Exceptions Many and Just Against Two Injurious Petitions, Section 5
SECT. V.
THeir Negative objection anſwered, wee come to the Poſitive.
1. Againſt piety becauſe antichriſtian. Tithes are ſo many years Anticriſtian that they cannot in their originall be Antichriſtian. (i.e.) ſo long before Chriſt that they cannot be from his oppoſite who was ſince Chriſt.
2. Suppoſe the Pope to be Antichriſt (which diverſe late writers beſides Papiſts*The examiners of the Confeſſion of Faith of the Aſſembly Ch. 25. p. 274. &c though I make no doubt of it.) And Papiſts who make him their infallible Guide Antichriſtian, and we tooke the practice of Tithes Imediately from them, it will not follow thence that Tithes are Antichriſtin no more then that the old Teſtament was Jewiſh becauſe the Ancient Chriſtians had it from the Jewes, nor the old and new Teſtament both of them Popiſh becauſe we received the whole Bible from the papiſts, ſince it was an eſpeciall providence of God, to make them both keepers and deliverers of the ſame divine Word, by which their hereſies are confuted. 3. In Antichriſtian Doctors and Papiſts, we muſt diſtinguiſh betwixt that they deliver as men, as Ingenuous, Learned, and morall men, as Chriſtians, and as Antichriſtians: Firſt, as men they are endowed with the light of nature, and naturall Conſcience, which in a good meaſure, teacheth the difference betwixt good and evill, and inclineth to the choyce of the one, and eſchewing of the other, as we read Rom. 2.14.15. 2. As Learned and Morall men, they have been Authors of many profitable Bookes, of Hiſtories, and Tongues, and Arts, Philoſophy naturall and morall. 3. As Chriſtians, they acknowledge the Old and New Teſtament, and diverſe of them have made Learned Commentaries upon them. 4. As Antichriſtians, they maintaine many errors againſt the true faith of Chriſt. Now for Application of this diſtinction, though whatſoever cometh from a Papiſt, may before it be tried, be ſuſpected, yet what they doe or write, under the three former notions, is not ſimply to be denied or refuſed for their ſakes, but only what may be referred to the Fourth denomination. The want of this caution, Valentinus Gentilis leave*Quod eccleſiae reformatae adhuc in fide Trinitatis cum papiſtis convenirent B; llar. Praefat. in lib. de Chriſto Toms 1. p. 271 Geneva becauſe he found that they agreed with the Papiſts in the Doctrine of the Trinity, and the want of this diſtinction and Application, hath led many inconſiderate Chriſtians, both into the ſame and other dangerous errours in our daies. 4. It may be more Antichriſtian to deny Tithes, then either to demand or pay them, for as ſome hold, there is an Antichriſt in man*The examination of the confeſſion ch. 15. p. 178. & Ioſeph Salmon a member of the Army, in his Book of Antichriſt in man. Printed for Giles Corbet 1649. in 80 p. 4. and this Antichriſt, is the fleſhly wiſdome, the ſpirituall Serpent, that a man is deceived by the wiſdome of the fleſh, the Carnall policy of the Creature. Now no doubt this wiſdome and Policy, will diſpoſe the men of this World, to ſave their Tithes if they can, and to cavill, and put in all the rubbs and demurres they can, againſt paying of them, eſpecially if they be men who have lately purchaſed, and are now become owners of Lordſhips, who before our late Warres, would have been glad of a Tenantſhip in an ordinary Farme, this Antichriſt, will ſpurre up theſe to uſe all poſſible meanes they may, to have their Mannors Tith-free. There are another Sect of Antichriſtians newly ſprung up, a ſort of Familiſts, and Quakers, of whom ſome ſay,*Chriſto. Feake, Iohn Simpſon, Geor. Cockain, Lawrence Wiſe, in Epiſt. before the diſcovery of myſticall Antichriſt containing an examination of many Doctrines of the people called Quakers in York-ſhire, for Tho. Brewſter 1653. p. 42. They are farre worſe then thoſe groſſe and Popiſh Antichristians, who live in the midſt of Antichriſts Babiloniſh territories and dominions, theſe Antichriſtians doubtleſſe, agree with theſe Petitioners in condemning of Tithes, ſince they deny propriety and inequality of mens Eſtates in ſo much that ſome of them are not free to be Tenants to other men.