other goods, of double, fometimes of treble value, for that, which did not covetoufnefs and rapine blind them, they know to be not their own by the gofpel which they preach.

Of fome more tolerable than these, thus feverely God hath spoken: Ifaiah lvi. 11. They are greedy dogs; they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. With what anger then will he judge them who ftand not looking, but under colour of a divine right, fetch by force that which is not their own, taking his name not in vain, but in violence? Nor content, as Gehazi was, to make a cunning, but a contrained advantage of what their mafter bids them give freely, how can they but return fmitten, worse than that sharking minifter, with a spiritual leprofy? And yet they cry out Sacrilege, that men will not be gulled and baffled the tenth of their eftates, by giving credit to frivolous pretences of divine right.

Where did God ever clearly declare to all nations, or in all lands (and none but fools part with their eftates, without clearest evidence, on bare fuppofals and prefumptions of them who are the gainers thereby), that he required the tenth as due to him or his fon perpetually, and in all places? Where did he demand it, that we might certainly know, as in all claims of temporal right is juft and reasonable? Or if demanded, where did he affign it, or by what evident conveyance to ministers? unless they can demonftrate this by more than conjectures, their title can be no better to tithes than the title of Gehazi was to thofe things, which, by abufing his master's name, he rooked from Naaman. Much lefs, where did he command that tithes fhould be fetched by force, where left not under the gofpel whatever his right was, to the freewill-offerings of men? Which is the greater facrilege, to belie divine authority, to make the name of Chrift acceffory to violence, and, robbing him of the very honour which he aimed at in beftowing freely the gospel, to commit fimony and rapine, both fecular and ecclefiaftical, or on the other fide, not to give up the tenth of civil right and property to the tricks and impostures

impoftures of clergymen, contrived with all the art and argument that their bellies can invent or fuggeft; yet so ridiculous and prefuming on the people's dulnefs or fu perftition, as to think they prove the divine right of their maintenance, by Abram paying tithes to Melchifedec, when as Melchifedec, in that paffage, rather gave maintenance to Abram; in whom all, both priests and minifters, as well as laymen, paid tithes, not received them.

And because I affirmed above, beginning this first part of my discourse, that God hath given to minifters of the gofpel that maintenance only which is juftly given them, let us fee a little what hath been thought of that other maintenance befides tithes, which of all Protestants, our English divines either only or moft apparently both require and take.

Thofe are, fees for chriftenings, marriages, and burials: Which, though whofo will may give freely, yet being not of right, but of free gift, if they be exacted or established, they become unjust to them who are other wife maintained; and of fuch evil note, that even the Council of Trent, lib. 2. p. 240. makes them liable to the laws againft fimony, who take or demand fees for the administering of any facrament: Che la finodo volendo levare gli abufi introdotti, &c. And in the next page, with like feverity condemns the giving or taking for a benefice, and the celebrating of marriages, christenings, and burials, for fees exacted or demanded: Nor counts it lefs fimony, to fell the ground or place of burial. And in a ftate-affembly at Orleans, 1561, it was decreed, Che non fi poteffe effiger cofa aleuna, &c. p. 429. That nothing fhould be exacted for the adminiflering of facraments, burials, or any other fpiritual function. Thus much that council, of all others the moft Popish, and this affembly of Papifts, though, by their own principles, in bondage to the clergy, were induced, either by their own reafon and fhame, or by the light of reformation then fhining in upon them, or rather by the known canons of many councils and fynods long before, to condemn of fimony fpiritual fees demanded. For if the minifter be main

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tained for his whole miniftry, why fhould he be twice paid for any part thereof? Why fhould he, like a fervant, feek, vales over and above his wages?

As for chriflenings, either they themselves call men to baptifm, or men of themfelves come; If minifters invite, how ill had it becomed John the Baptift to demand fees for his baptizing, or Chrift for his chriftenings? Far lefs becomes it thefe now, with a greedinefs lower than that of tradefmen calling paffengers to their fhop, and yet paid before-hand, to afk again, for doing that which thofe their founders did freely. If men of themselves come to be baptized, they are either brought by fuch as already pay the minifter, or come to be one of his dif ciples and maintainers: Of whom to ask a fee as it were for entrance, is a piece of paltry craft or caution, befitting none but beggarly artifts. Burials and marriages are fo little to be any part of their gain, that they who confider well, may find them to be no part of their function.

At burials their attendance they allege on the corpfe all the guests do as much unhired: But their prayers at the grave, fuperftitiously required: Yet if required, their laft peformance to the deceased of their own flock. But the funeral fermon, at their choice; or if not, an occa fion offered them to preach out of feafon, which is one part of their office. But fomething must be spoken in praife: If due, their duty; if undue, their corruption: A peculiar fimony of our divines in England only. But the ground is broken, and especially their unrighteous poffef fion, the chancel. To fell that will not only raise up in judgment the Council of Trent against them, but will lofe them the beft champion of tithes, their zealous antiquary, Sir Henry Spelman; who, in a book written to that purpofe, by many cited canons, and fome even of times corruptelt in the church, proves that fees exacted or demanded for facraments, marriages, burials, and efpecially for interring, are wicked, accurfed, fimonaical and abominable. Yet thus is the church, for all this noise of reformation, left ftill unreformed, by the cenfure of their own fynods, their own favourers, a den of thieves and robbers.

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As for marriages, that minifters fhould meddle with them, as not fanctified or legitimate without their celebration, I find no ground in fcripture either of precept or example. Likelieft it is (which our Selden hath well observed, lib. ii. cap. xxviii. Ux. Eb.) that in imitation of Heathen priefts who were wont at nuptials to use many rites and ceremonies, and efpecially, judging it would be profitable, and the increase of their authority, not to be fpectators only in bufinefs of fuch concernment to the life of man, they infinuated that marriage was not holy without their benediction, and for the better colour, made it a facrament; being of itself a civil ordinance, a household contract, a thing indifferent and free to the whole race of mankind, not as religious, but as men: Best, indeed, undertaken to religious ends, and, as the apostle faith, 1 Cor. vii. in the Lord. Yet not therefore invalid or unholy without a minifter and his pretended neceffary hallowing, more than any other act, enterprife, or contract of civil life, which ought all to be done also in the Lord and to his glory. All which, no lefs than marriage, were by the cunning of priefts heretofore, as material to their profit, tranfacted at the altar. Our divines deny it to be a facrament; yet retained the celebration, till prudently a late parliament recovered the civil liberty of marriage from their encroachment; and transferred the ratifying and registering thereof from the canonical fhop to the proper cognizance of civil magiftrates.

Seeing then, that God hath given to minifters under the gospel, that only which is juftly given them, that is to fay, a due and moderate livelihood, the hire of their labour, and that the heave-offering of tithes is abolished with the altar, yea though not abolished, yet lawless, as they enjoy them, their Melchifedecian right alfo trivial and groundless, and both tithes and fees, if exacted or established, unjust and fcandalous, we may hope, with them removed, to remove hirelings in fome good measure, whom these tempting baits, by law especially to be recovered, allure into the church.

SECTION

SECTION II.

THE next thing to be confidered in the maintenance of minifters, is by whom it fhould be given. Wherein though the light of reafon might fufficiently inform us, it will be beft to confult the fcripture: Gal. vi. 6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth, in all good things: That is to fay, in all manner of gratitude, to his ability.1 Cor. ix. 11. If we have fown unto you fpiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things? To whom therefore hath not been fown, from him wherefore should be reaped? I Tim. v. 17. Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour; especially they who labour in the word and doctrine?

By thefe places we fee, that recompenfe was given either by every one in particular who had been inftructed, or by them all in common, brought into the churchtreafury, and diftributed to the minifters according to their feveral labours. And that was judged either by fome extraordinary perfon, as Timothy, who by the apoftle was then left evangelift at Ephefus, 2 Tim. iv. 5. or by fome to whom the church deputed that care.

This is fo agreeable to reafon, and fo clear, that any one may perceive what iniquity and violence hath prevailed fince in the church, whereby it hath been fo ordered, that they alfo fhall be compelled to recompenfe the parochial minifter, who neither chofe him for their teacher, nor have received inftruction from him, as being either infufficient, or not refident, or inferior to whom they follow; wherein to bar them from their choice, is to violate Chriftian liberty.

Our law-books teftify, that before the Council of Lateran, in the year 1179, and the fifth of our Henry II. or rather before a decretal epiftle of Pope Innocent the Third, about 1200, and the firft of king John, Any mản might have given his tithes to what spiritual perfon he would: And, as the Lord Coke notes on that place, Inftit. part ii. That this decretal bound not the fubjects of this realm; but, C 2

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