Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	according_a	law_n	power_n	1,638	5	4.9096	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86670	The testimony of the everlasting gospel witnessed through sufferings.	Hubberthorn, Richard, 1628-1662.; Atkinson, Christopher.; Lancaster, James, d. 1699.; Tofte, Thomas.	1654 (1654)	Wing H3237; Thomason E818_23; ESTC R207402	6,326	9

City and him safe keep untill he shall be delivered from thence according to the Law and hereof fail not This 9th of December to Mr Edward Hunt keeper of the common prison in the said City Thomas Tofte Maior ANSVVER The cause of my coming I did declare before one of your Justices called and was examined before him I told him it was to see a friend in the Castle who was Prisoner there and after I had been there with him was moved to go where their Minister of the Law called was sitting in a house neer the Castle who said little unto me because it was undenyable that a spoke who own Justice and reasoned with the people in the same room of the things of God and so came and was passing out of the City a quarter of a mile the Word of the Lord came to me Thou must go back again and witnesse forth my Name in their Market among the people and at his command I was obedient and went and declared forth that was given me to speak amongst them which made the people astonished and many did follow me as you call them rude in running to hear the Truth declared forth in the Market as the Apostle of Christ who reasoned in the Markets dayly and went from City to City preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and were persecuted from city to city this is called disturbance now as it was then and what peace did I break going on declaring forth the Truth which none could object against that heard it and by your Officers called as he said he might know the ground why I spoke so and shewed him I was commanded of the Lord and being brought by him before one justice called was examined and could not find me by his Law a transgressor and bade him carry me to the Maior and he did so and he did examine me upon the grounds of my faith and of my outward means where it was and what quantity it was and being not ashamed declared my self at full to him of both as it will further appear by an examination before the Rulers of this City and so by the Maior as aforesaid am here in their bonds and imprisonments doth abide me in obedience to the commands of the same that Paul was guided and so by the same generation of Rulers as was in those dayes am I here a sufferer and to die if I be called to it for a testimony of a good conscience and in the Market I cleared my conscience in witnessing forth the Truth Christ Jesus the Light of the world who hath enlightened every one that comes into the world and cald people to repentance and said the mighty day of the Lord was coming let all flesh dread and fear before him and bade them take heed to the Light of Christ in them which shewed sin and evill in them loving it theere was their teacher hating it there was their condemnation this was the Word of the Lord sent by me which was no peace to earthly hearts and minds but a sword as Christ saith and this was disturbance of the peace of the City of Norwich called by the Rulers who now am in their bonds for this declaring let all judge what peace it is they live in when the Word of the Lord disturbs them But to that of God in all consciences am I sent to speak which is his own witnesse against transgression in man and by it man sees his transgression and acting contrary to that there is mans condemnation but who as loves it the Light of Christ in the conscience their deeds are brought to it to be tryed that they may be made manifest and here is the wicked nature disturbed and judged in the particular and they are called disturbers in whom the Light of Christ doth guide in the Generall and to that which doth disturb the wicked nature do we speak that sin and unjust dealing may be confounded and the soul brought from under it that God alone may be glorified to whom honour and glory belongs A Servant of the Lord to exhort people to the light of Christ in them that they may be turned from their dark wayes they lived in to serve the living God in Spirit and in truth JAMES LANCASTER From Norwich the 13. of the 10. month 1654 An Episte written in the bonds of the Gospel to be published abroad amongst the Inhatants of ENGLAND Rulers Magistrates and People I A Prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ doe unto all the world clear my conscience in the presence of the Lord and am free from the bloud of all men who seek the bloud of the innocent and by the wickednesse of the deceitful hearts would insnare the simple and number them amongst transgressors who are not found in any transgression but are set free by the Son and are heirs of the promise according to the will of God who hath called me out of the world to testifie against the world that their deeds are evill and for the same am I hailed before the Judgement seats against whom there is no Law for in the Law of God which is according to that in every mans conscience doe I abide and am free from all bondages and Lawes without that are acted in the will of man and by such a Law is the innocent persecuted and cast into prison to suffer amongst the transgressors that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon them as Christ said as they have done unto me so shall they doe unto you the Servant is not greater than the Lord John 15. 18 19 20 21. and this we are witnesses of and are brought to suffer for his name sake and am not onely willing to suffer but to die for the testimony of Jesus Though all the chief Priests and Rulers which are not called by the Law of God as the Ministers of God and of God were but doe seek to insnare and bring into bondage that which God hath set at liberty for it is the same nature that doth imprison the seed within which doth imprison and persecute the Servants of the Lord in whom the seed is raised up without in the Saints And whereas I am sent to the Goale of Norwich by a Mittimus by the hands of the Rulers I am moved of the Lord to clear my conscience unto all the world that I am free and not guilty of what they lay to my charge though by it they seek to persecute The Mittimus NORVVICH These are to require you to take into your custody the body of Christopher Atkinson herewith sent who lately came into this city from Kendall in Westmerland and can give no account of his livelihood nor shew any lawfull cause of his coming hither but onely to declare the Truth as he calls it THO. TOFTE Mayor ANSVVER To these things for which I am accused and am imprisoned by the Rulers of this City I am bold to declare the truth that out of Countries and kinreds hath the

Lord redeemed me and called me forth to declare his name abroad for which cause I am apprehended as a Vagrant though my habitation and being is known in the earth and for declaring his name abroad who hath thus called me am I brought before Rulers and cast into prison for testifying the life and power of that which they themselves professe in words who thus imprisoneth and persecuteth the righteous seed of God where it is brought forth And here let the Rulers of Norwich be witnesses against themselves that they are of that generation that put our Lord Jesus Christ to death by a law in their own wills contrary to the will of God and what would they have said of Christ who had no habitation in the earth no not so much as to lay his head if they had been in his dayes by this Law he might have been persecuted and imprisoned and him they doe persecute and imprison in so much as they doe it unto the least of his they doe it unto him as it is made manifest and if they had been in the times of the Apostles whose words they doe professe would they not have persecuted them by this law who said they had no certain dwelling place 1 Cor. 4. 11. and the world was not worthy of them and such doe they persecute now as are redeemed from the world and by it suffer continually Cain was a Vagabond who slew his brother and such as live in anger and envy such hath no habitation in God but such actions and beastly nature we deny and are redeemed from such things and our habitation is in God and here let the Rulers of Norwich stop their mouthes and be ashamed who are found persecutors of the Saints of the most high God without the breach or colour of any law or any transgression said justly to our charge who are free born English men whose Country and habitation we declared and yet in their Mittimus doth deny it And whereas I am accused of gathering multitudes of rude people together it is false as the City of Norwich shall testifie for I was quietly in a house with them that were my friends and I did not goe forth into their streets but the rude multitude came in which they and the Priests call Christians and broke the peace and this the Mayor of the Town came in and saw who said there was no revelation now but of the Devill and so denyeth both Christ and the Scriptures which saith No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Now let all judge whether he be fit to rule for God who denyes the Covenant of God who gave him for a Covenant and a Leader to the People and the Maior coming in to our Meeting where the rude multitude was as he cals it had nothing where of to accuse us but desired me in love to come to him the next day which I did and by a warrant without any examination I was sent to prison for a time till I was called to examination again being free from the breach of any Law am I here retained in prison for witnessing forth a good conscience before God and man thus to all the world have I cleared my conscience in the presence of the Lord that what I suffer is for righteousnesses sake without the breach of any Law and so I remain a sufferer this day for the Testimony of Jesus who am a servant to the Truth and a Friend of Israels Commonwealth Whose name in the flesh is Christopher Atkinson a Prisoner of the Lord in Norwich From the Gaol of Norwich 13. 10. FINIS