how great this man was unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils And verily they that are of the Sons of Levi who receive the office of the Priesthood have a Commandement to take Tithes of the People according to the Law that is of their brethren though they come out of the loyns of Abraham But he whose descent is not counted from them received Tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the Promises And without all contradiction the lisse is blessed of the better And here Men that die receive Tithes but there he received them of whom it is witnessed that he liveth And as I may so say Levi also who receiveth Tithes paid Tithes in Abraham For he was yet in the loynes of his Father when Melchisedec met him If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priesthood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priesthood should rise after the order of Melchisedec and not be called after the order of Aaron For the Priesthood being changed there is of necessity a change also of Law c. I shall draw my Observations Arguments concerning Tithes from both these Scriptures here recited and then answer the main if not sole Scripture objected against Tithes drawn from the cloze of the Apostles words 1. It is undeniable from these Texts that Abraham the Father of the Faithfull is the first person we precisely read of who gave and paid Tithes recorded both in the Old Testament and New for his greater honour and the imitation of all the faithfull under both Testaments 2. That he gave and paid Tithes to Melchisedec the first Priest of the most high God mentioned in sacred writ Who this Melchisedec should be there is great controversie among the Learned some affirming him to be Sem others a Canaanitish King and Priest of that Name and Dr. Griffith Williams very probably and strongly arguing him to be CHRIST himself then appearing to Abraham in his humane shape As Petrus Cunaeus held before him I shall not decide the Controversie certain it is he was either Christ himself or a real Type of Christs and his eternal Priest-hood as the Apostle oft resolves 3. That he was a Priest of a far antienter better and more excellent order than the Levitical Priest-hood and that this payment of Tithes was long before the Law given by Moses for payment of Tithes to the Levitical Priests and before their order instituted Therefore Tithes are not meerly nor originally in their own nature Jewish or Levitical as some rashly now a verr nor eternally abolished as such by Christs incarnation and Priesthood they being originally paid and given not to the Levitical Priests but to Mâ—lchisedec who was either Christ himself or a Type of him and his Priesthood not of Aarons 4. That this Melchisedec as he had neither beginning of daies so he had no end of life but was made like the Son of God and abideth a Priest continually in respect of the truth he typified as Christ himself doth of whom he was a Type who hath an endless life and because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood and is by the very oath of God made a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 6.20 7.3 8 13 15 16 17 21 24 25. Psal 110.4 Therefore Tithes being first paid to such an everliving everlasting unchangeable Priest and Priest-hood for the execution thereof may and ought to continue and abide for ever as long as the Priest and Priest-hood last and if so then Tithes are still due payable to the Ministers of Christ under the Gospel by all the Spiritual seed of faithfull Abraham as well as they were by all his Sonnes after the flesh to the Levitical or Aaronical Priest-hood whiles in being and that in the right of Christ they being Ambassadors representing his person beseeching men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 21. Forgiving men in tho person of Christ 2 Cor. 2.10 and in whose persons Christ himself still speaks unto men 2 Cor. 13.3 Whence Christ himself a verres Verily verily I say unto you he that receiveth whosoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Mat. 10.40 Luke 10.16 John 13.20 That whatever is given or paid to them for their Ministry is given and paid to himself Mat. 10.42 25.35 to 41. and is a Sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing unto God Philip. 4.18 5. That Abraham gave Tithes to Melchisedec for the execution of his Priestly office and that not in offring any carnal or Levitical Sacrifices to God for him upon an Altar but only for blessing him and rendring thanks and blessing to the most high God for his victory which being one chief part of the Ministers of the Gospels duty still continuing even to blesse the people to praise and blesse God for them and their successes in spiritual and temporal things Rom. 1.7 8 9. 10.24 1 Cor. 1.3 4 5. 16.23 2 Cor. 1.1 2 3. 9.10 11. 13.14 Gal. 1.2 6.18 Ephes 1.1 2 3 16 17 18. 3.14 to the end 6.23 24. Phil. 1.2 3 4. 4.20 23. Col. 1.2 3 9 to 14. 4.18 1 Thess 1.1 2 3. 2.13 5 23 28.2 Thess 1.2 3 11 12. 2.13 16 17. 3.18 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Heb. 13.25 1 Pet. 1.2 3 4. 5.14 2 Pet. 1.2 Revel 5.12 13. as likewise to blesse the Sacramental bread and wine for their use 1 Cor. 10.16 Mat. 26.26 typifyed as most hold by the bread and wine Melchisedec brought forth to Abraham is a convincing Argument to me that Tithes are no way Levitical or Jewish in their primitive institution or intrinsecal nature but rather Evangelical and are as justly due and payable by all believing sons and children of faithfull Abraham to the Ministers of the Gospel for blessing them and praying blessing praysing God for them and other Ministerial duties as they were by Abraham to Melchisedec for performing the self-same Priestly duties towards him 6. That the scope of the Apostle in the Hebrews being to prove the Honour Dignity Excellency of the order of Melchisedecs and by consequence of our Saviours Priest-hood above Aarons he useth this as one demonstration thereof 1. That he received Tithes of the Patriarch Abraham himself Heb. 7.2 4 to 11. whereas the Levitical Priests received Tithes only of their Brethren that came out of the loynes of Abraham 2. That even Levi himself who received Tithes of his Brethren paid Tithes in Abraham being then in his Fathers loynes to Melchisedec as his superior yea even as the Levits under the Law paid the tenth of their Tithes to the Priests as their superiours Numb 18.26 27 28. And this payment of Tithes to Melchisedec he recites in the
it follows by necessary consequence and let those who are guilty consider it seriously in the fear of God with trembling and astonishment that the opposing oppressing defrauding the Ministers of the Gospel in their deserved settled hire wages or the detaining all or any part of their antient just established Dues Tithes Revenues from them especially out of covetousnesse spite obstinacy or malice against their very callings is as great as crying as damnable a sin oppression unrighteousness and will bring down as grievous curses plagues judgements upon all those who are culpable thereof as the defrauding oppressing of the hired servant or labourer of or in his hire or detaining their wages from them when due as will undeniably appear by Deut. 24.14 15. Levit. 19 13. Gen. 31.7 Mal. 3.5 Jam. 4.1 to 5. compared with Mal. 3.8 9.10 11. Nehem. 13.10 11. and is a sin against all these Scriptures which all detainers of Ministers Dues Tithes may do well to read and ponder IV. The truth of this Proposition is ratifyed by the Apostle Pauls resolution who thus prosecutes our Saviours forecited words and seconds his argument in 1 Tim. 5.17 18. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially those that labour in the word and Doctrine For the Scripture saith Deut. 25.4 Thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn. And the Labourer is worthy of his hire relating to Mat. 10.10 and Luke 10.7 forecited In which words the Holy Ghost by the Apostle positively asserts 1. That the Elders Ministers who rule well especially such of them who labour in the Word and Gospell are really worthy of double honour from the people which double honour Interpreters generally resolve to be 1. Due reverence love countenance 2. A competent liberal maintenance and reward Or as some conceive a double salary and allowance to what others receive as a just honourable reward for their labour which is here intended by the words double honour extending as well to an honourable salary reward as to due reverence and respect as is clear by the two Texts here cited to prove it by the 3 and 16 verses of this very Chapter and Rom. 13.1 6 7. 1 Pet. 2.17 Prov. 3.9 compared together 2. That the people ought to count them worthy of this double honour and to render it unto them 3. He proves and ratifies this not only by his own Apostolical authoritie but likewise by two other Texts of Scripture the one taken out of the Old Testament Deut. 25.4 which proves that the Texts Precepts for the just dues maintenance of the Priests in the Old Testament are still in force and not abrogated so farr as they are moral or judicial and therefore may be still aptly urged for proof of our Ministers due maintenance under the Gospel The other out of the New Testament Mat. 10.10 Luke 10.7 From both which the force of the Apostles argument stands thus The Elders who labour in the Word and Gospel have as just as natural as moral legal equitable a right and meritorious due to a liberal maintenance salarie reward or double honour as he stiles it as the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn hath to eat of the Corn straw he treads out or as any other hired labourer whatsoever hath to his hire they being the best eminentest of all other labourers which the special application of Deut 25.4 and of this very sentence here again to them The labourer is worthy of his hire imports Therefore for any people wittingly wilfully to detain or defraud them thereof is as great an injustice crueltie sin unrighteousness as to muzzle the Ox mouth that treadeth out the Corn to detain the Labourers wages or defraud him thereof yea a sin against the express commandements of God Deut. 25.4 ch 24.14 15. Levit. 19.13 1 Cor. 9.8 9 10. And so much the rather because their hire wages are their right and their own not the meer alms charitie of those who pay it as Christ himself resolves Mat. 20.4 7 8 13 14. V. By Gal 6.6 where the Apostle layes down this geral Gospel percept for the maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospel from which there can be no evasion Let him that is taught in the Word Communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things The word Communicate signifieth a free liberal not base niggardly allowance as is evident by 1 Tim. 6.18 Heb. 13.16 2 Cor. 9.5 6 7 8. Deut. 15.8 11. and that to be rendred to them not as to meer Strangers but as to those who have a kinde of coparnership and tenancie in common with them not in one or two but in all good things God hath blessed them with as the primitive Christians had all things in common and said not that any thing was their own but the Apostles and Brethrens as much as theirs Acts 4.32 34 35. whence the Contents of our Bibles and Commentators on this Text inferr and conclude That every Christian ought chearfully to communicate a liberal share and portion of all the fruits of the Earth blessings and good things he enjoyes to his spiritual Pastor Teacher and by consequence Tithes of all tithable things and that not as Alms Charitie or a free Benevolence but as a just debt dutie commanded by this sacred Canon VI. By Rom. 13.6 7 8. For for this cause pay you tribute also For they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their due Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour Owe nothing to any man but to love one another Which Scripture though particularly intended of the higher civil Powers Rulers and Magistrates ordained by God yet it equally extends to all Spiritual Ecclesiastical Pastors and Rulers over us as well as to them First because they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing to preach the Gospel and discharge their Pastoral charge over their flocks as well as civil Magistrates and therefore by way of excellencie are more frequently styled Ministers yea Ministers of God and Christ in the new Testament than Magistrates Rom. 15.8 16. 1 Chr. 4.1 2 Cor. 3.6 ch 6.4 ch 11.23 Ephes 3.7 Col. 1.23 25. ch 4.7 1 Thess 3.2 1 Tim. 4.6 whence their very work and calling is styled The Ministry Rom 12.7 Ephes 4.12 Col. 4.17 2 Tim. 4.5 1 Tim. 1.12 Secondly because the Precept subjoyned is universal Render therefore to all their due in the affirmative Therefore to Ministers as well as Magistrates with the like care and conscience And then the Inhibition in the close as universal Owe nothing to any man Therefore not to Ministers no more than to Magistrates or other men Thirdly because it expresly enjoyns all Christians to render honour to whom honour is due now not only honour but double honour is due to Ministers that rule well and preach the Gospel diligently 1 Tim. 5.17 18. to wit
salary revenue of the Governor observe the ground because the Bondage was Heavy on this people and hath it not been for 17. years space or more and still is as Heavy or Heavier upon us Think upon me my God for good according to all I have done for this people Here was a worthy Governour General Magistrate Souldier really fearing God and tendering the ease liberty welfare of the people in good earnest who with all his Officers and Souldiers for 12. years space together though he and they laboured constantly in building the wall of Jerusalem and he was at so great expence each day for his own Table as Governour yet took no Free-quarter Bread Wine Money Wages or Salary from the people as other Governours Officers before them had done and that because of the fear of God because the bondage was great upon the people expecting only a reward from God I may safer argue from this Scripture Precedent Ergo all our Governours Generals Officers Souldiers fearing God during all our 17 years Wars and as long as they and our bondage shall yet continue are bound to serve their Countrey freely without taking Free-quarter Corn Wine Money wages contributions or Excises from the people and ought not to purchase any Lands and by consequence are thereupon obliged in conscience to make restitution of all the Free-quarter Pay Lands Woods Rents Rewards and publick Revenues they have received for their pay arrears or rewards of service expecting their reward only from God hereafter Than they can from Pauls example conclude that Ministers ought to preach the Gospel freely without wages And so much the rather because Sir William Lewes Mr. Denzill Holles and Col. Walter Long 3. of the XI Members falsly impeached by the Officers and Army An 1647. for engrossing much of the publike Treasure and giving no accompt of what they had received were so generous and truly Noble as in their accompts long before passed and allowed by the Commons house to demand no pay at all the first as Governour of Portsmouth the other as Collonels in the Army under the Earl of Essex Mr. Holles refusing to accept of the thousands voted him out of the Kings revenue for recompence of his former wrongfull imprisonment by the King for his Countries good service in Parliament Whose Precedents their accusers at least are as far bound to imitate in this kind as our Ministers are St. Pauls Upon which considerations I now refer the verity solidity of this argument from Pauls example to the judgements consciences of all Officers Souldiers and others formerly triumphing in it who upon second thoughts must needs disclaime their own Pay and Salaries for the future or else renounce this grand objection as ridiculous and irrational The third Objection is from the 3 Epistle of John vers 5 6 7. Where John writes to Gaius Beloved thou dost faithfully whatsoever thou dost both to the Brethren and to strangers which have born witnesse of thy Charity or Liberalitie before the Church whom if thou bring on forward on their journey thou shalt do well because that for his name sake they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles Whence some may inferr though I hear not this Text urged by any That Ministers ought now to preach the Gospel freely to the people and to take nothing of them because John mentions some such that in his time preached to the Gentiles taking nothing of them To which I Answer 1. That this Text questionless was meant of Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles and his companions Timothy and Titus who took nothing of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12.14 15 16 17 18. seeing Gaius was not only St. Pauls companion sometimes being converted baptized by him Act. 19.29 20.4 1 Cor. 1.14 but expresly stiled by him Rom. 16.23 Gaius mine Host and of all the Churches living then at Corinth where Paul preached freely to whose Precedent I have given a full satisfactory answer already 2. It is evident that this Gaius for some time at least lodged Paul and other Brethren being not only faithfull but charitable and liberal towards them though the other Corinthians were not so 3. St. John addes vers 8. We therefore ought to receive such that we might be fellow helpers to the truth wherein he concludes it to be a dutie incumbent upon all Christians to receive encourage accompany be charitable and liberal to the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel thereby to be fellow-helpers to the truth which otherwise they shall much hinder So as this Scripture fully warrants my Proposition not oppugnes it The fourth Objection is the opinion of our famous English Apostle John Wickliff who held Tithes and Ministers maintenance to be meer alms whose opinion is largely defended by eminent John Hus in Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments Edit 1640. vol. 1. fol. 602 to 605. Therefore not due to Ministers but detainable or payable only at the meer wills of the people as meer alms to beggars are which are arbitrary Whereto I Answer 1. That Tithes and Ministers maintenance are not pure alms nor so styled by Wickliff Hus Augustine or Chrysostom whom Hus citeth as if Ministers had no right unto them for their pains as a just debt hire wages or as if men might detain them at their pleasure since we are expresly not only exhorted but commanded both in the Law and Gospel to give alms to those that want them and that as Debters to them so far as our Abilities and their Necessities require Rom. 12.10 13 20. 15.27 1 Cor. 16.1 2. 2 Cor. 8. 9. throughout Heb. 13.16 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. Ephes 4.28 Luke 18.22 23. 19.8 Gal. 2.10 compared with Deut. 15.4 to 12. Exod. 23.11 Levit. 19. Deut. 24.19 Prov. 19.19 22.9 28.27 31.20 Eccles 11.1 Dan. 4.27 Yea the Lawes and Statutes of our Land expresly enforce and compell men to contribute to the Poor as they shall be â—ssâ—ssed as well as to pay Tithes or Taxes as you may read in Rastals Abridgement and Daltons Justice of Peace Title Poor But they are styled by them Pure Alms in three other respects 1. Because they were originally given by people to the Ministers that were needie out of charitie and compassion for Gods sakeâ— as well as for their work sake 2. Because Ministers after their own wants supplied did use to distribute part of them to the poor and needy as alms and are obliged still to do it as Abbots Bishops and others did to whom lands were given in pure and perpetual Frank-almoign 3. Because they are pure alms in respect of God as all other goods of fortune are which we both begg and receive from God And in this respect they write every man as well Kings and Emperours as Ministers Priests people are beggars of God 2. As they stiled Tithes Alms in these respects so they likewise granted Alms to poor people and Tithes to be a Debt for
in his new Voice from the ALEHOUSE RATHER than the TEMPLE which certainly is as Jewish and Antichristian as he would have Tithes to be with sundry late Petitions Proceedings proclaim to all the World and strip them naked of all other coercive maintenance for the future to starve them and their families bodies and the peoples souls that so a new generation of ambulatory Fryers Mendicants and Itinerary Predicants fixed to no certain Parish or Parishes selected out of those swarms of Jesuits Seminary Priests and Popish Fryers now in England under the disguises of Anabaptists Gifted Brethren Dippers Seekers Quakers New-lights Mechanicks of all Trades Gentlemen Troopers and Souldiers too Ignatius Loyola their Father and founder of their Order being a SOULDIER by his profession as diverse of his Disciples are now amongst us as many wise men believe and some on their own knowledge averre may succeed them in their Ministry to subvert our Church Religion and reduce us back to Rome The Pope now living within these few years affirmed to some English Gentlemen of quality in Rome who out of curiosity only went to see him being Protestants that he hoped before he died though he were aged to see England perfectly reduced to her former obedience to the See of Rome having sent many Jesuits Priests Fryers from all parts into England and particularly into THE ARMY as Ramsy the late detected Jesuit at New-Castle under the vizor of a converted Anabaptized Jew confessed in his printed Examination there lately taken and sent up with him to Whitehall Against whom John Canne might have done well to have pressed those to whom he dedicated his Voice from the Temple to execute the Statute of 27 Eliz. c. 2. particularly made against them as most dangerous insufferable Traytors purposely sent over TO WORKE THE RUINE DESOLATION and DESTRUCTION OF THE WHOLE REALM as well as of our Church and Religion as that Statute resolves and not to have most ignorantly and maliciously wrested it contrary both to the very letter and intention against our godly Protestant Ministers only their greatest opposites eye-sores to strip them of their Benefices Livelihood and lives together the whole scope of his Lamentable Voice without so much as uttering one word against these wilde boars and beasts of Rome with whom he and his Companions the Anabaptists are apparent Confederates both in their principles and practices against our Ministers Maintenance Tithes Callings Laws and setled Government to their eternal Infamy The sad consideration whereof hath engaged me though no Impropriator whose cause I plead not nor other Tithe-receiver but a consciencious Tithe-payer as my Ancestors were before me without any retaining fee or other Solicitation to appear publickly in the defence of this common cause of God and all his faithfull Ministers Tithes and antient setled Maintenance being through his mercy and their Prayers enlarged from my long close remote Imprisonments as I did occasionally in private whiles a close Prisoner in Pendennis Castle in Cornwall in December and January last against some Officers and Souldiers there who publickly subscribed in the Castle by sound of Drum three several mornings and promoted in the Country a Petition for abolishing all Tithes though our Ministers own by all Divine and Humane Lawes Rights which neither our Souldiers nor any mortals now living gave to them nor have any pretence of Law Power or Authority from God or our Nation to take from them and all other compulsory Maintenance in lieu of them for Ministers sent to them and to other Garisons as they then informed me by the General Councell of Officers of the Army from St. James both for their own subscriptions though few or none of them or other subscribers of such Petitions Tithe-payers and such hands of Countrymen as they could procure Upon which occasion I had some brief discourses with some of them concerning the lawfulness and antiquity of Tithes First paid by Souldiers out of the very spoyls of Battel taken in the very first War we read of to the very first Priest of God we find recorded in the Scripture and therefore admired that our Army-Officers Souldiers in this age should so far degenerate as to be the very ring-leaders and chief oppugners of them drawing up some brief Notes of this subject out of Scripture to help passe the time in defence of Tithes relating more particularly to Souldiers to silence satisfie reclaim them from this Sacrilegious design which having since enlarged with Arguments and Answers to their chief Objections drawn from their own Military professions for the better satisfaction conviction of all Sword men and others I hope neither Officers nor Souldiers nor any others truly fearing God if they consider Levit. 19.17 Mat. 18.15 16 17. Prov. 19.25 10.17 12.1 13.18 15.10 31 32. 17.10 25.12 Psal 141.5 1 Sam. 25.32 33. 1 Tim. 5.20 Luke 3.14 will or can be justly offended with me no more for writing truth than speaking it to their faces as I did upon all occasions whiles among them not to defame but to inform and reform them for their own and the publick good in what I conceive not warrantable by but repugnant to Gods word and their duties as Souldiers as Christians and to those known fundamental Laws Liberties of the Nation they were purposely raised commissioned waged engaged by Protestations Covenants and their own voluntary printed Declarations inviolably to protect but not subvert and that they will not repute it a capital crime in me not to prove a flatterer dissembler or not to act or write wittingly against my Science and Conscience when our Ministers Maintenance Calling Religion Gods glory Laws Liberties all we have or hope for are in danger of such a sad sodain destructive Convulsion concussion if not Subversion as I long since by Authority of Parliament discovered in Romes Master-piece and since that in My Speech in Parliament and Memento well worth perusal now when so many known Jesuits under a new Provincial which Hugh Peters himself reported as I have been credibly informed are now even in London it self acting as busily and sitting there in Council as duely as when the reclaimed Author of that discovery purposely sent from Rome for the purposes therein discovered was resident amongst them O that these professed Enemies of our Church Religion Nation and those Janizaries of Rome may not sow their Tares of error and seeds of ruine and desolation amongst us whiles almost our whole Nation for ought I can discern if not those who call themselves Watch-men are in a dead sleep or Lethargy and heaving at our most faithfull Ministers Maintenance and Callings too in stead of enquiring after discovering these Arch-traytots and executing the good Laws against and administring those necessary Oaths of Supremacy Allegiance and Abjuration unto them to prevent those treasonable practices destructive designes miseries and that ruine to our Protestant Religion Kings Government Governors Laws Parliaments Church and Common-wealth which the
every man duly giving alms doth as he ought to do and so he that giveth Tithes They are their expresse words 3. Whereas they allege That neither doth debt utterly exclude the purity of Alms before God and that it is no argument that if the Curate doe perform his corporal Ministry that hee ought therefore to challenge Tithes by any civil title Because that as well on the behalf of him that giveth the Tithes as also in the behalf of the Curate every such Ministry ought freely to be given and not by any civil exchange I conceive it both a fallacy and errour in them being a just debt which may be demanded by a Divine and Civil right too when and where setled by a civil law though freely to be given to the Minister without coercion or sute of Law both in point of conscience and by way of civil exchange too out of a civil compact or contract 4. This opinion that Tithes were pure almes and not due To Ministers by a divine right JVRE JVSTITIAE was first introduced by the Friers MENDICANTS to gain them to themselves and to exempt themselves and their Lands from payment of them as Mr. Selden proves Therefore to be rejected as Antichristian And thus much in confirmation of the first Proposition and refutation of all Arguments I yet know made against it CHAP. II. I Now proceed to the proof of the 2. Proposition wherein the Hinge and Marrow of the Controversie concerning Tithes is included That the maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospel and of Places Houses for Gods publick worship by Tithes Glebes Oblations yea by spoyls won in battel by Generals Collonels Captains Soldiers is not only lawfull expedient but the most fitting rational convenient Maintenance of all other warranted by direct Precepts Precedents both before and under the Law which doth no waies abolish condemn but approve and confirm this way of Maintenance Before ever the Levitical or Ceremonial Law was instituted as the godly Patriarchs built Altars and Houses for publick worship unto God Gen. 4.3 4. c. 8.20 c. 12.7 8. c. 13.4 18. c. 22.9 c. 26.25 c. 28.20 21 22. c. 33.20 35.1 3 7. So they likewise gave Tithes to the Priests of God The very law of Nature engraven in their hearts before any written Moral or Ceremonial law dictating thus much to them That as there was a God who created them in whom they lived moved and had their being so likewise this God was to be solemnly worshipped by them as well in publick as private by way of homage gratitude and bounden dutie Psal 95.1 to 8. Ps 100.1 2 3 4. Isa 17.7 8. Acts 17.26 27 28. Which worship of his especially when men multiplied into great and many Families Villages Cities Kingdoms Republicks could not be decently orderly constantly performed in publick without appointing some certain Times and Places of worship some certain holy persons and Priests to discharge the publick duties solemnities of their worship and some convenient certain portion out of their Estates for the maintenance encouragement of those Priests in the execution of their Office on which they were to give attendance Upon which grounds as the Patriarchs before the Law from the very Creation as many Divines infer from Gen 2.2 3. Exod 16.22 to 27. 20.11 31.17 Deut. 5.14 Heb. 4.4 dedicated every seventh day to Gods peculiar worship by his example and prescription so they likewise offered a certain portion of the fruits of their ground Fields Flocks to God in Sacrifice as a Tribute due to him by and from whom they received enjoyed all the rest they had Whence the Scripure expresly records of Cain and Abel the two first-born of the world Gen 4.2 3 4 5. That Cain being a tiller of the ground brought of the fruits of the ground an offering to God and that Abel being a feeder of sheep he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof for an Offering to the Lord as most conceive their father Adam did before them by whose precept and example they did it After them we read that Noah built an Altar unto the Lord and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl and offered burnt-offerings on the Altar when he went out of the Ark Gen. 8.20 which he and his ancestors from the Creation in all probability usually practised though not specially recorded by Moses no more than many other memorable accidents actions for brevity sake Now these clean Beasts and Fowls which he sacrificed entring into the Ark by sevens that is seven of every sort Gen 7.2 3. he offered one of each kind at least and so one of seven unto God who consecrated reserved one day of seven from the Creation to himself What proportion of their goods Abraham Isaac and Jacob offered on their erected altars in sacrifice to God is not expressed though probably it was such as God afterwards prescribed the Israelites their posterity not long after by his written law in Moses time augmented upon any extraordinary emergent occasion though never diminished from its usual rate And for the Priests encouragement directed by the very dictate of Nature Reason informing them That every Labourer was worthy of some competent hire as Christ resolves Mat. 10.10 Luke 10.17 they pitched upon the tenth of their encrease and gains of every kinde as a competent fitting allowance guided therein by divine inspiration as is most probable if not infallible it being the self-same proportion God himself afterwards prescribed ratified by his own written Law in the Old Testament and approved in the New as I shall manifest by these ensuing Scriptures 1. That Tithes were paid and vowed to God by the religious Patriarchs before the Aaronical Priesthood instituted or Levitical Law given is undeniable by two Scripture instances the first of them is thus recorded Gen 14.17 18 19 20. That Abraham returning victoriously from the slaughter of Chederlaomer and the Kings that were with him Melchisedec King of Salem met him and brought forth bread and wine and he was The Priest of the most High God and he blessed him and said Blessed be Abraham of the most high God possâ—ssor of heaven and earth and blâ—ssed be the most high God which hath delivered thy Enemies into thy hand And he gave him Tenths of all This History is thus recited and amplified in the New Testament Heb. 6.20 7.1 c. Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec King of Salem Priest of the most High God who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him to whom Abraham gave a Tenth part of all first being by interpretation King of righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of peace without Father without Mother without descent having neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but made like unto the Son of God abideth a Priest continually Now consider
discourses against Tithes as men quite confounded and I hope it will have the self-same effect in all others when they have well advised on it That they may have no Evasion from the dint thereof I shall answer all Cavils I know of to elude it The 1. Evasion is this That this Precedent of Abraham in giving the tenth of the spoyls of Warr is singular and voluntary not obliging other Souldiers to doe the like or to devote any of their spoyls to God and his service To this I answer 1. That this practice and Precedent of Abraham so transcendently eminent for his faith in the old and new Testament in both which it is recorded was undoubtedly written for our imitation and instruction to do the like as may be evidenced from Job 8.39 1 Cor. 10.11 Rom. 15.4 2 Thess 3.7 9. Heb. 13.7 1 Thess 2.14 the rather because the Apostle Heb. 6.12 commands us To be followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises and then presently after instanceth in Abraham and fals upon his practice of paying Tithes of the spoyl to Melchisedec Therefore all Christian Generals Officers Souldiers must follow him in paying Tithes of all their spoyls as well as in faith and patience his Precedent having been the original impulsive ground of all Tithes vowed or paid to Gods Priests or Ministers ever since and of Gods subsequent commands to Abrahams posterity to pay Tithes to the Priests and Levites under the Law as the Apostle insinuates Heb. 7.4 5 6 8. compared together and of all Laws Canons since enacted by Christian Kings and Councils for due payment of Tithes to Ministers of the Gospel in Christian Realms and Republicks 2. I answer That this practice of his was frequently pursued by Generals Officers and Souldiers in succeeding ages of which we have very memorable Precedents in Scripture wherewith I have shamed and confounded Souldiers in discourses with them about Tithes It is specially recorded Num. 31. that when the 12000. Officers and Souldiers of the Israelites under the conduct of Phinehas returned from the slaughter of the Midianites with an extraordinary great booty of all sorts God gave a special charge to levy a Tribute unto the Lord of the men of Warr that went out to Battel and to give it to Eleazar the Priest for an heave-offering of the Lord which kind of offerings was Aarons and his Sonnes for ever from the children of Israel as a due wages for their service Exod. 29.27 28. Levit. 7.32 33 34. Numb 18.24 27 29. Deut. 12.11 and is coupled with Tithes as being of the same Nature in the two last of these Scriptures which tribute was accordingly levyed And because the prey was first equally divided between them who took the Warr upon them and went out to Battel and between all the Congregation which had the other moity of it God out of the Souldiers moity the prey being very great reserved onely one of five hundred out of the Captives Beeves Asses and Sheep for the Priests which were but few and one of every fifty for the Levites of the peoples moity the Priests share amounting to 675. Sheep 78. Oxen 64. Asses 32. Captives and the Levites share to tenne times so many After which tribute levyed v. 48 49. the Officers which were over thousands of the Host the Captaines of Thousands and Captaines of Hundreds brought an oblation to the Lord what every man had gotten of Iewels of Gold Chaines and Bracelets Kings Ear-Rings and Tablets to make an atonement for their souls before the Lord amounting to sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels every shekel weighing half an ounce Which Eleazer the Priest took of the Captains of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the Tabernacle of the Congregation for a Memorial of the children of Israel before the Lord Numb 31.48 to the end Here were self-denying saint-like Officers Colonels and Captains indeed after all the former deductions and tributes out of their spoyl to bring to the Priest and offer up to God all their Jewels of Gold Chains Bracelets Rings Ear-Rings Tablets and richest plunder they had gotten in the Warrs for the maintenance of his worship when our Officers Colonels Captains Souldiers shall do the like and pay a tribute of the best of their spoyls to our Ministers as these by Gods command did to the Priests and Levites not purchasing Church-Lands and Revenues with them devoted to the augmentation of our Ministers small Stipends we shall cry them up for self-denying Saints and Souldiers indeed and say they are no self-seekers If this Scripture Precedent be not enough behold a whole cloud of Precedents imitating them and faithfull Abraham recorded united in one memorable Text seldome read or taken notice of 1 Chron. 26.26 27 28. Which Shelomith and his Brethren were over all the Treasures of the dedicated things which David the King and the chief Fathers the Captains over Thousands and Hundreds and the Captains of the Host had dedicated out of the Spoyls won in Battels did they dedicate to maintain the House of the Lord mark and imitate it O ye Army-Officers Captains Souldiers And all that SAMUEL the seer and SAUL the Son of Kish and ABNER the Son of Ner and JOAB the Son of Zerviah had dedicated was under the hand of Shelomith and his Brethren Here we have examples of all sorts and sizes for our Army-Officers and Souldiers imitation 1. We have David a victorious Warrier General King and man of God after Gods own heart dedicating the Treasures Spoyls he took from his enemies in Battels to the House and service of God thus more specially recorded for his honour and others practice 2 Sam. 8.11 12. And Tol sent Joram his Son to King David to salute him and to blesse him because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him and brought with him vessels of Gold and vessels of Silver and vessels of Brasse which also King David did dedicate to the Lord with the Silver and Gold that he had dedicate of all Nations which he subdued Of Syria and of Moab and of the children of Ammon and of the Philistines and of Amalek and OF THE SPOYLS OF HADADEZER Son of Rehob King of Zobah Recorded again in 1 Chron. 18.2 to 12. with this addition And David took the shields of gold which were on the Servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem Likewise from Tibhath and from Chun Cities of Hadadezer brought David very much brass wherewith Solomon made the Brazen sea and the pillars of the vessels of Brasse What the value of the spoyls which he dedicated to God and his service amounted to himself records 1 Chron 22.14 Now behold in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand Talents of Gold and a thousand Talents of Silver and of Brasse and Iron in aboundance without weight Besides what he dedicated out of his own proper estate
not infallible that Abraham paid Tithes to Melchisedec of all those things which the Levites and Priests afterward received from their brethren not of the spoyls alone out of which no certain Maintenance could be raised not specified therefore in those general precepts concerning Tithes 5. The Apostle arguing the natural justice of Ministers maintenance Rom. 15.27 and 1 Cor. 9.11 useth this expression If we have sowen unto you spiritual things in the plural number is it a great matter if we shall reap your CARNAL THINGS in the plural number too and such things as seem commonly to grow and multiply as the word reap imports And Gal. 6.6 he useth this general precept Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth IN ALL GOOD THINGS Therefore to restrain Abrahams giving Tithes of all only to the spoyls and not to all his carnal and good things is a very improper exposition dissonant from the scope and sense of these parallel Texts which seem aptly to interpret it 6. The very Pharisee in the Gospel boasting of his Justice and Piety used this expression parallel with that of Abraham Luke 18.12 I GIVE TITHES OF ALL THAT I POSSESSE and to confine Abrahams giving Tithes of all to the Tithes only of the spoils and not to extend it with the Pharisee to all that he possâ—ssed besides is to make this Father of the Faithful less righteous liberal devout than this hypocritical Pharisie 7. That which seems to put all our of question is the parallel Text of Gen. 28.20 21 22. Where Jacob after his travelling vision makes this vow to God even before the Levitical Law for Tithes If God will be with me so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace Then shall the Lord be my God and this stone which I have set up for a pillar shall be Gods house and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely without diminution substraction or failing give the Tenth unto thée Whence should godly Jacob take his pattern of surely giving the Tenth of all not of spoils alone that God should give him unto God but from the practice of his Grand-father Abraham who gave Mâ—lchisedec the Tenth of all God gave him as well as of the Spoils Honouring God with all his Substance and increase according to that precept of Solomon having relation to his practice and this Vow of Jacobs Prov. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy Substance and with the first fruits of all thy increase And so much in refutation of this second Evasion which some armed men much urge The third Objection which some would make fatal to all Tithes under the Gospel is from the close of the Apostles forecited words Heb. 7.12 For the Priesthood being changed there is also a necessity of a change of the Law c. From whence William Thorp one of our Martyrs thus reasoned against Tithes and others now Saint Paul saith That Tithes were given in the old Law to Levites and to Priests that came of the linage of Levi but our Priests come not of the linage of Levi but of Juda to which Juda no Tithes were promised to be given And therefore Paul saith since the Priesthood is changed from the generation of Levi to Juda its necessary that changing also be made of the Law So that Priests must live now without Tithes and other Dues that they claim following Christ and his Apostles in wilfull poverty as they have given them example I Answer 1. That the Apostle in this and the three following Chapters concludes and proves by sundry Arguments That the Levitical Priesthood and the Ceremonial Law given the people under Moses the Covenant of this Priesthood were both changed and abolished by Christ and his everlasting Priesthood shadowed to us by them and by consequence the maintenance of the Levitical Priests by Sacrifices offered by them at the Altar by first fruits and Tithes themselves so far as they were Ceremonial prescribed by the Ceremonial Law for the maintenance only of these abolished Levitical Priests and Levites which is all this Scripture proves when pressed to the uttermost But can any rational man hence conclude The Levitical Priesthood the Ceremonial law and all the tithes maintenance due to the Jewish Priests and Levites by this Law are abolished by Christ a Priest for ever after after the order of Melchisedec to whom Tithes were due and paid by Abraham before this law and Priesthood instituted Therefore all Tithes maintenance due and paid to Melchisedec and in him to Christ and the Ministers of the Gospel under him are eternally abolished as Jewish and Levitical Surely this is a mad inference both besides and against this Text from which all Orthodox Protestant Commentators as well as Papist and Jesuites conclude the quite contrary and learned Nicholas Hemingius in his Commentary on it p. 805. thus determines It is subjoyned that Melchisedec received Tithes from Abraham which Tithes Abraham verily gave of his own accord following without doubt the custome of Conquerors Let our Conquering Officers Souldiers observe and do the like who were wont to consecrate the tenths of their Spoyls to their Gods or to give them to their Priests But this collation of Tithes multo meliori Jure Christo Sacerdoti debetur is due by much better Right to Christ our Priest who as he gives all things to us out of méer bounty ita vicissim illi non solum Decimas verum etiam omnia nostra debemus so we owe to him again not only Tithes but likewise all we have Whether the Objectors or Hemingius speak most Gospel Divinity and Reason from this Text let every Christians conscience judge 2. The Apostles words concerning the change and abrogation of the Ceremonial Law have no coherence with or relation to the precedent discourse concerning payment of Tithes to Melchisedec and the Levites recited only to prove the dignity and excellency of Melchisedecs Priesthood above Aarons and of the Levitical Priests and Levites above their Brethren from whom they received Tithes The force of the Argument reduced into a Logical form being thus He who receives Tithes for the execution of his Priestly Office is better and greater thaâ— he who payes Tithes But the Patriarch Abraham himself the very Father of the Faithfull and Prince of the Fathers paid Tithes to Melchisedec and likewise the Levitical Priests then in his loyns in and by him who yet receive Tithe of their Brethren but not of their Father Abraham or Melchisedec Therefore Melchisedec is better and greater than Abraham and them and they than their Brethren who paid them Tithes And by consequence Christ being a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec who was but a type of him must be better and greater than Abraham Joh. 8.55 56. or the Levitical Priests or than Melchisdec himself who did but typifie him This excellency and precedency of Christs Priesthood before Aarons he proves by other
or Feasts to God at all as the Jews by the Levitical law were bound to doe If so then farewell all Lords-dayes Fasts Feasts publike Assemblies for Gods worship all Ministers Churches and God himself together with them as well as Tithes let Gain Money be the only Deities henceforth adored among us as the Motto stamped upon our new State-coyn God with us and most mens practices sadly proclaim to Gods dishonour and Religions intolerable defamation These Answers I presume will for ever satisfie or silence these Objectors with John Canne their new Champion who may now discern their grosse mistake and learn this for a general certain truth That whatever is not in its own nature and Original meerly Jewish and ceremonial but hath a kind of natural justice equity conveniency morality or necessity in it and had a divine original institution before the ceremonial Law given or the Levitical Priesthood instituted That thing though afterwards given limited prescribed to the Levitical Priests or Israelites by a general or special Levitical Law abrogated by Christ doth neither cease its being nor become unlawfull in its primitive or proper use unto Christian Ministers or Believers under the Gospel by the abolishing of the Levitical Law and Priesthood but may and must necessarily be continued practised perpetuated among them without the least sin scandal or Judaism according to its own primitive institution or natural necessary divine moral or civil use else Bread meat drink wives clothes religious Sabbaths Fasts Feasts Edifices and Assemblies for Gods publick worship Houses for Hospitality Charity to Ministers to poor distressed Saints People yea reading prayer preaching of the word of God Magistracy and Government it self should be utterly unlawfull unto Christian Ministers and People as well as Tithes because given prescribed to be used by the Levitical Priests and Jews by the Levitical Law Therefore seeing meat drink food raiment Lands Houses and a competent proportion of all worldly necessaries are as simply needfull for the preservation subsistence of the Ministers of the Gospel and their Families now under the Gospel as for the Priests Levites before and under the Law or all other sorts of men in the world who cannot live without them And seeing Tithes Lands Houses both before and under the Law were originally given to and setled by God and Men upon Priests and Levites first and Ministers since not as meer Types Shadows Ceremonies but as a just fitting convenient recompence of their Labour necessary maintenance Livelihood habitation residence for them and their Families to provide them meat drink Books clothes and other necessaries to live by Why our Ministers under the Gospel should not still enjoy them in this kind and Nature without the least shadow of Judaism as well as Melchisedec before the Law or the Jewish Priests and Levites under it or their Predecessors before them even from the first settlement of the Gospel amongst us or as well as any other Men or the Objectors do enjoy their Lands Goods Houses and the other nine parts of their Tithes encrease for their Livelihood and subsistence as well as the Jews without any sin or Judaism transcends my capacity to apprehend and the ability of all armed or unarmed Enemies of Tithes or Glebes to demonstrate from Scripture Law Reason or the objected abused Text over-long insisted on to clear it from all ignorant or wilfull wrestings And so much for the payment of Tithes by Abraham and vowing them by Jacob before the Law to justifie the lawfulnesse and continuance of them under the Gospel against all cavilling Exceptions Secondly I shall make good the Proposition from the Maintenance of the Priests and Levites by Glebes Tithes and Oblations under the Law urged as the strongest if not only Reason against them and thus form my Argument That which God himself who is infinitely and only wife just holy did by his special Laws Edicts institute prescribe as the most expedient equal fit just rational convenient maintenance of all other for his own Priests and Levites to receive and take from his own People when once setled in the promised Land for the execution of their function must questionlesse be not only a lawfull but the most expedient equal fit just rational convenient maintenance of all other for his Ministers of the Gospel to receive and take from all believing Christians in any setled Christian Kingdome State Church under the Gospel especially if he hath neither positively prohibited this kind and way of maintenance nor specially prescribed any other way or kind of setled maintenance for them in and by the Gospel But God himself who is infinitely and only wise just holy did by his special Laws Edicts institute prescribe Houses Lands Glebes Tâ—thes and Oblations as the most expedient equal fitting just rational convenient maintenance of all other for his own Priests and Levites to receive and take from his own people when once setled in the promised Land for the execution of their Functions and hath neither positively prohibited this kind or way of maintenance nor specially prescribed any other way or kind of setled maintenance for them in and by the Gospel Ergo It must questionlesse be not only a lawfull but the most expedient equal fit just rational convenient maintenance of all other for his Ministers of the Gospel from all believing Christians in any setled Kingdome State Church under the Gospel The Major I suppose no rational Christian can or will deny except he thinks himself as King Alphonso the proud Atheistical self-conceited Astronomer did more wise just holy than God himself and abler to carve out a more expedient equal just fitting rational convenient maintenance for Gods Priests Levites Ministers than God himself hath done and dare bid defiance to this Gospel precept Eph. 5.1 Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children The Minor I shall thus confirm in order 1. That God did by special Laws Edicts institute and prescribe Cities Suburbs Lands Houses Glebes for the Priests and Levites habitation and the better maintenance of them and their Cattel and that in a liberal proportion is apparent by Num. 35. from v. 1 to 12. where we find recorded That the Lord spake unto Moses in the plain of Moab by Jordan near Jericho saying command the Children of Israel that they give unto the Levites of the Inheritances of their possession Cities to Dwell in and ye shall give also unto the Levites Suburbs for their Cities round about them And the Cities they shall have to Dwell in and the suburbs of them shall be for their Cattel and for their Goods and for all their Beasts And the suburbs of the Cities which ye shall give unto the Levites shall reach from the wall of the City and outward a thousand Cubits round about And ye shall measure from without the City on the East side two thousand Cubits and on the South side two thousand Cubits and on the West side two thousand Cubits
Let John Canne and all presumptuous peremptory Tith-oppugners answer me yea this their Soveraign Land-lord and Creator if they can who will one day call them to a stâ—ict accompt for detaining this due Rent Tribute Homage from him and may justly dispossesse and strip them naked of all they have for this their ingrate contemptuous carriage towards him as he hath done many of late by fearful fires blasts droughts and other judgments as well as heretofore Mal. 3.8 9 11. 7. That as the Gospel it self succeeded the Levitical law Baptism and the Lords Supper Circumcision and the Passeover So the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel succeed the Priests and Levites under the Law in their Ministerial function in the Church of Christ by Gods appointment their Ministry and Office being both the same in substance even to worship praise serve honour God according to his revealed word will and instruct exhort direct guide his people in the way of salvation and bring them to eternal glory though differing in some circumstances of lesser moment abolished by Christs death It is therefore most reasonable just equitable convenient they shall receive enjoy the like setled maintenance by Glebes Tithes Oblations as their predecessors did God having prescribed none other kinde of reward or subsistence for them in the Gospel that any can shew me It is usual in all Kingdoms States Nations where there are any publick setled offices and Officers for any persons who succeed others in those Offices to enjoy the self-same Salaries Houses Lands Fees Revenues as their predecessors lawfully received unlesse there be some special Laws to alter their Stipends This we see verified in all Civil Military and Ecclesiastical Officers yea in the times of greatest publick changes revolutions that ever befell the Nation those whom most yet call Judges Sheriffs Majors Generals Colonels Captains Governors of Forts Registers c. though their Commissions be altered in some things and themselves in more do yet receive the self-same Salaries pays Fees maintenance annexed to their Offices as their lawfull Predecessors did yea to come closer home All our Protestant Ministers since the reformation of Religion have generally enjoyed the Glebes and Tithes as the Parishioners enjoy frequent the Churches possesse the Houses Inheritances which their Popish predecessors did before them though the one of them just like the Levitical abolished Priests made it their chiefest businesse and part of their calling to say Masse and offer an unbloody Sacrifice as they falsly termed it on their Altars both for the quick and dead and the other who succeed them make it their principal work to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacrament according to Christs institution Since then the Ministers of the Gospel succeed the Levitical as well as the popish Priests as the Gospel doth the Law and the Christian Sacraments the Jewish and we with all converted Gentiles engraffed into Jesus Christ and the Church of God succeed the Jews who were broken off from their own Olive Tree that we might be ingraffed in their places who now partake of the root and fatnesse of their Olive Tree as the Apostle resolves Rom. 11.16 to 25. Why the Ministers of the Gospel should not likewise succeed the Levitical Priests as well as the popish in the enjoyment of their setled Maintenance by Glebes Tithes being not meerly ceremonial as I have proved nor yet so papal as Bishops Deans and Churches Lands in which our Anabaptists Army-Officers and Tithe-oppugners will yet succeed them without any scruple and all believing Gentiles who succeed the believing Israelites in Gods Church succeed them likewise in the due and just maintenance of their Ministers by Tithes and Glebes reserved to and prescribed by that true holy just and righteous God who is not only the God of the Jews but of the Gentiles also Rom. 3.19 Let any rational Christian now resolve his own Conscience and mine from grounds of Scripture Reason or Equity if he can God having given us a Land flowing with milk and honey as fit as able to render Glebes and Tithes of all things in kinde to his Ministers as he did unto the Jews It is a received maxim in our Law Quod venit in loco alterius est de natura Prioris If this be Gospel as it hath been ever held both Law and reason under the Gospel I need adde no more to this Aphorism to prove the lawfullnesse and equity of our Ministers Glebes and Tithes and their continuance as well for the future as heretofore by a divine Right 8. That all Christian Churches and pious Christians generally throughout the world from the Apostles dayes till now have unanimously resolved both in point of Piety Justice Conscience and right Reason that they are bound to consecrate and Render unto God the self-same weekly portion of time for his publick worship as the Israelites and Jews under the Law were obliged to do to wit one day in seven though they differ in the circumstance only of the day they observing the seventh day from the Creation every week in memory of the Creation and Gods rest thereon for their Sabbath prescribed by special Laws and we the first day of every week in memorial of our Saviours Resurection thereon by the General Moral Equity of these Laws warranted by Apostolical practice only without any special Gospel-precept Let then the whole Army of Tithe-Oppugners render me one dram of Reason or shadow of answer if they Canne why all Christian Realms Churches Nations in the world may not should not by the self-same rule of Piety Justice Equity proportion continue and render the like proportion of Glebes Tithes to God and his Ministers under the Gospel as the Jews did to him his Priests and Levites under the Law as well as they render to him the self-same Proportion of time for his Weekly publick Service and why payment of Tithes Oblations under the Gospel to God who gives us both them and the residue of our Estates and encrease out of his own meer free grace for the maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospel and support of his publick Worship on the Lords Day should be more Judaical Vnchristian Antichristian Superstitious as Canne and others stile it than the dedicating appropriating of the Lords Day to Gods publick Worship and Honour who hath given and allowed us the other six for our imployments when as he might have justly reserved the nine parts of our Lands and goods to himself had he pleased instead onely of the Tenth as well as the six daies in lieu of the seventh wherewith he is content which Divines usually urge to induce men to the more chearfull Sanctification of the Lords Day and some Scriblers against Tithes as well as others St. Augustin in his 229. Sermon de Tempors thus enforceth this very argument and let Canne and all his confederates reply to it if they can Hear O indevout mortality know that all things thou possessest receivest
him and his people even to their destruction he thereupon summoning a General Council or Parliament at Winchester in which himself Beorredus King of Mercia and Edmund King of East-Angles with all the Prelates and Nobles of England were present did by their wholesom Counsel for redress of these evils by his Charter ratified in and by this Council give the Tenth part of all his own Lands in perpetuitie to God and his Servants free and exempt from all Secular services and also from all Royal Tributes and Taxes Great and Small and from all Military Expedition Building of Bridges and guarding of Castles that so they might the more diligently powr forth their prayers unto God for him without ceasing who had in some part thus eased them of their servitude from which Grant of his Sir Henry Spelman conceives the Parsonage-House Rectory and Glebes in every Parish of his Realm had their Original though afterwards increased by the munificence of the Patrons And this shall suffice touching the true Original and progresse of our Churches Rectories and Glebes in the beginning of Christianity both amongst the Britains and Saxons of this Realm The first Law I find yet extant amongst us for the due payment of all kind of Tithes in use and being as the Law imports before its promulgation was made in the National Council or Parliament at Calchuth in the year of our Lord 785. in the Reigns of King Oswald and King Offa who by the unanimous consent of all their Princes Nobles and Senators as well as Prelates present therein made this memorable Decree touching the payment of Tithes as a Right and Duty which they were bound to render to God himself by his own Sacred Law originally given to the Israelites which they deemed Obligatory likewise unto them Cap. 17. ut Decimae justè solvantur usura iniqua Pondera Mensurae prohibeantur Thou shalt bring the Tenth part of all thy Corn or increase into the House of the Lord thy God as it is written in the Law viz. Levit. 27.30 Numb 12.17 18 c. Deut. 12.17 18. chap. 14.22 23. Neh. 10.38 not in the Popish Canons Again by the PROPHET not Pope Mal. 3.10 c. Bring saith he all the Tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in my House and prove me now therewith if I will not open the Doors of Heaven and powr you out a Blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it And I will rebuke the Devourer for you which eats and corrupts the fruit of your grounds and the Vine shall be no more barren in the field saith the Lord. As the Wiseman saith in the Book of Wisdom not the Pope No man can give any just Alms of those things which he possesseth unlesse he shall first separate to the Lord that which from the beginning himself hath appointed to be rendred to him And by this for the most part it happens that he who payes not Tithes is reduced by Gods Justice to the Tenth part of his former Estate whereupon not by any Command from the Pope or by his Authority We Command even with an Obtestation that all be studious to give Tithes of all things they possâ—sse quia speciale Domini Dei est Because it is the peculiar portion of the LORD GOD and let him live himself and give Alms of the Nine parts and we perswade him rather to doe it in secret because it is written When thou givest Alms do not blow a Trumpet before thee Matt. 6.2 After which follow Laws against Usury False Weights and Measures for the faithfull performance of Vows and abolishing the very Reliques of all Pagan Rites warranted by the very words and Presidents of the sacred Scripture Which Decrees being recited in a publick Council before these Kings and all their Prelates Dukes Senators and the People of the Land Illi cum omni devotione mentis juxta possibilitatem virium suarum adjuvante superna clementia se in omnibus custodire devoverunt they with all Devotion of mind according to the uttermost of their power by the assistance of Gods Grace vowed that they would observe them in all things which they all did with an unanimous Voyce a chearfull minde and most ready Will ratifying this Council with the Subscriptions of their Names and the Sign of the Crâ—ssâ— the usual form of those times before Seals were in use This is the first Law I finde extant in our Realm for the due payment of Tithes grounded only on Divine precepts cited in it not on the Popes Decreeâ— True it is that Gregory Bishop of Ostia Legat to Pope Adrian an Englishman born was President in this Council and had a chiefhand in making these Laws by this Popes direction to whom he returned them but are they therefore Popish and Antichristian Laws which ought to be now abolished to gratifie the present Pope his Emissaries the Jesuits as made against Jesus Christ as John Canne most Magisterially determines if so then these and our other Laws then made against Vsury false Weights Measures which too many cheating Anabaptists use Heathenish Pagan Cusstoms must be Popish Antichristian too with the Law for performing our Vows Covenants to God and men with the very Scriptures cited in them wheron they are grounded which Impudency and Atheism it self dares not affirm If he say they are Jewish Laws then the Scriptures cited in them must be Jewish too yea the very Title and every page of hiâ— new Pamphlet must be rejected as Jewish as well as Jesuitish being Intituled and Superscribed in every page A Sâ—cond Voice from the Temple The Temple being Jewish and abolished as well as Tithes 1 Cor. 9.13 John 4.20 21. Which I wonder this blind Zealot against Judaism and Tithes had not Eyes to see or Brains to consider Now these our Predecessors and many others since obliging themselves both by Vows Laws and Covenants to pay Tithes of all to God and his Ministers as Gods peculiar Right and God himself not only enjoyning men in the Old Testament not to remove the antient Land-marks their Fathers have duly set Prov. 22.8 and to make good their Ancestors Oaths and Vows which oblige their Posterity as Gen. 50.24 25. Exod. 13.19 Josh 24.32 ch 2.12 to 22. chap. 6.21 to 26. chap. 9.15 to 27. chap. 10.1 to 12. 2 Sam. 21.1 to 15. 1 Sam. 20.14 15 16 17 23 42. chap. 23.8 chap. 24.21 2 Chron. 16.3 compared together resolve but likewise informing them in the new as a Gospel-Truth Gal. 3.15 That if it be but a mans Covenant if it be confirmed by many successive Laws Statutes Curses Excommunications denounced against the infringers thereof in all succeeding ages as this of Tithes and the Churches Rights and Liberties have been no man disannulleth it By what Authority Right Law Reason Justice Conscience or power from God or Men any presuming Mortals at the sollicitations of Anabaptists Iesuits Quakers or Atheistical wretches can
under the Law Rom. 12.1 4. We have Priests likewise to offer up these spiritual Sacrifices 1 Pet. 2.9 Rev. 1.6 chap. 5.10 chap. 20.6 And these are three 1. Every sanctified Christian who must offer up the Sacrifices of Prayer Praise alms and his own body to God in his private Closet and Family 2. The Ministers of the Gospel who must continually offer up these Sacrifices in the peoples behalf in publick here on earth in the Temple for which we are to render them not only Tithes and Glebes but a Free-will-offering of bounty and charity besides a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God Phil. 4.16.3 Christ Jesus himself our Altar and High Priest too now sitting in heaven Heb. 13.15 cap. 2.17 c. 4.14 15. c. 5.10 c. 6.20 c. 7.17 20 21 22 27 28. c. 8.1 c. 10.21 And if Christians have thus even under the Gospel a Temple an Altar spiritual Sacrifices Priests to officiate in at them and offer up these Sacrifices to God in publike as well as the Jews Why the Priests who minister about holy things in this Evangelical Temple wait continually at this spiritual Altar offer these spiritual sacrifices publikely unto God thereon administer the Sacraments blesse the people and preach the Gospel likewise to them as the Jewish Priests and Levites did teach instruct and bless the people in the Law and kill the Passeover 2 Chron. 27.7 8 9. c. 30.15 16 17. cap. 35.2 3. cap. 15.3 Ezra 7.25 Neh. 8.5 to 12. Numb 6.23 24 25. should not receive both Glebes Tithes and voluntary Oblations from the people as well as the Priests and Levites did under the Law by vertue of the self-same Levitical law of God by which they claimed them they being both the Priests of the self-same God and both executing the self-same Priestly office in a different manner and that by the Apostles own Argument intention and positive resolution in this Gospel text let Canne and all other oppugners of their Tithes resolve me and others from as clear Gospel texts as these I have here alleged and others formerly insisted on in the first Proposition or else yeeld their cause for ever lost I shall cloze up all with two other Gospel texts most urged and abused by those now in power in their own cases who most of all forgot transgressed oppugned them heretofore in other mens The first is 1 Pet. 2.13 14. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours c. The Second Rom. 13.1 2. Let every soul be subject unto the Higher powers for there is no Power but of God The powers that are are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation That these two Scriptures extend only to lawful hereditary or elective Kings Governours Higher powers and that in their lawfull commands alone not to Usurpers Tyrants Invaders of the peoples Rights Laws Liberties Properties Lives who may and ought to be resisted as well as any other Theeves Robbers Invaders Murtherers whatsoever I have largely proved in My Second Part of my Soveraign Power of Parliaments and Kingdoms Authorized by the Commons House of Parliament p. 102 to 131. to which I shall referr the Reader for satisfaction not being the point in issue to which alone I shall apply them In the former Text last insisted on we had an Ordinance of God himself for the Maintenance and Tithes of the Preachers of the Gospel here we have two Gospel commandements to submit to every Ordinance of our lawfull Governours and Higher Powers agreeable to Gods Ordinances or not repugnant to them for the Lords sake not to resist them for though the Ordinances themselves be made but by men and in that sence stiled every ordinance of man yet the Powers that make them are ordained of God therefore those who resist them in their humane ordinances though but in humane things do therein resist the very Ordinance of God especially in things divine commanded by and approved in Gods own sacred Word Now the Maintenance of Gods Ministers by Tithes is an expresse Ordinance of God himself both before and during the law and under the Gospel too prescribed warranted by all the forecited Texts And there are infinite Laws Statutes Decrees Canons Ordinances of just and lawfull Christian Emperours Kings Governours Parliaments States Councils Synods and all higher Powers as well Civil as Ecclesiastical in all Christian Kingdoms States Churches especially in our own for the establishment and due payment of them to the Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel Therefore they are duely constantly chearfully to be paid unto them by all Christians and Professors of the very Gospel and cannot may not be oppugned detained substracted resisted by John Canne or any of his Confederates nor abrogated by any pretending to Power Ordained by God without resisting the Ordinance of God himself yea fighting against him as these Texts and Acts 5.39 resolve For which they shall receive to themselves damnation though they dream as many now do they should merit heaven and salvation too by substracting subverting both Tithes and Ministers even by open armed violence if they cannot accomplish it by Jesuitical Policy and pious frauds And thus much for the confirmation of the Second Proposition by Scripture Texts and Presidents For humane Authorities that Tithes are lawfull and due to Ministers by a Divine Right even under the Gospel I could cite very many were I near my Library and Books as heretofore but being far distant from them I shall trouble you onely with a Catalogue of such as I have by me or remember Fathers of this Judgment and opinion you may peruse Origen Homil. in Numeros c. 18. St. Ambrose in Sermone Quadragesimae cited by Gratian Causa 16. qu. 7. St. Hierome on Mal. 3. and St. Augustine De Tempore Serm. 219. De Reddendis Decimis Tom. 9. both cited by Gratian Causa 16. qu. 1. For Councils you may peruse Concilium Rothomagense Magotiense in Gratian Causa 16. qu. 7. Concilium Matisconense 2. Anno 588. Concilium apud Solemanum Anno 1266. Synodus Rothingue Anno 1581. Concilium Trecense Anno 1427. which resolves Decimae fuerunt à DEO primitus Institutae Praecipiuntur solvi tam de veteri quam de Novo Testamento Synodus Lingonensis Anno 1404. Synodus Turonensis Anno 1588. Concilium Tridentinum Tholosanum Anno 1591. which decree That the payment of Tithes Divino jure cautum est sacrisque utriusque Testamenti libris confirmatum All these Collected together by Bochellus Decreto Ecclesiae Galicanae l. 6. Tit. 8. De Decimis Concilium Tridentinum sessio 25. c. 12. The Council of Orenth An. 1549. with many more recorded in Binius Surius Crab Caranza Merlin Syrmond and other Collectors of the Decrees of Councils resolve Tithes to be due to the Ministers of the Gospel
is cause to do their duties and reform their Errors without the least guilt or colour of Injury or Oppression to the wilfull obstinate or negligent detainers of them and that by the self-same Laws rules of Justice Reason Conscience as all Tith-Opponents yet grant they may enforce obstinate or negligent Tenants Creditors Masters Publick or private Accomptants Trespassers Disseisors and the like to pay their just Rents and Services to their Landlords their due Debts to their Creditors their contracted wages to their hired Labourers or menial Servants their audited Arrears to the publick Treasury or others to whom they are indebted upon Account their ascertained dammages to such as they have injured and to restore the Goods or Lands unjustly taken or detained to those they have plundered or disseised of them yea as justly as they may by any coercive Laws and means enforce and constrain any obstinate Persons or Merchants to pay all Tenths Fifteens Subsidies Ayd Cuâ—toms Tonnage Poundage for defence of the Realm â—y â—and or sea when publickly and legally granted in and by a full free and lawfull Parliament duly summoned and elected by the people according to the manifold Laws and Statutes enacted for that purpose the want of which indubital Ingredients only how fatal they have been to Parliaments in former Ages to make them and all their Acts Iudgements Orders Ordinances mere Nullities and what a prejudice they have been to the People and Republick too those who please may read at leasure in the Statutes of 39 H. 6. c. 1. Rot. parl n. 3.17 c. 7. And the Act for repealing the Parliament of 21 R. 2. in the Parliament of 1 H. 4. c. 3. The reason of which Repeal is thus recorded by Mr. Oliver Saint Iohn in his Declaration in Parliament against the Shipmony Iudges Anno 1640. printed by the Commons command p. 33. That Parliament of 21 R. 2. of Revocation was held by force as is declared in the Parliament Roll of 1 H. 4. n. 21 22. That it was held Viris armatis et Sagitariis immensis The Knights of Parliaments were not elected by the Commons Prout mos exegit Sed per Regiam voluntatem And so the Lords Rex omnes Dominos Sibi adhaerentes summonare fecit Whereupon Nu. 48. These judgements of Revocation and that of the whole Parliaments proceedings too are declared to be Erronea Iniqua et omni juri et rationi repugnantia Erroneous wicked and contrary to all Right and Reason So Mr Saint John Numb 37. This was one grand Article of Impeachment of King Richard the 2 l. for which he was then deposed from his Government by a forced Resignation Heu licet quod eo Statuto Consuetudine Regni sui in Convocatione cujuslibet Parliamenti sui populus suus in singulis Comitatilus Regni DEBEAT ESSE LIBER ad eligend deputaâ—d Milites pro hujusmâ—di Comitatibus ad interessend Parliamento ad exponend eorum gravamina ad prosequend pro remediis superinde preuâ— eis videbatur expedire Tamen praefatus Rex ut in Parliamentis suis ut liberius consequi valeat suae temerariae voluntatis effectare direxit mandata sua frequentius Vicecomitibas suis ut certas Personas per ipsum Regem nominatas ut Milites Comitatus venire faciat ad Parliamenta sua Quos quidem Milites eidem Regi faventes indulgere poterat prout frequenter fecit quandoque per minas varias et terrores quandoque per munera ad consentiend illis quae Regno praejudicialia fuerant et Populo quamplumum onerosa et specialiter ad concedendum eidem Regi Subsidium ad certos Annos suum Populum nimium opprimendo Which I leave to John Canne to English for those who understand not Latin or our Laws and would strip our learned Ministers of their Tithes and setled maintenance by colour of an extraordinary call as he terms it to such an extraordinary Sacrilegious work as this Quest But what ground is there in Scripture may some demand for compelling People to pay their Tithes and other Duties to their Ministers Answ I answer 1. We have the President Law and Commandement of Godly Hezekiah recorded in the 2 Chron. 31.4 5 6 7 8. with the good effect it wrought already recited 2ly The Examples of zealous Nehemiah and the Religious Nobles and People under him who entred into a solemn Covenant curse oath and made Ordinances to charge themselves yearly with the third part of a Shekle for the service of the House of God and that they would bring in all their First-fruits and Offerings and the Tithes of their ground unto the Levites that the same Levites might have their Tithes in all the Cities of their Tillage Neh. 9.38 c. 10.1 throughout specially v. 29 32 37 38 39. ch 12.44 45. which when afterwards neglected by the people Nehemiah contended with the Rulers for their negligence in not enforcing the people to pay them whereupon this effect ensued Then brought all Judah the Tithes of the Corn and the new Wine and the Oyle unto the Treasurers c. And Nehemiah was so far from deeming this Injustice or Oppression as some now malitiously term it that he prayes Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good Deeds that I have done for the House of my God and for the offices thereof Neh. 13.10 to 15. From which President Nicholas Hemingius a far better Divine and Scholar than John Canne and all his Associates against Tithes thus resolves in his Commentary on 1 Thess 5.12 13. Therefore the Godly are to be admonished That by Divine Right they owe Stipends unto the Ministers of the Church But that nothing may be here neglected to the dammage of the Ministry This care belongs to the Superious For if Kings be nursing Fathers to the Church as Isaiah admonisheth Possunt et debent jure divino ministris Ecclesiae stipendia ordinare they may and ought by Divine Right or Gods Law to ordain Stipends to the Ministers of the Church by the example of the most godly King Hezechiah 2 Chron. 31. That they may wholly addict themselves to the Law of God And if the people detain these Salaries and setled Dues from them they may enforce them by Fines penalties and Actions to pay them 3ly If these Examples prevail not we have the President of a zealous Heathen Prince who shall rise up in judgement against many pretended Magistrates refusing to assist complaining Ministers to recover their just Tithâ—s and Dues from their refractory ingrate people to wit King Attaxerxes who making a Decree for furnishing Ezra the Priest with whatsoever he should require for the maintenance of Gods worship and House Ezra 7.11 c. concludes it thus v. 26. And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King which confirm our Ministers Tithes and Dues Let Iudgement be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto Death or unto Banishment
DECIMAS Primigenia adulta tua DEO DATO O that all those Militarie victorious Commanders who boast of like victories as he obtained would imitate him in these his Vertues Bounty Liberalitie both to our Universities Scholars Ministers and promulging Edicts for the due payment of their detained Tithes and Dues and then they should be Chronicled for SAINTS INDEED as well as the forenamed Kings of which there was not one in three in former Ages as Sir Henry Spelman observes WHO DID NOT ADORN AUGMENT ENRICH THE CHURCH IN SOME THINGS even during their very wars instead of making a mere prey and spoyl of her as some late SAINTS have done to maintain the warres and enrich themselves In which Sacrilegious Rapines if any shall persevere to the utter ruine of the remaining Glebes Tithes Maintenance of all our Ministers and Churches too the prime Honour of our Nation ECCLESIA Faemina Lana as some have designed and would engage them to do to render our Religion Nation and those who shall give their Votes thereto for ever execrable Let them take heed that instead of inducing the Ministers and godly people really fearing God throughout our three Nations to forget Monarchy and be in love with their New Military Government they do not necessitate them and most others too thereby by comparing their Irreligious Church-Robberies and Sacrilegious Rapines against the very Laws even of War and Conquest it self in an Enemies Country and detestable to very Heathens as Grotius proves at large to love and honour Kings and Monarchs more than ever as the only Nursing-Fathers to Gods Ministers Church People under the Gospel and to esteem others not comming in by the Door into the Sheep-fold but climbing up by Storm some other way to be but Theeves and Robbers who come not but to Steal Kill and to Destroy whatever the Bounty Piety and Munificence of these and other our Kings have built and setled on the Clergy for Gods Honour and maintenance of his worship and thereby engage them so to act speak and peremptorily resolve as all the Israelites and Godly Levites Priests People twice did in a like case 2 Chron. 11.13 14 15 16 17. 1 Sam. 8.3 5 19 20. If any here object these Kings and Queens were more Popish Superstitious than really Religious Admit they were in some things as too much doting upon Monkery not Monarchy or worldly wealth or Power which some condemn in others when most guilty of and applauding it in themselves yet their very Bounty and profuse munificent Building Monasteries and Nunneries whereof King Edgar alone built no less than 47. endowed them with large Revenues and intended to make them up 50. had he lived besides what they bestowed in building adorning endowing maintaining all Cathedral and Parish Churches and Chapels for the support and honour of their superstitious Religion should eternally shame all those pretended Saints who will be at no cost at all to maintain and propagate what they now call the True Religion and the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel but instead thereof will by mere Force and Rapine against all Rules of Law Justice Piety Equity and war it self plunder if they can the remaining Materials and Fabricks of our Churches which those Kings or their Successors and other antient Benefactors built for Gods Honour and the small surviving Lands Rectories Glebes Tithes Pensions Dues which our Ministers yet enjoy by their sole Bounty Piety Gift Laws without any real charge injurie oppression or obligation to any Mortals now surviving them But to take off the stain of Popery wholly from our Kings which was no disparagement to their commendable Charity and Bounty Consider in the sixth place that God hath honoured us with the first Christian King in the Universe Henry the 8 th who durst not only question but by Publick Laws and Statutes abolish and renounce the Popish usurped Antichristian Power and with it all Popish Shavelings Abbots Priors Monks Nunnes and many Popish Doctrines Ceremonies and restored the People to the use of the Holy Scriptures in their own Native Language Whose example encouraged other Kings Princes Churches to do the like Who though he seised upon Abby Lands as given to mere Superstitious Persons Orders Vses repugnant to Gods word and the Popes mere Creatures and Supporters yet he continued the Lands Glebes Tithes and Maintenance of the Bishops and other Ministers and augmented it and our Vniversities Revenues also out of the Abbies Spoyles which yet could not exempt him from the publick censure of some Protestants for selling or rteaining most of their Lands and Impropriations for his own use which say they he should have rather converted to other lawfull sacred uses according to the will of the first Donors And Mr. Purchas writes That the Monks unrighteous coveting and the Popes appropriating of the Tithes of some Thousands of our best Benefices unto Abbies and Monasteries and robbing the Ministers of them to whom only they were given by God himself and the first Donors for their Maintenance to the great prejudice both of the Ministers and People was one principal cause that by a Divine Judgement and Providence beyond all mens expectation the Pope and they were both suppressed together on a suddain even by him who not long before had justified his usurped Supremacy against Luther and for which he had received this ominous Title from the Pope DEFENDER OF THE FAITH God grant our New Defenders of the Faith do not as ill requite those Persons Powers who first commissioned them with their Arms to defend our Faith Church Religion against Iesuites Papists and their Confederates in the Field as King Henry did the Pope after this new Motto 7ly That our God blessed honoured us with the first incomparable Protestant King in the world no Papist but a REAL SAINT beyond any of his years in this or former Ageâ— even young KING EDWARD THE SIXT the first King I read of who by publick Laws and Statutes suppressed banished all Popish Pictures Ceremonies Superstitious Monuments Practices Abuses throughout his Dominions and established the true worship Service Sacraments Ministers and Ministry and Gospel of Christ throughout his Dominions for which all Ages shall call him blessed no waies embesselling or diminishing the Churches Glebes Tithes or Revenues and enacting a New excellent Law for Tithes recovery when detained But God taking him suddenly from hence to a better Kingdom and his Successor Queen Mary defacing deforming his blessed Reformation and restoring both the Pope and Popery again almost to its former height except in point of Monkery which the defacing of the Monasteries prevented 8ly God then blessed our Church and Kingdom with an unparallel'd Protestant Princesse Queen Elizabeth a Nursing Mother to the Church who demolished the whole Body of Popery with the Popes revived usurpations again by publick Acts established the reformed Religion again in greater beauty and purity than at first banishing
to pay Tithes to themselves and those to whom they were never due by any known Law of God or Man With what Conscience can they detain them from our Ministers to whom they are due by all divine and human laws or condemn the enforced payment of them from themselves who have so violently extorted them from others 4ly If any Ministers or others plead the payment of our late heavy monthly Taxes Excises Impositions Ship-mony far exceeding the old to be against their Conscience as being imposed by no lawfull Parliamental Authority repugnant to all our Laws Statutes Liberties Privileges Protestations Covenants Records Votes of Parliament imployed to shed Seas of innocent precious Christian blood to maintain unchristian bloody wars against our late Protestant Brethren in Covenant and Amity they know not upon what lawfull Quarrel to support an arbitrary Army Government Power to domineer over them to subvert our old Fundamental laws Parliaments Governours Liberties Peace Elections Trials the Great Charters of England foment Heresies Sects Schisms and carry on the Plots of the Pope Jesuites Spaniard French to ruine our Realms Church Religion and pay many disguised Jesuites and Popish Priests secretly lurking in all places under the Mask of listed Souldiers as most wise men conceive to perpetuate our warrs destroy our Ministers and Nation by endless wars and Taxes All these with other such weighty grounds of Conscience Law Prudence which some have insisted on and pleaded can no waies exempt them from violent Distresses Quarterings Penalties Forfeitures Levies by armed Souldiers who regard these Pleas of Conscience no more than Common High-way-men who take mens Purses by force and deem all publick Enemies who dare plead Law or Conscience in this case though the Plea be true and undeniable even in their own Judgements and Consciences as some of them will acknowledge to those they thus oppress Why then should they or any others esteem this mere pretence of Conscience only against Penal Laws for Tithes enforced in a lesse rigorous manner which they may with as much reason and Justice allege against the payment of their just Debts Land Lords Rents and all other dues from them to God or Men The 3d. Objection is That Tithes are pure Alms Therefore not to be enforced by any Law For which the Opinions of John Wickliff Husse Thorp are produced by the Anabaptists and Erasmus urged by some but without sufficient ground I have answered this Objection elsewhere and shall here only declare whence I conceive this Error that Tithes are mere Alms originally proceeded to rectifie mistakes of the meaning of some antient Authors and clear two Texts of Scripture which some Scholars and ignorant People misapprehend First I conceive this Error sprang originally from the misunderstanding of that Text of Deutr. 14.28 29. At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the Tith of thine encrease THE SAME YEAR and shalt lay it up within thy Gates And the Levite because he hath no place no Inheritance with thee and the Stranger and the Fatherlesse and the Widow which are within thy Gates shall come and shall eat thereof and be satisfied That the Lord may bless thee in all the work of thine hands which thou doest compared with Deutr. 26.12 13 14. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the Tithes of thine Encrease the third year which is the year of Tithing and hast given unto the Levite the Stranger the Fatherless and Widow that they may eat within thy Gates and be filled Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God I have brought away the hallowed Thing out of mine House and also have given them unto the Levite and unto the Stranger to the Fatherless and to the Widow according to all thy Commandements which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandements neither have I forgotten them I have not eaten thereof in my mourning neither have I taken away ought thereof for any uncleaness nor given ought thereof for the Dead but have hearkned unto the voyce of the Lord my God and done according all thou hast commanded me To which that of Amos may be referred From which Texts some have conceived That the Israelites paid Tithes only every third year 2ly That they paid them then not to the Levites only but to the Stranger Fatherless Widows and Poor amongst them who had a right and share in them as well as the Levites 3ly That these Texts use the phrase not of paying Tithes as a Debt or Duty but of GIVING them as an Alms and seeing they are given thus to the Stranger Fatherless Widow as Alms therefore to the Levites likewise here coupled with them This doubtless was the true ground that Tithes were reputed mere Alms by some and not a Divine Right peculiar to Ministers To disperse these Mists of Error First take notice That neither these nor any other Texts in Scripture stile Tithes Almes much lesse pure Almes which men may give or retain at their pleasures 2ly That they expressely resolve the contrarie that they are no Alms at all in the objected sense but a most certain positive commanded Debt and Dutie no waies arbitrarie in the least degree For 1. By express positive Laws and Commandments of God oft repeated all the particulars of this Dutie are defined 1. The Quota pars or quantitie All the Tithe of thine Encrease the same year 2ly The time of it every third year which is the year of Tithing at the end of three years 3ly The place of Stowage Thou shalt lay it up within thy gates 4ly The persons who must receive it The Levite Stranger Fatherless Widow 5ly The place of their receiving it Within thy gates 6ly The manner of receiing it They shall come and eat thereof and be filled Secondly which is most considerable the Owners and Tithe-payers had no disposing power over it for their own uses upon any occasion or necessitie For 1. They must bring all of it out of their Houses as an hallowed thing 2ly They must make a solemn Protestation before the Lord that they had given it all to the Levite Stranger Fatherless Widow and that not of their own free voluntarie bountie but as a bounden debt and dutie according to all Gods Commandments which he had commanded them 2ly That they had neither wilfully transgressed nor negligentlie forgotten his Commandments herein 3. That they had neither eaten thereof in their mourning in times of want and distress neither had they taken away ought thereof for any unclean use c. but have hearkened to the voice of the Lord their God and done according to all that he commanded them The reason of which Protestation was because God committed the custodie and dispencing of these three years Tithes to the Owners themselves who might be apt to purloin and pervert part of them to their own private uses I appeal now to all mens consciences whether these very Texts do not unanswerably prove
Tithes to be no Alms or arbitrary Benevolence at all but a most precise positive certain Debt and Duty most punctually limitted in each particular and whether that we now usually call Alms to the Poor be not a Debt and Duty as Rom. 15.27 with other Texts resolve it not a meer Freewill Gift which we may neglect or dispence with as we please Having cleared the Text as to Alms I shall next vindicate them from the other mistakes concerning the time of Tithing and Persons receiving Tithes For which end we must know that the Jews had four sorts of Tithes as the Scriptures and Marglnal Authors prove besides their First fruits amounting to any proportion from the 40th to the 60th part amongst the Pharisees who exceeded others in bounty 1. Such Tithes as every of the Laity in every Tribe of Israel who had any comings in or increase at all paid unto the Levites out of their Annual increase that was eatable or usefull for them as a sacred inheritance possession and reward for their service at the Tabernacle being the full Tenth part of their increase after the first fruits deducted which Tithes they received in kinde at their respective Cities and places of abode and if any Tithe-payer would redeem or compound for them he was to adde a fifth part more than they were valued at because the Levites should not be cheated by any undervalues and those who redeemed them did it only for their own advantage for the most part not the Levites and then they should pay for it These are the Tithes prescribed Levit. 27.30 31 32 33. Numb 18.20 to 32. Which the Levites and their Households were to eat in every place where they resided as their peculiar Portion and Inheritance Wherein the Stranger Fatherless and Widow had no share neither were they brought up to Jerusalem nor put into any common Treasurie and paid constantly every year And these are the Tithes which our Ministers now challenge and receive by a Divine Right as their standing inheritance and the Churches Patrimonie and the Tithes intended Heb. 7.2 5 8 9. 2ly Such Tithes as the Levites paid to all the Priests as most affirm Or to the High Priest only as Lyra Tostatus and some other Popish Authors assert to justifie the Popes Right to Tenths which he challengeth and receiveth for the rest of the Popish Clergie in all places for their better maintenance and support besides their First-fruits fees of Sacrifices Oblations and other Duties being the full tenth part of the Tithes they receive from the people due to the whole body of the Tribe of Levi Numb 18.20 to 31. 3ly A second Tenth which the Lay Israelites were obliged by God to pay every year out of their nine parts remaining after separation of the first Tenth here mentioned and this was likewise of all their annual increase of Corn Wine Oil Cattel Sheep Honey and things eatable This Tithe was by Gods special appointment to be carried up to the place which God should chuse and to Jerusalem in kinde by the places that were near and the full value thereof in money by places more remote Which Tithes and money were designed for the maintenance of their publick solemn standing Feasts every year wherein the Owners Priests Levites and all the people feasted together before the Lord. The residue was laid up in Storehouses Treasuries and Chambers together with the First-fruits and Offerings for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites dwelling in Jerusalem having no abiding elsewhere in the Countrey and for those who came up thither in their Courses and served in and about the Temple of which some selected Priests and Levites who were faithfull had the Oversight and Distribution not any Lay Treasurers Officers or Sequestrators who would be singering all our Ministers Tithes now and reduce them to a publick Treasurie to fill their private purses with them These are the Tithes commanded specified and principally intended Deut. 12.6 7 8 11 12 17 18 19. c. 14.22 to 28. 2 Chron. 31.6 to 16. Neh. 10.37 38 39. c. 12.44 c. 13.9 to 14. Mal. 3.10 Which Tithes were abolished with the Jewish Feasts and Temple Yet the shadow and footsteps of them continued many years after in the primitive Christians Love-Feasts as Mr. Mountague proves at large 4ly The fourth sort of Tithes which the lay Israelites paid was that for the Levite Stranger Fatherless and Widow payable only every third year out of all that years increase after the separation of the forementioned Tithes for the Levites Priests and Annual feasts which the Owners kept in their own barns and were to be eaten by the Levite Stranger Fatherless and Widow within their gates and houses Deut. 14.28 29. c. 26.11 to 17. Now in allusion to the last kinde of Tithes St. Ambrose Sermone in die Ascentionis St. Jerome in Mal. 3. St. Augustine Sermo 219. De Tempore ad Fratres in Eremo Serm. 64. Caesarius Arelatensis De Eleemosyna Hom. 2. Eutropius in the Life of St. Steven c. 17 18. The Exhortation written about An. 700. Beda Eccles Hist l. 4. c. 10. Agilardus Contra insulsam vulgi opinionem de Grandine c. p. 155. Ivo Carnotensis Epist 102. The Synod of York under Hubert An. 1194. and some others press the payment of Tithes to Ministers and giving Alms or some part of their goods to the poor jointly together and some few of them stile Tithes Tributa refectorium Animarum The Tribute not Alms of the poor souls and tell us of Tithes which God himself hath commanded to be given to the poor But this they intend not of the first sort of Tithes due to the Ministers of God but of a Tenth of their remaining Annual increase after the Ministers Tithes first paid as most of them expresly declare viz. Hierom. on Mal. Saltem Judaeorum imitemur exordia ut pauperibus partem demus ex toto Sacerdotibus Levitis Honorem debitum et decimas referamus De sua particula not the Ministers Pauperibus ministrare And the English Synod of Calchuth An. 786. with Capitularia Caroli Magni l. 6. c. 29. most distinctly Decimas ex omnibus fructibus pecoribus terrae annis singulis ad Ecclesias reddant Et De novem partibus que remanserint eleemosynas facient So as there is nothing in Scripture or Antiquity rightly understood to prove Tithes to be pure Alms as some have erroniously fancied The second ground of this Opinion that Tithes were Free and pure Alms was the frequent Grants Donations and Consecrations of Tithes and Portions of Tithes by several Lords of Mannors and Lands by special Charters yet extant recited in Mr. Seldens History of Tithes between the year of our Lord 1060. and 1250. in the darkest times of Popish Superstition to Abbies Monks Friers Nunnes and Religious Houses in eleemosynam pauperum in liberam puram et perpetuam eleemosynam to be distributed by these Monks or their Almoners to
to Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods a clear Gospel-Text for the payment of Tithes which are Gods own Tribute and Portion Levit. 27.30 32. Mal. 3.8 9. and Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom c. against both which they directly Petition as the premises demonstrate This calumny and wresting of Scripture being removed I shall thus make good the first Branch of the Proposition I have already manifested by undeniable Antiquities Laws Records That Tithes were freely given to and setled on our Church and Ministers by our pious Kings Munificence Charters Laws with the general applause and consent of all the Nobility and People upon the very first setlement of Religion in this Island many hundred years before we read of any publick Taxes for Defence of the Realm or maintenance of the Warres by Land or Sea the first whereof was Dane-gelt first imposed by common consent of the Lords in Parliament An. 983. or before the antientest yet continued Custome on Wool Woolfels and Skins exported first granted by Parliament in 3 E. 1. Anno Dom. 1276. at least 500. years after the first extant grant Law and setlement of Tithes in perpetuity as a Divine Duty Rent and Service for the necessary maintenance of Gods Ministers and publick Worship This most antient annual Rent Charge or Tribute unto God hath inviolably continued in all publick Changes and Revolutions of Church and State Britons Saxons Danes Normans English Papists Protestants Conquerors Invadors Right Heirs and Lawfull Purchasers Intruders Disseisers Lessees of all sorts whether Publick Persons or Private maintaining confirming rendring their Tithes successively as a Divine and Sacred Quit-Rent due to God wherewith they came charged into the world till they departed out of it laying down this for a Principle of Divinity Law Equity That God alone hath given to every Man the Lands and all he holds and possesseth whereby he gains his food and living and therefore out of the Land and Trade whereby every one gets necessary supply for his body he ought to contribute a Tenth and Tribute towards the Service of God and Salvation of his Soul much better than his Body as Augustine in his 229. Sermon Tom. 10. and the Antient Saxon Canons of an uncertain time and Author resolve There was no Purchaser Heir Inheritor Farmer Tenant or Lessee of Lands in our whole Nation that paid Tithes out of it since Tithes first setled in this Kingdome but he inherited purchased took and held his Lands charged with Tithes Whence our Law-books resolve That no Lay-man can by the very Common Law of England allege any Custome or Prescription for not paying Tithes but only a Modus Decimandi in recompence of his Tithes which he may in some cases plead because grounded on some antient Contract and a valuable consideration in Lieu of Tithes Moreover as all Men took their Purchases Farmes Leases or Inheritances by Descent thus charged so this charge was universally known to all Purchasers Lesees and the full annual value of the Predial Tithes they pay out of their Lands or Leases abated them in their Purchases Rents Fines by the Venders and Lessers of purpose to defray the publick necessary annual Charge which if the Lands had been Tithe-Free had been proportionably raised to the common value of the Tithes in the Purchase-Moneys Fines or Rents and will be so by every Seller of Lands and Land-lord when ever Tithes be suppressed This being a clear undeniable Truth which every rational man must subscribe to it is certain no person this day living complaining or not complaining against Tithes can in Verity Equity Justice Reason repute or call them either an unjust or oppressing Yoak Bond Burden as many Ignoramusses do without sense or reason nor any burden or charge at all to him since he had or rather hath the full annual value of them allowed him in his Purchase Fine or Rent by him that sold or leased his Lands unto him And although it be true that in such Tithes as the Earth doth not naturally produce without labour as it doth Grasse Wood Fruits viz. Corn Hops Saffron Woad and the like the Minister enjoyes the Tenth of the Husbandmans increase seed labour and costs in tillage and improvement the great Objection against Tithes as an Heavy Burthen and Oppression yet all this pretended great cost and charge except only in Cases of Improvements was altogether or for the most part allowed and defalked in the Purchase Rent or Fine which if Tithe-free would have been and when made Tithe-free will be raised to the full value of the Tithes even one years purchase more in ten sales and 28. Rent more in every pound each year upon Leaser as all understanding men knowing what belongs to Purchases Sales of Lands or Leases must acknowledge And that Farmer Purchaser or Improver of Lands who deems not his faithfull Ministers Prayers Preaching Pains and Gods blessing on his Seed Crop Estate Soul Family promised and entayled to the true payment of Tithes and are only procured by his Ministers prayers without which his seed crop and all his estate would be blasted with a Curse amount not to a tenth part of what he now enjoys by Gods promise and blessing by paying Tithes and his Ministers prayers deserves not the name of a rational man much lesse of a Christian and can expect nothing but Gods curse upon all he sowes plants enjoyes instead of a blessed Crop or Harvest All which considered I appeal to any Christian or rational mans Conscience whether Tithes be any such heavy oppressing intollerable discouraging Yoak Bondage Burden Oppression as some now declaim them which Gods chiefest Saints before the Law voluntarily rendred without murmuring and chearfully vowed paid unto God without a Law and his antient people rendred without murmuring though double to our Tithes now by an express Law during all the Levitical Priesthood and all our own Ancestors as well Protestants as Papists have for so many hundred of years chearfully rendred without dispute and all now living came charged with into the world and were thus allowed the value of them in their Purchases Fines and Leases And whether all Tithe payers have not far more cause to Petition against all Old and New Rent-Services Rent Charges Annuities Quit-Rents Statutes Debts wherewith they were charged by their Ancestors Grants or Contracts and of all the antient Customs for Merchandize for defence of the Seas or Realm as intollerable oppressing Burdens Yoaks Grievances as the Levellers and Anabaptists in some late printed papers stile all Customs Tonnage Poundage Impositions whatsoever as well as Tithes our Excises or monthly Taxes of new illegal formation as well as Imposition than thus to murmur complain Petition against their predial Tithes our Ministers chiefest Livelihood except in Cities which have no Tillage Woods or Meadows And so much brieflly for
Tithes in their Fines and Rents and if they have a godly able Minister to instruct them for their Salvation and spiritual Weal they must hire and pay him out of their own private purses only while their Land-lords or others purse up their Tithes whereon now their Ministers live without further charge unto them and which is more chargable they must pay their Ministers share of Taxes and other publick Payments to boot out of their own purses and estates which now are defrayed wholly by Ministers themselves And so instead of hoped Ease by Abolishing Tithes they shall but draw a causless perpetual Charge on themselves and their Posterities as our New Projectors have done by the sale of all the Crown Lands and Revenues to themselves and their Friends and Souldiers at easie rates to enrich themselves which should have defrayed all publick Ordinary Charges as they ever have done which now must be raised out of the peoples private purses only whiles these New Statesmen and Souldiers purse up and enjoy the publick Revenues which should defray them and Tax the impoverished Nation at what extraordinary uncessant Rates they please and then dispose of them at their pleasures when levyed to themselves and their Creatures the only way to make our Taxes both Easeless and Endless to the peoples utter ruin and their own extraordinary enriching by their spoils 5ly The poor people in every Parish will lose the charitable relief they receive from their Ministers who in many places were and still are a grest relief to the poor and impotent by their liberal Charity and Hospitality now much decayed by heavy and endless Taxes and unconscionable Substractions of their Tithes by Sectaries Souldiers and lawless Covetous Earth-wormes 6ly I must truly inform and tell all such Farmers Tenants and other deluded Countreymen who think to gain much ease and profit by the abolishing of Tithes for the future they shall soon repent of and be doubly burthened hereafter to the uttermost improved value of them in the augmentation of their Taxes to the Souldiers who will be harder new Iron Land-lords Tithe-lords to them than their Ministers now are This was St. Augustines observation long ago recorded by Gratian Bochellus with many others and made good by many practical Experiments in former and latter ages His words are these Our Ancestors did therefore abound with plenty of all things Because they gave Tithes to God and rendred Tribute to Caesar Modo autem quia decesserit Devotio Dei accessit Indictio Fisci Nolumus partire cum Deo Decimas modo tollitur totum Hoc tollit fiscus quod non accepit Christus That is But now because our devotion to God in paying Tithes is departed the Sequestration of the Exchequer is come both on Tithes and Lands We would not pay our Tithes unto God now the whole is taken away in Taxes and Sequestrations The Exchequer sweeps away that which Christ doth not receive And how many have found this true in our dayes by Sequestrators and Swordmen who have sequestrâ—d all the Profits of their Lands as well as their Tithes and the Ministers Tithes and Glebes to boot He addes This is a most just Custome that if thou wilt not give God his Tenth thou shalt be reduced to a Tenth of thy Estate Et dabis impio militi quod non vis dare Deo et sacerdoti and thou shalt be forced to give that to a wicked Souldier which thou wilt not give to God and thy Pious Minister This the whole Synod of Lingon in France Anno 1404. declared for and observed as a truth in those daies And Angelus de Clavasio in his Summa Angelica Tit. Decima sect 20. in his time Petrus Blesensis Arch-Deacon of Bath who flourished about the year of our Lord 1160. writes thus to the Cistertian Monks who had then procured from the Pope a Bull of Exemption from paying Tithes out of the Lands and Possessions of their Order Epist 82. ad Cistercienses You know that Covetousness is the root of all Evil yet it is said and we relate it with tears that this Mother of Transgression this Mistris of Ambition this Captain or Ringleader of Iniquity this Wagoner of Mischief this Cutthroat of Vertues this Original of Sedition this Sink of Scandals hath dared to break in even to your Congregation the Votes and Tongues of all men would be loosened into the commendation of your Sanctity if you did not forcibly snatch away that which is anothers If you did not take away Tithes from Clergy-men This is a Convectio or Rapine little enough but that which doth not a little dishonest your life By the Testimony of the Scriptures they are the Tributes of needy Souls And what is this injurious Immunity that you should be exempted from the payment of Tithes to which the Lands were subject before they were yours and which are hitherto rendered to Churches not out of respect of Persons but by consent of the Territory mark now the just punishment upon them for this their Covetousness and exemption from Tithe-paying Milites Galliarum sibi jus Decimarum usurpant c. The Souldiers of France usurp to themselves the Right of Tithes and have no regard of your Privileges Eas a vobis potenter extorquent They extort them from you by the Power of the Sword Adversus eos debetis insurgere non adversus Clericos aut Ecclesiasticos Clericos You ought to rise up against them but not against Clergy-men Or the Churches of Clergy-men Laurentius Bochellus recites inserts it into his Decret Eccles Gall. l 6. Tit. 8. c. 19. p. 966. printed An. 1609. From which Authorities I must tel all Country Farmers and others now busling to exempt themselves by the power of the Souldiers from paying their antient due setled Tithes to their Ministers that they shall at last but only change the hand and be enforced to pay Tithes with a Witness to the Souldiers even by obtaining their desires Whiles I was a late close Prisoner in Pendennys Castle in Cornwall under Souldiers I never yet knew why I heard some Officers there who had purchased Crown-lands in Cornwall not for Mony but Arrears of pay amongst other their New Projects oft times peremptorily saying We will have all Tithes put down Whereupon I told them they should have done well to have added Saint James his advise to their peremptory words and wills which he much censures by saying as they ought to do If the Lord will we will do this or that James 4.13 14 15 16. Which I thought they durst or could not subjoyn to their former words because it was both against the will and command of God that Ministers Tithes should be put down especially by Souldiers who received far above the tenth part of them in Monthly Taxes for their pay and from whose practice of receiving constant pay for their Military service the Apostle proves the lawfulness of Ministers Tithes and Salaries under the
them to the use of the Army for the pretended ease of the people in their future taxes I shal for the cloze of this Proposition and prevention of this detestable impious Sacrilegious plot against our Ministers and Religion too propound and answer all such specious Arguments Pretences as may be produced by them to delude the people veil over the execrable Impiety and take off the odium of this prodigious Villany First they may and will suggest that they have some ancient punctual Presidents to warrant countenance justifie this their Project As namely the practical example of Charles Martel King of France who about the year of our Lord 730. as the Marginal Authors report having perpetual wars and seldom or never peace in his Kingdom Ideo res Ecclesiarum suis Militibus in stipendium contulit maxima ex parte did thereupon bestow the Lands Revenues Rents and Tithes too as the Act of Restitution with others prove of Parish-Churches Monasteries Bishops Deans and Chapters upon his Souldiers for their Pay and Arrears for the greatest part And surely upon a very Godly and just reason as John Canne and some Army-Officers will swear thus expressed in his Decree recorded in Goldastus and Mr. Selden ut subveniatur necessitatibus Publicis et Salariis Militum pro Dei Ecclesiae bono statu Reipublicae uniuscujusque propria pace pugnantium That he might relieve the Publick Necessities and pay and reward the Souldiers fighting for the Church of God and the good of the State of the Common-wealth and the proper peace of every one as our Officers and Souldiers now say they do And is it not then most just they should have all the Lands Glebes and Tithes of the Church King Common-wealth and of every particular Person too who have fought all this while for them and their defence To this they may chance to adde the President of the Templers and Hospitalers who being no part of the Clergy but Religious Souldiers imployed only to fight in the defence of the Church were by special Bulls and Grants of several Popes exempted from paying any Tithes at all to any Ministers out of the Lands belonging to their several Orders Because they fought for the Church against her Enemies as Turks Saracens and other Infidels Therefore there is great reason equity all our Officers and Souldiers who have lately fought or are now or hereafter fighting for the Church against her Enemies and Malignants should be totally and finally discharged from paying any Tithes at all out of their Old or New Purchased Lands Leases Cattel Estates Spoyls Pay or other increase Besides most of our Army-Officers and very many of the Souldiers are extraordinarily gifted inspired from Heaven and constant Speakers or Preachers transcending all Black-coated Ministers yea the undoubted new Ministers and Priests of Jesus Christ as many deem them So as they may be truly stiled a chosen Generation a Royâ—â— Priesthood yea Army of Priests being made Kings and Priests by Christ himself to God the Father as John Canne hath published in his Voyce p. 24 27 28 29. Therefore they may not only enter into our Ministers Churches Pulpits and dispossess them of them as he there asserts and presseth them to put in execution but be capable in right equity justice to receive all their Tithes to their own use Nay one step more John Canne in his Voyce p. 27. thus peremptorily concludes I will affirm and abide by it since it hath pleased the Lord to draw out the hearts of some Souldiers and others who were never brought up at Universities to learning publickly to preach which is not above 10 or 12. years the People of this Common-wealth have had more true Light and glorious Discoveries of Christ and his Kingdom than all the Nations Ministers ever before made known to them since first they took their calling from the Sea of Rome till this Day On the contrary the greatest Heresies and Blasphemies which have been in the world have been broached by Ministers and Scholars whereas Lay-men at the same time have been sound in the Faith and zealously earnest against such abominable Doctrines Therefore there is just ground that both our Vniversities and all Colleges for Advancement of Learning should be suppressed as the very poyson bane subversion of Religion Church and Common-wealths as some Souldiers and the Anabaptists generally deem them and their Lands as well as Bishops Deans Chapters and Ministers Glebes and Tithes sold or conferred on the Officers and Souldiers of the Army for their better encouragement reward and supportation to propagate defend Religion and the Common wealth A design now eagerly prosecuted by some To which let them receive this Answer before hand since I intend not any future Treatise of this nature 1. That I never read of any pious Generals Armies Officers or Souldiers in Scripture the rule of Faith and Manners that spoyled the Church or Ministers of their Lands and Tithes to maintain their wars or enrich reward themselves but we find it expresly recorded of Abraham the Father of all the Faithfull that he paid Tithes even of the Spoyls of the first Wars to the first Pâ—â—â—st we find in Scripture unto Christ himself both in the Old and New Testament for other Christian Souldiers imitation The like we read of David and all his Officers Captains of the Army with sundry others fore-cited whose Presidents are more obliging and commendable than Charles Martels 2ly That it was the Custom use and pious practice of many Pagan Warlike Nations as the Romans Graecians Carthaginians Tyrians Saxons to do the like who consecrated the Tenths of all their Spoyls to their Idol-Gods and Priests as we may read at large in Mr. Seldens History of Tithes and Review c. 3. and in Mr. Richard Mountague his Diatribe thereon ch 3. Therefore they are worse than Pagans who neglect not only to pay their Ministers the Tenth of their Spoyls but will even spoyl them of their Glebes and Tithes besides 3ly It is very observable and let our Souldiers and Officers consider it in good earnest That God himself specially consecrated and devoted the future Spoyls a Sacrifice for and to himself and all the Spoyls City of Jericho the very first City taken by the Israelites in the Land of Canaan as a sacred First-fruits and kind of Tenth for the use of his Sanctuary and Priests in these memorable words Josh 6.17 18 19. And the City shall be devoted even it and all that is therein except Rahab and her Family and House Lord Whereupon when the City was taken they burnt it and all that was in it as a Sacrifice to the Lord But the Silver and Gold and the Vessels of Brass and of Iron they put into the Treasury of the House of the Lord v. 24. But Acban a covetous plundring Souldier seeing among the rich Spoyls of the City a goodly Babylonish Garment and two hundred Shekels of