Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	christian_a	church_n	society_n	2,901	5	9.2764	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90244	The ordinance for tythes dismounted, from all Mosaicall, evangelicall, and true magesteriall right. By that valliant and most victorious champion, the great anti-clergy of our times, his superlative holyness, reverend young Martin Mar-Priest, sonne to old Martin the Metropolitane. Commended and presented to the petitioners of Hertford-shire, for their further encouragement, and for provocation of other counties to become petitionary with them against the unhallowed illegall exaction of tythes.	Overton, Richard, fl. 1646.	1645 (1645)	Wing O632; Thomason E313_27; ESTC R200481	33,415	43

not telling them for what and to whom they were ordained now let us trace you a little further and try your Cospel Title and see what divine Influence it doth communicate to your Humane Title it may be you will be found as delusive there as you were under your Legall Pretences which done I shall adventure upon your last and mame Battery it self The Ordinance for Tythes and if I dismount you there your best shift will be The good will of the Vulgar and glad you can have that at a pinch to piece out your Jure Divine and preserve your SANCTITIES from Mechanick Druggery I will not too much if you will but please mine Holyness and beare with the contrary-minded make tryall of your Right unto that Title for should I you might rue the day that ever MARTIN was borne though I confesse you have little cause to celebrate his Nativity with rejoycing for it is to be feared from what he hath already done Sir JOHN will have much adoe to get Possession of his FATHERS Inheritance with Peace But to omit trifling and to returne to our intended purpose and try what the Apostolicall Writings afford either Pro or con SECTION II. Of the Clergies EVANGELICALL TITLE of Jure Divino to their Exaction of TYTHES Wee read Acts 20. 16. 20 27 28 29. THAT Paul having sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church told them that he had kept nothing back that was profitable to them teaching from house to house and that he had not shunned to declare unto them all the COUNCELL of GOD and therefere bid them Take heed for after him would come grievous Wolves among them not sparing the Flock And to the Galathians cap. 1. 8. hee faith Though wee or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which wee have preached unto you let him be accursed Now in all his Writings and in the whole Book of the Gospelwee doe not find any Declaration of his for supplying any necessities of the Churches whether of Elders or any other Members by the Exaction of Tythes but his ORDER for such supply is otherwise for to the Corinthians Epist 1. cap. 16. 1 2. hee saith Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given Order to the Churches of Galatia even so doe yee upon the first day of the Week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered bin● and in the 2 Epist cap. 9. 1. 5. 7 For as touching the Ministring the SAINTS I thought it necessary to export the Brethren that they would got before unto you and make up before-hand your bounty whereof wee had notice before that the some might be ready as a matter of hounty not of covetousnesse Every man according as hee parposeth in his heart so let him give not grudgingly or of necessity for GOD loveth a chearfull giver And this was Gods ORDINANCE for the supply of the Saints declared and delivered by Paul unto the Churches therefore he that preacheth any other manner of supply then what is voluntary or matter of bounty as of necessity such as the Exaction of Tythes or the like is to be accursed If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the Plagnes that are written in this booke Deur 4. 2. Prov. 30. 6. Reu. 22. 18. So that the taking away this Ordinance of Voluntary contribution and in the room thereof violently intruding the compulsive Exaction of Tythes is guilty of this curse Paul proncunceth and of all the plagues that are written in the book of GOD for no other Ordinance then that of Voluntary contribution was committed by him for supply of any of the Saints unto the Churches and he as he told them kept nothing back but declared unto them the whole Councell of God so that no place is left of Divine Right for any other supply then what hee hath already declared Therefore what will become of our Clergy Tythe-mongers that tell us Tythes is an Ordinance of the Gospel and not Pauls Ordinance of Contribution when God calls them to an account I am afraid they will be found such as Paul foretold the Elders of Ephesus would come in amongst them even greedy Wolves not sparing the flock such as will not leave them to their bounty to the purpose of their heart but count that too beggarly and base for their Pontificall cloath scorning such a supply as contemptible and dishonourable to their breeding and Places and therefore answerable to their ambitious University Spirits must kick Pauls out of place and countenanee and introduce and constitute a more stately authorative commanding Ordinance of their owne exacting and extorting their supply by compulsion not sparing the flock But deer Brethren take the wholsome and Pious advice of Revetend MARTIN If you be Saints as you pretend your selves to be and as it is essentiall to a Presbyter or Elder of a Church doe no longer adde or diminish from the pure unalterable Ordinances of God and be content with what Paul ordained for the Saints to supply the Saints Necessities I desire your Sanctities as you tender the Piety of your cloth the reverend estimate of your Name and reputation of Saints for I know you would be so entred into the Rubricks of our estimation even Saints by calling or Trade approve your selves to be Saints indeed and be content as the Saints ever were and are with toe portion of the Saints in all their necessities which is evident was and is unalterable to this day the Voluntary contribution of the people by Collection every first day of the Week and to this and to no other manner of supply from the Churches can the Saints lay any claim of Divine Right Therefore if you will challenge any portion from them Jure Divino it must be no other then the result of their bounties Now this Primative Institution and Practice of the First Day Collection for the generall necessities of the Saints was continued amongst the Evangelicall Churches till about 200 yeeres after Christ about which time it degenerated from weekly to monthly but not from the nature of the thing as from free bounty to coercive exaction for Tertullian who lived about that time Apalogetic 39. 42. saith Modicam unusquisque stipem men struadie vel cum velit si modo possit apponit nam nemo compellisus sed sponte confert c. Every one monthly or when he would provided he were able gave a competent portion for no man was compelled to this or that quantity but gave of his own accord And such their Contributions or Offerings were devoted to the Necessities of the Poore SAINTS in generall For the goods and Revenues of the Church were antiently reputed and stiled The Provision of the POORE even till about 800. years after CHRIST and till then no payment of Tythes in the Christian Churches can be proved but indeed about that time Christians degenerating from their Primitive Purity growing more carelesse ignorant and remisse and their leaders more covetous and ambitious it intruded it self through their Policy here and there amongst some Societies prosessing themselves Christian but