no marvell that they who care for no Religion but so far as it serues their turne would wel vouch safe to see them poore that they might goe the lighter to heauē following the footsteps of IVLIAN the Apostate or rather IVDAS the traytour who envyed for the oyntmente that was bestowed vppon Christ because hee was a Sacrilegious thiefe and would haue had the price thereof to his owne vse Would these men commend vnto vs such poverty as Christ did to the poore in Spirite or if necessitie required to loose all thinges for his names sake they should doe well But seeing they labour so farre as they may to bring Ministers in contempt consequently to depriue the people of the doctrine of Saluation we cannot admit their vngodly devises For wee haue sufficiente warrant in the word of God that the labourers in this function are worthye of their wages not onely for the honeste intertenemente of themselues but also of their wiues children and families and for hospitalitie Which things being ministred vnto vs for our owne partes wee would be well contented so that none of vs did lacke as it was in the Primitiue Kirke providing not the lesse that the reste of godly vses belonging to the Kirk were not neglected And speciallie the schooles and the poore whose large portion ought to be comprehended therein seeing the Kirk-rentes were justly called ◅he Patrimonie of the poore As to the reste this being done we might well agree it should supplie the necessarye affaires of the Prince and the Realme and such other Godly vses as the worlde allowes And the ensample of former ages agreeable thereto haue practized But the abuses we cannot allow as that of the Papistes of defrauding the poore of that parte of the Kirkes Patrimonie which should be bestowed vpon them Wee knowe that the Kirk-rentes of olde were divided in foure partes The one parte thereof was bestowed vppon the Pastour or Bishoppe for his owne vse and for vp-holding of hospitalitie An other vppon the reste of the office-bearers in the Kirke called the Clergie The thirde vppon the Poore And the fourth and laste parte vppon the interteinemente of Kirkes Hospitalles Brigges and other publicke and Godlie affaires Whereinto the necessities of the Prince and publicke affaires of the Countrie are to be also considered But the degenerate posteritie of the Antichristiane Kingdome applyed all these goodes to the interteinement of idle bellies diuiding all the Kirkes Patrimonie into Prelacies and benefices in erection of Abbaies Cloisteres such as are not to be found in the booke of God nor in any ensample of the Primitiue Kirke and such as ought to haue no place in any reformed Kirke or common wealth And yet this corruption remaineth amongst vs by distributing of newe titles not onely to the Bishoppes but also to Abbottes and newe Prelates as they call them after the manner of the olde Papisticall promotion The affaires of the true Kirke in the meane time not being duelie seene to nor provided And as concerning benefices vnder Prelacies there is a newe craftie and fradulente inuention founde out that these greedie gormandes haue procured at the Princes hands gifts of the Patronages therof therby to defraude best qualifyed Ministers of the same to giue them or rather sel them to whom they can finde out who wil be cōtent to make vnlawful paction with them to take a little portion of the fruits thereof serue as they please and let the moste parte remaine with themselues either by setting of vnlawfull tacks or by some other fraudulent way Now concerning the teinds whereof I promised laste to speake I graunt indeede if they were rightly gathered and bestowed to the right vse they would both helpe the poore labourers of the grounde and serue to many good vses in the Kirkes affaires But as things nowe go amongst vs they are little more profitable to these vses then the Kirk lands For they who wrongfully haue invaded the landes marke as greedely for the teinds and are entred already in possession of the greatest part thereof And now begin to make question what title or right the Kirke hath thereto So insatiable is the greede of them who haue once made shippe-wrack of conscience that they would Crucifie Christ againe for his coate Herefore it is expedient as shortnesse of time will now serue vs to deduce from the originall the payment of teindes First before any written law we finde that ABRAHAM gaue to MELCHIZEDECK as Priest of the moste high God teindes of all the spoyle that he had obteined of the discomfiture of the enemies as pledge of his thankfulnesse towarde God IACOB also passing to Mesopotamia after that notable vision of the ladder reaching from earth to heauen made a solemne vow that if the Lord should be with him preseruing him in his way and giue him foo◅e and rayments of all that the Lorde should giue him he should render againe the teind vnto the Lord. Whereby it may well appeare that by the very instinction of nature this custome was receiued amongst the Godly Patriarcks to giue teindes vnto God of that whatsoeuer he bestowed vpon them aswel by offring sacrifices as applying the same to the vtilitie of the Priestes of the Lorde the poore and other godly vses As to the offringe and paying of teindes vnder the Law we neede to make no question for the same is so set foorth at length in the bookes of the Law of MOYSES that the adversaries can make no argument against it Wherein among many other thinges it is written That all the teind of the increase of the Lande aswell of cornes as of bestiall perteined to the Lord as holy And that he distributed the same againe to the Priestes and Leuites and their families for their seruice And concerning the teindes of euerie thirde yeare likewise that the strangers widdowes fatherlesse and poore of the Land should be participant thereof so that I neede not insiste further thereupon at this present only calling to your remembrance that solemne protestation of the which I made mention before that the people were ordained to make that they had brought in all the teindes of the Lord defrauded nothing therof Read the place Deu. 26. It restes to declare then what hath bin the vse concerning teinds vnder the Gospel amongst Christians Certainely the vse of payment thereof hath bin so ancient that it is difficil to finde out the firste original thereof Alwaies it appeareth euidently that godly Princes common wealths being willing to provide the Pastours other godly affaires of the Kirk of competent living revenues did rather choose the teindes then any other meanes to that effect following the example of the godly before the lawe and imitating the cōmand of God vnder the Lawe Which loueable vse and custome hath remayned through many ages I thinke inuiolably obserued in all Christiane kingdomes common-wealthes For it is more then a
rehearsall of ensamples of extraordinary punishments execute by God against such aswell mentioned in the Scriptures as by profane writers and Histories And finallie to speake of the blessing of the Lorde bestowed vpon them who did advance his seruice and contribute liberallie of their substance for the vp-holding and furthering thereof So that our exhortation may tende if not to prouoke others to the like liberalitie at least to mooue them to absteine from such vngodly dealing as to abstract and greedely apply to their owne profite particular vses that which hes bene giuen of others of good zeale euen in the time of ignorance to vp-hold the seruice of God so fa◅ as the giuers thereof then vnderstoode The Lord graunt that our proceedings may be to his glorie and that his worde may fructifie in our hearts To begin then to explaine what wee cal Sacrilege I finde the worde taken diuerse waies by writers For because the crime properly called Sacrilege is odious commonly all haynous offences committed against publicke Lawes of God or man are named Sacrilegious As the Poet calles them Sacrilegious handes that murthered CA◅SAR The practises of Sorcerers and harlots are called Sacriligeous artes In like maner the violence done to Parents Magistrates or their lawes and generally all things that ingender publick infamy or slander may bee so denominate in detestation of the committers thereof But Sacrilege properly taken hath respect vnto God and offenses done against his divine majestie either by blaspheming or profanation of his holy name or by ascribing his glorie to creatures or by contempte of his seruice or religion or by abusing of thinges dedicate to the maintenance thereof or turning the same to profane vses And in summe it comprehendeth al robberie or stealing of holy things as the worde it selfe by interpretation beares Trueth it is that commonly among the Gentiles who ascribed all the Majestie and honour of their Gods vnto Idoles the name of Sacrilege was appropriate to that which was robbed from their Idols or taken from their Temples wherinto certaine vaine and superstitious ceremonie◅ they placed their whole Religion As the Papistes following the like superstition commonly count no other Sacrilege but the robbing of their relicques other rich apparrell of their Temples and Idols But indeed it is easie to prooue by the Scriptures and also by best approoued laws of men that which is properly to be counted Sacrilege to be more largely extended then to such a narrow compasse For besides things immediatly done against the honor majestie of God whereof I cease nowe to speake I finde Sacrilege may be defined to comprehend conteine vnder it also all robberie or vnlawfull intrometting bying or selling of holy things as by the ensamples and testimonies following may be euidently prouen For it is not to be doubted but ACHAN in the dayes of IOSVA thiefteously medling with the excommunicate spoile of Iericho committed thereby detestable Sacrilege as the punishment execute against him did declare Al-be-it these thinges were not taken out of any materiall Temple Likewise HOPHNI PHINEAS sonnes of HELI the Priest who spoyled and refte from the people the Ram-flesh of the sacrifices before the fat was offred vnto the Lorde according to the Law cannot be excused of haynous Sacrilege The like is to be esteemed of the people whome the Prophet MALACHIE rebuked for defrauding of the Lord and spoyling him of his teindes offrings for the which cause hee pronounceth them accursed And in the New Testament were not ANANIAS SAPPHIRA guilty of the sacrilege defrauding and stealing from the Apostolicall Kirk the just price of the fielde solde by them Their suddane exterminion to death by the mouth of PETER doth beare witnesse And would not SIMON the Sorcerer by bying the gifts of the holy Ghost haue committed execrable Sacrilege For the which PETER threatned him with vtter destruction So Sacrilege wee see may be committed many waies although no materiall Temples be robbed or spoyled In the ciuill lawes also set out by Christian Emperours it is not onely counted Sacrilege if any man do violence or injurie vnto Priestes or ministers of God which kinde of sacrilege is ouer-rife also in our daies or to diuine seruice or place wher it is ministred but also generally if any breake Gods holy law and in special whosoeuer of knowledge toucheth or taketh things destinat to religious vses and maketh no scruple to buy or sell or with-draw the same any way are said in these lawes to haue fallen in crimen laesae religionis which is Sacrilege Now if any man would demand what be those holy things or how far be they extended whereof we account the intrometting to be Sacrilegious I answer according to the Scriptures All things separate from the common vse of men whether it be man or beast or lande of inheritance together with all the teinds of the landes and other things destinate for holy vses are saide to bee most holy vnto the Lord as is expressely conteined in the last Chapter of Leuiticus And a little before it is said nothing that any man doth dedicate vnto the Lorde of ought that he hath be it man or beast or land of his possession may be sould or analyed And if a man would redeeme any thereof hee should adde a fift part thereunto So that he may not lawfully diminish any of that thing which hath bin dedicate to an holy vse As also by the sacred cōstitutiones of Emperours Princes such things cannot be annalied nor ingaged vnlesse it be in great necessitie as for the relief of the poore or captiues for al these holy things are said to be in no mans possession but to appertein to God his right So vnder the name of holy thinges are to be included first all thinges that bee holy of their owne nature as are the spirituall giftes of God bestowed vpon his Kirke which SIMON the sorcerer would haue bought And generallie whatsoeuer perteineth immediatly to the glory and honour of Gods holy Majestie Of the which sorte are the holy Scriptures and doctrine conteined therein the which to violate is most haynous Sacrilege so as IOHN testifieth in the end of the Revelation whosoeuer adde anie thing thereto God shall adde against him the plagues written in the booke whosoeuer taketh any thing there-fra God shal take rase out his name out of the book of life From the which kinde of Sacrilege the Papistes of our daies cannot bee excused who haue falsifyed the writings of the auncient Fathers exponing the Scriptures either by fathering vpō them such works as they neuer writ or by adding altering or diminishing their sayings to foster mainteine corrupt doctrine And namely by that Treatise lately come to light which they cal Index expurgatorius wherin they note all such places as make against their superstition and will haue all Imprenters of bookes whom they may commande to delete and
declared null in themselues Because the most part of them were made in the Princes minoritie as also because that represented the third estate for the kirk had no commission nor power from the reformed Kirk being Bishoppes and Abbottes the most parte of them of the papistical promotion protestation being made also publicklie for nullitie of their proceedings But leauing nowe the Princes parte who is indeede nothing helped nor inriched by these annexations assumptions as they cal them of the kirk-lands rentes for if they were it should be more tolerable I come to the second head cōcerning them to whom the Prince hath disponed in heritable titles the lands and rents of the kirk by new erectiōs as they tearme thē in temporal liuings or lordships These kinde of dispositiōs I affirme to be more vnlawfull a great deale nor if the Prince should haue holden the same in his own hands yea moreouer I say sik gifts dispositions may not stand lawful ly neither by the law of God ciuil laws nor municipal laws of the cuntry For as to Gods law I think they wil acclaime to no warrante of it because it maketh directly against them involving them in the estate of Achan Ananias Sapphira procureth rather a curse againste them without they repente amende Which the Prophete MALACHIE pronounceth against such persons as defraud the Lord of his teinds offrings And as to the civill Lawes Ecclesiasticall cannons we may easely finde an infinite number against them forbidding all alienation and distraction of Kirke-goodes to the vse of any particular person Reade the first booke of Iustinian his lawes in the volume called Codex in the title de Sacrosanctis Ecclesiis and others titles following wherein all alienation of Kirk goods is decerned null and of no force and the things alienated are commanded to bee restored To the same purpose agree the lawes of the newe constitutiones called Authentickes in so far that it is not permitted to the Prince himselfe to permit or change with any of the goodes of the Kirk called vnmoveable vnlesse he giue the better in steede thereof And LEO the Emperour sayet◅ that they who dispone these goodes haue Sacrilegious mindes Therefore they who haue perswaded our Prince whom God preserue to annaly or dispone to themselues or to others these Kirk-landes haue done that they might to haue him counted Sacrilegious as they are The lawe also ordeineth the byers of these goods to lose the price and to restore the goods againe The Notars of such contractes to be banished the Iudges that ratifie the actes of such alienationes to bee deposed from their dignities Howe much more are they to be judged gyltie and punished that take and vsurpe those goods without alienation to their owne commoditie I omit here to cite many ancient Cānons of Councels to this effect which would occupy long time For who list to reade the volumes of Councels Cannon-law may finde them very frequent in many places Comming then to the lawes of the Countrie and naturall reason the foundation of all good lawes I saye the corrupted dealing of our time concerning Kirk-robberie is such as can not stand neither with the one nor with the other For as to our municipal laws which are either the lawes of the Majestie or actes of Parliament The lawes of the Majesty altogether disallow alienation of Kirk-goodes in so far as if the Prelate himselfe Abbote or Bishoppe make any alienation or disposition thereof from the Kirke vse The byer thereof should lose the price and the landes may be taken againe by the King but not disponed to others if they were giuen by him or his Predecessors And in the acts of Parliament both ancient and recent commonly the first acte is that the liberties and freedomes of the Kirke be keiped And how can these liberties be but hurte when the Patrimonie of the kirk is taken awaie and giuen to profane men profane vses Now to come in particular to these new erectiones and new found infeftmentes of Kirk-Lands they are as I vnderstande of two sortes For some are giuen before the annexation of them to the Crowne and some thereafter As to the former I woulde know by what law or reason they could be giuen by a simple gifte of the Prince they being not yet come in his handes and the consent of the true Kirke neuer had thereto For as to the consent of Abbots and Bishoppes being the moste parte of the Papisticall promotion and chiefe wrackers of the Kirke no◅ hauing any commission from the true reformed Kirke it cannot bee of any force in this case to defraude the Kirke of her Patrimonie And albeit the whole Kirke had consented their consente could not bee sufficient to dilapidat or annaly the Kirk Lands in propertie to any person they being themseues onely vsufructuares and not proprietares thereof And as to the Princes parte can he take any priuate mans heritage from him and giue it to whome hee pleaseth without consent of partie or fore faltrie I think all men will say no. Much lesse then may he dispone these lands from God and his Kirk by sik simple donationes As to the other sorte of infeftmentes or erectiones giuen after the annexation they can be no better in effect for giuing only for arguments cause that these lands were lawfullie annexed to the Crown whereuppon I wil not now farther dispute I say the King cannot by the Lawes of his Realme dispone the same againe from the crowne they being once annexed therto Reade the 43. acte of King IAMES the seconde the 86. of King IAMES the Thirde the 24. of King IAMES the Fourth and likewise his Revocation acte 83. As also the 4. and 54. of King IAMES the Fifth with others tending to the like purpose Yea they would make our Kinges Majestie that now is bee involved in periurie by these dispositiones it being expresse against his oath made at his Hienes coronation and inacted amongst the acts of Parliamente The time straites me that I cannot insist longer vpon this head Before I speake of the teindes I come to the finall reason or rather excuse that robbers of the Kirk pretend for them to colour their Sacrilege The landes with the other rents of the kirk say they giuē to it in time of Papistrie ar ouer-large more then sufficient for the necessary vses of the Kirk that now is For as to the Ministers what should they haue but their necessary sustentation with an gray gowne to go vpon their feete Preaching from place to place as the Apostles did They are as ◅eedie as the Papistes with many other like tearms of their reprochfull Rethoricke And why may not the King say they giue these landes to Noble-men Gentle-men and others able to serue his Majestie the teindes being more then sufficiente to susteine all the charges of the Kirke As to the estate of the Ministers it is
Throne and taking his hearte from him For hee was driven from amongste men and his hearte made like to the hearte of a beaste And hauing his dwelling among the Wilde beastes he eate grasse like an Oxe His bodie was vvette vvith the devve of Heauen till his haire grew like the Eagles fethers and his nayles like the foules clawes vnto the time that he knew the most highest to beare rule ouer the Kingdomes of men and to giue them to whom he will And yet his Sonne or rather Nephew ◅ BELTSASER did not humble himselfe knowing al these things but becomming worse then any his predecessors lifted vp his heart against the Lorde of Heauen brought forth the vessels of the Lords house before him in his banket and he and his Princes his wiues and Concubins drank wine therein and praysed their Idols and Gods of Golde and Silver Brasse Woodde and Stone And glorifyed not the God in whose hand his breath and all his waies were Therefore the Lord sent foorth the palme of an hande and wrote against him vpon the wall declaring the destruction of him and his Kingdome which came to passe that same night For hee was slaine and his Kingdome translated to an other Nation As the whole Historie at length beares record In the book of Machabees also which albeit they be not Canonical Scriptures it may serue for record of trueth there is a notable historie of HELIODORVS Thesaurer to king SELEVCVS who hauing sente to spoyle the Temple of Ierusalem of the Thesaurarie being therein whereof a great parte perteined to the vviddowes and fatherlesse was miraculously smitten by the hande of God as hee was about to take away the money put therein and was there left for dead till by the prayer of ONIAS the high Priest he becomming penitent was restored to his health And being returned to his Maister the king demaunding who should be meete to sende againe for that purpose Answered if the king had any enemy or euill-willer to send him For he should receiue him againe wel whipped and beaten if he escape with his life Because the power of God was truely in that place and hee that dwelled in heauen would be revenged vpon them who did invade his house In the same bookes wee haue recited the miserable ende of King ANTIOCHVS who after he had sacrilegiously spoyled the temple of Ierusalē passed in Persia and preassing also to commit Sa◅vilege in the Cietie of Persepolis was ignominiously driuen back threatning to returne to ludea mak Ierusalem a barial place of the Iewes was brought to extreame diseases so that worms issued out of his body and his seruantes could not abide the vyle sture of his Carcase and so perished most miserable The third example we haue also written of certain souldiers of IVDAS MACCHA◅EYS who were slaine in a battle against Gorgias Gouernour of Iamnea vnder whose coates were ◅ounde Iewelles of the Iamnites which thing was forbidden by the Lawe So euery man sav◅ sayth the Historie that this was the cause wherefore they were slayne Whereupon Iudas exhorted the reste o◅ his armie to keepe themselues from such kinde of sinne because they saw that example before their eyes I adde hereunto that which is writren by IOSEPHVS of certaine Romane Governours namely Crassus and Pompeius of whome the former going to warre against the Parthians by the way spoyled the Temple of Ierusalem and tooke thence amongst other thinges a golden piller of 150. poundes weighte brake it in peeces and payed the souldiers wages therwith afterward he fought against the Parthians but with such vnhappy succes that it was counted one of the greatest misfortunes losse that the Romaines receiued For his Sonne was slaine with many Legiones of the Romane Chilvalrie and he himselfe being takē prisoner fearing the enemies cruelt◅e was his own murtherer by thrusting in his eye the ryding wande wherewith he beate his Horse his head his right-hand being thereafter cut off the barbarous people powred molten gold in his mouth because hee so inordinatly thyrsted af◅ed golde in his life time The other Pompeius the great by name being otherwise one of the most noble Senators and valiant Romanes in his daies had no better successe after th◅t he likewise had spoyled the Temple of the God of heauen in Ierusalem for he his armie although being of a greater multitud◅ wer discomfited by Iulius Cesar at that moste famous battle of Pharsalia And himselfe shortly thereafter murthered by young Ptoleme King of A Egypt The contrarie fell foorth to ALEXANDER the great who passing forward to his warres in Asia and comming to Ierusalem by the way spoyled not the Temple of the Lord but did great honour thereto to IADDVA the hie Prierst granting to the Nation of the Iewes libertie to liue after their owne lawes and for the space of seuen yeares they should be free from all kinde of tribute And hee thereafter had a most prosperous successe in all his interprises I may for this purpose produce many other examples out of profane writers Of the which for shortnesse of time I will onely collect and touche compendiously some of the principals There is a famous reporte and past in a Prouerbe of the golde of Tholose Which Q. SCIPIO and his souldiars spoyled from the temples of that Citie howe they therafter come to a miserable ouer-throwe XERXES king of Persia invading Greece with an innumerable army was shamefully driuen back who sent as the historie reporteth 400. souldiars to Delphus to spoyle the Temple of Apollo who were destroyed with thunder and Tempest Q. FVLVIVS FLACCVS a Censour of Rome as VALERIVS MAXIMVS writeth toke the pillers of the Temple of Iuno out of the Cittie of Locris placed them in his owne house but he fel thereafter in a phrensie and so still continued And finally hearing tel of his three Sons whereof one being dead another was grieuously sick he died miserably wherwith the Senate being mooved decreed to send these Pillars againe to their own place Of this and such things it appeares to haue past in a common Proverbe and saying amongst the Romanes that they desired no more harme to their enemies then to haue the stones of a Temple builded in their house Plemmenius likewise a Romane Legate hauing spoyled the Temple of Proserpina in Locris as hee carryed the spoyle in his ships they were casten and broken on the sea ◅ands and the spoyle founde restored againe to the Temple Plemmenius himselfe neuer prospered thereafter But being driuen from Italie to Greece dyed a shamefull death The like thing also we reade of Pyrrhus And concerning Brennus an aunciente king of the Gaules how he with his souldiers going to spoyle the Temple of Delphos the most parte of his armie was destroyed with an earth-quake himselfe so smitten that for sorrow he killed himself But men may say why produce I these ēnsamples of spoyling of Idols Idolatrous temples Seeing
more honorably handled then the house of his God And when NATHAN finally resolued by the Oracle of God declared that it should not be he but his Sonne that should buyld an house vnto the Lord He ceased not to prepare all thinges necessarie for that worke in his dayes And to exhort grauely his Son SOLOMON to accomplish the same Declaring how he according to his habilitie had separated for the performing of that buylding an hundreth thousand talents of Gold 1000000. of siluer brasse iron without weight besides wood stone To the which great preparation not thinking it yuough he desired SOLOMON his Nobles to adde more as they did in very deed liberally and magnificently As the holy History beareth record Besides this K. DAVID left of his own money besides that which he had cōquished of his enemies to the ornament of the walles of the Temple and other such vses three thousand talents of gold of Ophir and seuen thousand talents of fined siluer Exhorting the Princes of Israell according to their faculties to follow his ensample Who being instigate by him far vnlike our degenerate Nobilitie gaue freely to the worke of the Lorde 5000. talents of golde and 10000. talents of siluer Of brasse 18000 and of Iron 100000 talents which will amounte to exceeding summes of our money And it may be iudged that King SALOMON doubled more Now if so much was bestowed vppon a materiall Temple building what sūmes thinke yee were employed yeerly for interteinemēt of the Priests Levits who had not onely the teindes of the whole Lande but also the great offrings and first fruits of the increase But if any wil alleage that this Cuntry which we inhabit is poore in respecte of the Lande of Canaan that flowed with milke and hony and therefore may not spare so large provision vpon the Kirkes affaires I would answere and demaund who makes it poore so much as you insatiable pullers away of the rent already giuen to the Kirk to your particular vses provoking thereby the Lorde to withdraw his blessing from the Land which otherwise were able to yeeld sufficient provision both for the Kirk King and common wealth Doth not God say by his Prophet Bring all the teinds in my Thesaurie that there may be meate in my house and proue me now in this sayth the Lorde of Hostes if I shall not make open the Windowes of Heauen and poure downe a blessing vnto you And SOLOMON sayeth Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the firste fruites of all thy increase so shall thy Barnes be filled with abundance and thy presses prest with new wine Is it not a miserable thing and vnworthie to bee heard tell of in anie forrayne Countrie that the Levites of Israell who were in number 38000. aboue twentie yeares of age with their wiues and children and the whole poore of the Lande were so liberallie provided for and interteined sufficiently And nowe amongst vs albeit it were but 600. Ministers to serue the whole Countrie of Scotland sufficiente liues cannot be provided for them yea of them that are planted a greate number were left little better then begging and some notable men left altogether destitute O miserable age and vnhappy dayes that we be fallen into Shall not the Papistes in their blinde zeale ryse vp in judgemente against this vnthankful generation who susteined thousands in their Kirkes Abbaies and Cloisters besides that which they delt to the poore vppon the Kirke-rentes And nowe there be not so much lefte as to susteine a fewe Ministers Colleges and Schooles albeit the poore should be vtterly neglected May it not greatly ashame Christian Princes and others that spoyle and suffer the Kirk of God to be spoyled When as Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes heathen Princes did bestow liberally to buylde vp the temple again in Ierusalem which NEBVCHADNETZAR had destroyed as the books of Esra and Nehemias beare record And the same Cyrus reverencing the God of heauen of whom he had but little knowledge did sende againe the vessels of golde and silver which NEBVCHADNETZAR had taken to be restored to the temple of God vnder the hand of Zerubbabel Whereto should I insist to recite other examples as of Asa Iehoshaphat Ioas Ezechias and Iosias Kinges of Iuda whose diligēce was very careful in reparaling the house of the Lorde and providing for the Priests Levits in such sort that great heapes were left after that all were fully satisfyed wheranent because shortnes of time cuteth of amplificatiō I remit you to the histories of the books of the kings chronicls wherein also may be found how because these Kings were zealous mainteiners of the true religion holy ministerie God prospered them inal their affairs so long as they perseuered thereinto I might also recite a greate Catalogue of christian Princes who following the example of such anciēt kings doted the Kirk with sufficient patrimonie As the zeale of Constantine others godly Emperours and Kings yea euen of the Kings of our owne Nation who haue bene as our Chronicles and auncient monuments beare record very liberall in this behalfe But I may not rehearse euery particular Onely this I conclude seeing that without Religion and justice no common wealth can stande for these are the two pillers whereby the estate of all well governed cōmon wealths is vp-holden it is greatly to be feared least this our cōmon wealth shal come to great desolatiō decay vnles speedy remedie be found out to stay the inconvenientes and dangers that be at hande For as to Iustice where is it when wrong partiall dealing in judgement and oppression yea not onely Sacrilege but Sorcerie bloodshed adulterie falshood and all other abhominable enormities reigne at such libertie without punishment And as to Religion how can it but decay vnlesse God speedely put to his extraordinarie hande when all ordinary meanes are taken away whereby it should be interteined and Idolatrie and Atheisme already entred in place thereof in many parts of this Land and like to enter further dayly For albeit many Kirks of the Realme lack the Ministrie of the worde there is no meanes left to provide them for all the Kirk rent is exhausted vpon greedie gormandes carelesse of Religion and that would with IVDAS sell Christ or with the godlesse souldiars of PILATE crucifie him for his garments who haue never left off gaping and shamelesly vrging ouer-liberal a Prince till they haue gotten all in their handes Example wee see this day when as the poore Ministers come to that woeful platte or send their Commissioners thinking to haue the Kirkes planted with sufficient Ministers and stipendes they are sent home emptie when they haue wayted long on without all comfort For there is nothing to augment or advance any man to any vacant roome vnlesse one Minister take from another and so be exponed to the mockage of these who haue spoyled the rentes wehereupon they should be susteined when