CHAPTER I. Of the Divine Call into the Ministry.

ADAM consider'd as the Workmanship of the Lord, that unsearchable Architect, Master Builder, Former of all things, was truly Righteous, truly Holy, and was put into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it; Paradise that was his Store-house, was his Work-house also; blessed was he while under the Teaching of his Maker; but being brought thorow the Insinuations of the Serpent, to attend to his Teaching, he fell into the Region of the Shadow of Death, Death entred his Win­dows, [Page 4]as the Lord had said, and a World of Wickedness, as a hea­dy Current, streamed in.

Now as a signal Testimony of the Riches of Divine and Never-failing Love, the Everlasting Gospel was proclaimed and sounded in Adam's Ears, That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's Head, crush his Power, bring him under.

After that, in every Age and Generation the Lord called true and faithful Witnesses, and by the Influence and Virtue of the A­nointing qualified them, to bear testimony to his constant immuta­ble Loving-kindness, and against the Wickedness of the World, introduced by the Serpent, and to stir up men to look after, and wait for the Revelation and Manifestation of the blessed Seed, in whom the Families of the Earth should be blessed. Peter, an A­postle of the Lamb, bare record, saying, Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, 2 Pet. 1.21. So that the Te­stimonies of the Lord's Witnesses and Worthies in all Ages, were derived from the Sourse or Spring of Heavenly Abilities, the Spi­rit's In-dwellings; not from the strength of Acquired Natural Tongues. Arts, Sciences and Spoiling Philosophy: herein are ex­cluded all Testimonies and all Ministers made and brought forth by the Will of Man.

For the Confirmation of this a Cloud of Living Witnesses in the Scriptures of Truth is recorded.

Abel a Keeper of Sheep, thorow the Word of Faith he be­came Righteous, a Witness for the Lord in the Morning of the World; he and his Offering found Acceptance with the Lord, Gen. 4.2, 4. Hebr. 11.4.

Enech, called of God, by the Spirit, the Word of Prophecy, without which no true Prophet, nor Prophecy, Gen. 5.24. Hebr. 11.5. Jude 14, 15. Joel 2.28, 29.

Noah a Husbandman, Just, Perfect and Righteous; he walked with God; he was called of God to be a Preacher of Righteous­ness, made so without recourse to Heathen Arts and Sciences, Gen. 9.20. Gen. 6.9. Gen. 7.1. Hebr. 11.7. 2 Pet. 2.5.

Lot was a Just and a Righteous Man, called of the Lord to bear a Testimony against the World, 2 Pet. 2.7, 8.

Abraham the Friend of God, Isa. 41 8. was a Prophet, re­plenished with the Word of Prophecy, Gen. 20.7. he knew the [Page 5]immediate Call of God, Gen. 12.1. & 15.1. & 17.1. he was a Teacher in the Spirit, Gen. 18.17, 19. blessed thorough Obedi­ence, Gen. 22.18.

Moses was a Keeper of Sheep, Exod. 3.1. called of the Lord to the Work, whereunto he was appointed, Exod. 4.12. Numb. 12.6, 7, 8. a Man of God, Jos. 14.6. thorow the living Word he was made a Minister and a Prophet.

Joshua was called of God, Jos. 1.5. & 37. the Lord's Power and Presence with him and in him was the Rule he walked by.

Gad, David's Seer, was called of the Lord, he heard the Voice of the Lord, and obeyed the same, 1 Chron. 21.9, 10. 2 Sam. 24.11, 12.

Aaron, though excellently qualified, admirably indued with Gifts, yet he entered not upon the Priests Office, without the Call of God thereunto, Heb. 5.4. Exod. 28.1. when he and that Priesthood was instituted, not a word was mentioned of School Sciences, Natural Languages; he was no Intruder into the High-Priest's Office, but answered the Command of the Lord. Priests in the Latin Tongue are called Sacerdotes, because their Office was, Deo sacra dare, to Sacrifice to God, or because they were sacra dos, consecrated, and as it were severed from the rest of the People, and given up to God, as saith Ridley in his View of the Civil and Eccle­siastical Law.

Bezaleel and Aholiab were filled with the Spirit of God in Wis­dom, and in Understanding, and in Knowledge, and in all manner of Workmanship for the building of the Tabernacle, Exod. 31. implying, that such as in the Evangelical Dispensation are appointed for the building of the Spiritual Tabernacle, be they Sons or Daugh­ters, their Preparation and Qualification for that Work, is of the Lord, and not of Man.

Nathan the Prophet, was called of God, the Word of the Lord came unto him, 2 Sam. 7.4, 5. & 12.5. and David humbled him­self before him.

David a Keeper of Sheep, 2 Sam. 16.11, 12. a Man after God's own Heart, Acts 13.22. he was called of God, 2 Sam. 23.1, 2, &c. the Spirit of the Lord, the Word of Righteousness, was the Spring of his Ministry.

Saul, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied, [Page 6]1 Sam. 10. but turning from it, he went to the Dead, to a Witch, 1 Sam. 28. so became a Persecutor of David, 1 Sam. 19.1. losing his Head, it was sent into the Land of the Philistins, 1 Sam. 3.9. When it was scornfully demanded, Is Saul also among the Prophets? one answered, But who is their Father? As who should say, Pro­phecy comes not so much by Man's Teaching, as by God's, there­fore wonder not that Saul prophesies, though not bred a Schollar, 1 Sam. 10. Trap. on the Acts.

The Seventy Elders were called of God, without recourse to Heathen Education, Prophane Arts and Sciences, the Spirit, the Word of Prophecy came upon them, Numb. 11.

Eldad and Medad were called of the Lord, the Spirit of Pro­phecy came upon them, Numb. 11.26. &c. Joshua the Servant of Moses said, My Lord Moses forbid them: He said not, Stock, Stone, Imprison, Persecute, Beat them with Staves, Bibles, as the Language of many in our dayes have been, who would be ac­counted Ministers of the Gospel. Moses answered, Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord's People were Prophets, and that he would put his Spirit upon them. Here was a precious Frame of Spirit, Fervency for the Propagation of the Truth.

Samuel a Prophet, was called of God, contrary to the Will of Man, 1 Sam. 3.

Oded a Prophet was called of the Lord, 2 Chron. 28. his Testi­mony from the Mouth of the Lord was effectual.

Ah [...]jah the Prophet was called of the Lord, 1 Kings 11.29. & 14.26. If thou comest uncalled, God will say unto thee, Friend, how camest thou hither? The Calling is Null, if it have not the Living God for the Author and Caller. Wilson's Christian Dictionary.

Iddo the Seer was called of God, 2 Chron. 9.29.

Jehu the Prophet was called of the Lord, the Word of the Lord came unto him, 1 Kings 16.1.

Jahaziel a Prophet was called of the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, 2 Chron. 20.14, 15.

Elijah was called of the Lord, made a Prophet by the Living Word, 1 Kings 17.1, 2. his Testimony was against Ahab and Je­zebel for their Idolatry and worshipping of Images, for the which they persecuted him, calling him, A Troubler of Israel, 1 Kings 1.8.

Elisha a Plough man was called of God, 2 Kings 2.15. he re­proved [Page 7]the Idolatry of Priests and People in his Age; he cured Na­aman of his Leprosie, upon which Naaman testified, saying, I know that there is no God in all the Earth, but in Israel; Naaman offered him a Gift, and urged him to take it, but Elisha refused, shew­ing forth another manner of Spirit, than is in Man-made Mini­sters, who speak much the Horsleeches Language, Give, Give; 2 Kings 5.

Micajah, a Prophet called of the Lord, concerning whom the King of Israel said, I hate this Micajah, for he doth not prophesie good concerning me, but Evil: One advised Micajah, To speak well of the King, as the Four Hundred Prophets had done; Micajah an­swered, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak. 1 Kings 22. shewing forth another Spirit than is in Man­made Ministers, Men pleasers.

Huldah a Prophetess was called of the Lord, the living Word came to her, and she bare Testimony against the Backsliding and Ido­latry of that time, 2 Kings 22.

Shemaiah a Prophet, a Man of God, called of God, the Word of the Lord came to him, 1 Kings 12. 2 Chron. 12.

Azariah, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he preach­ed true, sound and wholsom Doctrine, 2 Chron. 15.

Hunani the Seer, in the Word of Prophecy reproved Asa King of Judah, for his Reliance upon the Arm of Flesh, and for his Non-reliance upon the living God; Asa imprisoned him for his Message, 2 Chron. 16.

Zechariah a Prophet was called of the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him; he reproved the People for that they forsook the Lord, saying, The Lord had forsaken them; for the which they conspired against him, and stoned him, 2 Chron. 24. Thus they that are in the Flesh, they swell against them that are in the Spirit.

Balaam was called of God, he heard his Voice, the Spirit of God came upon him, he prophesied of the coming of Christ; but by looking after Gifts and Rewards, he went astray, Numb. 22, 23, 24 Chapters.

Miriam a Prophetess was called of the Lord, Exod. 15. for Murmuring against Moses she became Leprous, and was shut out of the Camp seven dayes, Numb. 12.

Isaiah the Prophet was called of the Lord, Isa. 38.1. & 48.16. he bare Testimony against such Teachers as came by the Will of Man, saying, His Watchmen are blind, they are all igno­rant, they are all Dumb Dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber; yea, they are Greedy Dogs, which can ne­ver have enough; they all look to their own Way, every one for his Gain from his Quarter, Isa. 56.10, 11. Who are called of God now, they see and comprehend such as come by the Will of Man, who have nothing but what they receive from Schools and Colledges, Natural Tongues, Arts and Sciences, School-Divinity, to be the blind and ignorant Watchmen, seeking, yea, Extorting Gain from their Quarters, from their Parishes, watching for the Fleece more than for the Good of the Flock. Trap on the Corinthians saith, That Luther never found himself once tempted to Covetousness. Among Man-Made Ministers herein few are Lutherans.

Jeremiah was called of the Lord when a Child, without recourse to Heathen Education, Jer. 1. he said, Ah! Lord God, behold I cannot speak, for I am a Child: The Lord said, Say not, I am a Child; thou shalt go to all that I send thee; and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak: Here he is drawn from Man, to the Mouth of the Lord. I will give you Pastors according to mine Heart (saith the Lord) which shall feed you with Knowledge and Ʋnderstanding, Jer. [...].15. Such Teachers are of the Lord's giving, not of Man's sending. He reproved their great Corruption, as in the Civil, so in the Ecclesiast [...]cal State, saying, A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land, the Prophets prophesie falsly, and the Priests bear rule by their Means, and my People love to have it so, Jer. 5.30, 31. In the Light of Truth such as these are found out.

Again, He testified against such as ran and were not sent, saying, They make you Vain; they speak a Vision of their own Heart, and not out of the Mouth of the Lord; I have not sent these Prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied: but if they had stood in my Counsel, and had caused my People to hear my Words, then they should have turned them from their Evil Way, and from the Evil of their Doings, Jer. 23. In the Prophetical Dispensation such as ran for Self-ends, not being sent of the Lord, the Prophet's Te­st [...]mony was against them: for his Testimony the People stroke [Page 9]him, stocked him, imprisoned him, and sorely persecuted him: The same is fulfilled in our dayes.

Ezekiel was called of the Lord, chap. 1. he bare Testimony against such as came by the will of Man, without a heavenly Call; he prophesied, That the Lord would deliver his Flock from the Mouth of such, and set up One Shepherd, who should feed them: This one Shepherd is known, and the Shepherds that mind the Fleece more than the Flock are turned from, Ezek. 34.

Daniel, through the virtue and influence of the living Word was made a Prophet; he fore-saw the Messiah: and his Kingdom, and how the Saints should take his Kingdom; and of the [...]ishing of Transgression, and of the putting an End to Sin, and of making Re­conciliation for Iniquity, and of bringing in Everlasting Righ­teousness.

Hosea was called of the Lord, the Word of the Lord came unto him, cap. 1.1. he bare Testimony against prophane Priests; saying, My People are destroyed for lack of Knowledge; because thou hast re­jected Knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no Priest un­to me, Hos. 4. And as Troops of Robbers wait for a man, so the Company of Priests Murder in the Way by Consent, for they commit Lewdness, Hos. 6.9.

Joel the Prophet was called of the Lord, Joel 1.1. he prophesied of the Glory of the Evangelical Dispensation, saying, It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh; your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesie, your old men shall dream Dreams, your young men shall see Visions; and upon the Servants and Hand-maids, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, Joel 2.28, 29. So 'tis the Spirit of the Lord that enables to Pray, to Preach, to Prophesie, to bear a faithful Testimony for the Lord; not acquired Heathen Arts, Sciences, and natural Tongues.

Amos, a Herds-man, and a Gatheres of Sicomore Fruit, was called of the Lord to be a Prophet, Amos 1.1. he rebuked Israel, for that they would have had the Lords Prophets silent, Amos 2.12. Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou Seer, flee into the Land of Judah, there eat Bread, and Prophesie there; but Prophesie not any more a [...] Bethel, for it is the Kings Chappel, and it is the Kings Court, Amos 7. Thus he who had the Letter, without the Spirit, would have limit­ted him that was in the Spirit, the Key which opens, and no man [Page 10]can shut: And how man-made Ministers now, and others, in the Will of the Flesh, have and do labour to stop the Testimony of Truth, because not born by Artists, Logicians, Philosophers; I need say little.

Obadiah was called of the Lord, contrary to the Will of Man, cap. 1.1. he prophesied, That Saviours should come upon Mount Zion, to judge the Mount of Esau, and the Kingdom should be the Lords, vers. 21.

Jonah was called of the Lord; the Word of the Lord came unto him, That he should preach Repentance unto Nineveh; but consulting with Flesh and blood, he steared his course to Tarshish; a great Fish swallowed him up; through Repentance he was delivered, and sent to preach Repentance to Nineveh, Jonah 1, 2, & 3. chap.

Micah was called of the Lord, cap. 1.1. he bare Testimony against such as came by the Will of man; saying, Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People Err, and cry, Peace, Peace; and he that puts not into their Mouthes, they prepare War against him: In the Living Word that came to Micah, such Teachers are now seen, preparing War against them that put not into their Mouthes, that refuse to give them Tythe, Easter-reckonings, Mid­summer-dues, Martin-Mass-Calves, Mortuaries, Reek-pennies, such they Sue, recover Tribble Damages, Imprison; what spoil is made on this account, very many Parishes in England affords Ex­amples. The Sun was gone down over such Prophets, yea, Night was upon them, and they had no Vision nor Answer of God, Micah 3.5, 6, 7. Now such as deny Revelation and Vision, the Sun is gone down unto them, Night is upon them. Further saith Micah, The Heads judge for Rewards, and the Priests teach for Hire, the Prophets divine for Money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? Micah 3.11. In the same Spirit now revealed, such are now seen.

Nahum was called of the Lord, cap. 1.1. he spake of slumber­ing Shepherds, cap. 3.18. In the Soul-quickning, Life-restoring Word, such Slumberers and Sleepers are now seen, who are not kept waking to Righteousness, nor vigilant for the good of their Flocks.

Habakkuk was called of the Lord, cap. 1.1. he prophesied of a comfortable Dispensation, of the scattering of the Exhalations of [Page 11]Darkness and Ignorance; saying, The Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Glory of the Lord, as Waters cover the Sea, cap. 2.14.

Zaphaniah was called of the Lord, cap. 1.1. he testified, That the Lord would cut off the Names of the Chemarims, that is, Black coats, with the Priests, Zeph. 1.4. He said of Jerusalem, That her Prophets were Light and Treacherous Persons; that her Priests had polluted the Sanctuary, and had done Violence to the Law, cap. 3.4. Such as have no Call but of man, will be found guilty hereof.

Haggai was called of the Lord, he cryed out, saying, Is it time for you to dwell in your Ceiled Houses, and this House lie waste? cap. 1. Such are in Transgression, who dwell in their own, who cover them­selves with the black Curtain of Self, and natural Endowments, and neglect the Dispensation of God, where the building of the true Temple is.

Zechariah was called of the Lord, cap. 1.1. he bare Testimony against such as ran unsent; saying, Wo to the Idol Shepherd that lea­veth the Flock; the Sword shall be upon his Arm, and upon his Right Eye; his Arm shall be clean dryed up, and his right Eye shall be utter­ly darkned, cap. 11.17.

Malachi was called of the Lord, cap. 1.1. he reproved the Priests for neglecting the Covenant, cap. 2.1, 2. as man made Mi­nisters now are justly reproveable for neglecting the new Covenant, the Law written in the Heart, the Spirit put in the inward Parts, the great blessing of the Evangelical Dispensation.

John the Baptist was called of the Lord, without recourse to Heathen Arts and Sciences, spoiling Philosophy, Luke 1.15. Luke 3.1, 2.

Christ Jesus, the End of the Law, the End of the Prophets, in his prepared Body, called not the Wise and Prudent, Painted Ora­ters, Subtil Sophisters, Crafty Logicians and spoiling Philosophers, but weak and contemptible Instruments, as unlearned Fisher-men to preach the Everlasting Gospel, that they might be in him, what they were, that they might be Work-men solely and wholely, thorow his Power, Virtue and Influence; not thorow acquired Arts, Parts and Sciences, Mat. 4.18, &c.

Christ sent not Orators (saith Augustin) to work upon Fisher-men, [Page 12] Andrew and others, but by these Fisher-men he reduced Kings and Emperors to the saving Knowledge of the Truth.

Omnipotency being Agent, faith one, it matters nothing what like the Instrument be.

Of Fisher-men he made them Fishers of men; they came to the Discipleship to learn of Christ, before they came to the Apostleship to be Preachers of Christ; they were taught and caught by him, before they taught and caught others.

Unlearned Fishermen, saith Jerom, are sent to preach, that the Faith of Believers may not be thought to be gotten by the Power of man, but by the Teaching of God.

Christ sent his Apostles (saith Chrysostom) as the Sun sends out his Rayes, as the Rose sends out its sweet Odour, as the Fire dis­perses its Sparks.

If you do not firmly believe, saith Zuinglius, that you may be taught of God, without the teachings of men, you are without true Faith, De veritate verbi.

Christ said unto his Disciples, Pray the Lord of the Harvest, that he will send forth Labourers into his Harvest, Mat. 9.38. He bad them not have recourse unto Schools and Colledges, to natural Languages, Arts and Sciences, but to the Lord of the Harvest; no other Fountain nor Well-spring he commended them to, but to the Lord of the Harvest: So the qualifying and sending of Gospel Mi­nisters is the Lords Prerogative Royal.

Fulke, Augustin, Marlorat, Poole, Bishop Jewel, and many more which might be mentioned, say on this Scripture, That Mini­sters of the Gospel are sent of the Lord, and are furnished and qua­lified by him for that Work, and that all others are Intruders; as Christ sent the Twelve, so he sent the Seventy, Luke 10. He said to his Disciples, As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you, John 20.21.

Bishop Ʋsher in Vindication of the Waldenses, by way of Apology said, God did chuse Fishermen, that so he might not give his Glory to another; the little Ones that asked Bread, received the same; but the Learned being busied about vain Contentions and Disputations were sent empty away.

Further, Christ after his Resurrection bad his Disciples, Wait [Page 13]for the Promise of the Father; saying, Ye shall receive Power, after that the holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be Witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the outermost part of the Earth, Acts 1.4, 8. So that their Witness-bearing was an Effect of the Lords heavenly Appearance in them and among them; And who run without this, relying on their stock of Natural Tongues, Heathen Arts and Sciences, they will be found false Witnesses.

Without the concurrence of Spiritual Aid, saith Spark, the King's Chapline, the rarest Orators are but as sounding Brass and tinkling Cimbals.

Christ's Disciples were unlearned men, but he gifted them, and made them learned in Spiritual Learning, before he sent them a­broad, insomuch that the Rulers, Elders, Scribes, High Priest, &c. marvelled at the boldness of Peter and John, perceiving that they were unlearned and ignorant men; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus, Acts 4.13.

As Bishop Jewel said of Councils, God is able, not only with­out Councils, but also against Councils, both to defend and to en­large his Kingdom, in Apol. So I say, Christ the same yesterday, to day and forever, is able to qualifie and accomplish, and doth qua­lifie and accomplish for the Ministry, such as are his Ministers, without sending them to the bitter Waters of Heathen Wisdom, Heathen Learning: 'Tis Heathen, not Christian Education I speak against.

Further, the Apostles chusing seven Deacons, we read not that they enquired for men profound in Heathen Arts and Sciences, but for men of Honest Report, full of the holy Ghost and Wisdom, Acts 6.3. So that the holy Spirit only qualified for that Work.

Paul was called of the Lord for the Gospel Ministry: While un­touched with the Finger of Heaven, his Recourse was unto the High Priest, to receive Commission from him; but after the hea­venly Touch, his Cry was, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Acts 9. While he had nothing but what he received at the Feet of Gamaliel, he ran a fierce Carreer, saith one, to the zenith of Persecution; at length a heavenly Siste gradum Saule, caused him to run Retrograde; and in his Apology before King Agrippa, he ascribes his Call, not to Gamaliel, but to the Lord, Acts 26. Acts 20. Gal. 1. 2 Cor. 3.5, 6. A Call, saith Aug. Marl. cannot be lawfull, except it be of God.

As for Bishops; Gospel-Bishops, they are called of the Lord; therefore Paul said, Take heed to your selves, and to all the Flock, over the which the holy Spirit hath made you Over-seers, that is, Bi­shops, Acts 20.28. They are made such, truly such, by the holy Spirit; Aug. Marl. testifies the very same. Now if any bear that Name, or pretend that Office, without the Spirit, such are Apos­copi, saith Espeusaus, rather than Episcopi, By-seers, rather than Over-seers.

Further, Paul called of the Lord, bare this Testimony, saying, How shall they preach, except they be sent? Rom. 10.15. Aug. Marl. said on this place, This is spoken against them who go to the Ministry without a Call, who run, not being sent; hereupon they do no good; what they do, 'tis for their Belleys sake, not for the Glory of God. Poole on the same place, speaks to the same purpose.

Further, Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians, said, When he as­cended up on High, he led Captivity Captive, and gave Gifts unto men; and he gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evan­gelists, and some Pastors and Teachers; for the Perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Ministry, Ephes. 4. So that Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, Bishops, Elders, Dea­cons, as truly such, are qualified by the Gift of the Lord, not by Natural Tongues, Heathen Arts, Sciences, Endowments, Accom­plishments; though Tongues may be, and are useful in their place: Gave Gifts to men, saith the Apostle; the Hebrew Psalmist hath it, Psal. 68.18. Thou received Gifts for men: Christ received them, that he might give them. Gave Gifts to men; the Psalmist adds, Even to the Rebellious: The Rebellious have a Gift to lead them out of the state of Rebellion, or to leave them inexcusable, if they con­tinue therein.

Paul to Timothy and Titus, setting down the required Qualifica­tions of Bishops and Deacons, mentions no Mathematicks, Logicks, Spoiling Philosophy, but Gravity, Blamelesness, Sobriety, Justice, Holiness, Temperance, &c. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.

Were such men taken into holy Orders, saith the Author of the Book called, The Naked Truth, and constituted Pastors, the Church of Christ would be better edified, though Plato, Aris­totle, Euclid, Scotus, Aquinas, were never known to them; the [Page 15] holy Sciptures are able to make wise unto Salvation, through Faith in Christ Jesus: If so, why are Heathen Philosophers so much doted upon? And all Scripture is given by the Inspiration of God; and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in Righteousness, that the man of God may be Perfect, throughly furnished unto every good Work, 2 Tim. 3. Mark, throughly furnished, with­out Logick, Spoiling Philosophy, Pagan Ethicks, Physicks, Meta­physicks, School-Divinity: If throughly furnished without these, what need of these?

The Ministerial Office may be better performed, saith the Au­thor, by Grave and Conscientious men, though they never saw Uni­versity, nor know any Language, but their Mother-Tongue, than by any Aristotelist, Scotist, Aquinatist, with their knacks of Quiddities, Qualities, Syllogisms, Enthimems, Distinctions & Subsumptions, &c.

Were such Grave and Conscientious Persons, saith this Author, admitted into the Ministry, as the Apostles ordained, such Preach­ing set up as they practised, and all other decryed, then Thousands in the Nations would preach the Gospel for Conscience sake.

Paul speaking of the Aaronical Priesthood, said, No man taketh this Honour to himself, but he that is called of God, as Aaron was, Heb. 5.4. Aaron was not to execute the Priests Office, till called of God; he was to be anointed with Oyl, to have a Breast-plate, and the Ʋrim and Thummim in it, a Girdle, &c. Exod. 28. With­out these he was not to Minister, a Type of Christ, and of the Evangelical Ministry, fulfilled in the Substance, Christ Jesus, a Kingdom of Priests, a Royal Priesthood, into which no man is to intrude, nor pretend, till called of God, furnished with the hea­venly Anointing, Breast-plate of Righteousness, Urim and Thummim, Light and Perfection, Girdle of Truth, &c. Such as deny an Imme­diate Call, and confess they have not the Apostles Spirit, they want their Armour, their Breast-plate, they plead against their Urim and Thummim, Light and Perfection: so are man-made Ministers ex­cluded from the Call of the Aaronical Priesthood, the Type, and of Christ, the Substance, and of the Evangelical Ministry.

The Call of God, saith Aug. Marlorat, on this place, makes a Lawful Office; this was common to Christ & Aaron, for God call'd them both.

Let such (saith one) as run before they be sent, with their Dead, Carnal, Formal Worship and Erronious Doctrines, remember [Page 16] Nadab and Abihu, with their strange Fire, such as was not sent down from Heaven, Lev. 10. Core and his Complices with their dismal Usurpations, Numb. 16. Ʋzza with his exemplary Punish­ment, 1 Chron. 13.

The Lord commanded, That such of the Sons of Aaron as had Blemishes and Corporal Deformities, should not execute the Priests Of­fi [...]e, Lev. 21. Implying, that Gospel Ministers should be freed from Spiritual Blemishes, the Defilements of Sin, Iniquity, Su­perstition and Idolatry; whom the Lord calls to be his Witnesses, he reconcils them to himself, and cleanses them from the Defilements of Body, Soul and Spirit.

The legal Priest was not to be blind, but was to have his Eye-sight; implying, that Gospel Ministers, anointed with heavenly Eye-salve, are Quick-sighted, not Blind, but Openers of Blind Eyes: 'Tis said of Hagar, That God opened her Eyes, and she saw a Well of Water, Gen. 21. So the Lord opens the Eyes of his Wit­nesses▪ to see the Well of the Water of Life, and to feel its comfort­able Virtue; so they cannot but invite others thereunto, and that Freely; and blind Watch-men are offended, such as have no Call, but from Man, commended thereto through Natural Tongues, Heathen Arts and Sciences: These are Blind, not Gospel Mi­nisters.

The legal Priest was not to be Lame, Lameness was prohibited; Gospel Ministers are not Spiritually Lame, They run without Weari­ness, walk without Fainting; but Man made Ministers are in Spiri­tual Lameness, not knowing the use of that Foot that leads to Life; these halt in the Way: How can they say, as Paul, that ex­cellent Way-guide said, Be ye Followers of me, even as I also am of Christ? 1 Cor. 11. And walk as you have us for an Example, Phil. 3.17.

The legal Priest was not to have a flat Nose, such as have their Olfactory Nerve, is often obstructed, so that they are void of the sense of Savour: Gospel Ministers, called of the Lord, they savour the things of the Lord, they savour the Sweetness of Christ's good Oyntment, and are refreshed thereby; but Man made Ministers, through a spiritual Obstruction, they savour not the Things of God, but their Understandings are so darkned and depraved, as that they call Evil Good, and Good Evil; and put Darkness for Light, and [Page 17]Light for Darkness; and put Bitter for Sweet, and Sweet for Bitter, Isa. 5.20.

The legal Priest was not to have any thing Superfluous, Excess in Number, Quantity or Quality; implying, that such as are truly called to the Evangelical Ministry, to the Gospel Dispensation, what they are, they are in the Lord, New Creatures; Old Things are put off, all things are become New. James admonished the scat­tered Tribes, To lay apart all Filthiness, and Superfluity of Naugh­tiness, and to receive with Meekness the Engrafted Word, which was able to save their Souls, James 1.21.

The legal Priest was not to be broken Footed, nor broken Hand­ed. What implies this? That such as are truly called into the Go­spel Ministry, they are Sound Footed and Handed; the Foot of their Mind keeps in Sions Way, it breaks not off from the Way of God, it keeps in the Path of Judgment; their Hands handle the Word of Life; but such as have no Call, but of man, they are Re­volters, broken off from the Path of Life.

The legal Priest was not to be Crook-Backt: What implies this, but that Gospel Ministers, made so, contrary to the Will of Man, are not pressed down with the weight and burden of worldly Cares? Now, what but the World, its Pleasures, Profits, Lucre, Gain, Advantages and Preferments is in the Eye of Man made Ministers?

The legal Priest was not to be a Dwarf, of small Bodily stature; implying, That the Ministers of the Gospel, impowered from above, must not be stinted in spiritual Growth, not Novices of low stature in the saving Truth, but grow like the Palm Tree, Tall, Upright, always Green, Flourishing, Fruitful in spiritual Growth, always tending Heaven-ward, till they attain unto the measure of the stature of the Fulness of Christ, Ephes. 4. But such as are called by the will of Man, and stand therein, they are strangers to the first Principle of pure Religion, not so far as the Novice, or young Schollar's state; so no Ministers of Christ.

The legal Priest was not to have a Blemish in his Eye, whereby his sight might be diminished or depraved; implying, That the Evangelical Witnesses, whose Eyes are anointed with spiritual Eye-salve, grow up in clearness of Understanding, for their comfortable walking with God, and for bringing of others into the Path of the Ransomed; but Man made Ministers may be exquisite in Tongues, [Page 18]Arts, Histories, Civil and Ecclesiastical, Councils, Fathers, School­men, yet spiritually blind.

The legal Priest was not to be Scorbutical nor Scabbed, wherein the Peccant humor of corrupt Blood so abounded, that it brake out and deformed the Flesh; this rendred a man uncapable of discharg­ing the Priests Office: What implies this, but that the Gospel Ministers should through the Power, Virtue and Influence of the Cross of Christ know the Flesh Crucified, with the Affections and Lusts thereof, and lift up pure Hearts and clean Hands without wa­vering and doubting? but such as have no Qualification, but from Man, from Natural Tongues, Arts, Sciences, Pagan Metaphy­sicks, the Virtue of the Cross not being known, Flesh ruling with­in, manifests it self without.

The legal Priest was not to be Concussus testiculo, that is, have his Stones broken; this Imperfection unqualified the Sons of Aaron, dis-inabled them from executing the Priests Office: This implies, that the Lord's Witnesses under the Evangelical Dispensation, should be enabled to beget others into the healing Power of the Living God. Paul told the Corinthians, saying, In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel, 1 Cor. 4.15. Phil. 10. Now Man made Ministers beget others into dry, partched, sandy Forms, without Power, and persecute others for Non-Compliance there­unto.

Peter the Apostle gave a pregnant and lively Testimony for a Di­vine and Immediate Call, saying, As every man hath received the Gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God, 1 Pet. 4.10. So Gospel Ministers minister out of the Treasure of God's Gift; not from a stock acquired by Natural Languages, Arts and Sciences.

Further, saith Peter, If any man speak, let him speak as the Oracles of God: If any man minister, let him do it, as of the Ability which God giveth, vers. 11. So that the true Ministry proceeds from the Spring of divine Ability; not from the muddy Lake of acquired Pagan Arts, Parts and Endowments.

Nothing conduces more, saith Aug. Marl. on this place, to cor­rect Murmurings, then in considering that we minister not of our own, but what the Lord hath given us.

Further, 'tis said, I will give Power unto my two Witnesses, and [Page 19]they shall Prophesie a Thousand Two Hundred and Threescore Dayes clothed in Sackcloth, Rev. 11.3. Gospel Ministers, saith Pareus on this place, who are the Lords Witnesses, are impowered and qua­lified by the Lord, for the Performance and Discharge of their Work.

After three dayes and a half, the Time of the Beasts Reign, that ascended out of the Bottomless Pit, and Locusts coming out of the Smoke, Anti-christian Teachers bred and qualified in the Smoke of humane Wisdom, Spoiling Philosophy, Unsavory School Divini­ty, whereby Kindreds, Tongues and People are made Drunk. I say, after the Reign of the Beast, and of the Locusts, Antichrist and his Man made Ministry, John fore-tells the Restoration of Wit­nesses, and of their Call to the Ministry; saying, The Spirit of Life from God entred into them, Rev. 11.11. So that the Succes­sion of true Witnesses of the true Ministry, after the Apostacy, shall be through the Operation of the Spirit; not through the Smoke of the Pit, Spoiling Philosophy, School Divinity; and through the Operation of the Finger of the Antient of Dayes, The Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall Reign forever and ever, Rev. 11.15.

So that the Spirit of Life entring into men, after the Beast and his Locusts, Anti-christ and his Ministers have had their Day, is to be the only Qualifier for the Evangelical Dispensation. Most of the Ministers among the Waldenses were Trades-men, as Merchants, Fisher-men, Taylors, Shoe-makers, Husband-men; and these Wal­denses, antient Pratestants, Witnesses against the apostatised Roman Church, bare Testimony, That it were lawful for any to Preach, who were called of God: Though Strangers to Natural Tongues, Arts, Sciences, Philosophy, such the living God is raising up to stand on their Feet, and they must bear their Testimony in order to Season, and rectifie the Nations; though by the Sons of Belial, under the Delusion of Anti-christ, they be branded as Anti-magi­stratical and Anti-ministerial, and Persecuted.

CAP. II. Of a Humane Call into the Ministry.

WHile the Primitive Faith was kept, the Ministers of the Gospel were Stars in Heaven, shining as Stars through purity of Doctrine, and heavenly Spotless Coversation; while Stars in Heaven, fixt in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus, they had the hea­venly Key, letting them into the royal Court of the Lords Pre­sence; they entertained no Wisdom in Church or School, but what was Heavenly, no Call into the Ministry, but what was Divine, Immediate, contrary to the Will of Man: Holy men of God, as Peter said, spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost: Yea, and these in the Life of Righteousness, Power of Godliness, saw such as got the Letter without the Spirit, the Scriptures without the Power, and bare Testimony against them to be false Teachers, Antichrists, Preaching for filthy Lucre, Gifts and Rewards. Yea; Paul spake of the Rise of Self-lovers, Covetous, &c. who should have the Form of Godliness, without the Power thereof, Scrip­tures without the Spirit; such, said he, are to be turned from, 2 Tim. 3.

John foresaw a great Star fall from Heaven, to Earth, then be­ing in the Earth; an earthly Key was thrust into the hand of his Mind, even the Key of the Bottomless Pit; out of the Pit arose a Smoke, darkning Sun and Air, Spoiling, Corrupting and Depra­ving the Glory and Purity of the Primitive Church: What was this Smoke? Earthly Wisdom gushing as a heady Torrent into Church and School, Traditions, Errors, Lyes, strange Doctrines, Superstition, Idolatry, Lacivious Poems, Wanton Comedies, Vain Tragedies, Frivolous Fables, Spoiling Philosophy, Heathen Logicks, Ethicks, Metaphysicks: As this Smoke steamed into Church and School, the Pearl of heavenly Wisdom, and the Pure, Divine, Immediate Call into the Ministry was lost in the Smoke. Yea, and John foresaw Locusts come out of the Smoke: What's [Page 21]that? Swarms of Man-made Ministers, bred and qualified in the Smoke of earthly Wisdom, be they Garduates or Under-graduates, if they have nothing but from Man; so that since the steaming in of that Smoke, the Call hath been of Man, through Natural Lan­guages, Heathen Arts, Parts, Endowments, Qualifications at Schools and Colledges; yea, and the Locusts have been so sense­less and benummed, as to plead against any other Call, or Manner of Qualification.

The true Ministry was and is peculiar to the New man, 2 Pet. 1.21. John 20.21. But the heavenly Capacitating Ability, being lost, through the Smoke of the Pit, a Qualification without was set up in the place of it, gained by Schools, Universities, Languages, Spoiling Philosophy; so Preaching is made an Art of the old Man, by Antichrist.

Let none apprehend that I deny Schools of Learning; for Schools teaching the knowledge of the Creation, and of useful and necessary Things, and Languages, useful in their place, I own; but 'tis the Lord of the Harvest that must send forth Labourers into the Harvest; Universities cannot do that.

I might produce a Cloud of Witnesses, shewing, that after the Beast was risen out of the Sea, and Earth, Apostatised Christendom was become as Waters, Kindreds, Tongues, People and Nations professing Christianity, yet were made drunk with the Cup of For­nication, Spiritual Idolatry; no other Call into the Ministry was admitted, but what was gained at Schools and Universities, by Ac­quired Tongues, Heathen Arts and Sciences; though in all or most of Ages, as by the Waldenses, Albigenses, &c. the Lord had his Witnesses, bearing Testimony to the Virtue and Power of a divine Call, and that without it, all Natural Tongues, Heathen Arts and Sciences were insignificant and insufficient.

In the dayes of King Henry the 4th, the King, Lords and Bi­shops agreed, That no man within his Dominions should preach privily, or otherwise, without special License of the Ordinary of the same place. Was not this an Usurpation of the Prerogative of the Lord of the Harvest.

Before Henry the 8th's dayes, the King nominated who should be Bishop of such a Diocess; being presented to the Pope, the Pope was to approve of him: After the Popes Approbation, he [Page 22]was consecrated by the Arch-Bishop in England. In the Apost [...]es dayes Bishops were made by the holy Ghost, Acts 20.28.

Henry the 8th casting off the Pope, then he and his Parliament Enacted, That no Bishop should be commended to the Pope; but that the King should nominate them, and approve of them to be suf­fi [...]ient Ministers.

About the year 1547. Edward the 6th put forth Injunctions, That none should preach, except sufficiently Licensed.

King James Enjoyned, That none should Preach, except lawfully Licensed thereto, by the King or the Bishop, Fox Acts & Mon.

Queen Mary, in the first year of her Reign Enjoyned, That none should preach, but such as were allowed of by her Authority, or by the Arch-Bishop, or by the Universities of Oxford and Cam­bridge.

In the thirteenth Year of Queen Elizabeth 'twas Enacted, That none should be made Ministers, or admitted to preach, unless he were able to answer and render to the Ordinary an Account of his Faith in Latin, that is, he was to be a Linguist, a Schollar. Now how Peter and John, unlearned and ignorant men, could have passed such a Tryal, let the wise in Heart judge.

Further, Queen Elizabeth Enacted, That none should be admitted to any Benefice, or above the value of 30 l. per ann. unless he were a Batchellor of Divinity, or allowed of by the University of Oxford or Cambridge. Now how Peter and John, and others, the Mini­sters the of Waldenses and Albigenses, being most of them Trades­men, Non-Entes of no standing in Universities, could have passed this Tryal, I see not, though called by the Lord of the Harvest to labour in the Vineyard.

In the Year 1644. the Parliament made an Ordinance to au­thorize the Presbyter Assembly of Divines, for the Ordination of Ministers, and gave them Rules for the Examination of such as were to be ordained by them; as, Whether they had Sworn, and taken the Covenant? What Degree they had taken in the Ʋniversity, &c? Herein, notwithstanding the swelling pretence of Reforma­tion, Christ, the Lord of the Harvest was denyed.

In the Year 1653. Oliver Cromwell and his Council ordained, for the Approbation of publick Preachers, and appointed Commissio­ners [Page 23]for that purpose, to judge of the Abilities of men, before they were admitted to preach. And how such were entertained, who were sent by the Lord of the Harvest, to bear witness against Man-made Ministers, and their Unscriptural Covetous Practices, 'tis fresh in the remembrance of many.

Now you that plead for a Mediate Humane Call, let me thus Rea­son with you, Must the Aaronical Priesthood, which typed out Christ, and the Prophetical Dispensation, which foresaw Christ, allow of no Call but what was Divine, contrary to the Will of man? And must the Evangelical Dispensation, the Substance, the end of the Law, the end of the Prophets, the Glory of Dispensations, lean upon the bruised Reeds of a Humane Mediate Call, by Natural Tongues, Hea­then Arts and Sciences? I have done when I have answered a few Objections.

Objection, Acts 1.24.

Answer, This makes nothing for a Humane Mediate Call by the Will of man, but against it: The Apostles, after the Resurrection and Ascention of Christ, judged it expedient, that one should be ordained a Witness with them of the Resurrection of Christ, in­stead of Judas, who was gone to his place, they appointed two, Joseph and Matthias, men that had been conversant among them, had seen the glorious and wonderful Works of Christ, grew up in the Faith of the Gospel with them; not trained up in Natural Tongues, Heathen Arts and Sciences, Logicks, Spoiling Philoso­phy, Pagan Metaphysicks, for that purpose; and the Apostles said, Thou Lord, which knowest the Hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, Acts 1.24 Mark this, Whether of these two thou hast chosen. So that the adding of him to the cleaven Apostles, they ascribed it to the Lord's Call, Choice or Election.

Obj. Moses was learned in all the Wisdom of the Aegyptians, Acts 7.22.

Answ. 'Tis true; but his Aegyptian Wisdom was not his Call, into the Work of the Lord; n [...]ither his Aegyptian Philosophy, Hieroglyphicks, nor the Smaragdine Table of Hermes Trism [...]gistus, could qualifie him for that, notwithstanding his Aegyptian Wisdom; [Page 24]yet when he was to be concerned for the Lord, he was (as I may say) Mute; the Lord said to him, Go, and I will be with thy Mouth, and will teach thee what thou shalt say, Exod. 4.12. Here he is drawn from the muddy Lake of Aegyptian Wisdom, to have his Dependance and Reliance upon the Mouth and Teaching of the Living God, from whom he had his Call.

The Smoke of the Bottomless Pit, saith the Book called, The Naked Truth, hath so blinded men, as that it is grown up into a ge­neral Opinion, that none are fit to be admitted into holy Orders, but University Students; and if he hath learnt a little to chop Lo­gick, he is presently deemed fit to divide the Word of Truth, and is easily instituted into a Living; and if he can bring some nice Me­taphysical Speculations from Aristotle, some Theological Distincti­ons from Thomas Aquinas, then he is judged worthy of two or three Livings. And thus University Youth, and even Boys of no Experience, saith this Author, are made Spiritual Pastors, the most weighty Office in the World.

Obj. Acts 13.2, 3, 4.

Answ. This makes nothing for a Humane Mediate Call, acqui­red by Heathen Arts, Sciences and Philosophy, but against it; the holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for tht Work where­unto I have called them [Mark this, Whereunto I have called them] So they being sent forth by the holy Ghost, &c. [Mark this, sent forth by the holy Ghost.] Here both their Call and Mission is ascri­bed to the holy Ghost. Further, if Paul was not called before that, he preached without a Call, Acts 9.6. where Saul said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Here he was taken off from the Mouth of the High Priest, to the Lord, to know his Will, and do it, vers. 15.20. Heavenly Wisdom being revealed, his Ido­lized, Magnified, and highly Prized Arts, Parts and Endowments, fetched from Philosophers, he accounted as Dung and Dross.

It is an Error (saith Luther) to say, that a Divine is not made without Aristotle; rather a Divine is not made, except that be done without Aristotle, Tom. 1. Fol. 10.

The weighty Work of the Ministry (saith Poole on this place) is not to be undertaken without the Command and Mission of God.

None but such as are chosen and called of God, can be fit to preach the Gospel. Aug. Marl. on this place.

No kind of men are less capable of receiving the Doctrine of Christ, than they that have their Mind stuffed with the Opinions of Sciences; these leave no room for the holy Spirit, saith Cornel. Agrip. Of the Vanity of Sciences.

Obj. 1 Tim. 4.14.

Answ. This is nothing to prove a Humane Mediate Call, but the contrary. Paul writing to Timothy said, Neglect not the Gift that is in thee: There was a Divine Gift in him, which he was not to neg­lect, but to improve for the Edification of others. Timothy was a holy man, and he was to minister, and did minister from the virtue and influence of a heavenly Gift in him; hereby he came to the Mi­nistry, not through Natural Tongues, Heathen Arts, Sciences, Metaphysicks, Spoiling Philosophy. From the dignity of the Calling, saith Aug. Marl. on this place, Paul exhorted Timothy, That for the Edification of the Church, he would improve that Grace wherewith he was endued. To the same purpose he wrote to him a second Epistle, saying, Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, That thou stir up the Gift of God that is in thee, chap. 1.6. There was a heavenly Gift in him, out of which, as a faithful Steward, he was to minister for the good of others. Timothy (saith Aug. Marl. on this place) wanted not this Gift before, but then it shewed it self more evidently, when the Charge or Care of Teaching others was imposed upon him. I put thee in remembrance, saith Paul, that thou stir up the Gift of God that is in thee; rather that thou clear up the heavenly Spark that is in thee, [...], A Spark buried in Ashes, lies, as it were, dead, useless and unprofitable, but through the Breath of the Bellows, it is quickned, cleared, puts forth its virtue and influence, kindling combustible matter, giving light and heat to others. Paul would not have Timothy to bury in Ashes the hea­venly Spark of divine Grace in him, but that through Faith and Vi­gilancy it might be stirred up, cleared, and he by it be kindled into Fervency, to minister Light, spiritual Heat, Benefit and Advantage to others. An Allusion, saith one, to the Fire of the Altar, that came from Heaven, which should always be burning, and never go out, Lev. 6.13. To the Candle of the Virtuous Woman, that [Page 26]went not out by Night, Prov. 31.18. To the wise Virgins Lamps, Mat. 25.8. To the Lights of the Disciples, which Christ commanded to be burning, Luke 12.35.

Obj. 2 Tim. 2.2.

Answ. This proves not a mediate humane Call into the Ministry, by acquired Natural Languages, Heathen Arts and Sciences, but expresly the contrary; The things that thou hast heard of me, saith Paul in this place to Timothy, the same commit thou to Faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Faithful men, men full of Faith; are any full of Faith, but through the indwellings of Christ, the Author and Finisher of Faith? And are any able to teach others, but who are taught of Christ? Who witness these things, in a great measure, they witness Flesh Crucified: So who are able to teach others, or truly desire to be serviceable to others, they are Spiri­tually called thereto; Is it not said, that It is God that worketh in man to will and to do of his own good pleasure? This I say, that the Call of faithful men, of men able to teach others, is of God, and not of man. No Talent (saith Trap on this place) is given for pri­vate and proper use, but for the transmitting it to others, for their benefit and advantage.

Obj. We learn Natural Tongues, Arts and Sciences, to enable us to understand Scriptures, and the Scripture and Spirit are inseperable; so though we be ordained of men, yet we exclude not the Spirit, for the Spirit and Scripture are inseparable.

Answ. This Doctrine, if truly understood, and weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary, savours of Simony; Simon offered Money for the Spirit, but could not have it. Now if the Letter and Spirit had been inseparable, as many have taught and affirmed, he might have had it for Money; for the Bible may be had for Money.

Further, Simon had this acknowledgement, that the holy Spirit was the Power of God, and that mans having the Scripture without the Power signified little; but many teach and affirm now, that he that hath the Scripture, he hath the Spirit also, for they are inse­parable, and that the Scripture is the Power of God; herein com­ing short of Simon.

Further, Simon bewitched the People: so man made Ministers, who have nothing but from man, who keep people in their corrupt Interpretation of the Letter, out of that which gave out the Letter, the Spirit, and bring them not to Shiloh, to whom the true ga­thering is, such are in spiritual Witchcraft, drawing People from the Life of Righteousness, the Seed, in which the Families of the Earth are blessed, into the Dungeon of dead, dry, empty, sapless Forms.

Again, Simon gave out himself to be some great one; so man made Ministers who know no Call but from man, be they Gradu­ates, or Under-graduates, they are puft up with Heathen Educati­on; that knowledge puffs up, but Love Edifies: If the Lord of the Harvest raise any to be his living Witnesses, wanting Natural Tongues, Heathen Arts and Sciences, such are branded as Illiterate ignorant Mechanicks, and Persecuted; as if the Gospel Ministry were entailed upon Natural Languages, Heathen Arts and Scien­ces; yet the knowledge of Languages is useful in its place; but the Gospel Ministry stands in that which was before Natural Languages.

Though it be clear by History, that the Mahometans descended from Hagar the Bond-woman, which thing they cannot deny, yet for Name and Kindreds sake, they had rather be called Saracens, as if they descended from Sarah, the Free-woman, the Wife of Abraham. So man made Ministers, though they plead against any Call but of man, and brand them as Hereticks, Schismaticks, Fana­ticks, Enthusiasts, who plead for the Call of the Lord of the Har­vest, or for seeing the Lord, or for the hearing of his Voice; yet these man made Ministers would be called Ministers of Christ, not of man.

Furthermore, Natural Tongues, Arts and Sciences, are but such qualifications as a Natural man may have, and the Natural man knows not the things of the Spirit of God, they are spiritually dis­cerned, 1 Cor. 2.14. So 'tis the Spirit, the heavenly Key; that opens Scriptures, not Natural Tongues, Arts and Sciences. 'Tis said of Christ, that he opened their Understandings, that they might understand the Scriptures, Luke 24.45. He told them not that they must have recourse to Natural Tongues, Arts and Sciences, for to accomplish them to understand Scriptures; No, [Page 28]Scriptures being things of God, they are not truly understood but by the Spirit of God.

Obj. Ʋniversities, as Cambridge and Oxford are Well-springs of Divinity, the Fountains of Gospel Ministers.

Answ. Israel being Apostatized from the living God, the Lord by his Prophet complained, saying, My People have committed two Evils, they have forsaken me the Fountain of Living Waters, and have hewed them out Cisterns, broken Cisterns that can hold no Water, Jer. 2.13. Thus Israel was guilty of forsaking the Fountain of Life, of Living Mercies, and of having recourse to broken Cisterns.

The labour of the Apostles, and their living concern was to bring People to Shilo, the Store-house of heavenly Wisdom, Knowledge and sound Understanding, the Fountain of Life, the Well-spring of pure Wisdom, spiritual Treasures, Virtue, Peace, Joy, Conso­lation and Spiritual Refreshments, in whom the fulness of the God­head dwells Bodily, of whose plenitude, that is, fulness, his receive Grace for Grace.

Now after the Apostles dayes, the Star being fallen, Smoke a­risen, Sun and Air darkned, the Purity of the Primitive Church spoiled; in a word, upon the encroachment of the Apostacy, the golden Cup of Abomination and Fornication was received by Chri­stendom, which became as Waters; in this smoke evaporating out of the bottomless Pit, the pure Fountain of Life was lost, the truly impowering Call of the Lord of the Harvest was lost; then in the Apostatized Roman Church, Schools and Colledges were erected, into which were received Heathen Poems, Comedies, Tragedies, Fables, spoiling Philosophy, Heathen Metaphysicks, and in and through learning of these, Youth was qualified for the Gospel Mini­stry, as they say: and these Universities were called by the Aposta­tized Roman Church, Well-springs of Divinity, Fountains of the Gospel Ministry: Thus the Fountain of Life being turned from, broken Cisterns were entertained.

Luther on 2 Pet. 2.1. spake freely of Apostatized Popish Univer­sities.

‘The whole World (saith he) is of this Opinion, that these are Fountains or Well springs, from which proceed such as ought to [Page 29]teach the People: This is a horrible Error (saith he) forasmuch as nothing so detestable proceeds from any thing or place, as from Universities, &c.’

The Roman Popish Religion being brought into this Nation by Austin the Monk and others, in process of time Cambridge and Ox­ford came to be founded, and made Universities, and were called Well-springs of Divinity, &c. And though Protestantism, and a great share of Reformation be pretended and professed, yet the divine Call into the Ministry is denyed, and altogether, or in a high measure ascribed to Schools of Humane Learning; yea, and Cam­bridge and Oxford are still termed Well-springs of Divinity, the two Fountains, and the two Eyes of the Nation. The Almighty is open­ing an Eye to see the Living Fountain, the Well-spring of Life, and to press after the same, and to deny the Idolatrous use and abuses of Man made Well-springs and Fountains; though Schools, teaching the knowledge of the Creation, of useful and necessary Accom­plishments, are to be contended for, but out of their place Idola­trous, as in setting them in the room of the Lord of the Harvest.

William Tindall in his Parable of the wicked Mammon, saith ‘Many are not ashamed to rail and blaspheme, saying, How should he understand the Scripture, seeing he is no Philosopher, hath never seen his Metaphysicks? and how can he be a Divine, who knows not what is Subjectum in Theologia. Nevertheless as a man without the Spirit of Aristotle or Philosophy, may by the Spirit of God understand Scriptures, even so by the Spirit of God understands he that God is to be sought, &c. and yet knows not what mean­eth Subjectum in Theologia, that is, the Subject in Divinity, be­cause it is a term of their own making.’

Drawing to a Conclusion, let me say, that to confine the Ministry to Natural Tongues, Arts and Sciences, is contrary to the Lords Call in the Patriarchal, Mosaical, and in the Morning of the E­vangelical Dispensation, yea, and contrary to the Call promised af­ter the Apostacy, after the three dayes and an half, wherein the Beast and the Locusts, Anti-christ and his apostatized Ministry should be bred; fitted and qualified in the Smoke of the Pit, earth­ly and fallen Wisdom, Rev. 11.11. Besides this my Testimony, take the Testimony of our Country-man Gell, who said,

So may I say, Natural Tongues, Arts, Sciences and En­dowments are so doted upon, and concluded to be the enabling qua­lification for the Gospel Ministry, as that the heavenly Anointing, the real ability for the Gospel Ministry is not waited for, but by most of the Worldly wise Linguists and Sophisters derided.

CAP. III. Of the Original of Bishops in Gospel dayes, and of the Identity, that is, Oneness and Sameness of Bishops and Elders in the Primitive Age.

THe Apostles in the Power of the Lord laboured, and were livingly concerned to turn the Jew from Judaism, and the Gentile from Gentilism, to Christ, in whom Oneness and the new Creature is witnessed.

After visiting the Churches, before gathered, and in the Spirit of discerning, observing a Care begot in some particular Members, for the good, prosperity, growth, and decent order of their fellow Members; the oversight, care and charge of particular Assemblies [Page 31]were commended to such, and they were called Elders, because cho­sen for the most part of the elder sort of People, and the same were also called Bishops, that is, Overseers, or Superintendents, be­cause of their Office of overseeing and taking care of the rest.

They were called [...], that is Presbyters or Elders, for that they were so in Age, (the Law having so provided, that no man should be promoted to that Dignity, till he was thirty five Years old) or else because they ought to be such in Manners and cir­cumspect Carriage, saith Sr. Thomas Ridley in his view of the Civil and Eccleslastical Law.

Pope Boniface the First thought good, that not any under thir­ty Years of Age should be ordained a Presbyter, that is, an Elder: Afterward it was decreed by the Authority of the Lateran Council, that one might be made an Elder at twenty five Years old, Polydor. de Invent. lib. 4. But this limiting to a certain Year savours of the Will of Man, not of the Spirit.

Now 'tis my Judgment, that the same Individuals, particular Persons, that in the Purity of the Primitive Age, were sometimes called Elders; they were also called Bishops, that is Overseers, as the same Person may be sometime called a Minister, sometime a Teacher; this Doctrine in the Beauty of the Primitive Church, was not called Heretical, but tempora Mutantur, Times are chan­ged; and in reference to the Identity, that is, oneness and sameness of Elders and Bishops in Primitive times, Scripture record is not altogether silent.

Though in Scripture 'tis not in terminis, that is, express words, that an Elder and a Bishop were one and the same Order and Office, yet the circumstantial Expressions are so strong and pregnant, that they are Equivalent to a clear Expression in terminis, that is, Express Words, saith the Author of the Book, called, The naked Truth.

Paul being at Miletus, sent to Ephesus, and called the Elders of the Church, and said unto them, Take heed to your selves, and to all the Flock, over the which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers, that is, Bishops, Acts 20.17, 28. Paul with the same Breath, as I may say, first calls them Elders, then Bishops; this evidently proves them one, both in respect of Name, and in respect of Office, saith Durham.

Paul writing to Titus, said, For this cause I left thee in Crete, [Page 32] that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain Elders in every City, &c. For a Bishop must be blameless, &c. Titus 1.5, 6, 7. So the very same that he calls Elders, he presently calls Bishops.

Further, Peter said, The Elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an Elder, feed the Flock of God, taking the oversight thereof, [...], which may thus be rendred, Overseeing the same as Bishops, saith Darham, 1 Pet. 5.1, 2.

So the very same Individuals, whom he first calls Elders, he pre­sently calls Bishops, proving the Identity, Oneness, Sameness of Elders and Bishops in the Primitive Church; these Titles were Sy­nonyma, Synonymous, both attributed to one and the self-same Person: if they were not distinguished then, who can justly distin­guish them since? The Jesuit Lorinus, on this Scripture acknow­ledges this Identity; You see that Peter and Paul, who were [...], taught of God, [...], inspired of God, were clear and pregnant for the confirmation of this Truth.

Further, Jerom in his Epistle to Evagrius, as in other places, and upon other accounts, Theoderet, Occumenus, Clarius, Valla, Ham­mond, Bilson, the Author of the Book, called, The naked Truth, men eminent in the Church since the Apostles dayes, with many o­thers such like, have born Testimony, that an Elder and a Bishop in the Apostles Language were one and the same, and that they were Names indifferent, and used to the same Persons.

Michael de Medina, cited by Bellarmine, Lib. 1. Cap. 15. de Clericis doth affirm, that not only Jerom and Aerius, but also Am­brosius, Augustinus, Sedulius, Primasius, Chrysostomus, Theoderetus, Oecumenus and Theophilactus held out this Identity, the Waldenses and Wickliffians were of this Judgment: Hence it follows that there was no difference betwixt the Names and Offices of Bishops and El­ders in the Apostles dayes; the difference was not begun by any A­postolick Constitution, but upon Church-Custom, Decrees of Councils, and such other Grounds.

‘These things we have spoken (saith Jerom) to shew that Elders and Bishops were the same in the Primitive times, and that Bishops may know that they are greater then Presbyters, (that is Elders) rather through Custom, than by the Lords appointment.’ This I own.

As the Smoke of the Pit arose, the Apostatical Leprosie over­spred, Discord and Contention arose about Religion; Men drew into Parties, one crying up this man, another that man; as in the Apostles dayes, one cryed he was for Paul, another for Apollo, another for Cephas; and every one accounted those his own, not Christ's, whom he Baptized. Then for the Eradicating the Seeds of Divisions, and for the Restraining of Disorderly Pastors, it was decreed, That one should be chosen out of the Presbyters, that is, Elders, and have Authority over them; and by way of Emineney be called Bishop. Thus the Bishop shoulder'd out the Elders, got Superiority over them, Polydor de Invent. rer.

Nations being converted, Bishops increased, Differences arose: For the restraining or preventing of which, one was set over the Bi­shops, so called Arch-Bishop.

Arch-Bishops increasing, to restrain or prevent Heresies and Differences among them, one was set over them, called a Pa­triarch.

Patriarchs increasing, to restrain or prevent Differences and Dis­orders among them; one was set up above them, called Catexochen; by way of Eminency, Papa, that is, Pope; though Papa, that is, Pope, before was a Name attributed to other Bishops, Jerom on Titus, Naked Truth. Thus Elders and Bishops, which were one Office in the pure Primitive Times, through the Ground of Apo­stacy, became divided: Thus Bishop got Superiority over Elders, Arch-Bishops over Bishops, Patriarchs over Arch-Bishops, Pope over the Patriarchs.

For the maintaining of Uniformity in the Church of Rome, every Province was to be governed by one Priest, or more, who for Re­verence sake should be called Bishops: Then by permission of Chri­stian Princes, Kingdoms were divided into Diocesses, Diocesses in­to Shires or Counties, Shires into Parishes: It was decreed, That every Parish should yield Obedience to their Parish Priest, the Parish Priest to the Dean, the Dean to the Bishop, the Bishop to the Arch-Bishop, the Arch-Bishop to the Primate or Patriarch, the Patriarch to the Legate, the Legate to the Pope, the Pope to General Councils, and General Councils only unto God, as they said.

The Title of Bishop is of divine Institution; the other of Arch-Bi­shop, Primate, Patriarch, Metropolitan, Sub-Deacon, Arch-Deacon, [Page 34]Pope, are not mention'd by the Apostles; so of latter In­stitution by Man.

These things being consider'd, 'tis my Judgment, with the above­said, and others that might be mentioned, that the same Individuals, who were in the Primitive Dayes, called Elders, they were also cal­led Bishops, that they were one and the same. Leigh also in his Critica Sacra saith the same, That the same Persons, who were called [...], that is, Elders, ab at ate, from their Age, were also called [...] Bishops, Over seers, ab Officio, from their Office.

CAP. IV. Of the Work of the Ministry of Christ, and of Antichrist

CHrist Jesus, the Branch of Righteousness, having called Dis­ciples, he influenced them with Salutiferous heavenly Wis­dom, and armed them with heavenly Armour, that they might War under his Banner, against Abaddon, Apolyon, the old Serpent and his Kingdom, and be concerned as Instruments in the hand of she Lord, for the rescuing of many out of his Captivity and Ty­ranny.

As the Disciples, the Worthies and Warriers of the Lord, were called of Christ, so he appointed them their Work; they were to do his Work, grow up in like-mindedness with him, heavenly-mind­edness: So he said to his Disciples, Go therefore, and teach all Na­tions, &c. Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you, Mat. 28. Consider this, here was a divine Limit; they were to minister that, and nothing but that which they recei­ved from Christ, the Well-spring of Life and Living Mercies. Here the Smoke of the Bottomless Pit, Anti-christians Doctrines, Error, Heresie and Traditions are excluded.

Augustin Marlorat said on this place, ‘Christ sent out his Apostles with this Exception, That they should not press upon [Page 35]others their own Inventions, but that they should purely and faithfully distribute what he commanded; that they should ga­ther Disciples unto him, not unto themselves.’

Yea, and Poole our Country-man saith on this place, ‘Christ commands no other thing to be taught, than what he had com­manded; hereby excluding the Traditions and Inventions of Apo­statised Men.’

Paul said to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus, I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God, Acts 20.27. So Ministers of Christ are to teach the Will and Counsel of God, not their own. But Man-made Ministers are guilty in this case, who neither know the Call, nor do the Work, nor are content with the Wage of Gospel Ministers, though for Lueres sake they are pre­tenders thereof.

Paul writing to the Saints at Ephesus, mentions the Work and End of the true Ministry; saying, When Christ ascended, he gave Gifts unto men, to Apostles, to Prophets, to Evangelists, to Pastors, to Teachers. To what end were these Gifts given? For the Perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Ministry, for the Edifying of the Body, till we all come in the unity of the Faith, &c. unto a Perfect Man, unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ, Ephes. 4. Yea, and the Apostle writing unto the Hebrews, men­tions their precious Growth, and high Attainment in the Life of Righteousness, saying, Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the City of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumer­able Company of Angels; to the general Assembly, and Church of the First Born, which are written in Heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect, Heb. 12.

Now Man made Ministers deny Perfection in this Life; so deny the end of the Ministry, of the truly Gifted Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers: Yea, and they exclude themselves from the precious Attainments of the believing Hebrews: Yea, and they deny the Substance of the Aaronical Ʋrim and Thummius. What is that?

Aaron was to have a Breast-plate of Judgment, in which was put the Ʋrim and Thummim; by Interpretation, Light and Perfection, or Lights and Perfections, Exod. 28.15, 30. A Type, fulfilled in the Substance, Christ Jesus: This implies, that in the Evangelical [Page 36]Dispensation, the Breast-plate of Righteousness, with Urim and Thummim, Light and Perfection should be received. Christ, the Breast-plate of Judgment and Righteousness, the Urim and Thum­mim, Light and Perfection, said to his Disciples, Be ye Perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect, Mat. 5.48. Yea, and the Apostles having received the Breast-plate of Righteousness, the Urim and Thummim Spiritually, Light and Perfection, they preached Perfection, as before is touched. So that Urim and Thummim spiritually, that is, Light and Perfection, was witnessed and preached in the Morning beauty and purity of the Evangelical D [...]spensation.

Now the Aaronical Urim and Thummim were lost in the Babylo­nian Captivity, Ezra 2. So after the Apostles dayes, the Star fall [...]ng from Heaven, such a weight of Smoke evaporated out of the Bottomless Pit, as that it darkned Sun and Air; so spoiled the Glo­ry of the Primitive Church, as that the Christian Church became Babylon, Mystery Babylon: In this Babylon, spiritual Captivity, the heavenly Urim and Thummim, Light and Perfection was lost; and the Smoke of the Pit, during this Captivity, was and is preach­ed up for Gospel Truths.

Nehemiah foretold the Restoration of the Aaronical Ʋrim and Thummim, Nehem. 7. So Christ Jesus, the Son of Righteousness, the heavenly Nehemiah, by interpretation, The Consolation of the Lord, by the Breath of his Mouth, and by the Brightness of his Coming is chasing away Smoke out of a Remnant, the Carnal Ex­halations of Mystery Babylon; and the Spirit of Life from God is entring into Witnesses, and the true Breast-plate of Judgment, with Urim and Thummim, Light and Perfection, is restored and restoring.

Now the Locusts, Man-made Ministers, which come out of the Smoke, are bred and formed in the Smoke of Earthly Wisdom, they cannot endure to hear of the finding of them; plainly discove­ring they want the Breast-plate of Righteousness; for where it is, Urim and Thummim, Light and Perfection is witnessed and contend­ed for.

The Dispariety of the Ministers of Christ, and of such as come by the Will of Man, in several Particulars.

1. Christ's Ministers were not to be called Rabbi, Masters, he for­bad it; they were Obedient: Paul called himself a Servant, but never pleaded for Mastership; James, Peter and Jude stiled themselves Servants, but no where Masters, Mat. 23.8. James 3.1. Zuinglius on Mat. 23. said, "Thou hears here, that the Titles of Masters "and Doctors are not of God, because Christ forbids this thing, Further, Wilson in his Christian-Dictionary said, "That Ambitious "seeking after Titles ought to be eschewed. But Man made Mini­sters plead for the Title of Rabbi, Masters, having let in the Poyson of Ambition, Pride and Arrogancy.

2. The Apostles preached against such as were in the Way of Cain, and in the Error of Balaam, affecting Gifts and Rewards, 2 Pet. 2.15. Jude 11. The Apostles walked not in the Wayes of these. Now Man-made Ministers shew themselves to be in the Way of Cain, Drunk with the Wine of Envy, Murder, Persecu­tion, in the Error of Balaam, pursuing the Wages of Unrighte­ousness, which Christ the Branch of Righteousness ordained not, Suing men at Courts of Judicature, Assizes, in Courts, Temporal and Ecclesiastical, Imprisoning men, neither sparing their own Flocks, nor others; not content with Gospel Maintenance, taking Money for Funeral Sermons, taking or forcing Mortuaries, Smoke-Money, Money for Churching of Women, for burying the Dead, for Bread and Wine, Easter-Reckonings, Midsummer-Dues, ma­king their Gospel chargeable: Are not these Hearts exercised with Covetous Practices?

3. Paul preached, That the true Church was in God, made up of Living Stones, fitted, prepared, polished for their Places in that heavenly Building, offering up a Spiritual Sacrifice, 1 Thes. 1.1. 1 Pet. 2. But Man-made Ministers have taught, and do teach, That a House of Lime and Stone is the Church, founded by Papists for the Popish Service; and such as deny their Doctrine herein are branded a [...] Heretical, Schismatical, Heterodox.

4. The Apostles preached God to be the Word, and that it be­came Flesh; by it the Prophets prophesied, it grew and multiplied, [Page 38] John 1.1, 14. Acts 12.24. Man-made Ministers say, The Scriptures are the Word: The Scriptures were not in the Begin­ning, it became not Flesh, it was not the Ground of the Prophets prophecying: Such as got the Scriptures without the Word, such ran unsent: The Scriptures contained in the Bible grow not, 'tis no greater now than a Thousand Years ago, is not the Saviour; 'tis a true Declaration of the Engrafted Word, which is able to save the Soul, Luke 1.1. James 1.21.

5. The Ministers of Christ preached up Christ to be the true Light, the Way to the Father, the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God; and Paul was sent to turn People from Darkness to Light, from the Power of Satan unto God. Peter exhorted, To take heed unto the sure Word of Prophecy, as to a Light shining in a Dark Place, until the Day did dawn, and the Day-star did arise in their Hearts, John 1.9. John 8.12. Acts 26.18, 2 Pet. 1.19. But Man-made Ministers say, The Scripture is the Light: Such walk in the Region of the Shadow of Death; the Scripture was given out by the Eternal Light; a Declaration of it, of God, whence it came.

6. The Apostles preached up the Baptism by one Spirit into one Body, 1 Cor. 12.13. as the permanent Baptism, of the Evangelical Dispensation, the Heart-cleansing and Soul-saving Baptism, the Substance, 1 Pet. 3.21. Man-made Ministers Sprinkle Infants, saying, thereby they are made Members of Christ, Children of God, Inheriters of the Kingdom of Heaven: Thus the Visible is inthroned, and the Invisible is dis-throned, which truly makes Mem­bers of Christ: Paedorantism, that is, Sprinkling of Infants came not in till Hundreds of Years after the Apostles dayes.

7. The Apostles knew Christ to be the Bread of Life, the Soul's Food, heavenly Manna; here they fed at the Table of the Lord, had fellowship one with another, were written in one anothers Hearts, these knew the Table and Supper of the Lord. Man-made Mini­sters tell of a Sacrament, for which there is no Scripture; 'twas the old Heathen Roman Military Oath; their Communion is in visibles, Meat that perishes; Christendom Professing this Communion is be­come as Golgotha, a Place of Skulls; as Aceldama, a Field of Blood.

8. True Minsters knew the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins [Page 39]of the World, to be the Everlasting Covenant, Glad Tidings to Captive Souls, to Prisoners of Hope; this Gospel was preached to Adam, Gen. 3.15.10 Abraham, Gal. 3.8. Man-made Ministers say, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John is the Gospel: Their Wri­tings are a Declaration of the Everlasting Gospel, Luke 1.1.

9. The Apostles preached Christ the Fountain of Life, the Trea­sury of Wisdom and Knowledge, in whom the fulness of the God­head dwells Bodily. Man-made Ministers say, That Oxford and Cambridge are the Fountain, Well-spring or Well-head of Di­vinity, the two Eyes of the Nation; Though founded in Popish Times for the Propagation of their Doctrine and Religion.

10. The Apostles preached the Word, which was in the begin­ning, to be the Original, which was before Babel, many Languages, by which the Prophets and Apostles were called, and drew others into the one pure Language, to know the Virtue of the Everlasting Gospel. Man-made Ministers say, that Hebrew and Greek is the Original: The Hebrews persecuted Christ, the Greeks accounted the Cross of Christ Foolishness: Pilate, who had Latin, Greek and Hebrew, the World's Original, he crucified Christ, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and Ending, the First and Last, the Original, the Author of the pure heavenly Language.

11. The Apostles preached the Saints to be the Temple of the Living God, Christ the Anti-type reigning in their mortal Bodies. Man-made Ministers say, That a House of Lime and Stone is the Temple: An Imitation of Solomon's Temple, a Type, fulfilled and ended in Christ the Substance. Stephen was stoned to Death for wit­nessing against the Temple, the Figure, when Christ the Substance was manifested.

12. The Apostles preached Christ, the one Offering, perfecting forever them that are sanctified, Heb. 10. They preached Christ the end of that Priesthood that took Tythe, the end of the Law that gave Tythe. Heb. 7.12. Man-made Ministers preach up Tythe, the Heave-offering, Numb. 18. the Shadow; so deny Christ, the One Offering: And by the same Rule they may introduce and up­hold all the other Offerings of the Aaronical Priesthood.

13. The Apostles, as Freely they received, so they Freely gave, Mat. 10. 1 Pet. 4.10. Buy the Truth, but sell it not, saith Solomon, Prov. 23. The Wine and Milk of the Kingdom is to be bought; [Page 40]but how? Without Money and Price, Isa. 55.1. Man-made Mi­nisters say, They are gifted men; but will not part with their Gift, but for a certain yearly Sum: Wisdom, the Gift of God is Free, and cannot be bought and sold for Money. Wisdom (saith Job) cannot be 'gotten for Gold, nor Silver, nor for Coral, Pearls, nor Rubies, cap. 28. Who think to purchase it, they are in the Gall of Bitterness, in the Bond of Iniquity, as Simon was, Acts 8.

14. Such as Christ sent, they preached, That every one had a measure of Light in him, leading to Life such as received it, the Con­demnation of such as received it not, Joh. 1.5.9. Joh. 3.19. Rom. 1.19. Luke 17.21. Man-made Ministers deny this Doctrine, saying, 'Tis a Natural Light, and belch out Approbious Language against it; and that the Improvement of it advantages nothing: And all this to keep People in a Reliance and Dependance upon them; never to witness the new Covenant, the Law written in the Heart, the Spirit put in the Inward Parts.

15. Paul told the Corinthians, That they might all Prophesie, that all might learn and be comforted; and if any thing was revealed to him that sate by, the first was to hold his Peace, 1 Cor. 14. This was Order in the true Church. Man-made Ministers accounts this Con­fusion and Disorder; for if any should come in, and speak while the publick Minister is speaking, or when he hath done, how cruelly such have been used, I need not mention, shewing that their Church-members are Branches of that old putred stock, that they were of, who stoned Stephen to Death, Acts 7.

16. The Apostles preached Freedom from Sin, Rom. 6.6, 7, 18. Freedom from the Law of Sin and Death, Rom. 8.2. A Sanctified State, 1 Cor. 6.11. A Cleansing from all Sin by the Blood of Je­sus, 1 John 1.7. Man-made Ministers teach another Doctrine, That there is no Freedom from Sin in this Life; and that a man must carry a Body of Sin and Death about with him, while upon Earth.

17. The Apostle James owned Christ's Doctrine, who said, Swear not at all, Mat. 5. James 5. But Man-made Ministers plead for Swearing, saying, The Denyal thereof is an old Heresie; yea, and many eminent in the Church since the Apostles dayes have born faithful Testimonies against Swearing, as Christ did, who spake with Authority.

18. The Apostles owned Revelation; without it God is not known, Mat. 11.27. Till this was witnessed, Paul was Saul, a grand Persecutor, Gal. 1.16. Who are of God now, they bear witness to this. But Man-made Ministers say, Revelation is ceas­ed: So conclude all to be excluded from the Knowledge of the Li­ving God: 'Tis true, who are in the Will of Man, Night and Darkness is upon them, the Sun is set; Vision and Revelation such know not.

19. The true Ministers of Christ preached Present Salvation, Ephes. 2.8. By Grace they were saved, Tit. 3.5. 1 Pet. 3.21. Man-made Ministers preach Christ and Salvation at a Distance, telling what Glorious things Christ will do, and what Glorious things he hath done; but to know his Energy, inward effectual Operation at present, a present coming out of Babylon, to the new Jerusalem, this is not preached up; In a word, they are such Trumpeters, give such an uncertain Sound, as that their Hearers are not at all Alarum'd, not all Arm'd, not at all Arm'd against Abaddon, Apolyon, the old Destroyer, but the strong man Arm'd keeps the House, hath rule in the Heart; in this state man makes a shew of Religion and Worship.

Thus Man-made Ministers are stained with the Defilements of Do­ctrinal Errors; and as John said, Whosoever Transgresseth, and abi­deth not in the Doctrine of Christ, he hath not God, 2 John 1.9. So consequently hath nothing, Habet omnia, qui habit habentem omnia; that is, He hath all, that hath the Haver of all; so such as are out of Christ's Doctrine, they are Heterodox, Heretical; yea, and according to John's Doctrine, Atheistical.

20. True Ministers were and are Instruments in the hand of the Lord, to bring men to Righteousness, and Eternal Life, out of the Dungeon of Death, Darkness and Unbelief, Acts 26.16, 17, 18. If they had stood in my Counsel, saith the Lord, and had caused my People to hear my Words, then they should have turned them from their Evil Way, and from the Evil of their Doings, Jer. 23. But Man-made Ministers, who creep into the Ministry without a divine Call, for earthly Ends, through the strength of natural Abilities, they are like the Mountains of Gilboa, without Dew and Rain; so bar­ren and unfruitful, and cannot enrich others, 2 Sam. 1.21. Yea, they are like the Cramp-fish, whose stupifying and benumming [Page 42]Quality, say Naturalists, issues from the Fish, to the Hook, then to the Line, then to the Angling-Rod, then to the Hand, then to the Body of the Fisher, and so benums him, and takes away all use and feeling of his Limbs; such like is the benumming, deadning and stupifying Quality of Man-made Ministers; but such as come in the living virtue of Truth, they make alive unto God, such as re­ceive their Testimony, and bring them to have all their Sences exer­cised, to the discerning of Good and Evil.

21. Such as are called of the Lord, in the influence of his Power, they are carried on in the Performance of their Testimonies, con­trary to the Stream and Current of mens Wills; the Lord opens their Mouthes, and Man cannot shut them; they are not [...], Men-pleasers; God rather than men, is to be heark­ned unto and obeyed: But Man-made Ministers, who intrude into that Work, as a Trade, to get a Living by, eyeing the Fleece more than the Flock, these have been and are like dead Fish, driven on by the Stream and Current of humane Commands and Appoint­ments; as their Mouthes are opened by man, so by the Injunctions of Man, they are shut: Such as have been called of man, have done the Work of man, hoisting up their Sails to every Wind, complying with every Power that came up, bending unto the Forms of Wor­ship by them appointed, as Records fully testifie.

King Henry the 8th denying the Popes Supremacy, brought the Clergy of England into a Praemunire, for their compliance with the Paepal Power; the Clergy in a Convocation resolved upon a Humble Sumbmission in writing, and gave the King one Hundred Thousand Pound for a Pardon, in which Submission they stiled the King, Supream Head of the Church: Thus the Clergy being be­headed, got a new Head, denying the Pope, acknowledged the King to be their Head, Bakers Chron. Not long after the Clergy took an Oath, To Renounce the Pope and his Authority, and to be true and loyal to the King, his Heirs and Successors; So God me help, and all Saints, said they.

After him succeeded King Edward the sixth, in whose Reign the Book of Common-Prayer was commended to the Nation, and established, and received by the Clergy instead of the Latin Mass: Now upon the Translating of the Latin Mass-Book into English, (in this Edwara's days) there was a Rising in Devonshire; the King [Page 43]wrote in this manner, to quiet them; As for the Service in the English Tongue; perhaps it seems to you a new Service, when indeed it is no other but the old, the self-same Words in English which were in Latin, saving a few things taken out so fond, that it had been a shame to have heard them in English. Thus the Common-Prayer came to be established, Histor. Magdiburg.

After him succeeded Queen Mary, who being a Papist, comman­ded the Mass to be sung again in Latin, and to be used in all Churches, so called; The Kingdom was absolved, and reconciled to the Church of Rome, by Cardinal Pool; Monasteries were re-edified, first Fruits and Tenths were restored; to these things Priests and People generally complied: they took an Oath, to be true to St. Peter, to the Church of Rome, to the Pope their Holy Father, and to Persecute to their power all Opposers; saying, So help me God, and the holy Evangelists.

Notwithstanding all these Oathes and Resolutions, in the Year 1559. Queen Elizabeth coming to the Crown, she with her Par­liament made an Act for Uniformity of Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments; the Title of Supream Head of the Church, was confirmed to her, the Popes Supremacy denyed; and of the Number of above nine Thousand Priests, Bishops, Deans, Prebends, Ma­sters of Colledges, Arch-Deacons, Abbots, formerly sworn to Po­pery, not above one Hundred and twenty refused to take an Oath against Popery; so turned from their Religion to the Protestants Religion, because the Queen set it up: notwithstanding in Queen Mary's dayes, they had burned some Hundreds for resusing to bow to Popery.

After her King James confirmed the Common-Prayer-Book, put­ing out Canons and Constitutions, for Fonts, Tables, Carpets of Silk, Pulpits, Copes, Surplices, Hoods, Gowns with stand­ing Collars, strait Sleeves, wide Sleeves, Tippets, square Caps, that People might know such and such, and Honour them.

The long Parliament denyed the Common-Prayer, and by a Sy­nod of Priests, set out a Directory for publick Worship, in the Year 1644. the generallity of Ministers conformed, and inveighed against the Common-Prayer-Book as Popish, calling it, Rags of Rome, dregs of the Whores Cup, the English Mass, &c.

In the Year 1653. Oliver Cromwell being made Protector, he [Page 44]made Provision for the Clergy, for their recovering of Tythe and other Dues, as they pretend, upon which they called him, A good Nursing Father.

In the Year 1658. Richard Cromwell was made Protecter; the Clergy in a Petition called him their Joshua, Petitioning him to lead them into the Promises Land; and what was that, but into rich Benefits and Augmentations?

The King being restored, the Directory cast out, as indirect, and the Common-Prayer enjoyned; how generally entertained by the Clergy, notwithstanding the grievous Reflections of many of them against it, I need not mention.

Aencas Sylvius, a private Man, wrote many things against Popery, after being made Pope, and called Pius, he undid what he had done, and wrote in the defence of Popery; whereupon one taunted him with these Words, Quod Aeneas damnavit, Pius pro­bavit; that is, What Aencas disallowed of, Pius allowed of: So what Man-made Ministers rejected as Heterodox, is at the pleasure and command of Authority owned as Orthodox; but Truth, and the out-goings thereof are to be embraced because of themselves, whe­ther men fawn or frown.

Thus who are in their own Wills, out of the pure Worship of God, which is in Spirit and in Truth, where true sence is and assu­rance of Divine Requirings, such for Self-ends and Corporal ease, are carried about with every Wind of Doctrine, at the Commands and Injunctions of men; against the unconstancy of these, in such a weighty concern, dropped out this following Reflection:

CAP. V. Of the Wage of the Ministers of Christ being Free and Voluntary, from their Converts; and how it was continued in the Primitive Churches; & how the Co-ercive Compulsive Maintenance by Tythe, and other unwarrantable Wages, being the Maintenance of the Ministers of Antichrist, was introduced.

CHrist having called Disciples and influenced them for his Hea­venly Saving Work, said unto them, Freely ye have received, freely give, Matth. 10.8. What did they receive freely? Power to heal the Sick, and to Preach the Gospel; as if he should have said, I have freely learned these things of my Father, ye have also freely learned them of me; so in like manner teach others freely: Whereby, saith Poole on this place, he did not only forbid detestable Bargains for their Ministry, but all manner of Gain, from such like things, or from their Ministerial Labour; which thing was purely and Con­scientiously observed of the Apostles, and of their Successors, while the Primitive Faith and Order was kept; among whom, as Tertul­lian saith, Nulla res dei pretis constabat, that is, Divine things were not bought and sold. Further, our Country-man Poole saith,

Naaman being cured of his Leprosie by Elisha the Prophet, be offered him Gifts, Elisha refused the same; shewing forth another frame of Spirit then is in Man-made Ministers now; but Gehazi the Servant of Elisha coveted after Silver and changes of Garments, and received the same; to whom Elisha said, Is it time to receive Money, Garments, Oliveyards, Vineyards, Sheep and Oxen? the Leprosie therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and to thy Seed forever. So he became Leprous, 2 Kings 5.

Now man-made Ministers, who run, uncalled of the Lord, for Tythe, filthy Lucre, Earthly ends, Advantages and Preferments, they are in a Spiritual Leprosie; and being strangers to receiving freely, and giving freely, they make a distinction of Gifts: There are, say they,

• 1. Dona infusa, Gifts of God that are miraculous, as to heal, &c.
• 2. Dona acquisita, acquired Gifts, as the knowledge of Preaching, not now had without great Study, Labour and Cost; as this is not got­ten freely, so neither is it to be used without Recompence.

Who are of this mind, they exclude themselves from the true Ministry, which acquired parts cannot bring unto; the Natural man, notwithstanding his Accomplishments, Natural Tongues, Heathen Arts and Sciences, is a stranger to the true Ministry, be­ing the Gift of God, and peculiar to the New man, Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, discerning of Spirits, &c. all came from one and the same Spirit, as the true sight­ed Apostle Paul bare Testimony, 1 Cor. 12. And this Distinction hath not his allowance.

Further, as Christ called Disciples, and appointed them their Work, so he appointed them their Wage also; he instructed them how to carry themselves both to them that received them, and to them that received them not: Into whatsoever House ye enter, saith he, and they receive you, eat and drink such things as they set before you, as they give you; for the Work-man is worthy of his Meat, the Labourer is worthy of his Hire, Mat. 10. Luke 10. Here a Wage, a Hire, a Maintenance was allowed to them; they had Christ's Or­dinance for it: Wherein two things are to be considered.

• 1. That their Maintenance was Free and Voluntary.
• 2. That their Maintenance arose from such as received them and their Doctrine: For the Disciples were first to be received, before [Page 47]they received any thing; as undeniably arises from the Words, Who so receive you, saith Christ, eat and drink with such. Now by the phrase of Eating and Drinking, the necessary Conveninencies of Life are implied; as also by the phrase of Food and Rayment, 1 Tim. 6.8. 1 Cor. 9.14. It cannot reasonably be thought, that Christ intended thereby to tye up his Ministers to Meat and Drink only; but under that phrase the necessary Conveniencies of Life are intimated.

The Disciples, the Apostles of the Lamb, had his Ordinance for their Maintenance, and of whom to receive it, and as they were taught [...], to divide the Word aright: so they were taught [...], to Foot it aright; as to Teach Well, so to Live Well: and how exactly they were observant of Christ's Ordinance, for their Maintenance, may hereafter further appear.

The Disciples were sent out as Sheep in the midst of Wolves, without Money or Brass in their Purses; upon their return, Christ asked them, saying, Lacked ye any thing? They answered, No: Going in his heavenly Power and Virtue, their Ministry was so effe­ctual, prevalent and influential, as to open the Hearts of People, to minister to their Necessities in the Work of the Gospel; so he who sent them, maintained them in touching, influencing, and opening Hearts to minister to their Necessities, according to Christ's Ordi­nance upon that account, provided they sought no set annual Sti­pends, Salaries, Augmentations: They desisted not from Preach­ing, for the want of a settled Maintenance, as Man-made Mini­sters do, who when their Maintenance ceases, desist their Preach­ing; fulfilling the old Proverb, No Penny, no Pater-noster.

Again, as Christ instructed his Disciples how to carry and demean themselves to them that received them, so he informed them how to carry and demean themselves to them that received them not, say­ing, Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your Words, when ye depart thence, shake off the Dust of your Feet for a Testimony against them, Matth. 10. Mark 6. Luke 9. This was all the Extremity they were to use: he told them not they should apply themselves to Magistrates, and force People to maintain them, whether they received them or no; this is the Beasts Doctrine, and his unclean Flogs; The Apostles duly and faithfully observed this Ordinance of Dust-shaking, Acts 13.51.

Now you Non-conformists, of what denomination soever, who make Conscience of Non-compliance with the National publick Ministers, & of not ministring Carnal things unto them; it seems you are such as receive them not; Do they observe Christ's Ordinance? Do they content themselves with shaking the Dust off their Feet against you? My thinks I hear a general Answer in the Negative, No, No, they Sue us in Courts of Judicature, at Courts, Assizes; they Imprison us; they recover Treble damages of us, for very Trifles and inconsiderable things, as Smoke-Pennys, Mortuaries, Ea­ster-Reckonings, Midsummer-Dues, Popish Inventions; they make Havock and Spoil of our Goods. In thus doing, they trangress Christ's Ordinance of Dust-shaking, which the Apostles were ob­servant of, who used no Weapon but what was Spiritual, no Sword but that of the Spirit. Rev. 11.5. If any man hurt my Witnesses, Fire proceeds out of their Mouth, and devoureth their Enemies. The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is the Weapon of the Lords Witnesses, Gospel-Ministers: but the Beast that ascends out of the bottomless Pit, shall make War against the Witnesses, over­come them, and Kill them, Rev. 11.

Now notwithstanding the specious pretences of men, as of Re­ligion, Ordinances, Reformation, Antiquity; yet if Christs Ordi­nance of Dust-shaking against such as receive them not, be not ob­served, but a Co-ercive Power used, Tythe, and other Mainte­nance forced, a procedure in Persecution, Imprisonments, Spoiling of Goods, of such as for Conscience-sake cannot receive them; they that act these things, are out of Christ's Doctrine, darkned by the Smoke of that Pit, which the Beast ascended from, taking part with him, and not with the Lamb: So that Man-made Mini­sters stand for another Call, Work, Wage and Weapons, than Gospel Ministers contend for.

But to return to my Intention, which is, to shew, That the Main­tenance of the Ministers of Christ in the primitive Times, was free and voluntary, and that from such as received them.

Paul bare record unto the Elders of Ephesus, saying, I have co­veted no mans Silver, or Gold, or Apparel; yea, you know that these hands have ministered unto my Necessities, and to them that were with me, Acts 20.33, 34. Whence we gather (saith Aug. Marl. on this place) that no man is a true Minister of the Word, but he is [Page 49]also a Despiser of Money. Abraham of old shewed a noble Mind, in taking nothing of the Spoil got from his Enemies, Gen. 14. But saith Poole, Paul shewed a far Nobler Mind, whenas he refused to take Necessaries for his weighty and Salutiferous Labour, relieving his Necessities with his own hands.

In the ackowledgment of Christs Doctrine to his Disciples, Paul said, Have we not Power to eat and to drink? Yes, Paul had recei­ved Christ, the Power of God, whose Ordinance to his Disciples was, To eat and to drink such things as were set before them, by them that received them: He had power to eat, drink and receive Neces­saries from the Corinthians, who received him and his Message; though he wrote not for such and such ends, judging it his reward to make the Gospel without Charge, that he might not abuse his Power in the Gospel, 1 Cor. 9. This makes nothing for Man­made Ministers to force a Maintenance from such as receive them not.

Man-made Ministers pursuing Tythes, and other Antichristian Wages, as the Summum bonum, the chiefest good, thunder out the words of Paul: Who goeth a Warfare at any time at his own Charges? Who planteth a Vineyard, and eateth not of the Fruit there­of? Who feedeth a Flock, and eateth not of the Milk thereof?

Answ. This contraries not Christ's Ordinance; but herein the Apostle shews by three Arguments, That Gospel Ministers may with a good Conscience receive Necessaries from such as receive them and their Doctrine. Aug. Marl. tell me this; At whose Charge ought the Souldier to go, but at his, for whose Defence and Security he fights? The Apostles of the Lamb were Warriors, harnessed out of the Lord's Armory, fighting under the Banner of Christ, the Captain of their Salvation; in whose hands they were Instruments to conquer many, to rescue them from the Power of Satan, to reduce them into the Obedience of the Son of God, that they might be eternally Happy: Thus Warring for the good, se­curity and defence of them, according to Christ's Ordinance, they might reap necessaries from them. You that are made Ministers by the Will of man, this is no ground for forcing Tythe, and other Dues, as you call them, from such as receive you not; you war not for such, but against them, rendring them as Hereticks, per­secuting and imprisoning them, stirring up Magistrates a­gainst [Page 50]them: Let such as own you for their Warriors maintain you.

He that plants a Vineyard may eat of the Fruit of the Vineyard, which he hath planted; 'tis but Reason: Instruments in the hand of the Lord, of transplanting others out of the wild Olive, into the good Olive, out of the putred stock, old Adam, into the vir­tuous Root, the second Adam, the Lord from Heaven, may, by virtue of the Lord's Ordinance, eat of the Fruit of their Planta­tion, their Vineyard, eat and drink with, and receive Necessaries from such as they have gathered, to be fruitful Branches, lively Plants in their Plantation: No ground for Man-made Ministers to force a Maintenance from those that receive them not, who are not of their Plantation, their Vineyard: Let your own Vineyards maintain you.

He that feeds a Flock may eat of the Milk of the Flock; but it must be of the Milk of that Flock, which he feeds: The Apostles and their Successors, in the Word of Faith, Power and Reconcilia­tion, gathered others into the Unity of Faith, to the holy Hill of Sion; these were Flocks, as Flocks of Sheep which come up from the Washing, whereof every one bears Twins, and none are barren; these they feed with convenient Food: And let him that is taught in the Word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things, Gal. 6.6. This we own. And the Apostle said, If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing, if we shall reap your carnal things? The Law commanded, Thou shalt not muzel the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn, Deut. 25.4. The Equity of the Law required, That the Ox that trod out the Corn, was not to be muzled, but be fed by him whose Corn he trod out: And 'twas not agreeable to the Equity of that Law, that while he trod out Corn for one man, another should be forced to maintain him. 'Twas the Custom of the East, and of Grecce, to use Oxen to tread out the Corn, before the Invention or Use of Flails: Niggards muzled them, that they might not eat thereof; this the Law for­bad: What implies all this? That Gospel Ministers may expect, and according to Christ's Ordinance receive a Gospel Maintenance, from such as receive them and their Doctrine; but not from such as receive them not, nor their Ministry; that were all one, as if while the Ox trod out the Corn for one man, another man should by Laws, [Page 51]Force, Penalties, have been compelled to feed the same. The pre­mises duly understood and consider'd, aford no ground for Man-made Ministers to force Tythe, or other Maintenance, from such as receive them not; such are not of their Flocks, such receive not their Teaching, nor Sowing, nor Treading, as I may say; they come in another Name, Power and Virtue, who separate and thresh out the pure Grain. ‘The Office of one truly called into the Ministry (saith Aug. Marl.) is expressed by threshing, that thou mayst not think that Ministers ought to live in Idleness; and that thou mayst not judge, that the Church is bound to maintain those that are idle, who do not profit the Church.’ So let your own Flocks maintain you; Force not a Maintenance from such as receive you not, if you do, you transgress Christ's Ordinance, and the Apo­stles Practice. Remember the Saying of one; Id quod nostrum est, sine facto nostro avelli non potest: that is, That which is our own may not be taken from us, without our own Act.

Paul writing to the Church at Corinth, said, I robbed other Churches, taking Wages of them, to do you Service, 2 Cor. 11.8.

Though Paul had power to eat and to drink, to receive carnal things of the Corinthians, seeing he had sown spiritual things unto them, yet he used not his Power for some Reasons, but preached the Gospel Freely unto them, and had a Free and Voluntary supply from the Brethren of Macedonia, while he was in the Corinthian Service: Thus he received of the Macedonians, to whom he had formerly preached, that he might not be chargeable to the Corinthi­ans. This proves not Tythes nor a forced Maintenance from those that received him not, but quite the contrary: This proves recei­ving Freely of them to whom he had preached Freely; When I was present with you, and wanted, saith he, the Brethren that came from Macedonia supplyed me, vers. 9. And though he calls it Robbery, yet he received nothing but from such as had received him and his Doctrine; and in this he transgressed not Christ's Ordinance; for the Maintenance of the Gospel Ministry, the Brethren of Macedo­nia, of Corinth, and of all the gathered Churches, made up the Fa­mily of God; and for this Family to minister carnal Things to them, from whom they reaped spiritual things; the Royal Law requires it. Aug. Marl. said on this place, ‘As Conquerers pillage those whom they conquer, so whatsoever Paul received of the Churches, [Page 52]which he had gained to Christ, it was the prey of his Conquests; although (saith he) Paul never received any thing but what they Freely ministred; and what they Freely ministred, it was, as it were, a Due or Debt, by reason of his spiritual Warfare.’ So Paul receiving Necessaries from those that received him, is no ground for Man-made Ministers to force Tythe, and other Mainte­nance, from those that receive him not; these Robbers are of ano­ther Nature than Paul was. Yea, and this Self-denying Apostle said further to these Corinthians, That he would not be burthensom unto them; for (saith he) I seek not yours, but you, 2 Cor. 12. 'Twas their Souls, not their Wealth, their Salvation, not their Gold that he sought after. Aug. Marl. said on this place, ‘That it is the concern of a true Teacher, not to seek Gain from his Sheep, but the Welfare of the Sheep.’ But Man-made Ministers have not the Mind of Paul, regard the Fleece more than the Flock.

A Cloud of Examples might be produced out of the Writings of the Apostles, shewing, their exact walking according to Christ's Command, in referance to Free and Voluntary Contributions, pra­ctised by the Primitive Churches.

Further, 'tis evident, that at Jerusalem, and thereabouts, Belie­vers were so influenced in the Apostles days, and such Openness and Unity was among them, that all things were in Common; such as were Possessors of Lands or Houses, sold them, and laid the Prices thereof at the Apostles Feet, Acts 4. For what end was that done? Not to enrich the Apostles, but that Distribution might be made to every man, according as he had need, that there might be no want in the Family of God.

Jerom saith, That the Church gathered at Alexandria in Aegypt by Mark, follow the same Rule as the Saints did at Jerusalem, through mutual Love established in that Nearness, Openness and U­nity, as to have all things Common, Hieron. in vita Marc. The A­postles, and such as received them, through the Cross of Christ grew up in the alforming Word of Life, they blustered not about Meum and Tuum, earthly Things, as Worldlings do; they knew the End of the World, a blessed Knowledge, surmounting the Know­ledge of Spoiling Philosophers.

Philojudeus reports, That not only at Jerusalem, and there-abouts, [Page 53]and at Alexandria, but in many other Provinces also, Christians lived together in Societies.

Aug. Marl. entertaining a serious Consideration of the Primitive Unanimity, Oneness of Mind, and of the great Degeneration of his Age, brake out into these Expressions; Now our Hearts are harder then Iron, who are no more affected with the reading of this Hi­story, than the faithful gave liberally of their own: We at this day are not content niggardly to keep in what we have of our own, but we cruelly greedy after other mens, In Acta 4.35. A Disease too Epide­mical in this Age.

Christ Jesus, as I said before, ordained a Maintenance for his Mi­nisters, which was Free and Voluntary, from such as received them; by his Ordinance, they neither could, neither ever did, force a Maintenance from those that received them not, Mat. 10. Luke 10.

Now Paul, who had the Mind of Christ, in pursuance of Christ's Ordinance, seeing many convinced and converted, the Family of the Lord much increased, through the Labour of true Witnesses, to the uttermost parts of the Earth; and seeing Necessities arising, and through the Enmity of the Dragon, encreasing, he ordained a Weekly Collection; saying:

Now concerning the Collections for the Saints; as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye; upon the First day of the Week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, 1 Cor. 16.1, 2. wherein every man was to give, according as he purposed in his Heart, 2 Cor. 9.1, 5, 7. And these Free and Voluntary Collections and Contributions were put into the hands of the Deacons, men of honest Report, full of the holy Ghost, and of Wisdom; who out of this Stock and Treasury, were to supply and relieve the Necessities of all Indigent and Wanting Brethren: Hereby all the Services and Necessities of the Church were supplied; Poole, Zegerus, Grotius.

Thus the Maintenance of the Gospel Ministry was Free and Vo­luntary, by such as received them: And this was Christ's Ordinance by the Mouth of his chosen Vessel Paul, for the Supply of poor and indigent Brethren, and other Uses and Services of the Church, even of Paul, who had the Mind of Christ, who said to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus, That he had kept nothing back that was profitable to them; and that he had declared unto them the whole [Page 54]Counsel of God: Yet no man reads that he ever taught or ordained any other Maintenance of the Gospel Ministry & Indigent Brethren, than by Free, Spontaneous and Voluntary Contribution; this he preached up, who kept back nothing profitable, but declared the whole Counsel of God: So that he left no place of divine Right, for any other Maintenance, than what he had already declared.

Now the Locusts crawling out of the Smoke of the Pit, Man-made Ministers having nothing but natural Qualifications and Ac­complishments, they account this Gospel Maintenance, by Free and Voluntary Contribution, as Beggarly and Base, as Contemptible and Dishonourable; so kicks Paul's Ordinance out of place, and counte­nance, as I may say, and introduces and constitutes a more Stately, Authorative, Commanding Ordinance of their own, exacting and extorting a Maintenance by Compulsion, not sparing their own Flocks, nor others, contrary to Christ's Doctrine.

Now, I am herein confident, and bold to affirm, That these ta­king away this Ordinance of VOLUNTARY Contribution, and in the room thereof forcibly intruding the Compulsive exacti­on of Tythes, and any other Anti-evangelical Maintenance, are li­able to the Curse pronounced by the Mouth of Paul, who said, If any man preach any other Gospel, than that ye have received, let him be Anathema, Accursed, Gal. 1.

Wilson, in his compleat Christian-Dictionary, bears full, lively and pregnant Evidence hereunto; saying, The Ministers of the primitive Church were maintained by the Free and Voluntary Benevolence of the People, whose zeal and love to the Gospel were so fervent, that they were ready to part with all, for the Maintenance of it: But the zeal of these later dayes (saith he) if any at all, is so cold, that most men will not part with a Nut-shell unto the Ministers, but what they are forced unto.

He bears a true Testimony to the primitive Practice and Instituti­on; and likewise implies, That the necessity of forcing a Maintenance is among such, and only such, whose zeal and fervency to the Gospel is quenched, through the prevailing power of Iniquity, streams of Babylon: Yet Man-made Ministers now are so fired with the Love of the Wages of Unrighteousness, as that they Dispute, Jangle and Contend against the primitive Ordinance of Free and Voluntary Contribution, and corrupt Scriptures by the intermixture of their [Page 55]carnal Reason, false Translations, Glosses, colourable and pleasant Commentaries, manifold artificial Deceits, to defend a Co-ercive, Compulsive, Forced Maintenance by Tythes, and other unwarrant­able Wages.

King Agbarus (as Ecclesiastical Histories Report) being grie­vously diseased in his Body, and incurable by the skill of man, was cured by Thadeus, one of Christ's Disciples, without Medicine; for the which King Agbarus commanded Gold coyn'd and uncoyn'd to be given him; he refused it, saying, We that have forsaken our own, how shall we receive other mens? Words savouring of heaven­ly-mindedness; not like the Language of Man-made Ministers.

This primitive Institution and Practice of the First Daye's Free and Voluntary Collections, for the general Necessities, Uses and Ser­vice of the Church continued till about two Hundred Years after Christ, as Histories mention.

About two Hundred Years after Christ, Weekly Collections, ordained by Paul, ceased, and Monethly Collections were intro­duced and instituted; but yet there was no Degeneration from the Nature of the thing, as from Free and Voluntary Contribution, to Co-ercive Exaction. Turtudian, a Latin Father, who lived about that time, saith thus; Modicam unusquis (que) stipem menscrua die, vel cum velit, et si modo velit, et si modo possit, apponit, nam nemo compellitur, sed sponte confert, haec quasi deposita, pietatis sunt, Apologet. Cap. 39. that is, Every one Monethly, or when he pleases; and if he please, provided he be able, gives a competent portion; for no man is compelled to this or that Quantity, but gives of his own accord, &c. Poole on 1 Cor. 16. And these their Col­lections, Contributions and Offerings, were put into the hands of Deacons, for the aforesaid Christian Uses.

This Word, saith Selden, they borrowed from the Heathen, who called their Collections for their Temples and Dieties, Stipes.

This same Turtullian upbraiding the Gentiles with the Piety and Devotion of Christians, said in this manner; ‘Whatsoever we have in the Treasury of our Churches, it is not raised by Taxation, as though we put men to Ransom their Religion; but every man once a Moneth, or when he pleaseth, bestoweth what he thinks good, and not without he listeth; for no man is compelled, but left Free to his own Discretion: And what is thus given, is not [Page 56]bestowed in Vanity, but in relieving the Poor, and Fatherless Chil­dren, and in maintaining of Aged and Feeble Persons, and such as have suffered Ship-wrack, and such as are condemned to Mettal-Mines, banished into Islands, or cast into Prison for the Christian Faith, Apologet. cap. 39.’

Ʋrsin Bishop of Rome, about the Year 227. taught, ‘That it was lawful for Ministers to receive Possessions and Lands, offered by the truly Religious; not for their particular use, but for the Common good, Polydor de Invent.’ The Revenue of them was put in the Common Stock, out of which all Necessities, Uses and Services of the Church were answered.

This way of Monethly Collections or Contributions, for the afore­said Use and Service of the Church, continued, as appears by the Writings of Eusebius, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, and others, till the great Persecution under Maximinian and Diocletion, about the Year 304.

Ʋrban, Bishop of Rome, declared, ‘That the Church might receive Lands and Possessions offered by the Faithful, but not to any Particular Mans Use or Benefit; but that the Revenues thereof should be distributed as other Offerings, as need re­quired.’

Origen said expresly, ‘It is not lawful for any Minister of the Church, to possess Lands given to the Church, to his own Use.’

Further, he said to the Ministers, ‘Let us depart from the Priests of Pharaoh, who enjoy earthly Possessions, to the Priests of the Lord, who have no Portion in the Earth.’

Further, this Origen said in another place, ‘It behoveth us to be faithful in disposing the Rents of the Church, that we our selves devour not those things which belong to the Widows and the Poor; and let us be content with simple Diet, and necessary Apparel, 16. Homil. on Gen.’

Further, Origen speaking of those words, silver & gold have I none, said, ‘Behold the Riches of those who were Priests of Christ; but let us quickly apply these things to our selves, who are prohibited by the Law of Christ, if we have any regard thereunto, to have Possessions in the Country, and Houses in the City; What do I say, Possessions or Houses? No, not to multiply Coats or Money; [Page 57]if we have Food and Rayment, let us therewith be content, Orig. Hom. 15. on Levit.’

Cyprian Bishop of Carthage, about the year 250. testified, ‘That the Church maintained many Poor; and that her own Diet was sparing and plain, and all her Expences full of Frugality, Cypr. Epist 27, 34, 36.’

Prosper testified further, ‘That a Minister able to live of himself, ought not to participate of the Goods of the Church; for (saith he) they that have of their own, and yet desire to have some­what given them, do not receive it without great Sin, Prosp. de vit. contemplat. lib. 21.’

In these dayes all Necessities of Indigent Ministers, of the Poor, of the Banished, of such as were condemned by the Heathen Empe­rors to work in Mettal-Mines, &c. were supplied and relieved by Free and Voluntary Contributions, distributed by the Deacons, for that end appointed.

The said Cyprian, about the Year 250. speaking familiarly of this thing, called the Brethren that cast in their Monethly-Offerings, Fratres Sportulantes, from the Word Sportulae, which the Heathen Romans used, for Salaries, Wages, Fees for Judges and Mini­sters of Courts of Judicature; This they borrowed from the Hea­then Romans, and applied to their Monethly-Collections; Selden:

In the Apostles dayes Satan tryed the Ship of the Church, Tea­chers and Hearers, and as many as he found unsound, (Leeking, as I may say) he spouted into their Hearts the stinking Stream of Co­vetousness: but in succeeding Ages the Devil, that infernal Sea-Monster, Physeter, swallowed up the Ship of the Church, in the whirle-Pool of Apostacy, Ignorance, Pride, Covetousness, as the Apo­stle foretold.

About the Year 310. one Lucina, a devout Maid of Rome, dy­ing, made Marcellus Bishop of Rome her Heir, and gave him all her great Substance; From that time forth, saith Polydor, lib. 6. the Bishops of Rome were greatly enriched, and then came to be puft up with Pride: Which Riches the Apostles denyed.

Sylvester was Bishop of Rome about the Year 314. When Con­stantine (the first Emperor that embraced the Christian Faith, the Son of Constantius and Helene) offered him a Golden Scepter; he [Page 58]refused it as a thing not fit for a Priests Function, Sabel. Euseb. Chron.

While the Church was under Persecution by the Roman Empe­rors, it remained in much Purity of Doctrine and Conversation; a time of Sufferings is a time of Seriousness: But Constantine the Great embracing Christianity, his Empire turned Christians by the Lump; whether Nominal or Real, let the Wise in Heart judge; the Fan being over, Carnal security, Ease, Pride, Covetousness and Ambition grew up in the Garden of the Church.

‘After the Church came under Christian Princes, (saith Jerom) in Power indeed and Riches, she became greater, but less in Vir­tue, Tom. 2. in vita Malchi.’

‘ Constantine (saith Hospinian) gave great Gifts and Donations to Churches.’ Of which thing Mantuan said;

This Constantine gave to Sylvester Bishop of Rome, the City Rome, and great Lands and Dominions thereabouts, also a Triple Crown, in token that he made him Supream Head over all Churches in Asia, Africa and Europe, as some of their own Writers mention; though others question it. At the time of this Donation, a Voice was heard from Heaven, Hodie venenum funditur in ecolesiam; This Day Poyson is poured into the Church, Hermannus Gigas, Napier, Bishop Jewel on Hag. And the same Words were written in the presence of many upon a Wall in the Lateran Palace; as saith Ma­leolus, Nauclerus, Napier.

'Twas a true Saying of Aug. Marl. on Acts. 20.35. Religio pe­perit divitias, et filia devoravit Matrem; that is, Religion brought forth Wealth, and the Daughter devoured the Mother.

Sylvester was the first (if Histories may be credited) who let in a Deludge of Mass-Priests, Orders, Ornaments, Temples, Sing­ing-men, Sacrifices, Sanctuaries, Vestiments, Oyntments, Surpli­ces, Miters, embroidered Garments, under this pretence;

• 1. That Christian-Religion might not seem inferiour to Hea­thenism, in outward Lustre and Pomp.
• 2. That the Pagans by the likeness of these Rites, with theirs, might be the more easily drawn to Christianity. Pareus on Rev. 8. ‘Must Evil be done, that Good may come of it? Was letting in Streams of Babylon, the Way to lead others out of Babylon? Had it not been more Christian-like, if he had said, I must not go to them, they must come to us. Yet all was not hereby quite spoil­ed; the Star, called Wormwood, fell but upon the third part of Rivers and Fountains, Rev. 8. All were not Imbittered thereby nor Corrupted.’

This Constantine the Great demolished Pagan Temples, caused Churches, so called, to be built, enriched them with great Gifts and Possessions; and gave to Sylvester, and to his Successors, as several testifie, the City Rome, and the Lordship of Italy, and translated his Imperial Seat to Bizantium, from his Name, called Constan­tinople.

Sylvester advised that the Revenues of the Church should be di­vided into four Parts, whereof one was to go to the Maintenance of the Bishop; the Second part to the Priests, Deacons, and to the rest of the Clergy; the Third part to the repairing of places of pub­lick Worship; the Fourth part to the Poor, Impotent and Stran­gers: But in all this, there was no mention of Tythe, which the Clergy now hath seized on, and People are forced to maintain the Poor, and to Contribute to Repair their Churches, so called; and upon denyal, greatly Suffer for the same.

Honest Wickliff having his Eyes in measure opened, to see the Evil that spread as a Leprosie in the Church, through Constantines bounty, bare Testimony, saying, ‘ Constantine the Emperor, and Bishop Sylvester committed great Error, through their enriching the Church.’ For this and other Articles, the Council of Con­stance, a City of Helvetia, under Pope John the Twenty fourth, pronounced this Wickliff a Heretick, and commanded his Bones to be digged out of the Earth and Burned, Sum. Conc. et Pontif.

Though in this Sylvester's Day, much was amiss in the Church, yet little in comparison of after Ages; for the bottomless Pit was but (as I may say) beginning to smoke; his Day was but as the drop of a Bucket to the main Ocean, to ensuing Dayes, the [Page 60]Mid-night of Apostacy, wherein Doctrinal Errors and Covetous Practices darkned Sun and Air, spoiled the Glory of the Primitive Church.

If I should Particularize what vast Sums of Money went out of England in the Dayes of Popery, to the See of Rome, it would seem incredible: As,

• First, By way of first Fruits, paid antiently to the Pope; but by a Statute of Henry the Eighth wrested from the Pope, and gi­ven to the King, his Heirs and Successors forever.
• Secondly, By Legative Levies, the Pope having, or pretending need, vast sums of Money were exacted and levied through this whole Kingdom, by Legats and Officers for that purpose, deputed by the Pope.
• Thirdly, By Appeals to the Court of Rome, incredible sums were out of this Nation exhausted.
• Fourthly, By Dispensations, vast sums of Money were drawn to Rome:
• Fifthly, Indulgences and Pardons were of the like Magnetick fa­culty, to draw Money to Rome.
• Sixthly, By Jubile's, Pilgrimages and Vows, &c. both at stated and arbitrary times: So that one Adam Merrymouth called the English, the Popes Asses, willing to bear unsufferable Burthens.

Mantuan, a Carmelite Fryar, touched Rome to the quick in this manner,— Heu! Romae sola pecunia regnat, Exilium virtus patitur.—Thus Englished,

But to return to the Primitive practice; though through Con­stantine and Sylvester much Unsoundness crept into the Church, yet the Maintenance of indigent Ministers, and the supply of the Churches-Necessities, by free and voluntary Contribution, accord­ing to the Institution of Christ, and his chosen Vessel Paul, was not lost.

Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, in the dayes of Constantine, said, ‘If thou dost: possess a Garment, or any other thing, more then extream necessity doth require, and dost not help the Needy, thou art a Thief and a Robber.’

The Council at Antioch, in the Year 340. finding the Deacons very faulty, ordained that the Bishops should distribute the Goods of the [...]hurch, requiring that they took not any part to themselves, nor to the Priests and Brethren that lived with them, unless Necessity justly required it; alledging the Apostles Words, Having Food and Rayment, be therewith content, Conc. Ant. Cap. 25.

Hitherto the Necessities of the Ministers, as of others, were supplied and relieved by Free and Voluntary Contributions, and Offerings of Lands, Moneys, Goods; and People were much pressed to bountiful Contribution for Holy and Christian uses. Je­rom, eminent in his day, about the Year 384. and Chrysostom Bi­shop of Constantinople, about the year 398. laboured much in that point, and alledged the Jewish payment of Tythe, for an Example to Christians; below which they would not have Christians to de­termine their Charity, not binding them to this or that quanti­ty, but perswading and pressing that they might not come short of the Jews, in point of Charity; their Writings clearly and undeni­ably hold out this thing; and this is the first mention of Tythe I read of, produced only as an Example, to stir up the Sparks of Christian Charity.

Ambrose Bishop of Milan, and Augustin Bishop of Hippo, soon after, or about the Year 400. screwed a Peg higher, from the Law given to the Israelites, for the payment of Tythe, which Christ abolished, they imposed the payment thereof, with heavy Penal­ties, for Holy uses, as the phrase then was: Augustin taught that such as desired a Reward, or Pardon of Sins, they should pay Tythe; yet consider to what end they required them, that the Poor might not want, saying, God had reserved them for their use, Ambr. de penitent. August. in Sermone de tempt.

Yet in the Sun-shine of Primitive Purity, an Eternal reward and Remission of Sins was witnessed, and the Poor were provided for, without recourse to the Typical Levitical Maintenance by Tythe.

The Example of these two great Bishops, Ambrose and Augustin, and the sweetness of the Morsell, fired Church-men into that Do­ctrine; so that Leo, the great Pope, about the Year 440. Severin about the Year 470. Gregory also, and others, grounding their Doctrine on Moses's Law, stirred men up to the payment of Tythe, [Page 62]to offer the same to the Church, Leo de jejun. dec. mens. et eleemos. Greg. Hom. 16. in Evangel.

Notwithstanding the Example, Doctrine and Threats of the aforesaid, and others, it was not a generally received Doctrine, that Tythe ought to be paid, till about the Year 800. Agobard Bishop of Lyons; Selden of Tythe.

The Bishop for the most part in these Ages, lived in some Mona­stery, and his Clergy with him, from whence he sent them into the Country within his Diocess to Preach, and they brought all the Of­ferings they received into the Common Treasury, out of which, the Necessities of the Bishops, Priests, Poor, Distressed, Sick, Stran­gers, were supplied and relieved; places for publick Assemblies, called Churches, were built and repaired: the Priests then had not such a particular Interest in the Free and Voluntary Offerings, as after they usurped.

About the Year 800, 900, 1000. and after, Tythes were called the Lord's Goods, the Patrimony of the Poor, Tributes of poor Souls, Stipends of the Poor, of Strangers: Hereupon the Coun­cil at Nants declared, That the Clergy was not to use them as their own, but as commended to their trust: And they were not then given particularly to the Clergy, but for the use and relief of the Poor.

Bernard Abbot of Claravallis, who lived in the Year 1127. Con­temporary with Hugo de Sacro victore, bare Testimony to this pur­pose, in a Sermon upon Luke the 17th, and inferred thus;

‘Truly the Goods of the Church, are the Patrimony of the Poor, and whatsoever thing the Ministers and Stewards of the same do take unto themselves, more then is sufficient for a compe­tent Living, the same is taken away from the Poor by Sacrilegi­ous Cruelty.’

In these Dayes People being brought to believe that their Tythe ought to be given for the use of the Poor, as the the first Preachers up of Tythe held out, they were more desirous to give them to the Poor, then to the Priest; at length the foul and loathsome Lepro­sie of Covetousness so far infected the Clergy, as that Priests (through the Auxiliaries, or Assistants of Popes and Councils) quite shoulder­ed out the Poor and Needy, and seized upon the Whole, as rave­nous Vulters seize on their Prey.

The Doctrine of Pope Innocent the Third, about the Year 1200. relating to pluck the Bread out of the Mouth of the Poor, and to give it to the Priest, sounded sweetly in the Priests Ears.

What was his Doctrine? say some.

I Answer; This Pope Innocent the third, preaching on the Charity of Zacheus, said, Graviter peccant qui decimas et primitias non reddunt Sacerdotibus, sed eas pro voluntate distribuunt indigentibus; that is, They are hainous Offenders, who give Tythes and first Fruits to the Poor, and not to the Priests. Certainly this Doctrine could not but astonish and amaze the People, concluding them Hainous Offenders, for the observance of that which had for Generations been Preached up as Meritorious: Is there not occasion given to cry out,

Further, a General Council held at Lyons under Pope Gregory the Tenth, in the Year 1274. Constituted, that thenceforth it should not be lawful for men to give their Tythes where they would, as it had been before, but that they should pay all their Tythes to the Mother-Church: Hence 'tis evident that People might dispose of their Tythes as they pleased, till they were restrained by Popes, and Popish Councils.

The Council of Trent under Pope Pius the Fourth, about the Year 1560. commanded, that all Men of what degree and conditi­on soever, who were lyable to pay Tythes, should justly pay the same, after that time, to the Cathedral Church, or to any other Church, or Person, to whom the same was of right due: This is the Magna Charta, (as I may say) the great Decree, directly constituting Tythes, all, or most of what was before supposed them as due by some former right.

The Ecclesiastical state abroad, in order to Tythes, being in some measure touched; some what concerning our own Nation may be spoken.

Philip the Apostle (as Histories report) sent Joseph of Arima­thea, and others with him, into this Nation, antiently called Brit­tain, [Page 64]in the Reign of Arviragus; they also tell us of King Lucius, Converted to the Christian Faith: What Footing the Christian Religion had in the Brittish dayes, among the Brittains, I forbear to touch, having never read any thing of their payment of Tythes, or any other forced Maintenance: This Lucius was the first of the Kings of Europe, (as 'tis said) whose Diadem was brightned with the Heavenly Gleames of Christianity, Verst.

About the Year 290. in the Dayes of Dioclesian the Emperor, began the first Persecution of Christians in Brittain: There was one Alban, a Brittish Pagan, who received into his House one Amphi­balus, a Christian, who fled from his Persecutors; this Alban was convinced by the sweet Conversation of Amphibalus, so was to be Beheaded; in going to the place of Execution, his intended Execu­tioner was smitten in his Conscience, and threw down his Sword at Albans Feet, desiring to dye for him, or with him; he was put to death with Alban: the manner of Alban's Death was Engraven up­on a Marble Stone, and was set up in the City Verulamium, or Ve­rulam, for a terror to Christians; This City after was ruined, and of the Ruines of it, a Town was built, to this very Day called St. Albans, in memory of the Martyrdom of Alban in that place: not long after, the same Romans caught Amphibalus, & put him to Death near the same place where Alban had suffered: Of this Alban one wrote, Albanum egregium faecunda Brittannia profert.

The barbarous Saxons over-ran this Brittish Nation, exercising Cruel Persecutions upon them, till the very Name of Christian was blotted out; and those Saxons erected a Heptarchy, that is, a seven fold Kingdom in this Land.

As they say, saith Bede. About the Year 600. or soon after one Gregory, Arch-Deacon of Rome, saw two Northumbrian Youths exposed to be sold; he demanded, Whence they were? It was answered by some by standers, That they were Angli, of the Province Deira, called now Houlderness, and that they were Subjects of Alla, King of Northumberland, and by Re­ligion Pagans: Gregory framed this Allusion, that the Angli, like unto Angels, should be snatcht, Dei ira, from the Wrath of God, [Page 65]and should be taught to sing Hallelujah, This Gregory obtaining Licence of Benedict the Pope, resolved to come and Preach among the English; but the Romans through their desire to his presence, recalled him from his Purpose and Journey.

This Gregory after succeeding in the Papal Seat, sent Abbot Au­gustin, and some zealous Monks with him, to preach the Faith of Rome to the English Nation, who safely arrived at the Isle Tanet; this Augustin sent a Message to Ethelbert a Saxon, King of Kent, That he was come from Rome to proffer Heaven, upon their recep­tion of his Evangelical Message.

Ethelbert gave him and them a Meeting, who advanced for their Standard a Silver Cross, and the painted Image of Christ, singing the solemn Litanies, &c. Ethelbert said unto them, Fair and ample are the Promises which you bring; yet such as being new and uncertain, I cannot hastily assent unto: Nevertheless because you are Strangers, and are come afar to impart unto us the Knowledge of things, which doubtless you judge the truest and best, we will not recompence you with any Molestation, but will Friendly entertain you; nor do we forbid, whom you can by Preaching, to gain to your Belief. He allotted them a Residance in Canterbury, his chief City. Milton.

‘The Example of their Holy Life (saith my Author) spent in Prayer, Fasting, and continual Labour in the Preaching of the Gospel gained many, on whose Bounty and the King's, receiving only what was necessary from those that received them, they subsisted.’

Pope Gregory clearly held out to Augustin, that he and his Assist­ants should live according to the Primitive Order, among whom none said any thing was his own, of the things he possessed, but all things were common among them: Where I observe, that al­though they were almost smothered at Rome with the Smoke of the Pit, yet they had a sight into the Primitive Order, as to live of the Free and Voluntary bounty of such as received them; which Augustin at first observed.

Venerable Bede saith, ‘Th [...] Augustin and his Companions first co­ming to King Ethelbert in Kent, began there to imitate the way & course of the primitive Church, receiving only Necessaries from such as received them and their Doctrine, Bed. Hist.’ Here was no preaching up of Tythes, no mention of a Compulsive Maintenance: [Page 66]Now how long this course of living of the Free and Voluntary Bounty of the People, according to the primitive Institution and Practice continued, History gives me not much Satisfaction; yet Conjectures there are from the Testimony of Bede, till the time of Henry the third, no Tythes as Tythes, were generally paid; but only a Decree was made, That for every twenty Shillings Rent, a Farthing a Sunday, so call'd, was to be paid, which came to fifty two Farthings yearly: This was given by way of Offering, but was supposed as Due; and the Tenth part of the yearly Rent of their Houses; Bede, Lingwood.

Ethelbert, the King of Kent, being drawn by Augustin to em­brace the Faith, Doctrine and Worship of Papal Rome, multitudes of his Subjects framed a Conformity thereunto: Upon this Augustin informed Pope Gregory of his Success; whereupon Pope Gregory ordained him Arch-Bishop of the English. Milton.

Pope Gregory sent others, as Melistus; Justus, Panlinus, Rufi­nian, and others, who brought strange stuff with them into this our Nation, as Vessels, Vestiments for the Altar, Coaps, Reliques, and a Fall for Austin the Arch-Bishop to say Mass in. Milton.

A great part of the Nation being in a little time brought to the Romish Faith, they began to with-draw from their Dependance and Reliance upon the Free and Voluntary Contributions of their Con­verts, and began to preach up the old Roman Doctrine; That Tythes ought to be paid, and that Pardon of Sins might be merited, the Torments of Hell avoided by such good Works: Thus the Poor, Depraved, Deluded, Seduced and Ignorant People, through the Sorceries of their Pollitick Leaders, the Priests, were drawn to the Voluntary Contribution of theis Tythes, or of what portion there­of they pleased, to Monasteries, Nunneries, Abbeys, Monks, Nuns, Abbots, Priors, Prioresses, Hospitals, Poor, &c. Which Donations at length were confirmed by the Canon Law; and such as had not Voluntarily bestowed their Tythe, they were forced there­unto by Laws and Statutes; and a general Exaction thereof through the whole Kingdom was established upon the Clergy.

In this Mid-night of Popery, Tythe or Tenths were accounted the Souls Ransome, and preached so to be by the covetous Clergy; so that in the Belief hereof, People gave not only Tythes, but Lands also to Religious Houses, so called. Who would deny the Soul's [Page 67]Ransom, Endless Life, if so to be purchased? In the Belief of this Doctrine, the Clergy had almost gotten the third part of the Land; and but that the Law against Mortmain prevented, might strangely have prevailed by further Encroachments.

Now in order to owe People to be devout and exact in the Pay­ment of Tythe, they tell us a Miracle thereto, relating, how that Austin at a certain time coming to a place called Cometon, to preach, the Priest of the place made complaint against the Lord of the Mannor, for detaining his Tythe; for which thing Austin Excommunicated him; and saying Mass as the Altar, forbad Excommunicated Per­sons to be present thereat: Presently a dead Corps, buried One Hundred and Seventy years before, arose out of his Grave, and stood afar off, during the Celebrating of holy Mass. Austin asked him what he was? He said, He was a man that in his Life-time would never pay Tythe to the Priest, so was excommunicated; and dying, went to Hell for that Crime. Austin raised the dead Priest, who affirmed, That that man would never pay his Tythe. Austin sent the live dead Corps to his Grave again; saying, He had suffered long in Hell, that is, in Purgatory. The Lord of the Mannor seeing all this, was much ter­rified, and fell at Austin 's feet, confessing his Fault; became a due Payer of his Tythe all his Life-time; John de Grand sono, Johan. Anglici Historia Aurea.

Such Delusions as these, as also the Doctrine of Merits, and of Tythe being the Souls Ransom, being received by the Credulous, Deluded Saxons, the Saxon Kings in their respective Kingdoms of the Heptarchy, and in their respective Reigns, made Laws and De­crees for the due Payment of Tythes.

Micah, a Seer of the Lord, in his day cryed out, Will the Lord be pleased with Thousands of Rams, or with ten Thousands of Rivers of Oyl? Implying, He would not, where Justice, Love of Mer­cy and Humility did not truly season and possess the Inwards, Mic. 6. The true Church made up of living Stones, Elect and Precious, witnessed Christ, the Amen, the true and faithful Witness, to be their Ransom; their Redemption, their Redeemer from Death, Hell and the Grave: But the Depraved and Mis-led Saxons, through the spiritual Inchantments of their Teachers, were brought to account Tythe-giving, to be the Souls Ransom. I could produce multitudes of their Donations, confirming what I say.

In the dayes of Henry the second, Nicholas Fitz Turold gave his Tythe in Chiltune to that Monastery: The Form and Contents of his Donation was thus:

Be it known to those that are present, and to those that shall succeed, That I Nicholas, the Son of Turold, for the Salvation of my Soul, and of my Parents, &c. have granted to the aforesaid Church, to be held forever, the Tythes of my Land, which I possess in the Village of Chiltune, &c.

I William de Albineio do grant unto God, and to St Andrew of Rochester, and to the Monks, having Residence there, all my Tythes, &c. for the Soul of King William, and for the Soul of King Henry, and for my own Soul, and for the Souls of my Father and Mother, and of my Wife, and of my Brother Nigellus, and of my Nephew Humphry, and for the Souls of my other Parents, alive and dead.

Know all men, That I Payn Sheriff of Surrey, do give and grant the Tythes of Geddings, which my Ancestors gave to God, and to the Church of St Andrew of Rochester, for the Soul of my Father, and of my Mother, and for me and my Wife, and the same Church bath granted unto me, that after our Death, the Anniversary of me, and of my Wife, shall yearly be performed forever. Thus a former Grant was confirmed.

Richard Tresgoz confirmed to God, and to the Church of blessed Mary of Boxgrave, and to the Monks there, serving God, for the Sal­vation of his Soul, and of his Wife and Predecessors, and that Mass should be celebrated thrice a Week in the aforesaid Church, for his Soul, and his Wive's Soul, and for the Souls of his Father and Mother, and Ancestors, all the Donations which this Father Philip had given, as well in Lands as in Tythes. Moreover, he gave all the small Tythes of his Mannour; of Lambs, Calves, Foals, Chickins, Piggs, Wool, Cheese, Apples, Fruit; in a word, of whatever was Tytheable.

Out of a Charter of King Stephen, made to the Priory of Eye in Suf­folk, this following may be read.

I ✚ Stephen, by the Grace of God King of England, touched with [Page 69]the Love of God, and for the Salvation of my Soul, ✚ and of my Fa­ther's Soul, and of my Mother's Soul, and of my Ancestors, Kings, do give unto God, and to the Church of St Peter of Eye, and to the Monks there serving God, that they may have all their Profits quiet, and free from all Exaction, in Lands, Tythes, Churches, Possessions, &c. Thus he confirmed former Grants, supposing them Due, Pious, of good Effects and Consequences. Selden.

Thus for the obtaining of Masses, Anniversaries, Remission of Sins, Salvation of Souls, of the dead and of the living, and other Rea­sons, Papists gave Tythes to Papists; these, or what portion there­of they pleased, were Voluntarily bestowed on Monks and Mona­steries, Nuns and Nunneries, Abbots and Abbeys, Priors and Prio­ries, Hospitals, on the Poor; at last all these Voluntary Grants, to be held as pure and perpetual Alms, were confirmed by civil Laws, and Episcopal; and such as had not Voluntarily bestowed them, were forced thereto by Laws and Statutes.

About the Year 900. strict Examination was made at Shrifts, that is, Confessions, in these words: Hast thou at any time neglected to pay the Tenth to God? If so, restore to God four fold; and then must thou suffer Pennance with Bread and Water Twenty Dayes. Selden.

After it was determined by Laws, Canons and Decrees of Kings, Popes, Councils and Bishops, That every man ought to pay Tythes; yet the Owner had Liberty to confer it where he pleased; whereby Abbeys and Monasteries were wonderfully enriched, till Pope Inno­cent the third, in or about the Year 1200.

Upon the aforesaid Consideration, this Innocent the third, by his Decetal Epistle to the Bishop of Canterbury, commanded him, To enjoyn every man to pay his Temporal Goods to those that ministred Spiri­tual things to them; and the same was enforced by Ecclesiastical Cen­sures. And this was the Rise, Beginning and Original of General parochial Payment of Tythes in England: This the Pope enjoyned, notwithstanding any Custom to the contrary. The Popes Decree is recorded by Cooke, in the second part of his Institutes.

After this Innocent the third, about the Year 1200. had restrain­ed the Free and Voluntary Distribution of Tythes, and settled a pa­rochial Payment thereof; in Pursuance and Confirmation thereof, [Page 70] Gregory the tenth, about the Year 1274. ordained, That it should not be lawful for men to give their Tythes at their own Pleasure, where they would, as it had been; but to pay all their Tythes to the Mother-Church, this saith Cisterniensis. Thus the Pope prevailed with People to pay their Tythes; and after screwing a Peg higher, limitted People to the Payment thereof, according to his Ap­pointment.

CAP. VI. Of the Rise of first Fruits in Christian Churches.

ACcording to the Mosaical Dispensation, a portion of first ripe Fruits were offered unto the Lord; and this did Sanctifie the Remainder of Fruits; and by these the Jews were raised up into hopes of enjoying their whole Crop in due Season, Exod. 22.29. This was a Type fulfilled in the Substance, Christ Jesus, the Glory of the Evangelical Dispensation. Paul having received Christ, the end of all the Jewish Types, Figures, Shadows, Offerings, first Fruits, preach­ed not up the Jewish first Fruits, but Christ the end thereof, who Sanctifies all that receive him, and raises in them Hope and strong Confidence for the Fruition of the Crown of Life. Now (saith Paul) Christ is risen from the dead, and is become the first Fruits of them that slept, 1 Cor. 15.20. Yea, and the Saints in Christ are the Evangelical first Fruits, taken out of the Residue of men, as the Jewish first Fruits were taken out of the rest, an Offering unto the Lord. Of his own Will begat he us (saith James) by the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of first Fruits of his Creatures, Jam. 1.18. Yea, and John called the Hundred Forty and Four Thousand, who stood on Mount Sion with the Lamb, The first Fruits unto God, and to the Lamb, Rev. 14.4.

Thus in Gospel dayes, the Jewish first Fruits were not preached up, but Christ the End thereof, the End of the first Covenant, first Priesthood, and its Typical Appurtenances, even Christ, the Evan­gelical first Fruits. So who preach up the Figure, the Substance being come, such are Antichrists.

Now after the rising of the Smoke of the Pit, darkning Sun and Air, spoiling the Glory of the primitive Church, the Beast that had long plunged in the Sea, was rifen out of the Sea, the Pope had gotten the Supremacy; he by colour of the Jewish Laws, which gave Tythes to the Levites, gained an Universal Payment of Tythes to his Clergy; he as Successor of the Jewish high-Priest, claimed to himself first Fruits and Tenths, denying thereby Christ Jesus to be come in the Flesh, the End of Types, Shadows and Figures: First Fruits and Tenths are but a late Innovation, claimed by the Pope, as Successor to the Jewish high-Priest, as Cooke, in the third part of his Institutes testifies.

Though it was long e're the Pope brought to pass his Attempt of Tenths to himself, from all his inferiour Priests in England, yet at last it was effected: Yea, and the Laws of this Na­tion shew, that there was no little strugling by Kings and Com­mons in Parliament against first Fruits, calling the same, An Horrible Mischief, and a Damnable Custom: Yet not so Horrible, Mischievous or Damnable, but the Pope would receive them, and Man-made Ministers preach them up.

The Payment of first Fruits and Tenths were continued to the Pope, as annexed to his Chair, as Successor to the Jewish high-Priest, Head of the Church, till the days of Henry the 8th, who then de­nyed the Popes Supremacy, and assumed it to himself; and by Act of Parliament got first Fruits and Tenths annexed to his Crown: Thus the Aaronical Types and Figures were received from hand to hand, entertained among the Professors of Christianity; which thing be­ing duely consider'd, is Antichristian, a Denyal of Christ to be come in the Flesh. This being settled on King Henry and his Successors, through want of Consideration, and of a divine Understanding; and being supposed a Due, is continued among Protestants, pretend­ing to be high Sharers in Reformation.

CAP. VII. Of the Rise of Mortuaries.

IN the Mid-night of Popery, Priests begot in People a Belief, that their Prayers, Mass-Services, Obits, &c. were wonderful effectual to bring the Souls of the deceased out of Purgatory: So 'twas appointed, that the Relict, the Wife of the Deceased, was to pay ten Shillings more or less to the Priest; and this was called a Mortuary. And why must she pay so much to the Priest? That the Priest might pray for the Soul of her Deceased Husband; and that some of their Merits, which they had in store, might be shared out to him; pretending, They had a stock of Merits to sell, to such as came with Money in their hands.

Selden mentions a Synod in Ireland, wherein it appears, that a man might have bequeathed his Burial to what Abbey he would; and that the Abbot thereof should have his Apparel, his Horse and his Cow for a Mortuary, although he had before bestowed all he had upon another Abbot.

Now the Pope being denyed, and a Reformation intended, the Clergy concluded, that it was gross and idolatrous to receive Mor­tuaries upon such a Consideration; and yet unwilling to part with such a sweet Morsel, devised a more plausible consideration, and that was, That Mortuaries should be given in Recompence of Tythes, not duely paid in the Life-time; not considering, that in this very thing, they condemn all their Hearers, as Fraudulent and Deceitful, so must have a Recompence for the Fraud, Guile, & Unjust detaining of Church-dues in their Life-time. The Apostles practis­ed no such thing, but bare Testimony, That men should arise, stain­ed with Covetous Practises. 'Tis a shame, that Protestants, so called, from protesting to renounce Popery, should be so defiled and conta­minated with such Covetous Practices.

In the dayes of Henry the 8th, 'twas enacted, That the Bishops of Bangor, Landaff, and St Assaph, and the Arch-Deacon of Chester, [Page 73] should take Mortuaries of the Priests, within their Jurisdictions; as had been accustomed.

This Henry enacted, That no Mortuary should be demanded where the Goods of the dead Person (Debts deducted) amount not to the value of ten Marks.

Nor above the Sum of three Shillings four Pence, when they exceed not thirty pound.

Nor above six Shillings eight Pence, when they exceed thirty Pound but under forty.

Nor above ten Shillings, when they amount to forty Pound, or above. Thus after the primitive dayes, Christ the Law-giver, to, of and in the Church, and his Doctrine of Free and Voluntary Contributi­on was denyed, and covetous Practices commanded and allowed by men in the Apostacy, were entertained; and what spoil and havock hath been, and is made upon the Deniers of these Selfish, Idola­trous, Antichristian, Irreptitious Customs, who is ignorant?

CAP. VIII. Of the Statute against Mortmain.

MOrtmain is a French word, and signifies, a dead hand; 'tis in the common Law, An Alienation of Lands or Tenements, to any Corporation, or Fraternity, and their Successors, with the Licence of the King, and the Lord of the Mannor Lands (saith a great Lawyer) were said to come to dead hands, to the Lords; for that by Alienation in Mortmain, they lost wholly their Escheats, and in effect, their Knight-Service, for the Defence of the Realm, Wards, Marriages, Reliefs, and the like, and therefore was called, a dead Hand; for that a dead hand yields no Service, saith Sr Thomas Ridley in his view of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Law.

Austin the Monk brought the Religion and Doctrine of Papal Rome into this Nation, to among the Saxons; by little and little strange things came to be preached up, as, That the pardon of sins might be merited by good Works, the Torments of Hell might be avoided; and that Tythe was the Souls Ransom; and that who­ever [Page 74]desired Forgiveness of Sins, and the Joys of Heaven, should faithfully pay the same; and that without the payment thereof, these things could not be had The Deluded and Depraved People receiving this as a heavenly Oracle, gave not only their Tythes for the satisfaction of their Sins, to maintain the Popish Clergy to say and sing Mass, to pray for their Souls, for Obits and Anniversaries, but their Lands also: Hence Religious Houses (so called) came to be built, and wonderfully enriched. By this Satanical Stratagem and Delusion, almost a third part of the whole Land was hooked in­to the aforesaid Houses and Clergy; and there was no cry heard among the Ravenous Cormorants, 'Tis Enough, but rather the Horsleeches Language, Give, Give.

Now that all the Land might not be swallowed up in this unsatiable Whirle-Pool, a Statute against Mortmain, that is, against the Ali­enation of Lands, to such and such Uses was provided.

‘It was (saith Andrew Willet, in his Synopsis of Popery) a com­mon practice in time of Popery, so the Priests might be enriched; they cared not greatly, though all the Stock of the Patrons and Founders were undone, the Statute of Mortmain, faith he, was made to restrain this, pag. 309.’

King Henry the third, in his great Charter to all Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Earls, Barons, Sheriffs, &c. enacted thus: ‘If any from henceforth give his Lands to any Religious House, and thereupon be convict, the Gift shall be utterly void, and the Land shall accur to the Lord of the Fee. Edward the first enacted to the same purpose.’

Henry the eighth confirmed this in the 23d year of his Reign, enacting, ‘That Assurances of Lands to Churches, Chappels, Church-wardens, Guilds, Fraternities, Commonalties, &c. made of Devotion, as to the Uses and intents, to have Obits perpetual, or a continual Service of a Priest forever, or for sixty or eighty Years, were as Prejudicial to the Lords, as if they were aliened in Mortmain, so to be void.’

Further, this Henry enacted, ‘That all Monasteries, Abbyes, Priories, and other Religious Houses of Monks, Canons and Nuns, &c. with their Estates, should be given to him and his Heirs forever, the Right of Founders, Patrons and Donors being saved; as also all Lands, Tenements, Rents, and other [Page 75]Hereditaments, given for the Maintenance of an Anniversary, or Obit, Light or Lamps in Church or Chappel to continue forever.’ To say no more herein, that Statute against Mortmain prevented the spreading of that foul Leprosie of Encroachments, and stopped the heady Current of Idolatrous days in that point.

CAP. IX. Of Exemptions from the payment of Tythes.

THrough the Seed of Degeneration, Ministers in Christian Churches became [...], lovers of filthy Lucre, Cove­tous, such the old Saxons called Gitsors; that is, sore and eager getters; the Popes Doctrine being entertained into a Nation, that Nation was divided into Bishopricks, Bishopricks into Parishes; then the Pope having set up Parishes, he enjoyned that a secular Priest Canonically instituted, should attend the Service of each re­spective Parish: and that where Tythes were not already settled; they should be paid to the Parish Priest, notwithstanding any custom to the contrary.

After People were brought to believe that Tythe ought to be paid, they enjoyed that liberty of bestowing the same where they would, & on whom they would, till Pope Innocent the third, about the Year 1200. as hath been touched. So they were called Free Offer­ings, and Pure Alms; but it was no matter of difficulty, having perswaded People to pay Tythes, to appoint the Receiver, the Per­son or Persons to receive the same.

Now the Pope having brought in Tythes, and appointed the per­sons that should receive them; notwithstanding his general Decree, yet he, in favour to his chiefest Props and Cathedral Pillars, fre­quently granted Exemptions to such and such Orders, whereby they became freed of the payment of Tythes, as to the Templers, Cistercians, Hospitallers, and generally to all Lands held by Reli­gious Persons and Houses; upon this account, who have bought the [Page 76]Lands of dissolved Monasteries, &c. their plea is, That their Lands are Tythe free.

This Immunity, so far as it concerned the rest of the Religious Persons, Pope Adrian recalled, and limitted it only to the Cisterti­ans, Hospitallers, Templers, and to the Order of St. John of Jeru­salem, as faith Sr. Thomas Ridley in his view of the Civil and Eccle­siastical Law.

'Tis a pregnant proof (saith one) that Tythes are of humane Insti­tution, and that from the Bishops of Rome also. Seeing their Exemp­tions are in force, and observed to this day; yea, and as I may say, to aggravate the indignity of the thing, among such as would be accounted to have come out of Italian Babylon, and to be great sha­rers in Reformation.

Now for the satisfaction of such, who desire some account con­cering the aforesaid Orders, this is:

Knights of the Temple, Knights Templers, was an Order of Knighthood erected by Pope Gelasius, about the Year 1117. at first they dwelt not far from the Sepulcher of Christ, entertained Christian Strangers and Pilgrims charitably; and in their Armour led them (saith my Author) thorough the Holy Land, to view such things as were to be seen, and to defend them from the Infidels; at last they grew very Vicious, and many of them fell from the Pro­fession of Christianity to the Saracens. Pope Clement the fifth sup­pressed the whole Order, and their Substance was given to the Knights of Rhodes, and other Religious Orders, saith my Au­thor.

Knights of the Order of St. John in Jerusalem was created for the defence of Pilgrims; these Knights and Pilgrims were called Croises, from the Sign of the Cross which they used to wear on their Gar­ments: This Order was erected in or about the Year 1120. and had their fi [...]st Foundation and abode in Jerusalem, after they had their residence at Rhodes, whence they were expelled by Solyman; since their chief Seat hath been at Malta, and have done, as 'tis said, great Exploits against the Turk There was one General Pri­or that had the Government of the whole Oder in England and Scot­land; King Henry the eighth dissolved this Corporation, the Pri­or [Page 77]and Confreres thereof were prohibited to wear their accustom­ed Mark, the Sign of the Cross: The King also was to have their Houses, Churches, Lands, Goods, Chattels, Debts, and all other things of theirs.

Hospitallers were certain Knights of an Order, so called, be­cause they had the Care of Hospitals, that is, Houses erected for the Relief of Pilgrims, and Poor and impotent People.

Bernard, a learned Monk of Burgundy, entred into the Mona­stery of C [...]steaux; hence an Order of Monks were called Bernar­dines, from this Bernard, the chief of the Monastery; they were called also Ci [...]ertian Monks.

Thus Tythes were settled in Apostatized Christendom by the Pope, (not by Christ nor his Apostles) and in favour to his chief Props, such and such Orders, &c. the Pope made all the Lands gi­ven unto them Tythe free, which so remains to this Day, his Ex­emptions are in force. Now read your selves, you that Glory in the Name of Protestants, and would be accounted eminent in Re­formation, from the dregs of Popery, as you say; See the Author of Tythes, in Apostatized Christendom, and of the exemption of such and such Lands from the payment thereof, the Pope, whom though you pretend to deny, yet plead for his Provision; and re­fuse healing of your Leprosie in Spiritual Jordan, the River of Judgment.

CAP X. Of Frank Almoigne.

LOcusts crawling out of the Smoke of the Pit, Teachers quali­fied only by Man, saith Gell on 2 Tim. 4. have a [...], that is, an itching in their Tongues, desirous to teach others for Earthly ends, Earthly advantage, filthy Lucre, not fervently de­sirous to bring them to Life; and the Hearers of such have [...], an itching in their Ears, affecters of Novelties, Flesh plea­sing Doctrines, curious Speculations: 'Tis out of a Natural mans [Page 78]Sphere, to have Spiritual and Heavenly aimes, he is dead thereto, making Preaching as a Trade or Art to pick a Living by: Such as are called of God they have better aimes, of a more pure and hea­venly Nature: But to return, In the Apostacy the Clergy even spent themselves in the pursuit of Earthly things, multiplying In­ventions to settle themselves in Pride, Fulness and Ease, and a Pro­vision, Idolatrously, Fraudulently, and upon groundless Supposi­tion, formerly hooked in by the Clergy: Man-made Ministers now, though pretending Reformation, allow of and Dispute for the same.

A Tenant in Frank Almoigne, is where an Abbot, Prior, or any other man of Religion, or of holy Church, as they say, holdeth of his Lord in Frank Almoigne, that is to say, in free Alms; and this Tenure began first in Old Time, when a man seized of Lands or Te­nements, &c. and of the same enfeoffed an Abbot, Prior, or any Ecclesiastical person, Seculer or Reguler, to have and to hold to them and their Successors in Frank Almoigne, that is, pure or free Alms, Cook upon Littletou sec. 133.

All Ecclesiastical persons might have held in Frank Almoigne, were they Seculer or Reguler; but no Lay-person could hold in Frank Almoigne. A notable piece of Policy to enrich the Clergy, none must pertake of these Alms but the Clergy; the Peoples Cha­rity was limitted by the grand Charter of the Clergies Covetous­ness to themselves alone.

And they which held in Frank Almoigne, were bound of right before God, to make Orisions, Prayers, Masses, and other divine Services, for the Soul of their Grantor, or Feoffer, and for the Souls of their Heirs which were dead, and for the prosperity, and good Life, and good Health of their Heirs which were alive; Cook upon Littletou, Sec. 136.

Thus 'tis clear as the Day to the seeing Eye, what strange Su­perstitious, Idolatrous Doctrines and Covetous Practices, foretold of by the Apostles, had a rise in the Apostacy. Paul said in his Day, We are not as many, which corrupt the Word of God, 2. Cor. 2.17. Former Translations rendred it, We are not as many, making Merchandize of the Word. Which is very agreeable to the Greek Copy, and touches the Practise of Man-made Ministers, who, as Merchants trade with their Commodities, trade with their ground­less [Page 79]Doctrines, Traditions, irreptitious Customs, natural Gift, acquired Parts, Bargaining with People for so much a Year, run­ing from place to place, as further Advantage is offered; yet pre­tending a Call thereto 'Twas the Judgment of Church-men in for­mer dayes, that for a Bishop to remove from one place to another, was a bad Custom, and to be rooted out, Summa Concil. & Pontif. saying further, 'Tis very evident why they do this thing, seeing no Bishop i [...] found removing from a greater City to a less; whereupon 'tis apparent (say they) that they are fired with Covetousness.

You that pretend Reformation, you have in your Mouthes what was said of Alexander the Sixth, that notable Merchant.

And what Mantuan hath said of Merchandizing, apostatized Rome's selling of Temples, Priests, Altars, Sacred things, Crowns, Fire, Frankincense, Relicks, Prayers, Heaven, and God himself: And cannot you see your selves? Doth not your taking of Tythes, Easter-Reckonings, Midsummer-Dues, as you call them. Money for Marrying of People, for Burials, for opening of the Earth, for Funeral Sermons, for Mortuaries, for Churching of Women, for Smoke passing up the Chimney, Plough-Money, Garden-Money, Augmentations, bespeak you Merchants? The Apostles acted no such things, were not found in the Co-ercive exaction of Tythes, not forcing a Maintenance from such as received them not; Paul was no such Merchant, he mingled not Wine and Water, as I may say, he was not [...], a lover of filthy Lucre, but content with Gospel-Maintenance, which was Free and Voluntary from such as received them and their Message. But such as are made Ministers by the Will of Man, they apply themselves to man for Mainte­nance: Cicero a Heathen, could say, That the Gains of Hirelings are sordid or base; for their Wage is the Obligation of their Service, Tull. Offic. If Antichrist's Maintenance were swept out, decry'd, and Gospel-Maintenance only allowed, then 'twould appear, whe­ther the Number of Chemarims, that is, Black Coats, increased or [Page 80]decreased: When Earthly Considerations opens the Mouth, those being taken away, the Mouth is shut. This is no Reflection a­gainst the Ministers of Christ, who propound to themselves Gospel ends, as good Stewards faithfully dispensing the Word of Reconci­liation, content with Gospel-Maintenance; without recourse to Man, or Maintenance introduced by man, contrary to what Christ and the Apostles taught and appointed.

We forbid, (saith Cardinal Galo, the Pope's Legate) under the penalty of Excommunication, that Priests and Clergy-men, through the occasion of any Custom, should presume to exact or extort any thing for Baptism, Burial, or any other Sacrament, Sum. Concil. & Pontif. Whether the Pope be obeyed in this, as in other of his Ordinances, 'tis well known: but Ordinances of this Nature and Tenure savour not well to the minds of Man-made Ministers.

CAP. XI. Of the Rise of Reek-penny, called also Smoke-Money, called also in the Saxon Tongue, Rome­feoh, that is, the Fee of Rome; and Rome­scot, that is, Rome's-shor, or Rekoning; and Rome-penny, and Denary sancti Petri, that is, Peter-Pence; and Regis Eleemosyna, that is, the King's Alms.

EThelbert King of the East-Angles, being perswaded by his Council to Marry against his own inclination, went to Offa, in design to obtain his Daughter Athelred to Wife; King Offa's Wife being a­verse to the Match, caused Ethelbert to be slain, whereupon Offa, King of the Mercians, to expiate that horrid Act, gave the Peter-Pence to St Peters Church in Rome: This Peter-Pence was a Penny for every House in which was twenty penny-worth of Goods, to be paid Yearly on Lammas-Day; such strictness was required in the [Page 81]payment thereof, that in time it was esteemed, Consuetudo quasi Apostolica, &c. A Custom as it were derived from the Apostles, from which neither the King, nor the Arch-Bishop, Abbot, Prior, or any in the Kingdom was free, only the Monastery of St Albans, in honour of Alban the Protomartyr, was by the Indulgence of King Offa exempted from that Charge.

This Peter-Pence, this Yearly Tribute, Ethelwoulph ordained to be paid Yearly by every House in England; that kindled a Fire.

Ina King of the West- Saxons, as some say, was the first Donor of Peter-Pence, about the Year 720. being in Pilgrimage at Rome. Matthew Westminster insinuates, that these being Kings of several Kingdoms of the Saxon Heptarchy, each of them might be the first Donor within their respective Dominions.

Upon reasonable Compute, the Peter-pence could amount to no less then 7500. pounds a Year, which payment continued till the reign of Henry the Eighth, who totally took it away. Sleiden.

Pope Paul the fourth receiving the English Ambassadors which came from Queen Mary, urged to them the necessity of the Resti­tution of all Revenues, that her Father Henry the eighth had taken away from Rome; further pressing, That they could not hope that Saint Peter would open the Gates of Heaven to them, so long as they usurped his Goods on Earth. Strange Doctrine! As though Peter being dead, in the fruition of Eternal Joy, should regard Money, which while upon Earth he was redeemed from the love of. Hunting. Milton, Sleiden, Matth. West.

Now you Protestants that pretend Reformation, do not you in your Words deny the Pope and his Supremacy? Yes: Why then do your Ministers, Vicars and Parsons receive his Tribute, of every House that kindles a Fire, viz. a Penny, called a Reek-penny, Smoke penny or Hearth-penny? and Persecute such as deny to give them the same; 'tis one of their covetous Practices, occasioned by Murther, in the gloomy Night of Apostacy; Popery, through love of Money, continued a Dreg of the Cup of Babylon.

Further, King Edgar enacted that Peter-pence, called commonly Hearth-penny, imposed on every House, should be paid before the Feast of St Peter, and he that paid not the same, should carry that Penny and Thirty other Pennies to Rome, and pay one Hundred and twenty Shillings to the King. Further, if any should not give the [Page 82] Peter-penny upon the second demand, he enacted that he should car­ry that penny and thirty other pennies to Rome, and pay two Hun­dred Shillings to the King: Upon refusal, after the third demand, he was to suffer the loss of all he had. Here was Zeal, but without Knowledge; and though this annual payment was from Papists to the Pope, to expiate the horrid act of Murther; yet such as pre­tend Reformation are not ashamed of it, shewing themselves to be such as Peter spoke of, who should have Hearts exercised with Cove­tous practices.

'Twas a noble saying and resolution of Abraham, that he would not take as much as a Shoe-lachet of the King of Sodom, lest he should say, he had made Abraham Rich. So you that profess Reforma­tion, keep not a Rag of the Whore's Garment, not one Patch of her Earthly Traditional groundless Ornament, that the Beast, Law­giver in spiritual Sodom, the apostatized Church, nor any of the Locusts that arise out of the Smoke of the Pit, may not boast that you are enriched by their Merehandize, and groundless Traditions relating to Doctrine, Worship or Maintenance; as you would be ac­counted the Children of Abraham, do the Works of Abram, shew forth the Faith of Abram, which led him from Ʋz of the Caldees, by Interpretation Fire, to the Land of Canaan, Gen. 11. Sons of Abram, Witnesses of purifying, and Victory giving Faith, they read this thing.

CAP. XII. How Tythes came into Lay-mens Hands, Impropriators.

YOu that are, or would be accounted Gospel-Ministers, and plead that Christ hath granted you Tythes for your Maintenance; yet can neither tell where nor when. Let me tell you, if you have Christ's Ordinance and Institution for Tythe, then no Custom, U­sage, Prescription, priviledge or Popish Dispensation, can justly acquit any from the payment of the utmost penny of the tenth part; for Ordinances and Doctrines of Christ are not to be made void by [Page 83]the Injunctions of men: How comes Lay-men, Impropriators to be such sharers in Tythe, which is your right as Gospel-Ministers, as you pretend? Are they not Sacrilegious therein? And how come so many to be exempted from the payment of Tythe? But all this is but a Covetous pretence, Christ put an End to that Law which gave Tythe to the Levites, and established a Free and Volun­tary Maintenance for Gospel-Ministers without Tythe: And Tythes came into Christian Churches by the Pope, and all Exemptions from the payment of Tythes were by the Pope's Indulgence. And now I shall declare what I have read concerning Tythes in the possession of Lay-men.

The Hunnes, Gothes and Vandals invaded Italy under the Empe­ror Justinian, and greatly persecuted all Religious men, overturn­ed Churches, burnt Libraries, overthrew Schools of Learning; these fierce and barbarous People about the Year 650. set their Faces a­gainst France; upon this Charles Martell the Father of Pipin, after King of France, would not oppose himself against them, unless the under Clergy of France would resign every man his Tythes into his Hands, that thereby he might reward the Souldiers, and support the Charges of the War then present; he solemnly promised that these Tythes should be restored to them at the end of the War, with a further Gratuity for their good Will, the Clergy driven thereto by the Exigences of that Age, and eminent Dangers, com­plyed with these motions: This Charles Martell having driven out and overthrown these barbarous Nations, performed not his pro­mise with the Clergy, but divided their Benefices to such of the Nobility as had done Valiantly in that Enterprize, and assured the same to them and their Heirs forever in Fee; The Example hereof passed over the Alpes into Italy, and mounted above the Pyrenean Hills into Spain, and shortly failed over into England. Thus Tythes came out of the Hands of the Clergy, and became the pos­session of the Laity. This Fact of Martellus was committed about the Year 660. and for it is confidently Damn'd in the Legend; the Story of his Damnation is fastened upon Euchere, Bishop of Orleance, who is said, to have seen in a Vision this Martellus in Hells Torment, and that Euchere might believe what he saw, an Angel instructed him to seek for Martell in his Sepulchre; so he did, but found him not, but the place he found all black, and instead of Martell a dire­ful [Page 84]Serpent. This Story is to be read in the Legend, and the whole passage is Recorded by Sr. Thomas Ridley, in his view of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Law.

Further, how it came to pass, that Tythes appointed by man for the Maintenance of the Clergy, for the use of the Poor, for the building and repairing of places of publick Worship, came into the Hands of Lay-men, as they are called, Albius Krantzius relates.

Carolus Magnus the Son of Pipin, and King of France, through his compliance with the See of Rome, he first got the Title of Most Christian-King; he Conquered the Saxons, and drew them from Gentilism to the Profession of Christianity, and made Provision for the Clergy. ‘But 'tis said (saith this Krantzius) that Tythe at first was not assigned to the Saxon Clergy, but to the King's Lievetenants, that out of the same they might pay their Souldiers, and answer the Charge of the frequent expeditions against that Nation. For this end (saith his Chronicle) in Saxony and other places, much Tythes were in the Hands of Lay-men.’

This same Krantzius renders anothers Cause; the Clergy fearing that Princes would not secure them in their Possession of Tythes, he supposes the Clergy gave them part of Tythe, thereby to obliege them, to secure them in their Possession of their respective parts, chusing rather to lose part thereof, then the whole: and that the things are true which Krantzius relates, 'tis evident from that Ora­tion which Frederick the first Emperor made, saying, As touching you, O Bishops, the Pope judges it an unfitting thing that Tythes which are dedicated to Altars, and Church-men, should be in the pos­session of Lay-men; neither will he understand, that Churches of Old suffering great afflictions, were defended by Lay-men; than Church-men, as a recompence to Lay-men, gave them part of their large Pos­sessions of Tythes. Kran. Lib. 1. and Lib. 6. Novissima Polyan­thea.

And in our Nation, King Henry the eighth shaking off the Pope, denying his Supremacy, he dissolved many Monasteries, which had many Tythes and Rectories appropriated unto them; so kept part in his own Hands, part he sold to others, to be held as Lay-Posses­ssions; thus they dropt into Lay-mens hands, and these Lay-men having no Law to recover them; the Popes Law not reaching to Lay-persons, so called, this Henry made new Laws in behalf of [Page 85]Lay-men, that they might be capacitated to enforce the aforesaid payment of Tythes. Thus it appears what jumbling and Confusion hath been in the Night of Apostacy to introduce and continue Tythes, granted only to the Levites for their Service under that Ministration; which Law, which Service, and which Maintenance Christ, the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah put an end unto; and such as introduce what he put an end unto; notwithstanding their gilded Colours and specious Pretences, being seen in Gods Eye, and weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary, they are found Antichristian.

Now you Teachers of what Denomination soever, who strive, struggle and wrestle, to maintain a property in your delicate and dainty Morsell Tythes, and that jure divino, aut humano, by divine or humane Right; give me leave soberly and modestly to make tryal of your Right to, or Property in the same, in your most Founda­mental pretences: and to the end I may Methodize the ensuing discourse, let me lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree, try your pre­tended Tenure of right unto the exaction of Tythes, and that from a four-fold Authority, Patriarchal, Mosaical, Evangelical and Hu­mane; for all Grounds, Reasons and Arguments that are, or can be alledged for the exaction of Tythes, are naturally reducible to one or other of these four Sourses or Springings; and if these main Pil­lars, Cathedral props, cannot bear up that Building of the exaction of Tythes in Gospel Dayes, and that by Divine right, it will and ought to tumble down, as the Reformation of the great Gospel-Reformer prevails in Churches professing Christianity; and as you learn the sound, wholsom and savoury Lesson of Self-denyal, you will be glad and rejoyce for the Reformation of Christ, and for the increase of his Government; notwithstanding your loss of Antichri­stian Provision.

CAP. XIII. The Clergies Patriarchal Claim of Tythes considered.

NOw you that say, That the Divine Right of Tythes is derived from Melchizedec, and not from Levi.

To this I Answer; 'Tis then inquirable, whether or no Tythes were ever the due and property of Melchizedec, that which could make them his Property must be a Command; they were no more the property of the Levites, then of any other of the Tribes, till there was an Assignation of them to the Levites, after the command issued from the Court of Heaven, they became due, and while the command stood in force, and the Law was unrepealed, 'twas a trans­gression of the divine Law, to be found in non-payment thereof. Now where is the Command that Tythes should be paid to Melchizedec? Where is the Law of the Assignation of them to him? 'Tis not groundless Conjectures and Suppositions will serve the turn; po­sitive Precept is called for: No right could be derived from Melchi­zedec to another, which was not first in Melchizedec himself; Ʋlpians Judgment is found: Nemo plus juris ad alium transferre potest, quam ipse haberet, that is, No man can make a better Title to ano­ther, then he himself hath.

Obj. Tythes were paid to Melchizedec, after whose Order Christ was High Priest forever, therefore due unto the Evangelical Order.

Answ. 'Tis neither said by Moses, nor by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, that Abram paid him Tythes, but that he gave him Tythes: and betwixt a Payment and a Gift there is a difference, the one imports a Due or Debt, the other a free and Voluntary Act. Now if Tythes had been properly due from A­bram to Melchizedec, 'tis not probable that both these holy men, who were [...], divinely inspired, would have said, he gave, [Page 87]but he paid Tythes: The Geneva notes on Heb. 7.5. say, The Le­vites had Commandment to receive that which Abram gave free­ly to Melchizedes. What Abram did it was Free and Voluntary, Melchizedec had no Law to require it, neither had Abram a Law enjoyning him to pay it; neither is it apparent that ever Abram gave the Tythe but this once, upon this accidential or provi­dential occasion, which may be taken for a thankful acknow­ledgement, and a return of kindness to Melchizedec, who had given him Bread and Wine for the Refreshment of him and his Souldiers after the Fight: A voluntary Promise only binds the pro­miser; and the free Gift of one is not obligatory to others, no binding Example for future Generations, a feeble Ground for such as would be accounted Gospel-Ministers to claim Tythe; if Abram's free and voluntary Gift must be a binding Rule in Gospel-dayes, then may every man require Bread and Wine of their Priest, for the refreshment of themselves and Families, every Officer require the same for himself and Souldiers; the one Example is as obliga­tory as the other in Gospel-Dayes, both being Voluntary.

Again, let us consider what Abram gave him the Tenth of: Che­derlaomer, and the Kings with him, Conquered the King of Sodom, and took all the Goods of Sodom, and took Lot, Abram's Brother's Son Prisoner; upon this Abram armed his traned Servants, and pur­sued them, rescued Lot and the Goods; in his return Melchize­deck met him, gave him Bread and Wine, as before, and blessed God for his Success; then Abram gave him Tythes of all, Gen. 14. Of all what? Not of the Increase of his Lands and Flocks; Abram did not carry every Tenth Sheaf, Lambs, Piggs, Geese, Chickins with him, but rather Sword, Spear, Battle-Ax, Battle-Bow, or such like Weapons of War; he had other things to carry with him, than Tythe Corn, Hay, Lambs, Piggs, &c. Abram gave him Tythe of all: Of all what? The Apostle answers thee: Consi­der how great this man was, unto whom even the Patriarch Abram gave the Tenth of the Spoils, Heb. 7.4. So that of the Goods be­longing formerly to Sodom, plundered by Chederlaomer, rescued and recovered by Abram, Abram gave to Melchizedec the Tenth thereof; And what if he had given it all to him, seeing he was re­solved not to keep the least of it for his own use? Gen. 14.

Now, besides the Apostle, Erasmus, Crysostom, Jerom, upon se­veral [Page 88]accounts, as also our Country-man Poole, say expresly, That Abram gave him Tythes, not of his own Lands and Flocks, but of the Spoils taken from the Enemy. Poole on Heb. 7.4. saith, ‘This place cannot be understood of all Abram's Possessions, but of all the Spoil taken in that Battle.’ Abram was not then at Home, but in his Journey in his return from the pursuit of his Enemy. Now if you will have Tythe from this Example, you must go to the Souldiers, and make your claim after Victories obtained; for Abram gave not the Tythes of his own Lands and Flocks, nor ever, but this once, as far as appears. How then proves this a yearly payment of Tythes to Gospel-Ministers? And how can an annu­al payment be justly derived to others from the free and voluntary Gift of one, and that but once?

Again, if from the Gift of Abram to Melchizedec, you will enforce any thing to that Order; it can but be free Gift, which we deny not, in the Wisdom of God, being ordained of Christ, pra­ctised by the Apostles and Churches, while a pure Virgin to Christ; so that your Antiquity of Tythes to the Gospel-Ministry, is vanish­ed into the free Gift of the People.

Obj. To give and to pay is all one in this Case: So the Apostle not only said, he gave the Tenth, Heb. 7.4. but also Levi paid Tythe in Abram, verse 9.

Answ. To give and to pay is not all one in this Case, the Apo­stle in the Wisdom of God varied his Expression, according to the Persons he treated of, and the different Times and Seasons he related to, speaking of Abram in the Anti- Levitical dayes, before Tythes were commanded, in whom it was a free, voluntary, spontaneous Act, Gift to Melchizedec; he says, He gave (but speaking of Le­vi) of the Levitical Priesthood, who lived after Tythes were as­signed and commanded to be paid; he expresses himself by the word Paid, vers. 9. Abram Gave, Levi Paid: That Abram came thither with an intention to Pay, or Melchizedec with an expectation to receive Tythes, I cannot receive.

Now that Tythe was not Paid to Melchizedec, but Given, and that not Yearly, but once, and that not of the Increase of his Lands and Flocks, but of the Pillage of Sodom rescued and recovered from [Page 89]the Plunderers, the Fruits of War-like performances, 'tis very evi­dent, the Scripture is not dubious, but clear in this point; So they may be judged Irrational, who claim a property in, and plead for Tythes upon such crazy and feeble grounds.

Jacob's Vow considered, Gen 28.22. being stoutly alled­ged for the continuance of Tythes in Gospel-dayes.

Jacob in his Journey from Beersheba to Haran, tarried all Night in a certain place, and laid down to sleep, with his Head upon a Pillow of Stones; and from the Lords glorious appearance unto him, and sweet & comfortable Promise of his presence with him, and preserva­tion of him, and that in him and in his Seed, all the Families of the Earth should be blessed, he called the Name of that place Bethel, by Interpretation, The House of God; in the fence of these things, and in confidence of the Lord's Promise and faithful performance, he vowed, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me Bread to eat, and Rayment to put on, &c. And this Stone which I have set for a Pillar, shall be God's House, and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the Tenth unto thee, Gen. 28. This Jacob performed after twenty Years; as Jo­sephus saith in these Words, By Offering unto the Lord the Tenth of all his Substance which he got at Haran. After that he returned un­to that place, where God's appearance unto him was.

This Vow of Jacob was Voluntary, in being unrequired: Let such as would squeeze a Divine right to the exaction of Tythes from this, or from any Ante-diluvian, or Post-diluvian Patriarch, shew a command for the same, before the Levitical Assignation; the known Maxime is, Affirmanti incumbit probatio; that is, He that affirms, must prove, being Voluntary: 'Tis no binding Exam­ple to future Generations; though 'tis true, Jacob's Vow was obligatory to him, after he had vowed, but not to his Poste­rity; the eleaven Tribes paid not Tythes to Levi, by reason of the Example of Abram and Jacobs voluntary Gifts, but by vertue of the Lord's command thereunto enjoyning: That the Patriarchal Age was without a Divine command for the payment of Tythes; Pareus on the aforesaid Scripture clearly demonstrates, shewing, and saying, Decimae ante legem liberae erant & arbitrariae, exemple A­brami & Jacobi, licebat dare vovere, aut non; that is, Tythes be­fore [Page 90]the Law were free and arbitrary, by the example of Abram and Jacob; a man might give them, Vow them, or not, as he plea­sed: Now if there had been a Command for the same, they ought to have been paid, because commanded; and they could not have been detained without breach of the Lord's command; Bernard touched this well, Non attendit vere pius, quale sit illud, quod prae­cipitur, hoc Solo contentus quia praecipitur; that is, One truly Godly heeds not, or disputes not, what like the thing is which is commanded, acquiescing and contenting himself in that it is commanded.

Again, as Jacob's Vow was Voluntary, so it was conditional in depending on the performance of Gods promise to him, if Tythes had been a divine Tribute, commanded of God, there had been no necessity of Vowing to give them, he could not have detained them, without the soul spot and sordid blemish of Disobedience; neither could he have made his Obligation conditional; for Tythes must have been paid, because commanded. So this free, voluntary and spontaneous Vow conduces not to make up a Divine right to Tythes.

Now if you will claim property in, and right unto Tythes from the voluntary Act of Abram and Jacob, why do you not use Circum­cision, erect Altars, offer Sacrifice? These things they did, and you have as much ground from their Example to perpetuate the rest, as Tythes in Gospel-dayes; and if the Smoke of [...], that is, Self-love, did not darken your understandings, you would see Christ Jesus, the sum and substance of all Shadows, to have ended and ful­filled the one as well as the other.

CAP. VX. The Clergies Mosaical Claim to Tythes examined.

OUt of the twelve Tribes of Israel, the Living God chose Aa­ron and his Sons for the Office of the Priesthood, and the rest of the Tribe of Levi he chose for the Service of the Taber­nacle; he gave unto the Levites all the Tenth in Israel for an Inheri­tance [Page 91]for their Service, and they were to have no Inheritance among the Children of Israel.

The Levites out of their Tythes were to offer up an Heave-Offer­ing of it to the Lord, even the tenth part of their Tythe, and give it unto Aaron the Priest for himself and his Sons; and this was all the portion the Priest had in Tythe, even the Tenth of the tenth from the Hands of the Levites; the Levites, Strangers, Father­less and Widows had the rest.

So the Lord Instituted Three Tenths.

• 1. The Tenths of the Levites, they had all the tenth in Israel for their Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, Numb. 18.21.
• 2dly, The Priests Tenths, which was the tenths of the Levites tenths, by them given to the Priest, to Aaron and his Sons; this was called a Heave-Offering, Numb. 18.26. &c.
• 3dly, The Poor man's Tythe at the end of three Years laid up within their Gates, and this was for the Relief and Maintenance of the Fatherless, Widow and Stranger, Deut. 14.27, 28.

The Tribe of Levi, as hath been touched, had no more right unto, nor Title in Tythes, then any of the other Tribes, till the Lord assigned the same to them; upon the Command they became due, and not to be detained while the Law was in force.

Now you that perochially Officiate as Ministers of Jesus Christ, & would be so accounted, yet have recourse to the Authority of Me­ses for your Maintenance: Let me know how Gospel Ordinances, peculiar to the Church of Christ, are to be practised, and to re­ceive their Authority from a Mosaical Institution.

Seeing nothing can give priviledge unto a Gospel property, but a Gospel Authority, then why do you, pretending to be Ministers of Christ, impose upon Christians the Bondage of a Mosaical In­stitution, to wit, the exaction of Tythes, whose Institution and Beeing was from the Law of Moses, and terminated with the Service it was given for?

Again, if a Gospel-Ordinance must be practised from Mosaical Institutions; Is not this to make the Gospel ineffectual, of less Autho­rity then the Law, Christ inferior to Moses, his Ordinances insuffi­cient, and not obligatory, unless strengthned by the Authority of [Page 92] Moses? Undoubtedly to demand Tythes under the Gospel, by vertue of the Institution of Moses, cannot want foul Absur­dities.

In Relation to Tythes several things are further to be considered.

1. They were commanded to be paid to the Levites for their Ser­vice of the Tabernacle; no other Tribe could claim property in the same, because the Command reached only unto Levi: and it is the command of God that gives a Divine right unto a thing command­ed. So if you will have Tythes from the Mosaical Authority, you must prove your selves to be the very Persons to whom they were commanded to be paid; you must prove your selves the Legitimate Sons of, and lineally descended from Levi; and if you will have the Wage of the Levites, you must do their Work, you must have an outward Tabernacle, and Vessels thereto belonging, bear it, en­camp about it, take it down, set it up; For this and such like Work Tythe was given to the Levites, and none of you must enter that Service till twenty five Years old, nor continue therein after the Age of Fifty.

2. Tythes, according to the Institution of Moses, were to be paid by the eleaven Tribes only, from their several Portions in the Land of Canaan, not any other People, nor any other place were bound by the Law of Moses to the payment thereof. Eusebius agrees with the Jewish Doctors and Rabbies herein, that Tythes were only limit­ted to Canaan, the Land of Israel; therefore if you will have the Levites Wage, you must not only prove your selves Levites, and do their Work, but you must go to Canaan, and call for Tythes of the eleven Tribes; else prove England to be Canaan, and the Inha­bitants thereof the eleven Tribes, which will prove a matter of great difficulty: The Jewish Doctors conclude that regularly, no Inhabitants but of the Land of Israel, were to pay any by their Law: Where they live dispersed in strange Lands, they pay no Tythes now, both for want of their Temple, Priesthood, as also for the restrain­ment thereof to the Land of Canaan; and the Jews that live in Canaan now pay none, for want of their Temple and Priesthood. But you pretending to be Ministers of Christ, who put an end to that Service, for which they were given, and to the Law which gave [Page 93]them; you, I say, being neither Jews, Levites, in the Land of Canaan, nor have the Temple, nor the Priesthood, nor the Appur­tenances thereof; yet require them by that Law, which never gave them to any other, but to the Levites for their Service, &c.

3. The Priesthood settled on Aaron and his Sons, received no Tythes of Husbandmen, at the Hands of the eleven Tribes; all that they received was the tenth of the Tenths from the Levites; this was called a Heave-Offering: So the Apostle said, And verily they that are the Sons of Levi, who receive the Office of the Priesthood, have a Commandment to take Tythes of the People, according to the Law, that is, of their Brethren; though they come out of the Loins of Abraham, Heb. 7 5.

Now if you claim Tythes from the Aaronical Priesthood, as suc­ceeding them, you must do Aarons Work, have holy Garments, an outward Breast-plate, an Ephod, a broidered Coat, a Mitre, two Onyx Stones, Ʋrim and Thumim; you must have the Shoulder, the two Cheeks and the Maw, when an Ox or a Sheep is offered in Sacrifice, which must be done: Such as claim the Wage of Aaron, they must do the Work of Aaron; yet in so doing it were Anti­christian, because Christ is come, the end of the Law, the end of that Priesthood that received Tythes, the end of the Heave-offer­ing Tythe, as well as of the Meat-Offering, Sin-Offering, Burnt-Offering, Trespass-Offering, Wave-Offering, Heb. 7.12. Heb. 10.10, 14. Why were the Levitical Priests blamed, for that when any man offered Sacrifice, their Servant came while the Flesh was in seething, with a three-toothed Flesh-hook in his Hand, and stroke it into the Pan, Kettle, Cauldron or Pot, and all that the Flesh-hook brought up, that was the Priests due? I Answer, this was charged as a Fault upon them, because they did it without divine In­stitution, 1 Sam. 2. Now if that Custom was blame-worthy, which extended but to the compass of a Pan, Kettle, Pot or Cauldron; Shall that be allowable which reaches to the utmost corner of a Pa­rish, if divine Institution minister not allowance thereunto?

Obj The Heave-Offering Tythes was given by a Statute forever; doth not this perpetuate the payment of Tythes in Gospel-Dayes? Is not the Evangelical Dispensation comprehended within the Bounds of forever? Numb. 18.11, 19.

Answ. True it is, most of the Types and Shadows of Moses, as Circumcision, Temple, Passover, Jewish Feasts, Offerings, the Trumpets of the Priests and Levites, were called Statutes forever; whereupon the Jews stickle hard for the perpetual and immutable Obligation of the Law of Moses for a perpetual and immutable Dis­pensation; and thou that pleads for the continuance of Tythes, from this, may by the same rule plead for the continuance of all, or most of the Shadows of the Law, which were given by Statutes forever. Further, this phrase [...] Forever, saith Dr. Cave, in his Book called, Antiquitates Apostolica: When it is applied unto God, it denotes Eternity; but when to other things, it implies no more then a Periodical duration, limitted according to the mind of the Law-giver. The Hebrew Servant was to have his Ear bored through with an Awl, and he was to serve forever, Exod. 21.6. (which was but till the end of his Life) Levit. 25.40.

Thus when Circumcision, Temple, Offerings, as other Ritual and Transient Services of the Law, were called, Statutes forever; 'tis implyed thereby, they should be a long time obligatory, until the time of the Messiah, in whose dayes the daily Sacrifices and Ob­lations were to be taken away, the Type giving place to the thing typified, the Shadow to the Substance; then Paul preached against Circumcision, the Passover outward; Stephen was stoned for bearing witness against the Temple: Paul preached up Christ, the one Of­fering, the End and Substance of all Jewish Offerings. Thus in the Life, Typical Shadows, though called Statutes forever, were testi­fied against; and Christ is the End of the Heave-Offering-Tythe, as well as of all other typical and transient Offerings.

‘The Types of the Law (saith Wilson, in his compleat Christian-Dictionary) are called Everlasting, because in Christ, the Anti­type, the Substance of such Types, they have a perpetual continuance.’ Thus the Types were commanded by an Ordinance forever, to the Ever or Last Period of that transient Dispensation, to give way to Christ, the Substance, in whom the thing signified by the Type is continued, running parallel with the duration of the World.

4thly, The Levites were not to exact above the allowed Portion, the Levitical Property and Right was bounded within a Levitical Compass; the Fatherless, Widows and Strangers had a property in Tythes, as well as the Levites, Deut. 14. But now, Counterfeit [Page 95] Levites encroaching, and usurping the whole Tenths; yea, all things considered, even the sixth or seventh part of the Kingdom; What is this but grievous Oppression? An eating the Bread out of the Mouth of the Fatherless, Widows and Strangers? A taking away the Sheaf from the Hungry? Job 24.10. Now if this Levitical order of Tything must continue, Why should not the Fatherless, Widows and Strangers come in and claim their Right? If that In­heritance, introduced in the Apostacy, must be continued, why should not the Inheriters be thereto entituled? Why should the Right and Portion of Fatherless, Widows and Strangers be devour­ed by ravenous Cormorants? Your degeneration from the Leviti­cal Institution is exceeding great: Many of you, I say, not all, not only disdaining to be ranked with the Levitical Alms-men, Fa­therless, Widows and Strangers, and seizing upon their Property, but extorting and exacting Dues, as you call them, from many that are Poor and Indigent.

Ecclesiastical Histories sufficiently evidence, that after the falling away from the primitive Faith, Purity and Order, Tythes came to be preached up, and introduced under the specious pretences of Cha­rity, and Alms to the Poor: This Doctrine being complied with, and people having liberty to bestow them where and on whom they pleased, they were much disposed to give them to the Poor; at which thing Pope Innocent the third, about the Year 1200. much stormed, and greatly complained. Yea, and our English Parlia­ments being mindful of the Poor and Indigent, for whose sakes Tythes were chiefly given, made divers Laws in the reign of Rich­ard the second, and Henry the fourth, that a convenient portion of the Tythes should be set a part for the Maintenance of the Poor of the Parish forever: Yea, and Queen Elizabeth in the Year 1559. enjoyned, That all Parsons, Vicars, Pensionaries, Prebendaries, and other Beneficed men, should distribute the fortieth part of their Benefices upon their poor Parishioners.

Tythes formerly were accounted the Parish Goods, out of which the Priest was to receive a moderate Maintenance for himself, then as a Steward faithfully to distribute the rest to the Parish-poor, that Parishes might be exempted of further Charge on that account: But selfish Priests, who under the specious pretence of relieving the Poor, gradually wrought upon People to pay their Tythes by little [Page 96]and little, to manifest their Bosom-intents, excluding the Poor, and leaving them to the Mercy of the Parish, they seized on the whole for their particular Uses, notwithstanding the Mosaical Institution, providing for the Relief of Fatherless, Widows and Strangers, as well as for the Priest and Levite, that the Husband-man might be at no further Charge on that account; and notwithstanding our English Parliamentary Laws, the Poor have lost their Property: The weakest (as the Proverb is) goes to the Wall.

Yet my intention is not by any thing here spoken, to justifie the ritual Observances of Moses in Gospel dayes, nor the Service and Maintenance of the Jewish Priests and Levites; Perfection could not be by the Levitical Priesthood, made by a Law, which because of its weakness and unprofitableness was dissanulled, so to give way to the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, whose Priesthood is unchangeable, who perfects forever such as are sanctified; yea, and the uphold­ing of the first Priesthood, Work or Wage is Antichristian; but something I have spoken to shew how far they are from the Requi­rings of the Levitical dispensation, though they run thither for shel­ter in the case of Tythes, though in Gospel dayes.

CAP. XV. The Clergies Evangelical Title to their Exaction of Tythes, Examined and Considered.

I Have formerly touched, that the Maintenance of the Gospel was free and voluntary; and that neither Christ, who was Heir of all things, nor the Apostles, who had his Mind, ever received Tythe, or taught the People to receive the same; there was no mention thereof, while the primitive Church kept the Faith, and the heavenly Doctrine received from his Mouth.

Antonius, the learned Bishop of Spalato, saith, ‘Christ himself, though Lord of Heaven and Earth, and the fulness thereof, yet would not he be possessed of great Lands and Incomes; he de­manded not Tythes, though a Priest after the order of Melchize­dec, [Page 97]but while he went through Cities and Countries preaching the Gospel, and his Disciples with him, several Woman that be­lieved in him, as Mary Magdalen, Joanna, Susanna, and others, did minister to him of their Substance, Luke 8. And in sending out his Disciples, he bad them not to receive Tythes, nor did he teach People to pay them, but he taught them to rely on their Converts for necessary Supplies; saying, The Labourer is worthy of his Meat, De Repub. Eccles. lib. 9.’ This Testimony is true and savoury.

Now, if you will have Tythes to be yours, jure divino, by divine Right, you must prove your Authority from Christ, shew a Gospel Ordinance for it; such as pretend to be Ministers of Christ, ought to be content with what Christ allotted his Ministers for their Ser­vice; if his Wages content you not, you are not his Servants; you are his Servants, whose Wages you receive: If you receive Moses Wages, you are Moses Servants, so must do his Work: Ministers of Christ abide in the Doctrine of Christ; being Wisdom's Chil­dren, they justifie Wisdom, both her Call, Work and Wage; Christ, for Gospel Work, ordained a Gospel Wage; he that will justly claim the one, must of necessity do the other; all Equity to the Title of one, is founded in the Labour of the other.

He that pretends Title to an Estate, by virtue of a civil Qualifica­tion, making his Claim from the Ground of Purchase, Heirship, Free-Gift, Civil-Office, 'tis requisit, that he make good, prove, maintain his Claim by Humane Laws, being suitable to the Nature of his Claim: So, you that make claim to Tythes, by virtue of a spiritual Capacity, or religious Qualification, as being Ministers of Christ Jesus, you ought to prove and maintain your Claim by divine Laws, as being suitable to the Nature of your Claim. The Disci­ples, Apostles, influenced from above, to the Discharge of their living Concern, were to teach all that, and nothing but that which Christ commanded them, both in Relation to the Call, Work and Maintenance, peculiar to the Gospel Dispensation. So, prove Tythes, and your Co-ercive Settled Maintenance by the Doctrine of Christ, else you transgress the royal Charter of Christ's Commis­sion to this Disciples, Apostles, &c.

Obj. Christ told the Scribes and Pharisees, That they ought to pay Tythes, Mat. 23.23.

Answ. The Scribes and Pharisees were Jews, under the Levitical Ministration, and they were bound to the payment thereof, while the Law that commanded the same was in force; when Christ spoke that he was not then offered up, nor the Hand-writing of Ordi­nances blotted out, nor nailed to the Cross. Now to entroduce to be read what C [...]rist blotted out, or to go about to enliven what he nailed to the Cross, 'tis Antichristian: When Christ was offered up, and the Hand-writing of Ordinances was blotted out, and he was revealed by his spiritual appearance in his chosen Vessel Paul, this was his Doctrine; The Priesthood being changed, there is made of necessi­ty a Change also of the Law, Heb. 7.12. Here is an express Repeal of that Law, by which the Assignation of Tythes was made to the Priests and Levites. Further, Paul testified, saying, There is verily a dissanulling of the Commandment going before, vers. 18. Here 'tis evident, the Priesthood that took Tythes was changed, and the Law was repealed, and the Commandment dissanulled, by which Tythes were assigned to them, and by which they received them. Now it remains, that you that would be accounted Gospel Ministers, do prove an Assignation of them by Christ, hic labor, hoc opus est; do this, and the work is done.

In the mean time, consider the pregnant Testimony of Pareus on Gen. 28.22. who having said, That Tythes before the Law were Free and Arbitrary; and that a man might give them, vow them, or not, as he pleased; he added further, That Tythes under the Law were commanded of God to be given to the Priests, Levites, and to the Poor; therefore, faith he, the Levitical Priesthood ceasing, their Right to Tythes ceased: Further, faith he, The Clergy now receive Tythes, not by a divine, but by a humane Law: The same say we, that Tythes appertaining to the Jewish Priesthood, ended with that Priesthood, as other its Appurtanances. Tythes were proper and essential to the Tribe of Levi; so to assign them to the Ministry of Christ, who sprang from [...]udah, is to recall the Legal Service, and in effect to make Christ of the Order of Aa [...]on.

‘The whole Tribe of Levi (saith Aug. Marl. on the before al­ledged Scripture) received no Possessions in the Land of Canaan, wherefore God ordained, that the other Tribes should give them Tythes; therefore during their Service, the other Tribes paid [Page 99]them Tythes, according to the Law; but that Priesthood being changed, the Law was changed also: This said Aug. Marl. who taught that necessaries should be ministred to all that were in need.’ The most candid Writers have born testimony, that Tythes were proper and essential to the first Priesthood, and ended with the same.

The Law forbad the outward Jew to wear a Garment mingled with Linnen and Woollen, Lev. 19. Now such as plead for Tythes in Gospel dayes, they confound the Ordinances of the first and second Covenant together, not keeping Tythes within the Bounds of its proper Ministration, but would have it in the second Covenant, un­to which it belongs not.

Obj. They which minister about holy things, that is, the Levites, live of the things of the Temple, that is, of Tythes: And they which wait at the Altar, that is, Jewish Priests, are partakers with the Altar, that is, Sacrifices and Oblations; Even so hath the Lord or­dained, that they which preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel, 1 Cor. 9.13, 14.

Answ. From this (EVEN SO) Tything-Ministers draw such a spurious Consequence, as to squeeze out a Pariety or Identity of Maintenance between the Levitical Priesthood and Gospel Mi­nisters; that is, that Gospel Ministers were and are to have the very same Maintenance, as by Tythes, &c. as the Jewish Priests and Levites had; but these words clearly relate to the Maintenance which Christ had ordained, not to the Jewish Way, Manner, Means or Mode of Maintenance; in paraphrasing on these words, this clearly arises, that as the Jewish Priests and Levites lived of the Maintenance allowed of God, and peculiar unto them for their Ser­vice, so those that preach the Gospel must live of the Wage allowed of by the Gospel, which was free and voluntary. Now such as plead for Tythes, such would live of the Law, of the Maintenance of the Levites; so are not content with Gospel Allowance: Neither Christ nor the Apostles looked back unto the Levitical Wage.

Freely to receive what was Freely given, by those that received Christs Ministers and their Message, was the Provision that Christ assigned to his Ministers, Luke 10.

In the Transfiguration of Christ Moses and Elias shewed them­selves; then the Voice out of the Cloud was, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him, Mat. 17. Here they were taken from Moses and Elias, Law and Prophets, to attend unto the Son; though Moses and Elias had allowed of a Maintenance by Tythes, in their Day, in their respective Dispensations, yet the Disciples were taken off Moses and Elias to hearken to the Son, who as he called a Ministry, so he appointed them their Work, and assigned to them [...] Wage, which was Free, Voluntary and Sponta­neous from their Converts, from such as received them and their Message, not by Tythe: Yea, and the Apostles stood to Christ's Maintenance, oculo irretorto, with a chaste Eye, without looking back unto the old transient Levitical Maintenance.

Again, If Gospel Ministers must live Even so, that is, have the same Maintenance that the Jewish Priests and Levites had, then Mini­sters of the Gospel must not have the Tenth, but the Tenth of the Tenth; they must also bring in and plead for Jewish Oblations, Burnt Offerings, Bloody Sacrifices, for even so the Jewish Priests lived, so deny Christ Jesus, the one Offering; this unavoidably must be done, if this [Even So] imply an Identity or Pariety of Maintenance between the Levitical Priesthood and Gospel Ministers, the which I deny.

I remember Peter said unto Christ, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; What shall we have? Mat. 19.27. Christ answer­ed him not, though there was an occasion for it: If he either had or did intend to assign Tythes to his Ministry, I say, he answered him not with an Even so as the Levitical Priesthood had: He said not, Are you ignorant of this? as my Father assigned Tythes to the Levites for their Service, so I assign them to you for your Service; neither said he, You shall have Easter-Reckonings, Midsummer-Dues, Mortuaries, Money for Funeral Sermons, for Marriages, for Burials, for Bread and Wine, for Churching of Women, for Smoke passing up the Chimneys; he assigned them no such Mainte­nance; but when the Curtain of Apostacy had over-spread Christen­dom, the Beast that had long plunged in the Sea, was risen out of the Sea, the Man of Sin got into the Temple, he brought forth an un­warrantable M [...]intenance, contrary to what Christ instituted; con­tinued yet by such as pretend Reformation.

Those that preach the Gospel must live of the Gospel, even so hath the Lord ordained; so that the Gospel Ministry is not with­out an Ordinance for their Maintenance; and this Ordinance is of the Lord, excluding all Ordinances of Apostatized men, of Popes and Earthly Powers; on that account, the Gospel Ministry hath an Ordinance for their Maintenance. Where is it? may some say. I An­swer; Christ sending out his Disciples, taught them to eat and drink such things as their Converts set before them, saying, The La­bourer is worthy of his Hire: Here a Hire was appointed, free and voluntary from such as received them, and here is an Ordinance for it. True it is, those that preach the Gospel must live of the Go­spel, on that Maintenance which hath Gospel Allowance; living on the Gospel is entailed on preaching the Gospel; no other Lively­hood Wisdom's Children justifie, than what Christ ordained for his Ministers; and his Ordinance was to eat and drink, receive Necessa­ries of their Converts. But Man-made Ministers are for living of the Law, and of the Gifts, Grants and Donations of Apostatized Powers, and of such as supposed or suppose the same Due. To what hath been spoken, I may add two or three Testimonies.

‘They do live of the Gospel (saith Prosper) who will he Pro­priators of nothing, who neither have, nor desire to have any thing, not possessing their own, but the common Goods. What is it to live of the Gospel (saith he) but that he who labours should receive necessary Supplies by them among whom he labours, with­out forcing any? Prosper de vitae Contemp. lib. 2. cap. 4.’

Further, saith he, ‘Though Paul himself had Power, yet he would not make use of it, lest he should create an Offence, but laboured with his Hands, being a Tent-maker, that he might not be burthensom to the Churches of Christ’

Cyril of Alexandria speaking of that passage of Abram, Gen. 14.23. Who having gained Victory over the King of Sodom's Enemies, and rescued Lot, the King offered him part of the Spoil, he received nothing but a few Victuals, &c. Though (saith Cyril) the holy Teachers do War in the behalf of perishing Mankind; yet do they not take any thing from the men of the World, neither do they heap up Riches, lest the World should say, I have made you Rich: They only ought to receive their Sustenance from the Hands of those whom they have benefitted: For Christ commanded (saith [Page 102]he) that he who Preaches the Gospel, should live thereby, Cyril de Adorat. in Spir. & verit. Lib. 4.

They live of the Gospel, saith Poole on this place, who live of that Maintenance, which the Church gives to her Ministers, for their preaching of the Gospel; they must not hord up Treasures, intimating that Superfluous things are to be sought, and those things which tend to a vain Pomp and regal Excess.

When Paul avouched, that the Lord ordained that they that Preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel, he seems to have regard unto what the Lord said; The Work-man is worthy of his Meat, Aug. Marl.

Neither Christ nor the Apostles ever ordained any other Main­tenance for Gospel-Ministers, then what was Free and Voluntary, and that from such as received them and their Message: Now they who repeal this, and in the room thereof violently intrude the com­pulsive exaction of Tythes, and that as well from them that re­ceive them not, as from those that receive them; such Preach ano­ther Gospel, such Paul pronounced Anathema.

Obj. Here, that is in Gospel-dayes, Men that dye receive Tythes, but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth, Heb. 7.8.

Answ. In the Scripture the Word [Here] is abused and wrest­ed, as the Words [Even So] are abused and mis-interpreted by many; in this place the Apostle is exalting the Priesthood of Christ above the Priesthood of Levi, shewing that Melchizedec was greater then Abram; here men that dye receive Tythes, this relates to the Levites, who by the command of the Lord received Tythes, and dyed; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth; this relates to Melchizedec, who received Tythes of A­bram, of whom it is written, that He was without Father, without Mother, without descent, having neither beginning of Dayes, nor end of Life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a Priest con­tinually, Heb. 7.3. And Christ is a Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedec. So that this place makes nothing for the con­tinuance of Tythes in Gospel-dayes, relating to Levi and Mel­chizedec.

Aug. Marl. touches this, saying, They, to whom the Law as­signed ‘Tythes, were mortal men; and to whom did the Law assign Tythes? To the Levites. So when the Apostle said, Here men that dye receive Tythes, he related to the Levites, to that Priesthood that was to be abrogated, that a Priesthood of a higher Nature might be established.’

The Apostles sent by Christ, a Priest forever after the Order of Melshizedec, who were to teach all Nations, to observe all that he commanded them; Mark, All and every thing, and nothing else, according to my reading in Scripture, and sound Ecclesiastical History, never taught any, that the Maintenance of the Gospel-Ministry was to be by way of Tythes; which may sufficiently evi­dence that that Levitical course of Maintenance was not in the Char­ter of their Ambassage and Commission, to be perpetuated in Go­spel dayes.

CAP. XVI. Tythes proved to be a Mosaical Shadow.

Obj. IF Christ put an and to Tythes, more then to any outward property, then Tythe must be a peculiar Figure of something to come: If Tythe was a Type, what was the Antitype thereof?

Answ. Nehemiah reforming Abuses in the Jewish Church, ap­pointed;

1st, Treasuries, a figure of Jesus Christ that inexhaustible Treasury.

2dly, Tythe, as of Corn, Wine, Oyl, was the Earthly Trea­sure brought into Nehemiah's Treasuries; this earthy Treasure figured forth the Heavenly Treasures in Christ Jesus; for in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge. So Tythe, the earthly Treasure, in the earthly Treasuries, pointed at the hea­venly Treasures in Christ Jesus the heavenly Treasury, in whom [Page 104]is Corn, Bread that strengthens, Wine that comforts and refreshes, Oyl that makes truly glad.

3dly, Shelemiah, by Interpretation, The Peace of God; Za­dock, that is, Just; Pedaiah, that is, by Interpretation, The Lords Redeemer; These being made Treasurers, distributed of Tythe, the earthly Treasures to their Brethren, outward Jews: So Christ Jesus the Peace of God, the holy and just One, the Redeemer of God, he distributes of the heavenly Treasures, Bread, Wine, Oyl, living Mercies, heavenly Blessings, to his little Flock, in­ward Jews, Nehem. 13. Who are of God they see Nehemiah's Treasuries, Treasures and Treasurers, to be Shadows, Figures, Types, fulfilled in the Substance Christ Jesus, the second Adam, a quickening Spirit, who said, He shall receive of mine, and shew it unto you, John the 16th. The true and faithful Remem­brancer.

In the dayes of Malachi, the outward Jews had a Store-house, into which Tythe was to be brought, that there might be Meat in the Lord's House, Mal. 3. This Store-house, into which Tythe, the Earthly Store was brought, was a Figure, a Type of Christ Jesus, the Substance, the Heavenly Store-house, in whom all ful­ness dwells, who distributes of heavenly Riches to the Israel of God, Col. 1.19.

Out of Tythes, the earthly Treasures, earthly Store, the Ne­cessities of the outward Jews, Levites, Fatherless, Widows and Strangers were answered and supplied, Deut. 14. that there might be no Beggar in Israel, no Complaint of want. So out of the heavenly Treasures, heavenly Store in Christ Jesus, the Substance, the Necessities of all inward Jews are answered; so that among such as have recourse to this Treasury, this Store-house, there is no Complaint, no Poverty, no Leanness of Soul; in him are Soul-enriching Treasures, John 14.2. John 4.14.

Again, Paul spake of Tythes in Abram's dayes, Heb. 7. And of Tythes in Levi's dayes, of the Priesthood, Law, and Carnal Commandment; then saith expresly, That Christ Jesus the high Priest was the Sum of the things whereof they had spoken, Heb. 8.1. If any should have enquired, What have you spoken of Paul? He answers of Tythe in Abram's day, of Tythes in Levi's days, [Page 105]of the Priesthood, Sacrifices for Sin, Carnal Commandment; and further saith, that Christ is the Sum of all this: Who are of God, they see Christ the Substance of the aforesaid.

Canaan, a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, with pure Springs, Vineyards, Oliveyards and Corn, was the Lord's, wherewith he fed the outward Israelites, Levit. 25.23. So the Christ of God, his Flesh is Meat indeed, Blood Drink; he hath in his spiritual Store-house heavenly Milk, Honey, hidden Manna Bread, Water of Life, heavenly Grapes, Oyl of gladness for his Spiritual Israelites, Sons and Daughters of Abraham, and nou­rishes them to Eternal Life.

Melchizedec was but a Type of the everlasting Order, shadowing out the Eternal high Priest, Christ Jesus; Christ was not the Mel­chizedec, but after the Similitude of Melehizedec; if after the Similitude, Shadow or Type, then Melchizedec could not be the Substance, the thing typified: for the thing similating, cannot be the thing similated: So that Abram gave Tythe to Melchizedec, made like unto the Son of God, a Figure, Shadow, Type. Now the Priesthood of Christ must needs be the End, Sum, Substance of the Shadow; which Substance being come, the Shadow with all its appurtenances, whereof Tythe was one, must vanish and be of no longer force: The paying of that which was proper and peculiar to the Similitude or Type, shews that the Similitude or Type is still in force: So the Substance not come; for while the Shadow is in force, there is no place for the Substance; therefore the ex­action of Tythes for the Ministers of the everlasting high Priest, is a denyal of Christ come in the Flesh.

Again, all the Tythe of the Land, whether of the Seed of the Land, or of the Fruit of the Tree, it was the Lord's, it was Holy unto the Lord; hereby Priest, Levite and the Poor were relieved, Levit. 27. A Type of Christ, the Substance, who was called the Holy thing, in whom the Obedient are sanctified, nourished, trans­formed by the renewing of their minds, a living Sacrifice unto God.

Again, Tythe, or at the least some part thereof, was an Heave-Offering, offered unto the Lord, Numb. 18. A Shadow, a Fi­gure, (saith Wilson in his compleat Christiain Dictionary) as other Oblations were. So that the pleading for this Jewish Offering, is [Page 106]a denyal of Christ to be come in the Flesh; and you may as well plead for the Meat-Offering, Sin-Offering, Burnt-Offering Tres­pass-Offering, Wave-Offering, as for the Heave-Offering in Gospel-days.

I have shewed my Judgment, that Tythe was a legal Type, Figure or Shadow, peculiar unto the Ministration of Moses, and that it terminated with that Ministration; I might add the Judg­ment of many, several of whom have been eminent in the Protestant Church, who have spoken to the same purpose.

Walter Brute, a valiant opposer of Popery, shewed that Tythes were Ceremonial, and that the Law was abrogated, by which they were due to the Levites; his Testimony is, ‘I marvel that you learned Men do say, That Christian Folk are bound to this small Ceremony of the payment of Tythes. For a Conclusion, he saith, Seeing that neither Christ nor any of the Apostles com­manded to pay Tythes, 'tis evident neither by the Law of Moses, nor by Christ's Law, Christian People are bound to pay Tythes, but by the Tradition of Men they are bound.’ Fox. Acts and Mon.

‘The Quota, or tenth part (saith Melaneton) is founded on the Ceremonial and Judicial Law, which Laws are proper to Moses Polity, and belong not to us, seeing God hath utterly destroyed it. De Lib. Christian. pag. 303.’

Epiphanius, about the Year 380. intimated that Tythes and Circumcision were a like Ceremonial: He mentions Tenths for one of his instances of legal Shadows, making them equal with Circum­cision. Lib. 1. Ord. 8.

Oecolampadius on Ezek. 44. ranks Sacrifices, first Fruits and Tythes altogether, making them equal with Circumcision, and calls them expresly Ceremonial.

The Bohemians, sound Protestants, in their Testimony against the Popish Clergy, said thus, They receive Tythes of men, and preach, that men are bound to pay them; but therein they say falsly, for they cannot prove by the New Testament, that Jesus Christ commanded it, nor the Apostles, neither did they receive them. This Precept of the Law (say they) had an end by Christ, as the precept of Circumci­sion: Christ said, Give Alms of those things that remain; but he said not, Give the Tenth of the Goods which ye possess. This is the sum of their Testimony on that account.

Andrew Willet, a stout opposer of Popery, in the reign of King James, called the Law of Tythes Ceremonial, acknowledging, That men are not necessarily bound by the Law of God to pay Tythes now. Further, he saith, That the payment of Tythes was a wise and politick Constitu­tion, and might conveniently be retained; yet it is not now of necessity im­posed upon Christians, as though no other Provision for the Church could serve but that, Willets Synops. Papismi. pag. 314, 315. He acknowledges Tythes to be Ceremonial, and proves them ended with the legal Priesthood: So that, though Maintenance it self be Moral, yet the mode or manner of that Maintenance, as by Sacri­sices, Oblations, Tythes, first Fruits, &c. may be Ceremonial, Hebrews 7.5; 12. An absolute Repeal of that Law which gave Tythes, as of the Priesthood, to whom, by that Law they were given.

To conclude, Hales, Aquinas, Henricus de Grandavo, R. de Media Villa, Cardinal Cajetan, John Mayer, Suarez, Malder, and others said, That the tenth part paid by the Tribes to Levi, was rather Ceremonial then Moral, and wherein the Ceremoni­ality of it lies, the clearly seeing Eye cannot but discern.

CAP. XVII. Of the Clergies Humane Title unto the Exaction of Tythes.

THe Patriarchal, Levitical and Evangelical Claim not secu­ring in order to the property of Tythes, not a few betake themselves to a humane Claim, as unto an impregnable Fortress, and such as have recourse unto man, for a ground to justifie them in the Possession thereof, their pleas are various.

Some plead the Decrees, Canons and Constitutions of General Councils, Popes, Bishops, Convocations, saying, That Tythes are due, jure Eeclesiastico. Others plead the Gifts of Kings and Princes. Others plead the temporal Laws of Kings, Parliaments, &c. Others plead the perticluar Gifts, Appropriation or Do­nation of the former Owners of the Land. Others plead a Right by purchase.

I Answer; These Claims have been perticularly answered, and that again and again: So I say in the general, How can humane Laws made for the payment of Tythes, since Christ came in the Flesh, bind the Conscience of any man? Seeing the end, scope, purpose, intent and tendency of those Laws are for the establishment of that which Christ put an End unto, whose prerogative it is, to have Rule, Regiment, Government in all, where the Mystery of Faith is held in a pure Conscience.

Gods own Law for the payment of Tythes to the Levites, be­ing dissanulled by Christ, and its burden of typical Appurtenan­ces abolished: Who is Man that makes a Law in that place, where God dissanulled his own? Who hath impowered man to raise a compulsary Maintenance, it being Christ's Maintenance? for his Ministry was free and voluntary.

After Austin brought the Romish Faith and Doctrine into this Nation, upon what strange accounts Tythes came to be set up and established, I have in some measure touched, and further and.

Athelstane, King of the West- Saxons, about the Year 940 to pacifie the Ghost of his murthered Brother Edwin, to whose Death he is said to have consented, underwent seven Years Pe­nance, built certain Monasteries, and made a Law for the pay­ment of Tythes, hoping thereby to expiate his Sins. Fox Acts and Mon.

King Edgar, cruel to Citizens, a deflowrer of Virgins, con­cerned in the Act of shedding the Blood of Earle Ethelwold, that he might enjoy Elfrida his Wife; to expiate his Sins, about the Year 959. he confirmed the payment of Tythes, built and prepa­red several Monasteries and Nunneries.

Canutus, the first Danish King, being guilty of the Blood of Edward and Edmund, Sons of Ironfide, Heirs to the Crown, about the Year 10.6. confirmed Tythes, and built the Abbey of St Bennet in Norfolk and in Suffolk, and the Monastery of St Edmund, whom he dreadfully feared, being often affirighted by the appa­rition of his Ghost; for which cause, as also to expiate the Sins of his Fathers, he Confirmed Tythes. See Osburns Case of Tythes.

Upon such accounts as these, and other Idolatrous ends, the grand Oppression and Antichristian exaction of Tythes, had en­trance into our English Church, professing Christianity; and such Donations as these are pleaded, yea, and by such as would be ac­counted Reformers from the Delusions of mystical Babylon, from the Dregs of the apostatized seven-hilled City, and her Adherents; yea, and such Donors were and are reckoned as Nursing Fathers to the Christian Church: And such as strengthen themselves for the maintaining of that grand Oppression, have the Language of Peter in their Mouthes, against such as are Witnesses against the same; Submit your selves unto every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, 1 Pet. 2.13.

I Answer; If Obedience should have been given to all Ordi­nances of men without limitation, Idolatrou [...] Consequences would have followed, as Histories, Ecclesiastical and Civil inform us.

Then had the Children of Israel been oftner found guilty of Idolatry, through actual Obedience to the apostatized Kings of Israel and Judah.

Then had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego forsaken the [Page 110]living God, and have worshipped the Golden Image of Nebu­chadnezzar.

Then had Daniel committed Idolatry in making his application to the Heathen King Darius, instead of the living God.

Then had the pure Current of the everlasting Gospel been stop­ped: For the Apostles were commanded not to teach in the Name of Jesus, Acts 4.

Then had not the Woman, that fate upon the Scarlet-coloured Beast, been made drunk with the Blood of Saints, and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus: For if these Saints and Martyrs had, and should yield actual Obedience to the Ordinances of men, they had, and should cut off the occasion of Suffering for their Testimonies.

Then had not the two Witnesses Prophesied one Thousand two Hundred and Sixty Days cloathed in Sack-cloth.

I say, Obedience is to be given to those Ordinances of man for the Lords sake, which are of a Civil nature and concern, for the punishment of Evil-doers, and for the Praise of them that do well; but when Civil Authority usurps the Power of Christ, the Law-giver, to, of, and in the Church, and imposes Laws and Ordi­nances contrary to Truth and Conscience, herein not active, but passive Obedience is to be yielded: The said Peter clears this point, who (the Rulers commanding them not to teach in the Name of Jesus) answered boldly to this purpose, They were to hearken to God rather then to men, Acts 4.

On this Scripture our Country-man Poele saith well, ‘We are bound by the Command of God, to speak what we have seen and heard; yea, and the truly re-born of Water, and of the Spirit are to contend for the Call, Work and Wage of the Pri­mitive Ministry, when men do, or would set up the con­trary.’

Polyearpus, in the Morning of Christianity, said, ‘We have learned to give that Honour to earthly Powers which is meet, and which hinders not our Salvation.’

Musonius said well, ‘If any one obey not his Father or his Prince, commanding unlawful things, he is neither Disobedient, nor Injurous, nor a Sinner herein.’

When Julian gave orders to his Souldiers, that were Christians, [Page 111]to take up Arms against Christians, they would not obey, as Ambrose hath related: Oh, that the Professors of Christianity now would consider this! How far they are degenerated; how the Spirit o [...] Meekness, Love and Gentl [...]ness is dis-throned, and the Spirit of Envy, Cruelty and Bloodshed is inthroned, wherein such as profess Christianity, fall by the Hands of one another, as Leaves from Trees at the approach of Autumn.

Now you that reject and dispute against the Evangelical Ordi­nance of free and voluntary Contribution, and violently intrude the Co-ercive exaction of Tythes, and other things, and that from the Laws, Canons, Decrees, Decretals and Constitutions of men, let me in soberness Reason a little with you.

Jacob in the Word of Prophecy fore-told of the coming of Shiloh, saying, Ʋnto him shall the gathering of the People be, Gen. 49.10. Or as some render it, To him shall the Obedience of the People be. Or as the Septuagint renders it. He shall be the expecta­tion of the Nations. Now you that plead for Tythes in Gospel-days, and that from the Ordinances of man, your gathering is not unto Shiloh, nor your Obedience, neither is your reliance upon him; but your gathering and obedience is unto man, your reliance is upon the Sons of men, from whom you have your Tythes, Easter-Reckonings, Midsummer-Dues, Mortuaries, Money for Funeral Sermons, Burials, Marriages, Churching of Women, Peter-Pence, now called, Reek-pennies, Smoke-pennies, &c.

Again, Moses the man of God Prophesied of the coming of the great Prophet, saying, Ʋnto him shall you hearken in all things, Deut. 18. who taught a free and voluntary Maintenance. Now the before-mentioned things shew, that you hearken not to him, but to the Canons, Constitutions, Decrees and Decretals of men, from whom you have received your manner of Maintenance.

Again, Christ said, Learn of me, Matth. 11. But he giving no Lessons for the aforesaid, you have learned them of men, and plead for the same.

Again, Christ said of the Scribes and Pharisees, In vain they do worship me, teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men, Matth. [...]5.9. You are found in their Steps, vain Worshippers, making void the Gospel-Ordinance, of free and voluntary Contribution, [Page 112]preaching up the Commands, Canons, Decrees, Constitutions of men, from which muddy Lake you derive your Tythes and com­pulsary Maintenance.

Again, Christ sending forth his Disciples, said, Go ye therefore and teach all Nations, &c. Teaching them to observe all things, what­soever I have commanded you, Matth. 28. Consider this, they were to teach all that Christ commanded them, and nothing else; not what apostatized Powers should command or impose: Here the Decrees, Canons, Laws and Constitutions of men, setting up that which Christ put an end unto, and forcing a Maintenance, are excluded.

Again, the Apostle Paul preached, that Christ should have Pre­eminence in all things, Col. 1.18. If in all things, then in the concern of the Maintenance of the Gospel Ministry. Now such as slight the free and voluntary Maintenance of the Gospel, and plead for Tythes and a compulsary Maintenance, such would have man to have Pre-eminence, such are Ministers of man. Christ said to the Jews, If you were of Abraham, you would do the Works of Abraham. So may I say, If you were of Christ, you would do the Works of Christ, and be content with his allowance: John bare record, saying, Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ, hath not God, 2 John 9. And such as are without God, they are Hetrodox, Heretical, yea, Atheistical; and such as stand to man's Maintenance, and not Christ's, they are in Transgression.

Did not Christ say, that all Power in Heaven and in Earth was committed to him? Is not he indued with Soveraign Power? Was not he appointed of the Father to be Law-giver to, of, and in the Church? Did not Paul foretell of a departure from the Faith, an Apostacy? and that the man of Sin should be revealed, that he should sit in the Temple of God, in the Church, and shew himself to be God? This is the great Antichrist. Now they that deny the Gospel-Ordinance, which was free and voluntary, and plead for Tythes, and for a compulsary Maintenance introduced by man, such deny Christ to be Law-giver to, of, and in the Church: And what is that Spirit that introduces a Maintenance contrary to the Gospel-Maintenance? Of the man of Sin, of Antichrist, who is [Page 113]against Christ his Call, Work and Wage, and hath a Call, Work and Wage of his own.

Do not Protestant Writers say, That the Beast and his ten Horns is the Pope and Popish Kings? And by what hath been spoken, it may appear how Tythes came into Churches professing Christianity, and a Compulsary Maintenance. Now is it honour­able for, or besseming such as pretend to be Ministers of Christ, to have no Command nor Example from Christ for what they act, but from the Beast and his Horns, the Pope and his Auxilliaries? Do they not offer great affront to Christ, who establish that which he dissanulled? Now if every Ordinance of man, of what Na­ture so ever, must be submitted to, strange Consequences might follow; then if one and the same Individual Person should remove into twenty several Nations of different Religions, he is bound to hoist up his Sails to all these Winds, to comply with the Worship of every respective Nation, if the Supream Authority command it.

Having touched, that no Patriarchal Act, nor the Levitical, nor Evangelical Dispensations, nor Ordinances of man, can assure Tythes to Gospel Ministers, as truly such, I may subjoyn a few Testimonies of men eminent in the Church since the Apostles dayes, who in their Respective Ages bare Testimony against the grand Op­pression of Tythes, and other things.

‘The Teachers of the Waldenses (saith a certain Inquisitor) are Weavers, Taylors; they encrease not Riches, but are content with Necessaries, Ʋsher de Succes. Eeclesia.’ These Waldenses were a People of great Sincerity and Godly Simplicity in their day, and endured fiery Tryals, storms of Persecutions for their Testimo­ny against the Romish Faith.

Gildas speaking of the Brittish Clergy being Locusts come out of the Smoke, said, ‘They are Pastors in name, but indeed Wolves; not called to, but seizing on the Ministry as a Trade, not as a spi­ritual Charge, seeking after Preferments and Degrees in the Church, more than after Heaven, and so gain'd; make it their whole study to keep them by any Tyranny.’ And what sufferings are in this our day for the Denyal of Tythe, what Imprisonments, [Page 114]what Havock and Spoil is and hath been made, I need say nothing; the Statute of T [...]ible Damage hath been leaned to, as if it were from Heaven, and not of men.

‘The Waldenses (saith Bishop Ʋsher) gave Testimony, That Ministers ought to be poor, content with the free Benevolence of the People. The Papists (saith this Ʋsher) judged this a pesti­lent and damnable Opinion.’ And many that would be accounted Reformed Churches approve not of it; Primitive Christianity had other thoughts of it, their Maintenance being free and vo­luntary.

These Waldenses, on a certain account testified, saying, ‘We are not ashamed of our Ministers, in that they labour with their hands, seeking a Maintenance according to their Ability, because the Doctrine and Example of the Apostles allows of this thing, Ʋsher de Succes. Ecclesiae.’

Further; this Ʋsher affirms, ‘That these Waldenses condemned all the Clergy, because of their Idleness, saying, They ought to labour with their Hands, as the Apostles did.’

Robert Abbot of Molisme in Burgundy perswaded his own Di­sciples, ‘To live with their handy Labour, and to forsake Tythes and Oblations.’

The Bohemians descended from the Waldenses, professed, ‘That all Ministers ought to be poor, and to be content with the Free Gift of the People, Aen. Syl. in his Bohemian History.’

The Dominicans and Franciscans taught, ‘That Tythe was not due by Divine Right, nor a necessary duty to Gospel Ministers; but that they might be detained and disposed of at the Owners pleasure, especially if the Pastor did not well perform his Office.’

'Twas generally the judgment of the Wickliffians, as of the Waldenses and Bohemians, being all Protéstants, ‘That Ministers ought to be poor, and content with the free Gifts of the People, Aen. Syl. his Bohemian History.’

John Wickliff, whose works are much esteemed by Protestants in England and Bohemia, whose Bones were taken up and burnt by Papists forty one years after his Death, gave Testimony in this manner: That,

‘Tythes were and are a free Gift, as among the Christians, and [Page 115]only pure Alms; and that Parish oners might for the Offence of their Curates, detain and keep them back, and bestow them upon others at their own Will and Pleasures, Fox Acts and Mon.’

John Hus burnt at Constance for his Testimony, said thus; ‘The Clergy are not Lords and Possessors of Tythes, and other Ecclesi­astical Goods, which are freely given, but only Stewards; and after the necessity of the Clergy is once satisfied, they ought to be bestowed on the Poor: and if the Clergy do abuse the same, they are Thieves, and Robbers, and Sacriledges Persons; and ex­cept they do Repent by the just judgment of God, they are to be condemned, Fox Acts and Mon.’

At the Reformed Church in Geneva they live upon free Gifts, and Tythes of all sorts are taken up for the use of the State, and said up for the publick Treasury.

William Thorp, Martyr, being complained of by the Popish Clergy, was brought to Examination in the year 1407. being accused be­fore Thomas Arundel Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, and Chancellor of England, as against divers other abuses crept into the Church, so also against Tythes he gave faithful Testimony, saying:

‘In the New Law, neither Christ nor his Apostles ever took Tythe of the People, neither commanded they the People to pay Tythe: And Christ and his Apostles preached the Word of God to the People, and lived of pure Alms, or free Gifts; and after Christ's Assention, when the Apostles had received the Holy Spirit, they travelled, labouring with their Hands, not to be Chargeable.’

Further, saith he, ‘Tythes were given in the old Law to Le­vites and Priests, but our Priests come not of Levi, ergo, by the Law our Priests cannot challenge Tythes; for as the Priesthood is changed, so is the Law; but since Christ, in the time of his Mi­nistry, and also his Apostles, lived by pure Alms, or else by the Labours of their Hands; for the Servant is not greater than his Lord.’ At which words, the Bishop said unto him, God's Curse have you, and mine, for thus teaching.

Further, William Thorp said, ‘Those Priests that do take Tythes, they deny Christ to be come in the Flesh.’ Further, bearing Testimony against the Covetousness and Pride of the Priests: The Bishop answered, By God, I deem him more meek that [Page 116]goes every day arrayed in his Scarlet Gewn, than thou in thy Thred­bare blew Gown: Language not savouring of a primitive Bishop, but of an Apostate Lording Bishop, Fox Acts and Mon.

William Swinderby testified to this purpose, ‘If Parishioners pay Tythes to wicked Priests or Curats, they are guilty before God of upholding them in their Sins and Evil Deeds. Further, saith he, Christs Law commands to minister freely to the People; the Pope with his Law [...]ells or Money: Christs Law teaches his Priests to be Poor; the Pope justifies and maintains Priests to be Lords, Fox Acts and Mon.’

Walter Brute testified, as appears by the Articles charged against him; ‘ 1st, That no man is bound to pay Tythes in Gospel times. 2dly, If any Priest receive any thing by way of Bargain or yearly Stipend, in so doing he is a Schismatick, and accursed. 3dly, That if we be bound to pay Tythes in Gospel times, then are we Debtors to keep the whole Law; for he that was the End of one part was the end of the whole. 4thly, Seeing that neither Christ, nor any of his Apostles commanded to pay Tythes, 'tis manifest and plain, that neither by the Law of Moses, nor by the Law of Christ Christians are bound to pay Tythes, but by mans Traditions, Fox Acts and Mon.’ A Sound Testimony and true, but opposed by Man made Ministers.

About the year 1431. Lodovicus, a man much praised for Con­staney and Wisdom, said to the Clergy; ‘If you were true Bishops and true Pastors of Souls, you would not doubt to put your Lives in hazard for your Sheep, neither be afraid to shed your Blood for the Church in the Cause of Christ; but at this present, saith he, 'tis too rare to find a Prelate which doth not prefer his Temporalities before his Spiritualities; with the Love whereof they are so withdrawn, that they study rather to please Princes than God, &c. Aen. Syl. his History of the Council of Basil.’

Pareus speaking of the drying up the River Euphrates, brings in the judgment of his Anonymus, that is, Nameless Author, which he approves of, which is:

‘That the preaching of the Gospel doth & shall cause men to take away all Temporal Things, that is, Possessions, and Earthly Do­minion from the Clergy, and they shall no more be given them.’ Herein I accord with him, that as far as the Virtue and Power of [Page 117]the Gospel truly renews, transforms and changes men, so far 2 Faithfull and Living Testimony shall be born to the Free and Voluntary Maintenance of the Gospel, and against the Antichri­stian Maintenance by Tythes, and other Groundless, Scripture­less, Co-ercive Maintenance, Truth prevailing, this shall be scoured away.

‘It is against the holy Scripture (saith Wickliff) for Church-men to have Possessions.’

Gerardus Sagarellus, who lived before Wickliff's time, denyed a divine Right to Tythes in Gospel days.

Erasmus boldly affirmed, That the common exacting of Tythes by the Clergy, in his Time, was no better than Tyranny.

In Augustin's time it was no general Law nor Custom in the Church, that Tythes should be paid; Willet's Synopsis of Popery.

‘When the Disciples (saith Walter Brute) said to Christ, Be­hold, we have left all, and have followed thee; what shall we have? He answered not thus, Tythes shall be paid you; nei­ther did he promise them a Temporal, but an Everlasting Reward in Heaven; for Food and Apparel he taught his Disciples not to be careful: Paul right-well remembring his Doctrine, gave Timothy this Instruction; Having Food and Rayment, let us there­with be content, Fox Acts and Mon.’

‘Primitive Non-payment of Tythes (saith one) is a pregnant Argument, that they did not understand Tythes to be appointed by Christ for his Ministers; He that knows his Masters will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with many Stripes.’

Some of the aforesaid, for their Testimony against Tythes, as against other Errors, Heresies, Superstition and Idolatry of Italian Babylon, suffered in Flames, as Histories demonstrate.

To draw to a Conclusion; By what hath been said, 'tis apparent to all seeing Eyes, that according to Christ's Doctrine, the Apostles were not to receive any thing, but from such as received them, and their Doctrine, from such as reaped their Spiritual Things. But now, all that are found within the Limits, Precincts, Bounds of such or such a Parish, first set up by the Pope and his Emissaries, after ratified by Earthly Princes, whe­ther Believers or Unbelievers, Prophane, Schismaticks, Hereticks, Excommunicated Persons; yea, such as they'l Curse, and give up to Satan, of these they'l have Tythes, Easter-Reckonings, Midsummer-Dues, Mor­tuaries, Oblations, Smoke-Money, which they claim as Due, being introduced by Apostatized men; bring­ing for a Cloak, He that preaches the Gospel, must live of the Gospel; when as the Gospel warrants no such thing. In the Apostles time they had places of Wor­shop, where Jews gathered from Jewdaism, and Gentiles from Gentilism, met together to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth; yet no man was limitted to this or that Place, nor to pay to such or such a Place, or mi­nister so much per annum; these Anti-evangelical, Anti­christian Customs crawled out of the Apostolical Womb, Honorius, who succeeded Austin at Canterbury, about the Year 630. divided his Province into Parishes, as Sel­den of Tythes, chap. 9. saith.