DEare Brethren, the Scripture giveth you the title of Watchmen, and overſeers, Ezek. 3.17. Act. 20.28. and theſe Titles admoniſh you of your office, which is to Watch and Overſee yourſelves and others, Act. 20.28. Heb. 13.17. Open your eyes I pray you, and look firſt within you, and then about you, and above you, that you may diſcover (if it may be) why God raiſeth ſuch ſwarmes of Adverſaries, (ſo many thouſand Petitioners) to ſtorme you, and to ſtarve you, why ſo many call you Prieſts in ſpight and ſcorne, who would be your Prieſts to ſacrifice you, if that Gods providence by the civill & military ſword, did not protect you, & Black coates who would (were it in their power make you like the Prieſts of Ceres, by aTunicam quam initiationis die induerant, novam nunquam eruebant, quoad tandem lacera geſtari, amplius nequiret. Lud. de Vives in Aug. de Civ. Dei l. 7. c. 20. ragged, or like to Bedlams, by a naked beggary brought upon you) while you have leave to wear them (though many weary of the contempt of them, and ſome fearing perill by them, have put themſelves into other colours) let them mind you as (mourning habits) of your ſad condition, firſt and moſt by ſinne, and then of the bitter fruits, which God many times ſerveth up, as a ſecond courſe to thoſe, who uſe to glut themſelves with ſweet meats.

Give me leave I beſeech you (not as a Dioceſan, or provinciall Inquiſitor, to put upon you any Viſitation Articles: or as a Canonicall Informer, to preſent you for any crime or exceſſe which I knew by any one of you, I would rather cover it in charity, then diſcover it with Scandall, but to be your remembrancer, admonitor, or (if that be too much) Petitioner, praying you to examine, and conſider with your ſelves, whether you have not been too much addicted to eaſe and delicacy of life, whether you have ſo ordered your own, and your Wives and Childrens, and ſervants converſation (ſo farre as in you lay) as by them to ſet an imitable example of ſobriety, piety, modeſty, and gravity before their eyes, whoſe eares you fill with inſtructions and directions in all morall duties, whether you have not been more remiſſe and indifferent in publique and common concernements of Religion, then in your own particular intereſts, whether you have accounted your Parochiall Incumbencies as burthens, & Paſtorall charges to beſtow your vigilance and diligence upon the ſoules of your People, or as Benefices whereto you intentively apply your ſelves, for your Benefit and advantage in this World, taking the overſight of the flock, rather for filthy Lucre, then of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2.

Whether you have made your ſelves known to be the Diſciples of our Saviour, by that Chriſtian character of his Iohn 13.35. Of mutuall love one to another, and have not rather uncharitably cenſured and eſtranged your ſelves from your Brethren, for very ſmall, and meere problematicall diſſentings in opinion, whether with David Pſal. 119.136. you have bewailed the wickedneſſe of others, eſpecially theirs, whoſe duties and ſinnes are of neereſt affinity and offence to your own, It may ſeem very ſtrange, that an heathen Pharaoh, ſhould be ſo favourable to his Prieſts, that in a time of extraordinary dearth, he would not ſuffer their lands to be ſold, as the lands of his other Subjects. Gen, 47.26. That Jeſabell ſhould be ſo free and bountifull, as to feed 400 falſe Prophets at her table 1 Kings 18.19.In his Apology for D. Featly called Sacra Nemeſis Sect. 10. p. 163. That the Jewiſh Prieſts and Levites, (of whom many were more lewd, then I hope are moſt of you) enjoyed Tithes, and many other emoluments, amounting to a farre greater valew, then all the revenue remaining to the Miniſters of England, and were never deprived of them from Moſes to Malachy (for the ſpace of 1038 yeares) That in the time of the Biſhops in every Parliament ſince the Reformation (as a late Writer obſerveth) there hath been a Bill put in againſt double Beneficed Miniſters, purſued with all vehemence and eagerneſſe but ever ſtopt with a croſſe Bill againſt Impropriations, that then the great ſcandall and aggrievance was Plurality, and Non-reſidence, and the great buſineſſe of Religious Chriſtians, to buy Impropriations, for incouragement and ſupport of Incumbent Paſtors, That now on the contrary, in this age (pretending an higher degree of reformation, and a greater zeale of propagation of the Goſpell) the cry ſhould be up ſo loud, to put downe all ſet and certain maintenance of all Miniſters, even of thoſe who out of conſcience, have refuſed Pluralities, (when by the favour of Patrons they were preſſed to accept them) and by the Law of the Land were allowed to enjoy them, and who are moſt conſtant, and conſcionable in diſcharge of their duty of Preaching twice a day to their ſingle charges: and laſtly, That Godly perſons (ſuch as many would ſeeme to be, and that may be divers are, though in this poynt exceedingly miſled) ſhould joyne with the prophane and covetous whom God abhorreth Pſ 10.3. To make their portions fat with the ſpoyles of the Miniſtry, and that this ſhould be ſo impetuouſly purſued, by way of petition to the Parliament, as if it were the firſt and principall worke they had to doe. This is it, which may make us firſt admire, and then with Rebecca to inquire of the Lord why is it thus Gen. 25.22. May it not be, becauſe the Lord lookes for, (but findes not) more proficiency towards perfection of us of this generation (according to our greater meanes, and clearer light) then he did of thoſe who ſerved at the Jewiſh or Popiſh Altar, or of ſuch Proteſtant Clergy men, who have alterd the office of an Evangelicall Miniſter, from fiſhing for men, Mat. 4.19. to fiſhing for preferrement, and his converſation, from the ſimplicity and Godly ſincerity of the Apoſtle 2 Cor. 1.12. to a ſubtle and ungodly plauſibility, to humor and pleaſe men more then God, what ever that is (for which God hath raiſed this ſtorme againſt us) let us beſeech him to ſhew us the meanes whereby it may be calmed, and to help us effectually to apply them, that his diſpleaſure may be appeaſed towards us, and that our waies may ſo pleaſe him, that our enemies may be at peace with us. Prov. 14.7.

There be ſome of our Tribe who take it not for a Tempeſt but for ſuch a favourable Gale of wind as may blow them ſome good, or at leaſt not blaſt them or doe them any hurt: and of theſe I find three ſorts. 1. Some have their portion of Tithes in ſuch ſmall and Scattered parcells that they hope for more, but feare not leſſe, by taking away of Tithes. 2. Some have the leſſe need to be gatherers of Tithes, becauſe having gathered Churches in Cityes or great Townes where many of their Church members are Rich and bountyfull to them, I have heard it from a very honeſt Citizen who (though none of the Richeſt) gave (for his part) 101 a yeare, and ſo many more joyned with him in ſuch contribution to their Miniſter, as made up no leſſe then 3001 a yeare, which was paid him with love and chearfullneſſe, and this he had without any great expence either ordinary, or extrordinary, wherwith country Benefices (conſiſting moſt of Tithes) are heavily burthened. 3. Some who having an elder Brothers bleſſing in their portion of ſuch revenues, are willing to give up Tithes upon fair hopes given them that a more quiet, & comfortable provision will be made for them for by ſome they be excepted againſt as cauſes of much contention betwixt a Miniſter and his People, to whom I ſhall ſay ſomething which doth joyntly and ſomthing that doth ſeverally concerne them. 1. That which is of common concernement is, that none ſhould regard his owne particular intereſt, ſo as to preferr it before the common good of able and Godly Miniſters in Generall and it for the common good both of the Generation preſent, and of poſterity, that Tithes be continued (as is ſufficiently prooved in the Reſolution of a doubt concerning the Alienation of Tithes from Miniſters added to Sr Henry Spelmans larger Treatiſe of that Subject, Printed by Philemon Stephens An. 1653.) 2. And ſeverally I ſay 1. To the Miniſter who is tuck up to ſo ſhort an allowance in Tithes, that by Tithes (more proportionably diſtributed) he may be like to have a more competent allowance allotted unto him, then any way els. 2. For thoſe who are better maintained without Tithes it muſt be conſideed that the number of ſuch is but ſmall, and few places there are in theſe times (wherein many mens eſtates are ſo decayed and their opinions ſo diverſifyed) which have a competent number of men, who for their Wealth are able and with good will would be ready to ſupport a learned, and Orthodox Miniſter, with any congruity to his condition, in regard either of his worth or of his charge, & in ſome places they are geneeither ſo poore, ſo prophane or ſo like theſe plundering Petitioners, that a good Miniſter may be more like to be ſtarved thē maintained among them, Yea there are ſome of thoſe, who have refuſed Tithes, and caſt themſelves upon the Benevolence of their People upon fair offers from them who have been put to complaine not only of the cooling of their affections, but of their breach of promiſes made unto them for their covenanted pentions.

Whereupon they have concluded that Miniſters muſt have their maintenance by a legall right or elſe (for the moſt part) it is like to come ſhort of the Levites allowance. Judge. 17.10. Thirdly to ſuch as have ſufficient ſubſiſtence by Tithes, which the Lawes allow and maintaine as their Right; I ſay they ſhould not be willing to change it if they might have as much, or more, with more eaſe, and quietnes in another way; Naboth would not part with the Vineyard which was the Inheritance of his Fathers, though Ahab offered him a beter for it. 1 Kings. 21.2. For it is better to enjoy a revenue of an ancient and well grounded Title, then to take a new one of another kind, though of greater valew. It hath been a project of ſome men (where in ſome Miniſters have acted their part)M. H. P. to reduce all Tithes to a cōmon ſtock, or bank, to be diſpenced by Commiſſioners, and Committees, or ſome other publique Officers, from whoſe hands Miniſters ſhould receive yearely ſtipends in a proportion, which they call a competency of which an eminent Preacher ſaith thus.

A Competency, what is that and who ſhall judge of it? now the good Lord keep his Clergy from the vulgar competency, I ſpeake what I knowe, and I ſpeake it with a wet face, and a bleeding heart. I know Preachers of excellent parts that ſpend their ſtrength in the Pulpit, who cannot lay out 50s in 5 years upon Bookes, but they muſt fetch it off the Backs, or out of the Bellyes of their poore Children, call you this a Competency, well, if we deſerve no kindneſſe, yet do us juſtice, let us have what your fathers gave us. Mr Rob. Harris now Dr Harris Preſid. of Trin. Coll. in his Sermon on Iſaiah. 38. called Hezck. Recovery.

Thus he Preached above twenty years agoe, when neither thouſands nor hundreds appeared in a Petitionary way to or for the taking away of Tithes.

And if then it were thus, how much worſe would it be with the moſt of the Miniſters of this Nation, if their own Right taken from them, they were to be ſtinted by ſome State officer, what they ſhould have, and at what rate they ſhould live.

In ſhort, the inconveniences, and evill conſequences of this change, from an Eccleſiaſticall to a Politicall Title, are neither few nor ſmall. For

1. It cannot be good for the Miniſter, to change either his paymaſter, or his payment, and it is ſitteſt, that he whoſe worke he doth, and whoſe ſervant he is, ſhould pay him his wages, God is his Maſter, and the wages he aſſignes for his worke is Tithes, which he hath not only ordained, but every yeare by his bleſſing on the creatures provideth for him.

2ly Since Tithes are by the production of the Divine benediction, they make both a more Honourable, and more comfortable allowance, then a money penſion ariſing from trade and commerce can be, wherein there paſſeth much ſinne betwixt the buyer and the ſeller Prov. 20.14. In this reſpect, the Country Miniſter hath ſomewhat to cheare him up againſt the diſparities, betwixt his condition, and theirs who officiate in the Citty, which I have experimentally obſerved, having exerciſed my Miniſtry, both in London and elſwhere, in London I had much and comfortable communion with many worthy and well minded Citizens, many friendly and free invitations and entertainements, freedome from publique Taxes, the Pariſhioners of their owne accord paying my part as well as their owne; In the Country, I have found it quite contrary, yet there alſo I confeſſe is much difference; for in ſome places I have met with Godly & ingenious people, who have uſed me as well and reſpected mee as much as I could wiſh, in ſome others I have felt the worſt of that wicked proverbe Pinch on the Parſons ſide in unjuſt and unproportionable aſſeſſements & other ſuch injurious uſages, as a Samaritan would ſcarce put upon a Jew, or a Jew upon a Samaritan.

3. The Miniſters maintenance by Tithes being according to the Meaſure of Gods bleſſing upon the whole, is moſt equall in reſpect of them that pay, and him that receiveth Tithe, whether the increaſe be great or ſmall, they proportionably ſhare in gaine or loſſe, and when there is a plentifull crop, as the quantity is advantagious to both, ſo when it is ſcant and ſhort the valew of it by a dearer rate of the meaſure maketh ſome amends to both, and ſo it may beſt ſerve for all times (whether they abound or abate) which is not to be expected from a ſtinted Pention for

4. This Pention of the Miniſter muſt either be changed many times as Laban changed the wages of Jacob, changed not by diminution as his was, (for if he had encreaſed upon his changes, Iacob would not have remembred it as matter of aggrievance) but by augmentation, or it will be much to the prejudice of poore Miniſters many wayes, in regard of the different rates of things in ſeverall ages whereof ſee many obſerviable inſtances with their proofes in the Reſolution of the doubt forementioned as of 20 marke a yeare at one time enough honorably to maintaine a ſtuddent in the Innes of Court and this a charge only to be borne by the Sonnes of Noble men,Reſolution of the touch of the alienation of Tithes p. 56. and 10 markes a yeare ſufficient for a Vicar to maintaine himſelfe, and to keepe hoſpitality when a quarter of Wheat at the deareſt rate was twelve Shillings, and the loweſt ſometime but one Shilling, and a man might buy a Yoake of Oxen for a marke which whether we refer it to the Plenty of proviſion, or paucity of People or ſcarcity of mony wherein the later ages moſt abound, becauſe it is continually digged out of the Earth, and ſeldome buried in the earth againe, (what ever might be the cauſe and ſometimes altogether might concurre) it may reduce the Miniſter to ſtreights, if thoſe things he muſt neceſſarily uſe increaſe in price and his pention like a Dwarſe growes not at all.

5. The change of Tithes into ſtate pentions is like (though it be pretended to make for the Miniſters eaſe and comfort) to proove extreamely troubleſome and oppreſſive to him, for Miniſters will be put in many places to take a part of their owne portion for a favour, which hetherto they might wholy claime and recover as their right: the charge of the new Officers of this deſigne will eat up a great part of the Tithes of each Pariſh and when a Miniſter cometh for his pay they will tell him perhaps money is not come in, or layd out to others that come before him or were worthy to be ſerved before him, and will weary him by long & tedious attendances (with ſuch an intent as Felix had when he ſent for Paul the oftener before him, hoping that Mony ſhould be given him of Paul that he ſhould looſe him. Act. 24.26.) That they may diſpatch of his buſines when it hath been dayly a great deale too long allready.

For ſuch ill dealing ſome Miniſters had juſt cauſe to complaine of ſome Committee-men of the late Parliament becauſe when they had augmentations aſſigned them by the Parliament, they could not obtaine them without great diminution, by their charge of jornies, and long wayting upon them before they could get their due from them, which if the priſes of corne and other neceſſary proviſions, ſhould riſe and their pentions ſhould fall ſhort or but be at a ſtand might halfe undoe them; of this kind I have heard ſtrange relations, and thoſe by ſuch honeſt men that they are not to bee thought more ſtrange then true. This I knowe that when I had an order by Authority of Parliament to receive a ſumme of thirty pound from a Committee in London, and had as many friends and friendly incitements as I thought ſufficient, to quicken them to expeditious payment, I was ſo long put off, that having no Ieaſure to wayt any longer, I left my ſuit to the ſolicitation of a friend, who after many addreſſes and diſappointments but at laſt procured the payment but with the defalcation of ſix pence in the pound, which yet I tooke the better becauſe I heard others had ſped much worſe with ſuch crookt fingered Trapezites.

6. We have cauſe to feare as bad dealing by theſe new Projectors, for Mr H.P. hath told us, That by this checquer worke of Church Revenues the ſtate may have a ſtock ready upon any great occaſion of Publique affaires, and if the State pleaſe not to pay in the money they borrowed who ſhall compell them? And what if the State ſhould be behind with the Souldiers in their Pay, and they ſhould ſeaze on theſe Eccleſiaſticall Treaſuries for their Arreares, As — how ſhall poore Miniſters doe, if that be pleaded againſt the payment of their Penſions? By ſuch a trick as this, were the Boores of Holland cheated by the Prince of Orange who told them, Phil. Trelayne in his Treatiſe of the Undeceiving of the People in point of Tithes. p. 26. if they proſpered in their Warre with the King of Spaine, they ſhould pay no Tithes to their Miniſters, and in the meane time that the Tithes ſhould be taken up toward the maintenance of the warres, but when the Warrs were brought to a good iſſue, and they expected to be exempted from the payment of them to any; they were told they ſhould Pay none to the Miniſters as they had done formerly, but that they were ſuch a conſiderable Revenue that the State could not well ſubſiſt without them.

7. But if we account it no credit for our country to be like thoſe crafty Merchants of Holland, but meane fairely to manage the maintenance of Miniſters (cheifly for their eaſe and Benefit (and if the intent be ſo, we deſpaire of the event to be anſwerable to it) though at firſt the Truſtees of this Eccleſiaſticall Treaſury may be choſen for their prudence and integrity, or may in pollicy (to gaine reputation to this ne Project) indeavour to give as much content as they can in ſuch an office to Plundered Miniſters, yet in after times the Truſt may be put into their hands, who have as hard hearts to Godly and Orthodox Miniſters, as theſe two troopes of Petioners againſt them.

8. If we looke abroad into other Churches of the reformed Religion, we may obſerve (beſides that we now noted of Holland) their ſad condition by taking Tithes from them, and their juſt and paſſionate complaints of their penurious pentions, as of Luther in Germany, Calvin in Geneva, Knox in Scotland. For the firſt Luther ſaith I have only Nine old ſexagenas, beſides theſe there comes not an halfepeny out of the City to me, or my Brethren, There is need of the elloquence of Pericles to wreſt litle more from them, which (if as all) is paid with a Malignant minde. Ego pro me • Stipendio annuo tantum novem antiquas Sexagenas habeo praeter hos ne obulus quidem aut mihi aut fratribus e civitate accedit. Luther. Tom. 2. Epiſt. Fol. 131. B. Periclea Eloquentia opus eſt ut vel pauxillum emumgas quod tamen ſatis maligne praebetur Luth. in Gen. 31. Tom. 3. Operum at. Fol. 33. A.

2.Veriſimile eſt etiam tune neglectos fuiſſe doctores & verbi Miniſtros, quae tamen turpiſſima eſt ingratitudo quam indignum eſt enim fraudare victu corporali eos a quibus animae paſcuntur non dignari terrena compenſatione a quibus caeleſtia bona accipimus. Calvin. comment. in Epiſt ad Galat. cap. 6. v. 6. Videbat Apoſt. ideo negligi verbi Miniſtros quia verbum ipſum contemnebatur fiert enim nequit ſi verbum habetur in pretio, quin Miniſtri quoque honeſte & liberaliter tractarentur deinde his aſtus eſt ſatonae alimentis fraudare pios Miniſros ut eccleſia talibus deſtituatur. Ibid. See more of this in his Coment on Gen. 27. v. 32. Calvin ſaith It is like that then (that-is) in the Apoſtles time the Doctors and Miniſters of the word of God were too much neglected, which is a moſt vile and filthy ingratitude, for how unworthy a thing is it to defraud him of Corporall dyet who feeds their bodyes with Spirituall, and not to vouch ſafe a terrestriall recompence for celeſtial receipts. — The Apoſtle ſaw that the Miniſters of the Word were neglected becauſe the Word was contemned for it. It cannot be (ſaith he) (if the Word be held in good account) but the Miniſters will be Honorably and liberally dealt withall, Beſides it is the ſubtilty of Satan to withhold from Godly Miniſters ſufficient meanes that the Church may be deprived of the fruit of their Service.

3. For Mr Knox, of his diſcontented mind, at ſuch a mutation of Miniſters maintenance, to that which I have obſerved elſewhere, I will adde only this. M. Knox in his Epiſt. to the Biſhops & Miniſters of Scotland added at the end of S. Henry Spelmans larger Treatiſe concerning Tithes. Print. 1647. How a competence may be provided (ſaith he) except by restoring the Church to her Rights (that is quite contrary to taking away of Tithes) I doe not ſee what this Right is, if I ſhould ſtand to define and juſtify it, here I ſhould exceed the bounds of an Epiſtle, many of this time have cleared the point ſufficiently. I could adde much more of his ſort, but his example is mine admonition not to exceed in that kind.

Let their miſery, be a monitory to all Miniſters, which may be three-fold.

1. Not to give any conſent or countenance, to deprive themſelves and ſucceſſors, of that ſalary for their ſervice, which in the wonted way they may receive, rather as the bleſſing of their heavenly Father, (for ſuch is their maintenance by Tithes) then as any Beneficence of man, though he be at paine to till the ground,Mr Knox in hſs Epiſt to the Biſhops & Miniſters of Scotland. Aug. 3. 1571. and at coſt to ſowe the ſeed: If men will ſpoile (as a Godly and Famous Miniſter of Scotland ſaid to the Miniſters his Countrymen) let them doe it at their owne perill, but communicate yee not with their ſinnes of what ſtrate ſoever they bee, neither by conſent nor ſilence, but by publique proteſtation make this known to the World, that yee are innocent of ſuch robberies, which will ere long, provoke Gods judgement upon the contrivers thereof.

2. To commend this cauſe to God, with prayer and faſting, that he would be pleaſed to guide the ſpirits of the Committee and Parliament, ſo to debate and determine this great doubt (and yet no great doubt if it were not for great concupiſcence, of the World, and great ſlighting of an Orthodox and regular Miniſtry) as may be moſt agreeable to the gratious will of Almighty God, and to happy progreſſe of the Goſpell.

3. If any of you ſingle, or by aſſociated counſells, and endeavours can in any warrantable way, hopefully ſet on foot and proſecute any likely meanes, to incline the minds of the Committee and Parliament to eſtabliſh Tithes, (ratified by ſo many Parliaments, and never yet condemned by any) that your delay not to doe it, ſince they that are on the deſtructive part are vigilant over all advantages, if not violent to advance their project to ſpeedy effect.