also a Type of Christ. Leâ— euen the spirit of contradiction it selfe but note how frequently and how effectually the Apostle presseth the right of Tythes resident in Christ as a notable proofe of the eternitie of his Priesthood For in the seuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes the Apostle mentioneth this argument of Tythes no lesse then six or seuen times as Verse 2.4.5 6 8 9. Hee therefore that denieth Tythes to bee due to Christ in the Ministery of the New Testament what doth he else but deny the eternitie of Christs Priesthood the ministration wherof must continue til time shall be no more Yea he must also deny that Melchisedeck was a true type of Christ by vertue of receiuing tythes if now Tythes bee not really due to Christ in the New Testament as they were typically prefigured in the Old Againe when began Tythes first to be paid Was it not so long before the Law was giuen or the Leuites borne Could the Leuiticall Law then disannull the nature of Tythes that they should not for euer continue sacred being before the Law consecrated in Act by our Father Abraham the Type of Christs Church vnto Melchisedech the Type of our eternall high Priest Christ Iesus Decimas Deo Sacerdotibus Dei dandas Abraham factis Iacob promissis insinuat omnes Sancti Doctores commemorant That Tythes are to bee giuen to God and to the Priests of God both Abraham by fact and Iacob by vow doth insinuate and all holy Doctors doe auouch it Admonemus vel praecipimus vt Decima de omnibus Dari non negligatur quia Deus ipse sibi Dari constituit c. Wee admonish and command that the tenth of all things be not neglected to bee paid because God himselfe hath ordained it to bee giuen to himselfe And the perpetuitie of Christs Ppiesthood is proued by Tything as Heb. 7.8 There hee receiueth Tythes of whom it is witnessed that hee liueth Or let the Simonist goe learne what that meaneth Euen so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should liue of the Gospel Who seeth not that the Apostle there doth paralell the Leuiticall maintenance and the Lords Ordinance the Altar and the Gospel together And doth not the Apostle there challenge to himselfe a power in such maintenance as well as others Marke a power And whence but from the Lords Ordinance And where appeareth the generall practise of this Ordinance but in the Leuiticall Maintenance And where hath this Maintenance the first foundation and institution besides the Creation but in Christ figured in Melchisedech who receiued Tythes of Abraham the father and figure of all the faithfull the Church of God And shall not Tythes then be for euer sacred And if sacred is not hee a prophane Simonist that offereth to buy them Yea moreouer are not the Ministers of the Gospel called the sonnes of Leui Mal. 3.3 The text is pregnant and plaine and Interpreters subscribe to the truth of it Christ was to fine the sonnes of Leui that they might offer to the Lord in righteousnesse that is his Apostles and Disciples of the Gospel These are called the sonnes of Leui because they succeed Leui in the Ministry And if we be Leuies sonnes who shall deny vs Leuies inheritance seeing wee are Leuites to the same Lord the perpetuitie of whose Priesthood the paiment of Tithes to his Leuites are a pregnant argument of And if yee deny him Tithes you must of necessity deny him the Priesthood too so with the Iewes conspire to kill him that the inheritance may be yours Yea we are Leuies sonnes fined and purged from the refuse of Legal Types and Ceremonies shal our Tythes be lesse sacred Obiect But some will say Wee haue no expresse Precept in the Gospel for paying of Tythes I answere There are demonstrations enow and those most strong But what needs any expresse Precept The Precept is expresse enough in the Law He that is more seene in the Law then in the Gospel and stands more vpon Antiquities then Verities If the God of this world had not blinded his eyes might acknowledge the antiquitie of this Precept in the Law to be so plaine as it needs no further explication or reestabliment in the Gospel The Tythe is the Lords saith the Law And doth not the Gospel ratifie the same saying Giue vnto God those things that are Gods Is not this an expresse Precept Indeed Christ and his Apostles being busie in founding a new Church suspended the practice of receiuing Tythes vntill the decrepite Synogogue of the Leuiticall Ordinance expired and the finall obsequies thereof were fully ended But they left abundant euidence in their Gospels to euict the right of Tithes to Christs Ministers in the succeeding ages of the Church To conclude this point That Tythes and all Church maintenance call it what you will benefit or Benefice profits or corporall goods they are holy and of a spirituall nature because they are consecrate to a holy vse I doe not say that Res decimarum the things whereof Tythes consist are in their owne nature spirituall but quà Decima as they are Tythes consecrate to a holy end and vse they put on a spirituall nature For euen as the bread in the Sacrament before it bee consecrate and sanctified by the Word it is common but after the consecration it becomes Sacramentall and spirituall bread which is that change the ancient Fathers so vsually speake of not that bastard substantiall change which the Pontificians would falsly father vpon them in which respect the Apostle calleth the Manna and the water of the Rocke in regard of their typicall signification spirituall meate and spirituall drinke So those things whereof Tythes and all Church maintenance consist in their owne nature are temporall and common but being dedicated to God to a holy vse and end they are not to be holden any longer for temporall but spirituall I say in regard of their spirituall end and vse for which they are consecrated And what is the end and vse of such consecrate things Is it not for the maintenance of Christs Ministers and are not they in their persons in their profession by calling spirituall and of what nature then can their maintenance be but Spirituall For Omne nutritur à Simili Spirituall men and spirituall â—eate both of a like nature both a like consecrated to God So then Tythes or Church liuings comming within the Verge of the definition of Simony as being not onely annexed vnto spirituall things but spirituall things themselues it followeth necessarily that to buy or sell such spirituall things is Simonie The definition then of the Schoole-men and Canonists formerly cited stands firme and good hauing all the termes and parts of a perfect definition accoding to the rules of Logicke which in briefe may be reduced to a syllogisme thus Emptio vel venditio rei spiritualis est simonia sed decimae sunt res spirituales â—rgâ—
aut pramium comparare aut peccatorum desiderat indulgentiam promereri reddat Decimam etiam de nouem partibus studeat eleemozynam dare pauperibus Tithes saith hee are the tributes of poore soules If thou giuest thy Tithe hee saith not if thou sellest it thou shalt not onely receiue abundance of fruits but also shalt obtaine health of body and soule Nor doth the Lord God require a reward but honor For our God who hath vouchsafed to giue vs the whole hath also vouchsafed to receiue of vs a Tenth not for his owne profit but without question for ours But if it be a sinne to giue slowly how much more grieuous a sinne is it not to giue at all or not to giue all the Tithes of thy warfare of thy trade of thy craft For when as thou mayest by paying thy Tithes obtaine both earthly and heauenly rewards why art thou defrauded of this double blessing through thy couetousnesse For this is a most iust and common Law with God that if thou bringest not thy Tenths thou shouldest be brought to a Tenth thou shalt giue to the impious Souldier that which thou wilt not giue to the Priest God is alwayes readie to blesse but hee is hindered by the malice of men For Tithes are required of duâ— and they who will not pay them doe inuade others goods And looke how many poore soules in that Parish where he dwelleth that payeth not his Tithes shall perish for hunger of so many murthers shall be stand guiltie before the Tribunall of the eternall Iudge because that which God hath allotted for the poore he hath reserued to his owne vses He therefore who desireth either to purchase to himselfe a reward or to procure the pardon of his sinnes let him pay his Tithes Also let him not be negligent to giue almes of the Nine parts to the poore Thus this holy Father Now for a Corollarie or Conclusion of this point touching the Censures of sacrilegious Simonists I will make a briefe relation of those obseruations which Rebuffus hath collected in his last question of his Tract of Tithes I omit to set downe his Authors quoted by him referring that to the Reader at his pleasure or leasure Hee that payeth not his Tithes but either selleth them or detayneth any part of them hee fighteth against God Secondly He shall be alwayes poore In times past when foure kindes of Tithes were duely paid men grew rich Now when one is not well paid men are brought to a Tenth And the Lord doth not remoue their plagues Thirdly They are cursed of God with penurie with pestilence with sudden death and with a perishing name Fourthly They shall want necessaries that denie God their duties Fiftly They are the heires of eternall death Sixtly They shall bee subiect to bodily infirmities and diseases Seuenthly They shall be associated with the Deuils which as some say are the Tenth part of the Angels Eightly Hee that will not giue his due to God shall giue that to the profane Souldier which he will not giue to the Priest Ninthly Such is a Thiefe and infamous person Tenthly Such shall be guiltie before Gods Tribunall of murthering so many poore soules as haue perished for want of not paying the Minister maintenance Eleuenthly Such are sacrilegious persons consequently lyable to eternall damnation and ought euery Lords day to be denounced by the Minister excommunicate Twelfthly defrauders of Tithes ought to want Christian buriall Thirteene If such cannot bee compelled by Ecclesiasticall Censures the Secular sword is to bee implored Fourteene Hee that oweth his Tithes cannot denie them vpon pretext of any debt due vnto Him because Tithes admit no such compensation nor any appeale In a word all Detayners or Defrauders of Tithes in what manner soeuer whether it be Sacrilegious or Serâ—oniacall are the sonnes of perdition notwithstanding any custome vsurpation or violent occupation They are in the state of damnation and all that partake with them either by counsell aide consent or defence directly or indirectly They are all of them theeues and robbers of Gods goods Pillers and Pollers of the Saints Church-robbers and excommunicate persons excluded from the benefit of Prayer remission of sinnes and all benefit of the Church and without restitution before death no receiuing of the Sacrament no Confession of sinnes no absolution of the Priest will doe them any good But with Iudas they are traytors and robbers of Gods treasure They are Infidels and vngracious vngratefull persons and shall bee eternally damned in hell And as the Philistins were punished with Mico and Locusts with Emrods and manifold miseries so long as they detayned the Lords Arke So shall the Defrauders of Tithes bee continually exercised with punishments and wax old in miseries vntill they make a full restitution For such are well worthy to bee smitten with Diuine reuenge to be punished with Gods own iudgeing hands as either to be punished with wicked children or to die a sudden death or to bee slaine or to haue their house and goods consumed with fire from heauen Such is the reward of sacrilegious Simonie or simoniacall Sacriledge But he that shall vse no fraude or couen in his Tithes shall be rewarded of God with eternall life which the Father Sonne and holy Ghost vouchsafe to grant vnto vs. Amen So hee Whence wee may obserue how detestable the sinne of Sacriledge and Simonie is although otherwise I doe not approue of euery particular passage cited by my Author as some of them smelling of the Romish Caske But let it suffice to make such sinnes the more odious to all louers of the Truth CHAP. XV. Of the miserable fruits and effects of Simonie THe effects and fruits of Simonie are no lesse miserable then the Censures are grieuous and the punishments thereof intollerable For as Simon is the Father of all Simonists So Simonie is the Mother of all Mischiefes in the Church For Simonie doth vsually poyson and corrupt two Well-heads whence the streames of good life doe generally flow vnto all the people that is the Parson and the Patron These be as the two great Lights in the Firmament of the Church from whom the sublunary and subordinate people receiue the direction and conduct of their life Now for the Parson or Minister hee is the Salt of the earth the Light of the world the Guide of the simple But whom Simonie maketh vnsauoury darkneth blindeth Wherefore as Saint Chrysostome saith When the Candle is extinguished when the Pilot is drowned when the Captaine is captiued what remaines for the remnant Let no man despise thy youth said the Apostle to Timothy Why Because nothing doth more impeach and disaduantage a Ministers labours and frustrate all the fruit of his calling then contempt iustly contracted vpon his person And nothing makes him more contemptible then Simonie And what so captiuates their spirituall Captaines what makes them so mute in Gods cause what doth so euirate their masculine profession that they dare
Temporalls Or he who saith Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Gods Let mee but a little shake Aarons Rod and Christs many-corded Whip at our indisciplined Simon to make him at least attentiue to what the Scripture saith Tythes I am sure were once Sacred and what God hath once Sacred call not thou Common But when Sacred When Why not when Adam was first Created When hee was endued with the ten Moralls of the Law And is it not more then probable that among the ten the Lord allotted a Tythe for the maintenance of his seruice Seeing among the ten hee appointed a time for his seruice euen the Sabbath Day the Sanctification whereof Tythes were properly to attend vpon Tythes then no doubt were sacred from the beginning of Adams creation For else when did Abraham learne to pay tythe of All to Melchisedech the Priest of the most high God Or what moued Iacob to vow the paying of Tythes Was it onely from the Example of his grandfather Or were his Tythes onely voluntary and arbitrary till by vow made necessary Why not then his other seruice which he then vowed which he was bound to performe though hee had not vowed it at all His vow was but a stronger Bond to hold and helpe him to the better performance of that dutie which notwithstanding was due without a vow As our solemne vow in Baptisme is but a stronger Bond to tye vs to that obedience to God which wee ought most carefully to performe no lesse then if wee had not vowed at all But if as yet you deny Tythes to bee Consecrate and Sacred by diuine instinct or institution as wanting expresse precept yet at least you your selfe cannot but confesse they began then to be sacred when God said Leuit. 27.30 All the Tythe of the Land both of the Seed of the ground and the fruit of the Trees is the Lords it is holy to the Lord. Yea so holy so sacred that as in the next Verse If any man shall redeeme any of his Tythe he shall adde the fifth part thereto And euery Tythe of Bullocke and of Sheep and of all that goeth vnder the Rod The tenth shall be holy vnto the Lord v. 32. Yea so holy as v. 33. He shall not looke if it be good or bad neither shall he change it else if he change it both it and that it was changed with all shall be holy and it shall not be redeemed Loe then how sacred Tythes bee ratified by a double Tense They are holy and They shall bee holy to the Lord As Iacob confirmed his sonnes blessing I haue blessed him and hee shall bee blessed And where it is said That the Tenth Is holy to the Lord a Learned and Reuerend Prelate of our Church in his Booke of Tythes hath out of the Present Tense drawne this obseruation That the Tenth began not now to bee sacred or consecrated but onely to bee appropriathe for the time to the Leuites concluding the Ordinance to be morally perpetuall from the Creation CHAP. IIII. Tythes in the New Testament proued to be equally Sacred with those in the Old against the Simonists obiection and consequently the definition of Simony concluded according to the former definitions of it by the Schooles and Canons YEa saith our Simon I deny not but that the tenth was holy and sacred during the time of the Old Testament but it ceaseth to be so now in the New O Heresie worthy of Simon himselfe O Folly well beseeming the Aramites who being alreadie ouercome in the Mountaines promised to themselues the Victorie in the Vally Saying The Lord is the God of the Mountaines and not God of the Vallyes And is the Lord the God of the Old Testament and not God of the New Yes euen of the New also For Marke The Tythes were not said to bee holy to the Leuites but to the Lord Nor that they were the Leuites but the Lords The Tythes is the Lords it is holy to the Lord Leuit 27.30 Therefore the Lord rebuking the Iewes for neglecting the payment of their Tythes hee takes the wrong as done to himselfe saying Yee haue robbed Mee Mal. 3.8 Hee saith not Yee haue spoyled the Leuite and the Priest but yee haue spoyled Mee Yf then the Lord himselfe and not the Leuite bee intitled and interessed in the proper right of Tythes then certainely they are as sacred now in the New Testament as euer they were in the Old The Tythes are holy to the Lord. Leuit. 27.28 and they shall bee holy to the Lord v. 32. They are holy it was said then to the Lord of the Old Testament and they shall bee holy to the Lord of the New Testament And to vs there is but one Lord. And tell mee foolish selfe deceiuing Simonist whosoeuer thou art tell me when and where Tythes ceased to be sacred and if thou canst not tell how darest thou call them Temporalls But let me tell thee by the Word of the Lord that Tythes are perpetually sacred Search the Scriptures Goe learne what that meaneth Abraham gaue Melchisedech Tythe of all If thou vnderstandest it not aske the Apostle and it is worth the consideration For Consider saith hee how great this man was vnto whom euen the Patriark Abraham gaue Tythe of the Spoyles Abraham the Father of all the Faithfull not of the Iewes onely but of vs Gentiles also payd Tythe of All. To whom To Melchisedeck And what was this Melchisedeck Priest of the most high God King of Righteousnesse King of Salem in all a perfect Type of Christ our eternall high Priest the Lord our righteousnesse Prince of Peace Did Abraham then the Father of the Faithfull yea the Type of Gods fathfull Church in the Loynes of whose faith as I may say were all the faithfull giue the Tythe of all to Melchisedeck the true Type of Christ our eternall high Priest and the Minister of a better Testament and shall wee doubt to tread in the steps of faithfull Abraham except wee will be Bastards and not Sonnes And if the Apostle vse it as an Argument to proue Christs Priesthood more excellent then Aarons inasmuch as euen Leui in the Loynes of Abraham paid Tythes to Melchisedeck How doe wee then vphold and maintaine this Prerogatiue of Christs Priesthood while wee either deny or diminish his right of Tythes in the Ministry of the New Testament Sith Aaron who was farre inferiour receiued Tythes in the Old yea rather if the Leuiticall Priesthood being inferiour receiued Tythes then the Euangelicall being superiour much more And why is Leui said in the Loynes of Abraham to haue paid Tythes to Melchisedeck but plainely to giue vs to vnderstand that this payment implied an acknowledgement of Christ their Souereigne Lord and true high Priest as in whose onely title and right they also receiued Tythes Hence is it that all the Leuites paid the tenth of their Tenths to Aaron the high Priest and to his Successors Hee being
emptio vel venditiâ— decimarum est simonia Emptio venditiâ— is the Genus Simonia is the Species and res Spiritualis is the Differentia As Homo est animal rationale is a perfect definition hauing the Genus the Species and Differentia Therefore according to the definition of Simonie to buy or sell any spirituall thing is Simonie In which respect Iudas in selling Christ is said to commit Simonie Non solum plagium commisit quòd liberum hominem sed Simoniam in eo quòd rem sacram vendidit Hee committed not onely the sinne of man-stealing by selling a free-man but also of Simonie in selling a thing sacred or spirituall CHAP. V. Other euasions or starting holes stopped Obiections answered BVt the Simonist hath yet another vsuall starting hole whereinto he creeps when he is pursued with the Hue and Cry of Simonie hee confesseth indeed because he cannot denie it that Tithes are perpetually consecrate and so spirituall and therefore to buy or sell them is Simonie but hee saith hee buyeth not the Tithes but eiâ—her the Gleebe or the Temporalls annexed to his Benefice or Bishopricke Well to answere this we will not take the benefit and aduantage of the definition of Simonie which includeth as well those things annexed to spirituall things as the Spirituall thingâ— themselues but wee say that such Gleebe and such Temporalls are now Spiritualls as Tithes be For as well the Free-will offerings and Oblations as the Tithes were called holy If a man dedicate to the Lord any ground of his inheritance the field shall be holy to the Lord when it goeth out in the Iubile as a field separate from common vses the possession thereof shall be the Priests Such Gleebs therefore and Lands commonly called Temporalls are indeed not temporall being once freely and solemnly giuen by vow of our noble Predecessors vnto the Lord for the more honorable maintenance of his Church but they are now spirituall sanctified and separate from common vse as Tithes bee they are holy to thâ— Lord. Therefore as it is a snare to deuoure that which is thus sanctified and after such vowes to enquire So the Simonist doth but intangle himselfe in a â—nare as the Conny is in her owne Burrow when hee makes this his starting hâ—le that so long as hee buyeth but the Temporall lands of the Church hee commits no Simonie Sed cominus res agatâ—r Simoniace quid emisti Glebam inquis aut te arbitro Temporalia Quanti emisti Tanti Agedum Permittatur iâ—m arbitrio calculorum quantum inde 〈◊〉 â—ucratus num te negotiâ—torem satis prudentem cautumque praestiteris Annâ—â— glebae tuae reditus aestimantur forte 20. li. aut supra ducentis vero aut trecentis aut quadringentis libris emisti Nae tu haereditatem tibi ac posteris tandidem emere potuisses Summa igitur si computetur huc recidit quod hoc tuo mercimonio teipsum prodideris aut puerilem mercatorem aut quod magis suspicor egregium veteratorem Excute verò tuam tantae causae nimium indoâ— mientem conscientiam fatebere tandem non te glebam tanti nisi decimarum maior fuisset ratio emisse Vel sicut siquis domicitium chariù◠emit bonae viciniae gratia Eadem prorsus ratio latifundiorum Episcopalium vulgo Temporalium habenda est Emit quis non Episcopatum sed Temporalia non quod sacrum est sed quod seculare Ista autâ—m Temporalia partim ex latifuâ—dij vtilitate partim ex dominij dignitate aestimantur Quanti antem constet Ecclesiasticus honor mihi non constat Nâ—c quenquam arburer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prâ— se tantum laturum vt dicat se honorem Ecclesiasticum emere Si verò quod reliquâ—â— est Tempâ—ralium emat viderit Emptor ne quantùm rem emptaâ— pretium superat tantum ipsum se honorem non neglexisse videatur Nec quamquam existimo eò processurum aâ—daciae vt dicat tantundem esse honorem Ecclesiasticum ciuilem emere Nihil addo amplius Satiâ— est quod hic noster mercator ex sua ipsius conscientia arguatur Nec sibi caâ—ere poterit quin in istorum scopulorum alterum Directè vel Indirectè miserè impingat But let this suffice to haue showne both by euidence of Holy Scriptures and testimonies of Ecclesiasticke Doctors and learned Diuines that all buying and selling any Church â—referments vpon what pretence soeuer is grosse Simonie how finely and artificially soeuer conueyed CHAP. VI. Simonists conuicted by the vniuersall voyce of common Fame IF Gods Word were altogether silent in the Law of Tythes leauing them as a thing indifferent to bee paid or not according to mens fancies and wills and that the Scriptures had consequently no show of arguments to conuince Simonists as wee haue heard yet euen the generall voyce of common fame mee thinkes should bee sufficient to cry downe Simonie and to present it in the Spirituall Court or to procure a Decreâ—e against it in the high Court of Conscience And here before the Barre of this vnpartiall Court let mee by Writ Summon the Simonist to appeare Thou hast bought some Benefice or other Ecclesiasticall preferment in the Church but hast so carried and conueiâ—d the matter as the world cannot bee witnesse how much thou hast giuen yet so and so much thou hast giuen as by some circumstance or other generall notice is taken of it for such corruption will soone cast abroad a sauour whereupon a common fame is raised vpon thee that thou art a Simonist So that if thou wilt be tried by God and the Countrey thou art sure to bee condemned for a Simonist For vox popidi vâ—x Dei euerie one saith thou art a Simonist therefore thou art one Euen as an intemperate or incontinent person in a Parish the one is commonly drunke the other followeth harlots euerie boy in the street points at them There goes a Drunkard There goes a Whoore-master But yet for all this neither will the one confesse himselfe a Drunkard because hee keepes his feet he wallowes not in the kennell hee can vse his tongue and the like Nor the other will bee an Adulterer because hee thankes God hee medleth not with other mens wiues but vseth onely for recreation to meete with merrie companie although in suspected places to see their fashions and to learne rather to hate women then to loue them And if hee enter into more familiaritie with them it is but simple fornication at the worst and according to Romane-Catholike Doctrine a Veniall sin which his nature is now and then necessitated vnto for his healths sake Iust so is our common Simonist Hee hath deuoured pluralities of preferments as so many full cups hee hath deflowred so many once Virgin Churches the Patron perhaps or some for him being the Pandor so that euerie one can point with the finger There goes one who paid so much for such