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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	dispose_v	spiritual_a	temporal_a	3,691	5	9.4007	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44790	The glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the Church of Rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the Church of Christ in the Apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the Lord, Francis Howgill.	Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.	1661 (1661)	Wing H3162; ESTC R38990	108,097	179

who by our Protestants are owned as Orthodox that they may be convinced that it is not a new Doctrine for which we suffer the spoiling of our Goods and our persons Imprisoned but that tyths have been testified against by many faithfull in ages past who died in the Faith who though they be dead yet their Testimony Liveth and will stand through ages even for ever take this of the Primitive Bishop Antonius de Dominis the Learned Bishop of Spalato de Repub. Eccles. L. 9. Christ himself though he were Lord of Heaven and Earth and the fulness thereof yet would not he be possessed of great Lands and Incomes though he seemingly complained the fowls of the ayr have nests and foxes holes but not the Son of man where not to rest his head Luk 9. 58. Yet did not he imbetter his Condition although to the affecting thereof there needed no more then that he should will it to be so nor did he demand Tythes though a Priest after the order of Melchizedeck indubitably But whilest he went through the Cities and Castles Preaching the Gospel and instructing men for the Kingdome of Heaven and twelve with him several women as Mary Magdalen Joane Susan and others did Minister unto him of their substance Luke 8. 1 2. Nor did he otherwise instruct his Disciples who were to be Embasadors on Earth towards man kind In the beginning when he sends them out he did not bid them for to receive Tythes or Teach People to pay them but bids them to live upon alms carry not with you Gold nor Silver or any money in your purses not a Scrip not two Coats not a staff Suternumerary For the Labourer is worthy of his meat Mat. 10. 9. The Disciples of Christ being thus taught by their great Master for saking their Livelihood and Earthly possession presumed upon the Goodness of God who would not so have sent them abroad but that he would dispose the hearts of men accordingly in order to their subsistance So they relied upon their Converts for necessary supplies and received the benevolence of several pious women who Ministered unto them For so saith Paul have not I power to eat and to drink have not I power to lead about a woman or a Sister as do the other Apostles and the Brethren of our Lord and Cephas 1 Cor. 9. 5. he at large and very clearly sheweth how they who sows Spiritual ought to reap temporal things If one should aske the Ministry of this age by what right they claim Tythes they cannot say by a better right then the Apostles had nor I hope will not for they pretend to be but successors of them And if the extent of their Commission be required you shall have it in these words forthwith as my Father sent me so send I you or the like But if one aske if they will stand to this in all respects I have little hope they will comply in point of maintenance I have good ground so to judge even many at this day who have in times past vaunted and boasted of their call and Ministry and have thrown many in prison for these popish Tythes Now when they are like to be taken from them would give over Publication of their Gospel if they knew how to subsist for their backs and bellies which demonstrates that they had no mission from God or else why should taking of Tythes away from them invalidate it Or do they judge all is converted there is no more work Now such will be cried who have boasted of Calls and Commissions and if all were gone they would preach for nothing or freely without gifts I am afraid we shall hardly find one of five hundred but will rather then quite cease the gainful trade will traffique in such Merchandize as the times allows though they must now be content with eight for a night-wake and four for churching a woman and sixpence for reading over a grave or Tythe eggs at Easter and rather then they dare stand to Christs allowance will take this and such allowance as can be got under hand and Seal as the time will afford them But to return to that which was in my heart to shew out of antiquity Tythes no Gospel maintenance Prosper saith They do live of the Gospel who will be propriators of nothing who neither have nor desire to have any thing not possessing their own but the Common goods What is it to live of the Gospel But that he who labours should receive necessary supplies by them amongst whom he labours without forcing though Paul himself would not make use of his permission least he should create an offence but laboured with his hands being a tent-maker and they that would receive it by voluntary contributions were the Apostles and others which laboured in the Gospel Cyril of Alexandria speaking upon that passage of Abraham Gen 14. 23 who after he had gained victory over the King of Sodomes enemies and rescued Lot when the King offered him part of the spoiles he would receive nothing but a few victuals Though saith he the holy Teachers do war in the behalf of perishing-man kind and though they undergo much pains yet do they not take any thing from the men of the World nor do they heap up unto themselves riches least the World should say I have made you rich they only ought to receive their sustinance from the hands of those whom they have benefited for it is Christs command saith he that he who Teacheth the Gospel should live thereby So that it is evident that very many of antient Fathers whom this generation of Teachers have talked so much on did deny Tyths and forced maintenance from the Word but in this point it is like they may be judged for eronious or weak sighted as they do the Quakers or men of weak understanding but I see many will traduce them in words but few in practise Peter and John saith Silver and Gold have I none Behold the riches of those who were Priests of Christ but let us quickly apply these things faith he unto our selves who are prohibited by the Law of Christ if we have any regard thereunto to have possessions in the Country or Houses in the City what do I say Possessions houses no not to multiply Coates or Money If we have food and rayment let us be therewith content Hiorom writing to Nepotianus a Clergy man he doth much extol the poverty of the Clergy as a Levite and a Priest saith he I live and am supplied with the Oblations of the Altar having food having Cloaths I will be content therewith and naked follow the Naked Crosse I beseech you that you would not transform our Spiritual warfare into a Carnal one nor Imagine your self in the Clergy as if you were in an Army getting spoils nor seek after no more then when you came first into the Clergy least it be said to you their lot shall not profit them The Albigenses

come upon thee Likewise Paul said I was a persecutor and a Blasphemer This generation who professeth Pauls words would say let him dye he hath confessed he was a Blasphemer but he was slain with other weapons Christ slew the Blasphemer and the Persecutor in him and left the man alive and made him a chosen vessel to declare against Blasphemy and lead out of all ungodliness And herein is the second Covenant more excellent then the first and the Ministration more excellent then the former and the Dominion and Government of Christ more excellent then the Dominion and government of the Kings of Israel and the weapons more excellent then theirs and the power greater then theirs which is able to destroy the works of the Devil as Blasphemy Idolatry and Adultery and save the Creature alive This is the better Covenant indeed the everlasting and herein is the mercy of God exalted his Dominion and Power exalted and Christ the King of Glory exalted And these sins before-mentioned punished with great severity and great Judgment For in the first Covenant they slew with a temporal death But Christ when he appeareth in his power and glory in flames of fire renders vengeance within upon the wicked which burns and scorches and brings anguish tormenteth all them that are in that Nature and banisheth all them from his presence and from the Glory of his power till that be dead and slain which would not have him to Raign to wit that which is born of the flesh which is within And blasphemy Idolatry Murther are the fruits of the flesh where the flesh is not lived in these things cannot be brought forth I speak not of the Creature who is Gods Workman-ship for that may be alive when the birth fruits which are after the flesh are both dead and herein is the mighty power of God made known and his Justice and his severe Judgment which all must pass thorow before they come to witness eternal life He that dispised Moses Law died by the mouth of two or three witnesses which was a natural death of how much sorer punishment shall he be worthy which treadeth underfoot the Son of God and counteth the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing Heb. 10. 28 29. and blasphemeth But further it will be objected that the Apostle exhorteth for a submission unto every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2. 13. whether it be unto Kings as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him and in Romans the 13. 1 2. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher power for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God Ans. From these Scriptures many bad Constructions and Inferences hath been gathered as that Kings and Rulers were to be obeyed in all things and that every worship which is commanded by●a King or Superiour ought to be obeyed and that Kings and Rulers had power in Spiritual things to make a Law for such a Worship or forbid such a Worship and all these ought to be obeyed And so in the Apostacy the Ministers of Antichrist hath brought in many Inventions and Traditions and humane Institutions for Divine Worship and Service and thereby hath pressed Rulers to make Laws and compel all people to receive them although they have been repugnant to the true worship of God and then such Teachers hath pressed such people to obedience as of duty and necessity because the aforesaid Scripture doth Command subjection to all Rulers And thus hath Babylon reared up her City and gotten Merchants to put off her Merchandize and so hath cheated both Rulers and people and hath led them to hate and destroy one another Unto these Scriptures and divers others which speaks of obedience to Magistrates in all things must needs be truly understood to be of things that are Just and equal which are onely civil and concerning things between man and man and the Ordinances which are for the well being of a Nation or the good and wholesome government of a state and cannot be understood of things Spiritual or relating to things appertaining to the Conscience or respecting things about the worship of God My reasons are weighty for in that time and age the Apostle wrote whether Peter Paul or any other the Magistrates were all Heathens as Herod Pontius Pilate Augustus Caesar Tiberius Caesar and Nero who were all Heathen Emperours of Rome and Idolators and at that time they had power over Rome and also over Jerusalem Judea and Paul writing to the Romans and Peter to Capadocia Pontius and Asia who were also under Heathen Rulers and did not worship the true God doubtless they injoyned not submission unto the Heathen Rulers in spiritual things for then they must have been joyned unto Idolatry for if it be understood that they had power in spiritual things which partained unto the Conscience and that they ought to be obeyed in all spiritual things then Peter and John were transgressors themselves when they taught boldly the things of the Kingdome of God in every City where ever they came And the Rulers in most places opposed and put Peter and John out of the City and commanded the Apostles to speak no more in the Name of Jesus And yet they returned again and disobeyed their Command and their power and authority and said whether it were better to obey God or man judge ye So that no King Ruler nor Magistrate as a Magistrate has power given of God to Imprison or force or perscribe any Law or worship upon the hearts and Consciences of men For that belongs onely to Christ the Law given the Bishop of souls But then it will be objected if not as a Magistrate yet then as a Christian he may injoyn and give Command concerning worship and compell and punish them that obey not Answer As a Christian they have no priority but as they stand in the growth of truth not above others for God is no respecter of persons for the Apostles and Ministers of Christ who preached the Gospel and had begotten many into the Faith thorow the power of God which was with them by which they spoke and in things spiritual might have claimed obedience to their Command much more then any temporall Prince and yet they said we are not Lords over mens faith nor did they exercise Lorship over mens Consciences but left every one to Gods witnesse and to the word of his grace which was nigh in their hearts And furthermore said let every one be perswaded in his own mind said if any should be contrary minded God would reveal it to them and so waited in the patience to see the work of God prosper and was content And so forcing and compelling about Spiritual matters by temporal punishments and temporal Law is all contrary to the Apostles practice in the primitive times though the heathen persecuted the Christians by their temporal Laws for Spiritual things and

about Spiritual matters for the worship of God But we never read of any called Christians that did so untill Pelagius a Bishop of Rome or Pope when the Emperour had given Boneface the third this power to be called the Chief Bishop and head universal over all Christian Churches Then he begun to make temporal Laws to punish about Spiritual things And Pelagius made a decree that Hereticks should be punished with Temporal death about 555 years after Christ So let all Princes Magistrate and Rulers who denies the Church of Rome in her Apostacy follow not her example but leave every one free to the Lord in Spiritual matters as concerning his Worship for to him must every one give an account in his own day when it shal be required from which the wicked shall not be able to fly Another Objection But then it may be said what power will you allow unto Magistrates that profess the Name of Christ Or how far have they Authority from God to punish evil doers and encourage them that do well Answer It is said by me Kings Rule and Princes decrees Justice there is a ruling by him and that is a ruling in the power of God in him He that rules in the power of God measures equal justice unto all men and ruleth by the good and wholsome Laws which are made by the will of God which is according to Gods witness which he hath placed in every mans heart and such a one is a Temporall head over the temporal body ruleth in Righteousness in temporal things But Christ he is the head of the body that is spiritual which is his Church Now the Law is against the lawless as against Liers Swearers Stealers Cursed speakers Murderers Man-slayers Man stealers Violence and Oppression and Deceit and that which tends to the hurt and destroying of the Creation And he that is the Executor of the Law ought to inflict temporal punishments for temporall facts provided that every punishment be suitable to the transgression and go not beyond it and in so doing he rules for God and the sword is to be turned against that which doth evil and to keep peace amongst all men and to keep down all strife and Contention Quarrelling and fighting and keeping the unruly from devouring and destroying one another And this is to rule for God in a Nation in the Creation and to countenance the honest upright and quiet and meek and this is a praise unto them that do well and this is that which would keep the Nations at peace And here Governors and Rulers comes to be blessed when the Princes thereof rules in Righteousness and when people live under them a holy godly and quiet life But when Godliness Holiness Righteousness is counted as a crime and wickedness and violence and iniquity set up that Nation is near a judgement and for the iniquity of Rulers Kings and People many fruitful Lands hath the Lord made barren and that which is for the well-being and preservation for the universal good and all people therein all people ought to render obedience unto such Command for conscience sake and all people ought ●to obey Rulers and Governours in that which is good and lawful and warrantable in the sight of God unto all just commands to yeild obedience not for wrath but for conscience sake For so the Lord requires which will be acceptable and pleasing in his fight And all Magistrates who are Christians ought to be paterns of Holiness and Righteousnesse to their people and to admonish exhort and reprove the prophane and ungodly and to the worship of the True God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth It is the duty of every true Christian who is a King and a Priest unto God CHAP. XVII Concerning Oaths in the first Covenant and the Lawfulness thereof and the unlawfulness thereof discovered in the New Covenant in Gospel times Though Apostates mingle the Ordinances of both together denying all oaths proved to be no new Doctrine IN the beginning when God Created the Heavens and the Earth all things that are therein by the Word of his power and set the bounds the habitations thereof separated betwixt Light Darkness And when man was Created in his own Image in the Image of God created he him Male and Female created he them Now the Image of God consists in Righteousness Holiness Equity long suffering Patience Goodnesse Mercy and Truth the Glory thereof is unspeakable man being in this Image there was no trangression nor sin nor sorrow man was bound unto his Maker by the Power in which he was made yea he was in a capacity to Fear Love Honour Obey and Worship his Maker from the virtue of that Power and Principle which God had placed in him which some ignorantly calls the Law of Nature But that is not the intention of my discourse to contend what it was but to shew that man was at union with God and bound unto him by that which God had placed in him in which his wisdom power and dominion stood to rule over all the Creatures life was in him there was no death then in this the Obligation stood not in outward written commands or ordinances but it stood in that which was internal and invisible this was before the transgression here was no Oaths yet nor outward Covenants made nor outward Ordinances But after man had transgressed and eaten of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil and gone from the power and broken the Covenant he lost his wisdome and folly entred he lost his dominion and weaknesse entred he lost his knowledge and ignorance entred and an earthly part and a mutable came to have Dominion not that this was evil in it self being subjected by the power and word in its place and in the state wherein it was good but man being gone from the power and from the Covenant joyned to something out of it and out of the mind and listened to that which should have been ruled over that became a Leader which God never appointed and this led mans heart from the invisible God of life and light who is immutable to lust after visible things and mutable and earthly things and into instability And so his heart and mind and affections became more and more to be alienated from the Lord and his understanding more darkned yet such was the love of God unto mankind that he did not wholly cast him off here but followed him with his mercies and promised the Seed of the woman should bruse the Serpents head and so it did yet the Adulterers generation in the transgressing nature were great and fast and there was but few before the flood in comparison of the Multitude who bore the Image of God and few in a generation as Abel Enock Seth and the rest went after the Imaginations of their own hearts and set up Images and Idols and also after the Flood when the