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A67328 Tythes no Gospel-ministers maintenance proved in a seasonable answer to the arguments of Mr. John Crawford, minister of High-Holden in Kent. By Thomas Wall. Wall, Thomas. 1681 (1681) Wing W489; ESTC R218128 7,539 9

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mean by your lawful Law that commanded Tythes to be paid you express not unless you mean Pope Paschillis's Decree as Thomas Bacon saith in his Book of the Reliques of Rome who saith That Pope Paschillis decreed in the year of our Lord 827 that Tythes should be given to the Priests which shews that for some hundreds of years after Christ's Death Tythes were not for Ministers maintenance and then that Pope appointed it but for his Massing-Priests And it may be you think you have right to Tythes because you say the Service that was taken out of the Pope's Mass-book and retain your Ministry from that Fountain the streams being left in this Land from Q. Mary's dayes which Ministry or Ministers when Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown only turn'd their Coat but 't was the same Cloth as of late again from Prelacy to Presbytery and the other turn again from Presbytery to Prelacy and all this will you do because your god is your belly your glory is your shame who mind earthly things Phil. 3. 19. Again How conformable this Popes Law is to the Law of God which you bring Gal. 6. 6. which saith Let him that is taught in the Word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things let the wise judge Moreover You say in your Letter you do not mean the Levitical Law to be your lawful Law therefore the Pope's because you further say there is no Law taken away by that Text Heb. 7. 12. but the Levitical Law which was say you to pay the Tythes of the Jews to the Tribe of Levi for no other Law was in force therefore it concerns us not who are not of that Tribe or Nation These being your own words the Reader may see you confess that Tythes are not due to any Gentile by God's Law and by your own grant you being a Gentile have no right thereto Again you say It is a bad Argument to say that Tythes are changed from Levi and given to the People but say you further It is a very good one to say that they are changed from Levi therefore they return to Christ the first proprieter to whom they belong before the Law and for ever Answ Sir if you will but stand to what you have granted you will ever hereafter be ashamed to plead for Tythes If Tythes be returned to Christ the Lord which is a truth then it is as it was before Tythes were given to the Tribe of Levi and every man hath right to possess and enjoy the tenth part of his yearly Revenues aswell as nine parts for so it was before Tythes were commanded to be paid and the Law that commanded Tythes to be paid to the Tribe of Levi you grant is abolished Then seeing the whole Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Psal 24. 1. who dare be so bold as to covet the tenth part of his neighbours Estate and so live in the breach of the tenth Commandment but rather learn what the Scripture saith Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as you have Heb. 13. 5. till another Command be given from the Lord whose the Earth is that Tythes shall again be paid to what end he pleaseth and then I hope no Christian heart will deny to pay them and till that time we are taught by the Lord to honour him with our substance Prov. 3. 9. But we find not in his Testament any Command for the payment of Tythes and so not lawful for the Reasons before shewed Thus I hope Mr. Crawford your Parishioners will be glad to hear your Confession and more glad if you will let them live peaceably to enjoy the tenth part of their Estates aswell as the nine parts and for shame send with all speed for your neighbour Thomas Chesman out of Maidstone-Prison whom you have kept there above seven years and desire him to pray to the Lord to forg●ve you if you be not past recovery Your next Argument is That which is due to an Evangelical Priesthood is not unlawful to be given to the Ministers of the Gospel But so are the Tythes Therefore The Minor was proved by their being due to Melchisedech Answ That which was due and paid to Melchisedech was not the Encrease of the Land but so is the Tythes And that which was paid to Melchisedech was the Spoyl of the Enemy Gen. 14. Heb. 7. 4. and if your Argument be true then the Gospel-Ministers Maintenance is not the Encrease of the Land but the Spoyl of the Enemy taken in War so then this will follow If there is no War nor Spoyl taken then the Ministers must have no Tythe Moreover the Ministers Paymasters must be the Commanders of the Army for Abraham was chief Commander and He paid the tenth of the Spoyl to Melchisedech and not the Farmers and Husbandmen If this be your faith Sir for shame leave off imprisoning your poor neighbours the Farmers for Tythes and go to the Commanders of the Army for your Tythes and if you can make it out to them that you are not only Clerk of the Parish of High-Holden in Kent but also a Priest of the most high God for so Melchisedech was you will have abundance due for it is so long since the Commanders paid Tythes that doubtless there are great Arrears behind And Sir when they have paid you return four-fold to your poor neighbours the Farmers which you so many years have wronged them of Your next Argument is If the denying of them as you do be the doctrine of Devils then is the payment of Tythes lawful But the former is true Therefore the latter The Minor is proved from 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3 4. for the tenth part is meats aswel as the ninth part therefore to forbid them is unlawful Answ I perceive Sir you are put to your shifts for Arguments and that the words of the Prophet may be justly applyed unto you Wo to the Idol Shepherd whose right-eye shall be utterly darkned Know you not that the Scipture ye bring to prove your Arguments reproves the doctrine of your Church rather than the lawful paying of Tythes which forbiddeth Meats and Marriages at certain times of the year witness your Lent and the many Licences which are sold by the Authority of your Church which the Apostle calls the Doctrine of Devils because Marriage is honourable and a Civil Ordinance and may be done at any time of the year in which other Civil Actions ought to be done And Sir if you have no better Arguments than these you must mourn for your belly-god Tythe as the Women did for Tammuz Ezek 8. 14. Your next Argument is Who goeth a Warfare at his own charge The Lord h●●h ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel Answ I wonder you are not ashamed to plead for Tythes to be the Maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospel since you say the Lord hath ordained that they who