tythes haue beene repealed yet it may be that there is some guesse and peraduenture God may haue repealed tythes vpon some sufficient cause let him remember himselfe that a man must liue by faith and not by peraduentures Faith dareth not depart from the reuealed will of God vpon hope that peraduenture God hath otherwise determined seeing that the reuealed will of God which is the Scripture must bee our direction Therefore though paiment of tythes were not enioyned in the newe Testament yet it ought still to be performed because that what the olde Testament hath so plentifully required in this behalfe the same is not reuoaked in any Scripture either of olde or newe Testament The continuance of a law needeth not a repetition or second mention indeede no law is abrogated except it be mentioned but a lawe once made without any limitation of time is continued still in that it is not at all named Obiection 2. Payment of the exact tenth cannot be included in the morall lawe because the law of nature which is also the â— 2. 〈◊〉 morall lawe doth not so precisely regard a certaine number the instinct of nature regardeth not one number more then an other Answer The morall lawe is of larger extent then the lawe of nature the lawe of nature in strict signification is onely that common equitie whose principles are engrauen in our nature so as by the very instinct of nature we doe discerne the same in some measure of which sort are these Thou shalt worship one God Thou shalt honour thy father and mother Thou shalt not kill c. But the morall law comprehendeth all these naturall precepts and also some other positiue commandements giuen by God to continue not for a time as the ceremonialls and iudicialls but for euer of this kind is the fourth commaundement for a set day in euery weeke to be consecrated to the solemne worship of Almightie God such also was the prohibition of cating the forbidden fruite and such is this law of tythes Morall because ordained of God without limitation to continue to the end of the world but not natural in that stâ—â—ctnesse of signification because the light of nature doth not discouer it in this determined number Obiection 3. There were three sorts of tythes in the old Testament one tenth to maintaine the Leuite and Priest who had his tenth out of the tenth of the Leuite Numb 18. v. 24. and 26. an other tythe to be eaten in the place which the Lord should châ—â—se Dent. 14. 23. and a third tythe euery third yearâ— for the Lâ—uite and poore Deut. 14. â—9 Now the second and third tythes are ceased therefore why are not the first also ceased Answer God commanded in the law diuers sorts of Saboaths as the Saboath of dayes Exod. â—0 10. the Saboath of weekes Leuit. 23. 15. the Saboath of yeares Leuit. 25. 4. and they had also the great Saboath Ioh. 19. 31. But now that great Saboath the saboath of yeares and the saboath of weekes haue ceased and yet the saboath of dayes remaineth So in the seuerall kinds of tythes the two latter sortes ceasing doe not also inferre a nullitie of the first Secondly Aquinas answereth this obiection saying 2. â— q 8â—â—â— â— that the second sort of tythes were in the olde law reserued to serue at the offering of the sacrifices and therefore haue now ceased because the sacrifices haue ceased and aâ— for the third sort of tythes which were for the poore they are not ceased but augmented in the new Testament in that wee are commanded to giue almes of all that wee can spare for so hee readeth that place Luk. 11. 41. Thirdly there is an answer to be framed to this obiection 〈…〉 Deâ—â— 14. â—8 out of the words of M. Calvin who is of iudgement that the Israelites did not vpon the third yeare separate a tythe for the poore besides that which they ordinarily separated for the Leuites but only that the tythes which other yeares were wholly separated for the preists and Leuites alone were the third yeare to be so set apart as that the poore also must haue a share in them and then the same remaineth still in the new Testament for so we doe acknowledge both in word and practise that we are not to conuert the tythes wholly to our owne vses without affoarding a share vnto the poore out of them not Ro◠〈◊〉 â—o◠〈◊〉 onely euery three yeares but also euery yeare and euery day as their neede requireth and as our abilitie doth extend Obiection 4. If the Ministers of the new Testament must haue like tythes as the Leuites had then they may not owne any other estats whether purchased with mony or descending vnto them by inheritance for the Leuites were allowed no other part among their brethren sauing onely the tythes Numb 18. 20. Answer The courses that are taken in abridging Ministers of their tythes together with other charges which are continuall vpon them and the hospitalitie and charitie expected at their hands beyond others of much better abilitie will easily take order that Ministers be no great purchasers And to preuent Ministers that they become not great heires there is a reasonable sure practise when fewe or none preferre any of their sonnes to the ministerie but those for whom they haue or to whom they will giue none other inheritance to the poore is the Gospel preachâ—d saith our Sauiour and by the poore is the Gospell also preached may we affirme when for the most part heires and gentlemen repute the Ministery too base a calling for their imployment But suppose that the priuate possessions and inheritances of Ministers were greater then they are ten times doubled yet notwithstanding it doth not follow that their tythes gleab and offerings should depriue them of their priuate estates For the case of the Leuites is herein no president for vs because the Leuites were to take no further care for their wiues and children then to leaue them in the common estate of the Church as they were before the children did alwaies succeede their parents in administring vnto the Lord and receauing tythes and offerings for the preisthood and Leuiticall administration was peculiar to that tribe therefore they needed no other inheritance but their tythes offâ—rings and Citties But the Ministerie of the Gospel is not tied to any one family but in all degrees and kinreds those are to bee imployed in this seruice whom God hath endued with zeale and wisedom sutable for the calling so that when the father is dead the children are vtterly destitute further then prouision hath beene made for them by the carefulnesse of their parents while they liued Therefore though the Leuites had no other portion but the inheritance of their publique Ministerie yet the Preachers of the Gospel may be owners of priuate lands and riches because that the wifes and children of the Ministers of the Gospell doe not liue sustained by the tythes when
THE REVENVE OF THE GOSPEL IS TYTHES Due to the Ministerie of the word by that word Written by FOVLKE ROBARTES Batchelour of Diuinitie Victâ—ma sacra Deo 〈…〉 Hinâ— aquâ—â—â— â—d â—ullo 〈…〉 〈…〉 Sacrilegâ—que sacer deâ—â—oratâ—gn◠〈◊〉 Sic mâ—â—uatâ— quâ—â—urâ— deâ—â—◠〈…〉 â—t saâ—â—as audâ—◠〈…〉 The sacred oâ—â—â—â—ing broâ—â—eâ—â—â—he 〈…〉 A gâ—lâ—â—he 〈…〉 to her 〈…〉 A sparke 〈…〉 Beâ—â—â—d her 〈◊〉 bâ—rnt vp all her wealth â—â— let him feare who â—â—e he be tâ—at 〈◊〉 〈…〉 god◠〈…〉 â—he câ—urchâ—â— sâ—â—aâ—e Printed by CANTREL LEGGE Printer to the Vniuersitie of CAMBRIDGE 1613. ⧠REVERENDO in Christo Patri ac Domino IOHANNI IEGONO diuinâ prouidentia Episcopo NORDOVICI vigilantissimo Diocesano suo indulgentissimo ET ⧠HONOR ATISSIMO viro EDVARDO COKO Militi summo totius ANGLIAE Institiario Serenissimi Regiae Maâ—â—â—aâ—i à Consiâ—us sanâ—â—â—ribus Doâ—â—no suo singulari FOVLCO ROBARTESIVS diu indies in terris cumulatum honerem gloriam in coelis tandem sempiâ—ernam religiosissime precatur ARdua debilibus praestat quicunque lacertis Hic validis sulcris auxiliandus erit Debilis Herculeos ego pertentare labores Ausus sublicijs incubo marmoreis Anterides duo vos stabiles ceu marmoris est 〈◊〉 Quique Atlantaeam ferre soletis opeâ—â— TV. Pater â—â— Paâ—â—â—â— qu◠〈…〉 Sedâ—â—o incumben◠〈…〉 Pastorum decâ—â—â—â— quâ—â—â—iâ—ula saâ—ra vâ—rendâ—s Reâ—dâ—â— qui Peâ—â—â— more tuentur oâ—es Ampla demâ—â—◠〈…〉 Praâ—iâ—â— gaâ—â—â—â— Dum 〈…〉 eâ—â—peranter 〈◊〉 TV 〈…〉 〈…〉 In 〈…〉 Terras 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 TV PATER INDVLGENS IT TV VENâ—RANDE Vâ—Râ—RVM In fortes humeros excipiatis onus Excipiatis onus tremula grauitate reclinans Auxilium â—imide supplâ—â—â—terque petens Supplicatâ—en vobis in FORâ—A PAVPERIS ipse Christus opem vestram subsâ—diumque rogans Supplicat vt verbi Dominus quas sorte ministris Sâ—ncut aeternâ— neraptantur opes Noruâ—ci Antistes ius spirituale ministras Quod uâ—let auxilij spirituale ferat Temporeumque Pater legum ius COKE gubernas Quod valet auxilij temporeumque ferat Ipse Leuitarum pateres IEGONE Sedetque In mensa gremto COKE Leuitatuo Ergo patrocinium Christi praebete ministris Ne Domino sacrae diripiantur opes Sistite vesanos hâ—minum rabidosque furores Qui sitiunt sacras despoliare domos Diuino decimas sancitas iure ministris Et vos humano cogite iure dari Ter-faelixisto diuino munere mundo Praesenti vestrum viuat vterque diu Fataque quando olim mutabitis ista supersit Virique in caelis anteparata domus ROB. HILL Theol. Profess Vox populi Quid dabimus Vitulum Grauis est iactura Vel agnumâ— Velleporem nimâ—s est Satis est gallina vel anser Vox dei Damthi primitias Cereris floraeque Liaei Poâ—â—nâ— priâ—â—genitum primasque laborum Daâ—â—hi subque noua verbi da lege ministro Sic tibi pro decimis summam prâ—stabo salutem Ista canit mystes Dices ingrate popelle Cantabit vacuns coram grege diuiâ—e pastor Euge sedingratus coram loue iudice surdo Clamabit populus tandem vacuusque peribit TO THE RIGHT WORSHIP FVLL SENATE AND SOCIETIE OF THE MAYOR SHERIFES AND COMmons of that Religious and well-gouerned Citie and Countie of NORVVICH increase of pietie true fame and all prosperitie RIght Worshipfull and religious while Poperie preuailed in former times like a thicke fogg though it quenched nothing yet it smothered for a time almost all points of sacred truth But Poperie now vanishing as mist before the sunne all points of truth doe shine cleare againe to the praise of God and our comfort And yet hath not that duskie vaile beene foulded vp all at once but by degrees so that some points appeared more timely others haue beene the longer vnperceaued The Schoolmen Alexander * Alexand. â—e Ales◠〈◊〉 â—ulo◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 Gulâ—â—lm Gâ—â—â—â—r quos omâ—â—s 〈◊〉 subtilitaâ—ibus proâ—stâ—bâ—iâ—â—â—dâ— Antâ—chriâ—â—â— râ—gno â—rmauit Cent. 13. cap. 10. and his Schollers 1200. yeares after Christ were the first that taught that tythes were not due by the Morall law And this they did to iustifie the exorbitant practises of the Pope It is therefore a Popish doctrine Diuers yet no small aduersaries vnto Rome haue receiued that for truth which is meere Poperie But the sonne is now vp in such brightnesse as that none shall be deceiued but onely the wilfull Therefore amongst others who happily laboured to fling away the vttermost skirts of the Romish mantle that it no longer shadow this part of truth I haue aduentured to stretch foorth mine hand What God enabled mee to performe I humbly offer to your fauourable acceptance vnto whom by peculiar bonds both of ciuilitie and conscience I am obliged The point is a case of conscience and of great consequence and therefore would be thoroughly considered Yee are wise to iudge as religious Magistrates yee are fauourable to religion as zealous Protestants God Almightie blesse both your publike state with increase of Worship and your seuerall persons with daily augmentation of his speciall grace Cambridge Nouemb. 1613. Your Worships in all loue and seruice FOVLKE ROBARTES In librum Foulconis Robartesij de reditibus Euangelij EIa homo num totum Christus totus tibi lucrum Parsque Dei tua pars pars tua Dextra Dei Detrahit lucrum partis partemve lucellj A Christi mystâ Dextera christicola Quin docto potius pandâ—nti numine dextro Rectaque suadenti crede Robertesio Dat merit ò decimas Christo quicunque meretur Quam rem cunque facit dummodo rem faciat Sunt habitus abitusque homini varij Deus idem Vnde habet huic Reditus vnde abit huc Reditus R. Per. Bac. Theol. C. C. C. In loue to the Author and Cause WHilome the Church was rich Iustice her due Deuotion gaue her plentie her full chest With treasure swell'd which Pietie did accrue And Charitie dispence this time was blest Till lawlesse Sacriledge with maine despoile Seaz'd on the holy Goods possest her land As hostile rage preuailes in conquered soile So warr'd the Christian gainst the Church her hand Meane while was on the common so which wreaks Both her and them a sad-reioycing day The peoples gaine with Churches losse thus speaks Whil'st one obtain's such conquest both decay W. R. Mag. Art C. C. C. De decimarum debitione c. SEe Learned Leuite what will be the end Of this thy pow'rfull writt thou doest intend The Oxe his corne vnmusled now shall tread And Leui's tribe may eate their owne schew-bread But here thou fail'st where Tythes were due before All will be paid Tythes shall be due no more Suam cuique DAme Natures twylight clearely shew's this true That who gaue all may claime tythes for his due Yet can the Prince of darkenes lightly see To lead leowd-men to this forbidden tree But let the Eagle though of plumes most faire And great commanding Empresse of the aire Not dare to fat her Eaglets with the right And sacrifice done to a heauenly
of the vow concerning payment of tythes to maintaine Gods worship it may be graunted necessarie in the generall that there be an allowance but that this allowance must be precisely and simply the very tenth that may seeme ambiguous for as the one a circumstance of place so the other a circumstance of quantitie may seeme to be left to mens discretion Answ It is true as we shewed cap. 4. that diuers circumstances are diuers times permitted to the discretion of godly men but in matters so serious and waightie as the worship of God and their holy vowes they are euer most warie not to determine any of the least circumstances but vpon speciall cause as may appeare in this vow of Iacob One might thinke that for this circumstance of place an other place might haue serued as well as this but we shall finde if we duely examine it that Iacob doth not assume this place onely vpon his owne pleasure but vpon such waighty reasons as did tie Iacob to this place before any other For First In this place God did both reueale Christ with his benefits vnto Iacob vnder the figure of that ladder which appeared vnto him in his dreame and also make promise vnto him both of a safe returne into his countrie and also of the inioying of the whole land of Canaan for a possession and inheritance to him and to his seede In this place did God promise vnto Iacob that his seed should multiplie as the dust of the earth all the world ouer and that the propitiator Iesus Christ who should procure the eternall happines vnto the world should proceed also from the very loynes of Iacob as is plaine from the beginning of v. 11. vnto the end of the 15. v. Secondly Iacob doth not vow to make this place the house of God of his owne head but God hath first made the place to be his house and then Iacob doth but accept of the place which God had chosen for so the text is plaine This is no other but euen the house of God so that Iacob hath no more libertie for building vnto God an altar in this place then Salomon had for building the Temple in Ierusalem vz. in the place which God himselfe had 1. Reg. 8. 29. chosen So that whether we consider the first reason namely that in this place Iacob found so much fauour and receiued so many faire and sure promises at the hands of God or the second reason vz. that this is Gods house already God himselfe hauing already chosen it we shall see plainly that this was the onely place for Iacob to build an altar for God in for first no place so fit and beneficiall for Iacobs deuotions as the place which could put him in minde of so many large heauenly fauours and secondly a necessitie is laide vpon Iacob to make this the house of God for God himselfe had made it his owne house alreadie Thus farre then it is very plaine that euery whit of this vow of Iacob is a matter necessarie yea the least circumstance thereof hath a most due regard to the aforegoing will of God in precise and particular determination vowing no more to God then what God himselfe already required Then for the last part of the vow which concerneth prouision to maintaine Gods worship we must also acknowledge that it is grounded vpon speciall cause not onely in generall that it must be something but also in particular that it must be this determined something the very tenth for if the particular place of the altar was not assigned without speciall cause then assuredly Iacob so godly a man so well instructed so deepely affected in his minde with reuerence as appeareth v. 17. so aduised and serious in the whole carriage so faithfully regarding to flie his owne fantasies and to follow carefully the very will of God in the least circumstance of the rest of his vow doth not now in extremo deficere and in the last point swarue from Gods direction to his owne deuise but as in the former points so also in this he hath a regard to the knowne will of Almightie God vowing vnto God the tenth because he knew this to be the portion which God would accept of For if the eight ninth 〈◊〉 pag. 64. or twelfth or any other part had beene the part which god would haue accepted then assuredly had Iacob vowed that and not this Yea further it is not likely that Iacob durst haue determined any part if he had not either knowne aforehand or beene presently informed that that was the share which God hath reserued for his owne portion As Bethel is not Beth-El or Gods house because Carlet 〈◊〉 cap. ◠Iacob vowed it should be so but Iacob vowed he would so esteeme it because it is Gods house alreadie Euen so the tenth part becommeth not Gods part because Iacob doth vow that it shall be Gods but Iacob doth vow that he will faithfully performe the tenth to God because he knoweth it to be the Lords owne part alreadie And herein Iacob doth no more his act of vowing onely excepted then had bin practised by his forefathers as hath bin shewed in the former instance of his grandfather Abraham The fourth practise concerning payments of tythes is that of the Israelites from the time of Moses vnto the comming of Christ in the flesh which is the space of some 1500. yeares all which time tythes were paid vnto the Leuites by Gods assignation or appointment who taking the Leuites into his speciall seruice in the stead of the first borne assigned vnto them his speciall reuenues of tythes and offerings for their seruice so long as the same should endure as hath beene shewed cap. 4. But here now I thinke it sit to shew something more fully that howsoeuer the Leuites had the vse of the tithes while they administred at the altar and in the temple tabernacle yet tythes were not any such Leuiticall matter as was to cease when the children of Leui gaue ouer their Priesthood Indeede that is the common error vz. that tythes were meerely Leuiticall and therefore now cease to be due by the word of God but I shall by the helpe of God shew the contrarie by good reason Thus therefore I argue That which is neither ceremoniall nor iudiciall is not meerely Leuiticall Payment of tythes is neither ceremoniall nor iudiciall therefore payment of tythes is not meere Leuiticall The Proposition is manifestly true for the whole law of God beeing either Morall Iudiciall or Ceremoniall it followeth euidently that what is neither Ceremoniall nor Iudiciall is Morall and therefore not Leuiticall for howsoeuer the moral Law was of force in the time of the Leuiticall Priesthood yet the morall Lawe was not Leuiticall for that is called Leuiticall which began and ended with the Priesthood of Leui the Moral lawe was before and continueth still to the ende of the world therefore the morall lawe is not Leuiticall no more are