and Parsonages thus well Gospelly served yea not served at all but the Church Doors quite shut up after the New Gospel of England So he This doubtless will be the general sad condition of all England as it is now in most part of Wales if Tithes and Rectories be quite voted down abolished or disposed to the Souldiers or brought into a common Treasury which will hardly leave Ministers the Tenth of their Tithes as our late Sequestrators left not the Tenth nor fifth part clear gains and value of all Sequestrations generally throughout England to the State as I found by examination of their Accompts upon Oath which is now so violently prosecuted endeavoured by many And then we shall have a glorious blessed Reformation indeed according to the Popes and Jesuites hearts desires who like ravening Wolves will make a prey of all Flocks in the defect and absence of able Pastors through want of Maintenance and poverty as they have done in many places throughout the Realm seduced by them to Jesuitism Anabaptism Atheism through defect of able Ministers and ejection of former Incumbent Pastors under pretext of Scandal Insufficiency or Malignity by Arbitrary or Anabaptistical Committees Sequestrators Prosecutors without any legal Tryal by their Peers or any care at all to place better abler or any Minister at all in divers Parishes in their places Whereupon these active Jesuites with other Romish Emissacries under the Disguises of Anabaptists Seekers Dippers inspired Brethren Quakers Ranters Souldiers New Illuminates of extraordinary Endowments and Itinerary Predicants who pretend to preach the Gospel freely have seduced thousands divided the people into sundry Sects and almost ruined our Church and Religion in a short space which they will soon accomplish to their hearts content can they now but vote down Tithes Glebes and set up New Committees in all places of their own and the Anabaptistical party concurring in Design and most principles with the Jesuites as Watson in his Quodlibets and others prove at large to eject our remaining Ministers at their pleasure under pretext they are Antichristian Scandalous and no Ministers of Jesus Christ as John Canne and others have already prejudgeâ— them that they and their Agents may step into their places and at last when all their Designs against our State Church Governm are produced to maturity re-assume their Tithes Rectories with our Bishops Deans Chapters and Abby Lands too into their actual possession according to the Jesuite Parsons and his Companions long prosecuted project at large related by William Watson the Priest in his Quodlibets p. 93 94 98 288 â—89 332 333. with other plots lately prosecuted ad unguem to subvert our Religion Laws Government Monarchy and enslave us to the Iesuits Popes Spaniards Tyranny and Vassalage in conclusion first laid by Parsons and other pragmatical Jesuites then seconded by Thomas Campanella in his Treatise De Monarchia Hispanica c. 25.27 and elsewhere prosecuted of late years by the Jesuites and Spanish Agents on the one hand and Cardinal Richilieu and his Instruments on the other hand who at his death in the begining of our late Warrs which he was very instrumental to rayse recommended the prosecution of them to the French King and his Successor Cardinal Mazarin as A Noble Italian Count Conte Galliazzo Gualdo Priorato in his Historia part 3. printed at Venice in 4to Anno 1648. dedicated by him to the King of Poland and written in Italian p. 175 176 records in these words worthy all English Statesmens special notice where Writing of the affairs of the year 1642. and the death of Cardinal Richelieu in particular he records That amongst other things he caused some Papers to be delivered before his death to the King of France full of Policies and Maximes of State directing him how to carry on his Business with all Forein States His advice in relation to England was this Che Sopra c. That above all other things the King of France should endeavour to keep the Government of Great Britain divided by upholding the weakest party that the other might not make it self too powerfull Reducing the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland to be divided by one of these two means or both either by nominating new Kings or by reducting them to a Common-wealth Yet with this Caution that when they are reduced to a Common-wealth So to order it that it may not be intirely one but divided For Republiques ever enemies to Potent Neighbours and Iealous of their Liberties ought to be Suspected by the State of France How punctually this advice hath been pursued by the French as well as Parsons and Campanellaes Plots of like nature by the Spaniards those who please to peruse the Lord George Digbies Cabinet Letters printed in the Collection of all the Publique Orders Ordinances and Declarations of Parliament in folio by the Commons Order 1646. p. 849 858 862 863 866 867. and my Speech in Parliament p. 118. 106 to 114. may read at leisure and every mans observing experience can sufficiently attest The Lord now at last give us hearts to be deeply sensible of it and grace zeal courage to make timely use of it for the Preservation of our Kingdoms Nations Churches Ministers Religion from impendent ruine Having given the world this brief Accompt of the principal Promoters Prosecutors of the present Grand Plot against our Ministers their Tithes and Rectories I cannot upon serious consideration of it but foresee and divine that if all or any of these Projectors through Gods heavy Judgment on us for our sins and detestable violations of all Oaths Vows Covenants Trusts Protestations Promises Declarations Divine and Human Laws should by power fraud policy or armed force so far prevail with our present Legifers or Swaying Grandees as totally to take away and abolish the Rectories Tithes and present setled Maintenance of our Ministry for the Souldiers pay or other ends or else secretly to bring them all into a Common Treasury and reduce all our Ministers to set arbitrary Stipends out of them to dispossess them of the future actual possession of them and make them wholy dependent on the arbitrary discretions of new intruding Land-Lords into their Churches Patrimonies Freeholds from whom they never received them at first as it would inevitably produce a world of mischiefs and Inconveniences both to all Patrons and Parishioners throughout the Nation without the least Ease or Benefit to the People so it would certainly either totally ruine our Ministers making them all poor Fryers Mendicants neglecting their Callings Studies to get their living by begging from door to door and as Peter Martyr observes to be ventris potius quam Ecclesiae Ministros ostiatim validè Mendicare non Mendicantes sed Manducantes appellari and thereby subvert our Church and Religion with them in very few years space open such a wide door for the Pope and whole body of Popery to flow in upon us again with an impetuous irresistable Deluge
6. c. 3. 5 E. 6 c 2. 7 E. 6. c. 11.1 Phil. Mar. c. 6.5 Eliz. c. 3.14 Eliz. c. 3.18 Eliz c. 3.22 Eliz. c. 11.23 Eliz. c. 3.31 Eliz. c. 10.35 Eliz. c. 7. 43 Eliz. c. 2. as Dalton and other Justices of Peace Tit. Poor Maimed Souldiers Therefore admit Tithes mere Alms as some would have them yet when and where detained they may be as justly levyed and recovered by coercive Laws and Statutes as Alms to the Poor and those who condemn coercive Laws for Tithes as unbeseeming the Gospel must Tax and Repeal all Laws for the Poor and for Maimed Souldiers too as such which I presume they will not do 5ly I suppose neither Canne himself who receives pay as a Chaplain to the Army out of publick Contributions from the people not from voluntary contributions of the Souldiers and all other Officers and Swordmen oppugning the coercive Maintenance of our Ministers by Tither or otherwise will maintain even unto death that the People even against their wills and Consciences too may be enforced to pay Monthly Taxes and Excises amounting to twenty times more each year than all the Ministers Tithes in England by coercive Orders and Ordinances though not made in a full free or old English Parliament nor warranted by so many indisputable Acts of Parliament as Ministers Tithes and Dues and levyed by Imprisonments Distresses Forfeitures armed violence and free quartering of Souldiers on the people though adjudged High Treason in Straffords Case in full Parliament for which he lost his Head our Ministers therefore being real Spiritual Souldiers of Jesus Christ even by the Gospels Resolution and not to go a warfare at any time on their own free cost but upon the Peoples pay wages as due to them as any Souldiers which I have formerly proved they must by the self same reason acknowledge the levying enforcing of the payment of their less Burdensom and more legal necessarie Tithes for the defence and preservation of the very Gospel Religion Gods Glory and Mans Salvation once a year by penalties forfeitures imprisonments or distresses when obstinately detained or else disclaim their own coercive Contributions first to maintain unchristian bloodie wars between Christians of the same Religion in firm unity and amity with us which are not so necessarie or commendable amongst Christians who should live peaceably with all men not make a last Trade of war Love as Brethren Lay down their Lives one for another Yea love and pray for their Enemies not murder or destroy them and beat all their Swords into Plowshares and their spears into Pruning Hooks not lifting up Sword Nation against Nation as now they do to the peril of the Gospel reproach and slaunder and learn war no more as is the Spiritual warfare of our Ministers against the World Flesh Sin Devil and all Errors Blasphemies Corruptions for the eternal Salvation not Destruction of mens Souls and Bodies too 6ly We find it long since prophecied in the Old Testament in relation to the calling to the Gentiles by and under the Gospel Isay 49.23 That the KINGS of the Gentiles should become Nursing-Fathers and their Queens Nursing-Mothers to the Church Isay 60.9 10. Surely the Isles shall wait for me and the Ships of Tarshish first to bring my Sons from far their Silver and their Gold with them And the Sons of Strangers shall build up the walls and their Kings shall minister unto thee Psal 72.10 11. The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring Presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer Gifts yea all Kings shall down before him and then all Nations shall serve him Thus seconded in the New Testament Rev 21.24 where it is prophecied of the Heavenly Jerusalem the Church of Christ the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory unto it Which Prophecies concerning Kings and likewise Kings of Isles in particular and no other sorts of Governors which is observable have been most eminently verified of the Kings and Queens of this Isle and Realm of Britain beyond all the Kings Queens Regions Isles and Kingdoms in the world besides to the eternal Honour of that late rejected abjured form of Kingly Government derived from Gods own form of Kingly Government over the whole world and of Christs Royal Government over his Church both Militant and Triumphant and of this our Isle where God blessed our Church and Kingdom 1. with three such worthy Heathen Kings in Succession Arviragus Marius and Coylus who though they embraced not the Christian Faith here preached soon after our Saviours Ascension by James the Son of Zebedee Simon Zelotes Peter Paul Aristobulus and Philips twelve Disciples wherof Joseph of Aramathaea who honourably interred our Saviour was chief Yet they courteously entertained them permitted them freely to preach the Gospel to their people gave publick entertainment to the persecuted Christians resorting hither as to a safe and peaceable Sanctuary when they were forcibly expelled out of all other Kingdoms and Countries throughout the world and Roman Empire by bloody Persecutors bestowed Lands and a comfortable Maintenance on the Preachers of the Gospel at Glastonbury where they built the first Christian Church in the world and were the first Kings and Kingdoms in the world who gave publique Reception Protection Countenance Maintenance to the Preachers and Professors of the Gospel as not only our own Historians but two forein Writers namely Polydore Virgil Hist Angl. l. 2. and Cardinal Baronius himself Annal. Tom. 1. An. 95. n. 5. with Spondanus in his Epitome of him records 2ly With the first Christian King we read of publickly baptised professing and establishing the Christian Faith builded endowed Churches and Ministers with Glebes and other Maintenance to wit our famous King Lucius who about the year 187. as Matthew Paris Matthew Westminster the History of Rochester and others record Possessiones et Territoria Ecclesiis et viris Ecclesiasticis abundanter conferens Chartis Munimentis omnia communivit Ecclesias vero cum suis Coemiteriis ita constituit esse Liberas ut quicunque Malefactor ad illa confugeret illaesus ab omnibus remaneret a good Policy at that time to draw Pagans to frequent the Church and hear the word to convert them both from their Paganism and evil Lives He not only giving all the Lands and Possessions belonging to the Pagan Temples and Priests to the Churches and Ministers of the Christians Sed quia majorem honorem illis impendere debuerat augmentavit illas amplioribus agris et mansis omnique libertate sublimavit as Galfridus Monmuniensis and Gervasius Tilburiensis affirm Here was a true Nursing Father indeed to Gods Church and Ministers 3ly With the first Christian Queen we read of in all the world to wit Queen Helena Daughter and Heir to King Coel and Mother to Constantine the Great who was a carefull Nursing Mother and Bountifull Benefactor to the Church and Ministers
out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the People of the Jews the Jesuits and Popish Priests who marched freely abroad not only preaching but printing and dispersing no lesse then 19. grosse Popish Books in defence of their Religion and condemning ours for Heresie whiles I their chief oppugner was shut up so close in three remote Castles that I could neither write against nor discover their Plots to undermine our Church State Religion nor yet send Letters to my Imprisoners to demand my liberty unless I would first give Copies of them to my Gardians and then trust them to send them when and by whom they pleased nor have admission to thy publick Ordinances for above two years space In thankfull Commemoration of which my late and great deliverance from this Aegyptian Bondage I do here presume in all humility to prostrate at thy feet and Dedâ—cate to thee the Great GAOLE-DELIVERING PRISONER-LOOSING GOD who saiest to the Prisoners GOE FORTH and to them that are in darknesse SHEVV YOUR SELVES this mean and unworthy Gospel Plea for the lawfulnesse and continuance of the Antient setled Maintenance and Tithes of thy Ministers of the Gospel reserved to and by thy self AS THY DEVOTED PORTION DEBT DUE whereof many now by FRAUD and VIOLENCE endeavour Sacrilegiously TO ROB BOTH THEE and THEM as the first fruits of my enlargement a Second EBENEZER Hitherto hath the Lord HELPED ME and a lasting Monument to Posterity of my gratitude and thankfulness to thee my God for my late restitution to so much Liberty and Freedom as to be able thus once more publickly to plead thine own and thy Ministers cause against Jesuits Anabaptists Quakers and all other open Oppugners Subverters of our Church State and secret Underminers of the true Preachers and Preaching of the Gospel who now like Gebal Ammon Amalek Edom Ismael Moab the Hagarens Philistines Inhabitants of Tyre and armed Assur of old have consulted together with one consent and are confederate against thee and have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance Beseeching thy Majesty most graciously to accept it most powerfully to protect and so effectually to blesse prosper it and thy servant against all these combined Confederates that they may be no way able to resist thy Truth Wisdom Spirit appearing pleading in it by it but either like convicted Seducers or Seduced persons fall down flat on their faces before it worship thee and report that God is in it and in thy servant of a truth Or in case of wilfull malicious obstinacy against thee and thy faithfull Ministers Houses of publick worship Truth and Gospel Do unto them as unto the Midianites as to Sisera and to Jabin at the brook of Kison which perished at Endor and became as dung for the earth Make their Nobles like Oreb and Zeeb yea make all their Princes as Zebah and as Salmunna who said as these do now LET US TAKE TO OUR SELVES THE HOUSES OF GOD IN POSSESSION O my God make them as a wheel as the stubble before the wind As the fire burneth the wood and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire so persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid of thy storm fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name O Lord let them be confounded and troubled for ever yea let them be put to shame and perish That men these men may know that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH art the most high over all the earth So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever we will shew forth thy Praise to all generations And thy servant Davids resolution Whiles I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praises unto my God WHILE I HAVE ANY BEING shall through thy Grace be both the Resolution and Practice of Swainswick 1 Sep. 1653. Thy unworthy unprofitable Redeemed Preserved and frequently enlarged Servant and Vassal William Prynne To the unprejudiced Christian Reader KInd Reader the 80. Psal in my weak judgement is both a lively Character of the deplorable condition of Gods Church of late years and likewise a most excellent Morning and Evening Prayer for it in publick or private The Psalmist thus complains That God by the OPPRESSING SWORD of combined enemies as Psa 83. imports had broken down his Churches hedges so that all they that passed by the way did pluck her the Boar out of the forrest did waste it and the wild beasts OF THE FIELD devour it The antient hedges of the Church here planted and spread in our Nation to wit Gods divine protection and Law the Patronage Rights Franchises Privileges Immunities granted confirmed to our Churches by the manifold great Charters Lawes Statutes of such bountifull devout Kings and Queens as God himself predicted should be NURSING FATHERS and NURSING MOTHERS UNTO HIS CHURCH under the Gospel and bring their Glory and Honour to it and Kings of Iles amongst others having been of late years very much broken down and almost levelled to the dust by arbitrarie Committees Sequestrations and the oppressing all-devouring Sword of War which God hath kept so long unsheathed without returning into the Scabberd these many years for the just punishment of our manifold sins and enormities all they that go by the way or in by-wayes taking advantage thereof have so plucked and the wilde-boares out of the wood and wilde-men and wilde-beasts of the field have so wasted devoured the best and richest part of our Churches Patrimony originally designed by the Parliament by a special Bill tendered to the late King at Oxford April 1643. when Arch-bishops Bishops Deans and Chapters were first voted down and extirpated as none of our Heavenly fathers plants or planting for the encrease of the Crown-Revenues to ease the people in their future Taxes and the Augmentation of our Ministers Maintenance and incompetent livings that there is little or none of it now remaining undevoured by them for either of these two publick ends And many new highway men wilde-boares and Beasts as well as old encouraged by former rich Church-plunders in stead of imitating faithfull Abraham whose heirs and children they professe themselves who gave THE TENTH OF ALL HIS SPOYLS OF WARRE to Melchisedec Priest of the most high God a type of our Saviour Christ if not Christ himself as some probably assert they most eagerly and violently attempt to spoyl plunder all the Evangelical Priests and Ministers of God throughout the Nation at one blow without any lawfull Tryal by their Peers due processe of Law or Legal conviction of any Capital crimes which cannot forfeit their Churches inheritance which is not so vested in them as either to forfeit or alien by the Law of God or the Realm of all their inconsiderable remaining Tithes Glebes and setled antient Maintenance and of their very Ministry too as JEWISH and ANTICHRISTIAN as John Canne the old Anabaptist
with his hands as Paul did to support himself and preach gratis wherefore he tells him 2 Tim. 2.4 That no man that warreth a spiritual warfare as he and other Ministers do intangleth himself with the affaires of this life that he may please or serve him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier A direct inhibition to Ministers to follow Pauls Precedent who cannot serve and please God in their Ministry if they labour day and night in Mechanick trades for their living And upon this ground which is very observable the very Apostles themselves Act. 6.3 4 5 6. Calling the multitude to them said it is not reason pray marke it that we should leave the Word of God and serve Tables much lesse work day and night at a Mechanick Trade wherefore brethren looke ye out seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost wisdom whom ye may appoint over this businesse but we will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the word And the saying pleased the whole multitude From which Texts it is clear 1. That the Apostles themselves resolve that they could not exercise the very antient office of a Deacon in serving Tables attending on Widowes and other poor aged impotent Saints without neglecting or giving over preaching of the Word much lesse then can Ministers labour day and night with their hands at some Trade or other to maintain themselves and their Families without neglecting and desisting from the Ministry 2. That Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel ought to give themselves wholly and continually to prayer preaching meditation reading and other Ministerial duties and therefore must not undertake or intermeddle with secular Imployments and Callings 3. That the Apostles themselves have punctually resolved and that all the primitive Christians unanimously assented to it that it is not reason that they should leave preaching the word of God so much as to wait upon Widdowes and poor people at their tables whereupon they elected seven Deacons to discharge that office Therefore it is far lesse reason and they are most wicked and unreasonable men without faith or charity from which the Apostle prayes God deliver him and all his Ministers 2 Thess 3.2 who now urge it to enforce all our Ministers to neglect forsake their Ministry Preaching Studies now to follow handicraft Trades to get their livelihood that so they might preach freely to the people without any recompence or reward at all 2. All godly Ministers people in all ages and the very Objectors themselves of late years have extremely condemned censured our Bishops and Prelatical Clergy together with Popes Popish Prelates and Clergy men for intermedling with and executing civil Offices Imployments and worldly affairs which necessitated them to neglect the preaching of the Gospel and their Ministerial duties whereupon not only many antient and late Councils Synods but Acts of Parliament have specially prohibited them to be Privy Counsellers of State Judges Justices of the Peace Lord Chancellors Treasurers Keepers of the Privy Seal Stewards of Courts Commissioners and our very last Parliament by several late Acts disabled all Bishops from sitting as Peers in Parliament and them with all other Clergy men to execute any temporal Offices or Commissions as incompatible with their spiritual Function and an impediment to their Ministry according to the old proverbial verse Pluribus intentus minor est ad singula sensus Which I have proved at large by testimonies in all ages in my Breviate of the Prelates intolerable Vsurpation printed Anno. 1637. My Vnbishoping of Timothy and Titus and Antipathy of the English Prelacy to Monarchy and Vnity Anno 1641. Therefore to force our Ministers to become Mechanicks and give themselves wholly to worldly callings imployments incompatible with their professions must needs be an irrational unchristian Project unworthy the profession or professors of the Gospel not justifiable from Pauls example in them that would enforce it 3. If this Precedent of Paul be a sufficient argument to prove that our Ministers ought to work for their living and to preach the Gospel freely without any reward or coercive Maintenance I shall then by the self-same reason prove that all Officers and Souldiers of the Army who make this Objection and all our publick civil Officers approving it ought likewise to fight and discharge their Offices without pay or salary and to work with their own hands to get their livings without oppressing the people with any Contributions of Excises to maintain them 1. Because Ministers and they are both of one profession in several senses to wit Souldiers 2 Tim. 2.3 4. as I have formerly proved Therefore to fare both a like in respect of pay or hire 2. Because God records in Scripture Ezech. 29.18 That Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon even by Gods appointment caused his Army to serve a great service against Tyrus every head was made bald and every shoulder was â—eeled Yet had he no wages nor his Army for Tyrus for the sâ—rvice that he served against it If Nebuchadnezzer and his Army served God freely against Tyre without wages many years Should not our present Army and Officers much more serve God and their Country freely without wages True it is God gave them after their service fully ended not any Taxes or Contributions from their own Country-men or Nation but the Land and spoyle of Egypt for their wages because they wrought for him verses 19 20. And if our Officers and Souldiers will have such wages it must only be the Lands and spoyles of forein Aegyptian enemies not our Churches or Crown-Lands or Revenues formerly easing the peoples Taxes and defraying all Garrisons and ordinary publick expences which they now claim and enjoy for Arrears of pay 3. Nehemiah both a godly Souldier General and Governour of his people records this for his own honour and others imitation Neh. 5.14 15 16 17 18 19. Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their Governour in the Land of Judah from the 20. even to the 32. year of Artaxerxes the King Even twelve years I and my Brethren have not eaten the bread of the Governor But the former Governours that had been before me were Chargeable and had taken of them Bread and Wine besides forty Shekels of Silver yea even their Servants bare rule over the people but so did not I marke the reason because of the fear of God Yea also I continued in the work of this wall neither bought we any Land as many Officers and Souldiers do now and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work Moreover there were at my Table an 150 of the Jewes and Rulers besides those that came unto us from among the heathen that were about us Now that which was prepared for me daily was an Oxe and six choyce sheep also Fowles were prepared for me and once in ten daies store of all sorts of Wine yea for all this required not I the breed that is the allowance
thereof authorized by the late Parliament infallibly evidence If so John Canne with his perfidious Oath-Vow-Covenant-breaking Tithe-abjuring disciples must renounce that true and only God they say they worship in greatest truth and sincerity as a Jewish unchristian antichristian God likewise I speak it with reverence and horrour too for their fuller conviction because he alwayes hath been now is and will be a most true faithfull Oath-observing Covenant-keeping Vow-performing God who reputes his Oathes Vows Covenants Immutable things and will never violate falsifie forget or neglect them in the least degree though made to sinfull treacherous and perfidious men Psal 89.3 4 28 to 38. Psal 120.4 Neh. 1.5 cap. 9.32 Psal 111.5 9. Isa 54.10 cap. 55.3 Jer. 33.20 21. Luke 1.72 73. and 2 Chron. 21.6 7. a memorable Text 2 Cor. 1.18 whom all those who own or challenge him to be their God are peremptorily obliged to imitate herein else they shall never enter into his holy hill or dwell with him in his Tabernacle Ps 15.1 2 14. Psal 24.3 4. Rom. 1.31 32. 1 Tim. 1.10 Rev. 22.15 and that in this very case of Tithes If not then why should not Tithes Glebes Oblations which our ancestors and wee have vowed and devoted to God continue and still be paid under the Gospel without superstition sin antichristianism or Judaism as well as other Vows Oaths and the religious observation of them Upon these Considerations all or most Christian Kingdoms States Churches upon the very fiâ—st preaching and embracing of the Gospel amongst them not only edified Churches Chapels for Gods worship and publike Assemblies but likewise endowed the Ministers thereof with convenient Glebes Tithes Oblations as Eâ—sebius Socrates Scholasticus Theodoret Nicephorus Calistus the Câ—ntury Writers Baronius Spondanus with other Ecclesiastical Historians and Hospinian De Origine Templorum prove at large for forein Parts and our own antientest Annalists with Antiqu. Ecclesiae Britanicae Sir Henry Spelman Conciliorum Angl. Tom. 1. and learned Dr. Vsher in his Britanicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates manifest for our own Nations and Realms Now because John Canne out of his learned ignorance hath newly published in his Second Voice from the Temple or Ale-house rather for which Cannes are more proper That Pope Gregory the tenth was the first that ordained Tithes to be paid to Priests in the year 1214. and that the Customs for paying Tithes at this day were setled upon the Kingdom by the Popes Legates in Provincial and Synodal Constitutions about the time of Henry the third and Henry the fifth Vouching Thorp and Ridley the Civilian to prove it I shall give you a brief touch concerning the Original of Churches Glebes Tithes in this our Iland About the year of our Lord 48. as our Historians record Joseph of Arimathea who interred our Saviour with XI more Disciples were sent into Britain to preach the Gospel by Philip the Apostle in the raign of Arviragus who arriving here were courteously entertained by this Pagan King and preached the Gospel to him and his people he perceiving the purity of their Doctrine and the holinâ—ssâ— of their Conversation gave them twelve Hides of land in the Isle of Avalon since called Glastenbury for to build a Church and to support them till this day called and known by the name of the twelve Hides of Glastenbury where they built the first Church erected for Gods worship in this Islâ— made of Wattle and Reed and there continued together preaching the Gospel living upon this their Glebe now of great value which was afterwards confirmed to them and the Ministers of the Gospel theâ—e succeeding them both by King Marius and Coilus next successors to Arviragus whom they instructed in the Christian Religion to which they wâ—re well affâ—cted albeit neither of them nor Arviragus himself proceeded so far as to be baptized for fear of displeasing their Pagan subjects though Harding in his Chronicle chapter 48. against the stream of our other Historians writes that King Arviragus himself was Baptized by Joseph of Arimathea After this Lucius King of Britain being converted to the Christian faith and Baptized with his Subjects and many other petty British Kings by his Example about the year of our Lord 176. by Faganus and Damianus sent to him at his earnest request by Elutherius then Bishop of Rome long before Pope or Popery were there erected or known in the world he upon the reception of the faith built and endowed Churches throughout his Dominions with Glebes and Tithes to support the Ministry whence our antient Poets thus write of him Lucius in Christum credit Christoque dicatas Ecclesias dotat distinctas ordinat Vrbes Many of our antient Historians adde that in his time there were 28 Flamins and 3 Arch-Flamins in Britain endowed with great Revenues for the service of their Idol gods to whom they had erected so many fair Temples and that Lucius after his conversion Turned these into 28 Bishopricks and three Arch-Bishopricks and purging these polluted Temples from their Idols and heathenish pollâ—tions dedicated them to the service of the true God which Sir Henry Spelman Bp. Vsher Godwin and the most judicious of our later Antiquaries justly reject as fabulous After Lucius Churches were here and in other places endowed with Glebes and Bishops with rich Lordly possessions by Constantine the great And about the year of Christ 312. the Christians being here and elswhere restored to peace and freed from persecution by Constantine began to build and repair those Churches which Dioclesian and other persecutors had rased to the ground and to endow them with maintenance for the Ministry In succeeding times the English Saxons who at their first arival being bloudy Pagans cruelly wasted the British Churches and butchered their Ministers Scholars Saints being converted to the Christian Faith by Augustine sent hither for that purpose by Pope Gregory the first who disclaimed that Papal Supremacy his Successors since challenged Aethelbert King of Kent and his Saxons being baptised by Augustine about the year of Christ 603. thereupon they began to repair the old ruinated Churches and to build new throughout his Dominions this King turning his Royal Palace at Canterbury into the Church of Christ and that City the seat of his Kingdom into a Bishops See and bestowing them on Augustine who converted him and his subjects to Christianity whom he made Archbishop of Canterbury and endowed wiih large Possessions Not long after divers other Saxon Kings and their subjects being converted and baptized built and endowed sundry other Churches both with Glebes and Possessions of good value and likewise with Tithes And in Anno 854. Aethelwolf King of the West-Saxons considering the perillous times then fallen upon him and his Realm by reason of the burnings of the Wars the Plunders of the Goods the devastations of the Territories of his Kingdom by the most cruel depredations of barbarous Enemies and Pagan Nations and the manifold Tribulations afflicting
Learned Gulielmus Stuckius Antiquitatum Convivalium l. 1. c. 19. De Decimis Stipendiis atque Salariis eorum qui Ecclesiis praesunt proves from the example of Abraham and vow of Jacob Consuetudinem Decimas dandi etiam ante legem fuisse usitatam Veresimile etiam est Ethnicos ab illis commemoratis exemplis tritum illud suum et usitatum praedae spoliarum et quicquid ab hostibus captum est Decimam Jovi caeterisque Diis vovendi solvendique morem traxisse cujus multa sane illustria exempla extant apud Alexand. ab Alex. l. 3. Genial c. 22. Then he shews how God prescribed them to the Levites and Priests that the payment of them continued in Christs time and was revived by Christian Emperors and Magistrates as Constantine Charles the Great Concluding thus Ut ergo impie agunt illi Magistratus qui bona Ecclesiae dicata ad se rapiunt vel ad alios usus transferunt ita Impii et Sacrilegi sunt privati Homines qui non modo nihil pro suis facultatibus conferunt ad Ministri Ecclesiastici et Scholarum conservationem sed Decimas et Census devitos jam antea Ecclesiae dicatos vel omnino non solvunt vel non ea qua par est fide c. Itaque mirum non est multa quotidie cum privata tum publica mala annonae praesertim caritatem ingruere Cum Decime aliâ—que Census ad Ecclesiarum Scholarumque conservationem pertinentes vel negantur vel maligne persolvantur For our own Domestick Councils Parliaments and Writers Judgements herein Egbert Archbishop of York in his Excerptions about the year of Christ An 750. c. 4.99 100. The National Council of Calchuth under King Oswald and Offa ann 787. c. 17. forecited The famous Council of Grateley under King Athelstan ann 928. cap. 1. De Decimis sollicite reddendis Odo Archbishop of Canterbury in his Constitutions ann 943. c. 10. De Decimis reddendis The Canons under King Edgar about the year 967. Can. 54. The Ecclesiastical laws of King Aethelred ann 1012. cap. 4. The Ecclesiastical laws of Edward the Confessor c. 8. confirmed by William the Conqueror The Popish Schoolmen Canonists and Commentators on the Texts forecited whose names I pretermit the Convocation of England an 5 H. 6. and the Petition of the English Clergy in Parliament 50 E. 3. rot Parl. n. 199. resolve in positive terms That Tithes are due to God and his Ministers under the Gospel by Divine Right The same is asserted by divers of our Protestant Divines particularly by Dr. George Carleton in his Treatise intituled Tithes proved to be due by a Divine Right printed at London 1606. By Dr. William Sclater his Ministers Portion By Richard Eburne his Maintenance of the Ministry London 1609. By Richard Mountague in his Diatribe on the first part of the History of Tithes London 1628. by Robert Tileslee his Animadversions on Mr. Seldens History of Tithes London 1619. Mr. Samuel Purchas in his Pilgrimage l. 2. c. 7. with sundry others And though one or two English Writers are of a different opinion yet they all accord that being setled by our laws they are duely to be paid even in point of justice and conscience that they are not simply unlawfull but a just and fitting maintenance under the Gospel which Mr. Selden in his History of Tithes Review thereof doth affirm and no wayes oppose Seeing then all these with the laws of sundry other Kings Nations and Authorities of all sorts conclude them to be of Divine Right and conclude it both a grievous Sinne and Sacrilege against God to substract or abolish them and those who oppugn their Divine Right under the Gospel do affirm it is no sin but a bounden Debt and Duty to pay them as settled by humane Grants Donations Vows Laws Canons Constitutions Prescriptions time out of minde how any bearing the name of Christians can or dare with open face oppugn detain or attempt their total abrogation now as Jewish or Antichristian I referre it to their own consciences and others resolutions to determine I shall answer one grand Objection against Ministers Tithes under the Gospel and so cloze up this Chapter Neither Jesus Christ himself nor his Apostles nor the Ministers of the Primitive Church for two or three hundred years after them received Tithes for preaching the Gospel but lived onely upon the peoples alms and voluntary contributions Therefore the Ministers of the Gospel likewise after them ought to receive no Tithes of the people for preaching the Gospel but to live upon Alms and voluntary contributions as they did This was William Thorps chief Argument against Tithes Fox Acts and Monuments vol. 1. p. 699 700. who addes That those Priests who will challenge or take Tithes deny that Christ is come in the flesh and do the Priests Office of the Old Law for whom Tithes were granted for else Priests take now Tithes wrongfully citing this not as his own but a Doctors opinion whose name he remembred not but thought it was St. Jerome or rather St. Canne in his New Voyce p. 13 14 15. who delivers this for Orthodox Doctrine which St. Jerome directly contradicts with all other antient Doctors I have read Answ To this I reply 1. That Christ and his Apostles lived amongst the Jews who at that time were obliged by Gods own Law to pay their Tithes only to such Priests and Levites as were of the Tribe of Levi of which Tribe Christ and his Apostles were not therefore they challenged not Tithes from them Heb. 7.5 to 15. 2. They then paid their Tithes duly to their Priests and Levites mentioned John 1.19 for which Christ commended them resolving they ought not to omit it Mat. 23.23 Luke 11.42 ch 18.12 Therefore it was no reason they should pay them over again to Christ or his Apostles no more than Papists who pay Tithes in kind against their wills unto our Ministers though not to their own Priests but only voluntary Contributions whiles their Priesthood stood in force which they generally submitted to 3. The total abrogation of the Levitical Priesthood and Ceremonies by the death of Christ was not certainly known to nor resolved by the Apostles and believing Jews or Gentiles till some years space after our Saviours Ascension as is evident by Acts 15. in the great case of Circumcision about which there was a Synod assembled by Pauls circumcising Timothy after this because of the Jews Acts 16.3 his purifying himself and shaving his head after the Jewish manner many years afterward Acts 21.20 to 28. which he being a Jew was obliged even then to observe to avoid scandal but not the Gentiles Therefore Tithes amongst the Jewes upon this account were then still paid to their Levitical Priests not to the Apostles 4. Though Christ whiles on earth received no Tithes from the Jewes yet he had a just Right Title to Tithes from Abraham and all his Posterity yea from the
bellariis 5ly Repairs of this Temple from time to time out of the residue of the profits of these Lands 6ly An imprecation of divine revenge upon the Neglecters or refusers of the due payment of these annual Tithes to Diana and of the residue of the profits towards the reparation of her Temple The seventh is the memorable domestick President of Cedwalla one of our West-Saxon Kings who though a Pagan and great Plunderer even before he became a Christian or was baptised was so pious that he gave the Tenth of all his Spoyles of War and Plunders unto God about the year of our Lord 686. Which William of Malmesbury thus records Arduum memoratu est quantum etiam ante Baptismum inserviret ut omnes manubias quas jure praedatorio in usus suos transcripserat Deo decimaret In quo etsi approbamus affectum in paying Tithes improbamus exemplum in regard of his plundering Yea our venerable Beda records that such was his transcendent liberality and bounty to Gods Church and Ministers that after his Conquest of the Isle of Weight he gave to Walfred and his Clerks for the Lords use the fourth part of the Island to wit 300 Plowlands of 1200. and the fourth part of the Spoyl thereof in performance of his Vow made before his regeneration in Christ that if he conquered the Isle Quartam ejus partem fimul et praedae Deo daret Let Iohn Canne with all the several irreligious Sects and Sacrilegious Regiments of our present Tith-Oppugners Detainers Substracters seriously consider these Pagan Presidents to inform their Judgments reform their practices lest they rise up in judgement against them here to their temporal and hereafter to their eternal condemnation And if after due meditation on them their Consciences shall not secretly check censure condemn them for substracting their Tithes from God himself and his faithfull Ministers as well as some of these Pagans Consciences did them for detaining their Tithes from their Idol-Gods and Priests against the Law of Natures dictate engraven in their hearts but still pretend Conscience against the due payment of them and that out of their Gains or Spoyles of War as well as their other increase they have just cause to fear and others to suspect that their Consciences are most desperately cauterized and the Law of Nature more dangerously obliterated out of their hearts than out of these Idolatrous Pagans 5ly Agobardus who flourished Anno 830. lib. de Dispensatione c. Rei Ecclesiasticae contra Sacrilegos p. 266. Hugo de Sancto victore Erud Theol. de Sacramentis l. 1. parte 12. c. 4. lib. 2. part 9. c. 10. part 10. c. 5. and Annot. Eluc in Genes c. 4. Petrus Commestor Hist Scholast in Genes c. 26 Petrus Blesensis Epist 82. Gerold Bishop of Oldenburge in his Epistle to the Inhabitants of Wagria Helmoldus Hist Solavorum p. 92. positively affirm and since them Sir James Semple in his Sacriledge sacredly handled Stephen Nettles in his Answer to the Jewish part of Mr. Selden and Mr. Richard Mountague in his Diatribae p. 211. to 250. largely argue and assert That from the beginning of Mankind Tithes were instituted and appoin to be paid by God who instructed Adam himself and he his two Sons Kain and Abel and they their Posterity to pay Tithes and First-fruits to God of all their Increase That the First-fruits Abel offered unto God were no other but his Tithes or the Tenth of his Flocks increase That the sin of Cain causing God to reject his Offering was this That he offered to God the worst and lesse than the Tenth of the Fruits of the Ground giving him not the full proportion of the TENTH and best of his Increase as Abel did which they ground on Gen. 4.7 thus translated by the Septuagint whom Philo the Jew and the Greek Fathers generally follow If thou offer Rightly and DIVIDE NOT UPRIGHTLY in giving me my TENTH thou hast sinned hold thy peace and on Hebr. 11.4 by Faith Abel offered unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Vulgar Latin renders Plurimam Hostiam other Translators Vberius Sacrificium and the English A better or more excellent Sacrifice and that for quantity as well as quality than Kain This I thought fit to mention as a probable conjecture not an infallible verity To back this opinion Robert Grosted our learned Bishop of Lincoln in his Book De Cessatione Legalium written about the year 1240. p. 95 96. determines Lex naturalis exigit ut Benefactori de Bonis quae gratis dederit gratis rependatur honor veneratio unde Decimarum oblatio de Lege est naturali quia de bonis acceptis cum debeatur lege naturali repensio honoris minus quà m pars minima id est Decima quia ultra Denarium numerus non est rependi non potest Master Mountague in his Diatribae Chapter 3. page 245 246 247 c. Doctor Sclater Dr. Tillesty and others observe That God only wise being a God of Order not of Confusion doing all things in order number and due proportion hath amongst all other Numbers specially fixed upon a TENTH And thereupon the Antients heretofore both Natural Legal Pagan and Christian led by a natural and divine instinct thereunto have ever principally insisted on a TENTH in all their divine sacred Rites Mysteries Dues reserved by or rendered of them to their Gods and in all their publick civil Taxes Tributes Customes Duties imposed by or paid to their Emperors Kings Princes and Supreme Magistrates Hence God saith expresly All Tithes are the Lords Levit. 27.30 c. And how his Not by Couâ—tesie or Tolleration not by Purchase or Stipulation not by Compensation or Annexation not by Benevolence or mens free Donation but by original Right of Creation in producing every thing in its kind and of absolute Soveraign Dominion expressed in the word LORDS as a universal Rent service or acknowledgement reserved by God himself the Supreme Land-lord of all the Earth from Adam and all his Posterity to the end of the world when he gave them the Earth to inhabit and manure as mere Tenants at will under him He that is I AM himself Qui cepit nunquam desinet numquam bâ—ing vitae essentiae interminabilis tota simul perfecta possessio in aeterno suo consummato EVER POSSESSED TITHES as well as the seventh day which he saith is HIS SABBATH SINCE THEY HAD BEING which are indeed his ab aeterno suo inchoato In this Tithes were Gods not only at the time when he first challenged them by an expresse written Law and Reservation Levit. 27.30 31 32 c. but long before even when Abraham paid them and before that ever since the time of the Creation that God made any thing tithable to increase out of the earth for the use of man The time never was that Tithes were not Gods nor shall ever be that they shall cease to be his
of Christ as Eusebius in the life of Constantine Ambrose Oratio in Obitum Theodosii Baronius in his Annals and Speed in his History of Great Britain p. 156. record Whence she was stiled in antient Inscriptions Venerabilis ET PIISSIMA AUGUSTA both for her extraordinary Piety and her converting of Constantius her Husband to the love and protection of the Christian Religion and the Professors of it who by her means creeping out of the Dens and Caves wherein they were hid began to exercise their Devotions publickly and TO RE-EDIFIE THE OLD RUINATE CHURCHES which Dioclesian the persecuting Emperour had levelled to the very ground in all places and TO ERECT NEW She herself at her own cost erecting a Stately Church over our Saviours Sepulchre at Jerusalem famous till this very day 4ly With the first Christian Emperor in the world even that famous Constantine the Great born and elected Emperour in this Island educated in the Christian Faith by his pious Mother the best the Greatest Nursing Father the Church of God ever yet enjoyed in the world For first He destroyed the two Grand Persecutors of the Christian Religion Maxentius and Licinius with their Adherents and demolished all the Idol-Gods and Monuments of Idolatry throughout his Dominions 2ly He reduced all the exiled Christians driven out of their Countries into desolate Islands Caves Dens Desarts restored them their lost Possessions established Christian Magistrates throughout his Empire encouraged protected the Christians in all places in the publick Profession of their Religion and suppressed the Heresies and Schismes that sprung up amongst them by Councils and publick Edicts 3ly He caused all the Churches in this Isle and elsewhere which by the Decrees of Dioclesian were levelled in all places to the very ground which some Atheistial Anabaptists and Jesuitical Incendiaries even in these pretended glorious times of Piety and Reformation endeavour to do again to be re-edified and new ones to be founded throughout his Dominions himself erecting most Magnificent Temples to Gods honour as King David did out of holy zeal and love to God not Popish superstition as some now censure it 2 Chron. 22 5. c. 29.1 2 3. both in Rome it self Ierusalem Hostia Neapolis Hirapolis Constantinople and other Cities endowing them with ample possessions and all other Churches with convenient Glebes Mansions and Revenues 4ly He encouraged protected advanced Godly Ministers Learning and Religion by setling a competent maintenance on them both for their livelihood and encouragement most preferring esteeming rewarding the best deserving of them And by this means so laid the foundation of the Christians security and the Churches maintenance that the same hath stood under the Protection of Christian Kings and Princes ever since And albeit many Caesars his Successors have often attempted to shake it by their Authorities and the sharp Instruments of Heretiques have dangerously undermined it yet hath it born out the storms of all their boisterous assayes and stood in the strength that this Emperor first laid it as Speed and others observe And for these blessed fruits of this prime Nursing Father of Gods Church he had then and ever after these most Glorious Titles conferred on him by the Christians and Ecclesiastical Writers Most Blessed Emperour most Pious Sacred Divine Most happy Redeemer and Restorer of Romes City and the whole World from Paganism Tyranny Persecution and founder of the Churches Peace Which those shall never enjoy who labour to demolish and extirpate what he thus founded and established 5ly God hath blessed our Church and Isle as Io. Capgrave in his Prologue Sir Hen. Spelman in his Epist Dedicatory to his Councils and the Author of Fasciculus Temporum record with more Kings Queens who for their extraordinary Piety incredible Zeal liberal Alms manifold works of Mercy incomparable Humility and contempt of the World their munificent magnificent and admirable Bounty to the Ministers and Saints of God and in building adorning endowing Churches with Tithes and Glebes and some of them for suffering Martyrdome for defence of Religion by Pagan Invaders were justly Reputed and Kalendred in the Church of God for Saints though infected with some superstititions of those blinder times which the age wherein they lived may excuse and their other vertues over-ballance and delete than any other Isle Region or Kingdom throughout the world how Great or Populous soeber There being no less than Twelve of our antient Saxon Kings Crowned with Martyrdom by Infidels and Ten of them Canonized for Saints for their transcendent Holiness and no less than thirty Kings and Queens within 200 years space who laying down the Height of their worldly Power Crowns and Glory that they might gain heaven by force betook themselves to a devout retired religious Life according to the devotion of those times in some private Monasteries for the most part builded and endowed by themselves or else went as Pilgrims to Rome then reputed famous for Her Piety Besides multitudes of the Royal Progeny who followed their examples both in their Piety Charity and Bounty to the Church And amongst others of our antient Kings King Ethelwolfe gave not only the Tenth out of all his goods and Chattels but likewise of all the Lands and Houses of his whole Realm to the Church His Sonne incomparable King Alfred founder or at least Restorer and Enlarger of our famous Vniversity of Oxford though he was for the most part taken up with Warres and Military affairs by reason of the Danes invasions fighting no lesse than 52. set battels with them for the most part with glorious success yet out of an Ardent zeal to God in emulation of Zacheus he gave no lesse than half of his annual Rents and spoils of war besides in pious uses to wit for relieving the poor both at home and abroad for maintaining rewarding Scholars Ministers building schools of Learning maintaining professors of divers Arts and Sciences in them especially in Oxford and devoted no lesse than the third part of his time to wit eight hours every natural day to his sacred studies and devotions Besides the time he spent in his Military imployments Civil Government and enacting Laws of most excellent use by advise of the wisest men which have continued ever since So as Asser Menevensis in Egercituesse in his life Spelman and others give this Brief Character and Encomium of his Excellencies O Stuporem omnium aetatum Aluredum cujus dum Religionem intuemur nunquam exiisse videatur Monasterio Dum Bella Militiam nullibi versatus fuisse unquam nisi in Castris dum Scripta ejus Lucubrationes vitam transiisse in Academia dum Regni Populique sui administrationem nihilo unquam studuisse nisi in Foro Senatu Justitiae promovendae Legibusque bonis Sanciendis Of which good Laws of his extracted out of the Old and New Testament for most part this for the due payment of Tithes and Oblations to Ministers was one cap. 38.
DECIMAS Primigenia adulta tua DEO DATO O that all those Militarie victorious Commanders who boast of like victories as he obtained would imitate him in these his Vertues Bounty Liberalitie both to our Universities Scholars Ministers and promulging Edicts for the due payment of their detained Tithes and Dues and then they should be Chronicled for SAINTS INDEED as well as the forenamed Kings of which there was not one in three in former Ages as Sir Henry Spelman observes WHO DID NOT ADORN AUGMENT ENRICH THE CHURCH IN SOME THINGS even during their very wars instead of making a mere prey and spoyl of her as some late SAINTS have done to maintain the warres and enrich themselves In which Sacrilegious Rapines if any shall persevere to the utter ruine of the remaining Glebes Tithes Maintenance of all our Ministers and Churches too the prime Honour of our Nation ECCLESIA Faemina Lana as some have designed and would engage them to do to render our Religion Nation and those who shall give their Votes thereto for ever execrable Let them take heed that instead of inducing the Ministers and godly people really fearing God throughout our three Nations to forget Monarchy and be in love with their New Military Government they do not necessitate them and most others too thereby by comparing their Irreligious Church-Robberies and Sacrilegious Rapines against the very Laws even of War and Conquest it self in an Enemies Country and detestable to very Heathens as Grotius proves at large to love and honour Kings and Monarchs more than ever as the only Nursing-Fathers to Gods Ministers Church People under the Gospel and to esteem others not comming in by the Door into the Sheep-fold but climbing up by Storm some other way to be but Theeves and Robbers who come not but to Steal Kill and to Destroy whatever the Bounty Piety and Munificence of these and other our Kings have built and setled on the Clergy for Gods Honour and maintenance of his worship and thereby engage them so to act speak and peremptorily resolve as all the Israelites and Godly Levites Priests People twice did in a like case 2 Chron. 11.13 14 15 16 17. 1 Sam. 8.3 5 19 20. If any here object these Kings and Queens were more Popish Superstitious than really Religious Admit they were in some things as too much doting upon Monkery not Monarchy or worldly wealth or Power which some condemn in others when most guilty of and applauding it in themselves yet their very Bounty and profuse munificent Building Monasteries and Nunneries whereof King Edgar alone built no less than 47. endowed them with large Revenues and intended to make them up 50. had he lived besides what they bestowed in building adorning endowing maintaining all Cathedral and Parish Churches and Chapels for the support and honour of their superstitious Religion should eternally shame all those pretended Saints who will be at no cost at all to maintain and propagate what they now call the True Religion and the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel but instead thereof will by mere Force and Rapine against all Rules of Law Justice Piety Equity and war it self plunder if they can the remaining Materials and Fabricks of our Churches which those Kings or their Successors and other antient Benefactors built for Gods Honour and the small surviving Lands Rectories Glebes Tithes Pensions Dues which our Ministers yet enjoy by their sole Bounty Piety Gift Laws without any real charge injurie oppression or obligation to any Mortals now surviving them But to take off the stain of Popery wholly from our Kings which was no disparagement to their commendable Charity and Bounty Consider in the sixth place that God hath honoured us with the first Christian King in the Universe Henry the 8 th who durst not only question but by Publick Laws and Statutes abolish and renounce the Popish usurped Antichristian Power and with it all Popish Shavelings Abbots Priors Monks Nunnes and many Popish Doctrines Ceremonies and restored the People to the use of the Holy Scriptures in their own Native Language Whose example encouraged other Kings Princes Churches to do the like Who though he seised upon Abby Lands as given to mere Superstitious Persons Orders Vses repugnant to Gods word and the Popes mere Creatures and Supporters yet he continued the Lands Glebes Tithes and Maintenance of the Bishops and other Ministers and augmented it and our Vniversities Revenues also out of the Abbies Spoyles which yet could not exempt him from the publick censure of some Protestants for selling or rteaining most of their Lands and Impropriations for his own use which say they he should have rather converted to other lawfull sacred uses according to the will of the first Donors And Mr. Purchas writes That the Monks unrighteous coveting and the Popes appropriating of the Tithes of some Thousands of our best Benefices unto Abbies and Monasteries and robbing the Ministers of them to whom only they were given by God himself and the first Donors for their Maintenance to the great prejudice both of the Ministers and People was one principal cause that by a Divine Judgement and Providence beyond all mens expectation the Pope and they were both suppressed together on a suddain even by him who not long before had justified his usurped Supremacy against Luther and for which he had received this ominous Title from the Pope DEFENDER OF THE FAITH God grant our New Defenders of the Faith do not as ill requite those Persons Powers who first commissioned them with their Arms to defend our Faith Church Religion against Iesuites Papists and their Confederates in the Field as King Henry did the Pope after this new Motto 7ly That our God blessed honoured us with the first incomparable Protestant King in the world no Papist but a REAL SAINT beyond any of his years in this or former Ageâ— even young KING EDWARD THE SIXT the first King I read of who by publick Laws and Statutes suppressed banished all Popish Pictures Ceremonies Superstitious Monuments Practices Abuses throughout his Dominions and established the true worship Service Sacraments Ministers and Ministry and Gospel of Christ throughout his Dominions for which all Ages shall call him blessed no waies embesselling or diminishing the Churches Glebes Tithes or Revenues and enacting a New excellent Law for Tithes recovery when detained But God taking him suddenly from hence to a better Kingdom and his Successor Queen Mary defacing deforming his blessed Reformation and restoring both the Pope and Popery again almost to its former height except in point of Monkery which the defacing of the Monasteries prevented 8ly God then blessed our Church and Kingdom with an unparallel'd Protestant Princesse Queen Elizabeth a Nursing Mother to the Church who demolished the whole Body of Popery with the Popes revived usurpations again by publick Acts established the reformed Religion again in greater beauty and purity than at first banishing
all Jesuites and Seminary Priests as Traytors restored the exiled Ministers of the Gospel suffering for Religion rewarding them with the richest Bishopricks and Church-Preferments and planting a faithfull painfull preaching Ministry by degrees in most dark corners of her Dominions endowed them with a setled competent maintenance which our subsequent Protestant Kings continued to them and their Successors without diminution All which considered we of this Isle may with much thankfulnesse to God and honour to our Princes without flattery averr before all the world That the forecited Prophecies of Kings being Nursing-Fathers and Queens Nursing-Mothers to the Church and specially Kings and Queens of this Isle have been more really accomplished in the Kings and Queens of this our Island than in the Kings and Queens of any other Isle Kingdom or Nation whatsoever throughout the world and God grant that those who shall succeed them in any other New-modelled-form of Government may not prove such Step-Fathers and Step-Mothers to our Churches and Ministers as to demolish the one and strip the other quite naked of all that former Livelihood and remaining small Revenues which they yet enjoy by our Princes Grants Gifts Charters Laws and Favours only and thereby give all Godly Ministers and people too in our Nation just cause to cry out with wringed hands weeping eyes and bleeding hearts in the Prophets words Hosea 10.3 4. For now they shall say We have no King because we feared not the Lord What then should a King do to us or amongst us They have spoken words Swearing falsely in making a Covenant Thus Iudgement springeth up as Hemlock one of the deadliest Poysons to destroy men in the fields Or else to speak in Solomons language to the same effect Prov. 28.2 For the transgression of a Land many are the Princes thereof as our Land had never so many Transgressions and Princes too as now But by a Man of Vnderstanding and Knowledge and where is such a one to be found to stand up in a Gap the state thereof shall be prolonged Now the Lord raise up such a Man or Men lest God say to our Nation and all Grandees in Power as he did once to the prophane wicked Prince of Israel whose day was come Ezech. 21.25 26 27. Remove the Diadem and take off the Crown this shall not be the same Exalt him that is Low and abase him that is High I will overturn overturn overturn Church State Laws and it shall be no more untill he come whose Right it is and I will give it him To prevent these treble fatal over-turnings with the wiping and turning of our Jerusalem UPSIDE DOWN like a Dish a certain Fore-runner of a Churches Nations ruine 2 Kings 21.13 Psal 146.9 I shall now in the last place present the whole Nation with a brief Catalogue of those manifold Laws Statutes which our Kings have successively made in their Great Councils and Parliaments almost from the very first establishment of Religion in our Island for the due payment of Ministers Tithes by coercive Means Forfeitures Penalties in case of willfull detaining or neglect in paying all or any part of them at the times appointed which those who please may peruse in Chronicon Johannis Brompton Mr. Lambards Archaion Sir Henry Spelmans Councils Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments John Bridges his Defence of the Government of the Church of England Book 16. p. 1350. Our Statutes at large and Mr. Rastals Abridgement of Statutes Title Tithes which Laws being well known to most learned men are therefore needlesse fully to transcribe The first of them is the forecited Law Decree of the Council of Calcuth under King Oswald and Offa An. 787. of famous King Alfred Anno 887. of King Alfred and Gutburn the Dane cap. 9. De Decimis Deo Debitis about the year 890. of King Edward the elder and Guthurn Anno 905. or 906. as some Cap. 6. in some c. 9. DE DECIMIS ET CENSU ECCLESIAE RETENTIS of King Aethelstan made in the famous Council of Gratelean An. 928. cap. 1. DE DECIMIS REDDENDIS tam ex Animalibus quam de fructibus terrae which this King himself duly paid and then enjoyned all his great Officers and People duly to render of King Edmond An. 944. c. 2. concluding Qui non solverit ANATHEMA ESTO Of famous King Edgar Anno 967. c. 3. DE DECIMIS Canon 54. of the Kings and Presbyters of Northumberland made a little after that time Lex 51. of King Aethelred An. 1012. c. 1 4. of King Knute the Dane An. 1032. c. 8. but 15. in some Copies De Decimis reddendis c. 11 17. and a Statute law against obstinate Detainers of Tithes there stiled JURA ET DEBITIONES DIVINAE of King Edward the Confessor about the year 1060 confirmed verbatim by William the Conquerour in the fourth year of his Reign c. 8 9. forecited To which may be added the Great Charters of King Henry the first and King John recorded in Matthew Paris ratified by King Henry the 3d. in his Magna Charta c. 11. made in the 9th year of his Reign confirmed by above 37 Acts of Parliament since in many successive Parliaments That the Church of England shall be free now in greater Bondage than ever and shall have all her whole Rights and Liberties inviolable never so much violated diminished as now notwithstanding all Laws Covenants Declarations Protestations lately and all antient Solemn Curses and Excommunications annually made against the Infringers thereof 13 E. 1. 17 E. 3. 14. 2 H. 4. c. 4. Enacting the Cistertian Monks to pay Tithes to Ministers and Evangelists notwithstanding any Buls of Exemption from the Pope which the King and Parliament declared to be void and that the Promovers or Executors of any such Buls shall be attainted in a Praemunire It appears by the Parliament Roll of 2 H. 4. nu 40. This Act was made upon the Petition of all the Commons which because not extant in print pertinent to the present business of Tithes and unknown to most I shall here transcribe at large May it please our most gracious Lord the King to consider That whereas time out of wind the Religious men of the Order of the Cistercians of your Realm of England have paid all manner of Tithes of their lands tenements possessions let to farm or manured and occupied by other persons besides themselves and of manner of things tithable being and growing upon the same lands tenements and possessions in the same manner as your other Lieges of the said Realm Yet so it is that of late the said Religious have purchased a Bull from our Holy Father the Pope by the which our said Holy Father hath granted to the said Religious That they shall pay no Tithes of their Lands Tenements Possessions Woods Cattel or any thing whatsoever although they are or shall be leased or farmed notwithstanding any Title of Prescription or Right acquired or
which hereafter may be had or acquired to the contrary The which Pursute and Grant is apparently against the Laws and Customs of your Realm by reason that divers Compositions real and Indentures are made between many of the said Religious and others your Lieges of the prise of such Tithes and also by reason that in divers Parishes the Tithes demanded by the said Religious by colour of the said Bull exceed the fourth part of the value of the Benefices within whose limits and bounds they are and so if the said Bull should be executed much more the late Petions against all Tithes and coercive Maintenance for Ministers condescended to as well your dreadfull Majesty as your Liegeâ— Patrons of the said Benefices shall receive great losses in their Advowsons of the said Benefices and the Conusance which in this behalf appertains and in all times hath belonged to your Regality shall be discussed in Court Christian against the said Laws and Customes besides pray mark the prevailing reason the Troubles and Commotions which may arise among your people by the motion and execution of such Novelties within your Realm That hereupon by assent of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament you would be pleased to ordain that if the said religious or any other put or shall put the said Bull in execution shall be put out of your Protection by due Process made in this behalf and their goods forfeited to You lost and that as a work of Charity Which Petition being read and considered was answered in the words following It is accorded by the King and Lords in Parliament That the Order of the Cistertians shall be in the state they were before the time of the Bull purchased comprised in this Petition and that as well those of the said Order as all others Religious and Secular of what estate or condition soever they be who shall put the said Bull in execution or shall hereafter take advantage in any manner of any such Bulls already purchased or to be purchased shall have Process made against them and either of them by sommoning them within a moneth by a Writ of Premunire Facias And if they make default or shall be attainted that they shall be put out of the Kings Protection and incur the peines and forfeitures comprised in the Statute of Provisors made in the 13. year of King Richard And moreover for to eschue many probable mischiefs likely to arise in time to come that our said Lord the King shall send to our Holy Father the Pope for to repeal and annul the said Bulls purchased and to abstain to make any such Grant hereafter To which Answer the Commons well agreed and that it should be made into a Statute From which memorable Record I shall desire Iohn Canne and all his ignorant deluded Disciples who cry out against Tithes and the payment of them as Popish to observe 1. That all the Commons of England in this Parliament even in times of Popery together with the King and Lords resolve the quite contrary That the exemption of any order of men from payment of their due and accustomed Tithes is Popish and that the Pope was the first and only man who presumed by his Bulls to exempt men from payment of due and accustomed Tithes to their Ministers 2ly That Popish Friers of the Cistercian Order not Godly Saints abhorring Monkerie and Poperie were the first men who sued for procured and executed such Exemptions from the Pope and that merely out of Covetousness against the express word and Law of God as our John Salisbury de Nugis Curialium l. 7. c. 21. and our Arch-deacon of Bathe Petrus Blesensis observe who tax them for it And therefore the petitioning writing endeavouring to procure a like exemption from the payment of antient and accustomed Tithes to our Ministers must be Popish and Monkish likewise infused into our New-lighted Saints by some Popish Monks and Jesuits disguised under the notion of New-lights Seekers Anabaptists c. 3ly That they declare this Bull though granted by their Holy-Father the Pope whose Authority and esteem was then very great to be against the Laws and Customs of the Realm and thereupon repeal null it for the present and provide against the grant of any such Bulls for Non-payment of Tithes for the future and make the Procurers and Executioners of them subject to a Praemunire Such a transcendent Crime and Grievance did they then adjudge it to seek or procure the least exemption from payment of Tithes from any earthly Powers yea from their very Holy Father the Pope himself then in his highest Power 4ly That they resolve the exemption from Tithes though amounting but to a fourth part in every Parish would prove a great prejudice to the King and all other Patrons in their Advowsons to the Lessors and Farmers of Tithes to the incumbents and people and that the moving of such Novelties might occasion great Troubles and Commotions within the Realm And will not then the abolishing of all Tithes in every Parish to the prejudice of the Patrons Ministers yea and people too as I shall prove anon the scandal of most godly men undoing of thousands of families and confounding all Parishes and order in them now much more do it in these dangerous generally discontented times instead of setling Unity Amity Peace and propagating the Gospel as some pretend Let those whom it most concerns consider it at their leisure lest they repent too late The next printed Statute for the payment of Tithes is 27 H. 8. c. 20. which in the preface gives this true Character of and fixeth this brand of infamy upon Tithe-detainers Forasmuch as many evil disposed Persons such are they justly branded for by this Act of Parliament have attempted to withhold their Tenths as well predial as personal and have also contemned and disobeyed the Decrees of Ecclesiastical Courts of this Realm c. Therefore it enacts the Civil Magistrate and Justices shall imprison such till they pay their Tithes After which followes a special Statute for payment of Tithes in London 27 H. 8. c. 21. confirmed enlarged by a Statute and Decree too 37 H. 8 c. 7. thus prefaced as if purposely penned for these times Whereas divers and many persons inhabiting in sundry Counties and Places of this Realm and other the Kings Dominions not regarding their duties to Almighty God or to the King our Soveraign Lord but in some years past more contemptuously and commonly Presuming to infringe the good and wholsome Lawes of this Realm and Gracious Commandments of our said Soveraign Lord than in times past have been seen or known have not letted to substract and with-draw the lawfull and accustomed Tithes of Corn Hay Pasturage and other sort of Tithes and Oblations commonly due c. After which it provides a remedy by coercive means against the detainers refusers of Ministers Tithes The last and fullest Statute for payment of Tithes of all sorts and
abroad and at home in England The Ecclesiastical Laws of King Edgar An. 967. c. 1 2. The Council of Eauham under King Edgar An. 1010. and his Laws near that time c. 14. and the Council of London under Archbishop Hubert An. 1200. 15 years before this of Lateran All which enjoyn the people to pay their Tithes to their own Mother-Churches where they heard divine Service and received the Sacraments and not to other Churches or Chapels at their pleasures unless by consent of the Mother-Churches Hence Petrus Blesensis Archdeacon of Bath about the year 1170. 45. years before the Council of Lateran in his 62. Epistle writes thus to the Praemonstraticatian Monks who procured an Exemption from paying Tithes out of their Lands That their Lands were obnoxious to Tithes before they became theirs and were paid hitherto not with respect of Persons sed ratione Territorii but by reason of the Territory and Parish Precincts And Pope Innocent the 3d. his Decree dated from Lateran An. 1200. mistaken for the Council of Lateran cited in Cooks 2 Instit p. 641. was but in confirmation of these precedent Authorities 2ly The abuses complained against and reformed by this Council was not the lay Parishioners giving away of their Tithes from their own Ministers and Parish-Churches at their pleasures not a word of this but a New minted practice of most covetous Monks Religious Houses and some secular Clerks to rob the Parish-Churches and Ministers of all the Tithes of the lands held of them by compelling their Tenants and Lessees by special covenants in their Leases and Bonds to pay their Tithes arising out of their Lands only to themselves and their Monasteries not to their Parish Churches as formerly which the Pope and this great General Council resolve to proceed merely from the root of Covetousness let Canne and his Comrades observe it who pretend Conscience to be the ground whereupon they condemn reform this practice null the Covenants Bonds Deformations and decreed Restitution of all profits by these Frauds to the Parish-Churches And was not this a just righteous and conscionable Decree rather than an Antichristian and Papal as Canne Magisterially censures it 3ly Admit the Parochial Right of Tithes first setled in and by this Council which is false yet being a right established at 438. years since confirmed by constant use Custom Practice ever since allowed by the Common law of England ratified by the Great Charter of England ch 1. with sundry other Sâ—atutes Acts of Parliament Canons of our Councils and Convocations and approved by all our Parliaments ever since as most just expedient necessary Yea setled on our Parish Churches by original Grants of our Ancestors for them their Heirs and Assigns for ever with general warranties against all men with special Execrations and Anathemaes denounced against all such who should detain or substract them from God and the Church to whom they consecrated them for ever and that as sacred Tribute reserved commanded by God himself in the Old and New Testament as a badge of his Vniversal Dominion over them and their Possessions held of him as Supream Landlord as the Council of London under Archbishop Hubert in the 2d year of King John with another Council under Archbishop Replain 3 E. 3. The Council under Archbishop Stratford with others resolve There neither is nor can be the least pretext of Iustice Reason Prudence Law or Conscience for any Grandets in present Power by force or fraud to Null Repeal Alter this Antient Right and unquestionable Title of our Ministers to them now and set every man loose to pay no Tithes at all or to dispose of them how and to whom they will at their pleasure to destroy our Churches Ministers Parishes and breed nothing but Quarrels and Confusions in every place and Parish at this present when all had now need to study to be quiet and to do their own Business and not to disturb all our Ministers and others Rights without any lawfull call from God or the Nation Which unparalleld incroachment on our Ministers and Parish-Churches Rights if once admitted countenanced all the people in the Nation by better right and reason may pull down all the Fences and Inclosures of Fields Forests or Commons made since this Council deny substract all Customs Impositions Duties Rents Payments publick or private imposed on or reserved from them since that time by publick Laws or special Contracts and pay all their Rents Customs and Tenure-Services to whom and when they please which our Grandy late Army-Purchasors of Kings Queens Princes Bishops Deans and Chapters Lands with other Opposers of Tithes may do well to consider for their own Advantage and Security their Titles to them being very puny crazy disputable in comparison of our Ministers to their Tithes Now whereas Thomas Walsingham Randal Higden a Monk of Chester in his Polichronicon and Henry Abbot of Leycester write that the general Council of Lyons in France under Pope Gregory the tenth An. 1274. Decreed what others ignorantly attribute to the Council of Lateran aforesaid An 1215. Vt nulli homini deinceps liceat decimas suas ad libitum ut antea liceat assignare sed matrici ecclesiae omnes decimas persolverent Which seems to imply that before this Council every man might give his Tithes from the Mother Church to whom he pleased notwithstanding the Council of Lateran and Innocents Decrees I answer 1. That there was no such Canon made in this Council as these ignorant Monks mistake which is undeniable by the Acts and Canons of this Council printed at large in Binius Surius and other Collectors of Councils but only one Canon against Clergy-mens alienation of the Revenues of the Church and another against the Vsurpation of the Churches Revenues by Patrons in time of their vacancy which have no affinity with that they mention which if true then that which Canne and others object that the Council of Lateran made this Inhibition and took away this Liberty of disposing Tithes at pleasure from the Parishioners is false as I have proved it Secondly That from this mistake of these Monks it was as Mr. Selden probably conjectures that William Thorp ignorantly affirmed that one Pope Gregory the tenth first ordained new Tithes first to be given to Priests now in the new Law John Canne to manifest his great Ignorance both in History and Chronologie in his Second Voice from the Temple p. 13 14. Writes thus Before the Council of Lateran which was under Innocent the third any man might have paid his Tithes to any Ecclesiastical person he pleased but by that Council it was decreed That Tithes should be paid to the Parochial Priest which I have proved a grosse Forgerie and then he addes William Thorp saith That Pope Gregory the tenth was the first that ordained Tithes to be paid to Priests in the year 1211. Fox p. 494. Wherein 1. He mis-recites Thorps words who speaks not of Tithes in
to Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods a clear Gospel-Text for the payment of Tithes which are Gods own Tribute and Portion Levit. 27.30 32. Mal. 3.8 9. and Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom c. against both which they directly Petition as the premises demonstrate This calumny and wresting of Scripture being removed I shall thus make good the first Branch of the Proposition I have already manifested by undeniable Antiquities Laws Records That Tithes were freely given to and setled on our Church and Ministers by our pious Kings Munificence Charters Laws with the general applause and consent of all the Nobility and People upon the very first setlement of Religion in this Island many hundred years before we read of any publick Taxes for Defence of the Realm or maintenance of the Warres by Land or Sea the first whereof was Dane-gelt first imposed by common consent of the Lords in Parliament An. 983. or before the antientest yet continued Custome on Wool Woolfels and Skins exported first granted by Parliament in 3 E. 1. Anno Dom. 1276. at least 500. years after the first extant grant Law and setlement of Tithes in perpetuity as a Divine Duty Rent and Service for the necessary maintenance of Gods Ministers and publick Worship This most antient annual Rent Charge or Tribute unto God hath inviolably continued in all publick Changes and Revolutions of Church and State Britons Saxons Danes Normans English Papists Protestants Conquerors Invadors Right Heirs and Lawfull Purchasers Intruders Disseisers Lessees of all sorts whether Publick Persons or Private maintaining confirming rendring their Tithes successively as a Divine and Sacred Quit-Rent due to God wherewith they came charged into the world till they departed out of it laying down this for a Principle of Divinity Law Equity That God alone hath given to every Man the Lands and all he holds and possesseth whereby he gains his food and living and therefore out of the Land and Trade whereby every one gets necessary supply for his body he ought to contribute a Tenth and Tribute towards the Service of God and Salvation of his Soul much better than his Body as Augustine in his 229. Sermon Tom. 10. and the Antient Saxon Canons of an uncertain time and Author resolve There was no Purchaser Heir Inheritor Farmer Tenant or Lessee of Lands in our whole Nation that paid Tithes out of it since Tithes first setled in this Kingdome but he inherited purchased took and held his Lands charged with Tithes Whence our Law-books resolve That no Lay-man can by the very Common Law of England allege any Custome or Prescription for not paying Tithes but only a Modus Decimandi in recompence of his Tithes which he may in some cases plead because grounded on some antient Contract and a valuable consideration in Lieu of Tithes Moreover as all Men took their Purchases Farmes Leases or Inheritances by Descent thus charged so this charge was universally known to all Purchasers Lesees and the full annual value of the Predial Tithes they pay out of their Lands or Leases abated them in their Purchases Rents Fines by the Venders and Lessers of purpose to defray the publick necessary annual Charge which if the Lands had been Tithe-Free had been proportionably raised to the common value of the Tithes in the Purchase-Moneys Fines or Rents and will be so by every Seller of Lands and Land-lord when ever Tithes be suppressed This being a clear undeniable Truth which every rational man must subscribe to it is certain no person this day living complaining or not complaining against Tithes can in Verity Equity Justice Reason repute or call them either an unjust or oppressing Yoak Bond Burden as many Ignoramusses do without sense or reason nor any burden or charge at all to him since he had or rather hath the full annual value of them allowed him in his Purchase Fine or Rent by him that sold or leased his Lands unto him And although it be true that in such Tithes as the Earth doth not naturally produce without labour as it doth Grasse Wood Fruits viz. Corn Hops Saffron Woad and the like the Minister enjoyes the Tenth of the Husbandmans increase seed labour and costs in tillage and improvement the great Objection against Tithes as an Heavy Burthen and Oppression yet all this pretended great cost and charge except only in Cases of Improvements was altogether or for the most part allowed and defalked in the Purchase Rent or Fine which if Tithe-free would have been and when made Tithe-free will be raised to the full value of the Tithes even one years purchase more in ten sales and 28. Rent more in every pound each year upon Leaser as all understanding men knowing what belongs to Purchases Sales of Lands or Leases must acknowledge And that Farmer Purchaser or Improver of Lands who deems not his faithfull Ministers Prayers Preaching Pains and Gods blessing on his Seed Crop Estate Soul Family promised and entayled to the true payment of Tithes and are only procured by his Ministers prayers without which his seed crop and all his estate would be blasted with a Curse amount not to a tenth part of what he now enjoys by Gods promise and blessing by paying Tithes and his Ministers prayers deserves not the name of a rational man much lesse of a Christian and can expect nothing but Gods curse upon all he sowes plants enjoyes instead of a blessed Crop or Harvest All which considered I appeal to any Christian or rational mans Conscience whether Tithes be any such heavy oppressing intollerable discouraging Yoak Bondage Burden Oppression as some now declaim them which Gods chiefest Saints before the Law voluntarily rendred without murmuring and chearfully vowed paid unto God without a Law and his antient people rendred without murmuring though double to our Tithes now by an express Law during all the Levitical Priesthood and all our own Ancestors as well Protestants as Papists have for so many hundred of years chearfully rendred without dispute and all now living came charged with into the world and were thus allowed the value of them in their Purchases Fines and Leases And whether all Tithe payers have not far more cause to Petition against all Old and New Rent-Services Rent Charges Annuities Quit-Rents Statutes Debts wherewith they were charged by their Ancestors Grants or Contracts and of all the antient Customs for Merchandize for defence of the Seas or Realm as intollerable oppressing Burdens Yoaks Grievances as the Levellers and Anabaptists in some late printed papers stile all Customs Tonnage Poundage Impositions whatsoever as well as Tithes our Excises or monthly Taxes of new illegal formation as well as Imposition than thus to murmur complain Petition against their predial Tithes our Ministers chiefest Livelihood except in Cities which have no Tillage Woods or Meadows And so much brieflly for
them to the use of the Army for the pretended ease of the people in their future taxes I shal for the cloze of this Proposition and prevention of this detestable impious Sacrilegious plot against our Ministers and Religion too propound and answer all such specious Arguments Pretences as may be produced by them to delude the people veil over the execrable Impiety and take off the odium of this prodigious Villany First they may and will suggest that they have some ancient punctual Presidents to warrant countenance justifie this their Project As namely the practical example of Charles Martel King of France who about the year of our Lord 730. as the Marginal Authors report having perpetual wars and seldom or never peace in his Kingdom Ideo res Ecclesiarum suis Militibus in stipendium contulit maxima ex parte did thereupon bestow the Lands Revenues Rents and Tithes too as the Act of Restitution with others prove of Parish-Churches Monasteries Bishops Deans and Chapters upon his Souldiers for their Pay and Arrears for the greatest part And surely upon a very Godly and just reason as John Canne and some Army-Officers will swear thus expressed in his Decree recorded in Goldastus and Mr. Selden ut subveniatur necessitatibus Publicis et Salariis Militum pro Dei Ecclesiae bono statu Reipublicae uniuscujusque propria pace pugnantium That he might relieve the Publick Necessities and pay and reward the Souldiers fighting for the Church of God and the good of the State of the Common-wealth and the proper peace of every one as our Officers and Souldiers now say they do And is it not then most just they should have all the Lands Glebes and Tithes of the Church King Common-wealth and of every particular Person too who have fought all this while for them and their defence To this they may chance to adde the President of the Templers and Hospitalers who being no part of the Clergy but Religious Souldiers imployed only to fight in the defence of the Church were by special Bulls and Grants of several Popes exempted from paying any Tithes at all to any Ministers out of the Lands belonging to their several Orders Because they fought for the Church against her Enemies as Turks Saracens and other Infidels Therefore there is great reason equity all our Officers and Souldiers who have lately fought or are now or hereafter fighting for the Church against her Enemies and Malignants should be totally and finally discharged from paying any Tithes at all out of their Old or New Purchased Lands Leases Cattel Estates Spoyls Pay or other increase Besides most of our Army-Officers and very many of the Souldiers are extraordinarily gifted inspired from Heaven and constant Speakers or Preachers transcending all Black-coated Ministers yea the undoubted new Ministers and Priests of Jesus Christ as many deem them So as they may be truly stiled a chosen Generation a Royâ—â— Priesthood yea Army of Priests being made Kings and Priests by Christ himself to God the Father as John Canne hath published in his Voyce p. 24 27 28 29. Therefore they may not only enter into our Ministers Churches Pulpits and dispossess them of them as he there asserts and presseth them to put in execution but be capable in right equity justice to receive all their Tithes to their own use Nay one step more John Canne in his Voyce p. 27. thus peremptorily concludes I will affirm and abide by it since it hath pleased the Lord to draw out the hearts of some Souldiers and others who were never brought up at Universities to learning publickly to preach which is not above 10 or 12. years the People of this Common-wealth have had more true Light and glorious Discoveries of Christ and his Kingdom than all the Nations Ministers ever before made known to them since first they took their calling from the Sea of Rome till this Day On the contrary the greatest Heresies and Blasphemies which have been in the world have been broached by Ministers and Scholars whereas Lay-men at the same time have been sound in the Faith and zealously earnest against such abominable Doctrines Therefore there is just ground that both our Vniversities and all Colleges for Advancement of Learning should be suppressed as the very poyson bane subversion of Religion Church and Common-wealths as some Souldiers and the Anabaptists generally deem them and their Lands as well as Bishops Deans Chapters and Ministers Glebes and Tithes sold or conferred on the Officers and Souldiers of the Army for their better encouragement reward and supportation to propagate defend Religion and the Common wealth A design now eagerly prosecuted by some To which let them receive this Answer before hand since I intend not any future Treatise of this nature 1. That I never read of any pious Generals Armies Officers or Souldiers in Scripture the rule of Faith and Manners that spoyled the Church or Ministers of their Lands and Tithes to maintain their wars or enrich reward themselves but we find it expresly recorded of Abraham the Father of all the Faithfull that he paid Tithes even of the Spoyls of the first Wars to the first Pâ—â—â—st we find in Scripture unto Christ himself both in the Old and New Testament for other Christian Souldiers imitation The like we read of David and all his Officers Captains of the Army with sundry others fore-cited whose Presidents are more obliging and commendable than Charles Martels 2ly That it was the Custom use and pious practice of many Pagan Warlike Nations as the Romans Graecians Carthaginians Tyrians Saxons to do the like who consecrated the Tenths of all their Spoyls to their Idol-Gods and Priests as we may read at large in Mr. Seldens History of Tithes and Review c. 3. and in Mr. Richard Mountague his Diatribe thereon ch 3. Therefore they are worse than Pagans who neglect not only to pay their Ministers the Tenth of their Spoyls but will even spoyl them of their Glebes and Tithes besides 3ly It is very observable and let our Souldiers and Officers consider it in good earnest That God himself specially consecrated and devoted the future Spoyls a Sacrifice for and to himself and all the Spoyls City of Jericho the very first City taken by the Israelites in the Land of Canaan as a sacred First-fruits and kind of Tenth for the use of his Sanctuary and Priests in these memorable words Josh 6.17 18 19. And the City shall be devoted even it and all that is therein except Rahab and her Family and House Lord Whereupon when the City was taken they burnt it and all that was in it as a Sacrifice to the Lord But the Silver and Gold and the Vessels of Brass and of Iron they put into the Treasury of the House of the Lord v. 24. But Acban a covetous plundring Souldier seeing among the rich Spoyls of the City a goodly Babylonish Garment and two hundred Shekels of
to Peter mentioning again his Prayers and Alms but not his preaching concluding thus Now therefore are we all here present before God TO HEAR not preach all things that are COMMANDED THEE of God Whereas some Centurions Colonels Captains and Souldiers of this Age if Peter himself should come to their Assemblies or Quarters would be readier to teach and preach to him than to hear him and apter to be his Teachers than Auditors as these only were After which Peter preached to him and his company I find another sort of Captains and Souldiers in the New Testament Who went out and apprehended our Saviour Jesus Christ mocked him derided crowned his Head with Thorns stripped him of his Rayment put him on a purple Robe bowed their Knees before him in scorn saying Hayl King of the Iews blind folded and then strook him with their hands and bade him prophecy who smote him guarded him to his Tryal carried and nayled him to his Crosse crucified him between two Theeves pierced his side with a Spear gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink parted his Garments amongst them cast lots upon his Vesture and would have broke his Legs but that he was dead After which they watched and guarded his Sepulchre took large Mony of the Priests to smother the truth of Christs Resurrection by reporting a Lye that his Disciples came and stole him away whiles they were asleep who TOOK the mony and did as they were taught and are branded for ever with this Epiphomena These things therefore the Souldiers did After which some of this rank of Officers and Souldiers by Herods command killed James the Brother of John with the Sword apprehended imprisoned chained and most strictly garded the Apostle Peter in order to put him to death the next day but that the Angel of God miraculously delivered him Others of them apprehended bound and would have scourged Paul garded and carried him from prison to prison and when he was sent Prisoner to Rome when the ship was wracked and their lives saved only for Pauls sake they gave the Centurion counsel to kill Paul and all the other Prisoners lest they should escape from them by that wrack These Souldiers no doubt were truly Antichristian and if the Tree may be judged and known by its Fruits and Souldiers by their Actions and Intentions I doubt there are far more of this later sort than of the first in this Age and if John Cannes Voyce from the Temple be imbraced for Gospel in every point by the whole Army no doubt they will then be all of this later rank not the Ministers and Soldiers of Jesus Christ but of Antichrist alone and the Crucifiers of Christ again in his faithfull Ministers and Members which I desire them all sadly to consider 9ly Admit them to be made Kings and Priests to God the Father by Christ in a spiritual sence as all the Elect Saints of God are will it thereupon follow that they may all lawfully preach in publick administer Sacraments and exercise the proper Function of Priests and Ministers If so then by the self-same reason they may all lawfully exercise the office and power of Kings as well as of Priests as some of them do in the highest degree beyond all Presidents of any our Kings before them and so under pretext of suppressing our Monarchy and one sole King as dangerous and pernicious we shall have now no less than an whole Army of Kings to rule and reign over us and to engross not only all the old Kings Lands and Revenues but the greatest part of the Peoples far surmounting of a Million or two each year in Contributions and Excise to support their new Royal State and Dignity as well as an Army of Priests who have and would swallow up our whole Churches Revenues Glebes Tithes Patrimony and our Ministry too for to support their new Evangelical Priesthood that so they may resemble both Christ and Melchisedec in their Kingly and Priestly Offices united in one Person though not in the Title of their Kingdom as the Apostle interprets it Hebr. 7.2 being by Interpretation KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESSE and after that also King of SALEM which is KING OF PEACE which Souldiers who make a gainfull Trade of War and Rapine delight not in 10ly I do affirm and will abide by it that since the time some disguised Popish Priests Jesuits Sectaries Hereticks Anabaptists and other Seducers rather than the Lord drew out the heart of some Souldiers and other Mechanicks in truth or disguise publickly to preach the People of this Common-wealth have had more abominable false damnable atheistical Antichristian Heresies Errors Blasphemies New Opinions and old exploded Heterodox Heresies and Tenents of all sorts whatsoever against the very Essence Nature Attributes of God himself the three sacred Persons in the Trinity the Old and New Testament Law Gospel all the fundamental Articles of Faith and Salvation the Sacraments Ministers Ordinances of God and practical publick private Duties of Piety and Christianity under the Names and specious Titles of New Lights and glorious Discoveries of Christs Kingdom broached by Souldiers and Lay-Preachers than in all the times since the Gospel was first preached in this Island and more than ever any one Age Church Nation or all our Ministers put together since the Creation till now were guilty of and these publickly averred both in Presse and Pulpit and the Authors of them exempted from any corporal or pecuniary punishments by the Civil Magistrates by the avowed printed Positions and Proposals of the General Council of Army-Officers and Souldiers in sundry Papers For full and infallible proof whereof I shall remit the Reader to Mr. Edwards Gangrenaes the Catalogues of the Heresies Blasphemies Errors collected by the London and Devonshire Ministers the Stationers Beacon fired and New Law p. 78 97. Which stiles Heaven Hell the resurrection of the Flesh a Dream of our Preachers The History of the Scripture an Idol c. And all this by the malice of Satan the underhand practices of Jesuites and our Popish Adversaries to defame ruine our Church Ministers Religion seduce thee to Popery Atheism and reduce us back to the Antichristian Tyranny of the Sea of Rome as I have largely manifested in the fifth Chapter Whereas Canne cannot charge our Parochial Ministers and Presbyterians with any such Blasphemies Heresies Errors as those he pleads for are guilty of in the highest degree nor with those Jesuitical treacherous perfidious sacrilegious unclean beastly ranting unrighteous prophane atheistical Innovations Practices Rapines Usurpations as they have plunged themselves into over head and ears without any Conscience or dread of God or Man 11ly What that more true Light and glorious Discoveries of Christ and his Kingdom made known to the people of this Common-wealth within these 10 or 12. years by the publick preaching of some Souldiers and Laymen exceeding all the Nations Ministers ever made known unto them before are is concealed by
Joannis Sarisburiensis De Nugis Curialium l. 7. c. 21. De Hypocritis qui ambitionis labem falsae Religionis imagine nituntur occultare Hi sunt qui potestatibus persuadentes ut propter vitia personarum jure suo priventur Ecclefiae Decimationes et Primitias Ecclessis subtrahunt et Ecclesias ipsas accipiunt de manu Laicorum Episcopis inconsultis Hi sunt qui praedia avita subtrahentes indigenis vicos pagos redigunt in solitudinem in suos usus vicina quaeque convertunt Ecclesias diruunt ut in usus revocant seculares Quae Domus Orationis fuerat aut efficitur stabulum pecoris aut opilionis aut Ianificli Officina Et ut se possunt plenius exhibere charitatis implere manus ne decimas dent Apostolico privilegio muniuntur Miror tamen ut Fidelium pace loquar quidnam sit quod Decimas et Iura aliena usurpare non erubescunt Inquient fortè Religiosi sumus Planè Decimas solvere Religionis pars est Et eas a Deo populus duntaxat religionis solvere exigitur Hi adeo religiosi sunt quod in Decimis vandis derogare possunt constitutioni Divinae in eo licenter minus grati sunt gratiae Dei quo eam amplioribus beneficiis éxperiuntur FINIS A POSTSCRIPT IT is storied of Canutus the 4th the 77 King of Denmark an eminent professor of Piety and Religion and great lover of Justice that perceiving his Subjects to stick at many things pertaining to Christian Religion and not to conform to other Christians throughout the world in Laws and Ceremonies specially in the due payment of Tithes to their Ministers he urged them out of religious Piety at ritu aliarum Nationum Christianam Religionem profitentium Decimas Sacerdotibus suis soluerent that after the custome of other Nations professing Christian Religion they would pay Tithes to their Priests remitting to them a great fine imposed on them for their Rebellion and contempt in refusing to accompany him in an Expedition against the English to induce them thereunto But they being perswaded the contrary by his Brother Olaf thereupon rose up in Rebellion against him specially the Northern Jutes frequently perfidious whom he could never induce to pay Tithes and pursuing him to Othense cruelly murdered this their just and pious King in the Church of St. Alban Anno 1088. whom Olaf succeeding God presently sent such a great scarcity of Corn and provision in Denmark for 7. years space together the intemperatenesse of the air blasting all their Corn that many families not only of the poorer but richer and nobler sort died of famine the people fighting with one another even for grasse to eat At last the famin invading King Olaf his Court he prayed to God that if he had conceived any anger against his Subjects for not paying Tithes and murdering their King he would satisfie his wrath upon him not them and the same night Esurientem parricidii paenitentem animam efflavit he died of hunger repenting of his paricide O that all English Tithe-Oppugners and Regicides would seriously meditate on this memorable president of Divine Justice upon such Delinquents and be brought to timely repentance thereby to prevent the like National and Personal Judgements upon our Nation themselves and their posterities ERRATA COurteous Reader correct these mistakes and omissions of the Presse occasioned by the Authors absence in the Country Page 2. l. 34. if r. of p. 8. l. 24. r Wagria p. 14. l. 20. r. inservierat pietati l. 26. r. Wilfrid p. 21. l. 39. these those p. 25. l. 11. Decima l. 15.17 aliendis alienandis p. 27. l. 27. r. 17 E. 4. c 7. l. 37. Parliament l. 38. sommoneri p. 28. l. 6. Heu licet quod eo r. Quod licet de l. 13. dele ut l. 16. indulgere r. inducere l. 19. quamplurimum p. 29. l. 19. superiors p. 30. l. 3. Lord God p. 34. l. 4. form r. former l. 6. last r. lasting l. 11 12. r. peril reproach and slander of the Gospel l. 18. to r. of l. 27. bow down p. 35. l. 25. who builded l. 28. Paris r. Parker p. 39. l. 2. in Egercituisse r. his Chaplain p. 44. l. 34.11 r. 1. p. 46. l. 13. they shall p. 50. l. 6. Balivis l. 14 bonis l. 15. praestiterunt p. 51. l. 9. dele Siquis igitur insanus importunitate p. 63. l. 38. dele li p. 66. l. 11. more r. none l. 36. or r. of p. 71. l. 3. for r. from p. 74. l. 4. jure r. pure p. 75. l. 2. Partimacensis Portiniacensis Abbatem Nautire r. Majoris l. 6. Clamianensis Cluniacensis p. 76. l. 11. 6.8 l. 18. Elegant supremam r. Eligant sepulturam l. 32. Iliburg Friburg p. 77. l. 8. Praemonstratensian l. 17. abuse l. 31. Deformations Reservations l. 38. at least p. 78. l. 15. Replain r. Mepham l. 37. grand p. 80. l. 14. Oxenetius Opmerus p. 84. l. 23. r. charge of the cure p. 85. l. 15. in sales l. 23 only r. chiefly p. 87. l. 4. fees r. fines l. 9. r. their families p. 97. l. 17. of r. or p. 98. l. 27. as litigious p. 101. l. 20. our r. of p. 104. l. 8. or unto recorded both l. 25. spoyls r. soyl p. 105. l. 10. requiring r. inquiring l. 33. spoyls r. soyl p. 107. l. 21. fere modum r. propemodum p. 110. l. 27. pugnavimus p. 111. l. 16. inhabitances r. inheritances l. 23. people r. priests l. 31. dele or p. 112. l. 39. if not p. 113. l. 2. within us p. 115. l. 39. dele of p. 117. l. 5. thee r. men p. 118. l. 21 Lucius Licinius p. 120. l. 35. brought r. bright p. 125. l. 27. for or p. 133. l. 20. which with p. 136. l. 13. Syms Syrus p. 150. l. 3. proceed not p. 156. l. 28. Nicetas l. 29. Beyerlink In the margin p. 6. over against good space l. 32. read At least 14. years as is evident by Gen. 15.1 c. 16.3.16 c. 17.24 25. p. 41. l. 8 9. Monasteries p. 47. l. 7. r. 757. p. 102. l. 5. Ivonis p. 110 l. 11. Saxonicorum p. 118. l. 22 23. Ruffinus p. 155. l. 15. am um An Admonition to all Protestants Ministers Lawyers and others of whatever Quality within our three Nations BE pleased to take notice that as the new dissolved Anti-Parliamentary Juncto at the beginning of their last Session and a little before their sodain dissolution did by their Conscientious Speaker give the hearty thanks of the House and mock Parliament to the Petitions of sundrie Anabaptists and other Sectaries headed by Jesuites and Popish Franciscan Freers for their good Affections when they petitioned against Tithes So the General Council of Officers of the Army usurping to themselves the Soveraign Legislative Power and Authority of the Great Geâ—eral Council and Parliament of England to evidence to the world by whose Counsels they are steered whose designs they prosecute and that they deserve