A Gospel Plea for Maintenance of the Ministers, To the reader
To the unprejudiced Chriſtian Reader.
KInd Reader, the 80. Pſal. in my weak judgement, is both a lively Character of the deplorable condition of Gods Church of late years, and likewiſe a moſt excellent Morning and Evening Prayer for it, in publick or private. The Pſalmiſt thus complains, That God (by the aJer. 46.16. & 50.16. give it this Title.OPPRESSING SWORD of combined enemies, as Pſa. 83. imports) had broken down his Churches hedges, ſo that all they that paſſed by the way did pluck her, the Boar out of the forreſt did waste it, and the wild beasts OF THE FIELD devour it. The antient bIſa. 5.25. Ezek. 13.5. & 22.30.hedges of the Church here planted and ſpread in our Nation, to wit, Gods divine protection and Law; the Patronage, Rights, Franchiſes, Privileges, Immunities, granted, confirmed to our Churches, by the manifold cMagna Carta of King Henry the 1. and K. John. Mat. Paris Hiſt. Angl. p. 53.230, 246. & 9 H. 1. c. 1.29.37 times ſince confirmed in Parliam.great Charters, Lawes, Statutes, of ſuch bountifull devout Kings and Queens as God himſelf dIſa. 49.23. & 60.9, 10. Pſa. 72.10, 11. Rev. 21.24.predicted, ſhould be NURSING FATHERS and NURSING MOTHERS UNTO HIS CHURCH under the Goſpel, and bring their Glory and Honour to it; and Kings of Iles, amongſt others; having been of late years very much broken down and almoſt levelled to the duſt, by arbitrarie Committees, Sequeſtrations, and the oppreſsing all-devouring Sword of War, (which God hath kept ſo long unſheathed, eJer. 47.6.7.without returning into the Scabberd theſe many years, for the juſt puniſhment of our manifold ſins and enormities) all they that go by the way (or in by-wayes) taking advantage thereof, have ſo plucked, and the wilde-boares out of the wood, and wilde-men, and wilde-beaſts of the field, have ſo waſted, devoured the beſt and richeſt part of our Churches Patrimony, originally deſigned by the Parliament, by a fA Collection of ordinances, &c p. 124, 125.ſpecial Bill tendered to the late King at Oxford, April 1643. (when Arch-biſhops, Biſhops, Deans and Chapters were firſt voted down, and gMat. 15.13.extirpated as none of our Heavenly fathers plants or planting) for the encreaſe of the Crown-Revenues, to eaſe the people in their future Taxes; and the Augmentation of our Ministers Maintenance and incompetent livings: that there is little or none of it now remaining undevoured by them, for either of theſe two publick ends: And many new highway men, wilde-boares and Beaſts, as well as old, encouraged by former rich Church-plunders, in ſtead of imitating hGal. 3.9.faithfull Abraham, (whoſe heirs and children they profeſſe themſelves) who gave iGen. 14.20. Heb. 7.1, to 12.THE TENTH OF ALL HIS SPOYLS OF WARRE to Melchiſedec Prieſt of the moſt high God, (a type of our Saviour Chriſt, if not Chriſt himſelf, as kDr. Griffith Williams in his Workes in folio p. 811.ſome probably aſſert) they moſt eagerly and violently attempt to ſpoyl, plunder all the Evangelical Priests and Ministers of God throughout the Nation at one blow (without any lawfull Tryal by their Peers, due proceſſe of Law, or lContrary to Magna Carta c. 1.29.25 E. 1. c. 1, 2, 3.28 E. 1. c. 1.5 E. 3. c. 9.25 E. 3. c. 4.28 E. 3. c. 3.37 E. 3. c. 18.42 E. 3. c. 1, 3. 2 H. 4. c. 4.5 H. 4. c. 11.27 H. 8. c. 20, 21.32 H. 8. c. 7. 2 E. 6. c. 13. The Petition of Right 3 Caroli, and are Ordinances for Tithes & AugmentationsLegal conviction of any Capital crimes, which cannot forfeit their Churches inheritance, which is not ſo veſted in them as either to forfeit or alien, by the Law of God or the Realm) of all their inconſiderable remaining Tithes, Glebes, and ſetled antient Maintenance, and of their very Miniſtry too, as JEWISH and ANTICHRISTIAN, as John Canne the old Anabaptist, in his new Voice from the ALEHOUSE RATHER, than the TEMPLE (which certainly is as Jewiſh and Antichriſtian as he would have Tithes to be) with ſundry late mThe Kentiſh Petition and others.Petitions, Proceedings, proclaim to all the World, and ſtrip them naked of all other coercive maintenance for the future, to ſtarve them and their families bodies, and the peoples ſouls: that ſo a new generation of ambulatory Fryers Mendicants and Itinerary Predicants, fixed to no certain Pariſh or Pariſhes, ſelected out of thoſe ſwarms of Jeſuits, Seminary Prieſts and Popiſh Fryers, now in England under the diſguiſes of Anabaptiſts, Gifted Brethren, Dippers, Seekers, Quakers, New-lights, Mechanicks of all Trades, Gentlemen, Troopers and Souldiers too, (Ignatius Loyola nMaffaeus Vegius & Rabadenira (both Jeſuits) in vita Ignatii Loyolae, Heylins Microcoſm, p. 197.their Father and founder of their Order, being a SOULDIER by his profeſsion, as diverſe of his Diſciples are now amongſt us, as many wiſe men believe, and ſome on their own knowledge averre) may ſucceed them in their Miniſtry, to ſubvert our Church, Religion, and reduce us back to Rome; The Pope now living, within theſe few years, affirmed to ſome oThis one of them affirmed lately to a friend of mineEngliſh Gentlemen of quality in Rome (who out of curioſity only went to ſee him, being Proteſtants) that he hoped before he died (though he were aged) to ſee England perfectly reduced to her former obedience to the See of Rome, having ſent many Jeſuits, Priests, Fryers from all parts into England, and particularly into THE ARMY (as pThe falſe Jew, newly printed, p. 4, 5, 11, 12, 13.Ramſy the late detected Jeſuit at New-Caſtle, under the vizor of a converted Anabaptized Jew, confeſſed in his printed Examination there lately taken, and ſent up with him to Whitehall.) Againſt whom John Canne might have done well to have preſſed thoſe, to whom he dedicated his Voice from the Temple, to execute the Statute of 27 Eliz. c. 2. particularly made againſt them, as moſt dangerous inſufferable Traytors, purpoſely ſent over, TO WORKE THE RUINE, DESOLATION, and DESTRUCTION OF THE WHOLE REALM, as well as of our Church and Religion, as that Statute reſolves; and not to have moſt ignorantly and maliciouſly wrested it, (contrary both to the very letter and intention) againſt our godly Proteſtant Ministers only (their greateſt oppoſites, eye-ſores) to ſtrip them of their Benefices, Livelihood and lives together (the whole ſcope of his qDan. 6.20.Lamentable Voice) without ſo much as uttering one word againſt theſe wilde boars and beaſts of Rome, with whom he and his Companions the Anabaptiſts, are apparent Confederates, both in their rSee Mr. Seldens Hiſtory of Tithes c. 7. p. 166, 167, 170.principles and practices againſt our Miniſters Maintenance, Tithes, Callings, Laws, and ſetled Government, to their eternal Infamy.
The ſad conſideration whereof hath engaged me, though no Impropriator (whoſe cauſe I plead not) nor other Tithe-receiver, but a conſciencious Tithe-payer (as my Anceſtors were before me) without any retaining fee, or other Solicitation, to appear publickly in the defence of this common cauſe of God and all his faithfull Miniſters Tithes and antient ſetled Maintenance, being through his mercy and their Prayers enlarged from my long cloſe remote Impriſonments, as I did occaſionally in private, whiles a cloſe Priſoner in Pendennis Caſtle in Cornwall (in December and January laſt) againſt ſome Officers and Souldiers there, who publickly ſubſcribed in the Caſtle by ſound of Drum three ſeveral mornings, and promoted in the Country a Petition for aboliſhing all Tithes (though our Miniſters own by all Divine and Humane Lawes, Rights; which neither our Souldiers nor any mortals now living gave to them, nor have any pretence of Law, Power or Authority from God or our Nation to take from them) and all other compulſory Maintenance in lieu of them for Miniſters; ſent to them (and to other Gariſons, as they then informed me) by the General Councell of Officers of the Army from St. James, both for their own ſubſcriptions (though few or none of them or other ſubſcribers of ſuch Petitions, Tithe-payers) and ſuch hands of Countrymen, as they could procure. Upon which occaſion, I had ſome brief diſcourſes with ſome of them concerning the lawfulneſs and antiquity of Tithes, ſGen. 14.20. Heb. 7.4.Firſt paid by Souldiers out of the very ſpoyls of Battel, taken in the very firſt War we read of, to the very first Priest of God we find recorded in the Scripture, and therefore admired that our Army-Officers, Souldiers in this age ſhould ſo far degenerate, as to be the very ring-leaders and chief oppugners of them: drawing up ſome brief Notes of this ſubject out of Scripture (to help paſſe the time) in defence of Tithes, relating more particularly to Souldiers, to ſilence, ſatisfie, reclaim them from this Sacrilegious deſign: which having ſince enlarged with Arguments and Anſwers to their chief Objections drawn from their own Military profeſsions, for the better ſatiſfaction, conviction of all Sword men and others, I hope, neither Officers nor Souldiers, nor any others truly fearing God (if they conſider Levit. 19.17. Mat. 18.15, 16, 17. Prov. 19.25. & 10.17. & 12.1. & 13.18. & 15.10, 31, 32. & 17.10. & 25.12. Pſal. 141.5. 1 Sam. 25.32, 33. 1 Tim. 5.20. Luke 3.14.) will or can be juſtly offended with me, no more for writing truth, than ſpeaking it to their faces, as I did upon all occaſions whiles among them; not to defame, but to inform and reform them, for their own and the publick good, in what I conceive not warrantable by, but repugnant to Gods word and their duties as Souldiers, as Chriſtians, and to thoſe known fundamental Laws, Liberties of the Nation they were tA Collection of Ordinances, p. 539, 623, 878, 879.purpoſely raiſed, commiſsioned, waged, engaged by Proteſtations, Covenants, and their own voluntary uJune 5. & 14. 1647.printed Declarations, inviolably to protect, but not ſubvert; and that they will not repute it a capital crime in me, not to prove a flatterer, diſſembler, or not to act, or write wittingly againſt my Science and Conſcience, when our Ministers Maintenance, Calling, Religion, Gods glory, Laws, Liberties, all we have, or hope for, are in danger of ſuch a ſad, ſodain, deſtructive Convulſion, concuſsion (if not Subverſion) as I long ſince by Authority of Parliament diſcovered in Romes Master-piece, (and ſince that in My Speech in Parliament and Memento, well worth peruſal now) when ſo many known Jeſuits under a new Provincial (which Hugh Peters himſelf reported, as I have been credibly informed) are now even in London it ſelf, acting as buſily, and ſitting there in *See Oliver Cromwells Speech 1654. Sept. 4. p. 16, 17.Council as duely, as when the reclaimed Author of that diſcovery (purpoſely ſent from Rome for the purpoſes therein diſcovered) was reſident amongſt them. O that theſe profeſſed Enemies of our Church, Religion, Nation, and thoſe Janizaries of Rome, may xMat 13.25, 26, 27.not ſow their Tares of error, and ſeeds of ruine and deſolation amongſt us, whiles almoſt our whole Nation (for ought I can diſcern) if not thoſe who call themſelves Watch-men, are in a dead ſleep or Lethargy, and heaving at our moſt faithfull Ministers Maintenance and Callings too, in ſtead of enquiring after, diſcovering theſe Arch-traytots, and executing the good Laws againſt, and adminiſtring thoſe neceſſary Oaths of Supremacy, Allegiance and Abjuration unto them, to prevent thoſe treaſonable practices, deſtructive deſignes, miſeries, and that ruine to our Protestant Religion, Kings, Government, Governors, Laws, Parliaments, Church and Common-wealth, which the wiſe vigilant Proteſtant Parliaments of 13 Eliz. c. 1. 23 Eliz. c. 1. 27 Eliz. c. 2. 35 Eliz. c. 2. 1 Jac. c. 4. 3 Jac. 1, 2, 4, 5. 7 Jac. c. 6. with ſome hundreds of yExact Collection, p. 3, to 20, 498, 617, 698, 664, 665, 681, 491, 492, 816, 826, 827, 571, 635, 636, 918, 666. A Collection, p. 218, 227, 214, &c. 267, 275, 883, 309, 313, 354, 360, 363, 371, 379, 412, 417, 424, 429, 452, 457, 470, 489, 706. and elſewhere.printed Declarations, Ordinances, Remonſtrances of the Lords and Commons the laſt Parliament (and the good new Laws, Oaths they provided againſt thoſe Romiſh Vipers quite buried in Oblivion) have publiſhed, to allarm all drowſie, ſtupid, careleſs people; all lovers of God, their Religion, or Country againſt them, even at this very ſeaſon, when they and their confederates are (wittingly or ignorantly) over-turning, over-turning, over-turning, whatever is not yet totally ſubverted among us, and carrying on theſe their deſigns, to their full accompliſhment. If theſe my impotent undertakings, with a ſincere affection only to Gods glory, the real weal, ſafety, preſervation of our Religion, Miniſtry, Laws, Native Country, and zExact Collection p. 666. A Collection p. 218, 254, 363, 424, 706. which I deſire may be now ſeriouſly peruſed, together with my Romes Maſter-piece.all Protestant Churches (now indangered by their mutual diſcords, wars and Jeſuitical Emiſſaries to ſoment their inteſtine differences) may ſo far open the eyes of all Degrees in our Nation really fearing God, as aLuke 19.42▪to know in this their day the things which belong unto their peace and ſettlement, and move them efectually to purſue them, before they be hid from their eyes; I have all the reward I do expect, and ſhall bleſſe God for the good ſucceſſe. If any ſhall be offended with me, or it, and requite me only with envy, hatred, perſecution, new Oppreſſions, Bonds, cloſe Impriſonments, for well-doing and endeavouring any more publick good, for our tottering Church, Religion, Country; I ſhall b1 Pet. 2.23.commit my cauſe to God, which judgeth righteouſly, who hath ſo often cPſa. 37.5, 6.brought forth my righteouſneſs as the Light, and my judgement as the Noon day, to the ſhame and confuſion of my cauſeleſſe enemies: and ſhall carry this comfortable cordial within my breſt, to any Priſon, Pillory, Gibbet, Grave, that the malice or power of poor vapouring Mortals (who know not how ſoon dPſal. 7.16.their violent dealing may come down upon their own pates, as well as on my other potent adverſaries) ſhall be able to hurry me to, and aſcend triumphantly with it even to heaven it ſelf; that I have diſcharged that duty which God, Conſcience, Providence, the publick danger of our Miniſtry, Religion, Nation, and my ſacred Oaths, Proteſtation, Covenant, have engaged me unto. And eEſth. 4.16.if I periſh for it, I periſh; and in periſhing ſhall (by Gods aſſiſtance) depart with this Swan like, Saint-like Song of that eminent fEph. 3 1. & 4. 1. …hilem 9.23. 2 Tim. 1.8.Priſoner of Jeſus Chriſt (who was in g2 Cor. 11.23.Priſons more frequent, in Perils, Afflictions, Perſecutions often, as I have been for the faithfull diſcharging of my duty) I have h2 Tim 4.7, 8.fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the faith: henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteouſneſſe, which God the righteous judge ſhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them alſo which ſuffer for his truth, and love his appearing: which is the unſhaken conſtant faith, hope, expectation of thine, our Churches, Religions, Miniſters, Countries unmercenary faithfull Friend and Servant,
Swainſwick 2 Sep. 1653. William Prynne.
A GOSPEL PLEA, FOR THE Lawfullneſs and Continuance of the Antient ſetled Maintenance and Tithes of the Miniſters of the GOSPEL,
THE antient, neceſſary, competent maintenance of our Miniſters of the Goſpel ſetled on them by the Pietie, Bountie of our religious Chriſtian Kings and Anceſtors, (a)See Spelmanni Concil. Tom. 1. p. 308, 348.350.almoſt from the very firſt preaching and embracing of the Goſpel in this Iland, conſtantly enjoyed ever ſince, without any publick oppoſition, being in theſe times of a long-expected glorious reformation, and real propagation of the Goſpel, more audaciouſly oppugned, more impiouſly decried, declaimed, petitioned publickly againſt, and more ſacrilegiouſly invaded, detained, ſubſtracted, than in the very worſt, profaneſt of former ages; and that, not only by profeſſed enemies of the Miniſters and Miniſtery of the Goſpel, but by ſuch who pretend themſelves their friends, and the moſt precious Saints; who not yet ſatisfied with the late ſpoils, ſales of all our Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Cathedrals, Deanes, Chapters Lands and Revenues, (the fatteſt morſels of the Engliſh Clergie, tending rather to ſupport their Lordly Power, Pride, Pomp, Luxurie, than their true Goſpel Miniſtry) ingroſſed into Sword-mens and Lay-mens hands; doe now induſtriouſly, yea violently endeavour ſpeedily to deprive all our painfull, godly preaching Miniſters, of all their remaining, inconſiderable, ſcarce competent Maintenance by Tithes, Glebes, Oblations and other duties, (formerly ſetled on them, by long preſcription, by ſundry ſucceſſive Laws, Canons, and Acts of Parliaments, as well as late Ordinances, with ſufficient warrant even from Gods Word, Goſpel) and to leave them no other ſubſiſtence, encouragement, reward for all their labours in Gods harveſt, but the meer arbitrarie uncoercive Benevolence of the people, (who being generally profane, covetous, vicious, Sectarian, if not open enemies to all godly Miniſters, will not voluntarily contribute one farthing towards them, deſiring rather their room, ruine, than their companie or ſubſiſtence) and what they ſhall otherwiſe earn by their own labour, induſtrie in ſome other callings: It is high time for all ſincere Patrons, Friends of the Miniſters and Ministry of the Goſpel (now dangerouſly aſſaulted) publickly to appear in their behalf, and openly to vindicate, ſecure as well the Divine as Civil right of their yet remaining ancient, neceſſarie, establiſhed maintenance, againſt the clamorous cavils, petitions, and falſe abſurd Allegations of Sacrilegious, Covetous, Impious, Violent, (b)2 Theſ. 3.2Ʋnreaſonable, (c)Ezek. 21.31. Pſal. 92 6. Pſal. 94.8.Brutiſh men; to convince them of their errour and impietie herein; or elſe to ſhame, ſilence them for the future, and preſerve our preſent Miniſters, Miniſtry (and by conſequence our very Religion it ſelf, now more endangered than in any age ſince its firſt eſtabliſhment.) from impendent ruine. For which end, having not long ſince had ſome private diſcourſes with Souldiers concerning the lawfullneſs of our Miniſters Tithes and ſetled maintenance, during my late ſtrict cauſeleſs reſtraints under their armed Guards, and peruſing ſome ſhort Priſon notes, notions, upon that occaſion, of that ſubject lying by me, I thought fit to enlarge and reduce them to theſe enſuing Propoſitions, (wherein the whole controverſie, now publickly agitated touching our Miniſters Tithes and Livelihood, is compriſed) to make them publick, for the common good and ſatisfaction of thoſe who ſhall peruſe them, eſpecially Sword-men, whom I finde moſt violent againſt Tithes and Miniſters forced maintenance, truſting more (as I apprehend) to the length of their ſwords, than strength of their Arguments againſt them; which how weak they are, let all rational peruſers hereof reſolve.
The Propoſitions I ſhall here (through Gods aſſiſtance) make good, from the very Law, Word, and Goſpel of God, with all poſſible brevitie, (I truſt beyond all contradiction) are theſe,
1. That there is a juſt, competent, and comfortable Maintenance, due to all lawfull, painfull Preachers and Ministers of the Goſpell from the people, even by Divine right, inſtitution, and expreſs Texts, Precepts of the Goſpel.
2. That the maintenance of the Miniſters of the Goſpell (and of Places, Houſes for Gods publick worſhip) by Tithes, Glebes, Oblations (yea by ſpoils won in battel by Generals, Collonels, Captains, Souldiers) is not only lawfull, expedient, but the moſt fiting, rational, convenient Maintenance of all others, warranted by direct Preſidents, Precepts, both before, under the Law, and likewiſe by the Goſpel, which doth no wayes aboliſh, condemn, but approve, confirm this way of Maintenance.
3. That if Tithes and other Maintenance, formerly ſetled on our Ministers, be either wilfully with-held, or ſubſtracted from them by the people, in part or in whole; the Civil Magistrates may, yea ought by coercive Laws and Penalties to enforce the payment of them in due form and time, both by the Law of God, and Rules of Justice, without any injurie or oppreſſion to the detainers.
4. That our Ministers Tithes are really no burthen, grievance, oppreſſion to the people; but a charge, debt, dutie, as well as their Landlords Rents, or Merchants poundage. That the aboliſhing of them will be no real eaſe, gain, advantage to Farmers, L…ſſees, and the poorer ſort of people, as is falſely pretended, but only to rich Land-lords, and landed men; and a loſs, detriment to all others.
5. That the preſent Oppoſition and endevoured Abolition of Tithes and all other coercive Maintenance for Miniſters, proceeds not from any real grounds of Pietie, Conſcience, or any conſideble, real inconveniences, miſchiefs ariſing from them, but meerly from baſe, covetous, carnal hearts, want of Chriſtian love, charitie to, and profeſſed enmitie, hatred against the Ministers of the Goſpel; yea from a Jeſuitical, Papiſtical, Anabaptiſtical deſign to ſubvert, ruine our Miniſters, Church, Religion; the probable, if not neceſſary conſequence of this infernal Project, if it ſhould take effect; which would prove the eternal ſhame, infamie, ruine of our Nation, not its glory and benefit.