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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	lord_n	name_n	write_v	5,698	5	5.8489	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44231	A brief relation of some part of the sufferings of the true Christians, the people of God, in scorn called Quakers, in Ireland, for these last eleaven years, viz, from 1660 until 1671 with an occasional treatise of their principles and practices briefly stated, whereby the innocency of their cause, for which they so suffer, is not only plainly demonstrated, but also from all false asperations and causeless pretences sufficiently vindicated / collected by T.H. and A.F.	Holme, Thomas, d. 1695.; Fuller, Abraham, d. 1694.	1672 (1672)	Wing H2514; ESTC R7372	56,059	82

Unchristian-like spirit of our Persecutors And forasmuch as there is not only a great Difference betwixt us and the literal Professors of Christianity touching the Worship and Service of the True and Living God but that the greatest part of all our Sufferings is generally for and on the account of our Worship to God for that God was and is to be worshipped is owned by all called Christians but how and by what few do understand and that God had a People that truly worshipped him in all Ages is recorded in the holy Scriptures of Truth and though they differed in Manner and Place yet however all that worshipped acceptably 't was by Faith in the Seed therefore we shall begin with that Branch of our meeting together to wait upon and worship the Lord. First As for our meeting frequently together to seek the Lord by waiting upon him in his holy Fear and to Worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth which is the only acceptable Worship with God we have amongst many more these brief ensuing Grounds and Reasons First BEcause the Lord hath thus prrswaded our Hearts by his good Spirit to meet often together to have our minds exercised in his Fear and Worship to wait upon him for more Light to know and understand more of his Heavenly Will which is revealed by his holy Spirit as well what is our Duty towards him and all men as to know his Will towards us and by the Light or Manifestation of himself by his Spirit we come to know and believe that he is a Spirit and is to be worshipped in his own Nature in the Spirit and in the Truth it being mans Duty to wait upon God in and by that of himself made manifest in man which only and truly shews him how when where and after what manner God will be worshipped For if God who is invisible be a Spirit and therein to be worshipped then nothing less then of the same Nature will reveal God to man and shew him how to serve and worship God aright and therefore of necessity for all that intend either to know the Mind of God or their Duty to him to be very serious and weighty in their approachings to worship God in order to conduct the mind of man to seek after and know the Will of God it being a weighty Work to worship the Lord God aright and to the end we may perform a Worship which may be acceptable in his sight therefore it is we thus meet together to seek his Face with our minds waiting and stayed in his Light and measure of his Spirit to open our Understandings in the Mysteries of his Heavenly Kingdom that we may know how to live and walk in this Life as becometh true Christians to answer the End for which we were created that is To glorifie God and to keep our selves unspotted of the Word which is pure Religion Ja. 1. 27. And thus by Faith was God worshipp'd before the Law from Adam till Moses for God having made man in his own Image capable to serve and obey him and to enjoy his blessed Presence but man by Transgression lost his Place and happy Estate and so was drove out from God yet not without a Promise of the Seed Christ to bruise the Serpent's head and though thus expelled yet was it his Duty to Serve Fear and Worship the Lord God his Creator as apppears by the practice of Adam's first Sons who worshipped God by offering Sacrifices each of them according to the perswasion of their Hearts and Understandings Gen. 3. 3 4 5. Cain the first Birth offered the Fruit of the Ground Abel the second Birth offered the Firstlings of his Flock and the Fat thereof and he and his Offering or Worship was accepted but unto Cain God had no respect as offering from that which was cursed and he not finding Acceptance with God in his said Service then Envy and Wrath arose in him and he Murthered his Innocent Brother Mark Here is the first Persecution about Religion here are the two Seeds and the two Births of which and from whence springs all the Natures and Lines and Worships of all Men in the World ever since and from hence its easie to know of what Race every Worship is of Persecutors are of and from envious Cain And is it not below a man or at least as a good man to be ranked of the Race of cursed Cain for shame then let all men forbare to persecute about Religion for you see who is the Father and whosoever persecutes it s a manifest token that he finds no Acceptance with God in his own Worship and so seeks to be revenged on his Brother on him that finds Peace with God in his Offering or Worshipping even on Righteous Abel And by Faith in the promised Seed Christ not only Abel but even all the rest of the holy Patriarchs Noah Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. performed their acceptable Services and Worships to God offering and worshipping in divers Places and Manners and yet without Scripture or written Rules and though they had not a written Law or outward Rule to direct them how to worship God yet had they the Everlasting Rule God's Spirit which was before Writings were by which they were surely acted and truly guided how to live and walk towards God and towards man and how to perform a Worship to God that might be acceptable in his sight as the Scriptures testifie And thus by Faith through all these Types Figures and Sacrifices under the Law was God truly worshipped a contrite Heart being more esteemed by God then Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices Psal 51. 16 17. 1 Sam. 15. 22. Secondly Because it s our Duty so to meet to seek and worship God who is worthy to be sought unto and waited on by all that make Profession of him as tending to the Honour of his holy Name and Advancement of his Blessed Truth and to the Benefit and Comfort of our own Souls as appears by the Practice of the Saints of old who feared the Lord and spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name And they shall be mine in that day saith the Lord when I make up my Jewels Mal. 3. 16 17. So that in consideration of the Omnipotency of God who as we are his Creatures much more his People that fear him and his Children that believe in him doth expect our continual dependance on him as being ready to hear and answer our breathing Desires and to supply us with every Good Thing needful for us Lam. 3. 25 26. We have good Grounds thus to wait and meet 1st From the Promise of Christ Jesus who said Mat. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there will I be in the midst of them and we have found him faithful that hath promised read Mat.

yea or Negation Nay nay And as the Jews under the Law confirmed their Testimony to end Strife Controversie c. by Swearing and bound themselves by an Oath sometimes by Vows and Curses so the Christians in the Gospel and New Covenant are bound in Conscience by the Power and Law of Christ in them which is a far greater Bond then Swearing To do to all Men as they would be done unto and to perform Equity and Righteousness in that Love which is the fulfilling of the Law in the Sight of God and Man without Swearing Oaths which were but Figures of this inward Bond or Covenant confirmed by the Oath of God to the Seed of Abraham which the True Christians are of who witness the Substance and End of all Oaths without and of Strife Doubts and Variances that occasioned the Oaths for the requiring of an Oath supposeth Doubt or Unbelief in the one Party which is no more to be pleaded for then it is to be practiced in a true Christian And we do affirm further for our Principle in this matter That to Swear at all is against the Law of the Spirit of Truth that dwells in us and is against the positive Command of Christ Jesus herein who said Swear not at all and this fully and plainly excludeth all the Glosses and Pretences of all men whatsoever who would take upon them to interpret Christ's Words and Meanings as they say in this as if he meant not to bar taking an Oath before a Magistrate or to end a Controversie in a Suit of Law betwixt two Parties c. but as if he meant only forbidding Vain Accustomary and Unlawful Oaths or Swearing and such like imagined Stuff many have writ about and pleaded for which if well considered is no great marvel For if they cannot believe in the Light that lighteth them the Son of God and his Covenant how can they own his Doctrine and Principle in this or other things published by him or by his Spirit and Authority 2dly From the positive Precept of the Apostle Jam. 5. 12. who preached his Lord and Master Christ Jesus his fame Doctrine against Swearing when he wrote to the Twelve scattered Tribes of the Jews who by the old Law were allowed or commanded to Swear truly but when they were converted to the Faith and come to own and believe in Christ and his Doctrine then they were oblieged and commanded not to Swear at all no not to Swear truly it self but to speak the Truth their word Yea to be Yea their word Nay to be Nay for the Apostle seeing may be finding and foreseeing that these converted Jews and Israelites because of former Precepts Customs in the Law which they had been under might use or plead for some sort of Swearing like People now who argue for Swearing before a Magistrate contrary to Christs Command therefore he puts a greater weight then ordinary upon this Doctrine as if the concernment thereby had exceeded his other Doctrine in saying But above all things Swear not by any Oath Neither do we read that any of the other Apostles used the like Doctrine to the converted Gentiles at Rome Corinth Ephesus Galatia c. against Swearing there being no such need to them that were not oblieged by the Law to Swear in any respect So here are two plain Scripture Proofs for our Principle and Practice herein and when any can produce Scripture in the New Testament to prove so plainly their Practice of Swearing in Gospel-dayes before a Magistrate which they call a lawful Oath or yet before any other or upon any occasion whatsoever to be lawful and allowed of or commanded by Christ or his Apostles who are the Authors of the Book called the New Testament then we may give further Answer or write more about it but till then they especially they that profess Christ and ought to obey his Command ought not to blame us much less to persecute fine or imprison us for obeying the Command of Christ and observing the Doctrine of his blessed Apostle James 3dly As Swearing was thus forbidden by Christ and his Apostle so the primitive Christians observed the same accordingly For the Bishop of Smyrna a Martyr for the Truth refused to Swear saying That he was a CHRISTIAN so it seems the Primitive True Christians did not Swear and as his Answer importeth when they urged him to Swear he used no other Argument to respond or shew his refusal but to say He was a Christian that thereby his Persecutors might know That he would not Swear because he was a Christian as by that Profession bearing Testimony against Swearing or breaking the Command of Christ Hereto agree several old and eminent Writers as also the Testimony of divers Martyrs and Sufferers under the Papal Power in Peiedmond England c. who bore witness to our and the true old Christian-Principle herein Bishop Gawden bore the like Testimony and said Amongst false Christians Oaths are not to be regarded and amongst true Christians there was no need of them William Thorp his Testimony herein was said he It is a Sin to Swear well W. Brute also testified and affirmed That no Christian ought to Swear And so discend to our Times since the Lord hath called us to be his People our Principle in this as in all other things agrees with the primitive Christians being like-minded with them for if we should Swear and break Christ's Command his Light would condemn us as the Apostle James said lest ye fall into Condemnation Hereby it appeareth That our refusing to Swear proceedeth from sufficient Ground Christ's Command the Apostle's Doctrine and the Primitive Christians Practices so that it is Matter of Conscience to us not to Swear at all And because it is urged against us That hereby we are incapable to serve the King our Country To which we say we make not our selves incapable but we are made incapable by the Law of the Land that requires that of us which Christ has forbid us to give and seeing we live under such Rulers and Magistrates as profess Christianity and the Scriptures to be their Rule to believe in and to walk by we desire them to excuse us in this matter and well to mind Peter and the Apostles Answer to the Persecuting High Priest and his Council at Jerusalem who had imprisoned the Apostles and streightly charged them to Preach no more in the Name of Jesus We o●ght to obey God rather then men said they and not seek to compel or persecute us because we cannot we dare not Swear nor take an Oath either to serve in Offices or upon Juries or giving Evidence though we are willing and ready to serve in any Office or Place meet for us and which we are capable of faithfully to perform the same as also to give in Evidence by speaking truly so as that we may not break Christ's Command or stain our Consciences through Disobedience And for