Heresiography, Postscript – Extract
Postscript.
SInce the publishing of this Heresiography, I have been abused above measure, not onelyonly with reviling language in the streets, as I goe; but also in my estate: some Sectaries of my Parish, denying now to pay me any thing at all; affirming, that they are to maintaine the Minister of their owne Congregation. And that which troubleth them, is my defence of Tithes, and the Ordinance of Parliament for the true payment of them. The non-payment whereof, is one of the chiefe inducements, that the Brownists and some other Sectaries have to entise the silly people, and to poyson them with their other errors: which they learnt from the Anabaptists, who taught also, that Christian men were to pay no rent, nor submit to any government: for which the German Princes rooted them out of their Dominions.
Now these latter Hereticks daring not to forbid payment of rent, nor Magistracy, raile altogether upon the payment of Tithes, and the Ordinance for Tithes, lately set out by Parliament. And some of them in a scandalous Libell, among other things affirme, Doctor Featlies Divell to be transmigrated into old Ephraim Pagitt, (would to God I had his learning) who is altogether for fat Tithes, &c. I pray God keep the divell out of them. A learned man writeth,*Lower de paupertate Ecclesie. That if a man should binde himselfe to the Divell, to doe his uttermost in supplanting the kingdome of Christ, he could not attempt it any way more directly, then in driving the Ministers to such straits and difficulties, that having not convenient and necessary maintenance, they must either give over their callings, or devoyd of courage and comfort, in sorrow exercise the same: by occasion whereof, others shall be discouraged from the study of Divinity, nothing desirous to buy poverty so deare. Such, (as I have said before) doe not onelyonly occidere Presbyteros, kill Christs Ministers; But also with Julian Presbyterium, the very Ministery of Christ. Yea, they strike at the root of Gods Service, at Christs Priesthood, going about to destroy the Ministry and Seminary of Gods Church. But for the payment of Tithes which they so blaspheme, the Ministers have to them a double right.
First, by speciall reservation of Almighty God.
Secondly, by humane donation.
For the first, men have soules as well as bodies, and God hath provided for them both:There was a sphecial… pr…yer appoy…t…d for men p…ying their …, with a … of the t…ue p…iment of them; … Gods … D…ut. …6. 13. as in the week he allowed six days for the body, and sanctified the seventh for the soule: so of mens goods, he alloweth nine parts for the Body, and reserveth a tenth for the soule, to maintaine his Ministers, to beget them unto God, and teach them his knowledge: a tenth part he precisely enjoyned, that mans covetousnesse should not rob his Ministers, which some would doe; if the quota pars were lest to their discretions. The reservation of Tithe is set downe in expresse words, Levit. 27. 30. All the Tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, it is the Lords, it is holy to the Lord. [All] none excepted [is] no… hereafter shall be, but now is and hath been: As the Sabbath was observed, before the fourth Commandement was promulga…d, Exod. 20. So Tithes were paid long before this reservation to the Levites. You may read of Abraham paying Tithe to Melchisedech and of lacob promising to pay them. And now God reserving them to himselfe, and establishing them upon the Levites, so we have a succession of them unto Christ.
Now hath not Christ a Priest-hood, and that more excellent then Melchisedechs, or the Levites: Melchisedech blessed Abraham; But in our High Priest, all the Nations of the earth are blessed. H…mi…. 5. Advers▪ ….The Apostle telleth us (as Chrysostome affirmeth) that Christ received Tithe from Levi by Abraham, father of the faithfull, who paying Tithe to Melchisedech▪ shadowed out the faithfull paying Tithe to Christ. For Abraham payed Tithe not to the Priest that offered Leviticall Sacrifices of Bullocks and Goats, but of Bread and Wine: setting …orth to what Priests we must pay Tithes to.
Hath not Christ our High Priest a Priest-hood? yes, and why should not Tithes bee due to his Priest-hood? are his Priests to serve for nothing? he telleth us himselfe, that the Labou…er is worthy of his wages.
How dare any man deny Tithes to Christs Priest-hood? tell me, is Christs Priest-hood les…e deserving than Aarons or Melchisedechs, or hath he lost his right, or hath Christ lesse care of the Ministers of of the Gospell, then was taken for the Priests of the Law? Saint Paul saith, they are worthy of double honour. Or hath Christ renounced his right in Tithes? no, you may read of his expresse allowance of them, Matth. 23. 23. It is his Ordinance. 1 Cor. 9. 3. Doe…ce not know, that they which wait at the Altar, are partakers with the Altar? So hath God ordained, that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell: God hath ordained, saith the Apos…le, where can we finde a…y other ordina…ce?
The Apostles s…teth downe the difference between the Levi…call Priests and Christ, Heb. 7. 8. They under the Tabernacle, take Tithes of them who dyed; but here he taketh them that liveth for ever. In which Text he sheweth, that Tithes are not Leviticall and a mutable maintenance, but the eternall maintenance of Gods service, used before the Law, when the Priest-hood was in the Father of the Family, stated on, (not first invented sor) Levi, during the Levites service: and when the body came which was Christs, and Levi with all his Typicall service was to be abolished; then ceased not Tithes in right, although in practise they were not paid by Pagans, but were transferred to Christ, and to his Ministers for their maintenance; yea to the Priest-hood of Christ who liveth for ever.
Let these Sectaries shew any one Sillable in all the holy Scriptures in which Tithes are Ceremoniall, as the Sacrifices were, which were types and figures of Christs Sacrifice, which he offered once for all, and in him determined.
Or where Christ or his Apostles may but seeme to have abrogated, abolished, or changed them, or why the Law for Tithes should be more abolished then the Law for the Sabbath: The service of God continuing, why should not the maintenance thereof continue.
To conclude, as the Christians, so also the Mahometans, who are much more numerous than the Christians, pay their Tithes with great conscience, the detention of them▪ is one of the grand sinnes, which the two inquisitor Angels of their Law doe examine soules after death, viz. Whether they have payd their Tithes without fraud, as witnesseth Ioannes Baptist a Alfaqui, who had been a Mahometan Priest. The wisedome of Almighty God, the practise of all ages, the example of Patriarks, Abraham and Iacob; yea the Commandement of God hath taught us to render God a tenth.
If this will not suffice, wee have another right, a Title as good, and as ancient, as any man can shew for his lands; that is, the donation of Tithes to the Church, confirmed by the Kings and Parliaments of this Kingdome from time to time, ever since Christianity flourished amongst us. For this vid. my Christianography, page 211. and Sir Henr. Spelman de non Temerandis Ecclesi…s.
Last of all consider the equity of this maintenance, whether it be better for men to pay a tenth,2 Tim. 3. 6. then have these Seducers to creep into their ho…ses, and get from their wives, (being silly women) children and servants,Vdals N…li me tange e. p … Acts 5. 3. The divel t…at was in Ananias seemeth to be a conscionable d…vell in respect of the Sacr…legious divels of our t…me. not a tenth, or two and nine pence for an Ob…ation, but great summes of money, whatsoever they can pro…e from them (like the Pharisees) devou…ing Widdowes houses under the colour of long Prayers.
But whereas some of them write the divell to be in me, Sir Thomas Mo…e writeth of a Devi…l called Negotium, Businesse, which carryeth more to Hell then all the divells beside, who was in them that would not come to the feast: one being so basie in marrying a wife, that he could not come, another having b…ught O…en, another having bo…ght a Farme, &c. I read also of another divill called Sacriledge, Most of the Ministers of London may pray for …ompetencies, being not ab… to subsi… without the charity of their parishioners, their Be…ifices being many of them worth but 20. 30. 40. 50. per annum; & paying great Taxes out of them, as first Fruits, Tenths, &c. Although they are freed from the Bishof Romes superstitio…s enormities, they are not freed from the payments that the Bishops of Rome laid upov them.which St. Peter te…leth us to bee in Ananias. Why hath the divell filled thy hea…t. If the divill were in him who gave halfe that hee had, and kept back but part; what divill is in them, that give nothing themselves, but se…se upon those lands and goods, which not they, but other men had consecrated to the service of Almighty God, with many curses to the violaters of their Donations? This Divell Sacriledge at this time, seemeth to bee a very devou… Divill, very carefull of Gods service that it might be better performed, he would have the Ministers lands taken from them; that they might follow their studies and not bee encombred with them; yea, a carefull divell also of the Ministers maintenance he would have them to have competencies, and the K…ng and State to have the over-plus of their means, all which godly pretences are hypocriticall, and the Maskes of vile in…quity, and holy thes…; for it is not the Ministers profit they looke at, neither the commod…ty of the King or State, but their owne covetousnesse, by which some seek to satisfie their owne pride, riot, wanton and greedy …usts. Like Iudas, who will not stick to …el Christ himselfe for money: Such a Reformation as was in King▪ Henry the eights time doe some gape after, in which almost every m…n got somewhat… some one Gentleman got ten Parsonages, some other twenty. Read Doctor Turners Book entituled Spirituall Physick; almost in every house and Alehouse, you might see Carpets, and Cushions made of Church-Ornaments. After that men had devoured the wealth of the Monasteries, they began to long after the lands of Bishops, and Cathedrall Churches, (as Mr. Fox relateth) and for this purpose they set Sir Thomas S…ymor a worke, to promote it to the King. To whom the King answered, There are a sort of you to whom I have liberally given of the possession of Menasteries, which like as you have lightly gotten, so you have unthriftily spent, some at Dice, others on gay …loathes, and others worse; and now you would make a …eavance of Church lands to accomplish your greedy appetites, &c.
Surely it is a disgrace to Religion, that in Reformations mens thoughts doe runne, even in the greater labours and learning in the Church, to pill and pole the Ministery, and bring it to beggery; being the curse pronounced against the Priests the posterity of Eli: from which curse the Lord keep this poor Church.
An Extract of the Acts of the Nationall Synod of the Reformed Churches of France, assembled by the Kings permission at Charantoun, Anno 1644. 26. Decemb. and dayes following.
UPon what hath been reported by the Commissioners of the Maritime Provinces, that divers comming from Forreigh Coun…ries, and who goe under the name of Inde…endents, because they …each that every particular Congregatio… ought to be governed by its owne particuler Laws, without a… depending of any in Ecclesiasticall matters, and without any obligation to acknowledg the Authority of Coll…ques, 2 Tim. … 6.or Classes and Synods for its government and conduct, setlling their abode in this Kingdome, and hereafter they might cause here amongst us many great inconveniences if in due time there were not order taken, the Assembly fearing lest the contagion of this poyson gaining ground insensibly should throw trouble and disorder among us; and judging the said Sect of Independents to b… not onelyonly prejudiciall to the Church of God, in so far, that it endeavours to bring in Confusion, opening a Gate to all kind of Singularities and Extravagancies, and taking away all meanes of any remedy to the evill, but also most dangerous to the State, where (if it had place) there might as many Religions set up, as there be parishes or particular Congregations, doth enjoyne to all the Provinces, and particularly to the Maritimes, to take heed that the evill take no foote in this Kingdome▪ to the end that Peace and Uniformity as well in Religion as in Discipline, may be inviolably preserved; and that nothing be brought in amongst us which may alter in any kind the service due unto their Majesties.
Garrissole Moderator.
Basnage Adjoynt.
Blo…del Secretary.
Le Coq. Secretary.
Errata.
PAge 10. l. 8. read Harlem. p. 26. l. 15. r. 400. p 32 l. 1. r. Polem…cae. p. 54. l. 5. r. Balamites. 22. rebellious. … 61. l. 6. r. Presbyterie. p. 63. l. 5. r. all. p. 75. l. r. into their society, but such as are content to have their goods.
FINIS.
End of the text · Ephraim Pagitt, Heresiography (1645)