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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	cup_n	eat_v	lord_n	6,874	5	4.8423	4	false

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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

they were Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came upon them and they spake with Tongues and Prophesied Acts 19. So here is the true and only Baptism the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus which as John said shall increase who is that Living Fountain that if any man be athirst they may come unto him and drink And this was spoken of the pourings forth of his Spirit and with this Spirit were they Baptized while Peter was speaking unto them when the Holy Ghost fell upon them and they spake with Tongues And they of the Circumcision which believed were astonied and came to Peter because the Holy Ghost fell upon the Gentiles But Peter answered Can any man forbid Water that they should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost So he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus and so they were united into the Body and into the Christian Faith and into the Unity as well as the Jewes And by this Spirit did Christ send forth his Disciples to go teach and Baptize all Nations Acts 2. 38 41. And this is not an outward Element of Water neither is this poured only upon Infants but upon all that are athirst And this is that one Baptism which the Apostle mentioneth in Ephes 4. where he saith There is one Body and one Spirit one Lord and one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all So as there is but one Lord and one God and one Faith and one Spirit and one Body so there is but one Baptism if we believe the Apostle who saith By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. Then we cannot believe that it is outward Water So this one Baptism and one Spirit is not outward Water So the Baptizing of Infants with outward Water which both Papists and Protestants use is contrary and without any ground from Scripture for if there be but one Baptism surely outward Water is not it And whereas they say They do it as a Sign or Signification and call it a Sacrament this is nothing but their own Invention and Imagination to keep People in ignorance and darkness for they have no Scripture for it So much for that Particular of Baptism There is no Scripture that mentioneth a Sacrament this word hath been invented at Rome by the Pope who was the first that set up the Sacrament and the Altar and the Eucharist which they call the Real-Presence which after their Priests have consecrated Bread they call it The Real Body of Christ and many have lost their Lives by them because they could not believe this Something of kin to this is that which our Protestants use though it 's not altogether so gross for they call Bread and Wine after they have blest it A Sacrament as though the nature and property of it were changed from what it was before but this is not the fruit of that Vine which Christ said he would drink with his Disciples new in the Kingdom of God When Christ was speaking to his Disciples that the Son of Man must be betrayed he said unto them I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer for I say unto you I will not any more eat thereof untill it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God And he took the Cup and gave thanks and said Take this and divide it among your selves For I say unto you I will not drink of the fruit of the Vine until the Kingdom of God come And he took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave it unto them saying This is my Body given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Luke 22. Mat. 26. Mark 14. Now if the Bread and the Wine had been the Real Body and Blood of Christ which was given and shed for them he needed not to have said as he saith in the next words Behold the hand of him that betrayeth me for he ate of the bread that betrayed him which words make a distinction betwen him and the Bread and Wine But he said This do in remembrance of me And with this the Apostle agreeth in what he writeth to the Corinthians for he saith I received of the Lord that which also I deliver unto you That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me In the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supt saying This Cup is the New Testament of my Blood this do ye as often as ye drink in remembrance of me For saith the Apostle to these Corinthians As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11. So that the eating of this Bread and drinking of this Cup is but the remembrance of his death how Judas betrayed him and the Jewes Crucified him until he come saith the Apostle But where is the drinking in his Resurrection New in his Kingdom It is manifested these Corinthians were not come to that by what the Apostle was speaking to them of in all the foregoing part of this Chapter he is speaking to them of the state and condition of the Man and of the Woman and of their Praying and Prophesying with their heads covered and uncovered and of their long hair and of their heads being shaven and of Nature it self teaching them but more especially in this particular he saith When ye come together into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper but in eating every one taketh before other and one is hungry and another drunken So any that read this Chapter may see that these Corinthians were not come to the Power of his Resurrection they might well eat in remembrance of his Death for they were one with them in sinning that Crucified him and so Crucified him by their sins afresh as the Apostle saith And so are our eaters and givers of Bread and Wine for they eat it in remembrance of his Death and sin again as soon as they have done and this they call A Communion but it is a Communion in sin and transgression which was the cause of Christ's Death in the eating of this Bread and drinking of this Cup Yet in the foregoing Chapter he saith Wherefore my dearly beloved fly from Idolatry I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say The Cup of Blessing which we bless here he taketh in himself Is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ the Bread which we break Is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ This is not the Communion in sin and transgression For we being many are one Bread and one Body for

it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turn unto the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the earth And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad Acts 13. Thus ye see how the Apostles opened unto them the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ as also Christ himself when he met with the Disciples after his Resurrection and they not knowing him told him what things had happened concerning Christ He said unto them O fools and slow of heart ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself Luke 24. And this is the matter and manner and method of all Christ's Ministers to preach the Resurrection of Christ Jesus in his Light and Spirit which is a mystery to all carnal men and carnal minds and this is not a deal of Imaginations and divinations of the brain and studyings of men who take one Verse of Scripture and add unto it what they please out of other old Authors Writings Heathen Philosophers or any thing that will make up an hours talk till their Glass be run which is quite contrary to the Apostles practice and that which they witnessed and exhorted against For he saith unto the Colossians As ye have received Christ Jesus so walk ye in him rooted and built in him established in the Faith as ye have been taught Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the Traditions of men after the Rudiments of the world and not after Christ Col. 2. Here is an express command laid upon them that they should not be deceived by the teachings of men who taught not after Christ And the Apostle saith also that Christ sent him not to preach the Gospel with wisdom of words For saith he It is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness but unto them that are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Because the foolishness of God is wiser then men and the weakness of God stronger then men For ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base-things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things which are that no flesh should glory in his presence but those that glory should glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. And the Apostle saith further And my speech and preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that your Faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world that come to nought but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world For we have not received the Spirit of the world but that Spirit that is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God which things we speak not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual Here the Apostle testifies clearly against the wisdom of mens teaching which is a clear testimony against the teachings that have been in these last Ages for that is all that hath been taught for many generations of Teachers since the Apostles dayes the wisdom of men and traditions of men and inventions and imaginations of men one quoting and rehearsing what another saith quite contrary to the Apostles practice We do not make our selves of the number or compare our selves with some that commend themselves and measuring themselves by themselves are not wise But we will not boast our selves above our measure but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us for we come as far as you also in preaching the Gospel of Christ not boasting of things without our measure of other mens labours nor to boast of another mans line made ready to our hands 2 Cor. 10. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath also made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life 2 Cor. 3. 6. In this Chapter the Apostle gives his Testimony that the Life of the Ministry is in the ministration of the Spirit As also in Rom. 7. But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Leter which he calls the Ministration of Death in the afore-mentioned Chapter And when he writes to his Son Timothy who was a Bishop he saith thus I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own hearts lusts shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the Truth and shall be turned unto Fables 2 Tim. 4. Here the Apostle was a true Prophet and saw the Apostacy coming on and therefore he laid a hard charge upon Timothy For saith he watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist make full proof of thy Ministry for I am ready to be offered and the time of my departure draweth nigh 2 Tim. 4. As also when he writes to the Thessalonians of the Day of the Lord and of the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition and thanks God for them who had chosen them to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth whereunto he called you saith he by our Gospel to the

the face of Jesus Christ For we have this Treasury in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us For we are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed always bearing about in our body the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ that the Life of Christ might be manifested in our body for we who live are alwayes delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh so that death worketh in us but life in you Thus the Apostles laboured in the work of the Ministry even under cruel sufferings which Gospel it may well be said hath been hid for the Gospel that hath been preached since the Apostacy hath laid Oppressions and Sufferings upon others and they themselves have Ruled and Lorded over Peoples Consciences but the Apostle Paul said I Paul am made a Minister of the Gospel that is preached to every Creature under heaven now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his Bodies sake which is the Church whereof I am made a Minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the Word of God Col. 1. But this Ministry and Ministration hath been lost and the Church for which the Apostle suffered hath been in the Wilderness and if there was any small Appearance or Testimony of Jesus Christ in any such have suffered Oppressions and Hardships and much Detriment from such as were the Professed Ministry So these Scriptures with many more which might be mentioned shew the contrariety between the Ministers of the Gospel in the Apostles Dayes and the Professed Ministry that hath been since the Apostles Dayes in the Apostacy And as the Supremacy and Superiority hath been contrary to the Apostles Way and Manner and Order in laying Oppressions and Burthens upon the People so also they have been contrary and opposite to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine Practice and Example in not preaching Liberty and Freedom to the Spirits in Prison for Christ Jesus who is the Anointing of God Preacheth Glad Tidings to the Poor Liberty to Captives his Commission that he gave to his Disciples was to Preach the Gospel to all Nations to every Creature And he said to those that believed in him If ye continue in the Truth the Truth will make you free John 8. And the Apostle confesseth That the Law of the Spirit of Life had made him free from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8. And the Apostle saith when he was speaking of the Ministration of the Law and the Gospel When Moses is read the Vail is over the Heart Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the Vail shall be taken away Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3. And so this is that Substance the Apostle Preacheth from and Preached to the Spirit of the Lord that takes away the Vail and giveth Liberty and Redeemeth from under the Power of Darkness and from the Bondage of Corruption and therefore they did not set themselves to Rule over mens Faith or to lord over their Consciences but they endeavour still to be made manifest unto every ones Conscience in the sight of God But we have saith the Apostle Renounced the hidden things of Dishonesty not walking in Craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by Manifestation of the Truth commending our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. Knowing therefore the Terrours of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your Consciences So here the Apostle preached to Gods Witness in Peoples Consciences and that answered to them again and they were made manifest to that and therefore did the Apostle John say That they needed not any man to Teach them but as the same Anointing teacheth them which is Truth and is no Lye And so this is unlimited neither doth the Apostle limit this when they were gathered into the Eternal Spirit and all drank into one Spirit and all baptized into one Body by one Spirit he told them they might all prophesie one by one and that though they were many Members yet they were one Bread and one Body and every Member of the Body had its several Office the Head did not say to the Feet I have no need of you Now concerning Spiritual Gifts Brethren I would not have you ignorant there are diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of Administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal For to one is given by the same Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gift of Healing by the same Spirit to another the working of Miracles by the same Spirit to another Prophesie to another Discerning of Spirits to another divers kinds of Tongues to another interpretation of Tongues But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ For by one Spirit we are all Baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit for the Body is not one Member but many 1 Cor. 12. And so the Apostle goes on to the end of the Chapter discoursing of the several Gifts all given by one Spirit So here is no binding nor limiting nor Supremacy one over another not to sit Judges one of another but every one to wait in their several Gifts of the Spirit given unto them to profit withal For I say saith the Apostle through the Grace of God given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly then he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith For as we are many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being mary are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Having then Gifts differing according to the Grace that is given us whether Prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of Faith or Ministy let us wait in our ministring or he that teacheth on Teaching or he that exhorteth on Exhortation he that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth Mercy with chearfulness let Love be be

hath Sworn concerning Christ it is already proved and fulfilled in Christ but it is said in Isa 45. where the Lord by his Prophet was speaking that Israel should be saved and he saith Look unto me and be saved all ye Ends of the Earth for I am God and there is none else I have Sworn by my self the Word is gone out of my Mouth in Righteousness that to me every Knee shall bow every Tongue shall swear Now the Apostle Paul rehearseth these words again when he writ unto the Philippians where he saith If there be any Consolation in Christ if any Comfort of Love if any Fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies fulfil ye my Joy and let the same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the Form of God c. Where he rehearseth the Humility of Christ even to Death upon his Cross in which he became a Saviour as the Lord by his Prophet said Even to the Ends of the Earth Wherefore saith the Apostle God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name above every name That at the Name of Jesus that signifieth a Saviour every Knee shall bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth and that every Tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of the Father Philip. 2. So here the Apostle hath omitted those words Every Tongue shall Swear and saith Every Tongue shall Confess as a Faithfull Witness and an Obedient Servant of Christ Jesus whom he saith is the Lord who hath said Swear not at all Now since that the Apostle as a Witness of Christianity and an Obeyer of Christs Commands hath left out the word Swear and hath put in Confess according to Christs own Words who said He that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven Now since that Christ and his Apostles have left us this Example who saith not Swear before men but Confess before men who are they that dare Oppose and Gainsay Christ Jesus and his Apostles under a colour of what the Law saith and what the Prophet saith and that the Angel Swore But as the Apostle saith unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son Who said Swear not at all When he bringeth his First-begotten into the World he saith And let all the Angels worship him and of the Angels he saith Who maketh his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a Flame of Fire the Angels are his Messengers and Servants as may be read in the Revelations And what hath any one to do to bring that where the Angel Swore by him that liveth for ever and ever that Time should be no longer when he was upon his Message and Service which the Lord sent him about What is this to men that have the Command of the Son of God upon them who hath said Swear not at all Unto which of the Angels said he at any time Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom Let all such as contend with the Almighty in this matter read Hebr. 1. and see how they can answer him there And as for that where the Apostle saith An Oath is for an end of Strife this he saith when he speaketh of the Assurance of the Oath of God he bringeth a Comparison of them that Swore when Swearing was lawful under the Law For men saith he Swear by the greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife Now there is none have the reason of a man but they may see the Apostle speaketh of such as did use Swearing because he said An Oath for confirmation was to them an end of all strife and so it was under the Law but Oaths for ending of strife were never used among the Christians for Christ had commanded to the contrary and the Apostle manifested the contrary when he wrote to the Philippians as is proved before Moreover the Apostle James who wrote to the twelve Tribes scattered up and down who were they that had the Law that enjoyned Swearing and under which they practised swearing for a confirmation and an end of strife as the Apostle saith before even to them the Apostle James when he writes to them of the suffering of affliction that they should be as examples to endure he saith Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that he is very pittiful and tender of mercy but above all things saith he my Brethren Swear not neither by Heaven neither by Earth neither by any other Oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Jam. 5. And into this state of condemnation are the Teachers and Leaders of our Age fallen who are not only Swearers but Teachers Upholders and Forcers to Sware and preach it up for Doctrine to Swear and in this oppose and gain-say Christ Jesus and all his Apostles and all that bear testimony to his Name and Truth and Word and obey his Command such suffer by them and under them and if they bring them into their Courts for any thing because they cannot pay them Tythes or because they cannot pay them Steeple-house Dues and Easter Reckonings when they have sued them except they will Swear they cannot put in their Answers and then they get out Writs and cast them into Prison And thus they that profess themselves to be Ministers of Christ and the Gospel make havock of his Flock But surely he will come and seek his Sheep and search them out And thus much for the third Particular of their practice which is their causing People to Swear The fourth Particular that they practise without ground from Scripture is Sprinkling Infants with water upon their heads and faces and some plunge them all over which we do not find Christ or his Apostles did the like with Infants It is true there was brought unto Christ Little Children that he should put his hands on them and pray and he laid his hands on them but his Disciples rebuked them but Jesus said Suffer little Children and forbid them not to come to me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19. Now Mark saith That he took them up in his Armes and put his hands upon them and blessed them Mark 10. And Luke saith They brought unto him Infants that he might touch them but when his Disciples saw they rebuked them but Jesus was displeased with them and said Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall in no wise enter therein Luke 18. Now by all these Scriptures it doth appear that

nor yet Herod and they accused him vehemently Luke 23. Matth. 26. The chief Priests and Elders sought false witness against Jesus to put him to death and when they found false Witnesses that witnessed against him Jesus said nothing And the high Priest arose and said Answerest thou nothing And he said I adjure thee by the Living God that thou tell us if thou be the Christ Jesus said unto him Thou hast said it Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power Then the high Priest rent his clothes and said He hath spoken Blasphemy And when the morning was come all the chief Priests and Elders took counsel to put him to death and when they had led him away they delivered him to Pontius Pilate Matth. 27. Mark 15. And when Pilate asked of them Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews But the chief Priests moved the people that he should rather release Barabbas And Pilate said What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews and they cried Crucifie him crucifie him Now Ananias sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high Priest and he asked him of his Disciples and of his Doctrine Jesus answered Why askest thou me ask them that heard me And one of the Officers struck Jesus with the palm of his hand and said Answerest thou the high Priest so And Jesus said If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil if well Why smitest thou me Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas the high Priest into the Hall of Judgment and Pilate went unto them and said Take ye him and judge him according to your Law the Jews therefore said unto him It is not lawfull for us to put a man to death John 18. But they looked upon it lawfull to accuse him falsely and vehemently to accuse him and to cry out Crucifie him crucifie him and to desire Barrabbas that was found in an Insurrection and a Murtherer to be released and to cry that Christ the Lamb of God might be Crucified also after the same manner did they with the Apostles And those Scribes and Elders that caught Stephen and brought him and set up False Witnesses to witness against him the high Priest with the Councel said Are these things so And after Stephen opened his mouth and spake unto them and opened through the Scriptures and when they heard those things that Stephen spake from the Scriptures They gnashed on him with their teeth Acts 7. And as Peter and John spake unto the people the Priests and Captain of the Temple and the Sadduces came upon them and then Ananias the high Priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and as many as were of the Kindred of the high Priest were gathered together to take counsel against Peter and John after they had wrought the Miracle upon the Impotent man and when they could find nothing against them they threatned them and let them go Acts 4. And what ado made they with Paul for all he was one of their own Nation and made his Defence before them and called them Men and Brethren and Fathers and spake unto them in the Hebrew Tongue and told them how the Lord had converted him As also the high Priests doth bear me witness and all the Elders from whom also I received Letters unto the Brethren and went to Damascus to bring them which were there in Prison to Jerusalem to be punished Acts 22. Paul that had been one of their Servants and had acted in the same way with them in Persecution after he was converted to the Christian Faith he received no more favour from them than others for afterwards when Paul was brought before the Council to be Examined wherefore he was so accused And Paul earnestly beholding the Council said Men and Brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day And the high Priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth Then said Paul God shall smite thee thou whited wall and they that stood by said Revilest thou Gods high Priest Then said Paul I wist not Brethren that he was the high Priest for it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People Paul acknowledged and confessed his Transgression of that Law where it is said Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of thy People Exod. 22. 28. But David saith I have said ye are Gods but ye shall die like men And so it appeareth by this high Priest for he was far from executing of his duty where he sate to judge according to the Law when he commanded to smite the Prisoner contrary to the Law and afterwards gave consent to the People to bind themselves in an Oath to murther Paul but were prevented by the chief Chaptain and Souldiers Acts 23. And after five dayes Ananias the high Priest descended with the Elders who enformed the Governor against Paul and said We have found this man a pestilent fellow a mover of sedition among the Jews throughout the whole world a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazarens with much more And when Felix heard their Accusations of him he deferred the examination of him Acts 24. Likewise when Festus was come into the Province then the high Priest and the chief of the Jews informed him also against Paul and desired favour against him and besought him that he would send for him to Jerusalem lying in wait by the way to kill him but Festus answered That Paul should be kept at Cesarea Acts 25. By these places with much more that the Scripture maketh mention of we may see the cruelty and bloody-mindedness of ●hese high Priests that were then Rulers of the Nation of the People of the Jews under the Roman Monarchy for they were always worse in cruelty against the Christians then the Heathens and joyned with the Kings and incensed them what they could against the Christians as is manifested for they joyned with that Herod and Pilate that crucified Christ Also when King Herod heard that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah he gathered the chief Priests and all the Scribes of the People together to demand of them where he was to be born intending to kill him but the Lord prevented him who in his Rage slew all the young children Also Herod the King that killed James the Brother of John with the Sword and because that he saw it pleased the Jews he proceeded further and took Peter and cast him into Prison and when Prayer was made to the Lord for Peter and that the Lord delivered him out of Prison there was no small stir among the Souldiers what was become of Peter And when Herod had sought him but found him not he commanded that the Keepers of the Pison should be put to death But when this Herod was arrayed in Royal Apparel upon his Throne the Lord smote him by his Angel

immediately he was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost Acts 12. This with much more might be instanced concerning this Generation of men of their cruelty and oppression joyning with the Heathen Monarchs in the crucifying and persecuting of Christ Jesus and all his holy Apostles and all the Primitive Christians But we never heard of any Bishops neither in the time of the Kings of Israel nor in all the four Manarchies before Christs time neither in the dayes of the Apostles nor in the Primitive times there was no such Bishops as had Courts and Laws to make people to Swear and to imprison them if they would not such as there could not be Kings without there were Bishops For Christ Jesus nor none of his Apostles sought not after neither looked after Earthly Kingdoms for he said His Kingdom was not of this World neither could his Servants fight And the Apostles said The Weapons of their warfare were not Carnal but Spiritual neither did they wrestle with Flesh and Blood but with Spiritual Wickednesses And so they that are true Christians and of the same Faith and Principle that Christ Jesus was of they desire not Caesars due nor right but give unto Caesar that which bears his own Image the outward earthly Image and the money that bears the Superscription of Caesars Prerogative this they can give unto Caesar and not wrong any man of his outward Propriety or Prerogative for they seek not after earthly Crowns nor Inheritances but after heavenly The Apostle when he wrote to Timothy exhorted That first of all Supplications Prayers and Intercessions might be made for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable to God who would have all men to be saved This he wrote to him that was a Bishop which if any man desireth the Office of he desireth a good work for it is no more then to be an Overseer of the Church of Christ and not to look after carnal means or carnal maintenance neither to be a burden or an oppression to the People nor to be upholden by men or the Powers of the Earth such Bishops and Overseers of the Church of God as Timothy and Titus were and all those holy Apostles the Scriptures mention we should be glad of Such as are lovers of Hospitality lovers of Good Men not given to Wine not greedy of filthy Lucre but Patient not a Brawler not Covetous for the Apostle saith The love of Money is the Root of all Evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Such things as these the Apostle exhorted Timothy and Titus from which many of the Bishops in our dayes and for the last twelve hundred years and upwards it is to be feared they are fallen into Demas his way and trodden his paths and have forsaken the Apostles Spirit Doctrine and Principle and have embraced this present world and here hath been the misery of these Ages last past But this is that which Christ Jesus foresaw which he mentions Matth. 24 and 25 Chap. As also the Apostle Paul foresaw when he told them That grievous Wolves should enter into the Church not sparing the flock Acts 20. 29. 2 Pet. 1. 2. 1 John 2. 18. All these had a true sight of the dayes of darkness and night of Apostacy that was coming on As also the Revelation of Jesus Christ which he sent and signified by his Angel to his servant John he saw the Beast rise out of the Sea and out of the Earth and power was given to him for forty and two moneths and this power began at Rome which is the foundation of the Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Power and here was the first Bishop that was called his Holiness and his Children are called as high as they can but Timothy and Titus were not such who made war with the Saints and overcame them and power was given unto him over all Tongues Kindreds and Nations and his power was to endure above twelve hundred years And one of the seven Angels that had the seven vials shewed him the judgment of the great Whore with whom the Kings of the earth had committed fornication and the Inhabitants of the earth had made themselves drunk with the wine of her fornication And he saw a Woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured Beast full of names of Blasphemy having seaven Heads and ten Horns which Beast he had seen before Chap. 13. And when John marvelled the Angel said unto him Wherefore dost thou marvel I will tell thee the Mystery of the Woman and of the Beast that carrieth her Chap. 17. And so He that hath wisdom may reade and count the number of the Beast for it is 666. And this Proverb which hath continued so long No Bishop no King hath risen out of the Bottomless-pit and must go into Perdition for there were no such Bishops in the times of the four Monarchies before Christ neither among the Primitive Christians that had Ecclesiastical Courts and tossed poor people up and down and caused them to swear contrary to Christ's command which they have nothing to do with wrangling among them for getting of money The Apostle saith They should be no Brawlers And now this usurping power is gotten up under the Profession of Christianity and because it is upholden by Monarchial Power it hath hatched a Cockatrice into the minds of People No Bishop no King but this we can say That Kings have reigned by the Power of the Lord God and may reign as long as it pleaseth him and God sent his Prophet to anoint a King So can we say that this usurping Power hath been alwayes against and contrary to the power of the Lord God and hath ever been the Oppressour of the Innocent and the Just and Gods Heritage and People have alwayes been Sufferers in all Ages by this Power and this generation of Priests hath been the cause of all the Saints sufferings they stoned the Prophets and slew them before Christ and ye may see how they used Christ and his Apostles And now in the Apostacy O the Inquisitions the Racks and the Tortures the Courts Citations and Imprisonments that have been and are continually imposed upon poor People so that the very misery of Nations cometh by these Usurpers and their Superiority in having Power and Oppressors and Layers on of Burdens grievous to be born that upon this Generation might come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth from Abel Mat. 23. 35 36. But the Lord is coming to Redeem his People and his Flock out of their covetous mouthes and bloody hands and the Lord hath sent the Spirit of his Son into the hearts of his People and his Light is risen in their Consciences and the Lord will Teach them all Himself and set them free from the bondage and slavery of these Taskmasters and he hath committed all Power in Heaven and Earth unto his Son and he hath all Times and Seasons in his hands and it is good for Kings that are set up by the Lord to fear him that by his Power they may stand and not uphold that power that God will throw down for he is come to Reign and Teach his People himself Read Isa 21. THE END First Theit Titles which are your Holiness Lord-Bishop your Lordship and your Gra●e contrary to Christ and his Apostles Secondly Their Qualifications contrary to Christ and his Apostles who were 1st Meek Lowly and Humble 2. Suffering and taking up the Cross 3 Love and Charity to all men Thirdly Their Call contrary to Christ and his Apostles which was by special command and revelation in Christ Jesus Theirs of men and from men The true Worship it self discovered Fourthly Their Worship contrary to Christs example and all his Apostles 1. In Preaching 2. In Praying 3. In Singing Studying and Divining contrary to Christ and his Apostles and contrary to the Levitical Priesthood The second particular of their practice is binding and limitting people to their Worship by citing them to their Courts The Third Particular of their Practice in causing People to Sware contrary to Christs and the Apostles Commands Practice and Doctrine The fourth particular of their practice is Sprinkling of Infants without ground from Scripture The Anabaptists Baptism with outward water condemned Tythes contrary to Gospel-Maintenance Long Robes and Surplices Hoods Tippets are contrary to Gospel Ornaments