was there any of them that stood in the Gap or turned People from their Iniquity till the Lord broke out in his Wrath as Fire and laid the Land waste and the House of their God waste which you burnt up and will you now joyn with Moab and will you build again those things which you have once destroyed then you make your selves Transgressors think not thus in your Hearts that the Lord hath given you Dominion over the Nation to walk after your own Wills and joyn unto Deceit and that you may establish those things again which the Lord was wroth with and if you hold up those by your Laws and your Power and your Prisons and your Sword which is the People of the Lord's Curse I speak of the Teachers who are in Balaam's Way and greedy dumb Dogs who can never have enough and bestow the Nations Tythes and Lands and Riches which is the Lord's Treasure upon them that they may cry up Deceit and flatter you both you and they will fall together And Friends I am plain with you the Hand of the Lord is against them and all the Power of the Nations shall not save them from his Indignation And therefore be wise O ye Rulers and do not you think to take Counsel against the Lord and prosper nor prescribe not the Lord a Way for his Thoughts are not as your Thoughts nor his Wayes as your Wayes For he hath chosen the weak Things of this World to overthrow the Mighty your Eyes have seen this without and he hath revealed his Will to them and in them whom you look upon but as weak things and base things and in them he is making known his Eternal Power to overthrow the World's Wisdom and Might which is in the Fall and Curse from whence all Heresies and Blasphemies and Sects and Opinions flow and come forth and he is bringing his own Work his mighty Work to pass even to overthrow and overturn all the Power of the Beast and the false Prophet and shut them into the Pit and the Decree is gone forth and sealed and shall not be altered though all the Powers of Darkness joyn against him and although you should make a Law as the Jews did to take away the Life of Christ yet it did but little avail them for he hath carried on his Work through all Generations notwithstanding all Opposition and this is he in whom we trust and do not you think that you are able to limit the Lord by whom he must declare his Name or how or where or in what time but in his own VVay and Time and if he command and will us all mens VVills must be broken though still the holy men of God suffeâ—ed as such and so accounted as Disturbers of Peace I say the Devil's Peace must be broken and though the false Prophets of his Nation cry Peace unto you when you walk in the Imagination of your own Hearts and though you cry peace unto them yet one is come and coming to take peace from you for all your Peace and Agreement that you make against the least Appearance of God in his Servants it will be dashed to pieces And if they were to depart from the presence of God who fed nor the Saints neither clothed them nor visited them in prison but were to depart with the Devil and his Angels into everlasting Fire what will become of you who instead of clothing encourage the people to rent them off us and instead of feeding us give Command to depart because we are Stangers and instead of visiting them in prison you put them in prison and send for them one hundred Miles to be dragged to your prisons and before your Judgment-Seat in whom he is made manifest And now O ye Council at Dublin your Order hath so gratified the Devil and all the prophane in the Nation that they judge your Order was not large enough as that they had not Liberty to banish them who have been long Inhabitants in the Nation and therefore they tell you their Readiness to fulfil your Orders upon this Account and desire your Directions what to do further yea you have made all Lyars Drunkards cursed Speakers and prophane rejoyce and have strengthned the Hands of the wicked and so Judgment is turned backward and Righteousness cannot enter but all these things are recorded and you shall one Day remember what you have done And Friends it 's nothing to us we lay down our Heads in Peace notwithstanding if it had been done by them who had never professed any thing of Liberty of Conscience and Tenderness it might have been born but here your double Hypocrisie is made manifest Oh that ever you should be so led but why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain Thing for he will exalt his Son upon the Hill of Sion and then wo unto them that have joyned their Power to uphold the Beast and the false Prophet for all must go into the Lake together where the Worm dyes not nor the Fire goes out to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels forever And therefore I say unto you Repent and turn to the Lord and seek Judgment and Righteousness that so you may judge for the Lord and break off all Oppression and entertain the Strangers who seek not yours but the Good of the Nation and that all people might know the Lord and worship him in Righteousness that so your dayes might be prolonged in the Land and the Lord of Heaven and Earth might rule over you in Righteousness and that he alone might be exalted in the Nations which hath not been known for many Generations but only all have lived with the Name without his Life and Power in Deceit and all Manner of Unrighteousness and the Lord is wearied and will ease himself of his Adversaries and his Glory shall no longer be given to another Cork in Ireland the 8 th of the 11 th Moneth 1655. AN EPISTLE TO THE Church of Christ BEING MY BRETHREN WHO ARE MADE PARTAKERS of the RICHES OF THE LOVE of GOD IN Christ Jesus In and About the CITY OF LONDON DEar Brethren who are called to be Saints by the Word which proceeds from the Throne of God the Lamb in which you have believed and denyed your Country and followed the Calling of the Lord and are become Children of Abraham and Children of the Promise Grace and Everlasting Peace be encreased amognst you who have believed the Testimony of his Son and are made Partakers of the common Salvation which was delivered unto the Saints and now made manifest in this his own Day according to his Everlasting Love to his Seed which Seed we are which are come up out of Egypt from whence he hath called his Son great is my Love unto you all and it 's the Love that I love withal which is stronger then Death and hath broken the Covenant of Death and now is become a broad River from
but the Quakers see before thee and beyond thee and comprehend thee and have received Eye-salve whereby their Eyes are opened to see thy Deceit the deceit of the Treacherous Generation with whom thou art joyned and thy Rejoynder and Vindication of Samuel Smith whom thou calls Minister of the Word at Cressage in the County of Salop thy Vindication of him and thy pleading for him will not bring much Honour to neither him nor thee and though thou and he both joyn hand in hand in deceit yet you shall not go Unpunished Thou tels the Reader Of wandering Planets who have left their Station who have stepped upon the Stage in the County of Salop who are come forth in this Apostatizing time All who have a good understanding may clearly see not only in the County of Salop but also in every Corner of the Land many wandering Stars that have no habitation in the Firmament of God's Power but are Tossed up and down and are as waters Unstable Tossed to and fro with every wind and the change of one Magistrate or head Governour will make them all change their form and as thou callst it Metamorphize them into another shape witness the many publique Teachers and Parish-masters and Tything Priests in the dayes of Edward the sixth Henry the 8. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth's dayes and now of late in the Bishops dayes when the Magistrates voted down the Bishops all or most of the Priests denyed their Fathers and their Institution and though they ordained them Ministers yet they still seek after their seats and Benefices and there thy Reader may see the Metamorphosed changlings and the Apostates and I do believe the County of Salâ—p abounds with such like and they have been on the Stage long and have acted such a part in every Generation as would please the present Authority or Power whether they were Papists or Protestants Prelatical or whatsoever but E. D. the Exit will come and when the Day appears the Beasts must go into their Dens again and thou confessest you live in Apostatizing times thou that art among the Apostates and in the Apostatizing Age and time would accuse others Nay thou must hold thy Peace and leave pleading for Apostates and for the Fashions of the Heathen which have got up since the dayes of the Apostacy which the whole scope of thy Book is full of nothing else and we cannot permit or allow them who are in the time of Apostacy and who are one with the Apostates which have wandered after the Beast since the Dayes of the Apostles I say we cannot allow such as you to be Judges for we are come out of the Apostacy and to before the Apostates and to before the wandering Stars and thou hast mist it much that tells the Quakers are they Edward I tell thee we are come to the everlasting Gospel again and have received it and it 's the Power of God which was to be and is to be preached again to the Nations after the Apostacy And as for the Book called Malice stript and whipt I have seen it and he Spirit of thy Mr. Smith whom thou callst Reverend thou hast elevated him as high as the Pope but E. D. what is the Reason thou reverencest him so much as thou dost to thy Reader And in the tenth page thou saist many Souls depend upon his Ministry and thou blessest God for the worâ— of God you enjoy in that Congregation Thou hast extoll'd him too highly or else he hath wronged thee grievously for thou saist thou hast profited much by him Thou mayest call to mind a certain time when he preached as you call it out of the 13 of Luke and when he spoke of the Parable of the mâ—n that planted a Vineyard and 3 Years looked for Fruit and Sam. Smith whom thou so adorest said he had sought for Fruit from your Congregation this 7 Years at Cressage and had found none he shall be an evidence for me against thee that thy glorying of him is Vain and it 's manifest he is one the Lord sent his Prophet to declare against who hath run and the Lord never sent him therefore he hath not profited you at Cressage at all lean Souls are they like to be that depend on him In the first Observation as thou callst it thou hast extracted the Heads of Samuel Smiths Book into five particulars which thou sayst we are ashamed to Answer or else know not what to say for our defences I say unto thee Boast not when thou purst on thy Armour but when putst it off for the Victory may be doutful THe first particular That the Nationall Ministers do maintain the true worship of God and the Doctrine of Christ according to the revealed will of God Answ. So saying and so doing were something the true Worship of God is in Spirit and in Truth which is not Lo here and lo there nor in outward Observations but in Life in Power and in Truth But to be brief both the Doctrine and Practice of the National Ministry in general is contrary to the Scripture which thou callst the Word of God as for Instance their sprinkling of Infants their teaching Men to Swear and calling it part of the Worship of God which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who said Swear not at all Their singing David's Psalms put into Meeter by Poets and Ballad-mongers singing them in their invented Tunes which pleaseth the carnal Mind their studied discourses which you call Sermons Invented from the strength of natural wit and not speaking as they are moved by the holy Ghost which the Ministers of Christ in all Ages did In these and many other things which I could instance they are out of the Doctrine of Christ And in a word your whole Worship differs both in matter and manner from the Saints Worship in the Primitive Times But seeing we have denyed the National Ministers divers Years ago and have laid down our Grounds and Reasons to the World wherein we have charged them that their practice is contrary to the Scripture unto which Grounds and Reasons not one Parish-master in England hath yet Vindicated themselves these six years And unto that Book called The Grounds and Reasons why we deny the Priests if the Reader be not satisfied concerning them there he may see how they err both in Doctrine and Practice contrary to Scriptures To the second and third Particulars That the present Government of the Nation is the Ordinance of God and that the Ministers bringing Offenders before the Magistrate is not Persecution As for the present Government of the Nation the lawfulness thereof is not to Question by us but many who are Governours and should be Executors of the Law have acted contrary to the Law being stirred 〈◊〉 by the Priests who bite with their Teeth if one put not into their Mouths and have caused the just to suffer by giving Judgment 〈◊〉 theâ— in their wills contrary to Law or
true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World without Exception and why is this utterly false if he be fâ—llowed that he who is the true Light is an infallible Guide and the Rule of Life Hath he not enlightned every man that cometh into the World If thou makest Exceptions where the Spirit makes none then thou pervertest the Scripture doth not he say I am the Light of the World the World in the Scriptures Account is set in Opposition to Believers for Believers are not of this VVorld but are redeemed out of it as for Example God so loved the World that he sent hâ—s Son into the World that whosoever did believe in him might not perish but have Everlasting Life for it is manifest that the Saints and Believes had Life given 〈◊〉 that followed Christ and were his Sheep and saith Christ I put them forth and go before them and give unto them Eternal Life and he said to them who had not Eternal Life While you have the Light believe in it that you may be the Children of it And is not Christ God's Righteousness who is given for a Covenant of Light to the blind and dead and lame and to the dumb to open their Eyes to quicken them to make them leap as an Hart and their Tongue to sing and utter forth Praise we say Righteousness is not by the Law but by Christ that lighteth every man who is the End of the Law and why is not the Light which lighteth every man Gospel Light seeing it is said Go preach the Gospel in every Creature under Heaven go learn what that means And if Natural Light must be construed in Opposition to Spiritual and the Light of Nature contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit then it must needs be sinful for that which opposeth spiritual Light and is set in Opposition against its leading must needs be sinful and that which is contra or against the Light of the Spirit must needs be sinful and then if it be as thou hast said and if this must be the true Sense of that Scripture that it must be understood of natural Light and that natural Light thou construest in Opposition to spiritual and say'st It is contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit and in Opposition unto it That which is against the Spirit 's Light or the Light of the Spirit must needs be Darkness sinful and evil and yet thou hast confessed It will teach that none ought to lye or steal and to know one God and the Creator and Eternity and Omnipotency and yet it must be taken in Opposition to the Spirit and contra-distinct from the Spirit that which leads to know the Creator and Eternity and Omnipotency is that Spirit of God through which God and the Things of God are revealed and that that teaches that a man should not lye that is Truth and that that leads from Sin and accuses for Evil-doing and convicts that is the Spirit 's Light as it is written He shall convince the World of Sin And so thou like a man who hâ—th lost all Aim ramblest up and down in every By-Path and like a blind man gropest but canst not enter into the Treasure-house of Wisdom thou hast called the Light that every one is lighted with the Righteousness of the Law and no Gospel Light and in Opposition to spiritual and contra-distinct to the Spirit and in a Word hast made of it at the best Construction but bad and evil and then when thou hast done thou confesâ—est That it will put a Dâ—fference between Good and Evil and shew that God is to be worshipped and Eternity is known and Omnipotency and are not these the deep Things of God And so Babylon is the Land of thy Nativity and thou reelest and staggerest up not and down like a drunken Man and wouldst be a Teacher and knowest not whereof thou affirmest nor of what thou speâ—kest Further thou say'st That thâ—â— little Light there is is much miscarried and thy Reason is because it is mannaged by the reigninâ— Power of Darkness and the Judgment of Man is corrupt and then thou goest on the Light of Nature siâ—ce the Fall is not to be compared say'st thou with the Light of the Image of God before the Fall and it hath no Proportion with Gospel Light but is gross Darkness nay is worse then gross Darkness Answ. And how did the Light miscarry thou blind-man and when did the reigning power of Darkness manage it seeing that there is no fellowship betwixt Light Darkness and the Light which every man is lightned with hath born witness against Darkness and the Reigning Power of it and though the Judgment of man be corrupt his miscarriage is because he hath not minded the Light and because he hath turned his Back on it and then Sin entered and then came to Reign in the Power of Darkness and corrupted the Heart and this hath made man miscarry and though thou sayst that the Light which lighteth every man is not compared with the Light of the Image of God before the Fall and hath no Proportion I 'le tell thee a Riddle go learn what it means the Light of the Image of God before the fall is the same in it self after the fall and holdeth its proportion and is no whit lessened or diminished in its purity in its self although fallen man do not see it neither can behold it because Sin hath entred and Death by Sin and that is it which obscureth the Image of God from man and it 's Light yet the Light shined in Darkness but thou concludest it is Darkness yea worse then gross Darkness and thou bringst a proof to prove it ye were Darkness the Apostle doth not say that the Light which shined in darkness was darkness or worse then gross Darkness as thou ignorantly saist but he said the Ephesians or the men of Ephesus were darkness and not the Light in them which shined in Darkness though the Darkness comprehended it not but how now John Norton what will the General Court of Boston say when they see thy confusion laid open and the Deceit made manifest to thine and their shame and ignorance thou confest in the 16. page That it would lead to know God and the Worship of God and Teach not to Lye and Steal and so forth and to discover some of God's Attributes as Eternity Omnipotency and the like here was some good in it in thy own account but now it s become gross Darkness in the 18. page and worse then gross Darkness and so hath made as bad if not worse then any Principle that is in a Beast and it may truly be said of thee even in thy own Phrase Qanta sub nocte Jacebat Nostra dies But now thou comes to a further Interpretation of 1 Joh. 9. and thou saist The Light which we are enlightned with it is either the Light of Nature the Light of Reason or the Light of saving
made a Decree to restrain peoples freedom and indeed by this time much Wickedness was crept into these Houses as Histories relate There was no Law Canon or Constitution of any General Council as yet found that did command Tythes or expresly supposed them a duty of common right before the Council of Lateran held in the Year 1215 under Pope Innocent the third about which time the Pope's Power was grown great and powerful But still the People had greater mind to give them to the Poor then to the Priest and made Innocent complain and cryed out against those that gave their Tythes and first fruits to the Poor and not to the Priests as hainous Offenders At a Council held at Lyons under Pope Gregory the 10 in the year 1274. it was constituted that it should not thenceforth be lawful for men to give their Tythes at their own pleasure as they had done before but to pay all to the Mother-Church But the great Decree which speaks most plain and till then nothing was given forth which did constitute them but rather supposed them as by former right was made at the Council of Trent under Pope Pius the 4th about the Year 1560. They commanded Tythes to be paid under the penalties of Excommunication about the Year 800 900 1000 and after Tythes were called the Lord's Goods the Patrimony of the Poor according to Ambrose Jerom and Chrysostom's Doctrine only borrowed from the Jews So thus in short I have shown that Tythes were never reckoned as due to the Clergy for a thousand Years but they did give them as they would and how much they would and that without compulsion till the height of Popery and the power of Darkness spread over all and since forâ—ing Constitutions have been made by Councils of Priests And so you who look upon your selves to be Ministers of Christ and to follow the Doctrine of the Primitive times for shame cease from those things of takeing tythes and giving tythes which was ordained and Constituted in the mid-Night of Popery when the Power of God was lost which should have opned peoples Hearts both to the poor and to the Ministry and then this false Church began to force and compel or else they could not have subsisted for the Doctrine had little influence upon Peoples Hearts About the year six hundred or soon after Gregory the first then the Pope of Rome sent over Augustin the Monk into England by whom Ethelbert King of Kent was converted as they call it but it was but to Popery he and his Clergy long time after followed the Example of former Ages living in common upon the offerings of their Converts and those that received them joyned into Societies according to the primitive Practice by Gregories order and that they should in Tenderness to the Saxon-Church still imitate the Primitive times that that might not make their Religion burdensom but afterwards having brought a great part of the Nation to their Faith they began to preach up the old Roman-Doctrine that Tythes ought to be paid and having taught People that Pardon of Sin was merited by good works and the Torments of Hell avoided by Charity then it was no hard mrtter to perswade them to give their Tenths and Lands but also their outward Riches and the Clergy had almost got a third Part of the Land into their Hand As concerning Laws and Canons for Tythes among the Saxons in England it is reported that in the Year seven hundred eighty six two Legates were sent from the Pope Adrian the first to Offa King of Merceland and Ethelwolf King of Northumberland who made a Decreee that the People of these two Kingdoms should pay Tythes by this it may be seen that Tythes were not reckoned as due for many hundred Years and indeed were never due in the second Covenant So these things that are so pleaded for by these hireling Priests of this last Age which have no better plea then Antiquity for their tythes and forced Hire may be convinced that Antiquity without Truth is nothing and yet the Antiquity of the Churches in the primitive times condemns these practices so that let all Protestants deny these introduced Institutions and the Popes Wages forced tythes and hire which is Antichristian A cloud of Witnesses might be brought out of the Ancient Fathers who testified against them and divers Martyrs as Walter Brute and John Wickliff who suffered Martyrs for testifying the Truth against the Idolatry and Superstitions of that Age. Selden in his History of Tythes saith that before the Year eight hundred or there abouts there is not any general Law that yet remains in publick and is of credit which ordained any payment of Tythes in the Western-Church for the Eastern never any Law that hath been observed mentions them So the first giving of tenths was by the perswasions of some of the Fathers fore-mentioned for the poor and Service of the Church and they were only the free Offering or free Gift of the people as Alms which were brought into the common treasury first disposed of by Deacons for the Service of the Church but they being sound faulty it was ordered or decreed in a Council that the Bishop or Overseer should dispose of them to wit the Offerings but they were not compellable who did not offer this or that part but were left to do as they had Freedom only exhorted and threatned with the Judgements of God if they suffered the poor to lack or be in want The Predecessors of the Protestants the Bohemians being descended from the Waldenses fore-mentioned did profess that all Priests and Ministers ought to be poor and to be content with the free Gift or what the People freely offered them so saith Eneas Silvius in his Bohemian History and it is one of John Wickliff's Articles for which he was censured viz. That Tythes were a free Gift as among Christians or only pure Alms and that the Parishiâ—nerâ— may for the offence of their Curates detain and keep them back and bestow them upon others at their own will and pleasure And this proposition aforesaid is maintain'd by Jâ—hn Hâ—s in the said Bâ—â—k of Martyrs page 461. That the Clergy are not Lords or Possessors of Tythes or other Ecclesiastical Goods but only Stewards and after the Necessity of the Cleâ—gy is once satisfied they ought to be tranâ—ported to the poor At Geneva Tythes of all Sorts are taken up for the use of the State and laid up in the publick Treasury Ambrose Bishop of Millan as zealous a Man for Church Priviledges as we hardly read of the like Ambrose Epist. 23. saith If the Emperor have a mind to Church Lands he hath Power to take them there is noâ—e of as interposeth the poor may sufficiently be maintained by popular Collections let them not create us envy by taking of those lands let them take them away if they please It may be observed at this time that the Ministers were not maintained by settled
Tythes like the Priests of our time but both they and the poor were relieved by Oblations of the People and by such Lands as were given by the Emperors to the several Churches so it was upon this account that Ambrose thus speaks And William Thorp of whom I made mention being examined in the Year 1407. being brought before Thomas Arundel Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Chancellor then of Eâ—gland gives a clear Testimony against Tythes how that they were no Gospel maintenance In his Answer he saith In the new Law neither Christ nor his Apostles took Tythes of the People nor commanded the People to pay Tythes neither to Priests nor Deacons and Christ and his Apostles preached the Word of God to the People and lived of pure Alms of the free gifts but after Christ's Ascension when the Apostles had received the Holy Ghost they travailed with their Hands and afterwards he saith Paul when he was full poor and needy preached among the People He was not chargious unto them but travailed with his Hands not only to get his own living but also to relieve others that were poor and needy And further he saith Tythes were given in the old Law to Levites and Priests but our Priests come not of Levi but since Christ lived and his Apostles by pure Alms or else by the travail of their Hands at the which the Bishop said God's curse have you and yours for this teaching And further William saith Those Priests that challenge to take Tythes deny Christ come in the Flesh unto which the Bishop said heard ye ever Lossel speak thus And further William saith That the covetousness and pride of the Priests destroyes the Virtue of the Priesthâ—od and also stirreth up God's Vengeance both upon Lords and Commons who suffer these Priests charitably And the Arch-Bishop said Thou judgest every Priest proud that will not go arrayed as thou dost By God I deem him to be more meek that goeth every â—ay in his Scarlet Gown then thou in thy thred bare blew Gown an Answer much like a tything Priest but I refer the Reader to the whole testimony of William Thorp which is large in the Book of Martyrs David Pareus in his Commentary upon Gen. 28.21 22. saith Tythes or Tâ—nths were freely arbitrary a Man might give them a Man might vow them or he might not as he pleased before the Law but under the Law they were commâ—nded to be given to the Priests and Levites hence saith he our Clergy-men infâ—r if they were so of old then they are so now but this doth not follow sâ—ith he they had a divine ceremonial Right but that is now ceased they had Tythes as a Compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in Land ours not so ouâ—s have Towns Villages Mannours yea Coutries and Provinces nor is there any end of their insatiable Covetousness and he concludes when the Levitical Priesthâ—od did cease then did Right of that Priesthood cease and the Right of Tythes did revert to God as Governour and Soveraign of the World Great and large are the Testimonies that might be given both out of Ancient and modern Writers who were the clearest in their Judgements in their Age against Tythes how that they were no Gospel-maintenance neither of Divine Right to belong to any Ministry under the Gospel who professeth Christ come in the Flesh What I have said in this particular might be sufficient seeing so large things by other Pens have been declared but I am the more willing to instance divers Authors who by our Protestants are owned as orthodox that they may be convinced that it is not a new Doctrine for which we suffer the spoiling of our Goods and our persons imprisoned but that Tythes have been testified against by many faithful in Ages past who died in the Faith who though they be dead yet their testimony liveth and will stand through Ages even forever take this of the primitive Bishop Antonius de Dominis the learned Bishop of Spalato de Repub. Eccles. Lib. 9. Christ himself though he were Lord of Heaven and Earth and the Fulness thereof yet would he not be possessed of great Lands and Incomes though he seeminly complained the Fowls of the Air have Nests and Foxes Holes but the Son of Man not where to rest his Head Luke 9.58 Yet did he not imbetter his Condition although to the effecting thereof there needed no more then that he should will it to be so nor did he demand Tythes though a Priest after the order of Melchizedeck indubitably but while be went through the Cities and Countries preaching the Gospel and instructing man for the Kingdom of Heaven and twelve with him several Women Mary Magdalen Joana Susan and others did minister unto him of their Substance Luke 8.1 2. Nor did he otherwise instruct his Disciples who were to be Embassadors on Earth towards Man-kind In the Beginning when he sends them out he did not bid them for to receive Tythes or teach People to pay them but bids them to live upon Alms carry not with you Gold nor Silver or any money in your Purses not a Scrip not two Coats not a Staff supernumerary for the Labourer is worthy of his Meat Mat. 10.9 The Disciples of Christ being thus taught by their great Master forsaking their livelihood and earthly Possession presumed upon the Goodness of God who would not so have sent them abroad but that he would dispose the Hearts of men accordingly in order to their Subsistance so they relied upon their Converts for their necessary Supplies and received the Benevolence of several pious men and Women who ministred unto them for so saith Paul have not I Power to eat and to drink have not I Power to lead about a Woman or a Sister as do the other Apostles and the Brethren of our Lord and Cephas 1 Cor. 9.5 He at large and very clearly sheweth how they who sow spirituâ—l ought to reap temporal things If one should ask the Ministry of thiâ— Age by what Right they claim Tythes they cannot say by a bettter Right then the Apostles had nor I hope will not for they pretend to be but Successors of them and if the Extent of their Commission be required you shall have it in these Words forthwith As my Father sent me so send I you or the like but if one ask if they will stand to this in all respects I have little Hope they will comply in Point of maintenance I have good ground so to judge even many at this day who have in time past vaunted and boasted of their call and Ministry and have thrown many in prison for these popish Tythes Now when thâ—y are like to be taken from them would give over publication of their Gospel if they knew how to subsist for their Books and Bellies which demonstrates that they had no mission from God or else why should taking of Tythes away from them invalidate it or do they judge all are
unto forever in the perpetual Covenant of Life which can never be broken which will ouâ—â—â—â—â— Death and Hell and all the Lord's Adversaries who would not acknowledge the most â—igh to rule in the Kingdoms of Men and to have the Power and only Authority in the Hearts and Consciences of Men which is his only Right and he never yet did give nor will give this Honour and Glory to any other though the Devil and Satan who hath made blind the Nations hath usurped and laid Claim to that which only belongs to the living God of Heaven and Earth and he hath long reigned in the Earth and now his Subjects plead for his usurped Power and Dominion and are loath to let any Part of it go or fall but we certainly know the Victory is the Lamb's and his Followers and though you be in the War and in the Hardship and Suffering and as killed all the Day long yet your Bow abides in Strength and the Lord will cover your Heads that your Enemies shall not touch your Life as you keep near the Lord and glorious will be the Triumph and great the Glory and Victory unto all that continue unto the End in the Hope and Faith which is manifest from our Lord Jesus Christ in your Hearts by which you have been purified and sanctified and made meet and worthy to be an Habitation for the living God the Crown of Glory the Riches of the Kingdom which is without End shall be yours and your Souls shall forever be bound up in the Bundle of Life and ye shall shine as Stars of God in the Brightness of his immortal Power forever and ever and have ye not received an Earnest of the same already and hath not God doubled and redoubled his Grace upon you and in you from Time to Time have not you eaten of the Grapes of the Land already which those which were brought from Esâ—col by the good Spies in the Land of Israel were not to be compared unto let your Hearts be comforted and do rejoyce in Hope for the Inheritance which God hath promised you who will perform his Promise and make good that which he hath said notwithstanding all the Opposition of all the Sons of Amaleck and you shall see it feel it and be made Partakers of it taste it handle it enjoy it possess it even that which shall satisfie your Hearts to the full only be of a believing Heart look not out neither think the Time long nor the Lord slack for you hitherto have been provided for in your Way since you set your Faces towards Sion and the Lord hath been your Leader and in the Front and his Righteousness hath been your Reward and so will continue with you unto the End forever true and most faithful we have found him in the Time of need Most tenderly beloved the Lord God our Almighty Rock and Everlasting Refuge moved in my Heart to greet you with these Lines for in his Name Power and holy living Life which is fresh and powerful in my Heart do I say Peace Good-will Mercy Love Life Joy and the Encrease of all heavenly and spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus be multiplyed among you to the confirming of you and establishing of you in the most holy Faith which is begun and to the finishing of the blessed Race which you are begun in and to the strengthning of you by his Almighty Power in all your inward Man to make War and to overcome to fight the good Fight of Faith to the laying hold of eternal Life and to the obtaining of the Crown of Glory and Diadem of Righteousness which shall be set upon the Heads of all the Lamb's Followers through Tribulation which Rubies are not to be compared unto neither the fine Gold of Ophir but the hidden Treasure the durable Riches the everlasting Peace the white Rayment the glorious Clothing of the Lord the Righteousness of the Saints you shall possess Oh dearest Hearts most dearly and entirely beloved of the Lord and me what might I say to make all your Hearts glad even as mine is at this Time though melted into Tears of Joy for your sake because the Lord hath made you so freely and willingly to take his Yoak upon you and to bear his Cross and to despise the Shame and to endure the Reproach so willingly Oh blessed blessed blessed from the Lord God forever I pronounce you in his Name and Power that ever lives only Potentate to whom belongs Glory and Honour forever and ever Amen Dearly beloved true it is as it hath been foretold by his Servants that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus much suffer Persecution because of the Enmity that is in the World in whom the Love and Peace of God dwells not although they will make mention thereof in Words but in Works deny him as is very evident this Day by them who would not be counted Heathens but Christians and yet hate his Life and Appearance and they are grown so blind and impudent through the Unbelief that is in them that they cannot discern the Fruits of the Spirit where they are brought forth neither can believe though it be declared unto them and as is manifest would not let God have any Honour or Worship if it suit not their Blindness or their corrupt Laws which they make not only to stand by God's Law but even to cross it and gainsay iâ— and are so impudent as to say That to worship God is Crime enough if they think meet to call it so whether to Banishment Death or Confiscation and yet will say Cursed is he that parts Man and Wife and again Whom God hath joyned together let no Man separate and Cursed is he that spoils the Fatherless and doth oppress the Widdow and the like and yet cannot see themselves in the very Act. Well Dear Hearts although it be your Share to partake of the Heat of the Dragon's Fury yet you are not alone and though you be counted unworthy by these corrupt Judges to live in your City Family and your native Land because you will not deny that which God hath wrought in you and manifest to you by his Spirit and conform to them in their Blood-thirstiness and Cruelty therefore they by their unjust Seâ—tence have pronounced you to be banished out of your native Country and from your dear Relations and yet say it 's just and think that their Statute which is like a Spiders Web will be their Shelter which they have made even as the Jews did against Christ his Apostles the Romans against the primitive Christians even the same they would do for Mahomet Baal and Milcham if there were a seeming Law to be their Shelter Well what shall we say but that they are in Cain's Way and themselves banished from the Presence of the Lord and would have all wander as they after the Paths of the Heathen and after the Customs of the Nations and the corrupt Traditions
Morale is in it then what commands a competency of means to be given to the Priest-hood but they are mingled and confoundâ—d among themselves and the best bottom they have is either from the Popes Authority or from the Jews and also many Divines and School-men were at great contest and their Judgments are Various as the former The Divines about this time have had several determinations and Doctrines about this Point some have held it that the tenth considered quoad quotam Partem or as it is determined part devoted from that number is only due by Law Positive and Ecclesiastical but as it is for the sustentation of the Clergy it is due by the divine moral Law as they call it and so they interpret it from the Levitical Commandment of Tythes but others say it is a Judicial or Ceremonial as some will have it and that it hath been brought into the Law of the Gospel by Ecclesiastick Doctrine and Constitutions others say it is by the imitation of the Jewish state ordered by the Almighty and not in that regard per vim obligativam viz. by a continued force of it under the Gospel and that the Church was not only bound to this part but might as well have ordain'd the payment of a ninth or eleventh this is commonly taught by the old School-men Hales and Aquinas Henricus de gandavo Cardinal Caietan and divers others The second Opinion among the Divines is of those that held tythes to be meer Alms and not to be payed to the Ministers of the Gospel by any Parochial right as a necessary duty to the Evangelical Priest-hood but that they might be detained and disposed of at the owners will especially if the Pastor did not well perform his Office of this were both some of the Religious Orders in their Preaching and also others opposite enough to them in Doctrine The Dominicans and Franciscans who began about the year 1210. and had in their Monasteries great store of School-mens Writings made it a gainful Doctrine to themselves though there was a Truth in it they determined that it was not due by divine right but only due as Alms or due of Charity not of Justice or Judicial Law but to be arbitrarily disposed of accordingly to such as took any spiritual labour and with them agree the Mendicants Likewise about 800. 900. and a 1000. and after that tythes were called the Lords goods and the Patrimony of the Poor whenas also the Council at Nantz declared the Clergy were not to use them as their own but as commended to their trust they were not then given to the Clergy but to be disposed of to the use of the Poor Furthermore at a General Council held at Lyons under Pope Gregory the tenth in the Year 1274. when the Religion was only made a Cloâ—k for covetousness and they sought their Gain and not the good of Souls it was then constituted that it should not be lawful thenceforth for men to give their tythes at their own Pleasure where they would as it had been before but pay all their tythes to the Mother-Church by which it may be seen that though the People who then generally were Papists and in the mid-night of Popery did believe they ought to pay tythes then yet were rather willing to dispose of them where they pleased till the Pâ—pistâ— Councils restrain'd their Liberty But the great Decree that speaks most plain and till which nothing was given forth which did directly constitute them but rather still suppos'd them as a due by some former right was made at the Council of Trent in the year 156â— and yet that great Council followed the Doctrines of their Fathers and said they were due to God but had no nâ—w Authority for their great decree which they commanded to be obeyed under the Penaltie of Excommunication Having thus briefly past over the Ecclesiastical state first of the Jews secondly of Christ and his Apostles time thirdly of the State of the Church near to their time and the Judgment of them which are reckoned the most learned and Orthodox Men and Fathers of the Church in every Age till the very height of the papal Domination and hath given some true understanding in every Age to the point in Hand It will be requisite that something be said more particularly concerning this Nation and the Practice thereof and what hath been said with or against this particular concerning Tythes About the Year 600. or soon after Gregory the first who was the first Pope of Rome sent over Augustine the Monk into England who was a Canon regular by whom Ethelbert King of Kent was converted as they call it but it was but to Popery he and his Clergy a long time after followed the Example of the former Ages and imitated the Practice of the Apostolick Primitive Church living in common upon the offerings of their converts and those that received them joyn'd into Societies and with the receipt of the offerings they maintain'd themselves they repaired the Temples of the Gentiles which by the advice of Pope Gregory were not to be destroyed but to be converted to Christian Service and builded some Houses which they called Churches in which the Priests exercised their shrivings for then the whole Diocess of Canterbury was indeed the only limitted Parish in regard of profits and whatsoever was received through the Devotion of good Christians as they were called made up a common treasury for the whole Diocess so that it was no matter of what place the bounty was offer'd so that it was within the Diocess the Truth of this is confirm'd by that of Augustine in his question to Pope Gregory touching the Bishops whereunto the Pope answers The custome sayes he is generally to make four parts viz. for the Bishop for the Clergy for the poor and for the repairation of Churches but he doth admonish him in tenderness to the English Saxon Church that he and his Clergy should use the community of all things as was in the Primitive times in the Apostles dayes but afterwards having brought a great part of the Nation to their Faith they began to preach up the old Roman Doctrine That Tythes ought to be payed to God and holy Church as the phrase was and having taught the People that Pardon of Sin and the joyes of Heaven were merited by good Works and the Torments of Hell evaded by charity it was no hard matter to perswade them to give their tenths and Lands but also their outward Riches to those called Religious Houses then here and elsewhere may testifie in this Nation they and the Clergy had almost gotten the third part of the whole Land so wonderfully besotted were the poor ignorant People that had not a Law been against such excessive gifts a far greâ—ter part of the Nation had been in their Hands But how long this community amongst the Clergy continued amongst them and the free Offering fully appears not that it was
not out of use till more then one hundred Years after Augustin's coming that is till past seven hundred Years after Christ as may be conjectured out of the Testimony of Bede which extends so far in the City of London till the time of Henry the third no Tythes as Tythes were generally payed but only a Decree made that for every twenty Shillings rent a farthing a Sunday was to be paid which came to fifty two farthings yearly and this was given by way of Offering but was supposed as due and the tenth part of the yearly Rent of their Houses As concerning Laws and Canons for Tythes among the Saxons it is reported that in the year 786. in the time of Pope Adrian when his Power began to grow great he sent two Legates with Letters into England for Reformation as it was call'd first to Offa King of Merceland and Alfewold King of Northumberland who call'd a Council in the North and Offa and Kenulph call'd a Council for the South wherein they ordained That a tenth of the Fruit of the Earth should be Payed as it was written in the Law of Moses and when this Council had thus concluded by Alfwold the Legates and Embassadors took all the Decrees and Canons of the Council and carryed to Offa and he and his Bishops and Abbots did subscribe it with a Cross to it likewise Selden makes mention That Ethelulfe King of the West Saxons in the year 855. he made a Law That the Tythe of all his own Lands should be given to God and his Servants and should be freed from all Taxes But there is great difference among Historians about his Grant some restrain it to the Tythe of his own demesne Lands others to the tenth part of his Land and others to the Tythe of the whole Nation About this time heavy pressures by Danish Invasions and great Wars came on so that he called a Council where were present Bernereddus King of Mercia and Edmond King of East Angles and they to remove the heavy Judgment that was upon them gives the Tythe of all the Land to God and his Servants as the Phrase then was King Athelstone about the year 930. and King Edmond about the year 940. and King Edgar about 970. King Ethelred about 1010. King Knute about 1020 Edward the Confessor and others of the Saxon Kings made several Laws for Tythes as Histories do relate Likewise the Normans afterwards entring this Kingdom and subduing it William the Conqueror confirmed the Liberties of the Church Also Henr. 1. and Hen. 2. did the like and King Stephen also The Reader may understand the Principles upon which these men acted and the Doctrine then was believed by them and maintained to be good by Prelates of that Age that Heaven was merited by good Works and Sins pardoned for Works of charity which Works were chiefly reckoned to be good by the Prelates of that Age when some Monastery was builded Church or Chappel so called and dedication of Lands and Goods to such places for the health and happiness of their Souls they had perswaded many men almost out of their Estates leaving their Heirs and children very poor Many instances thereof might be given but one or two for manifesting the Truth of this King Stephen in his dayes gave to the Priory of Eye in Suffolk as may be seen in an Original charter of his made to the said priory wherein he gives the tenths of all his Mannors of Stedbrook Rading Seldia Bedima with divers other places for the pardon of his Sins and obtaining the joyes of Heaven and not only he gave it for the health of his own Soul but for the Soul of his Father and of his Mother and of his Uncle and interceding Kings to the use and End aforesaid Likewise out of another old Charter granted by Ralph then Bishop of Chichester to the Abby of Battel the tenths of Voulwaine of Hennam and of Servin and of Lezein and Badhurst and the tenths of many other places to the said Abbey for the health of his own Soul and the health of the Souls of his Ancestors Also out of the charter of the Monastery of Ridding in Herefordshire in the time of King John Walter Clifford for the health of his Fathers Soul and of his Wifes and children doth give the whole Tenth of Hamenesca unto the Church of Lempster But notwithstanding the many Laws Canons and Decrees of Kings Popes Councils and Bishops allâ—ding to the page before that every man ought to pay the tenth part of his encrease yet it was left to the owner to confer it where he pleased which made so many rich Aâ—bies and Monasteries And till the year 1200. or thereabouts every one gave their Tythe at their own Pleasure which made Pope Innocent the third send his Decretal Epistle to the Bishop of Canterâ—ury commanding him to enioyn every man to pay his Temporal goods to those that Ministred Spiritual things to them which was enforced by Ecclesiastical Censures and this was the first beginning of general Parochial Payment of Tythes in England this his Decretal was admitted and enjoyned by the Law of the Nation King and People being then Papists The Decree of the Pope receiving all possible assistance from the Bishops and the Priests in whose behalf it was made did not only in a short time take away the Peoples then deâ—â—red right to give their Tythes to those that best deserved them but did also so much corrupt the Clergy that in the time of Richard the second Wickliff our famous Reformer did make a heavy complaint to the Parliament in these Words following Ah Lord God where this be reason to constrain the poor People to find a Worldly Priest sometime unable both of Life and cunning in Pomp and Pride Covetous and Envy Gluttonness Drunkeness and Lechery in Simony and Heresie with fat Horse and Jolly and gay Saddles and Bridles ringing by the way and himself in costly Cloaths and pelure and to suffer their Wives and Children and their poor Neighbours perish for Hunger thirst and Cold and other mischiefs of the World Ah Lord Jesus Christ sith within few Years men paid their Tythes and Offerings at their own will free to good men and able to great Worship of God to profit and fairness of holy Church fighting in Earth why it were lawful and needful that a worldly Priest should destroy this holy and approved Custome constraining men to leave this freedom turning Tythes and Offerings unto wicked uses A cloud of Witnesses might be brought out of the Ancient Fathers and also latter Testimonies who witnessed against them and divers Martyrs some whereof were put to Death others grievously troubled and suffered long and great Imprisonments as John Huâ— Jerâ—me of Prague the famous Reformer John Wickliff who is spoken of before and Walter Brute William Thorpe William Swinderâ—y and it was generally the Judgment of all the Wickliffans and the predecessors of the
Ease Hardness of Heart is generally over People and clearly to me it doth presage Judgment Tenderness of Heart and Spirit is generaly lost among people and the most have made Shipwrack of all their Hope Faith and Profession to please the time and men of this Generation who are perverse and froward they have been treacherous to God and to their own Souls and cannot do Good to his People keep as much as in you lyes out of their Spirit Manners for they are corrupt and though God's Judgments be abroad in the Land and his Anger kindled and broken forth yet few enquire the Cause or say What have I done but if any do enquire it is generally in that dark Spirit that leads them to Evil which God hides his Counsel from and will not be found of and yet they make Conclusions and give Judgment as the Heathen of old if any Pestâ—leâ—ce Famine or Drought or Judgment came upon them thâ—y said The Christians were the Cause and so stirred up Persecution against them the like and Dreamers of this Age in their Mock fasts and Humiliâ—tions they say Heresie the Cause and because all dâ— nâ—t conform and are not willing to submit to the changeable Institutions of men though never so repugnant to the Law of God they tell the Magistrates The I hanaticks and Quakers are the Cause and so they fast for Strife and to kindle Debate and to stir up Persecution and they seem to cleave so close to the Magistrates that will force and exâ—ct Gain for them and give them large Pay they will cry them up as the higher Power that all are to submit unto in all things under the Pain of Condemnation and they will cry them up and dance and clap their Hands and rejoyce as Israel did about the Calf when they had forgotten God so the Lord is provoaked more and more and they think by rooting out his People if possible will stay his Judgments it 's lamentable to see what Blindness is over the Hearts of the Seers of this Generation who cry Peace Peace and how Peâ—ple are given up to believe their Lyes and to Hardness of Heart and never consider their own Estate neither the Afflictions of Joseph is remembred Another thing also hath been in my Heart many Weeks and a Query hath been in my self and I know hath been on many Spirits why in this common Calamity and in God's Visitaâ—ion of the City of London and many other Places of this Nation that they that have suffered so greatly so long and so faithfully and have born such a Testimony for the Lord why also they should be taken away among the rest seeing the Lord was able to deliver and also command his destroying Angel to pass over as it pleased him and spare and take away as he pleased and why it should not be wholly upon his Enemies and upon them that called not upon his Name in Truth and Righteousness I had many sad Thoughts of Heart and have waited upon the Lord concerning these things with Supplications and Tears concerning his afflicted Peâ—ple and concerning his Name and Truth and this Satisfaction I have received in my self and do communicate unto you First of all it is said That Paul stayed and preached the Gospel at Ephesus two Years so that not only them of Ephesâ—â— but all Asia heard the Word of God both Jews and Greeks and many were gathered unto God and believed and the rest were hardened When I considered this that not only two Years but twelve Years that City of London hath heard the Word of the living God declared and published plentifully in it and the everlasting Gospel of Christ in the Demonstration of the Spirit and with Power insomuch that the Sound went through and through and many believed and the rest were hardened having lost the Day of their Visitation but alas it was but a few considering the Labour and Travail and considering so many Thousands who counted the things of God a slight Matter and for them that were worthy and did believe they were hated and despised and evilly entreated with the most and shut up in Holes and miserable Bonds and Prisons and lingring Torments which oftentimes were the Cause of their Death whose Lives God is requiring at the Hands of that Place and the Messengers of God were mocked abused and evilly entreated and shut up in Bonds till Death and Wickedness did abound and Peoples Hearts grew hard in Ease Riches Pride and vain Glory till the Wrath of God broke forth and cut down Thousands in his Displeasure and this was seen and foreseen full three whole Years and upwards by some of the faithful Servants of God who laid down their Lives in Bonds in that City and are gathered unto the Lord and also some who remain in the Body unto this Day and it was prophesied of and the City was warned thereof Rulers and People but the most made a Mock of it till the just Judgment of God seized upon it Secondly The Lord took away these faithful Men of God Edward Burroughs Richard Hubberthorn and George Fox junior who had been much conversant there who were faithful Watchmen and prevailed often with the Lord till they were shut up in Bonds for all their sore Travail and Labour amongst the Inhabitants thereof and that Place being unworthy of them any more he delivered them and took them away to himself from the Evil to come that they had seen and prophesied of that they might see none of that Misery that is now come Thirdly They were gathered unto the Lord as a Token and Sign unto them that believed of many following after and of their Dissolution Fourthly The Lord did fore-know and fore-see and also had determined Evil against that City and that which is now come to pass and that this Generation notwithstanding all the Entreaties Woings Warnings and Exhortations which they had and slighted and they would proceed on to more Mischief and Persecution in presumption against God and his people and are yet determined and have said in their Hearts Though the Bricks be fallen down we will build with hewn Stone to fortifie themselves that their End might not fail which the Lord God will blast and confound and though Friends have born their Iniquity they shall at last bear it themselves and know the Reward thereof and have none to help so the Lord hath taken away many in his Love and Mercy from the Evil to come and hâ—th freed them from further Misery and hath translated them out of the Reach of all their Enemies Fifthly Seeing they have suffered long and faithfully in that plaâ—e and and elsewhere and have born a living Testimony many to the Loss of their Lives and to their ruinating in this World against the Abominations that did abound and their righteous Souls were vexed as Lot's was with the Sodomites the Lord hath considered and hath said It is enough your Afflictions I will end and
should have set it right he broke it quite a pieces the Monks gave too little Alms and set unable Persons many times in their Benefices but now where twenty pound was given yearly to the Poor in more then one hundred places in England is scarce one Meals meat given this is a faire amendment where they had alwayes one or other Vicar that either preached or hired some now there is none at all but the Farmer is Vicar and Person and all and only an old cast-away Monk or Friar which can scarcely say his Mattens is Hired for 20. or 30. Shillings meat and drink yea and in some places for meat drink alone without any Wages I know not I alone but 20000. more know more then 500. Vicaridges and Parsonages and thus well and Gospelly serv'd after the new Gospel of England And so the Author goes on in his complaint because that the Maintenance was taken away and there was a great Famine for want of Pastours By all which may be seen what Condition those religious Houses and Abbies as they were called were in at that time and how they only served to maintain idle and superstitious Monks and Fryars which did deceive the Nations with fabulous Stories under pretence of preaching the Gospel and now these Benefices being taken away from the Papists their Gospel ceased in England and have been translated over and over unto divers Sects who separated from them but it is to be observed that as the Tythes and Hire was taken away and converted to other Uses their Sect did alwayes fall and it is a Lamentation that these Tythes and now foreed Maintenance which was first decreed by the Popes Canon Laws should now be holden up by them that profess Reformation and Separation from them and Scriptures to be their Rule Having thus briefly run over the Doctrine Decrees Practices and Opinions concerning Tythes from the Apostles time downwards we find them various as may be understood by that which is before-written and the Right of Tythes was never clear but remained in Controversie even amongst the â—ost great and learned Men in divers Ages since the time of Christ yea even amongst the greatest of Papists in the time of the Pope's Domination and in all Ages there were that withstood the payment of them until this Day and many of the Martyrs for that amongst other things suffered in the Flames and at great Difference they ever were as about the End the Property and the Use of them as may hereby be collected into several Heads And First of all the Tythes among the Jews were payed to the Levites and Priests Secondly that they were not for the Priests only but for the Strangers Fatherless and Widdows Thirdly when the Levitical Priesthood was taken away by the coming of Christ the Law for tything was also changed Fourthly that neither Christ nor his Apostles in their Age ever received any nor demanded any Fifthly that in the Beginning of the Church for the first 300 Years whilest the Simplicity of the Gospel was retained no Tythes were either claimed or payed amongst Christians Sixthly but as the Power of Godliness came to be lost and the Mystery of Iniquity began to work Mens Imaginations taught instead of the Doctrine of Christ began to preach up Tytheâ— fetching the Ground from Moses's Writings that in the first practice of the payment of Tythes after the Apostacy was entered in they were not payed as Tythes but as free Offerings and as the Bounty of the Giver and were not given for the Ministers Maintenance only but chiefly for the poor it was not received Doctrine generally that Tythes ought to be payed till near a 1000 Years after Christ that the Pope had set up his Authority and Dominion over the greatest part of Europe Seventhly that after they were confirmed by the Pope and commanded to be payed there was no compulsary Law made but only Excommunication Eighthly after that they were accounted an Ecclesiastical Duty and never called a civil Right but were tryed in Ecclesiastical Courts Ninethly until about the Year 1200. the common practice was for every one to bestow his Tenths where he pleased Tenthly they were first brought in as Duty owing to God and to the Church and so were required and enforced and therefore there is no civil Property or Right in him that claims them that first Fruits and Tenths are but a late invented thing and claimed by the Pope as Successor to the Jewish High Priest as he sayes Eleventhly that Tythes were the same in the Ground and Foundation whether claimed by a Priest Impropiator or by an Aâ—bey and differed nothing but in the person of him that possessed them Lastly all may see the declining Estate the Corruption and Error that crept in among Men after the power of Truth was lost so was the Fruit also which caused such earnest pressing to needful Contributions and then afterward was it necessary for Laws and Decrees to enforce them but in the Beginning it was not so while that Purity and Simplicity of the Gâ—spel râ—mained for then their Charity abounded even oftentimes beyond their Ability to whatsoever need the Church required But now to proceed to answer some other pleâ—s which are come up in these latter Dayes for now the Priests of this Age begin to be ashamed to make claim for Tythes Jure divino they have been so bear out of that their Hole and their pleas Jure ecclesiastico was but determined in the Mid-night of Popery and they are ashamed to derive their Authority from the Pope or his Decrees but now humane Right is pleading sometime by Gift of Kings and Princes others plead the temporal Laws of Kings and Parliaments others plead prescriptions by a legal Right of their possessions others plead a legal Right by purchase And Lastly the Priests they plead the Equity of the Law of Moses still to be in Force and alledge all the Scriptures in the New Testament for their proof unto which hereafter somewhat is said these are the most pretences that of late have been made by the Priests of ouâ— Dayes or the main Reasons that have been alledged for Tythes And first whereas they pleâ—d the Gift of Kings as one by King Ethelwolfe as before in this Book to that is answered that iâ— iâ— could be proved that the whole Land had been in the 〈…〉 of any such King they had sâ—id something but by what Rigâ—â— câ—â—ld he give the tenth part of all the Enâ—rease and Fruits of the Labours of all the people of his Dominions who had no legal property therein But if â—ind Ethelwâ—lâ—'s Grant must be the Foundation of Tythes then how many succeeding Kings and Bishops have violated his Deed by appropriating them to Monastâ—ries and Abbies and such like Houses which shews the Vanity of this Argument Another Argument which seems more strong is urged That the temporal Laws of Kings and Parliaments say by the Law they have as good
a Propriety to the tenth Part as any have to the nineth of their Lands Answ. To such may be said that the Law doth not give any Man a propriety either in Land or Tythes or any other things but doth only conserve and preserve every man in his proper Right whether by Gift or by Purchase or by Descent and doth secure him from the Inâ—uries or Violence of another But let us not be deceived with a new formed pretence lately taken up to blind the simple Minds with a Name of 〈◊〉 â—ropriety and Civil Right for that is but a meer Shift for I may give my hand which I have by Gift Purchase or Inheritance or I may sell 〈◊〉 â—nd so cannot they that seem to lay Claim to Tythes but it matters not much what any say when they see their other Claims will not serve they would evade and shift from one thing to another to blind People But let us hear what the Makers of the Law say of them though in the Height of Popery passing by the Saxon time and King Stephen who in their blind Superstition being perswaded thereunto by the Doctrinâ—â—hen taught of the Popish Clergy that Remission of Sins was obtained by good Works as aforesaid they gave divers Gifts and Tenths for the Health of their Souls and their Fathers Souls as is aforesaid but let us come to Henry the eighth upon whose Law all others that are since made are builded who in his time cast off the Pope's Yoak in that Act concerning Tythes it is declared that Tythes were due to God and Holy Church they blame Men for being so wicked as not to pay them and therefore that Law is made and here is the Ground of their Law viz. not any Property or civil Right in Priests or others for the Law requires them as due by divine Right therefore cannot be by any civil or temporal Right for a Man to claim that by human Right from human Law which commands them as due to God and holy Church as that Statute of Henry the eighth doth is but a meer Juggle and Deceit and that Law of Henry the eighth and the rest since take them as granted due to God and holy Church but if they be not but only supposed as a Duty then the Law cannot be binding as they are in all the Statutes That Tythes were never till of late pretended a civil Right is plain for as they were imposed by the Pope so they are tryable in his Courts those very Statutes which do plead made by late Parliament appoint them to be tryed in Ecclesiastical Courts And the Act of 42. of Hen. 8. Tythes are there called Spiritual Gifts and therefore no temporal or civil Right for before the Dissolution of the Monasteries in Henry the eighths Dayes thâ—y were never called a temporal Right But what is the Property that is now claimed it cannot be in a Person for the Priest hath them not until he enter into his Office and when he parts with his Office he looseth his Tythes so that the property cannot be in the Priest but it was supposed due to the Office and what is that it was a Popish Office when Tythes were first payed to it how should the Right continue now the Office being laid aside and the Pope also that set them up Others who plead a legal Right by Prescription because they have so long possessed them therefore they judge them their Right This was the old Device of the Pope first to preach that Tythes were due and then to limit them to Monasteries and Parishes when forty Years were past to claim that a Debt which before was payed as Charity or at the most as the free Offering of the Owner And thus the Pope got first Fruits and Tenths and Peter pence and great Sums of Money out of this and other Nations and he might as well have pleaded his Prescription as any of his Branches can do now is any so blind as not to see what poor Shifts are now made to uphold so great an Oppression that hath no better Support then this that it hath been so long payed But shall the Continuance of an Oppression give Right to perpetuate the Grievance How many great and heavy Pressures in this and other things lay upon the Nation as may be seen in Henry the third when the Pope got above one hundred and twenty thousand pound out of this Nation per annum which was then more Worth then the King's Revenue Now there is no such Office in being is plain for when Henry the eighth renounced the Pope he was declared by Act of Parliament assented unto by the Clergy to be Head of the Church and all the Ecclesiastical Orders were not to claim their Benefices from the Pope but from the King as by Act of Parliament but this is more fully and largely set forth in a printed Paper by Gâ—rvâ—sâ— Benson to which I refer the Reader And as to the Impropriators which lay claim by purchase and have bought them of the State and payed great Sums of Money for them and may be many have no other Substance Unto this it is answered that in the Root and Ground all Tythes are alike whether they be claimed by Priest or Impropriator but seeing thâ—se that sold them had no good Title these that are derived from them cannot then be good but being it was the King or State that sold them and that the whole Nation had the Benefit of their Money and the Nations were cased in other Taxes and Subsidies and Charge which unavoidably would have come upon the Nation at that time seeing the Nation had the general Profit it is equitable and just when they cannot have what is sold that the Impropriators should have their Money repayed which went to the bearing and paying of the publick Charge of the Nation and it is Reason that it should be payed by the Nation in general and so there would be no Detriment to any particular person only it is equitable that the Rate be moderate for it is believed upon good Ground that the Value was but little and the Rate small which the Impropriators payed for them because of the Charges and Hazards that was upon them for the Purchaser could buy no more then what the Monasteries had which were dissolved by Henry the eighth and these Monasteries were to find a sufficient Priest or Curate which had his Allowance out of them and a convenient Portion of Tythe and likewise a Portion of the Tythe was set apart yearly for the Maintenance of the poor of the Parish forever as is evident by divers Acts of Parliament after the Dissolution of the Monasteries the foresaid Charges were to continue upon them as before as may be seen at large in a Treatise called the poor Vicars Plea Others say The Laws were made by Parliaments the Representatives of People and though Tythes were not due before yet they might give Tythes because as their