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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	appear_v	costly_a	great_a	14	3	2.1254	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85177	The oppressed close prisoner in Windsor-Castle, his defiance to the father of lyes, in the strength of the God of truth. Occasioned by some late, scandalous and slanderous reports, raised and dispersed to the dishonour of that noble cause, wherein he (with others of the Lords servants) is so deeply engaged. As also, a seasonable word, concerning the higher powers: concerning the payment of taxes and tribute-money by the saints to those powers: and how far a minister of the Gospel may intermeddle in state-affairs without sin. / By Chr. Feake, in his prison-watch-tower.	Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660.	1654 (1654)	Wing F572; Thomason E820_10; ESTC R202087	97,195	127

destroyed his Game which had been so gainful for so many ages I mean the winning of so many Peter-pence Annates money for polls and other trinkets c. but the King would needs be head of the Church in the Popes stead and so by his Court of Augmentations inriched himself with those Revenues which belonged to the Monastries and the Pope yet this was little ease to the people for what a Tyrant this King also was to his Subjects especially to the best of the Saints the scourge with six Coards as I remember it was called and Sir Walter Rawleigh in his Preface to the History of the world will well inform us Q. Mary oppressed the Saints with fire fagot Q Eliz. a moderate higher Power yet the people of God under the name of Puritan under great bondage His Daughter Mary also sacrificed the lives of the choycest Saints for the service of that Beast But I hasten Indeed his Daughter Queen Elizabeth who being more in good earnest for the best cause then in the world called the Interest of the Protestants against the House of Austria and the Catholique Popish league in France governed the Nation more honorably and was a better Higher Power than any I read of before or since in the Catalogue of Monarchs King Edw. 6. died in his nonage and yet it is well known what havock was made of the Nonconformists under the notion of Puritans in her time how were they oppressed and persecuted by the Prelates and what Burthens and Impositions what Costs and Charges they were put to in respect of their non-compliance with the Ceremonies is remembred to this day the lives of some of the choycest Saints were taken away for bearing testimony for the Lord Jesus against the Lords spiritual as the Prelates were called and their abominations and other abuses in the Court. Thus you see how the Disciples indured a very heavy yoke of bondage even in that period of time when the fourth Beast was most tame and most gentle namely in Q. Eliz. time and reign Before I pass from this Point The two Scotish Kings lay heavy yoaks upon the Saints K. James a soat oppressor of the Nonconformists I must give a short remembrance of the two Scotish Kings and their Government Not long after King James came to the English Throne ther were suspended silenced deprived turned out of house and harbor c. almost two hundred of the choycest Preachers throughout the Nation men of the best Gifts eminent for Godliness sound in the Faith most succesful in the Ministry and why was the condition of these precious ones so much worse than that of their Brethren because they would not worship the Beast because they could not subscribe to the Ceremonies of the Church of England c. therefore they must be impoverished by Fines Attendance Fees Mulcts and Penalties Besides the common burthen of the Nation in point of Taxes the Saints help to maintain their Brethren the Preachers who were silenced and put out of all which they were oppressed with This undoing of many Families occasioned the godly people to distribute to their necessities some of my Kindred to my knowledge have given several of them yearly allowances for twenty or thirty years together after the King and Bishops had taken away their livelihood for non-conformity It is incredible to the young generation of Disciples what the best sort of Saints have suffered since the tenth year of Queen Elizabeth And though I am not of that age as to remember any publique Transactions in the reign of this first Scotish King yet by History by Books of another nature by converse with antient intelligent Professors I do so well understand the heavy Oppressions and Persecutions of the best people in the Nation that I do judge and publiquely declare it were a very noble enterpize to collect a faithful history of the sufferings of the servants of God for testifying against the Beast and the false Prophet so boldly so constantly and so successfully this last hundred years or since the tenth year of the Queen aforesaid However when the Judge of the quick and the dead shall ingage in this work 1 Cor. 4.5 of bringing to light the hidden works of darkness and of revealing all the plots of the Kings and Prelates for the crushing and suppressing of the truth and those Saints that owned it the admiration will be unspeakable Oh what a cloud of witnesses will then appear with Christ in glory who in the world have been over-clouded with shame and most infamous reproach Col. 3.4 with all disgrace imaginable But whether am I carried excuse this sudden digression K. Charls an unreasonable raiser of taxes and observe with me that Charles his Son who reigned in his stead walked in the waies of his Fore-fathers and how far he went beyond his Predecessors in imposing illegal Burthens upon the people I leave to * Lawyers are acquainted with his projects to get mony from the people Lawyers to compute who are more versed in those Affairs But I know that it was a sad time with the most zealous heavenly Christians with the most eminent preachers and Professors Will. Laud a great persecutor and oppressor of the Saints by fines imprisonment visitations c. the persecution was so hot under William Laud both when he was Lord Bishop of London and afterwards of Canterbury that thousands of good people did transport themselves to strange remote Countries some fled to neighbor Nations to get out of his reach this was great oppression as for those that staid behind they hid themselves in corners were put to great cost and charges upon the account of their non-conformity besides what burthens were laid upon their shoulders in common with other people they were taxed fined sequestred and squeezed by the Prelates Court● and Officers most unreasonably How many turned out of doors for not reading the Book of Sports allowed upon the first day of the week Yea the very visiting and speaking or shewing any kindness or countenance to Mr. Burton Mr. Prin and Dr. Bastick as they journied into banishment through the Countries cost many precious souls very dear as will appear in fulness of time to all the world After this The Classical Directory the common Prayer books successor cost the Nation a great sum a costly Common Prayer for Scotland was formed and imposed seconded with a great Army which and all the illegal Taxations before as for Knighthood at the beginning of his Government the Isle of Ree Ship-money c. had made the very common carnal people to see the English Government inclining to the French Garb where the Taxes are endless easeless and remediless as the poor Peasants may well compute Thus I have drawn this line of the HISTORY OF TAXES AND TRIBU●ES of ARBITRARY LEVIES AND IMPOSITIONS through so many ages tracing this hateful monster from its cradle in Souls time who was the

first Monarch over the people of God to its old age for indeed Christians it waxeth old and is ready to vanish away Wait but a while you shall hear more But to finish this discourse I have you see brought you down to the beginning of the Scotish Troubles which being a day of small things The Scotish opposition to the Prelates and their trinkets a door of hope opened to the oppressed Saints was ready to be despised as not having any great birth in the womb of it When the Scotish woman threw her stool at the Priests head in the chief Church as they call it at Edenburgh as he was reading the mass-Mass-book over her head in the Scotish language and a tumult followed thereupon I hearing of it was very much affected with it and found my Spirit mightily raised to expect great things I looked on it as the first great turn of the Tide whereby we were carried so fast toward the Sea of Rome and that was the first occasion of my looking into the Revelation and the Prophet Daniel Whereupon I saw plainly the Lord was resolved to turn back the captivity of his people The Parlament will not levy a Tax to make war with Scotland especially when the short Parlament refused to tax the Nation for the maintenance of the war with the good people of Scotland that Assembly being dissolved by the Kings Prerogative he was constrained much against his mind to summon another Parlament in the same year the most High over-ruled him brought him into inextricable labirynths all the policy of his States-men could not prevent the approaching Decrees of the King of Kings Whereupon the God of Heaven being with them for Judgement and Justice Illegal Taxations damned in ful Parlament all Arbitrary Courts all illegal Taxations were damned in full Parlament This was a year of Jubilee to the poor oppressed Sectaries and Non-conformists It is a year to be remembred with gladness and great joy Light breaks forth the bondage upon the Saints is gradually taken off We took them captives whose captives we were we rewarded them as they had rewarded us we ruled over our oppressors The spirit of Antichrist in the Prelates and their Faction in Court City and Country cannot indure to hear of and see the liberty of the true Israelties the return of the banished imprisoned ones the downfal of their Diana inraged them the Beast also began to roar in the sense of this deadly blow But the Spirit of Christ riseth higher and higher in his Servants being incouraged by the high Court of Parlament whose Office it was to take an account of the grievances and oppressions which had made the people full of discontent against the waies of the Court especially against the Prelates At length they take part with one Higher Power The persecuted Puritans joyn with the Parlament against the interest of the Court that house of Bondage and Taxes being lawfully called thereto against the other Higher Power who had so crushed them by Prerogative and Arbitrary proceedings as was well known to millions Generally the persecuted Christians and all the Puritans joyned with the Parlament for Christ and his interest so far as they knew it against the King and his Prelates for they well understood that the Court interest and that of the Lords spiritual as they were then called was opposite to the Lord Jesus and his affairs Hereupon the one Power and the other call for help every way first by way of Benevolence Taxes levied to destroy the old Taxes Clavum clavo and free Contribution afterward by Taxes and Excise I dare say for them who saw the wheel in the middest of the wheel * Ezek. 1.16 10.10 so long as we perceived the Work of the Lord promoted they might call for any thing almost and have it a free will Offering they had of Gold Silver Jewels Servants Sons Husbands for the Lord had stirred up the Spirit of his people in the Land exceedingly and they came in singleness of heart to serve the Lord Christ and to do work in his house * Hag. 1.14 in the removing of Rubbish and other obstacles which were laid in the way by the Man of sin others had other ends in going on this warfare as afterward did frequently appear Thus at the beginning we were ready to part with a great part of our livelihood for the compleat recovery of our Liberties and that we might see written vengeance executed * Ps 149.9 Jer. 50.28 even the vengeance of the Lords Temple c. and the cause of Christ carried on and prospering against Antichrist and the Fourth Monarchy But when we saw that the first Army was debauched by means of many mercenary Sword-men The first Army not fit instruments to destroy Tyranny and Souldiers of Fortune and by the prevarication of the Nobility and great men of the Nation we knew the Work of the Lord would not prosper in their hands thereupon it may easily be conceived we began to pay our Tribute or Tax-money very unwillingly the Taxes and Contributions lay exceeding heavy and no work done We complained to our friends in power we sought and besought the Lord that wee might not be carried back again to Egypt but forward towards perfection in this cause The Lord was intreated of his praying people The new Model formed used by God to renew the work begun for the good of the Saints and gave them the NEW MODEL formed contrary to principles of State-policy but it being of God and we finding that his Servants would serve him Rev. 22 3. and not themselves we paid our Taxes freely again I mean the people of Christ who were made willing in the day of his power or Armies as some read it Psal 110.3 the understanding sort of beleevers who knew what England ought to do though those of the Scotish way and spirit were very opposite did freely lay out themselves for their encouragement as foreseeing what would follow upon the taking away of Monarchical Tyranny or Tyrannical Monarchy as afterwards it came to pass And whereas it may be accounted as heavy a bondage to be taxed by Aristocratical Soveraignty The Remnant who did cleave to the work willing to be taxed and to charge themselves for their Brethren in Arms as by Kingly Power I say no not so in this case for we were satisfied that this charging of our selves as the Scripture speaks Nehem. 10.32 was for the pulling down of that Power which hath it as an essential property entring into the very constitution of it to oppress the people when there is no need of Impositions and Taxations But to go on Great affection to the new model abounding in the work of the Lord. THIS ARMY THVS MODELD had the Prayers Faith Affections Purses and other assistance of as knowing and heavenly Christians as I beleeve were in the world they looked on them as their dear

people to maintain them in their c●stly trade of fornication each with other but more of this hereafter But because those Truths which concern the time of the end in Daniel and the Revelation cannot be so well understood by the Saints who are unskilfull in that part of the word of righteousness therefore they shall do well to enquire of those who by reason of use Heb 5 13 14. have their senses exercised in those most excellent mysteries And if they look up to the Lord with unfeigned desire not to be taken in that snare which shall come upon the Inhabitants of the earth do read those Books concerning the accomplishment of these promises as the Eunuch did Isaiahs who knows but the Lord may provide a Philip to open and interpret those mysteries to satisfaction beyond all expect●tion Generation work in three books of great use in these times by Jo. Tillinghast And because by special providence I have received refreshment three several times by three several Books written by Mr. Tillinghast concerning Generation-work the●e●ore I recommend them to the Saints The first time was when I was conflicting with strong temptations to intermit my method of Teaching concerning the present Truth and work of Christ and the Spirit of God meeting my spirit in reading the first of Jeremy Jer. 1.7 8 9 10. 17.18 19. 2 Cor. 10.5 and helping me to subdue those carnal reasonings The first part of Generation-work was unexpectedly brought to my hands at that very juncture of time when I had been a thinking that I was alone in this business The next season was exactly when I was apprehended and committed to the Messengers house An Introduction to this Altogether-causelesse long Imprisonment as the Lord knows to whom I have Appealed even then also unexpectedly was the second part brought unto me first in sheets and before the publication the third time when I was shut up a close prisoner in this strong Castle and none of the Saints suffred to come at me as formerly and at that very time the third part was conveyed to me I look upon it as very instructing to me that they should be published at those seasons when they might be most useful for the incouragement of so weak a Worm I could not but take this opportunity to bear testimony to my dearly beloved Brother and Fellow-labourer in the present work of Christ and Fellow-student in this present Truth which shall prosper and prevail in despight of Men and Devils even to the darkning of that Pomp and Splender of the Kingdom of the Beast and to the subverting of that Power and Policy which now delude and govern the Nations Rev. 16.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Kingdom became darkned or was made dark and that in such a marvellous manner and method of proceeding as shall amaze the wisest Princes of this world when they enter into a deep consideration of the same But that I may if the Lord please convey a little light into the understanding of my Brethren in this Cause This I say at present When the people of God are come out of Babylon and have once made a further and more compleat separation from that Scarlet Bloudy Drunken Strumpet Rev. 18.4.6 SO AS THAT THEY PARTAKE NOT IN THE LEAST OF ANY OF HER SINS when they are by the Lord put into a capacity of rewarding her as she hath rewarded them and their elder Brethren in the generations before them Then and not till then will the Saints throw the Burden off from their own shoulders and the iron yoke of Taxes and Tribute and of other Bond-servi●e Jer. 51.57 upon her neck and upon the necks and the shoulders of her Princes of her wise men her Captains and her R●lers and of her mighty men Oh Dear Brethren shall we live to see that day What a sight is here It is Spectaculum dignum Deo the Lord Jesus who sits on the right hand of the Father expecting to see his foes made his footstool Heb. 10.12 13 Isa 37.22 Rev. 17.5 will take great delight to see The Virgin Daughter of Sion despising the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth to laugh this proud Lady of Kingdomes to scorn to behold the Daughter of Jerusalem to shake her head at this persecuting City she and her Lovers shall bee like ashes under the soals of the feet of this Ransomed and Redeemed people Therefore be of good courage Mal. 4 3. oh yee oppressed Saints fear not for Jehovah Elohim will make your Horn iron and your Hoof brasse and you shall beat in peeces many people but remember you consecrate not their gain to your selves as the new Model hath done Mich 4.13 which will not turn to so good account as they think for but to the Lord of the whole earth who expects to be honored with the first fruits of all your increase I read of three sorts of Princes first Three kinds of Pri●ce● and but one kind good The Princes of Babylon mentioned even now Secondly The Princes of the Degenerated Jews And thirdly Jehovans Princes 1 The Princes of Babylon are altogether for the spoyl and the prey for the crushing of the people so that they were and are abundant in treasures and there is no measure of their covetousnesse Jer. 51.13 2 The Princes of the Jews revolted from the Lord Her Princes speaking of Jerusalem saith the Prophet within her are ROARING LIONS Her Judges are EVENING WOLVES they gnaw not the bones till the morning Zeph. 3.3 Jerusalem is called An oppressing City Her Princes are Lions c. 3 Jehovahs Princes Ezek. 45. In the Land shall be the Princes possession in Israel and MY PRINCES saith the Lord SHALL NO MORE OPPRESS MY PEOPLE Ezek. 45.8 9. Ezek 48.35 and the name of that City shall be called The Lord is There where the Lord is and where his Princes are there shall be no more any oppression and spoyl The Prophet goes on Thus saith the Lord God Let it suffice you Oh Princes of Israel Remove violence and spoyl and execute Judgement and Justice TAKE AWAY YOUR EXACTIONS FROM MY PEOPLE saith the Lord God When you see Princes and Rulers squeezing the people raising of Taxes compelling the poor Parishioners to pay treble Damages for not paying the Popes Tithes while you feel the Publican and the Excise-man countenanced and incouraged in their vexatious Collections and exactions upon the poor of the people Think with your selves these are not the Princes of Jehovah but either they are the Princes of Babylon directly and professedly or else the Princes of Apostatized Israel who have the name of Christians but the nature of Tyrants But on the other side when you see an Higher Power incouraging the Lords people to come out of Babylon effectually and for ever when you see the chief Magistrates in their own persons to renounce all communion with the enemies of Christ and to

hitherto a perfect Law according to their own pleasure and principles for the setling thereof we wait to see and to know what the Lord will do and how far he will permit them to march in this dangerous path for the compassing of their ends who have been the chief Actors and Contrivers in this unparalled earthly Design to say no worse of it for the present But to leave those who have the spirits of Free-men if there be any shut up or left to dispute with their tongues and pens against the Souldiers Swords I shall proceed according to the latitude of my Commission from the Lord Jesus and direct my discourse to those people of God who have openly testified that the Lord is their Judge that Jehouab is their Lawgiver that Jehovah is their King Isa 33.22 and that he will save them I mean those Elders and Brethren of the Churches of Christ who have professed to make a compleat and perfect that is a total and final separation from the Mother of Harlots and from the Beast that carries her Rev. 17.5 7. and this they have done according to the Counsel and Call of God in the book of the Revelations And unto them I say on the behalf of their Lord and mine Brethren Ponder the paths of your feet for every particular step of every separated Saint in this Nation since the Twelfth of the Tenth Month 1653. hath been and is of very great moment and according to their walking since that day and hour when the Word and Spirit of Jehovah received so high and so desperate an Affront they may rationally expect extraordinary consequences for good or for evill coming toward them and remember this which you now read is neither Dream nor Fancy although the Rulers of this world will so account it till the God of heaven compel them to change their minds It cost the Six hundred thousand very dear even all that came out of Egypt Num. 14. who were of twenty years and upwards yea the righteous as well as the wicked their making of a Captain to carry them back again to Egypt when an oportunity was offered by God to passe over Jordan into the Promised Land But let me in brotherly love expostulate the case with you for I am through grace a fellow-member of the same Body Suppose the three Nations generally WILL be like the Israelites when they rejected Jehovah from being their King and WILL joyn with those earthly-minded men who said and proclamed it Wee WILL have a new kind of King to Reign over us and we WILL compel our Brethren by Fire and Sword by Jaylors and High Courts of Injustice to accept of that Monarch whom we have chosen for our selves Will you vote with these men and comply with these Apostates and Hypocrites You have given up your names to the Lords Jesus to be a peculiar people unto him are you not or should you not be an holy Nation in the midst of the Nations walking in the name of your King as the men of the world walk in the name of their Monarch Was it not for your sakes chiefly That Jehovah rebuked Kings and Princes of late yeers Is it not for his Sons sake Psal 105. and his Saints sake that he hath pulled down the whole structure of the old Government of these Nations yea he hath so ordered things that the very foundations are destroyed which not long since were accounted sacred and to the maintenance whereof the people were bound by Oath and solemn League and Covenant except a few who fore-saw that God himself was ingaged against the Old Heavens and the Old Earth in these Islands Were not these wonderful changes and desolations brought forth and finished when the Officers of the Army in their own names created formed and set up a Supreme Power after their own inventions and then after some few months when some choice spirits were resolved to proceed in that work which the New Moael had begun viz. to remove the remaining Rubbish of Heathenish and Popish Customes which obstructed the grand Design against Babylon and the Kings of the earth did not the Sword-men of that once famous New Model break in peeces and annihilate their own creation and that in the sight of Heaven and Earth without blushing and then tell the world a fable about Resignation whereas no agreement vote order or act passed in that Assembly to any such purpose But I must sigh out this complaint Very many of those who professe and pretend to be the Saints of the Most High have eyes and see not they have ears and hear not they have hearts and understand not unto this very day The veil is upon their hearts in the reading of the Prophecies of the Old 2 Cor. 2.14 and the New Testament And assuredly the Lord hath a great controversie with many of his own people because of this who will find him walking contrary unto them because they have walked contrary unto him in this particular What call from God or man have we to joyn with the Nations in setting up a New Image of worldly Government especially at this time of the day when that which our Ancestors built our God hath broken down and what our Fore-fathers had planted the Almighty hath plucked up even the principal Pillars and Foundations of the former Frame and is it an imployment worthy of us to help to repair the Tower of Babylon in this Land after these Earthquakes or to heal the deadly wound which the Beast hath received Consider doth it become us to help mingle the Iron and the Clay together that the Image may not want one of its Ten Toes Should you not rather unite with one another to help consolidate that Little stone which is to smite the Image upon its feet And put on the whole Armor of God that you may be ready at an hours warning to follow the Lamb who will ere long appear as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and make lamentable havock with the scarlet Whore and the scarlet coloured Beast upon which she Rides whose Ten Horns at length or some of them shall be guided to push the mother of the Abominations of the carth into a Pit of destruction prepared for her by the Lord. Besides all this which hath been spoken would it not be found to be part of our glory and perfection at the appearance of Jesus Christ to imitate the Apostles and Churches of Christ in the first times when they were so eminently taught of God in reference to this particular For when the Apostle Peter spake that word of Exhortation Act. 2.40 That they should save themselves from this untoward Generation Assuredly he intended not only a separation from the Doctrine Worship and Government of the Jewish Church but from the State also and Government thereof for now they had accepted of the Lord Jesus as their Prince to govern them as well as their Saviour to