Whatsoever privileges be granted unto you of the church of Rome: yet do I not think that it is expedient for you to do any thing that is against your conscience,1 or to usurp the thing which is none of yours, what if ye had a commandment from that see of Rome, that wheresoever ye find Clerks, priests or monks riding, it should be lawful for you to unhorse them and to set them besides the saddle,2 yea and to retain the horses unto your own uses? Were it right and according to good conscience that ye should thus do? What difference is there, whether ye take away the horses or ⟨p. 44⟩the tithes, but that the tenth is a spiritual matter, and therefore it is a more grievous sin to steal away the tithes than the horses, yea it is plain sacrilege, and an utter robbing of god and of his Ministers? When God commandeth that tithes should be paid, who can give a dispensation contrary to his commandment? When the law of God commandeth one thing, and mans madness willeth the contrary: in this point we must obey God more than men. And when there be two laws, an outward and an inward law: verily the inward law ought to prevail and take place before the outward law evermore: and that which a pure and clear conscience saith unto me, ought more to be regarded, than the outward commandment of any man, yea it ought to put away and to make of no force all manner of indulgences, privileges, grants, immunities, liberties, freedoms, &c. Whatsoever they be that man granteth. If the Children of Israel at the commandment ⟨image 74⟩of the Lord for recompense of their long service, which they did to the unthankful Egyptians, toke away from them their vessels of Gold & Silver: yet is it not mete, that you should draw this unto your purpose, except ye be able to show, that the Lord hath commanded you thus to do, again, that you have long served us as Egyptians. It is therefore better for you and more seemly, that you cast away this your covetous ambition,3 which greatly disgraceth the titles of your holiness, and that you cause the people no more thus to speak evil of you, and to be offended with this your doings for the unjust retaining of transitory things. Woe be unto them, by whom offence cometh. Neither be ye of this opinion,4 that your condition or state of living should in any point be hindered through the restitution of other mens goods.
Whatsoeuer priuileges be graunted vnto you of the churche of Rome: yet doe I not thynke that it is expedient for you to do any thyng that is agaynste your conscience,1 or to vsurpe ye thyng which is none of yours, what if ye had a commaundement from that see of Rome, that whersoeuer ye finde Clerkes, priestes or monkes ryding, it should be lawfull for you to vnhorse thē and to set them besides the saddle,2 yea and to retayn the horses vnto your own vses? Were it ryght and accordyng to good conscience that ye shuld thus doe? What difference is there, whether ye take awaye the horses or ⟨p. 44⟩the tythes, but that the tenth is a spiritual matter, and therfore it is a more greuous synne to steale awaye the tythes than the horses, yea it is playne sacrilege, and an vtter robbyng of god and of hys Ministers? When God cō maundeth that tythes should be payd, whoe can geue a dispensation contrarye to hys commaundemente? When the lawe of God commaundeth one thyng, and mans madnesse willeth the contrarye: in thys pointe we muste obeye God more than men. And when there be two lawes, an outwarde and an inwarde lawe: verely the inwarde lawe ought to preuayle and take place before the outwarde lawe euermore: and that which a pure and clere conscience sayth vnto me, ought more to be regarded, than the outward commaū demente of any man, yea it ought to put awaye and to make of no force all manner of indulgences, priuileges, grauntes, immunities, liberties, freedomes, &c. Whatsoeuer they be that man graunteth. If the Children of Israel at the commaundement ⟨image 74⟩of the Lorde for recompence of theyr long seruice, which they did to the vnthankfull Egiptians, toke away from them theyr vessels of Golde & Siluer: yet is it not mete, that you shuld draw this vnto your purpose, excepte ye bee able to shewe, yt the Lorde hath commaunded you thus to doe, agayn, that you haue long serued vs as Egiptians. It is therefore better for you and more semely, yt you cast away this your couetous ambition,3 which greatly disgraceth the titles of your holinesse, and yt you cause the people no more thus to speake euil of you, and to be offended with thys your doings for the vniuste retayning of transitorye thynges. Wo be vnto them, by whom offence commeth. Neyther bee ye of this opinion,4 that your condition or state of liuyng shuld in any point be hyndred through the restitution of other mens goodes.
- 1Note well.
- 2They that pay no tithes to their pastor, because their lands are impropriate, are thieves, robbers, st•alers and con mitres of Sacrilege. Acts, v.They that paye no ty•hes to their pastore, bycause their landes are impropriate, are theues, robbers, st•alers and cō mitters of Sacrilege. Actes, v.
- 3Exo. xii.
- 4Mat. xviii.
