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book_n	word_n	write_v	zealous_a	55	3	8.6719	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57303	The good old way and truth which the ancient Christians many ages and generations ago witnessed unto in the world from age to age, even from the dayes of Christ unto this very time, wherein the same doctrine, life and practice is witnessed unto by us who are in contempt called Quakers, through many tribulations, which our ancestors, the most ancient and true Christians that ever were upon the earth, sealed unto, with the loss of their lives and liberties, by which, in short, is fully manifested, in what is treated of herein, that the doctrine of the Quakers, in denying to swear any oath, and their refusing to pay tythes, and many other things they practise, was the doctrine and practise of the most famous and renowned Christians, both testified of in the Scriptures of truth, and the books of martyrs : also, a brief discovery of the ground and rise and tythes, manifesting them no Gospel-maintenance, but was testified against by the best and most ancient Christians many ages ago / written by ... Ambros Rigge.	Rigge, Ambrose, 1635?-1705.; R. T. (Rebecca Travers), 1609-1688.	1669 (1669)	Wing R1483; ESTC R17133	29,214	42

and follow Christ and learn of him down goes their Merchandize by which they maintain their Pride and Pomp for the preserving of which they will cry up any thing that will promote their trade as hath been manifest in England within these late years but God hath shaken his hand at their dishonest gain and is bringing contempt and misery upon them Ezek. 22. 12 13. and they will become a by-word to many in Ages to come and the Arm of Flesh which they have so long trusted in shall wither before them and the Lord will more and more gather his Sheep from their mouthes that they shall not alwayes prey upon them Ezek. 34. 10. the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and all their rage and madness shall but heap Coals of fire upon their own heads for they have over-passed the deeds of the wicked in Drunkenness Swearing Whoring Lying Couzening Cheating Pride Luxury Wantonness Covetousness which is Idolatry a Generation of Vipers stinging and most grievously persecuting all who will not put into their mouthes I might fill a Volumn of their multiplied iniquities which ever were the certain tokens and fore-runners of desolation and destruction and the people thorow their evil example are overwhelmed in all manner of debauchery and uncleanness even drinking in iniquity as the Ox doth water Oh was ever Sodom or Nineveh so over-grown with iniquity as England now is what will be the end of all these Abominations under which this Land mourns Oh that my head were as water and mine eyes a Fountain to tears that I might thorowly bemoan the Calamity of this people for all flesh hath corrupted his way before the Lord their thoughts are the thoughts of vanity and their works the works of iniquity destruction and misery is in their wayes and the way of peace they know not Rom. 3. 16 17. Oh repent repent and amend your wayes for the Kingdom of God is at hand Matth. 4. 17. the Sword of the Almighty is drawn it is fitted and furbished for a mighty slaughter and it shall wound the hairy scalp of every one that goeth in iniquity Plalm 68. 21. Oh therefore return return unto the Lord while he is near and seek his face while he may be found for he willeth not the death of a Sinner therefore if ye perish your destruction is of your selves A Brief Discovery of the entering in of Antichrists and false Prophets with their Marks and Fruits who instituted Swearing contrary to Christ's Command and many other things which now are and for a long time have been upheld contrary to the Scripture and practice of the Saints of old NOw you who call your selves Christians open your eyes and see from whom you have derived Swearing upon a Book which now you are so zealous for that most of you calls it an Ordinance of God let both Christ and the Apostles Testimonies be Witnesses against you herein and not onely them but the Testimony of the best and most ancient Christians since their dayes who under-went most grievous Sufferings both from the hands of many Heathen Emperors several hundred years before there was a Pope and after that Beast arose out of the Sea which then had flowed over the Earth under whom many faithfull Martyrs suffered for their obedience to the Faith and Doctrine of Christ who testified against Swearing and many other abominable Idols which that Beast had derived from the Heathens against Christ's Command all whose Testimonies stands as a Cloud of Witnesses against you at this day who are swearing upon Books and laying your hands upon them saying So help me God which at the best was but invented by Justinian the Heathen Emperor and after him by the Pope from whom it is derived at furthest and so condemns the Quakers to lose all their Goods and Lands and to lie in Prison during the Kings pleasure onely because they cannot deny Christ nor his Commands nor the practice of the Ancient Christians many hundred years ago though there is a witness in many of you that the people of God whom you thus cruelly persecute never plotted any mischief against the King or any man nor ever countenanced any who would so that there is not any people in England Scotland or Ireland that the King may more conside in then in the true born Quakers who cannot betray the Lord nor the King but they who are not faithfull to God and his Truth can never be faithfull to the King Here follows several instances of the Priests practices for which they have no Scripture but were instituted by the Papists and Bishops of Rome 1. CLaudius Espontius a Popish Bishop at a Council held at Pysoy in France in the year One thousand five hundred ordained that Infant Baptism should be received by tradition because it could not be proved by Scripture 2. Ignatius Bishop of Rome was the first that ordained that Infants should be Baptised and have Godfathers and Godmothers oh what blaspemous words hath Antichrist brought in against God how can these be God and Father or God and Mother to the Child and how can they promise and vow that the Child shall forsake the Devil and all his Works and keep Gods holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all his dayes when as the same men and women do believe before hand that neither they themselves nor the child can ever perform these things Is this Scriptural or Papistical answer Priests 3. Pius Bishop of Rome built the first Temple after the Apostacy in honour to the Virgin Prudentia and since the Papists have built thousands and consecrated them for which they have no Scripture or example from Christ or any of the ancient Christians 4. Dionysius in the year Two hundred sixty seven divided both Rome and all their Places into Parishes and Diocesses for Bishops 5. Silvester Bishop of Rome ordained that all Churches should be Christened and anointed with Oyl and called them St Peter St Paul St Katherine St Maudlen St Hellen St Dunston St Anthony St Gregory St Clement St Giles c. which superstitious names are upheld to this day by those who say they deny the Pope 6. Clement Bishop ordained Confirmation of Children and said none was perfect that wanted that he also ordained that Children should be smore on the cheek and signed with the sign the Cross 7. At Lyons in France they appointed holy dayes to encrease their Religion viz. Christmas Candlemas Lammas which was never ordained nor consecrated of Christ nor any of his Servants who neither went to Mass nor observed any Mass-Dayes but kept Gods Command who said Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do c. Exod. 20. 8. Boniface the fourth ordained Stephen Innocent Lawrence Michael Martin John Baptist and all the Saints dayes to be kept holy against Gods command before cited and the Apostle testified against such Observations Gal. 4. 10. 9. Gregory ordained that Mass or short prayer

Flesh cannot uphold that Priesthood which takes Tythes knowing that he hath changed the Priesthood and the Law also and not thorow covetousness to save so much of our Estates as some have falsely judged for if we had no reason for the denial of Tythes but to save our goods we would assuredly pay them knowing aforehand if we do not pay them we shall certainly lose three times so much at the best therefore humane reason would not lead us to deny them upon that score but it is only in Conscience towards God that we cannot pay them knowing the Priesthood changed and the Law also that commanded them disannull'd as is said above land therefore if we should uphold that which Christ have disannul'd we should be Antichrists like them and wo would be our portion And therefore we joyfully suffer the spoiling of our goods for the Name of Christ and the hope that is set before us Hebr. 10. 34. knowing that the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect thorow Sufferings Hebr. 2. 10. And because we could not deny him come in our Flesh have the Chief Priest of our Age devoured much of our Substance even beyond the bounds of humanity and the Law by which they pretend to claim it which at most allows them but treble damages against them that refuse to pay them yet they have not been contented with five times the value nay it would pierce any tender heart to hear of the havock and spoil they have made of our Bodies and Goods throughout this Nation for our witnessing Christ come in the Flesh appearing manifestly worse then the Jews that scourged the Apostles of Christ for they abated Paul one stripe of forty every time they whipped him 2 Cor. 11. 24. though their Law allotted forty stripes yet they would not go to the rigour thereof But these merciless Wolves have exceeded in cruelty to the power they have had given them all that ever I read of in any Age for proof hereof I refer the Reader to a Book called A Record of Sufferings for Tythes wherein they are thorowly proved grievous Wolves indeed Acts 20. 29. who have exceeded the rigour of their own Laws many degrees even to the utter undoing as far as in them lies of whole Families Object Some have pleaded the right of Tythes under the Gospel from these words Ye pay Tythe of Mint and Annis and Commin c. these things ought ye to have done c. Matth. 23. 23. Answ This was spoken by Christ to the Scribes and Pharisees who denied him and upheld the first Priesthood and therefore he called them Blind-Guides and cried many woes against them for their Hypocrisie Matth. 23. 16 17. and seeing they did not own own him who fulfill'd the Law they ought tythe their Mint and Annis c. and so all those who know not Christ the better hope brought into them to tythe their increase but who so doth must not assume the title of Christians for they can never be received Jure Divino by any under the Second Covenant I suppose the Tythe-mongers have been ashamed of that plea several years Therefore let us come to their plea Jure Humano which is their main Prop or Pillar they say by the Law of man They have as good right to the Tenth part as the Owner hath to the Nine parts c. This is much like the Jews plea against Christ to take away his life John 19. 7. because they had a Law so to do which made them bold and impudent not regarding the evil they did in executing their Law when it turned against Christ and his followers neither would their Law they were so zealous for defend them from the stroke of Gods terrible vengeance which after they had filled up the measure of their Iniquity came upon them and their Posterity though they were suffered to reign long over the Heritage of God But let these Tythe-mongers tell us who first invented this Tythe to Priests since Christ and if they can clear the Pope of it and deduct it from the Scriptures or the ancient Christians let them and then they will have some colour of Christianity to demand them But this Jure humano was the main plea in Oliver Cromwels time by these tything temporising Priests to uphold their pluralities and Tythes though they could throw away the Common-prayer-Book at his Command and silently suffer the people to want that which the same Priests now cries up as an Oracle and Ordinance of God and Divine Service for the reading of which they now wholly plead Tythe their due Jure humano yet in those dayes when that which they now call Divine Service was rejected by them they pleaded and ravened as much for the Fleece as they do now though they suffered thousands to perish without that which they now threaten damnation to all who will not hear and receive which if they had been true Shepherds they would have laid down not only their liberty and their Tythes but their lives for their Flocks in those dayes rather then they should have been led away by those they now count Wolves John 10. 11 12 13. but the Love of their Tythes and Pluralities which Oliver suffered them to enjoy over-ballanced their love to their Flocks and no question if the Pope come and hold out the Mass Book to them in one hand with Tythes and large Revenues in the other and promise in accepting of the one they shall enjoy the other and for refusal shall lose both these cunning Steers-men that can alwayes sail in the eye of the wind will no doubt swallow this Pill with little or no difficulty also and cry up the Mass-Book for as Divine an Oracle and Ordinance of God as the Directory was with them in its day or as the Common-Prayer now is with all its Rites and Ceremonies now in their esteem for then also they may plead for their Tythes Jure humano And they who formerly endured turning out could silently suffer their Flocks to be devoured by them whom they counted Wolves and durst not openly declare against them nor enter into their Synagogues and dispute with them as the manner of Paul and the true Ministers of Christ was Acts 17. 16 17 18. for fear of loss of liberty or some other profit if such be not the Hirelings that Christ spoke of that flees before the Wolf and leaves their sheep I know not any Hirelings at all for was the Common-Prayer Idolatry in Oliver's dayes and Divine-Service now how was the nature and property of it altered The main and principal Foundation of the Law of England is the Law of God so says the Law-Book Doctor and Student cap. 2. pag. 4. in these words There is a Law written in the heart of man which is man created in the Image of God and this Law is alwayes good and righteous stirring up the man to do that which is good and abhor the evil and therefore against this

Law saith the Book Prescription Statute Custom may not prevail and if any be brought against it they are void and against Justice c. If so then let all who hath the least spark of reason left in them judge whether it is not high presumption against God and his unlimitted Prerogative and Royal-Law written in the hearts of his people according to his Promise by the mouth of his holy Prophet Jerimiah Jer 31. 33. to set up mans Law above it and force the execution thereof against it for in the Second Covenant wherein God promised to write his Law in his peoples hearts Tythes and their Law were abolished as is said before therefore Prescription Statute and Custom that is brought against the aforesaid Royal-Law of God written in the heart is void and against Justice by the aforesaid Law-Book of England which will not admit of Jure Humano to prevail against Jure Divino Here followeth several Presidents of the Ancient Christians some in the Apostles dayes and some since who had no Tythes from the People who gave Testimony against them that did require them IN the Churches of Antioch Galatia and Corinth the Saints possessed every man his own estate where the Apostle ordained a weekly offering of the Saints that every man might offer freely of what God had blessed him withal which was put in the hands of Deacons for the maintenance of the poor and other necessary uses Acts 11. 29. for Christ having in Luke 10. allotted their Ministers their Maintenance they were contented with it and when they returned to him again they could say they had no want but then they lived not in pride nor fulness of bread nor went in long Robes nor maintained their Wives in pride and excess as the men of our Age do for such Christ never sent in any Age for they were not Lord Bishops nor call'd of men Masters but were Patterns and Examples to the Flock and and said to the Disciples and Brethren Be ye Followers of us even as we are of Christ but now if people should follow none but they that are Followers of Christ the Tythe-mongers would have none at all But the aforesaid contribution continned amongst the Ancient Christians about Three hundred years till the great Persecution under Maximinian and Dioclesian as Eusebius witnesseth and so doth Turtulian Origen Cyprian and others here was not Tythes so much as spoken to of the Christian Ministers but they did abide in the Doctrine of Christ and having food and rayment they were therewith content After which time some Lands were given to the Church but Origen saith It is not lawfull for any Minister to possess Lands given to the Church to his own use Cyprian Bishop of Carthage also testified the same and sheweth how the Church maintaineth many poor and that her own expences was full of frugality and her diet sparing and plain Cyprian Epist 27 34 36. Prosper also saith That a Minister able to live of himself ought not to desire any thing of the people and he that receiveth it doth it not without great sin And the Bohemians in their fruitfull and Christian Exhortation to Kings and Princes to stir them up to zeal for the Gospel in many Articles against the Clergy of their Antichristian Practises In the fifteenth Article against them they say thus c. That they receive Tythes of men and will of right have them and preach and say that men are bound to give them Tythes and therein they say falsly for they cannot prove by the New-Testament that our Lord Jesus Christ commanded it and his Disciples warned no man so to do neither did themselves so receive them but although in the Old-Testament it were commanded to give Tythes yet it cannot thereby be proved that Christian men are bound thereunto for this precept of the Old-Testament had an end in the first year of our Lord Jesus Christ like as the precept of Circumcision wherefore Beloved consider and see how your Bishops seduce you with things that have no proof Christ said in the 11th of Luke Give Alms of those things that remain but he said not Give the Tenth of the Goods ye possess c. Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 860. Col. 2. in Hen. 5. dayes But the first that restrained peoples freedom in this kind was the Council under Pope Alexander the third Anno 1180. by whose time much Wickedness and Idolatry was crept in among them as History relates But the most strictest decree was made at the Council of Trent under Pope Pius the fourth about the year 1560. they commanded Tythes to be paid under the penalties of Excommunication About the years 800 900 and 1000. and after Tythes were called the Lord's Goods So here was the rise of Priests Tythes which for many hundred years they held Jure Divino as they said which ever since they have exacted against the Law of God and right reason and have not only robbed God but the poor also and therefore is every Parish forced to keep the poor from starving unto whom if any the Tythes do most properly belong and yet though the Priests go away with the Tythes it is very hard in many places to get them to contribute any thing to the Poor-Tax manifesting their Charity far short of the Levitical Priests who formerly out of the Tythes maintained the Widows and Fatherless c. and consequently far beneath the Ministers of the Gospel And furthermore did ever any either of the Levites or Ministers of the Gospel sue any people at Law that separated from them for Maintenance nay was ever such inhumane actions known from the worst of the Merchants of Babylon let History testifie as to tear four or five times so much as they pretend their due from them who do not like their Wares and troubles them for nothing nay Baalam though he loved the wages of unrighteousness yet he durst not take it but these are not contented with three times so much which modesty would blush to appear in if these be not the greedy dumb Dogs which Isaiah spoke of which can never have enough I know not where they are Isa 56. 10 11 12. The with-holding of these pretended dues at farthest is but a ●●●spass against them and it is their manner often to pray to the ●●●d to forgive them their trespasses as they forgive them that 〈◊〉 against them c. Now let the honest hearted judge 〈◊〉 they forgive such as trespass against them when they 〈◊〉 the utmost rigour of the Law against such as trespass against then yea or nay How do these men think to be forgiven of the Lord For saith Christ if ye forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will forgive you your trespasses but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses Matth. 6. 14 15. And Peter said Lord how often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven