the Rules of Government You undertake and that unto the Bishop the other Part of their Instruction wherein 't is likely that you quit you very well in not seeing their Pulpit in a twelve month once 3. 3. Lastly If as you say the Bishop putteth off his Care to you why may not you do so with yours unto another Besides the Errour last taken notice of I would also ask Why may not also that other whom you trust put off his Care unto a Third that Third unto a Fourth he unto a Fifth and so in Infinitum Till at the last Every Body's work according to our Proverb be no Body's work and you shall make the most Careless business in the World of the most Careful Office that belongeth to it 6. 6th Plea Lastly But the Pluralist hath a Curate that dischargeth all the Duty whereunto himself is bound And to do it by another is as well as if himself had done it It may be better Answ 1. For though too many Curates are but Sorry Things 't is to be fear'd most Pluralists are a great deal worse But 1st We have heard already what a late Invention this of Curates is But if when God commands a Minister to watch and warn to teach and feed his Flock himself the Pluralist thinks still well enough and that he is obedient unto those Commands so long as another doth it for him I would ask him why he should not fulfil all other Commands the same way too Let another Repent Believe Love God and Forsake Sin for him also and not himself And so at last let another be saved for him too and himself be lost for ever The Arguing is as good in the one as in the other Case 2. If another may do it for him why may not La-men as well as Clerks be presented instituted and inducted into Church-Livings also Nay why should Women be excluded from an equal share in such a Priviledge These are as capable of discharging the Duty of those Places by the way of Curates as well as Ministers are and probably it might prove better for the People so than otherwise For we may reasonably think that most of them would make better allowances and so find better Substitutes than the Covetous Pluralist ordinarily doth 3. Once more either the Curate is a bad 3. or good man and worse or better than the Pluralist is himself If he be Bad where is the Conscience to send a Wolf to tend the Sheep Bad Curates are worse than Thieves and Robbers they are Soul-Destroyers And should he be rewarded that sends a man to kill and slay the Peoples Souls If he be but worse than he that sends him what reason is there that we should pay whole wages when but half our work is done What! Give a Master-workmans Hire to one that 's newly come unto and can do little at the Trade If he be good Why should he do all the work and do it well and not have half perhaps not a fifth or seventh or tenth part of the Wages due thereto If better than his Sender too Why should the worst be best rewarded Nay Why one Penny where there is no Pater Noster It seems this is the Hireling and the Curate the True Shepherd And 't is a thousand pities that be so ill deserving should have the Charge and Profit of two Flocks and this with so much merit of none Thus all the Pluralists Pleas are insufficient to save him harmless and that Evil Practice whereof he is indicted must be pronounced hateful both to God and Men. As what is plainly against the Holy Scriptures Antiquity Canons Justice Charity Honour and Prudence too serving none other Ends than of down-right Vngodliness For a Conclusion §. 12. Conclusion with Address in greatest Seriousness unto Pluralists I shall apply my self and briefly to those concerned in the Guilt before detected Fathers and Brethren the practice you are found in appeareth bad above excuse Will you be persuaded to reflect thereon in the fear of God You own your selves For the Churches Service True Sons of the Church of England and can you be persuaded such a behaviour is to her Service and Reputation Do you not know Monopolies in the State are not more mischievous than Pluralities in the Church It were but little to bid you consult your Memories or ask your Fathers for the Odium they have brought of old Whether For men to seek their own and not the things of Christ be not of influence most pernicious and destructive let Holy Scriptures judge How much this evil contributed to her late Calamity cann't be forgotten and how near unto a Death-bed it hath been helping to bring Her now he cann't but see that will not wilfully shut his Eyes Is it nothing to you although Dissenters do reproach Her and Papists ruine Her provided you be at dividing of the Spoil and come in for a Childs part Is this to be Legitimate and no Bastards If the True Mother would not have Her Son divided and so destroyed they are surely false Sons that make no matter though the Mother be served so Again Gods Honour Have you not taken on you a Calling that is most Honourable and yet most Careful of any other in the World you are Gods Ministers Christs Ambassadors Can you sufficiently be concern'd for your Masters Honour and your own Duty And do not your Proceedings plainly argue neglect if not with Scorn to both They make you Labourers and you are Loiterers You undertake to work but yet are idle At very best discharge but half of that you charge your selves withal you are to mind your Masters Service whilst you are only serving of your selves Let others tend and feed the Flock so you make sure of the Fleece Is there any thing else your Practice speaks your care for You dare not to deny that your Commission runs To Preach the Word be instant in and out of season Reprove Rebuke Exhort with all Long Suffering and Doctrine To feed all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers and so to feed them with you as not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind You do it not and are uncapable in far distant Congregations were you of never so ready a mind Lastly The Souls committed to you And Souls Salvation their Peoples and their own and undertaken by you should make you tremble both for them and for your selves when you consider how carelesly you treat them both To talk of taking care by others when God expects it by your selves is vain and idle is vile and unexcusable Will it pass with you to bid your Servant do such or such a business carefully that is of great concernment to you and he shall take his ease and pleasure and without your privity set another to perform it any how Will a Prince endure that his Ambassador Commission'd and Equipped for an Affair of his Crown and
A DISCOURSE OF PLURALITIES With the APPENDANT NON-RESIDENCE Evincing the Great EVIL in TAKING And Necessary DUTY of FORSAKING Them By him that would approve himself a faithful Minister of God Take heed unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers Act. 20.28 For the love of Money is the Root of all Evil but thou O man of God flee these things 1 Tim. 6.10 11. LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Sign of the Bible and Three Crowns in the lower end of Cheapside 1680. TO THE READER Curteous Reader THere was lately Published a little Piece Intituled An Endeavour for Peace among Protestants the aim whereof was upon Christian Charitable and Safe Condescensions on the Churches part as the Author thought to reconcile unto her Communion those who most unhappily had been so long Dissenters from it What the success thereof will prove 't is only time can afford a Judgment But the mean while 't is very evident That Pluralities the Possessors and Abettors whereof are both so numerous and so powerful must be Back-friends to the Design which is built on Self-denial besides the many other Injuries that they are guilty of towards God our State and Church therein as will be seen hereafter If therefore this Discourse which owneth its Original meerly to those Thoughts shall by the Almighty's blessing prosper any thing towards the Cure of such an Evil the Author will receive an Ample Reward However his Work is with the Lord and Labour shall not be in vain in him But his Prayer must be That Gospel Ministers may ever serve the Lord Jesus and not their own Belly not seeking their own but the things which are Jesus Christs and that these Papers may be serviceable to the purpose whereto all good men whether others hear or do forbear will readily say Amen AGAINST PLURALITIES ALthough I nothing doubt §. 1. Introduction but that some good and honest minds what with the laws connivance at it others example in it and their own defect of serious thoughts about it have been unhappily snared in the foulest guilt of holding More-Cures-than-one the very distance whereof bars all possibility of their discharging duly the Duties that belong unto them yet there is cause to fear that in the Crowd of such Delinquents there may be others found who are plainly of their number on whom the blessed Paul imprints that blackest Character of Suppposing Gain Godliness And certain 't is that this Vnchristian Practice gives but too much occasion to the People for crying out of All therein engag'd in St. Peters words That through Covetousness they do make Merchandise of them For who can see a Person setled in a Benefice which doth not only comfortably support him and his Family but hath to spare the common Case and here reflected on yet grasping on another that he cann't attend one but will be apt to conclude 'T is not the work of Christ but Mammon of Vnrighteousness whereto he is a Votary And how many such sad Spectacles may a little Traveller in this Kingdom meet with and yet the wonder is not great if now as heretofore and in this Church as well as in the Primitive men shall be found and in the Sacred Office who serve not our Lord Jesus but their own Bellies The fairest Crop of Wheat may have some Tares therein Honey it self is not without its filth and scum nor is the richest Ore quite free from Dross It ought not therefore to cast a worse reflection on the English Clergy that some bad men creep in among them than 't was disgraceful to the Blessed Apostles that Judas was of their Society 'T is pity any should be so like him as to pretend Christs service when they only mean their own by carrying of his Bag. And those concerned ought to bestow sad thoughts upon it that though that wretch made shift a while severest Vengeance was not long in overtaking of him yea 't is observable that his Hypocrisie was no sooner manifested than Notoriously stigmatized also John 12.6 A fair direction for guiding us upon the like occasion who may not therefore spare their open great miscarriage that seeming to be Christs Disciples do tread so plainly in his Steps that did betray him I will not say to the Non-resident Pluralist as Nathan did to David Thou art the man yet cannot but with grief observe they are too like in this respect Both seek their own and not the things which are Jesus Christs For 't is notorious §. 2. Case stated that we have great numbers of those Ministers in this distressed Church whom a Single Cure of Souls sufficient to make a serious man cry out with Paul Who is sufficient for it although endowed not only with a Competent but abundant Maintenance cannot content but they must seize upon another the remote distance whereof besides the most important and tremendous work belonging thereunto makes it impossible that both should be attended by them A course so evil in it self and of so bad and fatal Influence both on our Church in general the particular Congregations that are concerned and those Ministers own Immortal Souls that words are wanting fully to Express the vileness of it Surely 't is no rash Sentence in him that saith Pluralities are the Pest of the Church and Bane of our Religion Which I shall hope will not be disappointed of all good mens Suffrages even those that hitherto may by surprise have been entangled in this snare when once they hear what Cogent Arguments lye against it and what Clear Answers unto all Pleas for it Of both these in their order and as briefly as the Case will bear The Arguments are these that follow 1. § 3. Arguments against Pluralities They war against Scripture 2. Antiquity is a Stranger to them 3. They are doom'd by Councils 4. Are against Justice 5. And Charity 6. And Honour 7. And Prudence 8. Serving only to Vice and naughtiness 1. 1. Argument against Scripture Pluralities make open War against the Scriptures I mean not only because there is not in them any Title of Precept or Example to encourage them but they are plainly condemned there Should any ask for a Particular Law in Terms unto this purpose it might not happily be absurd to answer that Ap. Plutarch Romul as Romulus made not any such against Parricide because he judged so great a Villany was not incident unto human nature so probably the Sacred Pen-men might in this case forbear as being loath to think that such a Monster should e're be hatch'd in the Church of Christ And give me leave to note it that as Rome could not afford an instance of that Unnatural Barbarism until about six hundred years were past from the building of that City So Christianity was not pesterd with this grievous Plague till full as many years or more had been elapsed from the first Birth and Infancy of the same
Drones who feed and fatten on the sweat of others brows And most men in their hearts Ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent wishing the Magistrate would speedily put his hands thereto 8. §. 10. 8th Argument serveth only to mens Corruptions Lastly The Pluralities spoken of are only serviceable unto Covetousness Ambition Pride Luxury Sloth and Vniversal Vnconscionableness in the whole Christian and Ministerial Calling For Proof do but consider duly what hath been already spoken and consult your senses therewithal and more there is not need of He that can shew the man that is not bated but increased in his Diligence Sobriety Humility Modesty Liberality and Vniversal Conscience in Religion by Pluralities Erit mihi magnus Apollo shall be esteemed one that hath made an Observation which the whole World hath hitherto been a perfect Stranger to So many Evident Proofs being therefore made against Pluralities the Bill must needs be found a Verdict given and Sentence past thereon for Condemnation of them But what Criminal is there §. 11. Pleas urg'd and answer'd but will say something for himself or what Cause so bad but that one Plea or other shall be made for it We shall therefore fairly hear what the Delinquent with whom we have to do can plead in the defence or at the least excuse of the Guilt imputed to him 1. 1st Plea Learned and Good Ministers have been found to do so and it hath been used for many ages in the Church Admit That Learned and Good Men too Answer have done it for who am I to judge mens States with God nor dare I but to maintain such thoughts of some neither sound Learning and much less True Godliness could prompt them to it as by what above appeareth All Stories and the most Sacred too afford too many Instances of some Good Mens great Miscarriages And the very Best do yet know but in part and can therefore do not better However we are to follow a very Paul but as he doth Christ As for the length of time wherein it hath been used we heard before how Old it was younger by a great many hundred years than Christianity and born with Antichrist But could it write a great deal Elder what were it worth whilst we can truly say From the beginning it was not so This Plea is therefore Silenc'd by St. Cyprian Custom without Truth is but the Antiquity of an Errour Consuetudo sine veritate est vetustas erroris Ep. ad Pomp. prop. fin 2d Plea Answer 2. The Law allows with Qualification to take another Church What Ecclesiastical Laws require you in the Case hath been heard already and in a perfect Contradiction to this Plea And a man would think that Good Church-Laws should have no little value with Good Church-men Doubtless if the Church forbid though the State allow such men as those soon know not only that forbearance is the safer Choice but manifest Duty to them However no Humane Laws whatever Rome shall say can dispense with the Law of God and that we have already found most peremptory in the Negative Touching the Common or the Statute Laws with us I must confess great ignorance in them but yet that worthy Knight and Lawyer too Pars Couns p. 1. C. 7. Sir Simon Degge will tell you That the Commons of England always complained against Pluralities and Non-residence and many Parliaments under several Popish Kings mov'd for several Penalties against them And whatsoever allowance in that Case is made by Law was done in times of Popery which gives no cause to Protestants to be fond thereof This I am sure of Those that will think all good that Humane Laws whensoever made allow of must quickly think many thing bad which Divine Laws enjoyn us And then let them pass for never so Loyal Subjects to their Temporal Prince they must prove Rebels to the King of Kings 3. 3d. Plea Two smaller though far distant Parishes may be better cared for by one Minister than many a single Great One in some Towns and Cities especially London 'T is somewhat odd methinks to offer this Comparison If it be meant Answer that there are some so exceeding numerous Congregations that they are too great a Charge for the best qualified Minister to undertake I say that first 'T is pity but the State should take meet care about it either by making more Churches or providing more Ministers for them next that no man is compell'd to take up a burden of this kind as is like to break his back Lastly That if he be engaged already he must either lay it down or take in help unto him to be sure at least he is obliged to lay out the utmost of himself therein and then he may have hopes of a more than ordinary blessing with him But for Two Places and far distant it is not possible that a single Person can discharge the Duty of them both and therefore 't is a mockery to talk of doing it better when it cann't be done at all 4. 4th Plea All Church-Livings are the Churches Common Bank and therefore She may dispose thereof at Her discretion provided all the Churches shall be taken care of duly 1. Answ 1. But we see Pluralities never suffer such due Care to be taken of all particular Congregations wants And who would make new ventures where all before him had miscarried 2. And then not only Two but Ten or Twenty 2. or an Hundred Cures or more for what should hinder if supplies be made may be assigned to one man And this were a Monopoly I think the boldest Pluralist would never seek a Patent for 3. nay wherefore truly 3. should not the Bishop take all the Profits of all the Livings within his Diocess into his own hands allowing Pensions which he thought convenient to those that should officiate in the several Parishes 4. Lastly But we do see that Glebes 4. and Tythes ought both of Right and do by Law belong unto particular Parish-Churches whence they arise and for encouragement of those particular Ministers who labour and take pains among them as was before evinced 5. 5th Plea Why But indeed the Bishop hath the Care of all the Churches in his Diocess be they never so many Why may not then a Presbyter take the Care of Two and put one other in his room as he doth many 1. Answ 1. Had we nothing else to say but that not mens Example but Gods Word must be our Rule that were enough to baffle this Pretence We heard before where God hath made men Watchmen or Overseers they owe a Personal Attendance on the respective Flocks and all among them 2. 2. Our Bishops Charge lies purely here to see as far as in him lieth that you discharge your duty to the Flock and they to you and unto one another and all to God or else to deal with Both or Either according to