their duety in this behalfe but doe shew themselues vnworthy of such worthy men as the Lord doth send vnto them and vnworthy of the Gospell and gladtidings of saluation which they preach among them Thus Christian Reader hauing imparted vnto thee in part and in breefe what hath induced me to the hope I haue to see at length the cause I handle in my succeeding Sermon better respected whereof thou maist reade more what I haue written otherwhere as one zelous for the house of God whose stones it pittieth mee to see still lying M. Minist cap. 7. et 10. in the dust praying God to put into the heart of our thrice noble gratious and religious King into whose hand hee hath put the sword of Soueraigne authoritie not onely a good inclination and forward disposition this way but also an irreuocable and vnresistable resolution to execute his supreame power for the reformation of this euill and extirpation of this shame of our Church and disgrace of our Nation I pray thee for our Lord Iesus Christs sake for the loue of the spirit that thou wouldst Rom. 15. striue with mee by prayers to God for mee that I may bee deliuered from them which are disobedient and euill minded men and that this my seruice and labour for the Church and house of God in our land may bee accepted of the Saints VVhich God for his Gospell sake vouchsafe Amen Thine euer in the Lord R. Eb. THE SECOND SERMON MATH 22. 21. Render vnto God those things that be Gods OVr blessed Sauiour a Luk. 12. 42. Luke 12. notes it to be the office of a faithfull and wise steward disposer of the mysteries of God as Paul calleth him b 1. Cor. 4. 1. 1. Cor. 4. to giue vnto the household their due portion in due season which c Erasm Epist ad Iod. Ionam saith a great clarke consisteth in these points promere cum res postulat cuique promere quod est accommodum promere quod satis est that is in deliuering the meate of the word at a fit houre in deliuering that which is good and wholesome and in deliuering that which is sufficient For d Galen de Sanitate â—uenda lib. 1. pag. 65. in our corporall food we obserue these three things First a fitte time to eate in Secondly the good qualitie and Thirdly the conuenient quantitie of our foode otherwise it is not dispensatio a disposing e Bern. de Coâ—â— sid lib. 3. saith Saint Bernard but Dissipatio a wasting hauing heretofore to dispose vnto you the meate laid vp in this garner and the little wheate I found in this vallie how I dispensed it vnto you then either in regard of the due season or in respect of the qualitie of that I deliuered vos ipsi iudicate you must be iudges But least I should haue beene offensiue in the quantitie I made an end f Bern. super Cant. ser 36. Vbi finis non erat where was no end as they are inforced to doe that are as was the high Steward of this familie when hee said g Ioh. 16. 12. Multa haÌ„beo dicere quae non potestis portare modò I haue yet manie things to say vnto but ye cannot beare them away now streightned either with the deepenes of the matter or as I then with the shortnesse of the time wherefore since now by course we are returned as the Sonne to his place I to speake and you to heare h Bern. de Concil lib. 1. recurrat stibus ad suam materiam let my tongue returne to that part of my text where then I left without anie long repetition of that is past sauing onely thus farre vt recolant qui audierant discà nt qui non aderant that is that they may call the whole to minde which heard it and they may learne somewhat thereof which heard it not that it may please you to remember that I deuided this my text into a twofould dutie A duety A briefe repetition of the former sermon to Caesar and a duetie to God The duetie to Caesar in the words formerly handled wherein I obserued first the particulars of that duetie to be these sixe feare honour obedience tribute defence and prayer secondly I added some motiues to the performance of this sixe-fould duetie and they were principally foure viz. The ordination of Caesar the hainousnesse of the crime of disloyaltie against Caesar the punishments of that sinne from God and man and the rewards of loyaltie externally internally and eternally to them that faithfully walke in the performance of these duties to Caesar It remaineth now that by your accustomed patience I The latter part of the text now to be handled should speake of the other duetie the last in the text but in practise not the least that is our duetie to God in these words Reddite quae sunt Dei Deo that is Giue vnto God the things that are Gods Of which they being manie some spiritual some temporal the shortnes of our ordinarie time not permitting me to speake of both sorts leauing wholly the former though the principall as which are so commonly handled by others that i Augustine Magis desiderant lectorem quam expositorem that is there want readers rather then expositors for them I will as either more proper to the state of my text which k Aug. in locum Serm. 129. Idem Tom. 10. Homil. 48. And. Hispan reg decim 4. Scourge of Sacrelidge D. 8. a. H. 5. a. fig. 8. Abulens in Mat. 22. qu. 101. Glos ordin in the iudgement euen of the auncients deuotes vnto vs of our temporall things the goods of this life what sort or what part there of is due to Caesar and what to God or more pertinent to my present purpose which is most to insist vpon that point which is least knowne and to vrge that hardest which is worst obserued spend my speech in declaring vnto you what temporall things are due to God For as it is a thing already granted and lately taught you That besides the feare the honour the obedienee and the other like dueties that wee owe to Caesar wee owe him also a part of our goods we must yeeld him Tribute custome and other like so it cannot be denied and shall presently be taught you That besides the spirituall dueties which we owe to God as faith feare loue trust hope c. We doe owe him also a part of our temporall goods to be imploied in his seruice that so as he is Lord of all of our selues body and soule and of all that we haue life and goods so by all and with all he may for all be glorified And to this purpose directly as I take it tends our text The state and summary sense of the text For question being mooued not what things were due to Caesar but whether this one thing reddere censum to pay him tribute were
Daron pag. 43. them that count it An admonition vnto Magistrates a principall part of their charge to cherish good pastors set before their eies the religious example of good king z 2. Chro. 31. 4. Down Serm. on 1. Tim. 3. 1. Hezekiah who to the end the Priests and Leuites might be incouraged in the Law of the Lord tooke a strict and due course that the tithes of all things and other portions belonging to God and his Priests might iustly be restored and duely paid vnto them imitate the true zeale of that godly Ruler a Nehem. 13. 8. Nehemia who would not indure the alienation of one chamber of the Priests to the priuate vse of Thobijah and that neuer rested till he had b Nehe. 10 34. restored to the Priests and Leuites of the house of God all their tithes offerings and other duties that so being duely prouided for they might not forsake the house of God any more and pace in the steps of that thrice renowmed and religious Emperour Constantine the great which c Herm. Gigas confirmed vnto the Church the tithes of all things and d Zepper de polit eccles lib. pri capit 21. Zozom hist eccl lib. 2. c. 4. Euseb de vit Const lib. 2. c. 36. et lib. 10. c. 5. An Admonition to the Parliament restored vnto it all such lands fields houses c. As in former times the time of peace had beene giuen to the Church and in latter daies daies of persecution had beene taken from it againe And our Parliaments I would beseech in the name of God to be careful to auoid that imputation which S. Paul layeth vpon the Iewes e Rom. 2. 21. Thou abhorrest idols saith he and dost thou commit sacriledge And f Down serm on 1. Tim. 3. 1. let them consider that if not to the full restitution of all impropriations which at the dissolution of Abbies iustly ought and g View of L. pag. 169. easily might haue beene made they still remaine deepely obliged and for the not restoring thereof the whole land standeth in an high degree obnoxious to the iudgement of God yet their sinne cannot be little which not restoring them haue not prouided for euery such impropriated Church a fit Vicaridge at the least so sufficiently endowed First with part of the gleeb secondly tithes as well great as small thirdly other profits of the Church that so the vicar might be able first to doe diuine seruice secondly to informe the people and thirdly to keepe hospitality according to the very tenour and letter of their owne lawes enacted vpon due and mature consideration of the equity and necessity of such a course h An. 15. Ric. 2. cap. 6. an 4. Hen. 4. cap. 12. in time of i Othobon c. Quoniam de Appropriationibus Ecclesiarum palpable blindnes as well k An 1. Edu 6. cap. 14. as of better eye sight l As appeareth in the commoÌ„ formes of the Ordinations of Vicaridges and intent and minde of euen such as at first attempted that euill that so the people defrauded of their tithes c. might not with double sacriledge be defrauded also of the food of their souls whilst left to the curtesie and conscience of the m Constit eccles can 45. 46. exempted Impropriator which for the most part is cruell carelesse and couetous they are committed to the refuse of the Clergy such as wil be hired for least n Reynold in Obad Ser. 2. as if the olde Prouerbe best is best cheape were no longer true but the new practise best cheape is best were the right rule And that little is the Clergy of our land specially the inferiour Ministery of our Church beholding vnto them which after so many spoiles and iniuries done thereunto cannot obtaine so much onely as to haue that remainder which is left to be paid in specie or to be disburdened of those or at least of some of those pretended o Rid. view p. 160. exemptions p Carlet epist dedic Hous on Math. 21. Serm. 1. pag. 44. hard customes vnreasonable compositions pernitious prescriptions and q Ridl view of L. p. 113. 115. odious prohibitions wherewith it is daily more and more depressed and impouerished as if either that estate alone had already could not but haue an Omnia benè or we alone that be of the ministery aboue all other members of this common-wealth were eyther no part of their charge or not worthy to be respected righted and releeued Lastly let Lawyers and Iurors vpon whose pleading and Ad admonition to Lawyers and Iurors verdict those things do too often much depend take heed that they doe not rashly and partially giue away those things from God The cause and right is Gods and therefore they must know that in striking a poore Minister and wresting from him his tithes and other dues through his side they strike and wrong not the Church onely but God also of whom we hold originaly and in Capite whatsoeuer is the Churches It will ill excuse the one that they plead for their fee and therefore must make candida de â—igris et de candentibus atra r Ouid. Metam lib. 11. fab 8. of nothing something like the Heathen Orators which counted it their glory Å¿ Tull. de Orat. lib. primo Erasm Apotheg lib. 8. Licost Apoth pag. 105. to cast a mist before mens eies and make a bad cause seeme good nor acquit and iustifie the other that t Foem Monar they do gratifie men of their owne fashion do for them as they would be done for in like case These causes no lesse then any other should be handled sincerè et candidè with all sincerity and indifferency And reason it were u Ridl view of pag. 133. considering how much is already by sundry sacriledges by pretence of law by alteration of times and other vijs modis iniuriously taken from God and the Church they should fauourably interpret the Lawes to the good of the Church and restoring vnto God that which indeed is Gods rather then as adding affliction to the afflicted and trampling vpon those that be already vnder foot make our burden still more and more heauy as if there were a continuall and generall conspiracy of the laity against the Clergie they did all thirst for that little as yet left vs held it a ruled case the x Foem Monar n. 4. a. Rid. View of pag. 185. moderne practise makes it seeme probable that whatsoeuer cause comes into the common Law for tithes must goe against vs and would teach vs by often and wofull experience that y Foem Monar n. 8. b. we were better loose all then sue for any where the matter must come through their hands Howsoeuer credible it is that if those kind of persons were all and alwaies as able and carefull to make demonstration of Science and conscience
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