SACRILEGE SACREDLY HANDLED That is According to Scripture onely Diuided into two parts 1. For the Law 2. For the Gospell AN APPENDIX ALSO ADDED ANswering some Obiections mooued namely against this Treatise and some others I finde in IOS SCALIGERS Diatribe and IOH. SELDENS Historie of Tithes FOR THE VSE OF ALL CHVRCHES IN generall but more especially for those of North-Britaine DEVTER 33.11 Blesse O LORD Leuies substance and accept the works of his hande Smite thorow the Loynes of them that rise against him and them that hate him that they rise not againe Nec partis studiis agimur sed sumpsimus arma Sacrilegis â—â—â—â—ca viriâ— TO THE MOST NOBLE AND TRVLY SACRED Prince Defender of Christs Faith and Nourish-father of his Church IAMES by his grace of great Brittaine France and Ireland King SEE gracious Soueraigne See how many and great reasons both from the Argument and the Author do draw this Treatise to your Sacred hands From the Argument A Sacred and high subiect requireth a Sacred and sound Iudgement The Churches Sacred patrimonie a Kingly Sacred patrocinie And Sacrilege a proud and insolent sin a Sacred and powerfull scepter to suppresse it All which are only and most eminent in your most Sacred Maiestie SKILL WILL and POVVER From the Author This seemeth to require a Sacred pen-man too True And though I be not of the Tribe of Leui yet I hope of the tents of Sem how Simple soeuer Yea behold what interest I haue also in our Sacred Dauid Euen deuoted to his seruice by my parents before I was Thereafter named in and after his Maiesties owne name before himselfe could know it yet after knowledge confirmed And in his H. Court almost euer since both nursed and schooled And so is our Dauid the King of my birth the Master of my seruice the father of my name framer of my nature and the Gamaliel of my education at whose feet no at whose elbow and from whose mouth I confesse I haue suckt the best of whatsoeuer may bee thought good in me his iust right therefore and my chiefest glorie Becommeth it not well then SIR where the Soueraigne proueth a Salomon his Courtiers proue Nehemiahs though sparingly here compared When He is Pater Ecclesiae and Episcopus aulae by authoritie proclaiming and by practise prouoking vnto vertue they to shunne both ignorance and silence Truly it goeth neuer better then when the Church Courteth it and the Court Churcheth it for Moses and Aaron were brothers But to our purpose SIR When I consider how God hath made you not onely our Prince but euen our princely Patriarke our IACOB deliuering you from so many Esaues as he did Jacob bringing you home againe after your marriage as hee did Jacob and also setling you in your Canaan more than hee did to Iacob and againe seeing your Maiestie performes Jacobs vowes to God viz. Defending his faith building his houses but chiefly this Of all that thou shalt giue me I will giue the tenth vnto thee I had bin too to vnworthily by your Maiestie named Jacob if I should not with my sword in the one hand and penne in the other both Court it and Church it that is build vp with our Royall IACOB the breaches of Ierusalem But the breach SIR is great not only in Lime and Stone but in the liuely Stones of Gods worke the Leuits themselues Their Tithes are abstracted themselues distracted and so the Gospell contracted and confined 2. Thes 3.1 that it Runneth not as it should Your Commons pay Tithes your Leuites lacke Tithes your Lords and Laicks haue been bathed in blood about Tithes Your poore labourers may say with the true Israelites Deut. 26.13 J haue brought the hallowed thing out of mine house but they cannot say on And J haue also giuen it vnto the Leuites Why Because there commeth a kind of Pirat Ships with Acts of Parliament in their flags and carrie all away Your SKIL knoweth this SIR best of any your WIL wisheth it were mended and God hath giuen you POVVER to performe it All three are promised in your BASILICON DORON to your Sonne Lib. 2. and according to that promise are all three in some measure begun already by your selfe in annulling in a part that Vile Act of * Whereby Tithes were annexed to the Crowne Annexation Vile your Mastie hath most truly termed it for it hath made Vile your Leuites and so the Word vile in their mouthes Your Maiestie hath annulled it so farre as concerneth Bishops Let it and all the rest also fall as concerne the Leuites Since you haue setled your Aarons in their Ierusalems Neh. 10.37 Let not their brethren begge as they doe in the cities of their trauels they are all of one Priesthood all of one Prince You haue annulled Annexations Reuerse * By which Tithes are erected in TeÌ„porall Lordships to the Subiect Erections Your Bishops can enforme SKIL your Commons all attend and call vpon your WILL and of all Estates enough ready to second your POVVER I graunt your Maiestie hath to doe with many Achans but what are they to the rest of Jsrael hauing God and Moses on their side Let them appeare at the dores of their tents and shew Quo iure Achan stole his and theirs will be found little better A Parliament say they but this treatise by Gods grace shall proue that long before there was either King or Parliament in Jsrael Tithes were taken vp for Gods perpetuall worship and so can neuer come vnder the power of Prince or Parliament further than by their Lawes to enforce the payment of them according to Gods Law So all is but stealth or robberie for Nemo potest plus iuris in alium transferre quà m ipse habet The Parliament then neuer hauing power to dispose of them The possessors must be in malà fide A Parliament maimed of the chiefest member in a Kings younger age hath forfeited Christ and may not another Parliament perfect in all the members in a Kings full and perfect age rectified by knowledge again restore Christ In that Parliament Leui the chiefest member and whom only the cause concerned was not called so God was vnconsulted Christ his Sonne forfeited his Church spoyled the King cousened the Commons oppressed was not this a vile Act One Parliament more then SIR for Christs sake it may be some wil parle for Christ Leui will pleade for himselfe he will shew the Law he dare now say Nolumus Much more might be said SIR though nothing more then your Maiestie knoweth It suffiseth me a poore yet a trustie Souldier once to haue cried Courage to his King and Captaine in the day of danger and I beseech God that as many may admire your Maiestie for working it as shall enuie me for writing it But all must rest vpon your Highnesse more ripe and Royall resolutions wherein and in all the courses of your Long-wished life I shall euer pray for all such
Iaacob Gen. 49.7 and scatter them in Israel to wit for teaching the people Gods Law not tyed Onely to that Tabernacle Act. 15.21 c. 2. Chro. 11.14 For Moyses in olde time hath in euery City them that preach him c. This point is Generall Morall and so Perpetuall deriued from the first Adam and by course prorogued to the second comming of the second Adam The second point of their function To put incense c. A seruice indeed Ceremoniall because tyed to the Tabernacle Onely beginning and ending with Leui. Then Morall scattered seruices craue euer a like Maintenance and Ceremoniall tyed seruice the like also and during the Law one Officer Leui discharging both the Morall and Ceremoniall seruices did eate of both sorts of Maintenance And this for proofe of the first point The Onely Tabernacle was not Leuies whole function The second point That Tithes were giuen them for § III their whole function not for one part and also to the whole Tribe and not one part thereof and chiefly if there be any ods to that scattered part and Morall seruice it is proued by the same text brought against vs as shal best appeare by a true Analysis of that whole Chap. Num. 18. Three degrees of Leuites The Tribe of Leui being distinguished by order of Office in High-Priest Priest and inferiour Leuites he setteth downe in this Chapter the Office of all and the Maintenance for all Their offices mixtly from verse 1. till 8. from 8. till 20. their maintenance common to the Priests but not to inferiour Leuites Nehem. 10.37 From 20. till 25. he setteth downe their common maintenance viz. Tithes Inheritance proper to the whole Tribe now because the Leuites were restrained from the portions of the Priests Vpon Deut. 12.6.17 Lyra and others conclude that Tithes heere are only for the inferiour Leuites exempting the Priests But the text is ill taken vp so for from the beginning till ver 20. he treateth only of the Priests Ceremoniall seruice touching Sacrificing and of the Ceremoniall maintenance which ariseth from the sacrifices and offrings in which Inferior Leuites had small handling and so as small a portion But from 20. he setteth downe their Inheritance by the onely name of Tithes This for Lyras guessing Anti 3. lib. 4. cap. 4. C. vita Ioseph fol. 534 I. in the English translation to whom we oppose Iosephus both a Iew and a Leuite yea of the Priests plainely allotting Tithes both to Priest and Leuites So to ascribe Gods inheritance to the least officers only hath no better warrant then Deliria Lyrae § IV But to climbe the tree of Knowledge by the owne true branches Tithes due to the whole Tribe Num. 18.20.21 heare what the Scripture saith Abraham gaue Tithes first to Melchisedec euen a great Priest before the Law And vnder the Law the Lord said to Aaron Thou sh lt haue none Inheritance in their Land I am thy Inheritaâ—ce And I haue giuen all the tenth of Israel for an Inheritance to the children of Leui. Shall not Aaron the High-Priest and the children of Leui comprehend the whole Tribe Further seeing the Priests heere are debarred all ciuill Inheritance as well as the Leuites why should they not liue of the Ecclesiastick as well as Leui Againe Neh. 10.37.38 Nehemiah with the people made a couenant to giue the Tithes of their Land vnto the Leuites in all the Cities of their trauell And a Priest the sonne of Aaron shal be with the Leuites when the Leuites take Tithes Some thinke this Priest the sonne of Aaron was but an ouerseer of Leuies Tithing that by their portion hee might know the true proportion of Decimae Decimarum which the Leuites were to take vp to Ierusalem and giue to his Father Aaron I rather hold with some others that the Priests heere were partners with the Leuites in Tithes Inheritance And that this Priest was not one single person for how could one man ouersee all the Leuites Tithing at one time in all the corners of the Countrey but a Priest in each place lifting for his brethren Priests as the Leuites for theirs in the Cities of their residence for they were mixed and dwelt together But if the Priests had no part in these Tithes tell vs whereupon they liued all that time of the yeere they remained at home out of Ierusalem They were diuided in foure and twentie Classes each Classe serued in his turne but for a Sabbath so each Classe came but twice a yeere so it seemeth they liued abroad some eight and fortie weekes and no part of oblations or sacrifices might be transported nor eaten out of Ierusalem Iudicent doctiores But heere they obiect Ios 13.14 The sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel are the Inheritance of the Tribe of Leui as he said vnto § V him So this word Inheritance Sacrifices not properly Inheritance maketh no more for perpetuall Tithing then for perpetuall Sacrificing For this Tremellius wisely noteth this speech to be both Synecdochicall in putting Sacrifices for all sorts of Offrings whereof Tithes was one And Metonymicall in putting Things consumed by fire for things reserued from fire Againe seeing these things were onely eaten by the Priests and their Families and onely at Ierusalem as all Scripture testifieth it is most cleare that Sacrifices were not Inheritance for the whole Tribe And 18. 7. But Iosua explaineth all this in the last of this same Chapter For the Lord God of Israel is their Inheritance as hee said vnto them Marke these last words as he said vnto them This he said onely in Num. 18. and there only Tithes are the Lords Inheritance and that for the whole Tribe as is said The very like Synecdoche is in that speech of gisting the Tithes for their seruice in the Tabernacle of the Congregation where Tithes were as due if not more for their scattered seruice But seeing the principall seruice of the Law was Typicall and Ceremoniall Moyses had reason to talke in Typicall and Ceremoniall termes as by Tabernacle to comprehend their whole seruice and that very iustly seeing all their seruice was discharged in but not onely in the Tabernacle This Synecdoche is frequent to this word Tabernacle of the Congregation for it being properly but that place where the Priests serued yet is it extended to Sanctum Sanctorum where Aarons rod was as in the Chapter proceeding vers 4.7 compared with Hebr. 9.4 and Leuit. 10.9 and Numb 1.49 c. § VI But how is Leui said to haue no Inheritance amongst their brethren How Leui is said to haue no inheritance seeing both of their labours and from their hands they receiue their Tithes and so seeme more to bee mixed among the Tribes then any one Tribe with another First I thinke because they had no such portion of the Land as they secondly for the different prerogatiue of their portions and tenures The Israelites
Num. 18.21 To Leui and for inheritance And Leuit. 27.30.31 he is speciall of what All the Tithe of the Land of the seede of the ground of the fruits of the trees of bullock and sheepe and of all that goeth vnder the rod. Heere now are those ordinary yeerely Tithes the Naturall Ante Legem sub Lege post Legem Legall and Euangelicall maintenance of Gods worship and are set downe heere by Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euer in the first roome and onely priuiledged with that high title The Lords inheritance § III To discerne them liuely from the rest remember these generall notes as they occurre in Scripture with Tithes Three notes whereby to discerne Tithes First Of all Secondly Yeere by yeere Thirdly All places and persons All those shalt thou euer finde to agree with and onely with Tithes inheritance the restrictions import euer some Ceremonie as in their particuler collation shall plainely appeare Solution To the argument then Tithes must bee brought to the Temple Ergo Ceremoniall It is cleare that Tithes inheritance as in the first sort were neuer all tied to the Temple nor Ierusalem because all the Leuites were not tied to Ierusalem but liued abroad many of them for reading of the Law vnto the people euery Sabbath day in their Synagogues Act. 15.21 and so must haue had their sustenance where they serued That they stayed not all still at Ierusalem is cleared by their turnes according to their lots 1. Chron. 24.5 c. And All the Leuites of the holy Citie were 284. and the residue of Israel Neh. 11.18.20 of the Priests and of the Leuites dwelt in the Cities of Iudah euery one in his inheritance Now that they drew their sustenance in the places of their seruice it is also cleare Neh. 10.37.38 That the Leuites might haue their Tithes in all the Cities of our trauell c. But the examination of the second sort will cleare this more § IV The second sort of Tithes followeth in the next verse The second sort of Tithes Vers 23. Deut. 12.6.17.11 c. Vers 24. And thou shalt eate before the Lord thy God in the place where hee shall choose to cause his name to dwell there the Tithe of thy corne of thy wine and of thine oyle c. And if this way be too long for thee so that thou art not able to cary it because the place is farre from thee c. Vers 25. Then shalt thou make it in money and binde vp the money in thy hand and goe vnto the place c. Vers 26. And thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoeuer thy heart desireth whether it be oxe or sheepe c. And the Leuite that is within thy gates shalt thou not forsake c. Vers 27. These Tithes cannot be Inheritance seeing they agree onely with one of our three generall notes proper thereto viz. Yeerely They are not of All but of onely Corne Wine and Oyle as vers 23. They are not for All places but onely at Ierusalem vers 24.25 And this exchange of them into money vers 24. for the longnesse of the iourney and difficultie of carriage proueth clearely that Tithes inheritance being of All things could not be first carried to Ierusalem and thence backe againe to be diuided among the dispersed Leuites a Lyra on Deut. 12.6.17 Lyra and b Iunius in Analysi sua contra quam priu◠cum Tremellio others would confound these two verses and make both but one tithing But marke how the text it selfe distinguisheth them vers 22. Thou shalt giue of All Heere the Giuer is the Israelites the Taker then must be the Leuites Vers 23. Thou shalt eate meaning the Israelites as of before So Giuing Taking and Eating cannot meete In eadem personâ And Num. 18.21 Tithes are called Haereditas vestra meaning the onely Leuites therefore the Israelites cannot be commanded heere to eate them And beside Scripture wee oppose to Lyra Iosephus saying Amiq. lib. 4. pag. 91. A. D. Let the tenth part of the fruits besides them that are due to the Priests and Leuites which you are accustomed to sell in y ur markets being reduced into readie money bee spent in sacrifices and banquets in the sacred Citie And Besides the two tenthes which I commanded you yeerely to pay the one to the Leuites and the other for your Festiuals you shall for euery third yeere annex a third to bee distributed amongst the poore to women widdowes and orphants Cap. 1.7.8.9 Againe Tobit another Iew also payeth them all three as three distinct Tithings heere therefore olde Lyra begate a yong error § V That place then of Malachi Bring yee all the Tithes into the Storehouse Genera singulorum non singula generum This vniuersall note All must bee All such Tithes as the Law appointed to be brought vp of each sort not the whole Tithes of all sorts This limitation of All is so agreeable to precepts of Logick and so frequent in practise of Scripture as it needeth no proofe 2. Chro. 31.11 Malachies Store-house then and Ezekias Chambers were both one the Chambers were built for the great heapes of Tithes the heapes were for the Feasts the Feasts for the Lords worship Deut. 16.16 And if this course had not been held seeing all the males poore and rich must haue been thrise a yeere at Ierusalem they had rather fasted then feasted Now the remainder of those heapes were for those that either stayed still at Ierusalem or as came out of their Cities to worshippe at Ierusalem as Deut. 18.6 who all this time were not to liue of the sale of their owne patrimonies abroad Deut. 18.7.8 but had a portion with their brethren staying at Ierusalem and serued as they did keeping each one both the Family he was of and charge they were appointed vnto as a Gershonite to a Gershonite and so forth the distribution of those Tithes was by chosen men to that purpose appointed in that same place 2. Chron. 31.12 c. of the Leuites themselues § VI The third sort of Tithes in vers 28. At the end of three yeeres thou shalt bring foorth all the Tithes of thine encrease the same yeere Third sort of Tithes and lay it vp within thy gates Then the Leuite shall come Deut 14. Amos 4.4 still the Leuite because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee and the stranger and the fatherlesse and the widdow which are within thy gates and shall eate and be filled Now seeing all inheritance is Yeerely and these Tithes but each third yeere they cannot be Gods inheritance Whatsoeuer Ceremony may be in the time tertio anno yet the perpetuall equitie of those Tithes ratione finis vsus holdeth still For as Lyra alledgeth them to haue been instituted for preseruation of the poore from eating in necessity the meats of the Gentiles Idols So haue the
in very Offerings and yet import no Ceremonie For although the Tabernacle once built was a most Ceremoniall Type yet the peoples offering according as they had man and woman gold or siluer silke or linnen as materials to build it withall heere was no ceremoniall offering perfected and abolished by Christ For why may not euery Christian Moyses for building houses to Gods worship command their people Lift vp or offer of their substance to that vse Their Ceremoniall signification floweth neuer from § II the nature and proprietie of the words but because the whole circumstances of the Text shew the matter to be Ceremoniall For example Exod 29.23 c. both words are mixed for the lifting vp and shaking to and fro Leuit. 7.34 of the right shoulder and the breast of the Peace-offering Heere concurre a Priest an Altar an Offering or Sacrifice all which were meerely and onely Leuiticall Ceremonies yea Shaking and Heauing haue there their owne peculiar signification in Christ as all Diuines acknowledge But what if these words doe not import this Leuiticall Ceremonie Num. 8.5 c euen in Leuiticall and Ceremoniall Offerings The Leuites were offered to the Lord in place of the first borne by purification expiation shauing washing sacrificing at the doore of the Tabernacle by the hand of the Priest and so the Leuites are in the translations called a Shake-offering vnto the Lord Heere are all things most Ceremoniall saue only Shaking For neither reade we nor is it probable that so many thousand men could bee really shaken to and fro ad quatuor plagas mundi as was done with the right shoulder and brest of the Ramme aforesaid And if any man will draw Analogie from that Ceremoniall shaking to the shaking and dispersing of the Leuites thorow the foure corners of the Kingdome then as the word is so but Metaphoricall the matter is also Morall for Leuies successors vnder the Gospell are so scattered and shaken § III Of all these we gather a two-fold offering a Ceremoniall Morall offerings and a Morall The Ceremoniall peculiar to the Leuitical Law and performed euer by a Leuitical Priest full of rites as Altar Fire Offering Heauing Shaking or some such signifying Ceremonie as is said The Morall offering also two fold either to God onely and immediately or by mediation Only to God we offer out Prayers and praises Hos 14.2 Heb. 13.15 The calues or fruits of our lips By Mediation we offer to others either for Gods sake or for Gods seruice Act. 10.4 For his sake Thy almes is come vp into a remembrance before God Philip. 4 18. Act. 24.17 A sacrifice pleasant and acceptable to God Almes and offerings To others for Gods seruice euen those Tithes Gods Inheritance for all his officers offered long before that Ceremoniall Law continued so by that Law and why not also after that Law No carnall Priest Place or rite heere for Leui did not offer Tithes heere to God in name of Israel as was the nature of Ceremoniall offerings but receiued Tithes in name of God as Inheritance from Israel All Ceremoniall offerings must bee done at the onely doore of the Tabernacle But Israel offred these Tithes in all the Cities of their trauels as we haue proued All Ceremoniall offerings were due to the Onely Priests Num. 18.8 c. but Tithes are also due and as some thinke onely to the inferiour Leuites Offering then of Tithes heere is no other then Abrahams giuing to Melchisedec and Iaacobs vowing to giue Tithes They are called an offering because they should be freely offered not craued as the custome is to this day euen where Seculars are Tithers who are called vnto cryed vpon yet will scarcely take them hauing a resolution as they robbe the Lord so to ruine the labourer Thus we see Offering of it owne nature How Tithes are to be offered is a word for Gods worship in all ages To offer Tithes then is to giue them in such forme as God requireth in all gifts viz. Speedily as Exod. 22.29 With gladnesse Ecclesiastic 35.9 Not grudgingly or of necessitie for God loueth a cheerefull giuer 2. Cor. 9.7 Without murmuring Deut. 26.14 And finally In libertie of the spirit and liberalitie of the heart as was Abrahams giuing of Tithes to Melchisedec Gen. 14.20 To make Tithes then a true Shake-offering shake off the sacrilegious vse of them and so lift vp thy heart a pure Heaue-offering to the Lord saying with the true Israelite Deut. 26.13 I haue put the hallowed things out of mine house and giuen it to the Leuite c. Lest the Lord one day shake both thy stocke and thy Tithe thy bodie and thy soule CHAP. V. Tithes not Ceremoniall in their End Two points of Leuies seruice and three degrees of Leuites for all which and to all which Tithes were giuen in Inheritance Sacrifices not properly Inheritance The â—ge vnder the Law concluded and more ancient rights preduced § I THe nature of Tithes being freed from Ceremonie their End is now quarrelled thus Whatsoeuer was ordained for the seruice of the Tabernacle must as the Tabernacle it selfe bee Ceremoniall Tithes Inheritance were giuen Leui for that seruice Ergo. The very text is their Assumption Num 18.21 Now God helpe Leuies successors that is such as bee of the Ministerie now a dayes for by this dealing hath Leui been a hundreth fold in better case vnder the Law then they be vnder the Gospell O Rich Aaron Type for a time And poore Melchisedec Priest for euer A great pitie pouertie should be perpetuall No remedie then but vp must the Tabernacle or downe must the Tithes For as to the preaching of that heauenly Tabernacle Christ Tithes not Ceremoniall it must goe for Gra-mercy Yet to say somewhat lest we lose all to the parts of this their Ceremoniall Syllogisme for little or no substance in it Both Proposition and Assumption lacke this word Onely to conclude the question aright For to be tyed to the Tabernacle and not Onely to it will not make a thing Ceremoniall For so shall we make the Decalogue it selfe Ceremoniall for it was also tyed to be read in that Tabernacle by Leui. Ceremoniall then must be Only with or Onely for the Tabernacle And if they say Tithes Inheritance are Onely for it then both Proposition and Assumption are false for two reasons I. The onely Ceremoniall seruice of the Tabernacle § II comprehended not Leuies whole function Two points of Leuies seruice II. Tithes were giuen to the whole Tribe for their whole function Their seruice and function stood in two points according to that Prophecie of Moyses Deut. 33.10 They shall teach Iaacob thy Iudgement and Israel thy Law 2. Chron. 17.7.8.9 They shall put incense before thy face and the burnt offering vpon thine Altar The first point we see is a scattered seruice according to a former Prophecie of Leuies owne Father I will diuide them viz. Leuites in
this part 7. cap. 5. § 2. adding from Nehem. 11. how they brought by lot but one man of ten to dwell at Ierusalem the nine parts liuing alwayes abroad in their Cities Seeing then onely the tenth man stayed at Ierusalem and that Tithes were their Inheritance why should this Inheritance be all carried vp and so nine parts againe downe like Post-wages according as they came and went by their courses Leuite then Num 18. from vers 20 to 25. hauing no cleare limitation nor distinction in the text must include the whole Tribe in their gift to Tithes Vers 20. He first debarreth Aarons Inheritance with Israel vers 21 and 24. are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Causals as all translate For For saith he I haue giuen the children of Leui euen Aaron and all another Inheritance All the tenth of Israel Therefore seeing one and the same reason debarred all by exprâ—sse name heere from that Ciuill inheritance the same reason that is this Sacred inheritance must bee alike one and the same to all And I pray you marke the course and coherence of these texts Thou Aaron shalt haue no Ciuill Inheritance in Israâ—l vers 20. For vers 21. I haue giuen the children of Leui all the tenth of Israel What was this to Aaron that Hee must want his Inheritance because the onely inferiour Leuites had got an Inheritance vnlesse Aaron goe as a childe of Leui in that reason And Ioseph is plaine That Tithes were giuen for Leuites Antiq. lib. 4. cap. 4. C. Engl. in Vita Ios and Priest and Tribe Neither tooke I Tithes that were due to me as Priest from such as brought me them If men apply these to decimarum decimae first Ioseph was not now at Ierusalem whither these Tithes must beene brought Secondly Ioseph was no High-Priest Thirdly I neuer read those Tithes vnder one single name but still Tenthes of Tithes Otherwise the Priests had no Tithes Inheritance at all in Israel For their Decimarum decimae were not Tithes of Israel but of Leui and Leui in these accounts is no more an Israelite Indeed the Materia prima of both is one to wit the Tenth of Israel g uen to Leui whereof they againe gaue the other tenth but in Person Place and End they wholly differ and in these onely differences standeth the true difinition of what is M ral or Ceremonial Perpetual or Temporal in them Then the text giueth vs those two Syllogismes first All Tithes inheritance are payd by Israel to Leui. ver 21.24 Tenth of Tithes are not payd by Israel to Leui but by Leuie to Aaron 26. Ergo Tenth of Tithes are not Tithes-inheritance Againe The children of Leui had this inheritance giuen them All Priest were the children of Leui. Ergo All Priests had this Inheritance giuen them And for confirmation Deut. 18.1 The Priestes of the Leuits and all the Tribe of Leui shall haue no part nor inheritance with Israel but shall eate of the offerings of the Lord made by fire and his inheritance And Ezech 44 28. The Priesthood is their Inheritance And Iosu 13.14 Onely to the Tribe of Leui gaue he no inheritance Ergo as the whole Tribe was frustrate so the whole Tribe was supplied by this new inheritance Tithes But if we distinguish not according to other Scriptures those Offerings from the proper Inheritance we shall confound all for many oblations might the Priests and their males onely eate of and no inferior Leuit some might not remaine vneaten till to morrow but all tied to the Temple onely and Ierusalem So such Priests to wit nine for one as liued dispersed could not liue by those oblations So those oblations were not their inheritance They must haue no inheritance with or among Israel sayth the text yet must they liue mixed with and among Israel therefore their proper Inheritance must run dispersed with and among Israel and not confined to so small a part of Israel as onely Ierusalem But saith not Paul plainly Heb. 7. The sonnes of Leui receiuing the Priesthood haue a command to Tithe the people Is not here the command of Tithing directly giuen to the sonnes Priests and to take from the people Ergo Tithes are inheritance to Priestes as well as Leuites And yet Master Selden Reuiew pa 454. in it would proue from this same place of Paul that Priests were not partners in these first Tithes But what if this decima decimarum were not properly primò due to the Priests as Mr. Selden seemeth to auouch but to the high Priest The text bids directly giue it to Aaron the high Priest Numb 18.26 28. The beginning of the Chap from ver 8. to 20. he ioineth euer Aarons sons with himselfe as partners of all the oblations of the other Tribes but in this offering of decima decimarum we read no such compartnership not that I doubt but the sonnes of Aaron this Ceremony being performed might thereafter partake in and by him of this offering but the reason and Analogie of this in my iudgement is That as all the Tribes hauing Barne wine-presse must pay first that first Tith inheritance to the tribe of Leui before they durst put hand in their nine parts remaining so the Tribe of Leui must out of his inheritance giue a tenth also answering his Barnes and Wine-presses But to exempt all Priests from this were first to exempt the best though not the greatest part of that Tribeâ— from acknowledging God by an Offering as did the rest Secondly It giueth Leui a prerogatiue aboue all the rest of the Tribes voyd both of precept and reason The Earth is the Lords the fulnes thereof So the possessors of it acknowledge God by giuing their Tithes Tithes are yet a degree more holy to the Lord being made the generall Inheritance of his Ministers and Leuits but Their Tenths againe holiest of all proceeding from an holy Person the Tribe of Leui out of Holy Barnes and wine-presses the Tithes to holiest persons the High-priests at onely holy Place the Temple Now if it be asked how Aaron shall passe here who is still the Receiuer I answere Vltra Summum Nihil And as Aaron had that transcendent power onely he to offer that yeerly expiatory sacrifice for Prince people and himselfe too so by the same power might hee receiue in name of God the offrings of all subordinat to him and for them and himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill and perfect all those points in his owne person And so albeit the other Priests all those points being duely performed might eate and partake of this Offering in the prerogatiue of Priesthood and Sonne-ship of Aaron yet prima instantiâ and in mounting the scale of this precept they are but Offerers not Receiuers You see Reader how loath we are to loose our interest in Tithes euen from the Law but remember still the law is neither our whole nor sole ground Then let mee aske Who gaue Tithes to Melchis dec Abraham
thine Altar And now Christ the body of all taught long before he came to his sacrifice And last after him haue we Teaching without any sacrifice carnall by the Popes fauour Time first Morall in a Sabbath but thence were deriued § VII by the Law Gen. 2.3 Leuit. 25. those Ceremoniall Sabbathes of each seuenth yeere and the great Iubile of fiftie And so the Morall yet remaineth a Sabbath though not the same Indiuidual day from the Creation Place at first euery where Moral as appeareth by the Altars erected by Noah and Abraham in all their trauels Place began to be Typicall when Abrahams Altar and the offring vp of Isaac Gen. 13.3 2. Chron. 3.1 Iacobs Piller and Ornans Threshing floore Salomons Temple were all in one place on the Mount Moriah So had the Iewes at first in each Cities Synagogues and we our Churches now at libertie as at first Person first in each Family the first borne or Foris-familiat in their owne houses Quisque Episcopus domus suae They became Ceremoniall when first Moyses and Aaron Leuites Exod. 4 1◠and 28.1.41 Num. 1.47.50 and 3.6 7. secondly Leui resumed wholly by the Law Now againe we end as they began Iew and Gentile alike And so maintenance in like manner as hath beene at length touched before euer following the person and his condition All must stand as Christ left them Galath 4.9 Note then First That from the beginning all those fiue points came onely of God Secondly All fiue at Christs comming put off their Legall garments their beggerly habite of bondage and tooke on the habite of Euangelicall libertie in Melchisedec Therefore as Christ left vs them we must still keepe them 1. No adding nor detracting in Worship 2. No astricting to Persons 3. No releasing from Time 4. No limiting of Place 5. No abstracting of Maintenance CHAP. II. Paul in the generall of Maintenance Why hee spared his power in the speciall THus did Christ then and thus he spake Wee § I come next to his Apostles Their doings must needs also to haue been meane for their beginnings were yet but meane Matth. 10.25 and It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master is at one time chiefly Melchisedec was not as yet setled in Salem that is Righteousnesse Lib. cap. 6. or Iustice had not yet wrought Peace and so Peace not graced by Religion and vnsetled Religion could yeeld no setled Maintenance This piece of comfort Christ left them Preach in euery Citie Ib. quo supra For the work-man is worthy of his meat Their Sayings are either in the Generall of Maintenance or in the speciall of Tithes yet once againe Tithes and euen in the Gospel Inf. cap. 4. In the General Paul is very much and in many places Many flourishes both from Logick and Rhetorick and on each flowre almost a swarme of Sacrilegious Waspes turning matter of hony in Venime 2. Pet. 3.16 peruerting them to their owne destruction Thus I haue saith Paul coueted no mans siluer nor golde Act 20.33 34 35. Paul in the generall of Maintenance nor apparell Yea yee know that these hands haue ministred vnto my necessities and to them that are with me I haue shewed you all things how that so labouring ye ought to Support the weake and to remember the words of the Lord Iesus how that he said It is a blessed thing to giue rather then to receiue Obiect Now if neither Gold nor Siluer nor apparell nor food but worke for all and all Preachers must striue to bee Pauls rather giue then take how then shal they take so huge a thing as Tithes No but worse then all this for if some men may 1. Cor. 4.11 all Preachers shal be Pauls to haue for almes Both hunger and thirst for clothes Nakednesse for Charitie Buffets and for harboury No certaine dwelling place all this good cheere had Paul § II Sol. Augustine But heere would that old Fathers saying doe well Distingue tempora concordabis Scripturas The truth is that when or where wee haue the Church as Paul had it Why Paul spared his power 2. Thes 3.8.9 that is vnder Peregrination and Persecution then must the Preachers be Pilgrims and Patients and yet Woe bee vnto them vnlesse they Preach So Paul tooke bread of no man for nought Why Not saith he but that we had authority Why then But because we would not be chargeable to any of you But why would hee not charge where he had authoritie to charge 1. Cor. 9 12. Neuerthelesse wee haue not vsed this power but suffer all things That we should not hinder the Gospell of Christ When Pauls example is to be followed Now take heed for if taking of that which was Pauls due would haue hindered the Gospell doubtlesse our men will rather renounce the Gospel then render the Tithes Ergo Pauls example were yet best To forbeare Tithes For answere When we are in Pauls dayes as is said we must vse Pauls deeds A man may seeke his due on a wrong day Paul was now but to plant the Gospel and that both to Iew and Gentile whose goods were alreadie taken vp for holy vses the one for obedience of Moses Law the other to their Idols Now if Paul should haue begun his reformation with Da mihi Decimas hee had made a planting indeed but with the top downeward But the Messias being once well rooted in their hearts who doubteth but then both Iew and Gentile as true Israelites the seed of Iacob would performe their Fathers Vow to these new Priests and Leuites of glad-tidings specially seeing they were to giue nothing De nouo neither yet so much as of before but onely a part of that to a right vse which of before they gaue to a wrong And if not so do yee thinke that Paul in a stablished Church-policy and peaceable State would haue neglected this authoritie which heere in so dangerous a time hee dare insinuate vnto them No in such case Paul found Canticum novum and could tell them 1. Cor. 9.1 c. He was an Apostle Hee was free He was a souldier and therefore must haue wages a Shepheard and must eat of the milke A planter of Vines and must eate of the fruit ful of allegories And when all was done alledged for him the Law comparing his Ministerie with Leui and for conclusion Let him that is taught in the Word Gal. 6.6 make him that teacheth him partaker Whereof Of all his goods How sib is this to Tithes How like to that precept Deut. 14. And the Leuite that is within thy gates shalt thou not forsake Paul then did but forbeare not forbid the power His time was not yet come But to answere Paul by Paul where should Paul lodge if Timothy were not hospitall 1. Tim. 3.2 They must be content of food and rayment 6.8 yet they must make others also wel to faire Tithes