Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	believe_v	scripture_n	1,612	5	5.8214	4	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

by making it the fountaine of those lyes and this is not the first time that that City hath been thus abused by such Deluders who for the more generall and speedier vent of their delusions and for the more generall and easier beliefe of them maketh their lyes to take rise from thence But I dare acquite Glocester of the coyning of these Lyes There be severall Mints out of Glocester as Cicister Fairford Stow Burton on the water Kemp●ford and Norleach where are men as famous for the promoting of such coyne as at Glocester and indeed the very impression on the coyne though the Author concealeth his Name giveth to many hereabouts a manifest Guesse who was the coyner thereof But what is the Newes 1. A perfect Relation of the wonderfull and miraculous power of God shewed for Injustice at Fairford by an Innumerable Company of Froggs and Toads 2. A Great and Terrible Earth-quake the Running of Blood and Hail-stones of a pound and an halfe weight in France 3. The wonderfull Example of Gods Justice in the sudden death of the Clarks Daughter of Brokington in Glocester-shire Observe the Workings of this Serpent which is after the working of Sathan with all power and signes and Lying Wonders 2 Thes 2.9 The relation of which he calleth a perfect Relation though every string in his Relation be out of Tune he would not have his musicke to sound amisse which discovereth the Author to be of the seed of a Serpent * Serpentina Soboles whose wayes of undermining of Gods Church is as the way of a Serpent on a Rocke unknowable Pro. 30.19 When they cannot suppresse it by force and crueltie they will undermine it if they can by craft and lyes Though the Relation be altogether counterfeit coyne yet it must passe for currant And that it may so The Author as a chiefe Emissary of Sathan courts the worlds Beliefe of it with a knowne impudent Lye calling the Relation not only a perfect Relation but telling us That the Relation is entred according to Order The which Order he would have us beleeve to be from the present power at Westminster when it is from the Court of Hell but no question the printing of these lyes were like his daily walking Disorderly so that if the Inscription stumble and fall from Truth what encouragement have we to thinke that the Newes enclosed will stand upright I confesse for the French Newes I had rather beleeve then * The Author is lame Travell to find out the certaintie of it but for our Glocestershire Newes I have weighed in a Ballance by a strict inquirie and find them notwithstanding this Faire Colour the Author hath drawne over it in calling a perfect Relation Grosse Lyes The which let the Author be what he will must needs proceed from a man of an evill Conscience though he hath not such an impudent Face to prefix his name to it Secondly Concerning the Monstrous false Newes inclosed THat Great and heavie Judgements of God have attended those that have reviled and injured Gods chosen people as the Author beginneth his Newes Those Scriptures alledged by him 2 Kings 2.23 24. Exod. 7 8 9 10 11 12. 14 Chapters are sufficient Testimonies But who the Author meaneth by These his chosen people and how the Froggs and Toads at Fairford and the death of the Maid at Brokington may be said to be Gods Judgements on the Revilers of those his chosen people craveth our inquirie No question by These his chosen people the Author meaneth the Company of Christians as if all the rest of the Towne were Heathens which met together at Fairford on the Lords Day in private in opposition to the publicke worship of God and those that met at Brokington on the third of June where was those Famous Gifted Brethren Brother Collet and Brother Collins and those that met in the Market-place at Stow to heare him whom the Author stiled John Belcher as if he be not worthy to be one of the Brotherhood as well as the other and is not as precious an humble and tender-hearted man as Brother Collet But how these can be thought to be the only Chosen people of God I leave to any Rationall man and true Christian to Consider of being Men of Turbulent Spirits preferring their own houses before the Temple Meetings in the Market-places before our publicke Meetings in our Churches The Jewish Sabbath before the Christian being enemies to all Ordained Ministers crying up themselves to be the only Propagators of the Gospel who under the name of Truth have brought in damnable heresies and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Surely if these be the only chosen people of God God hath precious children indeed And as for the Armie of Froggs and Toads which the Informer saith he saw at Fairford and the sudden death of the Clarks Daughter when they met at Brokington how they can be thought to be examples of Gods Judgements on those the Informer nominateth putteth me to a stand Indeed The Author speaking of his Relation which he published saith that it is sufficient to reclaim any rational man whatsoever Had the Relation been as he calleth it a perfect Relation he might have had the better hopes of it but that Lyes should reclaime any rational man whatsoever I must beg the Authors pardon not to believe And the fulnesse of both which stories I come now to present to the eyes of all rational men to consider of The true Accompt whereof is as followeth I. Concerning the Authors Relation about the Frogs and Toads which he reporteth to have seen at Fairford THe Author in the beginning of his Relation telleth the world of a company of Christians met together as if there were no Christians in the Town but them their businesse being to serve God according to their present apprehensions what zealous worshippers of God be these who having no rule for their worship but their present apprehensions must needs differ therein as their apprehensions differ at the place before named that is I conceive as the Inscription telleth us at Fairford but whither the Church or House was their meeting-place the Informer is silent but sure it must be at the house of some knowing eminent Christian because the Informer saith there was none but a company of Christians met together Not the Church the house of prayer where is the presence of the blessed Trinity God in his Son by his Spirit The presence of Gods Angels the presence of his Minister and of the greater number of people assembled to enjoy his Ordinances whose Ranks being likened to Beds of Spices which is an Holy Place set apart for Holy uses wherein the power and glory of an holy God is to be seen and felt that is an abomination to those Christians The which Meeting being collected not by the noise of Bells but of some Tinckling Cymbals was disturbed by the rude multitude who were as I

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