Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	believe_v	jesus_n	lord_n	8,211	5	3.8236	3	true

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

discoursing and relating of such things and what she spake I writ from her own mouth being willing thereby to learn somewhat of the wiles of Satan whereby she and others by her had been deceived and thus I received from her self at this time that large Confession so often before mentioned whence I have presented so many things already to the Reader After all this of her Confession is she dealt withall as Franklin had been to procure some acknowledgment and Recantation from her and besides the Arguments wherewith he had been perswaded now used towards her also it is farther pressed by the example of what Franklin had done and she pretending to be willing thereunto a form of a Recantation was presently drawn up presented or read to her acknowledged and subscribed by her And it was thus The Recantation of Mary Gadbury I Mary Gadbury do hereby acknowledg that I have been deceived by the temptations of the evil one the Devil in a sinful way accompanying with one William Franklin a married man and ascribing to him what is proper to CHRIST And do declare my self heartily sorry that I ever spoke of him under the names of my Lord and my Christ which I have sinfully given unto him And renouncing these and all such deceits I profess my self to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and Saviour of his people who is now in Heaven at the right Hand of the Father by whose Righteousness alone I hope and expect to obtain Life and everlasting Salvation To this her Recantation she subscribed by making her mark she having not skill to write her name And now upon this is this woman removed from Bridewel to the Common-Gaol whither Franklin had been before committed upon suspicion of Felony as hath been before related and so these two companions in wickedness after the several places they had been in though a week separated are now met together in the Gaol where they lie expecting the Assize then to be either released or otherwise according to Law dealt withall While these persons thus lay in prison together between the time of their Commitment and the Assize about the space of five weeks they were by great multitudes of persons from divers places resorted unto and visited but for several ends Some to satisfie themselves in the sight of those who had so filled the Country with the rumour and report of the strangeness of their Actions and Opinions Others that were godly and setled in Religion to confer with them to enquire into the Principles whereby they were acted to finde out the wiles of Satan whereby they and others by them had been deceived and if possible to convince them the more of the greatness of that evil whereof they were thus guilty Some again out of respect to them did often visit them for they wanted not those no not in this City who as foul as their Crimes were would speak and plead for them did look upon them as persons wronged and persecuted and by these was provision sent in dayly unto them whereby they were the woman at least as well supplied with necessaries as if at liberty Notwithstanding these sufferings which these persons had thus fallen into and discovery made thereby of their so sinful and abominable practises and blasphemies yet was all the endevor that might be used to keep up the hearts of their parties abroad For the more credit of which I shall here insert a Passage of a Letter written by one sometime a Cavalier in Arms in Wallingford Garison against the Parliament but since his discharge of that service married a wife pretended somewhat to Religion in a short time run through divers Sects and Opinions forsook his wife betook himself to another woman at least to too much familiarity with her and is now a Souldier in one of the Garisons of this County from whence he wrote the Letter I mention to the woman whom forsaking his wife he had so much followed This Letter by some means intercepted from the Original of it by a special friend imparted to me I transcribed the whole of it the name of this person and place where he is I shall forbear for some Reasons to mention but the truth of what I here insert is too notoriously known by divers in these parts to whom this Relation will come nor shall I set down the whole of the Letter but onely that part of it which relates to the business I am upon And it is thus Well I am filled with the quickening Spirit and with the Holy Ghost and I hope ere long to enjoy that Light I told you of For here is Elias flying in his fiery Charet Already strange things are done about Andover and Winchester many mens hearts fail them for fear for there is one who saith he is Christ and with Him the Lady Mary who declares strange things They never miss to make trumpets sound in the very bellies of their Converts and great ships appear to the view of all people neer them If they desire to speak with an one whom they never before saw if they speak to any to go for them they must and cannot refrain when that they send for them and messenger and all come though they go five or six miles they come again in half an hour Lights appear upon the brests of many let them discourse with whom they will Priests or else they all are converted leave all and follow them For the most part it is thought they have converted to them five or six hundred and now they are in Winchester Prison and since that He hath been seen amongst his members many of them I say Lyes all He hath been seen amongst them in appearance and yet His Body all the while in the Prison with a hundred more of the like nature which here I cannot declare Thus far the Letter the Conclusion whereof was with this subscription From and to all Eternity Thine own self MALLANCHOLICVS With this Verse also at the foot of the Letter ' Cause God in Ginger I do use to own The Holy Crew great love to me have shown By this passage of the Letter notwithstanding that most of the Particulars are notorious lyes and falshoods and if they were truths I mean that such things had been seen and done yet could prove nothing unless that this deceivers coming was such as our Saviour hath fore-told should be the coming of the false Christs in the latter times of the world with signs and lying wonders whereby if possible to deceive the very Elect yet it hereby appears with what false reports the hearts of this wicked party abroad were yet supported Among the many that visited these persons in this the time of their imprisoment I acknowledg my self to be one who still with some othess with me went several times to them and had as often conference with them I have reserved by me in writing the substance of what in discourse

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

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