Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A88653
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The tythe-takers cart overthrown or, The downfall of tythes. Proved that they are not to be payd now, either to the appropriate or impropriate parsons or persons. Pen'd for the general satisfaction and easement of all the people of England. By D. Lupton, servant of Christ Jesus in the work of the Gospel.
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Lupton, Donald, d. 1676.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing L3495; Thomason E1380_3; ESTC R209388
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17,631
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52
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honor unto himself says the Apostle Heb. 5.4 If the second then by whom If only from other men and corrupt too then as our Saviour speaks it how can ye believe who receive honour one of another Joh. 5.44 If from Christ and his blessed Spirit of Truth and the Apostles they themselves plead not their Visible Succession of Presbytery or Ordination of Ministers so high as from the two first but from the Apostles times by the Imposition of hands of the Presbytery from Paul and Titus and other Disciples they hold out and make the World believe their perpetuated Visibility and Ordination of Ministers made from time to time and so even to this time by one another And by this Rule their Ordination came in corrupted times and by corrupted persons into the hands of the Popes of Rome which Gangrene spread it self by the Popes policy into all Kingdoms for the Kingdoms of the World have been made drunk with her fornications and so the Popes Doctrine and Discipline advanc'd it self into our Nation and so our Archbishops and Bishops and other Ministers had Ordination by the Popes Power and Keys and these from them Behold we pray you all good people of England the Claim and Title our pretending Presbyters lay hold on to prove themselves lawful Ministers of Christ and so cry out that Tythes all Tythes are due to them as such Ministers and Presbyters Now that their Claim to Tythes may be of no force or virtue we shall lay down some Conclusions against their Calling which being found true and undeniable they cannot have the face to lay claim any longer or to take and rake that which is not their own 1. First Therefore we say That their Ordination it self by a visible descent and grant from one to another is corrupted and against divine Truth How can a clean thing come out of an unclean or a streight from a crooked A corrupted Fountain cannot send forth pure streams nor a rotten Root sound Branches These Parsons come out of the loyns of the Bishops and they from the Popes Authority these men themselves were the pullers down of the Bishops Power as Antichristian which had they been lawful why rejected if unlawful how can our Presbyters be good who proceed from them And then 2. Secondly Their Ordination of one another as they say from the Apostles times holds up a Visibility of the Ministry and by consequence a Visible Church too which is not only Popish but opposes Christs Spiritual Kingdom My Kingdom is not of this World And we believe the Communion of Saints now Faith says the Apostle is of things not seen Heb. 11.1 He himself is called the King Invisible his Kingdom his Office his Ordinances and People are all Spiritual and Invisible and Godliness it self is called a great Mystery and yet our Presbyters and pretending Ministers will be visible and worldly how can light and darkness agree But 3. Thirdly The Prophets of God were called by God and extraordinarily endowed not with titles only but with gifts and graces and sent immediately Behold I send THEE even THEE to the house of Israel says God unto the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 2. And after them the Apostles were all called and then sent by Christ Behold I send you as sheep among Wolves But are our Presbyters thus called or sent or are they sent at all Nay they seek places desire places solicit for Preferments do all they can to procure fat Livings and the best Benefices Do not these run think you and God sends them not Yea they climb by Craft and Ambition and come not in at the door Joh. 10. We may know who they are and to whom they do belong And yet further 4. Fourthly Their works and fruits shew they are not of this flock or fold if they be lawfully sent let them shew forth the works of him that sent them the tree is known by his fruits Can we find in these men though they so much cry up Reformation any true Reformation at all Oh could we but with Lanthorn and Candle find an Humble Presbyterian Minister a merciful One a liberal-minded One a meek One endued with the Spirit of Love and but even Obedience to the Civil Magistrate But alas the Pulpits are filled and the Commonwealth too with ambitious and proud Parsons with covetous and contentious seeking not as the Apostle says you but yours your Goods your Tythes not wearing Christs Motto Hereby ye shall be known to be my Disciples if ye love one another We appeal to all England and further too to their own Consciences if this be not so We may say then and conclude with the Apostle Are ye not carnal Are not these men in their sins And then how can we imagine and conclude these men to be not only Followers but true Teachers of Gods Word also whose Actions are diametrically opposite unto those of Christ 'T is said of him Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1. Is he a Lamb and must these be Lions Did he take away sin and shall these keep it and live in it Oh 't is time to distinguish them they have wore their hoods and vails long enough it 's time to unmask them We proceed on and say 5. Fifthly These Presbyterian Ministers confess so much themselves That there is a twofold Calling to the Ministry one Immediate another Mediate now say they the Prophets and Apostles were indeed called Immediately but they only Mediately what have they then we pray you but what any man might have had for money as well as themselves And what is this their Mediate Calling for more they dare not say in truth they have but an Outward Art as a shadow to a body or as sign to the thing it self nothing worth without the Inward Or have these men the Influences and Assistance of Gods holy Spirit more in them then others Or is it promised or given to them more then to others who have not that outward Calling As for their parts and Arts their seeming gifts and shifts too they are by study and other helps acquired their degrees in Schools humane not divine Now this is no safe Conclusion but rather indeed a meer Delusion to say because such and such are Ministers in Arts in a University and have some knowledg in Hebrew Greek and Latin and have by Friends and Moneys too if not by making Feasts or Banquets for some of the Classical Rabbies that therefore if some of these shall lay hands upon them that therefore they are true Ministers of Christ and from that time forward chiefly if not solely they may set their heart and affections to try all ways possible to enjoy a good Parsonage and then demand and command Tythes as true Orothodox and godly Ministers of Christ Oh falshood Oh these men to be layd in the ballance will be found too light And for all this it may yet be asked them Friend how came
when he pull'd down the Abbies and Monasteries in England so it may be said of taking away of Tythes that being done he will be crush'd to pieces his bones will be broke and his body thrown fully from amongst us in England We proceed to another Argument against Tythe-paying and hasten to an end Therefore Argum. 10. Tenthly The gross Abuses Inconveniences Troubles Law-suits Quarrelings Contentions Strifes Debates Hatred Heart-burnings Suspicions Wrongs Vexations Murmurings Grudgings and Mischiefs which have and do dayly arise betwixt the Tythe-takers and the Tythe-payers as they are not to be numbered so 't is pity they should not be extinguished the one think they take too much the other think they have not enough What Parish Hamlet Town or City in all England which either is not or hath not been quarrel'd withall by their wrangling Tything Ministers What Term hath not been filled with Complaints one against another What Courts have not and yet do not even swarm with Suits one with another to the great charges loss and vexation of the good people of this Land in travelling and journeying to London about Law-suits for setting out and paying Tythes How are the Justices and Committees toyl'd and wearied at their Meetings and Sittings in hearing Causes one party against the other even with bitterness of spirit and all for Tythes We could weary the Readers and relate such stories of quarrels in this kind as are not indeed worth the naming and yet have been prosecuted with all vehemency and virulency of spirit How can such Ministers teach the Word of God in meekness who are fill'd with rancor and ill will for want of their due in Tythes meerly conceiving so to themselves not being so in truth What base Informations and Suggestions with indirect Intelligence too are brought to their ears of mens stealing pilfering and carrying away more then they should which inflames their spirits so high and so deeply against their Neighbors and Parishioners that they are not fully and truly reconciled to them during their whole lives How are they distracted from their Study and spiritual Employments What Weeks and Moneths are wholly consumed in looking after yours your Goods your Tythes more then after you and your Souls How do the hopes of great Tythes render them Mercenary How do they chop and change their Flocks as oft as they can by any means procure better and fatter Livings Oh what true care of Souls can these tything Presbyters have How can they say as Paul did Acts 20. I have coveted no mans silver nor gold nor apparel or with the Apostle Peter Silver and gold have I none since these men aym at nothing else Behold the special fruits of Tything In the last place we say Argum. 11. Eleventhly That all the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas as those of Geneva of Basil of Bern of Zurich of Schafhausen those of France with the Low Countries of Holland Zealand c. those likewise of Germany and of Denmark have no Tythes and yet they live peaceably quietly and contentedly with and amongst their people Our Saviour himself when he sent his Apostles to teach the Gospel gave not the least direction or precept concerning Tythes nor did the Primitive Christians demand any And have our Ministers any juster claim or right unto Tythes then any or all these think you Thus much concerning our Appropriate Tythe-takers the pretending Ministers We come now to the other fort which are the Impropriate Tythers Now for certain if these who labour in the Word cannot yet shew their lawfulness to take Tythes the other who labor not at all can have nothing to plead for themselves yet to convince them because they are many who practise it and great ones too we say to them First Argum I. against Impropriators 1. Their Parsonages were either freely given to them or to their Ancestors and therefore may be the freelier surrendred again or else easily purchased even then for so little as is not worth reckoning for now 2. They have had a long and a quiet possession of them and in all that time and years have had Tythes payd them without any opposition so that long since they have not only got in and recovered the principal layd out but have moreover above that procured great Estates and Means to themselves and heirs for their moneys then disbursed 3. Their not labouring in teaching the Word but what is more their not allowing any Maintenance to Preachers except now of late for fear for Impropriations of 200 li. 300 l. or 400 l. per annum have sinall Vicaridges inclusively layd to them or else in policy the Impropriators have themselves parted with the smaller Tythes to a Preacher either because they are in many places scarce worth the labour in gathering especially with so many ill wishes of the people who pay them if not with curses too or else because by this Act they take off the peoples hatred from themselves and transfer it upon the poor Vicars who must either get them in or starve in their places and however this Act of theirs doth still and quiet the people and blind them too so that they sit down as yet without complaining against their Impropriators who usually take Tythes with power especially if they be as in many places they are both Landlord and Parson too for then the poor Tenants dare not resist their Actions for fear of being dismist their habitations 4. Their Livings were either given to them or else purchased from the Crown and if so reducible whensoever and to what Uses soever Parliaments in after times shal think best they having and alwayes had power not only to call in Crown Lands but also to dispose and imploy them especially in great abuses or publique Exigences and occasions 5. Their purchases for the most part acted in times of Popery and dark superstition so that in later times many gentlemen in this Land have in their own consciences been convicted of their Tenure and have laid down of themselves some others have been perswaded to part with their Title for a little money by certain Feoffees in and about London who did recover some of them and did maintain Lecturers and Schools with them Now since God hath given more light let our Gentry and others who hold such consider well of it 6. Their Tythe-taking against Gods Word He that labors not says the Apostle let him not eat and he that soweth not why should he reap besides it hinders the teaching of Gods Word in such places for Impropriations are commonly in the greatest and fattest places and parishes and yet hereby these Towns are or have been destitute of Teachers or else they themselves must and have procured one and yet payd Tythes beside for the Vicars if any be are kept so poor that they can scarce live though they have labored hardly and constantly To the Impropriators who have purchased their Parsonages of late we say First 'T was Covetousness and hopes of quietness of the times and wealth by their purchase which induced them to buy Secondly These could not but know that they ventured upon Titles that were hazardable of Tenure and so did or might have precautioned in their bargains restitution of Moneys if they should be deprvied of them Thirdly Gave for their purchase little or nothing some perhaps three or four few not five years purchase Fourthly That Power by which they had them viz. Kingly Power is now extinguished and abolished and then how can their Tenures be valid and good Fifthly Particular Interests are not to be held up against a general good especially when as a considerable satisfaction shall be made to the party surrendering the loss if any be proved being not tota but partial Sixthly By their giving up they are sure to have the peoples love and good-will and blessing too whereas the keeping them may procure and doth cause the peoples ill-will and hatred if not curses too And 't is a happiness they have enjoyed Tythes so long without disturbance and yet what further is they may reap benefit and Salvation of their Souls too by placing an able man to teach Gods Word in such places These are some of those many Arguments may be used to convince as well the one as the other of our Tythe-takers to leave off that trade and course We leave the issue to God and to the pious judgments and discretion of our supreme Magistrates the Parliament of England praying for Gods blessings upon their proceedings Amen FINIS Pag. 17. lin 19. read Act â— 31.1â—7 â—â—â—tateuch