Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	appear_v	bless_a	great_a	166	4	2.0686	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93926	The VViltshire rant; or A narrative wherein the most unparallel'd prophane actings, counterfeit repentings, and evil speakings of Thomas Webbe late pretended minister of Langley Buriall, are discovered; the particulars whereof are set down in the following page. Also the proceedings of those in authority against him. With a catalogue of his untruths in his Masse of malice, and replies to sundry of them. by Edw. Stokes Esq;	Stokes, Edward, Esq.	1653 (1653)	Wing S5725; Thomason E669_5; ESTC R207024	71,727	91

to repent of their folly and madnesse and if their repentance prove true and not like that of T. W. their names shall be concealed for ever by this Author otherwise they may appear with their actions in due time Secondly Some of them have been but as weak instruments in the hands of the mighty Ranters and therefore wholly past over in silence Thirdly Some of them have promised to publish to the world the Wiltshire Rant more perfectly then the Author and therefore at present their names are left out Fourthly Some being in great esteem as yet amongst the godly people the Author was unwilling to publish those words and papers which he received from others of the Ranting crue concealing them in hopes that they will acquit themselves like men and withall knowing that the Ranters especially T. W. and his fellows are like to the Cretians who are alwaies liars evil beasts slow bellies But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men THE WILTSHIRE RANT MAnifest it is that the Accuser of the Brethren the old Serpent the Lier from the beginning could never have acted so much mischief in the world if he had alwaies appeared in his own Shape wherefore that he may the better accomplish his ends he presents himself oftentimes in the shape of an Angel of Light and so he teacheth all his angels or ministers to appear So the false prophets of old the deceivers of this age and all hypocrites appear in Sheeps cloathing with a form of godlinesse with the Word of the Lord in their mouths and although these persons know nothing as they ought to know yet they assume all knowledge to themselves And although they are possessed by an unclean spirit yet sometime they cry up a clean conversation and all this is because they would the more easily accomplish their corrupt interests beguile unstable souls and lead captive silly professors Nay many of these are so much given up to beleeve lies to deceive and be deceived that they are become pure in their own di●s And as the man that would tell a lie so often that at last he beleeved it to be a truth so these men being practisers of evil beleeve themselves and their cursed waies to be righteous and that from a cursed principle which they hold viz. There is nothing sin but what a man thinks to be so This the wise man speaks of Prov. 30. 11. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse A right character of our Wiltshire Ranters who speak great swelling words of vanity sporting themselves in their own deceivings whilst they beguile unstable souls and ly in wait to deceive the ignorant But notwithstanding these painted Sepulchres are discovered by truth and time which maketh manifest and it will appear that whilst they assume all knowledge to themselves and professe themselves wise they become fools and this is the great work of our blessed Saviour to discover cover and destroy the works of the devil to take away the counterfet painting and false covering cast upon foul and unclean hearts and to lay them open to publique view and certainly Jesus Christ will first or last bring every hidden work to light the purest hypocrite must be discovered as well as the prophane person and this discovery is made divers waies 1. Sometimes by the terrible pangs of a guilty and accusing conscience hastening and hurrying the soul towards desperation in this condition many times the most secret and hidden works of darkness are brought to light and now men vomit up their own shame and confesse with horror and astonishment of spirit their former cursed and abominable waies and actions 2. Sometimes by the falling out of those who have been brethren and co-partners in iniquity this way many theeves are brought to the Gallows and unclean persons to Justice And to the honour of God and to his praise be it recorded for ever The Ranters were building their Babel of Prophanenesse and Community in Wiltshire but were constrained to pluck it down with their own hands they laying open each others wickednesse having each other before the Magistrate and accusing each other in the day of their fury and horrible confusions as this Narrative will demonstrate 3. Sometimes hypocrites and dissemblers to regain their lost credit by a fained repentance lay open the wickednesse madnesse and folly of their own hearts and waies and confesse their most secret and bosome lusts and hidden corruptions with promises of a new life and never more to turn to folly yet having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin they return with the Dog to the vomit and with the Sow that was washed to the former wallowing in the mire notwithstanding with the whore mentioned Prov. 30. they wipe their mouths and say they have done no wickednesse These can sometimes speak purely yet live filthily They plead liberty yet are the servants of sin These are self-justitiaries self-seekers such as sacrifice to their own nets lovers of themselves and their own deluded followers Despisers of those that are good or do any waies protest against their witlesse worthlesse whimseys and practises yet through the just judgement of the Lord these deluders seducers and deceivers are oftentimes brought to light and are made mauger their hearts to demonstrate what they are in reality And what discovery the Ranting crew even the most eminent of them have made of themselves and of each other the ensuing narrative will sufficiently demonstrate in which you have little besides their own Confessions Letters and Accusations of each other and that will sufficiently declare that their destruction and ruine is of themselves and not from the Magistrate as they most untruly give out with a world of other notorious lies and scandals the fittest imployment of such a generation of people which they heap upon all that disown their cursed principles and lascivious waies The most notorious Champion whereof that have caused the enemies of God to blaspheme and made sad the hearts of the people of God and is become the greatest monument of scandall and reproach as ever appeared in North Wiltshire is one Thomas Webbe late of Langley Buriall within the said County who came as an Angel of Light into those parts with a great form of godlinesse in sheeps cloathing whereby he gained with ease the affections of many not only hypocrites but sincere hearted Christians who took him to be as he only seemed to be As new things so new or strange persons affect much So new brooms sweep clean this man seems to be of a blamelesse life and conversation and being furnished with cunning and expression makes use of it to his best advantage and so rouls up and down till at last he takes up his rest at Langly aforesaid and having obtained the parsonage there he preached and practised for some short space that none could

which she perceiving and having attempted allwaies and means to keep me but finding all to be in vain she now proceeds in this way against me the truth of which our wise and al-knowing God knows and which all impartial and unbiassed judgements cannot but see for were there truth in what they say which there is not yet for as much as they have for a long time concealed it and notwithstanding none was so great and so much in her favour as I was so long as God gave me over to be one with her in iniquity it appear to be but malice Much more might be said to prove that it proceeds to be from malice they in telling their own tale bewray themselves as witnesse M. White who what he swore to the Jurors as the Jurors will testify upon oath when called thereto he denied before you nay though Uncles was by him and did justifie before him A fuller relation of the whole businesse between Mistress White and I ye shall hear upon the day appointed wherein I shall answer for my self and which I have provided to passe through the presse into the publique And if it be the will of God that through the malice of a strange woman I must suffer I dare not question my God for it it is the just wages of sin O that vile thing that hath been committed between us and that it will be made very good to me for I blesse my God for it who hath delivered my poor soul out of her hands for greater would have been my wo and misery if I should have continued and have gone on with her in our evil courses then now she can make me by all her false and malicious courses against me and therefore rejoyce that God hath called me home and not suffered me to go on in the waies of sin continually which makes me very much to slight and to be carelesse of what ever she can do against me and I much rejoyce in my present sufferings being fully assured and it 's that which I can testifie to the whole world that my present sufferings are because I will no longer serve the filthy lusts and desires of the flesh and this is no new and strange thing Solomon speaks often of it By the means of a whorish woman A man is brought to a piece of bread and the adultresse seeks for the precious life Well I had rather die through her malice then in her wickednesse and I blesse my God for it I speak it unfainedly that I had rather beg my bread from door to door and end my daies in sorrow then to sit down with her and serve the lusts and desires of the flesh as I have done and so the will of my God be done and according to the time appointed I hope I shall be come down from London and shall wait upon your worships This accompt I thought good to give you that so it should not be thought by any that I had withdrawn my self out of fear and for being guilty a thing which my very adversaries will be very ready to give out No I bless my God for it that as to those things which they charge me withall I am free from them all my enemies themselves being judges if they will speak but the truth However the Lord will judge between us and to his judgement I refer my self and am no waies afraid what they can do unto me Now I shall rejoyce for I account it 's better to suffer by sin and forsaking the way of uncleannesse then it is to suffer in sin and in the way of uncleannesse O bepity that woman for there is a most fearfull coming of the Lords vengeance and judgement upon her Gent. I am Your most humble servant Tho. Webbe Both the aforesaid Letters were received by the said Justices Septemb. 2. 1650. To the Worshipfull William Shute Esq. this Worthy Sir ACcording to my promise I have been with M. Stokes to whom I have given satisfaction as by our tithingman I have sent M. White word more then once or twice but he cannot tell how to leave his old way of contention and therefore out of a malicious spirit he troubles your Worship seeking thereby to make you an instrument to execute the base and wicked desires of his wife and her wicked confederacy But I know not what the will of our wise God is to do with me I have no heart to stir but to sit still and see his salvation which he will work for me and patiently take his present hand that is upon me for it 's just and I have deserved it by my great folly wherein with that woman M. W. I have caused the name of Christ to be evil spoken of and his dear Saints reproached for which the Lord give us both hearts to be truly humbled and to repent with a repentance that may never be repented of which is truly the hearty prayers of him who is worthy Sir Your Worships most faithfull friend and servant Tho. Webbe Nay besides all the foregoing signs and tokens of repentance the Parson proceeds further and desires all persons to take warning by him to beware of a whorish woman and not only was this advice to single persons or to persons in private but his zeal carrieth him farther even into the pulpit where in the face of the whole Congregation at Langley aforesaid he Preached upon that Text mentioned Proverbs 6. 26. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a morcell of bread and the adulteress seeketh for the precious life From whence he admonished his Auditory to beware of such persons telling them that Solomon was experienced that the adulterous woman tended to the ruine of all those that followed them and likewise though he was no Solomon yet he brought in his own experience and by that also urged the Parishioners not to follow the way of uncleannesse with such as he had done c. Upon the view of the aforesaid Humiliation Confessions and Letters being acted to the very life by this Jugling Parson many were in expectation of a great change and began to think he was real and so truly sensible and sorrowfull for his evil and unclean life and therefore he was received again into favour amongst many good people who exceedingly rejoyced in his returning who were but lately grieving for his Ranting and wickednesse Neither can his seeming repentance be parallel'd by any Converts though sincerely returning home to God especially in the former part and outward appearances But as the joy of the hypocrite is short so the repenting of wicked and unclean hearts is but as the crackling of thorns under the pot as lightning fils the room with light but suddenly leaves it as dark as formerly or as the morning dew dried up with the rising sun or as the early summer-fruit is soon ripe and soon rotten so is the repenting noise of the Ranting Parson whose crackling is extinguisht with