Tithe Robbers Discovered, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
ALl this calls for ſome ſpeedy means and remedies, to cure this Diſeaſe, to take away theſe Fraudes, Wrongs and Oppreſſions. Humble Propoſalls for the Propagation of the Goſpel, and touching the nature, lawfullneſſe, and right of tythes have been incourged and received, from meane perſons by the Higher Powers of late; for this cauſe of Miniſters maintenance is a Goſpel-cauſe, tending much to the Propagation thereof: It is a cauſe of publique Intereſt, which all men have ſome Intereſt in, and are bound to promote. Joſeph, though a ſlave in Egypt, made Propoſalls to a great King for the common good to keep off a Famine, and he found acceptance; I conceive the People-enſlaved Miniſters in England, have cauſe and inducements now to do the like, to keep off a ſpiritual famine, of the Word from all, and a temporal Famine, or want, from themſelves.
1 Propoſall. That no Tythe-payer may take, or cary away, any things tytheable before the Tythe-receiver have notice, when the things tytheable are ready to be tythed, ſo that the Tythe-receiver may ſee the tythes ſet out, if he will: if ſome expedient to this purpoſe, be not found out, the laws for tythes, or tytheing, are to litle purpoſe. Before the Parliament, when the Eccleſiaſticall Courts and Lawes were in being, tythes were juſtly paid: People durſt not carry away their tythes; or any part of them, unleſſe compounded for, or tythed out by the Tythe-receiver, or in his preſence, or in the preſence of his aſſigne, or ſervant, who rode about in harveſt, and asked the Tythe-payers to have the tythe ſet out, who, knowing the danger, if they were ſued in the Eccleſiaſticall Courts, and to prevent further trouble, would deal fairly & either bid the ſervant ſet out, & bough out the tythe himſelfe, or elſe appoint him to come at ſuch a time and ſee it ſet out: which ſeeing the tythe ſet out, by the Tythe-receiver, is a thing, juſt, reaſonable, and poſſible: The law ſhould be imp…rtiall to all parties; for them to ſee they have their owne, and to be at liberty to in joy it, when they will; The Tythe-payers ſee they have their owne, their nine parts, why ſhould not the Tythe-receiver, who is the other party in this cauſe, ſee he hath his owne, his tenth part or tythes, which are his propriety, and eſtate? It was one Propoſall of the Officers of the Army, in Auguſt 1652: That the Lawes which are unjuſt & unreaſonable ſhould be reformed: This is an unjuſt and unreaſonable defect in the recited Statute, for prediall tythes, paid in kinde, that one party ſhould ſee he hath his owne; the other having no power by law; to compel the Tythe-payer, to let him ſee he hath his own, his tythes; Is it not unjuſt, and unreaſonable, that one party ſhould divide and chooſe too, in the abſence of the other party? as I have ſaid, by law, none but the Tythe-payer hath to doe, to ſet out the tythes, and may doe it in the Tythe-receivers abſence: If there were money due to the Tythe-payer, or goods to be divided between him and another, would the Tythe-payer thinke he were juſtly dealt with, if he were hindered from ſeeing the money told, or the goods divided? would he thinke that payment good, and put up the money, not knowing it were the ſumme, that was due to him? Tythes are as due, as money upon a Bond: The Cuſtomers ſuffer not Merchants to lade or unlade their goods without their knowledge; They will know what cuſtome is due for them: Wayters are put a board to attend the Cuſtom, the Ship-men have no power to ſhift off thoſe wayters and lookers after Cuſtome, and in their abſence to convey away their goods, and pay what Cuſtome they liſt. The Cuſtomers will not leave it to the conſcience of thoſe that ſhould pay Cuſtome, or leave it to them to accompt, and pay what cuſtome they ſay is due, or are ready to prove, by witneſſes choſen by themſelves; The Cuſtomers have Wayters, and Witneſſes of their owne, to ſee that no goods be privately conveyed away, before the value, and dues for Cuſtome are known: But this intolerable charge of Tythe-waiters, or Lookers after tythes is in vaine, or may be in vaine, at the pleaſure of the Tythe-payers, who have by law, power in their hands to keepe the Tythe-receiver from ſeeing what the things tythe-able are, and what tythes are due, as hath been demonſtrated in Chap. 1. At this day in Ireland, the Tenant payes two rents for his corne, the one is the Land-lords-rent, the other Tythe-rent: The tenth ſheafe is paid for Tythe-rent, the third ſheafe for Land-lords-rent: The Tenant, that payes theſe two Rents, puts his corne firſt into a Reeke or heape in the corne field, where it grew, and when he carrieth away the reeke or heap, to his Hag-yard, or Stack-yard; He firſt ſends for the Tythe-receiver and Land-lord, or their aſſigne; He dares not carry a ſheafe, out of the field to his houſe, but firſt they ſee they have their due. They are not ſ…ffered to ſet cut theſe Rents themſelves, or before witneſſe of their own providing, as in England.
2 Propoſall It is humbly conceived that Doctor Gauden is a fit man to be conſulted with in this caſe: for that, he hath publiſhed lately a book intituled The Caſe of the Miniſters maintenance by tythes, in which he affirmeth, That he knows how to make that Maintenance, as quiet and caſie a Revenue as any in England.
3 Propoſall That where rates of tythes are paid for land, by the acre, or for houſes; The Rate-receiver may ſue at Common law, and may have power to meaſure the acres, and inforce the Land-lords or Tenants Leaſe in evidence: for who can ſwear the number of acres, but by admeaſuring the land?
4 Propoſall That a Law may be made for treble coſts, as there is for treble damages for prediall tythes ſubſtracted.
5 Propoſall That Miniſters heretofore put into ſequeſtred Livings may be taken into ſpeciall conſideration, and relieved by law, as Incumbents, according to the late Ordinance of his Highnes, the L. Protector, for Miniſters that ſhall hereafter be put into Sequeſtred Livings, & according to the Ordinance for the popagation of the Goſpel in Wales, wherby ſuch Miniſters are ſetled for life, as Incumbents, &c.
6 Propoſall That it may not be left arbitrary to Juſtices of Peace to act, or not to act for the reliefe of Miniſters in point of their maintenance.
7 Propoſall It is humbly deſired that ſome Order may be taken, how ſcandalous Pariſh-Blerks may be proceeded againſt and removed, and others put in their places, and receive the ancient dues: for ſome Pariſhes, for their owne ends, keepe in bad ones, and ſome Pariſhes will not chuſe or have any ſuch aſſiſtant to the Miniſter and people, whereby the publique worſhip is prejudiced: The Pariſhoners in the meane time keeping to themſelves the Ancient eſtabliſhed revenue of that aſſiſtant: And queſtionleſſe, (to ſave charges) would have no Miniſter alſo, if it were in their power.
To conclude, I doubt not, but the Lord of the Harveſt, that ſends Labourers into his Vine-yard, will direct The Higher Powers ſo to relieve his oppreſſed Miniſters, by law & juſtice, that they ſhall no longer cry out of violence, and ſpoile, fraud and wrong, acted againſt them, for want of Law and Juſtice; But that their maintenance ſhall no longer, no longer, be ſubject to ſuch ſharkings, and frauds: Then will Godly Miniſters be incouraged in the worke of the Lord (1 Chron. 31.4.) Then will their Labours be ſweetned; Then will Demetrius, Tythe-ſhort, and their fellow Crafts-men, be confounded, when they ſhall ſee, the hope of their unjuſt gain is gone: Then will the Devils Barns, be more empty; when the Tythe-robbers ſhall ceaſe their villanies, having no liberty, nor opportunity, to defraud, and ſteale: Then will the peoples cauſeleſſe Goſpel-hindering contentions with Miniſters, about their detaining Miniſters dues, ceaſe: when, by reaſon of Law, and Juſtice, they ſhall deſpaire of impunity, and gaine, but be certaine of loſſe by their iniquity, which iniquity ceaſing, contentions about it, will ceaſe: Then will not Godly Miniſters be any longer a Cheating-ſtocke, and thereby a diriſion, through poverty, ſordid neceſſity, and contempt thereby: Then will they live comfortably, and not only be given to Hoſpitality, but be really hoſpital, and be an example to their flocks, in works of charity: Then, may they educate their children liberally, and follow their ſtudies and callings quietly and conſtantly, without diſtraction about maintenance; Then, there is no doubt, but that faithfull Miniſters, being out of danger of revenge from ungodly people for their faithfulneſſe in their Miniſtery, will exerciſe their Miniſtery, according to duty, boldly, and impartially without fear, or flatery, or daubing for filthy lucre; and will be free from the bloud of all men: And then ſhall the Preſent Authority be truly ſtiled; The Miniſter-protecting, and Goſpel-propogating Authority, to all generations.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Culmer, Tithe Robbers Discovered (1655)