Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	gain_v	lose_v	profit_v	2,452	5	9.3078	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70694	A narrative of the proceedings and tryal of Mr. Francis Johnson, a Franciscan, at Worcester last summer-assizes Anno Dom. 1679 written with his own hand as followeth.	Wall, John, Saint, 1620-1679.	1679 (1679)	Wing N205; ESTC R1380	36,113	26

righteousness Jerem. 4. Therefore if I should take these Oaths which are concerning damnable Doctrines and Heresies I must call God to witness that I no more believe him to be a living God and true God a just and righteous God than I believe these things contained in the Oaths to be true just and righteous to swear to which Oaths I do not nor cannot in my Conscience believe to be so For before I or any man else can understand the Contents of these Oaths to be true as to call God to witness that I believe them to be as true just and righteous I must be able to desine what is Faith or Heresie in these Contents I swear to and I must know the full extent of all cases of this nature that God has left to all Temporal Princes and their Power I must also understand the full extent of all cases of this nature of power spiritual which God hath left in his Church in or over Christian Kingdoms of Temporal Monarchs which power in these Oaths I am to swear on the one side and forswearing the other I told them I was not of capacity nor knowledge to set the Confines to each Power or to determine or define the extent given by God to all in this nature so as to swear and call God to witness I am as sure of it as I am sure he is a living God as I must do if I take these Oaths the extent of which I did not understand in my Conscience to be so as to believe them Therefore I could not nor would not swear to them I having spoken these things no body said any more to me but the Justices going out of the Hall made my Mittimus and Sentence for Worcester Prison because I would not take the Oaths they tendred me I have been since called to the Bar at the Sessions where I spake to the same effect before Judge Street and the Justices as I had spoken before to Sir John Packington having first asked their leave to speak which they gave me for a little time and then bid me return to the Prison But first they were urgent with me to answer positively Ay or No was I a Jesuitical Priest or was I not To which I answered It was an easie thing for me to say No but by saying No I might prejudice others who hereafter being asked the same question if they did not answer No it might be an Argument that they were guilty if they did not deny it as others before them had done Therefore I desired that what proof could be brought against me might be produced against me and I would answer for my self But I desired I might not be urged to answer Ay or No to any thing before some Witness or Argument came against me for I told them in such Cases neither Law of God nor Man obliged any one although he was guilty to bear witness against himself without some proof were alledged against him for that was no less than to be his own Executioner The Judge answered there were Witnesses would swear against me I answered if Witnesses could make out what they sware of me then my life was at the King's mercy But in the mean time I told them I remained guiltless though I did not answer them to their questions Ay or No because I told them that being my saying No in my own behalf would not be sufficient testimony to acquit me therefore there was no reason why any man should be urged to say Ay to accuse ones self though he was guilty Upon this the Judge sent me to Prison again at Worcester where now I am which Imprisonment in these Times especially when none can send to their Friends nor Friends come to them is the best means to teach us how to put our confidence in God alone in all things and then he will make his promise good That all things shall be added to us Luke 12. which Chapter if every one would read and make good use of a Prison would be better than a Palace and a Confinement for Religion and a good Conscience-sake more pleasant than all the liberties the World could afford As for my own part God give me his grace and all faithful Christians their prayers I am Happy enough And as for others I beseech God that the evil example of those that swear against their Consciences may not be Guides for the rest to follow nor their Deeds a Rule to their Actions We all ought to follow the narrow way though there be many difficulties in it It 's an easie thing to run the blind way of liberty but God deliver us all from broad sweet ways We know what Job saith of Libertines They lead their lives in the goods of this world and in a moment they descend into Hell But as our Saviour saith What doth it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul God gave Job a goodly increase for all the riches he took from him and blest his latter end more than his beginning and gave him an Hundred and forty years of flourishing life for his short affliction in which his constancy and faith in God was tried and our Saviour promiseth an Hundred-fold to all that leave Goods and every thing willingly for his fake Who well considers this will be content to leave both Friends and Fortunes and Freedom by Imprisonment for their Faith and Religion-sake till such time as it shall please God and the King in obedience to whose Command they suffer to release them And in the mean time they will have this comfort That they give a Testimony they fear God and honour the King They fear God because they choose rather to suffer Persecution than swear against their Consciences They honor the King because they are willing to suffer the Penalties He commands and yet remain faithful Subjects to Him whom God long preserve with His Parliament and People in all happiness On Tuesday April 15. 1679. I came before Judge Atkins at Worcester to have my Cause tryed at the Sessions having been Committed five Months before to Worcester-Castle by two Justices of the Peace Sir John Packinton and Mr. Townson because I refused the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance and therefore was suspected to be a Jesuitical Priest The manner of my Tryal was as followeth Four Witnesses were brought in against me Three of them were forced by Warrant to come in whether they would or no from several Towns and were fore'd to speak all that they knew had heard or seen concerning me neither I nor any of my Friends knowing that any would be compelled so to do before the time of my Tryal was come The fourth Witness came of his own accord for Lucre sake who the same day that I was first brought to Worcester Prison offered himself to swear before the Mayor of the Town that I was a Priest before ever he came to see who I was The Testimony which he gave