CHAP. XXXII. Their design to make the Ministers odious to the people. Their riches and ours compared
CHAP. XXXII. Their design to make the Ministers odious to the people. Their riches and ours compared.
D etect. 23. Another of the Designs of the Papists is, to bring all the faithful Pastors of the Churches into contempt, or suspicion at least with the People, that so they may draw them to refuse our helps, and the Papists may deal with them alone, whom they know they are easily able to over-reach. Though our people have not that absolute Dependance upon their Teachers as theirs have, yet an ordinate Dependance is Necessary to them, or else God would never have appointed Teachers and Pastors for his
Church. The Papists dare not trust their followers so much as to read a Bible in their vulgar tongue. Much less to Read our writings against their errors and impieties: No nor their Priests and Friars ordinarily to read them: No nor commonly to read the writings of their own Party: No not those, nor the strongest of those that are written against us: for fear lest the objection should prove too hard for the answer; or lest they should understand the truth of our doctrine in some measure. Sr. Edw: Sands in his Europae
Specul. professeth how hard he found it, to meet with the Works of Bellarmine himself in any Book-sellers shop in Venice or other parts of
Italy. But our people have all leave to keep and read the Papists writings:
We dare venture them upon the light upon equal terms: But yet we know them to be insufficient, for the most part, to defend even plain and necessary truths against the Cavils of adversaries that overmatch them in learning and other abilities. Now lest we should but afford them our assistance, the Papists principal design is to bring them into false conceits of the Ministers, and make us odious to them; that they may neglect our help, and the easilier hearken to other Teachers. And if they can but prevail in this design, the day is their own, and the souls of our unhappy people are like to be undone.
And the more is it to be feared, lest at last they should this way prevail, both because of the sin that lieth on ourselves in too reserved and negligent a doing of our work; and because of the great obstinacy and unprofitableness of the people, that hate the light, and unthankfully despise it, or will not obey it, and work by it while they may.
The designs of the Papists against the Ministry are these 1. They principally endeavor to delude the Rulers of the Land and set them against them, of which more anon.
2. They are very busy to procure an overthrow of their established maintenance: To which end they animate all sects to rail against Tithes.
3. They labor by scoffs and nicknames to make them odious. As they were the Authors or chief fomenters of the old scorn under the name of Puritans, so are they of many more of late. If in Court, or Parliament, City or Country; you hear men set themselves of purpose to scorn or vilify the Ministry, its very probable that they are either secret Papists, or their deluded servitors. If they speak of men that regard the Ministry, and be not hardened as they to a despising of Christ in his servants, they call such
[Priest ridden] and the Pastors they scornfully call [Jack-Presbyters, Drivines,] and many other scoffs are at hand, to serve the ends of the Devil and the Pope, by alienating the Affections of the people from their Teachers, that so they may devour them at pleasure.
4. Another of their ways of reproach is, by telling the people what odious divisions are among us, and how many minds we are of, and how oft we change, and such like reproaches, by their mouthing it they can make something of; while they never tell them how much more changeable they have been, and what divisions are among themselves, incomparably beyond all ours. Nor do they ever tell them how far we are united, and how small the differences among us are, and such as must be expected while we all know but in part.
5. Another reproach that the Papists cast on the Ministry, is Greediness, Covetousness, and being hirelings. And therefore they put these into the mouths of Quakers and other Sectaries. And whats their ground? Forsooth because we take Tithes, or other set maintenance. Because we have food and raiment, and our daily bread. I have said enough of the Cause itself in my several writings against the Quakers. If any doubt whether the Papists be their Teachers, or of the same mind, besides many greater Evidences, the Manuscript from Wolverhampton before mentioned may be full satisfaction.
This tells men that [for filthy lucres sake we scratch itching ears with doctrines of liberty] and thus it learnedly versifieth.
With Pleasing words they scratch all ears that itch.
That Mammon (whom they serve) may make them rich.
For they are Mercenaries, that will be hired, To preach what doctrines are by men desired.
Answ. I must profess unfeignedly that the experience of such horrid wickedness of men, is a great help to my faith against all temptations that ever would provoke me to doubt whether there be a Hell; When I see and hear that unreasonable villainy, that I should scarce have believed human nature could have been capable of, if God or such experience had not told it me. But when I see Abominations before my eyes as incredible or horrid as Hell itself almost, it silenceth temptations to such unbelief.
Reader, I will give thee a brief comparison between the Papists Priests and the Ministers of Christ, that thou mayest see whether these men be fit to rail at us as Mercenaries, and such as are the servants of Mammon.
Its a well known case that the Ministers of this Land, and of all the Reformed Churches commonly do many of them want necessaries, and some want food and raiment, and the rest of them for the most part have little more: Or if one of a hundred have two hundred pounds a year, its ten to one but taxes and other payments bringeth it so low, that he hath no superfluities. And some that have not Wives or Children, do give all that they can gather to the poor; and some upon my knowledge give more to charitable uses, then they receive for the work of their Ministry, living on their own means. And they have themselves been the means of taking down the Lordly Prelacy and Riches of the Clergy: and though they would not have had the Lands devoted to the Church to have been alienated, yet they would have had it so distributed as might but have reached to have made the maintenance of Ministers to be a hundred pounds a year. This was the height of their Covetousness and Ambition, as you call it.
And now will you take a view of the Popish Clergy, for Greatness, Riches, and Numerousness. 1. For Greatness, the Pope who is their chief Priest, pretendeth to the Government of all the Christian world. Emperors and
Kings have kissed his feet, and held him the stirrup. One Emperor was forced to wait bare foot at his Gates a long time in patience, till he pleased to open them. Another being forced to prostrate himself to him, the Pope set his foot upon his neck, profanely abusing the words of the Psal. 91:13. He shall tread on the Lyon and Adder, &c. diverse Princes hath he deposed: He hath claimed a Supremacy in Temporals and Spirituals, and his more moderate flatterers subject Princes to him in ordine ad spiritualia. General
Councils approved by him, decree that he shall Excommunicate and depose Princes, that will not extirpate those that he calleth Heretics, and shall commit the Government to others, or give their Countries to the first that can seize on them; and absolve all their Vassals from their Allegiance, (in despite of Oaths and God's Commands.) He is a Temporal Prince himself, having large Dominions. He hath so numerous a Clergy in the Countries of all Popish Princes, as makes him great and formidable to them. His
Cardinal Priests are equal to Princes, and greater than many Princes are. 2.
And for their Riches and Numbers, to say no more of their Pope and Cardinals, they have such multitudes of Arch-bishops, Bishops, Priests,
Abbots, Priors, Friars, Jesuits, and such others, as take up a great part of the Land where they live. I will at this time give you but one Instance, and desire you to compare it with our Ministers and their maintenance: and that is of the Popish Clergy in France.
Their own writers tells us as followeth. Bodin (a Judge in France) saith, (as Heylin Geograph. p. 148, reciteth it) That the Revenues of the Clergy there are twelve millions, and three hundred thousand livres, which is one million and two hundred thousand pounds of our English money per annum; and that they possess seven parts of twelve of the whole revenue of the Kingdom, which is above half. But we will take up with the lower
reckoning of the Book called Comment. de stat. and saith Heylin, this tells us that the Clergy have near a fourth part of the very Lands of all the Kingdom, besides the Offerings, Churchings, Burials, Diriges, and such like
Casualties, which amount to as much as their Rents, (So that there is another fourth part, which comes to half the Kingdom) upon which Sr.
Edwin Sands computes their revenue at six millions yearly: And for the number, that one Kingdom hath thirteen Arch-bishops, an hundred and four
Bishops, a thousand four hundred and fifty Abbeys, five hundred and forty Arch-priories: twelve thousand three hundred and twenty Priories, five hundred sixty seven Nunneries: seven hundred Convents of Friars: two hundred fifty nine Commanderies of Malta; besides all the Colleges of the Jesuits. And the Parish Priests are a hundred thirty thousand of all sorts.
And whereas the Kingdom is supposed to have about fifteen millions of people; the Clergy and their Ministers are judged to be three millions of them.
Judge now like men of reason and impartiality, whether the tongues of these men be fit to call us Mercenaries, or Hirelings, or such as preach for filthy lucre. Or whether ever greater impudence was manifested by the vilest Son of Adam, then for such men that Lord it over Emperors, Kings and Princes, and devour the wealth of the Christian world, to call poor
Ministers of Christ, Covetous, or Hirelings, that are content with food and raiment, and a mean education of their children, and that have done so much to take down the Lordliness and Riches of the Clergy. Judge of this dealing; and if you had rather have the Popish Priesthood, with the numberless swarm of Friars and several orders, you may take them, and say, you had your choice.