pay them was else no parâ—e of his dutie It is more probable a great deale that being a most religious and wise man knowing that God delights not in rash and vnlawfull vowes and knowing the payment of Tithes to bee acceptable vnto God vpon mature deliberation resolueth to the end his vow might please God that should be a part thereof Thus notwithstanding any thing that can bee obiected it appeareth by payment thereof before the Law that to paie the tenth is a part of the morall law deriued from the very law of Nature Whence it followeth That such payment is in force still for the morall law is perpetuall as a duetie taught vnto man from the beginning to continue to the end so long as there remaineth a man vpon the earth Which standing firme this also must stand for firme That such Tenth is now due to the ministers of the Gospell because they are to vs as Gods Substitutes as were the priests then And therefore as one saith of Abraham paying Tithes What Abraham owed vnto God hee payd it vnto Melchizedec as vnto God himselfe So what people owe vnto God viz. Decimam they ought to pay vnto the ministers of the Gospell as vnto God himselfe To say it is a morall precept To maintaine the minister or to giue God some part of our goods is but a weake euasion forsomuch as it euidently appeareth that the Tenthe and not any other or any vncertaine part hath beene from the beginning payd vnto God receiued by his Substitutes accounted Gods part and that God himselfe so soone as hee maketh claime to his right and once nominateth what it is claimeth and calleth it by the name of the Tenth as Leuit. 27. 30. Numb 18. 20. saying The Tenth is mine 2. From the time of Nature if wee come to the time of the Lawe all doo know That from Moses till Christ the tenth of all things was accounted Gods part that the Lord made challenge therevnto as to his owne proper right and peculiar portion The Tenth of the lande is mine All tithes are holie vnto the Lorde and I haue giuen the Tithes vnto Leui and his seed And herevpon it is that hee saith that Hee is their inheritance and that Malac. 3. 10. hee doth charge the people that in withholding their Tithes and offerings they had robbed him c. In these speeches and their like wee must note two things First the Lords right vnto Tithes Hee claimeth that parte and none other not an viij or xv or a xx but the tenth precisely as his owne proper inheritance The tenth saith he is mine True it is that all wee haue in a sense is the Lords because All thinges are of him 1. Chronicles 29. 14. And in that sense it is saide Psaâ—me 24. 1 The earth is the Lords and all that is therein the round world and they that dwel in it Ps. 50. 10. All beasts of the forrest are mine and so are the cattell vpon a thousand hilles And saith our Apostle what hast thou O man what euer thou bee and whatsoeuer thou haue which thou hast not receiued But in this case God dooth claâ—me the tenth to bee his in a more peculiar sense and sort and that is not Iure Creationis because hee hath made all nor Iure Potestatis because hee hath the disposing of all for in these senses the other nine partes are also the Lordes but Iure Proprietatis siue Reseruationis in respect of the very proprietie thereof or by way of reseruation because hauing giuen all the rest vnto the sonnes of men he hath reserued vnto himselfe to bestowe where hee will the tenth as his owne immediate right and portion euen in a like manner as a Lord passing away his land to a tenant reserueth yet for his owne vse a certaine rent out of it The notice and consideration whereof no doubt moued some very learned and iudicious expositors to intitle tithes by the name of a sacred and holy rent or tribute as it were insinuating thereby that as the land of Egypt Gen. 47. being sold into the hands of Pharao there was reserued vnto Pharao the first part of the increase thereof as a rent or annuitie thereof and the people allowed to take the other foure parts for the seede and for their labour and for prouision for them and theirs So the whole earth being Gods and hee giuing it to the sonnes of men hee hath notwithstanding for a token and acknowledgement of his soueraigntie reserued vnto himselfe as a rent and sacred tribute for the whole the tenth of all The other thing I note out of the words is the bestowing of tithes Tithes saith God areâ—â—ine But to what vse I haue giuen them saith he vnto the Sonnes of Leui for an inheritance And why to Leui his sonnes for the seruice which they serue mee in the tabernacle Num. 18. 1. And this teacheth vs that in Israel so long as Leui serued at the altar and wayted in the Tabernacle so long he had right to Tithes How right Not Proprio iure not by his owne proper right but in the Lords behalfe and by way of assignation from the Lord who had to speake after our fashion passed them ouer vnto Leui and his heires so long as their seruice did continue These things being obserued that is first the Lords right vnto Tithes which cannot but bee perpetuall then his assignation of Tithes to Leui which was but temporary and herewithall that the ministers of the Gospel are to God now in the steed of Leui do minister vnto him not in the same but a more excellent forme we may with great and I think vndeniable probabilitie gather that forsomuch as the Lords right vnto the tenth holdeth still he hath Leâ—its to serue him still his temple and seruice to be attended still that stil they ought to receiue that right on the Lords behalfe which haue succeeded in the steed of those that receiued it heretofore To say that the law of tithes ceased when Leuies seruice ended is an argument of no force First because they were assigned not so much for the persons sake as for the office the Seruice of God which continuing though in another forme doth necessarily require the continuance of the maintenance vnlesse a better come in place which is already graunted cannot bee Secondly because the right and so the law of Tithes tooke not his beginning at Leui for the payment of Tithes was not then first instituted but assigned onely to whom for that time and in that land they should bee payd It is therefore improbable that the payment of tithes should end with Leuies seruice which took not beginning thereat but were Gods and belonged to the priests of God when as yet Leui had not the office but reason equity doth rather yeeld that as the priests of God in time of nature had them before Leui and the law So the Ministers of the Gospel should haue
Pharisies that payd Tithe of their Rue annis mint cummin and of euery other herbe all garden hearbs as euery woman can tell saith expresly that as they ought to haue done weightier matters So this though a small thing they ought not as they did not to leaue vndone Which speach of Christs as I haue already shewed in the iudgement of S. Origen containes a precept for Christians now as well as an approbation of that the Pharisies in that point did then And as we doe spie day at a little hole and try how good the tree is by the taste of one of the fruites So by this little tryall may be made and notice taken how good or how euil a payer of tithes thou wouldest be if thou hadst possessions and great store of lands and cattell as the husbandman hath It is our Sauiourâ— owne rule and therefore currant Luk. 16. 10. Hee that is faithfull in the least he is faithfull also in much and hee that is vniust in the least is vniust also in much If therefore thou haue not great and many tithes to pay yet pay thou thy few and smaller tithes faithfully As Zachariah and Elizabeth are commended for iust in that they walked in all both precepts and ordinances that is both greater and smaller obseruances of the law of the Lord without reproofe so is it the part of a iust mâ—n to make a conscience of euery duty small and great Secondly be it that thou haue no fields nor lands nor cattell and such like that yeeld such kinde of tithes yet if thou haue other kinde of goods there is a kinde of tithe marke well what I say there is a kind of tithe to be paide of those kind of goods that thou hast as of fish of foules of spoiles in warre of money gayned by trade by art and labour S. Augustine as hee wrote of this matter de decimis most of any of the Fathers so is he playnest of all other Serm. de Temp. Ser. 219. de dec he saith directly Quodsi decimâ—s non habes c. But saith hee if thou haue not tithes of the fruites of the earth as the husbandman hath yet whatsoeuer meanes thou hast to liue by it is of God of that whereby thou doest liue he demandeth tithes Pay thou therefore tithes of thy warfare of thy trade and of thy handy-craft Thus preached and wrote S. Augustine for 12. hundred yeares agoe and therefore it is no new opinion he goes farther and giues reason why this kind of tithe should be payd as well as the other Aliud n. pro terra dependimus aliud pro vsura vitae pensamus that is The one kinde of tithe we pay for the vse of the earth which we possesse the other for vse of our life vpon the earth Pay therefore O thou maÌ„ whatsoeuer thou be thy tithes because thou dost possesse the earth and because thou art vouch safed thy life his proofe is For thus saith the Lord Euery man shall giue a redemption of his life and so shall there not bee among them any plague or sicknes The place of scripture he alleadgeth is Exod. 36. 12. Whence this father gathers that euery man is to pay to god a tribute of his goods such as hee liues by S. Ambrose writeth to like effect in a Sermon he hath de quadrages Qâ—icunque recognouerit inse quod fideliter non dederit decimam c. Whosoeuer saith he shall call to minde that he hath not faithfully paid his tithes let him now amend that wherein hee hath failed What is it to pay faithfully but that he offer and bring at no time neither lesse nor the worser sorte of his graine or of his wine or of the fruits of his trees or of his garden or of his trade or of his very hunting With these agreeth S. Gregory saying as in the decrees he is alleadged Extra de dec cap. 23. Ex transmissa Fidelis homo de omnibus quae licitè potest acquirere decimas erogare tenetur â— Euery faithfull man is bound to pay tithes of all such goods as he can lawfully get According hereunto whereas the first and most auncient lawes as well temporall as Ecclesiasticall run in general tearmes Decimae de rebus omnibus Tithes of all things the Canonists and other Lawyers as well of former as of later ages willing and endeuouring to explane the same by specialities haue inueÌ„ted approued hitherto continued that vulgar knowne distinction of Tithes prediall and personall By prediall meaning such as arise of the increase of the earth by personall such as arise of goods gotten by labour and industry whether they be gotten saith a very famous Lawyer by handicraft industry science warfarre trafficke or any other lawfull act And so doe all agree vpon the point That euery man is to pay one kinde of tithe or other viz. prediall if hee be a husbandman personall if hee be and quatenus as he is a tradesman artificer c. Of such goods as a man hath and liues by himselfe they determine that God and his Church must still haue some or other parte Hee that is taught of what vocation and course of life soeuer he be must make his teacher partaker with him of all such goods as hee hath Reason and equitie doe consent it should be so For as in the common-weale it is but reason that in subsides and other dueties to the King c. one sorte of subiect bee taxed as well as another So in the Church for the seruice of God It is a weake plea for a trades-man an artificer a townesman a cittizen that is of wealth competent to say I haue no lands therefore I ought not to bee seazed to subsidy it suffiseth that hee bee found worth thus much in landes or in goods And as bad and weake a reason it is to say I haue no lands no corne nor cattell therefore I ought to pay no tithe If thou haue other kinde of goods pay of those thou hast God requires a parte of that a man hath and not of that hee hath not Giue therefore to God that which is Gods as well as to Caesar that which is Caesars 2 Further looke vpon the vse whereunto the tithes are assigned by God and man what is it but the maintainance of the minister now haue not townesmen vse and neede of the Gospel of the ministerie of teachers as well as husbandmen Why then is it not reason they yeelde thereunto the due and appointed maintenance as well as they Haue they other meanes equiualent wee know of none the ministers find none The very law of nature saith The laborer is worthy of his hire for whomsoeuer it be that he doth labor Why should any then looke that men should labour for them gratis The law of God and man hath appointed this Tithes to be the hire of the Minister his wages for his worke in the Gospell Why then should
to the careful and due performance of this duety To which purpose â—t furthereth much As we haue already seene who and what persons are commaunded So to consider likewise who it is that thus commaundeth For that in any law and precept is a matter of moment and specially respected All scripture is by diuine inspiration and hath not man but God the author thereof It is not therefore Paul but the Lord aboue not man but God that maketh this lawe The person is such as hath authorithy to commaund power to compell such as of whose Iustice in decreeing and equity in prescribing without extreame impiety none may doubt Such consideration of the person commanding may serue vs to diuers vses instructions For First it dooth well confirme that already sayd touching the persons that must pay shewing That seeing God requireth this duety of euery man that is a hearer of the word therefore from performance thereof no man can bee free and exempt For who can discharge a man from obedience to God As for the lawes that men doo make beeing but meere humane ordinances ciuil constitutions they that make them may revoake them or except and exempt from the penalty of them whom they will or a higher power may dispense therewith but what man may revoake that with God dooth enact or dispense with those whom God doth bind â—t is a ruled case amongst Diuines graunted euen in time of greatest ignorance that against Gods law no dispensation or decree of man can hold shal wee thinke or practize otherwise in our greatest knowledg Who can giue thee power or leaue to commit murther or adultery to breake the sabboth or dishonour thy parents to steale to oppresse c. or make if how dooest any of these things that it shal not bee sinne vnto thee neither can any man giue thee power to breake this law of God or acquit thee of sinne if thou dooest breake it Let men pretend custome lycence dispensation pardon priuiledge or whatsoeuer els of like nature in this behalfe it helps not For as in the Law it is a Maxime Nullâ—mtempus occurrit Regi Against the king Prescription of time holds not so in Diuinity is this another Neque Tempus neque consuetudo c. Neither time nor custome nor priuiledge c. can bee a barre against God Men may aswel say That by custome by licence by priueledge c. they may bee discharged from seruing of God and hauing any Church any Sacraments any publike seruice and so any religion amongst them For doubtlesse so farre and so long as they are bound to honor and serue God publikely to haue the Sacraments administred amongst them orderly to haue the word preached vnto them effectually so long and so farre are they and euery one of them bound necessarily iure diuino by the expresse Law of God by th' eternal and inuiolable decree of the highest whose law is surer then that of the Medes and Persians with altereth not to contribute and yeelde a part of their goods toward the maintenance continuance the vse and exercise of that Religion and Ministery among them Which whoso neglecteth and refuseth to doo hee dooth thereby so farre as lyes in him hindeâ— the seruice of God shut vp the Church doores and roote out from among them the Ministery of the Church of God by which alone those things can bee and are to bee performed Secondly it sheweth vnto vs the equity of the law God being the law maker this law must therefore bee most equall and iust For who should make a iust lawe if not Iustice it selfe decree that which is equal and right if not equitie it selfe or order a thing wisely and excellently if not wisedome it selfe Shal not the Iudge of all the world doe right Genes 18. 25. Rom. 3. 5. Thirdly it warranteth vnto the ministers themselues their right title to their maintenance God commanding the people to pay doth allow them to receiue that which is their due And therefore they may lavvfully and with good conscience take it bee it much or little as their owne because God who hath authoritie ouer all and whose is the earth all therein hath assigned it vnto them They challenge not their maintenance by warrant of mans law onely or onely by the rule of equitie but also iure diuino by the law of God who as hee made lawes for the Priests Leuits that serued at the altar in the time of the law so hath for his ministers in the time of the Gospell Which thing this our Apostle plainly testifieth 1. Corint 9. 13. where he telleth vs That as by Gods ordinance They which ministred about holie things did eate of the things of the Temple and they which waited at the altar were partakers with the altar So also hath the Lord ordained for the time of the Gospel that they which preach the Gospel should liue of the Gospel Wherefore if at any time they preaching the Gospell haue not thereof whereon conueniently to liue it is not because God hath not allowed allotted them sufficient for their labour but because men iniuriously wickedly withhold from them one vvay or other that which is indeede their due This should aduise men to make conscience hovv they deale with the minister seeing it is God that hath interessed him to that whereby hee is to liue For they cannot debarre him of his due or defraud him of any part of his right without an open breache of Gods lawe and manifest infringing of diuine ordinance Were it not great iniury and sinne to denie a noble mans seruant or withhold from one of the Kinges officers the reuenues the lands the pension or other maintenance which his Lord and Maister hath out of his landes possessions lawfully giuen him But no noble mans seruant no officer of any king or potentate can haue greater right or better interest vnto any lands reuenues pension or other incomme giuen him by his Maister then the minister hath to that with is his due because hee hath it not from man but from God and holds in right of the truest and highest owner the Lord of all In the law of God there is a curse against him that remooueth his neighbours landmarke which his sore-elders had set Deut. 27. 17. If he bee accursed that remooueth the bounds that men haue laid out is not hee nigh vnto cursing and in daunger of Gods great indignation that remooueth the bounds of the Church and altereth the right of the minister which the father of vs all hath for many generations past fixed to stand for euer This is the principall reason why euery man should pay of his goods to the minister namely which I obserued to be the second branch of the first general part of this verse Because hee is taught in the worde by the minister The minister dooth teach the word and religion of God and so ministreth to his hearer the food of
any sort of people denie or withhold it They that will haue spirituall things must render temporall Otherwise a man hath no reason to account himselfe bound to labour for them as his hearers that will not intertaine him as their teacher They that contrary to the law which saith Forsake not the Leuit all daies of thy life forsake the minister Keeping from him his appointed maintenance leaue him to seeke the bread of his body where he may haue no wrong done them if they be forsaken and left without Ephod and without Teraphim to seeke for the foode of their soules where they wil and are little to be pitied though they wander from sea to sea from the north to the east running to and fro to seeke the worde of God and yet finde it not because they haue brought such famine vpon themselues and reap but such fruites as their owne hands haue sowne Their owne bloud bee vpon their owne heads that will prefer riches before Religion earth before Heauen the world before God the welth of their body to the health of their soul. From proofe let vs come to practise to which purpose if enquirie and search be made all ages and times will affoord vs record sufficient when where by whoÌ„ such tithes haue bin paid The first Tithes that euer wee reade to haue beene paid were those that Abraham paid to Melchâ—zedec And what kind of tithes were they If the common translations of the Bible deceiue vs not the text of holy Scripture Heb. 7. 4. telleth vs They were tithes of the spoiles the tenth of the bootie taken in battell that is Personall tithes 2 Concerning the Isralites whether they paid theÌ„ or no I wil not contend It is as probable yea as no. First by the words of the law which after an enumeratioÌ„ of some particulars vseth this general terme al the teÌ„th in Israel Tithes of al things NuÌ„ 18. 21. 2. Chro. 31. 5. Secondly by their certaine and knowne practise in other things namely in al kind of offerings sacrifices to be performed vnto the Lord. In those there was no difference among them betwixt one and other but the one sort were bound to performe them as wel as the other The law is plaine for it Exod. 12. 49. but specially NuÌ„ 15. 13. Al that are borne of the countrie shall do these things thus and one law and one maner shall serue for both They that had not beasts of their owne for sacrifice must buy them of others c. Now as they were to prouide theÌ„ offerings for the Lord by such goods as they had likely it is they were also to pay tithes for the maintenance of the Leuits and priests of God of such goods as they had Thirdly we do read Num. 31 That being returned from battel the Lord did expressely require by the name of The Lords tribute a certaine parte of the bootie as one of 50. of 500. one lesse indeede a great deale then a tenth yet bearing proportion to a tenth And whether it may be accounted a right personal teÌ„th that is diductis expensis the expenses diducted let others iudge It doth shew vs at least thus much That God would by some part of that which was gotten be acknowledged to be the giuer of the whole and authour of the victorie And that such custome continued in Israel we may not obscurely gather 1. Chro. 26. 26. where we read That of the battailes and spoiles taken in warre Dauid the king the chiefe Fathers the captaines ouer thousands hundreds and all the captaines of the armie and besides them Samuel the Seer Saul that had bin King Abner the son of Ner Ioab others had dedicated according as the Lord commanded Nu. 31. say some expositors such an abundance of treasure that there were treasurers men of great name elected deputed for keeping therof Fourthly The Leuits themselues hauing none inheritance of lands c. yet did pay to the priests the tenth of their tenth that was accounted vnto theÌ„ as we read Nu. 18. 27 as the corne of the barne abundance of the winepresse If the Leuits themselues that receiued tithes of others must did pay tithe of that they had is it not probable that others of what condition soeuer they were for whom the Leuits serued did pay of that they had which might be acounted vnto theÌ„ as the corne wine to the husbaÌ„d-maÌ„ as the tenth of the tenthto the Leuits doth it not intimate that by such meanes as a maÌ„ hath doth himself liue by he ought to coÌ„fer to the maintenance of the minister who must liue by him because hee laboureth for him Fifthly Luk. 18. 12. our Sauiour brings in a Pharisie speaking proudly I graunt yet truely thus I giue tithe of all that euer I possesse Herevpon I aske first whether in the person of this one Pharise bee not expressed vnto vs the actions of them all and in this point of the whole nation then whether all Pharisies were husbandmen onely or whether â—t bee not probable That some of them were artificers as Paul Lawiers as Gamaliel townesmen as they that dwelt at Ierusaelem c And thirdly if beeing townesmen tradesmen and artificers they did giue tithe of all that they possessed whether it must not necessarily follow That they gaue Tithes of their trades labours stipends c. seeing goods gotten that way bee part of that a man dooth possesse aswell as cattell corne c. and is the same to him that the field the tree the beast c. is to the husbandman Sixtly Admit contrary to so euident probabilities that the Iews did not pay any personall tithes yet it followes not by and by that therefore Christians ought not For the case is not altogether like Because their priests and Leuits dwelt together either at the house of God or in other their owne Cities assigned them as their peculiar possession by the lot of God vnder the hand of Iehoshuah and did not dwell so dispersed as the ministers of the Gospell doo and must viz. in euery Citie towne and village Our maner of habitation therefore dooth necessarily require that which theirs did not that is That the minister of euerie place haue his maintenance according to the place viz. by prediall tithes where are prediall and by personall tithes where are personall Otherwise seeing in Lawe and equitie too there is no compartition betwixt ministers of the Gospell as was among Leuits for their tithes either such places where prediall Tithes are not must bee without ministers for lacke of maintenance or else the ministers hauing little or nothing must as commonly they doo but woe bee to them by whom it commeth liue not like their brethren that haue prediall tithes minister like but as if they were the drudges and dregs of the world deseruing no reward beggarlike And to this agree the words of the Apostle who
a mist before their owne eies to suffer themselues to bee deceiued 2. The reason God is not mocked that is first it is a matter of greater moment then you take it You haue herein to doe with God as well as with men and you cannot wrong the one but you shall offend the other Shew not your selues therefore to be as the vnrighteous indge in the Gospel that neither feared God nor cared for man He that accounts it to be nothing to him whether the minister be condignly maintained or not doth sinke or swimme is farre deceiued Such vaine and idle pretenses such carelesnesse and deniall of duetie is none other then a very mocking of God himselfe and a kind of scorning and derision of his most excelleÌ„t maiestie glorious name Which al the world should feare Which to be no small sinne the words of the first Psal. alone may sufficiently teach vs where the scornfull are placed in the third that is the highest degree of wickednesse whereto well accordeth a saying that S. Hierom hath as he is cited Decret caus 16. q. 1 wherein alluding as it were to the phrase of the Apostle Tit. 3. 12. declaring the desperate case of such as bee in heresie he saith when a man is growne to that height of of sinne that he will not contribute and giue as he ought condigne maintainance and intertainement vnto them that be Apostolike men and Preachers of the Gospel of Christ he doth euen as one that hath made himselfe vnworthy of the Gospel condemne himselfe Secondly God is not mocked that is he is such a one as cannot thorough ignorance in himselfe or shifts in others be deluded men may be mokt with and beguiled because they be ignorant and know not the state of euery thing and of euery person God not so men may pretend vnto men pouerty losses charges and what not and so blind the eies of men at their pleasure But God is not mocked He seeth and iudgeth righteously men may tell the minister that his due is but this and that and protest that what they offer is more then their abilitie then their due c. but there is a God which knoweth who speaketh truely and who not who dissembleth and who dealeth vprightly vnto whom if we must as our Sauiour teacheth Math. â—2 Giue an account of euery idle word vaine speech that scapeth our lips how much more for such words and protestations whereby any in a matter of such moment doe goe about purposely to delude and deceiue the minister of God Whereof to aduertise people the better to consider what they had to doe it seemeth to me first that God himselfe among his owne people did expresly command euery man that as well for payment of their first fruites as also of their tithes he should come into the place which God should choose and there before the very altar of God and in the presence and hearing of the Priest should protest before the Lord his God in this sort And Now loe I haue broght the first fruits of the land which thou O Lord hast giuen me I haue brought the hallowed thing out of mine house also haue giuen it to the Leuit c. I haue not eaten thereof in my mourning nor suffered ought to perish through vncleanes nor giueÌ„ ought thereof for the dead that is I haue not conuerted it to any prophane vnlawful vse nor kept it back any way defrauded the Leuit therof but haue harkened vnto the voice of the Lord my God I haue done viz. in this point touching the true paimeÌ„t of hallowed things after all that thou hast commaunded me Looke downe therefore from thine holy habitation euen from heauen and blesse thy people c. as you may read more at large in the place it selfe Deut. 26. A solemne kind of protestation litle lesse in effect then an oath whereby the party did testifie his vprightnesse in that behalfe or otherwise made himselfe culpable of notorious abuse of the sacred name of God which he had called to witnes Secondly that the church of God of old did ordaine accustome that people for paiment of their offerings their personall or priuy tithes and other like should come into the Church there rekon with the minister there tender pay him his right there offer vp into his hands as vnto God himselfe that which is holy to the Lord seperated for Gods parte which might be no small motâ—ue to a reuerent religious care in this behalfe if people would consider that the minister is there in Gods steed receiues what is appointed in the honor name of God that they themselues doe stand there as it were in the very eye and speciall presence of God who is the searcher of the very heart and reynes and That therefore it behoues them to deale vprightly and sincerely to speake truely vnfainedly as they that doe know and remember that they haue then there to do not with man onely but with God likewise therefore do abhorre yea tremble to vtter an vntruth and speake a lie for sauing a little of their worldly goods 3 And therefore in such cases let men take heed For God is not mocked as he cannot thorough ignorance be deluded so he will not be mocked with men may be mockt with because they be not able many times to right themselues and reuenge or redresse such wrongs as are offered and done to them therefore must with Patience perforce put them vp but with God it is not so Heb. 10. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God for our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. he being a iudge most iust and vpright both can and will reuenge himselfe of all such as by their mockeries and shiftings doe abuse and wrong him and his seruants For First in regard of his ministers he hath told vs He that despiseth you despiseth me as on the other side He that receiueth you receiueth me And we are not ignorant what God said once to Samuel 1. Sam. 8. 7. They haue not cast thee away but mee haue they cast away nor of the sentence of Moses to his people Exod. 16. your murmurings are not against vs Aaron and my selfe Gods ministers seruants but against the Lord. And we may be assured seing that Christ doth account whatsoeuer is done or giuen to the poore needy his little ones to be done vnto himselfe Math. 25. 40 45. much more doth he and will he so reckon of that which is done to those that are neerer vnto him by their office and doe as it were represent his owne person his messengers and special seruants We read of Dauid 2â— Sam. 10. 4. when his messengers that he had sent in kindnesse vnto Hanun King of the children of Ammon were vnkindly handled and sent backe with shame and discredit their beards clipt and their coates cut off at the
wast c. how grieuously and offensiuely he tooke it and how wrathfully and extreamely he did reuenge it Let vs not thinke but that God doth tender as much as euer Dauid did the cause of his seruants and if their beards be clipt and their coatâ—s cut short I meane their liuings gelded and their mainteiance taken from them if they be made to eate the sheâ—â—s and take the straw when other haue the kernells and the corne he both can and will in due time reuenge it He hath testified that it shall be easier at the day of iudgement for them of Sodome and Gomorha then for such as will not receiue his messengers whom he hath commanded departing to shake off against such the very dust of theâ—r fecte for a testimonie Wherofâ— of their extreame ingratitude and contempt of God and his worde and of Gods wrath and indignation against such contemners Secondly concerning himselfe fearefull and notable euen to this purpose is the example of Ananias and Sapphira his wife Act. 5. who making a shew to lay downe at the Apostles feete the full price of their land when indeed they kept backe a great part thereof are by Saint Peter reprooued in this sort Why hath Sathan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy Ghost and Thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God and againe verse 9. Why haue yee agreed together to tempt the spirit of the Lord and thereupon by and by for a perpetuall monument of his indignation against such sinnes are smitten horresco referens I euen tremble to tell it both of them with suddaine and terrible death with whom in sinne how neerely doe they concurre that keepe away that which for many ages past is consecrated to God and his Church by the lawes of equitie of God of the Church and of our land and therefore is not now in their owne power and cannot without great and apparant sinne be now conuerted or rather peruerted to any prophane and common vse and to couer their shame and sinne withall come into the Church and presence of the eternal God and there protest to their minister that they haue nothing to pay that they owe him of right but this and that that they doe not nor will not deceiue him of a peny c. but God is not mocked Hitherto of these words in generall tearmes which being briesly thus run ouer I will now more largely touch also certaine speciall obiections particularly Them for orders sake being many I will sort into 4. ranks as vnto certaine heads wherunto all such may be referred and they are these Personal Generall Local and Speciall Personall I terme such obiections as may be pretended against the persons themselues that should receiue such maintainâ—nce Against whom their vnworthynesse sometimes is obiected And that is twofolde either in life if they be such as be not of Good conuersation but giuen to some or other notorious vices or for learning if they bee such as can not preach at all or not so learnedly and excellently as some others doe To which one aâ—nswere may serue viz That notwithstanding any such defects yet the maintenance the ordinary maintenance of the minister for of that do I speake altogether ought to be in such sort setled vnto him that it may not be lawful not easily possible for any priuate persons personall vnworthines to withdraw it or anie part thereof People must know it is not lawfull to requite one wrong with another not fit that they bee at libertie to withdraw their pay from anie vppon supposed vnworthinesse least they take libertie to pretend vnworthines where there is none and vnder colour of fault in some offer iniurie to all and abuse vpon light occasions euen the best They must yeelde the minister his due howesoeuer If hee be such a one as deserues it not the fault beeing not theirs but his hee must answere for his faults other waâ—es No reason euery man be his owne iudge in his owne cause least malice or auarice become parties What is punishable or reformeable must be referred to superiours on earth or to God in heauen God neuer permitted anie such libertie to his owne people Whatsoeuer the Priests or Leuites were in their desert yet the people without any exception are coÌ„manded to bring in their tithes and oblations The Priests are reprooued by the Prophets and termed Dumb dogs Deceiuers Sleepie watchmen c. but the people are not aduised and taught by the prophets therefore to withholde from them their appointed legall maintenance neuer was there greater corruption among them neuer more wickednesse and all kinde of vnworthines then in our Sauiours time yet he sendeth the leper cleansed to the priest bids him offer as was appointed And sitting ouer the treasurie and there beholding how men cast in their gifts commendeth the poore widowe for her riche mite and approoueth the fact of all calling it the Offerings not of the Priests but of God Luk. 21. 4. It is also forefended by ancient lawes ordinances of our Church land Among which one is notable made in the time of King Hen. the 8. An. Dom. 1538. the words whereof are these Foras-much as by lawes established euery man is bound to pay his tithes No man shall by colour of duety omitted by their ministers deteine his tithes or be his owne Iudge but shall truly pay the same as hath bene accustomed without any restrainte or Diminution and such lack or defalt as they find in their Pastouts and Curates to call for reformation thereof at the Ordinaries or other superiors hands To this effect we read also in the Decrees lib. 3. cap. 20. De dec Tua nobis Nonnulli vitam clericoruÌ„ tanquam abhominabilâ—m detestontes Decimas ijs ob hoc subtrahere non verentur Verum si c. that is manie detesting the life of Cleargie men as abhominable feare not for that cause to withdrawe from them their Tithes But if such parties had due respect vnto God from whome all their goods do come they would not offer to diminish the right of the Church nor presume to deâ—eine their Tithes And a little after Seeing that God whose is the earth and the plentie thereof the whole worlde and all that dwell therein ought not to bee of worse condition then a temporall Lord that lets out his land to others It seemeth truely too vnequall if Tithes which God in token of his vniuersall Soueraigntie hath commaunded to bee payed vnto himselfe affirming Tithes to bee his vppon occasion premised or rather by purposed fraude should bee diminished And againe Whereas no man may giue away that which is anothers without the good will and consent of the owneâ—â— Because therfore we wil not suffer that the right of Churches and churchmen vpon any presumption bee diminished we commaund you That you doe compell all such as either in respect of their persons or of their possessions ought to pay tithes