Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A30512
|
The case of the people called Quakers (once more) stated, and published to the world with the accusations charged upon them, and their answers.
|
Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.
|
1660
(1660)
|
Wing B5987; ESTC R21112
|
11,151
|
17
|
our Neighbours and the witness of God in all mens Consciences shall bear witness to us And all these do give judgment for us in these cases to whom we do appeal for Judgment And O Lord God Everlasting do thou Iudge our Cause do thou make it manifest in thy due Season to all the world that we are thy people that we love Thee above all that we fear thy Name more than all that we love Righteousness and hate Iniquity and that we now suffer for thy holy Name and Truth and for thy Honour and Iustice and for thy Truth and Holiness O Lord thou knowest we are resolved to perish rather than to loose one grain hereof Amen Amen Our Accusations and Answers truly compared and weighed in the ballance of Justice and truth in every mans Conscience Let all the world Judg of the Case Do we deserve to be Ruined Destroyed Imprisoned and Banished and that to be devoured of Wild Beasts as our enemy threatens us he will do Is it so Are we Hereticks are we Seditious are we Drunkards are we double dealers are we such as the Law of God condemns what evil have we done in the Land do we hurt any body are we not Innocent before the Lord and Men we appeal to the just witness of God in all let it be answered though no man will hear and consider our cause this day yet the Lord will plead our Cause in his time and season and make the world to know we are his people in the mean time we are willing to suffer the Reproaches of ungodly men till the Lord work deliverance in the earth But now it may be Objected by the Magistrates and Rulers That we have now a Law against you and you must Suffer for we cannot but put the Law in Execution according to our Oaths and Offices and it is not we that Persecute you but it is the Law of the Land by which you now suffer and we cannot be blamed for your suffering we onely execute the Law And after this manner is the Reasoning of some at this day c. Answ. To all which I do Answer It is true there is a Law now Enacted against us which is pretendedly made the ground of our suffering but whether that Law be in it self Iust or Unjust I shall not now demonstrate but shall leave it to the Iudgement of all Christian men that know us our Principles Doctrines Wayes and Conversations and let them judge whether we deserve the Penalties and Punishments therein described for any Principle or Practice held and maintained by us And though there be A Law against us yet the Magistrates that are Executors thereof may execute the same with Moderation or with Uiolence with Discretion or too much rigour and it will be well for them to use moderation and discretion in this case Hereby may they save themselves from that weight of Anger and Indignation of the Lord God that will come upon all Uiolent Doers who seek to destroy the Innocent and rejoyce in the occasion Administred And though This Law be Enacted against our Meetings not ours I may say but such Meetings as are Dangerous to the Publick Peace and to the Terrour of the People But our Meetings are not such and therefore This Law may not Iustly extend in its Execution to the Breaking of our Meetings nor to Banish us because of our Meeting together which is for the Worship of God and are Peaceable and of Good Report among all good men and are not for Disturbance of the Peace nor Terrour of the People and therefore justly free from this Law as aforesaid And though This Law is pretended against us for to Banish us and to ridd the Land of us as some vainly suppose Yet must it needs be Executed to the height of it without Limitation or Restriction Must this Law be Executed to its height more than some other Laws that are as truly Enacted and as fully in force as this Act can be Yet some such Lawes there are which better deserves Execution than this yet they lie Dormant as is visibly apparent at this day as in 4 Iac. cap. 5. in these words Be it Enacted c. That all and every person or persons which after Forty dayes next following the end of this present Session of Parliament Shall be Drunk and of the same Offence of Drunkeness shall be lawfully Convicted shall for every such offence Forfeit and loose five Shillings c. to be paid to the hands of the Church-Wardens of that Parish where the Offence shall be committed who shall be accountable therefore to the use of the Poor of the same Parish And if the said person or persons so Convicted shall refuse or neglect to pay the said Forfeiture then the same shall be levied of the Goods of every such person or persons by Warrant of Precept from the Court Iudge or Iustices before whom the same Conviction shall be And if the Offender be not able to pay the sum of Five Shillings then he shall be committed to the Stocks for the space of Six Hours I pray you read the Statute at large t is worth a sober mans pains to read over and then Judge whether that Law be duly Executed at this day and also whether it deserves not more strict Execution than the present Act against us Also the 1 Iac. cap. 7. in these words That all persons calling themselves Schollars going about Begging All Idle persons going about in any Country either Begging or using any Subtle Craft or unlawful Games or Playes or feigning themselves to have knowledge in Physiognomy or pretending that they can tell Fortunes or such other like phantastical Imaginations All Fencers Bear-wards Common-players of Interludes Minstrels wandring abroad Shall be taken adjudged and deemed as Rogues Vagabonds and sturdy Beggars and shall suffer such pains and punishments as is expressed 39 Eliz. cap. 4. viz. That every such person shall be stripped Naked from the middle Upwards and shall be openly Whipped until his or her Body be bloody c. and shall be forth-with sent from parish to parish c. And read the Statute at large and then consider how duly it is Executed now and whether it deserves not Execution as much as the late Act against us though in some places the one is more Executed than the other where many of our friends being honest sober persons and of good Conversation and yet are haled out of their Meetings where they are met only to worship God and for no other end and sent to Prison and persecuted to the very height of the said Act when as idle persons following unlawful Games and Playes and Bearwards common players of Interludes and Minstrells of diverse kinds do wander up and down City and Country and having their Play-houses publick where their wickedness is acted such persons and such things though appearing publickly yet are permitted and little or no notice taken of them by some of