THE TVVO-FOLDE TRIBVTE OR TWO SPECIALL DVTIES COMMANDED BY OVR Lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST to be rendred The first of Subiects to their Caesar the second of Christians to their God for the better furtherance of the one in his Regall Dignitie and of the other in his Euangelicall Ministerie EXPLANED IN TWO SERmons and now published Anno. 1613. By RICHARD EBVRNE 1. PETER 2. 17. Feare God Honour the King London Printed by Felix Kyngston for William Welby 1613. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND AND WORTHILY HONOVRED Father in God IAMES by Diuine proui dence Lord Bishop of BATH and WELLES in Christ Iesus our Lord all Health and Happinesse A Twofold necessity Honourable and my very good Lord inforceth me to offer to the commmon view this my Twofold Tribute The one is the desire I haue of the publike good of that Church and Country wherein I haue hither to had my being and biding the other is the Deuoire I beare to the priuate good of such as haue sometimes desired and somewhile expected that I should farther both gratifie and satisfie them with some thing of that Argument wherein I haue formerly and somewhat plentifully laboured To the which scope forsomuch as the latter but the greater part of this my little but laborious worke doth wholly tend both hauing one Author and one Argument this being but as an Accession to the first building and a new Supplie to an old Charge I haue much desired that both might haue but one Patrone assured that passing vnder your Lordships honourable name as the other hath beene so this will be shielded from the iniurie and the enuie both of the couetous and contentious and vouchsafed with men of godly knowledge and sound Iudgement the better acceptation and with men of good place and great authoritie the grauer consideration Which fauour that your Lordship will of your great Loue to learning and good liking to all such indeuours as tend to the glory of God and benefit of his Church the Honour of the Kings most excellent Maiesty and bettering of his subiects easily vouchsafe mee nothing doubting at all commending these my second labours also to your Lordships protection and your good Lordship to the protection of the Lord of Heauen and earth I doe humbly rest Your Lordships in the worke of the Lord and seruice of his Church euer to be commanded RICHARD EBVRNE THE FIRST SERMON MATH 22. 21. Giue therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesars and giue vnto God those things which are Gods WHEREFORE at this present welbeloued in the Lord I take in hand this text you wil easily conceiue I suppose if you cal to mind The 5. of August that this day is the Annuall Commemoration of our Soueraignes deliuerance from the hands of his enemies who hauing long since viz. in An. D. 1600 in Scotland Anno. 1600. on this day the fifth of August by Gods mercy and that with great difficulty escaped the vile trecheries and bloudy villanies of the Gowries intended attempted against him hath made it an ordinance in all his Dominions See the discourse thereof printed An. 1603. by V. D. Booke of prayers and thanksgiuing for the 5. of August Psal 144 â—0 that during his life on that day for that benefit speciall and publique Thanksgiuing be rendred to God his shield and protector which so gratiously and miraculously saued his annointed and deliuered him from the power and perill of the sword Thereunto to stirre vp our ready hearts and incite our willing affections and dutifull dispositions the more I haue made choice of this Text which speaketh of that dutie which wee as subiects and Christian subiects owe to our Soueraigne and most Christian Soueraigne In handling whereof looke not beloued that I should tye my selfe ouerstrictly to the words of my Text which inferre in generall tearmes A double dutie one to God another to the Prince My purpose is rather for this time deferring wholly the former and omitting no small part of the latter to insist by Gods assistance only vpon these two points First to shew you in part what these things The parts of this sermon are which properly are Caesars that is what that duty is which to Caesar wee must yeeld then secondly to deliuer you some special reasons motiues why we should so do To beginne withall I must entreat you to preconceiue Who is vnderstood by the name Caesar Ioseph Antiqu. iudaic lib. 8. capit 2. Abulens in Matth. 22. quaest 90. thus much of the sense of the word Caesar that as the Kings of Aegypt in ancient time were alwaies called Pharaohs and of Philistia Abimelech so the Romane Emperours were euer called Caesars vnder which as a generall title befitting mighty Princes any Prince in our text is or may be vnderstood and that in particular wee by that name may specially vnderstand our gratious Soueraigne Who neither as the Rhagusians to the Turke paying pension to any nor as Bologna from the Pope expecting protection from any nor as the Knights of Malta and of the Castilian holding in see and fealty of any nor as the Dukes of Venice to the Colledges of seuen and ten and to the signiority of Gentlemen God and his owne conscience excepted beeing countable to any but beeing for right a king for dignity an absolute Soueraigne and for largenes and variety of dominions imperiall truly meriteth the title of Caesar And therfore whatsoeuer I shall in generall tearms deliuer as the duty of subiects towards their Prince my desire is that you wil so conceiue mee and so apply it as speaking of our owne dutie vnto our most high and mighty Prince Iames who is By the grace of God of great Brittaine Fraunce and Ireland King Defendor of the Faith and next vnder God within his Maiesties Dominions ouer all persons and estates in all causes as well ecclesiastical as temporall Constit eccles Canon 1. 36. all forraine power title and iurisdiction beeing vtterly excluded and wholly cut off supreme Gouernour This premissed for clearing of the Text I come now forthwith to my first point proposed which is to note vnto you according to our text which saith Reddite giue to Caesar in part what is that duetie and what bee those things which must be yeelded and giuen to Caesar And to this purpose I say That as there were sixe steps 6. Branches of Allegiance 2. Chron. 9. 18. to the throne of Salomon so there be 6. parts of this dutie 6. seuerall payments of this Tribute to Caesar that is 1. Feare 2. Honour 3. Obedience 4. Tribute 5. Defence and 6. Praier and as about the King himselfe sixe things may bee obserued namely 1. The sword carryed before Rom. 13. 4. Psalm 21. 3. 45. 6. 2. Chron. 9. 17. 1. King 2. 15. him 2. The Crowne of pure gold vpon his head 3. The Scepter of righteousnesse in his hand 4. The throne of royall Maiesty vnder him 5.
His Person vpon it and with these and aboue all these 6. The Lord God of Heauen who hath thus exalted him so by these 6. things wee may bee put in minde of these 6. seuerall payments of this Tribute the sundry parts of our sixe-fold duty vnto him For The sword exacteth feare the Crowne importeth honour the Scepter requireth Obedience the Throne expecteth Tribute the Person deserueth defence and the Lord commaundeth Praier Each of which that we may yet better conceiue of each a little as God me shall assist and time permit 1. Feare is to be giuen to Caesar It is the duety of subiects 1. Feare to feare their King so teacheth Humanity so teacheth Diuinitie For humanity Periander saith Feare Periander Prou. 24. 21. Princes for Diuinity Salomon saith Feare the Lorde and the King Prou. 24. If I be a master doth God say where Mal. 1. 6. is my feare If I be a master may the King say where is my feare Bee ye afraid of the sword saith Iob cap. 19. for the Iob. 19. 29. sword will be auenged of wickednesse And why for saith S. Paul Rom. 13. Hee into whose hand it is committed by Roman 13. 4. God beareth not the sword for nought It is not put into his Roman 13. 4. hand onely for a shew No but he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill According wherunto Prou. 16. 14. it is that Salomō faith The wrath of the King is as messengers of death Pro. 16. And again The kings wrath is like the roaring 19. 12. of a Lion Worthy the noting to this purpose is the speech which the second of those squires of the body made before Darius and his nobles wherein discoursing of the 1. Esdr 4. 2. power of a King and the cause why he ought to be feared he saith Though men rule by land and Sea and ouer all things The power of a King in them yet is the King greater for he ruleth all things and is Lord of them If he bid thē make war one against another they doe it If he send them against the enemy they goe and breake downe mountaines and walls and towers They kill and are killed and do not passe the Commandement of the King If hee bid kill they kill if he say spare they spare If he bid smite they smite if he bid make desolate they make desolate If hee bid build they build if he bid cut off they cut off c. Feare wee therefore the sword the powerfull sword of Caesar A good The good effects of loyall feare subiect feareth blame as much as paine reproach as much as torment and dishonour as much as death This feare carrieth one eye of the subiect vpon the Princes sword that hee neuer prouoke it the other eye vpon the offense that hee neuer commit it This feare as the best porter at the Princes gate keepeth traytors out of the Kings court and trechery out of the subiects heart This feare as ballast preserueth the ship from being ouerblowne of the winde keepeth the soule of the subiect that it be not ouerthrown by others flatterie or her owne presumption This feare as a bridle curbs vs from all disobedience and as a naile fastned by the Masters of the assembly fixeth vs firme in our dueties This feare therefore let vs giue to Caesar for to Caesar we owe it 2. Vnto Feare Honour is to bee adioyned And seeing 2. Honour as among earthly creatures man is most eminent as among the elements fire is most excellent and as among the celestial lights the sunne is most splendent so Caesar among the sonnes of men is most orient who will not since honour is as the Philosopher saith a testimony of excellencie Aristotle giue honour to Caesar least he beare false witnesse not against his neighbour nor against Caesar but against God who hath exalted Caesar and brought him to Honour least he seeme to degenerate from nature which in all honoureth the more excellent least he breake the Canon of the Apostle Rom. 13. Giue honour to whom ye owe honour Rom. 13. 7. Least he transgresse Gods expresse Commandement that saith Exod. 20. Honour thy Father by which note name Exod. 20. 12. the King of the land because he is Pater Patriae i. Father of the whole countrey is specially signified least as Ieremie of some Lament 4. They reuerenced not the face of the Lamen 4. 16. Priest so some complaine of him Hee reuerenceth not the face of the Prince the greater crime of the two For the Priest was a figure of Christ the King is a figure of God If Nebuchad King of Babel setting vp a dead Image could Dan. 3. 1. so preuaile with his vngodly subiects that at the sound of his musicall instruments they did fall down to it and gaue it such honour as God condemneth shall not Iehouah the King of Heauen setting vp not a dead but as Menander Menander calleth a King his liuing image preuaile with all his godly subiects at the sweet harmony of the sacred Scripture sounding out of S. Peters mouth as a principall Herauld Regem honorate Honour the King to giue him that Honor 1. Pet. 2. 17. which he hath commanded The Philosopher compareth the King to a Father to a Physition to a Pylot and to a pastour the causes are apparant And doth not God in holy Scripture giue him in manner the same titles yea and almost all the titles of honour in heauen and earth And why but to teach vs that as the sonne honoureth his Father the sicke his Physition as the mariners regard their Pilot the flock their shepheard so and much more should subiects honour their Caesar people regard their prince God and men hauing so honoured Caesar let all our people honour him Let Hester not presume into the presence of Hest 5. 1. 2. the great Ahashuerosh till he hold out the golden Scepter Let Ioab though the Generall of the Armye giue Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 27. the honour of the victory Let euen Nathan the Prophet and Sadoc the high Priest make obeisance before my Lord 1. King 1. 23. the King with their face to the ground In a word as Ioachim et ver 39. 40. the High Priest and the ancients of the children of Israel said vnto Iudith for the benefits that God by her had Iudith 15. 8. 9. shewed to his people so let the reuerend Fathers of the Church the truely Honourable Nobility of England the graue Iudges and Magistrates of the Common-wealth in honour of our most worthy and glorious King King Iames for the benefits which God by his most excellent Maiesty hath done to his Dominions say Thou art the exaltation of our land thou art the glory of our Israel thou art the reioycing of our nation Thou hast done much good vnto our countrie and God
at the first the vnequall diuision or rather dissipation of Church-liuings since the multitude of vnreasonable customes and prescriptions together with the continuall imparity of learned mens deserts that pretence at this time especially * The whole being but enough how should halfe a quarter or lesse a great deale be sufficient can haue no place there is no cause why the deafe eare should be turned vpon vs vnlesse any will imagine that wee m Rom. 10. 15. the Preachers of the Gospell n Matth. 5. 14. the lights of the world o Matth. 24 45. Luke 12. 42. the stewards and p 1. Cor. 4. 1. diposers of the Ministeries of God q Act. 26. 18. Act. 16. 17. the leaders vnto life eternall and r 1. Cor. 3 5. Ministers of saluation are lesse worthie to be equally respected duely prouided for and condignely rewarded then Å¿ An. 12. Ric. 2. 4 an 23. H. 6. c. 13. an 6. H. 8. 3. an 5. Eliz. c. 4. the very seruants t An. 25. Ed. 3. 2 et 34. cap. 9. an 13. Ri. 2. 8. an 23. H. 6. 13. an 7. H. 8. c. 5. Pult. ab Just. of p. Num. 66. â— â—bidem the common labourers and the u manuary artificers of our parish 4. They be not a few that desire it Fourthly If the motion were but the suggestion of some few of the Clergy or among them but of the poorer sort vicars of Churches and other like and yet why should not x Deut. 24. 14. et 26. 7. Prou. 21. 13. et 29. 7. 14. the crye of the poore bee heard and y Ouid. de Trist lib. 5. â—leg 1. they that haue most cause be suffered most to complaine it might with some shew be contemned but since it cannot be denied but that the number is great both of the greater and superiour sort of the Clergie as well as of the meaner and inferiour besides no small number not Clergie men and those not meane persons onely well affected to the Clergie that desire and labour the same this so generall and weightie a cause may iustly challenge mature consideration speedy and condigne regard Fifthly Lastly if the cause were meerely ciuill and humane we might with some good colour haue the repulse 5. The cause is Gods but being as it is a matter altogether of diuine right wherin no man hath power to set God his bounds and where he hath right to this or that to limit him in lieu thereof what pleaseth them we ought to be admitted to claime for God and permitted yea and assisted by humane law to receiue the same Thirdly are they Gods that may teach vs that we must pay these things not as manie dooe as we are affected to These things must be paid as to God himselfe the partie which is to receiue them but as to God himselfe whose they are For bee hee worthie or vnworthie yet God is euer worthie of them The priests vnder Moses law are reprooued by the Prophets and tearmed z Isa 56. 10. Ezech 13. 3. 34. 2. Hos 4. et 5. Mich. 3. 5. Zach. 11. 17. dumbe dogs deceiuers sleepie watch men Idols c. But yet the people are not aduised and taught by the Prophets therefore to withhold from them their appointed portions but a Mal. 3. 9. the contrarie Neuer was there greater corruption among them neuer more wickednesse and all kinde of vnworthinesse then in our Sauiours time yet h hee sendeth the leper cleansed to the b Matth. 8. 4. priest and bids him offer as was appointed and that to testifie that c Melancth in locum the publique ministerie must be maintained be the ministers neuer so weake neuer so wicked Manie doe obiect saith d Gualt in Matth. 23. hom 269. one plerosque decimis turpiter abuti c. That some doe filthily abuse tithes and that manie doe employ them to vnlawfull and prophane vses But yet saith he This is but a balde excuse for of such abuses they shall shall giue account to God which doe commit such things not who pay the tithes And what reason will excuse him that withholds from the needie his necessarie liuing least happily he abuse it vnto surfetting and drunkennesse It is the part of euery Christian e Rom. 13. 7. to pay to euery man his due and not to goe about to excuse his owne iniquitie by anothers fault Hitherto hee And therefore as they did verie ill which before our time vnder color of suppressing the licentiousnes brideling of the insolencie of the popish or vnlearned cleargie did pull from the Church what they could so doe they worse which doe not onely not restore the same againe but daily practise all the shifts and deuises that may be as who can neuer bee satisfied to pull away still more and There be that still labour to pul more from the Church Foem Mo. ni b. Hous on Matth. 21. Ser. 2. pa. 33. more from the Church and so to bring vnto and to keepe in extreame needinesse and pouertie the true ministers and worthie preachers of the Gospell also That sinne had some colour this hath none But O Lord God f Psalm 126. 2. that our mouth may bee filled with laughter and our tongue with ioy mollifie their hearts or else make them and theirs like Oreb and Zeb yea make them and all their counsellers furtherers and partakers like as Zeba and Zalmana which yet say Let vs take to our selues the houses of God in possession and seeke still to sease vpon the inheritance of the Lord as if it were set to bee a pray vnto their teeth Amen Amen Lastly are they g Psalm 83. 11. Boys Dominic post Trin. 10. p. 227. Gods If then we rob and defraud we God wil plague them that pay him not these things duely and iustly spoile and debarre God of those things anie manner of way let vs looke for the hand of God to smite vs the wrath and plagues of God to h Zepper de leg lib. 4. cap. 10. C. multi i. q. 1. consume vs for such sin and iniquity God himselfe doth plainely tell vs Mal. 3. That for this sinne he doth curse euen i Mal. 3. 8. whole nations As they by their vnreasonable customes and compositions by violence and vsurpation take from him his tithes and oblations so he by vnseasonable weather by caterpillers k Hag. 1. 6. Math. 7. 2. and other deuouring meanes doth and will take from them the increase of their stocks the fruits of their fields c. that so hee may bring penurie into their houses as they doe into his and make them haue emptie barnes and hungrie bellies that leaue his barnes emptie and his seruants in hunger and neede For this is as l Aug. serm de temp 219. Idem homil 47. et de rectit cath conuers Iac. Gryn in Mal. 3. Ridl view of L. p. 177
his ministers are free and at our owne choice to take as in ancient time we were either money or if that we dislike our owne in kinde No man no man I There is as great reason and cause wee shold improue our liuings as other men doe their lands am sure is able to shew iust cause why we alone the Clergye ought not to haue our owne in kinde or the full valew thereof as well as first our predecessors formerly haue had secondly our selues in diuers things and thirdly our neighbours the Laity on euery side vs rich and poore in euery thing continually haue There be that wil tell vs of customes compositions prescriptions Customes Praescriptions c. in case of tithes prooued vnlawfull c To the contrary The very name of p Cicer. 2. Tuscul Custome is of great force and prescription hath a peculiar might so that q Galen de sánit tâ—end lib. 1. pag. 33. et lib. 5. p. 336. Aug. ad Ian. lib. 1. as in mens bodies hee that leaueth a thing accustomed doth many times hazard his health so in mens estates hee that breaketh a custome doth oftentimes preiudice their right But yet I hope no wise man much lesse any good Diuine will affirme that in all things the very colour of a Custome is enough and that all that must needs alwaies be lawfull and good which can be proued to be a Custome For then in vaine did God charge his people that r Leuit. 18. 30. they should not doe any of these abominable customes which had bene done before Leu. 18. The sonne of God did not well Å¿ Matth. 15. 3. to reprooue the Pharisies Matth. 15. for obseruing the Traditions that is the ancient customes of their elders and the good Fathers of the Church haue greatly erred in teaching vs that t Aug. de vnic bapt lib. 2. Cipr. ad Pomp. Isidor in synon lib. 2. Distinct 8. veritate Ratio et veritas Consuetudini praeponenda that is Reason and veritie are to be preferred before vse and custome Presuming therefore that wee shall easily thus farre agree u Andr. Hisp de Dec. ca. 8. That against the word of God no custome can hold That x Concil Sardicen Canon 1. Duaren de Benef lib. 5. cap. 3. Mala Consuetudo non minus quam pernitiosa corruptela funditus eradicanda est that is An euill custome in the body politique no lesse then a pernitious corruption or dangerous disease in the body naturall ought vtterly and speedily to be rooted out That custome y Decret lib. 1. tit 4. de consu cap. vltim to the ende it may hold for a Law ought to be agreeable to reason and as our z An. 32. H. 8. cap. 7. in praef owne Law well giues the terme laudable and good and that a Aug. de Baptis paruul Tertul. de Virg velandis Senec. de vera vita Veritate manifestata non est sequenda consuetudo quia Dominus non Dixit Ego sum consuetudo sed ego veritas that is The truth beeing manifested we are not to follow the custome but the truth because the Lord said not I am the custome but I am the truth I doubt not to make it cleare that these customes prescriptions c. Whereof now wee speake in as much as by them the Church is abridged and debarred of a great part of the full valew of her tithes are contrary to the worde of God repugnant to reason and equity and nothing lesse then laudable and good For 1. The word of God requireth of vs expressely b Num. 18. Mal. 3. 8. Deeimam 1. God requireth the full tenth the tenth and not any other part Now it is most euident in all true sense and naturall construction that as hee goes not a iourney that goes but a mile or two of the way and not the whole hee doth not doe a worke that doth but a part thereof and not the whole he payes not a sum of money that paies but some halfe or a quarter thereof and not the whole c Andr. His reg Dec. 9. Ridl view pag. 148. Foem Mon. n. 7. b No example in the Bible to the contrary Ridl view of page 141. So hee paies not Decimam that paies but the 20. 40. or the hundreth part thereof and not the whole 2. There can no one instance be giuen out of the word of God either that Gods people paid or God accepted for the tenth some other thing money or money-worth lesse in valew then the tenth and so any custome for the thing it selfe And when as our Sauiour speaking of the Pharisies which d Matth. 23. 23. Luke 11. 42. tithed their mint annis cummin rue et omne olus and euery other herbe saith This they ought not to haue left vndone hee signifies not obscurely that this manner of Tithing viz. in kind and without Diminution euen for those smaller things much more then for the greater was in vse vntill his time and was a manner of tithing iust and lawfull How precise God was in this point wee may not obscurely gather by this that he prohibited any man so much e Leuit. 27. 33. as to chaunge the tithe a good for a bad or a bad for a good without a penall augmentation of it This beeing Gods law then seeing he f Mal. 3. 6. is the same God still the tithe is his right still and the vse of them is like necessary still how can it be probable that he should now approoue such g Martial epigr. l. 5. Homer Ili 6 a Glaucus exchange or alteration as taking away the thing in kinde leaues in lieu thereof not the halfe not the fourth yea many times not the tenth part that it is worth And when as hee pronounceth him directly accursed h Mal. 1. 13. that offereth hauing better in store the torne the lame the sicke and denieth flatly to accept it what likelihood is there hee can bee pleased to haue for his faire goodly and sound portion the tenth a modicum so bad and so little that in comparison thereof the smallest weakest and worst in kinde were a rich oblation I will graunt though with faire probability I may denye it and Calu. in locum as some iudicious writers doe restrain that law to vowes and oblations onely that God permitted any of his people Deut. 14. k Deut. 14. 24. in some one case to sell the tithe and make it in mony and so to come with that mony in his hand vnto the house of the Lord. But that is so far froÌ„ making against me that it doth not a little confirme that I do affirme For first that was but in one case onely which with vs comes not in vse Secondly he was bound to bestow l Vers 26. the same mony the whole mony againe vpon such commodities as he had sold and so to bring that
newly bought the thing in kind the same kind vnto the house of God Whereupon I may well inferre That if our people will or doe some prescriptiom or custome allowing them that fauour in more cases then one and in such cases too as Gods Law did not make mony of the tithe and sell that is ours they ought at least to pay vs in steede of that tithe the whole money they make thereof Which if they did and out of all question most of our customes and prescriptions intended no other wee could well bee content they should haue that choice which properly belongeth vnto vs and it should little grieue vs that they from whom it comes had that is ours for their money before any other while as we haue of them for it as any other would giue 3. The word of God most strictly forbiddeth any m Deut. 27. 17. By them the ancient boūds are remoued to remoue the ancient bounds Which if it ought to be obserued religiously twixt man and man I see not why it ought not as duely at the least be obserued twixt God man For is it not meet that God should haue quae Dei sunt those things that be his to be as safe vnto him as any man Now it is most euident that this he hath not where whensoeuer men giue to God not veri nominis Decimam as n Andr. Hispan reg decim passim the Canonist termes it the very tenth but in steed thereof some lesse part as the twentieth or fortieth For God hauing set his bounds at Deciman the tenth it is by this meanes remooued and set shorter a great deale If it be sinne o Cicer. Parad. 3 transilire lineas to passe the bounds this cannot be but sinne And if it were a sinne in vs clergy men if wee would not bee content to pitch at Decimam but would goe beyond that and without any iust recompensation take vp the fifth seuenth or eighth why shall it not bee in the laity to goe on the other side a great deale more I take it in Gods commandements we ought to turne aside p Deut. 12. 32. neither to the right hand nor to the left 4. The word of God disclaimeth vtterly q Leuit. 19. 35. Deut. 25. 13. Ezek. 45. 10. Prou. 11. 1. 16. 11. 20. 16. false waights and false measures as an abhomination to the Lord. Against which if hee doe offend that deliuers vnto his neighbour lesse then iust waight and iust measure yea r Pulton Ab. weight Nu. 14. By them God hath false weight false measure made him though the difference be not much which way can hee be cleared and iustified that obtrudes vnto the Church of God and to God himselfe lesse by halfe and more many times then his tenth which God as his due demandeth to be measured and weighed out vnto him Offer such dealing vnto the King ſ Mal. 1. 8. wil he accept it when a subsidue is giuē him thus much of the pound may a man pay lesse then the ful grant The tenth is as we may say Gods subsidue or as others more properly term it t Caluin in Heb. Sacrū vectigal his sacred tribute demanded by God from the beginning long since euen by men also granted and consecrated to God is it not reason then he should be as truely and iustly paid it as any mortal man To promise one thing and performe another is no vpright man dealing and being offred to God what is if that be not to u Galath 6. 7. mocke God 5. The word of God forbiddeth vs vtterly x Leu. 19. 13. Mal. 3. 5. 1. Thes 4. 6. By them the Church is oppressed and God defrauded to oppresse or defraud any man But what more euident oppression can there be then to take away from men their goods 1. against their wil 2. without due and competent satisfaction which euen Ahab would not offer y 1. King 21. 2. vnto Naboth though he had a minde and a great minde to his vineyard and what more manifest fraud then that vnder colour of customes prescriptions c. made by them that were nor z Duaren de Benef. lib. 8. c. 1. Fent Serm. on pre 20. 25. p. 49. Domini the Lords and absolute owners nor scant Fee-Farmors but only Tenants for the Time of that they past away in perpetuum as is pretended we their successors should be barred of our right claime there to depriued of a great part of our maintenance and God leese his true and auncient inheritance If these courses be iustifiable and good and shall continue The dangerous inconueniēce of these Whether I cast a doubt without cause might appeare if particular notice were duely taken of that the church hath lost within these 60. yeares Foem Monar in the concl n. 8. then verily is both God and his Church in a miserable case For it is possible and probable too that it will so come to passe it is possible I say that within a few ages God shall haue no tithes in kind left him to maintaine his Church and ministers withall All as already in many places the most part is will be turned into customes prescriptions c. It will bee no hard matter sometime by feare sometime by flattery sometime by force and sometime by fraud to circumuent or ouertake many a poore simple and harmelesse man And if a finger thus once gotten into that which is Gods shall vpon a little continuance be allowed for hould-fast good inough to plucke it from the Church and to disinherit God of his right let all that haue anie feare of God anie loue to religion or conscience to the good estate of the Church iudge what may thereof at length ensue 6. Further the word of God requireth that hee that 1. Cor. 9. preacheth the Gospell doe a liue of the Gospell and teacheth nothing more pregnantly that the minister of the word being b 1. Tim 5. 16. worthy of double honour ought c Rom. 10. 14. Math. 10. Galat. 6. 6. Deut. 12. 19. condignely and liberally to be maintained yea so agreeable euen to all good reason and conscience is this that as d Preface to the great Bible The minister cannot possiblie haue due maintenance so long as these do stand some haue well obserued Those mothers are houlden to be lesse cruell that kill their children as soone as they are borne then they that withdraw from their pastors necessary liuelyhood and support fit for their estates But that it is not possible for him to haue where such customes proscriptions c. do preuaile For by meanes of them so much of his liuing is continually taken away that the remainder is altogether vnsufficient and vnfit for him and so contrarie to the law of God and nature e 1. Tim. 5. 18. 1. Cor. 9. 9. Deut. 25. 4. The mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the
Saint Augustine long agoe obserued Domini iustissima consuetudo the Lords custome most iust and equall a thing that he doth very often execute what vt si illi tu decimam non dederis tu ad decimam reuoceris that is If thou giue him not his tenth thou m Andr. Hisp reg dec 9. hauing lost thy nine parts be brought to a tenth And therefore as the same father peremptorily n C. 16. Maiores q. 17. Nicola 1. caus 16. q. 2. Rab. Maur. in Num. lib. 2. C. 22. â—t 23. affirmeth now there are so manie tempests by sea and land so much sterilitie and dearth of victuals so often and so great mortalities and famines because people doe not pay to God his due but detaine vnto themselues some by one meanes some by another that which is Gods Other of the fathers as o Orig. in Num. homil 11. Hier. in mal 3. Origen Hierom and others haue obserued the like And not the fathers only but likewise the auncient p Concil Tribur c. 13. conc worm c. 16. q. 1. synod Arelat 4. cap. 9. counsels and sacred synods of those first and best times that so wee might know the same to haue beene also the common doctrine and the verie faith of the whole Church haue so decreede and concluded According vnto whom for our owne land and time though our other sinnes bee manie and God no doubt doth for diuers transgressions send among vs diuers and sundrie plagues yet I make no question of it but that for The Principal cause why God many times smiteth vs with famins vnseasonable weather c. this one sinne this so great so common and vsual a sinne viz. the defrauding of God and his Church the manifold sacriledge euerie where committed among vs the contempt and wrong that way done to our Church-men both in towne and countrie the ill and slender prouision made for the Ministers of the Gospell by vs that so long haue professed the Gospell euen for this massie sinne or rather masse of sinnes it is that we are so oft smitten with famines and dearth with vnseasonable and bad weather scorching drought and drenching wet flouds and fires with losse of goods and needinesse of all things that so wee may receiue a iust and full reward according to our wicked workes The particular falls and miserable ends of sundrie such as haue lift vp their hand in this sort against God as that of q Melanc de gest reg Angl. lib. 3. Polid. virg anglic hist lib. 10. William Rufus here at home r Gagn. lib. 4. hist franc Rebuff de dec q. 10 fig. 7. Charles Martel in France may teach vs what danger it is to be aduenturers this way And where as there haue beene such in these later times Å¿ Hous ser 2. on Matth. 21. 12. p. 35. 38. as vnder colour of friendship and holy pretenses haue made no little spoile of that is Gods if we consider what hath beene the end of such may wee not say with the t Psalm 78. 66. Bern. in Cantic ser 65. Ridl view p. 170. Psalmist 77. Percussit inimicos in posteriora that is that God hath wounded his enemies on the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame and see that fulfilled in them which is written in another place u Psal 109. 10. Foem Monar in the conclus o. 3. a. Couel in praef to Carlton Let the stranger spoile his labour and let his posteritie be destroyed and in the next generation let his name be cleane put out It is an old rule yet not more old then true Ex male quaesitis vix gaudet tertius haeres that is Seldome doe goods ill got descend to the third heire Church-goods are the right x Sabellic Aene. 5. lih 8. p. 821. Gueuarra Suruey of the preten discip c. 21. aurum Tholossanum scant a man that vnlawfully takes to himselfe anie part thereof euer thriues afterward very like to the Arke of the God of Israel if they y 1. Sam. 5 3. be forced into the temple of Dagon or z 1. Sam. 5. 9. 1. Sam. 6. 19. God will blesse them that pay him these things iustly touched by strangers they will be their ouerthrow On the other side if wee render to God his due and rightly giue him the things that be his wee may safely promise vnto our selues Gods assured fauour and blessing We haue his word for it Mal. 3. if we bring omnes decimas a Mal. 3. 8. all the tithes into his barne and take such order that there may be sufficient meate in his house for them that doe him and vs seruice there he will open the windowes of heauen vnto vs and power out vpon vs a blessing of plentie without measure he will rebuke the deuourer that he shall not destroy the fruit of our ground our land shall be a pleasant land and so wee b Hag. 2. 20. shall be repaid at large and plentifully restored the losse we might feare and the hindrance we might doubt wee should doe our selues in yeelding him his due He can say no more but bid vs * Mal. 3. 10. prooue him withall and make triall a yeere or two whether he will be as good as his word and fulfill his promise or not And c Gryn in Mal. 3 would to God in hac re longè maxima in this so great and weightie a cause we could at length be induced to prooue what God would doe Hee doth not vse to deceiue meÌ„ with vaine words nor draw theÌ„ on to their hurt if therefore there be anie truth in him and his word and what greater impietie can there be then to doubt thereof It is the readie way to thriue and grow rich Maiores nostri ideo copijs omnibus abundabant quia Deo decimas Caesari censum dabant that is Our auncestors saith Saint d Aug. C. maiores caus 16. q. 17. Augustine did therefore abound in all wealth and riches because they alwaies duely paid to God his tithes and to Caesar his tribute And we may iustly thinke that no small part of that plentie and abundance which our eares haue heard our owne forefathers had was because in this point they were more righteous then we They made that conscience Our fathers in their ignorence shewed a better conscience this way theÌ„ many of vs in our knowledge of paying their tithes iustly and fully that we doe not They would not for a world take to themselues that they knew to bee as they rightly and religiously tearmed it Gods part They beleeued they should neuer prosper if they should deceiue the Church or rob God of his due They thought it their duetie if not e Cassiod lib. 3 epist 9. Foem Mon. o. 2. a. noua construere that is to giue somewhat themselues to the Church at least yet vetera conseruare to keepe most carefully that was alreadie