Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	commandment_n	keep_v	know_v	4,797	5	5.4171	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57303	The good old way and truth which the ancient Christians many ages and generations ago witnessed unto in the world from age to age, even from the dayes of Christ unto this very time, wherein the same doctrine, life and practice is witnessed unto by us who are in contempt called Quakers, through many tribulations, which our ancestors, the most ancient and true Christians that ever were upon the earth, sealed unto, with the loss of their lives and liberties, by which, in short, is fully manifested, in what is treated of herein, that the doctrine of the Quakers, in denying to swear any oath, and their refusing to pay tythes, and many other things they practise, was the doctrine and practise of the most famous and renowned Christians, both testified of in the Scriptures of truth, and the books of martyrs : also, a brief discovery of the ground and rise and tythes, manifesting them no Gospel-maintenance, but was testified against by the best and most ancient Christians many ages ago / written by ... Ambros Rigge.	Rigge, Ambrose, 1635?-1705.; R. T. (Rebecca Travers), 1609-1688.	1669 (1669)	Wing R1483; ESTC R17133	29,214	42

to the Commands of his Son and they who love him now keeps his Commands as they did in the dayes of old for he saith unto his If ye love me keep my Commandments and his Commandments is not grievous but joyous 1 John 5. 2 3 4. and John said Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments for he that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him 1 John 2. 3 4 5 6 7. By all which it is more then manifest that the most ancient true and faithfull Christians in their day and time gave a testimony against Swearing at all and suffered for it both under the Pope and many Heathen Emperors but they who would be accounted Christians now having got the power into their hands are found in the same spirit of Persecution as they were in under which the true Christians alwayes suffered and do act as furiously according to the power given them from above as they did in dayes past and no doubt would run as high as they did in Burning Hanging Gibbitting and Strangling if they had the least colour of Law to countenance them therein By all which let the sober and honest hearted judge whether the Quakers Doctrine of not Swearing be any new Doctrine or not and whether our Sufferings this many years for our obedience to the Commands of Christ be not vindicated both by Christ and all his Disciples in their dayes and by all the ancient Christians before cited and whether they who now calls themselves Christians are not far degenerated from the Life and Doctrine of Christianity though they retain the name and from the practice of the ancient Christians breaking Christ's Commands and forcing others so to do which in time will pull down the wrath of God upon their heads if they repent not For it is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 7. 21. It is not the name of Christianity nor a Profession of Christ's words recorded in the Scripture that will hide you in the day of the Lord that hastneth which shall burn as an Oven wherein all the Proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall leave them neither Root nor Branch Mal. 4. 1. the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it For the Earth is filled with violence and the Land mourns because of Oathes Jer. 5. and the Proud are counted happy and they that work wickedness are set up and they that tempt God are even delivered Mal. 3. 15. and they that reprove Iniquity in the Gate are made a prey upon for which God hath begun to visit this Nation with his sore Judgments which will bring desolation in the end to them who continue in the aforesaid Abominations Object And furthermore some wicked and malicious spirits have said we who are called Quakers will not sware because we desire to plot and contrine mischief against the King and Government c. This is altogether false and groundless as many years experience will witness for us who were never found plotting against any Government under which we have been but have from time to time patiently born the rod of the wicked since we were a people and if we durst break the Command of Christ to Swear any Oath we should as willingly swear obedience to the Power and Government under which we are as any Oath that could be tendred us this for my own part I speak heartily willingly and freely without any reserve of mind whatever and if any should have power given them to imprison my body so long more as I have suffered here if I would not consent to hurt the Kings Person or the person of any I could as willingly suffer for the denial of that as I have for my constant obedience and adhering to the Command of Christ who saith Swear not at all for the same Jesus commands me not to war with flesh and blood but to love my Enemies and though I should suffer five times more then I have done I could never be brought to redeem my self through the destruction of the person of another though never so wicked and ungodly for I know Vengeance is the Lords and he will repay it Rom. 12. 19. and therefore have I committed my just and innocent cause unto him who in every Age and Generation of the World recompenced Tribulation upon them that troubled his people 2 Thess 1. 6. though he spared some of them long to see if his long suffering would lead them to repentance but as they heardned their hearts against him and his people he manifestly appeared in many Judgments against them to awaken them as he hath done of late years against those who have oppressed his Royal Seed in this Age which he hath caused to spring up in his people scornfully called Quakers which shall spread over the face of the Earth yea it is as easie to stop the course of the Sun from running his course as a Giant as to hinder the growth of the Seed of God for he hath blessed it and no inchantment shall prevail against it yea if all our bodies should be destroyed in whom it is risen yet after us shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed in it for the more it is persecuted the more it grows as when a Vine tree is cut the more it is cut the thicker it spreads so doth the Truth at this day as in Ages past He was made perfect through Sufferings Hebr. 2. 10. and he is the same still and will remain when all the wrath of man which works not the righteousness of God shall have an end and be no more and therefore we cannot fear him that kills the body and hath no more that he can do but are taught both to love and fear him who after he hath killed the body hath power to cast both into Hell Matth. 10. 28 29. and therefore are we made a gazing stock to the World now and have as little love from the world as our fore-fathers had in dayes past marvelling not why the world hateth us seeing it hated him who is the Prince of Life and condemned him to death as a Blasphemer and a Deceiver before it hated us Luke 5. 21. Matth. 27. 63. for the Servant is not greater then his Lord and it was the chief Priests that was the chief Murtherers of him for they stirred up the Rulers to do it Luke 23. 13. which happily otherwise they would have dreaded and so brought Innocent Blood upon their heads and upon their Posterity for ever And who is it now that stirrs up the Rulers against his Appearance Is it not the chief Priests who both are and ever were the greatest Enemies that he and his people had upon the Earth who knows that if people should cease from man

and is the Minister of a better Covenant then that which commanded Swearing which was established upon better Promises Heb. 8. 6. So the Priesthood being changed there is made of Necessity a change of the Law Heb. 7. 12. and Christ did not onely change that part of the Law which appertained to swearing but divers other clauses and sayings thereof As first that of Circumcision which the Law strictly commanded Gal. 5. 2. Secondly Love to Enemies which the Law commanded to hate Matth. 5. 53. Thirdly Overcoming evil with good c whereas the Law commanded to take Eye for Eye and Tooth for Tooth c. and many other instances which I might produce yet he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it Matth. 5. 17. as the Jews who upheld swearing and haring of Enemies after Christ came charged him withal even as the Apostate Christians now charges his Followers who abide to his Doctrine and dare not swear at all to be Destroyers of the Law and Contemners of Magistracy and bringers in of new Doctrine Acts 17. 19. which the same spirit in the dayes of old 〈◊〉 upon him and them whom God raised up in 〈◊〉 dayes to preach Repentance and Remission of sins by Jesus Christ who 〈◊〉 Marvel not my Brethren if the World hate you 1 Joh. 3. 13. For it hated me before it hated you and the Servant is not greater then his Lord c. John 15. 18 19. Object Again it s said Paul swore from that Scripture I protest before God c. and in saying I call God to witness which is said to be an Oath Answ As to the first it is an intrusion of the Translation It being neither in the Greek Copies nor in the Latine nor some English Copies To the second that he calls God to witness is no Oath but an earnest attestation for an Oath is that whereby something is sworn by as Israel was to swear by the Lord in Truth Judgement and Righteousness and calling God to witness is no more then to say I speak in the presence of God who knows the hearts and thoughts of all men and is no formal Oath neither under the Law nor Gospel Neither is there any command more full in either Law or Gospel then Christ's Command to his Disciples not to swear at all by any Oath without any exception being seconded by the Apostles command to his Brethren as I said before enjoyning them earnestly above all things not to swear by any thing either in Heaven or Earth lest they fell into condemnation which Commands were binding to all both then present and the succeeding Saints and Christians several hundred years after Christ ascended to the Father and the Apostles Testimony was finished in the World yea the ancient Christians many years after their dayes kept the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostle James testifying to their death against the Heathen Emperors who would have compelled them to Swear affirming it a special mark and character of a Christian from Christ's words not to swear at all as shall be made evident anon By all which it will manifestly appear that the Quakers denial of all Swearing is no New Doctrine but the renewing of that which was commanded and practised by the best of Christians above sixteen hundred years ago and continued in force and practice many hundred years even till the Beast that John spoke of in the Revelation got up and made war with the Witnesses and with the Saints and overcame them that kept the Testimony of Jesus and Word of God Rev. 13. 7. and then the power of Darkness came over the Earth which set up Swearing contrary to Christ's Commands under which many of the ancient Christians suffered cruel Martyrdom for standing faithfull Witnesses for the Name of the Lord in the Earth and for denying to swear at all to those under whom they were as a cloud of Witnesses might be brought out af the Ecclesiastical Histories of them that denied all Swearing in divers Ages onely for brevity I shall instance a few First Polycarpus who was as it s said John's Disciple and had been a Christian Eighty six years when he came to suffer Martyrdom the Proconsul requiring him to swear By the Emperors good Fortune and By Caesars Prosperity Irenius lib. 3. cap. 1. which was the Custom of the Romans at that time and divers Heathen Emperors to set up their Images to be worshipped and their Persons to be Sworn by but Polycarpus denied and said he was a Christian and would shew forth the Doctrine of Christianity if he desired the same if the Proconsul would appoint a day to hear it so Polycarpus refused to Swear and kept Christ's Doctrine for which he was led away to be burned being an old man and full of dayes Acts and Monuments vol. 1. fol. 55 56 57. Secondly Basiliades an Officer and afterwards a Martyr being required to Swear affirmed plainly that it was not lawfull for him to Swear for that he was a Christian hence it appears that it was the proper mark of a Christian not to Swear Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 71. Euseb cap. 6. pag. 98. Thirdly In the dayes of Domitius Nero who began to reign about sixty seven years after Christ under whom was the First of the Ten cruel Persecutions of the Christians he caused the Christians of all sorts to suffer he commanded Rome to be set on fire in twelve places and to avoid the infamy thereof he accused the Christians with it and caused them to be put to death After him began Domitian the Emperor to reign who began the second Persecution of the Christians who was a Blasphemer of God and an Idolater in his dayes was John the Evangelist banished into the Isle of Patmos This Domitian the Emperor fearing the coming of Christ again commanded that all that could be found of the Stock of David in Jury should be put to death The inquisition was this they commanded those they suspected to be Christians to swear whether they were indeed Christians or not but the Christians refused to Swear confessing that they were Christians and could not deny Christ nor his Doctrine for which they were commanded to be put to death Fourthly The Waldenses or Lionists whose names are so famous among the reformed Churches and who are said immediately to succeed the Apostles and were the most ancient and true Protestants professed it no way lawfull for a Christian man to Swear In defence of whom in the very matter Bishop Vsher De Success cup 6. late Bishop of Armath Primate of Ireland pleaded their cause against the Papists and Jesuits who are Swearers and Breakers of Oathes Fifthly The Plowman in his Complaint which is so much esteemed of and commended in the Book of Martyrs saith Lord thou giveth us a Commandment of Truth in bidding us say yea yea and nay nay and swear for nothing thou givest us also a Commandment of meekness another of poorness but Lord he that

should be said over the Tombs of the Dead Now Priests see the original of your Prayers over the dead and see if it be Apostolical yea or nay 10. Gregory also ordained that neither Flesh nor any thing that had affinity in it as Cheese Milk Butter Eggs should be eaten on such dayes as were Fasts here came in that Doctrine of Devils commanding to abstain from Meats which God hath commanded to be received with thanksgiving of them that believe and obey the Truth 11. Sabinianus ordained that People should come together to hear Service by ringing of Bells at certain hours 12. John the twenty second Bishop of Rome ordained Bells to be tol'd three times a day here was the original of your Bells and tolings from the Popes Decrees 13. Singing of Mattens at set times Hicrom appointed as Polydore and others say 14. Pelagius the second commanded Priests to say them daily and Vtilianus invented the decent tunes wherewith the Hyms be sung and joyned thereto the Organs c. 15. Telesphorus appointed that Lent should be kept before Easter and added another week to it which is called Quinquagessima and also ordained Epistles and Gospels and Damasus divided them as they are read at this day in the Reformed Churches so called 16. Anastasius commanded that People should stand at the reading of the Gospel 17. Higinus the nineth Bishop of Rome ordained the Communnion to be celebrated three times a year 18. Pius about the year Four hundred and seven after Christ the tenth Bishop ordained that Easter-day should be kept on the Sunday 19. Vrbanus the seventeenth Bishop of Rome ordained Church-yards to be hallowed and forbad marriage of Priests 20. Sextus the twenty fourth Bishop of Rome in the year Two hundred and twenty after Christ ordained the Priests to wear holy Garments as Copes and divers other things in imitation of Aaron and then came in Surplices he commanded Images to be set up in Churches Much more such Trumpery might be instances too tedious to rehearse which is now upheld among the Protestants so called as great Ordinances of God though such things were never ordained by him in any Age of the World but invented by the several Antichrists which John saw entring into the World in his day which are upheld by the false Prophets of our Age without any ground or colour from that which they pretend to be their Rule viz. the Scriptures who have either in matter or form erred from the Spirit of Truth and the Scriptures in every thing relating to their Worship professing in words to know God but in works denying him being abominable and unclean and to every good work a Reprobate A few words followeth concerning Tythes manifesting them no Gospel-maintenance but since Christ and the Apostle dayes invented by the Papists TYthes were never commanded to be paid by the Lord to any but Israel under the Law neither was it ever payable but by the Jews in the first Covenant under the Levitical Priesthood out of the Land of Canaan to such Levites as had no part nor portion allotted them in the promised Land the Tythe or Tenth part of the increase thereof was commanded to be given unto them by the Lord for the Office of the Priesthood and for the service of the Tabernacle Deut. 18. 4. and the Levites out of the Tythes were to offer up to the Lord a Tenth part of the Tythes and give it unto Aaron the Priest for himself and his Sons Ezek. 45. 13. and no other portion had the Levitical Priests out of the Tythes but the tenth of the tenths for the rest had the Levites that did serve at the Tabernacle and it was also to relieve Strangers Fatherless and Widows Deut. 14. 29. So Israel's Tythes were not all given to the Priests but the Poor was maintained out of it beside for there was not to be a Begger in Israel here was the end for which it was at first instituted But Christ the Everlasting High-Priest being come he changed that Priesthood which was but to continue until the time of Reformation Hebr. 9. 10. and the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change of the Law that took Tythes Heb. 7. 12. after which there was never any Command given by Christ to any of his Ministers or Servants under the Second Covenant either to take or receive Tythes of any people and for Eight hundred years after Christ it was never imposed upon the People but they might give it to whom they would at their own pleasure And the Maintenance which Christ allotted his Ministers under the Gospel is expressed in Luke into whatsoever house they entred to eat and drink such things as were set before them for the Labourer was worthy of his hire Luke 10. 7 8. This is the hire the Ministers of Christ are contented withal at this day but the Ministers of Antichrist are not contented with their Allowance nor the allowance of the First Covenant which shews that they are Ministers of neither for if they were they would act according to one but their Fruits plainly testifies to their faces that they are Ministers of Antichrist who have run when the Lord never sent them Matthew 7. 16 17 18. Object Now some have pleaded for Tythes from Abraham's giving the Tenth of the Spoils of the Kings c. to Melchisedeck c. Heb. 7. 2. Answ This was not Tythe of Lands increase neither was it any Command of God to Abraham but a free voluntary gift out of the Spoils he had taken in war but Mark He was yet in the loyns of his Father when Melchisedeck met him Hebr 7. 10. and therefore no Gospel Plea So who would have Tythes from the Scripture must go and meet the Souldiers as they return from the Spoils of their Enemies and receive the Tenth thereof at their hands if they will give it them freely for it is evident that he who changed the Priesthood and fulfilled the Law which commanded Tythes of Lands sprang out of Judah of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood Hebr. 7. 13 14. And it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude of Melchisedeck their ariseth another Priest verse 15. Who is not made after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the Power of an endless Life verse 16. For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before mark a disannulling of the Commandment that was carnal where Tythes were included for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof verse 17 18. Because it made nothing perfect but the bringing of a better hope did by which they drew nigh to God verse 19. which better hope was Christ in them the hope of glory By all which it is evident that whoever receives or payes Tythes as any Legal right denies Christ come in the Flesh and such are the Antichrists which the Scripture speaks of 2 Joh. 7. and this is the reason why they who now witness him come in their