A Discovery of Charity Mistaken; OR, Some Reasons against Committees forcing the Parliaments godly, faithful and plundered Ministers (who labour in the Word and Doctrine) to pay fifth parts to Sequestered Ministers Wives and Children. With some Answers to some Arguments Alleged for it. AS ALSO Some Complaints of poor plundered Ministers, against the hard deal of some Committees about fifth parts, and Juries, with a motion for their settlements for their Lives.  1 Tim. 5.17, 18. Let the Elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine, for the Scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the corn, and the Labourer is worthy of his reward. Omne beneficium postulat Officium. 
LONDON, Printed at the desire of a Friend, and are to be sold at the Three Bibles in Paul's Churchyard, and in Westminster-hall. 1654.   

A Discovery of Charity mistaken.  
SIR,  
I Received your Letter, wherein you desire to know my reasons, why fifth parts should not be allowed to the Wives and Children of sequestered Ministers, by those Ministers that are put into Sequestrations, (which with some intermixed grievances) I hereby humbly offer to your serious consideration, and candid interpretation. But to prevent mistakes I premise,  
1 That I plead not against the States allowing fifth parts to the Wives and Children of sequestered Delinquents temporal Estates, except they be Offices into which others are put: Neither  
2 Do I intent any evil, but good, to those that have sat, and do now sit at the stern of our Commonwealth; (I am one of those that have acted with, and suffered much, in name, body and estate for them) but that you may see, lament, and reform the hard measure that some of their best friends have received, at the hands of some of their Committees, and worse may, if some good course be not speedily taken to reform and restrain them; and therefore I hope, that neither you nor any others well-affected, will take in ill part what I shall say in vindication of this Position.  
That it is not warrantable for Committees to force poor plundered Ministers, put into Sequestrations, to pay fifth parts of the profits of them, to the respective Wives and Children of Ministers, that are sequestered from them.  
And my Arguments to prove it are these.  
1 Because they have no right unto them, for if they have any right to them, it is either in right of the sequestered Ministers, or of themselves, but neither of these ways, therefore no way.  
1 Not in right of sequestered Ministers, because they have no right unto them, they had (it may be) a civil right unto them, but that they have lost by their convicted scandalousness and delinquency, and are dead in Law, now (you know) when a Minister is dead, neither he, nor his Wife, nor Children have any right to any profits due after his death, and therefore not to a fifth part.  
Obj. But you will say, they are not dead in law, because not legally put out, by a Judge at Common Law, or deprived by their Ordinary.  
Sol. I Answer, 1 They are deservedly put out by the Authority of the highest Judicature in England, for most have been sequestered by the late Committee for relief of plundered Ministers, who were all Parliament-men; and though some have been sequestered by Country Committees, (who commonly Favoured Delinqent and scandalous Ministers, much more than the Committee for Plundered Ministers did) you know these Committees were authorized to do what they did, who proceeded as favourably as they could, according to those Rules given them from above, and secundum allegata & probata, the scandalousness and delinquency alleged and proved against them; if not (as I have heard) they had their appeal even to the house itself, if made within half a year after sequestration,  
2 You know that Juries are for the most part malignant and corrupt, favourers of malignant, and scandalous Ministers, and foreswore taking upon them to bring in their Verdict not according to the evidence, but to judge of the Law itself; So that if some good course be not speedily taken, Acts of Parliament, and men's proprieties will be little or nothing worth. I am confident there are no greater oppressions in England, then malignant and corrupted Juries are to honest men; and yet (though the Lives and Estates of Godly and Well-affected men are to be tried by them) there is no provision made against them.  
3 And besides the fifth part is commonly allowed to the wives and children of those Ministers, who would undoubtedly have been sequestered, not only by an honest well-affected, and uncorrupted Jury at Common-Law, but by a Vote of the major part of the whole House itself.  
4 And truly, many (if not most) of those that now stand sequestered, were never legally, (if we take legally, according to God's holy Word) put in, for God never sent them; For he never sends any but such as he qualifies with gifts of Illumination and Sanctification convenient and necessary for them, both which many (if not most) of them wanted, when they were first sent by men.  
5 And truly, many of those Patrons that presented them, as well as those Bishops that instituted them, were as sequestrable for delinquency and scandal as themselves, and therefore sure they were not fit and competent Judges of them and their behaviour. But to leave this to the Parliament, who know upon what good grounds they have sequestered them.  
2 I say they have no right in themselves to fifth parts. For 1. Though it be said by some that the Parliament hath given them to them, and therefore, that they have as much right to fifth parts, as the Ministers put into sequestrations have to the four parts: The Parliament seeing how forward some were to cut such large thongs out of honest men's, their good friends, sides (if I may so speak) as to allow third parts to the sequestered Ministers under the colour of their Wives and Children, did, as in the case of Usury, make a Law to restrain them to fifth parts; and thereby did indeed tolerate, but not command their Inferiors, nor necessitate themselves to allow fifth parts from poor plundered Ministers, which Law of theirs, is (God knows) much abused by their Committees, to their great dishonour, and the grief and undoing of many godly Ministers and their Families, and the maintaining and rejoicing of their irreconcilable Enemies. Secondly, I deny the Argument. For it doth not follow, that because the State doth tolerate and restrain Usury to 6 l. per cent. that therefore it is lawful and just; So neither doth it follow, because the State doth tolerate a maintenance to the wives and children of sequestered Ministers out of those Sequestrations where godly and plundered Ministers are placed, and restrain their Agents to fifth parts, that therefore it is lawful to force them to pay them to them.  
Ob. You will say it is lawful by man's Law, though (it may be) it is not lawful by Gods Law.  
Sol. Sir, Grant the latter and you must yield the former, for man's Law must be rightly grounded upon Gods, else it will not be a righteous but ungodly Law. But more of this hereafter. For Answer I say, with submission to all in Authority, that they have no right unto fifth parts by Man's Law, for  
1 The Parliament did not command, but only tolerate fifth parts, as it doth not follow, that because our state doth tolerate men to take 6 l. per cent. that therefore they must take so much, for men may lend for less; or freely for nothing if they will. But Committees force poor plundered Ministers to pay them to the Wives and Children of sequestered Ministers, though people pay them not their Tithes and Deuce.  
2 Their Committees are Patrons pro tempore of all sequestered Live, to which they present their Ministers when they send them to the Assembly, or other godly Orthodox Divines, and institute and induct them, when they give them Orders for their respective places; now by that good old unrepealed Law against Simony; it is unlawful for any Patron, when he presents any Minister to a presentative Living, to reserve a fifth part, yea, any part of the profits of the same, either for himself or any others (be they never so poor) as all skilled in our Laws, know right well; and therefore I conclude, that it is not lawful for Committees to force poor plundered Ministers, to pay to the wives and children of those that have been sequestered, a full fifth part of the profits of their Live, as they do, under the penalties of Sequestration, or imprisonment.  
Ob. But you will say, that every inferior Patron is, but Committees are not, tied to that Law.  
Sol. Sir, I profess I am very loath to write any thing that may be by any construed against the late Parliaments just proceed but I hope I may do this without offence, as well as others writ against Usury which is tolerated by them. Therefore in answer I say, That it is contrary to the late Parliaments Declarations; For, you know, the late Parliament Declared and Promised to repair the losses of those that were plundered for their adhering to them, which this forcing of them to pay fifth parts doth not do, but (I will not say) plunder them more. And also to maintain the good and wholesome Laws of our Land, of which kind that known Law against Simony is one, and as yet is not formally repealed, but even by the Parliament and Judges justly punished; now to force Ministers to pay fifth parts to the Wives and Children of them that are sequestered, hath the materiality, if not the whole formality of Simony; And besides, you know that Committees are not supreme but subordinate Patrons, and therefore are bound to observe the Laws of our Land as well as any others.  
Second Argument, To force poor plundered Ministers to pay fifth parts to the Wives and Children of sequestered Ministers, is contrary to their proceed, with others in like cases. For  
1 Many men have been sequestered from Offices of great profit, which they or their friends have bought with great sums of money, and which they did and might hold by the Laws of the Land as well as Ministers, and yet Committees though they have continued those Offices, and put others, though not plundered, into them; yet have not enjoined, much less forced them to pay fifth parts to their Wives and children, though they were poor and had nothing else to live upon but their labour, which was never yet denied to the Wives and Children of sequestered Ministers.  
2 Yea, many Heads and Officers of Colleges and Halls in the Universities, have been sequestered from their several Headships and Offices, and yet have not forced those that have been put into them to pay their Wives and Children fifth parts, though some of them have neither Wife nor Children, neither have they been plundered as some Ministers (that are forced to pay fifth parts) have been, neither are they defrauded of, and troubled about their deuce, as many poor plundered Country Ministers commonly are. I writ not this out of any envy of them, God knows my heart, I wish them better than they have, for some of them have too little, but to let you see the inequality of some Committees proceed. Yet why both these sorts of men should be exempted from fifth parts, and other godly and plundered Ministers who have Wives and Children of their own should be charged with them, I see no reason at all, but only will.  
3 It is inconvenient to force them thereunto in many respects;  
1 To Committees, for there by they are many times put to a great deal of labour and charge, to watch and wait to make orders, and hear causes about fifth parts, which might well be spared, and better spent.  
2 To the Parliament and Army. For 1. Thereby godly Ministers having been plundered for aiding of them, are disabled now to help them as formerly they have, and might, and would. 2. Malignants are not thereby made their friends, but the more able to hurt them, and their friends, and doubtless will when time serveth.  
3 To their Ministers, and that many ways, for it takes them off from their studies, compels them to be absent from their Families, and flocks, and puts them to great trouble, labour, and charges to attend the hearing of their Causes. For many times they are put off until their friends be absent, and a Committee made against them; yea, when they have showed good cause, and that approved of, and have been thereupon discharged from fifth parts, yet many times they have been charged again, and hereby they are not only disabled from repairing their old dilapidated houses, and relieving the poor; but are necessitated to be more strict with their Parishioners about their Tithes and Taxes then otherwise they would be. Yea, further, it animates malignants against them, for they look upon fifth parts as an earnest that their old sequestered Ministers have right to all, and shall one day enjoy all again; and this makes them many times, and ways, to vex and oppress the Parliaments poor plundered Ministers, by over-valuing, and over-taxing their Live, that a fifth part is made a third part, and then there remains but two parts to the Parliaments poor plundered Ministers, to maintain themselves, their own Wives and Children, pay Taxes, relieve the poor, repair their houses, and keep hospitality; and it may be are forced to go to law with their Parishioners for all, and in the mean time borrow money to pay taxes and fifth parts, and in the end compound for half the value of their Tithes, after they have spent twice as much as their Tithes were worth. Is this the way to relieve poor plundered Ministers? Yea, further, it being left to sequestered Ministers Wives and Children to choose their fifth parts of which Living they please (for many of them had two Live, some three) it so falls out, that they commonly pitch upon the places where poor plundered Ministers are placed, and let the other alone, or make some underhand bargain with them, and so it comes to pass, that many times godly Ministers, who have been deprived of the lives of their friends, of their estates in the wars, and have Wives and many small Children of their own, and friends, who have lost their limbs in the Parliaments Service to maintain, are compelled to pay full fifth parts unto the Wife or child of the sequestered, that hath it may be good considerable temporal estate to live upon, and this without defalcation of taxes and charges, which were or are in many places above a fourth part of the whole; but this is occasioned by Committees giving them leave to choose where they list, and always, and all of one, and so Newters, yea, Malignants till of late, and young men, who have either none; or but little charge, and never lost any thing by the wars, escape fifth-part-free, and the burden, as hath been showed, is laid upon the aged well-affected, poor plundered Ministers, who have great charge of children and friends depending upon them.  
Third Argument, To force poor plundered Ministers, put into Sequestrations, to pay fifth parts unto the wives and children of sequestered Ministers, is a practice not well grounded upon the Holy word of God, which ought to be the rule and foundation of Christian men's actions. Therefore it is not warrantable.— I know it is pretended to be an act of great mercy, and the Ministers that are against fifth parts (though they be truly godly and poor, and merciful to those that are poor indeed) are hardly censuRed, and looked upon, as covetous, selfe-lovers, and without natural affection; but it is for the most part by such that are so indeed, and also false accusers, and despisers of those that are truly good (2 Tim. 3.) But Sir, some wise and worthy men say, it was but an act of humane policy devised at first by some in favour of Malignants, and connived at by others (as in time of the wars) favouring honest godly Ministers, but continued to their undoing. Now to evidence it to be a practice not well grounded upon the Word of God, I suppose it will not be amiss to lay down those portions of holy Scripture producible for the lawfulness of Committees forcing fifth parts from godly, poor plundered Ministers, to the wives and children of those Ministers that are sequestered by the Parliaments Authority, and then clear them.  
Ob. First is or may be alleged, 1 King. 2.26. And unto Abiather the Priest, said the King, get thee to Anathoth unto thine own fields, for thou art worthy of death. Hereupon it is said that it is evident that though Solomon sequestered Abiather the Priest from being Priest unto the Lord, yet he did not take away all his maintenance from him, but commanded him to go to Anathoth to his own fields there, therefore say they, fifth parts are grounded upon the Word of God, for here is example for a maintenance out of a sequestered Ministers own fields.  
Sol. For Answer unto this, be pleased to consider these things.  
1 That Solomon was an absolute King as most men hold, extraordinarily made by the Lord, as Adonijah said, 1 King. 2.15. and therefore Solomon's practice is no good precedent for our Committees, who are but conditional, else we are in a worse condition than we were in formerly, but let it go for good, then know  
2 That Solomon (the Supreme Magistrate) sequestered Abiather the High Priest, as a grand Delinquent for adhering to Adonijah, who would needs be King before King David was dead, or willing to resign his Kingdom into his hand, for which Solomon judged him worthy of death, and yet pardoned him as to life, and temporal estate, and confined him to his fields at Anathoth, which belonged not to him as he was High Priest, if Solomon's practice be a good precedent for fifth parts, why not for our Committees to sequester.  
3 That Solomon pardoned Abiather as to life and temporal estate, for that time, for his former good Service done to his father David, and sufferings, for and with him, but thrust him out of the Priest's Office and confined him to his own fields at Anathoth; So many Ministers though they have more deserved death than Abiather did, yet have been pardoned by the Parliament, as to life and liberty, though they have done both them and their Fathers, and friends, all the mischief they could. But now that Committees practise in allowing fifth parts to sequestered Ministers Wives and Children, and forcing godly poor plundered Ministers to pay them, is not well grounded upon solomon's, nor consonant thereunto, is manifest. For  
1 Solomon sequestered Abiather from being Priest before the Lord, and put Zadock in his room, but he did not allot Abiather or his wife or children a fifth part of the High Priests maintenance, and much less compel Zadock, who performed the Office to pay it him or any other; But now Committees do commonly cut out fifth parts as large as third parts of the profits of sequestered Live, to sequestered Ministers wives and children, and constrain godly, faithful, plundered Zadockes to pay them (besides performing the Office, to which by the Law of God and man they have ever been annexed and paying of all taxes and charges imposed, which Zadock knew not of.) under the penalties of sequestration or imprisonment, to sequestered Abiathers shall I say? that name is not convient, for they never bear the Ark before, nor suffer any thing with, or for the Parliament, but rather acted with Saul and Absolom, and either like Doeg murdered, or at , like Shimei cursed, and railed, and cast stones against them, and their friends, now whether most Committee-men have truly written after Solomon's copy, let all seeing and uncorrupted men judge,  
2 Solomon did confine Abiather to his own fields or possessions at Anathoth, for near thereunto was the City of Nob before Saul destroyed it, where Abiathers' land lay, as the learned 
* S. W. R.  Knight observes. He did not give him leave to make away his temporal estate, and then choose his maintenance where and when he would out of Zadocks (as some Committees have done) no, but he confined him to his own fields belonging to his Person, not to his Office, and that was a special act of grace to Abiather, because he had carried the Ark of the Lord before his father David, and had been afflicted in all wherein his father David had been afflicted. And truly, if we look back to the 1 Sam. 21.22. chapters, we shall find that Abiather deserved some favour, more than other. For he had done, and suffered much, he had born the Ark before David, and he had lost his Father, and friends, and movable goods for David's sake, and shared with him in all his troubles, and his fault was such as a wiser man might have slipped into; For Adonijah was the King's eldest Son, a proper man, and David's Darling, and the King had not declared any thing against Adonijahs succeeding him. And Joab (a wise and valiant man) the King's General was also in the action; and these things, no doubt, if Abiather did not plead, Solomon (being a wise man) knew right well and also that this was the first time, that ever he was found faulty, and therefore he gracioufly pardoned him as to life and temporals, and only sequestered him from the Office and Profits of the High Priest, both which he deservedly, freely, and fully gave to Zadock, who had faithfully adhered to his father David and himself. Indeed Sir, those Abiathars that acted with, and suffered for the Parliament in the beginnings of our late troubles and changes, but failed (it may be, inconsiderately some of them) in the matter of Adonijah, might very well plead this practice of Solomon, as a good prefident for our wise Sages and Committees to follow: But why cursing Shimei's, and seditious Korah's, who have done what they could (and they are most of them the same they were) to subdue and destroy the Parliament and their adherents, should be permitted to plead this for themselves, their wives or children, especially against godly Zadocks who have faithfully adhered to, and constantly served the Parliament even in their greatest extremities, and suffered so much for them. I profess I see no reason at all.  
Object. 2. The next place that is brought for fifth parts, is Mat. 5.5. Blessed are the merciful for they shall find mercy: therefore seeing poor plundered Ministers will not of their own accord give the wives and children of sequestered Ministers fifth parts, it is lawful for Committees to force them.  
Sol. To this I might answer thus; that they must show,  
1 That to give fifth parts is a duty.  
2 That they are able to do it, or else I believe they will not be blessed in their deed.  
3 By way of question ad homines, pray what fifth parts do these merciful men allow to those Bishops, etc. whose only crime was, that they were Bishops, whose Lands and Possessions they have bought (for a small matter yea, as some say) for a fifth part of the worth of them, and do they not appear so merciful to Malignants of purpose that they may speak well of them, or that they may obtain mercy from them if the times should alter, which they fear, and so is not all their specious show of Charity to others, any other thing then plain self-love? I do not know their hearts (but God doth) and therefore I do but ask the question.  
4 But I answer, ad rem, to the thing objected, and insinuated.  
1 That those for whom they so stiffly plead, and violently act, are not commonly such subjects of misery, and therefore not such objects of mercy, as they would make the world believe they are: For I know it is often pretended that there is a Wife and ten or twelve small Children like to perish if they be not relieved by a fifth part of a poor plundered Ministers maintenance, but upon due examination there is found neither Wife nor Children but only one single Son or Daughter, and either of them eighteen or twenty years of age, and well bred up, and provided for, and able to get their Live, and maintained in their Silks and Satins. Now let conscience speak whether it be the mercy here intended by our Saviour to compel a poor plundered Minister (who hath really a Wife, and it may be eight or ten or twelve small children unable to help themselves) to pay a full fifth out of the profits of his Living, for which he labours night and day to such a single person or persons who are well able to get their livelihoods by their labour, if they had not friends to help them.  
2 I say that the mercy to which blessedness is promised is spiritual, and hath for its original the Holy Spirit of God, 
Gal. 6.10. Dr. Harrice in loc.  for its subject a spiritual regenerated man, and for its chief object, spiritual men (I mean spiritual, in opposition to carnal) and for its ends, spiritual motives: Now whether this be such a spiritual mercy, let spiritual men judge.  
3 True spiritual mercy is guided by the true rule of justice, so that he that doth not regulate his actions by it, is not to be reputed a spiritually merciful man, Psalm. 112.4.5: a good man is righteous as well as merciful: Now whether this forcing of poor plundered Ministers to pay fifth parts to sequestered Ministers wives and children be an action guided by the rules of true justice, let all just men judge. The Word of God, which ought to be the rule of Justice, saith plainly, That he that preacheth the Gospel, should live of the Gospel, 1 Cor. 9 14. And the labourer is worthy of his higher, Luk. 10 7. And if any will not work they must not eat, 2 Thes. 3.10. And let the Elder that rules well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine; For the Scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn, and the labourer is worthy of his reward, 1 Tim. 5 17, 18. But now doth not this forcing of poor plundered Ministers to pay fifth parts, make them unable to live of the Gospel? and a Gospel's maintenance ought to be more liberal and large than that before or under the Law; Because the ministration of the Gospel is more excellent than that before or under the Law, Heb. 8.6. but fifth parts make it much less, yea, than it was in times of Popery; they deprive the labourer of his hire and reward, and of that double, yea, single honour which is due unto him; they muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn, that gives their bread to them, that labour not for it. And if that remarkable Position of many learned and  men (Ministers and others) be true, as they boldly affirm, and strongly prove) that Tithes were always paid to Christ, as they gather from, Heb. 7.5, to 10. compared with Gen. 14.18.19 20, And Christ being a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech, ver. 17. Then it will follow that they rob Christ, for robbing of his Ministers is robbing of Christ, Mal. 3.8. will a man rob his Gods, yet ye have rob me but ye say wherein have we rob thee? in Tithes and Offerings. Now I hope, 
Act 9 4, 5.  they will not say that those able and godly, and painful Ministers which they have put into sequestrations, and labour in the Word and Doctrine are not Christ's Ministers; and much less affirm that those scandalous and delinquent Ministers, whom they have justly and orderly cast out, are Christ's Ministers, and yet many Committees take from the one to give to the other; Is this just, to force Christ's Ministers to discharge the Office, and compel them to pay the fifth part of their maintenance, which Christ hath ordained for them, to the others, who neither rule well, nor labour in the Word and Doctrine? I trow, if a faithful Captain, Steward or Ambassador, should be forced to pay a full fifth part of his pay or Salary to the Captains, Stewards, Ambassadors wife, or children that hath been justly cashiered, or displaced for insufficiency, scandal or delinquency, he would not like it very well, but complain and cry out injustice, njiustice, especially if he should be compelled to do the Office of a Captain, Steward or Ambassador, seeing omne beneficium postulat officium. Every Benefice requireth the Office thereunto belonging and omne officium beneficium postulat beneficium, Every Office requires the Benefice or Wages thereunto belonging? And what, is it Justice to compel the poor plundered Minister to perform all the Duties belonging to his Office, and yet force him to pay a fifth part of the Profits, Benefits or Wages thereunto belonging (whether he can get them or not) to him or his, who perform not the Office, but is judged unable, or unfit to do it?  
4 That is not true spiritual mercy, which necessitates them to neglect their duty: But forcing of poor plundered Ministers to pay fifth parts to the wives and children of sequestered Ministers, necessitates them to neglect their duty, even those things which God himself hath commanded them to do, Therefore I conclude it is no spiritual mercy. The major is so clear, that I suppose, none will deny it. And the minor I prove thus.  
1 It necessitates them to neglect their own Families, their own Wives and Children, for whom the Law of God and Nature requires them to provide for, He that provides not for his own family is worse than an Infidel, 1 Tim. 5.8. for it is impossible for them to pay fifth parts and provide for their own Families, and do other duties too.  
2 It compels them to neglect those that are poor indeed, and aught to be relieved, 1 Tim. 5.16. In which Chapter the Apostle distinguisheth of two sorts of Widows. 1. Widows that be wanton. 2. Widows that be godly and grave. And Widows that are godly (widows indeed as the Apostle calls them) are of two sorts. 1. Some are poor and without friends. And 2. Others have rich friends able to relieve them. Now those that are wanton must not be relieved by the Church, nor those that have rich friends, lest it hinder the Church from relieving of those widows that are poor indeed: 
Vide Perkins.  as strong and sturdy Beggars must not be relieved (except in the case of extremity) lest we do thereby rob those that are aged, impotent, and unable to work, in the relieving of such; Ministers ought to go before others, not only in Word and Doctrine, but also in Deed and Practice, Matth. 5.16. But the Wives and Children of sequestered Ministers, are seldom or never such widows indeed, and fatherless indeed, as the Apostle would have relieved by the Church (much less only by poor plundered Ministers) though they are looked upon as such, by some men that are better able to relieve them then poor plundered Ministers, and yet when they are such indeed, they take no such care, and pains to relieve, but leave them to the wide world to shift for themselves (as godly Ministers Wives and Children have done and do) and why not now, as well as when their Husbands and Fathers are dead.  
3 It hinders them from distributing to the necessities of the Saints and keeping of hospitality, both which they ought to do, Rom. 12.13. for fifth parts devour the meat, drink, , and lodging, which would else be given to Christ's hungry, thirsty, naked, and harbourless members, which mercy Christ accepts as done to himself Matth. 25.35.40. Indeed they may be given to hospitality, and other such duties; but this forcing of them to pay fifth parts, makes them unable to perform them: for the neglect, or rather not doing of such good works they are deeply charged by some men, with covetousness and unmercifulness, and their names being thereby defamed, their persons are soon despised, and their doctrine contemned, and God much dishonoured. Is not the cause of the cause, the cause of the thing caused by that cause? And thus I hope I have sufficiently proved, that forcing of poor plundered Ministers (who labour in the word and doctrine) to pay fifth parts to sequestered Ministers Wives and Children, doth necessitate them to neglect, at , leave those things undone, which the Law of God commands them to do: Therefore I conclude, that the forcing now, or lately in fashion, of poor plunder Ministers to pay fifth parts to sequestered Ministers Wives and Children, is not true spiritual mercy, especially that intended by our Saviour in Matth. 5.5. but rather unmercifulness to those poor Ministers that have been plundered for their piety to God, and good affection to the Parliament, to their poor Wives and Children, to many hundreds of poor indeed; yea, members of Jesus Christ, who might and would be relieved by godly Ministers put into Sequestration (though they were kept out of, or under in the Ministry by those unworthy men in the Bishop's time) were they not constrained to pay fifth parts to maintain Delinquents and scandalous Ministers their Wives and Children in pride, idleness, and malignancy—. For if they pay them not, they will either sequester them, or imprison them, or seize upon their Estates, sometimes all three (there is no such course taken to recover poor plundered Ministers real and just debts, which their people own them for Tithes) or else they must leave labouring in the Word and Doctrine amongst the people that have duly chosen them, and leave them to Dogs, Foxes, and Wolves to be devoured, which in conscience they cannot do. Christ the great Shepherd, and Judge of all the world, seethe all these things, and will one day visit for them all; But God give the Causers, Actors, and Abettors of them speedy and unfeigned repentance for these and all other abusings of his faithful Messengers and Witnesses.  
Ob. But you will say still, that Sequestrations have been freely given by the Parliament to many Ministers, who had but little before Sequestrations were set on foot, and therefore met hinks they should not be averse from paying of that which they allow, and their Committees ordered to be paid.  
Sol. Sir, I do not any way desire to undervalue the Parliaments free bounty to any Godly Ministers, much less to them that have adhered to them in times of their extremity, and suffered for their sakes, but honour them, and praise God that he did at first put it into their hearts to sequester scandalous and delinquent Ministers, and put godly and well-affected Ministers in their rooms: For by it much glory hath redounded to God, and good to his Church, themselves, and the Commonwealth; I wish them well, and pray for them; but yet I cannot blame those poor plundered Ministers that struggle as for life to be freed from that intolerable, and unlivelihooding burden of fifth parts, arbitrarily, and contrary to the Parliaments intention, imposed on them by Committees, who compel them to make their full tale of Bricks, and yet make them borrow, yea, go to law for straw. I have heard so many sad complaints by those that are truly Godly and dare not lie, that I dare not condemn them, but as you see me thus pleading for them.  
But Sir, Your Object on I suppose is fully answered already, if all that hath been said be well weighed, in the even Scales of  judgement. For though Patrons give Live freely (as they ought to do) yet if they impose or expect more from their Ministers then is reasonable and just, they must excuse them, if they cannot comply with them. It is true indeed that many young men, who had nothing before the Wars, stood still for a time, till they saw which way the scales would or did turn, have been freely preferred to considerable Places, and either they are not married, or but lately, and so have no charge, or but little, and have their Wife's portions unspent. Your argument might be somewhat to move them to a willing compliance in what is just, and not prejudicial to their elder brethren; but many, yea, most of them dealt so warily as to refuse such Sequestrations as they thought were or would be cumbered with payment of fifth parts; but poor plundered Ministers could not deal so circumspectly; for being plundered and having wives and children to maintain, and other plundered friends to relieve, they could not pick and choose where and when they listed, but were constrained through necessity to lay hold on that which was first offered, and therefore there cannot be in reason so much expected from them, as may be from some others, who lost neither friends nor means, but have abundance, and no charge.  
But Sir, If your Argument were good, it would make that good Law against Simony unjust, and lay open a wide gap for the admission of the lame, and the blind, and the unworthiest of the people to enter into the great work of the Ministry, as it was in the days of Jeroboham in Israel, and of the Pope here in England. To prevent which inconveniencies, that necessary Law against Simony was wisely made by our Ancestors, who though they had less knowledge of God, yet had they more zeal for him and his Servants, than many of us, their degenerating posterity have.  
Sir, You knowing the scantling of time I have had to answer your Question, will (I hope) excuse my plainness, and pardon my confusedness, and whatsoever failings else may, upon serious perusal, be found in this my indigested Answer. What I have done hath been to satisfy your desire, and clear those Godly Ministers that lay under many hard thoughts, and bitter and heavy aspersions, and move some compassion towards them, hoping that you and other godly men, will make what good use you can of all your interest both in Heaven and Earth, in and out of the House, that those poor Ministers who have great charge of children, and have been plundered for their piety towards God, and faithful serving the Parliament, may be absolutely discharged from that heavy burden of fifth parts and settled by Act of Parliament for their lives, where they have been placed by Authority of Parliament; especially seeing some of them, upon promise of many Parliament men, that they should be settled for their lives, have left those Places they formerly had, and have promised to stay with those godly people that duly made choice of them, and have laid out much in repairing their old ruined Parsonage and Viccaridge houses where they are, and also seeing if they are not both they, and their wives and children, and godly people will suffer many inconveniencies, and as bade put into the Ministry again, as have been cast out: By this means also, if others yet left in, shall be duly cast out, youngmen retired into the Universities may be invited out, and cheerfully go on in the service of God and the Commonwealth, in their Places and Callings. In confidence of which, I subscribe myself,  
SIR, Your humble Servant. R. WILLIAMSON.   

I Suppose that no honest man will move that those that stand sequestered for scandal, may be admitted into the work of the Ministry again, they being as salt that hath lost its savour, are good for naught, but to be cast out, as our Saviour speaks in Matth. 5.13. But as for those that stand sequestered only for Delinquency, and are not scandalous, but are able and Orthodox Preachers (they giving good security, that they will neither preach nor act any thing against the present Government, and be faithful thereunto) I suppose (now the power of private Patrons is taken away) it will not be contrary to the rules of Christian piety or policy, to give them liberty to labour in the Word and Doctrine, provided, it be not in any place where any godly well-affected Minister is placed, nor near the place from whence they were sequestered (England and Ireland are wide enough, and there will not be many) thereby both they and theirs will be better provided for then by fifth parts. But as for those that are insufficient, scandalous, or obstinately Malignant, neither they nor their wives nor children have any right by the law of God to fifth parts, nor deserve to have any such relief by the Law of Man, but what is raised by way of tax as for other poor (if they be poor and unable to work) or by free gift from their friends, but not by compulsion from the Parliaments poor plundered Ministers, who labour in the Word and Doctrine, and therefore should have the whole reward assigned for their maintenance and encouragement, to maintain themselves and provide for their own Families, and perform such other good works as God hath commanded them to do.  
FINIS.