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
A44228	The harlots vail removed, and her lying refuge swept away by the power of truth, with which she was smitten and wounded being an answer to a book published in the name of about 60 persons of the Independent-Baptized, and mingled peo[ple] in the midst of Babylon, intit'led The church of Christ in Bristol recovering her vail ... : likewise an answer to Thomas Ewins his word, in the close of the said book, in which he acknowledgeth himself no minister ... : also a short rebuke of Ralph Farmer, for lying and dissembling in the case of constant Jessops removing from the parish of Nicholas in the city of Bristol ... : to which are added a few words manifesting the woful fall, and degenerated condition of Richard Fowler ... / by Dennis Hollister.	Hollister, Dennis, d. 1676?	1658 (1658)	Wing H2507; ESTC R13577	111,205	90

keep the whole Law for to say we are bound to one Ceremony of the Law and not to others is no reasonable thing for saith he we are bound to all or to none And so he goes on shewing how our Priests were one with the Pharisees leaving off the ceremonies of the Law keeping onely the Commandement of Tythes And how plain it is that Christ was a Priest after the order of Melchisedech of the Tribe of Judah not of Levi and gave no new Commandement of Tything any thing to him and his Priests And when his Disciples said We have left all to follow thee what shall we have He did not say Tythes shall be paid you and that since neither by the Commandement of Christ nor his Apostles people were to pay Tythes it is saith he manifest and plain that neither by the Law of Christ nor of Moses Christian people are bound to pay Tythes but by the traditions of men c. The like testmony is born again Tythes by that valiant Martyr William Thrope of whom the Reader may read more at large in the foresaid Book of Martyrs where the largeness of his testimony the greatness of his sufferings and the resolution of his spirit for the Lord against the Priests and Tythes as well as swearing is recorded in p. 693. It appears he was accused to the Archbishop of Canterbury by the men of Shrovesbury for saying 1. That the Sacrament after consecration was bread 2. That Images should in no wise be worshipped 3. That men should not go on pilgrimage 4. That Priests have no title to Tythes 5. That it is not lawful to swear in any wise And in pag. 700. the Archbishop accuseth him for deeming holy Church to have erred in the Ordinance of Tythes and other duties to be paid to Priests To which Thrope answers That Tythes were given to Levites and Priests by the old Law that came of the linage of Levi but our priests came not of that linage and that Christ all the time of his preaching lived by pure alms and so did the Apostles by his example or by the travel of their hands and that every priest that Christ approveth knows that the Disciple is not to be above his Lord c. Upon which said the Archbishop Gods curse have thou and mine for this teaching c. To which Thrope answered in the words of one of their Doctors which he supposed was St. Jerome That those priests that now under the new Law do challenge Tythes do in effect say that Christ is not become man nor suffered death And also that since Tythes were the wages limited to Levites and priests of the old Law for bearing about the Tabernacle slaying of beasts and other observations pertaining to their Office those priests that now challenge or take Tythes deny that Christ is come in the flesh and do the office of the old Law or else they take Tythes wrongfully Upon which the Archbishop said They inforce people to expugne the freedom of holy Church To which Thrope answers Why call ye the taking of Tythes and other duties that now priests challenge wrongfully the freedom of holy Church Since neither Christ nor his Apostles challenged nor took such duties and therefore saith he all such giving and taking ought to be called and holden the slaverous covetousness of men c. And when the Archbishop demanded why he did not speak against Lords Knights and Esquires as well as against priests he declares that since Chrysostom saith that Priests are the stomack of the people and since by the vitiousness of the Priests both Lords and Commons are most sinfully infected and because the pride and covetousness of priests and the boast they make of their dignity and power destroyes not onely the vertue of priesthood in priests themselves but stirreth up God to take vengeance both on Lords and Commons that suffer them it 's needful saith he to be busie about them Famous Wickliff also bears testimony against Tythes priests c. who as the History declares had by his doctrin born so large a testimony against the proud covetous oppressing generation of priests and persecutors in his days that they greatly persecuted him whilst he lived but by the power and wisdom of God was preserved to dye in his bed and so not being able to reach his life they proceeded to judgement and condemnation of his Books and certain articles they had collected against him some of which were that he held that Tythes or tenths are pure alms and that the parishoners may for offence of their Curate detain and keep them back and bestow them on others at their own will and pleasure and that the priests are bound to get their living by the labour of their hands and he that gives any alms to them is accursed or in danger thereof against whom the rage of the persecutors was such that 41. years after his death they digged up his bones and burned them Much more might be mentioned of these and others of the Martyrs and holy men of God who in their several times suffered grievously manifold torments and miseries and loved not their lives unto the death bearing testimony for the Lord against the corruption in doctrine and practice of the priesthood of England and particularly against Tythes and swearing at all And should I but mention all that is there recorded and how they suffered imprisonment yea death it self bearing testimony against swearing upon a book and swearing at all in any case in any wise by the creature or by the Creator and against Tythes and covetous wickednesse of priests Curates and Vicars time would fail me and what I have said may suffice for a taste And by it may Richard Fowler and his Elders be tryed yea may try themselves in whose steps they are and whether they are one with the Saints and Martyrs of God who were evilly entreated imprisoned and persecuted by the wicked generation for not swearing at all and withstanding the payment of Tythes oblations and dues claimed by priests or else one with the priests and persecutors that murthered the Saints spoyling and imprisoning those that stood faithful to God testifying against such evil things and whether it is not as deep hypocrisie in them outwardly to seem to approve the Martyrs and condemn their persecutors whilst themselves are doing the same things as it was for the priests and Elders Scribes and pharisees that murthered Christ and persecuted his Saints that then were alive to approve the prophets and condemn their persecutors saying Had we been in the dayes of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets c. And whether in honesty Richard Fowler and his people ought not to deny and disclaim the Martyrs and justifie their persecutors or else repent and own the shame of their present practices which by the testimony of Martyrs is condemned And if Richard Fowler thinking to excuse himself shall pretend

proportionable to their outward sufferings which to their adversaries and persecutors addeth torment And one of the Elders out of the abundance of his heart hath spoken They shall lye there till they rot in Goale or to that purpose And Richard Fowler in his wrath hath said They shall there abide these seven and seven yeares ere be release or fetch them out not considering how many thousand talents must be forgiven him or he under it sinke into perdition for ever who for apples and eggs tythe pigs geese ducks and hens occasions the people of God who to the Lord stand more faithfull than he to be cast into prison Read Matth. 18.24 to the end for not complying vvith him to his covetous ends in breaking the Commandements of Christ But the Scripture must be fulfilled Hos 6.9 And as troops of robbers wait for a man so the company of Priests murther in the way by consent working lewednesse And yet for pretence doth be make long prayers 〈◊〉 23.14 〈◊〉 ●8 4 5 and with his Elders and Proselyte keepe a monethly fast so called a day to hang down the head like a bull-rush But to them all I say Ye fast but your lusts remain still Ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse 〈◊〉 5.11.3 Yee should not fast as yee do this day for the Fast which God hath chosen is to loose the bands of wickednesse to undo the heavy burthens which 〈◊〉 lay and fasten to let the oppressed go free which yee imprison and that yee breake every yoke And therefore to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices oblations and fastings whose new Moons and Sabbaths whose solemn assemblies meeting and feasting are iniquity and a trouble of which the Lord is weary and his soule hateth them and when ye make many prayers he will not heare whiles your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity whose lips have spoken lyes and tongues muttered perversness none calling for justice nor pleading for truth but conceive mischiefe and bring forth iniquity whose feete run to evill and make hast to shed innocent blood whose thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their wayes and the way of peace they know not Who have made them crooked paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace And therefore is judgement so far from you and justice overtakes you not But you look for light but behold obscurity for brightness but ye walke in darknesse yee grope for the wall like the blinde as if ye had no eyes Ye stumble at noon day as in the night and are in desolate places as dead men yee looke for salvation but it is far from you For your transgressions are multiplyed before the Lord and your sins testifie against you speaking oppression conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falshood and cruelty by whom judgement is turned away backward and justice standeth afar off Truth is fallen in your streets and equity cannot enter Yea truth faileth and he that departeth from evill is made by you a prey And the Lord hath seen it and is displeased and is putting on the garments of vengeance for cloathing and is clad with zeale as with a chake and according to their deeds accordingly will be repay fury to his adversaries and recompence to his enemies till they feare the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the Sun whose spirit hath lifted up a standard when you with the rest of his enemies are come like a flood And why do ye garnish the sepulchres of the righteous and think if ye had been in the dayes of your fathers ye would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Martyrs and servants of God When truly ye bear witnesse that ye allow their deeds and are filling up the measure of their iniquities That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the foundation of the world who are plainly found in the very steps of the former Persecutors and at this day do hate persecute and imprison the Lords people for that for vvhich among other things the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops Doctors Priests and Vicars did hate persecute and imprison the Martyrs and servants of God in former days viz. refusing to swear at all and declaring against payment of Tythes of both which the Reader may finde instances enough in Foxes Histories commonly called the Book of Martyrs And because every Reader may not have the advantage of reading those Books being of so large a volumn and price I shall give a touch of what I finde therein recorded touching the testimony the Martyrs did beare against the Priests Tythes and swearing referring the Reader to the Histories themselves in vvhich he may finde it more at large In the first book pag 621. the fourth Article against Walter Brute a famous Martyr is That he hath laboured to inform men and companies that no man is bound to give Tythes or Oblations And that if any man will give them he may give them to whom he will excluding thereby their Vicars And in page 622. another Article against him is That Tythes are meer almes And in case the Curate be evill they may lawfully be bestowed upon others by the temporall owners And in a publique instrument brought forth and published against the said Brute mentioned in page 623. it is said and declared that the sald Brute before the Bishop of Hereford did say hold publiquely and affirme that Christian people are not bound to pay Tythes neither by the law of Moses nor of Christ And that it is not lawful for Christians in any cause nor in any case to svvear by the Creator nor by the Creature And in pag. 632. Walter Brute having before his persecutors declared against Tythes manifesting hovv they belong to the Tribe of Levi and were not promised to the Tribe of Judah out of vvhich Christ came And of the change of the Law by vvhich Tythes vvere once claimed c. saith I marvail that you learned men do say that Christian folk are bound to this small ceremony of payment of Tythes c. It 's plain saith he that the Tythes were given to the sons of Levi for their serving in the Tabernacle and in the Temple of the Lord as the first fruits were given to the Priests And since the labour of those sacrifices did cease at the coming of Christ how should these things be demanded that were ordained for that labour And since first fruits are not now demanded of Christians why are Tythes demanded except it be because Tythes are of more value and worth then first fruits And besides saith he why are the Lay people bound to the payment of Tythes more then the Priests from having possessons of realities and Lordships among their brethren And again saith he If we be bound to Tything we are debtors to and bound to

it was not he that formerly was not free to take a parish charge to be maintained by Tythes nor voluntary contribution from those that gave it grudgingly and accounted persecution a grievous thing in the Bishops dayes from him onely to be summoned to their Courts though by them he was not imprisoned that hath committed this villainy aforesaid but it was his two Elders viz. Richard Hollister of Cop-hill and Thomas Prigg that have done it and that he by Indenture hath let them his Tythes I say if he thus plead then is the wickedness of his heart and the naughtiness of his spirit the more made manifest who being convinced of the badness of the work was ashamed in it to appear himself and yet would put others upon the doing thereof And for him to pretend the letting his Tythes by Indenture is horrible deceipt and the priest and the Elders are not wise who in their own declaration put into the Court have said the Lease bears date the 17. day of March 1656 when as the Subpoena by which they summoned the aforesaid persons was dated long before so that either his zealous Elders and proselytes were complaining and persecuting their neighbours for Tythes before their Indenture was made or they had that shew of a title or else Richard Fowler himself was the man that did it of which being ashamed he afterwards for a cloak makes a pretended Lease to others or rather the Priest with the Elders and people of Westerleigh consult and agree to persecute the innocent and therefore supplication was made that they might be sent for and commanded to swear how may eggs and apples were due to Richard Fowler which they in obedience to Christ refusing to do for whose name sake they suffer presently solicitation was made that power be given to cast them into prison as it was by the wicked Caldaeans to cast the three children into the firery furnace be-because to the Lord they stood faithful did not bow to that to which by the command of the Babylonish King they were required and so the Scripture is fulfilled and the Devil hath cast some into prison where being faithful unto death they will receive the crown of life in the approaching day in which the cruel Beast the false Prophet and those that make war with the Lamb is to be cast alive into the lake and tormented for evermore But hath Richard Fowler done honestly or as he would be done unto in this matter If yea why then did he cry out of violence and wrong of grievousness and persecution when by the former persecutors he was much more tenderly dealt withal and not commanded to swear to accuse himself nor was ever imprisoned for refusing thereof And would he not have accounted it a vile and a most wicked thing in the Bishops and their generation if they by their means and interest had not onely cast him into prison but his family out of doors using all means they were able so unjustly to ruinate spoyle and undo him in his outward estate whilst they kept him in bonds and that for so small a matter as a few Tythe-apples and eggs c. unjustly demanded If so why then doth he allow himself in the practice of that which he condemneth in others since God is no respecter of persons And were it not good for him to remember from whence he is fallen and repent and call to minde what himself hath spoken in my hearing in many of his Sermons made in the former persecutors dayes from these and the like Scriptures Matth. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest ●he Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee c. Mark 10.29 30. There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sister or father or mother or wife or children or land for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold c. But many that are first shall be last and the last first 2. Thes 2.3 c. Let no man deceive you by any meanes for the day of the Lord shall not come except there be a ●a●ling away first and the man of sin be revealed the son of perdition c. And when dangers appeared very near and he with others kept a publique Fast in the Steeple-house of Westerleigh Esther 4.14 If thou at this time altogether hold thy peace then shall their enlargement and delivernance arise for the Jewes from another place c. And how he then applyed it against the persecutors in behalfe of the persecuted And are not Philip Rampington Edmond Bonner fit subjects for him to mind who for a time professeth the truth as it was made manifest in those dayes and suffered great persecutions for the same especially Philip Rampington as the histories of Martyrs declare Yet at length growing great in favour with the world and embracing the same became as vile persecutors as any of the rest under whose bloody spirit the innocent servants of God who stood faithful to him suffered very grievous tormentings And how Rich Fowler is degenerated may be seen who once cryed out grievously of persecution which himself endured yet hath occasioned and doth occasion the servants of God at this day to suffer manifold more than himselfe endured by the Bishops and that upon the same ground and for the very same things for which the former servants of God did suffer by their persecutors And did not he know or believe that Richard Hollister Richard Atwood Henry Alsop and John Champneys could not in conscience swear at all before he occasioned that request to the Court that they might be sent for and commanded to swear And if so then whether himselfe with his Elders did it not to ensnare and betray the innocent And whether in this he is like a Minister of Christ Or whether in it both himselfe and his Elders are not one with the wicked Presidents and Princes of Babylon who sought an occasion against Daniel which the Reader may read Dan. 6. All which at present is left to the consideration of those therein concerned till another opportunity by the wisdome of God is administred for laying open the wickedness of this generation of which this is but a little onely let all the world take heed and beware of a generation of deceivers and false Prophets who come in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening wolves who by their fruits may be known they are greedy dogs that can never have enough that seek for their gain from their quarter That bite with their teeth and cry peace peace and prepare war against them that put not into their mouths That make merchandize of the people and destroy soules for dishonest gaine casting men into prison for not breaking the Commandements of Christ and sue them at the Law for Oblations Offerings and Tythes c. For since Richard Fowler one of the best of that generation who once was so tender as before is said is so wofully