Apostles by diuers precepts prouided for the poore but chiefly for those of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 1. Cor. 16.1 and late Writers hold this to answere those Tithes for the poore This was called afterward by Moyses Deut. 26.12 The yeere of Tithing because this third yeere encreased one Tithing aboue the other two And such were Tithes payed by the Israelites followeth now The fourth sort of Tithes payed by Leui the Tithe-taker § VII to Aaron and his successors High-Priests The fourth sort of Tithes Num. 18.26 28. When ye shall take of the children of Israel the Tithes which I haue giuen you of them for your inheritance then shall yee tâ—ke an Heaue-offering of the same for the Lord the tenth part of the Tithe Behold heere Tithe-takers become Tithe-payers and so these Tithes cannot bee the Lords inheritance being defectiue in two of the generall notes agreeing to Gods inheritance viz. Person and Place in Person Vers 28. because they are payed by the Ordinary Officiar of receiuing Inheritance Leui to the onely High-Priest In Place Nehem. 10. â—8 And the Leuites shall bring vp the tenth part of the Tithes vnto the house of our God vnto the Chambers of the Treasure-house Now if all Tithes were brought vp to Ierusalem to what end should hee heere command to bring vp the tenth of them again Al this is ceremonial But marke yet Then it shall be counted vnto the Leuites as the encrease of the corne-floore or as the encrease of the wine-presse Then Tithes inheritance can no way be Ceremonial for heere they are to the Leuites euen as the Land was to the other Tribes And Leui giueth offrings viz. as first fruits Num. 18.11.12.13.27.29 Exod. 22.29 and so doth Ierome translate this place Primitias out of his Tithes as if they were his very Barnes his Wine-presse euen as the other Tribes did of their Barnes and Wine-presses Their offerings were all Ceremoniall their Inheritances not § VIII Obiect If they obiect The Policie and possessions of the whole Tribes were but Temporall and ended at Christ Ergo So must Leuies Inheritance Sol. We answere both ended on their parts but neither on Gods God hath yet the same generall interest in Canaan that he had from the beginning for Domini est terra plenitudo eius And the same peculiar interest in his owne patrimonie separated to his owne seruice If they yet reply The other Tribes were onely Temporall but Leui both Temporall and Ceremoniall Ergo So were Tithes his Inheritance Heere a peece of sacrilegious Sophistrie to conclude from His Priest-hood to Gods Patrimonie They are not of one nature nor both the sonnes of one father His Priesthood bred onely by the Law This Patrimonie long before both Leui and the Law His Priest-hood bringeth with it only Aetatem but this inheritance Aeternitatem That sort of Priest-hood was Leuies onely this sort of Patrimony was his also but not onely his And so in the diuision of the Land God said not This shall be Leuies inheritance Num. 18.20.22.24 but I am his inheritance And I haue giuen not I will giue Leui all the Tithes They were but Leuies secundariô they were and are the Lords primò Hauing setled the Tenth of Tithes in Aaron he subioyneth § IX vers 31. And yee shall eate it in all places c. This IT cannot be the Tenthes of Tithes as some gesse but it must bee Tithes Inheritance For first otho the Hebrew Pronoune is Masculine and must be Relatiue to Prouentuâ— area in the former verse which in the remainder was Tithes inheritance as the learned may perceiue Secondly Yee shall eate is spoken here to the Leuites but what reason had they to eate the Priests portions which themselues were to pay them Thirdly In all places cannot agree with things once tied to Aaron and Ierusalem vnlesse we dreame they carried them backe againe to all the places of their residence thorow the Countrey The true meaning then is this As the other Tribes must first giue God his Tithes before they might vse their nine parts so must Leui giue to Aaron his Tithe before hee put hand to Tithes his Inheritance And this done Tithes Inheritance were accounted vnto Leui as the encrease of their owne Barnes and Wine-presses though they had none and so they might eat them in all the places of their trauels Thus haue we brought these confounded matters to a method and sent each Tithe to his owne place But wonder it is to see the strange subtiltie of Sacrilege seated once in the hearts of men how they can alledge those texts Bring all the Tithes to Gods house to conclude this Bring no more Tithes to the Lords house for doubtlesse if it were not more for loue of the Tithes then the Text this Theologie should neuer be so frequent CHAP. IV. Tithes not Ceremoniall of their nature How to discerne a Morall offering from a Ceremoniall Tithes a Morall offering § I THe Text we see is full of Tithes and Tithes full of tentation to hungrie-zealed men Sacri Sacra fames so that we shall sooner solue their Syllogismes then dissolue their Sacrilege From the Institution of Tithes to Leui they reason two wayes First from their Nature Secondly from their End From their Nature thus All offerings of the children of Israel vnder the Law were Ceremoniall Tithes euen Inheritance were offered by Israel vnder the Law Ergo Tithes Inheritance were Ceremoniall And consequently cannot be due to the Gospell The Proposition they take The Assumption they proue thus For the Tithes of the Children of Israel Num. 18.24 which they shall offer as an Offering some reade Heaue-offering vnto the Lord I haue giuen the Leuites for an Inheritance Tithes by nature not Ceremoniall We confesse the Assumption truely read But because of the diuersitie of Translations we must looke vnto the Originall word and distinguish it in the Proposition Two Hebrew words Rum and Nuph are vsed by Moyses in diuers sorts of offerings the first signifying to Heaue or lift vp the second to Waue or shake to and fro Sometimes these words retaine their simple and common signification though the subiect bee sacred sometimes they import a meere Leuiticall Ceremony tending and ending in Christ For example Exod. 14.16 Lift thou vp thy rod c. Deut. 8.14 Lest thy heart be lifted vp c. Here is the first word without any Ceremony For the second word Exod. 20.25 In building the Altar a thing Deut. 27.5 both Sacred and Ceremoniall hee forbiddeth to lift vp or shake a Masons toole or instrument for hewing of it Heere was no Ceremonial end in Lifting but only God would haue these Altars during the time of their peregrination so built as they might be easily ouerthrowne and not serue for the superstition of others after their departure Exod. 35.21 c. Are both words vsed How to discerne the Ceremony and
Num. 18.21 To Leui and for inheritance And Leuit. 27.30.31 he is speciall of what All the Tithe of the Land of the seede of the ground of the fruits of the trees of bullock and sheepe and of all that goeth vnder the rod. Heere now are those ordinary yeerely Tithes the Naturall Ante Legem sub Lege post Legem Legall and Euangelicall maintenance of Gods worship and are set downe heere by Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euer in the first roome and onely priuiledged with that high title The Lords inheritance § III To discerne them liuely from the rest remember these generall notes as they occurre in Scripture with Tithes Three notes whereby to discerne Tithes First Of all Secondly Yeere by yeere Thirdly All places and persons All those shalt thou euer finde to agree with and onely with Tithes inheritance the restrictions import euer some Ceremonie as in their particuler collation shall plainely appeare Solution To the argument then Tithes must bee brought to the Temple Ergo Ceremoniall It is cleare that Tithes inheritance as in the first sort were neuer all tied to the Temple nor Ierusalem because all the Leuites were not tied to Ierusalem but liued abroad many of them for reading of the Law vnto the people euery Sabbath day in their Synagogues Act. 15.21 and so must haue had their sustenance where they serued That they stayed not all still at Ierusalem is cleared by their turnes according to their lots 1. Chron. 24.5 c. And All the Leuites of the holy Citie were 284. and the residue of Israel Neh. 11.18.20 of the Priests and of the Leuites dwelt in the Cities of Iudah euery one in his inheritance Now that they drew their sustenance in the places of their seruice it is also cleare Neh. 10.37.38 That the Leuites might haue their Tithes in all the Cities of our trauell c. But the examination of the second sort will cleare this more § IV The second sort of Tithes followeth in the next verse The second sort of Tithes Vers 23. Deut. 12.6.17.11 c. Vers 24. And thou shalt eate before the Lord thy God in the place where hee shall choose to cause his name to dwell there the Tithe of thy corne of thy wine and of thine oyle c. And if this way be too long for thee so that thou art not able to cary it because the place is farre from thee c. Vers 25. Then shalt thou make it in money and binde vp the money in thy hand and goe vnto the place c. Vers 26. And thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoeuer thy heart desireth whether it be oxe or sheepe c. And the Leuite that is within thy gates shalt thou not forsake c. Vers 27. These Tithes cannot be Inheritance seeing they agree onely with one of our three generall notes proper thereto viz. Yeerely They are not of All but of onely Corne Wine and Oyle as vers 23. They are not for All places but onely at Ierusalem vers 24.25 And this exchange of them into money vers 24. for the longnesse of the iourney and difficultie of carriage proueth clearely that Tithes inheritance being of All things could not be first carried to Ierusalem and thence backe againe to be diuided among the dispersed Leuites a Lyra on Deut. 12.6.17 Lyra and b Iunius in Analysi sua contra quam priu◠cum Tremellio others would confound these two verses and make both but one tithing But marke how the text it selfe distinguisheth them vers 22. Thou shalt giue of All Heere the Giuer is the Israelites the Taker then must be the Leuites Vers 23. Thou shalt eate meaning the Israelites as of before So Giuing Taking and Eating cannot meete In eadem personâ And Num. 18.21 Tithes are called Haereditas vestra meaning the onely Leuites therefore the Israelites cannot be commanded heere to eate them And beside Scripture wee oppose to Lyra Iosephus saying Amiq. lib. 4. pag. 91. A. D. Let the tenth part of the fruits besides them that are due to the Priests and Leuites which you are accustomed to sell in y ur markets being reduced into readie money bee spent in sacrifices and banquets in the sacred Citie And Besides the two tenthes which I commanded you yeerely to pay the one to the Leuites and the other for your Festiuals you shall for euery third yeere annex a third to bee distributed amongst the poore to women widdowes and orphants Cap. 1.7.8.9 Againe Tobit another Iew also payeth them all three as three distinct Tithings heere therefore olde Lyra begate a yong error § V That place then of Malachi Bring yee all the Tithes into the Storehouse Genera singulorum non singula generum This vniuersall note All must bee All such Tithes as the Law appointed to be brought vp of each sort not the whole Tithes of all sorts This limitation of All is so agreeable to precepts of Logick and so frequent in practise of Scripture as it needeth no proofe 2. Chro. 31.11 Malachies Store-house then and Ezekias Chambers were both one the Chambers were built for the great heapes of Tithes the heapes were for the Feasts the Feasts for the Lords worship Deut. 16.16 And if this course had not been held seeing all the males poore and rich must haue been thrise a yeere at Ierusalem they had rather fasted then feasted Now the remainder of those heapes were for those that either stayed still at Ierusalem or as came out of their Cities to worshippe at Ierusalem as Deut. 18.6 who all this time were not to liue of the sale of their owne patrimonies abroad Deut. 18.7.8 but had a portion with their brethren staying at Ierusalem and serued as they did keeping each one both the Family he was of and charge they were appointed vnto as a Gershonite to a Gershonite and so forth the distribution of those Tithes was by chosen men to that purpose appointed in that same place 2. Chron. 31.12 c. of the Leuites themselues § VI The third sort of Tithes in vers 28. At the end of three yeeres thou shalt bring foorth all the Tithes of thine encrease the same yeere Third sort of Tithes and lay it vp within thy gates Then the Leuite shall come Deut 14. Amos 4.4 still the Leuite because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee and the stranger and the fatherlesse and the widdow which are within thy gates and shall eate and be filled Now seeing all inheritance is Yeerely and these Tithes but each third yeere they cannot be Gods inheritance Whatsoeuer Ceremony may be in the time tertio anno yet the perpetuall equitie of those Tithes ratione finis vsus holdeth still For as Lyra alledgeth them to haue been instituted for preseruation of the poore from eating in necessity the meats of the Gentiles Idols So haue the
holding by a common and ciuill Law the Leuites by a peculiar and diuine Tithes were the Lords and resigned by him to Leui the Lord and Leui both must first be payed before Israel can lawfully enioy his So is Leui both the first and the freest tenant and such as held of Leui were alwayes thought to haue the better tenures though now all things go 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him that is vpside downe Neither was this tenth giuen to Leui Leui not the tenth part of Israel because he was the tenth part of Israel as others dreame For the Tribes were twelue and of all was Leui the least by great ods But if men may so much altum sapere fauour that curiositie that fauoureth the veritie for one might deriue it better from a correspondencie to the ten Commandements a chiefe part of their charge as who should say teach ten to all and take a tenth of all so both are perpetuall and proportionall Leui then being neither the twelfth thirteenth nor § VII scarse sixtieth part of the people it is cleare Num. 1.46 compared with 3.39 the people were 603550. the Leuites but 22000. beside the oddes of age reckoned that that was not the cause of giuing him the tenth for then the sixtieth part should haue been but his A pitifull wonder it is to see such learned men alledge such reasons But what then was the true reason of this donation Obserue it Thousands of yeeres before the Law are Tithes giuen to the Lord betweene Abraham and Melchisedec Gen. 14.20 and 28.22 then vowed by Iaacob Hereupon more then an hundren yeeres after God intimateth to his people Leuit. 27.30 That all the tithes of that Land were his his already his long before not made his now What needed all this if God had onely respected the generall prouision for a tenth twelfth or thirteenth Tribe Might not Canaan haue been diuided in ten twelue or thirteene parts to the lesser Tribe the smaller portion as God appointed Num. 26.54 And might not Tithes also haue been delayed till that time But this thirteenth portion must be in the Lord after another maner then the Land of Canaan was the Lords What more care of Leui then of all the Tribes Then of Iuda whereof Christ himselfe came Yet obserue § VIII God giueth Leui first a calling before he giueth him a condition The Calling should bring on the Condition Numb 1.49.50 for Aaron and his sonnes were taken vp as Priests Exod. 28. Euen so is Leui made the Lords more peculiarly then the other Tribes All this while hath Leui no portion the first newes he heareth is he shall haue no portion among his Brethren onely I am his portion saith the Lord Num. 18.20 and in the next verse I haue giuen the sonnes of Leui all the tenth c. Then hee subioyneth what moued him so to doe For his seruice in the Tabernacle of the Congregation and therefore Leui hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren Deut. 10.8.9 So we see the only Calling brought on the condition Neh. 7.94 This rule was euer kept vnder the Law he that could not proue his pedegree to the Priest-hood hee was debarred holy maintenance It should go so vnder the Gospell too Hee that cannot giue euidence of an inward calling his Euangelicall pedegree should not bee permitted propter beneficium ambire officium That this was the true cause and right course in Leuies maintenance it is euident by this that he who committed Sacrilege offended God Primariò against the first Table hee that robbed any other Tribe offended but in the second Table he spoiled not God he was but a theefe the other a sacrilegious theefe Shall we cleare it also by the Gospell Rom. 2.21 c. Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Thou which preachest A man should not steale doest thou steale Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery Heere we see in these three points he opposeth one and the same sinne vnder one and the same names but then Thou that abhorrest Idols committest thou Sacrilege What a strange change is in this opposition heere of Idolatrie to Sacrilege Paul proueth Sacrilege to be Idolatrie thus All couetousnesse is Idolatrie Col. 3.5 Ephes 5.5 Whereupon wee iustly inferre this Ergo All Sacrilege is Idolatrie Sacrilege being a coueting of Gods owne goods must bee most Idolatrous So haue we sufficiently proued that Tithes in no respect are Ceremoniall and that Tithes and the Law were not twinnes of one time as we proued from Leuit. 27. But say they Leuitic smelleth also of the Law for this see Chap. 9. Secondly we shew before either Law was giuen or Leui gotten Tithes were Gods by contract from Iacob Leuies father To this they reply This was a Vow and Vowes also smell of the Law Whereof also Chap. 8.9 Thirdly Tithes were first of all the Lords by most lawfull and powerfull possession passed betweene Abraham and that Priest of the most high God Melchisedec Of whom with the Apostle wee haue many things to say which are hard to be vttered because men bee dull of hearing and that by reason they be too quick in Tithing And this for production of Gods rights wee goe now to examine the pieces And first that which was first viz. Our Possession CHAP. VI. Tithes at first giuen Really and Royally neuer matched with Laicks Some Obiections answered § I OVR first right then is our Possession It goeth thus Gen. 14.18 And Melchisedec King of Salem brought forthbread and wine and hee was a Priest of the most high God And he blessed Abraham saying Blessed art thou Abraham of the most high God Possessor of Heauen and Earth and blessed bee the most high God who hath deliuered thine enemies into thine hand And Abraham gaue him Tithe of all Heere is a naked-like Historie to conteine so great Mysteries relatiue to nothing before it foretelling nothing to follow it It may be that Moyses saw no more in it then he set downe but Interpretations are of God Gen. 40.8 Luke 7.28 Lib. 2. cap. 4. And The least in the Kingdome of God is greater then Iohn Baptist whereof afterwards Howsoeuer Patent and Possession all in one yet heere haue we our most ancient and authenticke Patent and Possession of our Inheritance Simul semel actione vnicâ Marke therefore the dignitie of the Action both in Substance and Circumstances and of that which floweth from it For all is Reall all is Royall Time Royall in two respects First Because it was many hundred yeeres before the law A time of freedome when as no precept did presse any partie to it Secondly The particular time of the action is described by Royall circumstances vers 17. viz. after that faithfull Abraham redeemed faithfull Lot by the ruine of foure Kings Place Royall vers 17. For our Charter is dated in the Valley of Shaueth which is the
partaker of all thy goods Hoc opus hic laborest § II Leui then being the last receiuer and so long as hee lasted Lord of a large Inheritance Leui dyed not without heires Tithes Our question is How Leui died without heires Or what did Christ the Sonne in putting Leui from his office of typing him whereby his Fathers Inheritance might not descend to the succeeding Officiars that Preach him And why these Beggerly rudiments Galath 4.9 and that perishing Priesthood of the Law had so rich a Patrimonie and the glorious and rich Reuelations of the Gospell so beggerly a Ministery For if Christ who changed both Priesthood and Law had likewise changed maintenance this had beene well Heb. 7.11.12 But since hee hath placed Priesthood for Priesthood and Law for Law why hath he not also put Maintenance for Maintenance First then of Christ himselfe then of his Apostles and that either by Deede or Word Part. 1. cap. 1. ad init Christs Doings in this his Spiritual Patrimony by Separation was euen like that of his Kingdome on Earth For although hee was a righteous King by carnall descent and King of Righteousnesse by diuine Essence yet was he poorer then the Foxes of the field Matth. 8.20 Act. 20.35 or the birds of the ayre So was it euer with him Melius dare quà m accipere both wayes Besides it was not the chiefe Lords part to take vp his owne Inheritance but his Officiars to whom also he gaue them as Inheritance So did the onely Ministery of both the former ages take Tithes Melchisedec and Leui. That Christ did nothing against them it is cleare for if they had signified any Ceremonie to be perfected in him he had doubtlesse by some one action answered it as he did the smallest of all Ceremonies which being once shewed Tithes are ended This for his Deeds His sayings are twice recorded First Matth. 23.25 Woe be vnto you Scribes and Pharisies for yee Tithe Minte and Annise and § III Cumine and leaue the weightier matters of the Law Christs â—ayings touching Tithes Iudgement Mercy and Fidelitie Heere he would seeme against Tithes but goe on These ought ye to haue done viz. Iudgement Mercy and Fidelitie and not to haue left the other viz. Tithing Now if we should inferre vpon this That so long as Iudgement Mercy and Fidelitie are in vse so long must Tithes bee They will answere That at this time Moyses Law was good vntill Consummatum est therefore we leaue this to the Apostles Christs second saying was That comparison betweene the Publican and the Pharisie vanting of himselfe I fast twice a weeke Luke 18 12. I giue Tithe of all that euer I possesse and yet Christ preferreth the Publican wherein hee condemneth not the Pharisie for his paying Tithes nor fasting but for his vaine boasting of his owne workes These are all wee haue of Christ Of all those Sacrilegious Tithers take great aduantage § IV For seeing Christ say they changed both Priest-hood and Law filling their roomes and hath neglected Patrimonie it is euident he hath abolished it No they still erre not knowing the Scriptures For it is most true That seeing he hath not brought in a new he hath not abrogated the olde for to change and to abolish are both one as they are relatiue to Moyses Law So that whatsoeuer Christ changed he abolished putting alwayes somewhat in place of it as carnall things in Spirituall Ceremonial in Substantial and perishing types in Eternal Verities Now one word in all the Gospell either plaine text or Consequence against Tithes Inheritance If nothing against it then saith Tertullian Quod non notat Scriptura negat But they reply heere Christ said nothing for them in the Gospell Ergo Negat quia non notat It followeth not thus vnlesse they say No Scripture speaketh for them and then they say false and therefore better said Lex semel lata non deleta semper obligat Enough then for vs God at first taught it The Law ordained it The Gospell neuer gain-sayed it For we must not expect Christ as a new Legislator of all our Morall duties No Hee came to perfect and abolish the Ceremoniall Law Rom. 8.1.4 to fulfill and make vs able to answere in him the Morall Law § V Against all those fiue points of Gods worship Christ or his Apostles haue spoken All Ceremoniall things abrogate by Christ or his Apostles Iohn 4.21 Marke 2.28 and Mat. 12.8 Col. 2.16 17. in so farre as they were Ceremoniall Against Place Ceremoniall Beleeue mee the houre commeth when yee shall neither in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem worshippe the Father Against Time The Sonne of man is Lord euen of the Sabbath So his Apostles chaunged it And Let no man condemne you c. In respect of an holy day c. Or of the Sabbaths Heb. 7.11 Against Ceremonial Person If perfection had been by the Priest-hood of the Leuites what needed another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec And wee see Christ chused Paul and many other Disciples and Apostles not of the Tribe of Leui. Against Worship in manner and matter Christs once Sacrifice defaced all theirs Heb. 13.20 Heb. 10. And we haue an Altar whereof they haue no authoritie to eate which serue in the Tabernacle Against the ceremonial maintenance of those ceremonial seruices Colos 2.16 and Heb. 13.9 10. Let no man therfore condemne you in meat and drinke c. which are but a shadow of things to come But the bodie is in Christ A precept for all sorts of men So Leui in regard of those restrictions a Ceremoniall Priest though he eat also of Gods Inheritance because he medled also with Gods Morall seruice in teaching his Law abroad he could not make the Inheritance Ceremonial 2 Chro. 17.7 8 9. nor defraud Melchisedec of his due Onely that which began with Leui ended with Leui. And that all those foresaid fiue points had euer in § VI them both a Moral and Ceremonial respect Order and Time of the points of Gods Worship Gen. 1.26 27 c. Gen. 3.15 the Ceremonial Law taking chiefe hold of the latter and so the Morall was euer the former and remaineth still it is cleare thus First Worship consisting before the fall in a perfect obedience 〈◊〉 God And after the fall in those Euangelical promises of our Redemption which with their performances now in Christ are both but one both morall and perpetual before the Law The Typical worship Gen. 4.3 Gen. 2.8 16 17 Gen. 4.3 Gen. 18.16 17 c. both before and after the fall came last For doubtlesse Adam as God taught him taught his sonnes before they sacrificed Which in processe of time came to passe Also vnder the Law the first point in our Legal Priests commission was Moral To teach Iacob thy Iudgements c. and then commeth the Ceremonial Deut 33.10 To put the burnt offering vpon
this part 7. cap. 5. § 2. adding from Nehem. 11. how they brought by lot but one man of ten to dwell at Ierusalem the nine parts liuing alwayes abroad in their Cities Seeing then onely the tenth man stayed at Ierusalem and that Tithes were their Inheritance why should this Inheritance be all carried vp and so nine parts againe downe like Post-wages according as they came and went by their courses Leuite then Num 18. from vers 20 to 25. hauing no cleare limitation nor distinction in the text must include the whole Tribe in their gift to Tithes Vers 20. He first debarreth Aarons Inheritance with Israel vers 21 and 24. are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Causals as all translate For For saith he I haue giuen the children of Leui euen Aaron and all another Inheritance All the tenth of Israel Therefore seeing one and the same reason debarred all by exprâ—sse name heere from that Ciuill inheritance the same reason that is this Sacred inheritance must bee alike one and the same to all And I pray you marke the course and coherence of these texts Thou Aaron shalt haue no Ciuill Inheritance in Israâ—l vers 20. For vers 21. I haue giuen the children of Leui all the tenth of Israel What was this to Aaron that Hee must want his Inheritance because the onely inferiour Leuites had got an Inheritance vnlesse Aaron goe as a childe of Leui in that reason And Ioseph is plaine That Tithes were giuen for Leuites Antiq. lib. 4. cap. 4. C. Engl. in Vita Ios and Priest and Tribe Neither tooke I Tithes that were due to me as Priest from such as brought me them If men apply these to decimarum decimae first Ioseph was not now at Ierusalem whither these Tithes must beene brought Secondly Ioseph was no High-Priest Thirdly I neuer read those Tithes vnder one single name but still Tenthes of Tithes Otherwise the Priests had no Tithes Inheritance at all in Israel For their Decimarum decimae were not Tithes of Israel but of Leui and Leui in these accounts is no more an Israelite Indeed the Materia prima of both is one to wit the Tenth of Israel g uen to Leui whereof they againe gaue the other tenth but in Person Place and End they wholly differ and in these onely differences standeth the true difinition of what is M ral or Ceremonial Perpetual or Temporal in them Then the text giueth vs those two Syllogismes first All Tithes inheritance are payd by Israel to Leui. ver 21.24 Tenth of Tithes are not payd by Israel to Leui but by Leuie to Aaron 26. Ergo Tenth of Tithes are not Tithes-inheritance Againe The children of Leui had this inheritance giuen them All Priest were the children of Leui. Ergo All Priests had this Inheritance giuen them And for confirmation Deut. 18.1 The Priestes of the Leuits and all the Tribe of Leui shall haue no part nor inheritance with Israel but shall eate of the offerings of the Lord made by fire and his inheritance And Ezech 44 28. The Priesthood is their Inheritance And Iosu 13.14 Onely to the Tribe of Leui gaue he no inheritance Ergo as the whole Tribe was frustrate so the whole Tribe was supplied by this new inheritance Tithes But if we distinguish not according to other Scriptures those Offerings from the proper Inheritance we shall confound all for many oblations might the Priests and their males onely eate of and no inferior Leuit some might not remaine vneaten till to morrow but all tied to the Temple onely and Ierusalem So such Priests to wit nine for one as liued dispersed could not liue by those oblations So those oblations were not their inheritance They must haue no inheritance with or among Israel sayth the text yet must they liue mixed with and among Israel therefore their proper Inheritance must run dispersed with and among Israel and not confined to so small a part of Israel as onely Ierusalem But saith not Paul plainly Heb. 7. The sonnes of Leui receiuing the Priesthood haue a command to Tithe the people Is not here the command of Tithing directly giuen to the sonnes Priests and to take from the people Ergo Tithes are inheritance to Priestes as well as Leuites And yet Master Selden Reuiew pa 454. in it would proue from this same place of Paul that Priests were not partners in these first Tithes But what if this decima decimarum were not properly primò due to the Priests as Mr. Selden seemeth to auouch but to the high Priest The text bids directly giue it to Aaron the high Priest Numb 18.26 28. The beginning of the Chap from ver 8. to 20. he ioineth euer Aarons sons with himselfe as partners of all the oblations of the other Tribes but in this offering of decima decimarum we read no such compartnership not that I doubt but the sonnes of Aaron this Ceremony being performed might thereafter partake in and by him of this offering but the reason and Analogie of this in my iudgement is That as all the Tribes hauing Barne wine-presse must pay first that first Tith inheritance to the tribe of Leui before they durst put hand in their nine parts remaining so the Tribe of Leui must out of his inheritance giue a tenth also answering his Barnes and Wine-presses But to exempt all Priests from this were first to exempt the best though not the greatest part of that Tribeâ— from acknowledging God by an Offering as did the rest Secondly It giueth Leui a prerogatiue aboue all the rest of the Tribes voyd both of precept and reason The Earth is the Lords the fulnes thereof So the possessors of it acknowledge God by giuing their Tithes Tithes are yet a degree more holy to the Lord being made the generall Inheritance of his Ministers and Leuits but Their Tenths againe holiest of all proceeding from an holy Person the Tribe of Leui out of Holy Barnes and wine-presses the Tithes to holiest persons the High-priests at onely holy Place the Temple Now if it be asked how Aaron shall passe here who is still the Receiuer I answere Vltra Summum Nihil And as Aaron had that transcendent power onely he to offer that yeerly expiatory sacrifice for Prince people and himselfe too so by the same power might hee receiue in name of God the offrings of all subordinat to him and for them and himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill and perfect all those points in his owne person And so albeit the other Priests all those points being duely performed might eate and partake of this Offering in the prerogatiue of Priesthood and Sonne-ship of Aaron yet prima instantiâ and in mounting the scale of this precept they are but Offerers not Receiuers You see Reader how loath we are to loose our interest in Tithes euen from the Law but remember still the law is neither our whole nor sole ground Then let mee aske Who gaue Tithes to Melchis dec Abraham