of feasting banqueting apparelling gaming building or some other of like nature which are maintained by many men in cities and townes of trading with the ministers money while he is not paid his due tenthes Thirdly men might pay their true tenthes and yet both continue the bountie of their liberall expences and also increase their estates neuer the lesse for not man but God hath spoken by the Prophet Bring all the tythes into â—al â— 10 â—1 my storehouse that there may be meat in my house and trie me now herewith saith the Lord of hostes If I will not open the windowes of heauen vnto you and poore you out a blessing without measure I will rebuke the deuourer for your sake c. I would to God that men professing the name of God would learne and knowe what it is to depend vpon his prouidence The heathen shall stand vp in iudgement against Christians for the verie heathen as hath bin shewed reputed themselues not vndone or hindered but to bee the more plentifully enriched by paying their tythes We often doe heare men complaine that though they follow their trades diligently and carefully with a good competent stocke yet they put all into a bottomelesse bagge either they decaie and goe backward or at least they goe not forward they are not increased May I not speake here after the same fashion as the Apostle speaketh vnto the Corinthians in an other case for this cause 〈◊〉 11. ◠〈…〉 and weake amongest you and many sleepe So for thiâ— cause vz. for defrauding God and his Ministers many are poore needie among you and diuers are vndone by one casualtie or other If my speach may seeme too peremptorie to them whom selfe loue and couetousnesse hath bewitched then heare againe the word of the Lord by the same Prophet Yee are cursed with a curse because yee haue spoiled mee Mal 3. â— To the like effect are the sayings of the auncient Fathers most vehement as specially of Augustine Nolite de cuncta Aug 〈…〉 comâ—â—s substantia vestra fraudare decimam ne vobis nouem partes auferantur sola decima remaneat that is with hold not the tythe of any of your substance least God take from you the nine parts and leaue you onely the tenth To the same effect also hee speaketh in his serm de tempor Dom. 12. serm 1. where speaking of a barrennes then present and so grieuous vpon the field and the vine that yeare when hee made that sermon as that they had not passing the â—enth part of the wonted increase of other yeares hee assigneth the cause thereof in these words Nouem tibi partes retractae sunt quia decimam dare noluisti that is the nine parts are withdrawen from thee because thou wouldest not giue the tenth Where he further sheweth plentifully that for so much as man himselfe is the Lords the earth is the Lords the cattell wherewith man ploweth are the Lords the dewes and showers wherewith the earth and seedes are watered are the Lords therefore the Lord might iustly challenge nine partes if hee would and assigne vnto man the tenth part onely for his labour but whereas God dealeth otherwise in so great bountie hee is iustly offended and prouoked to send vpon men oppression to their vndoing and sicknesse also and death to their vtter destruction when they refuse to pay their tenthes This is the doctrine of Augustine and all of it grounded vpon Gods word as they may more fully see who will read Augustine his owne text at large which for breuitie I haue thus abridged and if men will yet see a shorter epitomie let them read consider and feare what the Lord speaketh by Salomon It is destruction for a Prou. 20. 25. man to deuoure that which is holy When the people of Israel were to pray vnto God for his blessing vpon them and their land they were so to craue the goodnesse at the hands of the Lord as themselues had dealt truely with the Lord in his tythes yea they must in their prayers 〈…〉 15 menâ—ion that they had tythed truely and neither kept backe in their owne stocke nor wasted in their feasting any of Gods tythes and not vnlike but this was the cause why the Pharisie in his thankesgiuing Luk. 18. 12. sâ—id in the Temple that hee paied tythe of all that hee possessed knowing that the more truely tythes are paied the more abundantly may men expect the blessing of God vpon the rest of their estate and therefore that is but a plea proceeding from want of faith when a man saith because I can saue nothing at the yeares end or because I haue much adoe to maintaine my selfe therefore I will pay no tythes where the vnaduised foolish man doth argue against all sence and reason for if hee be needie and beggerly this is come vpon him because of not paying tythes truely and the more adoe any man hath to liue by his endeauours the more need hath he to tythe truely that he may obtaine Gods blessing the more effectually for it is the fauour of God that blesseth a man to make him rich and it is the anger of God that crosseth a man to make him poore In the common excuse which the Cittizen maketh one thing there is which cannot but seeme vnto me somthing admirable vz. that when the countriman hauing with great charge and labour tylled his field he payeth the tenth part of that which groweth without diducting any kind of charges yet the tradesman or handicraft thinketh himselfe deepely taxed if hee be vrged to pay the tenth part of the tenth which is the hundreth as for example The husbandman with the charge of his seed cattell and seruants and his owne endeauour also imployed vpon a farme or tenement reapeth at the yeares end as much corne as is worth fiftie pounds presently he separateth out of the same the worth of fiue pounds beeing the tenth part holy vnto the Lord. And howsoeuer the vngodly man which considereth not the prouidence of God doth lay out his tyth with hearts griefe and grudging yet that man who in the godlinesse and faith of his heart knoweth that all proceedeth from Gods blessing hee doth lay out his tenth with gladnesse and readinesse expecting that the blessing of God wil be the more plentifull vpon his nine partes the more faithfully hee doth performe the tenth to God as his sacred tribute But take a tradesman or handicraft which with lesse charge and toile euery way earneth by his owne and his seruants labour fiftie pounds in the yeare and this man thinketh himselfe very bountifull if there come out of his purse tenne shillings to the Ministers maintenance that yeare wherein he hath earned fiftie pounds now here is but the hundreth part paid where the tenth is due suppose 〈…〉 that the exact tenth were not due by the word of God but the eleuenth twelfth or twentieth yet sure there must be some proportion
we may expound Scripture by Scripture then it will appeare that the word tenth is here to be supplyed for that was the part and no other which God assigned to the ministerie of his worship He who shall thus expound it shal haue the tenure of the Scripture to auouch his interpretation but whosoeuer shall expound it otherwise either he expoundeth not at all or at least he but giueth his own bâ—re gesse without ground If thou saiest he must giue a part that is he must giue something this if it be not obscurum per obscurius certenly it is not ignotum pernoâ—â—us for I must aske thee againe what is that something And so if any shal oppose against the euidence of the aforenamed simily and say that it onely importeth equitie but setteth not down any particular forme or determinate quantitie I answer that there must be a particular determination Carlet tyth cap 4. before any thing be done Will any man now say as some whom we mentioned in the second chapter haue said that euerie man shall giue what himselfe shall please Surely the worldly man would smile in his sleeue to see his elbow vnderlaid with such a cushion it is a pleasing doctrine and gently claweth flesh and blood but where is the ground of this construction Doth any Scripture teach vs to appoint God to stand to mans curtesie without so much as any lawe to reprooue them by when they become negligent Is this any other but an humane conceit without warrant Will any man in his right wits let out his ground to a tenant to pay meerely what the tenant himselfe pleaseth No sure He that is a Lord will haue this priuiledge to impose a rent vpon his owne ground Many Lords haue beene bountifull to well deseruing tenants 〈…〉 p. 6â— nants and haue accepted of a verie easie rent yet they haue determined it by their owne mouthes though they haue made it neuer so small euen so Almightie God who giueth to euery man all that bee inioyeth as a tenant at will hath made the rent to bee small indeede when it is but the tenth yet he hath not left it to the curtesie of his tenant but as he sheweth his bountie in making the rent easie so he sheweth soueraigntie in naming the rent at his pleasure and making it certen If any shall expound this part to be at the determination of the magistrate this is againe a humane coniecture and howsoeuer it may seeme to nestle in the rocke and to strengthen it selfe with great authoritie hauing betaken it selfe to shrowd vnder the wing of the Magistrate yet we shall easily retriue it from that couert without the least offensiue touch to the vttermost hemme of the Magistrates garment We most gladly acknowledge the Magistrate that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods liuely image Gods owne lawfull Menand surrogate yea no lesse then a God on earth Psal 82. who beeing godly assumeth to himselfe as he is allowed by God authoritie and power to make lawes to order men but not to stint Almightie God in any of his required duties The godly Magistrate doth prouide that God may receiue what he hath required but doth not appoint him what he shall require God himselfe hath set downe his owne worship and himselfe hath particularized the speciall parts thereof That which is his own worship he referreth not to mans invention And as it staÌ„deth with gods worship so doth it also with gods impost rent or tribute it is his owne he hath imposed it his owne selfe and hath not left it at mans appointment Obiect But it may be obiected The Magistrate may make lawes concerning the worship of God commanding or forbidding as he seeth cause for order and comelinesse as what part of time what place what manner of vestiments he will haue for diuers religious exercises why then may not the Magistrate haue as much to doe with Gods tribute as with his worship Resp I answer that he hath fully as much to doe with the one as with the other vz. in those things which circumstantially concerne either of them and where the word of God also is silent leauing things so to the Magistrates discretion But as for the substance of those things which the Lord God requireth for his owne no man may either diminish or alter Obiect Numbers weights and measures are circumstances and therefore because they are circumstances they should seeme to be referred to the discretion of the Magistrate to increase or lessen them as cause may require Answ Hee that in matter of payments permitteth number weight and measure to the pleasure of the payer hath bound him to nothing Secondly all circumstances are not in the power of the Magistrate to appoint but onely such circumstances as the word of God hath not particularly determined for circumstances set downe or appointed by God may not be altered without his leaue God doth not say concerning the time which is a circumstance of his worship You shall set apart for my worship and seruice some time as you shall see cause or as the Magistrate shall appoint but he saith peremptorily and precisely Remember that thou keepe holy the seauenth day which number of Seauen may not be deminished altered it is from the Seauenth to a Scauenth the number still retayned and that little alteration which was made proceeding from the direction of the spirit of God for it beganne when Christ himselfe was vpon the earth and continued in the time of the Apostles So where God doth not onely say indefinitely honour the Lord with thy riches but also determineth the tenth part for his own speciall due it is not in the power of any man to enforce the D. 〈◊〉 v. vâ—ew of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 law pag 163. 164. diminishing of this number The Christian Magistrate may appoint dayes besides the Saboath and command solemne worship vnto God vpon the same dayes as occasion of humiliation by prayer and fasting or of tryumphing by praise and feasting may require but with this caueat First that man appoint no day vnder the name of the Lords seauenth and Saboath day Secondly that no day of mans appointment doe cause the Sabaoth to be quenched and put down but that the saboath doe still hold his owne course notwithstanding the dedicating of other dayes besides Euen so also the Magistrate may as occasion requireth cause some thing else besides the tythes to be dedicated vnto the seruice of the Lord and maintenance of his ministerie but with the like caueat First that man appoint nothing in this case by the name of Gods tyth or of that tribute which God himselfe hath determinatiuely inioyned Secondly that no share of mans appointing doe smoother or drowne the tythes but that the tythes be still duely paid what addition or supplie soeuer besides is caused That God hath required the tenth that is plaine but Carlet tyth cap. 1. where or when did he euer giue any man
the carnall man yet â—ead â—s not into temptation it is very disaduantageable to the glorie of God and saluation of men Therefore grudge not at the sufficiencie of the maintenance which in any place is affoarded to the Minister by the tythes of his peoples increase but rather be thankfull to God that some yet haue so good encouragement and wish well to the rest by your heartie and charitable prayers piâ—â—ying those who sweat at the kill to square and harden bricke but are not allowed sufficient strawe performe euery man what is his dutie at least in the true payment of the Lords demand say not of this or of that benefice that it is too much to maintaine a Minister 〈…〉 â—s iâ—â—hou hast or couldest haue the like and larger 〈◊〉 for thine owne expence thou wilt not account them any more then sufficient And so to the first part of the obiection vz. that in some places the true tythes 〈◊〉 too much for the Ministerie I haue answered enough As for the other part of the obiection vz. In some barâ—en countries the tythes are too little I shall easily answer 〈◊〉 more succinctly for howsouer this be brought in to make a stirre withall yet this is not the maine rubbe and I make no doubt but that I shall full quickly perswade that the tythes of the earth cattell and trading are not in any cruill and peaceable countrie too little to maintaine so many Ministers as are competently requisite for that people The reason of mine answer is this vz. if one man bee sufficient to be the pastor ouer a parish of twentie thirty fortie or fiftie familyes then are the tythes of that parish iâ— being in differeÌ„tly limited a sufficient maintenance for the Minister thereof for if one man haue the tenth part of the increase of the corne fruit and cattell of fourtie familyes then that one man hath foure tymes as much of such commodities for the maintenance of his family as any one family of the other fortie hath if you suppose the parish equally diuided into fortie parts It is true that no parish is so euenly diuided but that some one man may haue twentie parts of the fourtie in some ample Lordship wâ—â— the next neighbour hath scantly halfe a part but the tyâ—hâ— do equally though arise vnto the incumbent in the whole summe whether euerie mans part be of the sâ—me quantitie or that some haue more and others lesse that maketh no variance but that the tythes of any parish of reasonable limits may be a sufficient honourable maintenance for the pastor thereof for if thirtie or fourtie fâ—mâ—lies can be maintained competently each of them with their owne nine parts then may the incumbent or minisâ—â—r liue honourably and bountifully with the tenthes of all these especially considering that what may be adiudged but a scant maintenance in one place is a liberall allowance in an other As for example an hundred powndes per annum in some parts of Wales or Scotland is a greater reuenue then eight or nine score pounds in the heart or Southerne part of England And as I said before that the estate of the Minister is to hold proportion with the people among whome he administreth so as where they are richer he ought the more to abound so now I say againe that where the estate of the people is the meaner there the reuenewes also of the Minister are of necessitie suiteable vnto the people except his portion be accidentally increased by gleab or some such aduantage wherewith deuoute men haue enlarged the originall allowance If the place be extreamely poore then in that case both Minister and people must be relieued by the charitie of neighbour Churches as they shall be able but this an extraordinarie case which seldome or neuer happeneth in a ciuill and peaceable inhabited countrie And therefore notwithstanding this objection Ministers of the gospel are to be maintained by tythes which as they are due vnto them by the word of God so where parishes are any thing indifferently diuided there the tythes are competent neither too great nor too small to maintaine the ministerie Obiection 6. Tithes haue been both taken away and alienated from the Church by Kings and Princes and also at other times giuen and confirmed thereunto by their acts and edicts therefore they are not due by the word but to be disposed by the pleasure of Kings and Princes Answer It is true indeede that Kings and Princes as wee haue formerly rehearsed cap. 11. haue taken much from the Church but à facto ad ius non valet consequentia that is it followeth not that because they did it therefore it was well done no more then it will be prooued that we may worship Ashtaroth and Milcom because this was wickedly done by Salomon and other Princes Magistrates wee confesse also haue made lawes to compell men to pay tythes but yet herein haue they not enacted any newe lawe of their owne but renewed the lawe of God or rather taken order to cause Gods auncient lawe in this behalfe to be put in execution among their subiects as they doe the like in other cases as for example a murtherer is to die by the law of man but this prooueth not that a murtherer is not to be auenged with death by the word of God but only that the good Magistrate doth carefully prouide that sinne may be punished as God hath appointed euen so though kings and Princes haue made lawes for paiment of tythes to the ministerie yet are they due by the lawe of God which is farre more auncient Obiection 7. There are many men in townes and cities of trade and occupation who though they giue either nothing at all or verie little vnto their Ministers yet they do either liue very poorely or at least they saue nothing at the yeareâ— ende How should these men doe if they must pay their tythes exactly out of all their gaines and carnings Answer This same verie allegation might the countrie man also make but it availeth him not any more then if he made the same plea to debarre his landlord of his rent therfore as the like plea helpeth not the countrie man so no more can the cittizen finde any benefit thereby yet I answer otherwise and that three wayes First they who truely pay their tythes may faue something though not so much as if they paid them not yet that which they may inioy with a quiet and good conference wherewith one pennie is more to be regarded then thousands of gold and siluer without it what men spare or spend without tithing cannot be sanctified vnto them because they detaine the good from the owner thereof and deuoure that which is holy Secondly many men yea most if not all men may pay their tythes truely and yet reserue as much at the yeares ende as if they had not paid one pennie of tythe if they will bee more sparing in diuerse other superfluous and lesse needefull expences