The Two Main questions RESOLVED: How 1 The Ministers 2 The Impropriators shal be Maintained Satisfied If tithes be put down. Often PETITIONED for, by several Counties, and Propounded and Debated at a Meeting not far from London, by divers Eminent Personages of this Common-Wealth, and sundry Freeholders, and Others, attending on them. By D. Lupton, Servant of Jesus Christ in the work of the GOSPEL. Mat. 23.23. Luk. 11.42. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites, for ye Tithe Mint and Rue, and all manner of Herbs, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law; Judgement, Mercy, and Faith. London, Printed by R. W. for R. Harford, at the Bible and States-Arms in Little-Brittain, MDCLII. How the Ministers shall be provided for; if tithes be put down? THe Ministers of England for their Annual gains, and Titular preferments,( the two chief spurs and pulleys to force forward, and draw on their Covetous and Ambitious Spirits) have for hundreds of yeers by plausible persuasions held out to, and made the people of England believe without the least scruple, the Divine Right of payment of tithes; there were few or none who in those times for fear of Ecclesiastical censures( the onely Bugbears to keep truth concealed,) durst appear to vindicate or manifest it. But of late( God pleasing to so order times, and the piety of our Parliament upholding truth) it hath some favour and liberty to show its face; so that all the people of this Land may be, and( we hope) are fully satisfied, yes, and the Clergy too, fully convinced, though hardly brought unto it; That tithes are not now, by the people of this Land, by any Divine Right to be paid unto the Ministers of the same: The sundry Petitions of several Counties already exhibited, and others who are ready to come up; with the several books and treatises of some Mens pens, though in number not many, nor varnished over with smooth and flattering language;( for Truth desires a plain habit) and whose persons, though not great in worldly preferments( for, such who seek the discovery of truth, catch at no such shadows) and did they, they would miss of their aim, for the world will love her own; both these sand forth strong Arguments and loud cries, for the putting of tithes down in this Common-Wealth. And seeing that God hath pleased to enable and to choose such pens( though weak in esteem) to manifest this truth against payment of tithes any longer; Who, of any sound Judgement, or sincere Conscience can dislike his choice? Let the Clergy( and the Impropriators, properly so called, who side with them for gains) take heed how they strive against the truth, or endeavour to withhold the truth, now appearing in this particular against Tyth-taking, under the Gospel; Truth is, and will be opposed, but it cannot be oppressed. Tis true, manifold are the Writers for the defence of tithes, but their works, how flaccid and voided of substantial truth? themselves are weary if not abashed at their own works: and therefore in the next place being startled with guilt and fear, they have left their pens, and use their tongues, in accusing such for unjust, unmerciful, unrighteous, factious, and cruel men, who either petition, or writ any thing against tithes; and that they and their families will by this means be utterly undone; they cry out as that unjust steward did, dig I cannot, and to beg I am ashamed. That 8. or 10000. families, who have been hitherto tenderly brought up, must now starve, and that learning must live upon alms, and peoples charity; That such who petition against tithes, or writ to put them down, intend to extirpate the Gospel and Preaching too: these and many such are the clamours they raise, and these things they infuse into mens fancies( and those no small Ones neither) of our unjust intendments. And therefore to satisfy the world, it shall appear to all Conscionable men, that we have more care of them, than they of themselves; we hope to Reform them, is not to ruin them; to steer them, is not to starve them; to reduce them from an old error is Charity and Mercy, not Malice: to Inform them whats best, we conceive is best for them; and though there be an Alteration of their maintenance, there is not a privation. If they say, 'twill be little, or nothing to what they had by tithes; for peoples charity they fear will be small, and quickly could: if it should be little; they may learn content; and a little well got, is better then a great deal with the wages of unrighteousness. And if many of them should have little, or nothing allowed them by the State, 'twas but their due wages, for Hundreds of them do not any thing for, but rather against the Magistrate, scarce vouchsafing the Parliament, council of State, or our Armies either by Sea, or Land, a good word; not mentioning them in their public Prayers, nor craving Gods blessing upon their Persons or Actions. This is true O presbyterian Ministers! And yet you do expect to have tithes upheld by these men. If the peoples Charity be could, 'tis yourselves are in fault; And know this, that better, more able, and holier men than you are, have lived by Charitable Collections, and thankful too; what if you be put to it? are you better than Christ, his Apostles, and the primitive Christians? To come therefore to our Intendment. How our Ministers shall be provided for, if tithes be put down? We say, whilst we are providing for them, we hope they have no just cause to be angry with us for our Care, and good-will towards them; if they be, we know at whose door the sin will lie; and therefore, First, may not our Ministers, nay ought they not to comform themselves and Actions; their practise and behaviour to Christ himself, his Apostles, and to the Primitive Christians? Can they have a fairer, or surer pattern then these? or a safer Rule to walk by, than Gods word? Or, shall the Popish Dispensatory Indulgences be accounted of more worth, or necessity( and so be upheld by our Tythe-takers) than the Precepts, or practise of Christ or his Apostles? because, by the Popes, in former times, our Tythe-takers were favoured and indulged, that so all Collations to benefice, and first fruits of all bishoprics and other Ecclesiastical places, might flow into their Coffers at Rome: for they gave tithes to the Clergy, that they might have the profits aforesaid to themselves. Shall we imagine therefore, that they who wore the Triple Mitre, had more wit, wildom, truth, or equity in their decrees; Than he who wore a Crown of thorns, hath in his heavenly word? Oh no! — Impar Congressus And therefote, we will describe unto all men, And specially to the Ministers of England something of our Saviour Christ As first, his journeying. Secondly, His Apparel. Thirdly, His diet, with his manner of Maintenance while he was upon Earth Fourthly, of his Apostles and their practise. Fifthly, Of the primitive Christians and their manner of Maintenance; and we will, in the next place see whether tythe-taking by our Ministers or Impropriators will hold with their doings or not; if they speak not according to this, tis because there is no truth in them. Isaiah 8. And so we will sum up what the whole will yield for our Information in this particular. To begin therefore with his travails, when he or his Disciples journeyed( as they did daily, going about and doing good, even unto weariness, as we may see Joh. 4.) it was always on foot, except once, and that was, when he rid into Jerusalem, rather to fulfil that prophesy of Zachary, behold thy King cometh meekly sitting upon an Ass, Zach. 9. though he did at that time ride, yet it was in meekness and lowliness of mind, and it was not two miles; and usually without shoes, onely used sandals, meetly to defend the feet from stones or pricks, or other encumbrances, or else, when he passed some lake; not so much for ease, as to show his diligence to be about his spiritual work, or to work Miracles on the water as he did, Mat. 9 to awaken and confirm his Disciples faith; this is enough to show his pains and labour, patience, and humility with his followers. Behold the man; Oh Ministers! Secondly, We proceed to speak of His apparel, his predecessor came clothed in Camels hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, Mat. 3. and our blessed Saviour said, that they who were clothed in soft Raiment, were in Kings palaces, which he came not into, onely when he was forced thither, Mat. 26, and sent from Pilate to Herod in mockery; His apparel was only for use, and necessity: we red not of any chests of fine linen, or Wardrobes of rich Attire: when the Soldiers stripped his clothes from his back, they took all that he at present had, and they were no costly ones neither; and when his disciples took care for temporal provision, amongst other things he counsels them, after this manner, Mat. 6. Why take ye thought for raiment; Consider the lilies of the field; but we hasten. Thirdly, Let us observe his diet, 'twas his meat and drink to do his fathers will. Not that he did not eat any thing, or not drink at all, but he did it by the by, as we say: his chief intent and drift, or his onely meat and drink, was the accomplishment of his fathers will. But we may gather from the word, what manner of food he used. For when he fed 5000. people, he asked his Disciples, how many Loaves have ye? and one answered, five barley Loaves and a few small fishes; Bread they had, but not of Wheat, but barley, nor much neither, onely five Loaves, and they were not much for 13. or 14. traveling men to feed on; and when he told them, he had compassion on the Multitude, they reply, 200. pennyworth of bread will not suffice; here's only bread for the Caterer to buy, if he had gone, and doubtless it should have been of Barley, if he had bought any. He begun his Gospel with fasting and prayer, Mat. 4. often at prayer, seldom eating, Take no care what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink Mat. 6. that rich Glutton of whom he spoken, fared deliciously every day, but he went into hell, where he wanted one drop of water. Luk. 16. when he had fed the Multitude, gave Order, to gather up the fragments, not onely because they should not be lost, but that they might be given either to the poor, or else that they might serve his Disciples to eat. And for money, as 'tis certain he had some( for Judas kept it) yet not much; for He paid tribute-mony by a Miracle: he had for needful supply, but not for superfluity; and we conceive too, that what he had was given to him by such as loved him, and followed him, and ministered to him of their substance, as Chusa, Herods stewards wife, and others, Luk. 8. 'tis not to be imagined that he, who wished others not to lay up treasures for themselves on Earth, would himself practise that which he dissuaded others from. We know his speech concerning that rich young man, how hard is it for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? But that we may finish in brief what we intend: We have seen how He, ( vi.) Christ Jesus the Lord of life, and King of Kings, was pleased to content himself while he was amongst sinful men on Earth; Not but that he could have had better provision;( for he deserved the best, and all had been too little, and far short of his deserts) yet as we have described his manner of diet, journeying and apparel, so it was; we come now to his Apostles. And they( Good Souls) were( after our Saviours Resurrection) so put to it, to Communicate their goods; for their Master, though he left them some spiritual Legacies, did not bequeath to any of them( no not to John that beloved Disciple) any temporal estate, or any bishopric, deanery, Prebendary, nor Cardinalship, nor any money to him or them, so that they were forced to break their bread from house to house, Acts 2.3.( providently done) as to see none should( while the common store lasted) want; So also that there should be no misspending or profuse lavishing; means were short, for no question if their master, when he was taken, had had any store of moneys, or themselves either, Judas would have discovered that; for he who did not spare to betray him, would not have made any scruple to have robbed him, or them; with which, if he, or they had been furnished, it would have fallen to have been censured for lawful pillage for the company who took him; and therefore we say it for truth, that Peter and John did speak truth, when they said, Silver and Gold have I none; they were not to carry a Scrip, because they should not put any thing into it. A cup of could water and thanks. They plucked the Ears of corn for hunger, Act. 9. And Paul not only not coveted any mans Silver or Gold or Apparel, but justifies it, that these hands did administer to his necessities and to them that were with him; that he and the other Saints lived upon Collection, and peoples Charity, is plain if we please to see. 2 Cor. 11. And he himself says of himself, as having nothing; 2 Cor. 6.10. persuades the Corinthians to be liberal. And so the Galatians also; but persuades onely, does not constrain or force them; and yet he was content; and we see how he describes the Saints of God, Heb. 11. though famous men for Piety and Holiness, yet they wandered about in sheepskins, and Goatskins, being destitute, &c. They were put so to it even for Lodging, Food and raiment, and other Necessaries; these were so far from being provided for, that the Text saith, they were Destitute: And to shut up all, lets come, Fifthly, To speak briefly of the primitive Christians, who lived in the first 300. years after Christ; how were they provided for? had they tithes paid them, or did they demand any such burden to be laid upon the people of those times? Oh no! there were Cruces & Patibula, Crosses and Gibbets, but little or no maintenance, and yet by them was the Gospel preached purely and powerfully; Aureos habebat tunc temporis Ecclesia pastores: They were golden Pastors for life and Doctrine, and yet lived upon the Charitable Collection of Believers; Yes, and that too was fain to be gathered and distributed privately amongst them; they had no Parsonage houses, or Glebe lands, nor scarce any good Countenance shewed to them, till Constantines time, and that lasted but a while neither; yet all this while as opportunity and liberty was afforded to them, they did not cease to preach the Gospel of Christ, and to writ rare and admirable pieces of Divinity: Much more here may and might be added, onely thus much for a ground work to what follows. And now O Presbyterian Ministers of England! do not take it ill, if we do what we can to you, as Andrew did to Peter his brother, Joh. 1.42. ( viz.) of whom 'tis said, And he brought him to Jesus; disdain not, if the younger brother be in Christ before you, and you be brought to Jesus Christ by your inferiors; to be short, slight not good council, 〈◇〉, John 19.5. Behold the man! Do not do as the Prophet Isaiah saith, Esai. 53 hid as it were your faces from him: and what! you shall find him on foot, who was the Master; will you his servants ride on pampered horses, as fat as yourselves; he had as much and more work to do, and but a short time to finish it in, and yet he did it perfectly, better than all you, and yet he travailed on foot; Leave off your superfluity in this kind, and what is vainly spent this way, may help for your provision. And secondly, for his Apparel. Behold the man! and blushy at your pride & variety in fashions, your costly clothes of Silks and Satins, and fine linen from the crown of the Head to the sole of your Feet; Are you like him who came from Bosrah with garments all in blood? have ye yet as the Apostle says resisted to blood striving against sin? Heb. 12. get his Robes of Righteousness to cover your sins, or else all your wardrobes will prove but Rotten rags; What say you to this conformity? We onely hint you. Thirdly, For his diet, twas sparing, charitable, frugal, seldom, homely and poor; Behold the man! Herein also, what shall be thought of your first and second courses? Eating, not Barley, but the purest wheat; Not to satiety, but too often to surfet; who haunt feasts & public banquetings, desire to be called Rabbi, Doctor, good your worship, Reverend Sir, and taking the chief Seats, &c. Your Master went but twice or thrice to feasts, to a Marriage in Cana of Galilee, and to Matthew the Publicans house; at the first and second he wrought a Miracle, to promote his fathers glory, and was admired for his heavenly discourse; but for your frequent feasts, we may say as Paul to the Corinthians, Ye come together for the worse and not the better, shall I praise you for this, I praise you not. 1 Cor. 11.24, 25. And for moneys he had little or none, onely for necessity; if we should speak home, and why not? what becomes of the 300. and 400. l. per annum? Do you put it into bags that have seven holes? do you not grieve there are no more fat morsels for your large stomachs? You would well be content with pluralities, and those no little ones, nay tot-quots would down with you too,( if allowed by the State) is this, to be joined to the Lord, and to be one Spirit? 2 Cor. 2. to take and command tithes, is that to live as Christ did? or to be conformable to him? And now to come to try you by the Apostles and primitive Christians, was not, what is written of them, written for our instruction? 2 Cor. 10. Could we but find any of you who pretend such holiness, and seem to be such Reformed Presbyters, to be true followers of them, as they were of Christ: Follow me( says the Apostle Paul) even as I follow Christ. And Christ says, follow me; but how slowly and indirectly, if at all do you follow, nay, do not you go clean contrary to him and them also? if we should Anatomize your Actions, we should find you others than you seem for, but if you be false, you know your reward; We will not slain our paper, with opening your diseases, your own sin will find you out. We press this to you, that it is not fitting you should live unjustly by tithes, and of other mens Goods, and Command them, with rigor too; but endeavour to have your Maintenance by the peoples Good will, and blessing, and Charitable Collections, for they will bring you peace at the last: To sum up all therefore, First, That though this point of Reduction and Apostolical and Primitive Reformation, be to Carnal Ministers and others, Hard and Odious, perhaps though without just cause, yet in itself, being essentially and simply true, 'tis not to be slighted but followed and embraced. Secondly, Though it be hard, especially to flesh and blood, yet Ministers above all others, ought not to consult with them; but, as it is true, so it hath been practised by the best with Approbation and content, even by Christ, his Apostles, and the Primitive Christians, and therefore not onely possible, but fitting to be renewed and established. Thirdly, As 'tis true, and hath been practised by the best, so 'tis the Ancientest, Freest, most Equal, Safest, Comfortablest, and most Satisfactory way for Ministers Maintenance; therefore having Truth, practise, Antiquity, Freedom, Equity, Safety, Comfort and Satisfaction in it, ought to be a Pattern, President, Rule and Example for Maintenance for Ministers now, as well as then; for our Ministers as well as those who have been before them, whose labour and Learning was no less, and whose Piety did exceed ours, and yet they were thankful and content for such Collections, and why not ours too? This way of Maintenance will try their Spirits, whether they got into this Function or employment, more for Love, or the Loaves they get by it; for our parts, they, who will not be content with it, should be content without it; from hence will issue two Querees to be resolved, to help forward this Action. 1. Who shall Collect it, when and where to be done? 2. How to be distributed? Answer. IN every Hundred, according to the number of Parishes therein, Greater or Lesser; Let two or three Godly, able, well affencted, well Reputed, and Conscionable men in each Parish be chosen, and let them Collect carefully, quietly, and meekly the Charity of each Inhabitant, and others, upon the first Lords day of the month, or upon any within the month( as they shall find fittest,) and if any Inhabitant be absent, to repair to their houses, or to note him or them with a blank, that so he or they may double next Collection, or add something to it; let each Inhabitants gift be set upon his name, with the month wherein Collected; and let the benefit of all the Gleab-Lands in each Hundred be equally liable to the advancing this Collection in general, and to the helping the lesser and poorer Parishes; for Impropriators being satisfied, the Gleab-Lands will much augment and ease the Collection. 2. How to be distributed? Answer. EQually, to all the Ministers alike, according as our Saviour speaks in that parable Mat. 20.2. The Master gave to every labourer a penny; not a pound to one, and but a penny to another; but the Text saith, and every one received a penny; some did( as perhaps some of our Ministers will do now at this equality of Distribution) grudge and murmur; but the Act of Equality was approved proved then by our Saviour Christ, and therefore not to be thought amiss of now; Since he equalled it, why should any go about, or desire to have more than his fellow Labourer? So that the Minister of one place shall partake equally of the Collection so made, as another; if any Believer or Charitable minded man please to do any thing in private, thatis left to his own free choice, as God shall move his heart, or as he finds that he reaps benefit by the hearing of Gods word; a mans private Charity is free: Yet we would not that any should make that an excuse for not giving to the public Collection. This due and equal Distribution to all the Ministers alike, we conceive, will encourage all alike, and cause every respective Minister in his Calling to be painful and Industrious, to live quiet and loving with and amongst his Parishioners, and to keep all of them from Envy and Hatred. The labour in gathering, and proportionating it for each Minister, is easy, and may be performed with loss of little time, and may be the willinger born, because this doth free them from tithe paying; Let the respective portions, when summed up and divided, be brought to the several Ministers to their houses, with a certificate under six, or more of the Collectors hands, in Testimony of the truth; and 'tis fitting that one of them, in each Parish, so chosen for Collectors, should be able to writ what is Collected; the poor and Impotent are to be had regard unto, and though they do not give, yet if Pious, and fit to be members of the Church of Christ; Not to be debarred any of the Ordinances of the Gospel. And this Collection being practised, let all manner of Church-dues( so called) and all tithes, great and small, and offerings whatsoever, be forthwith abolished. — Addatur, si quid novistis rectius, istis. And with this Collection, and the Gleab-Lands added to it, the Ministers we hope may rest contented; there are other ways proposeable, if this seems too mean for their high Spirits. Example. IF all the Freehold, and Copy-hold Lands in England will make up 200000. times a 100. l. per annum, and let every 100. l. be proportioned to pay 5. l. the year to the Minister, every 50. l. pay yearly 50. s. 20. l. 20. s. 10. l. 10. s. and so proportionably for the least as well as the greatest, which is but after 12. d. in the pound. We say then that this number will maintain 10000. Ministers, and every Minister shall have an 100. l. per annum, and yet there will be 200000. l. more than needs, if there be not 8000. Ministers in the Land, as 'tis thought there are not; and out of this we would have the Widdows of Ministers to be allowed 50. l. for to keep them in their old age, when their husbands are dead, or else to be for, and in stead of the first fruits office, if that be yet kept up; and to help to pay off the Impropriators, it will( we conceive) perform all these; and yet, what Freeholder and Copy-holder, doth not pay triple, nay more than so, as they pay tithes; and( we believe) neither of them will grudge to pay after this allowance of 12. d. in the pound, which yet will be a good allowance for each Minister; and this may be done with ease. Or let the Ministers themselves( if they can) find out a better, surer or equaller way; without doubt twill be embraced; for we are not so far wedded to our own judgements, but we will and can easily forego ours, and subscribe to better, so the work be done; This obstacle of Tyth-taking being once removd, the people will in love embrace their Teachers, Unity and Amity will be on all sides, and ease and comfort to the Ministers in their employments. We hope to see it effected to Gods Glory, and every mans ease, contentment and satisfaction. 2. How Impropriators may be satisfied? Resolved. THere are but these two things that hinder the removing of tithes, ( viz.) a Maintenance for the Ministers, and the satisfying the Impropriators; we have endeavoured, and have( we hope) found out and laid down a way of livelihood and Maintenance for the first of these; the Ministers of England( viz.) either by way of public Collection, or else by a proportion out of all Free-hold, and Copy hold Lands, by which provision 'tis concluded, that as there shall be no preferring one Minister before another, or allowing more to one than to another, so tis prudently fore-cast, that none shall want a good and sufficient maintenance; There remains the second of these questions to be resolved,( viz.) How the Impropriators may be satisfied? These men we know, or hope, will blushy to say, as the Ministers, that if tithes be put down they are undone, and know not how to live, for 'tis known sufficiently that these, the Impropriators, have had a sweet time of gathering, and may say, as 'tis in the Gospel, We have goods laid up for many years, Soul take thine ease: and though there be already sufficient Arguments to convince them, set forth in Print concerning their tenor and practise; Yet to drive the Nail home( as we use to say) and to make sure work of the business, that the mouths of the Gainsayers may be stopped for time to come, we say to this point further; And first. Ab Injusto. Their very tenor and Purchase, much more their practise and Execution of it, to extremity, is simply unjust and unfitting; the more Ancient it is, and the longer they have lived by that course, so much the worse; Nay more, should we say that the very Act of Henry the eighth, who did pull down the abbeys, and destroy divers, if not all the then called and reputed houses of Religion, though nothing so, not out of any zeal he had to the pure Preaching of Gods Word, or for the suppression of Popery or Popish Superstition, no nor yet for the gross misdemeanours and abuses that were in the Abbots, Monks, or Friars of those times, though they did abound, as he knew well enough; but he did it, either to enrich his own Coffers by others ruin, or else to please, supply, or satisfy some of his old Courtiers, or to help towards the charges of his Wars in France, or for that the Clergy were then in the praemunire; but Chiefly to be revenged upon them and their father the Pope, for not yielding to the satisfying of his desires, concerning his Marriage with the Lady Catharine, his Brother Arthurs widow: who, as a Maiden, and as his brothers wife, and as a widow was virtuous, onely as she became his wife was faulty; yet should we say that this Act of his( as his)( though God did use him as his Instrument in it to abolish Popery and Idolatry yet it was not the Kings intent, thought or desire to do so,) was unjust having no surer Warrant for the upholding its legality, but his Power and will, his covetous mind, and Tyrannical Oppression, his cruelty against his own Subjects, and desire of Revenge, we should but( as we conceive) speak truth; and if so, consider this, you who are made Rich and Fat, and great by this means, how the Petitioning for these means by your Ancestors, or yet how the undervalued purchase of them, from such an unlawful ground, can all these years be held and yet continued for good and conscionable, and just before God or good men by you their heirs, professing the purity of Religion: and for certain, any one that hath eyes and judgement may see, and say, that if the Act of that King was in any kind( though Accidentally equal in the suppressing the houses, and taking their means) 'twas because they did abuse them, and misapply them to Idolatry and superstition, to gluttony, if not to whoredom, and such other sins. May we not definitively say,( or why we in after times bound to his Act, when as 'tis found to be ill grounded, and full of Inconveniencies) That it is but a conscionable and just Act, if now, the same means( though in other hands) be as grossly abused to Pride and Ambition, to Extortion, Covetousness, Usury, to Gluttony, drunkenness, and to extreme uncharitableness, it is for certain but so, if our Parliament by way of Reformation cause the means te return, and for ever to remain to the right owners,( we mean the husbandmen of England) out of whose labours, and stocks these Creatures, called Impropriators, do live so wantonly and Lordly; and if they be so settled upon their Lees, that they will be unwilling to be stirred; Why, So we know the Abbots and Friars, and Nunnes were much aggrieved to be turned out of doors, and stripped of their means; to which yet they had a surer title than our Impropriators have, yet 'twas done, and done to the purpose, and why not now? Secondly, Let our Impropriators set before their eyes the practical justice and discretion, and Consciableness of the Parliament, and let them imitate their Actions; who knows not but that at the beginning of these Wars many Patrons and Parsons left their places and revenues, and took themselves to Arms Actually against the Parliament, and the reupon the Parliament wisely did( and justly they might) sequester such Lordships & Parsonages into their hands for the good of the Common-wealth; yet they did not hold them for ever, nor cut off the Heirs of such Lordships,( if not against them) no nor yet their fathers from repossessing them, upon their due submission, and laying down of Arms; no nor yet did they( though they neither wanted power, nor sufficient cause) keep the Parsonages sequestered in their own hands, but as fast, and as soon as Ministers could be provided for them, did freely place them in, and bestowed them, that so Gods word might be preached in such parishes again. Behold( we pray) Oh Impropriators, and shut not your eyes hereat! What a Mass of Wealth would have come in to the public by this means, and how justly might it have been performed, and yet the Parliament used it not, but hath disposed them to good uses, and to the right Owners again; go ye and do so likewise; and 'tis time, you having gotten great Estates to yourselves already by this way, and you will have praise and love of all men, and will enjoy the quiet and peace of a good Conscience. Thirdly, To satisfy you, we say: 'tis not what you will demand, or what you would have to surrender, but what you ought to have; men are not to look so much upon their own covetous desires, as upon what's equal and just. Hereupon we say, and do for the most part, in most places find, that the very Glebe-Lands belonging to the Parsonages so impropriated, if made sure to you and yours, as Free soccage, those Lands being in some places very large,( as of 200. l. 150. l. 100. l. 80. l. or 60 l. per annum,) will satisfy and equal, if not surpass your moneys disbursed, for your Purchase; especially having not onely had them, but tithes besides paid to you along time together, and your Ancestors and yourselves having had( as tis in the proverb) Robin hoods penny worth in the first Purchase. Fourthly, You cannot receive any comfort in the holding up tithes; for, Non fuit sic ab initio, 'twas not so from the beginning, but 'tis continued as our Saviour says( in another case) through the hardness of your hearts; as Moses permitted them, so now tithes are permissively, not Authoritatively yours: 'tis with you as tis with Usurers, permitted not allowed: yet, they have a propriety to, and in their moneys, you not so unto tithes: the very Brand and Name of your Parsonages show, that you are not they that should hold them; Impropriations, improperly yours; here's no Propriety: thus in the name is engraven the shane of such as hold them; Improper, in all respects; Improper, in a well ordered Comonn-wealth; Improper, for their Owners to receive; and as Improper for others to pay. Fifthly, It is a fearful case to live in such a way, as is obstructive to a godly Reformation; to have a mans wealth by such an Indirect course, as to be a stumbling block to hinder a general good, is lamentable; You cannot but hear and know, that every man is against you, and you against every man. Covet not that which is not yours; since you do not labour, how come you to reap? 'tis true indeed, he that sows should reap, but not he that sows not. Lastly, All this being true, and said to awaken our Impropriators, let them beware how they longer go on against the light of Conscience and knowledge; We intend not to force them, but to persuade them; we hope they will not be unperswasible in this particular. Let them exhibit and show their lawfulness, we say their lawfulness to take tithes, and we have done: if they have a Right, produce it to the world; or if they have not, let them be willing to take a fair satisfaction at their brethrens hands, to avoid further trouble, and inevitable scandal to the people of God. Rules for the helping forward the satisfaction of Impropriators. 1. Let their Number be computed through England. 2. Their just value, how let or set. 3. How long purchased, and from whom. 4. What given justly, when purchased. 5. They may be allowed four yeers purchase for their tithes, and have their Gleabe-lands for ever to themselves and heirs; which admit an Impropriation be worth 500. l. per annum, having a 100. l. per annum of Glebe-Lands; there will be to be paid for four yeers for tithes 1600. l. which sum, with the Glebe, will pay most, if not all the Impropriators off proportionably. And if there be in all England 2000. Impropriate Livings, and one with another valued at 200. per annum, to buy off these at four veers Purchase, will amount unto the sum of 1600000. l. which is one million and six hundred thousand pound Sterling; and yet the Impropriators shall have their glebe Lands, but they are to join with the other Free-holders, and Copy-holders, towards the payment of the several Ministers afterwards. This may be Collected by way of tax, and no Free-holders, or Copy-holders, specially when as their uncertain fines and Harriots are taken off, will except against the payment of their shares, nor( we hope) any of the Impropriators rest unsatisfied; they bearing no share in this said tax of 1600000. l. and this will in one year and four Months be paid off to the Impropriators, after a Rate of 100000. l. per Mensem through England; and tithes immediately to Cease. Finis esto Decimarum.