to God which God himselfe hath appointed them to pay (x) Admonemus atque praecipimus ne decimas omnine dare Deo negligant quas ipse Deus dare constituit caus 16 qu. 2. And the authority of the Scripture sheweth that Tithes were granted for the furtherance of piety (y) Decimas in usum pietatis concessas esse Canonica autoritas demonstrat caus 16. qu. 7. The Schole-men on the other side striving that they are but judicialls and so laying them open to the Popes power to be alienated transferred and disposed of by him at his pleasure But the schismaticall and upstart generation of the Brownists cry out and herein the whole world will as easily wonder after these beasts as after the beasts mentioned Rev. 13.3 that Tithes are ceremonies an opinion of yesterday scarclely devised an hundred years since and therefore to be throwne headlong out of the Church of Christ aswell as all other ceremonies which Christ hath taken away and nailed to his crosse Col. ◠14 Assuredly if their assertion be justified the conclusion cannot be denied I pronounce with a free voice saith S. Hierom (z) Libera voce pronuntio ceremonias Judaorum perniciosas esse mortiferas Christianis Hieron Aug. epist 11. that the ceremonies of the Jewes are both pernicious and deadly to Christians That which they cannot prove let me in a word or two disprove Ceremonies were shadowes of things to come carrying with them an analogicall resemblance of the things signified as the shadow carryeth with it a resemblance of the body Col. 2.15 They were carnall rites of holy of heavenly things Heb. 9.10 23. of some Evangelicall truth Let them shew then the body whereof they were shadowes the holy things the Evangelicall truth whereof they were types or else we must tell them that Tithes are no ceremonies For if the definition doth not agree to any thing the thing defined cannot agree to it (a) Cui non convenit definitio eidem non convenit definitum Regula Dialect And since all these carnall rites were but to indure till the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 it is more then marveilous that the Church of Christ ever retaining Tithes in use since the Apostles time could not see them to be dead elements yea deadly ceremonies till this generation arose Oh but they were given to the Levites for the service of the Tabernacle Num. 18.21 therefore ceremonies But I shall make it appeare by and by that Tithes were not then first instituted but long before even from the beginning they were then only assigned to the Levites Againe the argument holds not to prove them ceremonies because given to the sons of Levi for the service of the Tabernacle For what manner of reasoning is this their work was ceremoniall therefore their wages ceremonies May not I better reason they were given to the Levites for their service in the Tabernacle which was not only ceremoniall but also yea and more principally morall reading of the Scriptures causing the people to understand the reading Neh. 8.38 blessing and praising the GOD of Israel 1 Chr. 16.4 and teaching of the people the Law of the LORD of Hosts Mat. 2.7 Therefore they were morall duties But as when our Saviours disciples had rehearsed to him the diverse opinions of men concerning him some saying that he was John Baptist some Elias some Jeremiah or one of the Prophets He asked them Whom say yee that I am Mat. 16.15 So happily having proposed to you the diversity of opinions herein some saying that they are judiciall some ceremoniall some tolerable some abominable some one thing some another most of them shooting at one marke to wrest them out of the hands of GODS Ministers you are ready to demand But what sai'st thou that they are whether moral ceremoniall or judiciall I am not beloved fearfull to answer you concerning this point but doe resolutely professe unto you that they are neither ceremonies necessary to be rejected nor judicialls indifferent either to be retained or refused but morall being holy to the LORD by an eternall right as well before and after the Law as under it and being by him ordained to be the portion of his Priests and Ministers as well before and after as under the Law so that that assertion all Tithes are holy to the Lord Levit. 27.30 is no way Leviticall but containeth in it a perpetuall truth and that the Ministers of the Gospell may as lawfully claime the tenth of their peoples increase as before and under the Law the Priests of the high GOD received them For the making good whereof two points are to bee proposed First that Tithes were ever due and paid before the law of Moses Secondly that they are now due in the time of the Gospel for from thence it must follow evidently that howsoever in the Law they were specially assigned to the sonnes of Levi yet they had not then their beginning but were ever the Lords and his Ministers by a morall and perpetuall right For the first Tithes were ever due and paid before the Law As soone as ever we finde any mention of a Priest of GOD we find paiment of Tithes to him and that eo nomine because he was the Priest of GOD Melchisedek was Priest of the most high GOD and Abraham gave him Tithes of all Gen. 14.19 20. And this he did not by voluntary contribution but rather by necessary injunction for such a gift would rather have argued the superiority and excellency to have beene in Abraham the giver than in Melchisedek the receiver whereas the Apostle would have us to consider Melchisedeks greatnesse by Abrahams giving of Tithes to him Heb. 7.4 Againe the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 6. Melchisedek tithed Abraham importing that he tooke it by lawfull authoritie not as a free will offering In this way of Abraham walketh his grandchilde Iacob who no doubt was taught by Abrahams pious direction to keepe the way of the LORD herein Gen. 18.19 and voweth payment of Tithes unto GOD Gen. 28.20 as acknowledging that they were his right before the Law was given But here Cardinall Bellarmine and his side would faine wring this testimonie out of our hands and conclude hence that tithes are no morall duties because they were vowed he himselfe saith it had beene an ungodly thing to vow Tithes if he had beene absolutely bound to pay them (b) Impium fuisset vovere decimas si absolutè fuisset obligatus eas solveue Bellar contr 5. l. cap. 25. tom 1. and as great a Rabbi amongst them as he that a man may not vow a morall duty conditionally as Jacob here doth (c) Alphons Tostat in Matt. 23. if GOD would be with him and keep him in his way and give him bread to eate and raiment to put on But it seemeth they are readie with their answer before ever they looked on the Text. For Jacob voweth and that conditionally that if GOD will bee
with him c. the LORD shall bee his GOD which I thinke they will not denie to bee a morall dutie even here then is evidence enough that morall duties may be vowed that they may be vowed conditionally And if morall duties may not be vowed why doe the people of the Jewes enter into a covenant and sweare unto the LORD GOD of their fathers to seeke him with all their heart and with all their soule 2 Chron. 15.12 13 14. Why doth David bind himselfe by an oath to keep Gods righteous judgements I have sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous judgements Psal 119.106 Thus out of the mouth and deeds of two witnesses beyond all exception Abraham and Jacob may this truth bee established that Tithes were held Gods right and his Priests in the law of Nature before ever the law written The perswasion whereof was by the law of Nature so ingraven in mens hearts the practice of it in all possibilitie so dispersed from Noah amongst all people that as Festus faith (d) Decima quaque veteres diis suis offereâ—â—nt the old people offered all kinde of Tithes to their gods as Cyrus overcomming the Lydians offered all to Jupiter (e) Herodot Clie and Bacchus overcomming the Scythians offered to him also (f) Te memorant Gange totoque oriente subacto Primitias magno seposuisse Iovt. Ovid. l. 3. Fastcrum They say when thou hadst Ganges and the East o'rethrowne Thou set'st apart for Jove the first fruits as his owne And the ancient Romanes did vow Tithes to Hercules (g) Macrob. Sat. lib. 3. ca. 24. yea the very barbarous Sabeans and Ethiopians sold not their spices to the Merchants before their Priests had laid out their tenth for their gods (h) Decimas deâ— sacerdotes capiunt nec antè mercarilicet Plin. nat hist li. 12. ca. 14. Thus have I examined and cleered the first point I come now to the second which is that they are now due to GOD and those that serve him in the Gospell of his Sonne since the abolishing of the Law of Ordinances And here the great Cardinall and the Popish Champions who when the doore must bee set open to unwritten traditions can denie the Scripture to be full enough without traditions to containe expressely the whole doctrine either concerning faith or manners and that therefore traditions are requisite (i) Scriptura non continet expressè totam doctrinam sive de fide sive de moribus c. Bellarm. li. 4. de verb. dei c. 3. nay can with the like affection of pietie and reverence receive and honour unwritten traditions as all the bookes of the (k) Traditiones non scriptas pari pietatis affectu reverentia suscipere venerari ac omnes libros tam veteris quam novi Testamenti Concil Trid. Sess 4. Old and New Testament doe now call for an expresse precept in the new Law specifying Tithes to bee the Ministers maintenance an expresse precept it is not enough to have it in sense but we must have it in words to have it by sound consequence and collection but wee must have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word and yet Gregory Nazianzen saith that those things which are gathered out of the Scriptures are alike to those things which are written expressely (l) Perinde sunt ea qua ex Scripturis colliguntur atque ea qua sorthuntur If I can then deduce it by good consequence out of the New Testament it shall be enough though it be not written in totidem verbis syllabis When the Apostle then mentioneth living of the Gospel and that ever so as they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 13. when he urgeth communicating to our teachers in all our goods Gal. 6.6 wee may not here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 collatis testimoniis demonstrare as Beza interpreteth it Act 9.22 by comparing testimonies of Scripture by laying one place to another shew that this living of the Gospell this communicating in all our goods should bee now by the tenth as being a course held before the Law and under the Law unlesse man will be wiser than his Maker and devise a new way of living for them of communicating to them leaving the old which GOD had settled from the beginning of the world And what shall become of that double honour double maintenance which the Elders that rule well are worthie of 1 Tim. 5.17 if the portion of the Presbyters under the Gospell come short of the portion of the Priesthood under the Law for so to understand honour the next verse there giveth us light for the Scripture saith The labourer is worthy of his reward and accordingly Saint Hierome expoundeth honour to be maintenance and understandeth by maintenance Tithes adding also What we have said concerning Tithes which heretofore were given by the people to the Priests and Levites understand it also concerning the people of the Church (m) Quod de decimis diximus quaolim dabantur à populo Sacerdetibus Le vitis in Ecclesiae quoque papulis intelligito May we not finde here as good evidence in these testimonies for Tithes as any where in the New Testament for the perpetuall and unchangeable observation of the seventh day cried up with more than a Jewish rigour by many not zealous according to discretion (n) See their absurd positions in Rogers preface to Articles of Relig. for the baptizing of infants and many other truths which are not expressed in the very letter and so many words but foundly and justly gathered out of the sense and purpose of the holy Scripture And what thinke wee of the Apostles reasoning Heb. 7 6 7 8 9. when he proveth Melchisedechs Priesthood and so Christs which is all one greater than the Leviticall first because in Abraham Levi paid Tithes to Melchisedeck and so to Christ Secondly because Melchisedeck is a Tith taker that liveth still and Levi is a Tith-taker that dieth Doe not these consectaries follow and flow from it First that if Levi paid Tithes in Abraham then they are originally no Leviticall ceremonies howsoever under the Law they were specially assigned to him for that is a crossing of the Leviticall ordinances which injoyne that Tithes should bee paid to Levi. Secondly if before the Law Tithes were paid unto Christ in Melchisedeck then hee receiveth them of whom it is witnessed that hee liveth vers 8. why should they not likewise be paid unto Christ in his Presbyters after that law is abolished now they must live of the Gospel and being in his stead 1 Cor. 5.20 are fittest to bee his receivers Thirdly if other things wherein Melchisedeck the type and Christ the antitype agree and are brought to prove his eternall Priesthood are ever true of him as that he is King of righteousnes King of peace that he is without father or mother without descent having
neither beginning of dayes nor end of life vers 2.3 Why not this hee ever taketh Tithes since he receiveth Tithes of whom it is witnessed that hee liveth 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) Tantè gravius est peccatum quantè committinon potest nisi in Deum And so speaketh Beza of Ananias sin To this sacrilege there was added diffidence and hypocrisie (p) Beza inlecum And so St. Ambrose 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 sacrilegii quod Deum in pollicitatione fefellerat 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 nostraplusquam Scribarum Pharisaeorum si illi de fructibus terrae suae gustare non audent priusquam primitâ—as sacerdotibus offerant Le vitis decimae separentur ego nihil horum faciens 〈◊〉 terrae ita abutar ut Sacerdos nesciat Levita ignoret divinum altare non sentiat Grig 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 (Å¿) Hane egolegem observari etiam seounduÌ„ 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 whose 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 decimaâ— ex fructibâ—â— accipientes Ep. 66. Sportula was the stipend allowed by the Bishop to the Presbyter living saith 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 recognoverit in se quod fideliteâ— non dederit dermas quomodo emendet quod minus fecit Ambr. serm 34. infer 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 Casar Tithes to GOD (x) Casari census decimae deo Hom. 48. tom 10. When he faith 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) Decim 〈◊〉 exime quanquaÌ„ parum sit dictuÌ„ est enim quia Pharisas decimas dabant quid aâ—t 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 saith 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 were will not give the tenth part to GOD and now all is taken away that which Christ cannot have Caesar will (z) Maiores nostri ideo coptis omnibus abundabant quia deo decimas dabant Casars censum reddebuÌ„t modo autem quia decessit devotio accessit indictio fisci nolumus partus cum deo decimas modò auteÌ„ tollitur totuÌ„ hee 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 Sacerdotibus Ministris Ecclesiarum pro hareditariaportione omni populo praeceperunt decimas fructuum suorum locis sacris praestare ut nullo labore impediti per res illegitimas
spiritualibus possit vacare Ministeriis quas leges Christianorum congeries longis temporibus custodivit intemeratas Vnde statuimus c. The Lawes of God providing 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) Decimae iure 〈◊〉 post hominum memoriaÌ„ Deo fuerunt sacrae 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) Cambd. 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 provide 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 abutili 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. Aene. id 1. That I have so long dwelt upon this point and petition The blessing of the Levites substance I may say to these evil 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 persons here 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 2.23 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 1.50 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 from then 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. 4. 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 laboures 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 onâ—â— vel ipsis angelis formindandum (e) Bernard a burthen to be feared of the very Angels Ars est artium regimen animarum (f) Gregor in