Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	apostle_n	church_n	time_n	1,048	5	3.6359	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09057	Honos & onus levitarum. Or, tithes vindicated to the presbyters of the gospel in a sermon preached at an archidiaconall visitation at Marleborough, in the diocese of Sarum, on the 10. of October. 1636. By B.P.; Historie of tithes, or tithes vindicated	Parsons, Bartholomew, 1574-1642.	1637 (1637)	STC 19348; ESTC S100345	26,502	40

and since this paying of Tithes is produced with the rest to prove Christs eternall priesthood Againe is not sacrilege accursed and accursed for sin not only in the old Testament it is a snare to to the man who devoureth that which is holy Prov. 20.25 but also in the New Thou that abhorrest idols dost thou commit sacrilege Rom. 2.22 Is it not punished as a capitall sinne not only in the one Testament in Balshazzar Dan. 5. but also in the other In Ananias and Sapphira Act. 5. For the sinne is so much the more grievous by how much it cannot be committed but against God (o) Tantò gravius est peccatum quantò committinon potest nisi in Deum And so speaketh Beza of Ananias sin To this sacrilege there was added diffidence and hypocrisie And so St. Ambrose (p) Beza in locum whilst he taketh away part of that which he promised he is condemned both of sacrilege and fraud of sacrilege because he deceived God of his promise (q) Dum exeo quod promiserat partem subtrahit sacrilegii simuleondemnatur fraudis sacrilegis quod Deum in pollicitatione fefelle●at Ambr. ser 9. Now if sacrilege which is the taking away of things deputed and consecrated to GOD and his worship being either such things as God by expresse reseruation hath consecrated to himselfe or else such as man hath consecrated and set apart to him be still a sinne under the Gospel still make men guilty before God How then should not the payment of Tithes be a morall duty stand still in force under the Gospel since as for mine owne part I take it God hath consecrated them to himself by an eternall right which right he chalengeth Levit. 27.30 All Tith is holy unto the Lord. At least as no man can deny they are by the Lawes not only of this Land but almost of all Christendome consecrated unto God for the maintenance of his worship and ministery And as the Scriptures are pregnant enough on our side to prove Tithes a morall duty and now to be continued under the Gospel So in the primitive best times of the Church the best of the Fathers and Councels understood interpreted and pressed them so required them as a morall and Christian duty and for almost a thousand yeares it was never held in the Church that they were either judiciall or ceremoniall Origen who was neere to the Apostles times there being but eighty foure yeares between John the Evangelists death and his birth urgeth the paiment of Tithes as a doctrine then received in the Church and binding Christians How doth (r) Quomodo abundat iustitia ●ostraplusquam Scribarum Pharisaeorum si ●lli de fructibu● terra sua gustare non audent priusquam primitta● sacerdotibu● offerant 〈◊〉 Levitis decimae separent●r ego nihil horum faciens fru●tibus terra ●ta abutar ut Sacerdes nesciat Levita ignoret divinum altare non sentiat Orig. homil 11. in Num our righteousnesse abound more than the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees if they dare not taste of the fruits of the earth before they offer the first fruits to the Priests and the Tithes be separated for the Levites and I doing none of these shall so abuse the fruits of the earth that the Priests shall not know it the Levit shall bee ignorant of it GODS Altar shall not perceive it And further there he delivereth his judgement for that point I thinke it necessary that this Law should be observed according to the letter (ſ) Hane egolegem observart etiam secundū literam necessarium puto and expoundeth our Saviours words Mat. 23. These things you ought to have done and not to have left the other undone to bee a precept no lesse binding Christians than Jewes Thus did he hold them to be morall found them in novalege St. Cyprian whofe Martyredome fell about two hundred fifty nine yeares after Christ giveth us to understand that Ministers then lived of Tithes then distributed to them by the Bishops who were the generall Stewards of Church goods (t) In honore sportulantium fratrum tanquam decima● ex fructibu● accipientes Ep. 66. Sportula was the stipend allowed by the Bishop to the Presbyter living faith hee of that honourable stipend with their brethren as they who received Tithes of the fruits of the earth St. Ambrose also presseth this payment and a reformation when fault had been committed afore Whosoever shall call to minde in himselfe that he hath not faithfully payed his Tithes let him now amend that which he hath failed in (u) Quicunque recogno verit in se quod sideliter non deder it decimas quomodo emendet quod minu● fecit Ambr. serm 34. in fer quadrag St. Augustine also can finde footing in the new Testament for Tithes when he expoundeth Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Mat. 22.21 Tribute to Caesar Tithes to GOD (x) Caesa●i censu● decima deo Hom. 48. tom 10. When he saith againe Set apart the Tithes although that bee a small matter for it is said that the Pharisees gave Tithes And what saith the LORD Vnlesse your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven (y) Decimas exime quanquā parum sit dictū est enim quia Pharisas decimas dabant quid art dominus nisi abundaverit c. Idem in Psal 146. And it seemeth that this was no new thing done under the Sun in his time by that which he faith againe Our Ancestors did therefore abound with all store because they gave Tithes to GOD and paid their Tribute to Caesar But now because devotion hath decreased exactions have increased wee will not give the tenth part to GOD and now all is taken away that which Christ cannot have Caesar will (z) Maiores nostr● ideo coptis omnibus abundabant quia doe decimas dabant Caesars censum reddebūt modo autem quia decessit devotic accessit ●ndictio fisci nolumus partiricum deo decima● m●dòauté tollitur tetū hec tollit fiscus quod non accipit Christus Id. hom 48. inter 50 ser The time would faile me if I should produce other testimonies out of Fathers Councels Oecumenicall and provinciall lawes Ecclesiasticall and Imperiall all of them acknowledging paiment of Tithes to bee a morall duty commanding them now to be paid to the Church The one of the second Councell held at Matiscon anno 586. shall serve for all (a) Leges divina consulentes Sacerd●tibus Mi●istris Ecclesi●rum pro hareditar● a portione omus populo praceyerunt decim as fruct●●um suorum locis sacres prastare ut nullo labore impedite per res illegitimas spirit●●alibus possis vacare Ministeri●s quas leges Christian●rum congeries longis temporibus custodivit intemeratas Vnde statuimus c. The Lawes of God providing

Herds and Flocks Levit. 27.30 32. Thirdly they had every thing which opened the matrice in all flesh whether of men or beasts the firstlings of Kine Sheepe and Goats not to bee redeemed the firstborne of Men to bee redeemed at five shekels and the firstlings of the other beasts to be redeemed at the Priests estimation with a fift part put to it Exod. 34.19 20. Num. 18.15 16. Levit. 27.27 Nehem. 10.36 Fourthly they had the first fruits even whatsoever was ripe in the Land Num. 18.13 the firh fruits of their Corne Wine Oyle the first fruits of the fleeces of their Sheepe Deut. 18.4 the first fruits of all manner of Trees and of their very dough for a blessing upon the rest Ezek. 44.30 Nehem 10.35 37. Fiftly they had all Oblations and Vowes even every devoted thing in Israel Num. 18.18 14 19. Ezek. 44.29 30. Sixtly they had every meat offering every sinne offering every trespasse offering every heave offering every shake offering and the shew bread Num. 18.9 10. Ezek. 44.29 Levit. 24.9 Seventhly of Sacrifices eucharisticall the breast and the shoulder Num. 18.18 Levit. 7.31 32. of other Sacrifices the shoulder the two cheekes and the maw Deut. 18.3 and of whole burnt Sacrifices the skinne Levit 7.8 And last of all all the males among them must three times a yeare appeare before the LORD in the place which he should choose and not come empty handed but every one was to give as he was able according to the blessing of the LORD which he had given him Deut. 16.16 This was the matter of their maintenance being in respect of the quantity very large and liberall and for the manner of it also it was very honourable for all these duties were to bee brought yeare by yeare unto the house of God Neh. 10.35 37. that as (n) Lib. de prim sacerd Philo Judaus observeth from thence the Priests and Levites might receive them as from the hands of GOD and not bee upbraided by the people as though they lived by them and were their almesmen which is now rise in the mouthes of rude and ignorant men But GOD stoppeth the mouthes of such miscreants when hee saith I have given the children of Levi all the tenth Num. 18.20 I whose the earth is and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24.1 and not the children of men to whom I have given the earth Psal 115.16 And if any for their owne ease were desirous to redeeme any duty and not to carry it to the LORDS house which to some that dwelt afarre off would have beene very cumbersome they were to pay according to the Priests estimation at all times Levit. 27.27 with the addition of a fift part and not by any injurious and Church-robbing prescription or custome a feather for a goose as the change of the times hath made it amongst us And if any but through ignorance for wilfull theft in civill matter was punished with a fourefold restitution Ex. 22.1 much more in the things of GOD detained any thing either in whole or part which was holy to GOD he was to bring a ramme for an offering to make good that which he withheld and to adda fifth part Levit. 5.15 16. This both for the matter and the manner was the substance of Levi given granted assigned and confirmed to him haredibus successoribus in perpetuum for their executing the Priests office for their service in the Tabernacle for their teaching of Iacob Gods judgements and Israel his law and that not by man by whom notwithstanding any thing devoted to the LORD is most holy Levit. 27.28 but by this JEHOVAH who is implored here to blesse his substance unto whom by an eternall right before the Law under the Law and after the Law all Tithes are holy Levit. 27.30 and so not onely his as the whole earth is his by right of creation and preservation for he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods Psal 24.2 but by a propriety and immediate right that he hath in them as having separated them from mans use to himselfe and allowed man none interest in them at all no not of use and possession Now to come home with this to our times men brethren and fathers Was this Levies substance Was the LORD so bountifull to the Priests and Levites under the Law And will he not be as liberall to those whom he hath put apart to preach the Gospel and to serve him in the Gospel of his Son If the ministration of death of condemnation 2 Cor. 3.7 9. received so plentifull and large a maintenance from the hand of God no man that hath any understanding in the mystery of Christ can deny but he would be as open handed to the ministration of life and of the spirit And why shall not the Apostles reasoning à pari that as they which minister about the holy things live of the things of the Temple and as they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the things of the Altar even so GOD hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.13 14. hold as well for the proportion and quantity of the maintenance as for the just right and authority to claime and receive it so that from that very Scripture we may not onely shew that as GOD and not any man gave the Tithes to Levi so GOD and not man hath ordained that the Preacher of the Gospel should live of the Gospel not of the Disciples goods but of the Gospel as Theophylact (o) Non ex discipulorum facultatibus sed ex Evangelio Theophylact in 1 Cor. 9 glosseth the words not of the Disciples goods by way of voluntary contribution or beggerly almes but upon their owne goods gotten by preaching of the Gospel for neither as Theophylact saith there doest thou yeeld them maintenance but their owne industry maintaineth them (p) Neque emnitute in alimontum subminish as sed propria quaedam industria ipso● alit but also that as great a portion and proportion is due to him that preacheth the Gospel as to him that ministred in the Tabernacle and served at the Altar And if as great why not the selfe same in kinde for Tithes Oblations and vowed things setting aside the Sacrifices and the like which were meerly ceremoniall and shadowes of things to come and are now abrogated by Christ the body and substance of them Col. 2. Since they were due to GOD long before the Law as wee see in Abrahams giving Tithe of all to Melchisedech Priest of the high God Gen. 14. in Iacobs vowing of Tithes unto GOD Gen. 28. since there can be no better course for fulfilling that Canon of the Apostle Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all his goods or good things Gal. 6.6 If in all his good things why not by way of a tenth since there can be no more equall course any quantity

for Priests and Ministers of the Churches for their hereditary portion have commanded all people to pay the Tithes of their fruits to the holy places that being no wayes hindred by unlawfull things they might attend their spirituall offices Which lawes the Christian Church hath a long time kept undefiled Whereupon we ordaine that all people shall pay their Ecclesiasticall Tithes And so I conclude with that of Junius that Tithes have beene holy to God by all right since the memory of man (b) Decima iut● o●●ns post hominum memoriā Deo fuerunt sacra And that it was sacrilege in the Pope at first to appropriate them to Monks and Friers from the labouring Oxen no better in secular persons at the dissolution of the Abbies to invade them in Patrons to set them to sale to detaine any glebe or Tithes consecrated to God In Parishioners either by secret practise or pretended customes to defraud the Minister of them And that God is much robbed in our Church partly by prescriptions and customes which snatch away somewhat from every Church in our Realme partly by impropriations which of nine thousand two hundred eighty and foure Parish Churches for that is the just number in England and Wales (c) Cam●d Brit. pag. 262. have devoured three thousand eight hundred ninety five almost the halfe in number but farre above the halfe in value and goodnesse God put it into the hearts of our Reverend Bishops Deanes and Chapiters and Colledges who hold many of them still in the right of the Church to proved so conscionably for those that labour in them that whilst they serve at the Altar they may not starve at it But to dreame of any restitution of them from the Lay possessors unlesse it bee here and there one like a berry or two in the top of a bough whose heart God hath touched were as the Poet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dreame of a shadow When we have said and reasoned all that we can they have against us one argument for themselves ab utili which we shall never solve nor dissolve In this case let me say to you as Jeremy said to the Prophets that prophesied Behold the vessels of the Lords house shall now shortly be brought againe from Babylon If we be Prophets let us now make intercession to the LORD of Hosts that the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD goe not to Babylon Jer 27.15 16. For as the Israelites of old cryed so may we The sword of the LORD and of Gideon Judg. 7.20 It is the goodnesse of our God and the Piety of our gracious King that yet preserveth to us from those Evening wolves these Relliquias Danaum atque immitis Achillis (d) Virg. Aeneid 1. That I have so long dwelt upon this point and petition The blessing of the Levites substance I may say to these evill times whereinto wee have falne as Paul to the Corinthians in another case Ye have compelled me In the next petition which is another request for an acceptation of the worke of his hands I will briefly touch the first branch which is an intimation of a worke to be performed by him as being most pertinent to this time and personshere present Accept the worke of his hands There lay a necessity upon man even in his innocency to labour in an honest calling The LORD GOD tooke Adam after he had made him and put him into the garden of Eden to dresse it Gen. 2.15 But when man had sinned against his Maker and forfeited his state in that Paradise of pleasure when his labour should have been with pleasure without defatigation hee was turned out into the wide world into the earth cursed for his sake Gen. 3.17 In which with the sweat of his browes even with difficult labour paine and sorrow hee must eat his bread and get his living For now all his dayes are sorrow and his travell grief Eccles 2.13 And now labour lieth on him not only as a duty testifying his obedience wherein hee must imitate the holy Angels who are created of GOD to be ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 Yea his heavenly Father who laboured in the beginning of time in the creating of all things and at this time and to the end of times worketh in the preservation of all his creation John 5.17 but also as punishment of his disobedience Man is borne unto labour as the sparks flie upward Job 5.7 And this working with his hands is the discharging of the duties of that calling wherein GOD hath set him as the LORD hath called every man so let him worke 1 Cor. 7.17 Now this worke of Levies hand was that I may distinguish the things that differ either ceremoniall or morall The ceremoniall was to minister in the Priests office Ex. 28.1 to offer gifts and sacrifices Heb. 8.3 to be over the Tabernacle of the Testimonie over all the vessels thereof and all things that belong unto it Numb 1.10 The morall was to thanke and praise the GOD of Israel 1 Chro. 16.4 and 23.31 to blesse the children of Israel in GODS name Numb 6.23 Deut. 10.8 to read in the book of the Law distinctly give the sense and cause the people to understand the reading Neh. 8.8 to shew the people the sentence of judgement in hard matters Deut. 17.8 2 Chro. 19.8 Ezek. 44.23 24. to exhort them in warre Deut. 20.23 to teach them at all times the Law of the LORD of Hosts and to walk before the Lord in uprightnesse that so they might turne many stom their iniquities Mal. 2.6 7. Now the first of these the ceremoniall worke was to indure but till the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 the fastning of that hand writing of ordinances to the crosse of Christ Col. 2. that law being changed and abolished this work of the Priesthood is abolished also The other worke the morall is to continue though not in the tribe of Levi yet in those Prophets Pastors and teachers that Christ gave for the perfecting of the Saints the worke of the ministry and the edifying of his body Eph. 4.11 till the end of the world the appearing of JESUS CHRIST Mat. 28.20 1 Tim 6.14 This worke in regard of the authority by which or master for whom it is don is called the Lords work 1 Cor. 16.10 in regard of the dignity of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good or godly worke 1 Tim. 3.1 and the workemen thereof labourers together with God 1 Cor. 3.9 in regard of the greatnes of it a worke hardly to be fitted with a workman who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 it is onus vel ipsis angelis formidan● dum (e) Bernard a burthen to be feared of the very Angels Ars est artium regimen animarum (f) Gregor in past par 1. ca. 1. the government of Soules is the art of arts Now beloved Brethren of the Clergie the chariots of Israel and the horsemen