Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	church_n	1,754	5	4.4354	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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 is the Minister of a better Covenant then that which commanded Swearing which was established upon better Promises Heb. 8. 6. So the Priesthood being changed there is made of Necessity a change of the Law Heb. 7. 12. and Christ did not onely change that part of the Law which appertained to swearing but divers other clauses and sayings thereof As first that of Circumcision which the Law strictly commanded Gal. 5. 2. Secondly Love to Enemies which the Law commanded to hate Matth. 5. 53. Thirdly Overcoming evil with good c whereas the Law commanded to take Eye for Eye and Tooth for Tooth c. and many other instances which I might produce yet he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it Matth. 5. 17. as the Jews who upheld swearing and haring of Enemies after Christ came charged him withal even as the Apostate Christians now charges his Followers who abide to his Doctrine and dare not swear at all to be Destroyers of the Law and Contemners of Magistracy and bringers in of new Doctrine Acts 17. 19. which the same spirit in the dayes of old 〈◊〉 upon him and them whom God raised up in 〈◊〉 dayes to preach Repentance and Remission of sins by Jesus Christ who 〈◊〉 Marvel not my Brethren if the World hate you 1 Joh. 3. 13. For it hated me before it hated you and the Servant is not greater then his Lord c. John 15. 18 19. Object Again it s said Paul swore from that Scripture I protest before God c. and in saying I call God to witness which is said to be an Oath Answ As to the first it is an intrusion of the Translation It being neither in the Greek Copies nor in the Latine nor some English Copies To the second that he calls God to witness is no Oath but an earnest attestation for an Oath is that whereby something is sworn by as Israel was to swear by the Lord in Truth Judgement and Righteousness and calling God to witness is no more then to say I speak in the presence of God who knows the hearts and thoughts of all men and is no formal Oath neither under the Law nor Gospel Neither is there any command more full in either Law or Gospel then Christ's Command to his Disciples not to swear at all by any Oath without any exception being seconded by the Apostles command to his Brethren as I said before enjoyning them earnestly above all things not to swear by any thing either in Heaven or Earth lest they fell into condemnation which Commands were binding to all both then present and the succeeding Saints and Christians several hundred years after Christ ascended to the Father and the Apostles Testimony was finished in the World yea the ancient Christians many years after their dayes kept the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostle James testifying to their death against the Heathen Emperors who would have compelled them to Swear affirming it a special mark and character of a Christian from Christ's words not to swear at all as shall be made evident anon By all which it will manifestly appear that the Quakers denial of all Swearing is no New Doctrine but the renewing of that which was commanded and practised by the best of Christians above sixteen hundred years ago and continued in force and practice many hundred years even till the Beast that John spoke of in the Revelation got up and made war with the Witnesses and with the Saints and overcame them that kept the Testimony of Jesus and Word of God Rev. 13. 7. and then the power of Darkness came over the Earth which set up Swearing contrary to Christ's Commands under which many of the ancient Christians suffered cruel Martyrdom for standing faithfull Witnesses for the Name of the Lord in the Earth and for denying to swear at all to those under whom they were as a cloud of Witnesses might be brought out af the Ecclesiastical Histories of them that denied all Swearing in divers Ages onely for brevity I shall instance a few First Polycarpus who was as it s said John's Disciple and had been a Christian Eighty six years when he came to suffer Martyrdom the Proconsul requiring him to swear By the Emperors good Fortune and By Caesars Prosperity Irenius lib. 3. cap. 1. which was the Custom of the Romans at that time and divers Heathen Emperors to set up their Images to be worshipped and their Persons to be Sworn by but Polycarpus denied and said he was a Christian and would shew forth the Doctrine of Christianity if he desired the same if the Proconsul would appoint a day to hear it so Polycarpus refused to Swear and kept Christ's Doctrine for which he was led away to be burned being an old man and full of dayes Acts and Monuments vol. 1. fol. 55 56 57. Secondly Basiliades an Officer and afterwards a Martyr being required to Swear affirmed plainly that it was not lawfull for him to Swear for that he was a Christian hence it appears that it was the proper mark of a Christian not to Swear Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 71. Euseb cap. 6. pag. 98. Thirdly In the dayes of Domitius Nero who began to reign about sixty seven years after Christ under whom was the First of the Ten cruel Persecutions of the Christians he caused the Christians of all sorts to suffer he commanded Rome to be set on fire in twelve places and to avoid the infamy thereof he accused the Christians with it and caused them to be put to death After him began Domitian the Emperor to reign who began the second Persecution of the Christians who was a Blasphemer of God and an Idolater in his dayes was John the Evangelist banished into the Isle of Patmos This Domitian the Emperor fearing the coming of Christ again commanded that all that could be found of the Stock of David in Jury should be put to death The inquisition was this they commanded those they suspected to be Christians to swear whether they were indeed Christians or not but the Christians refused to Swear confessing that they were Christians and could not deny Christ nor his Doctrine for which they were commanded to be put to death Fourthly The Waldenses or Lionists whose names are so famous among the reformed Churches and who are said immediately to succeed the Apostles and were the most ancient and true Protestants professed it no way lawfull for a Christian man to Swear In defence of whom in the very matter Bishop Vsher De Success cup 6. late Bishop of Armath Primate of Ireland pleaded their cause against the Papists and Jesuits who are Swearers and Breakers of Oathes Fifthly The Plowman in his Complaint which is so much esteemed of and commended in the Book of Martyrs saith Lord thou giveth us a Commandment of Truth in bidding us say yea yea and nay nay and swear for nothing thou givest us also a Commandment of meekness another of poorness but Lord he that