Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	good_a	witness_n	witness_v	2,329	5	9.9757	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65876	The path of the just cleared, and cruelty and tyranny laid open, or, A few words to you priests, and magistrates of this nation, (who say we deny the Scriptures, and that we are antichrists and deceivers, and that we deny the Word of God) wherein your oppression and tyranny is laid open, which by you is unjustly acted against the servants of the Living God, who by the world which hate the light of Christ, are in derision called Quakers : wherein also is something declared both to judges and justices ... : also the ground and cause of the imprisonment of George Whitehead and John Harwood ... / from the spirit of the Living God in me, whose name in the flesh is George Whitehead ... ; also a paper against the sin of idleness ...	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.; Harwood, John. To all you rulers, gentry, priests, and people.	1655 (1655)	Wing W1944; ESTC R206645	17,128	27

to go out of doors with a keeper so the said Waldegrave asked John Harwood if he would answer him all the Questions that he should demand of him But Jo. denyed to be limited to his will but as he had moving so the said Harbert Pellam being there present who before had examined us and had our examination in writing John Harwood told Walgrave that Pellam had his examination in writing and bad him if he had any thing to accuse us of to declare what he had against us so then the said Waldegrave being in a great rage would not suffer him to speak but caused him to be haled out of doors so he and the said Pellam consulted a great vvhile together so after a time Walgrave came forth and spoke to John Harwood and in a fury put off his hat and cast it dovvn and asked him his name and country vvhich Questions John ansvvered so he came to me and asked me if I would work at hay so I denyed to be bound to such task-masters for I was in that Calling whereunto God hath called me wherein I was chargable to no man for he had nothing to do to lay any task upon any of us who was brought out of Egypt from under Pharoahs Task-masters so he went in and sent out a Warrant to imprison John Harwood and another to have Richard Clayton whipped at Bury and sent from Constable to Constable till he came at his outward being so he charged the Constable to keep me that week till another Justice came from the Assizes at Bury so we demanded of him what Law we had transgressed But he would shew us none neither declared unto us any transgression that we had acted But called the paper that Richard Clayton set upon the steeple-house door a seditious paper and non-sence which he could not prove nor shew any thing in it contrary to the Scripture But he would scarce suffer us to speak but did stamp and rage and caused us to be haled out of doors so we were had back again to the said Bury and according to the Warrant Richard Hum the said Constable the same night in the open street whipping Richard Clayton he being stript naked to the midle about the wast so presently after he had whipped him he sent him away that nighr according to the warrant and John Harwood and I was kept at an Inn in the same town that night and early in the morning John was sent with 2. men to the prison of Bury St. Edmonds in Suffolk about 16. miles from the said Bures so until the next day under the Constables custody I remained so in the morning there came a warrant from the said Waldegrave to the Constable to send me to the said prison of Bury so accordingly I was sent the same day where we remaine in bonds by the cruelty of these called Justices to wit Harbert Pellam and Thomas Waldgrave and are not convinced of the breach of any known Law of the Nation But in patience we suffer and in our sufferings have peace our bonds being unjustly laid upon us by them who profess Justice but here they and their profession is seen and with the light of Christ condemned to be contrary to the law justice and equity Therefore let the supreme and governors who are in Authority consider for all your professing Liberty to tender consciences and Religion what Liberty by you is brought forth when as we who are sent of the Lord to bear witness unto pure religion and to witnesse forth a good conscience and our labour and travel is that justice and equity might be set up and deceit confounded and also we being free born English men may not have freedom to passe the high-way about our lawful calling But have such bonds and snares laid upon us both contrary to the Law of God and the law of the Nation and contrary to that liberty which hath been promised to them professing Godlinesse by the supreme of this Nation As in the act for the government of England Scotland and Ireland in Article 36. That to the publike profession held forth none shall be compelled by penalities or otherwise but that endeavours be made to win them by sound doctrine and the examples of a good conversation Article 37. That such as profess faith in God by Jesus Christ though differing in Judgment from the doctrin worship or discipline publickly held forth shall not be restrained from But shall be protected in the profession of the faith and exercise of their Religion so as they abuse not this Liberty to the civill Injury of others and to the actuall disturbance of the publique peace on their part provided that this liberty be not extended to Popery or Prelacy nor to such who under the profession of Christ hold forth and practise Licentiousnesse Article 38 That all lawes statutes ordinances and clauses in any law statute and ordinance to the contrary of the aforesaid liberty shall be esteemed Nul and ●oyde Now let the Supreme and Magistrates see and examine what performance there is acted by you of these solemne promises which hath beene promised for the liberty of Godlinesse in this Nation when such injustice is winked at and acted by you who professe justice and are set in authority to act according to the law of justice and to remove unjust causes when now both contrary to the law of God and contrary to your own law you cause the servants of the Lord to suffer Whipping and Imprisoning them which you cannot charge which the breach of any law here be ashamed of your unjust actings ye oppressors and persecutors of the innocent and know that at your cruelty the Lord will not winke but though you joyne hand in hand you shall not go unpunished and the very heathens may condemn you that whip and act contrary to your own law against them whom the law condemnes not for when they were ready to Whip Paul he said to the centurion Is it lawfull for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned and said he was free borne and so both the centurion and the chiefe Captaine who bound Paul were afraid after they knew that he was a Roman and caused him to be loosed but though we be free-borne English men and uncondemned by the law you are not ashamed to Whip and act in cruelty against us therefore see what equity is owned by you and see whethe● you do as ye would be don by yea or nay and let al● people who have any feare of God in them see you● shame and envy you utter forth and have acted againe the innocent For they who are authorised to beare this sword of justice ought not to be a terrour to good work-but to the evill and saith the Lord by his prophet David he that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the feare of God and such who rule in the feare of God are not persecutors of the innocent but

stand praying in the Synagogues have the cheifest places in the assemblies and the greetings in the Markets and lay heavy burthens upon the people and devour widdows houses and so here the cause of the widdows and opressed you do not judg therfore the Lord may justly say of you as he said of that people which he had set in a fruitful place when I Looked for Judgment behold oppression therefore repetn of your cruelty and undo the heavy burthens and let the oppressed goe free for if you still refuse and rebel against the Lord which is a God of truth and equity he will cut you off and give you your portion among all the oppressors and persecuters whom the Lord in his indignation cut off the Lord of hosts hath spoken it and what will ye do in the end of your persecution when the Lord calls you to an account will not the Lord avenge his quarrel upon Sions oppressors and ease him of his enemies Therefore remember you are warned lest you are pertakers of the plagues who go on in persecution and oppression who pervert true Judgment and despise equity and so have your portion with the workers of iniquity So to the light in all your consciences I speak which loves equity and true Judgment and is the condemnation of all the practices before mentioned which are contrary to it And the condemnation of all them that live in them by which light are witnessed who walk in the light and to it we are manifest whether you heare or forbear A few words to you both Judges and Justices so called that say we contemne Magistracy and are not subiect to Authority and Government because we cannot put off our hats nor bow to you when we are called before you THe Powers that are ordained of God who are sent of him for the punishment of transgressors and for the encouragment of them that do well these we own and are subiect to them for conscience sake knowing that such are not a terror to good works but to evil for such execute the law in righteousnes upon them who are guilty of the transgression of it for because of trangression the Law is added there the Law is executed in its place and in righteousness and so those that execute the Law in its place they are for the establishment of righteousness and peace and contrary to the Law of Justice equity dare not act in their own wills nor for their own ends and herein they seek not themselves nor their own glory nor honour but the glory and honour of God who is honoured and glorified among them who act in truth and righteousnesse and love the Lord and to them our souls are subject But you who act in cruelty and persecution as before mentioned who execute your law upon the innocent you do not encourage them that do well but encourage them that do ill and strengthen the hands of evil doers and make strong the bands of wickedness who indite and fine and imprison those who cannot for conscience sake bow to your wills nor put off their Hats to satisfie your corrupt wills wherein you are seeking your own honour and not the honour of God and because that many cannot for conscience sake act these heathenish customs to satisfie your vain minds and your fleshly exaltations wherein you act in pride and high-mindedness therfore by you many are fined and endited and imprisoned contrary to any Just Law and contrary to the Law of the Nation and no such vain custome can you prove that ever any of the Saints did act when they were brought from vanities to serve the Living God But the world and the conformities and fashions of the World they were brought to deny and by the same Spirit are we brought to deny all these heathenish practices and to witness against the World who live in them and because we witness against the World that the deeds thereof are evil therefore we are hated and by the World suffer and here ye Magistrates who plead for these things and cause the innocent to suffer for denying them you act in the costumes of the world contrary to the Light of Christ which condemns the World with its deeds and sayes that we contemn Magistracy and Authority because we cannot stoop to your wills in these customes here you falsly accuse us for Authority we do not contemn for by the Spirit of the Living God whereby we are Transformed by the renuing of our minds we do deny the conformities of the world as the Apostle said Be not ye conformed unto this World and the same Apostle did not contemn Authority but said Let every soule be subject to the higher powers and Rulers are not a terror to good workes but to evil but he speakes not of pulling off the hat nor bowing neither gives he liberty to any of you to persecute and imprison them who cannot for conscience sake bow to your wills nor put off their hatts for he was imprisoned and persecuted and did suffer by that generation you are in who suffered stripes tumults and imprisonment and many perils of his sufferings are we pertakers and the cloak that you have for these vanities will not hide you for you say that though you have no written Law of the Nation for puling off hats nor Scripture to prove it yet you say that it is the custome of the Nation as bowing c and that the very heathens do bow and that the Egyptians bowed I answer so is drunkenness and Lying and Swearing persecution and fighting and Quarreling accustomed in this Nation which many that act in go unpunished which the righteous Law of God takes hold upon but the righteous Law of God speaks not of puting off a hat therefore be ashamed of your actings and be ashamed of your customs who makes a Custome a Law to act in envy and cruelty against the servants of the Lord And when you alledge that Jacob bowed to Esau and called him Lord and that Abraham bowed to Seth who was a Heathen I answer that which was acted by them when they bowed was not a command to you and that you might seek honour one of another who profess your selvs to be Believers and Christians to imitate these heathenish customs though for a time Jacob and Abraham bowed and Jacob called Esau Lord who was the elder but when the elder was made to serve the younger he was not Lord but servant and so out of Esaus state and the Heathenish nature we are redeemed and the one Lord who is the true God we witness so out of the many gods and many Lords which are in the World vve are redeemed and hovv can ye believe and seek honour one of another for the true God is no respecter of persons and he that respects persons commits sin and so by you that seek eye-service and honour one another is not the Lord honoured But ye seek

doth defend and preserve such as these men before mentioned whip and persecute For the law which because of transgression is added doth not take hold upon the innocent which no law hath transgressed So ye who have acted your cruelty upon the innocent who in the sight of God are free from the breach of any known law who according to your own law by you ought to be protected here you are found transgressors of the law which because of transgression is added and with it are condemned and with the light of Christ you are seene to be the Magistrates which beares the sword in vaine who turnes the edge of the sword against the righteous seed which you ought to turne against the wicked that the land might be emptyed of transgressors and evill doers for the law was not made for the righteous but for the lawless and disobedient which law is witnessed by us to be good in its place who suffer by the wills of unreasonable men contrary to the law of God and the law of the Nation for we who professe faith in God by Jesus Christ and through faith hath victory obtained over that nature which leads into the transgression of the Law ought according to your own law to be protected in the exercising of our religion but you instead of protecting us whip and imprison us And here let your own law be a witnesse against you and be ashamed of your unjust actings but the Lord of God of Heaven and Earth who is our protector who is righteous who beares not the sword in vaine who will execute the judgment upon the transgressor who will reward you according to your works before him you shall not be able to stand in judgment in the day of your account therefore come downe to the light in your consciences which calls for justice and equity and awake to righteousnesse all ye that li●e in your Pride and presumption and therein act against the innocent for the day hastens wherein you will be found out by the righteous judgments of God for the cry of the innocent which is oppressed by you hath entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath who will come quickly and reward every one of you according to your deeds Therefore repent of your cruelty before the evill day come least you be found guilty of the blood of the innocent when the Lord calls you to an account for know this that when the Lord comes to plead with you that of God in all your consciences will witnesse for God in his righteous judgments therefore by that light which is pure in your consciences learne your condemnation and own it upon those things before mentioned which are contrary to the light that peradventure you may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath From us who are sufferers in outward bonds for the testimony of a good conscience for the innocent truth sake which shall stand for ever a witnesse against all cruelty and bloody persecutors in which truth we have assurance and peace in our sufferings who are counted by the world deceivers yet true persecuted but not destroyed Our names according to the flesh are George Whitehead Iohn Harwood c. From Bury Gaol this 14 of the 9 Month A True Coppy of the Paper which Richard Clayton was moved to set upon Bures Steeple-house doore for which he the said Thomas Waldgrave called Iustice of peace caused him to be whipped which he the said Thomas Waldegrave called a seditious paper and non-sence IF you do set up such Ministers as seeke for their gaine from their quarters you do set up such as the Prophet disapproves Isa. 56. 11 And if you do set up such as do beare rule by their meanes you do set up such as the Prophet Jeremiah and the Lord disapproves Jer. 5. And you that set up such as seeks for the wool and make a prey upon the people you set up such as the Prophet Ezekiel disapproves Ezek. 34 And you that set up hirelings set up such as Micah disapproves Mica 3. And you that set up such as are called of men Masters stands praying in the synagogues and have the chiefest places in the assemblies you set up such as Christ disapproved Math. 23 And you that set up such as are given to filthy lucre you set up such as the Apostle disapproves 2 Pet. 2. 14. And you that set up such as persecute and cause people to be sent to prison for speaking the truth in the synagogues you set up such as goe in Cains way Jude 11 And you that set up such as receives guifts and rewards the wages of unrighteousnesse you set up such as minde earthly things whose God is their belly which the Apostle disapproves Phil. 3. 10. And you that set up such as strives to keep out Gods labourers out of his Vineyard and keep up such which Christ and the Apostles disapproves and you that set up such as would not suffer another to speake that stands by when any thing is revealed but sends him to Prison if he do you set up a persecuting Spirit full of disorder and are judged by the Apostles life and doctrine who was a Minister of Christ both you that set up and them you do set up who said they might speake one by one and so you all by this Spirit are judged to be in the Spirit of errour and to be such as would quench the holy Spirit and would limit the Spirit of God and despise prophecying and dare not try all things manifesting your selves to be haters of the light and disapproved with the Prophets and Apostles and their practices and life and you that sets up such as gives people Davids Quakings Tremblings Cryings Roarings and Tears and Prophecyes and prayers and praises in Meeter mixt together you set up such as have not the Spirit of understanding to sing with the Spirit and with understanding which Spirit brings to know the time of praising Praying Groaning and Crying and Trembling and Quaking and Prophesying the Spirit of understanding witnesseth these things in their places but you give Scoffers and Scorners and Drunkards and Swearers and Threatners and Persecuters Davids conditions to sing for he was scoft at when he was in such conditions and these do so now at these that are in such conditions And if you set up such as takes Tythes you set up such as the Apostle denied for the Apostle said the Preisthood was changed and the law was changed also Heb. 7. and if you set up such as is before mentioned you set up such as are contrary to Scriptures and plants no Vineyard nor labours in the Vineyard for first they must plant a Vineyard before they eat of it To all you-Rulers Gentry Priests and people in the Nation who accuse us you call Quakers for idleness Take notice of your envy you have against Gods Labourers WHereas by many of the Magistrates Priests and People of this Nation we are accused of