and on the North side two thousand Cubits and the City shall be in the midst this shall be to them the suburbs of the Cities And among the Cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six Cities for refuge which ye shall appoint for the Manslayer that he may fly thither and to them ye shall adde forty and two Cities So all the Cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight Cities them shall ye give with their Suburbs And the Cities which ye shall give shall be of the possâ—ssion of the Children of Israel from them that have many ye shall give many and from them that have few ye shall give few Everyone shall give of his Cities according to his inheritance which he inheriteth This positive just command of God was given before the Israelites entrance into and conquest of the land of Canaan And this further positive law then likewise made against the sale and alienation of these Glebes and Possessions Levit. 25.32 33 34. Notwithstanding the Cities of the Levites and the Houses of the Cities of their possession may the Levites redeem at any time which others could not doe v. 30 31. And if a man purchase of the Levites then the House that was sold and the City of his possession shall go out in the year of Jubile for the houses of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel but the field of the Suburbs of their City may not be sold for it is their perpetual Possession After this when the land of Canaan was fully conquered by the Israelites and divided amongst the Tribes by bounds and limits we read Josh 21.1 to 43. Then came near the heads of the Fathers of the Levites unto Eleazer the Priest and unto Joshua the son of Nun and unto the heads of the tribes of the Children of Israel and they spake unto them at Shilo in the land of Canaan saying The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses in the text forecited To give us Cities to dwell in with the Suburbs thereof for our cattel And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites at the commandment of the Lord mark it all enemies of our Ministers Rectories Lands Glebes Maintenance these Cities and their Suburbs Then follow the Names and Places of the Cities allotted to the Levites proportionably out of every tribe and how they were divided by lot amongst them which you may read in the text it self over large to transcribe After which ensues this cloze of the story v. 8.41 42. And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these Cities and their Suburbs as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses all the Cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight Cities with their Suburbs These Cities were every one with their Suburbs round about them Thus were all the Cities In 1 Chron 6 We have a recital of the Sons and Families of Levi and the Office of the Priests and Levites with the names of all the Cities and Suburbs alloted to them out of every Tribe agreeing with this of Joshua where those who please may read them at their leisure These fourty eight Cities and their Suburbs as some conceive amounted to the tenth or at least twelfth Part of the Cities and Land of Canaan the Priests and Levites according to their number enjoying in proportion as large a share of the promised Land as any of the other Tribes for their Habitation and Glebes besides their Tithes first-Fruits Offerings and other Dues All which as Dr. George Downham and Mr. Samuel Purchas observe amounted to a far greater proportion for the maintenance of that small Tribe than all the Bishopricks Deaneries Benefices Cathedral and College lands Revenues Glebes Tithes and whatsoever Ecclesiastical Profits endowments of the Clergy and Scholars in our whole Kingdom and Nation After this when the Temple of Jerusalem was built where the Priests and Levites were to wait in their several Courses successively by Davids appointment 1 Chron. chap. 23 to chap. 27. 2 Chron. 8.14 15. chap. 23.8 and ch 13 10 11. ch 29.4 chap. 31.2 chap. 35. 2. Levit. 1.5 8 9. they had Houses Chambers lodgings provided for them at Jerusalem near the Temple where some of them constantly dwelt and attended and likewise for the Tithes first-fruits and oblations brought thither to them 1 Chron. 9.10 to 35. chap. 23.28 chap. 28.11 12 13. 2 Chron. 2 to 13. Ezra 8.29 Neh. 10.37 38 39. chap. 12.44 45 47. chap. 13.4 to 15. Ezech 40.4 to 45. chap. 42.1 to 19. chap. 44.19 chap. 46.19 These Cities Suburbs Habitations Chambers the Priests and Levits constantly enjoyed without interruption til the revolt of the ten tribes from Rehoboam when Jeroboam the usurper erected two Golden Calves in Dan and Bethel to keep the people from going up to Jerusalem to worship God there out of carnal fear and suspition saying in his heart Now shall the Kingdom return to the house of David if the people go up to Jerusalem to do Sacrifice in the House of the Lord there then shall the heart of this people turn back again to their Lord even unto Rehoboam King of Judah and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam King of Iudah 1 Kings 12.26 to 33. and then we read 2 Chron. 11.13 14 15 16. The Priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to Rehoboam out of all their Coasts For the Levites left their Suburbs and their Possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them out from executing the Priests Office unto the Lord and he ordained him Priests for the High Places of the lowest of the People and for the Devils and the Calves which he had made which King Abijah warring with him after his Fathers death when he claimed the right of his usurped Crown thus objected against him and the revolted Tribes 2 Chr 13.4 to 14. Hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the Kingdom over Israel to David for ever even to him and to his Sons by a Covenant of Salt Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon the Son of David is risen up and hath rebelled against his Lord. And there are gathered unto him vain men the children of Belial and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the Son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted and could not withstand him And now ye think to withstand the Kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David and ye be a great multitude and there be with you Golden Calves which Jeroboam made you for Gods Have ye not cast out the Priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests after the manner of the Nations of other lands so that whosoever cometh to Consecrate himself with
a young Bullock and seven Rams the same may be a Priest of them that are no Gods But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business c. For we keep the Charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him And behold God himself is with us for our Captain and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry allarum against you The issue of this Atheistical State-policy and Sacrilegious deprivation spoliation of Gods Priests and Levites of their Suburbs Possessions Ministry by Jeroboam and his Sons is very remarkable 1 It brought ruine upon his whole Army though double the number of Abijah his host of whom they had a great advantage by an ambushment God himself smiting him and his host so that they fled before Judah and Abijah and his people slâ—w them with a great slaughter so that there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men 2 Chron. 13.13 to 20. The greatest slaughter in one battel that ever we read of in Sacred or prophane Stories before or since 2. It brought Captivity on his Adherents and people who were brought under at that time pursued and had their Cities taken and plundered v. 18 19. 3. It drew down this misery and fatal Judgement on himself v. 20. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the dayes of Abijah and the Lord strook him and he died 4. It became sin to the house of Jeroboam even to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth 1 Kings 13.33 34. 5. It made all the succeeding Kings of Israel professed Idolaters and most of them bloudy Murtherers Vsurpers Persecutors and produced perpetual successive civil warrs between Judah and Israel 1 Kings 14.30 chap. 15.6 7 16 32. 2 Chron. 28.4 to 12. 6. It brought final captivity ruine and desolation in conclusion to the whole kingdom of Israel and the ten revolting Tribes 2 Kings 17.20 21 22 23. where this sad story is recorded And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight For he rent Israel from the house of David And they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King of which God thus complains Hos 8.4 They have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin for the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did they departed not from them untill the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he had said by all his servants the Prophets So was Israel carried away out of their own Land to Assyria till this Day when as the Kingdom of Judah continued above 134. years after in Davids royal posterity enjoying Gods Priests Levites Prophets and Ordinances till their captivity for their sins in mocking abusing his Messengers Prophets and despising his words 2 Chron. 36.16 17. And then after 70. years captivity they were restored again to their Country re-edified Jerusalem and the Temple and with them the Priests and Levites returning from bondage were restored likewise to their Cities and Glebes of which the Kings of Judah never deprived them as Jeroboam and his Sons and the Kings of Israel who were all Idolaters did whence thus we read Ezra 2.70 So the Priests and the Levites and the Singers and the Porters the Nethinims dwelt in their Cities and all Israel in their Cities Thus seconded Neh. 11.18 20. All the Levites in the holy City were 284. and the residue of Israel of the Priests and Levites were in all the Cities of Judah every Man in his Inheritance and Neh. 13.10 The Levites and Singers that did the work were fled every one to his field In the Prophecie of Ezechiel written during the Jews Captivity in the Land of the Chaldeans Ezech. 1.1 2 3. prophesying of the re-edifiing of the Temple the dimensions and whole fabrick thereof ch 40.1 to 45. we find frequent mention of holy Chambers therein provided for the Priests and their vestments And ch 45.1 to 5. God enjoyns the Israelites by this Prophet upon their restitution to their own Land when they should divide it by Lot for an Inheritance That they should offer an holy portion of the Land an oblation unto the Lord the length thereof twenty five thousand reeds and the breadth ten thousand This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about Of this there shall be for the Sanctuary 500 reeds in length with 500 in breadth square round about and fifty Cubits round about for the Suburbs thereof Then he addes The holy Portion of the land shall be for the Priests the Ministers of the sanctuary which shall come neer to minister unto the Lord and it shall be a place for their Houses and an holy place for the Sanctuary And the 25000. of length and 10000. of breadth Shall also the Levites the Ministers of the House have for themselves for a possession for twenty Chambers In the 47. Chapter verse 13. to the end of the Prophecy he writes of the bounds and division of the land of Canaan after their restitution according to their several tribes in relation to and imitation of the bounds and division of it formerly made and recited by Joshua out of which there was a special portion reserved for the Priests and Levites as there was in Joshua's division forecited Thus expressed Ezeck 48.8 to 15. And by the border of Judah from the East side unto the West side shall be the offering which they shall offer of 25000. reeds in breadth and in length as one of the other parts from the East side unto the West side and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it The oblation ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of 25000. in length and 10000 in breadth And for them even for the Priests shall be this holy Oblation toward the North 25000. in length and toward the West 10000. in breadth and toward the East 10000 in breadth and toward the South 25000 in length and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst thereof It shall be for the Priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadock which have kept my charge which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray after Jeroboam and his calves as the Levites went astray And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites And over against the border of the Priests the Levites shall have 25000. in length and 10000. in breadth all the length shall be 25000 and the breadth 10000. reeds And they shall not sell of it neither exchange nor alienate the first fruits of the land for it is holy unto
or Feasts to God at all as the Jews by the Levitical law were bound to doe If so then farewell all Lords-dayes Fasts Feasts publike Assemblies for Gods worship all Ministers Churches and God himself together with them as well as Tithes let Gain Money be the only Deities henceforth adored among us as the Motto stamped upon our new State-coyn God with us and most mens practices sadly proclaim to Gods dishonour and Religions intolerable defamation These Answers I presume will for ever satisfie or silence these Objectors with John Canne their new Champion who may now discern their grosse mistake and learn this for a general certain truth That whatever is not in its own nature and Original meerly Jewish and ceremonial but hath a kind of natural justice equity conveniency morality or necessity in it and had a divine original institution before the ceremonial Law given or the Levitical Priesthood instituted That thing though afterwards given limited prescribed to the Levitical Priests or Israelites by a general or special Levitical Law abrogated by Christ doth neither cease its being nor become unlawfull in its primitive or proper use unto Christian Ministers or Believers under the Gospel by the abolishing of the Levitical Law and Priesthood but may and must necessarily be continued practised perpetuated among them without the least sin scandal or Judaism according to its own primitive institution or natural necessary divine moral or civil use else Bread meat drink wives clothes religious Sabbaths Fasts Feasts Edifices and Assemblies for Gods publick worship Houses for Hospitality Charity to Ministers to poor distressed Saints People yea reading prayer preaching of the word of God Magistracy and Government it self should be utterly unlawfull unto Christian Ministers and People as well as Tithes because given prescribed to be used by the Levitical Priests and Jews by the Levitical Law Therefore seeing meat drink food raiment Lands Houses and a competent proportion of all worldly necessaries are as simply needfull for the preservation subsistence of the Ministers of the Gospel and their Families now under the Gospel as for the Priests Levites before and under the Law or all other sorts of men in the world who cannot live without them And seeing Tithes Lands Houses both before and under the Law were originally given to and setled by God and Men upon Priests and Levites first and Ministers since not as meer Types Shadows Ceremonies but as a just fitting convenient recompence of their Labour necessary maintenance Livelihood habitation residence for them and their Families to provide them meat drink Books clothes and other necessaries to live by Why our Ministers under the Gospel should not still enjoy them in this kind and Nature without the least shadow of Judaism as well as Melchisedec before the Law or the Jewish Priests and Levites under it or their Predecessors before them even from the first settlement of the Gospel amongst us or as well as any other Men or the Objectors do enjoy their Lands Goods Houses and the other nine parts of their Tithes encrease for their Livelihood and subsistence as well as the Jews without any sin or Judaism transcends my capacity to apprehend and the ability of all armed or unarmed Enemies of Tithes or Glebes to demonstrate from Scripture Law Reason or the objected abused Text over-long insisted on to clear it from all ignorant or wilfull wrestings And so much for the payment of Tithes by Abraham and vowing them by Jacob before the Law to justifie the lawfulnesse and continuance of them under the Gospel against all cavilling Exceptions Secondly I shall make good the Proposition from the Maintenance of the Priests and Levites by Glebes Tithes and Oblations under the Law urged as the strongest if not only Reason against them and thus form my Argument That which God himself who is infinitely and only wife just holy did by his special Laws Edicts institute prescribe as the most expedient equal fit just rational convenient maintenance of all other for his own Priests and Levites to receive and take from his own People when once setled in the promised Land for the execution of their function must questionlesse be not only a lawfull but the most expedient equal fit just rational convenient maintenance of all other for his Ministers of the Gospel to receive and take from all believing Christians in any setled Christian Kingdome State Church under the Gospel especially if he hath neither positively prohibited this kind and way of maintenance nor specially prescribed any other way or kind of setled maintenance for them in and by the Gospel But God himself who is infinitely and only wise just holy did by his special Laws Edicts institute prescribe Houses Lands Glebes Tâ—thes and Oblations as the most expedient equal fitting just rational convenient maintenance of all other for his own Priests and Levites to receive and take from his own people when once setled in the promised Land for the execution of their Functions and hath neither positively prohibited this kind or way of maintenance nor specially prescribed any other way or kind of setled maintenance for them in and by the Gospel Ergo It must questionlesse be not only a lawfull but the most expedient equal fit just rational convenient maintenance of all other for his Ministers of the Gospel from all believing Christians in any setled Kingdome State Church under the Gospel The Major I suppose no rational Christian can or will deny except he thinks himself as King Alphonso the proud Atheistical self-conceited Astronomer did more wise just holy than God himself and abler to carve out a more expedient equal just fitting rational convenient maintenance for Gods Priests Levites Ministers than God himself hath done and dare bid defiance to this Gospel precept Eph. 5.1 Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children The Minor I shall thus confirm in order 1. That God did by special Laws Edicts institute and prescribe Cities Suburbs Lands Houses Glebes for the Priests and Levites habitation and the better maintenance of them and their Cattel and that in a liberal proportion is apparent by Num. 35. from v. 1 to 12. where we find recorded That the Lord spake unto Moses in the plain of Moab by Jordan near Jericho saying command the Children of Israel that they give unto the Levites of the Inheritances of their possession Cities to Dwell in and ye shall give also unto the Levites Suburbs for their Cities round about them And the Cities they shall have to Dwell in and the suburbs of them shall be for their Cattel and for their Goods and for all their Beasts And the suburbs of the Cities which ye shall give unto the Levites shall reach from the wall of the City and outward a thousand Cubits round about And ye shall measure from without the City on the East side two thousand Cubits and on the South side two thousand Cubits and on the West side two thousand Cubits
the Lord. From all these Scriptures here recited at large for the Readers fuller satisfaction conviction and ease in turning to them these conclusions undeniably arise 1. That the Priests and Levits had by Gods special command precept oft repeated both Cities Houses Suburbs Lands Glebes designed to setled on them by their brethren out of all the other tribes of Israel for their habitation and the keeping feeding of their Cattel Goods Beasts and that in a very large and bountifull proportion And likewise necessary convenient houses chambers lodgings neer the Temple when first built and when re-edified afterwards which refutes the common errour of those ignorant Simpletons and illiterate New-lights who from Numb 18.20 Deut. 10.9 chap. 18.1 2. The Priests the Levites and all the tribe of Levi shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire and his inheritance Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren the Lord is their inheritance as he hath said unto them Conclude That the Priests and Levites amongst the Israelites had no Cities houses lands suburbs or possessions of their own belonging to their Office and were expresly forbidden by God to receive or enjoy any among their brethren And hence inferr That Ministers of the Gospel ought not to enjoy any Rectories Houses Lands or Glebes Whereas all the forecited Scriptures directly record the contrary and the meaning of these seeming repugnant texts is only this That they should have no inheritance amongst their Brethren in such sort and manner as they had set out altogether in one parcel by Joshua and the rest who divided the land amongst the tribes by lot which would have hindred them from their duties but only a subsequent assignment of certain Cities houses and suburbs seattered and divided one from another in and out of every tribes inheritance that so they might perform their offices with more ease and be alwayes ready at hand in every tribe to teach and instruct the people upon all occasions 2. That the inheritance of the Cities houses and suburbs which they enjoyed were not reputed their own proper inheritance though they enjoyed the possession and profits thereof but Gods inheritance as a thing devoted and dedicated unto God himself and therefore stiled by Ezekiel an Oblation unto God and an holy portion as Histories Divines Common Civil and Canon Lawyers stile all our Rectories Church-lands and Glebes with the Charters that first setled them being given and consecrated Deo et Ecclesiae an oblation unto God and the Church 3. That these endowments and Glebes of theirs were called reputed Gods own Portion and Inheritance 1. Because given by his special command and appointment by all the tribes 2. Because originally consecrated devoted to God and to his Priests and Ministers onely in Gods right for his sake 3. Because given to promote Gods worship service glory and for an habitation support to Gods own Priests and Levites imployed wholly in his immediate service 4. That they were expresly prohibited to be sold exchanged or alienated by the Priests Levites or any others because they were reserved by and given unto God himself as an holy Portion and Oblation and to the Priests and Levites for a perpetual possâ—ssion in regard of the perception of the profits the inheritance of them residing only in God himself Therfore not possible to be justly and lawfully sold exchanged or alienated by the Priests Levites or any other mortal Powers whatsoever who could claim no power right property or disposing interest in or over them against Gods own Soveraign and sacred title 5. That these Cities Suburbs Glebes were ratably set out in and by every tribe in an equal proportion according to the multitude or paucity of their Cities as a Tenth of their Cities and lands to which their 48 Cities and Suburbs amounted as some probably conceive And yet besides these 48 Cities there were Houses and Schools of Prophets and Prophets children in nature of our Universities in Bethel and in Jericho 2 Kings 2.3 4 5 7 to 24. chap. 6.1 2 3 4. which were none of these 48 Cities 6. That none of the Kings and Princes of Judah though many of them were Idolatrous wicked and put to great extremities to raise monies to pay their Armies and Tributes to forein Invaders and Conquerors did yet ever attempt to sell or alienate the Cities Suburbs or revenues of the Priests and Levites to maintain their warrs or pay publike Debts or tributes though King Asa Jehoash Hezekiah by way of loan made bold with the Silver and Gold in the treasure of the Lords house in cases of publike extremity which might be and was afterwards re-paid 1 Kings 15.18 cap. 18.15 2 Chron. 16.2 Yea the Scripture expresly records that in the great famine in Aegypt when all others sold their lands to buy bread to King Pharaoh only the Lands of the Priests bought he not For the Priests had a Portion assigned them of Pharaoh and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them wherefore they sold not their Lands Gen. 47.20 to 27. 7. That the Idolatrous usurper Jeroboam out of a carnal fear and policy to keep the people from returning to their rightfull Soveraign and establish the crown on himself and his Posterity was the first man we read of and his Idolatrous sons and successors after him who cast out Gods Priests and Levites out of their offices and then out of their Cities Suburbs and Possessions which he enforced them to desert though we read not that they sold them to maintain their Warrs or pay Soldiers arrears who thereupon repaired to Jerusalem to Rehoboam the right heir and after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem to enjoy Gods Ordinances strengthned Rehoboam and his kingdom against this persecuting usurper 2 Chron. 11.13 to 18. 8. That this his casting out of the Priests and Levites from their Offices and Pâ—ssâ—ssions making Priests of the lowest of the People and suffering every one that would to consecrate himself a Priest without a lawfull call is objected against Jeroboam by Abijah as a very high crime and provocation against God and the maintaining encouraging of Gods lawfull Priests and Levites in their Offices and setled possessions alleged by him as a certain argument of Gods presence with him and so with any other King and people and of victory successe in conclusion against sacrilegious Usurpers 9. That when Gods lawfull Priests and Levites are deprived of their Glebes and Possessions we must presently expect a base contemptible time-serving Idolatrous ignorant Priestood Jeroboams Golden Calves with their new Feasts and Sacrifices and a universal inundation of Idolatry wickedness prophanness to ensue with all the forementioned calamities which befell Ieroboams Army adherents subjects Person Family Kingdom which the Lord now set home on all our hearts that we may
purest times for 500. years after Christ Therefore they are unlawfull oppressive un-evangelical tyrannical antichristian as Canne terms them in his thundering empty voyce Answ To this I answer first That there is no expresse Precept or President in the New Testament for any strange High Courts of Justice Martial or other Courts of that Nature for any Articles of War or penal Laws to put Souldiers or any others to death or inflict punishments for any New High-Treasons or Offences whatsoever No Precept nor President that John Canne a late Excise-man as divers report can produce for the imposing or levying of any Excise Impositions Taxes Customes Crown-Rents Tonnage Poundage Contributions by any Distresses Forfeitures Imprisonments sale of Goods billetting of Souldiers on the People and armed violence now used by Souldiers Excisemen Collectors and other Publicans sitting at the Receipt of Custom whereof I hear Iohn Canne is one perhaps to Excise the Alehouses and Cannes there used for names-sake all puny to and less warrantable by Gods Law and Gospel than our Ministers Tithes The Objectors therefore must find express Gospel-Texts for all and every of these publick Duties and the present wayes of levying and enforcing them or else disclaim them or their Objection against Tithes 2ly I have produced expresse Gospel-Texts warranting in the general coercive Laws Sutes Actions to recover Ministers Tithes as well as any other just legal publick or private Dues Debts Rents Lands Possessions whatsoever Therefore the Objectors must either disclaim their Objection or renounce all penal Laws Sutes and coercive Means whatsoever to levy or recover any other civil Rights Debts or Duties whatsoever and introduce a lawless Anarchy and Confusion amongst us for every one to cheat defraud rob oppresse disseise spoyl defame wound murder one another without any penalty or redresse except only by Club-law instead of a peaceable just and righteous Government 3ly The reason why there were no coercive Laws for the payment of Tithes or Ministers dues in the Primitive Church for above 500 years was this because Christians then were so zealous ready forwards to render them with an overplus and to sell their very Houses Lands Possessions Estates and lay them down at the Apostles and Ministers feet to maintain them and relieve their poor Christian Brethren witness Acts 2.44 45. c 4.34 35 37. c. 5.1 2. 2 Cor. 11.9 Phil. 4.15 16 17 18. Rom. 15.26 and that memorable place 2 Cor. 8.1 to 5. where Paul records of the first Churches and Converts in Macedonia how that in a great Tryal of Affliction in times of heavy persecution their deep Poverty abounded to the riches of their Liberality for to their power I bear them record yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the Gift and take upon us the Fellowship of the Ministring to the Saints c. The New Testament records the exceeding readiness of the Pharisees to pay Tithes of all they did possesse and of the smallest Seeds and Garden-Herbs of all kinds to their Priests or Levites which Christ himself approved commended with a these things ought ye not to have left undone And Philo a learned Jew who lived under Claudius in the Apostles daies records as an Eye-witness on his own knowledge That the Jews were so forward in paying their First-fruits and other Dues to their Priests That they prevented the Officers demanding them paid them before they were due by Law as if they had rather received a benefit than rendered any both Sexes of their own readiness bringing them in with such courtesie and thanksgiving as is beyond all expression they are his very words And were they then lesse forwards think you to render due Maintenance if not Tithes and First-fruits to the Apostles when they turned Christians Surely no for the forecited Texts in the Acts declare they were far more bountifull than before both to the Apostles and poor Saints selling all they had to support them The like zeal even in the heat of persecution under bloody Pagan Persecutors continued in all the Primitive Christians next after the Apostles who though persecuted driven into Corners imprisoned banished and spoyled of their Goods Lands by plundering Officers Sequestrators Souldiers as Eusebius and others record yet every one of them out of his deep Poverty contributed every Month or when he would or could some small stipend for the maintenance of the Ministers and Poor when they had no Lands to pay Tithes out of of his own accord without any coercion witnesse Tertullian who flourished but 200. years after Christ Modicum unusquisque stipem Menstrua die vel cum velit et si modo volit si modo possit apponit nam nemo compellitur there was no need when they were so free of their own accord sed sponte consert Haec quasi deposita pietatis sunt And though their Monthly stipends in regard of their great Poverty were thus termed small comparatively to what they were before the Persecution yet indeed they were very large considered in themselves as by the same Authors following words in this Apology c. 42. appears Plus nostra misericordia insumit vicatim quam vestra Religio templatim they bestowing more in a Liberal free way of Christian Charity in every Village towards their Ministers and Poor than the wealthy Pagan Romans did in their Temples and Sacrifices for the Maintenance of their Paganism In the 9th general Persecution of the Christians about 273 years after Christ or before The Governour of Rome told Saint Lawrence the Martyr Arch-Deacon to Pope Xistus the 2d and Treasurer of the Christians Oblations for the Ministers Maintenance and Poors relief that the common Report then was bow the Christians did frequently sell their Lands and disinherit their Children like those in the Acts to enrich the Ministers and relieve the Poor bringing thousands of Sestertii at a time to St. Lawrence out of the sale of their Lands so as their Treasury was so great that he thought to seise on it for a prey Which their bountiful Liberality Prudentius thus poetically expresseth Offerre fundis venditis Sistertiorum Millia Addicta Avorum praedia Faedis sub auctionibus Successor exhaeres gemit Sanctis egens Parentibus Et summa pietasli creditur Nudare dulces heros What need then any Law to compel the Christians to pay Tithes or Ministers dues when in the heat of Persecution they were so bountifull to them and the Poor as thus voluntarily to contribute their whole Estates for their support Whose President if the Cavillers against our present penal Laws Ordinances for Tithes would imitate no Minister nor other voluntary Tith-payers would oppose their repeal And though in these Primitive times of Persecution the Christians being spoyled of their Lands and Possessions could not pay Tithes in kind in most places but were necessitated to such voluntary Contributions as these yet without all
then in England to advance their own power profit 2ly It is evident by Rob. Parsons and other Jesuites old Project for Reformation of England when they should get power in it To take away all Lands Manors Benefices and setled Maintenance of the Church from the English Clergy and Universities and make all Ministers and Scholars mere Pensioners and Stipendiaries at their pleasure◠set up Itinerary Preachers fixed to no particular Church like our wandring Quakers Anabaptists Sectaries of late instead of Parochial Pastors of which more anon 3ly Alfonsus de Vargas Toletanus in his Relatio ad Reges Principes Christianos De Stratagematis Politicis Societatis Jesu ad Monarchiam Orbis terrarum sibi conficiendam printed 1641. cap. 40 to 51. proves at large out of the Jesuites own printed Defence and other Writings That these new Doctors of no Conscience no Faith no honesty or shame have perswaded the Emperour and other Kings against their Oaths Trusts Duties Charters the Law of Nations and all Divine and Human Laws that it was lawfull for them upon a pretext of Necessity for the ease of the people and Maintenance of their Wars Souldiers to alienate the Lands Revenues Maintenance of Abbies Religious men and of the Church upon Souldiers for the defence of their Bodies and of the Church that so themselves might gain a share of them for the advantage of their own Societies contrary to the wills intentions of the first Donors and Founders Whereupon he thus justly jeers them cap. 46. p. 222. That the institution of the Jesuites Society peculiarly tends to this that their Colleges should be instituted and Society maintained out of the ruines of the Church and rapines of other mens Goods à quibus Societatis Institutor et Conditor Ignatius cum etiamnum ad legionem bellator esset minime alienus fuisse nec a solita Militum rapacitate quicquam demutasse sine ulla ejus contumelia creditur etsi autem Militiam mutavit ac simul cum Sociorum ne dicam furum manipulo Christo Imperatori Sacramentum dixit non propterea rapinam omnem ejerare necesse habuit c. he remaining a PLUNDERER still after he became a SAINT Seeing the Prophe◠Isay seemeth thus to prophecy both of his Rapine and Wound in his halting Legg cap. 33. Tunc dividentur Spolia multarum praedarum Claudi diripient rapinam Therefore no wonder this Spirit of Rapine continues in his Disciples who doubtlesse have infused the self-same Spirit of Rapine into our Anabaptists and Souldiers into whose Societies they have secretly insinuated themselves somenting and intending to lengthen out our wars so long of purpose to make a prey of our remaining Church-Revenues Rectories Tithes and College lands too at last as they have done of other Church-Revenues already dissipated out of a pretext of Necessity as is most transparant to all Intelligent peoples eyes thereby to destroy our Religion by devouring our Ministers Churches Patrimonies the probable if not inevitable consequence of this Jesuitical project if effected as is most apparent by this notable passage of Roderyck Mors formerly a Grey Fryer in his Complaint and Supplication to the Parliament of England about 37 H. 8. after the Dissolution of Monasteries pertinent to my purpose and as worthy consideration now as then Ye that be Lords and Burgesses of the Parliament House writes he I require of you in the name of my poor Brethren that are Englishmen and Members of Christs Body that ye consider well as ye will answer before the face of Almighty God in the day of judgement this abuse and see it amended When Antichrist of Rome durst openly without any visor walk up and down thorowout England he had so great favour there and his Children had such crafty wits for the Children of this World are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light they had not only almost gotten all the best Lands of England into their hands but also most part of the best Benefices both of Parsonages and Vicarages which were for the most part all improved to them And when they had the gifts of any not improved they gave them unto their Friends of the which alwaies some were learned for the Monks found of their Friends Children at School And though they were not learned yet they kept Hospitality and helped their poor Friends And if the Parsonages were impropred the Monks were bound to deal Almesse to the poor and to keep Hospitality as the writings of the Gifts of such Parsonages and Lands do plainly declare in these words In puram Eleemosynam And as touching the Almesse that they dealt and the Hospitality that they kept every man knoweth that many thousands were well relieved of them and might have been better if they had not had so many great Mens Horse to feed and had not been over-charged with such idle Gentlemen as were never out of the Abbies And if they had any Vicarage in their hands they set in some time some sufficient Vicar though it were but seldom to preach and to teach But now that all the Abbies with their Lands Goods and impropred Parsonages be in temporal mens hands I do not hear tell that one half peny worth of Alms or any other profit cometh unto the people of those Parishes Your pretence of putting down Abbies was to amend that was amiss in them It was far amiss that a great part of the Lands of the Abbies which were given to bring up learnned men that might be Preachers to keep Hospitality and give Alms to the poor should be spent upon a few Superstitious Monks which gave not XL. pound in Alms when they should have given CC. It was amiss that the Monks should have Parsonages in their hands and deal but the XX. part thereof to the poor and preached but once in a year to them that paid the Tithes of Parsonages It was amiss that they scarcely among XX set not one sufficient Vicar to preach for the Tithes that they received But see now how it that was amiss is amended for all the Pretence It is amended even as the Devil amended his Dams Leg as it is in the Proverb when he should have set it right he brake it quite in pieces The Monks gave too little Alms and set unable Persons many times in their Benefices But now where xx pound was yearly given to the poor in more than C. places in England is not one meals meat given This is a fair Amendment Where they had alwaies one or other Vicar that either preached or hired some to preach Now is there no Vicar at all but the Farmor is Vicar and Parson altogether and only an old cast away Monk or Frier which can scarcely say his Mattins is hired for xx or xxx shillings Meat and Drink yea in some places for Meat and Drink alone without any wages I know and not I alone but xx M. mo know more than D. we may now adde 5000. Vicarages