Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	pay_v	priest_n	tithe_n	4,836	5	10.3389	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40340	Honest, vpright, faithful, and plain dealing with thee O army of the common-wealth (so called) without flattery, in true unfeigned love to thee with something more particularly unto the officers of the army, and those that join with them in the outward government of this nation : wherein truth, uprightness, and equity is declared for, and deceit, wickedness, oppression, and tyranny is declared against / by one who loves the prosperity of truth, and the good and well-being of all creatures, George Fox the younger.	Fox, George, d. 1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing F2005A; ESTC R37833	11,867	16

of the outward peace of these Nations which are under your command And take heed of hearkening unto such who in the kings time cryed him up ran to him to give them a law to settle them in their Worship then again in the Parliaments time ran to them cryed them up begging a Law to settle Church-government as they call'd it then in the late Protectors time cryed them up petitioned unto them with many feigned flattering words and begged a law of them to settle them in their Worship now these are the deceitful workers who teach for filthy lucre are time observers who through covetousness and feigned words makes merchandize of the people these quench the spirit and despiseth prophesying and changeth with the times Governments let them be never so contrary and these are neither true to God nor man but are men pleasers and such serves not the Lord Jesus but their own bellies and these wanting the power of God runs to the Rulers for an outward power to uphold them these are whored from the life of God in their own particulars and these seek to stop the life of God where-ever it appears therefore take heed of upholding or setting them up by an outward Law lest you become the beast mark that which carrieth the Whore which is to be taken with the false Prophet and the old Dragon the Father of all unrighteousness and cast alive into the Lake Now the true Worship and Religion which stands in the spirit and in the truth must be set up and established and upheld by the Power immortal and not by an outward Law But let your Law stop that in all where-ever it appears which wrestles with flesh and blood and fights with the creature about Religion for this spirit could never make manifest the true Worship Religion neither would it suffer others to do it who had the spirit of God if it could stop them by an outward Law or force so that which fights wrestles and strives with the creatures about religion is not for Christ but is ante against Christ the Apostles who wrestled not with flesh blood but with the power of darkness with the spiritual wickedness in high places that so wickedness deceit might be destroyed in the creatures and that the creatures might be preserved and their Weapons were not carnal but spiritual But they that cryes out to the Rulers for an outward Law to uphold their worship religion they war not with the spiritual Weapons but with the carnal and these destroys the creatures but cannot destroy the wickedness these have quenched the spirit in their own particulars and these would quench it in others will not suffer him that hath something revealed unto him to speak but cryes to the Magistrates or to the rude multitude for help and so flees to their carnal Weapons and those being stirred up by their Teacher some of them oft times beats those that have the truth to declare in their Synagogues hales them out railes on them spits upon them and sometimes buffets stocks whips imprisons and mangles the creatures so mars defaceth the workmanship of God and this hath been the work of Antichrist in all ages when Truth hath appeared against deceit and such cannot truly say truth hath prevailed on their parts when they have thus beaten and haled and stocked and whipped and imprisoned the creatures but violence there at that time hath prevailed by which they that have had the truth to declare oft times have been stopped from speaking it So let none do violence to one anothers persons or estates but let your Law take hold on them that would do so but let them alone in their profession and then it will soon appear who is in the truth and who are Ministers of Christ and of the spirit for those that are in the spirit of truth will assuredly prevail over them that be in the spirit of deceit and this will be manifested soon if there be no violence done to them who be in the spirit of truth thereby to stop them from speaking the truth and then the truth wil reach unto the Witness of God in peoples consciences then many who could not discern the Truth whiles there was such strivings fightings with the creatures wil come to see and feel it and then Truth shall prevail and deceit shall fall where ever it be and what covering soever it have got it shall be ript off and he that is in the Spirit of Truth and abides in it shall overcome all false spirits Now I know ye are not altogether ignorant how that the lives and goods of several in this Nation hath been made a prey upon by the Priests who hath robbed and spoyled both the fatherless Widows others hath prisoned several unto death by a Law made by the Popish Kings and since strengthened by those that are called Protestants concerning tythes these before-mentioned hath suffered thus for not paying tythes Now tythes in the Law given by the command of God unto Levi the changeable Priesthood who was to have no inheritance among his Brethren was for the maintenance of that Tribe also for the Fatherless the Widows and the Strangers but Christ being come after the order of Melchisedech he is the everlasting unchangeable High-Priest not made by a carnal commandment but by the power of an endless life he offering himself up once for all put an end to the changeable priesthood who were made by a Law which gave them tythes so this Priesthood this Law was changeable this Priesthood could not continue by reason of death so this Priesthood being changed ended by Christ the unchangeable Priest made by the power of an endless life there was a necessity also of a change end of that law by which the changeable Priests who could not continue by reason of death were made which gave them tythes then Christ the everlasting High-Priest made by the power of an endless life by the same power he made Ministers freely gave them gifts for the work of the Ministry which was for the perfecting of the Saints in the power of an endless life sent he them forth saying Freely ye have received freely give and into what house soever ye enter and they receive you ye may eat such things as are set before you for the workman is worthy of his meat These were Workmen they first planted a Vinyard then eat of the fruit thereof first gathered a flock then eat of the milk thereof sowed spiritual things reaped of their carnal things unto whom they had sown spirituals preached the Gospel lived of the Gospel these were not made Ministers by the will of man nor by an outward Law neither received they their maintenance by an outward Law nor compelled or forced any to pay them neither robbed or spoyled or imprisoned they any that

would not give them maintenance but they had a necessity laid on them to preach the Gospel and they did so and coveted no mans gold nor silver nor apparel these sought not peoples goods but them their diligence and care was not to make the Gospel chargeable for having food rayment they were therewithall content they received it of such also mark that as did receive them and their testimony and so oppressed no man But Paul foresaw that after his departure grievous ravenous Wolves should enter that would not spare the flock Christ prophesied of them also and these entered before John's departure and he warned the little children who had the annointing abiding in them to take heed of them for they were the Antichrists and went from the annointing in the particular and so from those that were in it then the murthering spirit got up in these the World went after these who spared not the flock but killed those that had the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of Prophesie these Antichrists having lost the spirit being ravened from it in their own particulars and having killed those that were made Ministers by the spirit who had freely received freely gave then they set up their Schools Colledges there to make Ministers by the wil of man then made a carnal Law whereby they had tythes given them for these had not freely received neither would they freely give so tythes among the Gentiles was set up by the devouring murthering spirit by a law by which law they are yet upheld not by God they that yet receive the tythes are found in the devouring murdering spirit many of them who have devoured many peoples goods in this nation who could not for conscience sake pay tyths hath caused several others to be kept in prison until death for the same And this hath been the work of Antichrist who hath the sheeps clothing the good words but inwardly is the ravening Wolf And in this Work many of the Priests of England hath been found of late as is manifest by their fruits they have the same unjust law to oppress destroy the innocent stil notwithstanding some of you have pretended and declared much to the contrary long Now many of the Priests when we tel them of this their cruelty oppression they will say They are Ministers of the Gospel he that preaches the Gospel God hath hath ordained that he should live of the Gospel Well we say so too That we are Ministers of the gospel he that preaches the gospel ought to live of the gospel which is the power of God and ought not to have any outward Law to compel any to give him whereon to live So this is that which we who have learned to do unto all men as we would they should do unto us would have that he that preaches the gospel should live of the gospel and not on that which comes by the force of an outward Law but the Priests maintenance is contrary to the maintenance of the Ministers of the Law or Gospel Therefore first let there be no outward Law to hinder or restrain any people from hearing any whom they believe is a Minister of the Gospel nor yet to compel any to hear any one vvhom they believe is not a Minister of the Gospel for an outward Law can but restrain or compel the outward man but the heart none can restrain from evil nor compel to the good but the Law Power of God only in the heart therefore let there be a free liberty for all people to meet concerning their Worship provided that under pretence of meeting to worship they meet not to plot for the overthrowing of the outward Governors by an outward power for if that can be proved and made manifest truly then let such suffer by an outward Law And likewise let there be no law to compel any one to maintain any Teacher neither let there be any law to restrain any one from giving any thing to their Teacher for this is but equal so let the people have liberty herein that so this oppression about the maintenance of Teachers may cease And then it will soon appear whether these Priests be Ministers of the Gospel and whether their Gospel will maintain them yea or nay But many of the Rulers have said If we should not provide maintenance for our Ministers then preaching would soon fall and then many people would become heathens I answer He that is a Minister of Christ the Power of God which is the everlasting Gospel necessity is laid upon him to preach the Gospel and wo be unto him if he preach not the Gospel And he that is sent forth by Christ is not to take thought what he shall eat or what he shall drink or wherewithall he shall be clothed for his heavenly Father knoweth that he hath need of all these things and provides them for chose that he sends forth without an outward Law to compel it that so they lack not any thing Now that Ministry which the forcing an outward maintenance for it will uphold it the not forcing an ou●ward maintenance for it will cause it to cease mark this Min●●try never did any good or service for God not never can that is God's truth unto you at the furthest this Ministry hath but brought people to draw near unto God with their mouths and to appear to honor him with their lips when their hearts have been afar off but this Ministry could never bring any into the true knowledge of God and Christ whom God hath sent and freely given for a Covenant of light and without this knowledge all people upon the earth are without the life eternal and so are heathens whatever they profess in words though they may make long prayers and think to be heard in their much speaking as the pharisees hypocrites did whom Christ call'd Heathens therefore consider what a Ministry you have upheld and do uphold So let that Ministry fall which cannot stand without an outward Law for to compel an outward maintenance for it for the Lord regards it not but his hand is against it and against that which would uphold it and both must fall together So what is here declared concerning Religion and the maintenance of Teachers and the like it is in the equal royal Law of liberty which is To love thy neighbor as thy self and to do unto all as we would be done unto And so if the spirit which we are led and guided by who are called in scorn Quakers be not able to prevail over that vvhich vve oppose in others as error then let us be manifested to be in the error and let us fall onely let there be a fair tryal and let there not be such beating and haling tearing and mangling and stocking and imprisoning of the creatures as hath been for vvhere these things have been acted many