A Censure of Simony, Chapter 5
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 ei…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 thing… 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, Leuit. 27.21.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 vntounto 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 th… Lord. Therefore, as it is a snare to deuoure that which is thus sanctified, and after such vowes to enquire:Prou. 20.…5. So the Simonist doth but intangle himselfe in a …nare, as the Conny is in her owne Burrow, when hee makes this his starting h…le; that so long as hee buyeth but the Temporall lands of the Church, hee commits no Simonie. Sed cominus res agat…r. Simoniace, quid emisti? Glebam inquis, aut (te arbitro) Temporalia. Quanti emisti? Tanti. Agedum. Permittatur i…m arbitrio calculorum, quantum inde … …ucratus, & num te negoti… torem satis prudentem cautumque praestiteris. Ann… 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 indo… 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 aut…m Temporalia partim ex latifu…dij vtilitate, partim ex dominij dignitate aestimantur. Quanti antem constet Ecclesiasticus honor, mihi non constat. N…c quenquam arburer foreign seu foreign pr… se tantum laturum, vt dicat se honorem Ecclesiasticum emere. Si verò quod reliqu… est Temp…ralium emat, viderit Emptor, ne quantùm rem empta… pretium superat, tantum ipsum se honorem non neglexisse videatur. Nec quamquam existimo eò processurum a…daciae, vt dicat, tantundem esse, honorem Ecclesiasticum, & ciuilem emere. Nihil addo amplius. Sati… est quod hic noster mercator ex sua ipsius conscientia arguatur. Nec sibi ca…ere poterit, quin in istorum scopulorum alterum, Directè, vel Indirectè, miserè impingat. But let this suffice to hauehave showne, both by euidence of Holy Scriptures, and testimonies of Ecclesiasticke Doctors, and learned Diuines, that all buying and selling any Church …referments, vponupon what pretence soeuer, is grosse Simonie, how finely and artificially soeuer conueyed.