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A30871
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The storming and totall routing of tythes wherein is shewed the unlawfullnesse of claiming them by the now pretended tribe of Levy, and both takers and payers therein denying Christ to be come in the flesh / by Edward Barber.
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Barber, Edward, d. 1674?
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1651
(1651)
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Wing B695; ESTC R24192
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16,063
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22
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protest to defend and maintain with life power and estate the true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations contrary to the said Doctrine the lawfull rights and liberties of the Subjects or rather the freemen of England and note this every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the lawfull persuance of the same and to their power and as far as lawfully they may oppose and by all good waies and means endevour to bring to condign punishment all such as shall either by force practice Counsels Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do any thing to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained c. Also in the Explanation thereof it is said that whereas some doubts have been raised by several persons out of this House concerning the meaning of these words contained in the Protestation lately made by the Members of this House viz. The true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realm contrary to the same Doctrine this House doth declare that by these words was and is meant onely the publick Doctrine professed in the said Church so far as it is opposite to Popery and Popish Innovations and that the said words are not to be extened to the maintaining of any form or Worship Discipline or Governdment nor of any Rites or Ceremonies of the said Church of England Resolved that what person soever shall not take the Protestation is unfit to bear Office in the Church or Common-wealth again 2. Again by the Vow and Covenant we are injoyned for the defence of the true Protestant Religion and Liberties of the Subjects and this is made in the presence of Almighty God c. 3. We are ingaged in the Reformation of the Churches of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government to have it according to the Word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches 4. That we shall without respect of persons to wit from the Prelate to the Sexton in like manner endevour the exterpation of Popery Prelacie that is Church-government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancelours Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-Deacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending upon that Hirarchy which these Priests extent do Superstition Heresee Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be sound to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse least we partake in other mens sinns and thereby be in danger to receive of their Plagues Revel. 18. 4. The performance of which Protestation and Covenant concerning the said Minestery and Popish Tythes so cruel and burthensome to all inlightened conscientious men hath been often desired as by the Declaration of the Army and Petitions of diverse Countries to the House may appear c. Now forasmuch as the Lord saith Eccles. 5. 4. 5. When thou vowest a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fools pay therefore that which thou hast vowed better is it that thou shouldst not vow then that thou shouldst vow and not pay And Deut. 23. 21. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and it would be sin in thee Compared with vers 22. 23. And Psal. 76. 11. Vow and pay unto the Lord your God This David performs Psalm 66. 13. 14. I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings I will pay thee my vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble For the not performing whereof I believe with Jeremiah the Land now mourneth Jer. 23. 10. And Jer. 6. 14. They have also healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying peace peace when there is no peace Compared with Isa. 9. 15 16. The Prophet that teacheth lies he is the tail for the leaders of this people cause them to erre And they that are led by them are destroyed 1. They Preaching for hire and divining for money and yet will lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord amongst us none evil can come upon us Micha 3. 11. Pulling down poor Wooden and stone Crosses and yet leaving that cruel Popish burthensome Crosse of their Priests and Tythes remaining 2. Observe that whosoever shall submit to and receive any Ministery ordained by virtue of a forraign power from Rome is a Traytor by the known declared Laws of this Land Now whether men receiving their Ordination beyond the Seas or here it being done by one and the same power springing from one and the same root for as the root is so is the branches Rom. 11. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thorns or figgs of thistle And have not the Ministery of England their ordination from Rome As by their Book of ordination appears as also confest by many of them yea all that are true to their own principles and therefore to be protested against by all that have taken the Protestation or Covenant c. 3. Christ saith John 10. 1. to the 19. He that enters not in by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up another way the same is a thief and a robber c. And are not these Tyth-takers guilty of the same Judgement as Psalm 50. 16. to the 19. To wit these that enters not in by the door Christ Jesus that is by his way Laws and Ordinances and are not the Ministers of England such Ergo are they not such as are there spoken of Judge ye Noble Bereâ—ns Hath all our Fasts and professing Liberty taking of Oaths and Ingagements with the free-will-offrings of the Nation bloud and taxations produc'd this to wit Ordinances for Tythes with treble damages for those who much like Eliahs sons 1 Sam. 2. 13. to the 17. who came with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand while the flesh was in seething and he strook it into the Pan or Kettel or Cauldron or Pot all that the flesh-hook brought up the Priest took for himself also before they burnt the fat the Priests servant came and said to the man that sacrificed give flesh to rost for the Priest for he will not have sodden flesh but raw and thou shalt give it me now and if not I will take it by force note this The like is these mens practice whereby they rob Christ of his Honour Priesthood poor people of their goods and without repentance of their souls as Isa. 9. 16. Revel. 14. 9. 10. But would these consider Deut. 18. 1 2 3. The Priests the Levites were to have no part nor inheritance with Israel but were to eat the offrings of the Lord made by fire and his inheritance therefore shall they have no inheritance amongst their brethren the Lord is their inheritance as he hath said unto
against Magna Charta and the Petition of Right and is it not much more in the first year of Englands Jubilee Englands Liberty Again consider the great burthen to the Common-wealth for the free Commones of England do hereby in some places loose the profit of one half of their Land by the year as may be made appear if it be duely considered to wit to the Landlord and the Priest or Parson they only being Gentlemen the rest being slaves and it were well if they were board through the eares that they might know themselves to be so they being under service and oppression worse then the Israelites in Egypt who labour with much sweat and pains hunger and cold wet and dry for that which the other like drones or Caterpillers consume on their backs and bellies c. Therefore our denying the paying of Tythes is not in the least in any contempt against Civil Authority who are Gods Ministers not onely to take vengeance on them that do evil and should cause them to work and eat their own bread but for the praise of them that do well and should see such not to eat that will not work but in obedience to God and the rule of the Gospel given forth by his spirit to all Nations that believe and obey him as before is shewed 2. It is not in contempt to the persons of these men who pretend they are Ministers of Christ But rather desire they might be imployed in some lawfull way or calling to get their own bread that so he that hath stolen to wit Minister or in English Servant as well as Member might steal no more but labour with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth c. according to the Apostles words Ephes. 4. 28. But our denying the payment of Tythes is first in obedience to God all that do pay them therein denying Christ to be come in the flesh by their upholding those Jewish Rites and Ceremonies which ended in Christ which these self-seeking and time-serving men still seek to uphold so far as they will make for their own ends robbing Christ of his Priesthood poor men and women of their goods and without the great mercy of God of their souls for might they not as well have their Linnen Ephod or Surplus Altars Sacrifices of all sorts right shoulder and the Maw Tempel at Jerusalem none Inheritance for the Priests yea Circumcision killing of Beasts c. is Tythes that so they that take the wages might do the work injoyned for the wages as to feed the Levit the stranger fatherlesse and widow Deut. 14. 29 But if through pride or Lazines they will not do the work which they refuse to do then let them not wrong the people and Nation so grievous as to take the wages for to him that worketh is the wages reckoned of debt not of grace But not to him that worketh not it must be of grace to wit of free gift 2. Their ordination being false and not according to the rule of the Gospel But against the Rule Government and Authority of Christ the Son of God his Crown dignity who is therein the onely King and Law-giver whom they say is their Master yet do they as the Heathen Tyrants of old who clothed men in Beasts skins that so they might be the more eagerly devoured so these make the true worshippers of God in Christ as odious as they can by slanders and revilings under the name of Hereticks and Schismaticks c. Never shewing wherein much lesse proving the thing true that so they may make the Magistrates and common people as those deluded by the Friers and Priests in Germany against the Hugnotes as they called them cry out against them before they see them Judging them to be strange Monsters unhumane Creatures and so do these before they know them c. 3. It being against the known declared Laws of the Land as Statute decimo rertio Elisabeth they not upon every induction into any place publickly Reading the Book of Articles and subscribing it which by the Protestation and Covenant these cannot do except perjured are to injoy no more benefit then if they were naturally dead 4. It being against the Protestation Covenatn Declarations of Parliament and Army that the Kingdom have Generally taken and entred into to wit to uphold and maintain the true Protestant Religion in opposition to Popery and Popish Innovations and as aforesaid they also receiving their Power and Ordination from Rome yet not performing that they were injoyned and for what Tythes was given neither in the time of the Law nor by the Counsel of Lateran as before shewed 5. It being against the Ingagement and Covenant not onely of the Parliament but also the Kingdom in general with their hands lift up to the most high God the searcher of all hearts to Root out Popery Root and Branch and the Government by Lord Arch-Bishop Bishops and all other Ecclesiastical Officers depending on that Hierarchy as these do c. And each one to go before another in a real not a fained reformation it being better not to vow then to vow and not perform c. 6. The Gospel-weapons being not carnal but spiritual mighty through God c. 2 Cor. 10. 4. and 2 Tim. 2. 24. 25. 26. The Apostle saith The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing the contrary minds proving if God at any time will give them repentance Compared with Mat. 8. 10. 11. 12. and Titus 3. 2. Rom. 14. 11. where the Apostle shewes we shall all stand before the judgement-Seat of Christ where every one shall give an account for himself to God c. And surely the way that Christ hath appointed for his Ministers of the Gospel to walk by in all Gospel-Administrations is the sword of the spirit the word of God and not the Authority of the civil Magistrate or sword of steel by which Antichrist hath so inlarged his Dominions as Revel. 13. 3. 7. 16. 17. And therefore to escape his punishment verse 10. Let all the people of God shun this practice compared with Revel. 18. 4. where it is said Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues It being very considerable whether the civil Magistrate giving their power as to raise so to the upholding of that state of Antichrist ruling over the bodies and consciences of the people in Ecclesiastical things by intrenching upon the prerogative Royal of King Jesus whereas he would not intermeddle with that which was their due Luke 12. 14. whether that I say be not the cause why the Lord lets the sword remain so long amongst us and other parts even to the depopulating of the Nations of the earth being now even drunk with the blood of the slain amongst us for many years past