Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A91566
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To the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England.
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Pearson, Anthony, 1628-1670?
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1653
(1653)
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Wing P992; Thomason E714_10; ESTC R207240
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6,443
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8
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the Steeple-house after the Priest had ended his prayer John Aray committed the same day for going with him and saying nothing Francis Howgill committed 4 of Sept. 1653. for speaking in the Steeple-house after all was ended Mary Collison committed 28 Aug. 1653. for saying while the Priest was speaking Tremble before the Lord. 11 September 1653. Margaret Smith committed for speaking to the Priest Robert Newby for speaking to the Mayor Dorothy Waugh for speaking to the Priest Agnes Wilkinson for speaking to the Mayor Mary Dodding for speaking to the Priest Edmond Adlington for speaking to the Priest A Maid in Lancashire whose name I know not committed at Lancaster for speaking to a Priest Thomas Holm 28 August 1653. Alice Wilson 1 September 1653. Margaret Newby 1 Septem 1653. Jane Waugh 4 September 1653. Mary Howgil 4 September 1653. Agnes Wilkinson 3 Septemb. 1653. Dorothy Waugh 6 Septemb. 1653. Mabel Warriner 6 Septemb. 1653. Anne Tompson 4 September 1653. Eliza. Levens 4 September 1653. Eliza. Bateman 4. Septemb. 1653. All these persons being moved to go to a Justice of Peace in Kendal to speak to him against his persecution and Tyranny and to warn him of the evil to come were by him commited to Prison The words spoken by them severally to him as also the substance of what the others spoke in the Steeple-houses might have been set down but this is not intended as an accusation of any nor to shew forth their ignorance or weakness Oh ye Heads and Rulers of the people raised up to do Righteousness and Justice Look upon these poor despised Creatures what evil is found in them what wickedness have they committed not one of six and thirty comitted for a vice is it not time to appear for the innocent and to save him from the seed of evil-doers what are the offences laid to their charge they will not put off their hats no not to a Magistrate are not men ashamed to call themselves Christians and pretend liberty for tender Consciences and yet stand upon such trifles and to fine and imprison for it is not obedience to the Magistrate and a chearful ready performance of his just commands his greatest honour that he may say to this man go and he goeth and to another do this and he doth it but now the life of all Religion is placed in outside shadows and formalities Some of them are punished because they were Strangers in the place where they were apprehended what would these men that punish them have done with Christ that had not whereon to lay his head and doth not the Scripture require respect to them above all others were they chargeable to any but their friends who entertaiend them with joy but it seems the Capital Crime is to speak in the publike Assemblies of the People and was it not the practice of Christ and his Apostles to speak in the Synagogues and where the people were met together I know it makes the Priests rage because they are thereby detected and it is they that fill the world with uproars and tumults and so they have done in all Generations what have they been doing all their lives and their Predecessors that have still such brutish raging people to their flocks wolves and not Sheep but they run and were never sent therefore do they not profit the people and down shall the false Prophet and the Beast that holds him up his time is at hand al the Powers of the earth shall not save him some say it s not contrary to Law to speak after the Priest hath done Why then are so many of these people in prison for it but why is it an offence to speak before he hath done there are intervalls between his several exercises It is answered it breeds tumults and distraction among the people Let the Magistrate look to his duty to punish him that breaks the Peace or offers violence to any that will soon be prevented are they Churches then may all prophesie and if any thing be revealed to him that sits by let the first hold his peace Are they assemblies of the world then why doth the Magistrate interpose his Authority to hold up their false worship and not suffer the Messengers of the Lord to call people to the truth and leave all men to manifest the power of the spirit they speak from For great is the truth and will prevail and God neither needs nor requires the help of man to uphold or spread his Gospel The Priest many times speaks those things to which if a present answer might be made before the peoples minds and memories were distracted with a multitude of vain Notions the truth might be made manifest and things that differ discerned And let all that fear the Lord consider is it any thing but a carnal humane invented story they tell studied and brought forth by their own wit and learning And is not the word of the Lord a more divine thing doth not he that hath his own time when to speak what to say and when to be silent stand in the will of man be silent oh reason thou knowest not the mind of the Lord. Doth not the Minister of God speak the word of the Lord from his own mouth When where and how the Lord please For it is not he that speaks but the Holy Ghost that dwells in him He that hath his words from his own wit and memory may speak and be silent when he will he that hath them from the Holy Ghost must speak as he is moved and as they are brought to his remembrance by the spirit of truth be carefull how ye meddle in these things Oh ye powers of the Earth men have long been taught one by another but now the Lord is come to teach his people himself the Scriptures abundantly witness that in the last times shall be the greatest pourings out of the Spirit men shall not need to run to the broken Cisterns of Universities and humane Studies for all the people of the Lord shall be taught of the Lord if you say yea but it must be by means I answer by no other but his own Spirit whence have they their words that speak to you which you think must be the means are they not from their own brains but that wise eye by which they search and find out what they preach knows not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to it and to it they are hid and a mystery not to be found out Cease then from man oh all ye people of the Earth and hearken to the voyce of the Spirit of the Lord which you may hear in your consciences rebuking and reproving you for sin and wickedness and minding and obeying that it will bring you into the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom and the fear of the Lord is to depart from all iniquity so will you come to know what a tender conscience means and ye wil then