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Tenderness of the Saxon-Church, he and his Clergy fhould ftill imitate the Community of all Things ufed in the primitive Times under the Apostles, that they might not make their Religion burthensom.

BUT afterwards, having brought a great Part of the Nation to their Faith, they began to preach up the old Roman Doctrine, that Tythes ought to be paid; and having taught the People, that the Pardon of Sin might be merited by good Works, and the Torments of Hell be avoided by their charitable Deeds, it was no hard Matter, when that was believed, to perfwade them not only to give their Tythes, but alfo their Lands, as the outward Riches of thofe called Religious Houfes then, here and elsewhere, may teftifie; for in this Nation, they and the Clergy had almost gotten the third part of the whole Land; and fo befotted were the poor ignorant People, that, had not a Law against Mortmain prevented it, a far greater Part of the Nation had been in their Hands.

As concerning Laws and Canons for Tythes among the Saxons, it is reported, that in the Year 786, two Legates were fent from Pope Hadrian the firft, to Offa King of Mercland, and Elfwolfe King of Northumberland, who made a Decree, that the People of those two Kingdoms fhould pay Tythes.

ALSO that Ethelulph King of the West Saxons, in the Year 855, made a Law, that the Tythe of all his own Lands fhould be given to God and his Servants, and fhould be enjoyed free from all Taxes. Great Difference is amongst Hiftorians about this Grant, few agreeing in the Words or Subftance of it, as Selden fhews,

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fome reftraining it to the Tythe of his own Demefne Lands; others to the Tenth Part of his Lands; others to the Tythe of the whole Nation. At that Time the Nation being under great and heavy Preffures by Danish Irruptions, inteftine Wars, great Spoils and Miferies; he called a Council, where were prefent, Bernredus King of * Mercia, and Edmond King of East-Angles, and they, to remove the heavy Judgments then over them, grant the Tythe of all their Land to God and his Servants.

KING Athelstone, about the Year 930, King Edmond, about the Year 940, King Edgar, about the Year 970, King Ethelred, about the Year 1010, King Knute, about the Year 1020, Edward the Confeffor, and others of the Saxon Kings, made feveral Laws for Tythes as Hiftories report.

THE Normans afterwards entring this Kingdom, and subduing it to themselves, William the Conqueror confirmed the Liberties of the Church; fo did H. the firft, H. 2. King Stephen, and it may be, others of the fucceeding Kings did the like.

SOME Epifcopal Conftitutions alfo have been made to the fame Effect by Robert Winthelfey, Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, and others.

THAT the Reader may understand the Princi ples, upon which these Men acted, and the Do&trine then preached amongst them, and received and believed, I have inferted in the Margin the +Preamble of a Grant of K. Stephens.

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* Pro meæ remedio animæ & Regni & populi. + Quoniam Divinà Mifericordia providente cognovimus Cure of my effe difpofitum, & longe lateq; prædicante Ecclena, fonat own Soul, omnium auribus divulgatum. Quod, Eleemofynarum lar- of my King gitione poffunt abfolvi vincula peccatorum, & acquiri coe- dom leftium præmia gaudiorum: Ego Stephanus Dei gratia Anglo- People. rumRex, partem habere volens cum illis qui felici commercio Coeleftia pro terrenis Commutant, Dei amore compunctus

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BUT notwithstanding the many Laws, Canons and Decrees, of Kings, Popes, Councils and Bifhops, that every Man ought to pay the tenth Part of his Increase, yet was it left to the Owner, to confer it where he pleased, which made fo many rich Abbies and Monafteries; and till the Year 1200 or thereabouts, every one gave their Tythes at their own Pleafure, which made Pope Innocent* the third fend his Decretal Epistle to the Bishop of et pro falute anime meæ & Patris mei Matrifq; meæ, & omnium Parentum meorum, & antecefforum, &c.

The Preamble of King Stephen's Grant.

Becaufe through the Providence of divine Mercy, we know it to be fo ordered, and by the Churches publishing it far and near, every Body bas beard, that by the Distribution of Alms, Perfons may be abfolu'd from the Bonds of Sin, and acquire the Rewards of heavenly Foys. Stephen, by the Grace of God, King of England, being willing tobave a Part with them, who by a happy kind of Trading exchange beavenly Things for earthly; and fmitten with the Love of God, and for the Salvation of my own Soul, and the Souls of my Father and Mother, and all my Forefathers and Ancestors, &c. And fo he goes on and confirms divers Things that divers had granted to the Church, as Tythes and other Things.

* Pervenit ad audientiam noftram, quod multi in Diocefi tuà, decimas fuas integras vel duas partes ipfarum non illis Ecclefiis in quarum parochiis habitant, vel ubi prædia habent, & à quibus Ecclefiaftica præcipiunt Sacramenta, perfolvunt, fed eas aliis, pro fuâ diftribuunt voluntate: Cum igitur inconveniens effe videatur & à ratione diffimile, ut Ecclefiæ quæ fpiritualia feminant, metere non debeant a fuis parochianis temporalia & habere, fraternitati tuæ Authoritate præfentium indulgemus, ut liceat tibi fuper hoc, non obftante contradictione vel appellatione cujuflibet, feu confuetudine hactenus obfervatâ, quod Canonicum fuerit or dinare & facere, & quod Statueris per cenfuram Ecclefiaftlcam firmiter obligare. Nulli ergo, &c. Confirmationis, c. Datum Lateran. 2. Nonas Julii.

The Pope's Decretal Epiftle to the Achbishop of Canterbury.

We baving heard, that many in thy Diocefs, pay the whole Tybes, or two Parts of them, not to the Churches in the Parishes

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of Canterbury, commanding him to enjoyn every. Man, to pay his temporal Goods to thofe that mi niftred fpiritual Things to them, which was enforced by Ecclefiaftical Cenfures; and this was the firft Beginning of general Parochial Payment of Tythes in England: I have inferted the Pope's own Words in the Margin, as they are recorded by Cook, in the second Part of his Institutes, who faith, That because the Pope's Decree feemed reasonable, it was admitted and enjoyned by the Law of the Nation, King and People being then Papifts.

THIS Decree of the Pope, receiving all poffible Affiftance from the Bishops and the Priefts, in whose Behalf it was made, did not only in a fhort Time take away the Peoples then claimed Right to give their Tythes to those that beft deferved them, but did alfo fo much corrupt the Clergy, that in the Time of Richard the fecond, Wickliffe our famous Reformer, did make a heavy Complaint to the Parliament, which in his own Words I have inserted for the Readers better Satisfaction: Ab Lord God! where this be Reason to constrain the poor People to find a worldly Priest, fometimes unable both of Life and Cunning, in Pomp and Pride, covetife and envy, Gluttonefs, Drunkenness, and Lechery, in fimony and Herefie, with fat Horfe and jolly, and

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they belong to, or where they have Farms, and from which they receive the Church Sacraments; but they diftribute them to others according to their own Will. As therefore it seems inconvenient and contrary to Reason, that the Churches which fow fpiritus al Things, fhould not reap and receive temporal Things from their own Parishioners; We by the Authority of these prefents, grant to thy Brotherhood, that it may be lawful for thee, upon this, not withstanding any Opposition or Appeal whatever, or Custom bitherto obferv'd, to ordain and do whatsoever is Canoni al; and what thou shalt ordain, to bind by Ecclefiaftical Cenfure. Let none therefore, &c. In Confirmation whereof, &c. Given at Lateran ibis 4th Day of July.

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gay Saddles and Bridles ringing by the Way, and bimfelf in costly Clothes and pelure, and to fuffer their Wives and Children, and their poor Neighbours perifh for Hunger, Thirft and Cold, and other Mifchiefs of the World: Ab Lord Jefu Christ, fith within few Years Men paid their Tythes and Offerings at their own Will, free to good Men, and able to great Worbip of God, to profit aud fairness of holy Church fighting in Earth, why it were lawful and needful that a worldly Prieft should deftroy this holy and approved Custom, constraining Men to leave this Free-. dom, turning Tythes and Offerings unto wicked Ufes..

THAT the Meaning of these, and the Practice of this Nation in this Matter may the better be understood, it is needful to inform the Reader, that when the Pope's Doctrine was received in a Nation, that Nation was divided into fo many Bifhopricks as were needful,. and every Bishoprick into fo many Parishes as were thought convenient, and° Parishes are but of late Erection, and till then, moft Preachers were fent out of the Monafteries, and religious (fo called) Houses, and the People did at their own free Will, give their Tythes and Offerings where they pleased, which Liberty they enjoyed till about the Year 1200. And though it was generally believed that Tythes ought to be paid, yet did no Man claim any Property therein, but every Owner of the nine Parts, was required to give the tenth Part to the Prieft or Poor, as due unto God.

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BUT now the Pope having fet up Parifhes, did enjoyn, that a fecular Prieft canonically inftituted fhould attend the Service of each Parifh; and that where Tythes were not already fettled, they fhould be paid to the Parish Priest, notwithstanding any Custom to the contrary; the People then generally being Papists, did yield Obedience, as

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