Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bring_v	edward_n	king_n	4,327	5	3.9702	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50954	A supplement to Dr. Du Moulin, treating of the likeliest means to remove hirelings out of the Church of England With a brief vindication of Mr. Rich. Baxter. By J.M.	Milton, John, 1608-1674.	1680 (1680)	Wing M2180; ESTC R215557	32,178	27

Law of Tithes was enacted by those Kings and Barons upon the Opinion they had of their Divine Right as the very words import of Edward the Confessor in the close of that Law for so Blessed Austin preached and taught meaning the Monk who first brought the Romish Religion into England from Gregory the Pope And by the way I add that by these Laws imitating the Laws of Moses the third part of Tithes only was the Priests due the other two were appointed for the Poor and to adorn or repair Churches as the Canons of Echbert and Elphric witness Concil Brit. If then these Laws were founded upon the Opinion of Divine Autority and that Autority be found mistaken and erroneous as hach been fully manifested it follows that these Laws fall of themselves with their False Foundation But with what face or conscience can they alledge Moses or these Laws for Tithes as they now enjoy whereof Moses ordains the Owner as we heard before the Stranger the Fatherless and the Widow partakers with with the Levite and these Fathers which they cite and these though Romish rather than English Laws allotted both to Priest and Bishop the third part only But these our Protestant these our new reformed English Presbyterian Divines against their own cited Authors and to the shame of their pretended Reformation would engross to themselves all Tithes by Statute and supported more by their wilful obstinacy and desire of filthy Lucre than by these both insufficient and impertinent Autorities would perswade a Christian Magistracy and Parliament whom we trust God hath restored for a happier Reformation to impose upon us a Judaical Ceremonial Law and yet from that Law to be more irregular and unwarrantable more complying with a covetous Clergy than any of those Popish Kings and Parliaments alledged Another shift they have to plead that Tithes may be Moral as well as the Sabbath a tenth of fruits as well as a seaventh of days I answer that the Prelates who urge this Argument have least reason to use it denying morality in the Sabbath and therein better agreeing with reformed Churches abroad than the rest of our Divines As therefore the Seaventh day is not moral but a convenient recourse of worship in fit season whether seaventh or other number so neither is the tenth of our goods but only a convenient subsistance morally due to Ministers The last and lowest sort of their Arguments that men purchas'd not their Tithe with their Land and such like Pertiforggery I omit as refuted suffoiently by others I omit also their violent and irreligious exactions related no less credibly their seising of Pots and Pans from the Poor who have as good Right to Tithes as they fromsome the very Beds their sueing and imprisoning worse than when the Canon Law was in force worse than when those Sons of Eli were Priests whose manner was thus to seise their pretended Priestly due by force 1 Sam. 2. 12 c. Whereby men abhorred the offering of the Lord and it may be feared that many will as much abhor the Gospel if such violence as this be suffered in her Ministers and in that which they also pretend to be the offering of the Lord. For those sons of Belial within some limits made seisure of what they knew was their own by an undoubted Law but these from whom there is no Sanctuary seise out of mens grounds out of mens houses their other goods of double sometimes of treble value for that which did not Covetousness and Rapine blind them they know to be not their own by the Gospel which they preach Of some more tolerable than these thus severely God hath spoken Isa 46. 10. c. They are greedy Dogs they all look to their own way every one for his gain from his quarter With what anger then will he judge them who stand not looking but under colour of a Divine Right fetch by force that which is not their own taking his name not in vain but in violence Nor content as Gehazi was to make a cunning but a constrained advantage of what their Master bids them give freely How can they but return smitten worse than that sharking Minister vvitha Spiritual Leprosie And yet they cry out Sacriledge that men vvill not be gull'd and hassl'd the Tenth of their Estates by giving credit to frivolous pretences of Divine Right Where did God ever clearly declare to all Nations or in all Lands and none but Fools part with their Estates without elearest of evidence on bare supposals and presumptions of them who are the gainers thereby that he required the tenth due to him or his son perpetually and in all places Where did he demand it that we might certainly know as in all claims of temporal right what is just and reasonable or if demanded where did he design it or by what evident conveyance to Ministers● Unless they can demonstrate this by more than conjectures their Title can be no better to Tithes than the Titles of Gohazi was to those things which by abusing his Masters name he rooked from Neemen Much less where did he command that Tithes should be fetcht by for●e where left not under the Gospel whatever his right was to the Free-will offerings of men Which is the greater Sacriledge to belie Divine Autoritie to make the name of Christ accessary to violence and robbing him of the very Honour which he aimed at in bestowing freely the Gospel to commit Simonie and Rapine both Secular and Ecclesiastical or on the other side not to give the tenth of civil right and propriety to the tricks and impostures of Clergy-men contriv'd with all the art and argument that their bellies can invent or suggest yet so ridiculous and presuming on the Peoples dulness or superstition as to think they prove the divine right of their maintainance by Abram paying Tithes to Melchisedec when as Melchisedec in that passage rather gave maintenance to Abram in whom all both Priests and Ministers as well as Lay-men paid Tithes not received them And because I affirm both beginning this first part of my Discourse that God hath given to Ministers of the Gospel that maintenance only which is justly given them let us see a little what hath been thought of that other maintenance besides Tithes which of all Protestants our English Divines either only or most apparently both require and take Those are Fees for Christnings Marriages and Burials whi●h though who so will may give freely yet being not of right but of free gift if they be exacted or established they become unjust to them who are otherwise maintained and of such evil note that even the Council of Trent l. 2. p. 240. makes them lyable to the Laws against Simonie who take or demand fees for the administring of any Sacrament Che la sinodo volendo levare oli abusi vntrodotti c. And in the next Page with like se●erity condemns the giving or taking for a Benefice and the celebrating