THE Wiltshire-Petition FOR TYTHES EXPLAINED, For the better understanding of the PEOPLE Of this COMMONWEALTH.

Herein you have first the Petition it self at large inserted, and then the Observations follow, being directed to each material passage in the Petition by a letter of the Alphabet.

By E. C. and R. E.

LONDON, Printed for William Larnar, at the Black-moor's head neer Fleet-bridge. 1653.

To the Honourable the Parliament of the Com­monwealth of England. (A)
The humble Petition of us Gentlemen, free-holders, and other (B) Inhabitants in the County of Wilts,

Sheweth,

THat your Petitioners having to their unspeakable griefe observed the workings of Satan, transforming himself into an Angel of light, tending to the underminding of holi­ness and Christian Religion, by a generation of men who cry down Learning, Ministery, Ordinances, and almost whatever belongs to us as Christians or Civil men. (C) And having observed the endeavours of some, by so many waies to disturbe and remove the so long setled way for the maintenance of Ministers established by the same Lawes by which any property is injoyed in this Nation (D) without any regard to the setling of a sure and full maintenance in stead of it, (E) Conceive themselves bound in Conscience both of Duty to God and to the Commonwealth, to give in their testimony against them in their practises. We dare not be silent, when in the Language and the workings of many amongst our selves the Ministery, and Ordinances of Jesus Christ are so manifestly exposed, not one­ly to the insultings of men openly and professedly prophane, (F) But (which is more to be lamented) to the scorne and con­tempt of such as pretend to great lights in Religion, which do so manifestly tend not onely to the utter subversion of all Re­ligion, but, as a necessary consequence of it, to the destruction and dissolution of all bonds of Civil Government. (G) To whom under Heaven should we make our-moan, and before [Page 2] whom should we spread our complaints, but before your Honors? to whom we cannot but with all thankfulness acknowledge the goodness of God toward this Nation (I) in governing and disposing your Honours hearts at such a time as this, when there are so many desperate suggestions and attempts against Univer­sities, Ordinances, Ministery, and their necessary maintenance, to declare your selves, as you have done, real countenancers and supporters of them all; which gives the godly of this Nation ground of hope, the Lord will further honour you to be instru­ments for establishing and countenancing of all these, for the glory of his great Name, and for the setling of the Gospel in purity and power, to be a blessed inheritance to succeeding ge­nerations; and to whom we thought it our duty in our places to declare that your Petitiones, in consent (as we humbly con­ceive) with the People of God generally in this Land (K) (whatsoever some suggest to the contrary) do greatly rejoyce in those your Christian actings, that so your hands may be strength­ned in the work of God, and therefore are further encouraged to make their humble addresses to this Honorable assembly, with these (as we conceive) necessary requests.

1. That by your wisdome and care, the Ordinances of Jesus Christ may be countenanced and preserved from the scorne, contempt, and prophane neglect to which they are exposed both by some Ministers them­selvs, who give too much occasion thereof by their ig­norance and scandalous living, old empty formalities still continued, and also by many others both prophane and humorous persons. (L)

2. That Pastours and Teachers (M▪ for the work of the Ministery & edifying of the body of Christ, may with the like wisdom and care be countenanced, your Peti­tioners being well assured that it will be a very accept­able service to Jesus Christ your Lord & ours, to own & encourage those Embassadors of his, to whom he hath [Page 3] committed the word of Reconciliation, and with whom he hath promised to be to the end of the world, and in whom we have found (by sweet experience) up­on our souls, the power and the sence of Jesus Christ according to his promises.

3. That as the Lord of old setled the Schooles of the Prophets amongst his peculiar people, and hath blessed our Universities and Schooles of learning, for the breeding up and sending forth many choyce instru­ments of his glory both in Church and Common­wealth; so you would be pleased to continue our Uni­versities, and other Schooles of learning under your special care and protection. (N)

4. That for preserving the Ministery from contempt, (O) freeing them from the temptation of men-pleasing and humane dependences, from distracting diversions in the work of the Lord, enabling them to works of mercy, and for supplying them with necessary provisi­ons for their studies and families, that so they which preach the Gospel may live of the Gospel, Your Hon­ours would be pleased to continue their maintenance, with necessary inlargment in those places where means are wanting.

These things we humbly and earnestly request of your Honours; and who knows whether God hath not raised you up for such a time as this is? in the per­formance whereof, you shall the more engage the Lord Jesus to defend both you and us, who hath so eminent­ly appeared hitherto in our preservation, and wil be the surest defence of those that act for him: and you shall also make glad the hearts of the godly in this Land, stop the mouths of those who are so ready to speak evil of you, and also prevent the designs those who are contrary minded, and further oblige us to pray.

The Observations, or Explanation.

(A) IF the old Spirit of Malignancy and high Presbytery, had not remain­ed in the contrivers of this Petition, they would have suffered it to have spoken in the Frontispeece, Right Honourable, and in words at length and not in figures, acknowledged them the Supream Authority of this Commonwealth; but such are the cunning slights and devices of the Clergy, the contrivers and promoters of this petition, though they make the peo­ple of the Land, Gentlemen and Freeholders, &c. their slaves and Asses to ride on, to uphold their Lordly dommination, and exorbitant Tyrannot▪s maintenance by Tithes, yet will not let then go so far as to own this Autho­rity downright, as Supream, Because they lye at the hope of advancing another Authority; unto which they will speak aloud, and full, and say, To his most Sacred Majesty.

(B) You should have said, in the room of (other inhabitants) Hostlers, Chamberlains, Tapsters, and all the profane people of Wilts, with the Schoolmaster not many miles from Marlingsborow, who set his name to it, and made all his little School-Boyes set theirs: and he contrived many o­ther names, and caused his Boyes to write them, to fill up the number of the Gentlemen, Freeholders, and other inhabitants of the County of Wilts; or else they must have been whipt. Is not this a fine way to carry on a Petiti­on, and abuse the Gentlemen and free-holders, to rank them with such com­panions? but you may see what blinde zeal will do. It was the practice of the Caviliers, to carry on their wicked designs by lies and forgeries, and so do these.

(C) It were to be wished that the Petitioners in these words did speak truth: it is to be feared they do not; for the Tapsters, Hostlers and Cham­berlaine, and the profane people of Wilts, with the Schoole-Boyes, never troubled their hears to be so observant; but as they began with a lye, so they go one. But if they all had been so diligent observers, they might have seen Satans working and carrying on his design in this Petition, who striveth to set up himself, and advance his Kingdome by his instruments, by persecuting all others that are not in their way, though they be such as do live in all godliness and honesty.

(D) Here is the great business in this petition: you may know the Lyon by his pawe, the hand of Joab is in all this: the Merchants that are trading here, are discovered: yet may know who they are that make all this dust; they are Demetrius his Apprentices, Silver-smiths by occupation: there­fore they cry it up in every Pulpit and Press, and preach it in every Town and Village, this their Diana, by which they get their so great gaine, riches and honours, else you should never have heard of the Clergy coming to the Parliament with a Petition; for do but observe, when they did joyn [Page 5] or set forward any good thing for the profit of this Commonwealth, or ease of the people thereof, but have been the obstructers of many, and the causers of many burthens to be as heavy yoaks lying on the necks of them; & viper-like have indeavoured to eat out the very Bowels of this Parliament: so that saying in the Prophet is made good: And as thieves wait for a man, the com­pany of Priests murther in the way by consent: for they work mischief. See and read history, if there were any Villany in a Nation, if a Priest had not a hand in it. See Master Pryme's Looking Glass for Lordly Bishops. Was not the Pope and his Lordly papal Authority, with all his Popish Hirerchy, and Lordly Bishops, and their Rabble, with all their maintenance setled by the same law? See the Acts of Parliament: and they are taken away, and yet we injoyed property still; and surely if Tithes as well as Bishops Lands, and Colledge-Lands as well as Dean and Chapters Lands, should be sold and taken away, the people of the Commonwealth would enjoy property more then they do now; yea Religion and learning also. Therefore it is hoped that none but the worshippers of the Beast and lovers of the whore will be against the clear rooting up of Tithes root and branch, and need not fear the touching of the Law by which we enjoy property.

(E) Well said, cunning fellows; they will be of the surest side; they will not part with their fair Dal [...]lah's, but for a good and better exchange, a more fuller & better maintenance. Its wondred whither the coveteousness of these Priests will in the next petition enlarge it self: they have the fifth of eve­ry mans estate already; the next surely must be all: so that like hell they will inlarge their desires, and then the poor countryman that now is faine to save it out of his own, his wives and childrens bellies, shall have no bread at all to live on. But surely we are not delivered to work all these abominations; but as the former have been found to have been of the Devils setting up, by his eldest son the Beast, and his Queen the great whore and the false prophet, the body of the Clergy spoken of in Revel. 13. & 17. Chapters; so will these Tithes and Colledge-lands: for they stand on the same bottome: and as Hamans wife said to him, Esth. 6. 13. They have begun to fall, and they shall surely fall; for God will not suffer such wickedness long to continue, as is practised by these Clergy-men, on the poor people of this Land, as they do by treble damage on all the people that refuse to pay it them out of a pure con­science: so that saying of the Lord by his Prophet, is made good, Micah 3. 5. Thus saith the Lord, The Prophets that deceive my people, and bite them with their teeth, and cry peace; but if a man put not into their mouthes, they prepare war against him.

(F) From your conscience as your duty; is it one good and sure grounds? had you a Lawyer to your Counsellor? for a Priest its believed you had: and if both were there, they might shew you a couple of reasons for it, but perhaps one Reason of the Sun were worth them both. You that have been sharp sighed to see Satans working, and transforming himself, its strange you missed it here; but I believe he opened the bottomless pit, that there was so great a smoak with his angels the Priests, that you took falshoods for truths, and so presently say, you are bound in conscience as your duty so to do: and therefore we will pity you, and the next time desire you to clear [Page 6] your eye-sights, and not so to mistake and be so sottish to be led so by the nose.

Can there be greater prophaners and contemners of the pure ordinances of Christ, then the Clergy of the world are, nay of this Nation, yea of the County of Wilts? is there not all profane ignorant persons received into their Church? is not the holy things of God, and the Childrens bread given to dogs? all must pay Tithes, else, No peny, no Pater-noster; but pay peny, and have all; he shall pass, if he be a rich man, and pay his Tithes, for a very good and pretious Saint, thought he be a profane Devil; as witness Master Ʋmpheries book pleading for the same, and Master Mastersons practice at Clements Danes London: and is not this a great prophaning the ordinances of Christ, and a bringing them in contempt? it is left for the wise to judge.

(G) O strange! here is a change indeed; the Clergy are zealous for the Civil Government: Surely they are converted, and now have swallowed that hard bit that lay so long on their stomacks, the honest and harmless En­gagement to be true and faith [...]ul. Dare you believe them? harke, you may smell their secret plots and tamperings now with the Dutch, as in Cam­bridge-shire and other places; it's pity they have not Sion-Colledge, that they may there sit and hatch more Cockatrice eggs: but now I do remember my self, it is granted them: then look what will follow—

(H) It is not long since you could go and say, To your Sacred Majesty, next under God Supream head and governor, full mouth'd and at large; witness 1647, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, and it will reach—to 53. Did not you all with Love, Case, Drak [...], and Jenkins, with our dear brethren of Sco [...]land, make your complaints to his Most Sacreed Majesty the Lords anointed, our dear Barn and Covenanted Childe? it is well if the winde be changed: but how long will it continue? no body knows; and trust to them you may not.

(I) Here they come sorth in a goodly dress, as if they were true and faith­ful Commonwealths-men; and do now fawn one the Parliament with a little acknowledgement of Gods blessing them: and truly it is but a little indeed; for if tney had said less, they had said nothing: and that they knew would be a Remora in the establishing their Tithes, and a prospering of this pretty Babe maintenance. They do also put up a faint prayer: but they are to be born with; for they have but new learned to speak the language.

(K) Do not say so: for the godly both Gentlemen and others the Free-holders of Wilts do not consent to this Petition; and its hoped the godly [...]n this Commonwealth know better, as you may see in the petitions of Hartford, Bucks, and in a book called The Husbandmans plea against Tithes, sould at the Blackamore by Fleet-bridge, signed by many of the honest and well-affected Freeholders of the same Counties: therefore you do not speak the minde of the truly godly.

(L) Is it not to be feared that Adoniram the Scribe, when this was writ, had his head troubled about setling sure of his new flock, almost 400 l. per an. that made you thus mistake? for, as is before said, there is none like them for pro­faning Ordinances; and therefore its hoped that seeing the laws of Christ will not prevail with them to keep them from committing the sins of prophaning and contemning the purest ordinances of Christ, the Parliament will make [Page 7] a Law to teach them more wit, and better manners; for they are judged to have need of both, as you may see by their good brother Clergie-man of Ridlington in Rutland-shire, who preaching on this text, Fear not, little flock, it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome, he observed this doctrine, That God would make the heads of this Nation a foot-stool for the King to get up to his Throne. Judge now whether they have not need to be better taught, before they be better fed.

(M) How came these words in fashion amongst the Clergie? for Priest was all the tearm. O but we are told by the Petitioners, that Satan hath transformed himself into an Angel of light, and therefore Priest must be buri­ed, and now they will be Pastors and Teachers: of what? of people? Do they preach for the saving of souls? no; for 400 l. a year: and if a Bene­fice fall of 100 d. a year better then that they are possessed of, away goeth this Pastor, and leaveth his 300. l. a year flock, and imbraces his 400. l. as Adroniam the Scribe did Fulham, for one in the County of Wilts; and Isa­ack, that was sometime the glass-man, did Hammersmith, for Fulham: so that indeed that saying (by them and this Petition) in the Prophet is verified Jer. 5. 31. The Prophets preach lyes, and the Priests divine for hire, and my peo­ple delight to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

(N) To this Article, I will onely refer you to Beza his notes on Acts the 6. and 9 verse, beginning at the figure 7. Whose words are these: Schooles and Ʋniversities were of old time addicted to false Pastors, and were the instru­ments of Satan to blow abroad and defend false Doctrines of the company and Colledge, as it were. 8. False Teacbers, because they will not be overcome, fly from disputations to manifest and open slandering and false accusations. (9) The first bloody persecution of the Church of Christ began and sprung from a Counsel of Priests, by the suggestion of the Ʋniversitie-Doctors. Thus saith he. Had we not need to Petition for their standing? why were then the Bishops put down? for popery is there practised still, as all their Popish Offices and Garments, their Scarlet Robes, their Maces, Tip-staves, and their square Tiburne-Caps, and a hundred other trinkets of the Whore.

(O) Had you but been diligent observers of the doctrine of Christ, you would never have flown to the Civil powers to have defended you from con­tempt: for it's the portion of his people to be reviled and made contempti­ble: but it seems you do not like it; and you may believe Christ will not much esteem of you: and be sure, fence your selves as strong as you will or can, the thing you so much fear, God will bring to pass; as the Lord hath said in Mal. 2. 9. Therefore have I also made you to be despised and vile before all the people, because you kept not my waies, but have been partial in the Law.

Thus Reader in brief, we have given you a taste of the Cler­gie of Wilts; by which our Country-men may judge of the rest of their Petitions from other Counties.

So we bid thee farewel.

FINIS.

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