Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	gospel_n	word_n	3,444	5	4.1556	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94380	Tyth-gatherers, no gospel officers. Or, Certaine briefe observations concerning the institution and paying of tythes, whereby it appears that men were never compelled to the payment of them in the Old Testament, nor did ever practice it in the New: that the Gospel contributions were all voluntary accounted as a free gift, not a debt; the apostles themselves, not only choosing to labour with their owne hands, but requiring all their successours to doe the like, that they might not bee chargeable to any of their disciples. Together with some quotations out of Mr. Selden, a Member of the House of Commons, his History of Tythes, for the writing whereof he was much troubled by the Episcopall tythmongers of those times, from whom the Presbyterian church-publicans of these days, have learnt to persecute with far greater violence, all such as doe but speak against their Gospel-taxations, ...	Selden, John, 1584-1654. Historie of tithes.	1646 (1646)	Wing T1307B; Thomason E319_2; ESTC R200552	24,975	30

The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader THis little Pamphlet would not have needed a preparatory Epistle were there not amongst us a very great generation who are parties in the point I speak of I shall therefore crave leave to propound unto them before they read it whether the Clergy-bellies of these times can bee any whit better Christians than Demetrius the Silver-Smith with his Craftsmen Act 19 19.20 c. whilst they cry out Great is the God of tithes Sacred is the duty of tithes of tythes we fill and swill hold belly hold were it not for tythes learning would be neglected the Ministery despised and wee must take paines like other silly people of the Laity Let us rather cram the Prisons full as wee doe our guts with tythe pigs of all such as sacrilegiously refuse to pay us tythes Let me likewise intreat them to consider whether it were not the same Tyth-spirit the spirit of covetousnesse which caused the Masters of the Damsell out of whom Paul cast the evill spirit Act. 16.16 17 18 19 20. c. not only to hang backe from receiving the Gospell but even to persecute the Apostles for cutting off that Divelish gaine which the evill spirit had wont to bring them Let them interrogate their owne consciences whether they believe it to bee Scripture or good doctrine that a gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous Ex. 23.8 Deut. 16.19 that it destroyeth the heart Ecclesiastes 20.29 corrupting their very understandings in such manner that they even perswade themselves to be in the right when they were never more in the wrong Let such I say who alwayes had and still have the faculties of their soules imprinted with this gift or rather theft of tithes consider and suspect themselves to be no competent Judges how much this Gospel-tithing savors of Judaisme Antichristianisme and is inconsistent with the subjects prop●e●y Being thus prepared I shall desire them with mee to observe that the Levites being excluded from possessing any inheritance in the land of Canaan unlesse the Lord had given them his owne portion and inheritance the tythes Deut. 18 1.2 they must have starved and yet we finde not that the Lord gave them any compulsive power for levying and bringing in this contribution of tythes But under the Gospell where the whole land is open and free to all alike to Clergy as well as to Laity to purchase and keep possession of where the Apostles practice was to labour with their owne hands 1 Thess 2.9 and Pauls expresse command to all in generall that if any would not worke hee should not eat 2 Thess 3.10 for a supposititious illegitimate tribe of Levi who are not above the five hundreth part of the Kingdom there being upon calculation thought to be not above one Clergyman to every 500. men and women to lay claime to and by violence possesse themselves of the tythes of all encrease free of all charges which in valuation is better then if the fifth part of the whole land were divided amongst them for gleab-land whereof most of them have some small pittance besides their tythes is the greatest cheat and robbery which was ever practised I say yet more briefly that if the whole Kingdome were to bee divided into 500. parts the Clergy as I said before being but as one to 500. by computation besides the free denization which they enjoy in common withall other people run away with about one hundred and twenty five shares I mean with about one hundred and twenty five times as much as any of their fellows Oh prodigy of Covetousnesse but I must decipher it more cleerly Suppose there were 500. men and women in a Country Parish and all the land in that Parish to be worth 2000 l. by the yeare the Minister who is but one of the aforesaid 500. pretends 200 l. for his tithes of the abovesaid 2000 l. cleer of all charges which said charges on all arrable grounds one with another for manuring seed-corne and reaping c. or of stocking pasture ground together with the hazard of a small crop or death of cattell is so great as that the land-lords to bee free of paying tythes the tenth sheafe cleere of charges had better give the fifth acre of all their lands for gleab-land unto the Minister Thus then their tythes of 2000 l. amount in valuation unto the fifth part of 2000 l. which is 400 l. this 400 l. for the Minister being taken out of 2000 l. which is the whole revenue of the Parish land there remaines 1600 l. to be divided amongst 499. men and women who are the Parishioners which is not full 3 l. 4 s. 1 d. ½ a pecce whereas the minister devours 400 l. which is more than any 124. of his Parishioners enjoy upon such a calculation supposing them to be all poore or all rich alike And yet the unsatiablenesse of these Clergy-bellies is not here with content but they lay claime to tithes on house rent and the tenth part of whatsoever any person of any profession doth any wayes lawfully advance to be due unto the Minister of the Gospel both by the law of God and man unlesse some speciall custome composition or priviledge of the place allowed by law exempt him They are the very words of that Episcopall Presbyteriall Ambodexterous Tythe-Champion for Tythes are a common motto to both parties Dr. Burgesse an eminent member of this present Assembly in a Discourse of his entituled A new discovery of personall Tythes or the tenth part of mens cleare gaines c. p. 1. as I finde it observed in John the Baptist Chap. 2 about Christs order and the Disciples practice corcerning the Ministers maintenance c. But why tro did not the Dr. with his brethren in covetousnesse as well claime tythes of children as of fruit and personall gaines whereof we finde not the least mention in either of the Testaments Surely they would not continue so indulgent they would not bate us our children could they but get it once enacted that it might bee lawfull for them to sell tythe children in the market as well as tythe pigs and to deale clearly the Leviticall law from whence they seeke to colour tythes subjected every first borne whether it were of man or beast unto this tax of tithes it fell unto the Priests share Lev. 13.2 c. 22.29 Numb 18.15 the Leviticall Priest was to have the first borne of children unlesse they were redeemed and our English Priests could they but get an Ordinance of Lords and Commons for it as well as tythes I should not trust their curtesies Tell me good Reader who ever thou art didst thou ever think these fair pretending Clergymen every one whereof having devoured above 124. of his brethren by divine right as they alleadge their tythe patent which they say God granted thē should be yet thus Canine-like hungry this craving as of their own meer phantasie invention to lay title

Melchisedeck in his relation of receiving tythes before Abraham paying tythes instances only in his paying him tythes of the spoyls but had Abraham paid tythes of all things he possessed the Apostles argument might have thereby been so much more improved if he had urg'd it But this paying tythes unto Melchisedeck was supereminently typicall as Melchisedeck was a type of Christ Heb. 8.4.5 and in that respect only Paul sayes that Melchisedeck received tythes of Abraham blessing him that had the promise and without contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater Heb. 7.6.7 for even the tribe of Levi is said to pay tythes unto Melchisedeck in the loynes of Abraham Heb. 7.9.10 and the Levites could not be properly said in the same time and respect both to pay tythes in Abraham and yet receive tythes in Melchisedeck so that this is no Scripture for their purpose the very tribe of Levi paid tythes unto Melchisedeck and therefore neither they nor a suppositions off-spring of theirs much lesse pretend with any other than a brazen-face and countenance to derive a just grant and title from Melchisedeck for receiving tythes but besides these words of Pauls to the Heb. 7.5 The Levites who received the office of Priest-hood had commandement for receiving tythes according to the Law d ee plainly teach us that the payment of tythes the tenths of all encrease as our selfe-seeking Clergy will have it understood began not till the law was given and that the Levites had the Priesthood entailed upon their Tribe and consequently that till then there was no commandement for paying them nor any body warranted to receive them Gen. 28.20 21 22. We finde that Jacob when hee went to Laban at Padan-Aram to take a wife being on the way of Luz so called anciently but by him named Bethel v. 19. in the morning after his vision he made a vow unto God saying If God will be with●●e and keep● use in this way that I goe and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put o●● so that I come again to my fathers house in peace then of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee Upon this occasion it will not be amisse 1. to remember that all vows ought to be voluntary such is this promising of Jacob and Abrahams paying tythes unto Melchisedeck neither of them being commanded nor so much as usually practised from Abraham his first paying to this time of Jacob● vowing them for i● Jacob had been obliged or but accu●●omed to pay tythes from the time that Abraham first paid them unto Melchisedeck this present vowing of his would have been different from the nature of a vow which is of some new thing not customarily much lesse obligatorily performed before nay it might have seemed a kinde of deriding God Almighty in pretending to doe some extraordinary service prefixing thereunto the sacred preamble and title of a vow but in the upshot not so much as promise more than was both due and ordinarily discha ged before then secondly these tythes Jacob vowes not to begin to pay them till he returne unto his fathers house in peace which we know was many years after and is a certaine argument that till then he made no reckoning of paying a continuall fixed tythe or tenth part of what God gave him at least we see no example of it Levit. 27.30 32 't is said all the tythe of the land both of the seed of the ground and of the fruit of the trees is the Lords it is holy to the Lord and every tythe of bullock and of sheep and of all that gooth under the red the tenth of all shall be holy unto the Lord and v. 34. 't is said these are the commandements of the Lord by Moses unto the children of Israel in Mount Sinai so that before that time there was no commmandment for paying of 〈◊〉 These tithes being thus set apart by the Lord are in Numb 18 21.24 appropriated unto the Tribe of Levi but neither to be enjoyed by the Le vites nor paid by the Israelites untill they came into the land of Canaan as appeares in that the Lord saies I have given it them therefore shall they possesse no inheritance among the children of Israel v. 24. that is in the land of Canaan as is likwise imposed upon Aaron v. 20. for before that time both Aarons and the other families of the Levites had their proper inheritances and possessions as had the other Tribes Deut. 18.8 Here then we may observe that by Gods ordinance there was no tythes of any thing due save of the seed of the ground of the fruit of the trees and of foure footed beasts Lev. 27.30.32 both fish and fowle were free much lesse doe we finde here any tythes any excise put upon mens labours that was likely thought a duty to be exacted and collected rather by Publicans then by a consecrated Tribe of Levi concerning whom the Lord said that from what time their tythes grew due it should be a law for ever throughout their generations that among the children of Israel they possesse no inheritance Num. 18.23 which I much wonder how such as claime tythes at this day doe yet dispence withall I meane how these pretended Clergy-men should both receive tythes and yet enjoy all manner of inheritances and possessions in common with the Laity Then as we finde in Numb 18.29 the Levites were cut of their tythes to pay the one tenth for an offering unto Aaron and his family who was also of the Tribe of Levi Gen. 4.14 and for this respect as also in that the Lord gave him the offerings of all hallowed things whether meat-offerings sin-offerings or trespasse-offerings v. 8 9. he was also to have no inheritance in the land of Canaan the Lord promising him to be his part among the children of Israel v. 20. Now unlesse this pretended Tribe of Levi can finde out one besides the Pope who like Aaron has as good a title to the heave-offering as they themselves have unto the tythes of all me thinks they should be jealous of their owne title and let it fall to ground for shame if not for modesty Besides the tithes of all encrease the Iewes were with their houshold to eat another tenth thereof at Ierusalem in the sight of God Deut. 14.23 but if the way were far so that they could not carry the tithes ●hither conveniently then they might sell it at their homes and carrying the mony unto Ierusalem buy what their hearts desired and there eat it before the Lord rejoycing with their housholds v. 24 25 26. This tithe some conceive to be due of feasting two years in three though the text may well be understood of every year v. 23. for all that I can find to the contrary But I wonder whether they were thus to spend a whole tithe in feasting as the text seems to insinuate v. 23.26 and the Jewes even to this day spend

Corinthians c. 9. v. 15.18.23 he insinuates that it were better for him to dye than that this boasting of his of not making the Gospell chargeable should be prevented neither was this Paul practice for himselfe only but it seems he gave Titus and such others as he sent unto them expresse order that their Minist●ry likewise should not become burthensome unto the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12 16 17 18. And when he came to Ephesus he called the Elders of the Church together Act. 20.17 and having had a large discoure with them wherein he told them that he had not shuned to declare unto them all the counsell of God v. 27. hee put them notwithstanding in minde againe how he had coveted no mans silver nor gold nor apparrell yea that they themselves knew how those hands of his had ministred unto his necessities and to them that were with them v. 33.34 adding that he had shewed them all things how that so labouring they ought to support the weake v. 35. The same Paul with Silvanus and Timotheus told the Thessalonians that they wrought with labour night and day that they might not bee chargeable to any of them and that they might be an example unto them to doe the like even unto them of the Ministery if there be any who could say with Paul that they had power to eat and drinke that they had power to forbeare working as well as any of the Apostles 1 Cor. 9.4 5 6. Even such I say are required by Paul Silvanus and Timotheus to worke with labour and travell night and day that they may not be chargeable unto any 2 Thes 3.8 9. However we may not thinke so uncharitably of the Primitive Christians that they did not and that liberally too contribute unto their Ministers I meane such as were able Paul beares witnesse of their readinesse both to the Romans Corinthians and Philippians certifying us that they were willing even beyond their power 2 Cor. 8.3.4 and that in so large a measure as the text saies in severall places that they sold their possessions and parted them to all men as they had need laid them at the Apostles feet or had all things in common so that no man said that ought of the things hee possessed was his owne Acts 2.44.45 Chap. 4.32.35 But as the Scripture sayes not many noble not many rich were called 1 Cor. 1.26 so it is cleare in all history that the poverty of the Primitive Christians was generall and so it may have been observed to be in all ages even till these present dayes from whence wee finde it so often objected to the disparagement of such as now seeke after truth what are they but a company of poore base contemptible people such as ●aye nothing to lose as if there were nothing worth losing besides the rich mens Idols of superfluity and pelfe who in consequence to their owne saying must thinke nothing besides these worth getting But alas I have not such poore contemptible Christians in these men● account soules to lose as well as they I le promise them they have soules to save better then they The truth is they want the temptation of wealth and greatnesse which too too commonly overswayes men from seeking after truth as it pleases God to discover it by peace-meales and in such manner only as we grow capable to receive it being apt to thinke they were the poore Christians of whom it was said that from John Baptist untill the Apostles time the Kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violent took it by force Mat. 11.12 I hope the Reader will pardon this digression and so I returne to the point againe It is acknowledged then that under the Gospell a competent and comfortable maintenance is due unto the Ministery yet this the Apostles did not only not capitulate for but Paul alleadges two most emphaticall reasons which might prevaile with any man that were not a very muckworme or had any sparks of piety remaining in him that they should betake themselves to any lawfull calling and worke even night and day with their owne hands as hee did rather then be reduced to need the benevolence of their brethren saying It is more blessed to give than to receive Act. 20.35 and that the children ought not to lay up for the parents but the parents for their children 2 Cor. 2.14 And if at any time the Apostles did stand in need and that the Disciples of their owne Christian disposition gave them any thing the Apostles still received it as a gift 2 Cor. 8.3.4 a matter of bounty c. 9.5 expresly declaring that they sought not theirs but them 2 Cor. 12.13 14. Nay Paul would not have accepted of a gift even to the reliefe of his necessities had it not beene rather to give them an occasion to shew forth the fruits of their proficiency of their charity that it might so much the more abundantly redound to their account Phil. 4.15 16 17. Had Paul been the most eminent Rhetoritian of his time as hee was no meane one had he studied to deliver this notion of his in straines of highest expressions I cannot conceive how it was possible to out goe himselfe herein but we must impute it to the sufficiency of that Spirit which gave him matter of glorying above all other Apostles 1 Cor. 15.10 2 Cor. 11.21.23 Thus we finde in sundry Scriptures declared and particularly in Numb 18.20 Deut. 10.9 and 18.1 Jos 13.4 En. 44.28 that in the distribution of the land of Canaan amongst the Israelites the tribe of Levi was to have no inheritance the Lord promising that he would be their inheritance but in regard that he had assigned unto them all his owns lot and share which was the tythes of all that the earth pre●●●● Lev. 27.30.32 besides that of foure foo●ed beasts as also all things hallowed whether meat offerings sin offerings or trespasse offerings v. 8.9 which w●● a larger stock and proportion than if they had had assigned them ther●● part of the whole land of Canaan it may be demanded to what putpose then does God say he will be the Levites portion I answer that it may likely bee the Lords intention that the Levites whom hee had drawne unto himselfe by a neerer relation of office and service should not have any certaine permanent inheritance in Canaan as the other Tribes but that they should relie upon the tythes and such other duties as God had first assumed unto himselfe and then allotted unto them which being more uncertaine because of the Israelites would not pay them these duties these tithes I finde no coercive power appointed to compell them thereunto the Lord would notwithstanding have them relye thereon or rather on himselfe who promised to be their inheritance their portion that is to provide for the Levites though their brethren should faile of paying tythes for in other respects the Lord was the inheritance of all the Israelites all alike hee failes not to take care