Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	pray_v	prayer_n	supplication_n	6,912	5	11.1562	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65848	The case of the suffering people of God truly stated and their innocencie vindicated from the false aspersions and pretences (under which the persecution spirit seeks to cover it self, to make the nation believe its proceedings against them are just) that it may be unvailed, and appear as it is in its self, and the cause for which Gods people suffer made appear, according to the nature of it : wherein also the persecutors in England are warned, before the day of the Lord overtake them, as a destruction from him.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1664 (1664)	Wing W1901; ESTC R19809	7,596	12

and desire the good of all men in what we do and our Case is a Spiritual Matter relating to Conscience and the Worship of God which is out of the reach of any Temporal or Civil Law which was made or added because of outward Transgression so as our Cause is out of your sight and beyond your Sphear who persecute us in this wise and not to be judged of by such whose judgement is but fallible whether they profess themselves to be Spiritual or Temporal Judges for the Spirit of God which is infallible in which we serve and worship him is our Guide and Leader and thereby we know him to be our Lord and Law-giver as he is to his Church And our being persecuted as being obstinate or wilful and Contemners of Authority for not swearing as some of us have been when we have been indicted for refusing the Oath of Allegiance which is said to be a promissory Oath as wilfully obstinately refusing it and in contempt c. as also for refusing those called Judicial Oaths we are liable to be exposed to Banishment as being represented not to refuse them out of conscientiousness but obstinacy and the like which is an apparent wrong done to us and our case herein is misrepresented and such things have been laid as snares on purpose to make us suffer for the Lord knows our hearts and consciences in this matter that it is not out of obstinacy nor wilfulness nor contempt that we have refused to swear but singly for Conscience-sake to Christ and in obedience to him see Mat. 5. 33 34. James 5. 12. as those that know the Love of God which ends the strife that was the occasion of Oaths and must hold forth a Testimony of that Love both in Word in Doctrine and Example And albeit we have been rendered as Criminal Offenders in these Cases of Conscience and as Contemners of Authority and seditious c. in our meeting together which is in the Worship of God and Decrees or Laws have been intended against us thereupon it hath been seldom in many places that the Prosecutors of them or our Persecutors would keep to their own Law when it was brought forth as to suffer a fair tryal according to the letter or words of it but sometimes when some of us have been taken in a Meeting for matter of Worship some have had also the Oath of Allegiance tendered them and that the Persecutors might be sure to make them suffer as much as they could under colour of legality they have committed them to Prison both for meeting and refusing to swear and afterwards sentenced some thereupon to a Premunire And after that some have been taken and imprisoned for matters of Worship as supposed Transgressors of an Act of Parliament when they have been brought to Sessions they might not be tried upon the Law upon which they were first taken and imprisoned but have been indicted at common Law as was pretended against them for meeting to the terrour of the people by force and arms c. and thereupon sentenced and their suffering encreased when all that could be proved against them was That they were at a Meeting which was peaceable where it may be some were preaching the Truth or praying or all sitting together in silence And thus we have been wronged and falsely rendered as criminal and our Case is mis-represented And all this is that these men may oppres● 〈◊〉 as much as they can and that under the shew of Reason and Justice that they may be taken as those that are just in their proceedings when there is no Reason nor Truth in the ground thereof but Justice turned backward amongst them and Equity cannot enter And now many of the innocent Servants of the Lord suffer imprisonment some being committed for three months and some for a few days which is all in enmity against them with an intent in those that deal so by them to suppress them or to rid the Nation of them the sooner and this is done against them for meeting together in the Worship of God under pretence against them that their Meetings are seditious Conventicles or tumultuous or unlawful Assemblies or under colour or pretence of Religious Exercise not allowed by the Lyturgy or Practice of the Church of England c. when as all that could be proved or evidenced against us was That we were in a Meeting or met at such a place which was in a peaceable manner neither seditious nor tumultuous where it may be some might be preaching Righteousness and Truth or praying to the Lord by his Spirit or in some place sitting in silence waiting upon the Lord where no colour nor pretence at all of Religious Exercise or Worship could be proved for what as was must be really in our hearts to the Lord God in that Case without any colour or pretence as to their view or capacities who have taken us or witnessed against any of us yet the bare proof that we were at a Meeting as mentioned serves them to make us suffer upon they not regarding whether the Religious Exercise or Worship which we are in be according to the Scriptures of Truth or the practice of the primitive Christians and Saints who met in Houses Fields and the like and worshipped God in the Spirit and Truth and therein waited preached and prayed as the Spirit taught them and gave them utterance and as they had received the gift c. which we own and many of us suffer for and which our Persecutors will not in words seem to deny when t is put to them nor say that their Lyturgy or publick Service or Prayer does not allow of that Worship or Religious Exercise which is according to the Scriptures which stands in the Spirit and in the Truth for they would be taken as those that own the Scriptures for their Rule and their Lyturgy not to disown the Scriptures and yet persecute and oppress us for practising according to what is written 〈◊〉 the Scriptures in point of Worship as therein we are led by the Spirit of Truth For though the Devices Ceremonies and Traditions of men in matter of Worship and formal praying and confessions c. we cannot be tied unto lest we should quench or limit the Spirit of prayer and supplication which God hath poured upon us which to do were against God and his Worship and so Antichristian yet the Lyturgy as it allows of the Scriptures both to be read and practised it must consequently allow of what the Scriptures allow of and though we meet not at those places called Churches which were the Popes Mass-houses yet the Religious Exercise and Worship we are in is according to the Scriptures of Truth and therefore should not be disallowed of by the Lyturgy nor any Law made by man whatsoever whether it be called Civil or Ecclesiastical for the Law of God in which our eternal felicity is concerned hath no man power to dispence withal