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A91013 The Prime vvork of the first tripple-Parlament [sic]; or, The modest motion of religion's friends, humbly tendered by way of petition to the first representative of Great Britain and Ireland. Thus published, that some good men of every county may present a copy thereof to the Members of Parliament by them elected. 1654 (1654) Wing P3460; Thomason E809_13; ESTC R207566 7,095 15

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Ministers and throughout this Nation in Country Parishes generally where there is so great Contempt begun so heavy a Burthen continued and so mean a Reward left to be had and with so much difficulty to be received what marvail if good Ministers are and will be rare All Labourers and Artificers have their hire increased only he that laboureth and sweateth in the Vineyard of the Lord hath his hire abridged and abated Is not this a shame for England that ever since the knowledge of the Gospel hath been increasing amongst us the maintenance of the Church hath been decaying and will not this be the destruction of the Gospel and of the Nation too As God in his Law took strict order for the maintenance of the Levites Num. 35.2 so hath he given his Ministers of the Gospel his own Portion Tithes and Offerings Matth. 23.23 that so the splendour of the Church should hold a participation and proportion with the prosperity of the temporal State Both these have been confirmed unto the Ministry in all Ages since but now so it is that some and chiefly they that are or should be Patrons of the Church are become Merchants in the Church and a great deal more intollerable than were they whom Christ whipped and chased out of the Temple John 2.15 for these muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn and encourage others so to do by their ill example none of them considering that by deteining Tithes and Offerings they rob God himself and draw a Curse on their own Estates Mala. 3.8 9. Now what Consequences will the Forcible Entry into the Inheritance of the Church and this Forcible Deteiner of the Ministers Portion produce but that which succeeded in the like case in Jeroboam's time when he robbed the Priests Levites Ignorance Barbarism 1 Kings 12.31 the lowest of the people to be the Preachers of Gods word whereby the blind will lead the blind until both do fall into the Ditch Matth. 15.13 Poor scandalous Livings will cause scandalous Ministers and the poverty of Ministers will make them despised for be their Calling of it self never so glorious yet outward Poverty will soon bring Contempt upon them Eccles 9.16 especially amongst those who measure men by the Acre and weigh them by the pound which indeed is the greatest part of men And the contempt of the Preachers will quickly make the Word of God despised and so consequently God himself 1 Thes 4.8 For he that despiseth these despiseth not man but God And can any think the Great God will allow his holy Name to be despised Nay as some of these evil Events are already come to pass so are his Judgements already begun and his wrath is already manifestly kindled in-so-much as in several places the people do already wander abroad as Sheep having no Shepherd Matth. 9.36 In Ireland and Wales there are few that can discover unto the people the Iniquity of their Sins few that can move them to seek Faith and Repentance few that can Preach unto them Forgiveness through Christ few that can forewarn them against Temptations to Evil few that can build them upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Eph. 2.20 few that can instruct them concerning the hope of everlasting Life For the same cause multitudes in England also live still in their Sins Rom. 1.28 Phil. 3.18 like Heathens which know not God without any feeling of Conscience without any fear of God many walk as enemies of the Cross of Christ who blaspheme the blessed Name of God and rent his Church Therefore it is but just if the Kingdom of God be taken from us and that He send a Famine in this Land Amos 8.11 not a Famine of Bread but of hearing the Word Thus as the establishing of Religion in these Nations is your main Business and of greatest importance so your Petitioners trust you will take it into your first and tenderest thoughts for if Religion have the first Vote from you and God the precedence within you other things will surer and sooner be granted unto you because Christ himself hath said it Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you It was well observed by that Honourable City of London Presented Sept. 2. 1653. in their last years Petition to the same effect with this That whilst the first of these Parliaments did promote the Interest of Christ in taking care of all able and faithful Ministers setting them at liberty from persecutions giving them encouragement in the exercise of their Ministry and adding to their maintenance Also in their encouraging Learning by Reforming the Universities and increasing the maintenance of the Governours of Colledges the Lord did bless their Councils and Forces by Land and Sea even to admiration And now it is as experimentally observed by your Petitioners that our later Parliaments were therefore less prosperous because they preferred other matters before Religion What they did in the Church proved most unhappily against the Church witness their pulling down the established Maintenance and Discipline and setting up none in stead thereof So that whilst they endeavoured to shut out Superstition they let in a crowd of Innovations and such as give grievous scandal to the Reformed Religion great advantage to our enemies of Rome and encouragement to all turbulent Spirits in this Island as appears by the late increase of Atheists Anabaptists Hereticks Ranters Quakers and Blasphemers who walk after their own ungodly lusts Jude 18 19. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit They take Liberty of Conscience to Tyrannize over the Consciences of others by introducing into the Church and imposing upon others all things which themselves do affect They revile the Protestant Churches holiest Ministers and publick Congregations as Anti-Christian and in this vacancy of Church-Discipline many even in contempt of Authority do what seemeth good in their own eys only they seize on Ministers Livings and usurp their Function and Pulpits belching out Blasphemy Schism Sedition and Heresy without dread or punishment They teach that the Civil Magistrate hath nothing to do in matters of Religion though it be written Rom. 13.1 Let every Soul be Subject unto the higher powers Every Man saith Chrysostom whether Lay or Clergy They perswade that there is no need of a Ministery especially of a learned one therefore they would destroy the Universities and do labour to alienate the hearts of the people from their Pastors and to take away the setled maintenance of Ministers by Tithes and to suppress Learning and Studious Divines by allowing double Honour to none but themselves And in all these they do gratify and assist the Papists and Jesuits in their designs against our established Religion and do manifest unto all the World that they intend no less than the ruin of all Order and