Letter to a Person of Quality
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A81836.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
A LETTER TO A PERSON of QUALITY, Concerning the FINES Received by the CHURCH AT ITS RESTORATION, WHEREIN, By the instance of One of the Richest CATHEDRALS a very fair guess may be made at the Receipts and Disbursements of All the Rest.
By a Prebend of the Church of Canterbury.
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1668.
CANTERBURY 1668.
SIR,
LAtely when you honored me with a visit in Canterbury, we fell upon a discourse of Cathedrals; of which your short stay did not allow us to say enough for our mutual satisfaction. Did I want that Introduction to entertain you upon that subject, yet I could think of no fitter person, either for ingenuity or place to deliver my thoughts unto. They are at this present renewed by a malignant Writer, who hath cast a groundless and undeserved Odium upon Cathedral -men, to work their ruin, and that of the Cathedral Churches with them. He misrepresents their Persons and their Emoluments, depressing the Persons, and heightening the Emoluments, both immeasurably beyond truth and reality. He Characteriseth the men low in their condition and in their interests, covetous, and undeservedly rewarded. He finds fault with the King for not seizing upon the Arrears of their Fines before their admission. Saith that they got vast Emoluments, such as never were and are never like to be again: That those excessive riches were thrown upon them undeservedly, and provokes against them the envy of others as deserving better of the King.
If by the lowness of their condition he understands their shortness in means, and makes poverty a vice, he ought to remember that they were brought to that condition by men of his gang, who sequested them for being guilty of Loyalty to their Sovereign. And that whereas those of the Laity that were in the same guilt were admitted to compound for their Estates, Clergymen were deprived of their Livings, and kicked out of their Houses. If their enemies be grieved at their preferment, let them blame themselves for bringing them to such a low condition as made them especial objects of the Royal compassion.
If by the lowness of their condition he means that of their extraction: Let that Gentleman (if he be one) know that most of them are not inferior in blood to them that would bring them low. By the nobleness of their spirits in the hardest trials they have expressed that of their Birth and Education. But it is part of their calling to rejoice in their Lowness, since it is a conformity with Christ their great Master.
As for lowness of Interests we know well enough that our old Persecutors, who are now acting under new Vizards, would have us so disinteressed in the State by our Poverty, that we should look unconcernedly upon public actions and alterations, as having nothing to lose. But whether poor or rich, we are high in Interest for the public prosperity, upon the account of Conscience; and have shown so much by throwing off all other interesses for it.
Our undaunted constancy, great and long Sufferings, and loyal actings, clear us of the other imputation of being undeservedly rewarded: wherein his Majesty's wisdom and Equity is more taxed than we. Neither can we be justly blamed as Covetous for enjoying his Royal bounty, and using the rights of our places. The most part of the Dignitaries advanced at his Majesty's blessed return, were persons that had lost their Estates for his glorious Fathers service: Couragious Holy men, who by their unwearied labors and the authority of their Piety, had kept the most part of the English subjects in their duty to God and the King, against the prevalency of the reigning Rebellion. Many of them had fought with their Pens against the usurping Powers, to the great danger of their lives; which to save, they lived either in exile abroad, or shifting from place to place in the three Kingdoms. If after their long tugging against the Tyranny, they were rewarded by their long desired Sovereign with some of the Churches goods, those goods were set in their proper place, and cannot but injuriously be said to be thrown upon such men undeservedly.
BUt they were vast Emoluments and excessive riches, saith the Libeller. So are all Church goods, wheresoever Envy is the Controller, how little soever there be in the Receivers Books. I can give account of no other Chapter but the Metropolitical of Canterbury, of which I have the honor to be a Member. This being the first, and one of the best endowed of the Kingdom; if those first and so enviously cried up Emoluments of twenty years in one were but reasonable at Canterbury, they could not be very Vast in other Cathedrals. Our Fines are divided equally, but that the Dean hath double the share of a Prebend. Now I can give you this true account, Sir, that of the total of that great In-come of our first Fines (deducting the reparation of the Church and our Present to our Royal Benefactor) the share of each of the twelve Canons was about eleven hundred pounds. Such a sum was no excessive reward for long Sufferers, and constant Actors in the Kings Cause; of which the most part of our Society consisteth. I am none of the greatest losers of the Clergy: Yet I may truly say that this Proportion did hardly amount to the third part of my losses, by Sequestration and other violences of the War. Such moderate showers falling upon Lands parched with a long drought, could not drench them to an Exuberancy, to leave pools above ground. The conditio • of my Brethren cannot be much different from mine. We have been long learning with St. Paul how to want, but have had no occasion as yet to learn how to abound. But the popular rumour that we have all the money of the Land, hath taught us another Doctrine,— est inter causas paupertatis opinio divitiarum. Certainly one of the great causes of poverty is to be esteemed rich; and another, to think ourselves obliged to justify that opinion.
It is hard to say, whether the Libeller shows more injustice or ignorance, when he wisheth that we had entered the present Honors and Revenues, and left the arrears for public accounts or good works. Were it granted that the Revenue of the Church without Fines is sufficient for us to keep Hospitality, and maintain the Choir, the Officers, the Schools, and the Almsmen of the Foundation, (of which we find it very short.) What had become of ours and all the Cathedral Churches, if all the Fines had been taken from them before the admission of the Canons? That of Canterbury (though much defaced by Culmer and the Fanatick Soldiers, and decayed by a neglect of well nigh twenty years) was more entire than most Cathedrals in England when we came to it: Yet in the year 1664 we found that the reparations of it stood us in Twelve thousand pounds, all that expense arising out of Fines. But for the Fines, all the Cathedrals of the Kingdom by this time had been heaps of Ruines. Without the Fines these great Fabrics, the greatest of Europe cannot yet be preserved from ruin. And it is that ruin, and another following upon it of a better Church than the Material, which such men as the Libeller aim at, when they cry out against Fines, and would have them converted to other uses. God keep the Church from such Stewards; and enrich us with a better Patrimony of the Church than this Temporal, which brings little plenty, and breeds much Envy. It is the prayer,
Sir,
Of Your affectionate humble Servant, P. D-M.