abroad and at home in England The Ecclesiastical Laws of King Edgar An. 967. c. 1 2. The Council of Eauham under King Edgar An. 1010. and his Laws near that time c. 14. and the Council of London under Archbishop Hubert An. 1200. 15 years before this of Lateran All which enjoyn the people to pay their Tithes to their own Mother-Churches where they heard divine Service and received the Sacraments and not to other Churches or Chapels at their pleasures unless by consent of the Mother-Churches Hence Petrus Blesensis Archdeacon of Bath about the year 1170. 45. years before the Council of Lateran in his 62. Epistle writes thus to the Praemonstraticatian Monks who procured an Exemption from paying Tithes out of their Lands That their Lands were obnoxious to Tithes before they became theirs and were paid hitherto not with respect of Persons sed ratione Territorii but by reason of the Territory and Parish Precincts And Pope Innocent the 3d. his Decree dated from Lateran An. 1200. mistaken for the Council of Lateran cited in Cooks 2 Instit p. 641. was but in confirmation of these precedent Authorities 2ly The abuses complained against and reformed by this Council was not the lay Parishioners giving away of their Tithes from their own Ministers and Parish-Churches at their pleasures not a word of this but a New minted practice of most covetous Monks Religious Houses and some secular Clerks to rob the Parish-Churches and Ministers of all the Tithes of the lands held of them by compelling their Tenants and Lessees by special covenants in their Leases and Bonds to pay their Tithes arising out of their Lands only to themselves and their Monasteries not to their Parish Churches as formerly which the Pope and this great General Council resolve to proceed merely from the root of Covetousness let Canne and his Comrades observe it who pretend Conscience to be the ground whereupon they condemn reform this practice null the Covenants Bonds Deformations and decreed Restitution of all profits by these Frauds to the Parish-Churches And was not this a just righteous and conscionable Decree rather than an Antichristian and Papal as Canne Magisterially censures it 3ly Admit the Parochial Right of Tithes first setled in and by this Council which is false yet being a right established at 438. years since confirmed by constant use Custom Practice ever since allowed by the Common law of England ratified by the Great Charter of England ch 1. with sundry other Sâ—atutes Acts of Parliament Canons of our Councils and Convocations and approved by all our Parliaments ever since as most just expedient necessary Yea setled on our Parish Churches by original Grants of our Ancestors for them their Heirs and Assigns for ever with general warranties against all men with special Execrations and Anathemaes denounced against all such who should detain or substract them from God and the Church to whom they consecrated them for ever and that as sacred Tribute reserved commanded by God himself in the Old and New Testament as a badge of his Vniversal Dominion over them and their Possessions held of him as Supream Landlord as the Council of London under Archbishop Hubert in the 2d year of King John with another Council under Archbishop Replain 3 E. 3. The Council under Archbishop Stratford with others resolve There neither is nor can be the least pretext of Iustice Reason Prudence Law or Conscience for any Grandets in present Power by force or fraud to Null Repeal Alter this Antient Right and unquestionable Title of our Ministers to them now and set every man loose to pay no Tithes at all or to dispose of them how and to whom they will at their pleasure to destroy our Churches Ministers Parishes and breed nothing but Quarrels and Confusions in every place and Parish at this present when all had now need to study to be quiet and to do their own Business and not to disturb all our Ministers and others Rights without any lawfull call from God or the Nation Which unparalleld incroachment on our Ministers and parish-Parish-Churches Rights if once admitted countenanced all the people in the Nation by better right and reason may pull down all the Fences and Inclosures of Fields Forests or Commons made since this Council deny substract all Customs Impositions Duties Rents Payments publick or private imposed on or reserved from them since that time by publick Laws or special Contracts and pay all their Rents Customs and Tenure-Services to whom and when they please which our Grandy late Army-Purchasors of Kings Queens Princes Bishops Deans and Chapters Lands with other Opposers of Tithes may do well to consider for their own Advantage and Security their Titles to them being very puny crazy disputable in comparison of our Ministers to their Tithes Now whereas Thomas Walsingham Randal Higden a Monk of Chester in his Polichronicon and Henry Abbot of Leycester write that the general Council of Lyons in France under Pope Gregory the tenth An. 1274. Decreed what others ignorantly attribute to the Council of Lateran aforesaid An 1215. Vt nulli homini deinceps liceat decimas suas ad libitum ut antea liceat assignare sed matrici ecclesiae omnes decimas persolverent Which seems to imply that before this Council every man might give his Tithes from the Mother Church to whom he pleased notwithstanding the Council of Lateran and Innocents Decrees I answer 1. That there was no such Canon made in this Council as these ignorant Monks mistake which is undeniable by the Acts and Canons of this Council printed at large in Binius Surius and other Collectors of Councils but only one Canon against Clergy-mens alienation of the Revenues of the Church and another against the Vsurpation of the Churches Revenues by Patrons in time of their vacancy which have no affinity with that they mention which if true then that which Canne and others object that the Council of Lateran made this Inhibition and took away this Liberty of disposing Tithes at pleasure from the Parishioners is false as I have proved it Secondly That from this mistake of these Monks it was as Mr. Selden probably conjectures that William Thorp ignorantly affirmed that one Pope Gregory the tenth first ordained new Tithes first to be given to Priests now in the new Law John Canne to manifest his great Ignorance both in History and Chronologie in his Second Voice from the Temple p. 13 14. Writes thus Before the Council of Lateran which was under Innocent the third any man might have paid his Tithes to any Ecclesiastical person he pleased but by that Council it was decreed That Tithes should be paid to the Parochial Priest which I have proved a grosse Forgerie and then he addes William Thorp saith That Pope Gregory the tenth was the first that ordained Tithes to be paid to Priests in the year 1211. Fox p. 494. Wherein 1. He mis-recites Thorps words who speaks not of Tithes in
Reverence Obedience Love Maintenance all here prescribed to be rendred in this Text to whom they are due Therefore a liberal honourable comfortable Maintenance and reward is both in justice and conscience DUE as well to the Ministers of the Gospel as to the Magistrates and higher Powers yea as duly truly justly to be rendred unto not owed denied detained from the Ministers as to Kings Parliaments or any other civil Rulers even by this Evangelical precept from which there is no evasion and that for conscience sake as well as for fear of wrath and punishment vers 5. So as none can plead pretend the least colour of conscience for detaining or not rendring their Tithes and Duties to our Ministers of the Gospell without giving the Holy Ghost himself and this Gospel Text the Lie and incurring Ananias and Saphiraes sin Act. 5.3 4 7 8 9 10. for which they may justly expect and receive their fatal exemplary punishment VII The Apostle further clears this truth not only by way of Precept but Reason and Demonstration Rom. 15.26 27. It hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem Ministers and Apostles as well as other Saints that were poor It hath pleased them verily and their Debtors they are For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their Spiritual things their duty is also to Minister unto them in Carnal things I confesse the Text is not meant properly of Apostles and Ministers of the Gospell but of poor believing Saints that were Jewes but the reason argument here urged extendeth much more to Apostles and Ministers of the Gospell than to poor believing Saints and thus I argue from it If the Christian believing Gentiles in Macedonia and Achaia were strongly obliged not only in charity but of debt duty as the Apostle here argues resolves to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints of God at Jerusalem who were Jews and to minister to them in their carnal things when they were in want upon this account that God had made them partakers of their Spiritual things by the Apostles and other Ministers sent or repairing to them from Jerusalem then much more are they and all other converted Gentiles then and now strongly obliged not only in charity but of just debt and duty to make a certain contribution maintenance for and liberally to minister in their carnal things unto those faithfull Ministers of the Gospell who actually preach the Gospell to them and of whose spiritual things paines they are made partakers But the antecedent and supposition is an unquestionable Gospell truth by the Apostles resolution in this alleged Text and is may be further ratifyed by Act. 11.29 30. Act. 4.32 33 34 35 36. Act. 5.1 2 3. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. 2 Cor. 8.1 to 16. and ch 9.1 to 15. Gal. 2.10 Ephes 4.28 1 Joh. 3.17 Mat. 5.42 Deut. 15.7 to 12. Therefore the consequent must be granted being the Apostles expresse argument in the very case of Ministers maintenance from the people 1 Cor. 9.11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things Now in this reasoning of the Apostle and Gods Spirit in by him there is a double emphatical enforcement to prove Ministers maintenance both a just debt and duty which the people are bound to render to them not as free givers but as debtors 1. By the grounds of Commutative Justice They are or at leastwise may be if they will themselves the case only of obstinate Separatists partakers of the Ministers spiritual things and pains therefore ought in justice duty to pay and render them some proportionable recompence for what they receive from them even as all other Merchants Tradesmen who barter or sell one commodity for another or for ready money use to doe 2. From the nature value of the things they receive from Ministers and of those things they render back to them by way of exchange which will hold no ballance nor equal value with what they first receive For the things the people enjoy by Ministers are spiritual which concern their souls spirits everlasting salvation eternal happiness and are the most excellent precious things of all other farr excelling Gold Silver Tithes and all earthly Treasures Ephes 3.8 18 19. 2 Pet. 1.4 2 Cor. 3.8 9 10. ch 4.7 Phil. 3.8 Rom. 2.18 Psal 19.10 119.72 127. Prov. 8.18 19. But the things and recompence they return to Ministers for them are only their carnal things for the necessary support of their bodies and families which are no way comparable in value worth benefit use to what they receive from them as the last recited Texts and others resolve The people therefore receiving from their Ministers quid pro quo and things of infinite more value benefit than what they render to them the carnal things they receive for their spiritual though in a liberal proportion must needs be a most just debt and duty not meer arbitrary almes or charity and can neither in justice nor conscience be detained from them they being such infinite gainers by the bargain VIII This Proposition is yet further professedly argued debated at full by the Apostle and Spirit of God against all sorts of callings and professions of men that now oppose it with the greatest evidence of reason justice equitie that may be backed with Divine Authoritie as if he had purposely foreseen the violent impious headie opposition now made against Ministers Tithes and maintenance in these daies by souldiers rusticks tradesmen and penned this Scripture purposely to refute them 1 Cor. 9.4 to 16. Have we not power to eat and to drink c. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock Say I these things as a man or saith not the Law the same also For it is written in the Law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn Doth God take care for Oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plow in hope and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope If we have sowen unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things If others be partakers of this power over you are not we rather Nevertheless we have not used this power but suffer all things lâ—st we should hinder the Gospel of Christ. Doe ye not know that they which minister about holy things live or feed of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel But I have used none of these things neither have I written these things
or strip them both of their Callings and Benefices when and for what they please or only upon the peoples voluntary contributions will certainly be a men-pleasing time-serving flattering unsincere and word-corrupting Ministry studying more to please favour those by and from whom they have their Livelihood than to please God and fitting their preaching praying Doctrines opinions to their opinions tempers factions parties designe holding alwayes with the prevailing strongest party or those by whom they subsist and wresting the Scriptures to support their very errors vices sins power yea most unrighteous treacherous perfidious oppressing practices and bloudy usurpations not daring to displease them as Ecclesiastical Histories record and our own experience can sufficiently testifie in these late whirling times and changes as well as in King Edward the 6. Queen Maries and Queen Elizabeths reigns when our Religion suffered so many publick alterations and most Ministers Scholars and our whole Universities then changed their Opinions Professions and Religion with the times Hence the Scripture records this as one of Jeroboams policies to keep the People and Kingdome from returning to the right heir 1 Kings 12.28 29 31 c. ch 13.33 34. That he made Priests of the lowest or poorest of the people who were not of the Sonnes of Levi and placed them in Bethel who being poor mean and depending on him for their Salaries readily sacrificed to his golden Calves offered upon the Altar which he had made in Bethel and observed his new prescribed Feasts which the Priests and Levites that were in all Israel having Lands Suburbs and a setled maintenance refused to do Whereupon Jeroboam and his Sonnes cast them out from executing the Priests office unto the Lord and substituted these base stipendiary Idol-Priests for the Calves 2 Chron. 11.13 14 15. Which became sinne unto the house of Jeroboam even to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth God deliver us of this Nation from the like Atheistical Jeroboam-like policy and practice now which will certainly prove the ruin of them and their house who shall put it in execution if not of our Religion and Nation as it did of Jeroboam his house and the whole Kingdom of Israel XII All Christians are commanded Gal. 6.10 As they have opportunity to do good to all men by relieving their wants especially to the houshold of faith Therefore they are in an especial manner bound to do good to their Ministers who instruct them in maintaining and communicating to them in all good things as he resolves v 6. The rather because we have this Precept thus seconded Heb 13.16 But to do good and communicate forget not for with such sacrifice God is well pleased coupled with this injunction Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account That they may do it with Joy and not with Grief for that is unprofitable for you Wherein these 3 Conclusions are positively asserted 1. That Christians must not only obey their Ministers but likewise do good and communicate to them in all good things they want 2. That this is so farr from being unlawfull that it is a sacrifice well pleasing unto God 3. That Ministers deserve not only obedience but mainnance from the people 1. Because they have the rule over them 2. Because they watch for their souls 3. Because they must give an account to God for them 4. Because it will be a great encouragement to them to discharge their dutie with joy not with grief 5. Because the not doing it will both grieve the Ministers and be unprofitable to the people in regard of their souls and spiritual estate and also cause God to curse and blast them in their temporal estates Mal 3.8 9 10 11 12. where as the doing thereof will be advantagious to them in both-Powerfull reasons motives to convince all of the justice of our Ministers maintenance and to induce them chearfully to render it unto them though it were not due by humane Laws as we know it is XIII The very Gospel enjoyns all Christians Rom. 12.20 21. To distribute to the necessitie of the Saints and to be hospitable not only to those we know but even to strangers Heb 13.2 And if our enemie hunger it commands us to feed him if he thirst to give him drink and Not to be overcome with evil but to overcome evil with good seconded with Mat 5.44 45 46 47 48. Luke 6.32 to 37. Prov. 25.22 whence thus I argue If Christians must distribute to the necessities of and be hospitable to Saints and others who are meer strangers to them yea give meat drink to their very enemies and overcome their evil with goodness Then it necessarily followes they must much more distribute to the necessities of be hospitable liberal give meat drink maintenance to their own faithfull preaching Ministers and recompence their good with good again else they shall be worse than Publicans and sinners who doe good to those that do good to and for them Mat. 5.46 47. XIV This is evident by the practice of the primitive Saints and Christians recorded in the Gospel for our imitation who though they paid all civil Tributes Customs Duties to the civil Magistrates and likewise Tithes and other duties to the Jewish or Pagan Priests under whom they lived yet they likewise freely and liberally ministred contributed of their substance and temporal estates towards the maintenance of Christ and his Apostles and the Ministers of the Gospel Hence we read Luke 8.2 3. That Mary Magdalen Joanna the wife of Cuza Herods Steward Susanna and MAN others of our Saviours auditors ministred to him of their substance put it seems into a common purse for the maintenance of Christ and his Apostles which Judas kept who provided bread meat and other necessaries out of it as is evident by John 4.8 31. 12.5 6. 13.29 6.5 7. compared together After our Saviours resurrection when the multitude of believers at Jerusalem were much increased it is expresly recorded Acts 4.32 to the end 5.1 to 10. That they were all of one heart and of one soul and oh that we were so again neither said any of them that ought that he possessed was his own but they had all things common neither was there any amongst them whether Apostle Minister or Believer that lacked For as many as were possessors of Lands or Houses Sold them not purchased them much less Glebes Tithes or Church-lands as many do now who say they imitate the primitive Christians and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every Man therefore to every Apostle and Minister of the Gospel as well as others accordding as they had need Amongst others Joses a Levite of Cyprus having Land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet
teacheth him in all good things To which I shall subjoyn 1 Cor. 9.11 If we have sowed unto you spiritual things is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things Rom. 15.25 And their Debtors they are for if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things All these three Gospel Texts resolve That Ministers of the Gospel have a just due and right to a competent comfortable share in all the goods things Temporal blessings and necessaries for the support of this life which the people instructed by them and receiving spiritual things from them enjoy And that the people are bound both by expresse precepts in the Gospel and by the rules of common moral equity and justice chearfully to communicate and minister such a fitting share of all their good things and temporal blessings as a debt and due unto them for their ministring to them in spiritual things which I fully proved in the first Proposition and Impudency it self cannot deny The sole question then is what this share or portion ought to be and who shall determine it in point of difference I confesse the Apostle doth not decide either of these in terminis these Texts being general all in the plural number All good things your carnal things comprising all such things out of which Tithes predial mixt or personal as Canonists and Lawyers distinguish them are or may be paid Wherefore every faithfull Christian every spiritual son of God and of faithfull Abraham whose footsteps presidents they are to follow in all doubtful cases admit this one to satisfie his conscience and judgement in this case must and will resort to the presidents of the Eminentest Saints in former ages and Gods own prescripts in other expresse Texts Where finding the very Father of the faithfull Abraham himself giving his Grandson Jacob vowing and God himself specially reserving prescribing the payment of a Tenth of all good things from and by his own people for the maintenance of his Priests and Levites under the Law which they cheerfully rendred until and in Christs own time that the very Pharisees and Scribes though Hypocrites were so just as to pay Tithes of all that Christ resolved they ought to do it and not leave it undone and that none before the Apostles dayes ever gave lesse than a Tenth part as the premises largely evidence he must and will necessarily conclude from all these sacred Directories precepts presidents that the ordinary constant standing portion and proportion of all his goods and carnal things here prescribed and intended by Gods Spirit is the tenth part and in extraordinary cases more when Gods glory the Ministers necessities the Defence or Propagation of the Gospel require it And when he shall further read in the Gospel it self that speech of Zacheus the converted Publican Luke 19.8 Behold Lord the Half of my Goods I give to the poor And how the first converted Christians and Jews in the Apostles dayes sold their Lands Houses and brought and laid the money at the Apostles feet Acts 4.5 His conscience which must not guide the Word and Spirit of God as most mens consciences do now but the Word and Spirit it and him too will and must from thence conclude that he must not give his faithful Minister lesse than a Tenth part of all and in cases of extraordinary necessity share even half his goods yea the price of all his Lands and Houses between the Ministers and poor Saints of God specially in times of persecution when as he ought to hide and feed them too as godly Obadiah did an hundred of the Lords Prophets in the dayes of Jezebel at his own charge with the hazard of hiâ— Office and Life 1 Kings 18.4.13 If any mans conscience in a setled Christian Realm State be so obstinate or froward as not to submit to the lowest proportion of a Tenth which all ages and most or all setled Christian Realms have unanimously agreed upon and confirmed by publike Edicts as well Civil as Ecclesiastical whereof there are neer thousands in print the Christian Kings and Magistrates are to determine all controversies of this nature and state the just proportion of this Debt and Duty between the Minister and people where it is not publikely decided and may justly enforce the due payment of it when and where it is determined by positive publick Laws as a just Debt as they do in all other civil Debts Duties Accompts in controversie before them as I shall prove in due place even by these very Texts though John Canne denies it in his VOX praeterea NIHIL p. 14. To these I shall subjoyn that noted Text in the 1 Cor. 9.13 14. which John Canne cites by piece-meal as the Devil did Scripture leaving out the principal branch Mat. 4.6 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they that wait at the altar are partakers with the altar Even so hath the Lord ordained this Canne omits that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel I have urged this Text before for proof of the first I shall here apply it only to the second Propositions confirmation as to Tithes 1. Then we have here A Divine Gospel Ordinance made by the Lord of Hosts himself not repealable by any Army or Powers on Earth as well as Parliamentary Ordinances for the Maintenance of the Preachers of the Gospel and let Canne the poorest Preacher of the Gospel I ever yet knew in England except one of his fraternity who heard him once preach an Assize and Fast Sermon too at Chard deny our Ministers to be able Preachers of the Gospel at the peril of his Soul though he denies them to be lawful Ministers of Christ and censures them as Antichristian and Popish But why so Because forsooth they had their Ordination from Rome and by consequence are TRAYTORS and FELONS too by the Statute of 27 Eliz. c. 2. for which they might be legally executed for Treason and Felony if the State were not pleased to interpret the Statute contrary as he conceives to the Letter and form of it the words whereof he both curtals and misrecites just as he did this Text p. 5. To doe him and his best friends a kindness vindicate the lawfulness of our Ministers calling against this ordinary slander and convince him of his grosse mistake I shall truly recite the Statute Thus intituled JESUITES and PRIESTS in England shall depart and NONE SHALL COME INTO THIS REALM If so then many Dippers Speakers Administrators Members in Anabaptistical Congregations many New-lights and Gifted-brethren in separate Congregations many Shakers Quakers Ranters Broachers of new Notions Errours Blasphemies throughout the Realm many new Politicians Levellers Agitators Soldiers in the Army if not some Officers all the late converted pretended Jews dipped in Anabaptistical Congregations discovered and known to be disguised Iesuites
is cause to do their duties and reform their Errors without the least guilt or colour of Injury or Oppression to the wilfull obstinate or negligent detainers of them and that by the self-same Laws rules of Justice Reason Conscience as all Tith-Opponents yet grant they may enforce obstinate or negligent Tenants Creditors Masters Publick or private Accomptants Trespassers Disseisors and the like to pay their just Rents and Services to their Landlords their due Debts to their Creditors their contracted wages to their hired Labourers or menial Servants their audited Arrears to the publick Treasury or others to whom they are indebted upon Account their ascertained dammages to such as they have injured and to restore the Goods or Lands unjustly taken or detained to those they have plundered or disseised of them yea as justly as they may by any coercive Laws and means enforce and constrain any obstinate Persons or Merchants to pay all Tenths Fifteens Subsidies Ayd Cuâ—toms Tonnage Poundage for defence of the Realm â—y â—and or sea when publickly and legally granted in and by a full free and lawfull Parliament duly summoned and elected by the people according to the manifold Laws and Statutes enacted for that purpose the want of which indubital Ingredients only how fatal they have been to Parliaments in former Ages to make them and all their Acts Iudgements Orders Ordinances mere Nullities and what a prejudice they have been to the People and Republick too those who please may read at leasure in the Statutes of 39 H. 6. c. 1. Rot. parl n. 3.17 c. 7. And the Act for repealing the Parliament of 21 R. 2. in the Parliament of 1 H. 4. c. 3. The reason of which Repeal is thus recorded by Mr. Oliver Saint Iohn in his Declaration in Parliament against the Shipmony Iudges Anno 1640. printed by the Commons command p. 33. That Parliament of 21 R. 2. of Revocation was held by force as is declared in the Parliament Roll of 1 H. 4. n. 21 22. That it was held Viris armatis et Sagitariis immensis The Knights of Parliaments were not elected by the Commons Prout mos exegit Sed per Regiam voluntatem And so the Lords Rex omnes Dominos Sibi adhaerentes summonare fecit Whereupon Nu. 48. These judgements of Revocation and that of the whole Parliaments proceedings too are declared to be Erronea Iniqua et omni juri et rationi repugnantia Erroneous wicked and contrary to all Right and Reason So Mr Saint John Numb 37. This was one grand Article of Impeachment of King Richard the 2 l. for which he was then deposed from his Government by a forced Resignation Heu licet quod eo Statuto Consuetudine Regni sui in Convocatione cujuslibet Parliamenti sui populus suus in singulis Comitatilus Regni DEBEAT ESSE LIBER ad eligend deputaâ—d Milites pro hujusmâ—di Comitatibus ad interessend Parliamento ad exponend eorum gravamina ad prosequend pro remediis superinde preuâ— eis videbatur expedire Tamen praefatus Rex ut in Parliamentis suis ut liberius consequi valeat suae temerariae voluntatis effectare direxit mandata sua frequentius Vicecomitibas suis ut certas Personas per ipsum Regem nominatas ut Milites Comitatus venire faciat ad Parliamenta sua Quos quidem Milites eidem Regi faventes indulgere poterat prout frequenter fecit quandoque per minas varias et terrores quandoque per munera ad consentiend illis quae Regno praejudicialia fuerant et Populo quamplumum onerosa et specialiter ad concedendum eidem Regi Subsidium ad certos Annos suum Populum nimium opprimendo Which I leave to John Canne to English for those who understand not Latin or our Laws and would strip our learned Ministers of their Tithes and setled maintenance by colour of an extraordinary call as he terms it to such an extraordinary Sacrilegious work as this Quest But what ground is there in Scripture may some demand for compelling People to pay their Tithes and other Duties to their Ministers Answ I answer 1. We have the President Law and Commandement of Godly Hezekiah recorded in the 2 Chron. 31.4 5 6 7 8. with the good effect it wrought already recited 2ly The Examples of zealous Nehemiah and the Religious Nobles and People under him who entred into a solemn Covenant curse oath and made Ordinances to charge themselves yearly with the third part of a Shekle for the service of the House of God and that they would bring in all their First-fruits and Offerings and the Tithes of their ground unto the Levites that the same Levites might have their Tithes in all the Cities of their Tillage Neh. 9.38 c. 10.1 throughout specially v. 29 32 37 38 39. ch 12.44 45. which when afterwards neglected by the people Nehemiah contended with the Rulers for their negligence in not enforcing the people to pay them whereupon this effect ensued Then brought all Judah the Tithes of the Corn and the new Wine and the Oyle unto the Treasurers c. And Nehemiah was so far from deeming this Injustice or Oppression as some now malitiously term it that he prayes Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good Deeds that I have done for the House of my God and for the offices thereof Neh. 13.10 to 15. From which President Nicholas Hemingius a far better Divine and Scholar than John Canne and all his Associates against Tithes thus resolves in his Commentary on 1 Thess 5.12 13. Therefore the Godly are to be admonished That by Divine Right they owe Stipends unto the Ministers of the Church But that nothing may be here neglected to the dammage of the Ministry This care belongs to the Superious For if Kings be nursing Fathers to the Church as Isaiah admonisheth Possunt et debent jure divino ministris Ecclesiae stipendia ordinare they may and ought by Divine Right or Gods Law to ordain Stipends to the Ministers of the Church by the example of the most godly King Hezechiah 2 Chron. 31. That they may wholly addict themselves to the Law of God And if the people detain these Salaries and setled Dues from them they may enforce them by Fines penalties and Actions to pay them 3ly If these Examples prevail not we have the President of a zealous Heathen Prince who shall rise up in judgement against many pretended Magistrates refusing to assist complaining Ministers to recover their just Tithâ—s and Dues from their refractory ingrate people to wit King Attaxerxes who making a Decree for furnishing Ezra the Priest with whatsoever he should require for the maintenance of Gods worship and House Ezra 7.11 c. concludes it thus v. 26. And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King which confirm our Ministers Tithes and Dues Let Iudgement be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto Death or unto Banishment
yea by spoils won in battel by Generals Collonels Captains Souldiers is not only lawfull expedient but the most fiting rational convenient Maintenance of all others warranted by direct Presidents Precepts both before under the Law and likewise by the Gospel which doth no wayes abolish condemn but approve confirm this way of Maintenance 3. That if Tithes and other Maintenance formerly setled on our Ministers be either wilfully with-held or substracted from them by the people in part or in whole the Civil Magistrates may yea ought by coercive Laws and Penalties to enforce the payment of them in due form and time both by the Law of God and Rules of Justice without any injurie or oppression to the detainers 4. That our Ministers Tithes are really no burthen grievance oppression to the people but a charge debt dutie as well as their Landlords Rents or Merchants poundage That the abolishing of them will be no real ease gain advantage to Farmers Lâ—ssees and the poorer sort of people as is falsely pretended but only to rich Land-lords and landed men and a loss detriment to all others 5. That the present Opposition and endevoured Abolition of Tithes and all other coercive Maintenance for Ministers proceeds not from any real grounds of Pietie Conscience or any consideble real inconveniences mischiefs arising from them but meerly from base covetous carnal hearts want of Christian love charitie to and professed enmitie hatred against the Ministers of the Gospel yea from a Jesuitical Papistical Anabaptistical design to subvert ruine our Ministers Church Religion the probable if not necessary consequence of this infernal Project if it should take effect which would prove the eternal shame infamie ruine of our Nation not its glory and benefit CHAP. I. THe first of these Propositions being the foundation and corner-stone whereon all the rest depend and into which it hath a prevailing influence I shall be more copious in its Probation and in the Refutation of the Objections which are or may be raised against it That there is a just competent and comfortable Maintenance due to all lawfull painfull Preachers and Ministers of the Gospel from the people even by Divine right institution and express Texts Precepts of the Gospel is as clear as the noonday Sun by these irrefragable Gospel Testimonies I. By Matth. 10.5 6 9 10 11. where when our Lord and Saviour Christ himself first sent forth authorized commanded his 12. Apostles to preach the Gospel he gave them these instructions among other Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses nor scrip nor bread adds Mark 6.8 for your journey neither two coats nor shooes nor yet staves adding this as the reason thereof For the Labourer is worthy of his meat or his Reward Hire Wages Maintenance as the Greek word will bear and other following Scriptures render it II. By Luke 10.1 6 10. recording that when our Saviour Christ not long after his former Commission to the 12. Apostles sent forth the 70. Disciples by two and two to preach in every City and place whither himself would come he gave them almost the self-same instructions Carry neither purse nor scrip nor shoes and into whatsoever house ye enter first say Peace be to this house c. And in the same house remain eating and drinking such things as they give subjoyning this reason for it For the Labourer is worthy of his Hire Go not from house to house as Beggars use to doe for alms And into what City you enter and hey receive you eat such things as are set before you c. III. By John 6.35 36 37 38. where our Lord Jesus Christ soon after the former Commissions used these words to his Disciples Behold I say unto you Lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest And He that reapeth receiveth Wages and gathereth fruit unto eternal life c. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour c. Which may be aptly paralleld with and interpreted by Matth. 9.37 38. Then said he our Saviour unto his Disciples The harvest truly is plenteous but the Laborers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth Laborers into his harvest Which when he did he agreed with them all for a certain stipend by the day and when the evening was come he said unto his Steward Call the Laborers and give them their hire beginning from the last unto the first Mat. 20.1 to 15. as is there parabolically expressed From which Texts words of our Lord and Saviour Christ himself it is most apparent 1. That the Apostles Preachers Ministers of the Gospel are and ought to be diligent painfull Labourers in Christs spiritual harvest not idle loiterers 2. That they were not obliged but expresly prohibited to provide gold silver brass scrips shoes clothes bread meat drink lodging and other necessaries at their own free cost when they were commissioned and sent forth to preach the Gospel as some now would enforce them to for this very reason That being Labourers in the Lords own harvest for the eternall salvation of mens soules they were worthy to receive them as hire or wages from those to whom they preached 3. That our Saviour Christ himself at the very original institution and first mission of his 12. Apostles and after of his 70 Disciples to preach the Gospel thrice one after another expresl y resolves in positive terms That they are worthy of their meat hire wages for their Labour in the Gospel and so by consequence all other lawfull Labouring Ministers who diligently preach the Gospel are worthie of the like at this day and neither of them obliged to preach the Gospell freely without any recompence wages reward as some Seducers now pretend 4. That meat drink clothes lodging and a competent maintenance are as truely justly due to the true Labouring Ministers of the Gospell from the people and that of pure common natural yea Gospell right justice not as meer arbitrary Charity or Benevolence but as merited HIRE WAGES as much as well as deserved hire wages are due to any other hired servant or labourer whatsoever by common justice and the law of God Gen. 29. 15. Exod. 2.9 Levit. 19.13 Deut. 24.14 15. Mat. 20.1 to 16. Joh. 4.36 Or as well as pay wages are justly due to the best deserving Officers soldiers Luke 3.14 Ezek. 28.18 19. and that by Christs own trebled resolution recorded by the Evangelists for their greater evidence and conviction who emphatically by way of reason applies these words only to his Apostles and Ministers For the Labourer is worthy of his meat hire wages they being the most divine excellent usefull necessary Labourers of all others and that in matters of highest concernment in relation both to God and Men Therefore of all other labourers they are most worthy of a honorable comfortable certain hire salary reward for their support and encouragement 5. Hence
yea all Generals Commanders Collonels Captains Governours of Forts and common Souldiers whatsoever with all sorts of civil Officers in their respective Offices Imployments do and justly may by the Law of God Nature Nations expect and receive a just certain comfortable salary reward hire maintenance subsistence for their respective pains workes imployments exercises of their callings talents from those that do imploy them or for whose good they worke and serve Therefore by the self-same Lawes Rules of common natural moral justice and equity all Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel may justly expect and receive the like from those to whom they preach Else all others whatsoever must exercise their respective Offices Callings Trades Imployments Studies Labours freely without expecting or receiving any stipend wages reward or maintenance as well as Ministers which they will never do And great reason is there that the painfull faithfull Ministers of the Gospel should receive a liberal comfortable competent setled maintenance and reward for their Ministrie as well as any other Callings or Professions of men or as any Officers or Soldiers in the Armie between whom alone and Ministers I shall here only make the parallel because they most violently oppugne our Ministers maintenance if not their Ministrie too of all others I have yet conferred with First all able learned judicious pious Ministers skilfull in the Original Tongues and learned Languages wherein the Scriptures were penned very necessarie for them to understand able soundly judiciously like work-men who need not be ashamed to defend the truth of the Gospel to stop the mouthes of Blasphemers Hereticks Seducers that oppugne it to divide and preach the Word of God aright as they ought Else they hardly merit the name of able Ministers 2 Cor. 3.6 1 Tim. 1.7 12. 2 Tim. 2.15 4.2 3 4 5. Tit. 1.9 10 11. but rather of pratlers wranglers understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm wresting the scriptures to their own and others destruction through ignorance and want of learning 2 Pet. 3.16 the case of many unlearned usurpers of the office of Teachers now All such before they can be fit for the work of the Ministrie spend sixteen or twentie years time in hard studies day and night at their Books in Schools Universities double the yeares studie industrie that most other Artists except Lawyers and Physicians spend in fitting themselves for and in learning their mechanick Trades and Professions whereas all common Souldiers yea many Officers and Commanders of late times rush just like their horses into their work calling without one years weeks dayes preparation studie practice in the Wars learning their trade of Souldiers and Commanders after they are listed as such by practice and experience only without studie 2. Most Ministers or their Parents Friends are at very great expences for many years time in sitting them for the Ministry both in Schools and in our Universities before they enter into or are able for it whereas all our Souldiers Army-Officers were at no expence at all receiving full pay as such from the first day of their listing yea many of them advance money to boot before any practice at all or study judgement in their Art learning their Military skill not at their own but only at the peoples great costs 3. Learned Ministers both before and after their admission into the Ministry are at great charges expences to furnish themselves with Bookes Libraries necessary for their Calling whereas our Army-Officers Soldiers are and were furnished with all sorts of Armes Ammunition fitting for their calling out of the publick Treasury only which continually recruits them when lost in Service 4. The calling of the Ministry requires men of far more able parts and eminency of gifts whereby they might gain far more worldly wealth riches honours in many other callings than they do or can do by the Ministry by which they are commonly losers in respect of worldly gains and preferments a thing very considerable than the calling of an ordinary Souldier or most warlike Officers doe as experience manifests and I think most Souldiers Officers will acknowledge and thereupon must admit them proportionable allowance to their parts work in the Ministry it self and what they might probably gain in other functions 5. Ministers when once entred into their callings are alwaies day and night upon constant duty without intermission their whole lives being so taken up with study preaching catechizing praying fasting exhorting admonishing reproving comforting visiting the sick in body troubled in mind resolving doubts of conscience and other Ministerial duties as well in private from house to house as publickly in the Church that they have most of them scarce one spare day or hour all the year to imploy in other affaires for their own advantage in worldly things Whereas many of our Army-Officers and Souldiers lie idle in their Quarters many months if not years of late together without any actual service yet receive their full constant pay and those in actual service Garisons do that they call duty only by turns once or twice a week and that but or two or three hours in a day being then successively relieved by others having sufficient time every day and week not only to follow their private Trades if they please which are necessarie usefull beneficial to them but also to exercise Merchandise and other gainfull worldly imployments Offices to which they were never trained up whereby most of them are grown richer than most of our Ministers in half the space they were fitting themselves for their Ministry before they received one penny profit by it As for our Officers they seldom doe any dutie have all their men-servants listed under them and paid by the people to do them service only being exempt from duty and how seldom they have been of late times at their Quarters upon their dutie as Souldiers but sitting other-where in Counsel to advance their own power estates and pull down all above them to intrude themselves into their places we all see by many late sad experiences contrary to the Apostles precept 2 Tim 2.4 No man that warreth intangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please not supplant pull down him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier and to John the Baptists injunction to Souldiers Luke 3.14 Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsely and be content with your wages Which ungospel practices I wish they would first reform by conforming themselves unto this Precept before they reform our Ministers their Tithes or setled wages or our Laws things beyond if not against their calling for which they were never raised nor imployed 6. The calling of Ministers as it is every way farr more laborious yea as perillous and full of hardship as that of Souldiers 2 Cor 11.23 to 33. 4.8 9 10 11. 2 Tim. 2 3 9 10 12. 3.10 11 12. 4.5 6 7. So questionless it is far more honourable necessarie usefull
beneficial to others than that of Souldiers and Commanders for they are the very Embassadors of God himself and Jesus Christ the King and Lord of glory the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Prince of the Kings of the earth and only Potentate to whom all other Powers and knees must bow beseeching men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5 20. The Ministers servants messengers of Jesus Christ workers together with him Stewards of the mysteries of God and the glory of Christ 1 Cor 4.1 2. 2 Cor 6.1 8.23 2 Tim 2.24 imployed to preach to sinfull men the unsearchable riches of Christ to turn them from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God Eph 3.8 Acts 26.18 to rescue their souls from the slavery and power of sin Satan hell death everlasting damnation and make them the sons of God heirs and coheirs with Christ of everlasting glory and felicity in Gods heavenly Kingdom through the power of Gods Grace and Spirit working in with by and through their Ministry on their hearts Now the calling of a Souldier though it be honourable and in some cases lawfull and necessary if rightly managed yet it is for the most part sinfull hurtfull pernicious dangerous unbeseeming the Gospel in respect of the cause managing abuses thereof it being accompanied with murther violence rapine treachery perjury sacrilege cruelty inhumanity profaneness blasphemy contempt of God of all sacred civil Laws and Ordinances ambition treason and the worst of sins tending usually like an overflowing Deluge to the subversion desolation ruine of whole Families Cities Countries Kingdoms Churches yea Mankinde it self Religion Lawes Liberties Properties turning whole famous Cities into ashes and Kingdoms into Golgothaes Acheldamaes fields of bloud and dead mens sculs yea very wildernesses as the Scripture Histories and experience manifest Hence God styles great Warriers and Armies The rod of his anger the Battel-Axe with which he breaketh in pieces the Nations destroyeth Kingdoms and treadeth them down like the mire in the streets and then at last destroyes them in his wrath when they have executed his judgements for their rapines violence and bloudy cruelty Isa 10.5 c. Jer. 50.1 to 48. c. 51.20 c. They being really carried on from one war to another out of vainglory ambition covetousness a mad humour of false greatness nullus supra caeteros eminendi modus in sua fata pariter ac publica to their own and the publick ruine yet still under a pretext of publick good and safety as Seneca excellently writes in his 94 Epistle a piece worth the reading of Alexander the great Caesar Pompey Marius qui cum omnia concuterent concutiebantur cum multis fuerunt Authores mali pestiferam illam vim qua plerosque nocuerunt ipsi quoque sentiunt Indeed the Profession of a Souldier even in the best of men and warres is so full of danger pollution that it leaves some scarrs of sin and tincture of pollution on them however they demean themselves Whence we read that though David were a man after Gods own heart and fought the battels of the Lord against his professed enemies by his special command with constant success yet God would by no means permit him to build an house and Temple to him for this very reason Because he had been a man of Warr and made great Battels and shed much Blood upon the Earth in his sight And the 12000. Israelites who by Gods special command went up to war against the Midianites and slew them returning with victory and great spoils without the loss of one man though treble their number when as they came back from the war were all of them whosoever had killed any person or touched any slain enjoyned by God and Moses to remain without the Camp seven dayes and to purifie themselves on the third and seventh day as unclean and polluted persons Numb 31.1 17 19 20. and all the Officers and Captains of hundreds and thousands in the host brought an oblation what every man had gotten of Jewels of Gold Chaines Bracelets Rings Ear-rings and Tablets to make an Oblation for their souls before the Lord v. 48 49 50. Such a stain and guilt was there adhering to their War-like calling in this best of Warrs against Gods professed idolatrous enemies And may not all Officers Souldiers whatsoever then justly fear finde a deeper guilt of sin and stain of blood than was in David or those Officers and Souldiers adhering to their persons profession in our unnatural uncivil Wars even with and against their very Christian nearest dearest Kings Brethren Friends Kindred Neighbours of the self-same reformed Protestant Religion and thereupon make the like or a far richer oblation than they did out of their spoils and gains by Warr as an attonement for their Souls in stead of provoking God and encreasing their guilt by seeking to spoil his faithfull Ministers of their long enjoyed maintenance In all these 6. particulars wherein the calling of Ministers excells in merit that of common Souldiers Captains and Officers of War both in respect of time studie costs labour diligence parts danger honour excellencie use profit and necessitie to which I might add that the Ministers frequent tears prayers in times of War and Judgements are far more prevalent beneficial victorious than the Souldiers Arms besides their constant use and benefit in daies of peace when Souldiers are needless useless I referr it to the unprejudiced judgements consciences of all rational Christian men and Souldiers themselves whether our faithfull preaching Ministers be not worthie of as large as liberal as constant setled honourable coercive a maintenance from the people as any Souldiers Officers Captains Collonels Majors or Major Generals whatsoever if not a better larger salarie and reward than they enjoy for the premised reasons when as yet some ordinarie Soldiers Troopers receive as much or more pay by the year as many of our godly Ministers and every Ancient Serjeant Lieutenant as much as the most and best beneficed Ministers and most Captains Collonels Majors five or six times more than our ablest best deserving Ministers and some general Army-Officers have received gained more monie lands wealth in few moneths or years space at least than hundreds of our most meritorious Ministers put together can gain in all their lives by their Ministry How then can they tax them as covetous oppressive yea as caterpillars of the people by their Tithes and Duties for receiving only 30 40 50 80 100 200 or 300 l. a year and very few of them more or so much from the people by an antient right paid once a year when as they receive ten times more from the impoverished people and at least the tenth part or more of all our poor Ministers livings by monthly enforced contributions and yet will neither give them the Tenthes of their pay and spoyles of Warr as Abraham and others did Gen 14.10
how great this man was unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils And verily they that are of the Sons of Levi who receive the office of the Priesthood have a Commandement to take Tithes of the People according to the Law that is of their brethren though they come out of the loyns of Abraham But he whose descent is not counted from them received Tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the Promises And without all contradiction the lisse is blessed of the better And here Men that die receive Tithes but there he received them of whom it is witnessed that he liveth And as I may so say Levi also who receiveth Tithes paid Tithes in Abraham For he was yet in the loynes of his Father when Melchisedec met him If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priesthood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priesthood should rise after the order of Melchisedec and not be called after the order of Aaron For the Priesthood being changed there is of necessity a change also of Law c. I shall draw my Observations Arguments concerning Tithes from both these Scriptures here recited and then answer the main if not sole Scripture objected against Tithes drawn from the cloze of the Apostles words 1. It is undeniable from these Texts that Abraham the Father of the Faithfull is the first person we precisely read of who gave and paid Tithes recorded both in the Old Testament and New for his greater honour and the imitation of all the faithfull under both Testaments 2. That he gave and paid Tithes to Melchisedec the first Priest of the most high God mentioned in sacred writ Who this Melchisedec should be there is great controversie among the Learned some affirming him to be Sem others a Canaanitish King and Priest of that Name and Dr. Griffith Williams very probably and strongly arguing him to be CHRIST himself then appearing to Abraham in his humane shape As Petrus Cunaeus held before him I shall not decide the Controversie certain it is he was either Christ himself or a real Type of Christs and his eternal Priest-hood as the Apostle oft resolves 3. That he was a Priest of a far antienter better and more excellent order than the Levitical Priest-hood and that this payment of Tithes was long before the Law given by Moses for payment of Tithes to the Levitical Priests and before their order instituted Therefore Tithes are not meerly nor originally in their own nature Jewish or Levitical as some rashly now a verr nor eternally abolished as such by Christs incarnation and Priesthood they being originally paid and given not to the Levitical Priests but to Mâ—lchisedec who was either Christ himself or a Type of him and his Priesthood not of Aarons 4. That this Melchisedec as he had neither beginning of daies so he had no end of life but was made like the Son of God and abideth a Priest continually in respect of the truth he typified as Christ himself doth of whom he was a Type who hath an endless life and because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood and is by the very oath of God made a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 6.20 7.3 8 13 15 16 17 21 24 25. Psal 110.4 Therefore Tithes being first paid to such an everliving everlasting unchangeable Priest and Priest-hood for the execution thereof may and ought to continue and abide for ever as long as the Priest and Priest-hood last and if so then Tithes are still due payable to the Ministers of Christ under the Gospel by all the Spiritual seed of faithfull Abraham as well as they were by all his Sonnes after the flesh to the Levitical or Aaronical Priest-hood whiles in being and that in the right of Christ they being Ambassadors representing his person beseeching men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 21. Forgiving men in tho person of Christ 2 Cor. 2.10 and in whose persons Christ himself still speaks unto men 2 Cor. 13.3 Whence Christ himself a verres Verily verily I say unto you he that receiveth whosoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Mat. 10.40 Luke 10.16 John 13.20 That whatever is given or paid to them for their Ministry is given and paid to himself Mat. 10.42 25.35 to 41. and is a Sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing unto God Philip. 4.18 5. That Abraham gave Tithes to Melchisedec for the execution of his Priestly office and that not in offring any carnal or Levitical Sacrifices to God for him upon an Altar but only for blessing him and rendring thanks and blessing to the most high God for his victory which being one chief part of the Ministers of the Gospels duty still continuing even to blesse the people to praise and blesse God for them and their successes in spiritual and temporal things Rom. 1.7 8 9. 10.24 1 Cor. 1.3 4 5. 16.23 2 Cor. 1.1 2 3. 9.10 11. 13.14 Gal. 1.2 6.18 Ephes 1.1 2 3 16 17 18. 3.14 to the end 6.23 24. Phil. 1.2 3 4. 4.20 23. Col. 1.2 3 9 to 14. 4.18 1 Thess 1.1 2 3. 2.13 5 23 28.2 Thess 1.2 3 11 12. 2.13 16 17. 3.18 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Heb. 13.25 1 Pet. 1.2 3 4. 5.14 2 Pet. 1.2 Revel 5.12 13. as likewise to blesse the Sacramental bread and wine for their use 1 Cor. 10.16 Mat. 26.26 typifyed as most hold by the bread and wine Melchisedec brought forth to Abraham is a convincing Argument to me that Tithes are no way Levitical or Jewish in their primitive institution or intrinsecal nature but rather Evangelical and are as justly due and payable by all believing sons and children of faithfull Abraham to the Ministers of the Gospel for blessing them and praying blessing praysing God for them and other Ministerial duties as they were by Abraham to Melchisedec for performing the self-same Priestly duties towards him 6. That the scope of the Apostle in the Hebrews being to prove the Honour Dignity Excellency of the order of Melchisedecs and by consequence of our Saviours Priest-hood above Aarons he useth this as one demonstration thereof 1. That he received Tithes of the Patriarch Abraham himself Heb. 7.2 4 to 11. whereas the Levitical Priests received Tithes only of their Brethren that came out of the loynes of Abraham 2. That even Levi himself who received Tithes of his Brethren paid Tithes in Abraham being then in his Fathers loynes to Melchisedec as his superior yea even as the Levits under the Law paid the tenth of their Tithes to the Priests as their superiours Numb 18.26 27 28. And this payment of Tithes to Melchisedec he recites in the
registred in 1 Chron. 29.13 14. 2. We have Joab Davids Captain General the Captains over Thousands and Hundreds and the Captains of the Army dedicating out of the spoyls won in Battels to the service of the House of the Lord and that in a liberal proportion even five thousand Talents of gold and ten thousand drams and of silver ten thousand Talents and of brasse 18000 Talents and one hundred thousand Talents of Iron besides precious stones all which they offered willingly with a perfect heart unto the Lord rejoycing with great joy they had done it 1 Chron. 29.6 7 8 9. When our Generals Officers Collonels Captains and Souldiers of the Army shall imitate King David and his Generals Colonels Captains Officers Souldiers in such a liberal contribution of the Jewels Gold Silver Brasse Iron and Spoyls they have won in Battels at home and from other Nations to repair or build houses for Gods publick worship and maintain the Ministers of the Gospel in stead of seeking to demolish and spoyl those stately Edifices which our pious Ancestors have erected for that purpose and breaking down the Carved work thereof with axes and hammers of which David much complaineth Psal 74.3 4 5 6 7 8 9. and in lieu of endevouring to devest our Ministers of their remaining Lands Tithes Glebes not yet devoured all the World will proclaim them Men after Gods own heart and Men of God in truth like David and give over censuring them for Sacrilegious Harpyes as yet more like to Zeba and Zalmunna who said Let us take to our selves the Houses of God in possession as David himself objects against them Psal 83.11 12. than to David or his Officers Captains Souldiers 3. Here is Samuel the seer doing the like out of his spoyls won in Battel A precedent for all those Souldiers who will be Seers Speakers and New-lights to imitate 4. If these good mens examples be neglected yet let the Precedents of bad men annexed to them shame and excite others to this duty Here is Saul the son of Kish much talked of and reviled now by many for a Tyrant the very first King given to Gods people in anger and taken from them in wrath as these object from Hos 13.11 which I conceive rather to be meant of Jeroboam the Idolatrous usurper who made Israel to sin as judicious Interpreters prove by the 2 Chron. 13.20 compared with 2 Kings 17.10 to 24. and the context likewise which makes mention of the Israelites Idolatry in kissing the Calves erected by Jeroboam and speaks only of the Kingdom of Israel as divided from that of Juhah after Sauls Davids and Solomons death yet he as bad as they make him together with Abner his chief Captain none of the best of men as 1 Sam. 3.7 8. discovers had so much Piety Zeal Religion in them as likewise to dedicate part of their richest spoyls of Warr to the maintenance of Gods house and worship And will it not be a great dishonour to those Generals Officers Colonels Captains who now pretend themselves the holiest justest zealousest Saints not to be as bountifull towards the maintenance of Gods house and worship out of their spoyls as Saul or Abner whom they brand for Tyrants and ungodly wicked men If these Precedents be ineffectual to work upon any Covetous or Sacrilegious Sword-men let them reflect upon others who were Idolaters how near they came in their way to imitate Abraham David and these forecited Warriers When Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon had taken Jerusalem ransacked and burnt the glorious Temple there towards which David and his Captains contributed so largely out of their spoyls he had so much Piety and natural Religion in him as to dedicate all the Vessels of Silver and Gold which he took out of the house of God to the honour and service of his Idol-gods and put them in the Temple at Babylon in the House of his GODS not converting them to his private or publick Treasury 2 Chron. 36.7 18. 2 King 24.13 Ezra 1.7 Which Vessels afterwards being brought forth thence and profanely caroused in by Belshazzar and his Princes at his great feast wherein he praysed the gods of Gold and Silver of Brasse of Iron of Wood and of Stone you may read what fatal judgement presently befell him to the losse of his life and Kingdome Dan. 5. These Vessels though a just and lawfull spoyl won by wars Cyrus King of Persia brought forth out of the house of his Gods where Nebuchadnezzar had put them by the hand of Mithredah his Treasurer and numbred them unto Sheshbazzar the Prince of Judah when he proclaimed liberty and gave order to the Israelites to rebuild the house of the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem and this is the number of them thirty Chargers of Gold a thousand Chargers of Silver nine and twenty Knives thirty Basons of Gold Silver Basons of a second sort four hundred and ten and other Vessels a thousand all the Vessels of Gold and Silver were five thousand and four hundred all these did Sheshbazzar bring with him from Babylon to Jerusalem for the use and service of God in the Temple there all these did Cyrus a Heathen King freely and chearfully restore dedicate to God and his Temple by a Decree Ezra 1.4 to the end O when will our Army-Saints part with so many Gold and Silver Vessels to Gods house out of their spoyls and plunders This Decree was afterwards confirmed by King Darius and Artaxerxes his successors Ezra 1.4 ch 7.15 16 17. 8.24 to 31. these Kings with their Princes and chief Officers also freely offered dedicated Silver and Gold besides these Vessels amounting to a great value towards the re-edifying of the Temple and maintenance of the worship Priests of God therein Moreover King Artaxerxes made this Decree concerning these Vessels The Vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem and whatsoever more shall be needfull for the house of thy God bestow it out of the Kings Treasure-house Adding this further Decree To all the Treasurers beyond the river Whatsoever Ezra the Priest shall require of you let it be done speedily unto an hundred Talents of Silver and to an hundred measures of Wheat and to an hundred bathes of Wine and to an hundred bathes of Oyl Salt without prescribing measure Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven for why should there be wrath against the Realme of the King and his Sons Also we certifie you that touching any of the Priests and Levites Singers Porters Nethinims or Ministers of this house of God it shall not be lawfull to impose Toll Tribute or custom upon them and whosoever will not do the Law of God and the Law of the King let judgement be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death or unto banishment or to confiscation of
the Lord. From all these Scriptures here recited at large for the Readers fuller satisfaction conviction and ease in turning to them these conclusions undeniably arise 1. That the Priests and Levits had by Gods special command precept oft repeated both Cities Houses Suburbs Lands Glebes designed to setled on them by their brethren out of all the other tribes of Israel for their habitation and the keeping feeding of their Cattel Goods Beasts and that in a very large and bountifull proportion And likewise necessary convenient houses chambers lodgings neer the Temple when first built and when re-edified afterwards which refutes the common errour of those ignorant Simpletons and illiterate New-lights who from Numb 18.20 Deut. 10.9 chap. 18.1 2. The Priests the Levites and all the tribe of Levi shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire and his inheritance Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren the Lord is their inheritance as he hath said unto them Conclude That the Priests and Levites amongst the Israelites had no Cities houses lands suburbs or possessions of their own belonging to their Office and were expresly forbidden by God to receive or enjoy any among their brethren And hence inferr That Ministers of the Gospel ought not to enjoy any Rectories Houses Lands or Glebes Whereas all the forecited Scriptures directly record the contrary and the meaning of these seeming repugnant texts is only this That they should have no inheritance amongst their Brethren in such sort and manner as they had set out altogether in one parcel by Joshua and the rest who divided the land amongst the tribes by lot which would have hindred them from their duties but only a subsequent assignment of certain Cities houses and suburbs seattered and divided one from another in and out of every tribes inheritance that so they might perform their offices with more ease and be alwayes ready at hand in every tribe to teach and instruct the people upon all occasions 2. That the inheritance of the Cities houses and suburbs which they enjoyed were not reputed their own proper inheritance though they enjoyed the possession and profits thereof but Gods inheritance as a thing devoted and dedicated unto God himself and therefore stiled by Ezekiel an Oblation unto God and an holy portion as Histories Divines Common Civil and Canon Lawyers stile all our Rectories Church-lands and Glebes with the Charters that first setled them being given and consecrated Deo et Ecclesiae an oblation unto God and the Church 3. That these endowments and Glebes of theirs were called reputed Gods own Portion and Inheritance 1. Because given by his special command and appointment by all the tribes 2. Because originally consecrated devoted to God and to his Priests and Ministers onely in Gods right for his sake 3. Because given to promote Gods worship service glory and for an habitation support to Gods own Priests and Levites imployed wholly in his immediate service 4. That they were expresly prohibited to be sold exchanged or alienated by the Priests Levites or any others because they were reserved by and given unto God himself as an holy Portion and Oblation and to the Priests and Levites for a perpetual possâ—ssion in regard of the perception of the profits the inheritance of them residing only in God himself Therfore not possible to be justly and lawfully sold exchanged or alienated by the Priests Levites or any other mortal Powers whatsoever who could claim no power right property or disposing interest in or over them against Gods own Soveraign and sacred title 5. That these Cities Suburbs Glebes were ratably set out in and by every tribe in an equal proportion according to the multitude or paucity of their Cities as a Tenth of their Cities and lands to which their 48 Cities and Suburbs amounted as some probably conceive And yet besides these 48 Cities there were Houses and Schools of Prophets and Prophets children in nature of our Universities in Bethel and in Jericho 2 Kings 2.3 4 5 7 to 24. chap. 6.1 2 3 4. which were none of these 48 Cities 6. That none of the Kings and Princes of Judah though many of them were Idolatrous wicked and put to great extremities to raise monies to pay their Armies and Tributes to forein Invaders and Conquerors did yet ever attempt to sell or alienate the Cities Suburbs or revenues of the Priests and Levites to maintain their warrs or pay publike Debts or tributes though King Asa Jehoash Hezekiah by way of loan made bold with the Silver and Gold in the treasure of the Lords house in cases of publike extremity which might be and was afterwards re-paid 1 Kings 15.18 cap. 18.15 2 Chron. 16.2 Yea the Scripture expresly records that in the great famine in Aegypt when all others sold their lands to buy bread to King Pharaoh only the Lands of the Priests bought he not For the Priests had a Portion assigned them of Pharaoh and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them wherefore they sold not their Lands Gen. 47.20 to 27. 7. That the Idolatrous usurper Jeroboam out of a carnal fear and policy to keep the people from returning to their rightfull Soveraign and establish the crown on himself and his Posterity was the first man we read of and his Idolatrous sons and successors after him who cast out Gods Priests and Levites out of their offices and then out of their Cities Suburbs and Possessions which he enforced them to desert though we read not that they sold them to maintain their Warrs or pay Soldiers arrears who thereupon repaired to Jerusalem to Rehoboam the right heir and after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem to enjoy Gods Ordinances strengthned Rehoboam and his kingdom against this persecuting usurper 2 Chron. 11.13 to 18. 8. That this his casting out of the Priests and Levites from their Offices and Pâ—ssâ—ssions making Priests of the lowest of the People and suffering every one that would to consecrate himself a Priest without a lawfull call is objected against Jeroboam by Abijah as a very high crime and provocation against God and the maintaining encouraging of Gods lawfull Priests and Levites in their Offices and setled possessions alleged by him as a certain argument of Gods presence with him and so with any other King and people and of victory successe in conclusion against sacrilegious Usurpers 9. That when Gods lawfull Priests and Levites are deprived of their Glebes and Possessions we must presently expect a base contemptible time-serving Idolatrous ignorant Priestood Jeroboams Golden Calves with their new Feasts and Sacrifices and a universal inundation of Idolatry wickedness prophanness to ensue with all the forementioned calamities which befell Ieroboams Army adherents subjects Person Family Kingdom which the Lord now set home on all our hearts that we may
brought away the Hallowed things out of mine House and also have given them unto the Levite c. According to all thy Commandements which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandements neither have I forgotten them I have not eaten thereof in my mourning neither have I taken away ought thereof for my Vnclean Vse nor given ought thereof for the dead but I have hearkened to the Voice of the Lord my God And have done according to all that thou hast commmanded me Look down from thy Holy Habitation from Heaven And bless thy people Israel and the Land which thou hast given us a Land that floweth with milk and honey Such a conscientious true payment of Tithes as this according to all Gods Commandements without the least Substraction or embezlement emboldens enables every particular man to make such a Prayer to God as this not only for himself but for the whole Land brings a blessing upon himself and all the Realm yea makes it a Land flowing with milk and honey and abundance of all rich blessings Besides we read in 2 Chr. 31.1 to 15. That when godly King Hezekiah had destroyed Idolatry and appointed the Courses of the Priests and Levites after their Courses every man according to his service he brought â—urings and Peace-offerings to minister and to give thanks and to praise in all the Gates of the Tents of the Lord He appointed also the Kings portion of his Substance for the burnt-offerings for the morning and evening for the Sabbaths the new Moons and set Feasts moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem To give the Portion of the Priests and the Levites that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord. And as soon as the Commandement came abroad the children of Israel brought in abundance the first Fruits of Corn Wine Oyl and Honey and of all the encrease of the field and the Tithes of all things brought they in abundance And concerning the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the Cities of Judah They also brought in the Tithes of Oxen and Sheep and the Tithe of holy things which were dedicated unto the Lord their God and laid them by heaps In the third moneth they began to lay the foundation of the heaps and finished them in the seventh moneth and when Hezekiah and the Princes came and saw the heaps they blessed the Lord and his People Israel Then Hezekiah questioned with the Priests and Levites concerning the heaps And Azariah the chief Priest of the House of Zadok answered him and said Since the People began to bring the Offerings into the house of the Lord We have had enough to eat and have left Plenty But did the people grow poor thereby no but much richer than before for the Lord hath blessed his people and that which is left is this great store Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare Chambers or store-houses in the house of the Lord and they prepared them and brought in the Offerings and the Tithes and the dedicate things faithfully over which Cononiah the Levite was Ruler How different was this practice of all the people and godly Saints in those daies in a chearfull bringing in their Tithes and Oblations to the Priests and Levites in abundance for their encouragement which caused King Hezekiah his Princes the Priests Levites and God himself to bless them from the sacrilegious practice of Tith-detaining Hypocritical Saints Anabaptists Quakers Sectaries and Christians in our daies who shall never receive such a blessing as this from God or good men but their curses If these Texts and Presidents will not move such hard-hearted men let them consider both this â—â—â—cept and promise of God Prov. 3.9 10. Honour the Lord with thy Substance and with the first fruits of thine encrease So shall thy Barns be filled with Plenty and thy Press shall burst out with new Wine And Mal 3.7 10 11 12. Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of hosts but ye said Wherein shall we return Bring ye all the Tithes into the Store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts If I will not open you the windows of heaven and powr you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground neither shall your Vine cast her fruit before her time in the field saith the Lord of Hosts And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a delight some land saith the Lord of Hosts What Christians heart though never so covetous and worldly should not these sacred promises of God the last of them recorded in the last of all the Books and Prophets in the Old Testament they being not meerly Levitical and Judaical but of eternal verity use and evangelical too excite and engage most cheerfully to pay and bring in all their Tithes and Dues to Gods Ministers now as well as to the Priests and Levites heretofore Christ himself having made like parallel promises of blessings and rewards for relieving and maintaining his Ministers in the Gospel Mat. 10.40 41 42. Mark 9.41 Phil. 4.18 19 9. That the due payment of Tithes to Gods Priests and Levites was a great encouragement to them in the law of the Lord and in the diligent execution of their duties 2 Chron. 31.3 4 5 10. And on the contrary The with-holding of them from them a great discouragement necessitating them to desert their duties and functions witnesse that memorable Text Neh. 13.10 11 12. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them mark the consequence For the Levites and the Singers that did the work were fled every one to his field Then contended I with the Rulers and said Why is the house of God forsaken and I gathered them together and set them in their place Then brought all Judah the Tithes of the Corn and the new Wine and the Oyl unto their treasuries And I made treasurers over the treasuries Shelemiah the Priest and Zadock the Scribe and of the Levites Pedajah c. for they were counted faithfull and their office was to distribute unto their Brethren Which reason still continuing under the Gospel in relation to the Ministers and Preachers thereof Heb 13.16 17. Phil. 4.10 to 21. is a strong argument to engage all true Christians desiring the propagation of the Gospel and a painfull able Ministry duly to pay their tithes and portions to them 10. That it was the bounden duty care of Religious Kings and Governours amongst Gods own people when the people were backwards to pay and bring their Tithes and duties to the Priests and Levites to command and enforce them to do it by special Covenants and Oaths sealed subscribed by the Princes and people Neh. 9.38 cap. 10.1 to the end and likewise by positive Ordinances
and his Priests and Ministers in and by him by his special Donation and Institution not mans for the constant support of his continual publick worship and that by a Divine Right God in those things which are direct points of Piety and necessary appurtenances for his solemn worship such as are Tithes for his Priests and Ministers competent standing maintenance in all Ages places and weekly times for his worship never leaving men free to their own wills inventions or arbitrary pleasures no more than Land-lords their Tenants or Kings their Subjects but confining them to a certainty himself by his word as well as he doth it in all parts and duties of his worship That Abraham knew this Divine Right of God to Tithes when he paid Tithes of all to Melchisedec not arbitrarily but of due right by vertue of some Divine Precept else Melchisedec had been inferiour to Levi who received Tithes from his Brethren by a Divine Law and Command Hebr. 7.4 5 6 c. he receiving this Precept of paying Tithes by Tradition from Heber who learned it of Sem who was so taught of his Father Noah he by succession RECEIVING IT FROM ADAM who as he was wrought and fashioned by God so was he herein taught and instructed by God And therefore not only amongst the Sons of God such as called rightly upon the name of the Lord but even amongst the Giants of the Daughters of Men worshipping invented Gods by themselves and dedicating their TITHES unto them as the Premises evidence THERE NEVER WAS NUMBER THAT DID INTRUDE UPON THE TENTH MUCH LESSE SHOULDER IT OUT OF DOORS This Number of TEN writes Philo the learned Jew that most sacred Writer Moses hath not a little commended because the best Duties of Man are by him couched under that number as God TEN COMMANDEMENTS Vows Prayers First-Fruits perpetual Offerings pardoning Debts and reducing all things unto their First estate every Fiftieth year of Jubilee made up of Tenths the Fur niture of the Tabernacle with a thousand such like in the old Testament besides other things of like nature expressed under this Number of TEN in the New by which we may know that TEN IS THE NVMBER OF PERFECTION as â—ivers style it and hath near affinity with God in sacred things That from Gods own Original Reservation of TENTHS to himself and his Ministers this number became sacred and universal afterwards in all publick civil Taxes Dues reserved to Kings and Supream Magistrates For the First-born and chief of the Family from Adam till the Levitical Priesthood instituted being for the most part King as well as Priest thereof as Melchisedec who received Tithes of Abraham was Gen. 14.18 Heb. 7.1 2. when these two Offices came afterwards to be centred and settled in two distinct persons thereupon the antient TENTHS reserved by God and assigned to his Priests and Ministers in perpetuity for their subsistence and maintenance of his publick worship from the Creation to the end of the world by a Divine Law which no humane powers could repeal both amongst Gods own people and most Heathens Nations were appropriated to and received only by the Priests and Ministers though divested of the Royal dignity and a NEW TENTH by way of Tribute Tax Custome or Subsidy amounting commonly to the Tenth part of the people 's tithed increase and estates in all Kingdomes and Republiks was by Common consent imposed on and reserved received by Emperors Kings Princes and Supreme Magistrates from the people for their support defraying the charges of the Government and their peoples necessary defence upon all occasions Hence Tributes Taxes Customes and publick impositions were usually called TENTHS as well as Ministers Tithes both amongst Gods own people 1 Sam. 8.15 17. amounting To the tenth of their estates and increase as also amongst the antient Romans Grecians and most other Pagan Nations of old as Mr. Mountague proves at large in his Diatribae c. 3. by sundry Authors as they were anciently and at this day so stiled both amongst the Turks Moors Spaniards Germans Italians French Danes Swedes Poles Scots Irish and most other Pagan and Christian Nations at this day especially in England as you may read at large in Rastals Abridgments of Statutes Title Taxes and Tenthes Brooks Abridgement and Ashes Tables Title Quinzime Disme Tax and Tallage and our Parliament Records And from this number of Ten their Officers as well of State as Religion were usually stiled Decemviri Decuriones Decumani Decani Decadarchae Decatutae Decatologi Decatorii and the like our Names of Offices of Deans Tithingmen Collectors of Tenths c. proceeding from the self-same Number Sacred every way even amongst Pagan Nations both in their Duties of Piety and Policy by constant tradition they knew not why nor wherefore and likewise amongst Gods people upon the premised grounds Hence Doctor Tillesley thus concludes in his Epistle to King James before his Animadversions on Mr. Seldens History Surely the Number Tenth or Tithe is Sacred and very Mystical and communicated only to consecrated or Sacred persons That are Gods Vicars upon earth that is Kings and Priests Decima Regis et Decima Sacerdotis who both stand in Gods place and receive this Portion as Gods upon earth From all which premises Mr. Mountague Dr. Carlton Dr. Tillesley Dr. Sclater and others conclude and let our Army Officers New Legifers and all Tithe-oppugners consider it That the Ministers of the Gospel now as well as Gods Priests heretofore have an eternal Right to Ecclesiastical Tithes by Gods own unalterable Institution and none else any Right at all unto them but they From which Right no man nor all men can deprive or debar them by any pretended Right Prescription Modus Decimandi Custome Vsage Law Statute or appointment of any other maintenance in lieu thereof as more just equal and convenient 6. Tithes being originally due and paid to Jesus Christ himself God over all blessed for ever yea specially reserved by appropriated consecrated to our Lord God as his peculiar Holy Portion Tribute Rent Right Inheritance Homage from the sonnes of men for the constant maintenance of his publick Worship and support of his Priests and Ministers attending thereon to the end of the world Lev. 27.30 32. Numb 18.24 26 28 29. Mal 3.8 9. Heb 7 2 to 10. 1 Cor. 9.4 to 15. and thereupon being usually stiled both by Fathers Councils Popes Decretals Princes Edicts and Christian Writers in all Ages Dominica substantia Res Dominicae Dei census Dei debitum c. Non ab hominibus sed ab ipso Deo institutae quas Deus in Signum universalis Dominii Sibi reddi praecepit suas esse Decimas asseverans c. The constant payment of them to Ministers under the Gospel is not only warranted commanded by the equity and words of the 1 2 4 5 8. Commandements of the Decalogue therefore far from being a Sin against the 2 d. Commandement as
John Canne most absurdly and impudently asserts as if Gods Precepts were repugnant to each other but likewise expressely positively eternally prescribed by our Saviour Christ himself in this peremptory Gospel-Precept recorded by three Evangelists Matth. 22. 21. Mar. 12.17 Luke 20.25 RENDER therefore to CAESAR the things that are CAESARS and UNTO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GODS Thus seconded by the Apostle Paul Rom. 13.7 8. RENDER THEREFORE TO ALL THEIR DUES c. Tithes as the premises evidence beyond contradiction have Gods own Image Impresse Superscription as visibly as legibly engraven on them by himself as any Tribute-money then shewâ—d our Saviour had Caesars by the Mint-Masters yea they were Gods own antient standing constant known Tribute at that very season when Christ uttered this precept and some thousands of years before specially reserved by and duly rendered unto God and his Priests by all Gods faithfull people many hundred years before we read of any Tribute-mony paid to Caesar or any other King or Prince Upon which ground as they were then by this direct Gospel-Commandement of Christ himself enjoyned to be as constantly duly truly paid to God and his Ministers as any Tribute Tax or Customes are unto Caesar or other Higher-Powers whatsoever So they have since our Saviours daies except only in times of greatest persecution under Pagan Emperors during which some Tithes were rendered to Gods Ministers in some places or things of greater value as I shall prove anon been still continued and universally paid to God in his Ministers in all or most Christian Churches Realms Republicks from the first publick imbracement of the Gospel amongst them to this present and more especially in this our Realm as Mr. John Selden in his History of Tithes Doctor Tillesley Tyndarus Rebuffus with others prove at large and the Author of Respublica sive Status Regni Poloniae Lugduni Bat. 1627. p. 177. thus attest for the Church and Clergy of Poland Habent etiam Decimam omnium segitum Publico Principum ac totius Poloniae consensu Iam inde ab initio susceptae Religionis Christianae attributas aliis quibusdam Pensionibus cumulatas Habent luculentos fundos Praedia Pagos Oppida arces territoria partim priscorum ibidem Principum Regum partim privatorum munificentia adjectas as they likewise had in ours and other Christian Realms yet he afterwards subjoynes and complains as we may justly do Nunc passim in alienas Donationes ac Decimas invaditur longe majore avariciae rapacitatisque infamia quam egestatis relevatione Therefore Gods and our Ministers Tithes being by our Lord Jesus Christs own Gospel precept thus positively commanded to be constantly and duly rendered unto them as well as tribute unto Caesar no consciencious Loyal Christians but professed Atheists Antiscripturists Rebels unto God and Christ can justly or by any pretext of Conscience refuse the due constant payment of them no more than of lawfull Tributes and Taxes legally imposed on them by common consent in free and lawfull Parliaments nor any Caesars Kings Princes Magistrates or Supreme Powers denie defraud or deprive them of their Tithes and Dues upon any pretext without impairing impeaching subverting their own Rights and Titles to those civil Tenths Tributes which they challenge and receive from the people as their due by this very Precept of our Saviour which couples Gods Dues and his Ministers together with their own the inviolable preservation whereof is the best and readiest means to secure their own Tenths and civil Dues Whereas these Princes Potentates Powers Grandees Legifers who are so sacrilegiouslie injurious as to invade impair diminish substract or abolish Gods and his Ministers Tithes Duties or divert them to pay their Souldiers or any other publike or private use will thereby but undermine their own interests and teach the people how to defraud substract deny their own antient Civil Tenths Customes Duties Taxes Rents and New Impositions Excises of all sorts by way of retaliation most of the Anabaptistical and levelling present Petitioners against Tithes and Glebes petitioning declaiming likewise against all Customes Imposts Taxes old or new as intollerable Grievances and hinderances to free Trade and many of them asserting all civil Supreme Powers and Magistrates whatsoever as antichristian and unlawfall as Tithes and Ministers are in their false account Lastly all Opposites to our Ministers Tithes do and must of necessity acknowledge from the Scriptures insisted on in the first Proposition and Reasons there alleged That some competent Maintenance Salary Recompence Reward or other arbitrary as they hold certain and setled as we assert belongs to the Ministers of the Gospel by a divine moral natural Right Justice and Equity as all grant a Sabbath and Government in general to be of divine Authority Institution and morally due to God Now the whole Church of God from the creatioÌ„ to this present though under various dispensations in the times of the Patriarchs Law and Gospel being but one intire Corporation or spiritual Body-Politique wherof Jesus Christ himself is the only head King Lord Law-giver High-Priest Chief Pastor Minister Advocate Saviour Foundation Corner-Stone and the successive Priests Ministers and Members thereof from the beginning to the end of the World serving worshipping adoring only one and the self-same true immutable invisible eternal Lord God according to his prescribed will and word and Jesus Christ himself the only High priest of this Church for ever receiving and God his Father prescribing Tithes for the Maintenance of his Priests and Levites both before and under the Law and no wayes abolishing but ratifying them in and by the Gospel as I have already proved There neither is nor can be any other particular kind of competent fitting standing setled Maintenance Reward or Recompence for all the Ministers of the Gospel evinced demonstrated out of Gods word which may be truly reputed moral natural divine universal perpetual and unarbitrary nor any other duly rendered from all Christians in all Ages places in Faith Conscience and sincere obedience towards God as such a maintenance but this of Tithes alone independent on the lusts wills of men It being that which the Patriarchs no doubt by Gods prescription being paid in Faith both vowed and paid to God before the Law which God himself afterwards specially reserved prescribed and all his people duly rendered under the Law annexing many promised blessings to the true payment denouncing many threats curses to the sacrilegious Substraction or detaining of them that which Christ himself and his Apostles most specially pointed at commended ratified in the Gospel that which all Christian Kings States Magistrates Churches Christians under the Gospel in all Ages places have generally fixed upon approved asserted prescribed ratified as not only sacred and divine but as such a most jâ—â—t wise equal excellent incomparable way of maintenance invented by the most wise God which cannot be matched much lesse amended exceeded by all the
Tithes to be no Alms or arbitrary Benevolence at all but a most precise positive certain Debt and Duty most punctually limitted in each particular and whether that we now usually call Alms to the Poor be not a Debt and Duty as Rom. 15.27 with other Texts resolve it not a meer Freewill Gift which we may neglect or dispence with as we please Having cleared the Text as to Alms I shall next vindicate them from the other mistakes concerning the time of Tithing and Persons receiving Tithes For which end we must know that the Jews had four sorts of Tithes as the Scriptures and Marglnal Authors prove besides their First fruits amounting to any proportion from the 40th to the 60th part amongst the Pharisees who exceeded others in bounty 1. Such Tithes as every of the Laity in every Tribe of Israel who had any comings in or increase at all paid unto the Levites out of their Annual increase that was eatable or usefull for them as a sacred inheritance possession and reward for their service at the Tabernacle being the full Tenth part of their increase after the first fruits deducted which Tithes they received in kinde at their respective Cities and places of abode and if any Tithe-payer would redeem or compound for them he was to adde a fifth part more than they were valued at because the Levites should not be cheated by any undervalues and those who redeemed them did it only for their own advantage for the most part not the Levites and then they should pay for it These are the Tithes prescribed Levit. 27.30 31 32 33. Numb 18.20 to 32. Which the Levites and their Households were to eat in every place where they resided as their peculiar Portion and Inheritance Wherein the Stranger Fatherless and Widow had no share neither were they brought up to Jerusalem nor put into any common Treasurie and paid constantly every year And these are the Tithes which our Ministers now challenge and receive by a Divine Right as their standing inheritance and the Churches Patrimonie and the Tithes intended Heb. 7.2 5 8 9. 2ly Such Tithes as the Levites paid to all the Priests as most affirm Or to the High Priest only as Lyra Tostatus and some other Popish Authors assert to justifie the Popes Right to Tenths which he challengeth and receiveth for the rest of the Popish Clergie in all places for their better maintenance and support besides their First-fruits fees of Sacrifices Oblations and other Duties being the full tenth part of the Tithes they receive from the people due to the whole body of the Tribe of Levi Numb 18.20 to 31. 3ly A second Tenth which the Lay Israelites were obliged by God to pay every year out of their nine parts remaining after separation of the first Tenth here mentioned and this was likewise of all their annual increase of Corn Wine Oil Cattel Sheep Honey and things eatable This Tithe was by Gods special appointment to be carried up to the place which God should chuse and to Jerusalem in kinde by the places that were near and the full value thereof in money by places more remote Which Tithes and money were designed for the maintenance of their publick solemn standing Feasts every year wherein the Owners Priests Levites and all the people feasted together before the Lord. The residue was laid up in Storehouses Treasuries and Chambers together with the First-fruits and Offerings for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites dwelling in Jerusalem having no abiding elsewhere in the Countrey and for those who came up thither in their Courses and served in and about the Temple of which some selected Priests and Levites who were faithfull had the Oversight and Distribution not any Lay Treasurers Officers or Sequestrators who would be singering all our Ministers Tithes now and reduce them to a publick Treasurie to fill their private purses with them These are the Tithes commanded specified and principally intended Deut. 12.6 7 8 11 12 17 18 19. c. 14.22 to 28. 2 Chron. 31.6 to 16. Neh. 10.37 38 39. c. 12.44 c. 13.9 to 14. Mal. 3.10 Which Tithes were abolished with the Jewish Feasts and Temple Yet the shadow and footsteps of them continued many years after in the primitive Christians Love-Feasts as Mr. Mountague proves at large 4ly The fourth sort of Tithes which the lay Israelites paid was that for the Levite Stranger Fatherless and Widow payable only every third year out of all that years increase after the separation of the forementioned Tithes for the Levites Priests and Annual feasts which the Owners kept in their own barns and were to be eaten by the Levite Stranger Fatherless and Widow within their gates and houses Deut. 14.28 29. c. 26.11 to 17. Now in allusion to the last kinde of Tithes St. Ambrose Sermone in die Ascentionis St. Jerome in Mal. 3. St. Augustine Sermo 219. De Tempore ad Fratres in Eremo Serm. 64. Caesarius Arelatensis De Eleemosyna Hom. 2. Eutropius in the Life of St. Steven c. 17 18. The Exhortation written about An. 700. Beda Eccles Hist l. 4. c. 10. Agilardus Contra insulsam vulgi opinionem de Grandine c. p. 155. Ivo Carnotensis Epist 102. The Synod of York under Hubert An. 1194. and some others press the payment of Tithes to Ministers and giving Alms or some part of their goods to the poor jointly together and some few of them stile Tithes Tributa refectorium Animarum The Tribute not Alms of the poor souls and tell us of Tithes which God himself hath commanded to be given to the poor But this they intend not of the first sort of Tithes due to the Ministers of God but of a Tenth of their remaining Annual increase after the Ministers Tithes first paid as most of them expresly declare viz. Hierom. on Mal. Saltem Judaeorum imitemur exordia ut pauperibus partem demus ex toto Sacerdotibus Levitis Honorem debitum et decimas referamus De sua particula not the Ministers Pauperibus ministrare And the English Synod of Calchuth An. 786. with Capitularia Caroli Magni l. 6. c. 29. most distinctly Decimas ex omnibus fructibus pecoribus terrae annis singulis ad Ecclesias reddant Et De novem partibus que remanserint eleemosynas facient So as there is nothing in Scripture or Antiquity rightly understood to prove Tithes to be pure Alms as some have erroniously fancied The second ground of this Opinion that Tithes were Free and pure Alms was the frequent Grants Donations and Consecrations of Tithes and Portions of Tithes by several Lords of Mannors and Lands by special Charters yet extant recited in Mr. Seldens History of Tithes between the year of our Lord 1060. and 1250. in the darkest times of Popish Superstition to Abbies Monks Friers Nunnes and Religious Houses in eleemosynam pauperum in liberam puram et perpetuam eleemosynam to be distributed by these Monks or their Almoners to
general but only of New Tithes not antiently paid by the Jews nor prescribed to them by God And is this square dealing 2ly He subjoyns the time which Thorp and Master Fox do not referring this Decree of Gregory the tenth to the year 1211. which was four years before the Council of Lateran by his own Confession and falls within the Popedom of Innocent the third and is no less than 63. years before the Council of Lyons under Gregory the Xth. and his Papacy there being no less than seven Popes intervening between this Innocent and Gregory as Platina Onuphrius in their Histories of Popes lives and Binius Spondanus Oxenetius Matthew Westminster the Centuries of Magdenburg Mr. Fox himself and Heylin affirm And most certain it is that neither this Pope Gregory nor the Council of Lyons under him nor of Lateran under Innocent made any such Decrees concerning Tithes as Canne here boldly asserts and with these two Forgeries he most impudently concludes The payment of Tithes is Popish nothing more certain when as nothing is more false or fabulous and so within the 2d Article of the Covenant of the two Nations nothing more untrue both in the intentions and explanations of the Makers and Takers of that Covenant as their several Ordinances for Tithes both before and after it demonstrate which many have sworn not he nor his Consederates or else perjured with a Witness if they have done it in every clause thereof to endeavour the extirpation of Superstition and all kind of Popery therefore of all Monkish Popish Substractions of and exemptions from payment of Tithes to their Parochial Ministers fore-recited invented granted by Popes and real Popery And therefore as it is a case of Conscience for those who have taken the Covenant to pay Tithes not for any man whatsoever especially Covenanters to retain them so men ought to be carefull either how they press it or practise it So this Father of Lyes and Forgeries concludes against all Truth and Conscience and dares aver to those he stiles let himself determine QUO JURE The Supream Authority of the Nation The Parliament of the Common-wealth wealth of England to engage them sacrilegiously to rob all our Ministers both of their Rectories Tithes Ministry at once to starve and famish they are his own uncharitable Anabaptistical words p. 1 2. These Antichristian Idols which if they neglect speedily to do he more than intimates in his Epistle to them and let them and all others observe it the Lord you may guess whom he means shall lay them aside as despised broken Idols and Vessels in whom his Soul hath no pleasure like those who sate there before them just John of Leydens Doctrine and practice It is storied of Sacrilegious Philip of Macedon by Polybius and others In aras et templa saeviit ipsos etiam Lapides infringens ne destructas aedes posthac restitui possint and that to raise monies to pay his all-devouring Army and of Dicaearchus his Atheistical General as impious as his Soveraign that returning victoriously from Sea he built two Altars one to Impiety the other to Iniquity and sacrificed to them as to Gods Certainly John Canne who would have all our Churches razed to the ground and not a stone of them left upon a stone unthrown down that they might never be built again the true Voyce of a Son of Edom and Babylon and all our Ministers Rectories Tithes Food and Maintenance whereby they are fed and kept alive taken away by the Magistrates and that to maintain the Army and Souldiers as some design would be a very fit Chaplain for such a Sacrilegious King and General and a fit Priest or Minister for these two infernal Deities of Impiety and Iniquity the only Gods which too many pretended Saints and Anabaptists really serve worship in their practice But let Canne with all his impious unrighteous seduced Disciples Patrons remember that Blessing which dying Moses that man of God a better President General for Christians to follow than these Pagan Atheists bestowed on the tribe of Levi extending to all true Ministers of the Gospel now with his bitter imprecation against all who invaded their Substance Function or rise up against their Office recorded thus for their shame and terror Deuter. 33.1 8 9 10 11. This is the Blessing wherewith Moses the MAN OF GOD blessed the Children of Israel before his death And of Levi he said Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one for they have observed thy word and kept thy Covenant They shall or let them teach Jacob thy Judgements and Israel thy Law They shall put Incense before thee and whole burnt Sacrifice upon thine Altar Blesse O Lord his Substance and accept the Work of his hands Smite through the Loyns of them that rise up against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again Which I shall recommend to John Canne for his next Text when he preacheth before his Fraternity of Anabaptistical Tithe-Oppugners and Church-Robbers to all injurious Substracters of their Ministers Tithes and professed Enemies to their Calling And so much for the third Proposition CHAP. IV. I Now march to the 4th Proposition That our Ministers Tithes are really no Burthen Grievance or Oppression to the People but a just antient charge debt annuity or duty as well as their Landlords rents or Merchants poundage That the abolishing of them will be no real Ease Gain or advantage to Farmers Lessees and the poorer sort of People as is falsely pretended but only to rich Landlords and Landed-men and a loss and detriment to all others There have been divers clamorous Petitions of late against Tithes subscribed by many poor People Labourers Servants Apprentises who never were capable in their Estates to pay any not by the Nobility Gentry and Freeholders of the Nation or the generality of those whose Estates are most charged with them who repute them no Burden nor Grievance and desire their continuance as if they were the very Bonds of Wickednesse the heavy Burdens and Yoak which God himself by an extraordinary Call hath called forth some in present Power speedily to loose undo and break Isay 58.6 7. to which they allude and much insist on when as it is most clear That this perverted Text was never once intended of Tithes which God himself imposed on his people as a just reserved Rent and Tribute due unto himself and his Ministers and adjudgeth it plain ROBBING OF GOD to substract much more then to abolish and those who press the abolishing of Tithes from this Text may with much more colour urge it against all Landlords Rents Annuities Tonnage Poundage the antient Customs of Wool Woolfels Leather Tinne Lead which they and their Ancestors by their Tenures and our known Laws have paid time out of mind and presse those in power to expunge these Texts out of the very Gospel as Apochryphal and burdensom Mat. 22.21 Render
will content such perverse and contentious Wretches but a Liberty to pay their Ministers only what they please and that in conclusion shall be just nothing as their subsequent Petitions and present Practices now manifest to God Angels and men And I doubt the Change of this antient known long approved certain Maintenance by Tithes to any other certain or uncertain way will create more sutes and troubles among people than ever our Tithes did since their first institution This was my subitan opinion of their Proposition when I first read it and shall serve for a publick answer to it now if any insist upon it to prove Tithes inconvenient and burdensom to the People and therefore sit to be totally abolished The main Objection I ever yet read or heard against Tithes is this That Tithes are a great discouragement and hindrance to Husbandmens industry and improvements since Ministers must have not only the Tenths of their Lands as they found them but likewise of their Crop Labour Industry and Improvements which is now writes Canne and others more largely one of the sorest Burthens and greatest Oppressions and Tyranny that lies upon them and discourages many from improving the Lands to the publick prejudice I answer 1. That this Objection no waies concerns Soldiers Weavers Tailors Tradesmen Townsmen and other Mechanicks who are the most and greatest Sticklers and Petitioners against Tithes but only Husbandmen and Countrey Gentlemen and Farmers living upon Tillage very few of which not one of a thousand ever yet petitioned against Tithes as such a grievous Oppression at leastwise as a Farmer for the burdensomness of Tithes but only as an Anabaptist or other Sectary out of hatred and opposition to our Ministers Callings or Persons And till the Generality or Major part of the Gentry Yeomanry and Country Farmers in each County Petition and declare against their Predial Tithes as such an intollerable Grievance no Officers Soldiers Citizens Anabaptistical Mechanicks and busie-bodies in other mens Callings and Grievances which concern them not are no waies to be heard countenanced or credited in this particular by any Powers whatsoever in point of Justice or Prudence 2ly The payment of Tithes never yet discouraged any Person either in the Land of Canaan England or other Countreys at least not any considerable number of men or any that had either true Wisdome grace honesty or love to God and the Ministrey from any sort of Tillage or improvement whatsoever out of which Tithes are paid the gain by the good husbandry and improvement being abundantly recompenced in the nine Parts over and above the Tithes And therefore till the Objectors can make good their allegation by presidents of considerable number of wise godly men and others discouraged from Tillage and Improvements meerly by the payment of Predial Tithes out of them in all former ages or of late years to the real prejudice of the Publick which they can never do this grand Objection against Tithes must be decried both as Fabulous and Ridiculous yea as Scandalous The late Petition of the Cornish Gentlemen Farmers and Yeomen where such improvements are most made to their great Charge for the continuance of Tithes being a sufficient Evidence to prove it such 3ly It is observable that the Petitioners against Tithes upon this ground are as eager Writers and Petitioners against all antient Customs Tonnage Poundage and usual moderate Impositions upon Merchandize imported or exported for the necessary defence of the Sea and Trading amounting to as much upon every pound of Merchandize as Tithes do upon Husbandmens Tillage and Improvements the charges of the Fraight Transportation and Customs in forein parts considered and to far more and that as a very great discouragement to Merchandize and Trading Which as all wise men know to be a mere fabulous untruth contrary to the experience of all States Kingdoms Republicks in the World and of Holland it self subsisting by Merchandize where they pay as high Customs or higher than our antient Legal Merchants Duties to the State amount to which never made any Merchants to give over trading So if when and where rightly imposed managed they are the greatest encouragements of Trade and Merchandize by Guarding the Seas and securing Traders against Enemies and Pirates the only encouragement to Merchant-Adventurers who must and will all give over trading when they cannot safely put to Sea without apparent losse of all they trade for by Enemies or Pirates And therefore this clamourous Objection against Tithes should have no more weight with Wisemen to suppress them than their idle clamour against all old Legal Customs Rates and Duties for the necessary defence of the Sea and Trade to abrogate them altogether to the ruine both of our Traffique Navy and Merchants too that pay them 4ly This Objection is directly made against the providence wisdom and policy of God himself who prescribed Tithes amongst his own people out of all their Tillage and Improvements and knew it would be no impediment to them his Blessing promised to their payment of Tithes being a greater improvement to them in their Crops than all their extraordinary cost and pains amounted to Wherefore it can be no impediment or discouragement to any real Saints good Husbandry or Improvement now who deserves to reap no benefit by his Labour or Improvements if God himself shall have no share or portion out of them for the maintenance of his publick worship and Ministers 5ly If there were any truth or strength in this Objection yet it extends not unto all tithes but only to such as are paid out of extraordinary chargeable Improvements as to make mere barren Heath Ling and Sands out of which no former profits naturally grew manurable for Corn or Pasture Tillage and Meadows Woods out of which most predial Tithes arise So there is a sufficient remedy against this pretended Mischief already provided in the best and strictest Statute made by the best of our Protestant Kings for the true payment of Tithes at the beginning our Reformation when Popery was banished in the Parliament of 2 E. 6. c. 13. which provides That all such barren Heath or waste Grounds which before that time have lyen barren and paid no Tithes by reason of the said barronness and now be or hereafter shall be improved or converted into arable Ground or Meadow shall from henceforth after the term and end of seven years next after such Improvement fully ended and determined pay Tithe of the Corn and Hay growing on the same and be discharged in the interim as the words import and our Judges have expounded it All which considered this Objection must be henceforth exploded and LEVELLED to the ground Now because I find a clear Design and Endeavour in sundry Anabaptists Officers Souldiers if they cannot prevail to put down Tithes upon other pretexts yet to rob the Ministers of them at present if not in perpetuity upon this pretence to sequester and convert
nor any Christian Souldiers else but the Popish Templers and Hospitalers for the Lands conferred on their Orders not for their private Inhabitances And if Souldiers be obliged to pay Tithes of all their Spoyls and Gains of war as I have abundantly proved much more then of their real and personal Estates as well as any others not in armes especially where they are well paid and war not on their own expences but other mens purses Amongst the Jewes we never read of any Taxes Tributes or Contributions imposed on the Cities Houses Lands or Tithes of the People and Levites for the maintenance of wars or pay of Souldiers from which even Artaxerxes a heathen Conqueror exempted them by an express Decree Ezra 7.24 Yet they received Tithes of all their Kings Generals Captains Souldiers as well as Peoples Lands and increase both in times of war and peace But our Army-Officers and Souldiers now receive above the Tithes of all our Ministers Tithes Glebes in Monthly Taxes and Contributions by arbitrary illegal Impositions without their or Consents in Parliament contrary to their antient Privileges all former Presidents and our Laws Therefore there is all Equity and Justice they should receive the Tenths both of their Lands Goods and Gains of war too and that no Officers or Souldiers should be exempted from Tithes as the Templers and Hospitalers were who had no other Pay or Salaries but their Lands and received no constant Contributions from the Clergy Xenophon that famous learned Greek Heathen Commander having made the most Noble retreat we ever read of in Story out of the upper part of Asia with ten thousand men through mountains frost and snow in memorie of his thankfullness to the Gods for this safe return separated the Tenth of all the Spoyls that his Army had gained in the wars and by general consent commited them to the Captains to be dedicated to Apollo and Diana That for Apollo was layd up at Delphos in the Athenean Treasury but with that other Tenth Dianas share Xenophon himself purchased a Peece of Land and built thereon a Temple and an Altar to Diana and appointed the Tenth of the yearly increase forever unto it This Pagan Commander and his Captains and Souldiers were so far from exempting their Lands from Tithes to their Idol Deities that they Tithed the very Spoyls of their wars to them and built and endowed a Temple to Diana with Lands and Tithes out of their own Lands and Estates for ever Which shall for ever silence and shame those Christian Army-Officers Souldiers Templers and Hospitalers who would exempt not only their Spoyls but their Lands and Estates from all Tithes to God and his Ministers because they are Souldiers and pretend to fight for their Defence 7ly This Reason that they should enjoy not only their own but our Ministers Tithes because they are an Army of Preachers and Priests and more Officers Souldiers in the present Army Preachers or Speakers as they phrase them than ever in any Army in the world before hath frequently minded me of that saying of Pope Gregory the first which famous Bishop Jewel much insisted on concerning Antichrist The King of Pride Antichrist is at hand and which is an horrible Thing to be spoken Sacerdotum est praeparatus Exercitus an Army of Priests is prepared to gard and usher him in Certainly I never heard nor read of such an Army of Priests as our Army now is before wherein there are not only some hundreds of disguised Popish Antichristian Priests and Jesuites as most wisemen conceive under the disguise of Souldiers preaching venting many notorious Errors Blasphemies and Antichristian Tenents to infect the Army and Nation too but many preaching Colonels Captains Officers Souldiers of all sorts not a preaching General as some say too And among others one of these Army-Preachers not long since published a Book with this Title Antichrist with us by John Spittle-house a member of the Army printed at London 1648. which intimated to me at first sight that Antichrist was in the Army and truly if they proceed as Canne would have them to usurp our Ministers Office Rectories Glebes Tithes Churches to themselves and Suppresse our Ministers Churches Parishes as Antichristian I shall then justly suspect and others will confidently conclude they are the very Army of Priests prophecied of by Pope Gregory who shall forcibly usher and bring in Antichrist the King of Pride who exalteth himself above all that is called God or Worshipped that is above Kings Lords Parliaments and all Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers whatsoever as Expositors resolve into our Church and re-establish him in his Throne 8ly I never read in the Old Testament or New that Christ Authorized Commissioned or sent out any Captains or Souldiers to preach the Gospel or made choyce of such to be his Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel Surely had this been a part of their duty as Christian Officers and Souldiers John Baptist Christs forerunner would have instructed those Souldiers who came purposely to and demanded of him what shall we do in another manner than he did and said unto them Go and preach the Gospel and instruct the ignorant Souldiers and people publickly where ever you quarter in the first place and then Do violence to no man and accuse no man falsly and be content with your wages The only precepts he gave them Which our Army-Officers and Souldiers since they turned Preachers have much forgotten and neglected I read of 2. devout Centurions in the New Testament eminent for their faith piety Charity and of one devout Souldier yet neither of them a publick Preacher The first of these Colonels or Centurions built a Synagogue for the Jews and others to meet and preach in who were Priests and Ministers but I read not he ever preached in it publickly himself The latter Centurion is thus characterized Acts 10.1 2. That he was a devout man and one that feared God with all his House which gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God continually but doubtlesse he never preached for then it would have been there recorded that he preached continually as well as prayed Yea he was so far from this that when the Angel of God came to him in a vision he sayd Thy Prâ—yers and thine Alms not thy preaching therefore he preached not at all or if he did God accepted it not but disliked it as against his word and will are come into remembrance before God And now send men to Joppa and call for Simon Peter he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do Whereupon he presently sent two of his Servants and a devout Souldier continually waiting on him but not on preaching for the Apostle Peter to preach to him his Friends and Family who repairing to him Cornelius goeth forth to meet him falls down at his feet worshippeth him talks with him brings him into his House where many were come together relates his vision
to Christ himself in the shape of Melchisedec and prescribed by Gods own special Precept 2ly How any thing commanded by God even when the 2d Commandement was given recorded in the same Canonical Books of Scripture with it practised by Gods special command by all his true Saints under the Law and generally in all Christian Churches under the Gospel as I have proved can possibly be a Sin against the 2 d. Commandement in it self and whether it be not direct Blasphemy in him thus confidently to aver it in making Gods very Commandements to fight one against another and to command one thing as a Duty in some Texts and condemn it as a Sin and damnable Superstition in another 3ly How Tithes if truly and orignally Iewish can yet be truly and originally Antichristian Popish and the Popes device many thousand years after Tithes first Institution and customary payment Till he can satisfactorily reconcile these apparent contradictory Assertions or publickly recant them if he cannot all the world must accompt him for an Antichristian Minister and Lying Impostor his Voyce the Voyce of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth both God and Men Psal 44.16 and confess there is no ground at all in Piety or Conscience against Tithes or their payment but grounds both of Piety and Conscience for them as I have proved especially for our Godly Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel for whom I only plead whose Calling being of unquestionable Divine Institution notwithstanding all Cannes Alehouse Arguments against them not worth a Canne and to continue in the world to the very end thereof and the consummation of all things by Christs own resolution Matth. 28.20 Ephes 4.10 11 12 13. they may and ought by Divine and Human Laws to enjoy their Glebes and Tithes so long continued maugre all the malice power of their violent Oppugners and will do so when they and their Posterities shall not have so much as a Name or Being upon Earth or in Heaven unless they repent notwithstanding they were justly taken from Popish Fryers Abbots Priors Lordly Prelates of mere popish Antichristian Institution not Divine when their very Orders were suppressed as mere Vsurpers Encroachers of the Ministers Rights Rewards alone for their pains in preaching exercising their Ministerial Function in their respective Parishes not in Abbies Cathedrals no Parish-Churches for the people to resort unto to which by the Popes Bulls they were unjustly appropriated heretofore To clear this Proposition more fully in all its branches I have observed that there are five sorts of persons of late very busie active both against our Ministers tiths and callings too The first are Souldiers The 2d Anabaptists Dippers Quakers with other late blasphemous Sectaries and Hereticks The 3d. prophane covetous Earthworms and Atheistical Wretches who say in their Hearts and sometimes boldly profess not only by their Lives but with their Tongues in this lawless Age There is no GOD. The 4th prophane ignorant cheating Prognosticators and Astronomers The 5th Jesuites popish Priests and Romish Emissaries sent from all parts to ruine our Ministers and Religion For the first they are either Officers and Common Souldiers and those either such who have gained or purchased Lands since the Wars lyable to Tithes for such who have no Lands at all and so not of present Ability Capacity to pay Tithes Those who have any purchased Lands lyable to Tithes are now so fierce against them for ought I can discern not out of any grounds of piety or Conscience but either out of an unworthy covetous degenerous sordid disposition to ease themselves and their Heirs from this just antient Debt yea a charge of Tithes upon their New cheap Purchases and gain them as an Over-plus into their Bargains to improve their Purchases to an higher value the case of such of them who approve of our Ministers our publick Ordinances and are no Speakers Anabaptists Sectaries Or else a like avaritious Disposition mixed with and heightned by a professed Enmity Malignity against the very Persons Calling of our Ministers whom they usually revile by the names of Baals Priests Black Coats Antichristian Locusts rotten corrupt Clergy-men Seditious Factious Varlets and all other rayling Epithites which Lilly in his late Almanacks and Scurrilous Pamphlets hath furnished them with which they much magnifie This is the Case of such Sword men who are above or against all Ordinances Duties publick or private or Antiscripturists Antitrinitarians Anabaptists Seekers Quakers Asserters of the Souls mortality as rising from and dying with the body of all their ordinary unordained Speakers Preachers infected with any other erronious heretical or blasphemous opinions of all disguised Jesuites Priests Papists under the Profession and Name of Souldiers Those who have no Lands liable to Tithes petition and speak against them either meerly to please their Superior Landed-Officers for fear of being cashiered by them or because they are infected with Anabaptism Jesuitism Errors Blasphemy Schism Arianism Atheism contempt of all publique Ordinances Duties and a bitter Emnity against our Ministers Persons Callings or Intruders into their Office as well as into most other Professions without any Lawfull call These in my Observation and I appeal to every of their own Consciences in the presence of the Searcher of all hearts for the truth of it are the only true Grounds Motives of any Officers or Souldiers present stickling opposition against Tithes and Ministers arising from within them as they are private persons And these unchristian Grounds seconded with the open or under-hand sollicitations of their Anabaptistical Heretical Schismatical Jesuitical Astromatical Friends and acquaintance out of the Army backed with a most impious wretched Sacrilegious Policy to please the simple oppressed deluded Country people in discharging them at present from the payment of Tithes to their Ministers that so they may augment their Taxes to the full value of their abolished Tithes to support themselves and the Army the longer in a body to uphold their Supream enchroached Powers preserve encrease their New Purchases Estates depending wholly upon the New Law and Title of the longest Sword are in my apprehension the only true causes why the General Council of Officers of the Army with the Souldiers under them by their directions as a New created All-swaying Military Corporation have so oft appeared publickly against our Ministers Tithes to abolish them and their Ministry by necessary consequence with them which all other Opponents being inconsiderable were never able to effect but by their armed power These are all the real principles of Piety Conscience if they deserve the Title I could ever yet find amongst them engaging the Army-Officers and Souldiers against Tithes which how inconsistent they are with the real profession or grounds of Christianity Piety Conscience Justice Saintship let their own Consciences and the world resolve and what Censures Execrations Judgements they may in Justice expect from God for such a Sacrilegious Rapine as they intend upon these carnal impious atheistical
then in England to advance their own power profit 2ly It is evident by Rob. Parsons and other Jesuites old Project for Reformation of England when they should get power in it To take away all Lands Manors Benefices and setled Maintenance of the Church from the English Clergy and Universities and make all Ministers and Scholars mere Pensioners and Stipendiaries at their pleasure◠set up Itinerary Preachers fixed to no particular Church like our wandring Quakers Anabaptists Sectaries of late instead of Parochial Pastors of which more anon 3ly Alfonsus de Vargas Toletanus in his Relatio ad Reges Principes Christianos De Stratagematis Politicis Societatis Jesu ad Monarchiam Orbis terrarum sibi conficiendam printed 1641. cap. 40 to 51. proves at large out of the Jesuites own printed Defence and other Writings That these new Doctors of no Conscience no Faith no honesty or shame have perswaded the Emperour and other Kings against their Oaths Trusts Duties Charters the Law of Nations and all Divine and Human Laws that it was lawfull for them upon a pretext of Necessity for the ease of the people and Maintenance of their Wars Souldiers to alienate the Lands Revenues Maintenance of Abbies Religious men and of the Church upon Souldiers for the defence of their Bodies and of the Church that so themselves might gain a share of them for the advantage of their own Societies contrary to the wills intentions of the first Donors and Founders Whereupon he thus justly jeers them cap. 46. p. 222. That the institution of the Jesuites Society peculiarly tends to this that their Colleges should be instituted and Society maintained out of the ruines of the Church and rapines of other mens Goods à quibus Societatis Institutor et Conditor Ignatius cum etiamnum ad legionem bellator esset minime alienus fuisse nec a solita Militum rapacitate quicquam demutasse sine ulla ejus contumelia creditur etsi autem Militiam mutavit ac simul cum Sociorum ne dicam furum manipulo Christo Imperatori Sacramentum dixit non propterea rapinam omnem ejerare necesse habuit c. he remaining a PLUNDERER still after he became a SAINT Seeing the Prophe◠Isay seemeth thus to prophecy both of his Rapine and Wound in his halting Legg cap. 33. Tunc dividentur Spolia multarum praedarum Claudi diripient rapinam Therefore no wonder this Spirit of Rapine continues in his Disciples who doubtlesse have infused the self-same Spirit of Rapine into our Anabaptists and Souldiers into whose Societies they have secretly insinuated themselves somenting and intending to lengthen out our wars so long of purpose to make a prey of our remaining Church-Revenues Rectories Tithes and College lands too at last as they have done of other Church-Revenues already dissipated out of a pretext of Necessity as is most transparant to all Intelligent peoples eyes thereby to destroy our Religion by devouring our Ministers Churches Patrimonies the probable if not inevitable consequence of this Jesuitical project if effected as is most apparent by this notable passage of Roderyck Mors formerly a Grey Fryer in his Complaint and Supplication to the Parliament of England about 37 H. 8. after the Dissolution of Monasteries pertinent to my purpose and as worthy consideration now as then Ye that be Lords and Burgesses of the Parliament House writes he I require of you in the name of my poor Brethren that are Englishmen and Members of Christs Body that ye consider well as ye will answer before the face of Almighty God in the day of judgement this abuse and see it amended When Antichrist of Rome durst openly without any visor walk up and down thorowout England he had so great favour there and his Children had such crafty wits for the Children of this World are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light they had not only almost gotten all the best Lands of England into their hands but also most part of the best Benefices both of Parsonages and Vicarages which were for the most part all improved to them And when they had the gifts of any not improved they gave them unto their Friends of the which alwaies some were learned for the Monks found of their Friends Children at School And though they were not learned yet they kept Hospitality and helped their poor Friends And if the Parsonages were impropred the Monks were bound to deal Almesse to the poor and to keep Hospitality as the writings of the Gifts of such Parsonages and Lands do plainly declare in these words In puram Eleemosynam And as touching the Almesse that they dealt and the Hospitality that they kept every man knoweth that many thousands were well relieved of them and might have been better if they had not had so many great Mens Horse to feed and had not been over-charged with such idle Gentlemen as were never out of the Abbies And if they had any Vicarage in their hands they set in some time some sufficient Vicar though it were but seldom to preach and to teach But now that all the Abbies with their Lands Goods and impropred Parsonages be in temporal mens hands I do not hear tell that one half peny worth of Alms or any other profit cometh unto the people of those Parishes Your pretence of putting down Abbies was to amend that was amiss in them It was far amiss that a great part of the Lands of the Abbies which were given to bring up learnned men that might be Preachers to keep Hospitality and give Alms to the poor should be spent upon a few Superstitious Monks which gave not XL. pound in Alms when they should have given CC. It was amiss that the Monks should have Parsonages in their hands and deal but the XX. part thereof to the poor and preached but once in a year to them that paid the Tithes of Parsonages It was amiss that they scarcely among XX set not one sufficient Vicar to preach for the Tithes that they received But see now how it that was amiss is amended for all the Pretence It is amended even as the Devil amended his Dams Leg as it is in the Proverb when he should have set it right he brake it quite in pieces The Monks gave too little Alms and set unable Persons many times in their Benefices But now where xx pound was yearly given to the poor in more than C. places in England is not one meals meat given This is a fair Amendment Where they had alwaies one or other Vicar that either preached or hired some to preach Now is there no Vicar at all but the Farmor is Vicar and Parson altogether and only an old cast away Monk or Frier which can scarcely say his Mattins is hired for xx or xxx shillings Meat and Drink yea in some places for Meat and Drink alone without any wages I know and not I alone but xx M. mo know more than D. we may now adde 5000. Vicarages