and needed not be followed by the Hue and Cry of a loud and general voice of contradiction But though the Relator faineth an Army of Frogs which had received a Commission from the Allmighty to plunder the houses of the Lord of the Town and the said Justice or to bring them away Prisoners upon refusing of doing Justice upon the multitude that disturbed those Fanaticks at Fairford Yet I shall without hypocrisie certifie the world That the Town of Fairford though it hath been freed from the Aegyptian plague of Frogs yet it hath not been freed from the general plague of England Some spirits came often there in the likenesse of Frogs See in Rev 16.13 what St. John saw when the sixth Angel powred out his Vial on the great River Euphrates it was three unclean spirits like Frogs came out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet Where observe the principal Agents are the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet By the Dragon is meant Satan himself the father of lyes By the Beast Antichrist with his whole body By the false Prophet any false Teachers belonging to the Kingdome of Antichrist The three unclean spirits that were belched out of their mouths were First The spirit of pride which came out of the mouth of the Devil the Dragon Secondly The spirit of blasphemy which came out of Antichrist the Beast Thirdly The spirit of a lye which came out of false Teachers which belongeth to the false Prophets The which unclean spirits are said to be

of sound Christians Prayer which is Vis Deo grata Tertul is of great efficacy with God for the removal of this judgement and therefore let all Christians pray The voyce of the Gospel is likewise of great force to stop the mouths of these kind of Frogs though never so clamarous Veritas mendacio longè fortior Ministers must now if ever appear for the truths of God and be able to convince the Gain-sayer and the people must labor to be well grounded in the Scripture which is profitable for doctrine and reproof 2 Tim. 3.16 And both Ministers and People must be valiant for the truth and contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints The Law of the Land is of no small force to stop the hoppings from place to place to silence the croakings of these Frogs Let but Magistrates which for their Office in Scripture are called masters of restraint but shew their zeal for God in the execution of Justice on such troublers of Israel and we shall find them soon to vanish The Informer faineth the vanishing of those Frogs and Toads which he fained likewise to be at Fairford to be upon the Justice of the Peace his countenancing the Zealots and discountenancing and punishing the Disturbers If our Magistrates would but countenance those that are Lovers of peace and truth and discountenance and punish those that are the Disturbers of peace and truth These hopping Frogs would quickly stop their journeys and these croaking Frogs soon change their notes That the eyes of the Inhabitants of Fairford and all other places which are visited with these impure spirits which cometh to them in the likeness of Frogs may behold no more such horrid Spectacles that their ears may be no more afflicted with their odious croakings that their conversations may not be disturbed with their hoppings and crawlings FIAT JVSTITIA II. Concerning the Authors Relation about the death of the Clarks daughter at Brokington COncerning the Meeting at Brokington I find by inquiry that at the time and place expressed there was such a meeting when and where was B. Collet and B. Collins and some from Stow and other places but John Belcher I find by the Authors relation was not there and that precious humble tender-hearted man Brother Collet was in exercise and that Sarah the daughter of Thomas Woodward Clark of Senington about 17 years of age was there with her mother and that the Maid did dye there suddenly is a truth which cannot be denyed But that the hand of the Lord of Hosts went out against that Daughter for her opposing and reviling them and uttering hard speeches against them their meetings and wayes is as far from truth as these troublers of Israel are from peace For both the Daughter and the Mother to whom the Relator attributeth opposition and reviling are known to be so far guiltlesse of it as that they are great Lovers of these persons great approvers of their meetings and wayes Nay the Parish Clark himselfe the Maids Father as I am informed is one of their Followers who performeth his Office at Church and when he cometh Home performeth his Devotion with them And as for the Demeanor of the Daughter at the present exercise she was observed to behave her self with great attention and devotion and solemn silence not a word she uttered nor gesture expressed she as could plead her guilty either of any dislike in her selfe or any disturbance of the Exercise so that I wonder at the grosse impudency of the Informer that dare excommunicate her out of the number of those chosen Ones and publish her to the world as a Reviler of those chosen people of God Now for the manner of her death it was thus The Clarks Daughter having some children to look unto which were without Doors was bidden by the wife of one Thomas Timbrill to go forth to look to the children she went forth and fetched them and came in and gave a sudden screek and fell down dead before them all whose Corpse after some rubbing and chafing there being no appearance of life was carried into the passage at what time as it is related came that Esquire Mr. Heiden that led that party of the Troop to disturb their meetings and the death of the Maid having dissolved them he without any injury done them forbad only their disorderly meetings for the time to come and departed This I find to be the truth and to this I have the attestation of some of those neighbours who were present and of many others who since the publishing of the death of this Maid as a wonderful example of Gods Justice by them have of the truth hereof been informed For my part I dare not say that she was in her sudden death made any example at all of Gods Justice no otherwise then as death is the wages of sin but an example of the frail and brittle condition of man whose breath is in his nostrils which may suddenly vanish and therefore Brother Collins answered well when Mr. Heiden charged them with the death of the Maid We have not said he killed her but the Lord hath done it in whose hands is your breath and ours wherein Brother Collins doth seem to differ much from the Relators censure who maketh her to us not an example of Gods Justice but a Spectacle of mortality to usher us in the School of death that we may allwayes be watchfull in an holy preparation for our change As for those that doth look upon her death as an example of Gods Justice on the Maid I think them to be of the safer judgment that conclude her to be an example of Gods Justice for frequenting the Meetings of such Impostors who under the colour of spreading the Gospel corrupt the pure Doctrine of the Gospel by their vile errors and base opinions and instead of spreading the light fight against it by their despisings of the Ministers of the Gospel the holy Ordinances of Christ and of all those that desireth to walk in the light thereof rather then an example of Gods Justice for revilings and hard speeches against them who was a zealous follower of them and out of whose mouth was heard no such reproofs And as for that wise and zealous Oration of the Clark her Father who after that time spake as he did before saying These are the People of God were the Clark so gifted a Brother as Brother Collins as precious humble tender-hearted man as Brother Collet as great an Oracle as John Belcher it would as little evidence his Daughters death to be an example of Gods Justice as canonize them for the people of God And as for their much peace and freedome from Molestations in their Meetings to heare John Belcher in Stow in the Market-place and other places which they have enjoyed as the Informer saith since this remarkable hand of God I beleeve that neither John Belcher nor that gifted man B

Collins nor that precious humble tender-hearted man B Collet will attribute it though the Informer doth as an effect which followed upon the Death of the Clarkes daughter But being as Full of State-pollicy as they are of spirituall Revelations I know they cannot but conclude their peace and and freedome to proceed either from the wisdome of the State forbidding all publicke disturbances and the Loyalty of peaceable Subjects who in their conversations subscribes to Government or from the clemency of the State by conniving not approving of their separations and divisions upon which clemency of the State they have mightily improved themselves who must know they are not favoured though not punished who may have though the State sitteth silent for a while in a short time by the prudence of the State their errors set in order before their eyes But their great Boasting of their much peace and Freedome that they enjoy now in Market-places and other places putteth me in mind of the difference between Loyall Subjects and Rebellious Sectaries The Sectaries without disturbance have now their Freedome to publish their errors and lyes in the very Market-places but we could not heretofore enjoy our Liberties in our Churches to publish Gods truths without high disturbances And seeing they have so much peace and freedome from Molestations in the Market-places I would they would take this Counsell from one that wisheth their conversion not their destruction their safety not their perill that neither the Relator that boasteth so much of freedome neither any of the Brotherhood that doth enjoy it use any more their peace to provoke warre by blowing up all Coales of dissentions amongst us and their Freedome to set Rebellion againe in a Blaze to fire both Church and State If so Let them be men as well Gifted as Brother Collins as precious humble tender-hearted men as Brother Collet and have as much Freedome in the Market-place of Stow as John Belcher The hand of Justice may soone find them out when by the hand of the Magistrate God may in the very Market-places where they proclaime their Rebellion make them more evident Examples of Gods Justice for their Rebellion then was the sudden death of the Clarkes Daughter of Broking●o● for her revilings who was a Sister a Disciple one that against them was not heard to open her Mouth Now Reader If thou beest a Rationall man whom the Informer by his Relation would reclaime and to whose Judgement I have recommended this Narrative thou canst not but find the Newes from Glocester to be strange but not true and the Author who ere it be not to be as he stileth himselfe The true Informer but an Hypocriticall Lyer And as his Notorious Lyes proveth him a Grosse Hypocrite who hath spoken these Lyes through Hypocrisie so doth his Conclusion lay open his Hypocrisie to the view of any indifferent Reader Lastly Concerning the Grosse Hypocrisie of the Author in the Conclusion of his Pamphlet THe Relator telleth us that much more was expressed both in the Letter and by sundry personall evidences this cannot be applied to the Newes from Fairford there he certifieth us that he was an eye-witnesse being in a By-place to see what would be the issue of those Froggs and Toads and here he speaketh of a Letter wherein somewhat and much more was expressed And saith he also by sundry personall evidences but this I am sure had the Relator any Greater evidences of cruelties and indignities offered by such spirits as he specifieth they could not have escaped the presse herein being little said the truth being uncased to cry up any cruell usage of them Now whereas the Author and Printer who are said to deliver only the Truth in Generall when they have branched out the Lying Wonders in particular circumstances doe desire a kind acceptance of the Reader I cannot see how it can be granted by any Reader who is a Lover of Truth but only by seduced persons such as are fettered to other mens vile opinions and held fast under their power to whom I crave to urge that reproofe which the Apostle urged to the Corinthians 2 Ep 11.19 20. Ye suffer fooles gladly ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage if a man devoure you so say I to all such seduced persons ye suffer fooles gladly to worke on your affection to fasten on your persons to spoyle you to carry you away from the Truth as a Beare Wolfe or Lyon carry away their prey becoming as Leopards and Blackmoors whose spots and uglinesse of base opinions can never be washed away who have cause to feare their owne condemnation for when God shall send such strong delusions as shall produce such an effect in the hearts of men as to cause them to beleeve a lye the end is that they might be damned 2 Thes 2.11 But though we cannot grant a kind Acceptance of these notorious Lyes yet we may embrace the counsell they give us which is to amend that which is amisse either in the Relation which is full of lyes or in our selves being full of Frailties For the amending of what I have found amisse in the Relation I have performed my endeavour by bringing these lyes to the Light of Truth whereby Truth may be discerned from errour and for the amendment of what we find amisse in our selves let us daily begge the Assistance of Gods Spirit to enlighten our eyes in the knowledge of the Truth and to lead us into all Truth and preserve us therein by his Allmighty power even unto Salvation Here I should have finished but that the Relator or Printer o● both hath given me cause of Jealousie to conceive that as they will not owne me for their Fellow-Christian so I dare not own them for my Fellow-Subjects who seemeth by their unusuall phrase in their Conclusion not to owne King Charles for their King but some other King to Raigne over them GOD SAVE OUR KING BY the phrase Our and not The some are of the opinion they meane not King Charles to whom they are apparent Enemies but Christ whom they make a cloake for their wickednesse Though I am of opinion that there be many that in this Nation owneth no other King but Christ yet should they meane him here they could not but discover a great deale of ignorance in thus praying for him That God would save him who is our Alone Saviour But I am more apt to beleeve that seeing This Government doth not please them and they expect some Alteration of Government of which some are very confident expecting through fresh divisions to have the sword againe in their hands of which they say they will make better use then they have done That they meane some eminent Commander whom God in time may raise up for their protection in their licentious practises But God who hath already Blasted their designes I hope will so order by his powerfull providence the Affaires of this Nation that such cruell and Tyrannicall Spirits shall be so farre from sitting any more at Sterne in the Ship of this Common-wealth as they shall for ever be kept under Hatches And that this Our Gracious Soveraigne whom the Lord miraculously hath preserved and restored to be a repairer of our breaches and a restorer of our decayed paths whose name was is and will be ever precious among his sound-hearted and Loyall Subjects and whose Princely Dignity is adorned with such piety Temperance and humanity as will be stedfast props to uphold his regall Authority shall sit immoveable in his Throne shining therein above all other men in a parcell of Gods Majesty by righteousnesse establishing his Throne and by Judgement the Land Prov. 16.12 Prov. 29.4 and so make us his Subjects by his wise Government a happy people and his Kingdomes the glory of all Lands GOD BLESSE KING CHARLES FINIS