Of the fabrique of the Church and church-mens liuings. By William Tooker Doctor in Diuinitie, his Maiesties chaplaine in ordinarie.

CHAP. 3. Of paritie or equalitie and imparitie of mens liuings. (Book 3)

FRom parity or imparity of mens gifts springeth parity or imparity of mens liuings; for al∣though some are so ma∣leuolent and iniurious to allot an equa∣litie in the assignment of Church li∣uings, yet none I hope shall be found so vnconscionable to allow that which is absolutely incompetent for an Ec∣clesiasticall liuing. A necessary proui∣sion must be made for all, and this ma∣xime or rule is generall: He that mi∣nistreth about holy things, may eat of the things of the Temple; euen so the Lord hath commanded those which preach the Gospell, to liue on the Go∣spell. He that waiteth on the altar, must liue on the altar or partake with altars oblations. No man planteth a vineyard,* 1.1 but eateth of the fruit. No man feedeth a flocke, but eateth of the milke of his flocke. No man goeth

to this Spirituall warfare at his owne charge.* 1.2 The law of Nature teacheth this, and Moses law also, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the oxe that trea∣deth out the corne. Hath God care of oxen and hath he not much more care of men? If we sow spirituall things, we are worthy of carnall. Consent of all nations is the law of Nature. In the Schoole of Naturall reason this is taught: They that watch ouer vs, and labour for vs, must be recompensed by vs. For this cause we pay tribute vnto Kings; wages or stipends vnto Soul∣diers; salary vnto Iudges; tithes vnto Clergy-men: because the King gouer∣neth all; the Souldier fighteth for all; the Iudge or learned Lawyer heareth & determineth all; the Leuite & Priest prayeth for & preacheth vnto all, cate∣chiseth & instructeth all. Let him that is catechized make him that catechi∣seth partaker in all his goods or in all good things.* 1.3 Hierom super 3. Mallachy.* 1.4 Quod qui facere noluerit, Domini fraudat & supplantat. He that will not do this, defraudeth God, &c. We must giue

to God that which is Gods:* 1.5 giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars. There is no nation so barbarous that will robbe his Gods, no people or generation so pernicious and hurtfull to godlinesse, that wil professedly robbe the seruants and Ministers of his or their God.

Tithes, oblations, donations are not the goods, or debts of the Church∣men or Clergy as they are either good or bad Clergie-men, but as they are, simply Clergie-men: vnlesse therefore Christian men will be worse than hea∣then, they are bound in conscience and constrained by the law of God, to pay their due to Gods Ministers, that God may for paiment of the tenth part send downe his blessing vpon the other nine parts: especially open the win∣dowes of heauen and powre downe his spirituall raine and blessing. This matter being controuersilesse, That tithes praediall and personall of all and euery sort belong to Church-men by all lawes; that lands, and glebes, and houses, as to the Leuites of olde, cities, and suburbes and fields; so to the Le∣uites

of the New testament, by the li∣beralitie and endowments of Princes and other zealously deuoted persons appertaine, all which maketh for a per∣petuitie and establishment of good things thorowout all generations, and for a thankeful reknowledgement that we haue all receiued these and many moe good things from the hand of heauen I will insist no longer in this matter, whereof all books diuine and humane, all stories Ecclesiasticall and prophane are full fraught.

Sithence therefore no question is to be stirred about this, videlicet, That a portion of our substance is due to ho∣ly Church and to such as attend the seruice of God: it will rather be que∣stioned, What portion is due, and how it should be proportioned which is payable to the Ministers, whether to all alike it ought to be equally distributed, sith all are equally Ministers touching the essence of the Ministery, and do all mi∣nister about holy things; or whether some must haue more, and some lesse, sith all are one mans seruants, that is,

God and man, the man Iesus Christ, And whether it be not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an acceptation of persons or iniustice for Aequalibus inaequalia tribuere aut in aequa∣libus aequalia, to distribute to those who are equall vnequall things, or to vne∣quall persons equall things; that is to accept the persons of men, which is an opposite and repugnant to distributiue Iustice. First heare, that it may be bet∣ter vnderstood, in laying out the equa∣litie, and casting forth the line and le∣uell of this distribution of liuings of the Church, the eye of ciuill or eccle∣siasticall Iustice must bee fixed vpon the magnitude or exiguitie, vpon the greatnesse or smallnesse of mens me∣rits, that he that meriteth more should alwayes haue more, he that meriteth lesse should haue lesse reward: of which equalitie the Law it selfe ought to be the keeper and obseruer. And this may be termed a proportionable e∣qualitie, not absolute nor Arithmetical which is very neere Anabaptisticall, which distinction is once fit to be layd downe, because there is often vse of

the same in the businesse now in hand. Benefices Ecclesiasticall, are like in this to Benefices Military or secular. For as such are giuen to souldiors and seruiters in the warre for their faithfull and trustie seruices, so these Ecclesia∣sticall or sacred Benefices to men or∣deined to the Ministerie for the better execution of their sacred Ministerie and holy offices, and are also remu∣nerations of their painefull studies: In Militarie affaires, all that serued re∣ceiued not one and the same reward: but different honour, wages, or sti∣pend, more or lesse pay: a common souldior had not like entertainement to a Captaine, to a Lieutenant or Co∣lonell and the rest, in and after seruice done, the Generall of the field or Em∣perour diuided vnto them as euerie man was more or lesse forward or me∣ritorious: witnesses vnto this (after the battell) the maner of the auncient Romanes, which was Ob ciues seruatos, for Citizenssaued in time of warres, to giue garlands or crownes, some laurell, other of oken leaues, or holme or such

like, some of golde, or to giue orna∣mēts, as iewels, chaines, besides the sti∣pend or pay due vnto them:* 1.6 Now yee know the service of God is called a warfare, & none ought to go this war∣fare on his owne charge, but must be prouided for by the Church, which Church is a vineyard: euery dresser of a vineyard is not of like skill & indu∣strie. The Church is a flocke, and Mi∣nister a shepheard, but all shepheards haue not like hire or wages, or are of like desert or paines taking; Iacob kept Labans sheepe & his own; and for his painful seruice had double reward and encrease of reward. Some flocks are greater then other, and must be com∣mitted to more discreet and watchfull ouerseers: Euen so in Benefices or pastorall charges, the greater cures are to be deliuered ouer to the wiser and learneder persons.

A Benefice therefore (which is by definitiona 1.7 a matter Ecclesiasticall gi∣uen to a Clergie-man to be vsed of him perpetually for his sacred ministe∣rie) whether it taketh denomination

of a benefit receiued, or of a charge or benefit giuen, importeth thus much: That Benefices of what quality or con∣dition soeuer, can not be equalled: it followeth then that benefices haue bin alwayes proportioned according to that same proportionable equalitie not strict or absolute, hauing an eye respe∣ctiuely looking vpon the deserts of Ec∣clesiasticall men. Some Benefices haue title of dignitie, as Bishopricks, Arch∣deaconry and the like: some haue cure of soules without dignitie annexed to them, as Parsonages: some neither ti∣tle of dignitie nor cure of soules, but simply so called. Amongst which a∣gaine, some are of more eminency and ornament, other of inferiour and low∣er degre. Such as are more conspicu∣ous are prebends or the Canons of Ca∣thedrall churches: such as are lesse are rurall Prebends so called. Some Be∣nefices haue actual or habituall cure of soules, other haue cure habitually, and are discured actually; other neither actually nor habitually, but vtterly dis∣cured: yet neuerthelesse retaine the

name of Benefices in a generalitie, as our impropriations. Bishopricks and Archdeaconries are Benefices with ti∣tle of dignitie, vnto both which are annexed Iurisdictionall power and au∣thoritie: some other Benefices with dignitie, as Deanries, Chantorships, Chancellorships, and Treasurerships, for the most part are dignities (as the custome of the Church doth beare it) without any Iurisdiction: all wich in∣equallitie is not disagreeing from Ec∣clesiasticall policie or administration, and may serue for the better constitu∣tion of Cathedrall churches, and other Collegiat or not Collegiat churches or Parishes: so that many of these are dignities, but none are indignities, whosoeuer shall vndergoe the burthen and charges of them.

If we shall looke into the Aaroni∣call race of Priests and into the Leuiti∣call order, it was according to impari∣tie not paritie. To descend and goe lower, if we shall looke backe vpon the Primitiue times of the Apostolicall men, the times of Martyrs, and the

next succeeding times, we shall easilie finde superioritie, and inferioritie, and imparitie of liuings. If we shall vnfold the memorie of former times in our Church, and the ancient practise, we shal plainly see an allotment of church liuings according to inequality, and that by the wisedome and discreet di∣stribution of the Bishop: all which is matter worthy the deduction; for the Bishop and all his Clergie liued first in a kind of communitie in the city (for in the cities were Bishops Seas first plan∣ted) whereof he bare the name of a Bi∣shop. He and they going abroad at certeine most conuenient and requisit times to preach and minister the Sa∣craments in the territorie adioyning. At what time all Church reuenues of the whole diocesse, whether lands gi∣uen by the liberalitie of Princes, or tithes, oblations or legacies giuen by the people, were in common amongst all, but at the distribution of the Bi∣shop to be diuided vnto all according to a proportion of their paines and la∣bour: one part was emploied, pro men∣sa

episcopali, for the Bishops hospitali∣ty; another part to mainteine the com-Presbyterie and those of the Clergie; the third, for building or repairing the Churches in the citie and Churches of the countrey; the fourth part for re∣demption of Captiues, reliefe of the poore, and for other godly vses. The Bishops then seemed to haue had a large part, videlicet, one fourth part, as much to his owne part as all the Cler∣gie had to their part: which part or portion of the Clergies was not so proportioned to euery man equally or alike, but as the Bishop liked, who in reuenewes of the Church in title as a kinde of proprietarie, of himselfe did set downe euery mans part. But after all this, when diuers godly men vpon their zeale and deuotion to the glorie of God and seruice of his Church, and the rather induced and lead thereunto to haue the nomination of a Minister, had erected and endowed diuers chur∣ches in seuerall places farre distant in their countreys: insomuch that so ma∣ny multiplied seuerall parishes could

not conueniently and in due season be so often and orderly respected by those whole speciall attendance was about the Bishop, the generall Pastor of the Diocesse, sauing at certaine times, and that the former communitie beganne, partly by multitude of the Clergie thronged together in one place, and partly for other inconueniences to be no lesse troublesome than enuious. Then followed hereupon in the most parts of the world of Christianitie, a diuision ratable of all Church-reue∣nues: so that the Bishop and the Cler∣gie which was to remaine in the Ca∣thedrall church of the chiefe citie, and the Clergy of the Diocesse besides had their portions allotted vnto them, but not by any Arithmeticall equality. out of which euery one of them seuerally besides their owne maintenance, was afterwards to defray for the fabricke of their Churches, & reliefe of the poore, as their abilities did stretch.

My Illatiue therefore is, the Bishop (as a common Pastor of the whole Di∣ocesse, as the common law at this day

doth account him) did call other Mi∣nisters in partem sollicitudinis, into a part of the charge: the Bishop by instituti∣on of them into seuerall Churches, and the reuenues thereof, did inuest them into a title of that part of the glebe and tithes, &c. which was rec∣koned as his owne before: Howbeit at the presentation of the Founders or Patrons to whom the Canons gaue the preheminence in regard of their cost bestowed, the Bishops did not in∣stitute them who were of equalitie of gifts, the Patrons presented not their Clerks to an equalitie of liuings: It see∣meth euery Clerke was accommoda∣ted as was fit for euery Clerke. If the originall Patrons did present any, their presentation was no maine bar to other incident preferments. How church liuings fell into so many fractions, I list not now to rehearse: it seemeth the re∣medy found out for so many incompe∣petencies & insufficiencies of Cler∣gie mens estate, was fauor of the law, and the priuiledge of pluralities.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Cor. 9.
• * 1.2

  Deut. 25.4.
• * 1.3

  Gal. 6.6. v.
• * 1.4

  Hierony. super 3. Mal.
• * 1.5

  August. 129. serm. super eum locum.
• * 1.6

  Virgil. aurea pectoribus de∣missa monili pendent.
• a 1.7

  Beneficium estres Ecclesi∣astica quae sa∣cerdoti vel cle∣rico ob sacrum ministerium v∣tenda in perpe∣tuum concedi∣tur. Duaren. l. 2. de sacr. Eccl. Minist. ac Beneficijs.