Refuge which was a better proportion than our Glebe-Land and in value might be esteemed the Twelft part of the Land of Canaan Wherefore T. E. is mistaken again in affirming the Levites had no share in the Land Thirdly He alledges That the present Clergie have Offerings as well as the Levitical Priests And here he hath a large Bill of Names some of which we never heard of and yet he ends with an c. as he uses to do when he can reckon no more but after all this the Sums paid for some of these are so small and the others are so occasional that the present Clergie get not half so much in one year by these as the Levites and Jewish Priests did in a few Months by their Offerings For 1. They had their part of all their Sacrifices and Offerings made in the Temple 2. Their share of all the Feasts made there 3. A part of all Free-will Offerings and voluntary Oblations three times a year all the Jews coming up to Jerusalem and none coming empty 4. The First-born of Cattel or the Price as also the Price for Redemption of all the First-born of Men at Five Shekels apiece i. e. 12 s. 6 d. of our Money Numbers xviii 16.5 The Price of Persons dedicated by Vow coming sometimes for one Person to Fifty Shekels i. e. 6 l. 5 s. of our Money Levit. xxvii 2. with other things there mentioned So that our Offerings are not valuable in respect of theirs Fourthly He urges That all the Officers of the Temple were maintained out of these Pray' what all was there to be maintained None besides the Levites except the poor Nethinims who were Gibeonites and did the drudgery of the Temple All other Officers of the Temple were Levites who had none to keep but these Nethinims which were their Servants for all mean Offices Fifthly He says Out of the Tythes provision was made for the fatherless the widow and the stranger Deut. xiv 28 29. This is another mistake if he mean these were provided for out of the Levites Tythe T. E. had need go and read over Godwins Antiquities (n) Lib. 6. c. 3. where he will find this Provision was not made out of the first or Levites Tythe but out of the second Tythe which was to be spent in Feasts at Jerusalem two years and the third to be laid up at home for the Levite the fatherless the widow and the stranger so that the first Tythe was still paid intire and the Maintenance of these indigent Persons went out of the Peoples Profits So full of ignorance and mistakes is this Man in every thing he deals with We conclude therefore That the Charge is much easier now to our People than it was to the Jews under the Levitical Law § 44. In the Conference you had given two Reasons why the Apostles took no Tythes 1. Not of the Jews because their own Priests were in possession of them 2. Not of the Gentiles because of their unfixt Station To this T. E. replies pag. 351. I pray' who fixed your state of life who divided Provinces into Parishes and set up Parish-Priests Was it not a Pope Never did any Man pretend to write of things he understood so little as T. E. doth of Ecclesiastical Matters This all-knowing Quaker doth not understand that the Apostles themselves fixed Bishops and Pastors in the several Cities they had converted Timothy at Ephesus Titus in Crete giving them Commission to ordain and fix others in lesser Cities He knows not how Eusebius and other Historians reckon up the very Persons in all eminent Churches ordained and fixed there by the Apostles It will be news to him to tell him That in the very beginnings of Christianity wheresoever the Gospel was once planted there were strict Canons made against the Clergie of one Diocess going into another to Officiate Let it suffice to tell him That the General Council of Chalcedon ordains That whatever Clergie-man was ordained without a Nomination to some certain Church wherein he was fixed his Orders should be null (o) Can. 6. And to let him see we had a fixed Clergie in Britain long before Augustine's coming over he may read in a Synod held by S. Patrick among the Britains Anno 456. this Canon Let there be no wandering Clergie-man among the People (p) Can 3. ap Spelm. The Britains also had fixed Archbishops and Bishops and Priests long before the Popes of Rome so much as directed any thing here And when the Saxon Heathens who had disordered all things were converted to Christianity Honorius fifth Archbishop of Canterbury first divided all the Country in his Province into Parishes that he might allot to every several Minister a several Flock to take care of (q) Godwin de Praesul Angl. p. 59. circa annum 640. though Spelman attribute this to Theodorus about twenty or thirty years after But none can suppose this was the first fixing of Parish-Priests onely the first after the sad Inundation of Saxon Paganism And now we see T. E. hath neither Learning nor Truth in him who attributes our fixing to a Pope when the Apostles themselves shewed the way in this Practice not intending that any vagabond Speakers should be allowed after once the Christian Church was setled § 45. I hope when T.E. considers how wonderfully God opened the Hearts of the first Christians not onely to give the Apostles Meat and Drink but to sell all and give the Price to them he will upon second thoughts correct that Passage pag. 352. and allow this to be an extraordinary and miraculous Providence of Gods to encourage their first Beginnings And since all those fervors and excesses of Charity are now ceased I think we have reason to admire the Wisdom of our Ancestors who provided a fixed and certain Maintenance because there was no likelyhood of such Miracles of Charity to be found in after-times T. E. saith indeed they sold their Estates voluntarily pag. 353. which is most true and we do not desire any to sell them involuntarily now But when our People sell all voluntarily as they did we will quit our Claim to Tythes till then we desire the Quaker will let us quietly enjoy our ordinary Maintenance and we are well content § 46. When you soberly advise the Quakers to pay their Tythes for Conscience-sake in Obedience to the Kings Command T. E. replies pag. 354. We must not for Conscience-sake yield an Active Obedience to every Command of a King He misses the Mark again for the paying of Money or Money-worth when our Lawful Governors impose it is a piece of Passive Obedience If the King should bid the Quaker turn Minister and take Tythes his doing that were Active Obedience but to pay them especially unwillingly as the Quakers do is a piece of Passive Obedience to which a Man ought to submit quietly for Conscience-sake and in point of Obedience to the Authority imposing it though it be never so much
name of First-fruits The First-fruits saith he (m) in Ezek. 45. of all our Provisions are offered to the Priests so that we taste nothing of New-fruits till the Priest hath first tasted thereof and this we do that the Priest may lay up our bounty and Oblation in his house so that through his prayers God may bless our houses Hence he affirms the Law for Tythes doth oblige Christians as to the Substance as was noted before And he calls Tythes the things that be God's (n) Id. in Matth. 22. Yea he adviseth the Clergy that are in the Towns to send part of their Tythes to those who served God in desert places which plainly proveth they were paid to the Priests in his dayes S. Augustin who next follows is full in many places of his Works for the proof of this And he intimates it was no new Custom nor Opinion to to pay Tythes as God's due For our Fore-fathers saith he therefore abounded in all plenty because they gave God his Tythes and Caesar his Tribute (o) August Hom. 48. And again Tythes are required as due debt and he that will not give them invades another Mans Right Whatsoever Art sustaineth thee it is God's and he requireth Tythes out of whatsoever thou livest by May not God say The Man that I made is mine the Seed that thou sowest is mine the Cattel that thou weariest in thy work are mine the Showers the Rain and the gentle Winds are mine the heat of the Sun is mine and thou that lendest thy hand deservest only the tenth part but God gives us a liberal reward for our pains reserving only the Tenth part to himself (p) Aug. de Temp. Ser. 219. The whole Sermon is most worthy to be read and is translated into English in Sir Henry Spelman de non Temerandis Ecclesiis being an evident Proof of the Ancients opinion that Tythes were of Divine Right which I might further prove by many more Instances But I will end these Testimonies of single Eminent Fathers with that of Prosper of Aquitain who speaking to the Clergy of his dayes saith We do willingly receive the daily Oblations and Tythes of the Faithful and shall we lay aside the care of the Flock (q) Prosp de Vit. Contempl lib. 1. c. 21. Now I hope the Quaker will not say all these were Papists or that the Church was Popish as early as Irenaeus and Origen and if not then he must recant his false Assertion That Tythes came in with Popery But to go on In the next place we will shew That the Decrees of Councils did confirm our Assertion That Tythes are due jure Divino And first let it be noted That though it be certain Tythes were paid from the earliest dayes of Christianity yet it was not for a long time directly enjoyn'd by any Humane Law either Ecclesiastical or Civil which shews the first Christians believed they were obliged to pay them by the Law of God And according to S. Augustin's Rule viz. That such things as were universally observed and owed not their beginning to any Council were to be thought to have been ordained by the Apostles Tythes and First-fruits must at least be of Apostolical Institution I find indeed many Ancient Councils suppose them to have been paid and ordering how they should be distributed by the Bishops as Can. Apostolic 38 41. Concil Gangrens Can. 7 8. An. 324. where they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesiastical Tribute of Fruits And Concil Antiochen Can. 24 25. An. 341. where we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Profits of the Church or the Fruits of the Fields And also in the Canonical Epistle of S. Cyril of Alexandr to Domnus where we find mention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Ecclesiastical Revenues c. Among all these Instances that of the fore-mentioned Council of Gangra deserves more largely to be described as containing a full proof of the Ancient Donation of this Tribute of Fruits to the Church For this Synod complaining of the several mischiefs wrought by the Schismaticks of Eustathius his party mention these among the rest That they left the Houses of God and contemned the Church holding private Conventicles and teaching strange Doctrines there as well against the Church as those things that were done in it and despising the usual Garments did put on new and strange Habits And then they add The Ecclesiastical Tribute also of Fruits which of old time was given to the Church they challenge to themselves and those with them as being Saints (r) Bevereg Concil To. 1. p. 416. Conc. Gangrens Bin. ibid. p. 376. For which and other Quaker-like practices the Synod pronounces them to be accursed In this and the fore-cited places it appears That Tythes and First-fruits were given to the Church long before the Year of Christ 324. and paid by the People without any Laws to compel them so to do And the first Law which directly enjoyns them is the Decree of a Roman Council Anno 374. commanding That Tythes and First-fruits should be paid by the Christians and they which with-held them should be anathematized But there is some question whether that Council be genuine or no I shall therefore omit this and all those other Councils (ſ) Concil Tarracon Ann. 516. Cone Aurel. 1. An. 520. Conc. Brita sub S. Patricio c. which suppose them but do not enjoyn them and take notice that the first positive Ecclesiastical Law was made in the Council of Matiscon almost 300 years before K. Ethelwolph's Donation Anno 560. whose words do fully prove our Assertion of their having been paid from the beginning jure Divino For thus that Council speaks (t) Concil Matisc Can. 5. The Divine Laws taking care of the Priests and Ministers of the Churches for their Inheritance have enjoyned all the People to pay the Tythes of their Fruits to Holy Places that being hindered by no labour they may more duly attend Spiritual Ministeries which Laws the whole Company of Christians have for a long time kept inviolate wherefore we decree and ordain That the Ancient Custom be observed still among the Faithful and that all the People bring in the Tythes which maintain the Worship of God And the like Decree was made in Spain about thirty years after in the first Council of Hispalis An. 590. under the Famous Bishop Leander the Reformer of that Nation from Arrianism We ordain say they (u) Concil Hispal ap Ivon p. 2. c. 174. That all the Fruits and Tythes as well of Cattel as of Fruits be rightly offered to their several Churches by Rich and Poor according to the saying of the Lord by the Prophet Bring ye all the Tythes into the Store-house c. For as God hath given us all so of all he requireth Tythe of the profits of the Field and all Provisions of Bees and Honey Lambs c. And he that pays not Tythes of all these is
The Apostles having given a general Rule for the Faithful to communicate unto their Teachers in all good things the Primitive Christians did alwayes make liberal Oblations to their Pastors not only of Houses and Lands as we read in Holy Scripture but also of Money and other things which being collected every Lords day was delivered to the Bishop saith Justin Martyr (x) Just Mart. Apol. 2. An. 150. But not to expatiate into the whole Maintenance of the Christian Bishops and Priests in the first Ages which was so plentiful that they had enough for themselves and also for entertainment of Strangers Relief of the Poor and suffering Brethren and for furnishing God's Worship with all things necessary even then when the Christians were so harrassed with Persecutions I will come to inquire whether they had nothing in that Maintenance answering to Tythes yea whether they had not Tythes given them by a Voluntary Devotion I will begin with the Testimony of Irenaeus S. Polycarp's Disciple who was the Scholar of S. John and lived An. 170. We ought saith he to offer to God the First-fruits of his Creatures as Moses saith Thou shalt not appear before the Lord empty for not all kind of Oblations are abrogated there were Oblations among them and there are Oblations among us (z) Irenaeus advers Haer. lib. 5. c. 34. And a little after he saith That as the the Jews gave their Tenths so the Christians gave all they had freely and chearfully to the Lords uses not giving less than they as having a greater hope And here we must note That these First-fruits which we find often mentioned in the Ancients as paid to the Christian Priests were one sort of Voluntary Tythe prescribed by Moses Law being the first and best part of the Fruits of the Earth offered solemny to God by the owner And if Tythes had been unlawful because they were spoken of in Moses Law First-fruits must have been so also But we shall see the very first Christians dedicated their First-fruits of all the Earths productions to God And what was this but a Voluntary Tythe Yea I find the Names First-fruits and Tythes frequently joyn'd as signifying the same thing only the Greek Churches call these parts of the Earths productions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latins more usually term Decimae And it will be more evident that First-fruits among the Christians were but another Name for Tythes when we hear what follows The Apostolical Canons which were the Decrees of divers Christian Synods made in the times of Persecution and of great Authority in the Christian Church take notice of the Christians in those times to bring their First-fruits to the place of Assembly and by the Priest to offer them at the Altar which looking somewhat like a Sacrifice it was ordered That neither Honey Milk strong Liquors Birds nor living Creatures nor any other sorts of Pulse but only some of the first ripe ears of of Corn and Grapes should be offered at the Altar (a) Apostol Can. 3. But all other Fruits should be sent to the Bishop's house as First-fruits for the Bishop and Presbyters (b) Can. 4. From whence it is plain That those Christians did dedicate a part of all their Profits to God and his Ministers And the ancient Greek Church hath an excellent Prayer which the Priest said for those who thus offered their Tythes or First-fruits (c) Eucholo pag. 655. And S. Gregory's Sacramentary hath another In these times of Persecution also lived Origen Anno 210. whose opinion concerning these Dedications of Tythes and First-fruits we heard before § 8. And out of the same Homily (d) Origen in Numer Hom. 11. we have transcrib'd these words It is an undecent unworthy and wicked thing for one that worships God and enters into the Church and knowing that the Priests and Ministers wait at the Altar serving either to the Word of God or the Ministeries of the Church doth not offer to the Priests the First part of those Fruits of the Earth which God gives by making his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall Such a Soul seems to me neither to remember God nor think of him nor yet to believe that God gave those Fruits which he takes and layes up as if God had nothing to do with them And hence as is noted before he concludes the Law of Tythes and First-fruits ought to stand in force among Christians To him we may add S. Cyprian who lived about 40 Years after who commending the Nobleness of the first Christians blames those who did not give the Tythes out of their Inheritance (e) Cypri de Vnit Eccle. Which he would not have done but that he believed Christ intented Tythes for the maintenance of a Gospel-Ministry To this we madd the Testimony of that ancient Book which bears the name of Clement's Constitutions (f) Lib. 8.30 Let all the First-fruits be delivered to the Bishop and to the Presbyters and the Deacons So that we see Tythes and First-fruits were paid and thought lawful even in the times of Persecution and since no Humane Law enjoin'd them they must needs be mov'd hereunto by esteeming them due by God's Law But we proceed to consider the Opinion of the succeeding Times and to omit the less considerable S. Ambrose is very plain It is not saith he sufficient for us to bear the name of Christians if we do not the works of Christians now the Lord commands us to pay our Tythes yearly of all our Fruits and Cattel (g) S. Ambr. Serm. 33. in Quadrag And again saith he (h) Id. Ser. 34. An. 380. What is it faithfully to give Tythes but that we never give the worst or least parts to God of our Grain our Wine of the Fruits of our Trees of our Flocks our Garden our Merchandise yea of our very Hunting because of all the Substance which God gives a Man he hath reserved the Tenth part to himself and therefore it is not lawful for a Man to retain that which God hath reserved to himself Epiphanius his contemporary a Bishop in Cyprus saith The Scripture exhorteth the People that out of their just labours they shall give to the Priests for their maintenance First-fruits Oblations and other things (i) Epiphan Panar lib. 3. to 2. haer 80. Note still the Greek Fathers call the same thing First-fruits which the Latin call Tythes Only in S. Chrysostom we find both words for this great Patriarch who is a zealous opposer of all Jewish Ceremonies yet affirms It is lawful and fitting for Christian to pay Tythes (k) Chrys in Gen. Hom. 35. in Ep. ad Hebr. Hom. 12. Yea he saith Melchisedec was our Tutor in this matter S. Hierom also in many places declareth they were generally paid in his time He tells us That as a Priest or Levite he himself lived upon Tythes and Oblations (l) Hieron Epist 2. And again under the
but being made into broad plates for the covering of the Altar the property of them was altered before they were allowed to be used The property altered hath not his immediate Teaching learned him to speak sense the form of the Censers was altered indeed but the property was not altered at all The Lord had the property of them when they were Censers and he had the same property in them when they are made into Plates The property of a a thing is not altered unless it change its Master If I have a property in a piece of Gold by a Friend's Gift and after see fit to melt it into a Ring for my own use the form is changed but the property is the same But to the Case before us As the Censers being once given to God must remain to be his still and though they might be used to another holy use yet they could not be alienated to a prophane or common use so we may learn it ought to be in other sacred Dedications If the things were offered to maintain an evil way of Worship they may be applied to maintain a right way of Worship but still they must remain sacred God's property in them should not be altered § 20. The poor Quaker finding his Arguments will not be able to wrest Tythes out of the Clergys hands attempts to get more forces on his side and pag. 297. makes a fine Speech to exasperate the Impropriators against the Priests perswading them that we are about to take their Estates from them but I shall make it evident very shortly § 37. That this very flattering Quaker that seems so tender of their Rights here doth labour to his utmost skill to prove they neither have nor can have any Right to or Estate in Tythes at all and that it is ridiculous unjust and unreasonable in them to pretend to have any such Estate so that I hope the Impropriators and all others will see the falseness of his dealing and observe that he will say any thing to serve a present turn and make the Priests odious For our parts we do not like the Quakers take upon us to censure the Actions of our Princes and Parliaments nor yet where Priests have temporal Estates the Tythes whereof belong to Lay-Impropriators do we refuse to pay those Tythes as the Laws of the Land appoint we do not pretend Conscience to save Charges as the Quakers manner is Whatever opinions therefore the Priests hold in this matter they do not oppose the Laws nor go about to perswade any to take away the Impropriators Estates from them There are some indeed not only of the Clergy but the Laity also who have been of opinion That in point of Conscience and as far as concerns the Divine Laws these Alienations were not allowable and they have perswaded such as can spare them freely to return them to pious uses or however to make provision for a Minister out of them sufficient to instruct the People where the profits do arise but none of us ever used the Impropriators as the Quakers have done us we know the present Laws give them a legal Title to them and where we are lyable we pay chearfully to them if their own Consciences be satisfied to keep them we do not molest them but if we do say It is more pious and more Christian freely to restore them I hope this is no just cause of offence But for this matter see Dr. Basier's Sacriledge arraigned and that excellent Book called The larger Work about Tythes written by Sir Henry Spelman whose Example answered his Instructions for he gave an Impropriation back to the Church out of his own Estate and perswaded divers Great Men to do the like and many other excellent Men since that time have followed the same Pattern § 21. T.E. is pag. 300. again harping upon the old string of Popery and now he falls to work for the Jesuits in good earnest labouring to make out the Pope's Title to England by a Prescription of eight or nine hundred years and all this meerly to perswade the World that the Saxons were Papists when Tythes were given and consequently that they are Popish and ought to be abolished But how impertinent and untrue all this is I will examine For first if the Saxons in K. Ethelwolph's time were Papists it will not follow that all their Donations are void so that if he could make this out it would not prove his Position viz. That this Donation of Tythes is invalid Secondly and suppose they were Papists in some things yet it follows not that giving Tythes was a Popish Act for all the Acts of Papists are not Popish The Saxons of those dayes observed the Lords Day and made good Laws for its observation enjoyned all Persons to learn the Creed and the Lords Prayer they gave Alms to the poor protested against Adoration of Images c. and in these they were no Papists yea those of the present Roman Church do many Acts of Piety and Charity but sure those Acts are not Popish The Protestants have disputed as much and as well for Tythes as ever the Papists did and T. E. must know it is a Popish opinion That the Bishop of Rome can exempt Men from paying Tythes And therefore if our Ancestors who gave Tythes had been Papists in this Act they had been good Christians and differed not from the opinion of the Reformed Church Thirdly he begins too low by far for if Popery came not into the Church till about seven hundred years after Christ according to T. E.'s proofs then Tythes were much ancienter than Popery for they were paid and declared to be due to the Christian Church at least five hundred years before and T. E. must prove Origen Cyprian S. Ambrose Chrysostom Hierome and Augustine to have been Papists if he will make out that Tythes came into the Church with Popery Or if he pretend he meant it only of this Church of England we have shewed Tythes were paid generally and specially granted in some parts of this Kingdom long before Ethelwolph's time so that he may twattle thus to please his ignorant Quakers but we discern the emptiness and impertinence of these Allegations which are so nothing to the purpose that they deserve not to be considered at all Yet because the poor Man hath taken so much pains we will give him the hearing But it is rather to clear our Pious Ancestors from the Reproaches of this ungracious Cham than out of any necessity in order to the Case of Tythes First therefore let us note That most of those Doctrines which are properly called Popery and which first caused and still justifie the Protestants Separation from Rome were not maintained as Articles of Faith no not in the Church of Rome it self at the time of this Donation Anno 855. The Marriage of Priests was not forbidden till the time of Greg. VII above 200 years after (l) Polyd. Virgil derer invent l. 5. c.
For Charles the Great of France saith the Historian sent the Constitutions of a Synod which he had received from Constantinople into Britain in which alas were many inconvenient things and contrary to the Catholick Faith especially that Images ought to be worshipped which is altogether accursed by the Church of God against which Alcuinus writ an Epistle wonderfully proved by the Authority of Divine Scripture which in the name of our Princes and Bishops he carried with the Constitutions back to the King of France (c) Hoveden Annal. p. 232 Sim. Dunel Col. 111. Math. West An. 793. And upon this a Synod was called at Frankfort wherein by the Gallican English and German Churches the worship of Images was condemned and a Book written in the Name of Charles the Great against the second Council of Nice (d) Vid. Eiginharti Annal An. 794. and that this opinion continued long after may be seen in Dr. Stillingfleet pag. 832. who instances in Famous Authors that in the name of the Gallican Church opposed all Image-worship such as Jonas Aurelianensis Anno 842. and Agobardus Bishop of Lyens An. 850. Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes An. 880. c. And that the English remained free from this Idolatry a long time after is shewed by Sir Roger Twysden (e) Histor Vindic. c. 9. p. 184. Thirdly He instances in Miracles and Intercession of Saints taxing Bede with these points of Popery and the Saxons of his time I reply That if the beliefe of Miracles make Men Papists then T. E. and his Quakers are all Papists for they believe they are immediately taught which is a stranger and greater Miracle than any they can find in all Bede's History Again It is not unlikely but some extraordinary Miracles might be wrought at the first Conversion of the Saxons the more easily to convince that rugged People and the want of Humane Learning in that Age might occasion the credulous reception of more than was true and yet we must not condemn them presently for Papists they might be credulous and apt to be imposed upon but that was their infirmity and amounts but to Superstition not to Popery I add That in Eusebius and other old Church-Histories there are many Miracles recorded which yet doth not prove either the Authors relating them or the People believing them to be Papists As for Intercession of Saints if he mean that the Saxons prayed to the Saints as their Intercessors with God he doth egregiously wrong them for the old Saxon Psalters in which are their Private Devotions have no mention of any Saints at all as is attested by Spelman and Twysden who had perused several Originals and Bishop Vsher affirms the like of a Prayer Book which he had seen as old as K. Athelstan's time An. 940. Nor were the Saints Names added in their Litanies with Ora pro nobis till about the time of K. Canutus almost 200 years after K. Ethelwolph's time So that neither in this matter were our Tythe-givers Idolaters nor Papists neither There is but one thing more wherein the present Church of Rome is charged with Idolatry and that is in Adoring the Host or Body of Christ which they say is transubstantiate in the Sacrament but neither in this were the Saxons guilty for they did not believe Transubstantiation no not in King Edgar's dayes An. 975. as appears by the Saxon Paschal Homily which Aelfricus then translated into Saxon being appointed to be publickly read There is saith he much difference between the Body of Christ which suffered for us and that which is consecrated in the Eucharist that was born of the Virgins flesh but his Spiritual Body which we call the Host is composed of many grains without blood or bones or any member or any Soul This Mystery is a pledge and sigure but the Body of Christ is Truth it self (f) Homil◠Pasch Sax. And another Discourse of his to a Saxon Bishop of those Times saith The Host is the Body of Christ not corporally but spiritually (g) B. Ushe◠de Success 〈◊〉 Eccles c. 〈◊〉 §. 21. Which proves they were of the same opinion with Protestants in this main point and could be no Idolaters at all I could give more Instances to prove that the Saxons were like the Protestants in the most fundamental matters but two Instances more shall suffice at present 1. As to the merit of Good works The Lord teacheth us saith V. Bede that no Man is sufficiently able to save himself either by his own Free-will or his own merits (h) Bed in Psal 31. And by the Righteousness of his deeds shall no Man be saved but only by the Righteousness of Faith (i) Id. in Psal 77. By the mercy of God in the Name of our Saviour and not by our merits we obtain Life saith Alcuinus An. 800. (k) In Psal 142. And long after even in Anselm's time this was the opinion of the Church of England as we have proved before so that in this point the Quakers with their Perfection are more Popish than the Saxons were I shall conclude with the Canon of Scripture which the Saxons kept entire as we have it rejecting the Apocrypha from being of Divine Authority even as the present Protestants Church doth see of old Beda (l) Comm in Apoc. c. 4. Alcuinus (m) Advers Elipantum Gislebertus Westmonast (n) Alterc inter Synag Eccl. c. 1. An. 1090. and since that Johannes Sarisburiensis (o) Ep. 172. An. 1180. and Guliel Occam (p) Dial. part 3. tract 1. l. 3. c. 16. An. 1330. to name no more Finally then if T. E. have either shame or grace let him repent of this foul slander which he hath as falsly as maliciously cast upon our Fore-Fathers the pious Saxons who were more Orthodox in some Points than Rome it self then was and differred from the present Papists in all the most material Articles of Faith being nearer in opinion to the Protestant Church of England And although they were in some lesser matter inclining to Superstition yet they were very devout according to their knowledge and may shame the present Age who do not so many good things though they have more Understanding But if T. E. will not recant I shall leave it to the Reader to judge of his Ignorance and Impudence in saying Tythes were given by Papists and Idolaters to Idolaters for Idolatrous uses and in supposing the Church so much corrupted with Popery then that their very Donations were not fit to stand good or be enjoyed no not by a Protestant Ministry § 22. To manifest that the Donation of Tythes is not Popery we have already proved they were given to the Church before Popery came in and now we shall shew they were allowed received and confirmed after Popery was turned out and that as you noted in the Conference even by those who were Martyrs for the Protestant Faith Cranmer Hooper Ridley Latimer Taylor and