Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	authority_n	law_n	legislative_a	2,620	5	12.4064	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84839	The West answering to the North in the fierce and cruel persecution of the manifestation of the Son of God, as appears in the following short relation of the unheard of, and inhumane sufferings of Geo. Fox, Edw. Pyot, and William Salt at Lanceston in the county of Cornwall, and of Ben. Maynard, Iames Mires, Ios. Coale, Ia. Godfrey, Io. Ellice, and Anne Blacking, in the same gaole, town, and county. And of one and twenty men, and women taken up in the space of a few dayes on the high wayes of Devon, ... Also a sober reasoning in the law with Chief Justice Glynne concerning his proceedings ... And a legall arraignment for the indictment of the hat, ... And many other materiall and strange passages at their apprehensions and tryals ...	Fox, George, 1624-1691.	1657 (1657)	Wing F1988; Thomason E900_3; ESTC R202187	140,064	174

smiting your friends you will not have Christ to reign you will not have sin to reign in your markets and streets and if they reprove sin in the gate he is made a prey upon that doth it you will have pleasures to reign and not have them reproved he is called a mad man among you that doth reprove you or a fool you will not have drunkards reproved nor swearers nor cursed speakers in the ale-houses or in the streets abroad but he is looked upon to be a peace-breaker or a gatherer of tumults And here you may see what you will to reign that which the sword should be turned against which the Lambs of Christ turn against therefore against the Lambs of Christ ye turn your swords And again hirelings and such as seek their gain from their quarter such as divine for money and such Teachers as teach for money that go in Cain's way and Balaam's way these ye will have to reign and cannot endure they should be cryed against and will not have Christ reign but uphold them with a Law that none shall speak to them while they are speaking without a Prison Was ever such Christians seen Are ye not gone beyond the Jews in the letter for the Jews in the spirit might speak to them Were there ever so many imprisoned in their time of any of the Jews in the spirit as now by you who are Christians in the letter the Christians in the spirit that be in the spirit that gave forth the letter see ye now in the steps of the Jews walking and rather worse but it is that which John saw the Beast the Dragon and the false Prophet should all make war against the Lamb and the Saints but the Lamb should get the victory and overcome Let this be read among all the Synagogue-teachers and Professors who call it either Synagogue Temple or Church who are crying up your Church and the Scriptures among you as you may reade the Jews did the Temple of the Lord and the Law of the Lord was with them and the Prophet told them they did commit adultery they did steal they sware falsly they walked after their abominations and they walked after the vanity of their own hearts both Priests and People given to covetousness they were all out of the old-way Therefore for these things did the Lord visit them and doth you who are found in these steps and persecuting them that be in the life that gave forth Scriptures and are come to the Church that is in God During the time aforesaid was the general Assizes at Exeter for the County of Devon of which chief Baron Steel and Baron Nicholas were Judges before one of whom viz. Judge Nicholas were these who were thus imprisoned at the Assizes brought and the rest also as they were taken on the high-wayes in the time of the Assizes of this Judge Considering his place and office justice might have been expected and a vindication of the Law and a zealous helping those to right who had thus suffered wrong but no such thing found they from him but the contrary even the same spirit ruling and working in him as made the Law aforesaid and put it in execution against he Innocent who could not be found Transgressors of any Law of the Nation For as the Sessions made a Law and set up Watches to apprehend them if they were but found travelling on the high-wayes and did so apprehend and imprison them without so much as making proclamation or giving publick warning forbidding such to travel in that Countrey after such a day but immediately as soon as they had made their Law put it in execution on those who were in their way before it was made or had publick warning thereof or the allotment of a certain space of time of it to take notice which the Law of the Nation observes so the Judge will have a Law of his own making as to the Hat for that there is no Law of the Nation that requires a man to put off his Hat and imprison him for not so doing and denies him hearing or justice whatever be his innocency or sufferings if he puts not off his Hat to a Seat of Justice will anon appear when this new-found Indictment of Hats shall be scann'd as in some part it hath already been in the Letter aforesaid sent to chief Justice Glynne and presently he will have it put in execution though his Law be made after the fact done after their so appearing unto which they could not bow in conscience to the Law of God of which he is convinced to be a Transgressor that respecteth persons for he that doth so committeth sin Nor can it be bowed to in respect to the Law of the Land which declares against arbitrariness which Law arbitrariness subverts and overthrows which arbitrariness his duty is to do justice upon being entrusted with the execution of the Law and this his Law standing in his own will the founder thereof it is arbitrary and not to be obeyed but in the overthrow of the Law of the Land and a slighting of all the blood shed in the wars against arbitrariness and is less to be endured and submitted to in him than in any of the Judges and chief Justices that have gone before him whom justice hath cut off for arbitrariness or in Strafford Canterbury Charles Stuart or of any of these later generations since it is but the other day that these Nations came out of many years wars and dreadfull desolations and destructions even to the hazarding of all to vindicate the Rights and Liberties of England and the Laws the guard of them from will and power And this Judge was one who in that day appeared against that generation and for that cause was made a Judge by the Parliament and therefore for him to act against Law which he is sworn to execute not to make And the Legislative Authority that made him a Judge and the righteous ends of the Wars for Liberty and Law in which he appeared and these innocent servants of the Lord who have been all of them alwayes faithfull to the honest interest of the Nation and many of them for it have drawn the sword and fought in the field from first to last because they cannot submit to this his will which is contrary to the Law of God and the Nation and the righteous ends of the Wars is the more abominable and to be denyed and witnessed against Thus then were the proceedings of this Assizes as to these Before Judge Nicholas they were brought by Officers before him they stood covered in conscience to the command of the Lord that their Hats should not be taken off he commanded that so within the compass of his will they might be brought Their names he asked one after another they gave their names in meekness and in the fear of the Lord and the Clarke of the Assizes wrote them down to record the contempt of his will he

to him that are such as he and the scorners calls Quakers he saith he will imprison And Thomas Gewen makes up a third in the same affection for which by reason of the Army he sate not in Parliament But to proceed Lanceston having thus began the County of Cornvvall follows strict Watches and Wards are set up in the high ways and towns thereof who examine and bring bef●re Justices such as they reproach with the name of Quakers thereby to stop and hinder the going to and fro of such in that County to visit the Prisoners or to Minister the words of eternall life in those darke Corners of the earth But of this after a time they grew vveary vvho thereby thought to vveary out those people by tossing them from Constable to Just●ce and from one Justice to another keeping them all night on Guards with such like the rage which the evill one stirred up in them which put them upon such unlavvfull and violent actions became cool and finding nothing wherewithall to accuse them and their innocency and harmelesness began to have a witness in their consciences and so their Watches and Guards ceased which had continued for a certain space of time and those at Lanceston also though the Mayor for a time followed it with such blind zeale madness and violence And this is the better vvay to deale with the people called Quakers than the Protector and his Councell could find Anthony Nicholls its like can tell from whom came this wicked invention and who it was that said so and what Justices set to their hands to make this Warrant the more authentick and to cover it from being seen to be the Plot of one against the just viz Anthony Nicholls Anthony Rouse James Lance John Treville Ia. Daniell Iohn Fox Dated at Truro By that time this Westerne most Countie and the towns and Villages thereof gave over the County of Devon on the East of Lanceston began Cornwall was behind and little in comparison All England stood before Devon and through it must all pass that came to the prisoners Its bounds extending from Sea to Sea surely grieved are the Priests to see and hear of such abounding of love in visiting the Prisoners from all parts of England even from the borders of Scot●and tormented they are day and night because of the continuall goings of so many to and from the Prisoners who witnessed that which made their Kingdome to shake and would be its overthrow No rest are they in because of the opportunities such had to declare the name of the Lord from far and his everlasting Gospell to the ends of the earth to the opening of the blind eye to see their deceit and filthiness and to the turning of people from darkness to the light and from the power of Sathan unto God whom if they should be let alone the Countie would run after Therefore the Crie is made help help ye Magistrates ye Rulers ye Officers of the Army ye Souldiers ye towns and Parishes and Villages help ye men of Devon bring forth your Swords your Staves your Bills your Halberts set the Watch in the high ways in the towns on the Bridges and passages make strong your Guards with men of place and ability and sufficient carnall weapons Let no one of them pass you hale them to prison Lay them fast enough set your authoritie upon it ye generall Sessions make it a Law for our Kingdome is of this world and will fall if ye powers of the earth do not support it Why What 's the matter What is the reason of this outcry In plain english and in open face it is this There are a generation of people whom we call Quakers for we must reproach in the very first place that we may be known of what generation we are Ministers of division not of reconciliation wandring up and down this County as did the Prophets and Christ Jesus and the Apostles and Holy Men of God from the beginning who plague us greatly and the men of our generation in almost every corner of the Nation who deny us who thus act for by these our fruits they say we are known the godly Ministers of England to be the true Ministers of the Gospel for the true Ministers of the Gospel were Ministers of Jesus Christ not of Man or made by or in the will of Man or Nations or Countryes but by the will of God and the revelation of Jesus Christ who made them 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 Gal. 1.16 And such were done too by the Ministers of the Countryes the National Ministers the high Priests Scribes and Pharisees as we have done and would have you now do to them as Christ foretold And they deny the Scriptures of which we make our trade to be the word of God and if that be not the word of God no other word of God do we know for we have neither seen his shape nor heard his voyce at any time and Revelation we deny and so we cannot be called M●nisters of the word of God for they say Christ Jesus is the Word of God which was in the beginning before Letter was which was with God which was God and so is not the Letter which was made flesh and came and dwelt amongst us as John testifies chap. 1. Which word of God is quick and powerfull sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart as saith the Author to the Hebrews chap. 4.12 By which word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing in the water and out of the water and the Heavens and the Earth which are now are kept in store by the same word reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men as Peter 2 epist c. 3. v. 6 7. witnesseth Who sits on the white horse cloathed with a vesture dipt in blood whose name is called the Word of God riding on conquering and to conquer having the Armies of Heaven following of him as John describes him in his Revelations ch 19.11 12 13 14. And they say the Scriptures are a true declaration of this Christ Jesus the Word of God as Luke bears record who having a perfect understanding of all things from the very first saith he took in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which were most surely believed amongst them even as they were delivered unto them by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word it seeming good unto him also to write of them in order chap. 1.1 2 3. Which declaration of his of him who is the Word of God which he calls so who wrote it we notwithstanding call and will have it to be the Word

to understand and feel the justice thereof Is thy state so high and thy fence so great And art thou so certain of thy time and station above all that have gone before thee whom justice hath cut down and given their due that thou shalt never be called to an account nor with its long and sure stroke be reached Deceive not thy self God is come nearer to udgement than the workers of iniquity in this age imagine who persecute and evil intreat those who witness the Just and Holy One for their witnessing of him who is come to reign for ever and ever Saith he not he will be a swift Witness against the false Swearers God is not mocked Surely Friend that must needs be a very great offence the not forbearing of the doing of which deprives a man of justice of being heard as to wrong of the benefit of the Law of those Laws before rehearsed the justice and equity of which for to defend a man hath adventured his Blood and all that is dear to him But to stand covered or with the Hat on in conscience to the command of the Lord is made by thee such an one which is none in Law and rendred upon us who are innocent serving the living God effectually though the Laws of God and of Man and the Oath and Equity and Reason saith the contrary and on it pronounceth such a penalty If ye will be uncovered I will hear you and do you justice But justice we had not nor were we heard because the light of Jesus Christ who is the higher power the Law-giver of his people in our consciences commanded us not to respect persons whom to obey we chose rather than man And for our obedience into it hast thou cast us into Prison and continued us there to this very day having neither shewed us Law for it nor Scripture or instance of either or example of Heathens or others Friend come down to that of God that is just in thee and consider Was ever such a thing heard of in this Nation What is become of Seriousness of Judgement and of Righteousness An unrighteous man standing before thee with his Hat off shall be heard but an innocent man appearing with his Hat on in conscience to the Lo●d shall neither be heard nor have justice Is not this regarding of persons contrary to the Laws aforesaid and the Oath and the Law of God Vnderstand and judge Did we not own Authority and Government oftentimes before the Court Didst not thou say in the Court thou wast glad to hear so much from us of our owning Magistracy Pleaded we not to the Indictment though it was such a new found one as England never heard of before Came we not when thou sentst for us Went we not when thou bidst us go And are we not still Prisoners at thy Command and at thy Will If the Hat had been such an offence to thee couldst not thou have caused it to have been taken off When thou hadst heard us so often declare we could not do it in conscience to the command of the Lord and that for that cause we forbore it not in contempt of thee or of Authority nor in dis-respect to thine or any mans person for we said we honoured all men in the Lord and owned Authority which was a terrour to evil doers and a praise to them that do well And our souls were subject to the higher powers for conscience sake as thou causedst them to be taken off and to be kept so when thou calledst the Jury to finde us Transgressors without a Law What ado hast thou made to take away the Righteousness of the Righteous from him and to cause us to suffer further whom thou knewest to have been so long wrongfully in Prison contrary to Law Is not Liberty of Conscience a Natural Right Had there been a Law in this case and we bound up in our Consciences that we could not have obeyed it was not Liberty of Conscience there to take place For where the Law saith not against there needs no Plea of Liberty of Conscience But the Law have not we offended yet in thy will for our consciences where the Law requires no such thing hast thou and dost thou yet cause us to suffer And yet for Liberty of Conscience hath all the blood been spilt and the miseries of the late Wars undergone and as O. P. saith this Government undertaken to preserve it and a Natural Right he saith it is and he that would have it he saith ought to give it And if a Natural Right as it is undeniable than to attempt to force it or to punish a man for not doing contrary thereunto is to act against Nature which as it is unreasonable so it is the same as to offer violence to a mans life and what an offence that is in the Law thou knowest and how by the common Law of England all Acts and Agreements and Laws that are against Nature are meer nullities and all the Judges cannot make one case to be Law which is against Nature But put the case our standing with our Hats on had been an offence in Law and we wilfully and in contempt and not out of Conscience had so stood which we deny as aforesaid Yet that is not a ground wher●fore we should be denyed Justice or to be heard as to the wrong done to us If ye will not offend in one case I will do you Justice in another this is not the language of the Law or of justice which distributes to every one their Right justice to whom justice is due punishment to whom punishment is due A man who doth wrong may also have wrong done to him shall he not have right wherein he is wrongd unless he right him whom he hath wronged The Law saith not so but the wrong doer is to suffer and the sufferer of wrong is to be righted Is not otherwise to do a denying a letting of even Law and execution of justice and a bringing under the penalties aforesaid mind and consider And shouldst thou have accu●ed when no accuser appeared against us as in the particulars of striking P. Ceely and dispersing Books as thou saye'st● against Magistracie and Ministrie with which thou didst accuse on● of us Saith not the Law that the Judge ought not be the accuser much less a false accuser and w●s't not thou such a one in affirming that he dispersed Books against Magistracie and Ministrie when as the Books were violently taken out of our Chamber as hath been said undispersed by him or any of us Nor didst thou make it to appear in one particular wherein those thou so violently didst cause to be taken away were against Magistracie or Ministry or gavest one Instance or Replie when he denied what thou charg'st therein and spake to thee to bring forth those Books and make them to appear Is not the sword of the Magistrate of God to pass upon such evill doing And according to