the Lord. From all these Scriptures here recited at large for the Readers fuller satisfaction conviction and ease in turning to them these conclusions undeniably arise 1. That the Priests and Levits had by Gods special command precept oft repeated both Cities Houses Suburbs Lands Glebes designed to setled on them by their brethren out of all the other tribes of Israel for their habitation and the keeping feeding of their Cattel Goods Beasts and that in a very large and bountifull proportion And likewise necessary convenient houses chambers lodgings neer the Temple when first built and when re-edified afterwards which refutes the common errour of those ignorant Simpletons and illiterate New-lights who from Numb 18.20 Deut. 10.9 chap. 18.1 2. The Priests the Levites and all the tribe of Levi shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire and his inheritance Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren the Lord is their inheritance as he hath said unto them Conclude That the Priests and Levites amongst the Israelites had no Cities houses lands suburbs or possessions of their own belonging to their Office and were expresly forbidden by God to receive or enjoy any among their brethren And hence inferr That Ministers of the Gospel ought not to enjoy any Rectories Houses Lands or Glebes Whereas all the forecited Scriptures directly record the contrary and the meaning of these seeming repugnant texts is only this That they should have no inheritance amongst their Brethren in such sort and manner as they had set out altogether in one parcel by Joshua and the rest who divided the land amongst the tribes by lot which would have hindred them from their duties but only a subsequent assignment of certain Cities houses and suburbs seattered and divided one from another in and out of every tribes inheritance that so they might perform their offices with more ease and be alwayes ready at hand in every tribe to teach and instruct the people upon all occasions 2. That the inheritance of the Cities houses and suburbs which they enjoyed were not reputed their own proper inheritance though they enjoyed the possession and profits thereof but Gods inheritance as a thing devoted and dedicated unto God himself and therefore stiled by Ezekiel an Oblation unto God and an holy portion as Histories Divines Common Civil and Canon Lawyers stile all our Rectories Church-lands and Glebes with the Charters that first setled them being given and consecrated Deo et Ecclesiae an oblation unto God and the Church 3. That these endowments and Glebes of theirs were called reputed Gods own Portion and Inheritance 1. Because given by his special command and appointment by all the tribes 2. Because originally consecrated devoted to God and to his Priests and Ministers onely in Gods right for his sake 3. Because given to promote Gods worship service glory and for an habitation support to Gods own Priests and Levites imployed wholly in his immediate service 4. That they were expresly prohibited to be sold exchanged or alienated by the Priests Levites or any others because they were reserved by and given unto God himself as an holy Portion and Oblation and to the Priests and Levites for a perpetual possâ—ssion in regard of the perception of the profits the inheritance of them residing only in God himself Therfore not possible to be justly and lawfully sold exchanged or alienated by the Priests Levites or any other mortal Powers whatsoever who could claim no power right property or disposing interest in or over them against Gods own Soveraign and sacred title 5. That these Cities Suburbs Glebes were ratably set out in and by every tribe in an equal proportion according to the multitude or paucity of their Cities as a Tenth of their Cities and lands to which their 48 Cities and Suburbs amounted as some probably conceive And yet besides these 48 Cities there were Houses and Schools of Prophets and Prophets children in nature of our Universities in Bethel and in Jericho 2 Kings 2.3 4 5 7 to 24. chap. 6.1 2 3 4. which were none of these 48 Cities 6. That none of the Kings and Princes of Judah though many of them were Idolatrous wicked and put to great extremities to raise monies to pay their Armies and Tributes to forein Invaders and Conquerors did yet ever attempt to sell or alienate the Cities Suburbs or revenues of the Priests and Levites to maintain their warrs or pay publike Debts or tributes though King Asa Jehoash Hezekiah by way of loan made bold with the Silver and Gold in the treasure of the Lords house in cases of publike extremity which might be and was afterwards re-paid 1 Kings 15.18 cap. 18.15 2 Chron. 16.2 Yea the Scripture expresly records that in the great famine in Aegypt when all others sold their lands to buy bread to King Pharaoh only the Lands of the Priests bought he not For the Priests had a Portion assigned them of Pharaoh and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them wherefore they sold not their Lands Gen. 47.20 to 27. 7. That the Idolatrous usurper Jeroboam out of a carnal fear and policy to keep the people from returning to their rightfull Soveraign and establish the crown on himself and his Posterity was the first man we read of and his Idolatrous sons and successors after him who cast out Gods Priests and Levites out of their offices and then out of their Cities Suburbs and Possessions which he enforced them to desert though we read not that they sold them to maintain their Warrs or pay Soldiers arrears who thereupon repaired to Jerusalem to Rehoboam the right heir and after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem to enjoy Gods Ordinances strengthned Rehoboam and his kingdom against this persecuting usurper 2 Chron. 11.13 to 18. 8. That this his casting out of the Priests and Levites from their Offices and Pâ—ssâ—ssions making Priests of the lowest of the People and suffering every one that would to consecrate himself a Priest without a lawfull call is objected against Jeroboam by Abijah as a very high crime and provocation against God and the maintaining encouraging of Gods lawfull Priests and Levites in their Offices and setled possessions alleged by him as a certain argument of Gods presence with him and so with any other King and people and of victory successe in conclusion against sacrilegious Usurpers 9. That when Gods lawfull Priests and Levites are deprived of their Glebes and Possessions we must presently expect a base contemptible time-serving Idolatrous ignorant Priestood Jeroboams Golden Calves with their new Feasts and Sacrifices and a universal inundation of Idolatry wickedness prophanness to ensue with all the forementioned calamities which befell Ieroboams Army adherents subjects Person Family Kingdom which the Lord now set home on all our hearts that we may
with his hands as Paul did to support himself and preach gratis wherefore he tells him 2 Tim. 2.4 That no man that warreth a spiritual warfare as he and other Ministers do intangleth himself with the affaires of this life that he may please or serve him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier A direct inhibition to Ministers to follow Pauls Precedent who cannot serve and please God in their Ministry if they labour day and night in Mechanick trades for their living And upon this ground which is very observable the very Apostles themselves Act. 6.3 4 5 6. Calling the multitude to them said it is not reason pray marke it that we should leave the Word of God and serve Tables much lesse work day and night at a Mechanick Trade wherefore brethren looke ye out seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost wisdom whom ye may appoint over this businesse but we will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the word And the saying pleased the whole multitude From which Texts it is clear 1. That the Apostles themselves resolve that they could not exercise the very antient office of a Deacon in serving Tables attending on Widowes and other poor aged impotent Saints without neglecting or giving over preaching of the Word much lesse then can Ministers labour day and night with their hands at some Trade or other to maintain themselves and their Families without neglecting and desisting from the Ministry 2. That Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel ought to give themselves wholly and continually to prayer preaching meditation reading and other Ministerial duties and therefore must not undertake or intermeddle with secular Imployments and Callings 3. That the Apostles themselves have punctually resolved and that all the primitive Christians unanimously assented to it that it is not reason that they should leave preaching the word of God so much as to wait upon Widdowes and poor people at their tables whereupon they elected seven Deacons to discharge that office Therefore it is far lesse reason and they are most wicked and unreasonable men without faith or charity from which the Apostle prayes God deliver him and all his Ministers 2 Thess 3.2 who now urge it to enforce all our Ministers to neglect forsake their Ministry Preaching Studies now to follow handicraft Trades to get their livelihood that so they might preach freely to the people without any recompence or reward at all 2. All godly Ministers people in all ages and the very Objectors themselves of late years have extremely condemned censured our Bishops and Prelatical Clergy together with Popes Popish Prelates and Clergy men for intermedling with and executing civil Offices Imployments and worldly affairs which necessitated them to neglect the preaching of the Gospel and their Ministerial duties whereupon not only many antient and late Councils Synods but Acts of Parliament have specially prohibited them to be Privy Counsellers of State Judges Justices of the Peace Lord Chancellors Treasurers Keepers of the Privy Seal Stewards of Courts Commissioners and our very last Parliament by several late Acts disabled all Bishops from sitting as Peers in Parliament and them with all other Clergy men to execute any temporal Offices or Commissions as incompatible with their spiritual Function and an impediment to their Ministry according to the old proverbial verse Pluribus intentus minor est ad singula sensus Which I have proved at large by testimonies in all ages in my Breviate of the Prelates intolerable Vsurpation printed Anno. 1637. My Vnbishoping of Timothy and Titus and Antipathy of the English Prelacy to Monarchy and Vnity Anno 1641. Therefore to force our Ministers to become Mechanicks and give themselves wholly to worldly callings imployments incompatible with their professions must needs be an irrational unchristian Project unworthy the profession or professors of the Gospel not justifiable from Pauls example in them that would enforce it 3. If this Precedent of Paul be a sufficient argument to prove that our Ministers ought to work for their living and to preach the Gospel freely without any reward or coercive Maintenance I shall then by the self-same reason prove that all Officers and Souldiers of the Army who make this Objection and all our publick civil Officers approving it ought likewise to fight and discharge their Offices without pay or salary and to work with their own hands to get their livings without oppressing the people with any Contributions of Excises to maintain them 1. Because Ministers and they are both of one profession in several senses to wit Souldiers 2 Tim. 2.3 4. as I have formerly proved Therefore to fare both a like in respect of pay or hire 2. Because God records in Scripture Ezech. 29.18 That Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon even by Gods appointment caused his Army to serve a great service against Tyrus every head was made bald and every shoulder was â—eeled Yet had he no wages nor his Army for Tyrus for the sâ—rvice that he served against it If Nebuchadnezzer and his Army served God freely against Tyre without wages many years Should not our present Army and Officers much more serve God and their Country freely without wages True it is God gave them after their service fully ended not any Taxes or Contributions from their own Country-men or Nation but the Land and spoyle of Egypt for their wages because they wrought for him verses 19 20. And if our Officers and Souldiers will have such wages it must only be the Lands and spoyles of forein Aegyptian enemies not our Churches or Crown-Lands or Revenues formerly easing the peoples Taxes and defraying all Garrisons and ordinary publick expences which they now claim and enjoy for Arrears of pay 3. Nehemiah both a godly Souldier General and Governour of his people records this for his own honour and others imitation Neh. 5.14 15 16 17 18 19. Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their Governour in the Land of Judah from the 20. even to the 32. year of Artaxerxes the King Even twelve years I and my Brethren have not eaten the bread of the Governor But the former Governours that had been before me were Chargeable and had taken of them Bread and Wine besides forty Shekels of Silver yea even their Servants bare rule over the people but so did not I marke the reason because of the fear of God Yea also I continued in the work of this wall neither bought we any Land as many Officers and Souldiers do now and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work Moreover there were at my Table an 150 of the Jewes and Rulers besides those that came unto us from among the heathen that were about us Now that which was prepared for me daily was an Oxe and six choyce sheep also Fowles were prepared for me and once in ten daies store of all sorts of Wine yea for all this required not I the breed that is the allowance
never be guilty of such a sacrilegious ruinating God-provoking Realm-destroying Church-subverting practice in the least degree as some would now perswade us to in stripping our Ministers of all their Glebes Rectories Tithes and setled maintenance at one blow which even Pharaoh himself and godly Joseph refused to do towards the very Idolatrous Priests of Aegypt allowing them an extraordinary daily portion to preserve their lands from sale in time of famine Gen. 47.22 26. whereto they have as lawfull as just as Divine a right as these Priests and Levites had to their Cities Suburbs Houses and Possessions as I shall prove anon 2. That God only wise did by special Laws and Edicts institute and prescribe Tithes as the most expedient equitable fitting just rational convenient Maintenance and Reward of all other for his own Priests and Levites is undeniably proved by Levit 27.30 31 32. Deut 12.17 18 19 31. ch 14.22 to the end ch 26.7 12 13 14 15. Num 18.21 to 32. Neh 10.37 38 39. ch 12.44 ch 13.5 11 12 13 14 Prov 3.9 2 Chron 31.3 to 15. Mal 3.8 9 10. Luke 18.12 Heb 7.5 8 9. which Texts all may read at leisure and are needlesse to transcribe at large this truth being confessed by all Opposites to Tithes who hence condemn them as Iewish and Ceremonial Rites now abolished That which I shall observe from them is briefly this 1. That the payment of Tithes to the Priests and Levites was positively prescribed by Gods special Precepts and Commands frequently recited inculcated 2. That Gods own People were specially commanded by him to pay Tithes of the seed and increase of all their Land of all Corn Wine Oyl Fruits yea of Garden-Herbs Seeds Matth. 23.3 Luke 11.42 and likewise of the increase of all their Cattel Herds Flocks 3. That God gave these Tithes and all the tenth in Israel to the Priests and Levites for an Inheritance as a due Reward for their Service which they serve even the Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation which all Israelites else were prohibited to come into or do Service in Lest they bear their Sin and dye And this was to be a Statute for ever throughout their Generations Nam 18.21 22 23 26 31. Heb. 7.5 4. That All the Tithes of the Land Seed Fruit Herbs Flocks and of whatsoever Annually increased or passed under the Rod are expressely said to be the Lords to be holy unto the Lord consecrated unto the Lord and an Heave-offering unto the Lord which he gave unto the Priests and Levites for an inheritance Levit. 27.28 29 30 31 32 33. Num. 18.24 2 Chron. 31.6 5. That God enjoyned all the Israelites Truly to tithe all the Tithes of their Increase and not to eat or embesle detain or exchange any of it especially for the worse Deut. 14.21 ch 12.17 Levit. 27.33 Mal. 3.8 And if any man would redeem his Tithes he was to give the full price and adde a fifth part over to it Levit. 27.31 6. That all these Tithes were to be brought by the people to the places and Treasuries appointed for them the Corn ready threshed winnowed and the Wine Oyl Fruits in Vessels at the peoples own costs without any trouble to the Priests or Levites and if the place whither they were to be brought was too far off then that they called the second Tithe ought to be turned into money by the Owner and the money paid to the Priests and Levites in lieu thereof Deut. 12.17 18 19. ch 14.22 to 28. ch 26.12 13 14. 2 Chron. 31.6 12 13 14. Neh. 10.38 39. ch 12.44 ch 13.5 to 12. Amos 4.4 Mal. 3.10 7. That the detaining of these Tithes from the Priests and Levites was a great sin and Sacrilegious robbing of God himself accompanied with his Curse and punished with scarcity barrenness devouring locusts blasting of the fruits of the earth c. Mal. 3.8 9 10. a place worthy the saddest consideration of all Tithe-Oppugners and Substracters Will a man rob God yet ye have robbed me But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee In Tithes and Offerings Here is the Sacrilegious Sin pray mark the just deserved punishment Ye are cursed with a Curse For ye have robbed me even this whole Nation what this Curse was follows THE DEVOURER that is devouring Creatures as Locusts Caterpillars Palmer-worms Canker-worms and the like did destroy the fruits of their Ground their Vines did cast their Fruit before their Times in the Field And God blasted and destroyed all their Corn and fruits with blasting and Mildew and Hail Amos 4.9 Joel 1.4 yea They sowed much and brought in little they did eat but had not enough they did drink but yet were not satisfied with drink they did cloth themselves but there was no warmth and he that earneth wages earneth it to put it into a bag with holes They looked for much and lo it came to little and when they brought it home God did blow upon it yea the heaven over them was stayed from Dew and the earth was stayed from her fruits and God called for a drought upon the Land and upon the Mountains and upon the Corn and upon the new Wine and upon the Oyl and upon that the ground brought forth and upon Men and Cattel and upon all the labour of their hands when one came to an heap of 20. measures there were but ten when one came to the Presse-fat for to draw out fifty Vessels there were but twenty and the Wine and the figs and Pomegranate tree and the Olive tree did not bring forth Hag. 1.6 9 to 11. ch 2.16 17 19. O that all hard-hearted covetous hypocritical atheistical detainers of and Declaimers against Tithes and Ministers Just setled Maintenance would lay these Judgements and curses of God close unto their hearts that so they might therby be reclaimed from their robbery and Sacrilege against God and prevent divert these Judgements Curses from themselves and our whole Nation which they have cause to fear and will doubtlesse feell them to their smart and losse if they rob God and our Ministers of their Tithes and maintenance in such sort as many now strenuously endeavour 8. That God himself annexed many gracious Promises of giving abundance of all earthly and spiritual blessings to the chearfull conscientious due payment of Tithes to his Priests and Levites for their Maintenance which I shall recite to excite men chearfully to this practice now Deut. 14.22 23 28 29. Thou shalt Truly Tithe all the increase of thy seed corn wine oyl herds flocks that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God alwayes And that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy Hand which thou doest Deut. 26.12 13 14 15. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the Tithes of thine increase the third year which is the year of Tithing and hast given it unto the Levite c. Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God I have