Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	clergy_n	king_n	3,253	5	3.7031	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86306	The undeceiving of the people in the point of tithes: wherein is shewed, I. That never any clergy in the Church of God hath been, or is maintained with lesse charge to the subject, then the established clergy of the Church of England. II. That there is no subject in the realme of England, who giveth any thing of his own, towards the maintenance of his parish-minister, but his Easter-offering. III. That the change of tithes into stipends, will bring greater trouble to the clergy, then is yet considered; and far lesse profit to the countrey, then is now pretended. / By Ph. Treleinie Gent.	Heylyn, Peter, 1600-1662.	1647 (1647)	Wing H1741; Thomason E418_1; ESTC R204596	25,471	32

they were rather Panteries Larders or Store-houses then so many consecrated Altars And though he make those Canons but as so many Pot-guns yet as great Criticks as himselfe esteeme otherwise of them as his Antagonist in that quarrell proves sufficiently And as for that particular Canon which requires these offerings it is but an exemplification or particularizing of that which is more generally prescribed by S. Paul Gal. 6. 6. where he enjoyneth him that is taught to communicate to him that teacheth him in omnibus bonis in all his goods as the Rhemists read it very rightly not in all good things as our late translation Now this Injunction reacheth to all sorts of people to the poor as well as to the rich as appears plainly by a passage in S. Cyprians works where he upbraids a wealthy widow for coming empty-handed and without her offering to the Altar of God and eating of that part of the sacrifice which the poor had offered g To the improvement of the maintenance of him that teacheth not only the rich men were to offer out of their abundance but the poor woman also was to bring her Mite They had not else come home to Saint Pauls commandment which reacheth unto all sorts of people without any exception to every one according to that measure of fortune which God hath given him Which clearly sheweth that though the payment of Tithes fall heavier upon landed men then possibly it might doe in the Primitive times before the Church was in a condition to demand her rights yet speaking generally of the people of a Church or parish the charge was greater to them then then it hath been since the greatest numbers of the people being freed from Tithes because they have no lands from whence Tithes are payable who could not be discharged from the communication of their goods and substance without a manifest neglect of Saint Pauls Injunction More then this yet besides what was communicated in a private way for the incouragement and support of him that taught which we may well conceive to be no small matter the publick offerings of the people were of so great consequence as did not onely serve to maintain the Bishop according to his place and calling and to provide also for the Priests or Ministers which served under him but also to relieve the poor and repair their Churches h And therefore certainly the faithfull of those times were generally at more charge to maintain their Ministery then the Subject is with us in England the greatest part of which by far pay no Tithes at all to the Parish-Minister and no man any thing at all towards the maintenance of the Bishop as in former days Follow we our designe through severall Countries and we shall finde the Clergy of most parts in Christendome either more plentifully endowed or else maintained with greater charge unto the Subject then the Clergy of the Church of England In France the Authour of the Cabinet computes the Tithes and temporall Revenues of the Clergy besides provisions of all sorts to 80 millions of Crowns but his accompt is disallowed by all knowing men Bodin reporteth from the mouth of Monfieur d' Alemant one of the Presidents of Accompts in Paris that they amount to 12 millions and 300000 of their Livres which is 1230000 l. of our English mony and he himself conceives that they possesse seven parts of twelve of the whole Revenues of that kingdome The book inscribed Comment d' Estat gives a lower estimate and reckoning that there are in France 200 millions of Arpens which is a measure somewhat bigger then our Acre assigneth 47 millions which is neer a fourth part of the whole to the Gallican Clergy But which of these soever it be we think fit to stand to it is resolved by them all that the Baise manie which consists of offerings Churchings Burials Diriges and such other casualties amounteth to as much per annum as their standing rents upon which ground Sir Edwin Sandys computeth their Revenue at six millions yearly In Italy besides the temporall estate of the Popes of Rome the Clergy are conceived to have in some places a third part of the whole but in most a moyetie In Spain the certain rents of the Archbishoprick of Toledo are said to be no lesse then 300000 Crowns per annum which is far more then all the Bishops Deans and Prebendaries do possesse in England In Germany the Bishops for the most part are powerfull Princes and the Canons of some Churches of so fair an Intrado and of such estimation amongst the people that the Emperours have thought it no disparagement to them to have a Canons place in some of their churches And as for the Parochial Clergy in these three last countries especially in Spain and Italy where the people are more superstitious then they be in Germany there is no question but that the Vailes and Casualties are as beneficiall to them as the Baise manie to the French But here perhaps it will be said that this is nothing unto us of the Realm of England who have shook off the superstitions of the Church of Rome and that our pains is spent but to litle purpose unlesse we can make good our Thesis in the Churches Protestant We must therefore cast about again and first beginning with France as before we did we shall finde that those of the Reformed party there not onely pay their Tithes to the Beneficiary who is presented by the Patron to the Cure or title or to the Church or Monastery to which the Tithes are settled by Appropriations but over and above do raise an yearly maintenance for those that minister amongst them Just as the Irish Papists pay their Tithes and duties unto the Protestant Incumbent and yet maintain their own Priests too by their gifts offerings or as the people in some places with us in England doe pay their Tithes unto the Parson or Vicar whom the Law sets over them and raise a contribution also for their Lecturer whom they set over themselves In other Countries where the supream Governours are Reformed or Protestant the case is somewhat better with the common people although not generally so easie as with us in England For there the Tithes are taken up by the Prince or State and yearly pensions assigned out of them to maintain the Ministers which for the most part are so small and so far short of a competency though by that name they love to call it that the Subject having paid his Tithes to the Prince or State is fain to adde something out of his purse towards the mending of the Stipend Besides there being for the most part in every Church two distinct sorts of Ministers that is to say a Pastor who hath Cure of souls and performs all Ministeriall offices in his congregation and a Doctor like our English Lectures which took hint from hence who onely medleth with the Word The Pastor onely

parish where the tax or sessement cometh to 400 l. per annum the Minister may not be allowed above an hundred The residue will be wholly in Mr Treasurers power either to feast it with his friends or lay up for his children or at the best to settle it on such who relate unto him or can make means and friends to enlarge their pensions though such perhaps as were never seen nor heard of by the parish whence the money comes And if men think it as it is an ill peece of husbandry to have the soil carried off their own land and laid on anothers to the impoverishing of their own and enriching of his I cannot see but that it will be thought a worse peece of husbandry and prove of very ill digestion to most Country stomacks to have the fat of their livings carried to another place and given unto a man whom they never saw and who is never like to feed their souls with the bread of life or their bodies with the life of bread their own poor Minister mean while from whom they have reason to expect it being so discouraged and impoverished that he can doe neither For whereas those who were possessed of the richer benefices did use to keep good hospitality to entertain their neighbours and relieve their poor and doe many other good offices amongst them as occasion served both to the benefit and comfort of all sorts of parishioners it may so happen and it will as before I said that the Minister may be so ill befriended by Mr Treasurer and the rest of the Trustees for the County that in stead of being either a benefit or a comfort to them in the way proposed he may prove a burden a charge And though I doubt not but as great care will be taken as can be desired in the choice of those who are to have the disposing of the publick monies yet to suppose that men once settled in an office of such trust and power may not be subject unto partialities and corrupt affections were an imagination fitter for the Lord Chancelour Verulams new Atlantis or Sr Thomas More his predecessors old Vtopia or a Platonick Common-wealth then the besttempered government in the Christian world For my part looking into the designe with the best eyes I have and judging of it by the clearest light of understanding which God hath given me I am not able to discern but that the change of Tithes into Stipends in the way propounded will bring greater trouble to the Clergy then is yet considered and far lesse profit to the countrey then is now pretended which is the third and last of my Propositions and is I hope sufficiently and fully proved or at the least made probable if not demonstrative I have said nothing in this Tract of the right of Tithes or on what motive or considerations of preceding claim the Kings of England did confer them upon the Clergy contenting my self at this time with the matter of fact as namely that they were settled on the Church by the Kings of this Realm before they granted out estates to the Lords and Gentry and that the land thus charged with the payment of Tithes they passed from one man to another untill it came unto the hands of the present Occupant which cuts off all that claim or title which the misperswaded subject can pretend unto them I know it cannot bee denied but that notwithstanding the said Grants and Charters of those ancient Kings many of the great men of the Realm and some also of the inferiour Gentry possessed of Manours before the Lateran Councell r did either keep their Tithes in their own hands or make infeodations of them to Religious houses or give them to such Priests or Parishes as they best affected But after the decree of Pope Innocent the 3d which you may find at large in Sr Edw Cokes Comment upon Magna Charta and other old Statutes of this Realm in the Chapter of Tithes had been confirmed in that Councel Anno 1215 and incorporated into the Canons and conclusions of it the payment of them to the Minister or Parochiall Priest came to be settled universally over all the kingdome save that the Templars the Hospitalers and Monkes of Cisteaux held their ancient priviledges of being excepted for those lands which they held in occupancy from this generall rule Nor have I said any thing of Impropriations partly because I am perswaded that the Lords and Gentry who have either Votes or Friends in Parliament will look well enough to the saving of their own stakes but principally because coming from the same original grant from the King to the Subjects by them settled upon Monasteries and Religious houses they fell in the ruine of those houses to the Crown again as of due right the Tithes should doe if they be taken from the Clergy and by the Crown were alienated in due form of law and came by many mean conveyances to the present Owners Onely I shall desire that the Lords and Commons would take a speciall care of the Churches Patrimony for fear lest that the prevalency of this evill humour which gapes so greedily after the Clergies Tithes doe in the end devour theirs also And it concerns them also in relation to their right of Patronage which if this plot goe on will be utterly lost and Churches will no longer be presentative at the choice of the Patron but either made Elective at the will of the People or else Collated by the Trustees of the severall Counties succeeding as they doe in the power of Bishops as now Committee-men dispose of the preferments of the sequestred Clergy If either by their power and wisdome or by the Arguments and Reasons which are here produced the peoples eyes are opened to discern the truth and that they be deceived no longer by this popular errour it is all I am at who have no other ends herein but onely to undeceive them in this point of Tithes which hath been represented to them as a publick grievance conducing manifestly to the diminution of their gain and profit If notwithstanding all this care for their information they will run headlong in the ways of spoil and sacriledge and shut their eyes against the light of the truth shine it never so brightly let them take heed they fall not into that infatuation which the Scripture denounceth that seeing they shall see but shall not perceive and that the stealing of this Coal from the Altars of God burn not down their houses And so I shut up this discourse with the words of our Saviour saying that no man tasteth new wine but presently he saith that the old is the better FINIS a As in the answer to those of Hartford Kent c. b Levit. 2. 3. 7. 5. 7. c Lev. 7. 33 34. d Ib. v. 8. e Lev. 27. 12 13. f Tithegatherers no Gospel-Ministers g Locuples dives in dominicum sine sacrificio venis partem sacrificii quod pauper obtulit sumis Cypde piet Eleemos h Beda in histor Eccles. l. 1. i Anno 855. Rex Ethelwulfus omnium Praelatorum Principum suorum qui sub ipso variis Provinciis totius Anglia praeerant gratuito Consensu tunc primo cum decim●s terrarum bonorum aliorum sive Catallorum universam dotavit Ecclesiam per suum Regium Chirographum Ingulph k Decimavit de omni possessione sua in partem Domini in universo regimine Principatus sui sit constituit Ethelward l Aethelwulphus Rex decimam totius Regni sui partem ab omni Regali servitio tribut● liberavit in sempiterno Graphio in Cruce Christi pro Redemptione Animae suae Praedecessorum suorum uni trino Deo immolavit Florent Wigorn m Totam terram suam propter amorem Dei redemptionem ad opes Ecclesiarum decimavit Henr. Huntingd. n Qui augere voluerit nostrā donationem augeat omnipotens Deus dies ejus prosperos siquis verò mutare vel minuere praesumpsert noscat se ad Tribunal Christi redditurū ration● nisi prius satisfactione emendaverit o Vt imprimis de meo proprio reddant Deo decimas Episcopi mei similiter faciant de suo proprio Aldermanni mei Praepofiti mei p As in the Book called Tithegatherers no Gospel-officers q As in the Kentish Petition and other projects of that kind r Ante Concilium Lateranense bene poterant Laici decimas sibi in feudum retinere vel aliis quibuscunque Ecclesiis dare Lindwood in Provine cap. de decimis

hath his Stipend from the publick Treasurer the Doctor being maintained wholly as I am credibly informed at the charge of the people and that not onely by the bounty or benevolence of landed men but in the way of Contribution from which no sort of people of what rank soever but such as live on alms or the poore mans box is to be exempted But this is onely in the churches of Calvins platform those of the Lutheran party in Denmark Swethland and high Germany having their Tithes and Glebe they had before and so much more in offerings then with us in England by how much they come neerer to the church of Rome both in their practise and opinions especially in the point of the holy Sacrament then the English doe And as for our dear brethren of the Kirk of Scotland who cannot be so soon forgotten by a true born English man the Tithes being settled for the most part on Religious houses came in their fall unto the Crown and out of them a third was granted to maintain their Minister but so ill paid while the Tithes remained in the Crown and worse when alienated to the use of private Gentlemen that the greatest part of the burden for support of the Ministery lay in the way of contribution on the backs of the people And as one ill example doth beget another such Lords and Gentlemen as had right to present to churches following the steps of those who held the Tithes from the Crown soon made lay-fees of all the Tithes of their own demesnes and left the presentee such a sorry pittance as made him burthensome to his neighbours for his better maintenance How it stands with them now since these late alterations those who have took the Nationall covenant and I presume are well acquainted with the Discipline and estate of the Scottish Kirk which they have bound themselves to defend and keep are better able to resolve us And so much for the proof of the first proposition namely That never any Clergy in the church of God hath been or is maintained with lesse charge of the Subject then the established Clergy of the church of England And yet the proof hereof will be more convincing if we can bring good evidence for the second also which is II. That there is no man in the Kingdome of England who payeth any thing of his own towards the maintenance and support of his Parish-Minister but his Easter-offering And that is a Paradox indeed will the Reader say Is it not visible to the eye that the Clergy have the tenth part of our corn and cattell and of others the increase and fruits of the earth Doe not the people give them the tenth part of their estates saith one of my pamphlets have they not all their livelihoods out of our purses saith another of them Assuredly neither so nor so All that the Clergy doth receive from the purse of the Subject for all the pains he takes amongst them is two pence at Easter He claims no more then this as due unlesse the custome of the place as I think in some parts it is bring it up to sixe pence If any thing be given him over this by some bountifull hand he takes it for a favour and is thankfull for it Such profits as come in by marriages churchings and funerall Sermons as they are generally small and but accidentall so hee is bound unto some speciall service and attendance for it His constant standing fee which properly may be said to come out of the Subjects purse for the administration of the Word and Sacraments is nothing but the Easter-offering The Tithes are legally his own not given unto him by the Subject as is now pretended but paid unto him as a rent-charge laid upon the land and that before the Subject either Lord or Tenant had any thing to do in the land at all For as I am informed by Sir Edw Coke in his Comment upon Littletons Tenures li. 1. cap. 9. Sect. 73. fo. 58. It appeareth by the Laws and Ordinances of ancient Kings and specially of King Alfred that the first King of this Realm had all the lands of England in Demesne and les grands manours royalties they reserved to themselves and with the remnant they for the defence of the Realm enfeoffed the Barons of the Realm with such jurisdiction as the court Baron now hath So he the professed Champion of the Common laws And at this time it was when all the lands in England were the Kings Demesne that Ethelwolph the second Monarch of the Saxon race his father Egbert being the first which brought the former Heptarchie under one sole Prince conferred the Tithes of all the kingdome upon the Church by his royall Charter Of which thus Ingulph Abbot of Crowland an old Saxon writer i An. 855. which was the 18 of his reign King Ethelwulph with the consent of his Prelates Princes which ruled in England under him in their severall Provinces did first enrich the church of England with the tithes of all his lands and goods by his Charter Royall Ethelward an old Saxon and of the bloud royall doth expresse it thus k He gave the tithe of his possessions for the Lords own portion and ordered it to be so in all the parts of the Kingdome under his command Florence of Worcester in these words l King Ethelwolfe for the redemption of his own soul and the souls of his Predecessors discharged the tenth part of his Realm of all tributes and services due unto the Crown and by his perpetuall Charter signed with the signe of the Crosse offered it to the three-one God Roger of Hovenden hath it in the self-same words and Huntingdon more briefly thus m that for the love of God and the redemption of his soul he tithed his whole dominions to the use of the Church But what need search be made into so many Authours when the Charter it self is extant in old Abbot Ingulph and in Matthew of Westminster and in the Leiger book of the Abbey of Abingdon Which Charter being offered by the King on the Altar at Winchester in the presence of his Barons was received by the Bishops and by them sent to be published in all the Churches of their severall Diocesses a clause being added by the King saith the book of Abingdon that whoso added to the gift n God would please to prosper and increase his days but that if any did presume to diminish the same he should be called to an accompt for it at Christs judgment seat unlesse he made amends by full satisfaction In which as in some other of the former passages as there is somewhat savouring of the errour of those darker times touching the merit of good works yet the authorities are strong and most convincing for confirmation of the point which we have in hand Now that the King charged all the lands of the Kingdome with the payment of