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the Health of his own Soul, and the Souls of his Ancestors See Selden, &c. ibid.

It appears alfo out of the Charter of the Monaftery of Reding in Herefordshire, in the time of King John; that Walter Clifford, for the Health of his Father's Soul, and of his Wife and Children, gave the whole Tenth of Hamenesca unto the Church of Lemster as the Author aforefaid informs me. Ibid,

Yet it was long before People were reftrained from giving their Tithes where, or to what place they pleas'd, which made many Rich Abbies and Monafteries, &c. Till about the Year 1200. or thereabouts, when every one gave his Tithe at his pleasure, which made Pope Innocent the Third, fend his Decretal Epistle to the Bishop of Canterbury, Commanding him to enjoyn every Man to pay his Temporal Goods to him that miniftred Spiritual Things to him, which was enforced by Ecclefiaftical Cenfures: Thus began Parochial Payment of Tithes in England; this Decretal Epiftle being then admitted, and enjoyned by the Law of the Nation, King and People being then Papifts; fee Fr. Howgill, &c. p. 571.

This Decree of the Pope was greatly affifted by the Bishops and Priests, in whose behalf it was made, and did fo corrupt the Clergy, that Wickliff, that Famous Reformer, in Richard the Second's time, complains to the Parliament, in thefe words: Ah, Lord God, where this be • Reason to constrain the Poor People to find a Worldly

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a Worldly Prieft, fomtime unable both of Life and Cunning, in Pomp and Pride, Covetife and Envy, Gluttony, Drunkenness and Lechery, in Simony and Herefie, with fat Horfes and jolly, and gay Saddles and Bridles, ringing by the way, and himself in coftly Cloaths and Pelure; and to fuffer their Wives and Children, and their poor Neighbours, perifh for Hunger, Thirst and Cold, and other Mifchiefs of the World. Ah, Lord Jefu Chrift, fith within few Years Men paid their Tithes and Offerings at their own Will, free to good Men, and able to great Worship of God, to profit and fairnefs of Holy Church fighting in Earth; where it were lawful and needful, that a Worldly Priest should deftroy this holy and approv'd Custom, conftraining Men to leave this Freedom, turning Tithes and Offerings unto wicked Ufes. Selden, &c. c. 10.

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And in the Days of Henry II. Nicolas Fitz Turold gave the Tithes in Chiltune to the Monaftery at Abingdon; the Form and Contents of his Donation runs thus:

Be it known to thofe that are prefent, and to thofe that fhall fucceed, that I Nicolas, the Son of Turold, for the Salvation of my Soul, and my Parents, &c. have granted to the Church at Abingdon, to be held 'for ever, the Tithes of all my Land, which I poffefs in the Village of Chiltune, Selden, &c. c. 11.

See another, I William Albiney do grant

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unto God, and to Saint Andrew of Rochester, and to the Monks having Residence there, all my Tithes, &c. for the Soul of King Wil • liam, and for the Soul of King Henry, and for my own Soul, and for the Soul of my Father and Mother, and for my Wife, and for my Brother Neale, and for my Nephew Humphry, and for the Souls of my other Parents, alive and dead, Selden, &C. C. II. Again, Know all Men, that I Payne Sheriff of Surrey, do give and grant the Tithes of Geddinges, which my Ancestors gave to God, and to the Church of St. Andrew of Rochester, 'for the Soul of my Father and Mother, and for me and my Wife, and the fame Church hath granted unto me, that after our Death, the Anniversary of me, and of my Wife, 'fhall Yearly be performed for ever. Thus a former Grant was confirm'd.

Again, Richard Trefgez confirm'd to God, and the Church of bleffed Mary of Boxgrave, and to the Monks there ferving God, for the Salvation of his Soul, and of his Wife ⚫ and Predeceffors, that Mafs fhould be Celebrated thrice a Week in the forefaid Church, for his Soul, his Wife's Soul, and the Souls of his Father and Mother, and Ancestors, ⚫ all the Donations which his Father had given, as well in Lands as in Tithes: Moreover, The gave all the small Tithes of his Mannor of Hamptunete, of Lambs, Calves,Foals, Chickens, Pigs, Geefe, Wool, Cheese, Apples, Fruit; in a word, of whatfoever was Titheable; Selden, ibid.

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Now the Pope's Doctrine being received, and Tithes, as is mentioned, given, and for what, and to whom the Pope would, the Nation was divided into Bishopricks, Parishes, &c.. For before that, moft Preachers were fent out of Religious Honfes, fo called, and People gave their Tithes where they pleafed: But after Parishes were fettled, then the Prieft of the Parish must have the Tithes paid to him; and tho' they had long before been a free Gift; yet now they were claim'd as a Debt, and Prescription pleaded by the Priests, as their Just Title. But People feeing themselves run into a Snare, fome began to contend, but all too late for the Pope being grown great, thundred out his Interdict against this Nation, Excommunicated the King, Affrighted the Subjects with his Bulls, ftuff'd with Comminations and Curfes, and that against the very point of Arbitrary Difpofal of Tithes; and the Pope did highly infult over Kings and Princes about this time; witnefs Frederick Barbaroffa, Henry 6. and King John, and fome others, as Histories mention. So that by the Power of the Pope, Parochial Payment came to be fettled; yet notwithstanding that, the English Parliament, not willing, wholly to forget the Poor, for whofe fakes Tithes were chiefly given, did make divers Laws, that a convenient Portion of the Tithes fhould be fet apart for the Poor of the Parish for ever, as in the Statutes of Richard the Second, 15. 6. and the 4th of Henry the Fourth. Fr. Howgill, &c. p. 578.

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Now after the Pope had thus brought in Tithes, the Priests pretended a Legal Title to them, set up Courts, call'd Ecclefiaftical Courts, which remain to this day, amongst them that fay they are Reform'd, to recover their Tithes by; and the Priests themselves being Judges, the People might well think what might be expected from them; yet they that did not pay, no greater Punishment did the Priefts at that time inflict upon them, than Excommunication. And yet, notwithstanding this General Decree, the Pope did difpence with, and give Exemption to divers Orders of his Clergy, fo called, to free them from Payment, as the Hofpitallers, Templars, and generally to all Lands belonging to thofe call'd Religious Perfons and Houses, which is the reason that divers Perfons at this day have Lands that are Tithe-free.

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So the Pope, by colour of the Jewish Law, by which Tithes were given to the Leviti cal Priesthood, gained an Univerfal Payment of them to all his Clergy; and in Imitation of that Earthly Tabernacle, fet up a New Building, after the former Pattern; and therefore to himself he claims the First Fruits and Tenths, as a Succeffor of the Jewish High Prieft: Sins alfo he undertakes to Pardon, and appoints Cardinals, as Leaders of Families; Miters are ordain'd for the Head, as Aaron had, and Synagogues built, falfly called Churches, with Altars, like the Jews, and with Organs, and Inftruments of Mufick, with Singers and Porters, &c.

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