The Civil Right of Tithes, Ecclesiastical tract · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXVII.
BUt to go on to the mentioned Petition of Right, a great and bright ſtar ſhining hithermoſt and very clear in the firmament of our Law; whoſe allowance vulgar apprehenſions ſtill gaze at for the great and onelyonly ſtabiliment of all, as indeed an excellent and needfull ſtay it then was, when it was, of the ſubjects tottering property: But to look upon it as the onelyonly bank and bulwark againſt tyranical invaſion, both the ſettler of Right and Giver; the knowing know there is more then twice ten times as much diſperſed abroad (though in latebris to plain Engliſh Readers) as this, Nor could the ſupream power without breach of truſt, and tranſgreſſion of duty have before, (and ſo it may ſtill) invade the peoples Right, or without injury have then (and ſo it may yet) do injuſtice and unrighteouſneſs. A Bond this was upon the former Covenant, a new lock added to the former bolts and bars to keep out invaſion from above from protectours, now explicitly, purpoſely, newly, and afreſh confirming to all their old Rights, (no more,) And ſay which: The Merchants right, the Gentlemans Right, the Noblemans, the Free-holders, and why not alſo the poor Scholars too? the Church-mans too? whoſe work is Church-work, and his Trade and Calling publick, holy, heavenly duty: that ſo having his Due, he may the better do his Duty, having his Right, people may the better look for Theirs; and having his property to live on (his Living) ſecured him in peace, and with aſſurance, he may now1foreign. That ye may wait on and ſtick cloſe to the Lord, 1 Cor. 7. 35 ſerve His Lord above Alone; and having nought of this vile, yet neceſſary world to interrupt and ſtop his courſe, he may now wait upon Him2foreign. Not whi… led and turned hither and thither, (as men: …ſe that are diſtracted with cares how to live;) for violent are the pullings of fleſh & bloud to preſerve it ſelf, and ſelfloving nature will look about before it yeeld to be ſuppreſſed or choaked. But that ye may attend this Thing alone, and ſerve your now onelyonly Maſter without avocation, ib…d. without diſtraction. The rather conſidering what a proſperous and lucky hand he had in helping to procure as well the Charter, as this Petition, much of reaſon would ſtand on his ſide, that he ſhould gather ſome of thoſe grapes himſelf had helped to plant the ſciences of, he ſhould partake of the harveſt he had ſown, and reap ſome fruit of his own ſucceſsful impetration; at leaſt to have his own Right ſecured in that he helped to obtain to All, The Petition of Right. The title whereof gives: Petition exh…bited to his Majeſty by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament aſſembled, concerning divers Rights and Liberties of the Subjects, &c. and The Contents, Humbly ſhew unto our Soveraign Lord, &c. (the perſons before,) That whereas it was declared (34 Edw. 1.) that no Tallage, &c. yet of late divers Commiſſions have iſſued, &c. And whereas by the great Charter, &c. no Frée-man may be taken or impriſoned, or 3It might have been by the ſame reaſon, Whereas the Church had ſome sp…ciall rights, and thoſe contained in the Charter; Alſo priviledges and im…unities granted there, &c. as before; Pray they therfore every man or ſort of men may have their Own: …nd as much was after allowed under the generall word of Rights, and according to the Laws and Cuſtoms of the Realm.be diſſeiſed of his Frée-hold and Liberties, &c. but by the Law of the Land: yet, &c. And ſome other things touching life, &c. Now they pray that the like may not be done hereafter, &c. All as their Rights and Liberties according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm; and that all Officers and Miniſters ſerve in their places accordingly. Whereunto the Kings anſwer being, That Right be done according to the Laws and Cuſtomes of the Realm, and that the Statutes be put in due execution, that his Subjects may not have cauſe to complain of any Wrong or Oppreſſions contrarie to their juſt Rights and Liberties; This not ſatisfying, upon reply this ſecond perſonal anſwer was added, Soit droit fait come eſt deſire, Let Right be done as is deſired; And this after expounded to be miſtaken, if it were drawn to any other then the Ancient Rights and Liberties, which he willed, and no more. Where ſtill we find Rights ſounding all along, and conceſſion of Them, and in anſwer to ſuch a Petition, the particulars are within the poſſible and eaſie view of every Engliſh mans eye, and they fitly All march under the Head of the Petition of Right. Now then I infer and argue: What is that was here granted? Was it not Right? Right to All? and one mans Right as well as anothers? Did not the whole Commonalty petition? Were not All heard? Was not All granted, and to All? And if thoſe that wait upon the Temple of the Lord in England in his holy Service, had thereby then, and yet have, they and their ſucceſſours an Own and Right, was not this then meant to be granted? and was granted and ſettled upon them Therefore thereby, nor can be revoked, but by the revocation of this, or a part of this Conceſſion of Right? Each mans wrong is of the ſame nature, guilt, injury, crime, and grievance, Nor can they ever be interpreted but partiall and unjuſt ſharers of ſuch a claim to themſelves, as, Any others having equall part with them therein, they can be contented earneſtly to ſtrive for their own, and will not be denyed, but for thoſe others, think they may be excluded, (or help to exclude them) at pleaſure, and no matter whether they partake of any ſhare in the common allowed ſtock of Right. As if it were Theft to ſteal, but not from ſome: Injury to defraud, but the Red or Gray Coat, not the Black: The Law muſt hold in ſome caſes, what need it in other? to retain him in poſſeſſion of his Right that hath nine parts, but not him that hath right to the Tenth; One mans Own may not be taken away, nor injuriouſly invaded, but his Neighbours may, (that holds by the ſame Charter,) and himſelf outed, or ſpoiled, or wronged at pleaſure, and That ſhield is large & ſtrong enough to protect againſt al aſſaults the former, for the later is infirm & narrow, though it were ſeen to be made of the ſame breadth, ſtrength and firmneſs. What equity is this? Should not every ones caſe that is the ſame be alike, and every Childes part equall in the ſame ſtock of the Common-weal…h? Murmurers were in the Apoſtles time, and diſcontented fault-finders no doubt in ours; But let no private worldling be heard as ſpeaking reaſon, that Right is wrong, or the expectation of this Right is now to him and others grown burdenſome. There is none fit to judge, who is able to ſay, Any part of the Law is Burdenſome. Exactions are burdenſome, injuries are burdenſome, oppreſſions, ſpoliations, depraedations, undoings of thoſe that are innocent and quiet in the Land, All iniquity is generally burdenſome: But the Law is a gentle yoak, juſtice lovely, Right a favour, the dictates of theſe never were nor ever can be truly Burdenſome;1 Tim. 1. 9, 10. Unleſs, as Gods Word ſays, to the diſobedient and lawleſſe: foreign, to the irreligious and ſinners (that have no true fear, or worſhip of God, for this would teach to obey every Ordinance of Man for the Lords ſake;) foreign, to unſanctified and profane men (that have never known true purication, whatever they pretend;) patricîdis, matricîdis, homicîdis, (fit company, 'tis pity they ſhould be parted;) To Whorem…ngers, alſo to Plagiaries, deceitful lyars, forſworn lyars, and ſuch other; To all theſe the Law is Burdenſome, Blame them not, they are weary to beare it, 'Tis a beam to their backs, and lays on faſt and cloſe, wrapping them under everlaſting as well as heavy inconveniencies: But that the Law is burdenſome to any Juſt man, can hardly be believed by any wiſe man. 'Tis Gods great bleſſing to a Nation, it makes rich, happy, ſafe, and quiet where it comes; An humane Oracle for deciding humane doubts in matter of own and equity amongſt men, the voi… of Juſtice, the meaſure of Right, that gives to every one …, every one ſomething, moſt men enough, all whatever they enjoy; Allotting upon grave conſideration what they ſhould have, why they ſhould have, how much they ſhould have, why no more, and generally upon good reaſon, why things throughout Be as they Be, (if our wiſdom drew deep enough to fathome the reaſon of her profoundly prudent conſultations, reſolutions and diſpenſations) and ſhall we yet ſay, That Law is burdenſome? My neighbours will is burdenſome, his covetous deſire is burdenſome, his unjuſt, wicked, worldly ambition may be, to ſit Umpire on my eſtate, to inquire what I have, to determine I have too much, but I ſhall have leſs, the ſuperfluity of my abounding right (which is but one part of ten to keep me alive to ſerve God in his Church already, whereas he has the other nine to ſerve none but Himſelf, or perhaps Venus, or Bacchus, or Mammon,) muſt be pared off to piece up ſupplies for his riot and prodigality, to feed the greedy worm of his covetouſneſs, or rather to help fill up the wide and inſatiable gulf of his craving ravenous and cruel ſoul; This were indeed, what were if this were not heavily burdenſome? But ſhall I ſerve the Lord Chriſt with ſuch an inſide? Shall I profeſs my ſelf a Church-member, yea, a member of Chriſt, the Childe of God, and an Inheritour of the Kingdome of Heaven, harbouring in my boſome a neſt of ſuch unreaſonable, griping, cruel, carnal luſts? Shall I go on to read the Scripture, profeſs the Light, hang on Jeſus Chriſt and all his Ordinances, with pretended love to his Law, and grudge or ſubtract any mans known worldly dues, refuſe to give every one his own, detract from the humane ordinance, and dare ſay in any caſe Right is wrong, or Law burdenſome? Shall my turbulent, greedy, envious, unruly paſſions prevail with me ſo farre to make me think my neighbour has too much, though it be his Own, I muſt covet it, I will have it, Nay, Gods Miniſter has too much, of his known Right, I cannot temper but I muſt covet my neighbour goods, That neighbours goods,1Let a man ſo account of us as of Miniſters of Chriſt, and …tewards of the myſteries of God, 1 Cor. 4. 1. Gods Miniſters Right, Rob the Church, yea, perhaps rob God, and ſtarve, or occaſion the ſtarving of ſouls by withdrawing that which ſhould warm the bloud and quicken the bodies of thoſe ſhould and would feed ſouls in preſent, and diſcourage thoſe that are to come in hereafter? furthering in the leaſt degree or upon any pretence by my wilfull parcimony, that the thing we have ſo long feared, may at laſt fall upon us, That children may cry for bread and there be none to give it them, a worſe famine may pinch us then that of bread and water, even a famine of the Word of Life, that hungry ſouls may run hither and thither for meat, and grudge being not ſatisfied; from Pariſh to Pariſh, from one empty Church I mean to another, for the Ordinances of Life, and none be found in Sion to comfort her children, a well-inſtructed Teacher in England be as rare as was a man in Iſrael, and becauſe no more means is left to ſuſtain his natural life, One Preacher muſt ſerve for twenty Congregations. Away Pluto and Mammon! Let Judas and Achan be for ever ſeparate from the Congregation of the Lord! Curſed be Ananias and Sapphira, and all their brood! Let their poſterity never find fig-leaves to cover the ſhame of their ſin in this world, nor any thing but Gods mercies and Chriſts merits to ſhelter their guilty ſouls from condemnation in the world to come. Let me have ever light enough to know mine Own, Juſtice to give every man his Due, Religion to direct, I Ought to do ſo, Prudence to meaſure it out by the onelyonly wiſe and ſafe Law, and either caſt away my Bible, (Gods Law,) out of my hands preſently, or ceaſe eternally to covet my Neighbours goods. One word alſo in the ſpirit of meekneſs, to him not hitherto thought of, that is, I take it eaſie enough to be led, but as it falls out miſerably out of the way, that follows the light of his eyes, and they guide him to errour, urging the Petition of Right for every ones and his own, and yet crying down tythes thereby, which being a Right can certainly have no diſcountenance, but muſt rather have a firm, conſequentiall eſtabliſhment by that Petition. Philip, Philip, underſtandeſt thou what thou readeſt? Do but ſay, I pray thee, what is it thou ſo importunately calleſt for? Is it not for Right? Civil Right? Every ones? Thy Neighbours as well as thine own? And Chriſts Miniſters, if he have Right, yea, Civill Right, hereby to his Tenth, as well as thou to thy Nine? If this; why perverteſt thou the right words of the Law, deſtroying again preſently what but now thou buildedſt up, and by or with thy hoarſe and importunate out-cries for this Petition, endeavoureſt to cry down tythes thereby, which being a Right (ſure Mans right is not Gods right) cannot but have thereby a clear and evident confirmation. Is not ones mans right of the ſame kinde with anothers? and as good as anothers? Muſt not thy Paſtors have been included in All? Or, couldeſt thou be content to have his little portion underſtood at leaſt to be ſtruck out of this book of temporal life to augment thy part, to a proportion of ninefold bigger then His already? What equity were this, or ſhew of Conſcience? Suffer I pray thee the word of exhortation, and be not offended if I tell thee the truth: If thou be a Chriſtian indeed, thou wilt not entertain a gentle reproof with diſdain, nor repay meekneſs with rage, ſtorming at him that would by the grace of God, and according to the light given him, deliver out nothing to thee but the words of truth and ſoberneſs. Ask thy Lawyer, and he will tell thee: Adviſe with the Learned in his own profeſſion: Conſult with the Potter about the things of his own trade. There is never a Judge at Weſtminster, never a Serjeant in their Innes, never a learned Councellour or knowing man in this Land, but will aſſure that tythes are as due (beſides the rules of equity, for work, and generals of Scripture, for competent maintenance) by the Law, the rule of Civil righteouſneſs among us, to their due receivers here, as any rent, or rent-charge, debt or bond, (not a benevolence, but a ſtrict Right,) and that the ſettled and compleat body of the Law doth with as much unanimity, evidence, conſtancy, and aged conſent agree to ſettle and ſay ſo for them; and yet doeſt thou contend, and urge a publick grant of right as an argument to deſtroy them? Thoſe ſages are wiſe; They will not deny their books; They cannot deny this; Thou muſt conſent to it; Thou haſt nothing to ſay againſt it; Where art thou now? On Gods ſide, or on Baals? for Chriſt, or for Mammon? For Righteouſneſs, or Ʋnrighteouſneſs? Wouldeſt thou but have every one have his Own? Doeſt thou not covet thy neighbours goods? Wilt thou own the power of as much Religion as in one verſe of one Chapter of the whole Bible; Render therefore to every man his due, Rom. 13. 7? Keep to this, I deſire no more: I know I have gained with thy honeſty, thy ſure vote for tythes, and for ever hereafter; Hold to this Conceſſion, and be conſtant, thou wilt never hold up an angry hand nor finger againſt them, or but for them, unleſs thou change thy minde to petition againſt the petition. Thou wilt not I ſuppoſe be wiſer then the Law, mangle the Royall Grant, or deform that Petition of Parliament: If thou do, 1. Thou art unjuſt, becauſe not impartial: 2. Inconſtant, becauſe even now thou choſeſt to ſubmit Hereto, and madeſt uſe of it: 3. In plain terms little better then a fool! Bear with my plainneſs, thou wilt rather thank me for it, when thou ſhalt ſee I intend not Reviling, or Reproach, but neceſſary home caution and admonition. Reſolve with thy ſelf, There is none ſo highly ſuch, and dangerouſly too, as he that thinks himſelf wiſer then the Law: Which is, as a Lord Chief Juſtice ſaid, Summa Ratio, the ſtrength and Quinteſſence of Humane reaſon applied to the common good; and what muſt He needs be then that goes on the contrary part? that undervalues it? that oppoſes it? that cenſures it? and in ſtead of obeying the Oracle, quarrels with it? Laws are made to be reverenced, not diſputed of, obeyed, not judged, ſubmitted to, not cenſured by every forward man, ſcarce by every Congregation of men, ſcarce by knowing, wiſe men: and who is he then that of his own private head dares buſily controul and cenſure? abrogate and revoke, repeal and eſtabliſh the whole or a part, (as much as ſeems good unto him, be it what it will) of a Wiſe Parliaments Petition, a dead Kings Conceſſion, the Statute Law, the Canon Law, the Common Law, that whole body that hath ruled all actions and poſſeſſions here? Thinking, ſuch a part may be changed, another ſpared; The great Charter was well thought on in ſome things; The Petition of Right was part as it ſhould; K. Edwards old aged and reverenced Laws, that had ſo many requeſts made for them, ſo many bloudy battails fought about them, and were wreſted by the people into the Coronation Oath, may now be adviſed of: I ſee a way, not ſpyed by any ſince Chriſtianity came hither (and yet they had the voice of the Spirit, in the Word of the Goſpel) of Civil Juſtice and Righteouſneſs, I will make Laws, change Ordinances, reverſe Rights, new-mould properties and dominions, &c. though all that is be troubled, &c. and the Petition for every mans right ſhall not hinder: What arrogance is this? What intolerable preſumption? Does it become a private man! a ſingle man! a ſimple man! Any man! Were not obedience better then this ſacrifice? To be ruled by the Law, better then thus to quarrell about it? Say but this one thing, Every man ſhall have his own: and I have obtained my end, and wiſh all unſaid hath (to thy offence or otherwiſe,) not tended hereto. Say but Right ſhall be done as is deſired, (Soit droit fait come eſt deſire, as the King:) I will not be wiſer then the Law but follow it: I will not judge the Rule, but be ruled by it; 'tis the bleſſed Ordinance of God, whereto I ought conform, and muſt, and will, ingenuouſly, and fully, the whole and every part, and then we are met and friends. Eſpecially the Petition of Right, let no one be defrauded of his part of that, No One, and then be the iſſue that God will give.