Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	aaron_n	levite_n	tithe_n	40	3	12.1456	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94380	Tyth-gatherers, no gospel officers. Or, Certaine briefe observations concerning the institution and paying of tythes, whereby it appears that men were never compelled to the payment of them in the Old Testament, nor did ever practice it in the New: that the Gospel contributions were all voluntary accounted as a free gift, not a debt; the apostles themselves, not only choosing to labour with their owne hands, but requiring all their successours to doe the like, that they might not bee chargeable to any of their disciples. Together with some quotations out of Mr. Selden, a Member of the House of Commons, his History of Tythes, for the writing whereof he was much troubled by the Episcopall tythmongers of those times, from whom the Presbyterian church-publicans of these days, have learnt to persecute with far greater violence, all such as doe but speak against their Gospel-taxations, ...	Selden, John, 1584-1654. Historie of tithes.	1646 (1646)	Wing T1307B; Thomason E319_2; ESTC R200552	24,975	30

be derived successively from that of Rome Some hold Episcopacy to be of Divine right ● Others say as much for Presbytery and not a few there be who affirm no peculiar government at all to be by Divine right Some hold we are saved by faith alone Others by such not without good workes Some hold that Christ could not bee just and equall unlesse he had dyed for all the world alike even all that would believe on him Others thinke Christ might possibly have loft his labour had he not dyed for a set number only for his Elect who therefore cannot sinne at all or possibly miscarry though they sinne never so much Some hold we are justified by Christs passive obedience only and that for all his active obedience he might have said hee was unprofitable as touching mans redemption Others affirme that not only Christs passive obedience but his active also were both necessary to our justification and his owne To bee briefe for volumnes of this nature may recounted Some hold the baptizing of Infants to be obligatory Others beleeve it may as well if not better be dispenced withall Now there are I say in the Church of England men that teach all these contradictory doctrines who yet pretend to have had an expresse calling unto the Ministery from God extraordinary in respect to their Lay-brethren They all stile themselves Gods Ambassadours to us they tell us that Christs words in Luke 10.16 are as clearly to be understood of them and their successours in their respective generations as of the 70. Disciples themselves to wit He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sout me Thus doth each of them inculcate the Divinity both of their Ministery and Doctrine upon the people because it brings in their tithes their maintenance with such execrable threatnings to those that will not receive them that they poore soules having their judgements manacled by superstitious feares cannot choose but swallow them down unchew'd untasted But since their Doctrines doe appeare so contradictory to such as are not hood wink'd since no one of them can prove his Ministery to be truer than the others nay since it is agreed on amongst themselves that their Ministery is one and the same wee cannot with any shew of reason be required to beleeve them otherwise than all alike that is so far forth only as we can be fully perswaded thereof in our owns hearts Rom. 14.5 which upon the very first reflection must needs conclude that since the callings and doctrines of them all canned possibly be sound implying contradictions so cannot the calling of either of them i● true because they all have the selfe same calling as is evident by their come confession and demonstration But to be brief Tithes as I have prov'd were not doe until the Israelites came into the land of Canaan and that unto a Tribe of Levi for particular expresse purposes to wit besides others that they should give one tenth thereof for a heave offering unto the High Priest Num. 18.27 28 29. who was to sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem and the said Tribe of Levi was to attend and doe the service of the Tabernacle Num. 3.7 8. and was only requlred to receive tithes of their brethren the Jewes the other eleven Tribes which came out of the loynes of Abraham Heb. 5.7 and neither they the said Tribe of Levi nor the High Priest to have any other portion or inheritance besides the tithes Numb 18 20.23.24 from whence amongst others we may draw these few observations 1. According to the Leviticall law the tithes of the land of Canaan only were payable and that in the land of Canaan only and from the Jewes their brethren only But these pretended Tithmongers lay claime to the tithes of all the world from all sorts of Nations to be due unto themselves the Clergy 2. The Jewish Levites were a peculiar Tribe upon whom the tithes were entailed from one generation to another and by a Statute to endure for ever they were to have no other inheritance Numb 18.23 but were to rely upon the Lord who promised to be their portion But these who are no more of Levi his kindred than the Great Turke alluring unto their wayes not much unlike the Jesuits or rather Romulus such of all Nations who are fittest for their turnes by tricks and shifts seducing whom they can through a pretence of superstitious zeale lay claime rob and run away with the fifth part of all their neighbours goods wherein notwithstanding they have so little trust and lesse confidence in Gods promise which was to be a portion unto the Israelitish Levites in whom there was no guile that they lay up hoard and purchase as if they knew their posterity were bastards and not to bee provided for neither by tithes nor Gods providence And 3. Whereas the true Levites were to give for a heave-offering unto the High Priest of the family of Aaron one tenth of all their tithes our English Levites since their High Priest and head the Pope was banished out of England pretend to pay when they cannot avoid it for they are slow enough in payments unto the King I know not what first buits instead thereof and indeed they made him so far forth their High Priest to beare their iniquities that what ever they have of late beene questioned for they cast upon his back I know the common scarcrow and objection which it made against an unsetled maintenance to wit that most men are so backward to all good duties especially in matter of expence that if they be not both rated and compelled to pay they will not pay at all or not their shares proportionably and that if there be not both a certain a round allowance such as have hitherto applyed themselves to study for service of the Church will grow discouraged betake themselves to other callings and by this meanes the Gospell become contemptible through want of an able and learned Ministery To this I answer that it is evident by experience that such Ministers of the Congregationall way as have good parts and are conscionable in their callings although they leave every one of their Congregation to contribute as God has enabled them according to the purpose of their owne hearts not grudgingly which was Pauls rule 2 Cor. 9.5 I say that such have a maintenance equall if not exceeding to what the tithes produced in the Bishops times or may doe againe hereafter if they were to be continued Secondly for such as will not put themselves to study for the Churches service unlesse they be encouraged by maintenance I say they are guilty of a sinne surpassing symony a namelesse sinne a sinne so infamous as none were found in the Gospel-time so vile and desperate to commit it and give occasion unto a law at once expressely both to name it and condemne it Simon Magus his sin was not so

unto the tenth part of all clear gains besides which would be many times more then the Leviticall tithes amounted to the gaine of handicraft mysteries and trading being by manifold more considerable than the encrease of all the land in England and that which is yet more irrationall and pestiferous they will have it whether we will or no they wrest it from us by violence they rob us of it 'T is not my desire thou shouldest take this calculation upon trust Nature hath taught every reasonable man Arithmeticke enough to make triall of it the truth thereof when thou thy self perceivest and consideres● the consequence I shall not so much desire thee to stand amazed as to contribute thy ingredient for curing our Clergymen of this their desperate covetousnes which is Idolatry Col. 3.5 Farewell To the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster Men Brethren and Fathers I Could not choose but give you notice of a Designe discovered unto mee of no small a party which at present is conspiring how the possessions of Bishops Deanes and Chapters c. which by our Ancestors were intended for publique and pious uses may become their peculiar inheritances and totally discourage posterity from all charitable legacies when they shall see them alienated to such quīte contrary purposes I understand likewise of severall Petitions by multitudes of the most conscientious free-borne subjects of England demonstrating how unjust it is that a small number who in complement call themselves our Ministers should at their owne pleasure become our Masters and so contrary to the subjects liberty force from us the fifth part of the whole Kingdome in valuation without either articles or consent and that which is worst of all even not to be longer endured by such as make conscience of any thing they lay claime to it by Divine right and for such services as to many seem little lesse than Antichristian or Idolatrous 'T is frivolous for you to distinguish between a conscience truly informed and contrarily for unlesse you will pretend your arguments to be like the peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 you must unavoidably permit men even every particular man for himselfe to resolve the whole Scripture and every part thereof into a full perswasion of his owne heart concerning whatsoever he is to practise or believe Rom. 14.5.22.23 either grant this or burne your Bibles how many soever differing translations with their whole impressions as have been brought unto you since you doe but teach your Lay-people to suspect them all whilst you your selves will not be ruled by any in any mans judgement besides your owne A word to the wise should be enough It is of so great interest and consequence to this whole Kingdome for one respect or other to demolish and root out the very memory of this Tith-Idoll which all other Reformed Christians have long since abominated that it concernes you to looke out some other maintenance lesse scandalous and more Gospel-like But you 'l say perhaps you have maintenance allotted you by Ordinance of Parliament what an Ordinance of Parliament ● reverence Ordinances of Parliament but me thinks you should rather flye for refuge to Christs Ordinance Ordinances of Parliament are repealable what one Parliament bestowes upon you another Parliament may take away but Christs Ordinances are like himselfe unchangeable what ever you thinke of him doubtlesse you cannot leave him for a better Master Try then a little compare the Ordinances together looke before you leap if ye be Men if Christians consider which may prove the surest the better title Christ ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live by the Gospell 1 Cor. 9.14 that is they should have such a livelihood as is set out and warranted by the Gospel which is the free benevolence and bounty of their brethren and if you will have it in Christs owne words unto the true Disciples That into whatsoever house they enter they should remain eating and drinking such things as were set before them Luk. 10.5.7.8 and having food and rayment they should be there with content 1 Tim. 6.8 On the other side The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled Die Veneris 8 Novemb. 1644. Ordaine that every person or persons within the Realme of England and Dominion of Wales shall pay all and singular tithes offerings oblations obventions rates for tithes and all other duties commonly known by the name of tithes unto the respective owners both Lay and Ecclesiasticall This is the effect of Christs Ordinance with that of the Lords and Commons in Parliament I shall not seek to make enmity betwixt them and I hope every Reader will in time see how far forth they will run parallel What will you more then Our Saviour you see has by an Ordinance of heaven provided for you both food and rayment requiring you by his Apostle Paul to be therewith content But me thinks I heare you murmuring that this Gospel maintenance being by the Spirit of God termed a free gift 2 Cor. 8.4 Phil. 4.17 a matter of bounty and not grudging 2 Cor. 9.5 you have not the conscience what ever your practice be to think you may command it at your pleasure have it whether your Parishioners will or no and 't is irksome to your high●indednesse to suppose your selves their Almesmen and live on their benevolence But what advantage have you by your tithe Ordinance how I pray will you get your tithes if the people will not pay them how can you force them to it if the people be resolved on the contrary Oh! I know your meaning you 'l distraine their goods imprison their persons and with some vexatious accursed act or other you 'l take away their lives and all they have together but are you so stout and sturdy not being perhaps above one for a thousand of your Lay-brethren as to imagine that a Regiment of Blackcoats can with a bare humane Ordinance of tithes defeat a whole Nation both of their Christian and Civill priviledges beleeve me bold Souldiers you will finde hard service of ●it the peoples eyes begin to be open and if you discover the nakednesse of your unsatiable covetousnesse a little more they will questionlesse so far reflect on the expresse clear words in our Saviours Commission unto his true Disciples saying Freely you have received freely give Mat. 10.8 that your mercenary praying and preaching will grow contemptible and our exercising Weavers Feltmakers Coblers c. be found more to resemble true Ministers of the Gospel than your learned Doctorships But because I see some of you are not ashamed to be thought Polititians who take for granted that you may ought to be provident no lesse than your Lay-brethren both for your selves and families I hope I shall not prove an unwelcome Monitor if I be instant with you to ponder seriously whether it be for your benefit to wave Christs Ordinance and adhere unto the Parliaments for maintenance 'T is true the