and inheritances and he alledges for it divers of those principles which before as not borrowing of him we alledged to this purpose whence also we hope We have not been mistaken because we finde his vote consenting and strengthning ours As K. Edwards Law K. Aethelstanes Law K. Edmonds Law K. Edgar Knout and the Confessour beside the Conquerours Heu tot sancitas per plurima saecula leges Hauserit una dies hora una perfidus error as he exclaims Shall one mans days change all so many and the fruit of best humane wisdome so ripened by time and grown as an Oak by leisurely degrees to greatest Maturity of strength be pulled down by sudden revocation If the things were lawfully conferred as none can doubt but they were so lawfully Then let us consider says he how fearfull a thing it is to pull them from God! to rend them from the Church to violate the dedications of our Fathers the Oaths of our Ancestours the Decrees of so many Parliaments and finally to throw our selves into those horrible curses that the whole Kingdome hath contracted with God as Nehemiah and the Jews did Nehem. 10. should fall upon them if they transgress herein Say then that Tythes were not Originally due unto God c. yeâ— are we in the case of Nehemiah and the Jews Nehem. 10. 32. They made Statutes by themselves to give every year the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of God And so our Fathers made Laws among themselves to give a portion of their Land and the tenth part of their substance that is the Parsonages for the service of the house of God Deut 23. 20. If they were not due before they are now due For When thou vowest a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not be slack to pay it for Jehovah thy God will surely require it of thee and â—o it should be sin unto thee Therefore see Act. 5. 4. If the King give a gift of his inheritance to his son Ezek. 46. 17. his son shall have it If he give it to his servant his servant shall have it their times If the King then give a gift to his Father that is God Almighty shall not he have it or the servant to his Master and Maker shall not he enjoy it Who hath power to take that from God which was given unto him if not by vertue of any command from yet according to his word c. Thus far that learned and pious Knight Which yet I have not transcribed so fully as I meant because the words of the Laws alledged by him in the sense we doe and for proof of the same conclusion were represented in words at length before upon occasion And yet thus much too was needful to shew consent that we vent not nor invent of our own but of the same words make construction to the same purpose and have the same apprehension of things upon the same grounds he both had and gave Premises and Conclusion the same from the same for singularity either of opinion or proof brings always with it some suspition We see he saith here proveth that beside Canonical Natural Moral and as it seems unto him Divine Law our Civil Laws have added whatever of strength they can give to create a Topical and English Political home-right of Dominion Power Jure Soli as they use to speak as well as Jure Poli to settle these Dues where they are The former may have been our Ancestory Principles and Rules which guided them at first in settling as they did and with these many things else But now we little need to go so far unless ex abundanti for Surplusage of strength for however it may have been disputable at first of the Natural or Moral right as of sundry other things Manours Honours Inheritances c. which concerneth also the Indians yet or other Infidel Nations in state that ours once was of To be converted where nothing publick hath been done or passed for them Yet as when Ananias and Sapphira had given the state of things was altered and their Duty or Danger So here the Pactional and Civil having made chains of continual and successive binding Ordinances to hold retain and keep these things fast and thus Now the principles may stand by the inference being justly made stablished and of force and without further inquiry the Stated Made Right must be here enough or None have with us any thing This worthy and Worshipful Knight whose degree gave him not so much title to those honouring Epithetes as his Worth and true Worthiness as we would call it Worthy-ship and who honoured his Titles as much as They Him was a man singularly Learned profoundly Judicious of most tender conscience and lively quick zeal and love of his God and Christ and that his flock which we call the Church no way interessed save to his own prejudice and by his lay condition rendred incapable to reap any fruit of this Harvest hee here so earnestly strives to defend from spoile nor like to eat a bit of that bread he here so zealously defends in behalf of the true owners Memoria justi in benedictionibus yet it pleased God to stir up his heart and he that touched the Prophet Esays lips Es 6. 7. with a coal from the Altar no doubt touched his heart and quickned and directed his minde to indite and his pen to write and set down many profound and unanswerable arguments for truth against sacriledge kept secret from those that stand always in the house of the Lord in the Courts of the house of our God as the Psalmist speaks Psal 135. 2. the professed and dedicated servants and Votaries of the Temple and because uninteressed to make him the fitter and more likely to be successful Champion of Justice Truth and true Religion in their outward visible supports then those whose known interesses would always have taken of and diminished from the worth or effect of their sufficient or never so well-meant undertakings and performances Which outward supports let them be stirred when they will men may dream and think they prophesie but an ordinary Humane eye can in reason probably fore-see nothing but very soon too sure the decay of Religion the fall of the Church as to outward frame order and support and Christian piety it self I speak in humane consideration still ready to falâ—flat down to the ground or degenerate into Natural God can sustain it miraculously feed his servants waiting on the Ministery thereof now as he did his people in the Wilderness 1 Kings 17. 6. or the Prophet Elijah by a Raven or yet more miraculously without any meat at all or perhaps in as equally strange and wonderful way by the men of this world their voluntary Benevolence But speak according to inferiour probabilities as things depend here on their causes or in humane expectation which is to be our lower rule and
gentes aliud constituerunt Cum autem lex civilis aliud constituit a eam observari debere jus ipsum naturae dictat Grot. de jur Bell. 2 2. sect 5. the Kings and so generally we are ruled by our selves Our own law is the measure of our own right we have that and that alone but that firm and it is injury and that injury alone to dispossess us of that our own nationall home-binding Laws have setled as they have That is Here nothing else right or wrong Some seem to go farther in requiring to property in the Common-wealth a right in Religion to have a right in Christ or none in the Creature for whose sakes is that question cut out An dominium temporale fundetur in gratia or as others An gratia sit fundamentum dominii temporalis but besides that the discussion hereof moves properly in another sphere I beleeve if they be understood aright their desires may not be altogether irregular for of that Civill Right we speak of they require and seem to have enough in Civill determinations To purifie so the conscience in the sight of God they may say perhaps we must have more our nature amended by Christ sanctified and by application of him himself owned and so only to the Pure are all things Thus pure But to peace and order and right among men here the determinations of the lower scene are enough and he breaks humane laws that couzens or steals what is but so setled by them and by consequent Gods because Mans. It were hard to say that as on the one side a sanctified man should finde no more sweet in Gods blessings of the same kinde then a heathen or a publican so on the other that any should be so vain to think that a wicked man is thereby an out-law having no faster seat in his possessions then that a godly neighbor may turn him our of doors to morrow and by vertue of his share in Christ the heir of all things create himself a principality in present of all the wicked mens wealth in the world The Indian is sure master of his own gold and spices the King of Spain of his Indies and a Jew or Turk of their severall Owns nor can the most deboist Ruffian amongst us worse in some regard then Turk Spaniard or Indian but be so true and rightfull a Master of his own wealth that his most hellish wickedness cannot turn him out of it in this world unless his prodigality do that he should be henceforth a thief of his own wine or cates or so meer an usurper that any of Gods servants may usurp from him indeed and rob him as the Israelites did the Egyptians in equity and conscience Far be this from every one has truly learned Christ so to think or do 'T is fit every swine have his own stye every dog be let alone in own kennell The grace of Christ teaches us to use our own not censure others to be thankfull for what we have not covet what is other mens There were that it hath been laid to their charge they have endevoured to subvert those laws to bring in the Civill and do some such things as Stephen was accused to say Jesus of Nazareth meant To change the Ordinances that Moses gave them Acts 6. 14. vid. Cap. 21. 21. So these what K. Alured St Edward King Edward Henry Elizabeth James and other Law-founders have with much bounty of wisdome distributed out unto us But if this would have been such a transcendent attempt both of folly and tyranny that it would have ushered in more injury then ever the Conqueror could who changed the Governor but could not the Laws kept and was forced to keep that body intire only he set himself a new head at top and would have rendred them questionless guilty of that Crimen laesae Majestatis or highest offence whereof Glanvill speaks in the very beginning of his Book De nece vel seditione domini Regis vel Regni leaving little else for a foraign Enemy to do sith the taking off these would consequentially have taken away all things For pretend they to amend hereby what they would bring in the twelve Tables the politicall part of the wise Alcoran the Partidaes of Spain Arrests of France or whole voluminous bulk of Justinian and Accursius there could have followed nothing else with us but unsetledness of all mens estates which are the gift of our Law alone and by that alone guarded and preserved disorder ignorance multiplicity uncertainty and to those that had any thing the worst undoing even by law and that this should settle them besides their own all they are now owners of For new instruments must have a new work a new-fashioned rule draw a new-formed line a new Law have a new Righteousnesse and so our Fees Socages Burgages Claims Entries c. would all have been put out of their old course into another that new and perhaps not consistent with our Government perhaps not with our selves and in a word a New right and what were then become of the old and All as many as had any thing by it Some would have stuck to this others to that another parcell to neither a fourth only to the right that we had and is best because fittest and used loath to stay in Babylon when they saw hopes of Sion while in the mean time all vary and Sion is made no better then Babylon No whole part can tell whither to take and unity being gone thereby a new sad way paved in division to war poverty ruine desolation and by Anarchy extreme disorder and very confusion Let them bear their rebuke whosoever they be that should have attempted things so monstrously exorbitant and full of sin as well as injustice All 't is like would have been hereby at stake if not All lost for our Law gives and preserves us All and the taking away this or changing must needs then have taken away or indangered All According to what a Lord Chief Justice said not long since The Law is the most common birth-right that the Subject hath for the safeguard and defence not only of Goods Lands and Revenue but of Wife and Children body fame and life Cook Instit 1. and Bracton before Justitiu dat unicuique quod suum est lib. 1. cap. 4. All is the bequest of Justice and the parent and guide thereof is the Law And thus my Porch or preparatory Preface seems well nigh finished raised upon six Pillars as I take it of firmnesse enough touching the nature ground rise growth strength and perfection of ours and all Civill Rights There may have been some mistake in tempering the morter disordering the materials or blemishing the whole by unskilfull handling but the truths howsoever seem solid and their use enough chiefly in this relating for which they were given to all follows That if this be the nature of Civill Right and All mens best and tythes have This
there ex mera liberalitate nullo jure cogente Or if the 4 Donari videtur quod nullo jure cogente conceditur F. de diversis reg II 82. Divine law did inforce then how are they in this sense clearly given I answer well enough as well as a man may give that which God had said before he should give or do that freely which the scripture yet irreversibly commands he should do Give an Alms to a poor man says the Scripture which man does of himself the rather for that command freely and yet the divine Law was inforce and obeyed to part with that a man was not bound to part with Give the seventh part of thy time says the fourth Commandment yet 't was a voluntary 1 Quarto decimo statuitur loco ut Dominicus d es legitima veneratione à cunctis celebretur sitque Divino tantum cultui dedicatus Omissisque exterioribus negotiis atque secularium conventibus atque itâ—neribus nisi inexcusabilis quaelibet causa urgeat religiosae conversationis ac benè vivendi normulam de sacrae scripturae eloquiis subjectis famulis praedicando insinuene Sed hoc quoque deceâ—nitur quod eo die sive per alias festivitates majores populus per Sacerdotes Dei ad ecclesiam saepiùs invâ—tatus ad audiendum verbum Dei conveniat missarumque sacramentis ac doctrinae sermonibus frequentiùs adsit Concil Cloves an Chr. 747. cap. 14. apud D. Sâ—elman concil Britan. pag. 2â—9 Die dominico nihil aliud agendum est nisi Deo vacandum in hymnis psalmis canticis spiritalibus Excerpt Egbert 104. circa an Chr 750. th pag. 268. And for the forbearing of working hunting mercating impleading c. are other fuller Laws How the master should be punished how the servant c. which by degrees brought off men from their accustomed common employments vid. L. Inae Regni 3. circa ann 710. in Lambard Archaion pa 1. Spel n Concil p 183. Concil Bergamsted ad ann 697. can 10 11 12 ib. pag. 195. Excerp Egbert 36. pag. 262. Foedus Edvardi Gutharin regum cap. 7 9. apud Lambard Arch. pag 43. agreeing with those under the title of Leges Eccles ab Alured Guth R. L. latae cap 10 11. apud Spelm. pag. 3â—7 L Ecclesiast Aeâ—helstani R. circa an 928. cap. 6. ib. pag. 400. Constit Odonis circa ann 943. cap. 9. ib. pag 417. Leg. Eccles Edgari R. ad an 967. cap. 5. ib. pag. 445. cap. 6. pag. 446. Canones dati sub Edgar cap. 19. ib. pag. 4â—0 Concil Aenham circa ann 1009. K. 30. L. Eccles Canuti R. circa ann 1032 cap. 14 15 apud Lambard pag. 103. L. Eccles Canuti cap 14 Capitulare inversi temporis authoris cap. 14. in Spelman pag. 600. All which things and the re-inforcement of so many do shew how hardly men were drawn off their own wayes what need the Commandment of God hath of the abetting law of man that it may take place and how clearly and fully that may be after given by man which God appointed to be given And this 't is like a that alone which gave the due Sabbath day to God here with us Act of our State that in obedience to that command but freely in it self set aside this part here with us They might or they might not else they had not been free but now besides the fourth Command it is secondly due to humane Justice appointing it to have the Sabbath sanctified So Give the Lord the Tenth with a good eye is interpreted to us the heavenly Oracle yet when the believers came to obey they did it freely which they might not have done Nullo jure cogente that is none of the same sort none on the same floor no humane lower positive law having set aside any thing or commanded though the higher Divine law had bound it to be more then expedient which yet might not have been obeyed The summe is God may have said the Tenth should be paid Man have not obeyed but he did and gave by the perswasive influence of Divine command that which was his own and he was bound by no humane Law before to have given and so here is a a commanded obeyed and yet free and voluntary Donation But to go on Donation which was as before is divided into 1 Donationum alia simplex pura sc quae nullo jure civili vel naturali cogente nullo pretio metu vel vi interveniente ex mera gratuita liberalitate donantis procedit Item alia fit ob causam vbi sc causa interponitur ut aliquid fiat vel non fiat c. Et hoc genus donationis impropriè dicitur donatâ—oâ— Bract. lib. 2. cap. 5. sect 3. free absolute illimited and meerly voluntary or sub modo under limitation or Condition as Do ut des or Do ut faciat c. Now although this be in it self more avoidable as letting out into more ways of evasion yet if the thing conditioned be of evident necessity as I give that thou shouldst preserve this man from starving to do such a thing necessary in publick or for the service of God which is most necessary or the like Now in this case the necessity of performance mounts up with the needfulness of the thing depending for it is more expedient that such necessary things in themselves should not be left undone then any ones simple declared single will thrung in to take place which yet in Justice ought though in this necessity comparatively it ought not Further who may give and 't is answered All that are under no prohibition As are 2 Dare autem non poterunt illi qui generalem rerum suaâ—uÌ„ non habent administrationem sicut sunt minores incarceraâ— surdi muti naturaliter furiosi c. Fleta Iob. 3. cap. 3. sect 10. those that have no power of themselves as Pupils who are like to make their condition 3 Vid. Bract. de acquirend rerum dom fol. 12. worse though they may contract to benefit though not to loss and for this reason the Church also 4 Vice autem minoris fungitur Ecclesia Dei id ib. fo 32. Cook Instis 1. fol 34 sect 644. Agreeing with the like favour of the Civill law which is alwayes as a Minor likewise the deaf and dumb c. nor the 5 Idem dicendum erit in rectoribus Ecclesiarum qui nihil possident nisi nomine Ecclesiae suae unde nihil dare possunt alienare vel permutare nisi de consensu episcopi vel patroni nisi inde melioretur conditio Ecclesiae Si autem deterioretur non valet quia sit eis donatio secundario sicut maximè patet in ipsa dedicatione etiam post dedicationem Do Deo Ecclesiae tali c. Bracton ubi supra person of a Church because he is in possession but in right of his Church and so
age when it was hard to keep all from reclining and relapsing to flat Idolatry For they had lately worshipped stocks and stones and given the immediate issues of their soules in their thanks praise and All devotions to the works of their own hands 3 The names of sundry Idols here worshipped before the Gospel enlightened And as the Pagan Romans made theirs praeside over the daves of the week whence Dies Solis Dies Luna Mercurit Martis c. So here they called the dayes from them if not more and we yet retain the memoriall thereof in Sunday Moonday Tuiscoâ—day or Tuesday Wodensday Thorsday Freaday Seaterday More appearance of truly evil then in some other things in jealousie branded for Idolatrous See Verstegan Antiq. pag. 10 11. pa 68 69 c. Tuisco Woden Thor Frea Seater 4 Herthus Suevorum Borealium Germanorum Dea perinde corum Anglorum qui cum Saxonibus Britanniam nostram applicantes nomen nostratibus reliquerunt Cultum immanitatem Deae refert Tacitus in Mor. Germ. Rendigni deinde Aviones Angli Varint in commune Hertum id est Terram matrem colunt camque intervenire rebus hominum invehi populis arbitrantur Stoneheng in Wilishire thought to have been a Temple to this Goddesse in plain English The Earth Vid. Spelm. Gloss pa 350 in Herthus Herthus Flint 5 Verstegan pa 79 80 Ermensewl 6 The Goddesse of Hunters and Falconers worshipped at Rihall in the edge of Rutlandshire near Stanford vid. Caâ—â—den Britan. in Rutlandshire Another place of note for like worship whereto was God â—â—anham in Bede's time Godmundingham near Beverley in Yorkshire by the priest thereof Coyefi profaued and delivered over to Christian worship id pag 702 S. Pauls in London was dedicate to Diana some Houses adjoyning are called Dianaes Chambers yet The Church of Westminster to Apollo id in Middlesex God blesse uâ— I shal we ever live to fear the return of these Banished and forgotten Idols to their native homes Or the removall of what fast kept them out being banished give cause of that Fear Tibba 7 Or Oster a Goddesse giving denomination to the Month of April called by the Saxons Oster monat we yet retain the name of Easter thence hapning usually in that month Eoster and such other sometimes worshipped for Gods and Goddesses here whose names are now either almost happily forgotten or if remembred not very easie to be understood But it seems the Holy Christian Swithune joyned in with his formerly pupill now Lord and King to keep him close in him vertually and potentially All to the heavenly teaching of the Bible and that the doctrine thereof might continue they added this pillar of worldly maintenance the having a hand wherein might procure Swithune so reverend an estimation in Christians memories ever since according to the patern in the mount their guide Levi of the Old Testament To sustain and provide for the Preachers and Ministers thereof And God so blessed that as that gift has remained sacred and inviolable hitherto so by it the ministration and Ministers of sacred Christian Mysteries have had a subsistence ever since and endowed preachers been as so many Candlesticks then set up which resting on this pillar have held forth that light of heaven which yet we enjoy to this present day Future superstitions may have made unnecessary additions and the honour justly given to the memory of this good man for a work so gloriously deserving in the name and reputation of a Christian Saint have contracted after rust and blemish by the zealous ignorance of times and men who not content save to overdoe nor esteeming reverence any thing without worship and adoration thought the Saint not enough unlesse he were advanced higher to the name and reputation of a Divus or petty-God and so partaking now in nearnesse of kinde as well as name with his Soveraign must not wait any longer about the footsteps of the Throne but be lifted up to sit higher on some lower seats of honour with his maker which cast a blemish on the very Purity of heaven and as one said made the Christian world begin to be ashamed of nothing more then of her Saints which were indeed the honour and glory of the world But howsoever the work was gracious and glorious of wonderfull influence to the piety of all following times such as may speak it self accessory to much of the practised publick Worship that hath been exercised ever since to Christ his honour in our land and hardly to be parallelled by any act of equal dimensions save perhaps the contrary work of darknesse if mens covetousnesse should be so far hearkened to in with-drawing this support in order and preparation to the destruction of Religion it self and bringing Apostasie to that we had before Tythes were paid Tuisco Woden Thor Frea c. or if these be forgot taking up that is nearer hand and known the sensuall dreams of Mahomet though such 1 Which they may have from the Mosaical law Selden Hist of Tythes c. 3 sect ult Ioan. Baptista Alfaqui who had been a Mahometan priest sayes 't is one of the â—reat sins whereof the two inquisitour Angels examine souls after death Whether they have paid Tythes duly Paget Haeresiogr in the Postscript The dreadfull manner is set forth by M. Pâ—rchas lib 3. cap. 12. p. 304. Edit 1614 worshippers pay their Tythes duly or indeed no one can foresee probably what And if these be not the dreames of some troubled minde but the sober and well-advised thoughts of one jealous for the honour of His God not the melancholick muses of some distempered fancy but the calm and well-composed serious consultations of one tenderly carefull and tremblingly fearfull about the honour of his beleeved Saviour and Redeemer prudently casting what may be yet providently fore-casting it may not be and yet but reasonably doubting too what is like to be grounded onely on rationall conjectures and accompanied with manly feares lest Christ his name should be wiped off from the earth His honour disparaged His worship undermined His faith destroyed and Himself forgotten where he hath been worshipped for a God It would then be thought on again and again by all those who pretending to worship Christ can think of undoing his Ministers and in or with love of the Master give themselves leave to doubt whether they may strip of their Own his Servants that doe his Publick work leaving Religion as naked as in the day she was born here to be covered by meer Charity of the Parish or provided for by some slack and slender weekly allowance And then which cannot come a worse mischief intrusting the Religion of the most High God and its stability to the tottering contributions of fickle Men who if they be of one minde to day may be of another to morrow what now they love then loathing and always esteeming their wealth dearly cannot but be
men Generally injoy with us and they have enough in Any by All meeting is here a Conspiration of at least a treble sufficiency Bless we God who hath not left the support of his Gospel Here to the Good will of Men and uncertain tottering voluntary Contributions but as was said at beginning hath given habitation to this truth with us in England Firm and Stable and by the helping seconding acts of favouring state raised and established as to the outward frame and support thereof his Temple on the Mount of the same materials and under equal shelter of temporal strength and firmness with the lower buildings of the valley The Church is as strong stands as fast as the mannour house and even as much Lower Law for the Civil Temporal Right of these Dues as any other mens Possessions or Inheritances do lay claim to for their sufficient supportation This is the Lords doing and wonderfull in our eys and so let it be also gracious and the occasion of much thankfulness with his People Looked upon as no other then a Work of his Very favourable providence for the safe and long Continuance of his own honour and one of those comforts that may be among the Greatest to those that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity A means of firm establishment of the Gospels Ministery and to hold out that blessed light of the Christians Law to us which may be a Lamp to our feet and a Lantern to our paths to guide us into the ways of peace in exclusion of Saturn Jupiter Mahomet Frea Thor Woden or whosoever shall go about to recover or obtain a place of honour in our Temples now dedicated to the honour of the most high God and his Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Ghost to whom be all honour and glory in Them and through the World for ever and ever And all these things made good too by no other then those have been reputed most proper strengths The Laws of the Land No other Language almost used no other Books or but rarely cited Among that world of Volumes that are of other things and some on this subject in another way yet none chosen or stuck to but these the most of them such and so classical and authoritative that they make the Judgment even of the very Judges I desire may here not unseasonably be awaked to present remembrance and due observation which was laid down before but had There so much amplification because it was to have here its present use and operation and it is that This Law is here below in this World The onely Vmpire of all things the Rule of Right the Judge of Own the Stinter of Strifes and the only Didoes Thong that makes out the Line by which the Limit is drawn that fences Severals from the Common and among themselves the onely Donor and Continuer Preserver Sustainer and Establisher of Every mans Due and Own by which he hath to himself What he hath and No one else hath any thing to do with His Right or Inheritance that gives the Master more then the Servant the Gentleman more then his Tenant the Nobleman more than his Fermour or the rich and wealthy Merchant then his neighbour Mechanick intitles him to his Land or Rent fences in his Inclosure pales his park makes a Thief that enters and takes and carries away and inables him to ask and have and sue and obtain and recover against the most stubborn and unconscionable injustice Whereby he is so far as he is Lord and Master of All things The Law I say The Law it self doth this Alone apportioning thus to every one certainly and justly to every fellow-Commoner His Own in how much disproportion of Quantity soever with the same Equality of Justice to one man Delicates to Another but bread to One Silks to Another Frize to him Robes to the other scarce Rags All this doth one and the self same law ministring to each as it listeth whether a Mite or a Talent a Garden or a Field a Palace or a Cotage And if Then this Law should fail this Rule by any device be Made to warp and this Strong Spring prove now too weak in its full force by all Authority to bring in known dues to Some who have the same claim with All who assures that not to Others also who can pretend to expect by no further or stronger If this Judge should not be able to make good his sentence If this bountifull hand should wither and prove short to reach out allotted proportions to Whomsoever under equall reason of Right now Who distinguishes the Sinews or can warrant their Office long to quicken and actuate those fingers must reach to the wealthy Their plenty and abundance Or not rather doubt their weakness or strength quickness or deadness life and vigour or lost power and infirmity may have together and to All as proceeding fom the same Cause of liveliness or obstruction the same Uniformity This is the Basis whereon all is settled the Rock whereon all is placed the great Bottom whereon all is imbarqued that in England we call Goods and kept a floating If any should think himselfe so cunning with his malice prompted on by his Covetousness for it can be nothing else that He thinks he can sink a part boring a hole at that end where his neighbours Goods are laid up the servants of publick holy work their wealth and sustenance is treasured without further regard to the Community within Let him take heed ere long he hear Not the lowd and shrill Complaints with fearfull Out-cries of all his fellow perishing Merchants who are preserved in and by the same and whose property and safety must all by Consequent be in danger to be lost or gained sink or swim Together to satisfie the greedy desires of those that come plainly enough within the compass of 1 Iam. 4 2 3. St. James his Character Ye covet and quarrell and ask and yet ye have not because ye would consume it on your lusts And let great Possessours Chiefly look to themselves for c. I was going on to due and nearer application but the figure Aposiopesis lays my hand upon my lip and forbids to speak meaning well what may be ill interpreted and therefore prudently and silently let this inference be left to the working of every one 's own Christian and reasonable thoughts Onely this I cannot but add That there are seen great disproportions in the World and some have notable advantage thereby The Ground of All which is the Law There are very great heaps injoyed with security and none dares now touch the property of the rich and wealthy in a farthing If this be touched and removed or violated the bound is going that keeps All from primitive Community And Therefore they should think much hereon who Have much to lose They should love to keep the Fence whole who would not have All Common the boldness must be
but must abuse his own Credit and his Masters trust the expectation from a Servant and interest in a Master both together for a Talent of Silver perhaps some spending money to his former means and two changes of Garments the superfluities of a Ward-Robe and how ended the business The Leprosie of Naaman cleave unto thee and thy posterity an hereditary plague and he went from the punishers presence a Leper white as snow Achan 3 Iosh 7. could not let the golden wedge and the Babylonish garment go in the Due way God had appointed but must be filching for his private use what had been publickly Devoted and the whole Army yea the whole Nation yea all Gods people sped the worse for it In deed it was a Cherem 4 Chap. 6. 17. 18 19. Chap. 7. 1. Religion had laid her sacred hande upon all that spoil for God and thence the severity of worse then ordinary indignation 5 Hebr. 10. 31. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God for 6 Chap 12. 29. Our God is a Cousuming fire Ananias and Sapphira their offence lay not altogether beyond the things of this life they did but take back what of Earth they had devoted to Heaven and yet how does the wrath of God fall upon them to the utmost We finde them gasping and dying at once and presently both as terrible Examples of divine severity as we finde any where and yet the meek Apostle inflicted it by his power from another World and I hope we believe it because we pretend to believe the Bible Generally observe there and in Vzzahs and Vzziahs Case the poor wood-gatherer the men of Bethshemesh or wheresoever in the least Religion has been touched to be profaned Gods Jelousie has been up and his quick hand reached home to revenge with sharpness of fury any such violation Nor may we forget the poor man in 7 Nathans Parable 2 Sam. 12. Alas poor man he had not much but one poor Lamb for plenty abroad and that the Rich miser must have to spare his own fold But shall it goe so No saith David in another Mans case He shall feel my Angry Hand By a great oath his own life shall expiate an offence with these circumstances and the lamb he shall restore fourfold beside because He did this and had no pity O pity pity is still a great part of the Bible goodness Oppression and wrong Nothing More the merits of Hell fire by our Religion the Law and the Prophets the Old and the New-Testament joyn in to have justice to all and Mercy to those in need a necessary qualification No hopes of religion without them because their want is a transgression of Religion and what then of those who cannot be content with their Own who will not give other men Theirs who having Nine for One already grudge and complain that they may have that One for Nine also from Gods service to sacrifice to their own greediness covetousness insatiable bellies or lusts and voluptuousness The laws of the twelve tables or Mahomets Alcoran the Bannyans 1 The title of the law of sâ—mâ— Easterlings whose eighth Morall commandment is Thou shalt not steal Herberts Travels page 43. Shaster or the 2 Some other Easterlings who call their law by this name One of there Morall precepts is Not to covet what belongs to another man Id. page 51. Persees Zundavastaw may teach them or us as much Religion as this Nay the tables of the bosome afford it clear and fairly legible that Every one must have his Own or else there is no living and this is the very outside I know mine own bosome of that I did intend to contend for Nor Therefore Throughout the world Doe or can I fear any just man mine enemy But I will not now divert Hitherto we have kept promise and made our walk through the Groves of Paradise Onely Gods blessed Book from the Sacred leaves of whose Holy and heavenly Oracles have these amplifications been drawn which it would be our wisdom to heed as it is in our Faith to believe and must be our Righteousness to Obey and this directing in what we should doe or what we should not doe about Civill Justice by rule or example Methink somewhat should stick I hope it will I pray it may and None be the favour of death unto death but as it will work some way of life unto life and that of the Soul and Everlasting All 3 1 Tim. 3. 16. Scripture is given of God S. Paul tels us this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his word or Breath and 4 Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever was there written aforetime was written for our instruction that we through patience and comfort thereof might have hope and Light Now among the heavenly contents of those Divine inspirations are these Rules given 1 Cor. 10. 6. c. these examples recorded 1 That we might not lust as those then set up for an Example lusted Nor Covet as they Coveted nor Murmure as they murmured Nor yet be destroyed as they were neither of the destroyer For these things happened to them for such Examples but are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Thou hast Christian thine own light shining in them which thou beleevest came down from heaven of the same kinde with that outshined the brightness of the sunne with 2 Acts 9. 3 4. Saul Saul Take heed Take heed Venture not too far why persecutest thou me Believest thou wilt thou not obey If thou wilt not He that 3 Rev. 22. 11. is holy let him be holy still and He that is righteous let him be righteous still and He that is unjust let him be unjust still and He that is filthy let him be filthy still He that will Covet let him Covet still He that will have his neighbours Goods let him at least grasp after it still But withall know 4 Eccl. 11. ult That God will bring thee to Judgment 5 Col. 3. 25. He that does wrong shall receive for the wrong he hath done and with Him will be no respect of persons Iniqui regnum Dei non possidebunt 6 Psalm 15. 1. Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle or inhabite in thy holy Hill Not he that leadeth a Corupt life or doth the thing is not right to his Neighbour God 7 1 Thess 4. 7. is the avenger of all such things as is every where testified but sweareth or giveth to him and disappointeth him not though it be to his own hinderance Remember Him that 8 2 Pet. 2. 15 16 loved the wages of iniquity and Judas 9 Mat. 26. 15. who sold his innocency for thirty pieces of silver and 10 Daniel 5. Belshazzar who must have the Temple-bolls to carouse healths in to his Kings Concubines He would hardly have forborn at the perswasion of a prophet