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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	good_a	love_n	love_v	3,988	5	6.5055	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38482	The English Spira being a fearful example of an apostate who had been a preacher many years and then apostatized from his religion, miserably hanged himself, October the 13th, 1684 : giving an account of his dispair, and divers conferences had with him, by several ministers and others of his friends : together with his answer, and papers written by his own hand / left attested by Mr. T. Plant, Mr. H. Collings, Mr. B. Dennis, Mr. B. Keach.		1693 (1693)	Wing E3121; ESTC R37321	41,094	57

THE English Spira BEING A Fearful EXAMPLE OF AN APOSTATE Who had been a Preacher many Years and then Apostatized from his Religion miserably Hanged himself October the 13th 1684. GIVING An Account of his Dispair and Divers Conferences had with him by several Ministers and others of his Friends TOGETHER With his Answer and Papers Written by his own Hand Left Attested by Mr. T. Plant Mr. H. Collings Mr. B. Dennis Mr. B. Keach Second Edition TO THE READER THAT which hath prevailed with us to publish this Treatise is that we might give those many who have desired it and all that shall vouchsafe to read it an impartial Account of what hath come to our knowledge concerning the Dreadful Horror of Conscience and Deplorable End of Mr. John Child In his Youthful days a zealous Professor of Religion in his Riper years a Backslider from God under pretence of Change of his Opinion A Neglecter of Publick Worship not only in the way he had formerly profest but in that also which of late years in his Discourses and Arguments he preferred before the other Vnder the specious shew of promoting a more full and firm Vnion amongst all good Protestants a great Calumniator of his Brethren publickly charging many of them in general as guilty of such Crimes and Blasphemies as his own Knowledge and Dictates of Conscience at the season when he did it could and did testifie they were clear of What prompted him hereunto besides the Hypocrisie Pride and Malice of his own heart we certainly know not but have some ground to suspect when he was about this evil work which caused his downfal he conversed with some persons who rather promoted than cautioned him against it Vnder his Temptation we fear he did not consider that anciently-approved useful and necessary Caution which the Apostle mentions Be not deceived evil communication corrupts good manners After he was once throughly awakened with the sence of his Sin he fell under those Horrours of Conscience which have not been parallel'd in any other that we have heard of since the Case of Francis Spira being so dreadful permanent and prevalent over him as to resist all Friendly Endeavours used to appease his grief which after several months abiding in the highest extremity at length tempted and prevailed with him by his own hands to end his miserable Life Vpon this occasion we have also given some brief Hints of the Nature and Office of Conscience and the Obligations we are under to it All which we recommend to the Readers serious consideration with our fervent Prayers to God that what we have herein done may succeed to his and our own Souls advantage and peace of Conscience both here and hereafter It may be in many respects useful to take notice that the Pamphlet which was Written and Published by Mr. John Child and which with respect to the bitter Reflections and Calumnies therein cast upon his Brethren did afterwards fill him with so great Horrour of Soul as to destroy himself bare the Title of as charitable an Argument as could be undertaken by the best of Christians For a more full and firm Union amongst all good Protestants But though in this Title his Words were as the Psalmist speaks softer than oyl 〈◊〉 55.21 yet were they drawn swords He put forth his hand against such as were at peace with him his Equals his Acquaintance who had walked with him to the House of God in company The sence whereof when he was awakened to see and feel in his own Conscience the heinousness of his Crime in slandering his Brethren did so terrifie him that it could not be discerned either by his Relations or any of those many of his Brethren whom he had offended who came to visit him and endeavoured to pour Balm into bind up and heal his deep wounds that at any time afterwards he enjoyed any peace in his Soul The principal inducement to publish a Narrative of this Man's Trouble of Spirit and Miserable End is to give an Impartial Account to many who desire to be truly informed thereof what Conferences were had with him what Papers on this Subject were left behind him and that the whole may be a seasonable Caution to all who read them to take heed how they do in any case whatsoever presume to sin against the clear Light Knowledge and Dictates of their own Conscience for which end it is intended to say something briefly concerning the Nature and Office of Conscience and that attendance which every man is to give to it But for the avoiding of all sinister Reflections on what is herein undertaken the Publishers hereof do declare First That they do not ascribe this Man's Miserable End to any Consciencious Change of Opinion in Matters of Religion or Worship or to any Endeavour of his to propagate Vnion amongst Christians in a candid way by proper Arguments but they lay the stress of his Miscarriage where he fixed it himself that is upon his Backsliding from the Ways of God forsaking that which was Good doing that which he knew to be Evil and upon his Hypocrisie Pride of Spirit Covetousness and his unjustifiable Calumniating Reproaching Reviling and Accusing many of his Brethren of such things as he knew they were not guilty All which he acknowledged in his own Papers and frequently charges himself with Secondly We are so far from Censuring any Attempts that have been made in a Christian manner for a more full and firm Vnion amongst all good Protestants that we heartily wish we could see more Hearts and such Hands as are fitly qualified for it at work on this Subject for blessed are the Peace-makers and the Fruits of Righteousness are sown in peace of them that make peace Thirdly To shew our good Will to such an Vndertaking we shall upon this occasion after we have made some brief Reflections on the Nature and Office of Conscience and finished the Narrative of this Man's Troubles assume the Argument and according to that measure of Faith and Knowledge which God hath given us speak the Truth in Love in order to the obtaining if it may be upon a right Foundation a better Vnderstanding and from thence a more full and firm Vnion among all who love the Lord Jesus in Sincerity REMARKS UPON THE Nature and Office OF CONSCIENCE HERE we have a recent and pregnant Instance of the powerful and perpetual prosecution of an offended and an awakened Conscience Jer. 2● 2 3. Ps 119 the Horrors whereof were so dreadful and unapeasable that all Attempts either to divert the Thoughts to other Subjects or apply the Mind to the receiving or using of mitigating or healing Remedies were altogether ineffectual Herein we may also perceive how the Terrors of such a Mind are aggravated beyond the rate of Natural Impressions proportional to the help which Natural Light receives by Education Heb. ●● 26 27 Conversation and Acquaintance with Divine Revelation The Philosopers whom we esteem

and a very great piece of prophaness To reflect upon them as Deniers of the Faith and worse than Infidels not fit to be trusted with a National Church nor to be a true Church themselves is a condemning to so high degree and carries so much of the rank poyson and venome of the Devil the Accuser of the Brethren in it that renders forgiveness of the Crime much doubted of for all the base Reflections Slanders and most astonishing Accusations and Censures I beg Pardon of all good men and their Prayers to God that I may obtain Pardon and Forgiveness at his Hand POSTSCRIPT THis NARRATIVE was prepar'd for the Press soon after the Death of Mr. Child but the Severity of the Times were such that no Printer would undertake it nor durst the Compilers appear to own it not that the Matter of Fact in any respect wanted of truth or the Language harsh and reflecting on the Church of England we hope we may without vanity say that it 's written with a Temper sutable to the Profession we have always made of Love and Charity to those that differ from us and though the face of Affairs in this Nation be since changed through the Goodness of God and the gracious Favour of his Majesty towards us we purpose in all our Actings to shew the same Spirit and Temper towards all Christians of what Perswasion soever and we would by no means have this Construction pass upon the Publication of this Narrative at this time as if we design'd to make the Church of England odious by refreshing the Memory of so dreadful an Accident which was the natural effect of some of their Persecutions God is our Witness our naked Design being only to Arraign the Practice of Persecution it self without reflecting on any who have been the Instruments hoping Time and this Glorious Design of his Majesty's will have such an happy issue as to put all that profess to be the Followers of Christ into such a condition as to see it is their Interest as well as their Duty not to Contend for Persecution and if our Passions be cool'd by wanting Power to do Mischief the thing its self viz. the Doctrine of Persecution may be safer discuss'd in the lawfulness of it We had a Design to have Publish'd something in this Postscript tending to a Hearty Union and Love among all Christians which is also intimated in the beginning of the Narrative but the present Temper of some Mens Zeal which sets their Passions on fire will render a Discourse of this Nature of little use they contending to preserve the Instruments of our Ruine and we the removal of them and we believe all thinking Men will agree with us that we have ground for this Apprehension All we shall say to it at present is that we hope our Actions shall constantly witness to the truth of this that we design nothing but to be in a capacity of living quietly by our Neighbours and shewing how much we love and value those that differ from us by forgetting Injuries and striving who shall shew most of the Spirit of the blessed Jesus which consists in Meekness Forgiveness and Forbearance That which we shall add with respect to the Narrative its self is this That it 's a true and dreadful Instance of a Man scar'd into Conformity by the Severity he saw on others and in part felt himself that the Temptation met with his Corruptions which if his own charge on himself be not too severe you see verified by his own Papers yet this excuseth not the Doctrine and Practice of Persecution if so Satan might wash his hands also of the Sins of Men and though some Men may know the beginnings of Sins yet none knows the bounds of it so after his Conformity he drew his Pen and dipt it in Gall against his Brethren going on to do violence to his Conscience till God in a dreadful manner awaken'd it against himself so as prov'd terrible to all the beholders as well as to himself the Particulars whereof shall not be repeated we account it a loud Voice against Persecution and durst not silence it lest we should betray this Witness of God against it we know Authorities of Scripture and Reason are best to work upon the Judgment to convince the World of the error of doing that to others that would not they should do to them but a Fact of this Nature may move the Affections and corroborate that Light that Men receive from thence and for this end it was at first intended to be published It 's a dreadful thing not only to break in upon the Civil Rights of Men on account of Religion but far more to be Instruments to put any upon such ways which not only endanger their Peace of Conscience here but their Eternal Welfare hereafter and this Evil we are bold to charge Persecution with and have evidence enough for it in this very Instance The Discourse of the Nature and Office of Conscience that you find in the beginning of the Narrative was written by a worthy Brother of ours for Private Satisfaction which we have presumed to publish we humbly conceiving it to be for Publick Good The Conclusions that we think are natural from the foregoing Narrarative is First That all Men be exceeding careful of bidding Defiances to their Consciences out of it may come a strong Wind that rends the Rocks however some Men may not taste that severity this Man did but go to the Grave with their Bones full of Marrow yet it 's certainly the Duty and Interest of every Man to take diligent heed to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God and Man that they may escape that Shipwrack that this Man and other Instances of the World of the like nature have met with God sometimes makes some Men Pillers of Salt that the secure World may be awakened and that Atheists and Prophane Persons may tremble at the living Instances of the Sovereignty of the Divine Majesty in and over the Consciences of Men which they would outbrave or deny the Almighty God can create a Hell on this side Hell in the Consciences of Men the Fire of which neither the Artifice of Men nor Time not the Application of the Promises of the Gospel though the fittest Mediums can extinguish An Instance of this you have in what the Friends of this Man did who with great tenderness endeavour'd to do all they could in this kind but without success and as is apparent in the precedent Narrative they had not the humors of a Man under Natural Melancholy to deal with but a Man purely under the dreadful Terrors of a guilty and an enrag'd Conscience a Man of so sound and strong a Constitution of Body that all that knew him even to the last could and did easily discern his Disease was purely Spiritual Secondly We conceive at this time of day at least it may put our Country-men who have hitherto been of a contrary Opinion to a serious thought whether that Practice be of God that is attended with such dreadful Instances of this Nature and we the rather conceive this Narrative useful at this time because the Eye of the whole Nation are upon and their Thoughts are at work about these Instruments we mean the Penal Laws which have made such havock on the Liberties Persons and Estates of Men and on the Consciences of many others who yet by the goodness of God have not felt the Dreadful Effects this Man did and we pray God they never may And above all since his Gracious Majesty by the goodness of God hath published His Royal Declaration for Liberty of Conscience and upon such Grounds and Reasons as we conceive are unanswerable out doing all King and Princes not only in the Fact of his Clemency but in the Reason of it and as it is that that will be to his immortal Honour so we hope that it will have that Perfection by Law that may for ever deliver this Nation from the Convulsions and Evils it has labour'd under in former Years and render us so happy as not any more so much as to dispute what her Persecution be agreeable to the Divine Law We confess we most willingly fall in with his Majesty's gracious Designs and shall to our utmost endeavour to carry them on not knowing a greater Service we can be capable of rendring to God to our Prince our Country or Religion we certainly believe that if once we were on even ground with our Fellow-Subjects it will be easie to let them see the goodness and benefit of Liberty of Conscience and how just it is that Religion should be left to him who is the Object of it to correct the Errors of Men about it and we have not only the Authority of Scriptures and right Reason but also Suffrage of his gracious Majesty to this Assertion We conclude humbly imploring the Divine Blessing on the Person and Councels of the King by whom we sit under our Vine and Fig-tree and pray he may live to see the Top stone of this glorious Fabrick of Liberty of Conscience laid and that He and his People may long live to enjoy the Blessings of it and that Piety to God and that Charity to Men which we believe are natural Fruits of this Liberty may flourish in this Kingdom FINIS Some BOOKS Printed for Tho. Fabian at the Bible in S. Paul's Church-Yard a Corner-Shop next Cheap side 1688. A Sermon taken out of an Oxford Scholar's Pocket who was found Dead in Bishop's-Wood near High-gate on Munday F●b 15. 168● Together with a True Relation of the Manner of his being Discovered there Now Publish'd for the Publick Good Quarto The Pacquet of Letters Quarto Bishop Usher's Method of Teaching true English Octavo Gouges Word to Saints and Sinners Octavo The Spiritual Guide which Disintangles the Soul and brings it by the Inward Way to the getting of Perfect Contemplat●●● and the Rich Treasure of Internal Peace Written by Dr. 〈…〉 Mol●nos Priest With a short Treatise concerning Daily Commumunion by the same Author Translated from the 〈…〉 Printed at Venice 1685. Twelves