such a latitude of Christian freedome that they cannot put themselves into so narrow servile relation as tenantshippe beings with it SECT II. THe other motive of prudence to the abolishing of Tithes is that in so ding the Parliament wil ingage the hearts of all the honest and godly people of this Nation who have been bowed downe under the oppression and who being disingaged from Corrupt and selfe interests will chiefly adventure their Lives and States for their preservations and the Nations Peace Where there are two particulars which deserve distinct consideration the one who will be ingaged to the Parliament upon the taking away of Tithes the other how farre they will be ingaged For the first they say all the Godly and honest of this Nation who are bowed downe under the opression of Tithes and disengaged from corupt and selfe interests where they bring in the Godly people with two qualifications of little affinity one with the other for to be disengaged from corrupt and selfe interests very well agreeth with the sincerity of of the most sound hearled Christians but to say that those who account Tithes such a burthen as to be bowed downe under them if they speake it either of all or of greater number of the better sort of men is as hard to be prooved as easy to be spoken for very many truly religious men are rightly informed and well perswaded of the Right of Tithes and pay them as dues to which they are obliged by Justice and conscience and many of the wiser sort of Godly persons account it their priviledge to have the Ministers maintained by Tithes whereto they have an ancient and a legall Rightand that they are not put to it as the Christians are in France to give them pentions out of the nine parts besides the paiment of the Tenth to Popish Priests and hold it a priviledg and liberty of an English Subject if he have a sonne sit for the calling of the Ministry to breed him up to that calling and that when he hath bestowed cost upon his education to that purpose and he is both furnished with gifts and imployed in a Ministeriall office that he should have beneficium propter officium the wages assigned to the work and though the number of Ministrs be much lesse then the rost of the Nation as among the Israelites the Levites were not as some mistake the matter the tenth or twelfth part of the posterity of Jacob but not so much as the sixtith part of the descendants from his Loines yet they are a very considerable part of the Common wealth who in any publique charge pay a bove the portion of other men as hath beeen noted before and have a capacity and opportunity to serve the State more then is incident to the condition of other men not only in the time of peace but of warre also I had it from a Courtier of good credit that the last king when a Cour-chapline * Dr R. was rather popular then Courtlike in his Preaching his Sermon relished more for the Peoples right then of the Kings prerogative that checking him for it told him he looked for as good service from his Clergy in the Pulpit as from his Army in the Field and he meant it not onely by their prayers as his Grandmother did when shee more feared the praiers of John Knox and his Disciples then an Army of 20 thousand * Mr Trap in Acts 10.4 men but by their instructions and perswasions of the People There are yet enough ready to beare witnesse and worthy to be believed in a cause of weight who well remember that the Ministers who have been of a contrary Judgment to these Petitioners in point of Tithes have done such good offices to the Parliament and the Army with the People as to speake modestly without upbrading of either might render them more capable of their protection then of their opposition The other particular is how farre they will be engaged they say they will cheerefully adventure their Lives and Estates for the Parliaments preservation and for the Nations Peace viz. in so doing that is if they will use their serious endeavours that the oppression of Tithes and forced maintenance may be abolished it is much to be feared as before hath been touched that the Petitioners here are not disingaged from corrupt and selfe interests since some of them hope thereby to gaine that which the Minister must loose but for the cōdition of their engagement in so doeing It was held a very politique caution in the 3d Article of the late Nationall League Covenant that they who tooke it were no further bound to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties person and Authority then in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and the Liberties of the Kingdome So that if he set hmselfe against either of these the ingagement did not oblige to his defence so their ingagement being but conditionall in so doing if the Parliament will not doe so as they would have them they are discharged from adventnring themselves or estates for their preservation and the Nations peace there was never such a capitulation put upon any Parliament nor ever was the Nations peace put upon such unequall and unreasonable termes But say the Parliament should assent to their proposall would that content and quiet them would they not moove for somewhat more which the Parliament might conceive to be much worse for the Nations welfare and therefore in prudence and conscience must think it fit to be denied there be some to whom the Answer of Sir Walt. Rawleigh to Q. Elizabeth may be applied who when she asked him when he would give over his begging he told her Majesty not till shee gave over giving So some are of such unstable spirits and boundlesse desires that they make the obtainment of one favour the inducement to moove for another and if they sped in never so many they are all lost in the last wherein their humor is not satisfied But it will be a great deale too much to grant what they moove for in their present Petition for besides the knot for the lawfulnesse of Tithes by Scripture and reason especially for a setled and certain maintenance which cannot be expected without constraint it will not consist I humbly conceive with the prudence of the Parliament after they have incurred the offence of the Royall party by putting downe Kingship the Prelaticall by puting down Bishops Deanes and Chapters the superstitious party by putting downe the Service-Book the Profane party by putting down Stage-plaies December Saturnals commonly called Christmas holidaies and carnall sports and recreations on Sabbath day by gratifying them herein to give just cause of discontent to all Regular and Orthodox Ministers of the Land and to all those who are for a set certain and sufficient maintenance for them which I am confident is the mind of the most and best of all the people of the English
their Petition to the Parliament which their wisdome I doubt not discernes too well to expect they should prosper the better at home or abroad by any such meanes as these Petitioners have projected They will say perhaps I have made their matter worse then it is by mine aggrivation for though Tithes and all constrayned maintenance be taken away the People shall not want Preachers for there be many will Preach for nothing It may be so and for some that will take that office upon them and drive other Trades besides their Preaching may be worth nothing and yet I thinke they will not long hold out in that worke at that rate the * Bucol Index Chron. ad An. 1535. p. 534. Jesuits when they beganne to set up and to gaine customers and credit professed they would both preach in Churches and teach in Schooles for nothing But when upon such faire pretences they had put themselves into acquaintance employment they found a way of thriving in worldly wealth time for time above not only the Tith-taking Clergy but above all other religious orders of the Church of Rome for in lesse then 100 years they have increased from ten their founder a Phil. Alegamb Biliothec Script societat Jes Statim post prefat censur and nine more of his brotherhood to b See the progresse of Ignatius written by L. O. and Printed with S. Edw. Sands Europae Speculum An. 1632. p. 56. 11875 fellowes and 475 Colledges from the yeare 1534 or 1535 to the yeare 1632. But if the Petition had been liable to so many exceptions as you have made against it especially for the principall part of it the abolishing of Tithes the Petitioners had not received thankes from the House by the Speaker as they did Saturday 16 of July 1653 with this answer that the House was in debate of the thing they Petitioned for as Mercurius Politicus * Mercur. Politicus num 163. hath reported both the presenting and the acceptance of that Petition Ans It is the wisdome of Parliament and hath been their practice heretofore to receive Petitioners who complaine of oppression with patience and indulgence for thereby they come to know the State of things better then otherwise they would doe since complaints raise debates and debates beget votes and determinations which may stint the strife Secondly their thanks is no argument of their approbation of the Petitioners Motion for they might thanke them for somewhat else as the former Parliament thanked the Petitioners of Kent mooving them against Tithes as these doe but with more moderation and equity towards the Ministers for their former ‖ So in the resolutions concerning the Alienati of Tithes forecited p. 15. services and good affections to the Publique promising to take their petition into consideration in due time and in the meane time rerequiring them to take care that Tithes be paid according to Law no lesse was meant doubtlesse by the present Parliament though there were more hope given for speedy decision of the doubt in question because it was in debate already wherein the Lord direct them to such a resolution as may be most pleasing to himselfe and most comfortable to those who are truly Godly and most profitable for the propagation of the Gospell and for prevention of scandall to the Christiā Religion professed amongst us AN ANSWERE TO THE Later Petition THE three Authorized Intelligencers for the Newes both of and to this Nation have given notice this weeke of a Petition against Tithes presented to the Parliament from the County of Kent with much difference for the measure but without any contradiction for the matter they move for a The Armies Diurnall nu 191. p. 2905. For one of them saith no more of it but this A petition from Kent was presented to the Parliament for the taking off of Tithes That is all he saith of the Petition the acceptance it had is another thing whereof we shall speak afterwards b The Reporter of the severall proceedings of State Affaires num 202. p. 3189 Another saith somewhat more but not all in these words The Petition To the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England the humble Petition of many of the well affected of the County of Kent was this day delivered Humbly desiring that Tithes of all sorts root and branch may be abolished and that the Jewish and Antichristian burthen on the estates and consciences of the Godly may cease and that we may not be insnared with forced maintenance or any thing like it instead thereof And your Petitioners shall owne the Lord in you and blesse the Lord for you and pray and hope and waite to see your hands stretched out for the Lord till you shall help to teare the flesh of the Whore and burne her with fire A c Mesc. Polit. num 165. p. 2636. Third farre larger then the other two ANSWER Which having read after some silent admiration of such an high degree of malevolence against the Ministers of God as the Petitioners discover I could not but be very sadly affected as d Ioseph Scalig. Et uberioribus lachrymis deploravit nimiam vivacitatem suam quod ad ea usque tempora durasset quibus in dubium vocaretur meritum satisfactio servatoris nostri Iesu Christi Bucol Ind. Chr. ad annum 1609. p. 773. edit 5. Scaliger was to think how long I had lived having lived to see such impious injustice so bold faced as to offer to tempt the Supreame Judicatory of the Nation professing themselves protectors of Religion and Learning to persecute the Preachers of the Gospell by taking from them that supply for their subsistence which Morall equity Christian piety and Civill Justice have conferred on them and confirmed to them as their Right this mooved me again while my spirit was warme in the former worke to bestow some serious thought and observations upon this later as well as the former petition and though they agree in the summe and substance of their desires and that wherein they agree be wholly answered allready so that what confuteth the one confuteth the other yet what I find in this from Kent differing from the other from whence I know not but not from Christendome for ought I see in it worthy of consideration I shall take notice of it and make answer to it as it shall deserve and first for the threefold report of this petition of the two former which are shorter we may say as a learned e D. Donne in his Apology for the Iesuits at the end of his Ignatian Conclave Doctor said of writing of the Jesuites he favours them most who saies least of them and for the Third which is longer then both as a Learned man being demanded which of Ciceroes orations he liked the best answered The longest so on the contrary wee may say of these three relations of the Kentish petition that the longest is the worst for we
sort of men pretending to any Religion true or false to any Parliament that ever this Nation had whether Popish or Protestant or of what denomination soever old or new yet they call themselves not only the well affected but the Godly for the Petition runnes thus That the Antichristian burthen on the Godly may cease and their next words are that we may not be ensnared h Godw. of Rom. Antiq. l. 4. c. 6. p. 275. Fairefall their petitioning predecessors and Country-men of Kent who when they presented their desires to the last Parl. For the taking away of Tithes i The resolution of the doubt cited at the letter R. p. 7 8. professed their good meaning to establish a sufficient maintenance for Godly and well deserving Ministers yea a very good meaning to extend it so farre as to succor and provide for their Widdowes and Fatherlesse Children which was the eighth proposition of their new project yet the Parliament though they civilly entertained the Petitioners telling them that they took notice of their good affections to the publique sent them away with a charge that Tithes were paid according to Law And their Petition so farre as it was against Tithes was found many waies faulty and was accordingly k See the resolution of the doubt touching alienation of Tithes annexed to Sir Henry Spelm. larger Treatise of Tithes Printed 1647 from p. 7. to p. 22. refuted in Print Thus much for the proposall or request to the Parliament Now we are to observe by what inducements they indeavour to prevaile which they set downe partly as a Prologue partly as an Epilogue to their petition forementioned their prologue in these words Petition Though the Kings of the Earth have been unwilling that the annoynted Iesus should Raigne yet the observation of the out-goings of the most high in these later daies causeth your Petitioners to believe that the day of the accomplishment of the promises on that behalfe of the Sunne of Righteousnesse is dawned if not approached very neere its noone who is weary alwaies to behold the burdens on the backs the yoaks on the necks and to heare the groanes and cryes of his people wherefore he hath powred forth a spirit which hath encountred and vanquished our open oppressors and powred contempt upon those who were but partiall deliverers The sunne of whose power set a noone because it ripened not the desires and Petitions of Gods people by a favourable influence but suffered their hopes to blast after so many promises and protestations and so much expence of Treasure and bloud The same God who hath pulled them downe hath set you up but not to rule for your selves but for the people God not to seeke your own but the honour of Christ and wee can doe no lesse then hope and Pray that the spirit of the Lord may fall downe upon you and to teach you to rule after the heart of Christ to whom we make hold to make this humble addresse not to interrupt your weighty affaires nor misdoubting your wisdome and faithfulnesse but to shew how our hearts owne you as our Parliament and to confesse we dare not neglect our Assistance to the great worke of the Lord though it be but in being your remembrancers of what you have proposed to us of your desires in your late Declaration to the breaking of all our yoakes and removing all our Burthens at which our Soules joy and to keep warme the breathings of that spirit we humbly crave leave to spread before you one grand burthen under which we have groaned till our hearts ake ANSWERE IN this part which is a large porch to a little pile of building their discourse is made up of five sorts of persons 1. The Kings of the earth 2. The annoynted Jesus 3. The late Parliament 4. The present Parliament 5. The petitioners themselves 1. Of the Kings of the Earth they say that they have been unwilling that Christ should raigne which is true enough not because they say so but because we read so the Kings of the Earth set themselves c. the rulers take Counsell together against the Lord and against his annoynted saying let us breake their Bonds and cast away their cords from us Psal 2. v. 2 3. And as true that they would not have him to rule over them shall be destroyed Luke 19.4 27. He shall breake them with a rod of Iron and dash then in pieces like a Potters vessell Psal 2.9 But what is this to the taking away of Tithes were they not Heathen Kings Ps 2.1 Who never received the Law of Tithing who were most unwilling that Christ should reigne over them and were not the most notorious such under whom Christ in his Members underwent those ten most cruell persecutions in the first Centuries in the Christian profession Truly this if it be brought in as any reason or inducement to the removall of Tithes and if it be not what maketh it here is so farre repugnant to all reason that may rather argue thus Constantine protecteth Christs Ministers in their persons in the execution of their offices and of enjoyment of their portions therfore he is willing that Christ should reigne then on the contrary Julian though he suffer them to live permit them to Preach spoyleth them of their meanes mayntenance therefore he is willing that Christ should reigne when as a Learned and Zealous Divine as great an enemy to Popery Superstition as any man l M. Knox. in his Epistle to the Bishopps Ministers of Scotland Printed at the end of S. Hen. Spelm. Appology for his Booke de non Temerand Ecclesiis Of all the persecutions intended against Christ that of Julian was held most dangerous for saith he to kill the Ministers of the Gospell is nothing so hurtfull as to kill the Ministry when men are taken away there is hope others will be raysed up in their places but if the meanes of mayntenance be taken away there followeth the decay of the profession it selfe men doe not apply themselves commonly to callings for which no rewards are appointed and say that some have done it out of Zeale some out of heat of Contention yet in after times it is not like to continue so neyther let any one tell me that a Minister should have other ends proposed to him then worldly mayntenance I know that to be truth yet as our Lord said in the Gospell these things yee ought to have done and not to leave the other undone speaking of payment of Tithes to the Pharises it behoveth them saith he to be paid if not it is not to be expected that men should follow that calling 2d. Person they bring into their prologue Christ where two things are observable 1. His glorious advances towards the height or high noone of his dominion 2. His tender compassion to his people being weary alwaies to behold the burthens on the backs the yoakes on the necks and to heare