by the Vulgar Can it be thought says he that he gave Tythes of the Best Parts only How stands that with Giving Tythes of All Very well i. e. By Giving Tythes of All out of the Best Parts which was the Custom And it was thought a Neglect of God to Pay His Tythe out of the Worst Parts and not out of the very Best And Mr. Selden owns that the Syriack and Arabick Translations of Heb. vij 2. are Expresly so i. e. That Abram gave Melchisedec the Tythe not only of the Spoils but of All that he had And that this was the Ordinary Gloss of Solomon Jarchi upon these Words in Gen. xiv 20. Against all which he opposes That Josephus and the Targum of Jonathan Ben-Vziel say that Abram gave to Melchisedec the Tythe of the Spoils But this is no Contradiction to the other For if he gave him Tythes of All that he had he gave the Tythe of the Spoils likewise III. Mr. Selden c. 1. n. 2. squints an Objection against Abram and Jacob's Paying Tythe as supposing them to be Priests He supposes Melchisedec to have been Sem and consequently an Elder and a Superiour Priest to Abram But perhaps he thought it Inconsistent for one Priest to pay Tythe to another Priest though of a Superiour Order And hence wou'd not have it thought that Abram paid Tythe though he gave a Tenth Part i. e. that he did not give it under the Notion of Tythe or a Tribute Due to Melchisedec as his Superiour But the Superiority of Melchisedec above Abram is largely Argu'd Heb. vij And under the Law Num. xviij 26. the Levites were to Pay a Tenth of their Tythe to the High-Priest And if in this Sense Abram upon Mr. Selden's Supposition pay'd Tythe to Melchisedec â—hen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. vij 4. is Literally the Tenth of the Tythe for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as before observ'd signifies Tythe And so rarely does it signifie Spoils that except in this Text if it â—e so meant there Mr. Selden can â—nd but one Instance amongst the Greek Authors where it is taken for Spoils at least this must be Granted that Spoils is but a strain'd and â—ery unusual Signification of the Word And Abram supposing him 〈◊〉 Priest paying Tythe to Melchisedec argues the Superiority of the Priesthood of Melchisedec after which Order of Priesthood and not after the Order either of Abraham or Aaron ouâ— Lord Christ was Consecrated And this will Infer all that the Apostle aâ—gues from Abram's Payment of Tythe to Melchisedec Heb. vij as much aâ— if Abram were then a Lay-Man And he might then be a Lay-Man though he were a Priest afterwards For he was then only Abram it wâ—â— before the Covenant God made with him and the Alteration thereupon of his Name into Abraham Gen. xvâ— whereby he was constituted The Fâ—ther of the Many Nations of the Faithful to come But these Things concern not our Present Enquiry Theâ—â—fore let us Proceed IV. The Second Instance abovâ— mention'd for Tythes Gen. xxviij 22. is that of Jâ—cob Against which it is Objecteâ— That this was only a Vow Answ It was a Vow Jacob. But not theâ—â—fore only a Vow Men often aâ— most commonly Vow that which 〈◊〉 their Duty to do without Respect 〈◊〉 the Vow As to Vow to serve Gâ—â— more faithfully than we have done before Thus in this same Vow of Jacob's he Vows that The Lord shall be his God Will any say that The Lord was not his God before And indeed this of Dedicating the Tythe to God was no more than a further Declaration that the Lord was his God Because Offering of Tythe was a Part of the Worship of God And therefore Jacob did by this Declare that The Lord only should be his God because he would Offer his Tythe only unto Him It was the Custom of the Nations among the Heathen to Offer their Tythes to the God whom they Ador'd And therefore some Offer'd their Tythes to One and some to Another of their False Gods But Jacob here Vows to The only True God That He only shall be his God and that he will Offer his Tythes to none other God but to Him alone For to whom we Dedicate the Tythe we acknowledge to have Receiv'd the other Nine Parts from him of which the Offering of the Tenth is 〈◊〉 solemn Acknowledgment And the Vowing or Dedicating them though Due before was Customary with the Jews as well as the Heathen for so it is commanded Ecclusâ— xxxv 9. Dedicate thy Tythes with Gladness And none will say that they were not Due among the Jews eveâ— before their Dedication of them SECT VII That the Gentiles did Pay Tytheâ— to their Gods I. THE Great Opposer of Tytheâ— the Learned Mr. Selden cannot Deny this But in his Histoâ—â— of Tythes cap. 3. he Endeavours tâ— Lessen this as much as he can bâ— offering some of his Conjectures 1. That they were Pay'd only by Particular Vows 2. Not by any Law Enjoining them 3. Not Generally 4. Not Yearly 5. Only to some Particular God as among the Romans to Hercules c. 6. Only of some Particular Things not of all our Increase of every sort In every one of which Particulars he has been sufficiently Confuted by several Learned Answers which have been made to that Book of his Dr. Comber last of all has Collected these and added to them And put that Matter I think past a Reply But I intend not to trouble the Reader with a Repetition of any of these Because what Mr. Selden himself allows is abundantly sufficient to my Present Purpose And indeed to Confute himself in every one of these Heads to which I have reduc'd all his Pretences whereby he Endeavours to invalidate the Practice of the Gentiles from being a Testimony to the Divine Right of Tythes For However they paid their Tythe 1. Whether of Every thing or only of Some sorts of their Encrease 2. Whether to one or to more of their Gods 3. Whether Annually or Occasionally 4. Whether Generally or only the Devouter sort 5. Whether thereunto Requir'd by their Municipal Laws or not Or 6. Whether with or without a Particular Vow Yet this remains uncontroverted upon either side of these Questions That the Notion of Tythes as being due unto some God or other was receiv'd among the Gentiles and that time out of Mind which is all the Use 〈◊〉 have at Present to make of thiâ— Custom or Tradition of the Gentiles And of which I will shew the Forâ—â— in summing up the Evidence In the mean time let me enlargâ— so far as to shew the Reader how fâ—â— Selden himself do's yield the Cause iâ— all these Captious Questions which hâ— puts in Prejudice to the Divine Rigâ—â— of Tythes II. But first I must obviate a Mistaâ—â— which may arise from the Use of thâ— word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First-fruits For thâ—â— in the Levitical sense of the word 〈◊〉 is distinguished from
of Tythe It is in the first place very Evident Thaâ— a Tenth Part of all Increase was Reserv'd as such under the Law Anâ— that it was to be offer'd to the Priests not only as a Maintenance to them but as an Offering unto the Lord iâ— the same Nature as other Offerings anâ— Sacrifices Num. xviij 24. The Tythes of the Childreâ— of Israel which they offer as an Heavâ—â— Offering unto the Lord. All the Tythe of the Land Lev. xxvij 30. whether 〈◊〉 the Seed of the Land or of the Fruit 〈◊〉 the Trees is the Lord's it is Holy unto the Lord. Thither shall ye bring your Burnt-Offerings Deut. xij 6. and your Sacrifices and your Tythes and Heave-Offerings of your Hands and your Vows and your Free-Will-Offerings and the Firstlings of your Herds and of your Flocks Here the Tythes are reckon'd in the same Rank with the Sacrifices and other Offerings and Vows as Holy unto the Lord As they are again Deut. xxvj 13. where they are called The Hallowed Things And hence the Substraction of Tythes is called a Robbing of God and that equally with the Substracting of the other Offerings of the Lord. Will a Man Rob God Mal. iij. 8 9. Yet ye have Robbed Me But ye say Wherein have we Robbed Thee In Tythes and Offerings Ye are Cursed with a Curse for ye have Robbed me even this whole Nation SECT VI. A Tenth Requir'd before the Law shewn in Abram and Jacob. BUT now it Remains to be known whether this was a Particular Institution only to the Jews under the Law Or whether it had a more Ancient Rise And how Ancient That it was before the Law it is Evident from the Example of Abram Gen. xiv 20. who Paid Tythes to Melchisedec and of Jacob Ch. xxviij 22. who Vow'd his Tythes to God I. But ther are Objections against these two Instances 1. As to Melchisedec It is said Abram That the Tenth Part which Abram gave to Melchisedec was not any thing that was Due to Melchisedec nor given to him under the Notion of Tythe nor to him as he was a Priest but that it was only a Voluntary Boon or Gratuity which Abram gave to him and that it might have been an Eighth a Ninth a Twelfth a Fifteenth or any other Part Abram had Pleas'd Answ All this Pretence is overthrown by what is said in the vij Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews where Ver. 4. the Apostle argues the Greatness of Melchisedec above Abram from Abram's Paying of Tythes to him Now Consider saith the Text how Great this Man was unto whom even the Patriarch Abram gave the Tenth of the Spoils But if it had been only a Gratuity or Free Gift from Abram it wou'd have argu'd the Greatness of Abram above Melchisedec for the Giver is Greater than the Receiver But when any thing is paid as a Tribute or a Rent Due it argues the Greatness of the Receiver above that of the Payer And therefore unless Abram paid his Tythe to Melchisedec as a Tribute Due to him the Apostle's Argument is so far from being Conclusive that it operates quite Contrary to that Inference which the Apostle made from it and Proves the Greatness of Abram above Melchisedec whereas the Apostle in this Verse and Ver. 7. puts it without all Contradiction that Abram was the Less and Melchisedec the Greater and the Better And this was not a Personal Comparison betwixt them but the Preference given to Melchisedec was in respect of his Character because he was a Priest whose Office it was to Bless in the Name of the Lord. Thence St. Paul argues That without all Contradiction the Less is Blessed of the Better Again Ver. 9. The Apostle argues the Preference of the Melchisedecal Priesthood before that of Levi because Levi in his Father Abram paid Tythes to Melchisedec Here 1. it is Establish'd that those who RECEIVE Tythes are Greater and of Higher Dignity than those who PAY the Tythes to them 2. It is hence made Manifest That the Tythe which Abram paid to Melchisedec was Paid in the true Notion of Tythe as Tythe and a Tribute which was Due to Melchisedec as he was Priest of the Most High God For if it had not been Paid as Tythe how cou'd Levi have been said to have Paid Tythes in Abram And the Word is observable v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Melchisedec Tythed Abram i. e. Put him under Tythe or Exacted it from him as his Due The Vulgar Translates it Decimas sumpsit ab Abram He Took Tythes from Abram 3. And because it was Part of the Priest's Office to Receive The Lord's Tythe a Receiver of Tythe and a Priest are Terms Synonimous Thus in this same Chapter Heb. vij it is said v. 8. Here Men that Die Receive Tythe that is Under the Law the Priests were Mortal and therefore ther was a Necessity of their succeeding one another But there that is in the Case of Christ Typify'd by Melchisedec He i.e. Christ Receiveth them Tythes of whom it is witnessed that he Liveth i. e. Liveth for Ever and so is not to be succeeded by any other High-Priest And He Ever Liveth to Receive our Tythe for Ever that is for Ever to be our High-Priest for a Priest and a Receiver of Tythe are here made to be the same He Christ Receiveth them the Tythes that is in the Language of this Text He Christ is our Priest And in Repeating the same thing over again Ver. 23. the Word Priests is put for those who are call'd Receivers of Tythe in the 8th Verse for speaking of the Mortality of the High-Priests of the Tribe of Levi it is express'd thus in the 8th Verse Here Men that Die Receive Tythes And Ver. 23. it is thus worded They were many Priests because they were not suffer'd to Continue by reason of Death And then when in the Comparison the Eternity of the Priesthood of Christ is set forth it is said Ver. 24. Because He continueth Ever He hath an Vn-Changeable Priesthood Which is Expressed Ver. 8. by saying That He Ever Liveth to Receive Tythes Which is the same as being a Priest as the Text runs But there He Christ Receiveth them Tythes of whom it is witnessed that He Liveth So that as a Sacrificer and a Priest are the same because none have a Right to Sacrifice but the Priests a Receiver of Tythes is as Synonimous to a Priest for the same Reason because none other but the Priests only have any Right or Title to Receive the Tythes of God For as beforesaid Tythes are Part of the Offerings to God Part of his Worship and therefore to be Paid as such into the Hands of his Priests only as all other of His Offerings and Sacrifices were This shews the Folly of those who wou'd have these Tythes paid to Melchisedec as King and not as Priest Because he is call'd King of Salem as well as Priest of the Most
Himself is the Best Pattern that can be follow'd in other Nations where their Circumstances will allow of it But all the Rest of the Levitical Law except the Typical the Ceremonial and the Judicial were Confirm'd by Christ and needed no New Injunction Now it is Evident That Tythes were no Part either of the Typical or Ceremonial Law They were no Type of Christ For Christ is call'd by the Name of His Types 1 Cor. v. 7. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us But Christ is nowhere call'd our Tythe Tythe had another End and Tendency which was an Acknowlegement and Homage Due to God as the Author of all the Good we Receiv'd in this World And that it was his Blessing alone which gave Success and Encrease to our Labours This Respected God as our Creator and Preserver but had no signification as to the In-Carnation Sufferings Death and Resurrection of Christ. And therefor was no Type of Him And therefor was not Fulfill'd or Ended in Him The Reason of it is Eternal and must last while God feeds Man upon the Earth And has been ever since God Created Man upon the Earth It was Long before the Law and therefor not taking its Rise from the Law cou'd not be Abrogated in the Law It is true it was a Part of the Law as being anew Enjoined in the Law and so was a Municipal or Judicial Law among the Jews But it do's not therefore Cease to oblige other Nations as other Parts of their Judicial Law may cease because 1. The Justice and Equity of it is nothing Peculiar to the Jews but Equal to all People and Nations whom God do's Preserve and Feed But 2dly Other Nations were in Possession of it long before the Law of Moses and after not from the Law of Moses but from its Original and Vniversal Obligation and therefore the Abrogation of the Law of Moses had it been every word Abrogated cou'd not have Dissolv'd the Obligation of Tythes But Tythes belonging to no Part of it that ceas'd upon the Coming of Christ consequently is still confirm'd unless it can be shewn that Christ has Discharg'd it Christ did not anew Institute the Decalogue but left it of Force because not Alter'd by Him And so it is of Tythes II. But Christ has not only by his not Forbidding confirm'd Tythes but has given Express Approbation of them Matth. xxiij 23. Where he says These things i.e. the paying Tythe of the smallest things as of Mint Annise and Cummin ye ought to have done And in his Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican Luk. xviii 12. He reckons Paying Tythe of All that we Possess as an Act of Worship and Devotion to God Which sure He wou'd not have done if it had been then Abrogated But if you say that this was spoke to the Pharisees not to His Disciples Origen who put this Objection gives an Answer That He wou'd not have Commanded that to the Pharisees which he wou'd not have His Disciples to fulfil much more abundantly for Except your Righteousness Exceeds the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees Hom. II. in Numer c. How therefor says Origen do's my Righteousness Exceed theirs if they dare not taste of the Fruits of the Earth till they have first offer'd the First-fruits to the Priests and Tythes to the Levites And I doing none of these things mis-spend of the Fruits of the Earth to my own Use without acquainting Priest or Levite or letting the Altar partake of any Part of them And this we have said continues he to shew That the Command for First-fruits of Fruits and Cattel ought to stand even according to the Letter Let me add the Apostle's Argumen Hebrews vij 8. where he says that under the Law Men that Die received Tythes but opposing to this the Melchisedecal Priesthood which was but a Type of Christ's he say that He receiveth them Tythes of whom it is witnessed that He Liveth i. e. Liveth for ever not as the Lâ—vitical Priests who were Mortal and therefor succeeded one another Noâ— Melchisedec if he was Sem was Mâ—â—tal and Died as well as the Levitical Priests and therefor this was spoken only of Christ. And the Apostle says that He receiveth Tythes for iâ— can be meant of None other And if Christ receiveth Tythes then He hâ—â— not Abrogated them Then He hâ—â— Confirm'd them not only Negativelâ— by not Forbidding them under the Gospel but Positively by Approving of the Payment of them and Himself now in Heaven ever living to Receive them Again Hear St. Paul 1 Cor. ix 13.14 Do ye not know that they who Minister about Holy things live of the things of the Temple And they who wait at the Altar are Partakers with the Altar Even so hath the Lord ordained that they who Preach the Gospel shou'd Live of the Gospel OF THE GOSPEL What is that The Apostle makes the Comparison as of the Altar in the Temple that is of the Tythes and other Offerings which were offer'd upon the Altar And therefor are said to belong to the Altar as being Due to the Altar to be offer'd there So that as the Altar in the Temple had a Large Revenue and the Priests did Partake with it did Live of it Even so hath the Lord ordain'd What That the Evangelical Priests shou'd Live of the Gospel What Revenue then has the Gospel to Maintain them A Revenue surely like that of the Temple Els it is not Even so as the Apostle makes the Comparison Some wou'd have the Gospel merely Eleemosinary Nothing Due but all Free-will-Offerings Then I am sure it was not Even so as the Temple for there were Free-will-Offerings it is true but that was not All. Ther were Tythes and other Offerings as of Obligation Else ther had been no Certainty or setled Maintenance Now if the Gospel has nothing as of Right which it can Claim how is it Even so as the Temple If the Priests of the Temple were sure of a Tenth And the Priests of the Gospel not of a hundred or thousandth Part or of any Part at all how were they Provided Even so as the Priests of the Temple But what was it that the Lord Ordained That Every Man shou'd pay what he Pleas'd That they might do and that they would do without any Order or Law made for it Was ther Ever such a Law made that Every Man shou'd do just what he Pleas'd and no more Wou'd not such a Law be Good for just Nothing That is to say it wou'd be no Law for Law is a Requiring and Enjoyning something a Restraining of Liberty and putting Men under an Obligation who were Free before as to that which the Lâ—â— Commands And therefor that which lays no Restraint or Obligation but leaves every Man perfectly at his own Liberty is no Law And consequently if every Man were left to his Liberty what he pleas'd to Give to the Gospel then Christ here Ordained just Nothing
it was no Ordinance or Law at all And ther was no manner of Comparison betwixt the Gospel and the Altar which the Apostle do's Compare together The Lord ordained Tythes to the Altar and Nothing to the Gospel What Comparison then betwixt the Gospel and the Altar The same as betwixt Tythes and Nothing And how then did The Lord Ordain a Maintenance for the Ministers of the Gospel EVEN SO as for the Ministers of the Altar Ther is no Coherence no Argument no Comparison nor Good Sense can be made out of this Text unless The Lord had Ordained that as the Tythes were Pay'd to the Priests of the Temple they shou'd be likewise Pay'd to the Priests of the Gospel And then the Comparison lies Full and Round and the Apostle's Argument is Strong and Cogent which otherwise is Precarious and In-Consequential Therefor I think that from this very Text it may nay that it must be Concluded That The Lord has Ordained Tythes under the Gospel as well as under the Law And I will shew hereafter that this Text was thus understood in the first Ages of the Church But why wou'd not S. Paul downright name Tythes and so put the Matter out of Dispute I answer Ther was then no Dispute at all concerning the Divine Right of Tythes All the Dispute that then cou'd be was only to whom they shou'd be Pay'd whether to the Priests of the Temple or the Gospel The Priests of the Temple were then in Possession of them and wou'd have Rais'd a much more severe Persecution against the Gospel if its Priests had Pretended to them And therefor it was Great Prudence in the Apostles not to Name Tythes not to add Oyl to the Flames of that Persecution which was like to be too strong for the ordinary sort of Christians and overcame some of them Yet wou'd not the Apostles lose their Right which S. Paul in this Chapter not only Asserts but Arguer for it though he wou'd not then make use of it for Reasons which he there Declares SECT X. Obj. That no Tythes were Pay'd in the Days of the Apostles and first Ages of Christianity 1. First I Deny the Supposition That no Tythes were then Pay'd For though a Tenth was Ordained yet it might be Exceeded and Men might give a Greater Proportion if they thought fit and God did accept of what more Men gave as a Mark of more Extraordinary Devotion and Zeal to his Service And therefor they who gave More gave the Tenth Now in the Days of the Apostles the Christians gave not only a Tenth but their Zeal was so Exceeding as to sell Lands Houses c. and give All that they had in the World and lay it down at the Apostles Feet Acts iv 34. And this was not a sudden Heat of Devotion and soon over it lasted many Years We find it in Justin Martyr 160 Years after Christ. And now says he We bring all that we have into Common 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apolog. 2. pag. 61. and Communicate it to every one that wants And after him Irenaeus Advers Haeres l. 4. c. 34. An. Chr. 180. tells that the Jews consecrated a Tenth but the Christians gave All that they had to God's Service and wou'd give not Less than the Jews because they had a better Hope And after him Tertullian An. 200. says Apol. c. 39. That all things were Common among the Christians but their Wives Now while this great Zeal and Liberality lasted what Reason was ther to Press Men to give a Tenth who gave a Great deal more Mr. Seldeâ— confesses c. 4. n. 1. p. 36. So liberal says he in the Beginning of Christianity was the Devotion of Believers that their Bounty to the Evangelical Priesthood far exceeded what the Tenth cou'd have been And p. 39. The Liberality formerly used had been such that in respect thereof Tenths were a small part And Review c. 4. p. 462. he says It had been little to the purpose indeed to have had Tythes of Annual Increase paid while that most Bountiful Devotion of Good Christians continu'd in frequent Offerings both of Lands and Goods to such Large Value And c. 4. n. 2. p. 40. he continues this vast Liberality of the Christians in their Offerings to the days of St. Chrysostom who liv'd at the end of the 4th Century where he tells how much the Clergy were Envy'd for their Riches which says he Grew only out of such Christian Devotion to the Priesthood He magnifies the Great Oblations made 〈◊〉 Rome however Cyprian says he â—â—ight before have cause to complain in Africk Yet the Oblations were not Mean in Africa which we may gather from the Relation of St. Cyprian himself who tells Epist 160. p. 96. Ed. Oxon. that out of the Oblations of the Christians of Carthage where he was Bishop he contributed at one time an Hundred Thousand Sestertiums towards the Relief of some Christian Captives But to say no more of the Greatness of the Devotions of those Times I have only this Use to make of it as to my Present Purpose That the Christians then giving more than a Tenth had been Reason sufficient if ther had 〈◊〉 been one word in any of the Fathers of those Times concerning Tythes For how cou'd they Require Tythes when Tythes were Pay'd and a great deal more But because ther shou'd be no sort of Argument wanting in this Cause we have frequent Testimonies even of the Fathers of these first Ages for Tythes being Due under the Gospel as well as under the Law and that the Commands in the Law for Tythes do still oblige us I will mention but a few St. Irenaeus Disciple to St. Polycarâ— who was Disciple to St. John the Apostle says advers Haeres l. 4. c. 34 That we ought to offer to God the First-fruits of His Creatures as Moses said You shall not appear Empty before the Lord. It has been said before that First-fruits and Tenths are us'd promiscuously But Irenaeus shews that he means Tenths in the same place by making this Comparison betwixt the Offerings of the Jews and the Christians that the Jews offer'd a Tenth but the Christians gave All that they had And Ibid. c. 27. he shews how Christ did Heighten the Commands of the Law As for Adultery to forbid Lust for Murder to forbid Anger And he adds this Instance to the other That instead of Tythes Christ commanded to sell All and give to the Poor and this says he is not a Dissolving of the Law but Enlarging it By which Argumentation Tythes are no more Dissolv'd under the Gospel than the 6th and the 7th Commands Of the same Opinion was Origen who Flourish'd about 20 Years after Irenaeus To whom says he we give our First-fruits to the same we send up our Prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contr. Cels l. 8. p. 400. By First-fruits he means Tenths as appears by his 16th Homil. on Genesis where he says that the Number Ten
in the Bishop of Winchester's Case plainly asserts that Dismes sont choses Spiritual Due de Jure Divino i. e. That Tyches are spiritual things and Due of Divine Right And if so how can Acts of Parliament Alter them can they take away God's Right This is Plainly Pleading Guilty against themselves And leaves all those self-Condemned who have nothing but these Acts of Parliament to plead in Arrest of Judgment for the Sacrilege of their Impropriations at the Day of DOOM 9. In the next place can an Act of Parliament Dispence with Vows made to God or alter things Dedicated to His service Did the Oath which Joseph took of the Children of Israel Gen. l. 25. Exod. xiij â—9 bind their Posterities so many Ages after and that about a matter of no greater Consequence than the Removing of his Bones And shall not the Repeated Vows of our Ancestors Bind us to Give God His Honour due unto his Name the Worship of our Tythes which He from the Beginning has Reserv'd as Sacred unto Himself Did that Oath Bind Jos ix 15. which The Princes of the Congregration swore to the Gibeonites And shall not the Vows and Oaths of so Many of our Kings and Parliaments Bind Us Did that Oath Bind which the Gibeonites obtained through Fraud and Deceit And shall not ours Bind which were Voluntary and Honest Did God Dispence so far with his own Command of making no Covenant with the Canaanites in favour of the Israelites Oath tho taken Unawares And will He give up that Part of His Worship which He hath made Standing and Perpetual the offering of our Tythes in favour of our Breach of a Lawful and Religious Oath to Perform this Did God Punish the Israelites with 3 years Famin 2 Sam. xxi for Saul's attempting to Break this Oath 450 years after it was made Act. xiij 20. And is our Crime forgotten who little more than 150 years ago have Dissolv'd the Oaths of our Ancestors Did God Punish this sin of Saul's upon the Israelites after he was Dead And may not we be Punished tho Hen. VIII be Dead Were the People Punished who did not Consent to Saul's Act And shall they Escape who join'd with and Assisted Hen. VIII shar'd the Spoil with him and keep it unto this Day Did God Refuse to Answer till Jonathan's Ignorant 1 Sam. xiv 37. and Unwilling Breach of Saul's rash and hurtful Oath was Purged And will he Answer our Prayers till we are Purged from our Willful and Obstinate Breach of the Lawful and Laudable Vows of our Progenitors Did Saul's Oath Bind without the Consent of the People and tho Jonathan knew it not And shall not Ours Bind made with the Consent of the People and which we All very well Know Was Zedekiah so severely Cursed Ezek. xvij 16. for Despising the Oath of God which the King of Babylon Forc'd him to swear tho it was Vers 14. That the Kingdom might be Base and that it might not lift it self up And shall we be Vpholden who have wilfully Despised the Oath of The Lord our God to Pay Him His Tythes which if we Trust His Promise wou'd make Us Great and Blessed Mal. iij. 10 11 12. and a Delightsome Land SECT XII The Benefit of Paying our Tythe 1. OUR services Add nothing to God Therefor it is our Good which He seeks in All His Institutions of Religion It is Our Good our Greatest Good that our whole Trust shou'd be in The Lord Always and upon All occasions Because he cannot Fail Us And every thing else will And therefor we must be miserable if we place our Trust in any thing else than God And our Greatest Happiness must consist in a Full and Absolute Dependance upon Him Now this Trust and Dependance is Produc'd more by our Deeds than our Words More by Practising of it than by Speaking of it and Praising it And the Payment of our Tythe is a Practice of it a Trusting in God that He will not only Accept it and Give us Spiritual Blessings for it But even That we shall Gain by it as to this World and Grow the Richer for it For it is His Blessing only that giveth Encrease as to the Fruits of the Field so to the Labours of our Hands to All our Endeavours in whatever Vocation And He has Promised not only Spiritual but even Temporal Blessings and Encrease of our Stone if we will Trust Him so far as Duly and Chearfully without Grudging or Despondency to Pay our Tythes to Him Mal. iii. 10. Bring ye All the Tythes into the Store-house that ther may be Meat in mine House and Prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open you the Windows of Heaven and Pour you out a Blessing that ther shall not be Room enough to Receive it And I will Rebuke the Devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the Fruits of your Ground neither shall your Vine cast her fruit before the time in the field saith the Lord of Hosts And all Nations shall call you Blessed for ye shall be a Delightsom Land saith The Lord of Hosts The same Blessing is Promised Prov. iij. 16. Honour the Lord with thy Substance and with the First-fruits of all thine Increase so shall thy Barns be filled with Plenty and thy Presses shall burst out with new Wine And thus it was understood by the Jews in after Generations As you find it Express'd almost in the same words as these of Solomon Eccl. xxv 8. â— 10.11 Give the Lord his Honour with a Good eye and Diminish not the First-fruits of thine hands In All thy Gifts shew a Chearful Countenance and Dedicate thy Tythes with Gladness Give unto the Most High according as He hath Enriched thee and as thou hast Gotten give with a Chearful eye For the Lord Recompenseth and will Give thee seven times as much Therefore it is our own Advantage that we Pay Tythe The Lord bids us Prove Him herein Try Him Trust in Him and see how Abundant He will be in his Blessing to us and whether He will not Return to Us Ten-fold for the Tenth we Give to Him But if we Dare not Trust God so far as to make this small Experiment when He Provokes Us to it and Grudge to Give Him the Tenth who gave Us All it is but Just with Him to take that from Us wherein we Trusted and not to leave Us a Tenth but to take the Whole from those who Durst not Trust Him and All His Promises with a Tenth Whereas on the other hand those who do Truly and Sincerely Believe and Trust in God and in what He has Promised will shew it in Deeds as well as in Words will Pay Him His Tythe Religiously and with a Good Heart And when he finds God Performing His Promise and Rewarding his Faith in Doubling of his Stores This Encreases his Faith and Trust in God It
Dionis Halicar l. 1. shews how the Pelasgi in Vmbria were punished with a Barren year for not Paying of their Tythe and that upon their afresh vowing the Tythe of All their Profits to the Gods that Judgment was Remov'd This is sufficient at least to shew the Notion of the Heathen in this Point II. But it is more Authentick to see how God Punished this Neglect of Tythe among the Jews And we find this to have born a Great Part in the most Remarkable Judgments that befel them 1. The Captivity of the 10 Tribes was in the Reign of Hezekiah King of Judah And we find by the Reformation which Hezekiah made aâ—â—â—r that as well in Israel as Judah 2 Chr. xxxi that the Payment of their Tythes had been Greatly Neglected the Restoring of the Tythe being a Main Branch of that Reformation And therefor ther is no Doubt but that the Neglect of paying their Tythe had a Main weight as in the Excision of the Ten Tribes so in the Captivity of Judah which soon after followed This farther appears in the Reformation of Nehemiah after the Captivity Wherein they Promised Amendment of those things which they had formerly Neglected and for which Neglect that Captivity was sent upon them They particularly Remember the Neglect of the Sabbatical year and the year of Release before mentioned and Promise the future observance of them Neh. x. 31. and after to the end of that Chapter ther is Large Mention and Renewed Promises as to the Due and Exact payment of their Tythes which makes it plain that as the Sabbatical year and the year of Release so the Tythes had been Neglected and that for such Neglect they had been Punished with that Long Captivity And as the Land had Rest for 70 years together to fulfil so many Sabbatical years as they had Neglected which is shewn before Sect. i. pag. 11. So were they deprived of the Whole Profits of the Land who had Neglected to Pay The Lord His Tenth Part. III. But after their Return from the Captivity they fell again into a new Neglect of Paying their Tythe for which an Heavier Curse fell upon them than before A vise Prostitution of their Priesthood and Greater Corruption in Doctrine and Manners than ever formerly as appears in the History of the Maccabees and afterwards to the time of our Blessed Saviour when they were totally subjected to the Romans at whose Pleasure their Priesthood was Changed made Annual and Arbitrary and their whole Service rendred Precarious By their Doctrines of Corban and such like they had made the Commands of God of None Effect as our Blessed Saviour Reprehended them Their Scribes and Pharisees were Hypocrites blind Guides Serpents Matt. xxiij and a Generation of Vipers Their Chief Priests and Elders took Council against Jesus Mistook and Murder'd their Messiah This was the Heaviest of Curses They entail'd the Guilt of His Blood upon them and their Children which lies upon them to this Day in a Dispersion to the four Winds of now near 1700 years standing a much Greater Judgment if they would Reflect upon it than their 70 years Captivity in Babylon for their former Idolatries and Praevarications But as to our Present Subject was ther any thing Remarkable as to the Non-Payment of their Tythes before our Saviour's Coming that might be reckon'd to have its share in that Hardness of Heart which prov'd their Destructon Yes Godwyn shews from the Jewish Authors in his Moses and Aaron l. 6. c. 3. p. 253. that ther had been a Great Neglect among them in the Payment of their Tythe And this Encreased more and more upon them insomuch that as they tell Us for about 130 years before our Saviour's Incarnation This Corruption so Prevail'd that the People in a Manner Neglected All Tythe But we have an Higher Authority than even these Jewish Authors against themselves that is the Last of their Prophets after the Captivity who Charges this of the Non-Payment of their Tythe as the Great Curse which lay upon them And therefor must have a Pincipal weight in the forenam'd Dreadful Judgments which fell upon them Hear his own words Will a Man Rob God yet ye have Robbed me But ye say wherein have we Robbed Thee in Tythes and Offerings Ye are Cursed with a Curse for ye have Robbed Me even this whole Nation Mal. iij. 8 9. IV. Let us now Descend to the Times of Christianity It has been told before of the Great Devotion of the Primitive Christians in Giving not only the Tenth but All of them much more Many even All that they had to the service of God But this wore away and they began to Grudge the very Tenth Soon after which in the beginning of the Fifth Century ther came a Dreadful Revolution The Goths and Vandals were let loose like an Impetuous Torrent which over-ran many Nations and Ruin'd many Christian Churches that never found an after Settlement Among the rest the Vandals sack'd Hippo in Africa A. D. 429. Immediately after the Death of St. Augustine who was Bishop of that City He as it were standing in the Gap and keeping off the Vengeance from them while he liv'd And in his Admonitions to them he laid a Particular stress upon their Neglect of the Payment of their Tythe as a Main Cause of the Miseries which had overtaken them Especially of their Poverty occasion'd by the Heavy Taxes which were extorted from them to carry on that War in which they were ingaged And he observes to them That God by this was exacting Double from them for those Tythes which they had Neglected to Pay to Him Majores nostri says he Hom. 48. ideo Copiis omnibus abundabant quia Decimas dabant Caesari censum reddebant Modo autem quia discessit Devotio Dei accessit Indictio Fisci Nolumus partiri cum Deo Decimas modo autem Totum tollitur Hoc tollit Fiscus quod non accipit Christus i. e. Our Forefaihers abounded in Plenty because they Gave to God and Caesar their Due That is Tythes to God and Tribute to their King But now because our Devotion towards God is ceas'd the Imposition of Taxes is Encreas'd We wou'd not share with God in Giving Him the Tenth and now behold the whole is taken from Vs The EXCHEQVER has swallowed that which we Refus'd to Give to CHRIST V. How Literally has this been our Case I wish that we may Reflect upon it It is about 150 years since we have seiz'd upon the Tythes of God And we have been of Late Paying the Arrears of it by Wholesale Dis-Gorging by Millions those Sacrilegious Vsurpations which we have been sucking in all that time And God has Empty'd them from Us into Foreign and Popish Nations For we knew not that He gave us Corn Hos ij 8 9. and Wine and Oyl and Multiply'd our Silver and our Gold which we have Prepared for Baal Therefor has He Recover'd it out of our hands We thought
of All things whatsoever that God gives us Decima pars Ei redenda est we must Give the Tenth to Him Qui autem Detinuerit per Justitiam Episcopi Regis si necesse fuerit arguatur Haec enim B. Augustinus praedicavit concessa sunt a Rege Baronibus Populo i. e. And if any Detain his Tythe he is to be compelled to Pay them by the Justice of the Bishop and the King if ther be need for it for so St. Agustine did Preach And this is Granted by the King Lords and Commons It were Endless and Needless to Repeat All the Rest of the like Acts of Parliament which are All of the like strain and Import It is shewn before that this was the Universal Notion of the Heathens in All Nations That Tythe was to be pay'd of All things of All Merchandise and Trading of All Manual Labour and of All Spoils taken in War as well as of All Estates Personal and Real of every thing that God gives This was the Concurrent Notion of Heathens Jews and Christians Till Popery of Late has Corrupted it from whom we have Lickt it up SECT XV. If the Payment of our Tythe to the Poor or other CharitableVses be a Due Payment of our Tythe I. Ans NO It is shewn Sect. IV. That some Part of our Substance is Due to God as an Act of Worship And it is Prov'd afterwards That that Proportion is a Tenth at least Therefor it must be Pay'd as an Act of Worship which is Different from an Act of Charity The Jews paid their Tythe to the Priests not to the Poor they paid a second Tythe to the Poor And this was Purely an Act of Charity But the Tythe of God must be Pay'd only to his Priests as other Sacrifices and Offerings were of which the Tythe was a Part as before is shewn If we given to the Poor out of God's Tenth we give what is none of our own We Rob God to pay Man And commit Sacrilege for Charity Therefor we must give to the Poor out of our own Nine Parts And this was the Current Doctrine and Practice as of the Jews under the Law so of the Christians before that Invasion spoke to above of the Pope and his Emissaries upon this Inheritance of God To which God's Title had not been Disputed before that time since the Beginning to the World no not by the Heathen II. Moreover we are under the Indispensible and Sacred obligation of the Many Vows of our Ancestors the force of which I have Urg'd before not to Employ the Tythe of God to other Charitable uses but to Perform them out of our Nine Parts For this was the Sense and Meaning of All these Dedications of Tythes before-Mentioned In the first of which confirm'd by all the Rest the Charter of King Ethelwolf of which I have Recited some Part already it is Expresly caution'd as set down by Selden ubi supra p. 199. That Nemo justam Eleemosinam de his quae Possidet facere valet nisi prius separaverit Domino quod a Primordio Ipse sibi Reddere Delegavit i. e. None can justly give Alms out of any thing that he Possesses till he has first separated out of it to the Lord that which from the Beginning He hath Commanded to be Render'd to Himself And this is Usher'd in with sicut Sapiens ait As the Wise Man said Which shews that it was an Anciently Received and Approved Doctrine at that time And these words Immediately following do Contain the Sanction or Curse that attends the doing otherwise Ac per hoc plerumque contigit ut qui Deciman non tribuit ad Decimam revertitur i. e. And by this it often comes to pass that he who do's not Pay his Tenth is Reduc'd to a Tenth Unde etiam cum obtestatione Praecipimus ut omnes studeant de omnibu qua possident Decimas dare quia speciale Domini est de Novem partibus sibi vivat Eleemosinas tribuat i. e. Therefor we Command with Obtesting i. e. before God that All should take heed to Pay the Tythe of All that they Possess because it do's peculiarly belong unto God And let him support himself and give Alms out of the Remaining Nine parts The same says St. Augustin in his Sermon De reddendis Decimis Tom. x. 219. Serm. de Tempore where he Exhorts All that wou'd obtain the Remission of their Sins or Prosperity in this world to Pay their Tythe to God and give Alms to the Poor out of the remaining Nine Parts SECT XVI When Tythes are to be Pay'd Ans BEfore any of the Nine parts be Touched that is Converted to our own use God is to be First served And besides that the Whole being God's the Nine Parts are not Released to Us but by offering the Tenth to God This has been a Receiv'd Notion even among the Gentiles as well as Jews and Christians Insomuch that it grew into a Proverb among the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To eat of things that had not been Sacrificed i. e. of which some Part had not first been Sacrific'd or Offered to God viz. That Part which they thought Due to the Gods which I have above shewn to be the Tenth And this Saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was us'd to Express the most wicked Profligate who had no sense of his Duty to God or Man such was he thought who Durst be so Prophane and Ir-Reverend to God as to Eat or make use of any thing which had not been Hallowed by Offering first the Tenth of it to God And as among the Greeks so Pliny tells Nat. Hist l. 18. c. 2. p. 367. that the Romans never tasted of their Fruits or Wines till the Priests had first taken the First-fruits or Tythe out of them So the Arabian Law See before p. 66. And this was correspondent to the Law of God Himself Who Commanded Lev. xxiij 14. Ye shall eat neither Bread nor Parched Corn nor Green Ears until the self same Day that ye have brought an Offering unto your God It shall be a statute for ever And Num. xviij 30. When ye have heaved the Best thereof from it then and not before it shall be counted as the Increase of the Threshing-floor and of the Wine-press i. e. to be eaten and made use of Again ver 32. And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it when ye have Heaved from it the Best of it i. e. That it wou'd be a sin to Eat of it without first offering to God His Due That is the Tenth as it is Express'd ver 26. And it was a Sin even unto Death in the Levites if they Eat of any of the Tythes which the People gave to them before they had Offered the Tythe of their Tythe to God which he gave to the High-Priest and was called the Heave-offering of the Levites And their Converting any Part of the Peoples Tythes to their own use before they had
them He causeth his Wind to Blow and the Waters flow These are kept out of the ordinary Course of Natural Causes in God's more Immediate Government They are therefor call'd His Treasures and Reserv'd against the Day of Trouble against the Day of Battel and War Job xxxviij 22 23. Then shall the Right-aiming Thunder-bolts go abroad and from the Clouds as from a well-drawn Bow shall fly to the Mark. And Hail-stones full of Wrath shall be cast as out of a Stone-bow Yea a mighty Wind shall stand up against them and like a Storm shall drive them away Wisd v. 21. c. These are GOD's Armory and kept in His own hand And come not by Certain Rules as the Rising and Setting of the Sun the Solstices Eclipses c. And therefor are look'd upon as the More Immediate Acts of God and Instances of His Power Therefor David says His Strength is in the Clouds Psal lxviij 34. The Thunder is call'd His Voice The Storms at Sea and Commotions of the Waters are said to be His Act in His Immediate Governance As it is said Prov. xxj i. The King's Heart is in the Hand of the Lord as the Rivers of Water He turneth it Whithersoever He will It is the Lord that Commandeth the Waters Psal xxix 3 4. It is the glorious God that maketh the Thunder It is the Lord that Ruleth the Sea The Voice of the Lord is Mighty in Operation They that go down to the Sea in Ships These Men see the works of the Lord Psal cvij. 23 c. and his Wonders in the Deep for at his word the stormy wind ariseth and lifteth up the waves thereof for he maketh the storm to cease so that the waves thereof are still Nothing that is Fix'd and Certain in the Constant course of Natural Causes is Call'd a Wonder of the Lord. Else every thing would be equally a Wonder Nay it wou'd be a Wonder if it were otherwise as if the Sun should Stop or Go back if the Returns of Day and Night Summer and Winter should fail These wou'd be great Miracles which therefor God very seldom shews Else nothing wou'd be left Constant or Certain in Nature But all return to their old Chaos And then they wou'd cease to be Miracles if they were done as oft as Every body would Call for them But God hath Reserv'd some things out of the ordinary course of Nature And in these He shews daily Wonders of his Providence He calls this His Witness among the Gentiles Act. xiv 17. That as by his Works of Creation He had Demonstrated His Eternal Power and Godhead Rom. i. 20. So he had given them an equal Proof of His Providence and of their Continual Dependence upon Him in his sending them Rain and Fruitful Seasons for which they cou'd Assign no Natural Causes Thou art the God that do'st Wonders The Waters saw thee Psal lxxvij 14 c. O God the Waters saw thee they were afraid the Depths also were troubled The Clouds poured out Water the Skies sent out a Sound thine Arrows also went abroad the voice of thy Thunder was in the Heavens the Lightnings lighted the world the Earth trembled and shook Thy way is in the Sea and thy Path in the Great Waters and thy foot-steps are not known We cannot Trace God not know His foot-steps in His Dispensing of these things as of others which are Dispos'd in the Common Course of Natural Causes Therefor in these things God's Power is Chiefly shewn And in these things we are Commanded to Wait and Depend upon Him Lev. xxvi 4. Deut. x. 14. And He tells Us that He will Dispence them to one and not to Another Am. iv 7. But things that Depend on Natural Causes are Equal to All. We are Commanded to pray for Rain Zech. x. i. But it is not Permitted to Us it wou'd be Presumption and Tempting of God to Ask for Altering the Course of Nature of Sun Moon or Stars or to Break the Covenant of Day and Night And the Weather which God thus keeps in His own Hand is no less Necessary to our Life in Giving us the Fruits of the Earth than the Fixt Course of Nature the influence of the Sun c. To teach us that we must Depend as Much upon the Immediate Blessing of God as upon all Second Causes The Heathen were sensible of this And therefor They had as their Pra-Messum Prayers before Harvest so their Flori-festum after Harvest to express their Thankfulness to the Gods for the Fruits of the Earth But this People saith the Prophet hath a Revolting and a Rebellious heart Jer. v. 23 24. they are Revolted and Gone Neither say they in their heart Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth Rain both the Former and the Latter in his Season He reserveth unto us the appointed Weeks of the Harvest Thus we see that this Acknowledgment and Devotion to God was Commanded to the Jews and observ'd by the Heathen from the Dictates even of Natural Religion And what is it that can exempt Christians from Paying this From Rendring unto God the Honour and Tribute Due unto his Name sure they ought rather to Exceed than come short of Jews and Heathens in this It were much to be Desir'd that a Publick Office were Appointed for this And this made Part of our Solemn Devotion But till that be done I hope it will not be taken amiss by our Superiors to Exhort both our Priests to Receive and the Laity to Pay this their Bounden Duty to God and at His Altar to Offer up His Tythes IV. The Rest which are not there Offer'd at the Altar shou'd by the Owners be brought into Store-houses Appointed The Priest's Drawing of them is Scandalous and more his Farming of them They are All as well as the First-fruits which were offered Holy unto the Lord All are Offered in the First-fruits They are not to be Commuted or Redeem'd for Money where they can be brought in Kind They are a Sacrifice unto God and must not be Changed And they who Subtract or Refuse to Pay them have Denied The Lord to be their God by Denying Him His Tribute they ought to be cast out of the Congregation and not Reputed as Christians So it was Decreed in a General Parliament of Clergy and Laity at London A. D. 940. in the Reign of King Edmund before mentioned And this has been Confirmed by Repeated Vows and Acts of Parliament We are to Bring our Tythes and Offerings unto The Lord and not leave Him or His Priests to Draw them or Choose And besides the Affront to God it Engages the Priest and his Flock in many Disputes and Heart-burnings and often into Strifes and Law-suits which Lessens his Authority and Renders his Labours ineffectual by Personal Prejudices conceiv'd against him All this God foresaw and by His Law He prevented it But we are grown Wiser than He Cou'd the Priests under the Law
set the Sacrifices to Farm Wou'd it have been a Reasonable Proposal to have said to a Priest Your Proportion oâ— the Sacrifice is a Shoulder or a Leg come I will give you the Value of it in Money or next Beast I kill I will send you a Shoulder or a Leg home to your House and Excuse me from the trouble of Bringing my Sacrifice to the Temple Wou'd not the Answer have been I cannot Excuse you from your Sacrifice for it is Offered to God and not to Me My Maintenance out of it is but a Secundary and the least Consideration I cannot Commute or Alter the Nature or Manner of your Sacrifice or take a Bullock if you wou'd give it me instead of a Sheep or a Barly-Corn where that is Appointed No more cou'd he Commute or Change or Compound for the Tythe for that was a Sacrifice and Offer'd to God as well as the Rest and was to be Brought by the Owners to the Temple to be there Offer'd to God in their Names by the Priests The Priests were no more to Draw the Tythes of the People thither than their other Sacrifices SECT XXII How Priests are to Pay their Tythe 1. Ans TO the Bishop as the Levites to the High-Priest They are to Pay the Tenth of their Tenth And the Levites Tythe which they paid to the High-Priest was as much an Offering and Sacrifice to The Lord as the Tythe which the People pay'd to the Levites and under the same Limitations They are call'd an Heave-Offering and Holy unto The Lord. The Levites were not to Taste of their Tenths till they had first Offer'd the Tythe of them to the High-Priest and of the very Best of them As you may see Numb xviij from Ver. 26. II. Tythes argu'd the Superiority of those to whom they were Pay'd Whence the Apostle inferr'd the Superiority as of Melchisedec above Abram Heb. vii 4 9 10. so of the Priesthood of Melchisedes and in that of the Christian Priesthood above the Levitical And as the Levites TYTHING of the People or putting them under that Tribute argu'd the Superiority of the Levites above the People so the High-Priest's TYTHING of the Levites shewed the Superiority of his Order above that of the other Levites And this is as Necessary to Preserve the Superiority of Episcopacy above the Order of Presbyters in the Christian Church The Reason holds the same and the Levitical Priesthood was an Exact Type of the Christian Bishop Presbyter and Deacon being the same in the Church that Aaron his Sons the Priests and the Levites were in the Temple as St. Hierom observes Ep. ad Evagr. III. If it be ask'd To whom the Bishop shou'd pay his Tythe Ans He having no Superiour as Aaron had none I conceive that he is not under the Tythe of Worship For it must End somewhere But then as the Heaven returns the Tribute of those Exhalations which it draws from the Earth in Dew and Fruitful Showers so the Bishop being the most Immediate Representative of Christ ought to Distribute his Tenths and more of Charity and to Water his Flock with his Beneficence Thus Returning to the Poor with Encrease their Tythes and Dispensing the Temporal as well as Spiritual Blessings of God to them That the Revenues of the Church whatever other Abuses were in the Administration of them were Apply'd more to this End than since they came into Temporal Hands will be shewn in the Next Section Let it be only Observ'd in this place That even since the Reformation more Acts of Charity and Publick Works are to be seen from what is left to the Church than from Many Many times the Greater Proportion of Wealth that is amongst the Laity And this notwithstanding that ther are some Thousands of Parishes in England which Exceed not Twenty Pounds a Year And but very few of the Bishopricks that can Afford a Decent Subsistence with the Best Husbandry And notwithstanding that the Church has been for many Years in the Revolution of 1641 totally Divested of all her Revenues SECT XXIII The Remedy HAving thus far Consider'd the Divine Obligation of Tythes and the Breaches of it that have been in this Nation We ought not to Leave the Subject till we can Propose a Remedy if any such can be found I. For the Obligation of Conscience That lies upon Every Man Concern'd to Restore what has been Robb'd from God in order to Procure His Blessing instead of that Curse which is Intail'd upon the Sacrilegious Possession of the Spoils of His Church into whatever Hands they come II. But because this has been a National Sin and these Impropriations have been Bought and Sold upon the Credit of Acts of Parliament Therefor ther ought to be a NATIONAL REPENTANCE and RESTITVTION Which may be by a Tax to Purchase the Tythes from the Impropriators and Restore them to the Church That the Whole Burden may not Lie upon those who have been Ignorantly involv'd in this Sin as having Descended to them from their Fathers and may be the Whole or Greatest Part of their Estates Tho that nor any thing else can be an Excuse for Continuing in any Sin God is Able to make Amends and has Promis'd it to those who will Trust in Him And as said before there are Examples of it even here in England whose Hearts God has Touched III. The House of Commons have in their Votes Encourag'd any to Make Proposals for the Employing and Maintaining of the Poor who are now so Great a Burden upon the Nation I have no Skill at Proposals or Projects Yet may Offer some Considerations which others may happen to Improve 1. First then Let it be observ'd Ther never was any Tax laid upon England for Maintaining of the Poor before the Latter End of the Reign of Q. Elizabeth as may be seen in our Book of Statutes 2. That before the Reformation the Poor were Maintain'd by the Clergy besides what was Contributed by the voluntary Charity of well-dispos'd People But ther was no such thing as Poor-Rates or a Tax for the Poor The Bishops and Clergy as well Secular as Regular kept open Hospitality for the Benefit of Strangers and Travellers and the Poor of the Neighbourhood And were so oblig'd to do by their Foundations They had Amberies for the Dayly Relief of the Poor And Infirmaries for the Sick Maimed or Super-Annuate with Officers appointed to Attend them They Employ'd the Poor in Work which is the most Charitable way of Maintaining them It was they who Built most of all the Great Cathedrals and Churches of the Nation besides the Building and Endowing of Colleges and other Publick Works of Charity and Common Good They bound out to Trades Multitudes of Youths who were left Destitute Bred others to Learning of whom some grew very Eminent And gave Portions to many Orphan Young Women every Year They Vey'd with one another in these things What Superstition or Conceit of Merit ther was in
Increase I have not Transgressed His Commandments Deut. xvi 16. To Appear Empty before the Lord Neither will I offer unto the Lord my God of that which doth Cost me nothing 2 Sam. xxiv 24. And O Lord that it may please thee Graciously to accept this Offering at my hands and to make it well-pleasing in thy sight O Lord Jesus Christ Heb. vij 8. the Priest who ever Liveth to Receive Tythe and to make Intercession for us Receive this our Tribute our Bounden Duty and Service 1 Pet. ij 25. O thou Bishop of our Souls in Thy Goodness and make it acceptable to Thy Father and our Father Joh. xx 17. to thy God and our God O Thou who art able to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by Thee Heb. vij 25. And to succour them that are Tempted Ch. ij 18. in that thou thy self wast Tempted O Thou Merciful and Faithful High-Priest 17. in things pertaining to God O do Thou make Powerful Intercession for the Sins of the People Mal. iij. 8. who have Robbed GOD in His Tythes and Offerings O Thou who did'st open the Eyes of the Blind open the Eyes of this People and smite Lord their Hearts they that may See and Consider their Horrid Sacrilege and Repent and Return And that Thou may'st Pardon all that is Past all their Neglect of Paying their Tythe Hitherto all Mine O God who smite upon my Breast this Day and turning my self I mourn for this great Offence and Bless Thy Name with the Vtmost Powers of my Soul That Thou hast Graciously and Wonderfully had Mercy on me and now tho Late hast shewn to me Thy Glory and Thy Truth O Preserve and Bless me in it And bring more and more into it even this whole People Hos ix 4. That his their Bread for their Soul may never Hereafter cease to come into the House of the Lord Mal. iij. 10. that ther may be Meat in Thine House and that Thou may'st open the Windows of Heaven and Pour us out a Blessing till ther shall not be Room enough to receive it 11. That thou may'st Rebuke the Destroyer for our sakes that he may not Destroy the Fruits of our Ground nor our Corn cast her Fruit before the time in the Field 12. That all Nations may call us Blessed That we may be a Delightsome Land unto the Lord of Hosts Look down from Thy Holy Habitation Deut. xxvi 15. from Heaven and Bless thy People Israel and the Land which Thou hast Given us Bless Thy Holy Catholick Church and Every Land and Country where she Dwells This in an especial Manner O Lord our God Her Governours the Bishops with the Inferior Priests and Deacons And all Thy Faithful committed to their Charge their Kings their Princes and Temporal Government Isa xlx 23. Make them faithful Nourishers to Thy Church and to Bow down their Ear to her Instruction and submit themselves to her Discipline That Thy Worship may be set up amongst us in its Purity and Fulness That Thou may'st Delight to Bless us Deut. viij 16. and to do us good at our Latter End And now O Lord and my God let me Return unto Thee for a Blessing upon my self a most Miserable and wretched Sinner who am less than the least of all the Mercies which Thou dost daily Renew unto Me and for my and Whom Thou hast Graciously given unto Thy Servant And all my Family Friends Relations Benefactors and Well-wishers Feed us O Lord with Food convenient for us Gen. xxviij 22. And of all that Thou givest us Grant that we may surely give the Tenth unto Thee 21. that the Lord may be our God And may Bless the Fruit of our Body Deut. xxviij 4. c. and the Fruit of our Ground the Fruit of our Cattel and the Increase of our Kine and the Flocks of our Sheep that the Lord may Command a Blessing upon us in our Store-Houses and in all that we set our hand unto When we come in and when we go out That we may be Blessed in our Basket and Blessed in our Store Blessed in the City and Blessed in the Field That the Lord may open unto us His Good Treasure the Heaven to give the Rain unto our Land in his season and to Bless all the work of our hand And that we may Lend un-Many but not Borrow That the Lord may make us the Head and not the Tail and to be Above only and not to be Beneath when we shall hearken unto the Commandments of the Lord our God And therefor we do now Honour and Hallow and Worship Thy Holy Name in Rendring our Bounden Tribute and Service Thy Tenth of all our Increase which we offer with Thankful and Joyful Hearts Adoring Thy Goodness and Praising Thy Mercy in Giving us All that we have Blessed be thou 1 Chr. xxix 10. Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever Thine O Lord is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is Thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and Thou art Exalted as Head above All. Now therfor Our God we Thank Thee and Praise Thy Glorious Name But who am I and what are we that we shou'd be able to Offer so willingly after this sort For All things come of Thee and of Thine own have we given Thee For we are Strangers before Thee and Sojourners as were all our Fathers our Days on the Earth are as a Shadow and ther is none Abiding O Lord our God All that we have cometh of Thine Hand and All is Thine own I know also My God that Thou triest the Heart and hast Pleasure in Vprightness As for me in the Vprightness of mine Heart I have willingly Offered the Tenth unto Thee And Pray God that I may yet see with Joy All Thy People offer the same willingly unto Thee And O Lord God keep this for ever in the Imagination of the Thoughts of the Heart of Thy People Lord Psal x. 19. Prepare their Heart and let Thine Ear hearken thereto Redeem Israel O God 25.21 out of All his Troubles Our Father c. A Blessing to be Pronounced by the Priest BLessed be Thou of the most High God Gen. xiv 19 20. Possessor of Heaven and Earth And Blessed be the Most High God who hath given Thee a Heart to Fear before Him and to fulfil His Law 1 Sam. i. 17. And the God of Israel grant Thee thy Petition that thou hast asked of Him though Jesus Christ who Dyed for Thee To whom be Glory with the Father and the Holy-Ghost for ever and ever Amen FINIS