The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

And now follows the public and outward breach of this commandment in Church robbery. First, and that God himself finds fault with all, in Malac 3. where he charges them to have robbed him, wherein say they? in tithes and offerings ⟨p. 65⟩saith God, so that to take to ones self those things that God hath appointed to religious uses and for his service; that is to rob and spoil God himself, of that which he hath challenged unto himself. And in the Proverbs. Solomon saith it is an abomination to devour things sanctified. That is, to convert things sanctified and appointed for holy uses unto ones own private commodity, this is that which God abhors. So for things pertaining to the commonweal, that is an other kind of public robbery; when a man which hath the disposing & ordering of things that pertain to the commonweal and are to be used for the common good, will take them for themselves and make a private gain of them. This is a foul fault and an high degree of theft, so much the more heinous, because it is more general and a greater wrong, by how much it toucheth more, and because these be thieves in request, and robbers that are in credit, which deceive those that trust in them, and deal ill and unfaithfully with them that put confidence in them, which doth much aggravate the fault. For other kind of thieves those that take a purse by the way side, or that steal his sheep or Oxen out of his grounds, or pull his cloths of the hedge, they deceive no mans expectation, no man committed any thing in charge to them, nor looked for better at their hands; but he that is false to those which are his friends and rely upon, and untrusty to those that trust him, this is a right Judas a thief in a higher degree. These two are public, now for private stealth.

And now followes the publique and outward breach of this commandement in Church robberie. First, and that God himselfe finds fault with all, in Malac 3. where he charges them to haue robbed him, wherein say they? in tithes and offerings ⟨p. 65⟩saith God, so that to take to ones selfe those thinges that God hath appointed to religious vses and for his seruice; that is to rob and spoile God himselfe, of that which he hath challenged vnto himselfe. And in the Prouebs. Solomon saith it is an abhomination to deuoure things sanctified. That is, to conuert things sanctified and appointed for holy vses vnto ones owne priuate commoditie, this is that which God abhorres. So for thinges pertaining to the commonweale, that is an other kinde of publique robberie; when a man which hath the disposing & ordering of thinges that pertaine to the commonweale and are to be vsed for the common good, will take them for themselues and make a priuat gaine of them. This is a foule fault and an high degree of theft, so much the more hainous, because it is more generall and a greater wrong, by how much it toucheth more, and because these be theeues in request, and robbers that are in credit, which deceiue those that trust in them, and deale ill and vnfaithfully with them that put cōfidence in them, which doth much aggrauate the fault. For other kind of theeues those that take a purse by the way side, or that steale his sheepe or Oxen out of his grounds, or pulle his cloths of the hedge, they deceiue no mans expectatiō, no man committed any thing in charge to them, nor looked for better at their hands; but he that is false to those which are his friends and rely vpon, and vntrustie to those that trust him, this is a right Iudas a theefe in a higher degree. These two are publique, now for priuate stealth.