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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	aaron_n	bear_v	light_n	26	3	5.3648	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

see that the blessed Apostle foresaw the state and condition the Church was falling into and the time that hath been since hath manifested the truth of it And thus we see the good and wholesome Doctrine that the holy Apostle left with them that were Overseers in those dayes that had the Spirit of the Lord Jesus living and dwelling in their hearts but this Gospel hath been hid from them that have been lost And this may serve for the Sixth Head which is their Maintenance The seventh and last is their Garbe and Habit which they seem to place much in in matter of their Worship and they being Gospel-Ministers we know no ground nor Example they have from Christ or any of his Apostles to wear such Garments It is true Aaron when he was to minister in the Priests Office there were holy Garments to be made for him for beauty and for glory And these were the Garments which they were to make a Brest-plate an Ephod and a Robe a broidered Coat a Mitre and a Girdle and they were to take two Stones two Onix stones and grave on them the names of the Children of Israel and set them in four rows and Aaron shall bear the names of the Children of Israel in the Brest-plate of Judgment upon his heart when he goeth in into the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually and thou shalt put in the Brest-plate of Judgment the Urim and the Thummim which is Lights and Perfections and they shall be upon Aarons heart when he goeth in before the Lord and Aaron shall bear the Judgment of the Children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually Exod. 28. Here was more than the long Gown and the Surplice the Tippet and the hood here was the Urim and the Thummim and the Judgement of the Children of Israel upon his heart Also Aaron had a Brest-plate of pure Gold and graven upon it like the engraving of a Signet Holiness to the Lord Vers 36. This is far beyond the long Robes of our dayes for there is little holiness graven upon them neither Lights nor Perfections and if they do take the long Robes and Surplices Hoods and Tippets from Aaron they miss the Garbe and Fashion of this for upon the Hemme of Aarons Garment there was Bells and Pomgranets of gold A golden Bell and a Pomegranet a golden Bell and a Pomegranet round about the hem and this was to be upon Aaron when he went to minister that his sound might be heard when he was to go in the Holy Place before the Lord. But they set Bells upon the top of their Steepls in stead of these to make People hear the sound when they go to their Worship And so in this as in all other things that have been shewed they differ far from Scripture-Rule Moreover the Lord said unto Moses Thus shall Aaron go into the holy place with a young Bullock for a sin-offering and a Ram for a burnt-offering and he shall put on the holy linnen Coat and he shall have the linnen Breeches upon his flesh and shall be girded with a linnen Girdle and with the linnen Mitre shall he be attired these are the holy Garments therefore shall he wash his flesh in water and so put them on Levit. 16. So here we see Aaron was to bring a Bullock and a Ram for a burnt-offering and a sin-offering and to wash his flesh before he put those Garments on It is to be feared that our Long-Robed and Surplice-Men miss it in this too except they offer a sin-offering and a burnt-offering and wash their flesh We do not hear they use this they calling themselves Ministers of Christ and of the Gospel but certainly they have not taken up the imitation of these things from hence from Aarons Garments but from the Scribes and Pharisees for from Christ and his Apostle they had none at all but the quite contrary For Christ Jesus when he spake to the Multitude and his Disciples said The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses Seat and that which they bid you observe and do observe but do not ye after their works for they say and do not and all their works they do to be seen of men They make broad their Philactaries or Fringes and enlarge the borders of their Garments and love the upermost rooms at Feasts and the chiefest seats in the Synagogues But he saith Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves nor suffer them that would Woe unto you for ye devour Widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers therefore ye shall receive the greater condemnation Matth. 23. And he saith unto them in Mark 12. in his Doctrine Beware of the Scribes which love to go in long cloathing and love salutations in the Market-places and the chief seats in the Synagogues and uppermost rooms at Feasts which devour Widows houses and for a pretence make long Prayers these shall receive greater damnation And Luke saith Chap. 20. That then in the audience of all the People he said unto his Disciples Beware of the Scribes which desire to walk in long Robes and love greetings in the Markets and the highest seats in the Synagogues and the chiefest rooms at Feasts which devour Widows houses and for a shew make long Prayers the same shall receive greater condemnation Surely the Disciples and Apostles after they had heard Christ thus often to testify against them that went after this manner certainly they would keep themselves clear for ever going in this garb Besides it is clearly manifested by their practices that they never went after this manner in long Robes and Surplices for that would have been a great charge to them that wrought with their hands and were not chargable to any except those that were raised up by the power of Almighty God by their preaching of the Gospel of Christ unto them the Lord might move their hearts to give them what they should stand in need of which they could not want if those had it that were one with them in the Spirit for so the Apostle holdeth forth to the Philippians where he saith But I rejoyce in the Lord greatly that now at last your care of me hath flourished again wherein ye were also careful but ye lacked opportunity not that I speak in respect of want for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I know how to be abased and how to abound every where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need notwithstanding ye have done well that ye did communicate with mine affliction for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again to my necessity not because I desire a gift but I desire fruit that that may abound to your account But I have all and abound and am full Phil. 4. But surely

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. Little Children it is the last time as you have heard that Antichrist should come even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time These things have I written unto you concerning those that seduce you but the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you 1 John 2. And I stood upon the sand of the Sea and saw a Beast rise out of the Sea having seven Heads and ten Horns and upon his Heads the names of Blasphemy and he opened his mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven He that leadeth into Captivity must go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the faith and patience of the Saints Rev. 13. London Printed in the Year 1667. The Epistle to the READER Serious Reader LEt it enter into thy serious consideration the sad and perilous dayes that this Age is fallen into even into those last dayes that Christ and his Apostles fore-saw and fore-told of which are the last dayes as the Scriptures do plentifully declare and hold forth that were to come to pass before the coming of the day of the Lord and that there was to be a falling away from the Truth of the Lord God and that then the Man of Sin was to be revealed the Son of Perdition 2 Thes 2. 3 4. Also John in the Revelations when he stood upon the sand of the Sea saw the first Beast rise out of the Sea and the second out of the Earth which exercised the Authority of the first and the Dragon gave the power to the Beast and them that worshipped him Rev. 13. And John saw the War he made with the Lamb and with the Saints and overcame them for he was to continue 42 Months which is by the account of the Spirit of God according as it is recorded in the Scripture above 1200 Years which is fully compleated and finished with many years over since that great City Babylon had a foundation with whom the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication and the Inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the Wine of her fornication But the Angel carried John into the Wilderness Rev. 16 where he saw the Judgements of this great Whore and this woman which hath been arrayed in Purple and Scarlet colour decked with Gold and Precious Stones and in her hand a golden Cup full of abominations and the Woman which thou sawest saith the Angel is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth But after this John saw another Angel and he cryed mightily with a strong voyce saying Babylon Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and become the habitation of Devils And John heard another voyce from Heaven saying Come out of her my People that ye he not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues for her sins have reached unto Heaven and God hath remembred her Iniquities Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the Cup that she hath filled fill her double Rev. 18. Where ye may read the destruction and desolation of this great City Mystery of Babylon the great and Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth therefore rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you of her for after this John saw a mighty Angel take up a stone like a Mil-stone and cast it into the Sea saying Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be cast down and shall be found no more at all Glory Glory to the Highest for evermore her day of destruction and calamity and desolation hastens on apace the darkness is past the night is over and the true Light now shineth the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Righteous the Blessed Seed is rising in the hearts of People the Son of Man is coming to be lifted up from the Earth and will draw all men after him and in his power and in his great glory is coming to reign and to rule in the hearts and consciences of men and the Tabernacle of the Testimony is opened in Heaven and is with men and the Mystery of Godliness is manifested in the hearts of People and God is manifesting himself in them who hath said he will dwell in Men and walk in them and he is making their Bodies his Temples and he is coming to root out and race out of the hearts of Men and Women that Man of Sin that Son of Perdition that hath sitten in the Temple of God and hath been exalted above all that is called God and hath shewed himself as God and now the Lord is discovering him by the Resurrection of his Power and Spirit in the hearts of People which he is coming to pour upon all flesh according to his word and promise and that Mystery of Iniquity that hath wrought in a Mystery that Wickedness that hath possest the hearts of men and women now the Lords Power and Spirit is coming to cast him out and take him out of the way and throw him out And Christ Jesus that everlasting Fountain who said If any man be a thirst let him tome unto me and drink for I am come a Light into the World which world is in every mans heart And whosoever believes in Christ Jesus the Light they shall not perish but have the Light of Life And this Light of the Lord Jesus Christ being risen in the heart of every man and woman turning their minds thereunto it becomes their Teacher and this is that by which the Lord teacheth all his People who hath said by his Prophets They shall be all taught of God John 6. Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me saith Christ who is that living Bread that endureth for ever And this is the Son of man which God the Father hath sealed that is come a Light and a Spirit which every one that believes in is sealed with therefore it is good for all People not to quench the Spirit of the Lord Jesus nor to grieve it by which they are sealed to the day of Redemption Ephes 4. 30. but that every one may turn to the Spirit of the Lord

Jesus that is within them which preacheth in a Mystery and preacheth righteousness very nigh in their hearts and will cleanse their inward parts and make their hearts clean from that mystery of Iniquity that hath been long lodged in them and held them Captive and led them into sin and transgression and wickedness Oh that all hearts and secret parts might be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and that every one would walk in the Light abide in the Light as he is in the Light and here is the fellowship and unity of the Saints in Light Jesus Christ the Righteous ruling in their hearts and who lives in the Vnity and Spirit of the Lord Jesus they come to have fellowship with the Father and the Son as John had and these things he wrote unto them that their joy might be full and that they might partake of the same Light Life and Spirit and have Unity with him whose message is That God is Light and in him is no darkness at all And whosoever saith he knows God and abides in darkness is a lyar and the Truth is not in him 1 John 1. And this hath been the Condition and Doctrine that hath been holden forth for many hundred years they have walked in darkness and shewed as if they had fellowship with God and they have loved the world and the things of the world which the Apostle saith is not of the Father And if any love the World the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. And now Reader do but consider how these Teachers of the world live and after what manner and how they do oppress people for their maintenance and whether there is any sort of people more covetous of the world than they are and how they draw people from the Unction of the holy One that the Apostle here turned people to and desired them to take heed unto and to continue and abide in that which they had heard from the beginning and not to turn to those Antichrists that were then entering into the world but they were to abide in the Anointing which thy had received and it would teach them all things and it was truth and was no lie 1 John 2. But these Ministers of darkness that have been in this night of Apostacy all their indeavours have been to draw people from the Light and from the Vnction of the Holy One after them and after their Imaginations dark Studies and brain Divination and so have deceived poor people and have led them captive at their wills and as the Prophet said Have born rule by their means and the people have been so blind that they love to have it so And thus the Scriptures have been fulfilled and there hath been power given to the Beast and people generally have said in their hearts Who is able to make war with the Beast But glory to the highest Lord his time is over and the year of our Redeemer is come and the Spirit of the Lord is upon him and the Lord hath anointed him to preach good tydings to the meek liberty to the Captives and the opening the Prison doors to them that are bound and to proclaime the acceptable Year of the Lord and the day of Vengeance of our God Isa 61. 1 2. Oh Reader The time is short the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night and all this long-suffering of the Lord that hath been past is because he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance And seeing that all these things shall be dissolved oh what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for that blessed hope and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ that all may be found with him in peace without spot or blemish which is my desire And so read over this following Treatise and weigh in the seriousness of thy heart and consider the Scriptures of Truth by which thou mayest judge by the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ in thee how all the world have been befooled and blinded and led captive even at Satans will and how this Antichrist hath ruled in the hearts of People and sate in the Temple of God and hath been decked and covered over with the Scriptures and Saints words speaking them forth with unclean lips and from unclean hearts and so have deceived the hearts of the simple but this fine linnen and purple and scarlet that Babylon hath been decked with in one day shall be taken from her Amen even so Lord Jesus come quickly M. F. A Touch-Stone OR A Perfect Tryal by the Scriptures of all the Priests Bishops and Ministers c. ME thinks I hear the Bishops mutter murmur and contemn that I should publish it out to the world how I desired the King to beware of their Counsels therefore I do hereby give them my Reasons of the Cause why I did so which Reasons may satisfie them and the whole world except they can by as good or better overturn them In the first place I desired since it pleased the Lord to bring the King to his outward Right and Propriety of the Crown of his Ancestors that he might have done that whereby he might Prosper according to the words of the wise King Solomon who said It is the glory of God to conceal a thing but the honour of a King to search out a matter Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established Prov. 25. And again he saith The thoughts of the Righteous are right but the counsel of the wicked is deceit the words of the wicked are to lye in wait for blood but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them the wicked are overthrown and are not but the house the righteous shall stand Prov. 12. Also it was my desire that he should follow the example of the good Kings of Israel whose way it was to ask counsel of the Lord or of his Prophets as King David enquired of the Lord whether he should go up against the Philistims and the Lord said Go up 2 Sam. 5. and again King David called Nathan the Prophet and told him that he would build a House for the Ark of God and the Lord sent word again to David by Nathan the Prophet 2 Sam. 7. And when there was three years of famine in the Land David enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered him it was for Saul and his bloody house 2 Sam. 21. Also King Solomon the Lord appeared unto him and bid him ask what he would have and Solomon asked of the Lord an understanding heart to judge his People that he might discern between good and bad for saith he Who is able to judge this thy so great a People And this speech pleased the Lord that Solomon asked such a thing 1 Kings 3. And again the Lord spake unto Solomon the second time concerning the House which he was building

voice that spake unto him when he was struck down unto the earth with the sight of a Vision said unto him Arise stand upon thy feet for I have appointed thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a Witness both of these things thou hast seen and of those things in the which I shall appear unto thee delivering thee from the People and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. And according to this the Apostle confessed himself when he mote to the Romans I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians both to the wise and the unwise so much as in me is I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek for therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith and the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men because that which may be known of God is manifested in them for God hath shewed it unto them And thus the Apostle goes on exhorting and teaching the Romans in the 1st and 2d. Chapters and telleth them That God will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patience continue in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality and eternal life but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath For saith he there is no respect of persons with God for as many as have sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law for not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified c. And in the 10th of the Romans where he is speaking of his hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel he tells them That Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believeth For saith he the righteousness of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ up again from the dead but what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach And when he wrote to the Hebrews he rehearseth the New Covenant that the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah had prophesied of and saith This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them Heb. 10. These with many more places of Scripture might be instanced of the Apostles how they ministred both in Preaching and Writing And in the first Epistle of John he saith That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes and our hands have handled the word of Life This we declare unto you that ye may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Here was a right Minister of God that would have had those he wrote to to have been in fellowship with him who was in fellowship with the Father and with the Son and therefore he saith unto them These things I write unto you that your joy may be full This then is the message which we have heard from him and declared unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin And again the same Apostle saith A new Commandment I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true Light now shineth Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall abide in you ye shall also continue in the Son and in the Father These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you but the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is the truth and is no lye even as he hath taught you ye shall abide in him for ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things 1 John 2. Here is sound firm and wholsome Teaching that these holy men of God taught those that they taught but contrary to their teaching have Inventions and Teachings of men been for many Ages and Generations in this dark Night of Apostacy in which the pure and holy and glorious Church of Christ hath been gone into the Wilderness where she hath had a place appointed her of God until the One thousand two hundred and threescore dayes were accomplished which John saw Rev. 12. But now she is coming forth again glory to the Highest for ever And the Man-child which hath been caught up to God and to his Throne is coming to Rule all Nations and now are these Ministers of darkness which have ministred in the night coming to be seen now that the day appears For God that hath commanded Light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts and hath given us the Light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ which is the Son of Righteousness by which we see and comprehend them all So to proceed to the particulars The first thing that I except against in matter and form of their Worship Viz. All sorts of Preachers and Teachers that are out of Christ and his Apostles Spirit Doctrine and Rule is the taking a part or portion of Scripture for a Text and adding thereto their own Inventions which they study out of their own brain and also bringing other Authors who have done the like many of them not Christians but Heathens and thus make an Image and set up and deceive poor peoples souls and keep them everlearning but never come to the knowledge of the Truth and are more ignorant of God than many Heathens that never professed Christ nor the Scriptures and so it is ordinary with them to bring the Heathens words in that which they prepare for them and stir them up and this is quite contrary to Christ and the Apostles practice It is true Christ took the Book when it was delivered unto him and he opened and lookt upon it and found a place

Wherefore I beseech you be ye Followers of me For this cause I have sent unto you Timotheus who is my beloved Son and faithfull in the Lord who shall bring you into remembrance of my Wayes which be in Christ as I teach every where in every Church 1 Cor. 4. And again when the Apostle Exhorteth the Philippians in his Epistle To let nothing be done through Strife or Vain-glory but in lowliness of Mind let each esteem other better then themselves Look not every man to his own things but every man also to the things of others And so he goes on opening the Mystery of the Sufferings of Christ But he saith I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you that I also may be of good comfort when I know your State for I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your State for all seek their own not the things that are Jesus Christs but ye know the proof of him that as a Son with a Father he hath served me in the Gospel him therefore I send unto you c. Phil. 2. And again when he writeth to the Thessalonians he saith We sent Timotheus our Brother and Minister of God and our Fellow Labourer in the Gospel of Christ to Establish you and Comfort you concerning your Faith 1 Thess 3. Thus ye see that this Timotheus who was the Bishop and Overseer of the Church of God in the Apostles dayes was a Faithfull Labourer and Minister of Christ Jesus and much trusted in and approved of by the Apostle for he laboured with him in the Gospel as a Son laboureth with his Father And it is strange that the Bishops that have been in these later Ages should call themselves by that name since they have both derogated from their Doctrine and Principles and added what their own dark minds and inventions would invent for in that they have erected unto themselves a supremacy and a superiority above others which they have practised and Lorded over peoples Faith and Consciences for many hundreds of years together under which many thousands have groaned and suffered even until death and shedding of their blood and in all these things they have quite contradicted Christ Jesus his Doctrine Practice and Example as also all his holy Apostles after him for he and they were alwayes sufferers as hath been shewed already and as we shall shew hereafter But they were never Oppressors nor layers of Yoaks and Burdens upon the Consciences of Men and People but they alwayes preached Liberty and Freedom to others though they suffered themselves and there was their Cross that they took up when they followed Christ And so those Church-Governors as they call themselves that have been Blood-shedders that have been Oppressors and Persecutors they have no Example neither from Christ nor none of his Apostles and so let the Blood that they have shed for so many hundreds of years return upon their own heads Let Babylons Merchants have blood to drink for they are worthy for they have been made drunk with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus so the Cup that they have given to others let them have it double for they learned none of this from Christ nor from any of his Apostles For Christ when he sent his Messengers and they entred into a Village of the Samaritans and they received him not because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem and when his Disciples James and John saw this they said Lord wilt thou that we command fire from Heaven and consume them even as Elias did But he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not of what manner of spirits ye are of for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Luke 9. 55 56. And to save mens lives he laid down his own Life and shed his own pretious Blood as he saith himself He hath laid down his Life for his Sheep and they shall never perish Yea he hath laid down his Life for his enemies For the Apostle saith Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good and edification For even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Rom. 15. And again the Apostle saith All things are in God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. Here is no violence nor cruelty used neither bondages nor snares laid upon mens Consciences for the Apostle saith Give no offence in any thing that the Ministry be not blamed but in all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God In much Patience in Afflictions in Necessities in Distresses in Stripes and Imprisonments in Tumults in Labours in Watchings in Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-suffering by Kindness by the Holy Ghost by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the Right Hand and on the Left by Honour and Dishonour by Evil-report and Good-report as Deceivers and yet True as Vnknown and yet Well-known as Dying and behold we Live as Chastened and not Killed as Sorrowful and yet alwayes Rejoycing as Poor and yet making many Rich as having Nothing yet possessing All things 2 Cor. 6. Here is a Ministry of God indeed which is quite opposite and contrary to what hath been set up and practised in the Christian world Also read 2 Cor. 11. and likewise in Chap. 4. the Apostle saith Therefore seeing we have this Ministry as we have received mercy we faint not For if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them And this Gospel hath been hid all this time of darkness for the god of the World hath blinded the minds of all that have not believed in the Light of the glorious Gospel and so they have been lost from it and kept from it by the Ministers of darkness who have preached the divination of their own brain and not from the Light of the Lord. But the Apostle saith We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake these are not Lord-Bishops nor Pope-Holiness for saith he God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in

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