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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	act_n	law_n	parliament_n	2,185	5	6.6353	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40209	A journal or historical account of the life, travels, sufferings, Christian experiences and labour of love in the work of the ministry, of ... George Fox, who departed this life in great peace with the Lord, the 13th of the 11th month, 1690, the first volume.	Fox, George, 1624-1691.; Penn, William, 1644-1718.; Fox, Margaret Askew Fell, 1614-1702.	1694 (1694)	Wing F1854; ESTC R3344	917,676	824

to judge according to the Law shall before-hand threaten and Menace the Prisoner contrary to the Law how can the Mind of the Prisoner be free to plead his Innocency before him or expect Equal Judgment from him who before he hears him threatens what he will do unto him Is not this the Case between Thee and Vs Is not this the Measure we have received at thy Hands Hast thou herein dealt according to Law or to thy Duty Or as thou wouldest be done unto Let that of God in thy Conscience Judge And did'st not thou say There was a Law for putting off the Hat and that thou would'st shew a Law and did'st not thou often so express thy self But didst thou produce any Law or shew where that Law might be found or any Judicial President or in what King 's Reign when we so often desired it of thee having never heard of or known any such Law by which thou didst Judge us Was not what we demanded of thee reasonable and just Was that a Savoury Answer and according to Law which thou gavest us viz. I am not to carry the Law-books at my Back up and down the Country I am not to Instruct you Was ever such an Expression heard before these days to come out of a Judge's Mouth Is he not to be of Counsel in the Law for the Prisoner and to Instruct him therein Is it not for this cause that the Prisoner in many Cases is not allowed Counsel by the Law In all Courts of Justice in this Nation hath it not been known so to have been And to the Prisoner hath not this been often declared when he hath demanded Counsel alledging his Ignorance in the Law by reason of which his Cause might miscarry though it were righteous viz. The Court is of Counsel for you Ought not he that judgeth in the Law to be Expert in the Law Could'st thou not tell by what Act of Parliament it was made or by what Judicial President or in what King 's Reign or when it was adjudged so by the Common Law which are all the Grounds the Law of England hath had there been such a Law though the words of the Law thou could'st not remember Surely To Inform the Prisoner when he desired it especially as to a Law which was never heard of by which he proceeds to Judge him that he may know what Law it is by which he is to be Judged becomes him who Judgeth for God for so the Law was read to the Jews by which they were to be Judged yea every Sabbath-day this was the Commandment of the Lord. But instead thereof to say I am not to carry the Law-books at my Back up and down the Country I am not to Instruct you To say There is a Law and to say Thou wilt shew it and yet not to shew it nor to tell where it is to be found Consider whether it be Consistent with Savouriness or with Truth or Justice Have not thy whole Proceedings against us made it evidently to appear that thy desire was to Cause us to suffer not to deliver us who being Innocent suffered to have us aspersed and reproached before the Country not to have our Innocency cleared and vindicated Doth not thy taking away our Books as aforesaid and the perusing of them in such haste before our Trial and thy Accusing us with something which thou said'st was contained in them make it to appear that Matter was sought out of them where-withal to Charge us when the Et Caetera-Warrant would not stand in Law by which we stood Committed and were then upon our Delivery according to due Course of Law Doth it not further appear by thy refusing to take from our Hands a Copy of the strange Et Caetera-Warrant by which we were Committed and of the Paper for which we were Apprehended to read it or cause it to be read that so our long Sufferings by reason of both might be lookt into and weighed in the Law whether Just or Righteous and the Country might as well see our Innocency and Sufferings without a Cause and the manner of Dealing with us as to hear such Reports as went of us as great Offenders when we called upon thee often so to do and which thou oughtest to have done and said'st Thou would'st do but did it not nor so much as took notice before the Country that we had been falsely Imprisoned and had wrongfully suffered But what might Asperse and Charge us thou brought'st in thy self contrary to Law and did'st call to have us charged therewith Is not this further manifest in that thou did'st cause us on a sudden to be with-drawn and the Petty-Jury to be called in with their Verdict whereupon Peter Ceely's falsly accusing George Fox with telling him privately of a Design and persuading him to join therein It was by G. Fox made so Clear to be a manifest Falshood and so plainly to be perceived that the Cause of our Sufferings was not any Evil we had done or Law that we had transgressed but Malice and Wickedness And is it not abundantly clear from thy not permitting us to Answer and clear our selves of the many foul Slanders charged upon us in the New-found-Indictment of which no Proof was made but when we were Answering thereunto and Clearing our selves thereof thou did'st stop us saying Thou mindest not those things but only the putting off the Hat when as before the Country the New-found Indictment charged us with those things and the Petty-Jury brought in their Verdict Guilty of the Trespasses and Contempts mentioned therein of which except as to the Hat not one Witness or Evidence was produced and as to the Hat not any Law or judicial President upon the Transgression of which all legal Indictments are only to be grounded Now the Law seeks not for Causes whereby to make the Innocent to suffer but helpeth him to Right who suffers Wrong and relieveth the Oppressed and searcheth out the Matter Whether that of which a Man stands Accused be so or no seeking Judgment and hastening Righteousness and it saith The Innocent and the Righteous slay thou not But whether thou hast done so to us or the contrary let the Witness of God in thee search and judge as these thy Fruits do also make manifest And Friend Consider how abominably wicked and how highly to be abhorred denied and witnessed against and how Contrary to the Laws such a Proceeding is as to Charge a Man with many Offences in an Indictment which they who draw the Indictment they who Prosecute and they who find the Bill know to be false and to be set in purposely to Reproach and Wound his good Name whom with some small Matter which they can prove they Charge and Indict as is the Common Practice at this day Prove but one particular Charge in the Indictment and it must stand say they for a True Bill though there be never so many Falshoods and Lies therein on set purpose

Debate Did your Hearts never burn within you Did you never come to question your Conditions Are you wholly given up to do the Devil's Lusts to Persecute Where is your Loving Enemies Where is your Entertaining Strangers Where is your Overcoming Evil with Good Where are your Teachers that can stop the Mouths of Gain-sayers and can convince Gain-sayers and such as oppose themselves Have you no Ministers of the Spirit no Soldiers with Spiritual Weapons displaying Christ's Colours But all the Dragon 's the Murderer's the Persecutor's Arm of Flesh Cain's Weapons Chief Priests taking Counsel Judas and the Multitude with Swords and Staves Sodom's Company raging about Lot's House like the Priests and Princes against Jeremiah like the Dragon Beast and great Whore and the false Church which John saw should cast into Prison and Kill and Persecute Whose Weapons are you bearing doth not the false Church the VVhore make Merchandize of Cattel Corn VVine and Oil even to the very Souls of Men And hath not all this been since the true Church went into the Wilderness Read Revelations the 12th with the 18th Do you not read and see what a Spirit you are of and what a bottomless Pit you are in And have not you dishonoured the Place of Justice and Authority What! turned your Sword backward like Mad-Men who are a Praise to the Evil-Doer and would be a Terror to the Good with all Force and Might to stop the way of Justice Doth not the Lord think you behold your Actions How many have you wronged how many have you Imprisoned and Persecuted and put out of your Synagogues Are you they that must fulfil the Prophecy of Christ Matth 23. John 16. Read the Scriptures and see how unlike you are to the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and what a Visage you have like unto them that persecuted the Prophets Christ and the Apostles You are found in their Steps wrestling with Flesh and Blood and not with Principalities and Powers and Spiritual Wickedness And your Teachers imprisoning and persecuting for outward things you being their Executioners the like whereof hath not been in all the Nations The Havock that hath been made the spoiling of the Goods of People taking away their Oxen and fatted Beeves their Sheep Corn Wool and Houshold-Goods and giving them to the Priests that have done no Work for them More like Moss-Troopers than Ministers of the Gospel they take them from Friends suing them in your Courts and fining them because they will not break the Commands of Christ that is because they will not Swear And thus you Act against them that do not lift up an Hand against you and as much as you turn against them you turn against Christ But he is risen that will plead their Cause and you cannot be hid for your Works are come to Light and the End of your Ministry is seen what it is for for Means And ye have dishonoured the Truth the Gospel and are they that make it Chargeable You have lost your Glory you have dishonoured your selves Persecution was ever blind and mad Read the Apostle what he saith of himself when he was in your Nature Exaltation and Pride and your lifting up your selves hath brought you to this not being humble and not doing Justice and not loving Mercy And when such as have beaten been and bruised by your Rude Company to whom you are a Praise and Encouragement have come and laid things before you that you might have done Justice preserved and kept Peace you as knowing they could not swear have put an Oath to them And this hath been your Trick and Cover that ye might not do Justice to the Just but by this means have gone on still further to Encourage the Evil-Doer But the Lord sees your Hearts If ye were not Men past feeling ye would fear and tremble before him the God of the whole Earth who is risen and will stain your Glory and marr your Pride and deface your Beauty and lay it in the dust Though for a Time you may swell in your Pride and glory in your Shame and make a mock of God's Messengers who for Reproving Sin in the Gate are become your Prey you will feel the heavy hand of God and his Judgments at the last This is from a Lover of the Truth and of Righteousness and of your Souls but a Witness against all such as make a Trade of the Prophets Christ's and the Apostles Words and are found in the Steps of them that persecuted the Prophets Christ's and the Apostles Life who will persecute them that will not hold you up and put into your Mouths and give you Means Tithes were before the Law and Tithes were in the Law but Tithes since the Days of the Apostles have been only since the false Church got up Now Christ who is come to end the Law and to end War Redeems Men out of the Tenths and out of the Nines also The Redeemed of the Lord shall reign upon the Earth and know the Election which was before the World began Since the days of the Apostles Tithes have been set up by the Papists and by them that went forth from the Apostles into the World so set up by the false Church that made Merchandize of People since the true Church went into the Wilderness But now is the Judgment of the great Whore come and the Beast and false Prophet the Old Dragon shall be taken and cast into the Fire and the Lamb and his Saints shall have the Victory And now is Christ come who will make War in Righteousness and destroy with the Sword of his Mouth all these Inventers and Inventions that have got up and been set up since the Days of the Apostles and since the true Church went into the Wilderness And the everlasting Gospel which is the Power of God shall be preached again to all Nations and Kindreds and Tongues in this the Lamb's Day before whom you shall appear to Judgment and you have no way to Escape For he hath appeared who is the First and the Last the Beginning and the Ending the Alpha and the Omega He that was Dead is alive again and lives for evermore I mentioned before That Gervase Benson and Anthony Pearson though they had been Justices of the Peace were not permitted to come to me in the Prison whereupon they jointly wrote a Letter to the Magistrates Priests and People at Carlisle concerning my Imprisonment And thus it was HIM who is called George Fox who is persecuted by Rulers and Magistrates by Justices by Priests and by People and who suffers Imprisonment of his Body at this present as a Blasphemer and an Heretick and a Seducer him do we witness who in measure are made Partakers of the same Life which lives in him to be a Minister of the Eternal Word of God by whom the everlasting Gospel is preached by the powerful Preaching whereof the Eternal Father of the Saints hath opened the Blind Eyes hath

yet therein do they exercise themselves to have always a Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man as ye may read the Saints of Old did Acts 24.14 15 16. not wronging any Man neither giving any just Cause of Offence only being obedient to the Commands of the Lord to declare as they are moved by the Holy Ghost and standing for the Testimony of a Good Conscience speaking the Truth in Christ their Consciences bearing them witness that they lie not For this do they suffer under you who in Words profess the same thing for which they suffer Now see if any Age or Generation did ever persecute as ye do For ye profess Christ Jesus who Reveals the Father and persecute them that witness the Revelation of the Father by Christ Jesus unto them Ye profess Christ Jesus who is the Light of the World that enlightens every one that cometh into the World and yet persecute them that bear Witness and give Testimony to this Light Ye profess that the Word is become Flesh and yet persecute them that witness it so Ye profess that whosoever confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is an Antichrist and yet persecute them that do Confess him come in the Flesh and call them Antichrists and Deceivers Ye profess that the Kingdom of Christ is come and yet persecute them that witness it come Ye profess Christ Jesus the Resurrection and the Life and yet persecute them that witness him to be so If ye say How shall we know that these People who say they witness these things do so or no I answer Turn your Minds to the Light which Christ Jesus hath enlightned you withal which is one in all and if ye walk in the Light ye shall have the Light of Life and then ye will know and see what ye have done who have persecuted the Lord of Glory in his People in whom is Life and the Life is the Light of Men. To no other Touchstone shall we turn you but into your own Consciences and there shall ye find the Truth of what we have declared unto you and of what we bear Testimony to according to the Holy Scriptures And when the Books of Consciences are opened and all judged out of them then shall ye Witness us to be of God and our Testimony to be true though now ye may stop your Ears and harden your Hearts while it is called to day But then ye shall know what ye have done and whom ye have transgressed against and then ye will see that no Persecutors in any Age or Generation that ever went before you did ever Transgress against that Light and Measure of God made manifest in such manner as ye have done For though Christ and the Apostles were persecuted in their times the Jews for the most part of them did not know that he was the Christ when he came notwithstanding that they had the Scriptures which prophesied of him neither did they believe that he was Risen again when the Apostles preached his Resurrection But ye say Ye believe he is come and ye say Ye believe his Resurrection and yet ye persecute those that witness him come in the Flesh those that are buried with him in Baptism those that are conformable to his Death and know the Power of his Resurrection those ye persecute those ye hale before Magistrates and suffer to be beaten in your Synagogues those ye cause to be whipt and stock't and shamefully entreated and into Prison cast and kept as many Goals in this Nation at this day testifie to your Faces Therefore honestly consider what ye are doing while ye are taking notice of others Cruelties lest ye over-look your own There is some difference in many things between the Popish Religion and that which ye call the Protestant but in this Persecution of yours there is no difference For ye will Confess that the Foundation of your Religion is grounded upon the Scriptures and yet now ye are persecuting them that be in the same Life which they were in who spake forth the Scriptures your selves being the mean while under a Profession of the Words they spake and this ye shall one day witness So ye have a Profession and Form and persecute them that are in the Possession Life and Power Therefore know assuredly that ye must come to Judgment for he is made manifest to whom all Judgment is committed Therefore to the Light of Christ Jesus in your Consciences which searcheth and trieth you turn your Minds and stand still and wait there to receive the Righteous Law which is according to that of God in the Conscience which is now rising and is bearing witness against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men and they whom ye persecute are manifest to God and that of God in all Consciences shall bear witness for us that we are of God And this ye shall one day witness whether ye will hear or forbear Our Rejoycing is in the Testimony of our Consciences that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with Fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World not handling the Word of God deceitfully but in the Manifestation of the Truth commending our selves to every Man's Conscience in the sight of God and if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost And for the witnessing the holding the Mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience do we suffer and are subject for Conscience sake This is thank-worthy if a Man for Conscience sake endure Griefs and Suffering wrongfully And in this is our Joy and Rejoicing having a good Conscience that whereas we are evil spoken of as Evil-Doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse our good Conversation in Christ which is not only the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ And this we Witness made manifest Eternal Praises to the Living God and bear Testimony to that which spake it in the Apostle in Life and Power And therefore do we bear witness and testifie against those who being got into a Form and Profession of it do persecute the Life and Power Therefore to the Eternal Light of Christ Jesus the Searcher and Trier of all Hearts turn your Minds and see what ye are doing lest ye overturn your Foundation and Bottom whereon ye pretend to stand while ye are professing the Scriptures and persecuting the Life Light and Power which they were in who gave them forth For the Stone cut out of the Mountains without Hands is now striking at the Feet of the Image the Profession which is set up and stands in the Will of Man Now is that made manifest unto which all must answer and appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Knowing therefore the Terror of the Lord