A73023:238
M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in…
M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Stourbridge Fair. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignity of the ministry: delivered publicly in the University of Cambridge. With a preface prefixed touching the publishing of all such works of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the particulars [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Sturbridge Faire. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie: deliuered publiquely in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. With a preface præfixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the perticulers [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.
London: printed by T. Creede for William Welby, 1605
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But as popish Abbeys stole them, so a popish State kept them, and to their shame some of the good Professors of our Religion have of late restored such as were in their hands, and there is hope that all our Professors, (unless they care not to be accounted hypocrites) will make some conscionable restitution We do not crave that they would with Zacheus restore four-fold (though it is apparent, that the 1tenths were got from us in old time, by most false and forged Cavillations) we only crave our own, we would ask no more, nor willingly take less: for our whole duty is still required: then why should not our whole due be paid? And yet that the world may learn of us contentedness, as well by our practise as our doctrine, we would for the present take in good part, & rest contented with a part of our own: And some competent portions out of the Impropriations, (proportioned to the quantity of the charge imposed, and the gifts and pains required) would for a time be a reasonable satisfaction in our Ministry, until our state found it self, either better enabled or more straightly tied in Conscience to full restitution. ⟨image 105⟩But as I said, this is a work of God himself, for if a man could do it so many Parliaments would not have slipped it, but some of them would have eternized it self, with this honourable name to all posterities. The Parliament that restored Impropriations, but till that, or some other course (as good) be taken▪ it is both unseasonable and unreasonable to complain of the Ignorant, or to crave a learned Ministry. For shall the Ox's mouth be muzzled, 2which treads out the corn, or shall a man go to war at his own cost? and hath not God ordained (mark, it is his Ordinance) that those which teach the Gospel, shall live of the Gospel? But alas, how shall the Ministry of England live of the Gospel, when my small experience can show that in one Corner of one County of this Kingdom, wherein there are some 105. parishes, or parochial Chapels, 3almost a 100. of them, (if not a full 100.) are Impropriate: and amongst them I can show the most parishes have but 10 pound or thereabouts some 8. li some 6. li. some •. li some four pounds, some not 4. pounds yearly living for the Minister and those impropriations worth some 300. li many 200. li. almost all 100 li. per an yea there is one worth 400 pound per an: where there were but 8 li.