Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	according_a	church_n	know_v	2,412	5	4.1976	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41852	One out-cry more against tythes unto the chief ruler of the nation of Engand [sic] and all that are with him of God permitted to be in present authority, whether Parliament, Councel or Army; by whatsoever name or title known or called: but in a more especial manner, to such of them as are yet remaining faithfnl [sic] unto the former declared for, and never to be forgotten cause of King Jesus, who are such as have not departed, through sinning against the light of a good conscience, ... And yer notwithstanding, you that are in present power know these things, do even as he did, suffer the saints in your name, and by your power daylie to be imprisoned, and otherwayes afflicted; and that you may not be ignorant thereof, I have been moved to make the same known unto you by way of declaration, which is grounded upon the Holy Scriptures; wherein is contained the manner of our sufferings, and by whom: ... Written the beginning of the second month, 1657. by Isaac Grayes, prisoner for the cause of Christ in the Wood-street Compter, London, ...; One out-cry more against tythes unto the chief ruler of the nation of England.	Graye, Isaac.	1657 (1657)	Wing G1626; ESTC R220318	27,098	37

forth by which they are also known to be none of the Ministers of Christ nor Messengers of God but have made themselves fully manifest to be of the remainder of that cursed generation and stock of hypocrites which were devourers of Widows Houses as daylie doth appear which cannot be denyed for there never was greater devourers then they are since the world began who for a pretence make long prayers to accomplish their mischievous designs and was there ever the like praying and preaching in any age as hath been in this our age or last dayes of finishing iniquity under which pretence of theirs the innocent who are departed from evil are become the prey of the devourer but for their reward saith Christ They shall receive to themselves the greater damnation read Matt. 23. 14 c. And saith the Apostle Peter in his second Epistle chap. 2. They shall through covetousness and with feigned words make merchandize of the p●ople and was there ever such merchandise made of a people since they had a being upon the earth as now is made by these called Preachers and Minister's of the Gospel whose wicked fruits hath made them manifest to be those hypocrites and false Teachers which were afore spoken of should proceed from the corrupt Tree from whom the Man of God doth flee to follow after Righteousness Godliness Faith Love Patience and Meekness 1 Tim. 6 11 v. c. in which life they the Priests are not found as doth appear by their upholding and seeking to maintain by the power of the cruel Beast that which Christ hath disannulled because of the weakness and unprositableness thereof for that the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope made perfect whereby we draw neer to God Heb. 7. 18 19 v. c. And now for to take away all obstructions before I procced further I shall give an accompt of my Faith and hope by declaring what Church I am of that I so may remove the cause of jealousie vvhich is too often appearing in the ignorant yea even in such vvhich makes a high profession of godliness I shall therefore give you the Rulers and all that are vvise in heart for to know That I ovvn the Ministry and Ministers of the everlasting Gospel which is not of man neither are they made by man as the Priests of the Nation are but are such as Christ hath made whose foundation standeth sure which shall abide for ever vvhich changeth not neither can it be shaken being built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Eph. 2. 20. And I do also vvitness and declare That all the Ministers of Christ have accordingly received a perfect Ministry which is free and not burthensome to any because they belong to the true Church whereof Christ is head which is his body according as the Scripture doth with me declare which Church is the Assembly of the Righteous who are holy from which the ungodly are excluded according as it is written Psal. 1. 5. The Lord knoweth the wayes of the righteous but the wayes of the ungodly shall perish I do also own the Ordinances of Jesus Christ which none that are unholy can partake of and the worship of God which is in spirit and truth read Joh. 4. 23. And likewise the Law of God which is holy ●ust and good which never changeth by no diversity of place or time And thus have I in brief declared an account of what Church I am and also of my faith and hope wherein I have truly discharged my conscience in brief and for which I am at this day a sufferer And so far as I can understand from friends which doth give me an account of what they understand from amongst you that there is nothing to be expected from you but more bonds to be laid upon the Saints at which nevvs I finde in my self a comfortable satisfaction for to continue my waiting upon the farther good pleasure of the Lord God of Israel rather then to sin against my conscience by giving way to break his Laws Commandments Ordinances and Statutes for vvhich I have suffered persecution for above this eight years together first by one John Lawson a drunken Priest belonging to the Parish of Basinborne in the County of Cambridge who for Tythes took away my goods and yet notwithstanding was not therewith contented vvhile such time as by his cruelty he drove me to flie with my Family twenty miles from that Town by the reason he had gained a Warrant from the Committees of that County for to carry my body to prison refusing to take Bail according as the Warrant did express But soon after I had removed my self and Family from his Tyrannie an other Enemy to the Gospel appeared against me viz. one John Budging of the same Town Farmer of the Tythes belonging to the Parsonage who persecuted me at the popish Law and after he had spent some time gained power also for to carry me away to prison notwithstanding he had carryed away a great part of my Corn out of the field through which Tyrannie of his I was forced to forsake my poor Wife and Children which constrained me to put my life upon the danger of loosing by reason I fled to the Army of the Common-Wealth of England for refuge into Scotland where as a Souldier I did engage in hopes of gaining not only victory over such as was then counted our Enemies but also to have seen an end of that their power by which tyrannie and oppression is still promoteed And after the wars of Scotland were over there followed on Worcester-Fight where I was also bodily engaged and after that Field-Battel was fought I returned privatelely home to visite my poor Wife and distressed Family but not long after my adversary obtained intelligence that I was at home and thereupon did send certain sons of Belial for to carry me away to prison which for to accomplish their end did by force of Arms break into my house upon me but being by me strongly resisted with Sword and Pistol they durst not proceed the attempting to come up into my Chambers where I was ready to receive them they perceiving of it did quarrel amongst themselves about raising of the Town for to pull down the house upon my head they threatning sorely to have me forth dead or alive I understanding the same did through the help of the Lord make my pass out of an upper-Windovv leaving my poor Wife and Children to their bloody rage who did accordingly set a drawn Sword to her Breast and did threaten to kill her after they did see I was escaped Many more insufferable cruelties have I and my Family undergone which are too many for me to give relation But to be brief So precious vvas my liberty unto me when time was that the very thoughts of a Gaol was unto me dreadful that vvhile I was at liberty I was in mighty

ONE OUT-CRY More against TYTHES Vnto the Chief RULER of the Nation of ENGAND and all that are with him of God permitted to be in present Authority whether Parliament Councel or Army by whatsoever Name or Title known or called But in a more especial manner To such of them as are yet remaining faithful unto the former declared for and never to be forgotten Cause of KING JESUS who are such as have not departed through sinning against the light of a good conscience by opposing such as would have promoted the same nor have sought by any secret endeavours to hinder and obstruct the performing to God Almighty and making good unto his poor every-wayes-wronged people viz. All those many National-Engagements Declarations Remonstrances Protestations Vows Oaths and Covenants with solemn Appeals which unto him were in the dayes of greatest distress made for obtaining deliverance from Sions destroying bloody Enemies to the end Christs Kingdom might be advanced and Satans Kingdom of Tyranny defaced and the Government of the Lord God of Israel by his holy just and good Laws Ordinances Statutes and righteous Judgements be established in the room of the Popes destroying Power which upholdeth wicked devouring men as yet to tyranize over the dear Saints and Servants of God for their consciences as much as ever they did in the Kings time who in his Days regarded not what tyranny by his Power and in his Name was done against the Members of Christ as did appear by his suffering of them to be so inhumanely used as they were both by imprisonments banishments and setting of them gagged in Pillories burning of them with hot Irons and cutting off their ears from their heads besides whipping and stocking with many more bloody cruelties all which cruelties being by the King suffered and connived at was the only cause why the wrath of God with his revengeful Judgements came upon him his posterity and the three Nations of England Scotland and Ireland c. And yet notwithstanding you that are in present Power know these things do even as he did suffer the Saints in your Name and by your power daylie to be imprisoned and otherwayes afflicted and that you may not be ignorant thereof I have been moved to make the same known unto you by way of declaration which is grounded upon the Holy Scriptures wherein is contained the manner of our sufferings and by whom Together with serious Advertisements concerning the abuse of Power and the abominations of Priesthood the wickedness of Lawyers with them combining for to destroy the Just from off the earth Written the beginning of the second Month 1657. by ISAAC GRAYES Prisoner for the cause of Christ in the Wood-street Compter London where I have been kept above three years Given forth for the sake of such as with my self do suffer for the testimony of Faith and a good Conscience For if I build again the things which I have destroyed I make my self a transgressor Gal. 2. 18. And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and dost the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God Rom. 2. 3. Let all such therefore take heed that their own wickedness of backsliding do not come when it is too late to correct them let him that is wise in heart read with understanding Jer. 2. 19. LONDON Printed for the Author and some of them are to be sold at the Black-More neer Fleet-Bridge 1657. The unlawfulness of the National Priesthood with their unjust demands proved by way of grounds reasons laid down according to the holy Scriptures why there ungodly Wages of Tythes by the suffering persecuted and every wayes afflicted Members of Christ Jesus in this their day of faithfulness to him are denyed as by this following Declaration will be made appear HUmbly sheweth unto you O ye Rulers of the people the abominations which are committed in the matters of tythes by the called Ministers of England and others for as much as that it doth evidently appear by the Law of the Lord God of Israel Tythes were given to Levi and his sons and to such as with them were appointed of God unto the Office of the first Priesthood and none else who had a commandment to take tythes of the people according to the Law that is of their Brethren as may appear of vvhich Priesthood the Priests of this Nation are not for they cannot prove themselves made by the Law of God as the first Priesthood vvas neither can it be made appear they ever received from the Lord God of Israel any such commandment for their taking tythes of the people of England as the Aaronical and Levitical Priesthood did for their taking tythes of their Brethren the children of Israel as for the Priests of this Nation it vvill appear they never vvere made Priests of God but by the late Bishops who themselves vvere formerly made by the Pope of Rome as I shall make appear tovvards the later end of this Treatise by the Lavvs and Statutes of this Nation And again I find that the Priests the Levites and all the Tribe of Levi had no part of Inheritance vvith Israel and therefore vvere they appointed to eat the Offerings of the Lord made by fire because they had no Inheritance amongst their Brethren for the Lord vvas their Inheritance Read Deut. 18. v. 1 2. And as it doth appear by Moses in his refusing to give them any possessions of Lands vvith their Brethren after God had given them victory over such of their Enemies as they became possessors viz. of the Lands of those many Kings vvhich vvere slain of them by the edge of the Svvord and nothing vvas by Moses given to the Tribe of Levi because said he the Lord God of Israel vvas their Inheritance as he had said unto them Josh. 19. 3 c. And again it doth and may appear that the Lord God of Israel did appoint Store-houses unto vvhich the people were expresly commanded in the time of the first Covenant for to bring their tythes that thither the Widovv the Fatherless and Stranger might also come within the Gates of the Priests to be filled by which it is manifest That the Widovv Fatherless and Stranger had as much right to the Tythes as the Priest through vvhich relief there vvas not a beggar in Israel neither vvere they the Priests and Levites permitted to persecute any upon Trebble Damages vvho did not bring their Tythes according to the Commandment of the Lord for they that did neglect vvere cursed vvith a curse as it is evident Mal 3. Novv the contrary doth appear among the Priests of England whom I have heard often say They vvere of Gods ovvn Tribe of Levi and yet live in the practise of such abominable things and do also justifie such as with them do the same as never vvas committed nor done in the time of the first Priesthood as is daylie made manifest in that unsufferable vvickedness of theirs in taking