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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	church_n	great_a	1,628	5	2.8346	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29112	The cause of the innocent pleaded, his accusers pretended charge confvted, their unparallel'd actings, ungospel-like dealings, and unrighteous proceedings against their pastor, declared, or, Truth breaking forth, through the mist of clouds and slanders published by Samuel Bradley ...	Bradley, Samuel.	1664 (1664)	Wing B4126; ESTC R37453	47,126	59

of Meekness This we may fear that Love is wanting or else the number of the Faithful is but few And may it not be said concerning those unparallel'd Proceedings of these Persons as it was in the beginning concerning the Woman She takes of the Serpent and the man received of the Woman and so it spread over all man-kind so now the Woman takes from the surmising Spirit which is of the Serpent and she delivers to the man he spreads it abroad to the Churches and this was the Original of their proceeding against their Pastor but we have a Proverb in England which is true in this case That Conceit without receit is plain deceit We would leave with you in the Love and Fear of the Lord an Exhortation to Love that great duty that is so little exercised among the People of God Did we live in Love it would unite the hearts of the Faithful together Love would cause God's Ministers to stop the mouth of back-biters reproachers and scandalous persons which take up reports from report without the knowledge of any thing that is reported Oh let it be enough that the Adversary is smiting without let not God's People smite within it s a symptom of the nearness of Christs approach when fellow Servants shall smite one another consider the judgement due to such for it is too grievous to be born for if we bite and devour one another we shall be devoured one of another for God hath said That if he kindle a fire in Gilgal there shall be none found to quench it in the House of Bethel now therefore live in Love then will the divisions of Ruben cease that the Glory promised to the Churches and Members of Christ may be given to them which must not be looked for without a Reformation therefore shake off the Raggs of Reproaching and the Garments of Backbiting and put on the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and come forth in the purity of the Spirit which shall be the Prayers of them which are willing to suffer affliction for the Truth Interest and Kingdom of Jesus Christ and have love to all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity We whose names are hereunto subscribed are for the most part eye and ear witnesses to what is here exprest and therefore commend them to all wise-hearted people to determine and remain the Assertors of Truth Henry Tabor Nicholas Clark Thomas Rose The first day of the 7th month 1664. A COPY of the Pretended CHARGE against SAMUEL BRADLEY To the Churches and faithful Brethren in Christ Jesus greeting Beloved and longed for VVE have at last as the Result which we hope the Lord hath brought upon our Spirits resolved to acquaint you with our Proceedings with Samuel Bradley and the Reason of our so doing First We do judge he still lieth under the guilt of those great and horrid crimes for which he was dealt with by his People Secondly As if all that were too little he hath added by several late and new Miscarriages 1. A high disorder and therein a manifest breach of Truth as he was an Overseer in the Church of God in bringing a Disorderly Person without the knowledge and against the Principle of the Church and of the Truth it self to preach to them and pray with them and this is a compleate evil especially in him so to run upon the Rule of Christ so to hazard the Churches stability which might have been invaded by dropping some Doctrine as might have shaken the faith of some and so manifestly to hazard the Churches Peace and Communion especially to bring in such a person as he contrary to the Advice given in the 20th of the Acts where the Elders are exhorted to feed the Church and not to ruine it 2. We have great cause to suspect him very guilty of pernicious designs against the Saints forasmuch as he knew this Person he so brought in to be a very dangerous wicked Person and saying of him he would never come into his company more and now without publick satisfaction given by him or taken from him to bring him into the Church and more then all this to call out one Brother by Name whom he knew zealous for the work of the Day to pray in his presence as if he did on purpose lay in wait to catch what he could to answer him and others this deeply and effectually perswades us he could not be without great purposes to deal very treacherously with us 3. He is guilty of a very sinful confederacy with this Enemie of the Lords whom he hath singled out for his company hugging and embracing of him as a Brother a friend that saw it when he brought him into the Congregation and since is a great frequenter of his House and Company as if it were a small thing to wrap himself up in all his Iniquities and so to draw upon himself the Vengeance due to such vile transgressions contrary expresly to the Lords Commands Say not a confederacy and Have no fellowship saith our Apostle with unfruitful Works nor Workers of Darkness When thou sawest a Thief thou consentest with him Psal 50. and that which is more considerable one of his present Abettors and Adherents told us he did so to save his own self and hath hereby stained the Glory of Christ and reproached the glorious footsteps of this Anoynted King in which he hath eminently triumphed over his Enemies in these latter dayes more than many if not any in this day and in which also he hath given the lye to his own Vows and Protestation in the sight of God That he hated and abhorred the thoughts of looking toward much self with associating with such persons and yet now tell a Brother he was sorry for what of that kinde he had spoken 5. He stands guilty of opening the Nakedness and Dealings in the Secrets of the Church in his publique Preachings and this hath been frequent being desired by two Brethren to forbear such Passages shewing how dishonourable they were to God and grievous to them he solemnly engaged never to do the like again nevertheless at the very next Meeting he had of his own appointing of which he had two or three a week besides the Church-Mettings did publickly declare that his Church stopped his Mouth so that he durst not for displeasing them preach those Truths he would 6. He is guilty of such rash Passion and Spiritual Pride in his carriages towards us in conviction and distinction one to vindicate a scandalous transgressor that was to be dealt with in the Church charged a Sister with a lye in the face of the Church and afterward to cover his evil made it a mistake to justifie the wicked and to condemn the righteous both are in an abomination to the Lord the first is but few weeks but some or other would meet with their woundings and burdenings and sometimes meet with Repulses in their Addresses to him they must not teach their Elder sometimes he

they Judge Cast and Condemn me for such a Person as hath been commonly reported but yet never could be proved I dare affirm not by God's Law consider if this be right in the sight of God let those who are my Adversaries be judge and how the Peace of the Church could be hazarded as these men tell the Nation I know not when he that spoke brought no other Doctrine then what they had before received and those few that were at the hearing thereof by their own confession were refreshed by what was delivered that to the truly understanding Christian it doth appear the Peace of the Church was rather inlarged then hazarded That so their pretended Charge is made manifest to be none at all The fifth thing I observe in the second Particular is as they say Especially to bring in such a Person as he contrary to the advice given in Acts 20. where the Elders are exhorted to feed the Church and not to ruine it Ans As to their Tautology I past it by because it cannot be proved that I brought him in to Preach and as touching the Apostles advice We are to feed the Church These Persons themselves do witness for me that I so did namely Feed the Flock of Our Lord Jesus not only in their Letter they did write to me when I was a Prisoner for the same But now also in their fifth Particular of this pretended Charge they say I made it my work to Preach three times a week besides the Church Meetings But as touching their last Term I am altogether a stranger to namely as to ruine the Church for as the Lord spoke by the Prophet to Israel saying Oh Israel thou hast destroyed thy self So do I say If they be destroyed or ruined it is done by themselves It is plainly seen that Lyes Surmisings and Suppositions is their second Particular stuffed with in this their pretended Charge that it plainly appears to such as are plain-hearted to be no Charge but a heap of falshoods 4. Par. We have great cause to suspect him very guilty of pernicious Designs against the Saints Ans This hath its dependance upon the former they do not say they charge me but suspect me and withall they would have us believe they have great cause so to do This is as false as the former for all men will believe this that if they could have shown either great or little cause they would not have spared me but without all doubt have brought it forth They talk of Pernicious Designs that I am guilty of against the Saints but nothing do they prove or can they The Reader may take notice that since this pretended Charge was hatched and patched together it is somewhat above a twelve-month And what is not one Pernitious Design discovered all this time Surely it is apprehended by such as have learned better then to live in the prejudiced mind or surmising Spirit this Babe that hath been so long in the Womb of Conception will prove an abortive at last As touching the Person whom they so much mention again and again whom they call Dangerous and Wicked as to his former Proceedings I justifie not but have rather chosen to reprove them what ever I have been thought on and laboured to make it my business to reclaim him but this I can truly say no person whatsoever in City or Countrey all the time of my society with him which was not of any long standing I do declare and affirm had not any wrong done to them by my knowledge for which I have great peace though my sufferings have been very great as to some other things in this Particular being one thing rehearsed over again I do apprehend it a superfluous thing to make a second reply thereunto Secondly As touching my Calling a Brother by Name who they say was zealous for the work of the day as if he lay in wait on purpose to catch To this I Answer As touching his zeal for the work of the day it did not very much appear forasmuch as he did not appear in the work till the day was near an end The Searcher of Hearts knows my innocency in this thing that I had no intent but what was agreeable unto the Mind of God and by this time one would have thought these persons might have seen great cause to have been deeply humbled for their evil thoughts they had against their Pastor I do now appeal to the most fearful and the most jealous Person amongst them whether to this day they have been harmed in the least by me If not as I am very confident they cannot say they have what Reason is there that S. Bradley should still remain charged upon this account to this day seeing there can be nothing of this nature proved against him but lie under scandal by reason of their unwarrantable groundless fears surmisings and suppositions I say unto these persons Is it not high time that their poor oppressed Pastor should be set free and at liberty from this bondage that he hath been exposed to by their means for a Twelvemonth together and more O when will their Goal-delivery come They will do very well to try their spirits for it may be said unto them by me as it was said by our Lord Jesus to his Disciples You know not what spirit you are of Whereas they say As if he did on purpose lie in wait to catch I answer If we take it in their own sense which will be proved to be the worst it is but as if he did they themselves cannot say He absolutely did lie in wait to catch If they had dealt fairly and honestly by me they had done well to have set down some of the particular things that were acted in a treacherous way and not keep people in the dark and act towards me as if I were conspiring some horrid things against them when there was no such thing by me thought on These kind of proceedings savour not of a good Spirit to rob their Pastor of his good name and all gathered but from their evil perswasions Would not the Heathen abhor such dealings if they should hear of them I wonder they were not ashamed to set their hands to such things to declare their weakness to the Churches abroad And whereas they say This doth deeply and effectually perswade them he could not be without very great purpose to deal very treacherously with them Answ This amounts to no Charge all this while by their own speech they cannot positively prove it but are perswaded it is so what proof is this to the case in hand by the same Rule if this may carry it I may say that these people that have reproached me causlesly and and groundlesly are turned Robbers in the High Way how so I suppose so or to speak in their own words I am perswaded it is so Surely this kinde of proof which to speak truly is no proof will not carry it here nor in

hand for their heady and rash proceedings against their innocent Pastor lest destruction be their portion notwithstanding all their Profession 14. Par. And so do now bear our Testimony against all his Evil and all his Adherents and set our hands to the truth of it Ans To this I Answer If these Assertors and Concluders did walk like persons indued with true knowledge they should have proved the things they talk of to be evils before they had set their hands thereunto by what they have done they have manifested themselves not to be wise nor right Artists at the work of accusation Again if they could have proved what they have subscribed unto to be Evils the next work had been to have layed them down before me and made some endeavour to have holpen me to a sight thereof as well as themselves and shewn me by way of aggravation the danger of them and if I had been obstinate not to have heard some of them alone to brought two more with them and took some pains with me for to recover me out of that which they are pleased to call an Evil and if I had remained in an obstinate mind then with sorrow of heart and bowels of love told it to the Church the Church to have made some endeavour to recover me and if I would not have seen my Evil then to have set a day a part for Fasting and Prayer and to have mourned bitterly under the consideration of the thoughts of the loss of a chief Pillar of the Church and when all this work was done then in a solemn reverent and godly manner to have gone trembling at the thought of what must of necessity then have been done seeing there was no avoiding of it and consider what was to be done after all this not to reproach Nay For sufficient to such a man was this punishment which was inflicted upon many 2 Cor. 2.6 7. So that contrarywise they ought rather to forgive him and comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love towards him I say to these people Was any of this done Was the first step taken in this work much less the last that was done to the incestuous person How may these people dread the thoughts of their present Proceedings with their former for fear God may charge them with Spiritual murder at the Day of the Lord in putting a stop to conversion-work and cause Souls to stumble I say Oh what comfort can these men have that have set their hand to such a work as this is The Lord give them a sight and true sence and sorrow yea true repentance of the same Sure by this time they may plainly see if they do not harden their hearts that they were out of the way of the Lord and with what comfort can they go to the grave with this Load upon their Consciences or what peace they can have for these their irregular Proceedings I know not and truly it is to be admired they do not yet blush at that they stile their Testimony Sure they understand not what they say for the word Testimony doth signifie amongst other things a good report from others but this which they have done is found to be of no good report therefore falsely termed by them a Testimony Again a Testimony doth also import a witnessing well but they have witnessed unto that which is Lyes Suppositions and Surmisings which is very ill therefore for to speak properly have born no Testimony against Samuel Bradley but rather have made their ignorance further appear and know not what they say in this case nor what a Testimony is and yet these persons will undertake for to pass Sentence of Excommunication upon their Pastor and that as soon as his back was turned from them was it done but never to his face And whereas they seem to reflect upon the rest of their Fellow-Members which bore a better Conscience than themselves which they call Adherents they have little cause so to do for they understand the Rules of Christ better than to run rashly and headily upon things contrary to the right Order but have waited with patience upon the Lord and have proved Fellow-feelers of their Pastors Sorrows and great Afflictions that have befallen him through the means of the persons aforesaid that are turned his Accusers though falsely and they in Conscience could not joyn with them without breach of Covenant I shall say unto these my Accusers had they been as tender of the Glory of God as these they call My Adherents they might have been made partakers of true Peace with them though by their means they are made to stand alone separated from the rest of their Brethren to their great grief and could they violate the peace of their consciences as those have done they might have been their dear Friends still Let these men be careful lest they slay the Upright in Conversation with the Sword of their Mouth namely bitter words as they have not been ashamed to do lest Wrath break forth from the Lord upon them And whereas they say They have set their hands to the Truth I ask them whether their Consciences did not prick them when they were setting their Pen to Paper so as they began with a lye they conclude with a lye also O how can these People with confidence call that a Charge which they themselves confest in the last Particular thereof to be but petty Things or call that a Truth which is stuffed up with so many Lyes Suppositions and surmising Expressions as hath been proved all along O that they would lay these sad proceedings to heart that for this Twelvemonth together they have contrived against their innocent Pastor as they have owned him to be and yet have cried him up for a Trappan at such a high hand They may see if they do not wilfully shut their Eyes that his Innocencie has so shined in this matter that the Lord hath holp him to weather the storms of all sorts they have raised upon him onely from Fears and Jealousies O what will they do when God shall call them to an account How will they be able to stand before him It is not their strong-hold of Church-Fellowship that will shelter them from the wrath of God for if he set the Worm of Conscience a gnawing their Gourd will soon be destroyed and where are they then My Prayer shall be that they may repent and the Lord forgive them for I do and for ever hereafter let them be silent and never more open their mouth to reproach and as Job said of his friends so shall I say of mine Job 16.24 I have heard many such things miserable Comforters are you all And now you may see I have diligently examined this their pretended Charge that hath occasioned such a stir in the Nation and have found it to stand upon the Foundation of Untruths