Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	king_n	lord_n	4,716	5	3.8323	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41067	A touch-stone, or, A perfect tryal by the Scriptures, of all the priests, bishops, and ministers, who have called themselves, the ministers of the Gospel whose time and day hath been in the last ages past, or rather in the night of apostacy : they are tried and weighed by the Scriptures of truth, and are found out of the life and power of the scriptures, and out of the spirit and doctrine of them that gave them forth, and quite contrary to their principle and practice, both Papists and Protestants : unto which is annexed, Womens speaking justified, &c.	Fox, Margaret Askew Fell, 1614-1702.	1667 (1667)	Wing F639; ESTC R7178	82,431	96

Jesus that is within them which preacheth in a Mystery and preacheth righteousness very nigh in their hearts and will cleanse their inward parts and make their hearts clean from that mystery of Iniquity that hath been long lodged in them and held them Captive and led them into sin and transgression and wickedness Oh that all hearts and secret parts might be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and that every one would walk in the Light abide in the Light as he is in the Light and here is the fellowship and unity of the Saints in Light Jesus Christ the Righteous ruling in their hearts and who lives in the Vnity and Spirit of the Lord Jesus they come to have fellowship with the Father and the Son as John had and these things he wrote unto them that their joy might be full and that they might partake of the same Light Life and Spirit and have Unity with him whose message is That God is Light and in him is no darkness at all And whosoever saith he knows God and abides in darkness is a lyar and the Truth is not in him 1 John 1. And this hath been the Condition and Doctrine that hath been holden forth for many hundred years they have walked in darkness and shewed as if they had fellowship with God and they have loved the world and the things of the world which the Apostle saith is not of the Father And if any love the World the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. And now Reader do but consider how these Teachers of the world live and after what manner and how they do oppress people for their maintenance and whether there is any sort of people more covetous of the world than they are and how they draw people from the Unction of the holy One that the Apostle here turned people to and desired them to take heed unto and to continue and abide in that which they had heard from the beginning and not to turn to those Antichrists that were then entering into the world but they were to abide in the Anointing which thy had received and it would teach them all things and it was truth and was no lie 1 John 2. But these Ministers of darkness that have been in this night of Apostacy all their indeavours have been to draw people from the Light and from the Vnction of the Holy One after them and after their Imaginations dark Studies and brain Divination and so have deceived poor people and have led them captive at their wills and as the Prophet said Have born rule by their means and the people have been so blind that they love to have it so And thus the Scriptures have been fulfilled and there hath been power given to the Beast and people generally have said in their hearts Who is able to make war with the Beast But glory to the highest Lord his time is over and the year of our Redeemer is come and the Spirit of the Lord is upon him and the Lord hath anointed him to preach good tydings to the meek liberty to the Captives and the opening the Prison doors to them that are bound and to proclaime the acceptable Year of the Lord and the day of Vengeance of our God Isa 61. 1 2. Oh Reader The time is short the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night and all this long-suffering of the Lord that hath been past is because he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance And seeing that all these things shall be dissolved oh what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for that blessed hope and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ that all may be found with him in peace without spot or blemish which is my desire And so read over this following Treatise and weigh in the seriousness of thy heart and consider the Scriptures of Truth by which thou mayest judge by the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ in thee how all the world have been befooled and blinded and led captive even at Satans will and how this Antichrist hath ruled in the hearts of People and sate in the Temple of God and hath been decked and covered over with the Scriptures and Saints words speaking them forth with unclean lips and from unclean hearts and so have deceived the hearts of the simple but this fine linnen and purple and scarlet that Babylon hath been decked with in one day shall be taken from her Amen even so Lord Jesus come quickly M. F. A Touch-Stone OR A Perfect Tryal by the Scriptures of all the Priests Bishops and Ministers c. ME thinks I hear the Bishops mutter murmur and contemn that I should publish it out to the world how I desired the King to beware of their Counsels therefore I do hereby give them my Reasons of the Cause why I did so which Reasons may satisfie them and the whole world except they can by as good or better overturn them In the first place I desired since it pleased the Lord to bring the King to his outward Right and Propriety of the Crown of his Ancestors that he might have done that whereby he might Prosper according to the words of the wise King Solomon who said It is the glory of God to conceal a thing but the honour of a King to search out a matter Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established Prov. 25. And again he saith The thoughts of the Righteous are right but the counsel of the wicked is deceit the words of the wicked are to lye in wait for blood but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them the wicked are overthrown and are not but the house the righteous shall stand Prov. 12. Also it was my desire that he should follow the example of the good Kings of Israel whose way it was to ask counsel of the Lord or of his Prophets as King David enquired of the Lord whether he should go up against the Philistims and the Lord said Go up 2 Sam. 5. and again King David called Nathan the Prophet and told him that he would build a House for the Ark of God and the Lord sent word again to David by Nathan the Prophet 2 Sam. 7. And when there was three years of famine in the Land David enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered him it was for Saul and his bloody house 2 Sam. 21. Also King Solomon the Lord appeared unto him and bid him ask what he would have and Solomon asked of the Lord an understanding heart to judge his People that he might discern between good and bad for saith he Who is able to judge this thy so great a People And this speech pleased the Lord that Solomon asked such a thing 1 Kings 3. And again the Lord spake unto Solomon the second time concerning the House which he was building

hardness as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2. And when he writes to Titus he saith To Titus mine own Son after the common Faith for this cause left I thee at Creet that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting Tit. 1. And again he saith to Timothy Let no man despise thy youth but be thou an Example of the Believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity Till I come give attendance to reading and to exhortation Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4. I would know which of the Bishops hath received such a Gift as this and whether by making proof of this Gift of Prophesie that is in them they have attained to these Titles of Lord-Bishops and Reverend Fathers in God But since we find the Scriptures so much contrary to these Titles it must needs follow that they have received their Titles from men But Timothy and Titus were made Overseers of the Church of God by the Holy Ghost but no Lord-Bishops and so was the Apostle Paul and the other Apostles And James the Apostle speaks expresly My Brethren have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of Persons For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold Ring or goodly Apparrel and there come also a poor man in vile Rayment and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay Cloathing and not to him that is Poor Are ye not partial in your selves c. But if ye have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressours Jam. 2. Here the Apostle gives perfect judgement against the respecting of mens persons which most men do because of advantage but with Christ Jesus and his holy Apostles you see it was not so and therefore those that take upon them the name of the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ should follow their examples and not go quite contrary And this I look upon to be sufficient for the proof of the first head which is their Titles The Second is their Qualifications State and Condition First Christ Jesus said to those he preached unto Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoak upon you learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11. This is contrary to highness and haughtiness And when he preached his first Sermon in the Mountain and his Disciples came unto him He opened his mouth and taught them saying Blessed are the poor in Spirit Blessed are they that Mourn Blessed are the Meek as you may read Mat. 5. And likewise when he sent forth his Disciples he said Behold I send you as Lambs in the middest of Wolves be ye therefore wise as Serpents but harmless as Doves Mat. 10. And when he had sent out the seventy by two and by two he said unto them Go your wayes behold I send you forth as Lambs among Wolves Luke 10. This was one Quality of those that Christ sent forth they were Meek they were Harmless Secondly They were such as were to go into Sufferings as he said unto them in the next verse Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Counsels and they will scourge you in their Synagogues and ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my Names sake for a Testimony against them and the Gentiles and ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake Mat. 10. Mark 13. 9. And when Peter rebuked his Master when he told them that he was to go to Jerusalem to suffer He turned and said unto Peter Get thee behind me Satan c. Then said Jesus unto his Disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Mat. 16. And when he told them that tho Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected of the Elders and Chief Priests and Scribes and be slain and raised again the third day and he said unto them all If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me Luke 9. Mark 8. And according to this the Apostles of Christ went through many hardships and sufferings as may be read at large throughout the Book of the Acts. And the Apostle Paul saith to the Corinthians And I brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or wisdome declaring unto you the Mystery of God for I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified and I was with you in weakness and fear and in much trembling For Christ sent me not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel not with wisdom of words least the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect for the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness 1 Cor. 1. and Chap. 2. It is many ages since those that took upon them the Preaching that which they have called the Gospel were in this state and condition for the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God which makes to tremble as the Apostles did hath been an offence unto them and is mocked and scoffed at by them to this day Thirdly They were also such as were to live in Love and of this Christ himself gave them an example when he took a Towel and girded himself and poured water into a Bason and began to wash the Disciples feet and said Ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye ought also to wash one anothers feet And a new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another John 13. and Chap. 15. And the Apostle saith when he wrote to the Thessalonians but as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another and indeed ye do it towards all the Brethren But we beseech you that ye increase more and more 1 Thes 4. And the Apostle John saith He that saith he is in the Light and hateth his Brother is in darkness He that loveth his brother abideth in the Light 1 John 2. And again he saith This is the Message that ye have heard from the beginning that we love one another not as Cain that slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous But we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren He that loveth not his brother abideth in death whosoever hateth his brother is

away from the Lord and turned unto Idolatry and Abomination and was in Rebellion against him then he complains of their Teachers That they speak a Divination of their own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord But the Lord saith That he will frustrate the Tokens of the Lyars and make the Diviners mad and turn the Wise men backward and make their knowledge foolish Isa 44. And again he complains of the Blind Watchmen and said They are all Ignorant they are all dumb Dogs they cannot bark sleeping lying down to slumber yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough and they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own way every one for his Gain from his Quarter Come ye say they and I will fetch Wine and we will fill our selves with Strong-drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa 56. Again the Lord complains of them by his Prophet Jeremiah Jeremiahs heart was broken within him because of the Prophets and his bones did shake like a drunken man because of the Lord and the word of his Holiness For the Land saith he is full of adulteries for because of swearing the Land mourneth for Prophet and Priest are prophane yea in my house have I found their wickedness saith the Lord. Wherefore their wayes shall be unto them as slippery wayes in the darkness they shall be driven on and fall therein I will bring evil upon them even the year of their visitation saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Hearken not unto the words of the Prophets that prophesie unto you thy make you vain they speak a Vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. They say still unto them that despise me The Lord hath said ye shall have peace and they say unto every one that walketh after the Imaginations of his own heart No evil shall come upon you But behold the whirlwind of the Lord is come forth in fury and it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked the anger of the Lord shall not return till he have executed and till he hath performed the thoughts of his heart In the latter dayes he shall consider it perfectly I have not sent these Prophets I have not spoken unto them yet they prophesied I heard when the Prophet said that prophesied lies in my name which cause my people to forget my name as their Fathers have forgotten my name for Baal Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocks in pieces therefore behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my words every one from his neighbour behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongues and say He saith behold I am against them that prophesie false dreams and tell them and cause my people to erre through their lies and by their lightness and yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit my people at all saith the Lord Jer. 23. And again the Lord said unto me The Prophets prophesie lies in my name I sent them not neither commanded I them neither spake I unto them yet they prophesied unto you a false Vision and a divination and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart Chap. 14. Therefore hearken not ye to your Prophets nor to your Diviners nor to your Inchanters nor to your Sorcerers for I have not sent them yet they prophesie a lye in my name that I might drive you out and ye might perish Jer. 27. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Let not your Prophets nor your Diviners that be in the midst of you deceive you for they prophesie falsly unto you I have not sent them saith the Lord Jer. 29 And Ezekiel saith Her Prophets have daubed them with untempred morter seeing vanity divining lies unto them saying Thus saith the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken Ezek. 22. 28. And Zechariah saith The Idols have spoken vanity and Diviners have seen a lye and have told false dreams and have comforted in vain Zech. 10. 2. And Micah saith Then shall the Seers be ashamed and Diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer from God Micah 3. 7. After the children of Israel and Judah were fallen away from the Lord God and from his Worship and Service into Idolatry and worshiping of Baal then their Priests and Prophets and Teachers fell to divining and enchanting in the power of darkness and fell into all manner of wickedness and grosness and prophaness and drunkeness in so much that the Lord complaineth of their drinking wine in bowles Ye that put far the evil day and cause the seat of violence to come near that lie upon the beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon the Couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flock and the Calves out of the midst of the Stall that chant to the sound of the Vial and invent to themselves Instruments of Musick like David that drink wine in Bowls and anoint themselves with the chief oyntment but they are not grieved at the afflictions of Joseph therefore they shall go into captivity with the first Amos 6. Surely the Diviners and Inchanters of these last dayes in this night of Apostacy in which the Apostle John said that Antichrist should come have taken example by these false Prophets and false Teachers that were fallen away from the Lord and from the Ordinances of his Law that he gave out to those that were to minister at the Altar and were to minister in the Priests Office when they were fallen away into Idolatry they then fell into Divination and digging and diving into the darkness and imagination of their wicked hearts and so spake false Visions and false Dreams and false Prophesies and said the Lord saith when the Lord had never spoken to them So it hath been with our professed Christian Ministers in this time of Apostacy since the Apostles dayes they read the Prophets words and said Thus saith the Lord and they read Christ's words and the holy Apostles words who worshiped the only true God and spake in and by his holy Spirit And they themselves will confess the Lord never spake unto them neither do they ever expect to know revelation nor hear the voice of God as the Apostle did for they have preached to all people that that is ceased And though it is true that it hath been ceased among them in their dark night of Apostacy yet the holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ which spake in him and in all his holy Apostles is alive and lives for evermore which he sent and signified by his servant John Rev. 1. Who bare record of the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw Who when he saw him fell at his feet as dead and he laid his right

Wherefore I beseech you be ye Followers of me For this cause I have sent unto you Timotheus who is my beloved Son and faithfull in the Lord who shall bring you into remembrance of my Wayes which be in Christ as I teach every where in every Church 1 Cor. 4. And again when the Apostle Exhorteth the Philippians in his Epistle To let nothing be done through Strife or Vain-glory but in lowliness of Mind let each esteem other better then themselves Look not every man to his own things but every man also to the things of others And so he goes on opening the Mystery of the Sufferings of Christ But he saith I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you that I also may be of good comfort when I know your State for I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your State for all seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christs but ye know the proof of him that as a Son with a Father he hath served me in the Gospel him therefore I send unto you c. Phil. 2. And again when he writeth to the Thessalonians he saith We sent Timotheus our Brother and Minister of God and our Fellow Labourer in the Gospel of Christ to Establish you and Comfort you concerning your Faith 1 Thess 3. Thus ye see that this Timotheus who was the Bishop and Overseer of the Church of God in the Apostles dayes was a Faithfull Labourer and Minister of Christ Jesus and much trusted in and approved of by the Apostle for he laboured with him in the Gospel as a Son laboureth with his Father And it is strange that the Bishops that have been in these later Ages should call themselves by that name since they have both derogated from their Doctrine and Principles and added what their own dark minds and inventions would invent for in that they have erected unto themselves a supremacy and a superiority above others which they have practised and Lorded over peoples Faith and Consciences for many hundreds of years together under which many thousands have groaned and suffered even until death and shedding of their blood and in all these things they have quite contradicted Christ Jesus his Doctrine Practice and Example as also all his holy Apostles after him for he and they were alwayes sufferers as hath been shewed already and as we shall shew hereafter But they were never Oppressors nor layers of Yoaks and Burdens upon the Consciences of Men and People but they alwayes preached Liberty and Freedom to others though they suffered themselves and there was their Cross that they took up when they followed Christ And so those Church-Governors as they call themselves that have been Blood-shedders that have been Oppressors and Persecutors they have no Example neither from Christ nor none of his Apostles and so let the Blood that they have shed for so many hundreds of years return upon their own heads Let Babylons Merchants have blood to drink for they are worthy for they have been made drunk with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus so the Cup that they have given to others let them have it double for they learned none of this from Christ nor from any of his Apostles For Christ when he sent his Messengers and they entred into a Village of the Samaritans and they received him not because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem and when his Disciples James and John saw this they said Lord wilt thou that we command fire from Heaven and consume them even as Elias did But he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not of what manner of spirits ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Luke 9. 55 56. And to save mens lives he laid down his own Life and shed his own pretious Blood as he saith himself He hath laid down his Life for his Sheep and they shall never perish Yea he hath laid down his Life for his enemies For the Apostle saith Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good and edification For even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Rom. 15. And again the Apostle saith All things are in God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. Here is no violence nor cruelty used neither bondages nor snares laid upon mens Consciences for the Apostle saith Give no offence in any thing that the Ministry be not blamed but in all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God In much Patience in Afflictions in Necessities in Distresses in Stripes and Imprisonments in Tumults in Labours in Watchings in Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the Holy Ghost by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the Right Hand and on the Left by Honour and Dishonour by Evil-report and Good-report as Deceivers and yet True as Vnknown and yet Well-known as Dying and behold we Live as Chastened and not Killed as Sorrowful and yet alwayes Rejoycing as Poor and yet making many Rich as having Nothing yet possessing All things 2 Cor. 6. Here is a Ministry of God indeed which is quite opposite and contrary to what hath been set up and practised in the Christian world Also read 2 Cor. 11. and likewise in Chap. 4. the Apostle saith Therefore seeing we have this Ministry as we have received mercy we faint not For if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them And this Gospel hath been hid all this time of darkness for the god of the World hath blinded the minds of all that have not believed in the Light of the glorious Gospel and so they have been lost from it and kept from it by the Ministers of darkness who have preached the divination of their own brain and not from the Light of the Lord. But the Apostle saith We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake these are not Lord-Bishops nor Pope-Holiness for saith he God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in