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probable they will facrifice an expenfive education to an employment that is attended with finall advantages. And if fome perfons have zeal enough to engage in the miniftry without a respect to the rewards of it, yet common prudence ought to put us upon fuch methods as are moft likely to excite men of the best parts and ability to undertake the facred function; that the best cause may have the best management, and the pureft religion the ableft defenders. It is alfo neceffary that their maintenance should bear fome proportion to the dignity of their character, and should raise them above the contempt of those who are too apt to be influenced by outward rances for though wifdom is better than ftrength, nevertheless, the poor man's wisdom is defpifed, and his words are not heard. And farther, that by this Muft be means they may be better enabled not only to provide for their families, which is a duty incumbent upon them as well as the reft of mankind, but to be examples to their flock in charity and in doing good, as well as in all other parts of their office and duty. And

appea

maintained.

In what

manner.

The wisdom of our chriftian fore-fathers thought these confiderations of fuch force, that the government has appointed for the maintenance of our minifters, the house and glebe*, and the oblations, which were the voluntary offerings of the faithful, very confiderable in the primitive times; fo that the neceffities of the church were liberally supplied from the great bounty of the people; and, when upon the fpreading of christianity, a more fixed and fettled maintenance was required, yet fomewhat of the antient custom was retained in voluntary oblations. + Befides, titles, which

* These were the original endowment of a church, without which it cannot be fupplied; and without which it could not be confecrated; and upon which was founded the original right of a patronage. For it appears from the Lord Coke, that the first king of the realm had all the lands of England in demefne, and Les Grand Manours and Les Royalties they referved to themfelves; and with the remnant they enfeoffed the barons of the reaim for the defence thereof, with fuch jurifdiction as the court baron now hath; and about this time it was, when all the lands of England were the kings demefne, that Ethelwulf, almoft nine hundred years fince, conferred the tithes of all the kingdom upon the church by his royal charter; which is extant in abbot Ingulf, and in Matthew of Westminster. + We do not read of tithes paid the apostles, because the zeal of christians in their

which are the main lawful fupport of the parish minifter; the reason of their payment is founded on the law of God, and their fettlement among us hath been by the antient and undoubted laws of this nation. Therefore

It is a fin to

Such as refufe to pay tithes, or defraud the clerwrong them. gy of their maintenance, are guilty of that grievous fin of facrilege, by taking what is fet apart for the clergy's fubfiftence, to employ it in other uses, or to their own particular profit; which is a robbing of God, as the prophet informs us: will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed me; but

ye fay, wherein have we robbed thee? in tithes and offerings; because of fuch facred things God is the true and proper owner. And accordingly we read in fcripture of fevere punishments inflicted on thofe that were guilty of this fin of facrilege. See alfo the duty of the people to their paftors hereafter.

In keeping

the Lord's

day.

IX. As God expects a part of our goods for the maintenance of the fettled miniftry in his church; fo he requires us to honour and express our reverence towards him, by dedicating a particular part of

times was fo great, that as many as were poffeffors of lands or houfes, fold them, and laid the price of them at the apoftles feet; and the devotion of the following ages, even to the latter end of the fourth century, was so remarkable for the liberality of their offerings and oblations, that their bounty to the evangelical priesthood exceeded what the tenth would have been, if they had paid it; fo that there was no reafon to demand tithes, when men gave a greater proportion of what they poffeffed; though even during thofe ages, there want not teftimonies from the fathers of thofe times, that tithes were due under the gofpel, as well as before and under the law; and that they were paid is plain from the apoftolical canons, which provide for the difpofal of them.

great

We have fhewn upon good authority in the preceding note* tithes were granted by the bounty and munificence of the first monarchs of this realm to the clergy, out of all the lands in the kingdom, and the perpetual payment thereof laid as a rent-charge for the church on the fame, before any part thereof was demifed to others: fc here let it be alfo obferved, that if perhaps fome of the men of the realm, had then eftates in abfolute property, as it is certain there were very few, if any, that had, they charged the fame with tithes by their own confent, before they did tranfmit them to the hands of the gentry, or any who now claim from them. So that the land being thus charged with the payment of tithes, came with this clog unto the lords and great men of the realm, and hath been fo tranfmitted and paffed over from one hand to another, until they came into the poffeffion of the prefent owners, who must have paid more for the purchase of them, and required larger rents from their tenants, if they had not been thus charged. And whatever right they may have to the other nine parts, either of fee-fimple, leafe or copy; have certainly none at all in the tithe or tenth, which is no more theirs, than the other nine parts are the clergy's.

In what

manner.

for

of our time to his immediate fervice. Remember, fays he, that thou keep holy the fabbath-day; or one day in feven -must be yielded unto the Lord, which we muft fet apart the exercise of religious duties, both in publick and private; abstaining from the works of our ordinary calling, or any other worldly affairs and recreations, which may hinder our attendance upon the worship of God, and defeat thofe ends for which the day was feparated from ordinary purpofes. For, We must not only reft from the works of our calling, but our time must be employed in all fuch religious exercises as tend to the glory of God, and the falvation of our own fouls. We muft regularly frequent In publick. the worship of God in the publick affemblies, from which nothing but sickness or abfolute neceffity should detain us; and there * we are not to talk or gaze about us, but to join in the prayers of the church, hear his moft holy word, receive the bleffed facrament, when adminiftred, and contribute to the relief of the poor, if there be if there be any collection for their fupport: That we may thereby openly profefs ourselves christians, which is one great end of publick affemblies in the fervice of God. We ought in private, to enlarge our ordinary devotions, and to make the fubject of them chiefly to confift in thanksgivings, for the works of creation and redemption, recollecting all thofe mercies we have received from the bounty of heaven, through the course of our lives: To improve our knowledge by reading and meditating upon divine fubjects; to inftruct our children and families; to vifit the fick and the poor, comforting them by some seasonable affiftance: and if we converfe with our friends or neighbours, to feafon our discourse with prudent and fitable hints for the advancement of piety; and to take care that no fournefs or moroseness mingle with our ferious frame of mind.

In private.

pro

Of what ad.

From whence we may collect the great advantages of a religious obfervation of the Lord's day; it keepeth up the folemn and publick worship of God; which might be neglected, if left to depend upon the will of man. It preferveth the knowledge and vifible profeffion

See the worship of God in his house, in page 28.

vantage.

of the chriftian religion in the world; when, notwithstanding the great differences there are among chriftians in other matters, they yet all agree in obferving this day in memory of our Saviour's refurrection. And confidering, how much time is taken up by the greatest part of mankind, in providing for the neceffaries of life; and how negligent and careless they are in the concerns of their fouls, who flow in plenty and abundance; this stated season is highly useful to instruct the ignorant by preaching and catechifing, and to put those in mind of their duty, who in their profperity are apt to forget God. Moreover by fpending this day in religious exercife, we acquire new ftrength and refolution to perform God's will in our several stations for the future.

the fearts of

X. Befides this weekly fabbath of the Lord, In obferving there are other particular times or days fet apart by the church. the church, either for the remembrance of fome fpecial mercies of God, fuch as the birth and refurrection of Christ, the coming down of the Holy Ghost from heaven, &c. or in memory of the bleffed apostles, and other faints; who were the happy inftruments of conveying to us the knowledge of Chrift Jefus, by preaching his gofpel through the world, and most of them attefting the truth of it with their blood: which ought to be observed in such a manner as

In what manner.

may anfwer the ends for which they were appointed: that God may be glorified by an humble and grateful acknowledgment of his mercies; and that the falvation of our fouls may be advanced, by believing the myfteries of our redemption; and imitating the examples of thofe primitive patterns of piety that are fet before us. Therefore on thefe days we fhould be fo far from looking upon them as common days, or make them inftruments of vice and vanity, or fpend them in luxury and debauchery; intemperance, excefs and fenfuality, as the manner of fome is, who look upon an holiday as defigned for a loose to their paffions and unbounded pleasures; that our greatest care fhould be to improve our time in the knowledge and love of God, and of his fon Jefus Chrift our Lord, by conftantly attending the publick worship, and partaking of the bleffed facrament, if it be adminiftred. In private by enlarging our devotions, and with

drawing

drawing ourselves as much as poffible from the affairs of the world, particularly expreffing our rejoycing by love and charity to our poor neighbour.

If we call to mind any mystery of our redemption, or article of our faith, we ought to confirm our belief of it, by confidering all those reasons upon which it is built; that we may be able to give a good account of the hope that is in us. We fhould from our hearts offer to God the facrifice of thankf giving, and refolve to perform all those duties, which arise from the belief of fuch an article. If we commemorate any faint, we fhould confider the virtues for which he was most diftinguished, and by what steps he arrived at fo great perfection; and then examine ourfelves how far we are wanting in our duty, and earnestly beg God's pardon for our paft failings, and his grace to enable us to conform our lives to those admirable examples which they have left for our imitation. XI. As we are thus to express our thankfulness to God for mercies received, and the good examples fet before us for our imitation; we are with the fame view In obferving of honouring God, by acts of humiliation and re- the church. pentance, to keep holy those faft days fet apart by

the fafts of

the church, or by civil authority, or by our own appointment, to humble ourselves before God, in punishing our bodies, and afflicting our fouls, in order to a real repentance. By outward tokens teftifying our grief for fins paft, and by using them as means to fecure us from returning to thofe fins, for which we exprefs fo great

In what

manner.

a deteftation. And this must be done, not only by interrupting and abridging the care of our body, but by carefully enquiring into the ftate of our fouls; charging ourselves with all thofe tranfgreffions we have committed against God's laws, humbly confeffing them with fhame and confufion of face, with hearty contrition and forrow for them; praying that God will not fuffer his whole displeasure to arife, and begging him to turn away his anger from us: By interceding with him for fuch spiritual and temporal bleffings upon ourselves, and others as are needful and convenient: By improving our knowledge in all the particulars of our duty: By relieving the

D 3

wants

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