Tithe Robbers Discovered, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
IT is High-time then for the Chriſtian Magiſtrate to take this cauſe into ſpeedy conſider…ion for the ſuppreſſing of theſe cauſleſſe and wilfull oppreſſions, acted daily againſt Gods Miniſters: And although the diſcovery of the diſeaſe, the beholding of the man fallen amongſt thieves, be motive enough for compaſſion and relief: yet I ſhall lay down ſome further preſſing arguments for the ſpeeding of that righteous and pious work: to this end,
Firſt, conſider that pious Princes in all ages, have advanced the ſetled maintenance of Miniſters by ſtrict lawes, and impartiall juſtice, as Hiſtories ſhew; they left not men only to their own conſcience, and to the law of God; even of old, beſides Gods law, there were humane laws, for the certain maintenance of Miniſters (1 Chron. 31.4, 13. Nehem. 13.6.)
2 Conſider how many godly Miniſters have bin wearied out, and worried out, of late yeares, and have been neceſſiated to leave their places, and ſhift for themſelves to prevent their utter undoing, as in time of Deformation (Nehem. 13.10) They have ſpent their temporall eſtates, in ſpirituall livings, of a reall conſiderable value; but not ſo to them, by reaſon of theſe fraudes: Miniſters have ſpent more in Fifts, Tenths, Taxes, &c. then they received in all their Tythe-revenue, year after year: Some Miniſters of worth have been conſtrained to ſell their books to buy bread: Mr. Perkins in his Treatiſe of the Duty and Dignity of Miniſters, ſeems to propheſie of theſe times; The Ministery (ſaith he) for the maſt part yieleth nothing, but a plaine way to beggery; Divers Miniſters, who living frugally in places of 200 pound per annum, yet through theſe frauds and oppreſſions from the people, beſides taxes, Fift-parts, &c. died ſo poor, that they left their wives, and children, to the publique almes of the Pariſh: and Impropriators undone by theſe frauds, and conſtrained to yield up their leaſes: ſo that, if tythes continue to be paid, as formerly, without better law and juſtice for their recovery, eſpecially, ſeeing theſe frauds increaſe more and more daily, it is humbly conceived, that it were well to build Hoſpitals and Alms-houſes, in every Citie, & County, to harbour and relieve decayed and undone Miniſters and Impropriators, their wives, and children; and upon this accompt, conſider this oppreſſion and ruine is the more, by reaſon of the great, extraordinary charges to which Miniſters are put, now more then heretofore by providing ſo many ſervants, to looke after their tythes, in harveſt eſpecially; where two Tythe-lookers would ſerve the turn before the firſt Parliament, when the Eccleſiaſtical Courts were in power: now ten, nay twenty, nay a hundred are too few: whereby the Miniſter is at exceſſive charges, which eats up all his profits: Yet theſe many attendants cannot ſo attend the Tythe-payers, which will give no notice (though attended upon) when he will tythe, and carry his Corn; but he will finde a time to carry it away day or night, ſo, as none of thoſe ſervants ſhall know what tythe was due: ſo that, it had been better for the Tythe-receiver to have no Tythe-looker, but to leave all to the Tythe-payers unconſcionable conſcience which (in ſome) is as wide as their great Barns great door.
3 Conſider the crying ſin of Oppreſſion: If the wages of one labourer kept back a ſhort time cry, Deut. 14.14, 15 ô what a lowd noiſe do the cries of ſo many hundreds of Labourers in Gods Harveſt, make in the ears of the Lord of Hoſts, againſt theſe oppreſſors, and thoſe that have power to relieve theſe oppreſſed ones, and do not relieve them by Law and Juſtice.
4 Conſider that if authority be wanting in ſo neceſſary Laws, and due execution of Juſtice, they make the Nation guilty of ſuch ſins, as for want of good Lawes are practiſed: For God hath given authority to all Nations to make Laws for the obſervation of his Divine Laws, which if authority neglect to do, it ſins; and inferiours ſin in not following them with Petitions and Importunities, for the making of ſuch Laws; and this is one aim of this Treatiſe, and was the aim of the weighty Petitions, from many parts of the Nation, eſpecially from the Renowned City of London, Worceſter-ſhire, Hamp-ſhire, the Northern Churches, &c.
5 Conſider that Miniſters ſetled maintenance is their Propriety, as hath beene proved; Oh let not ſuch a preſident of taking away propriety be tolerated; leaſt it ruine all propriety: Tythes are ſaid to be Gods propriety in ſome reſpect, when thoſe that with-hold them are accuſed by God himſelfe; to be robbers of God (Mal. 3.8.) God gives them to his Miniſters, they are paid and payable to God, in his Miniſters. It was a part of the Declaration of the Parliament (Declarat. 10. Jan. 1642) that their ayme was to maintain propriety and the free paſſage of juſtice
6 Conſider Miniſters layings out are certain, for cloaths, food, &c. and for the Publique, for Firſt-fruits, Tenths, Taxes, Fifts, Reparations, &c. Theſe are required & forced from Miniſters by ſtrict law & juſtice; I have known Souldiers quartered on Miniſters, for their not paying Taxes, when the people had the Miniſters tythes ten times in value in their hands; And Miniſters in that caſe impriſoned, for not paying taxes, and ſequeſtred for fifts not paid, when their tythes were generally ſubſtracted, and are withheld to the value of more then a hundred pounds, inquire at Great-chart in Kent, &c. Oh what injuſtice is it to ſuffer them to be defrauded & thereby diſabled to diſcharge theſe duties! to command water, & let the fountain be taken away; to exact the full tale of brick, & not ſee ſtraw allowed, but what they can catch, ſcrape, rake and ſcramble for: if this ſhould continue, would it not be conſtrued a publique fraud? oh let it not be ſaid thy Princes are rebellious and companions of thieves, (Iſa. 1.24.) The crimes of perſons are grievous, but thoſe of a State are more grievous; The corruption of a member is not ſo grievous, as the corruption of the whole body: The greateſt Empires in the world without juſtice are but great tents of robbers.
7 Conſider that righteous lawes and impartiall juſtice, eſpecially for the reliefe of the oppreſſed, will protect and ſupport the Higher Powers, better then the ſword will do, and uphold all good mens Love and Aſſiſtance to thoſe Powers.
8 Conſider rhe times were very ſad to Godly Miniſters, under the long and late Tyrrany of the Prelats; it was but at the beginning of the Parliament, the Iron-teeth of theſe beaſts were knockt out, and the iron yoakes which they put upon Godly Miniſters, pulled off: it is very ſtrange the people ſhould take lawleſſe liberty preſently after, to put a Hogs-yoake on Miniſters necks, and to muzle the mouth of the Oxe until they have made an aſſe of him.
9 Conſider that this States Counſels, and Actions, in theſe deſtracted times have aimed at, and effected the reliefe of thouſands of oppreſſed ones, in the three Nations; the reliefe of Creditors and Debtors, by providing a remedy againſt all frauds in matters of debt whatſoever, reliefe againſt the frauds of Meale-men, &c. Godly Miniſters are the moſt oppreſſed party in this Common-wealth, none more vilified, moleſted, defrauded, impoveriſhed, then they. 10 Conſider Perſons engaged in the proſecution of the great work of theſe times, for the preſervation of religion and liberties ſhould be ſecured againſt the enmity and revenge of thoſe that maliciouſly, or ignorantly ſeek revenge on ſuch for their good affection; as hath beene done for well-affected Tenants againſt ill-affected Land-lords and for others, by the the Honourable Committee for Indempnities; The caſe of Godly well-affected Miniſters requires this protection and relief but where is it? they have been and ſtill are defrauded, perſecuted, ruined, for their good affection and zealous actings for the State, and for Reformation: eſpecially thoſe Miniſters that were ſent out, at the beginning of the Pa…liament, and did venture then all they had, even their lives, for the State and for reformation, and for that cauſe have hitherto ſuffered exceedingly from ſome people; eſpecialy by theſe frauds and oppreſſions, which the diſ-affected act againſt them, not only out of covetouſneſſe; but more out of revenge againſt ſuch Miniſters, that firſt oppoſed the Popiſh and Prelaticall ways, and brake the ice for Reformation; It is a grief to ſee how ſuch Miniſters, continuing all along cordiall to the State and to reformation, are little regarded or ſecured from wrong; notwithſtanding all their faithfullneſs and ſuffering, and eſpecially thoſe in ſequeſtred Livings, who beſides, their preſent want of relief by the Commitee for Plundered Miniſters, in point of maintenance, are ſubject, to every Patrons pleaſure at the death of the ſequeſtred Incumbent, to be turned out, as experience daily ſhews, being thruſt out of their ſequeſtred Livings, to the hardning, and triumph of profane, ignorant, and ſuperſtitious, ill affected people, who hate, and perſecute ſuch Miniſters, for their zeale for God & the State, their zeal for Gods houſe eats them up: They are devoured not only by the openly profane, and diſ-affected; but now alſo by thoſe, whoſe zeal eats up the houſe of God, and the Miniſters of God too: But the Chriſtian Magiſtrate, who is for the incouragement of them that do well, ſhould not ſuffer any to be diſcouraged, or to ſuffer in, or for well doing, but ſhould relieve and uphold them by his Authority againſt all oppoſition wrong, and perſecution, acted againſt them, for righteouſneſſe ſake: elſe ſuch mens lives are made bitter unto them.
11 Conſider, that for want of Law and Juſtice, to reſtrein this crying ſin of Oppreſſion, many ſouls periſh. The Devils Barns in Hell are filled, as full of the damned ſouls of thoſe, that have defrauded Gods Miniſters of their maintenance; as the Tythe-robbers Barns, Houſes, Purſes have bin, and are filled with unjuſt gain:
12 Conſider what a generation, and ſpawn of cheating unconſcionable men is propagated by theſe continued lawleſs frauds from father to ſon, from maſter to ſervant, who are ſo fleſhed with this conſtant, unjuſt gain, with impunity, that they proceed, not onelyonly in theſe frauds, but to other frauds and thieveries, by degrees, taking their riſe from Tythe-robbing; whereby the Countrey, eſpecially, is much tainted with this generation of vipers, that it is a rate thing to finde a plain-hearted down-right-honeſt-dealing-man: The beſt of many of them being as a briar, and the moſt righteous of them, ſharper then a thorn-hedge, as it was in the Prophet Micahs time, Micah 7.4.
13 Conſider what an unjuſt ſcandal is brought upon godly Miniſters, who ſhould be an example to their flocks; Such Miniſters are cryed up to have a Living of ſuch a certain revenue and value, and thereupon their Hoſpitality Liberality, &c. is expected, accordingly: which expectation thoſe Miniſters not being able to ſatiſfie; hereupon, they are ſcandalized and cryed up to be covetous, &c. and thereby the reputation of ſuch Miniſters is much prejudiced, to the great hinderance of the propagation of the Goſpel by them, and their Miniſtery: For though a Miniſters good conſcience be enough to himſelf; yet his good name is neceſſary for the people for their edification.
14 Conſider the duty of the Chriſtian Magiſtrate is to ſeek the wel-fare and proſperity of the Church above all other Intereſts, which welfare of the Church, conſiſts chiefly in the welfare of the Miniſtery thereof. The pious Magiſtrates of Iſrael, were very forward to uphold the ſetled Maintenance of Miniſters, (a Chron. 31.4. Nehem. 9.38. &. Chap. 10.1.) and the Scriptures ſhew that God would have Magiſtrates, to be nurſing fathers and nurſing mothers to the Churches of God, under the Goſpel, and bring their glory and honour to it: The Kings of the Iſles, amongſt others, are propheſied of, to do this, (Eſay 49.23. & 60.9, 10. Pſal. 72.10, 11. Revel. 22.24.) and how can this be done, but by Patronage, Laws, Statutes, Priviledges, Charters, &c. for the ſetling, upholding, countenancing of a liberal and certain Maintenance of Miniſters of the Church eſpecially?
15 The Declaration of Parliament of the eight of June 1649, Promiſeth a liberal and certain Maintenance of all Miniſters: I am affraid that the real ſettlement of that liberal and certain Maintenance, in all places of the Nation, out of the Church-Revenues, which were abuſed in mainteining Abbey-lubbers, &c. and thereupon alienated, hath been a ſin, which hath oried lowd againſt the Kings and Parliaments of this Land: For want of this ſettlement, the Gospel hath been hindred, and there hath been much guiltineſs of the blood of ſouls, which have periſhed for want of an able Miniſtery: The pious intent of thoſe that gave that Revenue to God and his Service, originally (though in an ignorant and ſuperſtitious way) hath bin ſacrilegiouſly abuſed; Their zeal and forwardneſs, The ſtones and timber out of the ruined Abbies, Palaces; and Houſes; and the ſtones out of the Lands belonging to Abbeys, Biſhopoicks, Deans and Chapters, will riſe up in judgement againſt us, If now, now in this golden time, and opportunity, this liberal and certain Maintenance for Miniſters, be not ſetled in all places of the Nation: It hath been obſerved by Hiſtories, that ſuppreſſing of Tyranny hath commonly brought in Anarchie; as it had almoſt accompliſhed at this time in this Nation; If the Levellers had prevailed, and the Government of the three Nations had not been ſetled: And as it is in the State, ſo in the Church, ſeldome any Reformation of Idolatry and Superſtition, without Sacriledge: I queſtion whether the Reformed Churches in other Nations, and the States there have not ſomething to repent of, upon this account of Sacriledge. It is obſerved, that the Jews, before their Babyloniſh captivity, were very Idolatrous: but afterwards, after their return, fell to be exceeding Sacrilegious, exchanged Idolatry for Sacriledge, (Mal. 3.8, & 9.)
16 Conſider the hindrance of the Propagation of the Goſpel, by the frauds, wrongs, and oppreſſions, acted againſt the Miniſters of the Goſpel. This ſad condition of the preſent ſetled Ministery, alienates the mindes of very hopeful Scholars from entring into the Miniſtery: Diſwades Parents from diſpoſing their ſons to that Calling? I heard a Scholar, at his Ordination in Black-Fryers lately, being asked why he entred upon that holy Profeſſion, Whether for Gods Glory, or for other reſpects? his anſwer was, that the times were ſuch, ſo ſad for Miniſters, that, that queſtion might have been ſpared; Seeing there was now nothing for Miniſters, that intended to be faithful to aime at, in undertaking that Holy Calling in theſe times, but only Gods glory. And experience tels us, daily experience, that upon this arbitrary power, which people have in many reſpects to illude the Laws, and to pay their tythes, in a great part, how, and to whom they pleaſe, according as Miniſters humour, and pleaſe them, or diſpleaſe them, the Goſpel, and Reformation is thereby much hindred: Miniſters thereupon muſt comply, or be undone, we ſee a woful compliance of many Miniſters, upon this account only, that Tythes may be well paid. They will hold in with all Tythe-payers, and give them content in all things, ſwear and tipple with them, to pleaſe and humour them; uphold Popiſh Holy-dayes, pray over the dead; above all, they are careful to adminiſter the Sacrament to all; though never ſo ignorant or ſcandalous: one and all, like Hogs at the trough; Come, and come all, ſaid a Miniſter, lately in the next Pariſh Church: and another neer me, after he had ſet up his Altar and Rails, ſaid openly in the Church, immediately before the Communion, Come all up hither to the Manger of your ſouls. And ſuch Miniſters, to comply upon this accompt, knowing the peoples lawleſs liberty about their Tythes, are very wary how they reprove or oppoſe their ſins, either publikely, or privately; I ſhall never forget what a godly Miniſter told me, touching a Non-reſident, for whom he preached at Milton in Kent: The Curate told the Non-reſident, that ſuch a chief man of the Pariſh prophaned the Sabbath exceedingly: Tuſh, ſaid the Non-reſident, Let him alone, he payes his Tythes well, if you meddle with him, he knows what he may do, to half undo me in my Tythes.
17 Conſider that unleſs the Maintenance of Miniſters be more certain, but continue arbitrary (in a manner) as the caſe now ſtands, there muſt of neceſſity follow thereupon an utter overthrow of a godly able Miniſtery, and thereby the ruine of the Goſpel it ſelf, for want of a certain, liberal Maintenance, for ſuch Miniſters: Mr. Stock (writing upon Mal. 3.) tells us, that Julian the Apoſtate ruined the Church more then any perſecuting Emperour before him, for they overtherw Miniſters only, but he overthrew the Miniſtery it ſelf, by taking away Tythes: and-thereby overthrew the worſhip of God; which is all one with a liberty left to people, to take away, or with-hold the Miniſters maintenance. Laſtly, conſider the bleſſing of God, that comes on thoſe that make conſcience of performing this Religious duty touching the maintenance of the Miniſters of God, whereby the worſhip of God is upheld (read Deut. 14.22, 23, 28, 27. & Chap. 16.12. Prov. 3.9, 10. Mal. 3.11, 12). Think of Abraham, the firſt Tythe-payer, as we have ſhewed before▪ God bleſſed him greatly, and he became great, and gave him flocks and herds, and ſilver and gold, &c. And Jacob the next Tythe-payer, we read of (Gen. 28.20.) God bleſſed [him and his poſterity, the children of Jacob, the children of Iſrael. And on the contrary, conſider the Curſe that follows the neglect of this duty, and the judgements of God upon thoſe that deal not faithful therein; Thoſe that neglected this duty were curſed with a curſe, they carried out much, and brought in little, (Mal. 3.12.) The holy Prophet Samuel ſpeaks of King Sauls taking the tenth of their ſeed, and of their Vineyards, and giving them to his officers and ſervants (1 Sam. 8.15.) what became of him and of all his? ruine, bloud, and deſtruction followed them. The cry of the oppreſſed ſervants of God comes up before God, who by this ſin eſpecially, is much provoked to wrath, and to poure out his judgments againſt Princes and people, even whole Nations, where Gods Miniſters are miſuſed, deſpiſed, oppreſſed: for this ſin God ſent againſt Iſrael the King of the Caldees, who ſlue their young-men with the ſword, &c. 2 Chron. 36.15. And what thinke we ſhall become of thoſe States, and private perſons, who take away, or ſuffer to be taken away, that maintenance of Gods miniſters? eſpecially, ſeeing there is a further obligation now upon us, to uphold and pay it: Becauſe men of ability have formerly, and of late, out of their piety, charity, and bounty freely given and legally ſetled Houſes, Lands and Tythes upon miniſters, out of their own proprieties and eſtates, which they lawfully might do; and moreover, when they did give, and ſettle that maintenance, they laid a curſe upon thoſe that ſhould take it away (as Hiſtories ſhew fully.) The Miſeries of Germany began (as we have before ſhewed) with the deniall of paying tythes: The Prince Elector Palatine took away tythes, which were ſo ſetled upon Miniſters; he tooke them away to maintain warres, he loſt all for neer thirty yeares together: the Chriſtian world is full of ſuch examples, and in this Nation in private families: I ſhall only mention the ſacrilegious practice of the late Biſhops here (Arch-biſhop Laud eſpecially) who hindered the maintenance of Godly Miniſters which was advanced by the buying in of Impropriations, which Godly people did purchaſe and beſtow for the maintenance of ſuch Miniſters: Thoſe Biſhops deſtroied that worke and perſecuted the Feoffees that were imployed in it, and had ruined them, had not the Parliament come on: (See the Hiſtorie of this, in the Hiſtorie of Archbiſhop Lauds Triall) But this was the threſhold of the Prelates ruine; they had a viall of wrath poured upon them, which makes them knaw their tongues for pain; They have ſince loſt all, Honours, Maintenance, &c,