are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who raised Christ from the Dead here it is clear the Apostles with the Power and Spirit of Christ had troden the Corn out of the Chaff and this was before they went to the Grave but while they were upon the Earth and such when they put off their earthly Tabernacle they slept in Jesus and die in the Lord and are blessed c. And again you Teachers say He that plows ploweth in Hope But how have you plowed in hope when you say that people must have a body of death and a body of the sins of the flesh to the Grave and others say they must have a purgatory to cleanse them from sin when they are dead then have not all you Oxen troden in vain and Plowed in vain that you have not gotten out Corn to Sow your fallow ground and doth not all your ground lye fallow with Weeds Briers and Thistles for is not sin and death compared to such and is not your fallow ground full of such that bears no fruit to God but the Apostles who trode out the Corn and Plowed with the power and spirit of God by which many were begotten to God and lead by his Spirit and were the Sons and Daughters of God and were born again not of corruptible seed but of the incorruptible by the word of God and a Chosen Generatiration a Royal Priest-hood and a holy Nation a Peculiar people who were called out of Darkness into his marvellous Light and as living stones are built up a Spiritual house-hold Mark are an holy Priest-hood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and this condition of the Saints was attained while they were upon the Earth And again you say He that thresheth in hope shall be partaker of his hope Now here you may see as before mentioned that the Apostles that thresht in hope with the power of God and his Holy Ghost they were partakers of their hope but you that say people must have a body of death and a body of the sins of the flesh to the Grave and must have a Chaff purgatory to cleanse them when they are dead from sin which is the Chaff and that you have not the same power and Holy Ghost that the Apostles had then with your unclean Ghost and Power you have thresht in vain and got out no Corn and so are not partakers of that purifying hope which John speaks of that purifies even as he is pure And again you Teachers say If we have sown unto you Spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things But how can you say that you sow Spiritual things to the people as the Apostles did when you say that you have not the same power and Holy Ghost that the Apostles had But you say that people must have a body of death and sins of the flesh to the Grave and there is no perfection on this side the Grave and others say they must have a Purgatory to cleanse them from sin when they are dead so in this you sow evil things from the evil one not Spiritual things from the Spiritual one and are the Ministers of the letter and sow to the flesh and of the flesh you may reap great Crops of corruptions of your fallow Fields and the Apostles were made able Ministers of the Spirit and sowed to the Spirit to wit the Spirit of God in people and of the Spirit they reapt Life eternal and what can you sow that have not the same power and Holy Ghost that the Apostles had with your unclean Ghost and power but sin and death to the body of sin and death which you have from the devil the power of death and Weeds Thistles and Brambles upon your fallow ground for to preach up a body of death and sins of the flesh and Imperfection to the Grave and others to preach up a purgatory to cleanse them from sin when they are dead this is neither to preach the law of God nor his Gospel And again They which Ministred about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the Altar So hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel but the Apostles tells you in these words and saith I have used none of these things neither have I written these things that it should be so done unto me c. Verily that when I preach the Gospel I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge that I abuse not my Power in the Gospel so here you may see an example Have you used none of these things nor written that these things should be done unto you have you made the Gospel of Christ Jesus without charge let your practice and the people that hears you speak whether this Scripture be your rule as you say or no the Apostle saith Be you followers of me even as I also am of Christ Have you Teachers in Christendom been the followers of the Apostle as he was of Christ who said He sought not his own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved But have not you Ministers of Christendom sought your own profit after Tythes and great Parsonages more than the profit of people that they might be saved But I return to the matter again They that Ministred about the holy things lived of the things of the temple and they that waited at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Now these were outward things that the Jews lived on but you will confess those outward Altars or Temples and things were figures of the heavenly Temple and Altar in the New Testament so the Lord hath ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel now the Apostle said that The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth So they that live of the Gospel lives of the power of God And again the Apostle saith The Gospel was sent down from Heaven by the Holy Ghost and Christ said unto his Disciples when he gave them Commission to preach Freely you have received freely give Mat. 10. and the Apostle said I have preached to you the Gospel of God freely And again the Apostle said They had received the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God and God that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things So here you may see God and Christ did give freely to their Apostles and therefore they were freely to give and whatsoever City or House they entred and they that received them they were to eat and drink such things as they set before them For the Labourer is worthy of his hire And the work-man is worthy of his meat Go not from house to house so hear you may see what the Labourers hire was to eat and drink such things as were set before them they were not to Go from house to house then they were not like to go from Parish to Parish for a Bigger benefit and they that would not receive them nor hear them They were to shake the dust off their feet against them and go their wayes so then they were not to go to the Magistrates and complain against them and get a warrant to have them before the Magistrates for them to send them to prison for that practice is not the Gospel of Christ G. Fox From South-gate 1682. THE END Books Sold by Benjamin Clark in George-Yard in Lombard-street Book seller WIlliam Penn's No Cross no Crown Barclay's Apology in English in Latin Case of Protestant Dissenters William Shewen's true Christian Faith Stephen Crisp's Epistle of Caution Mather's Manual for Young Men. Cabbalistical Dialogue Midnight Thoughts Dying Words of an Indian King in America Thomas Ellwood's Antidote against Will. Rogers The Cause why Adam and Eve were driven out of Paradice and the Jews out of their own Land
new Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit the letter killeth the Spirit gives life now this letter must be the law and Old Testament and further saith that if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones was glorious how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious For if the ministration of Condemnation be glory for that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excedeth for if that which is done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious So that the Ministration of Condemnation and the Ministration of death Written and Ingraven in Stones is the Ministration of the letter Was not this the Law and Old Testament and old Covenant and Moses who put a vail over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished Mark that which is abolished but the Jews minds were blinded for until this day remains the same vail untaken away in Reading of the Old Testament which vail is done away in Christ but even unto this day when Moses is read the vail is upon their hearts and is it not upon the Christians who read the Old Testament of Moses that commands Tythes Offerings Swearing and First-fruits and Altars and Priests with their White Garments c. for are not all these things done away by Christ hath not Christ nailed them to his Cross and triumphed over these things that was commanded by the law in the law of the old Covenant and Testament Nevertheless saith the Apostle When the hearts of the Jews shall turn to the Lord the vail shall be taken away Is not that the vail of the Letter the Ministration of death the Ministration Written and Ingraven in Stones and the Old Testament and the vail of Moses and is not this vail over the Christians hearts in reading Moses and the Old Testament and preaching and practising of it viz Tythes Swearing and Offerings c. and can this vail be taken away until you turn to the Lord and were not the promises of the Lord to Abraham and the Gospel preached to Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed I say was not this Gospel and Promises to Abraham before circumcision and before Oathes and Swearing and Levi paying Tythes in Abraham and doth not Christ in in his Gospel-day which was preached to Abraham say It has been said of them in old time thou shalt not for-swear thy self but perform thy Oathes to the Lord and was not that old time the time of the Law the Old Testament and the old Covenant that commanded Circumcision Oathes Tythes and Offerings and Christ saith But now I say unto you swear not at all but let your yea be yea and your nay nay for what is more than these comes from evil and James saith the same James 5. Above all things my Brethren In his general Epistle to the 12 Tribes scattered abroad Swear not neither by Heaven neither by Earth neither by any other Oath Mark any other Oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest you fall into condemnation doth not the Apostle here conclude that Swearing and Oathes were in condemnation in the time of the Gospel and New Covenant and New Testament although they were Justified and commanded in the old Covenant and by the law in the Old Testament but forbiden under the penalty of going into evil and condemnation in the glorious Gospel of Christs day and his new Covenant who sayes Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established and they should not accuse an Elder but with the mouth of two or three witnesses and doth not say of two or three Swearers every word should be established this is the command of Christ in his Gospel-day and New Testament and new Covenant of grace and of light and life and they that love Christ will keep his Commandments John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him and Jesus said If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings John 25. And Tythes that Levi paid in Abraham and renewed them in the law that was commanded in the Old Testament Tythes Offerings Circumcision and before Abraham received the sign of Circumcision so Circumcision outwardly was but a sign of the Circumcision of the Spirit Christ having ended the Law and the Priesthood that was made by the law and disannulled the commandment that gave Tythes and blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took them out of the way and nailed them to his Cross now this hand-writing of Ordinances was Circumcision Tythes Offerings and Oathes and Swearing c. in the Old Testament which Christ hath nailed to his Cross and hath spoiled the principalities and powers of the Jews which held them up which was against us and contrary to us in the New Testament and the new Covenant in the glorious Gospel-day of Christ and Christ in his new Covenant and New Testament and in his Gospel-day who came of the tribe of Judah not of the tribe of Aaron that took Tythes he saith to his Ministers and Apostles that he sent forth to preach the new Covenant the New Testament and the Gospel Freely you have received freely give c. and this was the command of Christ and he that loveth him will keep his Command and his words and sayings and they are beloved of God and of Christ and Christ and his Father will come and make their abode with him John 14. Whereas you say that the Jews paid Tythes of Mint and Rude and of all manner of Herbs to the Sons of Levi and Christ said unto them These things ought ye to have done to the Sons of Levi c. mark have done I do grant that the Jews ought to have done these things to pay the Tythes to the Priests and to the Levites for Christ many times when he had healed the people he bid them go to offer to the Priest for their Cleansing and therefore were not the Tythes part of the Priests wages which had no lot in the Land as the other eleven Tribes had but you that call your selves Christians do not pay Tythes to Jewish Priests now But this paying of Tythes that Christ spake of and offering to the Priests was before Christ himself was offered up for as the Apostle saith The offering up of the body of Christ once for all and by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and Christ after he had once offered up himself a Sacrifice for sin forever sat down at the right hand of God
Heb. 10. And so did not Christ cause the Jews Sacrifices and oblation and Tythes to cease by the Offering up himself once for all for all their Sacrifices and Offerings ended them and abolished them all with all their Tythes which the law commanded to be given to Levi and nailed them to his Cross and Changed the Levitical Priesthood and the Law by which he was made and disannulled the Commandments that gave him his Tythes and said unto his Disciples Freely receive and freely give And the Promises and the Gospel was given and preached to Abraham before the Lord gave his Sabbath to be a sign betwixt the Jews and the Lord that they might know that it was the Lord that Sanctified them for ye do not read the Lord gave his Sabbath to any of the old world nor to Noah nor to Shem nor to Abraham Isaac or Jacob but the Children of Israel after they came out of the land of Aegypt or the land of Ham Psal 105.15 And the Sabbath which God gave unto the Children of Israel was a sign betwixt him and them this sign served till Christ the Seed came who is the Substance that ends the signs and figures and therefore Christ saith to the Jews The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath therefore Christ the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath Mat. 12. 8. Mark 2.17 The Scriptures that the Priests in Christendom teach and used to bring for their taking of Tythes and maintenance of people and made havock of the peoples goods yea of theirs that they did not preach to nor hire them are as followeth first some have said and others do say that the work-man is worthy of his Hire and the Labourer is worthy of his Meat But is it not unjust in you that profess your selves Ministers of the Gospel and Ministers of the Law or for any other people to demand and force yearly wages or meat from them that never hired them nor set them at work and not only force wages and meat but cast such into prison that hath neither hired them nor set them to work is this according to the Law Do unto another as you would have them do unto you is not this practice both below the law and the Gospel let the Priests and Teachers of all sorts and people consider Secondly you Teachers say Who goeth a warfare at his own Charge But what is your warfare who tells the people here is no victory nor overcoming the enemy on this side the Grave and others say they must have a Purgatory to cleanse them when they are dead then who would be at charge to maintain such Warriors seeing they must be slaves to carry the Devils body of death and body of Sin to the Grave and other Warriors say they must have a purgatory when they are dead surely these cannot be the lambs Warriors who make War in Righteousness and the lamb and the Saints have the victory over the Devil and his Works Then they must needs be the Devils Warriors that say there is no victory on this side the Grave But they must carry the Devils body of death and sin to the Grave and others say they must have a purgatory when they are dead to cleanse them in so such are the Devils Warriors and not Christs Thirdly You say Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not the Fruit thereof But how can you plant a vineyard who say you have not the same power and the Holy Ghost which the Apostles had for if you had the same Holy Ghost and Power the Apostles had you might eat of the vineyard which you had planted and the Apostle doth not say that you might eat of other vineyards by force and violence which you have not Planted but is not this a Heavenly and a Spiritual Plantation That is Planted by the Power and Holy Ghost the Apostles were in which Plantation bringeth forth Spiritual fruit But how can you plant a vineyard and do not own the true light which is the life in the word which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World for without the light of Christ they are Spiritually blind and The natural man knoweth not the things of God for they are foolishness to him and therefore such are not like to plant vineyards for God And again you teachers say Who feedeth a Flock and eateth not of the Milk thereof Now they that feedeth this flock which the Apostle speaketh of it must be with the same Power and Holy Ghost the Apostles were in and who with it feeds their flocks with Spiritual food as the Apostle did who writes to the Corinthians his flock which were Babes in Christ but the Apostle doth not say nor tell you that you should eat of the Milk of other flocks by force and cruelty which you do not feed and wring Milk out of them whether they will or no and cast other flocks into Prison because they will not give you Milk that you do not feed this is contrary to the law and the Gospel also and below the Preachers and Doers of the law which is not To do unto others as you would have them do unto you and likewise you Teachers say and have said to us Thou shalt not Muzzel the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn c. Now ye teachers consider you say that people must carry a body of death and a body of sin to the Grave with them and there is no perfection on this side the Grave and other Teachers say they must have a purgatory to cleanse them when they are dead from sin and now none of you can gain-say but that a body of death and a body of sin is Chaff and that which people must be cleansed from is Chaff and the Corn or Wheat that is to be troden out of this Chaff is Gods Corn or Seed that comes into his Barnes or Barn and therefore how can you be said to tread out the Corn when people must have a body of death and sin to the Grave and a purgatory when they are dead to cleanse them in from their Chaff therefore how can you be the Oxen the Apostle speaks of to tread out the Corn when you plead for Chaff as long as people lives and when they are dead also then they must be cleansed from it is not Gods Corn or Seeds perfect that they tread out but the Apostle tells the Saints that was Gods Corn or Seed which they had troden out Ye are compleat in Christ who is the Head of all principalitys and power In whom also ye are circumcised Mark are with the Circumcision made without hands in puting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ seeing that ye have put off the Old Man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him and buried with Christ in baptism wherein also ye
TYTHES OFFERINGS AND FIRST-FRUITS Commanded by the Law in the Old Testament IS NOT GOSPEL Neither before the Law nor after AND ALSO Circumcision and Oathes and Swearing and the Sabbath-days commanded by the Law in the old time in the Old Testament is not Gospel neither before the Law nor since in the glorious Gospel-day of Christ And also the trial of the Ministers and Teachers who are they that Plant Vineyards and Plow and Thresh in hope and keep a Flock and Minister holy or spiritual things c. as the Apostles did in their days By George Fox Christ hath blotted out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to the Cross Colos 2.14 And behold at Evening-tide trouble and before the Morning he is not this is the Portion of them that spoil us and the Lot of them that rob us Isa 17.14 London Printed for Benjamin Clark in George-Yard in Lombard-street 1683. TYTHES OFFERINGS AND FIRST-FRUITS NO Gospel-Commands Although Commanded by the LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT CHrist hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances contained in the Law that was against us and contrary to us and hath taken them out of the way and nailed them to his Cross and hath not he spoiled the rule and authority and power that held them up And he hath made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in his own person having abolished in his Flesh the Enmity even the Law of Comandments contained in Ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man so making Peace Now what was this Law and Commandments and Ordinances were they not Tythes Offerings and the outward Altars and Tabernacles and outward Circumcision and the outward things contained in the Law and the outward Priests with their Garments and Services with all the outward Signs Figures and Shadows which Christ has abolished blotted out and nailed to his Cross And all their Jewish Ceremonies with outward washing and sprinkling and all their observing their Meats Feasts and Sabbath-days and Oaths and Swearing hath not Christ abolished all these things and nailed them to his Cross and triumphed over them and changed the Priesthood and the Law by which it was made and disannulled the Commandments that gave the Priest his Tythes who was made a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment but Christ is made a Priest after the power of an endless Life Now as for them that say Abraham gave Tythes the tenth of all the spoil that he had gotten in the Wars to Melchisedeck King of Salem but that 's no proof nor example that Kings and Governours and Captains that did conquer their Enemies did give the Tenths c. And the Sons of Levi who received the Office of the Priesthood had a Commandment according to the Law to take Tythes of the People that is of their Brethren but the Apostle saith Levi who received Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham when he was yet in the Loins of his Father Abraham when Melchisedeck met him so it was Levi that paid them in Abraham and the Gospel was Preached to Abraham by the Lord saying In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed before Abraham was either Circumcised or Levi paid Tythes in Abraham I say again the Gospel was Preached to Abraham and the Promise was to Abraham before either he was Circumcised or before he went to offer his Son Isaac or Levi paid Tythes in Abraham saying In thy Seed shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed And how was Faith reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness when he was in Circumcision or un-circumcision not when he was Circumcised but before he was Circumcised not when Levi paid Tythes in Abraham but before Levi paid Tythes in Abraham for the Promise that he should be Heir of the World was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith and this was before either Abraham was Circumcised or Levi paid Tythes in Abraham and now the Levitical Priest-hood is changed and the Law by which he was made and the Commandments disannulled that gave him his Tythes and Christ hath blotted out the Law and Hand writing of Ordinances c. and Nailed them to his Cross and triumphed over them and therefore if you be circumcised Christ profits you nothing so the Gospel and Faith was preached to Abraham before either Tythes or Circumcision was and Christ he came not after the order of Levi or Aaron but after the order of Melchisedeck and of the Tribe of Judah And it was the Sons of Levi that were commanded to take Tythes it doth not say the Sons of the Tribe of Judah of which Christ came hat were commanded to take Tythes but the Levitical Priest-hood is Changed and the law by which the Priest-hood was made and the Commandment disannulled by Christ our high-Priest who is made higher than the Heavens and we who are of Faith and in the Gospel we are not under the law of Tythes Offerings and outward Circumcision c. but we are under grace that teaches us c. and brings us Salvation and as the Apostle saith Wherefore my Brethren we also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that you should be married to another even to Christ whom God hath raised from the Dead for Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believes for Moses describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that a man which doth these things shall live by them but the Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ from above or who shall desend into the deep that is to bring up Christ from the Dead but what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart and this is the word of Faith which we preach that if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the Dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation for as many as are under the work of the Law are under the curse For if the inheritance had been of the law it is no more of promises but God gave it to Abraham by promises before the law and are not Tythes the work of the law seeing the Apostle saith As many as are under the law are under the curse but Christ hath redeemed us from under the curse of the law being made a curse for us so that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by Faith in the Faith which Abraham lived in before he was Circumcised and Levi paid Tythes in Abraham and the Apostle said God hath made them able Ministers of the