Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	strong_a	unrighteousness_n	1,917	5	11.2143	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84383	Pseudochristus: or, A true and faithful relation of the grand impostures, horrid blasphemies, abominable practises gross deceits; lately spread abroad and acted in the county of Southampton, by William Frankelin and Mary Gadbury, and their companions. The one most blasphemously professing and asserting himself to be the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God who dyed and was crucified at Jerusalem for the sins of the people of God. The other as wickedly professing and asserting her self to be the Spouse of Christ, called, the Lady Mary, the Queen, and Bride, and Lambs Wife. Together with the visions and revelations, to which they did pretend their ways of deceiving, with the names and actions of sundry persons deceived by them. As also their examinations and confessions before the justices of the peace, their imprisonment, and their tryal before the judg of assize, at the last assize holden at Winchester, March 7. 1649. Published for a publique benefit and warning to every one to take heed to himself, that he be not deceived by the errors and deceits of these present times. / By Humphry Ellis, minister of the word in the city of Winton.	Ellis, Humphrey, d. 1676.	1650 (1650)	Wing E579; Thomason E602_12; ESTC R206414	57,353	63

such high affront yea Treason against his Divine Majesty not only denying to his Son the glory to which he is exalted which every knee is by his Command to bow unto but also invading it assuming it to themselves setting up another in his stead ascribing to him what is due and proper to Christ O that this patience forbearance and long-suffering of God might lead those to whom it hath thus been shewn to true Repentance of those great Treasons which against the Majesty of himself and Son they have thus committed Tremble we at the Example of Divine Justice we here finde discovered Wherein is the Justice of God more seen then in his spiritual Judgments of all Judgments the greatest By God were the Gentiles given up to the lusts of their hearts to all uncleanness to dishonor their bodies to a reprobate minde to do things not convenient c. whereby they became so guilty of all these evils recorded concerning them Rom. 1.24 28 29. And all this because knowing God in his Works they yet glorified him not as God nor gave thanks to him Vers 21. By God were the Apostatizing Christians under the Papacy given up unto strong delusions to beleeve all the lyes of the man of sin and this in Judgment also for their retaining the Truth in unrighteousness not bel●eving the Truth but taking pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thess 2.11 12. So how could it be that any persons should be so grosly deceived for any one so to renounce Christ as to set up himself in his stead or for any others to harken to such manifest dece●●s and to give up themselves and their faith to such a deceiver were there not the just Judgment of God giving them up in Judgment thereunto and some great though possibly secret evil the cause of it By all which we may see that if God in Judgment leave persons to themselves there is no evil so great which they would not suddenly by the power of inward corruption and of Satans temptation fall into so as to be led about by Satan at his will and become his Instrument even in the greatest wickednesses In this Relation there hath been much discovered from the Confessions of the persons themselves of Visions Revelations Voyces which they pretend unto to have been seen and heard by them but whether any such things have been so seen and heard by them as by them is reported hath been by some questioned apprehending all these their Relations of them to have been onely by themselves devised to deceive the better by them I deny not but such things may have been seen and heard by them which they have related which some who have endevored to take as neer a consideration of them as may be have imput●● to witchcraft and a secret compact with the Devil therein But this I dare confidently assert concerning them That being for the matter and manner of them so unlike to any the dealings of God with his servants yea even then when by Visions and such like ways he made himself and his Will known to them and therefore I desire the Reader to consider either and compare them together and the end of them being so manifestly wicked as to cause men to slight the Word and have it in contempt passing that by to harken to these things tending also to draw men from Christ and to set up a Deceiver in his stead to destroy and not to confirm the faith of any and this to have been in some the effect of them that therefore surely they were not of God but of the Devil the father of lyes who hath thus deceived by them And for the Devil to be able to effect and represent such things to the fancy and senses of men and to have done thus with others and by such means deceived men is I suppose even to all unquestionable that I need not go about the proof of it Discern we then here somewhat of the wiles of this our spiritual Enemy The persons he chooseth thus to deal withall were such as slighted the Scriptures and inclined to such things as these easie therefore to be deceived by them and such are the persons the Devil doth usually make choyce of to deal in such a way withall and in all these Revelations is the Scripture yet made use of though in the whole of it misapplied Almost all is delivered in Scripture-phrase language and expression The Devil thus transforming himself into an Angel of light thereby the better to deceive them and others by them What a warning may this be to many in these times with whom the Scripture are so much in contempt that they look on them as low things themselves above them and set up a teaching of the Spirit within themselves without besides against and contrary to them and are ready to entertain what under the notion of Enthusiasms and Revelations shall be brought to them When once persons are come to such a slighting of the Scripture then are they if not past hope of recovery yet certainly in the snare of the Devil too fast entangled by him and in the road way of Error nor can they have in themselves any security at all from being carried away with the strongest deceits and delusions Consider the Jews and Papists setting up Dagon and the Ark their Talmud and unwritten Traditions with the holy Scripture and while they accuse the Scripture of imperfection obscurity c. make it by these to be supplied by these to be explained how hath God visited these giving up the one to a spirit of slumber to have eyes not to see and ears not to hear unto this day not more Vagabonds through the Earth in their Conversation then in their Opinions in respect of the vanity and uncertainty of them and even when Meses is read a vail is upon their Understandings and giving up the other also to strong delusions to beleeve lyes to give heed to lying spirits and doctrines of Devils Consider the Germane Munsterian Anabaptists in their time as much neglecting Scripture and setting up Revelations which they much pretended unto given up by God to act such abominations which have made the remembrance of them odious to all posterity that hath heard of them The great sin of slighting contemning the Scripture the Word of God is never left unvisited unpunished by God Visited it is not onely with an uncertainty in matters of Religion that having left this pillar and Cloud of fire which should guide them through the Desart of this world they are as men wandering in a Wilderness where no way is like Cain in respect of Religion Vagabonds setled in nothing carryed up and down with every wind of Doctrine constant and certain in nothing but inconstancy and uncertainty and also at length given up to the grossest deceits and delusions which the Examples of many in these times as well as of the persons I have here had to do withall may evidence to us For

practises to the undeceiving of others and put him also in hope that by this means some favour might be obtained by him And indeed William Franklin now at length becoming sensible of his condition and the trouble and danger which he nad plunged himself into apprehends it his best way to hearken to the advice of the Justices as the only means left him to save himself and to obtain favour And therefore doth he in answer to that advise of theirs pretend himself to be sensible of the evil of the way he had thus walked in and professeth himself at least outwardly and seemingly willing to make such an Acknowledgment and Recantation as they proposed to him hoping and expecting thereby as it appears to find favour from them This therefore of his profession being accepted of a form of a Recantation is presently by Justice Bettesworth drawn up offered to him and is in the very words of it subscribed unto by him The Recantation of William Franklin He now confesseth that he is sorry that he hath affirmed himself to be Christ and that he was crucified for the sins of all men and that there was no salvation but by faith in him and doth heartily repent and doth himself hope to be saved by the merits of Jesus Christ crucified as in the Gospel is set forth unto us and that he will openly recant from his former blasphemous Opinions and cause all that have been misled by him to the uttermost of his power to forsake the false Opinions and Delusions which he hath brought them into To this he subscribed his name William Franklin adding also thereunto these or words to the like purpose That what he professed now in this his Recantation he intended by the Grace of God to stand unto By this Recantation presently a great distraction arose amongst the whole party nor can it be imagined but that they should be much confounded hereat not knowing themselves what to do ashamed so suddenly to renounce what but even now with so much con●●dence they asserted and yet how to stick to it they knew not he that was the head of their party having so soon and solemnly as it appeared disclaimed what either he of himself or they concerning him had thus asserted reckoning them to be but blasphemous Opinions no wonder therefore that they are so confounded and know not what to do Mary Gadbury when this was first shewn to her by the Justices at the very time of it looking upon Franklin with a very angry countenance demanded Hast thou done this is this thy hand At which he remaining some time silent at last answered You see what the times are Or you see what condition we are fallen into She also afterward often times professed That she should never have believed this though ten thousand had told her so had she not her self seen it That she should have layd down her life for the truth of what she had declared concerning him who did now see her self to be abused by him she kept not company with him as Franklin but was perswaded by him that that name and nature was gone that he would not be called by that name and now to see him subscribe the name of William Franklin and that also to such a Recantation made her see that she had been deceived by him Edward Spradbury when he came to the sight of it looking as angerly upon Franklin yea holding up his hand at him as if he would have striken him said Thou Villain how hast thou deceived us by thy lyes And thus he that even now was their Lord and Christ their Saviour that dyed for their sins is presently even in the same instant of time and place reckoned a Villain that by lyes deceived them So uncertain so changeable are these giddy people and upon such ●andy foundations is their whole salvation layd by them And Mr Woodward who before pretended that he saw his uncreated glory and rejoyced at it could now presently upon this say That he thought there was Witchcraft in it and supposed they were Witches Such a sudden change such a great confusion is thus on a sudden wrought among them After these things of the Examinations of these Persons and Witnesses was thus over the Justices proceeded to dispose of the persons themselves and it was thus That Mr Woodward Edward Spradbury Henry Dixon were bound over to the Assize then to appear and before the Judg to answer these and such like things they should be charged withall but William Franklin and Mary Gadbury were both of them committed to prison upon suspition of having the one two wives the other two husbands which suspition and commitment of theirs thereupon was upon very good grounds and very just for Franklin acknowledged in his Confession his having a wife and three children and there was sufficient information of the woman that she had an husband also and yet for these thus to accompany together to call one another husband and wife and as husband and wife ordinarily to lie together could not but be just ground for such a suspicion and commitment upon it William Franklin therefore having his Mittimus made is presently sent to the Common-Goal where he is received and as a Felon being thus committed upon just suspicion of Felony hath irons upon his legs and in this condition continues so fettered in prison till the time of the Assize but Mary Gadbury having so accompanied with another womans husband and besides the Charge of that suspected Felony and Adultery refusing to declare her name or condition is as a lewd woman rogue in law committed first to Bridewell the house of Correction where she lay a week and in that space several times received the Correction of the house according to the custom of it The Munday after February 4. she is sent for thence by the Justices and brought before them And having now suffered a little hardship and tasted some what of the smart of the whip the height of her spirit begins to be somewhat abated now she with abundance of tears laments her condition wherein she is and desires all favour that may be from the Justices she doth now readily answer to all their Interrogatories concerning her name her calling her husband and children her acquaintance with this man and the occasion of their coming into this Country all which was such as I have before related concerning her that therefore it may be somewhat tedious here again to relate and insert it And besides what she spoke to the Justices in answer to these and the like questions as that which might serve them in their proceedings in Law with her She was very forward of her own accord to declare such things which they because they concerned not them in their proceedings listened not much after but therein discoursing so at large as she did of her Visions Revelations Voyces I who was there by had the patience to hear her at least two hours

And this and more to the like purpose was spoken by the said Edward Spradbury in the hearing of the said Peter Blake at the dwelling house of the said Edward Spradbury in Andover aforesaid on Monday the 21. of January 1649. Peter Blake For so he subscribed his name The Examination of Richard Cook against Henry Dixon January 26. He saith upon Oath that Henry Dixon said this present Evening in Andover in this Accusants presence and divers others That he the said Dixon was the God of Light and the God himself And now also did Thomas Wilkins deliver in that testimony of his before mentioned wherein he so affirmed upon Oath this Dixon to say That there was neither God nor Devil but all things came by nature Such a Spirit of frenzy and contradiction as well as Blasphemy possesseth these persons as in the same breath to affirm That there is no God and yet that he himself is God That there is neither God nor Devil and yet presently in his cursing to use the names of both of them The Examination of John Lewis taken before the Justices He saith that William Woodward of Crooxeason Minister said that the man who was at his house being one named Franklin was the Lord of Life and Glory and that he had received glorious things from him and that one who beleeved him not to be so was afterward convinced and came to see the glory of the Lord and acknowledged him to be the Lord of glory He farther saith That Edward Spradbury told him that Franklin said in his presence that he had troden the winepress of the wrath of God and that he the said Edward Spradbury was one of the two Witnesses mentioned in the Revelation that he was slain for the testimony of Jesus Christ and that the said man named Franklin was slain dead and risen again in glory I have moreover an information which this John Lewis sent me under his hand concerning the same thing declaring that William Franklin should say That he was the Lord of Life and Glory that he was the Lamb slain from the foundation that he was the ever-living Son of the Father that he had the key of the bottomless pit that it was he who dyed without the gates of Jerusalem This I John Lewis certifie upon my Oath The Examination and Evidence of Mr Thomas Musprat of Winchester He affirmeth that being at Andover he found Mr William Woodward with one Spradbury and one Dixon who joyntly affirmed that the said Franklin was the Christ and Saviour of mankinde And he the said Thomas Musprat finding fault with Mr Woodward to be in company with such men he the said Mr Woodward replyed That he had seen the glory of the said Franklin and did rejoyce in it Whereupon the said Thomas answered that all glory was created or uncreated and demanded which of these two he had seen in the said Franklin to which after some waving the question he at last answered that it was the uncreated glory This Evidence of Mr Musprats was given by him upon Oath before the Judg of Assize also and then I heard his Evidence and taking it in writing finde it somewhat more full then this which I have thus transcribed from the Justices Record of it at least in the first part of it for upon his Oath then he declared that being so in Andover these persons viz. Mr Woodward Dixon Spradbury joyntly affirmed to him Franklin to be the Son of God upon which he distinguished of Sons of God by Adoption and by Nature and would know of them in which of these respects they would have that man to be the Son of God They thus answered to him that they knew nothing of that distinction but that Franklin whom you so call is the Son of God and Saviour of the World Thus I have related the Testimonies and Evidences of several of the Witnesses all which speak very home to discover the great Blasphemy whereof these persons are guilty I shall now also set down their own Confessions in their Examinations before Mr Bottesworth and Mr Cobbe the Justices wherein you will see what these Witnesses testified to be by themselves asserted that in a case so clear as their own Confession makes it we shall not need further witnesses now hearing themselves speak The Examination of Edward Spradbury of Andover Clothworker He affirmed that the man whom some men call Franklin is the Messiah the Lamb slain from the Foundation and that he had the key of the bottomless pit that he shutteth and no man openeth and openeth and no man shutteth the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah He affirmed that he heard the man whom some men call Franklin preach twice at the Star in Andover and once at Croox-eason at Mr Woodwards at all which several times he took Texts but many other times he hath heard Instructions from him without taking Texts The Examination of Henry Dixon of Stockbridg He affirmeth that about a fortnight since and not at any time before he came acquainted with one which some men call Franklin but he affirmeth him to be the Son of God the Christ crucified for our sins now come down from Heaven He affirmeth that he himself is one of the seven Angels spoken of in the Revelation and that he is sent to plague the Earth and that he is sent by God The Examination of Mr Woodward He affirmeth that Franklin and the woman called Mary Gadbury who came with him did call themselves man and wife and that they lay together in one bed in his house about a fortnight The Examination of Margaret Woodward wife to Mr William Woodward She affirmeth that the man examined before us whom we called Franklin is her Lord and her King and that she is saved by his Death and Passion Farther she saith That the man her Saviour was nothing but dry bones his flesh was clean scrap't away and his skin and bone hanged together and his skin likewise very suddenly fell off from him and that he had nothing left but the hair of his head and of that one hair was not diminished and afterwards new flesh came again as a young childe She doth farther affirm that there was a woman with him which he calleth his Spouse and others call her the Queen and that they continued together and lay together at her House about a fortnight and that she was one night one hour in strong travel and brought forth a spiritual birth which this Examinant received from her She farther saith That he did preach in her house two or three times and that her family did hear him and divers others and that he did often deliver much spiritual discourse when he did not preach But not being satisfied with that Answer in regard that it was suspected that she was delivered of a childe and had destroyed it the Justices were very earnest with her to know the truth farther and told her they did beleeve there was substance in that

birth and that it was not altogether spiritual and did expect that she should satisfie them in it and tell them the Truth She answered that she could best tell in regard she was present and received what the Queen was delivered of and said it was of that man which she called Franklin but in a spiritual manner perswading them that Franklin was transfigured and had no substance left him and that she received him as a Saviour from the woman called the Spouse in the shape of a man and moreover told the Justices that what was in the Scripture of either Old or New Testament was but Types and Shadows which she did not now regard having the Substance Thus far the Examination and Confession of Mrs Woodward of whom it is to be noted that when she was called in by the Justices to be examined by them Mary Gadbury calling her said Come in my Elect Lady And Goody Waterman the woman so often before mentioned said then of her self also that she was the Kings Daughter all glorious within But let us now come to those who were the Principals in all this business and consider what was done with them Concerning them therfore it is to be known that the Justices had much to do with them to get an Answer from them to any the questions they proposed concerning their Names Conditions Callings Habitations they would either answer they had no name no habitation according to the flesh intimating thereby that they were wholly spiritual the flesh wholly destroyed in them and thereby all these things of name relation habitation which were fleshly also But it being intimated to them by one of the Justices that they must then deal with them as with Rogues committing them to Bridewel the house of Correction for so it seems the Law doth judg those to be Rogues that being examined cannot or will not declare their names conditions calling or place of their habitations and accordingly appoints the House of Correction for them William Franklin therefore being soon sensible of this and the danger he was in thereby receded from his before professed Resolution and now became willing to submit to Examination and accordingly being examined made this following Confession The Examination of William Franklin taken the 28. of January 1649. He saith his Living is at Stepney beyond London and that he is by Trade a Rope-maker and that he hath now according to the flesh a wife and three children living He saith farther that about a moneth since he went to the house of Mr William Woodward a Minister at Croexcason and that he had a woman with him which he calleth his Spouse and hath been acquainted with her a long time And doth affirm That it was revealed to him in a Vision that she should be set apart for his use and that he should separate from his own wife which she the said Spouse at the first motion having a great opinion of his integrity believed and consented to go with him whither he pleased And immediately after they had another Vision whereby they were warned to go into the Hill Country into the Land of Ham which they interpreted to be into Hampshire and so being obedient unto that heavenly Vision they came both together in Hunts Wagon to Andover He farther saith That he often preached at Mr Woodwards house in the presence of Mr Woodward and his wife and whole family and sometimes twenty more and sometimes more And saith That he is the Son of God and was crucified without the gates at Jerusalem and that his body hath been wounded broken and often offered up for sin and that it was about three years and an half since that he assumed this fleshly body of his and that he is not to suffer any more in this mortal body It being told him That he could not be the Christ Christ being in Heaven at the right hand of the Father as the Scripture testifieth but he being here bodily must be a Deceiver he answered Those things of the Scripture were gone and were nothing to him but types and shadows And thus you have also the Examination and Confession of W. Franklin But Mary Gadbury not so sensible of the danger she should expose her self unto by refusing to be examined and concealing her name and habitation when required of her refused still to give any direct Answer to those things and therefore all that I can understand at this time to be answered by her was to that of her name that she had no name according to the flesh but a new name to that concerning her husband there being ground enough to judg that she had an husband that she had now no husband according to the flesh but that her maker was her husband the Lord of Hosts was his name and he was within her and being questioned concerning her lying with Franklin every night though he were a married man as it had been witnessed their so lying together which though she could not deny yet she affirmed that it was without pollution or defilement and denyed that there had been any carnal copulation between them Speaking of William Franklin she affirmed that he was crucified at Jerusalem and being demanded whether she had been at Jerusalem and when she answered that she had been there about a week ago of which her Answer she afterward gave this Reason saying that Jerusalem was every where And this is the whole that I can find to have been then taken of her Examination But that one thing of the womans impudence is moreover noted which is That it being supposed by many who were present at her Examination that she was painted her complexion being so very fresh and beautiful that the truth thereof might be discovered one of the Justices took a candle for this their Examination was at night and told her that she looked so fair that he did scarce believe it to be natural whereupon she stept forth presently and very boldly put her face very near to the candle and said That she was glad the glory of God did shine so beight in her face that they were forced to admire it The Examination of these several persons being now thus past the Justices designed and endeavored if possible to obtain from William Franklin the head of this blasphemous company some Recantation of these his many Blasphemies and some acknowledgment of his great evil therein hoping that such an Acknowledgment and Recantation from him the Ring-leader might be a means to startle all the rest of the seduced party that so followed him and hung upon him to this purpose they begin to deal with him They set before him the danger he had now brought himself into by these his wicked practises and endeavor to make him sensible that there is no way for him to obtain favour to save himself from the great danger he was in and to recover liberty unless he be sensible and make acknowledgment of his wickedness in these abominable