A retrospect into the Kings certain revenue annexed to the crown under the survey of His Majesties court exchequer : with the proceedings upon two sevral petitions presented to His Majesty, concerning the chauntry rents, &c. and the first fruits, and tenths of the clergy ... / by George Carew.

The Originall of the POPE's Usurpation over CHRISTIAN PRINCES.

AS to the English Monarchical Government (under which our Lives, Liberties, and Estates are best secured by Magna charta, and the Petition of Right) it is agreed there is but one man Supream, all others act under his name, by commi∣sion? The Clergie being subordinate to the Prince, having the superiority over them, do submit themselves to his Go∣vernment in all things according to Gods commands; knowing there is no power but of God, and they are ordained of God; That Kings are the Lords Anointed, his Image upon Earth, Nursing Fathers of the Church, and Princes of the people of God. The Pope or Bishop of Rome usurped his Authority of late times: Emperours and King's formerly elected, degraded, and censured them. Theodoret imployed John the first Bishop of Rome in the nature of an Embassador to Ju∣stinian the Emperour, and for exceeding his Commission, he kept him in Prison until he dyed. In the year 679. Pope Agatho besought the Emperour to forgive him the Tribute which the Pope of Rome usually payd for his Consecration. One Almaine Emperour chose Pope Leo the eight, John the Fourteenth, and Benedict the Fifth, and so successicely▪ but as the Emperours did fall, so the Popes did rise: The Pope himselfe will rather renounce the succession of Peter, then the Donation of Charlemane.

The Church of Rome, once a Member of the true Catholick Church, is fallen from the Principles of the Apostolick, and primitive puritie, both in Doctrine, and Manners, and came to that swelling greatness by six steps Gradatim. The first, by Constantines departing from Rome to Constantinople. The Second by the fall of the Empire in the West. The Third, by the donation of Phocas. The Fourth, by the voluntary Charter, that the Emperour of Constantinople made to Benedict the Second, In the Year 684. The Fifth, by the amity between Zachary Bishop, of Rome, and King Pipin of France, In the Year 751. The Sixth and last step, by the Constitution of Seven Electours, by Gregory the Fifth a Germane born, and Kinsman to Ot••o the Emperour. So the Beast that Obscurely sprung up, increased and became insolently Triumphant over Kings, and Emperours; and sent their Popish innovasions of Doctrine, and discipline into England i•• the Saxons time. A Foundation layd in Blood, Treason, and Rapine, cannot support a Fabrick from falling to the ground.

IT is in vain to read the Desputations and Volumnes of Bellarmine, and others that writ in the defence of the Church of Rome, that swept away the mony of England under Colour of indulgencies, that caused the Com∣mon people to rob their Children to Inrich the Fryars, and make their posterity poor by such Charity and Devotion, not by the Scripture required: The Church of God is built upon his name and word, that unmoveable Rock; The keys of heaven are Faith, and good works. The people are admitted in, or kept out of the Church by the Ministers of the Gospel, according to the ordinances of God. The Prophets foretold the Jews of a Messiah to re-establish a∣mongst them the Kingdome of God, which was rejected by them in the time of Samuel? This expectation made them obnoxious to impostures, that have had the Ambition and art (by plausible, and false Doctrines) to attempt, and de∣ceive the people: Christ himselfe, and the Apostles forewarned them of such false Prophets, and told them further, that his Kingdom was not of this world; that the Kings of Nations had Dominion over their subjects, but his Kingdom purchased by his Blood, was not to be possessed untill his second comming. The Devil seeks, by suggesting a present Dominion, to weaken the Faith of Christians▪ Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles had Power given them to teach the people the Gospel, and the mysteries of their salvation, in the Faith of Christ, and him crucified; when Christian Sovereigns were Baptised into the Faith (by vertue of their office) they obliged themselves to preserve the Doctrine of Christ▪ God requiring the account from them, and at their hands, being not only Pater Patirae, but Pater Ecclesiae, therefore Tythes, the patrimony of the Church, should be maintained and kept inviolate by Kings the nursing fathers of the Church.

AMongst the Emperial laws was omitted, the punishment for killing their Fathers, supposing no man to be so hor∣rid••y impious and wicked to commit such an act of Paricide against the law of nature. It may be sayd as much, of

those men that Robbed and destroyed their mother, the Church of England; The Pope perswaded the Kings of England, that he was the universal Governour of the Church, and he received the revenue of first Fruits and Tenths from the Clergie which was due to the Crown, and the four orders of Fryars perswaded the people that tythes were given ex debito Charitatis, and not ex debito Justiciae to the Secular Preists, and so got several grants of them to themselves for their Spiritual labours, the other supernumerary orders of Monks and Nuns further perswaded the Layety to make Arbitrary Consecrations of Tythes to their Abbies, and Monastries, and to appropriate several Churches and Lands to their foundations of reputed Clergie, Who by allowing severall salaries to their stipendaries for serving the Cure, gave advantage to Covetous men (upon the dissolution to dispoyle the Church) who took grants of those impropriate Tythes, and turned them into Lay-••ees, which was done more through the defect of Councils then any force of Adversaries, in subjecting that Revenue of the Church to their humane titles, supposing the property that God hath in them might be changed to their own uses by such contracts. Whereupon several poor scandalous Livings have since made scandalous Ministers. That in many parts of the North, and West, of England, the Vicars are necessitated to sell Ale, or go to their day-labour, for the subsistance of themselves, and their Families. A grave Spaniard landing in King Edward the Sixths time, neer the Ruins of an old Abbie by the sea coast, perceived a poor Clergie-man hedging in of his Glebe land, the Spaniard to satisfie his curiosity, desired the Vicar to shew him his Church, demanding what was his maintenance, he told him he had twenty Nobles a Year, being some part of God's revenue and inheritance, which was reserved to himselfe; the Spaniard wept bitterly, and gave the poor Clergie-man all the mony he had, saying, That God had not been so provident for his Church in En∣gland as in other parts of the World.

Notes

• Pontifex Romanus cum minu•••• Dominationis suae ambitum vi∣••ere••, novum Ordinem societatis Jesu ad causa•••• suam sustentand•• ••••onstituit 〈◊〉〈◊〉 f••lsis illuminationi∣••us sive novis luminibus populo•• lementarunt & a legitimis Prin∣cipibus alienarunt.
• I••re••urando Deus in testem ad••ocatur, ad••oque illius attri∣butae ag••oscuntur, atque etiam perjur••i ••index accersitur.
• Christus hic munus regium non obiui•• sed id curavit ut homi∣n••s regeneratos & ad adventun•• suum secundum gloriosum, pr••∣parat••s haberet.
• Christus nullam hic potestatem regiam exercuit. S. Petrus decet debere nos subjectos esse cujus humanae ordinationi prop∣••••r Dominum; sive Regi ut ••••per-eminenti, sive Praeside∣••us, ut qui per e••m mittantur tum ad ultionem facinorosorum▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ad la••dem bene agentium▪ ••••goniam ita est voluntas Dei, ut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 agendo os obstruatis Desip••∣••••tium hominum ignorantiae. 1. ••p. ••. 2. v. 1••.
• In Concili•• Generali Vien••en∣si Ratum est Decretum contra Fratres Mendicantes; eorum∣que Doctrin••m perstrinxit In∣nocentius Quartus in Decretali∣bus in Aegliam transmissis, nbi appellantur isti novi Praedican∣tes, qui docent & predicant contranovum, & vetus Testa∣mentum. In Decre••o illo ••use Statuitur Decimas a Ministris praedicantibus & Ecclesiae Off••ciariis nequaquam esse ausere••d••s.