Exceptions Many and Just Against Two Injurious Petitions, Section 12
SECT. XII.
There remaineth only one prudentiall motive more, beſides the common formality, And your Petitioners ſhall &c. And that is, Thus will your light breake forth as the Morning, and your righteouſneſſe ſhall goe before you.
ANSWERE.
HOw neceſſary it is, that the Parliament ſhould be, as we heare they are, much in prayer, and that all the well affected of the Nation, ſhould heartily pray for them, not only that no corrupt ends, and ſelfe intereſts of their own, may diſpoſe them to act otherwiſe, then according to the rule of truth and juſtice, but that they may not, by any importunity of ſubtle inſinuations, be ſwayed from their own ſyncerity, to ſerve the partiall and pernitious deſignes of other men, ſuch a one is that of the Petitioners, as not only againſt Tithes, but againſt all forced and conſtrained maintenance, whereby they plauſibly pretend, that it will be, a meanes to bring glory to God, a way to the welfare of the Common-wealth, that thereby it will be eſtabliſhed by Righteouſneſſe, and that then the light of the Parliament, if they uſe their ſerious endeavours to aboliſh Tithes, will breake forth as the Morning, and their Righteouſneſſe goe before them.
Before we believe any of this, we muſt believe the Jewes were not deceived, when they imputed their proſperity to their burning incence to the Queene of Heaven, & powring out Drinke-offerings to her. Jer. 44.16, 17. Whereas the truth was, for that wickedneſſe (as the Prophet tells them, from v. 22. to 26. of the ſame Chapter, all their calamities under which they groaned, came upon them. Wee know not then, how from ſuch injurious acts, as the Petitioners propoſe and plead for, to foretell ſuch faire and favourable effects as they promiſe, except as Micajah ſaid to Ahab in an Ironicall ſenſe, Goe againſt Ramoth Gilead and proſper. 1 Cron. 1.5. So the reſult of what hath been ſaid on both ſides in this matter, might be given up to the Parliament, as in a ſummary concluſion in this manner.
Though Pharaohs favour were ſuch to his Idolatrous Prieſts, that in a time of extraodinary dearth, he would not diminiſh their meanes, but made a reſerve or exeption of their Lands alone which were not alienated, as the Lands of his other Subjects Gen. 47. v. 21. Though the ſacrificing Prieſt of the old Teſtament had a liberall allowance alotted them by God, though the Apoſtle Paul in the New Teſtament held the Miniſters of the Goſpell, as worthy to be mainteined as the Miniſters of the La, and that it was but a ſmall matter v. 9. That they who ſow Spirituall things ſhould reape Carnall things though Popiſh Prieſts have Tithes paid nuto them, not only by their owne diſciples, but by the Proteſtants of France (albeit they alſo beare the charge of their owne orthodox Miniſters by giving them penſions) though in the time of the Prelates tithes were generally paid even to the Idle and ſcandalous Miniſters & that according to the Law of the Land (for Eaſter dues were not to be deteined from them, unleſſe upon a due and orderly conviction they were put out of office) though many of them rich and being qualified to hold plurality of Benefices with care of Soules, yet now, when the Miniſters bee neither Heatheniſh, Popiſh, nor Prelaticall, though you have ſo farre reformed them as to make them more entirely Incumbent upon their Spirituall employments by debarring them of the exerciſe of all civill offices, and now though the iniquity of the times by multiplicity of errors and hereſies makes more need of Learned and Orthodox Miniſters, and more worke for them which will put them to more charge of bookes to be furniſhed for that worke though they have done faithfull and profitable ſervice for the commonwwealth for which ſome of them have been paticularly thanked by the Councell of State, not withſtanding all this now take away the Tithes, and let them have nothing as they may claime as their Right to mainetaine them. And what you take from them beſtow upon thoſe who hate both you and them and thereby give the occaſion to inſult over their poverties who would not bow to a compliance with their ſuperſtitions or profaineſſe. Let them be ſpoiled of all they have that they be tempted to perplexed thoughts for their future proviſion what they ſhall eat or what they drinke, and wherewith they ſhall be clothed and to diſhoneſt ſhifts as the unjuſt Steward was and in the next generation (by inhumane perſecution worſe then Diocleſians) for want of meanes to feed the Miniſters, let there be want of Miniſters to feed the People. This ſhall make much to the glory of God for the Welfare, Peace and Preſervation and proſperity of this Nation. It ſhall bring in the bloody Iriſh Rebls, and the barbarous theeviſh Highlanders meekly ſubmit their necks to the yoake of the Engliſh Goverment then the greateſt Dutch men of warre ſhall be willing to ſtrike ſaile, to your ſmalleſt pinke or pinnace, yea and the High and Mighty Sates of the Netherlands ſhall come downe and begge conditions of peace at your hands, and be gladde to buy it at any rate you will be pleaſed to ſette upon it, then neither the French, nor the Dane, ſhall dare to affront you, or make any attempt againſt you by Land or by Sea, laſtly then thongh the reproach of your unrighteous dealing blaſt your Names with blackeſt defamie our Light ſhall breake forth as the Morning, and your Righteouſneſſe ſhall goe before you making way for your gratious acceptance before God and man.
This in effect though not in forme, is the equipollence of the Petitioners propoſe and promiſe in their Petition to the Parliament, which their wiſdome I doubt not, diſcernes too well to expect they ſhould proſper the better at home or abroad by any ſuch meanes as theſe Petitioners have projected.
They will ſay perhaps I have made their matter worſe then it is by mine aggrivation, for though Tithes and all conſtrayned maintenance be taken away the People ſhall not want Preachers for there be many will Preach for nothing. It may be ſo, and for ſome that will take that office upon them, and drive other Trades beſides their Preaching may be worth nothing, and yet I thinke they will not long hold out in that worke, at that rate the*Bucol Index Chron. ad An. 1535. p. 534. Jeſuits when they beganne to ſet up and to gaine cuſtomers, and credit, profeſſed they would both preach in Churches and teach in Schooles for nothing But when upon ſuch faire pretences they had put themſelves into acquaintance & employment they found a way of thriving in worldly wealth (time for time) above not only the Tithtaking Clergy but above all other religious orders of the Church of Rome, for in leſſe then 100 years they have increaſed from ten (their founderaPhil. Alegamb. Biliothec. Script. ſocietat. Jeſ. Statim poſt prefat. & cenſur. and nine more) of his brotherhood tobSee the progreſſe of Ignatius written by L. O. and Printed with S. Edw. Sands Europae Speculum An. 1632. p. 56. 11875 fellowes and 475 Colledges from the yeare 1534 or 1535 to the yeare 1632.
But if the Petition had been liable to ſo many exceptions as you have made againſt it, eſpecially for the principall part of it the aboliſhing of Tithes, the Petitioners had not received thankes from the Houſe by the Speaker as they did Saturday 16 of July. 1653 with this anſwer that the Houſe was in debate of the thing they Petitioned for (as Mercurius Politicus *Mercur. Politicus num. 163.hath reported both the preſenting and the acceptance of that Petition.
Anſ. It is the wiſdome of Parliament, and hath been their practice heretofore to receive Petitioners who complaine of oppreſſion, with patience and indulgence, for thereby they come to know the State of things better then otherwiſe they would doe, ſince complaints raiſe debates and debates beget votes and determinations which may ſtint the ſtrife. Secondly, their thanks is no argument of their approbation of the Petitioners Motion for they might thanke them for ſomewhat elſe as the former Parliament thanked the Petitioners of Kent, (mooving them againſt Tithes as theſe doe, but with more moderation and equity towards the Miniſters) for their former‖So in the reſolutions concerning the Alienati of Tithes forecited p. 15. ſervices and good affections to the Publique, promiſing to take their petition into conſideration in due time, and in the meane time rerequiring them to take care, that Tithes be paid according to Law, no leſſe was meant doubtleſſe by the preſent Parliament, though there were more hope given for ſpeedy deciſion of the doubt in queſtion becauſe it was in debate already, wherein the Lord direct them to ſuch a reſolution as may be moſt pleaſing to himſelfe, and moſt comfortable to thoſe who are truly Godly and moſt profitable for the propagation of the Goſpell, and for prevention of ſcandall to the Chriſtiā Religion profeſſed amongſt us.