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A97178 Church-lands not to be sold. Or, A necessary and plaine answer to the question of a conscientious Protestant; whether the lands of the bishops, and churches in England and Wales may be sold? Warner, John, 1581-1666. 1647 (1647) Wing W900; Thomason E412_8; ESTC R204017 67,640 87

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is incompatible with the state of the Church in the New that is understood to be continued and commanded to the practice of the Christian Church Now that an Hierarchy or Superiority and Subordination of the Priests was instituted in the Old Testament I think is denied by none that understands the Government of that Church and that this kind of Government is repealed in the New Testament appears not for the words of Christ forbid onely an Heathenish Tyranny and not a Christianly Superiority or an over-lording and not an orderly ruling Luke 22.25 26 1 Pet. 5.3 2. When in that place our Saviour explicitely forbids such Dominion or Lordship as the Kings and Gentiles exercised not ones mentioning alluding to or touching that Government instituted and practised in the Old Testament me thinkes it stands to reason that this kind of Government by Superior and Inferior is rather confirmed then weakened by our Saviours prohibition for had be intended the abolition of such a Government is it not probable being now as it were upon the theme that be would in some glance at least have strook at that Superiority and Subordination among the Jewes Especially when you consider what before was spoken that the Apostles and their Successors did and were to order the Discipline and Government of the Christian Church by the pattern of the Jewish and whether the like kind of Hierarchy was or is likely to be incompatible for the Christian Church which was instituted for the Jewish Church we may judge by the first and after continued practice of the Christian Church from the Apostles and succeeding times And here I shall cite whom you may as well credit as you are willing to heare Mr Calvin Instit 4.4 who confesseth in the Primitive Christian times they chose one called a Bishop who was as Consul in Rome and the Consuls in Rome were above the Senators in place and power And Mr Beza and Mr Moulin come neerer to us and truth who confesse that either in or very neer after the Apostles times Bishops ruled in the Christian Church where they deny not Bishops to have been in the Apostles times onely they will not lest they should offend or lose by the truth say what they did generally read and I am perswaded did beleeve that Bishops were in the Apostles times yet in the other they are plain and peremptory saying Bishops were soon after the Apostles and could they have proved it they would as readily and as plainly have said the Bishops were not in the Apostles times but soon after but by an artificial blinding or hood-winking the truth they chose rather to expresse it as they doe Whereas Bucer Professor of Divinity in Cambridge in K. Edward the Sixth's time speaks as plainly as truly saying From the first Ordination and perpetual Institution of Christian Churches by the Apostles it seemed good to the Holy Ghost to have in them Bishops and in the Book of Consecration of Bishops made and set forth in the fifth and sixth of K. Edward the Sixth and confirmed by Parliament 8 Eliz. 1. it is thus said It is evident to all men reading the Scriptures and ancient Authors that from the Apostles times there have been these Orders of Ministers in the Church of Christ viz. Bishops Presbyters and Deacons And if it were as evident that the Apostles either instituted or commended a Presbyterian Government and not Episcopal may it not be as a wonder and astonishment that so soon as ever the Apostles were deceased or the most of them the whole Christian Church dispersed through the whole world would suddenly conspire and convene to change that Government instituted or commended by the Apostles into Episcopacy And that Episcopacie and not Presbyterie was the Government generally I may say universally used in the Christian Churches from the times of the Apostles besides the authorities above mentioned I appeale to all the best Histories Moreover it cannot be denied but that this Government came into this Kingdom with the first planting of the Gospel here which was almost 1500. years agoe and hath been ever since established by our best Lawes but hath been confessed by the best learned of the Assembly not to be repugnant to Gods Word and by the most learned and strict Presbyterians Calvin Beza Monlin acknowledged to be either in or soon after the Apostles times and by the full consent of the best Historians proved to be instituted if not by Christ yet by his holy Apostles and by and from them spread over all the Christian world and yet to the end this holy Government may be abolished this detestable sin of Sacrilege must be committed The end and the means we see meet but then well weigh and consider that if it be damnation to him that doth ill to a good end as the Apostle testifieth then what damnation shall attend them who to such an end as the abolishing so holy or divine a Government as Episcopacy shall wilfully commit so detestable a sin as Sacrilege But the second end perchance is better which is as professed to pay necessary debts a good end I confesse I would it were practised by all yea or in this case But would not the Excise and Compositions have discharged that debt had the money been rightly imployed as it was pretended I pray remember that Charles Martell of France under pretence of pay for the Holy War seised on the Church Revenues and though he promised restitution yet was proclaimed by the best Historians to be a notorious and a damnable Sacrilegist But how ever the ends meet perchance there is some great cause that moved or provoked the two Houses to this selling yes and the cause is expressed for this late War was promoted by the Archbishops and Bishops and in favour of them or their adherents and dependents I confesse it seems strange to me that their Lands should be sold for what was done in favour of them who know not by whom this favour is done neither are their favourers once impeached for the favourable act for suppose one doe an evill act in favour of or for Mr Speakers sake who never desired nor acknowledged the favour shall Mr Speakers lands be sold away for this And yet more strange it is that their lands should be sold because the War was in favour of their adherents and dependents But it is said that the Bishops promoted this War and yet not said who nor when nor how but may not that more truly be said which I would not add were it not visible and apparently known to all that some one at the least of the Bishops have stood with and by the two Houses in this War For hath there been wanting one who hath sought and received dangerous wounds as it is reported and proclaimed and that in the War for the two Houses against the King For which he hath not only by suit obtained a pardon for his former disservice so called but bath
very Law of nature for so the Prophet argues Will a man any man Mal. 3. any Pagan Heathen natural man will he robb his God i. e. He will not for it is against the Law of nature How great then is this sinne in a Christian who hath not onely the Moral Law of Nature and the positive Moral written Law of Moses but the Law of grace to restraine him CHAP. V. That it hath been so judged by the most strict Reformers in the Protestant Churches IT were easie to give you the sayings of many Primitive Orthodox Fathers in this case but conceiving that the later Divines relish better with you I shall therefore set downe the judgement of the three Oracles as they are held by many of the first best and strictest Reformed Churches in Germany France and Scotland And for Germany Dr Luther On Gal. 6.6 when hee saw the Clergy despised and their lands taken away Preached and Printed these words The Apostle here closely toucheth the manners of our Countrey-men who most securely contemne our Ministery and especially the Nobles who make their Pasters as their base and obnoxious servants in so much that if we had not so godly a Prince as God be thanked we have and so great a lover of the truth they had ere now driven us out of the land and yet these would be accounted Gospellers After this he meets with a tacit Objection viz. That these Revenues of the Church were given in the time of Popery to which he answers in these words Gram it that these goods were by moore imposture heaped up for Papists yet God spoyling the Egyptians i. e. Papists of their goods transtated them to good uses in our Land He goes on The Devill hath but two ordinary wayes to destrey Religion the one is by the errors of Hereticks against which we had by Ordinance a day of Humiliation ●a●t 10. 1646. the other by depriving of Gods Ministers of their Rights and this saith he is the Devils master-piece hereby to destroy Religion without either the force of Tyrants or the subtle worke of Hereticks But know saith he that although God for a time defers to punish yet in his own time he will finde you out and plague your dog-like scorne and hate to Gods Ministers For saith he The highest of the Gentry and most covetous of the City and the basest in the Countrey when they draw neere to death shall finde that God will not be mocked but as they have sowne so shall they reap for ever Thus farre the first great publike Reformer of the Protestants Church in Germany Next to him De neces reform Eccles heare Mr Calvin thus speaking I professe saith he that I am much displeased that the Revenues of the Church are not imployed for those uses alone for which they were dedicated and that it is not so I and all good men heartily grieve For saith he it is an inexpiable Sacrilege to take the patrimony of the Church and to wast the same on profane uses and what hee meanes by profane uses and wasting he explaines in these words when he saith I assent to this as a truth that it is Sacrilege to convert or change the goods or revenues of the Church to any other use then for the Church And adds Seldome have I found but that such Alienations of Church lands have drawne some mischiefe after them and hee not onely determines this kind of Sacriledge to be such a grievous sinne and dangerous to the State but even to the persons plotting and acting in the same for so he concludes I confesse saith he that in Scripture grievous punishments are pronounced against such men as shall spoile the Church of her goods and Revenues And when you shall consider that Mr Calvin wrote this Treatise to the Emperour and Princes of Germany assembled at that time in a Diet or Parliament for the Reformation of the Church then well weigh how at this time his judgement and sentence should prevaile with you in this case who for holinesse learning and judgement is so extolled by the Protestant Churches Will you heare but one passage for many from Mr Beza successour to Mr Calvin in Geneva and it shall be that which hee wrote in his answer to Dr Saravia who touching upon the dissolution and passing away the Lands of the Religious Houses in the time of K. Henry the Eighth saith We and all good men heartily bewaile that scattering of the Church Lands accompanied with a most wicked and detestable Sacrilege And from Germany and France let us to our Polestarre in Scotland and here Mr Knox the prime principal Reformer of that Kirk who with his brethren Ministers In Book of Disc 1560. desires the Lords of the Councel for feare of the losse of their soules to make restitution of the Lands of the Church and of the Friers and in his Letter on his death-bed In the yeare 1572. he commands his Brethren to withstand the devourers of the Church Patrimony wherein if they the devourers shall persist yet communicate ye not with them by consent or by silence And in the Booke of Discipline 1569. The Patrimony of the Church is declared to be all things doted to the Church and it pronounces them to be theeves who have taken them from the Church and affirmes In second Book of Policy c. 9. to take away any thing which was given to the Church to be detestable Sacrilege before God Moreover the whole Church of Scotland in their Assembly enjoynes a publike Fast throughout all the whole Kingdome At Edenburgh 1582. To appease Gods wrathon the Land for that crying sinne of Sacrilege therein committed Now can any who have sworne to maintaine the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of Scotland know this and yet Vote the selling of Church Lands If so why may we not pray Lord have mercy on them For did ever any Protestant Church maintaine that Church lands might be taken or sold from the Church If not which I perswade my selfe they have not then why doe you not feare that you are not in the right way or not right Protestants but rather in this point that you are Papists For that these onely of all Christian Churches have allowed the practice of it and yet these doe it not but under the colourable and falsly pretended power which the Pope usurps as being Christs Vicar on earth Whereby he saith he may dispense with the Church lands as he pleaseth which title or power I hope our Parliament doth not assume or challenge to themselves although K. Henry the Eighth in the dissolution of the Abbies thus argued If the Pope and his Legate the Cardinal doe it then why not I And yet I pray note by the way that K. Henry the Eighth so decryed for a notorious Sacrilegist yet never did he take away the lands of Bishops nor Cathedrals but on the contrary he founded some and enlarged others