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A85845 The case of ministers maintenance by tithes, (as in England,) plainly discussed in conscience and prudence. Humbly propounded to the consideration of those gentlemen of the committee, who are in consultation about it. / By John Gauden, D.D. Gauden, John, 1605-1662. 1653 (1653) Wing G344; Thomason E220_1; ESTC R3663 45,053 49

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and most proper means where it is meet and proportionate to that end which God hath expresly ordained Which is that the Minister of the Gospel should live of the Gospel even so as the Minister of the Altar did of the Altar Herein although particular circumstances may differ under different administrations yet the main design and general intention is the same both as to the end competent maintenance and to the aptest means so far as they are in our power and opportunity 2. But it is urged if God required a Tenth under the Gospel why did he not in any place of the Gospel mention that part by name as of old he did Gods silence in the New Testament as to renewing a precise command for paying Tithes by name to the Ministers of the Gospel is no abrogating of them as to right and equity the not specifying or exacting of believers a Tenth was upon several grounds of divine wisdome which are evident 1. It was not necessary because the rule and measure of gratitude devotion and equitalble retributions to which the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.14 referr●s Christians under the Gospel as a continued binding ordinance of the Lord in this case is sufficiently set forth in the Old Testament both by the Religious bounty of the Holy Patriarcks as Abraham and Jacob expressed in this proportion of Tithes or Tenths before the Law And also by the express command of God afterward pitching upon this quantum as his and appointing it for the fittest medium which his wisdome and bounty thought good to set between the covetousness of Priests who might have exacted or expected more and the niggardliness of people who might have allowed less if left to their own arbitration choice free will men being naturally penurious to the true God and his word as having no love to or delight in his service and only prodigal to their own Idolatrous fancies as those which they most count and esteem Charets and Horses shall be dedicated to the Sun or the Queen of Heaven when a Lamb or Pigeon a little meal or cake is grudged as an offering to the true God and holy Temple The equity and analogy of Gods former will continues in force and sufficiently binds the conscience to obed●ence although a particular precept were not renewed especially where Christians are specially referred to that which is clearer in this point of Ministers maintenance by Tithes than for the Lords daies Sabbath or Rest 2. The indulgence of God foresaw and the Apostles tendernes considered That an exact or strict requiring or mentioning of the Tenths of all increase and profits to bee payed to the Ministers of the Gospel in all places and at all times might discourage Jews and Gentiles from the Gospel yea and many times prove very inconvenient to Christians who must expect persecution to whom it might have been a burthen and snare in their uncertainties distresses and poverty A burthen to pay alwaies a tenth of their profits hardly gotten and hardly preserved A snare also if they payed them not exactly Yet this Indulgence Silence Remission which in the primitive tenderness might bee permitted by the Lord is no abrogation of the duty or Law any more than the omission of circumcision for forty years in the wilderness was a vacating of that ordinance of God to the Jews or the not commanding expresly the Lords day to bee kept as a Sabbath is any argument against our sanctification of it which is only related in the New Testament as a primitive practice 3. By the Lords not mentioning Tithes in the very terme or qu●ntum somthing seems left in the Gospel to the conscience and ingenuity both of people and of Ministers These that they may in part remit in times of distress those rights as Paul did not exacting this proportion of Tenths which they might otherwise claime expect as due People also by so much Indulgence are invited to shew so much the more a liberal and a willing mind where God enables them either occasionally to return or constantly to settle even such a maintenance on their Ministers as comes neerest both to the equity of Gods will and the exemplarines of that proportion of Tithes which he anciently required as his own and which we do not find he hath in the Gospel remitted for then the Lord had left his Ministers of the Gospel to meer uncertainties and benevolence which was not even so as he ordeined for those of the Altar and indeed flatly contradicts the Apostles reddition Even so c. 4. The Divine wisdom saw that in some conditions of Christians living a Tenth of the earths yearly increase would not afford a competent or any convenient maintenance for Ministers as in Cities and populous Towns so in Castles Ships c. There some other way by rents of Houses or Trades increase must equivalently be raised And here although men now a daies would grudg to pay a tenth of Trades increase or their callings yet we read of old it was payd by many Citizens Merchants Lawyers and Physicians 5 Although we do not find in the Practice of primitive Churches among Jews or Gentiles mentioned in the New Testament that either the Apostles or other Pastors and Ministers alwaies used this power or strictly required the just proportion of a Tenth which to the beleving Jews on whom the Charges due to the Altar still lay for a time might have seemed a burthen and so to the Gentiles among whom not many rich or Noble but poor and mean people in Cities chiefly received the Gospel and this oft with persecution Yet we find in those daies in stead of exact Tithes and setled maintenance that which is not in these daies to bee expected Namely Acts 2.45 That in those primitive times Christians were willing to sell all or great part of their possessions to bring the price of them and lay it at the Apostles feet for their support and the Churches relief So fa● did they as then so afterward exceed the proportion of a tenth part that many gave all they had and themselves too to serve the Lord and his Church Those were excusable in their poverty and persecution if they had come short of a tenth and were commendable where they most what exceeded it Wisdome teacheth us that necessity dispenseth with positive precepts that different times requires different counsels and wayes yet alwayes keeping neerest to Gods rule and aiming at the same good end Those were the purest flames of Christians first Love and Primitive Zeal when Apostles and other excellent Ministers of the Gospel were received as the Angels of God the feet of those Messenge s of peace were beautiful Their persons dearer to believers then their right eies The honor of their calling and Ministry daily kept up with frequent miracles that the poverty of S. Peter Acts 3 6. when he had not gold or silver was venerable by the miraculous power hee exerted to the creple in relieving him