Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	blood_n	bread_n	cup_n	4,095	5	9.9348	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51123	Antichrist unvailed by the finger of Gods power and his visage discovered by the light of Christ Jesus, and his ministers, members, works, and lying wonders, manifested by the spirit of God, a manifestation whereof is given to every man (and woman) to profit withal : with friendly and serious invitations, exhortations, and warnings to all professors of Christianity, to beware of that antichristian spirit that leadeth to destruction, and of those teachers, who are influenced by it / written in the love of God by a prisoner (at Lancaster castle) for the testimony of truth, and one of the people called (in scorn) Quakers, Henry Mollineux.	Mollineux, Henry, d. 1719.	1695 (1695)	Wing M2393; ESTC R13417	147,325	285

14. and take which Water whosoever drinketh shall never thirst their Souls will not want Refreshment from any outward Bread John 7.37 38. Wine or Water but saith Christ the Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of Water springing up into Eternal Life Now observe it was Christ's Disciples who had learned of him to deny themselves and to take up their Cross to their own wills daily and who had left all to follow him with whom he desired to eat and did eat the Passeover and whom he so instructed by the Bread and Wine which shewed forth his Death But there was a great difference between these his Disciples and the Priests of those Times 1 Cor. 5.7 who were very strict in keeping the Passeover which Typified Christ the true Passeover and caused him to be Crucified and so all that will not be instructed by the Light of Christ in their own Hearts nor learn of him that they may truly be his Disciples nor will not deny themselves nor take up their Cross nor follow Christ spiritually such may be strict in their outward Performances wherein they know not what they do Crucifying Christ afresh in their Affections and in their Lusts but God is displeased with all such their Performances And they who disobey the Light of Christ in their own Hearts and Consciences are all ignorant of the true spiritual Food which Christ daily ministreth to the Souls of the Children of the Light and such depend upon the Shadow or Ceremony not enjoying the Substance and as such as they did by Christ formerly so now they number among Transgressors the Children of God who feed upon the Bread of Life the Flesh and Blood of Christ and know the end of the things concerning him Now People may eat Bread and drink Wine in remembrance of Christ and of his Death also and yet not spiritually eat the Flesh nor drink the Blood of Christ for they are two different things and the Apostle Paul reproving the Corinthians for some abuses about their eating and drinking in their Assemblies and of themselves mentioneth the words of Christ to wit this do in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.20 to 28. and concerning the Cup he renders the Command thus to wit this do as oft as ye do it in remembrance of me and saith Paul As often as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink the Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Where it is to be observed that the Corinthians being newly Convinced and in a weak estate of Faith of which mention is often made in this first Epistle of Paul to them and being in the use of this Ceremony of eating and drinking in their Assemblies they performed it as a Religious Act and so it is to all those that use it as a Religious Act for as much as therein their end is to remember the Lord's Body that was Crucified for them and his Blood that was shed for them and to shew the Lord's Death But to remember the Lord and his Body and Blood and to shew forth his Death is not the same as to partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ for the Lord and his Death may be remembred by those who do not truly partake of his Flesh and Blood And the words of the Command mentioned by Paul are also to be considered to wit This do as oft as ye do it in remembrance of me which Command doth not imply that they were always to continue in that Ceremony of outward eating and drinking in their Assemblies in remembrance of Christ the continuance of it was not so positively commanded Gen. 17.9 to 14. as the continuance of Circumcision was and also of keeping the Passeover for Circumcision was commanded of God Exod. 12.14 to be in their Flesh for an Everlasting Covenant and the Passeover was commanded of God Phil. 3.2 3. Rom. 2.28 1 Cor. 5.7 Gal. 4.10.11 to be kept a Feast by an Ordinance for ever and yet the true Apostle of Christ under the Gospel Dispensation laboured to bring People out of the outward use of them to witness them inwardly in themselves but that saying in the said Command about the Cup to wit As oft as ye do it implieth that they were not enjoined how oft they should do it nor how long they should continue in that practice and so though the Corinthians Rom. 14. or others were then in such a practice it is not binding upon others to use it no more than was observations of Days or making a difference between Meats And those that do truly partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ as he himself saith they dwell in him as the Branches do in the Vine and he dwelleth in them John 6.56 John 15.5 as the Life of the Vine extendeth thorow all its living Branches and therefore such cannot but remember him as naturally as a Man remembereth his natural Food when hungry or thirsty and so they need no Ceremonies to put them in remembrance of him or of his Death who always bear about in the Body the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 that the Life also of Jesus may be made manifest in their Body And so such truly know Christ to be come the Abolisher of Ceremonies and outward Typical Ordinances And so it is good for every one to be a Disciple of Christ which none can be but who learneth of him by his Light the Manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts which reproveth for sin before they presume to eat Bread and drink Wine thereby to shew forth his Death lest they eat and drink their own Damnation not discerning the Lord's Body And if any believe it is their Duty so to take or use Bread and Wine and make it a matter of Conscience to forbear yet if they do not so prepare and examine themselves as is required of all that appear before the All-seeing Eye of God to perform every Religious Act whatsoever then surely they do it unworthily and instead of feeding upon the precious Flesh and Blood of Christ or of truly remembring him or shewing forth his Death they make themselves guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and so they unworthily eating and drinking the Cup of the Lord as it is to them they eat and drink Damnation to themselves And though such pretend to be sorry for their sins whereby Christ is as in them Crucified and seem to be thankful for what Christ hath done for them who laid down his Life for them yet they are in the same Spirit in which formerly were the Jews Scribes and Pharisees who garnished the Sepulchres of the Prophets and said If we had lived in the Days of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the Blood of the

for they abide not in Christ the true Vine but are cast forth as Branches and withered and it will not profit them at all to have a Name to live and be dead And this eating of spiritual Meat 1 Con. 0.1 2 3 4. and drinking of spiritual Drink was witnessed by the Fathers in Israel who were all under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea for said the Apostle they all drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them or went with them and that Rock was Christ and these were directed by Moses to the word very nigh in the Mouth Dent. 30.11 12 13 14. and in the Heart and he told them of the Prophet that God would raise up unto them in the midst of them that was to be heard in all things which the Martyr Steven said was Christ who was with the Church in the Wilderness whom said he our Fathers would not obey Acts 7 37 to 51. but thrust him from them and in their Hearts turned back again into Egypt And he said to the Jews The stiff necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Forefathers did so do ye And so they that believe in and faithfully obey the Light of Christ which is the Manifestation of his Holy Spirit and the Word of his Grace in their Hearts which is nigh to reprove for sin they become Children of the Light and with his inward Baptism by his own Spirit they are all Baptized into one Body whereof Christ is the Head and so they are Members of Christ whether they be Jews or Gentiles 1 Cor. 12.11 12 to 21. whether they be Bond or Free being all made to drink into his one Spirit for as the Apostle Paul saith The Body is not one Member but many for as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many Eph. 4.5 are one Body so also is Christ And saith he If they were all one Member where were the Body but now are they many Members yet but one Body And these all eat the same spiritual Meat and drink the same spiritual Drink even of the spiritual Rock Christ Jesus of which the Fathers who were under the Cloud of old drank and of which all the Servants Children and People of God and Disciples and Members of Christ in all Ages have drunk Even as all the Members of the Body receive Nourishment from or of the Body and as all the Branches or Members of the Vine receive Nourishment of the Vine in which they dwell But they that believe not in but Rebel against the Light the Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in their Hearts they resist his Holy Spirit and will not by it be Baptized into his one Body and so they are not Members of Christ nor Branches of him the true Vine nor they do not receive Nourishment from him as his Members and Branches do neither do they know an eating of his Flesh or drinking of his Blood to have Eternal Life thereby though they may talk much of it for the power of Death and Darkness even the Man of Sin prevaileth over such and they are subject to his unclean dark unholy Spirit and so are Servants to him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders And so he prevailing upon them to yield to his Temptations and to obey his Power and so to disobey the Light of Christ in their Hearts which reproveth them for sin so that they can have no true spiritual satisfaction then he perswadeth them to endeavour for satisfaction in the use of outward Signs as well of Baptism before treated of as also of eating and drinking the Lord's Supper to wit cating his Flesh and drinking his Blood and so they use Bread and Wine as signs thereof but it is but after the Doctrines and Commandments of Men some after one manner and others after another manner for the Spirit of the Man of Sin doth not Baptize its Followers all into one Body as the Spirit of Christ doth his Followers to whom he giveth one Heart Jer. 31.39 and one Way but it makes them of many different Hearts and Ways and filleth all its Followers with Confusion and Disorder inwardly and outwardly For some believe that the visible Bread and Wine at or by the words of their Priest are Converted or Transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood of Christ and so they think they eat the Body of Christ with their outward Mouths though under the form of outward Bread and that they drink his Blood under the form of outward Wine See Councel of Trent Sess 13. C. 1. Others hold that the Body of Christ is in or with or about the Bread and Wine others only use it in remembrance of Christ's Death c. affirming That the Body of Christ is not there Corporally or Substantially but yet that it is Really and Sacramentally received by the Faithful in the use of outward Bread and Wine In Contention about these Opinions especially about that first mentioned much Innocent Blood hath been shed which is a plain Argument and Evidence that such Blood-shedders are not such as feed spiritually upon the Flesh and Blood of Christ Jesus Mat. 26 5● whose coming is not to destory Mens Lives but to save them But it is also very plain that such who kill and destroy one another or the Servants of Christ about their Religions and Opinions John 16.2 are such as Rebel against the Light or Manifestation of Christ's Spirit in their Hearts being gradually drawn to that high degree of Rebellion Luke 23.34 by their being prevailed upon by the deceitful Power of the Man of Sin even the Power of Death and Darkness in themselves which maketh them so dark and sensless in spiritual things Acts 3.17 that they know not what they do no more than the Jews did when they Crucified Christ who came to save them but they think they do God good service 1 Cor. 2.7.8 9 10. as Christ foretold of them when they kill his Servants and Children in whom in and by his own meek innocent Spirit he appeareth testifying against all ungodliness and wickedness And so they become as Mystery Babylon their Mother drunken with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus whose Plagues shall come in one Day Death and Mourning and Famine instead of eating as they say the Flesh and drinking the Blood of Christ Jesus and having Eternal Life thereby And as concerning the said Opinions themselves it is needless to make particular Refutations of them if any think themselves to be clear from shedding Innocent Blood concerning their manner of Doctrine and using of their Bread and Wine and that they have killed none about that matter particularly though they have warred with and probably killed some

about Religious Tenets c. let such consider That he who abideth not in Christ the true Vine which none can do but they that continue in his Love and Doctrine is cast forth as a Branch and is withered not knowing a partaking of his Vertuous Life which is called his Flesh and Blood and the Love and Doctrine of Christ teacheth Mat. 5.39 44. Mat. 7.12 Mat. 7.28 Luke 12.4 not to resist evil but when any smiteth on the Right Cheek to turn the other also and to love Enemies and to pray for Persecutors and despiteful Users and to do as they would be done unto and not to be afraid of them that kill the Body but cannot kill the Soul And which of them of any of the said three Opinions about their Bread and Wine continue in this Love and Doctrine of Christ But such as war sight oppress persecute or cast into Prison Innocent People till Death if they can for Wages for Preaching or make havock and spoil of their Goods or Imprison them for Tythes Easter-Reckonings or Midsummer Dues as they call them or for not paying for their Bread and Wine which they neither had nor would buy knowing therein is no true spiritual Food as the Sellers of it pretend and also knowing true and substantial Food for their Souls daily given of God freely which those Sellers of Bread and Wine are ignorant of for if they knew it they would not persecute those for their Price of their Bread and Wine who will not Buy of it And also they that Persecute or Imprison others for meeting together to Worship God in his holy Fear Spirit and Truth they that do such things are far from doing to others as they would have others to do to them and are far from a state of loving their Enemies and of truly praying for Persecutors and despiteful Users of themselves being themselves Enemies and Persecutors and despiteful Users of others and they are far from turning the one Cheek to the smiter when the other is smitten and so not resisting evil who themselves persecute smite or abuse the Innocent And if such suspect danger how should they but be afraid of them that kill the Body who are such evil Doers themselves to the Bodies and Goods of the Innocent And so live unprepared for Death themselves And let it be considered whether Persecution and Imprisonment of the Innocent for Tythes and Wages for Preaching and about their Worship of God c. be not Persecution of Christ in his Members And whether any of such Enters of Bread and Drinkers of Wine in their Worship of any of the said Three Opinions especially their Teachers when many of them are such Persecutors and despiteful Users of others when they have power And whether such be not guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ and so in their eating and drinking their Sacramental Bread and Wine as they call it eat and drink their own Damnation not discerning the Lord's Body which is a spiritual Body And what Condition are the Followers in when the Leaders are such And as to those who take the Bread and Wine in remembrance of the Death of Christ and affirm That the Flesh and Blood of Christ is Really and Sacramentally received by the Faithful in the use of Bread and Wine and make the Communion or Participation thereof to relate to that outward Body that was Born of the Virgin Mary and suffered without the Gates at Jerusalem in Judea whereas it should relate to the spiritual Body Flesh and Blood of Christ the spiritual Rock which was and is the Souls Food of his Faithful Servants in all Ages And who al 's tye this Participation of the Body and Blood of Christ to the Ceremony of breaking outward Bread used by him with his Disciples as if it were only to be enjoyed in the use of that Ceremony and therefore reckon that Ceremony to be a perpetual standing Ordinance in the Church of Christ and of Necessity to be used Mat. 26.26 27 28. Mark 14.22 Luke 22.17 18 19 20. because the Evangelist Luke only for Matthew and Mark mention only the action Recordeth that Christ took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto his Disciples saying This is my Body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me And both before and after taking of the Bread Luke mentioneth that he took the Cup and giving thanks said This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you or as Matthew relates This is my Blood of the New Testament Upon this said Sentence to wit this do in remembrance of me lyeth the stress of the Argument that Christ commanded the Continuance of this Ceremony of taking outward Bread and Wine in his Church in remembrance of him perpetually but the words being spoken figuratively as they also grant imply no such thing but rather the Discourse mentioned by Luke Luke 22. maketh plainly to appear that Christ intended only that their so doing which was in a state of their weakness might be a means to instruct them in the Mystery of the spiritual eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood in his Kingdom Luke 17.21 which was within them And to this purpose he said With desire I have desired to eat this Passeover with you before I suffer for I say unto you I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God and said he I will not drink of the Fruit of the Vine until the Kingdom of God shall come and said he Ye are they which have continued with me in my Temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom Luke 22.15 to 38. And said he I say unto you That this that is written must yet be accomplished in me he was numbred among the Transgressors for the Things concerning me have an end By which words it is plain that Christ appointed to his Disciples that they should eat and drink spiritually at his Spiritual Table in his heavenly Kingdom which was within them which shall never have an end and that the outward things concerning him were to have an end for the inward or spiritual things concerning him have no end And so by the outward Bread and Wine which he gave them he instructed them in the knowledge of their spiritual eating of the daily Bread of Life Mat. 6.5 to 15. John 6.51 without which no Soul can live to God which he bade them to pray in secret for which cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life which Bread Christ giveth which is his Flesh And also in the knowledge of their spiritual drinking of the new and spiritual Wine in his Kingdom which is his Blood and is also the Living Water which he freely giveth and inviteth all and every one that is athirst to come unto John 4.10 13

them who are in judgment contrary to themselves yet they must never have their desire but as they destroy their Fellow-Creatures their Friends so Eternal Destruction will be to themselves and the Light and Spirit of God will be their Condemnation for ever But blessed and happy are all they and shall be for evermore who suffer for the Testimony of a good Conscience and are faithful unto Death for God will give them a Crown of Eternal Life and such in the midst of Persecution or at the laying down of their Lives for their Testimony in obedience to the Light and according to the Example of Christ the Captain of their Salvation can pray for their Persecutors who being blinded by their deceitful Leader the Devil know not what they do but think they do God service but Eternal Torment shall seize upon the Murtherers fear shall surprize them and truth will rise up in Judgment against them over all Deceit over all Error and over the Devil and all his deceived Followers and God will be magnified over all who is worthy for evermore Amen And after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ when his Apostles who according to his command waited at Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high were commissionated to Preach in his Name and Power his Everlasting Gospel then the great Deceiver and Enemy of Man's Felicity was very busie in his deceived Servants and Instruments to hinder the propagation and publication of it stirring them up by his Murthering Persecuting Spirit to Murder and Persecute the Ministers and Apostles of Christ as may at large be read in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles But Christ the power of God by the living operation of his Light which he sent his Ministers to turn People unto from Darkness and by the word of his Grace which is one with the Light working effectually in the Hearts of many to the convincement of them of their evil deeds thereby-bringing them to true Repentance and to the acknowledgment of the truth and not only so but also teaching them to live godlily and righteously and soberly thereby as well in Life and Conversation as in Words to Preach and Propagate the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ in the demonstration of the Spirit and Power of God So that the number of Christians encreased much and that in several Nations to the glory of God and the great comfort and cause of rejoicing of many Souls who had received the Light of Christ and believed in it and walked in it wherein they had true Unity and Fellowship one with another and knew by the Blood of Christ Jesus 1 John 1.7 a cleansing from all sin which their Soul's Enemy had wrought in them and in the Name and Power of Christ knew and witnessed a triumphing in his Eternal Life over the power of Death which is the Devil 2 Cor. 2.14 Col. 2.13 to 17. Heb. 2.14 who had formerly captivated them and held them as in Chains of Darkness which they knew and witnessed to be broken and dissolved by the Light and Power of Christ and so could say The Darkness is past 1 John 2.8 and the true Light now shineth So the great Deceiver the Devil was frustrated of his Will for the Gospel was Preached and the Name of Christ gloriously magnified in his People over the Earth all the Endeavours of the Devil and his deceived ones not being able to suppress it But although many received the Gospel of Christ in uprightness of Heart and believed in his Light unto which his Ministers were sent to turn their Minds from darkness and in faithful obedience from their very Hearts gave up their All to the service of God in his Light the manifestation of his Spirit in their Hearts and Souls and Consciences out of which Light and Spirit no service was ever acceptable to the Lord and so became Children of the Light of God who is Light and in him is no Darkness at all and in his Light and Spirit enjoyed precious Unity and Fellowship one with another and knew Satan the Devil the Old Serpent who by his subtilty had formerly deceived them to be by the power of God as bruised under their Feet no more able to prevail upon them by his subtil deceit but in the Light Spirit and Power of God they could keep their standing over him and all his deceivable Device of Unrighteousness and in Christ the Lord their Righteousness had Peace and Joy in his Holy Spirit and so rejoiced together in their Heavenly Places in Christ and glorified God over all in their day and time and though many came to these and the like Attainments as the Scriptures of Truth at large declare Yet the subtil Deceiver the Devil who was a Lyar and a Murtherer from the beginning by his deceitful Devices and dark Power prevailed upon many that were convinced of the true Light that enlightens every Man that cometh into the World and that believed concerning Christ that he laid down his Life for Mankind and rose again from the Dead and ascended up on high and so they could make a Profession of Christianity having a Notional Knowledge of Christ and of things relating to Eternity and it was by drawing their Minds from the Light of Christ in themselves that the deceitful Enemy prevailed to keep them only in a Profession of Christianity and in a Form of Godliness but out of the obedience of the Light and Spirit of Christ and so out of the Truth though professing it And so being out of the Truth and out of the Obedience of the Light which is the manifestation of the Spirit of God they were not though they might profess to be Children of the Light nor Children of God for it is they that are led by the Spirit of God that are Children of God and all the Children of God are taught of God by his Spirit and consequently they were out of the glorious Liberty of the Children of God Rom. 8.14 Isa 54.13 John 6.45 Heb. 8.11 1 John 2.27 and of the Gospel of Christ the beguiling Serpent keeping their Minds fast in the love of outward things and so they would still keep up the Ordinances Col. 2.14 Gal. 4.9 10. Ceremonies and Customs of their Forefathers though contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and were in Bondage to weak and beggarly Elements and observed Days and Months and Times and Years And so they were held in Bondage to Corruption and Corruptible Things and tho' they then professed Christianity and desired no doubt to be called Christians yet their Enemy beguiling them and keeping them by his deceit in disobedience to the Light of Christ in themselves they acted and lived contrary to true Christianity And though they appeared as for Christ they were really against him and his Truth and being themselves deceived they endeavoured to deceive others being Enemies to the Cross of Christ to which he

Ceremonies and Traditions look upon these Two Ceremonies which they call Sacraments to wit outward Baptism and eating Bread and drinking Wine which they call the Lord's Supper to be now practiced and of necessity to be used because of a Command of Christ or his Apostles therefore what is here before-written though much might be added is that all concerned may see and examine and know that without the substance in some measure enjoyed the Types and Ceremonies never profited at all and that by believing in and obeying and walking according to the Teachings of the Grace or Light of Christ in their own Hearts and Consciences they may in the Fellowship and Unity of all the Children of God John 6.51 to 58. Luke 22.15 to 31. Luke 17.20 21. enjoy true satisfaction by the Bread of Life which Christ freely giveth to all true Christians which Bread is his Flesh and likewise may drink freely of the Wine of the Kingdom of God which Christ termed as the Blood of the Grape which is his Blood which he giveth to true Christians to drink at his Table in his Kingdom which is within And so in and by the Light and Spirit of Christ they may know and enjoy the liberty of true Christianity from the Bondage of and unto any sort of weak and beggarly Ements Types Signs Ceremonies Ordinances and Traditions of Men which after Mens Doctrines and Commandments are all to perish with the using and into the use of which the Man of Sin is apt to lead People and the Devil himself may creep into the use of them And the Man of Sin likewise alloweth or rather teacheth to his Followers in whom he ruleth by his Power in a Profession of Christianity to use more Signs than those of Baptism and of Bread and Wine for which there is no ground at all from Christ or his Apostles nor is there any mention of any Command for such things in the Scriptures of Truth all which are too many to be mentioned here but some of them may be noted As the white Linnen or Surplice which their Priest or Minister must wear when he readeth Prayers c. which is reckoned to be a Sign of or else taken for the true fine Linnen Rev. 19.7 8. clean and white which is the Righteousness of the Saints which is given to the Lamb's Wife the Church and Spouse of Christ to be arrayed with Jer. 23.6 Jer. 33.15 16 M●● 4.2 3. Now the Righteousness of the Saints is Christ of whom it was Prophesied that he should be called The Lord our Righteousness and he is called the Branch of Righteousness and the Sun of Righteousness and in him is the true light that enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and unto them that fear the Name of the Lord Luke 1.78 79. Zech. 3.8 will he arise with healing in his Wings and they shall go forth and grow up as Calves of the Stall and shall tread down the wicked that shall be as Ashes under the Soles of their Feet And this Sun of Righteousnes which is Christ arrayeth those that believe in 2 Cor. 4.6 and love and obey and walk in his light which shineth in their Hearts with his glorious Beams and puts on them the white Robe of Righteousness for these walk in the light of the Lamb that takes away the Unrighteousness Rev. 7.13 14. Rev. 12.11 Rev. 14.4 5. and they follow him though it be thorow great Tribulation whithersoever he goeth or leadeth and these are they that overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony who love not their Lives unto Death and coming out of great Tribulation wash their Robes and make them white in the Blood of the Lamb. But the Priest's Surplice is not washed after that manner but rather in the spoil of other Peoples Goods gotten by Deceit or Violence and when it is washed and made as white as he can get it made yet the Leprofie of Gehazi 2 King ● 27 which cleaveth to his Seed for ever which was and is as white as Snow is as plain to be seen upon the Priest's Mind by the single Eye as his white Surplice is to be seen upon his Back by the natural Eye for all that covet Gifts or Rewards for Preaching or the like are of the Seed of Gehazi and much more Persecutors for Wages for their Preaching are plain to be seen so to be being worse than Gehazi And another Sign which the Man of Sin teacheth and alloweth to his Followers is the Sign of the Cross of Christ as they call it which they make of Gold Silver Wood or Stone c. which in the Wisdom of the Man of Sin is highly exalted in the Popes Territories but the Exalters of this Sign of the Cross refuse to take up the daily Cross of Christ who is the Power and Wisdom of God and the preaching of the Cross of Christ is to them that perish foolishness but to them that are saved it is the Power of God whereby the World is Crucified to them and they unto the World and the Apostles preaching of the Cross of Christ 1 Cor. 1.17 to 30. was a stumbling-block to them that required a Sign and so it is now and it was foolishness to them that sought after Wisdom and so it is now Luke 9.23 and Christ saith If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me Now this true self-denial and taking up daily of the Cross of Christ that Crucifieth to the World and Crucifieth the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof it is not so light a matter as is the taking up of a little Golden or Silver or Wooden Cross and the carrying of it which pleaseth the Carnal Mind that is Enmity against God and would have the Mind satisfied with the Sign Eph. 2.16 though it be far from the Substance Rom. 8.6 7. for the Cross of Christ Crucifyeth the Carnal Mind and Slayeth the Enmity in those that daily bear it and all that know the state of true Christianity they inwardly know a daily taking up and bearing of the Spiritual Cross of Christ Gal. 5.24 which in them Crucifieth the Carnal Mind and the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts and thereby their Souls come to witness liberty in the Service of Christ and to answer his Requirings by his light in their Hearts and such need not to make or carry outward Crosses to put them in mind of the Crucifixion of Christ For the Admirers and Carriers of outward Crosses pretend that they are helpful to put them in Mind that Christ was Crucified for them when as they may carry as many of them as they can bear on their Backs and yet be Crucifying Christ inwardly and so there is a great difference between the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God without the taking up and bearing of

used and for meeting together to Worship God in his Fear Spirit and Truth and they were Imprisoned and extream hardly used in so much that in their Petition to the Parliament they reckoned the Cruelty of their Persecutors to exceed the Cruelty of the Heathenish and Popish professed Tyrants and Persecutors and said The Records of the Heathen Persecutions under Nero Trajan Decius Galienus Maximinian c. could scarcely afford any Examples of the like Cruelty that was used to them they craved but the liberty either to die openly or live openly in the Land of their Nativity and many of them ended their Days in loathsom Prisons And Six of them were put to Death Sealing their Testimonies with their Blood whose Names follow viz. Henry Barrow and John Greenwood who were Executed at Tyburn John Penry at Thomas a Waterings near London William Denis at Thetford in Norfolk and one Coppin and one Elias at Edmundsbury in Suffolk And it appeareth by Records that the Chief Instruments of their Death was the Clergy and not the Queen for one Doctor Rainolds being by Queen Elizabeth much pressed to tell her what he thought concerning the said Barrow and Greenwood at last told her That he was perswaded if they had lived they would have been Two as worthy Instruments for the Church of God as hath said he been raised up in this Age then the Queen sighed and said no more But afterwards being near the place of their Suffering and calling it to mind she demanded of the Earl of Cumberland who was present at their Execution what an End they made he answered A very godly end and prayed for your Majesty and the State And there was a Famous Preacher one Phillips having seen and heard Barrow's Speeches and Preparation for Death who said Barrow Barrow my Soul be with thine And after Queen Elizabeth's Decease in the Reigns of King James and King Charles the First many called Puritans c. suffered greatly and some for no other Cause but for refusing to join with the publick Worship Established by the Bishops and for separating themselves from the Church of England were Banished the Land of England And this is observable that the Long Parliament in the Year 1644. denying the Common prayer Book and by an Assembly of Priests setting out a Directory for Publick Worship the generality of the Priests then Conformed to that calling the Common-prayer Book Popish Rags of Rome Dregs of the Whores Cup and the English Mass c. And when Oliver Cromwell was made Protector he took Course in the Year 1653. for the Glergies Recovering their Tythes and other Dues as they pretended and many of the People of God who were led by his Light and Spirit to testifie against Tythes and to deny to pay them because they could not uphold what Christ came to pull down and were also made willing with the hazarding of their Lives and Estates to preach the Everlasting Gospel of Christ freely in Sincerity and Truth denying to join with their Man-made Hypocritical Worship and telling them plainly that if they repented not God would overturn them as it came to pass many such then suffered deeply by and under their Cruelty who through Killing and taking Possession were come from a suffering state themselves into high Places of Earthly Authority where being setled they soon forgot their own Sufferings and their Covenants and Vows made to the Lord therein and trod in the Antichristian and Popish steps of Persecution themselves of whose Cruelty both Old England and New England are Witnesses but the Lord preserved his People in Constancy and Faithfulness to him in their great and many Sufferings But notwithstanding all the aforesaid Reflections against Popery and the Common-prayer Book when King Charles the Second was Restored in the Year 1660. and the Common-prayer Book enjoined again how generally it was received and entertained of the Clergy is yet fresh in the Memories of many and how the strictest sort of them in Times of Persecution joined with it again or crept into Corners and ran from their Assemblies upon the sight of Informers or the like it is very well known whereby it appeareth they themselves who contended against the true Light and the Faith that is in it thought their own Faith not worth suffering for as really it is not and so they could not abide Persecution But in Times of Toleration for Liberty of Conscience those would numerously appear in publick again though when a Storm of Persecution arose as in the latter end of the Reign of King Charles the Second then few of them durst appear But when King James the Second began his Reign and proclaimed Liberty of Conscience which is desirable to all People which hitherto continueth and is now by Act of Parliament confirmed then and since then the Corner-creepers have bodly appeared in publick again By what is premised it is plain and evident that they who were prevailed upon by the power of the Man of Sin the power of the Devil and of Darkness to disobey the Light the Word of God's Grace and Power in their own Hearts whatever they might profess of Christianity yet they went in the Way of the Man of Sin and as they persevered therein he came to be exalted in them over all that is called God and so he made them Liars Persecutors and Murderers like himself who was a Liar and a Murderer from the beginning and such could turn as the Times turned from one Religion or Profession to the contrary to and fro any whither to save themselves and their worldly things with which the God of the World hath blinded their Minds lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God 2 Cor. 4.3 4 5 6 7. who is Light should shine in them And also it is plain and evident that they that faithfully obeyed the Light and Spirit of Christ in their own Hearts they resisted the power of the Man of Sin in themselves and through Faith in the Word of God's Power in their Hearts were in good measure made Conquerors over the power of the Adversary in their Hearts and to the Honour of God through the same Faith and Obedience of his Light they were enabled patiently to undergo what their Antichristian Persecutors the Members of the Man of Sin were suffered to inflict upon them which was not only Imprisonment and loss of outward Enjoyments and Possessions but also to many Death it self they would rather part with Goods and Life and all than lose their Heavenly Treasure which God had given into their Earthen Vessels the Excellency of which Treasure and Power is of God and out of the sight of all those who disobey the Light of Christ in their Hearts And so they in whose Hearts God who commandeth the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ who not