Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	according_a	act_n	act_v	51	3	7.0627	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45535	For the magistrates & other officers in Huntingtonshire who have been concern'd in the spoiling the goods of the innocent who meet together in obedience to the requirings of the good spirit of the Lord to worship him in his own way	Hardmeat, Tobias, d. 1703.	1676 (1676)	Wing H700A; ESTC R28058	5,868	10

Lots but rather then violate the Law of God in our Consciences we are contented to part with them for his Name and Testimony Sake but what will you do in the Day of Account or how will you appear before so dreadful a God who will reward the Evil doers with sore Vengeance Oh People who have had any Hand in spoyling the Goods of the Innocent Repent Repent yea I say seek a Place of Repentance before it be too late It is the Earnest Desire of my Soul that every one of you our Persecutors might find a place of Repentance that so your Iniquities might be blotted out and not be your Ruin So whilest the Spirit of the Lord strives with you or any of you and shews unto you your Evil Deeds turn you unto it that by it you may come to be purged from that Guilt and Transgression which otherwise will be your sore Distress in the Day of Account which will shortly overtake you I do justly complain of your cruel Proceedings and Actings against me and others by Pretence of the said Act. In short I have had Goods spoyled to the worth of near forty Pounds and now at this time there are two Warrants issued out against me one for fifty Shillings the other for Ten Pounds Ten Shillings and they that have been Witnesses against me are men of the basest Sort who for their Pains have had Part of the Spoyls or money that hath been made of the Goods distrained for which they have thus sworn and informed And is it not contrary to Law that a man's Oath should be taken when it is for his own Mercenary Ends in his own Cause And is it not the Informers own Cause when they have Part of the Money for their Swearing and Informing whether true or false it hath been little notice taken of but if two men will but swear to it we must suffer and they for their Injurious Work have a Reward And is not this unreasonable to be encouraged I leave it to your Judgments who are knowing in Law At our late general Meeting at Earith where we were peaceably met together according to our usual manner to wait upon and worship the Lord God the Creator of Heaven and Earth for which I stand fined Ten Pounds Ten Shillings upon the Oaths of these Informers or some of them viz. Stephen Perry of Cambridge Thomas Gilby of Blunsham John Pottal of Somersham who came into our peaceable Meeting in a very rude distracted outragious manner being so in Drink they could not give a sober Answer nor some of them speak plain having been several Hours in an Ale-house to fit themselves for that Service yet these and such like Instruments have and do serve to make sufficient Witnesses for the spoiling the Goods of the Innocent Whether true or false they speak swear to is not the Question nor are we so much as heard Face to Face which Priviledge Fellons and Murderers have in their Tryals but if the Informers will swear it shall serve to send out Warrants to destrain our goods Were it an Offence to be at a peaceable Meeting at Earith yet they that were not there were not Offenders for being there as for Instance Thomas Cook of Earith who was not there that Day and yet a Warrant out to destrain and take his goods was ever the like heard of in any professed Christian Nation or is this the Spirit of Christ think you People that thus acteth in these men unto the Just Witness of God in every Conscience I do appeal for Justice Further your Act is made against such as meet under Colour or Pretence of Exercise of Religion in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England Now I do deny that ours is but a Pretence but I do confess it is in Reallity and Truth to worship God that made me And doth not your Liturgy allow and exhort at all times and in all Places to pray lifting up holy Hands to God then I hope it is not a Transgression if we pray in a Barn House or Yard or Backside Your Liturgy hath many good Words and Exhortations in it which if they were practised by the Hearers thereof there would not have been that Spoil and Havock made upon the Goods of the Innocent as hath been these six Years last past Now according to the real Words of that Act I do not understand that we are the People neither ought we to suffer by it But if any say it was intended against us all other Sectaries and so is left to the Justices to construe most largely and beneficially for the suppressing Conventicles Our peaceable Meetings are not Conventicles nor ought in Justice to be supprest for no such Experience late or early have you ever had but if you will construe it so be it upon your Heads in the Day of Account when the Just God shall reward every one according to his Deeds done in the Body And now come Persecutors of all Sorts from the highest to the lowest let us reason together a little A little while and you and we must be gone unto our long Homes and then what will the Glory of this World and the Riches of it avail us Remember Dives who had his portion in this Life and had not compassion on his Fellow-creature although I do not read that he took away that which was Lazarus's yet his Hard-heartedness was his Burden when in the Flames and then he would have had his five Brethren warned that they might not come into that Place of Torment and would have had Lazarus sent from the dead to warn them But if they will not believe Moses and the Prophets they will not believe though one rise from the dead it was answered him Oh how this poor Dives pleaded for then he was so desirous to have his Brethren warned that they might not come to be his Companions But how many Warnings this Nation of England hath had it is hard to Number even by Witnesses who have been raised from Death which is in Sin and from the Grave of Iniquity to bear Testimony to the Everlasting Truth as it is in Jesus and for the turning of People from Satan's power to the Power of the Lord Jesus the Light of the World tha● by it People might come to know a being washed purified and sanctified And what hath been the Reward from the Rulers These Witnesses have received Prisons many till Death others Whipt as Vagabonds some stocked sometimes others Stoned by the rude tumultuous People yet he that sent them forth hath been with them and supported them through all these Sufferings and been a sufficient Reward unto them even as in dayes past and in Generations that are gone he hath been a sufficient Support in all Tryals and Exercises which any hath met withal as they have abode faithful to the Light of the Lord Jesus So People it is in vain to strive against the Lord for he is stronger then you therefore submit unto him that he may break you that a New Lump you may become for if he fall upon you you will be ground to Powder Therefore whilst you have Time prize it for the Time past none can call again neither Time to come can any truly promise to themselves Law-Makers did you intend this Act for a Snare for the Feet of the Innocent God that Judge of all Secrets knows your Intents therein and our Innocency Informers did or do you intend or think to make your selves Rich by the Spoyl of the Innocent who have no Helper in the Earth A Curse will follow you you Vagabonds Justices so called did and do you think to save your great Estates by giving out your Warrants to Distrain us and take away ours who had small Ones and yet God's Blessings upon our honest Labours if you would have let it alone with us God hath doth and will plead with you in secret Constables Church wardens Overseers of the Poor c who have had a hand in taking away and spoiling your Neighbours Goods contrary to the Light of Christ Jesus in your own Consciences for fear of suffering your selves will your so doing bring you Peace in your Latter-end With the Light of Christ Jesus search yourselves and see how it stands with you for you must give an Account hereof unto the great God that made Heaven and Earth Covetous Earth worms who have bought our Goods which we have truly laboured for at an under Value sometimes three penny worth for one Penny what do you think they will inrich and inlarge your Estates No they will be as a Moth in a Garment Persecutors with Tongue and Speakers Evil of the Light which you could never comprehend nor in your carnal wisdom never shall what do you think to possess by killing the Right Heir No the Lord of the Vineyard will come and dispossess you such shall be established in the lasting Possession as will with Gladness of Heart yield unto him of his Fruits in due season Praises be given unto the Lord many can say of a Truth The Sun is risen that shall never set more and it is in vain for the Night Fowlers to spread their Nets And so in that Habitation that God hath prepared me where no Wicked Informer nor Instrument of Satan can come I rest who am a true Lover of Magistracy and Justice and a Well-wisher to all People Feneystanton the 13th Day of the 4th Moneth commonly called June 1676. Tobias Hardmeat THE END